SERMON SUBJECT: FULFILLING LIFE’S PURPOSES

SERMON TEXT: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”(Psalm 90:12).

SERMON THESIS: “Life should be so lived that people become wise as God intends.”

INTRODUCTION: On Tuesday morning of this week I received a call from Rev. Farrell W. Brown’s daughter, Donna, that her father had died. She had called me earlier in the week to let me know that her father was in the last stages of life and that she and the family wanted me to conduct his funeral. While going through his personal things, she had found a note stating his wishes concerning his funeral. On that list was the name Benny Woods. It was his wish, as stated, that I conduct his funeral.

You may be asking who is Rev. Farrell W. Brown? Farrell Brown, or Preacher Brown, as we affectionately knew him, was our pastor from 1966-1973, while we were members of the McPheeters Bend Baptist Church in Church Hill, Tennessee. Not only was he my pastor, he was my mentor and friend. It was under his leadership as a young Christian that I was ordained a deacon, served in various capacities, grew in the Lord, and later surrendered to full time Christian service. Needless to say, he had a tremendous influence and spiritual impact on our lives. As you might imagine, I was honored that both he and his family wanted me to conduct his funeral.

Rev. Farrell W. Brown, from my perspective at least, fulfilled God’s purpose for his life. Therefore, in retrospect of the events of this past week, while ministering to the Brown family in Johnson City, Tennessee, the message I am sharing with you today came to my mind based on Psalm 90:12, which is, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” I like the way in which this verse reads in the NASB. “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.” Better still, I like the way this verse in paraphrased in The Message–Oh! Teach us to live well. Teach us to live wisely and well.”

For clarification, “heart of wisdom” must be understood from Old Testament teachings, “as the seat of the mind, intellect, and the will.”

Now before expounding on the meaning of this verse of Scripture, and making application of it on our lives, allow me to ask you a question. The question is this, “From your understand of what you believe to be God’s purpose for your life as God intends, are you fulfilling His purpose? In response to that question, let me say, if we are to live well, better still, if we are to live wisely and well, first...

II. WE MUST REMAIN TEACHABLE THROUGHOUT OUR BRIEF LIFE SPAN.

At best, our teachable years are brief. The writer of the little epistle of James describes life as a vapor. Earlier in the 90^th Psalm, the Psalmist wrote, “The length of our days is seventy years–or eighty (the secularists would say–if we are lucky), if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away”(Ps. 90:10). Over the stove in our kitchen while growing up on a farm in east Tennessee, my mom had a plaque displayed which read, “Life is short and full of trouble–let us make our home happy and love each other.”

Returning to Tennessee, this past week, to minister to the Brown Family, and visiting the cemetery where Carolyn’s mother and older brother are buried, the cemetery where my family members are buried, and the cemetery where Preacher Brown was buried in Johnson City, I was reminded of my own mortality. I was reminded of the brevity of life and the need to be about fulfilling God’s purpose for my life as He intends.

How do I–how do we do it? That is to say, how do we live well, and how do we live wisely? In answer to this question, the phrase “teach us,” suggests to us that if He (God) is to teach us we must remain teachable. One writer said, “Only He can teach us to plan our lives and use our time in such a manner that we reach the full measure of wisdom He plans for us.”

QUESTION: How does God teach us?

1. Through life’s circumstances ... Driving home from Tennessee, on this side of Atlanta, I heard Dr. John McArthur, say during a radio message on forgiveness,“Offenses against us from others are for trials in our lives. It is through the trials that He is perfecting us. He teaches us through our circumstances. However, in order to learn the valuable lessons He is teaching, we must be teachable.

2. Through His Word ... The Psalmist said, “I will instruct and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you”(Psalm 32:8). I like that old hymn, His Eye Upon the Sparrow . . .

“Moreover, as for me, for be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct in the good and right way”(I Samuel 12:23).

Concerning His Word, the Bible says, “All Scripture is inspired of God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness”(II Timothy 3:16).

3. Through the Holy Spirit ...

 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you”(John 14:26).

4. Through others ...

“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12).

My pastor, Preacher Brown, taught me during a time I was willing and eager to learn. As a result of his teaching and influence, I have tried to remain teachable across the years. Do I have all the wisdom and knowledge I need at age 59? No! I must remain teachable if I am to live wise and well. If I am to “...present to Thee a heart of wisdom.” Maintaining a teachable spirit is the one way I can accomplish this and fulfill God’s purpose for my life, and so must you.

Second, if we are to fulfill God purpose for our lives, i.e., live well and wisely...

II. WE MUST LEARN TO MANAGE OUR GOD GIVEN TIME WELL. The Psalmist goes on to say, “Teach us to number our days...”(Ps. 90:1). Allow me to paraphrase this phrase, “Teach us to make the best use of our time.” It was the Psalmist who said ...

“Lord, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am”(Ps. 39:4).

It was the writer of Proverbs who wrote...

“The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps”(Proverbs 16:9).

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the Most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is”(Eph. 5:15-17).

“Foolishness” is contrasted with “understanding what the will of the Lord is.” In order not to live foolishly, and understand what the will of the Lord is, one must manage their time well. We must learn to manage our time well because time is running out (use visual–the hourglass). It was a dying queen who once said, “I would give my entire kingdom for one more moment of time.” Shakespear, likewise, said, “Time I have wasted and now time doeth waste me.”

Speaking of time and the passing thereof, Carolyn and I were on our way to the cemetery to put flowers on Carolyn’s mother’s grave; having to take a detour, we drove right by the Church Hill High School (now the middle school) where we graduated in 1962 . . .

Stopping for a few moments and walking through these familiar facilities after 42 years, we remembered and were reminded about the beauty of life.

The Apostle Paul warned, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.”(Eph. 5:18). It is unwise to get drunk on wine. It is just as unwise not to be filled with the Spirit. If we are not being filled with the Spirit, in accordance to God’s command, on a continuous basis, we are not using out time wisely, and will not live well.

Third, and finally, if we are to fulfill life’s purpose . . .

III. WE MUST ALLOW OUR LIVES TO BE TRANSFORMED AS GOD INTENDS.

Hear our text once again, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom”(Psalm 90:12). It was the Apostle Paul who said,

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of the Lord is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect”(Rm. 12:2).

The mind, intellect, and the will, must be in a constant stage of transformation (change) if we are “...number our days, and present to God a heart of wisdom. In Deuteronomy, we read of a nation who did not live well and wisely. The Bible says,

“For they are a nation lacking in council, and there is no understanding in them. Would that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would discern their future”(Deut. 32:28-29).

How are we to live our lives to the fullest? Fulfilling God’s plan and purpose for our lives? Living well and living wisely? We can begin by applying these three life principles to our lives. Here they are in review:

1. Remain teachable throughout your brief life span.

2. Learn to manage your God given time well.

3. Allow yourself to be transformed as God intends.

CONCLUSION: Are you living your life in such a way that you are becoming wise as God intends. Real life begins when you trust Jesus as your Savior. Have you trusted Him?