Holding Life Sacred

TEXT:  James 4:13-17

INTRODUCTION:

A.  WHAT IS LIFE?:  That property of plants and animals which make it possible for them to

          take in food, get energy from it, grow, adapt to their surroundings, and reproduce their

          kind:  it is the quality that distinguishes a living animal or plant from inorganic matter or

          a dead organism. Webster’s NWD

B.  Gen. 9:6.  LIFE IS HELD SACRED BY GOD, THEREFORE, SHOUL BE BY US.

C.  JAMES TELLS US OF LIFE’S PRECIOUSNESS, WARNS OF ITS BREVITY, AND

          REASSURES US THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL.

D.  HOW DO WE HOLD LIFE SACRED?

I.  KEEP OUR BODIES HEALTHY AND STRONG.

A.  CLEAN, PROPER DIET, AND EXERCISE.

B.  CLEANNESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS …

          1.  Not in the Bible.

          2.  Can be a reflection of our reverence and sobriety (Heb. 12:28;  1 Tim. 2:9).

          3.  A sense of what is and what is not appropriate.

C.  YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!

          1.  The Bible doesn’t talk about diet, except …(Matt. 15:17-20;  ).

          2.  1 Cor. 6:12-20.  Eating vs. Misusing.  OUR BODIES BELONG TO GOD.

          3.  What we ingest matters, and so …(1 Cor. 6:10;  1 Pet. 4:1-4;  Titus 1:12).

          4.  We ingest must honor our stewardship (1 Cor. 4:2;  6:19-20). Don’t Smoke

D.  PHYSICAL EXERCISE HAS PROFIT, BUT…(1 Tim. 4:7-8).

II.  Eph. 4:12;  2 Cor. 7:1.  THE WAY WE LIVE, PURE, SEPARATE.

A.  YIELDING TO FLESHLY DESIRES DEFILES THE FLESH AND SPIRIT.

B.  THAT IS THE WAY OF THE WORLD (2 Cor. 6:14, 17;  Rom. 12:1-2).

C.  A CHANGE MUST BE EVIDENT (Col. 3:5-10;  1 Pet. 4:4).

D.  RESIST (James 4:7;  1 Cor. 15:33;  1 Pet. 2:11;  Phil. 4:8).

III.  LIFE IS A SACRED GIFT, DON’T WASTE IT.

A.  THE LESSON OF James 4:13-17.

          1.  Eph. 5:15-17;  John 9:4.  If there is something you want to do, better do it now.

          2.  Wasted time cannot be recovered.

          3.  Don’t procrastinate.  Felix waited for a convenient season.

B.  Psa. 118:24.  A GIFT FROM GOD.

          1.  A Divine imperative (Psa. 90:12).

          2.  A Divine purpose (Ecc. 12:13-14;  11:9 – 12:1).

IV.  REMEMBER OTHERS.

A.  WE SHOULD PUT OTHERS FIRST (Phil. 1:1-5).

B.  PHYSICAL WELFARE (1 John 3:16-18;  Gal. 2:10).

C.  SPIRITUAL WELFARE (Jas. 5:19-20;  Gal. 6:1).

D.  WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR? (Luke 10:29;  Gal. 6:10).

V.  LIVE FOR SOMETHING IMPORTANT.

A.  OUR GAGE SHOULD BE UPWARD (Col. 3:1-4).

B.  WE BELONG TO GOD, WE GLORIFY HIM (1 Cor. 6:20).

C.  THIS WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME (1 Pet. 2:11-12).

CONCLUSION:

A.  IS LIFE PRECIOUS TO YOU?

B.  THE LIVES OF OTHERS?

C.  THE LIFE OF JESUS?