The Finish Line 1 Kings 2:1-4 May 30, 2010

Sermon memorial day 5-30-10-the finish line- 1 kings 2:1-4aaa

1 When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.
2 "I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, 3 and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, 4 and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'

David is arriving at the finish line.
How you finish is very important.
How you run along the way is very important.
Track story 1st meet of the year. Led the entire way, passed at end.

The chiefs have a frustrating way as well.
Play as if you don’t care, then try to catch up in the last 5 minutes
Run the entire game lke you care.

David is arriving at the finish line.
David left some good advice: be strong, obey God,

Be strong
The hard work of life. When the going gets tough.
You face a challenge and stay with it.

Obey God
To the extent that we do that which we know is right, life goes well
To the extent that we do whatever we want, life becomes painful
God wants us to follow him, because there is nothing better for us

how was david remembered?
Chosen boy to be king. Giant killer. Shepherd. Murderer? Adulterer?

Man after gods own heart- acts 13
He was a fierce lover of god

I walk every year at mt Washington cemetery.
We visit and remember those who have gone on before us

How would you like to be remembered?

In the early part of this century, a novelist researching a book about life in a certain New England town visited the local cemetery as part of his investigations. The writer noted with interest that nearly every tombstone from that era bore a final epitaph. Unfailingly, these were words of praise for the departed with references such as kind, generous, upstanding, loving and faithful appearing again and again.
This prompted the researcher to ask, I wonder where they buried the sinners?

People have a long memory- snail joke
There's a knock at the front door. A man opens it and looks down to find a snail sitting on the stoop. He picks up the little critter and throws it as far as he can.
Three years later, there's a knock.
The man opens the door, looks down, and there sits the same snail.
The snail looks up and says, "What on earth was that about?"

They will remember you.
How will you want to be remembered? Ask Them

Touch, love

2 pictures of love
the first is love in a marriage
Ephesians 5 rob bell- pg 122
Very exciting scripture
Comes from a time before partnership and equal rights – women were property
Husbands dying for the wife

21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

A couple married for 15 years began having more than usual disagreements. They wanted to make their marriage work and agreed on an idea to help. For one month they planned to drop a slip in a "Fault" box. The boxes would provide a place to let the other know about daily irritations. The wife was diligent in her efforts and approach: "leaving the jelly top off the jar," "wet towels on the shower floor," "dirty socks not in hamper," on and on until the end of the month. After dinner, at the end of the month, they exchanged boxes. The husband reflected on what he had done wrong. Then the wife opened her box and began reading. They were all the same, the message on each slip was, "I love you!"

the second picture is love between friends
John 15:13-13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

You and your friends. Do you give them the sense that you are there for them
Or is it always about you?

Rudy Rasmus- St Johns umc Houston: the most commonly repeated statement at our church is “I love you , and theres nothing you can do about it.”

People know what love is
They know what is fake and what is real.
People respond to real love. They know it.
They are drawn to authentic love

On this memorial day
John 15:13-13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

We remember those who fought and died

During ww 2, 300 died on average every single day.
Once 16 million strong, veterans of World War II are dying at a rate of more than 1,000 a day and now number about 2.5 million, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates

Young people must remember,", "that freedom isn't free."
Your parents cant give you the gifts of life
They can teach you about them and put you in a position to receive them
But they gifts of life must be grasped by each generation
Through hard work, commitment and sacrifice.

We remember and say thank you.
Moment of silence to do just that.

Finally today We remember the savior who died and rose again
13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
He showed great love
So We remember and say thank you

Gosh there is a pattern emerging in this message.
Sacrificial love of family, friends, sacrificial love of our savior.

The Christian faith is more that a request that you inject some acts of love into your otherwise self indulged life
The Christian fiath is an invitation for you to die to you preference, to die to your comfort, and to learn instead to find that comfort again in a life of sacrificial love

People know what real love is
Some day we will all arrive at the finish line
How will you be remembered?

Let us pray

Hansel and Gretel- left bread crumbs behind to find their way home

The pastor noticed little Alex staring at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church.
It was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted on either side of it.
The seven year-old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the boy, and said quietly, "Good morning, Alex."
"Good morning," replied the young man, still focused on the plaque. "What is this?" Alex asked.
"Well, son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service."
Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque. Little Alex's voice was trembling and barely audible when he asked, "Which service, the 9:45 or the 11:15?