The Resolution that Methuselah Made

January 21st, 2018

ICA Sunday Pulpit Message

<Intro> There is no other wise person than the person who sees the end.

(Psalms 90:12)

Today’s title is “The Resolution that Methuselah Made”. We are talking about the message for the resolutions. Abel and Enoch made resolutions, so we will look at the resolutions made by Methuselah. From our introduction title, we all have our ends because we cannot live for thousands of years. Our life expectancy is about 100 years, which means we will have our ends. We also talk about a life span on this earth. We have to live our life wisely and in a smart way. Moses said this in Psalms, “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.” It seems that life just passes us by like water through fingers. In Psalms, he talks about setting the time wisely so that you can live your life to the fullest. For example, let’s say that students who go to school to study don’t have to take the finals or exams. For four years, as they study, they don’t have to take a single exam or quiz. What will happen to them? There’s a strong possibility that the majority of students will just live life the way they want. However, there are midterms and final examinations. Knowing that there is a date for the test, students will calculate those days. If, however, there were no set dates or finals, they will just live life the way they please. It’s the same for life. A wise person will see the days and live accordingly. For everyone, there is an end or final date. In the Bible, it is recorded that there are three days of judgment. After today, I hope that you will remember this. The Bible is teaching us the three judgments or three ends so that we can live a smart and beneficial life.

 

1. Being aware of the biblical end leads to a healthy walk of faith.

1) End of the person (Hebrews 9:27, Luke 16:19-31)

2) End of the age (Daniel 4:17, Acts 17:26)

3) End of the earth (Matthew 24:14,)

 

The first is the end of the individual. Individually, we all have our ends. Everyone faces death, and that is the end of the person. They will face judgment. Hebrews 9:27 says, “Just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” God, who created the heaven, earth, and universe, He will come to judge the dead and the living. After they die, God will decide whether they have eternal life or eternal perish. Are you afraid of this? Are you worried? However, God has saved us from this strict judgment; do you believe in this? It doesn’t matter when you die, you have been freed from that judgment. Honestly speaking, freedom from judgment is a great gift to us. You don’t really feel that or see that just because you believe in God. Let’s say that we will choose one of the church members so that they can experience what it’s like to be in hell. They will have greater faith and will be more studious in their walk of faith. It is recorded in the Bible that hell surpasses our thoughts. Let’s say that you really did go to hell, and you came back; you will realize how blessed you are to receive salvation. However, hell is not some place that you can visit and come back like a vacation.

 

In Luke 16:19-31, there are an unnamed rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. Before the rich man died, he looked upon his life and thought of the multiple parties that he attended because of his wealth. However, before the beggar died, he looked upon his life and saw the times he ate the thrown-away food of the rich man. Because it was practically trash that the beggar ate, the beggar had many scars and was sick to the point where even dogs lapped at his body. Now, at some point, both people died, but the rich man went to hell and the beggar went to heaven. The problem is, the rich man in hell was watching over Lazarus, who was in heaven, so the rich man was so happy to see the beggar and gave a request. He was essentially begging that the beggar can give a drink of water since hell is very hot. However, Abraham replied that that was not possible, that something from heaven can never transcend to hell. I urge you to help others understand that there is a heaven and hell that must be noted while living life.

 

Now, is this a true story or just a mere parable? Are the stories in the Bible fake or genuine? Jehovah witnesses who are legalistic live good lives. However, because they don’t have as much faith, they teach their congregation that hell doesn’t exist, that humans don’t have souls, and that the stories of the Bible are mere stories. However, the names recorded in the Bible are not mere stories; they are real people who walked the earth, and the stories that they’ve lived through are true. This means that heaven and hell are real places that exist past our worldly lives.

 

There’s this one scenario where one apartment building have great amenities and parking spaces, however there is a wall between this building and another building that is under reconstruction. There are people who have to make money every day and cannot send their kids to school. The person is trying to make a living every day, but on the opposite side, they see others living a good life. When they realize that there’s someone else who is better off than them, they fall into despair and commit crimes. People in hell will feel more hardship and despair when they see the people in heaven. That’s the worst pain they can feel; it’s truly a cruel place. However, for you and I, we have been freed from hell through God’s grace.

 

For mankind, when we have souls in our body, you can receive salvation. In other words, when you live on this earth, you can receive salvation. When you have the time, when you have the chance, proclaim the Gospel and save the ones you can. Even if they don’t want to listen, tell them anyway. Let them know; sharing the Gospel gives you eternal results. When they accept, they will go to heaven. When they don’t, they will go to hell. A person knowing that they will share the Gospel cannot just live their life as they please; they must be considerate of other and save them from the pits of hell. They will not just see the outer shell, but they will see the spirits, the souls of the unsaved. They will live a life that sees this and share the Gospel because they think about the relationship with the unsaved. People who have conscience while walking their walk of faith will truly note these things in the world.

 

If you look at the history of mankind, all the great civilizations were changed according to Acts 17:26, “He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.” The Age of Babylon was great and then perished. The Age of Rome was spent believing they were invincible, but they, too, fell as well. Those who fear God and respect God are the right people. The face looking towards God who has the control of the age will walk the right walk of faith. Then why is it that we continue to see the rise and fall of ages? When the Gospel message disappears, the end of the age will come. That is why the age of Sodom and Gomorrah came to place. That’s why they came to an end. Only through the Gospel can you save that age.

