What Is Life

Contributed by Johnny Carver on Dec 17, 2001 (message

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Scripture: James 4:14 (suggest scripture)

Tags: Vapour, Christian Disciplines, Vapor (suggest tag)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Summary: This message challenges us to take a look at our

life and see its worth.
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Scripture: James 4:14

Title: What Is Life?

Introduction: Ask anyone you meet to give you a definition of LIFE, and no two
people will give you the same answer.

Even in this congregation, the answers would be as varied as the flowers of the field.

We each have our own interpretation of life, but the non-believer thinks of life as an
accident, while the believer acknowledges life as a sacred trust from God.

If you had listened to the Hippie generation in the sixties, you would

have heard a song with lyrics that described life as what you do

while youre waiting to die.

 An early Eighteenth Century philosopher penned it this way Life is an
unpleasant interlude of nothingness.

Most of us would at least agree that these two quotes are sad comments on life, and
we might even counter them with our own rebuttal that would go something like this:

Life is like a mountain railroad, With an engineer thats brave; We must make the
run successful, From the cradle to the grave;

Watch the curves, the fills, the tunnels; Never falter, never quail, Keep your hand
upon the throttle and your eye upon the rail.

In our biblical text, James does not give a definition of life, but

rather, he expresses its brevity as that of a vapor that appears and then,

just as quickly, vanishes! How true! Why? In comparison to ETERNITY life is as a

vapor.

Life Is Short.

James 4:14 says that life is like a vapor.

1. Place a tea kettle of water on the stove and as it heats to the boiling point the water
turns to steam, but that steam doesnt fill the kitchen; it disappears about a foot above
the kettle

2. Gods Word tells us that our lives are like a vapor that appears for a little time, and
then vanishes.

3. Life is short, and the older I get...the shorter it seems!

4. James warns us of making future plans and leaving the Lord out of them; of making
plans without realizing that we may not be around to complete them!

In Job 7:6 he states that his days are swifter than a weavers shuttle.

1. If you have ever seen an old-fashioned loom in operation you know how fast the
shuttle moves back and forth across the loom.

2. Job said that was how fast his days were passing.
3. We may know of someone who has lived a long and full life, perhaps 90- 100
years; but that is the exception!

4. Ps. 90:10, "The days of our years are threescore and ten..."

5. Life is short! A fourteen year-old boy and his friends were sniffing Scotch- guard
from and aerosol can and died!

6. Washington, DC is Americas murder capital, with 487 homicides in 1991 and

1992 began with four murders in the first four hours! Life is short!

IN RESPONSE TO THE MESSAGE TITLE, What Is Your Life?

I. LIFE IS A GIFT FROM GOD.

a. (Gen. 2:7) And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

b. (John 1:4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

c. We know that God gave His Son into the world as a GIFT, therefore that makes
LIFE a GIFT from God.

d. (Gen. 20:18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech,
because of Sarah Abrahams wife. (God had not allowed the women to become pregnant
because the enemy had taken Abrahams wife).

e. Isnt is sad to see someone take a WONDERFUL GIFT and mistreat it and waste it?

II. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE?

a. What are you USING your life for? What are you doing with your THREE SCORE and TEN?
(Ps. 90:10) The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength
they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly
away. (KJV) Seventy years are given to us! Some may even reach eighty. But even the best of
these years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we are gone. (NTL)

b. Are you HAPPY?

c. Do you have PEACE?

d. Are you ENJOYING your LIFE?

e. What are the MOST IMPORTANT things in your LIFE? (Lk. 12:34) For where your treasure
is, there will your heart be also.
f. What are your PLANS for the FUTURE? (Do you have any?)

g. Where is GOD in your PRIORITY LIST?

h. Is your FAMILY a HAPPY place to be?

III. ABUNDANT LIFE. (John 10:10)

a. (John 10:10) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that
they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (Jesus said, My purpose is
to give life in all its fullness.)

b. Satan has succeeded in convincing too many people that life is made up of things. (Lk. 12:15)
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a mans life consisteth not
in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. (NLT) Beware! Dont be greedy for what
you dont have. Real life is not measured by how much we own.

c. This ABUNDANT LIFE begins the moment we are SAVED!

d. This ABUNDANT LIFE is for EVERY BELIEVER.

e. (I Jn.2:27) He anoints us so that we have no need for anyone to instruct us. * His guidance
is perfect.

f. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." (Rom 8:16)

g. We are given the power, the right and the privilege to be called sons of God. (Jn. 1:12)

h. Our citizenship is in heaven." We now belong to the heavenly family with their connections.
(Phil 3:20) (Ive got GOOD CONNECTIONS in HIGH PLACES, INFLUENCIAL PLACES!)

i. If children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ." Beneficiaries of His promises
(Rom.8: 17)

j. If any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away, all things become
new. (2Cor 5:17)

k. But now being made free from sin we become servants to God." (Rom. 8:16)

l. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood to display great deeds and virtue." (I Pet.
2:9)

m. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through Christ. (Rom. 5:1)

n. We have an advocate (defense lawyer) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (I John
2:1) (Somebody to TALK TO!)

CONCLUSION: Wasted years, wasted years, Oh, how foolish, as I walk on in darkness and
fear, Turn around, Turn around, God is CALLING, Hes calling you from a life of Wasted Years!
What are you WAITING for? God is CALLING!

Life is BRIEF! (As a Vapor!)

Life is UNCERTAIN! (For you know not what shall be TOMORROW!)

Include God! (For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or
that.) James 4:15

Even Jesus said, I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh,
when no man can work. (John 9:4)

We have a Window of Opportunity this morning, lets use it!

Bible Verses about Life

Life is an important theme in the Scriptures and there are a number of significant Bible
verses about life, covering both life here in the flesh and eternal life with God.

What is life? What does God say about life? When searching for Bible verses on life, we
come across passages both about life here on the earth and eternal life in heaven, and the
difference between the two.

You will find some great passages here exploring life that are perfect for either personal
reflection or usage in a sermon. The value of our physical life in contrast to eternal life is
especially interesting.
20 Scriptures about Life
1.
"Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world
will keep it for eternal life."

[English Standard Version, John 12:25]

2.
"Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living
creature."

[Genesis 2:7]
3.
"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his
soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"

[Matthew 16:26]

4.
"For Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his
tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;"

[1 Peter 3:10]

5.
"Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For
you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."

[James 4:14]

6.
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with
our hands, concerning the word of life--the life was made manifest, and
we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life,
which was with the Father and was made manifest to us--"

[1 John 1:1-2]

7.
"Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me."

[John 14:6]
8.
"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for
his friends."

[John 15:13]

9.
"The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all
living."

[Genesis 3:20]

10.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may
have life and have it abundantly."

[John 10:10]

11.
"for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every
way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to
come."

[1 Timothy 4:8]

12.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may
have life and have it abundantly."

[John 10:10]
13.
"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you
have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.""

[Hebrews 13:5]

14.
"I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of
Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good
confession,"

[1 Timothy 6:13]

15.
"For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When
Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in
glory."

[Colossians 3:3-4]

16.
"Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God
does not have life"

[1 John 5:12]

17.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

[John 3:16]
18.
"Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to
eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the
Father has set his seal."

[John 6:27]

19.
"But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the
Spirit is life because of righteousness."

[Romans 8:10]

20.
"Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor."

[Proverbs 3:16]