What are your Priorities?
Part 1
Note… Message illustrations and some points provided by Phillip Krueger, SermonCentral
Text: Ecc. 3:1-13
1. He hath put the World- literally, eternity… in our hearts…
2. We are eternal beings, it has been part of our DNA from the beginning
We did not just happen to arrive on this planet- we arrived here with a purpose…
3. Living with an eternal perspective will aid us in prioritizing our priorities
a. When living for here and now- we do anything it does not matter
When taught we come from monkeys – we end up living like them – not only does a monkey enjoy his monkey wife he has, he enjoys his neighbors as well if he can get away with it.
Heterosexuals average 3-8 partners in their lifetime.
Homosexuals average 300 partners in a lifetime
b. When living with an ETERNAL perspective- we live better
History records, eleven millionaires were on the Titanic when she sank. One of the few millionaire survivors was Major A.H. Peuchen.
He left $300,000 of his money, jewelry and securities in a box in his cabin. He said, “The money seemed a mockery at that time. I picked up three oranges instead.”
A. Whether we realize it or not, we all live according to priorities.
Like this lady for instance….
A woman was sitting next to an empty seat at the Super Bowl stadium. A man asked the woman about it. The woman explained, “It was my husband’s…but he died.”
The man said to her, “ I am so sorry but yet surprised that another relative or friend didn’t jump at the chance to take his seat.” The woman answered, “I don’t understand it either. But, they all decided on going to his funeral instead.”
A farmer ran this classified ad in the Quay County Sun: “Farmer with 160 acres wants marriage-minded woman with a tractor. When replying, please send picture of tractor.” [AP release, June 1978, Tucumcari, New Mexico]
A group of friends went deer hunting and paired off in two’s for the day.
That night one of the hunters returned alone, staggering under the weight of a 200 pound deer.
The other hunters asked, “Where’s Bob?” The lone man said, “Oh, he had a stroke of some kind, he’s a couple of miles back up the trail.”
The other hunters were shocked and asked why he left Bob laying there to carry the deer instead.
“It was a tough call,” the hunter said, “but I figured no one was going to steal Bob.”
B. Our priorities tell on us
1. If you want to know what is important to me, just watch what I do…
I may say… reading the Word is important, but do I read it?
I may say my marriage is important… but do I show it?
2. When a youth knows his parents are wiser and yet follows the advice of his peers, what does his actions tell us?
a. It tells us that at that moment in life… what his friends r think is more important than that of his parents.
b. We parents, when we get after our youth for their choices, do so because choices determine direction of life.
c. If we have a child that continually fudges the truth and that does not get corrected, later in life they will fudge not only the truth, but their marriages as well.
3. What does it say about us putting off until tomorrow, what we should be doing today?
a. Our concept of importance is questionable
4. When spiritual life matters so little to us, what does that say about us?
Our connection to our heavenly father is weak
Closing…
1. Is what we are doing… counting for time and eternity?
2. What will you do… what that ultimate summons comes forth… this night thy soul shall be required of thee… Luke 12:20
3. We would never say these words… but too often we live them out.
