Text:
Matthew 22:34-40:
34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Theme:
The Christian Bucket List
Introduction:
- The text comes from the Gospel of Matthew.
- The Gospel according to St. Matthew is the first book of the New Testament and of the Gospels of Jesus, the Christ, and the 40th book of the Holy Bible as a whole.
- Matthew, the disciple of Christ, wrote in more detail of the life of Christ and His ministry than any other Gospel writer even though the book was written over 5-10 years later than the rest of the Gospels.
- Being a tax collector, Matthew’s attention to detail with the money was a gift that God used to collect and document information about the Master’s life and living.
- The theme arises out of a crisis that arose with my brother, Vaughn
- Vaughn in Hospital…diagnosis given…Stage 4 Lung Cancer…(November 2014)
- God placed this study in my spirit as I sat in the hospital room in Erlanger hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was not the hospital room of a church member. The prognosis was not one of “You’ll be alright just take this medication and rest.” But instead, the prognosis was that the patient had stage 4 lung cancer and how long he would live was uncertain. This was not the hospital room of an acquaintance. The doctor had told us that they were going to do tests to see what could be done. They had no corrective measure that could turn it around at this point. This was not the hospital room of somebody that I had heard about. Actually this was the hospital room of my brother, Vaughn. My brother was terminally ill with lung cancer.
- In this situation, myself and my youngest brother shifted our perspective to consider getting our brother’s house in order…for his sake!
- Because of this, I told Vaughn that he needed to start to put together a list of any and everything that he needed to get done so that we could position ourselves physically and financially to help him achieve it! His battling a deteriorating body should not be hindered by “stuff”. So Stephen and I asked him to let us quietly HELP him.
- As this activity progressed I felt the alignment of these thoughts with the Word of God. Not only does this apply to Vaughn but we all can relate! Jesus came to have the same conversation with us in the Word. Jesus is saying, “Let me help you to get the important stuff done while you deal with your deteriorating body!” To do this we need to document the vision for our lives so that Jesus can help us with it.
- Have you documented your list?
- Vaughn in Hospital…diagnosis given…Stage 4 Lung Cancer…(November 2014)
- Let us examine The Christian Bucket List!
Body:
- What is a “Bucket List”?
- The term comes from the expression “the list of what I want to do before I kick the bucket”
- The shortened version of this has come to be “Bucket List”
- In 2007 the movie “Bucket List” was released starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman
- Made the already common concept very popular
- Both men had learned that they were terminally ill.
- Jack Nicholson’s character came up with the idea to write a bucket list and then carry it out
- He had the money to do anything
- He got Morgan Freeman’s character do the same so they did it together.
- The movie was their carrying out their commitment to their bucket list.
- The Christian will know that God needs to get the glory from any bucket list!
- Colossians 3:23, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
- Jeremiah 13:16, “Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.”
- NOTE: I would want my last days in this life to guarantee my eternal days in Glory!
- The believer should have two “Bucket Lists”…
- The Bucket List that ensures Salvation!
- Greatest of all….FAITH
- Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
- Belief and Confession
- Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
- Reception of the Word of God
- James 1:21, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
- Suffering
- 2Timothy 2:12, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us”
- Romans 8:17, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
- Spiritual Persistence
- 2Peter 1:10-11, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
- Endurance
- Matthew 10:22, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”
- The Bucket List that gives a full life IN Christ!
- Relationship with God
- Micah 6:8, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
- Service to God
- Matthew 4:10, “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
- Love for God
- Deuteronomy 6:5, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
- Love of other people
- 1John 3:14, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”
- Excellence/Prosperity/Overflow
- 3John 1:2, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
- Lead someone else to Christ
- The old hymn “If I Can Help Somebody” says it best…
- Relationship with God
- Greatest of all….FAITH
- The Bucket List that ensures Salvation!
If I can help somebody, as I pass along
If I can cheer somebody, with a word or song
If I can show somebody, how they’re travelling wrong
Then my living shall not be in vain
If I can do my duty, as a good man ought
IF I can bring back beauty, to a world up wrought
IF I can spread Love’s message, as the Master taught
Then my living shall not be in vain
Conclusion:
- So we need to understand that there are things that God is expecting us to DO in this life!
- James 2:17, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
- In this life I want to DO many things, but only those things for Christ will last!
- God has provided so much….I want to take advantage of what He had GIVEN!
- While I have breath in my body…
- While I have another chance…
- While He has given me another getting up…
- While He keeps on blessing me…
- While He has kept my bed from being my cooling board…
- While He has held back the hand of that old Death Angel…
- While I am still in the land of the living…
- While the blood is still running warm in my veins…
- While I still have a prayer to pray and a song to sing…
- While I have a chance…
- While I yet live…………..
- I am gonna give Him ALL THE PRAISE!!!
- I am gonna give Him ALL THE GLORY!!!
- I am gonna give Him ALL THE HONOR!!!
This is my Christian Bucket List!
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