Bella Vista Church of Christ
LIFELINES
July 11, 2001 Lawrence Barr
Conclusion of the Matter
“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.” (Ecclesiastes 12.13, NASB)
“The Preacher,” as he calls himself, had set about to discover what would really give him a way to succeed and enjoy life. He tried pleasure, wealth, wisdom, foolishness, even the learning of God’s word (in an intellectual way).
Look in the mirror; you won’t be satisfied. Try to make yourself lots of friends; they will disappoint you. See if you can learn more than your peers. It really won’t make you a better person. Win all the theological arguments with your friends; you won’t have done what God designed for you. What really matters is how we incorporate into our lives what God has said. To know is not enough, but to do. To do is not enough, but to become. The more we become in our world what Jesus was in His days here on earth, the less we will worry about those things that drive our neighbors.
Finally, that will leave the way open for God to really bless all those areas of our lives that we’ve been trying to “fix” all these years. We will forget ourselves, and God will remember us. We will lose our lives in service to others, and so God will give us our lives. We will forget about being handsome or pretty, and God will make us beautiful. Having friends won’t matter so much; therefore, God will give us souls saved for eternity. Thanks be to God for giving us the victory!
LAWRENCE BARR
East Pike, Ind.
