Sermon Central
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Frail Frames Forecast Future Fixedness
Contributed by Mack Armstrong on Jul 28, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: David was so true when he said that we are made of dust; likewise, he was true when he said that God is aware of our earthly/dust made bodies. God, in His wisdom has made it possible that once we lay down our dust made bodies, we can inherit a new body.
FRAIL FRAMES FORECAST FUTURE FIXEDNESS
I. FRAME:
A. Finite.
B. Frail.
C. Fleeting.
II. FACTS:
A. Full.
B. Formative.
C. Failings.
III. FUTURE:
A. Freedom.
B. Fellowship.
C. Fixedness.
The mystery of the human body is still just that: a mystery. Although doctors, scientists and many others have studied the body from its inception unto its death, no one has yet been able to fathom the wonderment of it.
Some say that it is nothing more than just an animal-much like the apes and monkeys. Others think that it is more of a complex entity that has certain animal characterizes but it is different from the animals. Some view the body as a well-oiled machine, which is born, functions quite well under ordinary conditions, then disintegrates at the point of death.
Others view the body as little more than the results of eons of time in the evolutionary cycle with no souls, no spirit, nothing more than mere intellect and natural responses. While most wave their idea of the body as being correct, others think differently. David was one of those people. He viewed the body as being formed by God and made of dust. Furthermore, as long as the body existed, it was/is under the watchful eye of God. Adding to this thought, have been other Biblical writers, which have added their insights into the makeup of the body as given to them by God, which includes a soul and spirit. All the writers of the sacred word felt that when life ceases, the spirit given to the body by God, returns to God for His judgment while the flesh decays away.
Hence, the Biblical writers have elevated the body to a new and better height than what the secular world has given to the body of mankind. According to the Scriptures, the body is more than just an animal, which is born then dies and disappears. The Scared Word adds that the body is not a process of blind evolution, but that it is especially made by God, with inherent facilities to worship Him: the soul and spirit of mankind.
David said that our bodies are frail, they are made of dust and God knows all about us. He is much aware of who we are and what we endure in this life. As such, the body is the direct result of God’s gift to each individual and how we treat that body as well as how we treat others’ bodies reflect on us and ultimately upon the God that made the body-out of dust.
As I study the verse before me, I see three things about this body of dust as made by God. The first one is in regards to the FRAME we have as it contains the body of dust made by God. The next part of my verse has to do with certain FACTS about this body of dust. Lastly, I see a FUTURE for the body God has given us, especially the body of a Christian.
I. FRAME: David said that we are dust and that God is mindful of our limitations. It is a comfort to know that David was correct, especially in the day in which we live when all of us have to do super human tasks and obligations.
The first thing I note about our FRAME of dust is the fact that we are Finite. We are born of dust and we will return to the dust of the earth from which we came. In spite of this truth, there are many people who act as if they will live forever; spending outlandish money on things they think will keep them young and beautiful. Others may not spend a great deal on the concept of staying young. Some of them ignore the advance of age and live as if they will never die. However, I read in my Bible where it says that man is appointed to death and after that comes the judgment of God. We are Finite and we do not live forever on this earth. Our bodies will decay away because they are dust, but our souls will live on.
Another aspect of our bodies is the fact that the dust from which we come is frail and is of the earth. What we see on the outside of others and us is a covering for what lies on the inside. We may be strong, healthy and robust, but in the end, age overtakes all of us and we have to succumb to the advancement of time. That which was honed to perfection in a perfect body by some body builders will fail because our bodies, our FRAME, will fail us in the end. Regardless of the amount of medicine we can consume while alive, the body feels the irresistible pull to return to its home-the dust of the earth and if we live long enough, we will sense the frailties of our bodies as we approach old age. Even in older age, we must remember that God knows our bodies, which He made from the dust of the Earth. David said that God is mindful of our earthly frames because we are made of dust. This is a great comfort for all of God’s children to remember always.
