HOW TO LIVE BEFORE YOU DIE

SERIES: “UNDER THE SUN.”

TEXT: ECCLESIASTES 9:1-12.

Remember that Solomon is towards the end of his life as he writes the words in the book of Ecclesiastes. He has sought fulfilment in pleasure, in accomplishments, in good food and in fun. Now he looks back over his life and offers us his observations and advice. Having explored life and its meaninglessness, Solomon draws some important conclusions, he gives us four important lessons:-

THIS IS YOUR ONE AND ONLY LIFE: ENJOY IT.

• Your time on this earth, whether long or short should be something that you enjoy.
• Regardless of your circumstances it is possible to have that joy if you remember that only with God can you find true happiness.
• Only living life above and beyond the sun will you find the son of God, Jesus Christ your Savior.
• Ecclesiastes 9:7-8, “Go, eat your food with gladness and drink your wine with joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.”
• God is not a joy-killer. God creates this world with textures and colors and tastes and sensations and emotions for us to enjoy.
• Solomon says, “Always be clothed in white and always anoint your head with oil.”
• White garments were worn to joyous occasions.
• Anointing oil was used for special events.
• Solomon is encouraging us to make every occasion a special occasion.
• Bring out the best utensils-don’t save it for important visitors, live life with zest.
• 9, “Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun-All your meaningless days, for this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.”
• Proverbs 18:22, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.”
• Proverbs 19:14, “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.”
• A good spouse is a gift we shouldn’t overlook and should see her as a blessing from God.
• Don’t neglect the second most important relationship in your life-The one with your spouse.
• No matter how difficult life may be, there is great joy in the home of a man and woman who love each other and are faithful to their marriage vows.
• When you are married never stop laughing together, having good time with each other.
• Husband and wife, find something you enjoy doing together and don’t stop doing things that bring enjoyment.

LIFE IS SHORT: GIVE IT YOUR ALL.

• Solomon tells us in Eccl. 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
• We don’t know how long we have to live, so we would better give everything we do our absolute all.
• This passage of the scripture is called by many commentators as the “Carpe Diem passage.”
• “Carpe Diem” is a Latin phrase which means “Seize the day.”
• Fear God; walk by faith, don’t try to escape life, don’t try to endure (survive) life, we can enjoy life.
• Chuck Swindoll says “If you are waiting to live it up when you are six feet under, you will be disappointed. The time to live is now!!”
• The way to live life is to play it, “Full volume”-Col. 3:23-24.
• Life is short; give it your all.

THE RACE IS LONG: STICK WITH IT.

• The Christian life is a race, it is a marathon.
• The Christian life is long obedience in the same direction, keep going to your “true north,” Jesus Christ.
• When you accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, you committed yourself to faithfully follow him for the rest of your life, into eternity.
• Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to what happens to you.
• Whether we make it to the finish line or not depends on how you approach these obstacles.
• 9:11, “I have seen something else under the sun; The race is not for the swift or battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.”
• Solomon is saying that these are two things that can upset all our plans-Time and Chance.
• We can work harder than everyone else, be more talented than everyone else, be smarter and stronger than everyone else, but Time and Chance play huge roles in life.

1. Time is a huge factor: Being in the right place at the right time does more to bring success than anything else.

• Given that you have to work hard for it, give your best and then hope that the time is right.
• None of us know how much time we actually have. That is why you must “seize the day,” “carpe diem.”

2. Chance is another huge factor.

• Chance refers to unexpected events that can happen, for better for worse.
• There are times when you are on the receiving end of those unexpected events.
• There are times when you receive a disturbing diagnosis, get let go from your job, or face the loss of a loved one.
• Life is full of mount tops, valleys and plains.
• But always remember life is a marathon not a sprint.

YOUR HOUR WILL COME: BE READY FOR IT.

• In Ecclesiastes 9:12, “Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come; As fish are caught in a cruel net or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.”
• The seasons of life are unpredictable, as is the duration of your life. No person knows when their hour will come.
• Don’t think your hour won’t come, it will certainly come.
• Since death is unavoidable and life is unpredictable, the only course we can safely take is to yield ourselves into the hands of God and walk by faith and live by the promises of God.
• We don’t depend on luck but on the providential working of our loving Father as we trust His promises and obey His will-Rev. 1:17-18.
• Because Jesus Christ is alive and we live in Him, we don’t look at life and say, “Vanity, vanity, All is vanity”-1^st 15:54-55.

CONCLUSION

• Life and death are in God’s hands. Only God knows our future, let us trust God with our lives.
• “Satan will never tell you there is no hell, he won’t tell you there is no heaven, but he will tell you there is no hurry.”
• We must make a decision to receive Jesus Christ into our lives, please don’t postpone decision for the salvation of your soul any longer.
• To be ready is to be saved, Living In Salvation Always-(L.I.S.A).