Make Your Life Count

 

 

What Is Your Life?

1. Existence (your individual, personal, unique, immortal, self-knowing soul that only God knows).
2. Performance (privileges, opportunities, and responsibilities for you to do or accomplish things).
3. Relationships (soul, spirit, heart for potential to know God and love others at a soul level).
4. Experiences (exposure to many things – spiritual/natural, pleasure/pain, profit/perversion etc.).
5. Contrary to evolution, we are not animals – you have a soul, spirit, and heart different from them.
6. You were not asked about having life; but you have it, and you should make the most of it.

What Does It Mean to Make Your Life Count?

1. Some say … make a difference in the world.
2. or, fulfill your purpose better than most.
3. or, I want to add value to the world, or to others.
4. or, I want to enjoy life to its fullest without sorrow.
5. or, I want to be successful by as many measures as possible.
6. This is the most important subject we can consider … what will you do with your life?
7. Solomon wrote inspired philosophy for life, and he appealed to you to think about it (Eccl 12:1).

Who Gave You Your Life?

1. God did.
2. This is one of the most basic and important things for you to consider daily.
3. Children should be taught this from the earliest ages of comprehension.
4. Your next 10 seconds of consciousness or life for another year are gifts from God.

Why Did He Give You Life?

1. For Himself (Prov 16:4). What does this mean? How will He get glory from your life?
2. For His own pleasure (Rev 4:11). What does this mean? How will He get pleasure from your life?
3. He did not give you your life for you (this is very important to think rightly about your life.).

Who Should Measure Your Life?

1. Should not the Creator’s purpose for your life be the only and most important measure?
2. How can we allow others, who began life dirtying themselves and who hate God, pressure us?
3. Why should those who are their way to hell and live according to the devil and lies measure us?

Who Tries to Measure Your Life?

1. The world (the evil society, lifestyle, and pressures all around us of those that hate God).
2. The devil (the personal spirit enemy of your soul that hates God and your true success).
3. Your flesh (your inward lusts and thoughts that are depraved and hateful of God and destructive).

How Does the World Try to Measure Your Life?

1. By peer pressure (seeing and hearing those your age and wanting to be accepted or successful).
2. By advertising (constant assault by the media of what you should have, should look like, etc.).
3. By “stars” (actors, actresses, athletes, politicians, rich men, models, cool guys at school, etc.).
4. By lifestyle (the way the world lives with their priorities, pleasures, practices, popularity, etc.).

How Does the Devil Try to Measure Your Life?

1. Bad ideas and goals for your life (like fiery darts according to Eph 6:16 that are quenched by faith).
2. Doubts and discouragement (godliness is not worth it; you cannot do it; there will be no fun).
3. Lies (you can have the world and God both, Christians can have a few sins and still be okay).

How Does Your Flesh Try to Measure Your Life?

1. Imaginations (what you could be … want to be … should be … for your own pleasure).
2. Listener (agreeable to the world’s ideas and the devil’s suggestions).
3. Lusts (the cravings of your body for various pleasures and excesses).

What Does the World Say Is Making Your Life Count?

1. Getting a great education at a great school for academic superiority.
2. Living in a big house, driving fine cars, and sending children to elite schools.
3. Working in a research lab to find the cure for AIDS or illiteracy or obesity, etc.
4. Getting involved in politics and helping get your party’s candidate elected.
5. Joining the Peace Corp and traveling the world to drill wells for lazy nations.
6. Being happy … having fun … doing what you want to do … being free … no rules, etc.

What Does the Devil Say Is Making Your Life Count?

1. The same things that the world says, since they are following the devil (Eph 2:1-3).
2. Following your heart and doing whatever makes you happy.
3. Not letting others, especially parents or pastors, tell you what is important.
4. Satisfying all your lusts for their good feelings (remember Jesus and stones to bread).
5. Looking at the glory available in the world and seeking it (remember Jesus and kingdoms).
6. Using others’ sins as an excuse to presume on grace (remember Jesus and falling from temple).

What Does Your Flesh Say Is Making Your Life Count?

1. Make as much money as you possibly can to be financially impressive and powerful.
2. Get into politics and be important wherever you go as an official in government.
3. Be as attractive and fit as I can be to be envied and desired by others.
4. Be important by a prestigious position in a big company with a fancy title.
5. Have as many friends as possible that like me and make life exciting and happy.
6. Have people think I am cool, fun, nice, and a good listener … a special person.

Who Tried All the Things the World, the Devil, and the Flesh Desire?

1. Solomon (incredible superiority in ability, privilege, opportunity, power, person, etc).
2. He had every advantage the world, the devil, and the flesh could possibly ever desire.
3. Everything the world, the devil, and your flesh dreams of … he had more than anyone, ever!
4. God raised up this man and allowed him his experiences so he could write and warn you.
5. His conclusions should be the most important lessons that you can learn about life.

What Was Solomon’s Conclusion?

1. It was all vanity (empty, wasted, worthless, profitless, without value … it did not count!).
2. It was vexation of spirit (painful, troublesome, irritating, frustrating, disappointing).
3. Not only were all the things he tried worthless … they caused him pain getting and keeping them!
4. How in the world will you find value and pleasure … since you cannot come close to Solomon?
5. Does having a king write you a letter to help your life count mean anything to you? Believe him!

What Were Other Problems with Success?

1. You will never be satisfied, because you will want more, more, more (Eccl 5:10).
2. More money … more education … more promotion … prettier wife … bigger house, etc.
3. You will never arrive at where you are the best, because someone or many will be yet better.
4. Once you achieve something, you will be scared of losing it and be unable to rightly enjoy it.
5. Once you achieve something, you know you will leave it behind at death to a fool that will lose it.

