Main Idea: We make our last day count by making sure all the others counted first.

Today we come to our last sermon in our series on the life of Elijah. We have spent these midsummer days with truly one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament. Our introduction to Elijah began with his announcing a drought that was coming to the nation of Israel because of the sins of King Ahab and his influence on the people. We have been through both the highs and lows of Elijah’s ministry: waiting by the brook Cherith, confronting the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, hiding in a cave on Mt. Sinai and declaring the justice of God in Naboth’s vineyard. Elijah’s days, just like ours, had their high points and low points. Today we come to literally the last day of Elijah’s life and discover that he sought in every way to make his last day count. What I want us to see today is that we will only make our last day count by making sure all the other days counted first.

While preparing for this sermon I read a sermon on this passage by the late George W. Truett, who was the distinguished pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, in the middle part of the last century. He said about Elijah: "He died like he lived…Death had no more terror for him than walking over a chalk line on the floor." (The Prophet’s Mantle, p. 25) Then he said this, "You will die like you live…If this were your last day, and you knew it, how would you live today?" (Ibid, p. 26) Those words made me think of the Tim McGraw song, "Live Like You Were Dying." I realize that’s quite a jump from George W. Truett to Tim McGraw but the analogy is the same. In the song a man tells the story of a conversation with another man in his early forties who discovered he had a life-altering illness. When asked how he faced the reality of the illness he said after some deep reflection: "I went sky diving. I went Rocky Mountain climbing. I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu. And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter and I gave forgiveness I’d been denying." And he said, "Someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying."

While I don’t know that I could advocate the bull riding part, I do agree with the thought: If you want to face your last day with meaning, then you need to make sure you live all the ones before it meaningfully. Elijah didn’t go sky diving, rock climbing or bull riding on his last day but he made it count by doing the things that made all the ones before it count! Today I want you to understand that we don’t suddenly come to the last day of our life and hope that it will make up for the rest. No, we come to the last day in the same way we lived all the others. The question is: How are you making the days you have now count?

How did Elijah make his last day on earth count? He did it by facing his last day confident of God’s plan for his eternity, showing concern for those who would follow after him and being committed to leaving a legacy of faith. Let’s take a look and see how we can do the same.

The first thing I see is that Elijah lived the last day of his life confident of God’s plan for his eternity (II Kings 2:1) Take another look at verse 1: "When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal." That leads me to believe that Elijah had been informed by God that he would miraculously not die but be "taken up" by God into heaven. The real proof for this is in verses 3 and 5 when Elijah and Elisha go to visit the different groups of prophets. The prophets ask Elisha in each place, "Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?" and Elisha responds, "Of course I know it." That tells me that how Elijah was leaving this life had been revealed to him and then passed on to others. He had absolute confidence that God had a plan for his eternity.

Knowing what will happen to us when we face death enables us to live life with assurance and confidence. The question is, though: Do you have assurance of God’s plan for your eternity? What does God’s plan include? There are three things that we find the New Testament teaches about God’s plan for the eternity of a person who has trusted Christ as his Savior. I have taken these from the writings of Paul because he lived almost daily with the threat of death but he chose to live with confidence that God had a plan for his eternity.

God’s plan for our eternity includes being with Christ after we die. Paul called it being "absent from the body" and being "at home with the Lord" (II Cor. 5:8). He also said that to leave this life was "to depart and be with Christ" (Phil. 1:23). What that means is that for the Christian the moment we take our last breath here in this life the very next moment we are with Jesus Christ in heaven. I don’t have to fret or worry about where I will be when I die because God’s word says simply that I will be at home with Jesus!

God’s plan for our eternity includes waiting for our body to be resurrected. I don’t know all that I will do after I arrive in heaven but I do know this: my arrival in heaven isn’t the end of God’s plan. Paul tells us that beyond our getting to heaven will be our waiting to be reunited with a new spiritual body. He said in I Cor. 15:51-53, "But let me tell you a wonderful secret God has revealed to us. Not all of us will die, but we will all be transformed. It will happen in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, the Christians who have died will be raised with transformed bodies. And then we who are living will be transformed so that we will never die. For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die." God is not finished with me until I receive a body that will complete his creation. In God’s plan for my body it counts and he is making certain that it counts forever. I don’t know all that my new body will be; I just know it will be all that he wants it to be.

