SUNDAY SERMON
Topic: THE JOURNEY OF LIFE
Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-12KJV
SUNDAY SERMON2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
Life is seen differently by all, likewise the journey of life is seen in different perspectives by different people and as such, everyone lives life differently base on their perspective, orientation and believe. Life indeed is a journey from one point to another point meaning there is a starting point or beginning and there is an end point or final destination and of course this journey is a function of time.
A JOURNEY FROM BIRTH TO DEATH
Some believe life on earth is only a journey from birth to death just as our scriptural text states “a time to die and a time to be born”, they have the opinion that after death on earth, nothing more and so a lot with such perspectives about life’s journey, live their life anyhow in the way they want. To them they are not accountable to anyone how they live, to them it’s better to live life to the fullest having fun, pleasing the desires of the flesh and wordly pleasures. Some turn themselves to oppressors of their fellow, some are embodiment of wickedness, some their aim to is make money and amass wealth by all means through corruption, cheating, prostitution, stealing e.t.c
Some biblical examples of men who have this perspective about the journey of life are:
* The judge in the parable of Jesus in Luke 18:2 who feared neither God nor man, so he was just a man by himself who believed he was born and then would die and nothing more
* The rich fool in the parable of Jesus in Luke 12:16-23
“20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. 22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.”
Beloved, there is more to the journey of life than a time to be born and a time to die and that was why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:19 that
“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
So don’t journey through life like the judge that fear neither God nor man, don’t live like the rich fool who think of himself alone. Live as one who will give account to his maker at the end of his journey.
A JOURNEY OF PURPOSE
Another perspective of life which are threaded by a few people. Aside from life’s journey being from birth to death, some people believe it is also a journey with purpose, meaning if man is born, live and die and their no purpose for which such lived then such must have been a wasted life and time on earth. This of course is true as our scriptural text affirmed it that there is time for every purpose under heaven and went further in verse 12b that man should do good (purpose) in his life. So life’s journey is also a journey of purpose, and talking about purpose is talking about purpose discovery and purpose fulfilment.
Before we discuss about purpose discovery and fulfilment, I will like us to ascertain more from the scriptures that journey of life is a journey of purpose. Everything God made on earth including man, he made for pleasure according to Revelation 4:11
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
God made man for his pleasure, which can also be suited to say for his purpose, not only created for his purpose but also to live for his purpose and so anyone who is not living for God’s purpose has simply got his purpose of existence misplaced.
Furthermore, Ephesians 2:10 says
“For we are God’s handiwork (creatures), created in Christ Jesus to do good works (purpose), which God prepared in advance for us to do NIV”,
That scripture is simply saying God has purpose (good works) prepared for us before we were born, now he has created us in Christ Jesus to do those good works (purpose), so our life is a life of purpose and our journey on earth is equally a journey of purpose given by our maker.
Dearly beloved, anyone journeying through life without purpose is just like a man travelling without a reason, of course such will amount to waste of time, enery and resources and the end result could be dangerous. However, the important questions are, Are you living a life of purpose?, What is your God-given purpose in life?
Before a journey of purpose can be accomplished, it must first be discovered. God is a master planner and the master sculptor who can mold and remold lives. God has general purpose for man which can be found in the scriptures e.g
* To show forth his praises, 1 Peter 2:9
* To have dominion, frutitful, multiply and subdue the earth, Genesis 1:26-28
* To have an expected end, Jeremiah 29:11
* To fear God and keep God’s commandments, Ecclesiastes 12:13 e.t.c
However, God has specific purpose for every man, and that, man must seek to discover his specific God-given purpose in the journey of life. The revealer of purpose of life is God himself, so if you must discover your purpose, you got to ask God and seek his face, you’ve got to search deep by the spirit of God (1Corinthian 2:10). Failure to seek God and discover purpose will amount to;
* Abuse of life and purpose (of which many are victims, living a life of enmity against God)
* Living below God’s standard for such lives
* Living to fulfil another man’s purpose
A few litmus questions, to also guide in purpose discovery are:
* What do you have passion for?
* What do you do with easy without stress when other struggles with it?
* What do like to do over and over again even when no one praises you?
Genuine answers to those litmus questions can help to discover your purpose, however they must be things that glorify God.
After purpose discovery, fulfilling the purpose cannot be done without your maker, because he knows the end from the beginning, and so he alone can guide and direct in the journey of life to fulfilling purpose.
A JOURNEY FROM THE MARKET TO THE HOME
Another perspective to the journey of life and that is life is a journey from the market to the home. This world they say it’s a market place, meaning there is a home for everyone when we leave this world. And so when people die, it is often said that they have gone home. There are few things we must understand about the market place (the world we journey through) in relation to the home (the world we journey to after this life).
First let’s establish that when the night comes, the market closes and everyone must go home. No matter how beautiful the market is, no matter how busy the market is in the day time, when night comes everyone returns home. No one sleeps in the market because it’s not the home. Have seen a lot of offices that are well furnished and are made so comfortable as a house, yet as comfortable as they are, the owners don’t sleep there at night, they return home, why? because the office is a market, a place of business and not a home, a place of rest.
Now if you understand this clearly, then you will agree with me that no man in his right senses gets carried away by the activities in the market that he forgets his home, but unfortunately, many are so carried away in the market of life (this world) that they forget their home (where they will be after this earth). They have forgotten that no matter how great the market is, no matter how beautiful the life in the market is, no matter how much the money they made in the market is, when the night comes (death), market closes (the world ends) and they must go home.
