Was It His Time to Go?

Text: Psalm 39

 

I.          So many things in this life are beyond our grasp to comprehend.

             A.         We attend a funeral to see that someone who was once full of life and energy is now still, lying in a casket. Why did it happen?

             B.         We want explanations that sometimes can't be given. But someone will respond, “Perhaps it was his time to go.”

             C.         Is that what God tells us, that there is a set time for each of us?

II.         To live is to die

             A.         Living means that eventually each of us will die, barring those who will see the Lord’s return - Hebrews 9:27

             B.         David once had an opportunity to stop Saul from seeking his death by killing Saul as slept - I Samuel 26:10

                          1.          Did David imply that there was a set day?

                          2.          No, because he listed out other ways Saul might die that did not require David murdering him in his sleep.

III.        Understand that life is short

             A.         David desired to know the length of his life - Psalm 39:4-5

                          1.          He was not asking to know when he would die

                          2.          He wanted to keep in his mind that life is short

             B.         We all hear of people who drastically change behavior after a close brush with death

             C.         We all need such an attitude because our choices in life would greatly change if we truly knew how little time we have left

             D.         Life is not infinite. There is a limit to our life spans - Psalm 90:10

                          1.          Notice again, that our health practices will impact a person’s life

                          2.          The limit of 70 or 80 years is not hard fast, but a general rule of thumb

                          3.          Even with our medical advances, the average life span is still near 80

                          4.          God has placed limits on our lives - Job 14:5

IV.       Our actions can shorten an already short life

             A.         Behavior affects the length of life. The wicked can’t live out half their potential - Psalm 55:23

             B.         Righteousness generally lengthens life, wickedness shortens life - Proverbs 10:27

             C.         The wicked are selfish. They don’t think about the impact their own shorten life has on others - Job 21:21

             D.         It is possible for the wicked to die before their time - Ecclesiastes 7:17

V.         Are we prepared to leave?

             A.         Eventually there will come a time to leave earth; just as there was a time for us to arrive - Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

             B.         We don’t know precisely when it will be our time, but we can be certain that it will come.

             C.         Just as one day we are certain this world will come to an end - II Peter 3:10-11

                          1.          Just as we never know when a thief might target us, we never know when our life will end or our Lord will come - I Thessalonians 5:1-4

                          2.          But it remains that we are certain that the day will arrive. So how should we behave?

             D.         Are you ready? - II Corinthians 5:9-10