God’s plan for our eternity includes the promise of a reunion. Paul makes it clear that when Jesus returns to this earth that there will be a reunion with those still living and those who have already died. He says "Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever." (I Thess. 4:17) People wonder if we will recognize our loved ones in heaven or if we will know each other. My answer is that God’s word assures us that we will be reunited ultimately with both those alive and those in heaven so that we will always be with the Lord. If that is his plan ultimately then I can only assume that those already in eternity are enjoying the reunion that will last for eternity!

God’s plan for the believer is that we live with the confidence that we will be with Christ for all eternity, not just our last day, but also every day of our lives. My question to you is: Are you certain that you possess God’s plan for you? You make your last day count with the same confidence for eternity that you have lived all the others.

Another way that Elijah made his last day count was that he was concerned about those who would follow after him. (II Kings 2:1-6). This explains why he spent his last day going to three different cities: Gilgal, Bethel and Jericho. The reason he went to these cities was because these cities were the location of the other prophets that God had said were his comrades in service. Remember when Elijah told God he was all alone in I Kings 19? God’s answer was, "Yet I will preserve seven thousand others in Israel who have never bowed to Baal or kissed him!"(v.18) Elijah realized that these were the ones who would carry on the fight of faith and that they would follow after him. So he made sure that on his last day he reconnected with these faithful followers of God.

You see this same concern in Paul’s life as he lived his life daily. He truly lived so that the lives of others would be more Christlike. When he was writing the Philippian Christians he was struggling with a longing or desire to die and be with Christ. But he tells them that he knows that their lives will be better if he stays. He tells them "I am convinced of this, so I will continue with you so that you will grow and experience the joy of your faith." (Phil.1:25) Why did he want to live in spite of the sufferings of his imprisonment and the other painful moments in his life? He says, "so that you will grow and experience the joy of your faith." He lived his life so that the life of other believers would be more mature in their faith.

Paul lived an absolutely selfless life, a life that saw relationships with others as the places where his life was to be invested and where it could make the highest impact. Our problem is we go through our life—especially our Christian life—so focused on ourselves that we forget the impact we should have on those around us. Waking Life is an animated movie about a confused man who isn’t sure if he’s dreaming or awake. In a series of stories, he meets people who explain to him their philosophies of life and their view of the difference between what’s real and what is a dream.

In one story, a young, unnamed man is walking along a park pathway. He walks down a stairway when he meets a woman coming up the stairs. They exchange "excuse me’s," and the man continues walking down the stairs. The woman, however, looks back, and then follows after him.

She says: "Hey. Could we do that again? I know we haven’t met but I don’t want to be an ant, you know? I mean, it’s like we go through life with our antennas bouncing off one another, continuously on ant autopilot, with nothing really human required of us. Stop. Go. Walk here. Drive there. All action basically for survival. All communication simply to keep this ant colony buzzing along in an efficient, polite manner. ‘Here’s your change.’ ‘Paper or plastic?’ "Credit or debit?’ ‘You want ketchup with that?’ ‘I don’t want a straw.’ I want real human moments. I want to see you. I want you to see me. I don’t want to give that up. I don’t want to be an ant, you know?"

Initially taken aback, the man replies positively: "Yeah. Yeah, I know. I don’t want to be an ant, either. Yeah, thanks for kind of, like, jostling me there. I’ve been on kind of zombie autopilot lately. I don’t feel like an ant in my head, but I guess I probably look like one." (Waking Life, Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2001)

By living our days on autopilot we can come to our last day and realize we missed investing in the lives of those who follow us. Who are you impacting for Christ who will follow after you? Your children or grandchildren? Brothers or sisters? Friends or co-workers? You can’t make up on the last day what you wished you had done on all the rest of your days. Live today with a concern of impacting the lives of those who will follow after you.