How Does God Measure Your Life?

1. The Bible (what it says about true success and what is pleasing to God)
2. Fruit (the spiritual results of your life that are visible and helpful to you and others).
3. Parents and pastors (how God’s representatives in your life assess your performance).

How Do Good Men Measure Your Life?

1. They measure the same way as God does, because that is why they are good men.
2. They can read the Bible and see how you compare to God’s measures of a life.
3. They know the fruit of a successful life and they can see if you have any.
4. They hear the assessment of parents and pastors about you and your life.

Who in the Bible Made Their Lives Count?

1. Enoch (walked with God … with no mention of money, status, wife, house, job, etc.).
2. Joseph (faithful in four stages … father, Potiphar, prison, Pharaoh).
3. Paul (labored in the kingdom more than any other … but no money, wife, golf, etc.).
4. David (delighted in God and tried to build temple … led Israel, wrote Psalms, etc.).
5. Mary Magdalene (loved Jesus Christ and followed him … what husband, house, etc.?).
6. Esther (she could have died for her request or been alienated from her husband).
7. Ruth (she chose a different language, culture, nation, family, friends, religion, etc.).

Who in the Bible Wasted Their Lives?

1. Lot (chose Sodom of the world and ruined his family).
2. Demas (left Paul because he loved this present world).
3. Solomon (greatest wisdom made him the greatest fool for falling for his exotic wives).
4. Rich, young ruler (had so much going for him, but would not be a true disciple of Jesus).

Who out of the Bible Made Their Lives Count?

1. William Tyndale (first Bible printed in English; died by burning for it).
2. Countless martyrs who gave up this world’s pleasures … and their lives … for Christ.
3. James Strong (Concordance), Orville Nave (Topical Bible), R.A. Torrey (Treasury).
4. Online Bible creator and programmer (very high goals, effort, time … with little reward).
5. Countless saints that had the testimony of Jesus Christ and kept His commandments.
6. Countless women who feared God, loved their husbands, and loved their children.

Who out of the Bible Wasted Their Lives?

1. Alexander the Great and George Washington and John F. Kennedy.
2. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison and Henry Ford
3. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet and Donald Trump.
4. Babe Ruth and Bill Russell and Michael Jordan.
5. Anyone who lives and dies, no matter how successful, that does not put God and His kingdom first.

What Is God’s Measure of a Successful Life?

1. Fearing God and keeping His commandments … from the king who tried it all (Eccl 12:13-14).
2. Glorying in Him rather than three false standards the world promotes (Jer 9:23-24).
3. Glorifying Him in body and spirit, because you are not your own (I Cor 6:19-20).
4. Godliness with contentment …which is great gain … which is making your life count (I Tim 6:6).
5. It can be summed up in two commandments … love God supremely and love others over self.
6. “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matt 25:21).
7. These six descriptions above, which could be multiplied many times, are the basis of a great life!

What Is God’s Measure of a Successful Guy?

1. Holy and pure life by following God’s word against lusts of the flesh (Ps 119:9; II Tim 2:22).
2. Gracious speech from a pure heart makes a man worthy of kings (Prov 22:11).
3. Sober (Titus 2:6) … one of the hardest things for young men … but it leads to true greatness.
4. Prudent to keep life in order and prepare properly before house, wife, etc. (Prov 24:27).
5. Diligent in business … because God and men honor diligence and faithfulness (Prov 22:29).
6. What is your CQ (character quotient), WQ (wisdom quotient), SQ (spirituality quotient)?

What Is God’s Measure of a Successful Girl?

1. A meek and quiet spirit … is of great price … in whose opinion and measure (I Peter 3:3-4)?
2. It is spiritual adornment, not great hair, clothes, or sparkling accessories that counts for a girl’s life.
3. The virtuous woman (fear of the Lord resulting in marital and domestic diligence; Prov 31).
4. The things older women should teach younger women (Titus 2:3-5).
5. Modesty and good works that are becoming … beautifying (I Tim 2:9-10; 5:10).
6. It is having love for Christ over any man on this earth or in heaven (Ps 73:25-26).

Who Lived the Greatest Life that Counted the Most?

1. Jesus of Nazareth … who was born in total obscurity, lived in obscurity, and died at 33.
2. How would the world measure Him? A total failure and to be despised by all worldly people.
3. How does God measure Him? No comparison. He has been promoted to the top of the universe!
4. How do good men measure Him? He is altogether lovely and infinitely superior by any measure.

What Should You Do Tonight to Start?

1. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31).
2. Confess your sins of worldly goals for your life (Prov 28:13; I John 1:9).
3. Beg God to keep your priorities and passions right (Ps 119:36; Jas 4:2).
4. Read, meditate, and pray to delight in God as the greatest goal of life (Job 22:21).
5. Get rid of influences that seduce you away from God’s goals (Rom 13:14; I Cor 15:33).
6. Honor your parents in every way that they desire or expect as God’s representatives (Eph 6:1-3).
7. When in bed, tell God you love Him, and thank Him for giving you being to know Him.
8. Whatever God has put in your path (home, school, job), do it with your might (Eccl 9:9).
9. Do not fail to seek God in reading His word, meditating, praying, godly music, praise, etc.
10. Do not fail to think of someone to write, call, or text to encourage them in the Lord.

For Further Study:

1. There are many outlines from sermons, men’s meetings, ladies’ meetings, youth meetings, etc.
2. There is the sermon series on Ecclesiastes that gives many lessons about the vanity of life.