Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
June 16, 2002 A.M.
A Father's Day Challenge
Reading - Deuteronomy 34.1-12
Thank you for allowing me to be away last week. We had a great meeting in Greenland... Thanks again for your continued support and encouragement.
This morning... I want to take our lesson from the notes I used Wednesday evening in the Gospel Meeting... In a lesson that I hope will challenge us as Fathers... Yet will be applicable to all of us present this morning, whether we are fathers or not.
For this, you will need to go with me to a hill overlooking the ancient city of Jericho, and if you look East toward the Jordan River, you can see past the Plains of Moab to the mountains in the distance. Somewhere over there, nobody knows exactly where, lies the grave of Moses.
Moses, who spent the last 40 years of his life leading two million ex-slaves to this Promised Land, died without actually reaching his goal of nearly half a century.
- What drama!
- What emotions!
- What inward pain!
What a sense of accomplishment mixed with disappointment must have been in Moses' heart as he looked over the land that God had promised to Israel!
- The land flowing with milk and honey.
- The land he had been marching toward for 40 years.
Egyptian bondage had passed into history. The difficult, painful years for this new nation forged in the desert were past. The Promised Land lay before him, but Moses would not enter. Like us, Moses had to learn to deal with Some Unfinished Business.
When we think of unfinished business... We think of 9-11... and the thousands of lives snuffed out in a matter of minutes in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. One moment, it was life--business as usual. Then, all of a sudden everything changed.
- How much unfinished business?...
- How many loose ends were left dangling?...
- How much regret?...
We'll never know. This tragedy reminds us that in the twinkling of an eye, anybody's business, yours and mine, can become unfinished business. Think of those who have passed from this church in recent months. One day they are here, worshiping with us, the next they are gone. What a fragile string by which our lives are held in this world!! How quickly all our business can become unfinished business.
You see... We don't like loose ends. Do we? We become uncomfortable when we have to end something before it is completed. We are taught from early childhood to finish what we start:
- Don't put more on your plate than you're able to eat.
- Don't start music lessons unless you're gonna master the instrument.
- Don't try out for football unless you're going to stick with two-a-day practices.
- Don't start college unless you intend to graduate.
- Don't get married if the commitment is not for life.
- Don't put your hand to the plow if you intend to look back.
Even Christianity is a religion of perseverance... Of fighting the fight... Finishing the course... Running the race... Keeping the faith.
Fathers... Mothers... Grandparents... I want to challenge you to consider this... Is there something that we desperately need to say, or do, today to someone... So that if something should happen to us... or them... that we don't leave loose ends dangling?
Now... In the way of application... Let's challenge one another with some things that we ought to begin working on today... This Father's Day.
First... We need to work on some loose ends in our relationships.
If we should die this moment, is there somebody in our life who would have desperately needed to hear something we desperately needed to say, but haven't said yet??
The hospice patients I see, talk about the unfinished business they need to take care of. You see, they know that in a matter of hours, days, weeks, at the most a month or so, they are going to die. I want you to know that most of these loose ends they talk about are relationary in nature... Loose ends that have to do with the people in their life. And that is the way it should be isn't it... God made us for relationships...
- Not for making money...
- Not for climbing social and corporate ladders...
- Not for accumulating THINGS...
But for relationships... Right relationship with Him and with one another. So, when they come to the end of their lives... Their thoughts just naturally turn to mending their relationships... Tying up the loose ends with people.
Church... Fathers... Mothers... Children... This should tell us something!!... If hospice patients turn their attention to these problems at death, perhaps we all ought to be paying more attention to our relationships than to other, less important things... RIGHT?
For instance, is there someone we need to forgive? Jesus taught that we are to forgive so that God can forgive us... This is important!!
- Matthew has Jesus saying... Pray like this... Forgive us, as we forgive those who trespass against us... If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But,
if you forgive not... Neither will your Father forgive you.
- Mark 11.25 says... When you pray, if you hold anything against anyone forgive him.
- Jesus adds... Forgive even your enemies.
- Paul admonishes the Ephesians church and us to be kind one to another, forgiving one another, just as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us.
Maybe we need to ask forgiveness of another. Church... It is unlikely that we have lived such a good life that we haven't offended others in our day-to-day routine. Jesus, in Matthew 18.15, lets us know that regardless of whether or not we are the innocent or guilty party in an offense, we are obligated... even commanded to tie up these loose ends... If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
Perhaps, there is somebody we need to speak a word of encouragement to or to just say... I love you... I appreciate you and what you are doing or have done. Let me encourage you to sit down today...