There’s one last thing I find that Elijah did that made his last day count and that was that he was committed to leaving a legacy of faith (II Kings 2:7-14). Elijah and Elisha have, at last, finished visiting the various places of the other faithful prophets. They come to the Jordan River and Elijah takes out his "mantle" or cloak and slaps it on the surface of the water. Miraculously the river divides and they walk through on dry ground. Immediately after crossing Elijah senses that there is something that Elisha wants to ask. Offering one final request Elijah asks, "What can I do for you before I am taken away?" (v. 9) Elisha answers, "Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me" (v. 9). This was another way of asking if he might be the successor of Elijah’s ministry. Elijah’s reply pointed out that it really wasn’t up to him but to God.

In the next moment God miraculously transfers Elijah from this life to heaven in a dramatic fashion. Elijah is gone and the only thing left is the mantle or cloak that Elijah wore. Elisha is distraught but, gathering his emotions together, he returns to the Jordan with the mantle in his hands. He looks at the mantle and the river and cries out, "Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" He then strikes the surface of the water with the mantle and the water divides and Elisha walks across and back into the opportunity to continue the legacy of his spiritual father, Elijah.

What I see in this scene of Elijah’s life is that he spent his last day insuring that there was at least one person to whom he could pass the legacy of his faith. That was what Elisha wanted. He could have asked for many things but the one thing he wanted from Elijah was to be like him in his faith. I get chills when I hear Elisha’s voice crying out, "Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" It’s as if he is saying, "God, all I have wanted is to carry on the legacy of my spiritual mentor. If you are the God that Elijah believed you to be, then show yourself, prove yourself now! I have Elijah’s mantle but do I have your power?" Elisha was to find out that Elijah had left him with far more than a piece of cloth, he had left him with a legacy of faith!

John Maxwell says that people leave behind three things in their life: souvenirs—things that let others know we were here; trophies—records of our achievements; and legacies—it’s more than just a reminder we existed and had some success. It is something that lives on and makes an impact for the present and for the next generation. It’s passing on the leadership baton to the next leader. (The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader’s Day by John Maxwell, p. 253-254) Elijah passed on to Elisha the legacy of his faith because Elisha was chosen to be the next leader for God’s people.

When Paul was closing out the final days of his life he wanted to insure that he left a legacy with his younger friend Timothy. He told Timothy about himself, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but also for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return. (II Tim. 4:7-8) Paul had invested himself in Timothy and he was sealing that legacy with these final words: "I have fought the fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. Now, Timothy, it is up to you."

Whenever I think of those to whom we will leave the greatest legacy of faith I think first of our children. You can leave your children with your souvenirs, your trophies and your resources but are you leaving them with anything that really lasts? Are you leaving them with the example of someone who has so trusted God that when you are not around and they feel alone they will cry out in their own words, "Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? God, they trusted you and now I want to walk faithfully in their steps."

You say, "Bruce, how is that possible with all that we have going on in our lives?" I know it is hard but a legacy of faith isn’t something you get quickly or easily. I have been so encouraged recently by hearing the stories of several couples in our church, some with children of multiple ages, who are intentionally investing in their sons and daughters the legacy of their faith in God. These parents have made choices and decisions that what will matter most when they are not around is not what you can count but whom you can count on! They have chosen to be committed to leaving for those they love a legacy of faith that will never leave them. If we would make our last day count then we would be certain that we leave a legacy of faith. Will that insure that those who we love will take up the mantle of our legacy? No, there is no guarantee. The question is, though, if we don’t leave them a legacy of faith, what will we leave them that will last?

Elijah is gone from this life but as he left he was confident of God’s plan, concerned about those who would follow and committed to leaving a legacy of faith. So what about you? Most of us will leave here today with no real thought about our last day because we’re just struggling to make it to tomorrow. There are others who know what it is to come face to face with their own limits of life and will tell us just how precious every moment is. Isn’t it time you got serious about making your days count now so that the last one isn’t a surprise? If you are not confident about your eternity, then let God bring you that confidence. If you are not concerned about impacting others, then stop wasting time and do it. If you are not committed to leaving a legacy of faith, then make that commitment now.

The song I quoted earlier ends with the encouragement to live "like tomorrow was a gift and you have eternity to think about what you do with it, what you did with it." Today you have the chance to make sure your last day counts by making sure all the others counted first.

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Dr. Bruce Tippit, Pastor

First Baptist Church

Jonesboro, Arkansas

btippit@fbcjonesboro.org