2 K. 20:1-6 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. {2} Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, {3} I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. {4} And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, {5} Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. {6} And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

Time is God's gift to every man,

it seemed to fit His sovereign plan.

A measured span of days on earth,

in which to test their zeal and worth.

Psalms 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

I. The certainty of death.

A. Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. {2} He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

B. Job 14:5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

C. Eccl. 3:1-8 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: {2} A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; {3} A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; {4} A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; {5} A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; {6} A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; {7} A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; {8} A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

II. There are some things you can do to lengthen your life span.

A. Deut. 5:16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

1. Eph. 6:1-2 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. {2} Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; {3} That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

2. Prov. 10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

3. I K. 3:14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.

4. Solomon didn't obey God, therefore God didn't lengthen his days.

B. Some things that will shorten your life span.

1. Eccl. 7:17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

a. Smoking, drinking, drugs.

b. Too much work and not enough rest.

c. Too much stress and not enough trusting.

d. Any taking of unnecessary risks.

C. We need to understand that (for saved people only!) death is a gift from God, even though it is a part of the curse.

1. I Cor. 3:21,22 - All the good things of life belong to us, and all the things we consider bad also belong to us

Remember: It is impossible to live a lifetime in a few months or years.

But I have known people who tried.

It is better to try than not to try - to come out at the very end for Christ than to never come out at all.

III. Would we start doing a lot of things?

A. Positive things.

1. Praying.

2. Witnessing.

3. Bible Reading.

4. People to apologize to.

5. Is it doing or faith that God requires?

B. Stop doing negative things

1. Working so hard to plan for the things of tomorrow, just to leave it all behind.

2. Pay less attention to physical things, and more attention to spiritual things.

3. Care for people more than things.

C. Have a desire for the next generation to understand God's way.

1. Peter - after my decease - II Peter 1:15.

D. Consider this: if we had to buy time would there be any difference in how we would spend it?

1. Would the days of our life be used more wisely?

2. What if we had to pay in advance so much an hour for the time allotted us? Would we waste it? Of course, we can't put a price tag on the minutes and hours we possess. They are given to us freely, but that doesn't excuse us from using them carefully, and wisely.

3. The giver of time is God Himself and that places a far greater value upon it than any monetary figure could suggest. We must, therefore, use our time intelligently, taking advantage of opportunities it provides for us to serve the Lord and to do His will.

4. This doesn't mean, however, that we have to be working every minute. That's why it's necessary to take a break every so often, to stop and smell the roses along the way, or to drink in the beauty of a sunset. We use our time wisely when we combine the appropriate "stops" with the proper "steps".

5. He who would spend time wisely must learn to invest it in eternity.

IV. What will our reaction be?

A. Eccl. 8:15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

B. Eccl. 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

C. Matt. 4:5-7 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, {6} And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. {7} Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

D. Ps. 91:11-12 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. {12} They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Ps. 37:23-24 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. {24} Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

 

1 Sam. 26:8-10 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. {9} And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless? {10} David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.

 

1 Chron. 10:13-14 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it; {14} And inquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.

 

Gen. 38:7 And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

 

2 Sam. 6:7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

 

Acts 5:1-10 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, {2} And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it, at the apostles' feet. {3} But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? {4} Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. {5} And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. {6} And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. {7} And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. {8} And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. {9} Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. {10} Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

 

You need to be saved.

 

Christ should make some very positive changes in our lifestyle.

Luke 19:1-10 - Zacchaeus changed his lifestyle when Christ entered his heart.

Matt. 16:26 - What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

II Peter 3:11 - Seeing that all physical things shall be dissolved, what manner of person should we be?