Embracing Mortality: Living with Eternal Perspective

 

Summary

In the face of life's inevitable end, we are reminded of the profound wisdom found in Job's acknowledgment of mortality: "I know that thou will bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living." Job's suffering and contemplation of death serve as a poignant reminder that we, too, must confront our mortality. It is a universal truth that all must face, yet it is often avoided in conversation and thought. Job's experience teaches us that it is not only wise but necessary to consider our end, for in doing so, we prepare our souls for eternity.

Job's initial despair, believing his death was imminent, was met with God's grace, as he was restored and blessed with a life of abundance. This teaches us that our understanding of the future is limited, and we should not be quick to predict our own demise. Instead, we should live with patience and faith, trusting in God's timing and purpose for our lives. The unpredictability of life and death calls us to live each day with intention and readiness, not in fear but in hope and assurance of God's promises.

Death, though often feared, is not the end for those who are in Christ. It is a transition to a greater existence, a homecoming to the Lord. We are encouraged to live with the awareness that our time on earth is temporary and to prepare for the life to come. This preparation involves living a life of holiness, submission to God's will, and assurance of our salvation. In doing so, we can face death not with dread but with peace and anticipation of eternal joy.

The sermon calls us to reflect on our lives, urging us to live with purpose and urgency, knowing that our days are numbered. It challenges us to consider the legacy we leave behind and to ensure that our lives are aligned with God's will. As we contemplate our mortality, we are reminded of the hope we have in Christ, who conquered death and offers us eternal life.

Key Takeaways:

- Embrace Mortality with Wisdom: Job's acknowledgment of his mortality teaches us the importance of facing the reality of death. It is wise to consider our end, as it prepares us for eternity and aligns our lives with God's purpose. Avoiding thoughts of death only leads to a false sense of security. [05:32]

- Trust in God's Timing: Job's experience of despair and subsequent restoration reminds us that our understanding of the future is limited. We should not predict our own demise but live with patience and faith, trusting in God's timing and purpose for our lives. [02:28]

- Live with Eternal Perspective: Our time on earth is temporary, and we should live with the awareness of eternity. This involves living a life of holiness, submission to God's will, and assurance of our salvation, allowing us to face death with peace and anticipation of eternal joy. [35:12]

- Prepare for the Life to Come: Preparing for death involves living a life of purpose and urgency, ensuring that our lives are aligned with God's will. Reflect on the legacy you leave behind and live each day with intention, knowing that our days are numbered. [42:07]

- Find Comfort in God's Presence: In life and death, we are in the Lord's hands. God's presence provides comfort and assurance, allowing us to face death without fear. Trust in His guidance and rejoice in the hope of eternal life with Him. [25:18]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:06] - Introduction to Mortality
- [00:22] - Job's Suffering and Reflection
- [01:01] - Facing the Reality of Death
- [02:16] - Job's Mistake and God's Restoration
- [03:12] - The Unpredictability of Life
- [05:32] - Embracing Mortality with Wisdom
- [07:42] - Death's Inevitable Approach
- [11:11] - Personal Knowledge of Death
- [16:07] - Sin and Universal Death
- [19:23] - Living with Eternal Perspective
- [25:18] - Comfort in God's Presence
- [35:12] - Submission to God's Will
- [42:07] - Preparing for the Life to Come
- [49:21] - Conclusion and Farewell

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Job 30:23: "For I know that thou will bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living."
- Psalm 90:12: "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."
- 1 Corinthians 15:55-57: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

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Observation Questions:

1. What was Job's initial reaction to his suffering and how did it influence his thoughts on mortality? ([02:16])

2. How does the sermon describe the common human tendency to avoid thinking about death? ([07:15])

3. What does the sermon suggest about the unpredictability of life and our understanding of the future? ([03:12])

4. How does the sermon illustrate the comfort found in God's presence during life and death? ([25:18])

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does Job's acknowledgment of mortality in Job 30:23 serve as a reminder of the universal truth of death? What wisdom can be drawn from this acknowledgment? ([05:32])

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our understanding of the future is limited, and how should this influence our daily lives? ([02:28])

3. How does the sermon interpret the transition from life to death for those who are in Christ, and what implications does this have for how we live our lives? ([21:37])

4. What role does living with an eternal perspective play in preparing for the life to come, according to the sermon? ([35:12])

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your own life. How often do you consider your mortality, and how does this awareness influence your daily decisions and priorities? ([05:32])

2. In moments of despair or uncertainty about the future, how can you practice patience and faith, trusting in God's timing and purpose for your life? ([02:28])

3. What specific steps can you take to live with an eternal perspective, focusing on holiness and submission to God's will? How might this change your approach to daily challenges? ([35:12])

4. Consider the legacy you wish to leave behind. Are there areas in your life that need realignment with God's will to ensure you are living with purpose and urgency? ([42:07])

5. How can you find comfort in God's presence during times of fear or uncertainty about death? What practices or prayers might help you cultivate this assurance? ([25:18])

6. Identify one area of your life where you struggle to trust in God's timing. What practical steps can you take to surrender this area to Him and live with greater faith? ([03:12])