 

Finally, there is the end of the earth. What will happen to this earth when the end is near? Imagine what events will take place. Things that you cannot imagine will take place. However, we should not worry about the end of the earth. Matthew 24:14 says, “When the Gospel is preached through the world, then the end will come.” Therefore, the end of the world and world evangelization is the same thing. For us believers, going towards the end of the earth is a great goal. Why, because the time schedule of world evangelization and the end of the earth are the same. There’s a time schedule where when everything comes to an end, God will make everything new. Revelations 21:5 says, “Behold, I am making all things new. Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” You will see God’s masterplan and see the things that He has made new. Knowing the three destructions and walking the walk of faith will result in a studious walk of faith. God has freed us from these three disasters through Jesus Christ.

 

2. Methuselah made a resolution that he must relay what he saw and learned until the end.

1) Methuselah lived with his ancestor Adam all the way to his descendant Noah. (Genesis 5:27)

2) He saw his ancestor Adam’s death when he was 243 years old. (Genesis 5:5)

3) He saw his father Enoch’s ascension when he was 300 years old. (Genesis 5:21-24)

 

Everyone knows that Methuselah lived almost 1000 years; it’s truly amazing. However, the age that he lived in, it was the last age before Noah’s Ark was built. It was the last age before everyone in the world perished. For Methuselah, he realized that the end was near, and he came to a resolution. From Adam to Noah, it was 10 generations. However, because Methuselah lived such a long life, he was able to see all 10 generations. Before the age of the flood, Adam, Methuselah, and Noah lived. When Methuselah was 243 years old, that’s when Adam died. That means that he lived with Adam on the earth for that long. Probably, Adam said this to Methuselah every day: “Honestly speaking, I committed a sin before God, and I was thrown out of the Garden of Eden. God said that the moment you have eaten the fruit of knowledge you will surely die.” With this, Adam passed on. That’s why Methuselah and all of his descendants knew that if you disobeyed God, you will surely perish. This was confirmed with Adam’s passing. 

 

57 years after Adam passed away, Methuselah saw his father, Enoch, ascending into heaven. For 300 years, Enoch was with God before he ascended into heaven. The seriousness of death and the world that doesn’t change, these ancestors were able to see all of this. Mankind committed sin and was separated from God; they had no choice but to face death. However, when you dwell with God, you will experience no death and ascend to heaven. The people of the world don’t realize this and merely pass it off as judgment. Methuselah saw, heard, and shared this fact.

 

3. Methuselah received God’s important blessing and was utilized until the end.

1) He received the blessing of living the longest (Genesis 5:27)

2) He became the last person who relayed the covenant (Genesis 5:31)

3) He was utilized for the way of salvation until the end (Genesis 7:6)

 

Methuselah lived a long and healthy life. It is important to live a healthy life where you are utilized by God. Among us, who is the oldest? I hope that you will be utilized by God, for you have lived a long life. You can pray for the church, the pulpit, the remnants, and world evangelization. Methuselah was able to be utilized like this, and he was given the blessing of living the longest. His sons died first before him, and he realized that all of his ancestors died as well. The only person who was left was his grandson, Noah. Noah couldn’t receive help from his father because he died. He was only able to receive aid from Methuselah. Knowing this, Methuselah came to another resolution. He helped his grandson and shared the covenant to him before he died. After his father and grandfather died, Noah would have faced many hardships. Because he could not receive any help to build the ark or relay the message if both were dead, God left behind Methuselah to Noah. I hope that we can live long, healthy lives that can be utilized by God. Methuselah, seeing the age and time, was blessed by God and lived a long life. According to God’s Word, Methuselah died and judgment came to the earth through the flood.

 

<Conc.> God guides the people who realize the gospel and do remnant movement, so that they can live the greatest life.

This blessing will not change. Jesus asked Peter three times whether he loved Him, to which Peter answered yes, and fed Jesus’ lambs. Jesus gave Peter the covenant of Remnant Movement, and as a result, Peter enjoyed the greatest life. Then who was Peter who enjoyed this? He was a fisherman from Galilee. He also betrayed his teacher; he essentially had the lowest life. That’s who Peter was, but Jesus still gave him the covenant to feed His lambs. Peter, who lived his life to do the works of the Remnant Movement, became a renown leader. He became the leader of the Early Church, and it was recorded in the Bible that he lived the greatest life because he held onto the covenant until the very end. Be sure to relay the things that you saw and experienced to your children. Through this, God will change your life into the best and most beneficial.

 

In order for us to realize this, God allowed incidents. For us to realize the Remnant Movement, He has given us hardships and problems. “Everyone else has a happy life, but why is it that I am suffering?” Don’t be deceived; God is telling you to hold onto his promise. You have to quickly catch onto His direction. God is telling you to look at things you’ve never seen before. Until now, you’ve lived a self-centered life, but from now on, live a God-centered life. Think of the holy things rather than the worldly things. Live for God’s success rather than worldly success. From now on, God will give you new experiences, and through that journey, God will give you the best of life.

 

<Prayer>

We have heard the resolutions of Methuselah. May his resolutions be our walk of faith and our resolutions. For us living our last days, it’s a good message for us. Help us to share those teachings to our children. I confess that that is the journey and that that is the thing that will bring us closer to You. May You complete everything that You began. Help the congregation to live the greatest life. I bless them and pray in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Austin Immanuel