Dearly beloved, journey of life is not just to be born, live and die, it not just to fulfil purpose, it is in addition a journey from market to your home. So how are your fairing in the market? or have you forgotten your home? Are you so engrossed with the plaesure of life on earth that you have forgotten to prepare for your life beyond this earth? Think on these things…
The market largely determines how the home will be, in other words, you are in the market to prepare for your home, it therefore means if you prepare adequately for your home, you can be sure that there will be rest, peace and joy in your home (heaven) but if you fail to prepare for your home, the reverse is the case meaning sorrow, weeping and pain will be there (hell).
Let’s consider a scenario of a man who went to the market, opened his office or shop in the market but left his office or shop and went to play with his friends in the market, having fun and making merry. He left his primary purpose of being in the market, wasted away his morning time and noon time which were the peak periods for sales of market and business and when the night came, it dawn on him that he had not made any sales, and that the market would close and that no room to make sales anymore. Certainly he went home sad, he slept in hunger and discomfort with no rest. Beloved, that is exactly the path many thread on this earth, they are busy catching fun and enjoying the pleasures of life at the detriment of their soul, they forget their primary assignment here on earth, they forget their maker and their God, they despise him and get busy living their lives the way they want. They forgot that when the night comes they must go home and since they never prepared for the home, they would receive exactly the kind of home that is meant for them.
Beloved, how do you live your life on earth (market)?, are you living in preparation for heaven? or you are busy with the pleasures of life at the expense of your soul? Remember, when the night comes you must go home where your life journey ends. Think on these things… as we consider this scripture
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36.
A JOURNEY FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL
Life journey is seen a as a race for every individuals. We could live together as a family, friends and neighbours, we could work together as collegues or business partners, we could attend church services together as fellow believers and we could serve God together in his vineyard as fellow workers but when we leave of all these on the earth (the market place) and we return home, we shall give account of our life’s journey on earth to our maker individually.
In Luke 16, the story of Lazarus and the rich man obviously showed that both were not strangers to themselves on earth, we could say they were neighbours living in the same neighborhood, both journey through life as neighbours, the rich man had everything he wanted in life, let’s simply say he was comfortable but Lazarus was always in want of basic amenities of life. When they died, Lazarus found himself in a comfortable place (Abraham’s bossom) while the rich man found himself in a place of pain (hell). The rich man sought for help from Lazarus but Father Abraham made him understand that help cannot be rendered there, everyone for himself, everyone accountable to God for their journey on earth.
Beloved, as you journey through life, understand that you shall give account of everything you do here on earth, let me say everything you do in this market place before God when you return home and you shall be rewarded. Revelation 22:12 Jesus said
“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be”.
So let no man cause you to stumble, and don’t live your life looking up to another man because if they fail, you might follow suit, rather look unto Jesus the author and the finisher of your faith.
WINNING THE JOURNEY OF LIFE
Eccelesiastes 9:11 says
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
In the journey of life, there are winners and there are losers. Since the journey of life is like a race that everyone is running, and like a race there are winners and there are losers. I want to state clearly that no one is born a winner and no one is born a loser as far as the race of life is concerned. Rather everyone runs with choice and determination to either win or lose, but I pray for you that you will be a winner and not a loser in Jesus Name. However to be a winner you need to run the race or journey through life with God and in God. Why?
LIFE IS A BATTLE FIELD: Life itself is a place of trouble and it’s a battle field, Job declared it that in Job 14:1 that
man is of few days and those few days are full of troubles.
The challenges of life in itself are enough to swallow any man and of course many have been victims and prey to the problems in life and so anyone who want to scale through life and win needs God.
THERE ARE ADVERSARIES: Devil is your number one adversary, sin is his potent weapon to make you lose. Devil like a roaring like goes about looking for whom to devour (1 Peter 5:8), so if you don’t carry God on your inside, you are as good a prey to the devil, and certainly you won’t be able to win in the journey of life.
YOU NEED STRENGTH: You are mortal, and so you are limited in power and strength to face the battles of life. Your strength cannot carry you so you need the strength from God. 1 Samuel 2:9 state it clearly that
“He keepeth the feet of his saints, but the wicked are silenced in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail”
The above scripture is saying because no man can prevail by strength including the saints so the Lord need to keep the feet of the saints for them to prevail and of course silent the wicked (sinners) in darkness.
Beloved, stay connected to God in complete obedience, do not be distracted and let nothing separate you from God. As you stay tuned to God, he releases grace upon you to become victorious in life and to be a winner. I pray this morning that the grace to win like the patriachs of old shall be released upon you from above in Jesus Name.
PRAYER:
* Father, take my life and let it be consecrated unto you
* Father, empower me to live a meaningful life on earth in Jesus Name
* Father, help me to discover and fulfil purpose in this journey of life in Jesus Name.
* Father, by your mercy, I will not gain this world to lose my home with you in Jesus Name.
* Father, my journey in life will not be a waste and I will not receive condemnation before you in Jesus Name.
* Father, by your mercy, I will not gain this world to lose my home with you in Jesus Name.
* Father, give me grace to win this journey of life In Jesus Name.
Amen