7. Think of a loved one who may not be prepared for the life to come. How can you lovingly encourage them to reflect on their mortality and the hope found in Christ? ([08:41])

Devotional

Day 1: Embrace Mortality with Wisdom
In acknowledging our mortality, we find wisdom and preparation for eternity. Job's recognition of his own mortality serves as a reminder that death is a reality we all must face. By contemplating our end, we align our lives with God's purpose and prepare our souls for what lies beyond this life. Avoiding thoughts of death can lead to a false sense of security, but embracing this truth allows us to live more intentionally and with greater spiritual depth. [05:32]

"For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, for our days on earth are a shadow." (Job 8:9, ESV)

Reflection: How can you intentionally incorporate the reality of your mortality into your daily life to live more purposefully today?


Day 2: Trust in God's Timing
Job's journey from despair to restoration illustrates the limitations of our understanding of the future. We often rush to conclusions about our own demise, but Job's story teaches us to live with patience and faith, trusting in God's timing and purpose. Life's unpredictability calls us to embrace each day with hope and assurance in God's promises, rather than fear. [02:28]

"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" (Psalm 27:14, ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to trust God's timing more fully, and how can you practice patience in that area today?


Day 3: Live with Eternal Perspective
Our earthly existence is temporary, and we are called to live with an awareness of eternity. This involves living a life of holiness, submission to God's will, and assurance of our salvation. By doing so, we can face death with peace and anticipation of eternal joy. Recognizing the temporary nature of life encourages us to focus on what truly matters and to prepare for the life to come. [35:12]

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." (2 Corinthians 4:16, ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to shift your focus from temporary concerns to eternal values?


Day 4: Prepare for the Life to Come
Preparing for death involves living a life of purpose and urgency, ensuring that our lives are aligned with God's will. Reflecting on the legacy we leave behind encourages us to live each day with intention, knowing that our days are numbered. This preparation is not about fear but about living a life that honors God and impacts others positively. [42:07]

"Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, ESV)

Reflection: What legacy do you want to leave behind, and what is one action you can take today to work towards that legacy?


Day 5: Find Comfort in God's Presence
In both life and death, we are in the Lord's hands. God's presence provides comfort and assurance, allowing us to face death without fear. Trusting in His guidance and rejoicing in the hope of eternal life with Him brings peace and strength. This assurance transforms our perspective on life and death, enabling us to live with confidence in God's promises. [25:18]

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4, ESV)

Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper awareness of God's presence in your life today, especially in moments of fear or uncertainty?

Quotes

I admire the wisdom of Job that he does not shirk the subject of death but dwells upon it as an appropriate topic saying I know that thou will bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living. Yet Job made a mistake in the hasty conclusion which he drew from his grievous affliction. [00:02:08]

It is a pity for us to pretend to predict the future for we certainly cannot see an inch before us. As it is idle with daydreams to fascinate the heart into a groundless expectation so it is equally foolish to increase the evil of the day by forebodings of tomorrow. [00:03:02]

It is no work of men of faith to predict their own deaths. These things are with God. How long we shall live on earth we know not and need not wish to know. We have not the choosing of short or long life, and if we had such choice it would be wise to refer it back to our God. [00:04:19]

Job made a mistake as to the date of his death but he made no mistake as to the fact itself. He spoke truly when he said I know that thou will bring me to death. Someday or other the Lord will call us from our home above ground to the house appointed for all living. [00:05:06]

You have something yet to learn if you are a Christian and yet are not prepared to die. You need to reach a higher state of grace and attain to a firmer and more forceful faith that you are as yet a babe in grace is clear from your admission that to depart and be with Christ does not seem to be a better thing for you than to abide in the flesh. [00:06:16]

If I do not think of death, yet death will think of me. If I will not go to death by meditation and consideration death will come to me. Let me then meet it like a man, and to that end let me look it in the face. [00:07:42]

Death comes into our houses and steals away our beloved ones. Seldom do I enter this pulpit without missing some accustomed face from its place. Never a week passes over this church without some of our happy fellowship being caught away to the still happier fellowship above. [00:08:00]

Job knew that he should be brought to the grave because he perceived the universality of that fact in reference to others. He lived on the verge of an age when life was longer than now, and yet the patriarch had never known a person who had not after a certain age quitted this earthly stage. [00:11:11]

Job even in his anguish does not for a moment forget his God. He speaks of him here I know that thou will bring me to death. He perceives that he will not die apart from God. He does not say his sore boils or his strangulation will bring him to death, but thou will bring me to death. [00:22:07]

We are immortal till our work is done. Be therefore quiet in the day of evil, rest you peaceful in the day of destruction. All things are ordered by wisdom, and precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. No forces in the world are outside of his control. [00:24:22]

If God brings us to death he will bring us up again. Job in another passage declared that he was sure that God would vindicate his cause. I know saith he that my redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God. [00:27:58]

Live in such a way that any day would make a suitable top stone for life. Live so that you need not change your mode of living even if your sudden departure were immediately predicted to you. When you so live you will look upon death without fear. [00:38:11]

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Transcript
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