- Write that note,
- Place that phone call,
- Make that visit,
That you've been putting off for so long. If today is the end for you, or something should happen to them, you'll be glad you did.
Then there is the loose end of mentioning Jesus to someone we want to save... Someone we've intended to say something to, about salvation... for so long. Not one of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Only the present moment is ours.
Church... This is some business that can be finished... Should be finished... MUST be finished... TODAY!!
Fathers... Are all our children safe and saved in the Kingdom of God? Do we need to lovingly say something to them one more time? Do it before it's everlastingly too late. That old song indicts us all doesn't it?... Maybe that's the reason we don't sing it much any more.
If in that better land,
Before the bar we stand,
How grieved our souls may be,
If some lost one there,
Should cry in deep despair,
You never mentioned Him to me.
What sadness to stand beside a casket, or an open grave and hear someone say:
- I wish I had of said, forgive me,
- I wish I had of said, I forgive you,
- I love you,
- Or, let's talk about Jesus.
Anyone here this morning have some relationary unfinished business to attend to?
Secondly... We need to do some of the things we've intended to do for our own personal enrichment.
All of us have some unfilled personal goals... Some things we've always wanted to do, but just haven't done yet?... RIGHT? Let me encourage you to do them today while your health still permits. Do them today while you still have with you whomever it is you would like to share the experience with:
- A spouse,
- A child,
- Grandchildren,
- A close friend,
- A brother or sister in Christ.
Perhaps we just need to slow down some and smell the roses... I don't know what the Garden of Eden looked like... But I do know this... That God has providentially placed us... In northwest Arkansas... In the most beautiful spot on earth... And He wants us to enjoy it.
God created this whole planet purposely for us to enjoy... Read the creation narrative again... He gave all this to us... And to a large extent we have ignored it... Or even worse... Abused it... RIGHT? Let me challenge you to...
- Get up early enough in the morning to watch the sunrise...
- Take time to watch the sunset...
- Take time to smell the roses... They were created just for you... No one else!!
Then, let's challenge one another to do that something we've always wanted to do.
- Perhaps it is spending more time with the children or grandchildren.
- Achieving that task that you've always dreamed of achieving.
- Preaching the sermon you've always wanted to preach.
- Teaching that Bible Class you've always said you would like to teach.
- Maybe it's going back to school.
- Volunteering at the hospitals or nursing homes.
- Taking that special vacation.
- Going on that mission trip.
- Reading that book.
Just do it!... Just do it!!
Church, listen to me closely... When God gives us time and opportunity to...
- Enrich our lives,
- Realize our dreams,
- Fulfill our goals,
- See the answer to our prayers,
We need to seize the moment... We need to finish our unfinished business. Don't wait until it is too late!!
Thirdly this morning... We need to obey God.
Let me share something with you... Why do you think that God didn't just zap us up to heaven from the baptistry as soon as we were born again? Why are we here instead of in heaven? The answer is simple... God created us to do some things He wants us to do. The Bible teaches us that God created us for good works... And that He predestined those works for just us.
This is what Paul says in Ephesians chapter two... For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship... Created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
In other words... God has a set plan for each of us. Now, we may choose to do His works... Or we may choose not to... But we must know this morning that God created us to do some specific good things... Good works!!
Questions... Have we finished... Have we completed the good works that God placed us here to accomplish?... Have we, or are we obeying Him completely?
In our recent series of lessons on the cross, we noted that... As Jesus died... He said...
- It is finished!
- Tetelisti!...
- It is done...
- Completed...
- Paid in full.
Jesus accomplished all that He came to do.
There was not one Old Testament prophecy that He did not fulfill completely.
There was not one more sermon that He needed to preach.
There was not one more person that God wanted Him to touch... That He did not touch.
There was not one more word of encouragement and forgiveness that He needed to utter.
If today were our last day!... Could we confirm like Jesus... It is finished? Could we say that we have accomplished all God has placed us here to accomplish... Up to this moment? Have we been obedient to Him in every area of our life? Or, is there something we desperately need to do to complete our obedience?
Maybe this morning we need to clear away some unfinished business in our lives... Things like...
- Becoming a child of God by faith, repentance and baptism.
- Or to Acknowledge... Confess... Repent... Forsake... Some sin that is in our lives.
- Perhaps we need to ask the church to pray for us... That we have the strength and courage to accomplish OUR unfinished business.
Paul's challenge this Father's Day is this... Today is the day of salvation... Now is the accepted time.
Become the person God calls you to become... As we stand and sing this invitation song, will you come!!
