Carlton-Kogarah Baptist Church

In a survey that was conducted recently amongst a significant number of elderly people, the elderly were asked that if they could live their life over what would be the one thing that they would change, or do differently.

Do you know what the number one response was?. It was not I wished I had worked harder. It was not I would have acquired a bigger house, it was not I wish had had more money. The number one response from these people who had lived life to almost it's end was that they wished they had spent more time with their families, or their loved ones.

What these people are saying is that the number one thing above everything else, about work, money and possessions was relationships, that's what was important, if they could do it all over again they would work harder at their relationships.

This is not a new revelation by any means, over some three thousands years ago a very wise man, a king in fact came up with the same conclusion. His name was Solomon, king Solomon, he had everything except one thing, inner fulfilment, so he sets out to find it, he tries everything money, power, pleasure, possessions. The record of King Solomon's search for inner fulfilment is recorded in the Bible under the heading of Ecclesiastes.

At the very end of the record of Solomon's search, after years of trial-and-error experimentation, the smartest guy in the world arrives at his final conclusion as to how to experience satisfaction, how to experience inner fulfilment. And he says in Ecclesiastes 12:13, inner fulfilment comes through -- here it is, -- fearing God and following him fully. Fearing God, and following him fully. In other words, the only thing in this world that brings inner fulfilment is relationship, a relationship with God the creator of this world.

Things like money, power, pleasure, possessions, their not bad in themselves, but they will never bring fulfilment, ultimate fulfilment. The survey with the elderly people of today goes a long way to prove that, none of those things were mentioned as the top response, if those elderly people could do it all over again, they wouldn't seek after any of those things, they would put their time and energy into the most valuable Commodity they had - their relationships. I think we can be pretty sure that some of those elderly people had spent their life chasing after power, or money, or possessions, and they said that if they could do it all again they put more time into relationships. The trouble is, like them, none of us will get a chance to do it all again, life is not a dress rehearsal.

Without a doubt, the most influential person in the history of this world today is Jesus Christ, still today the mention of his name causes conflict and discussion, in some places around the world people are even put into prison because they mention Jesus' name. I don't know what you think of Jesus, but it's true that he has been singly the most influential person in the history of the world. The fact that history is dated according to his birth supports that fact. No one has caused more people to follow him, no has changed more lives, no one has ever said the things that Jesus said, no one has brought meaning and fulfilment to so many lives as Jesus has.

If Jesus is the most influential person that ever walked this earth, then surly the things that he said, his message is worth at least a look.

Central to Jesus' message are these words, again they come from the bible, which is by the way the most widely read book every in the history of this world, Jesus said this in the book called John 10:10 there Jesus said: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." The word full means abundant or maximum; life like you have never known before. We could put Jesus' words this way, as one translation does, I have come so that you may have life to the max.

Jesus' sole purpose in coming into this world was to restore the relationship between God and you, was to make it possible for you to have a life that is fulfilled, a life that has meaning and purposes. Jesus didn't come to tell you what you should do and what you shouldn't, that's not what God is on about, if you think that then you have been sold some bad information about God, and what Jesus came to do for you. Jesus came into this world so that you could have life, and have it to the full, Jesus came so that you can live a fulfilled life, a life that goes on into eternity. Jesus came so that you could have the only thing that will ever give total fulfilment in life, that is a relationship with God, the creator of this world.

Let me close by asking you about your life, is your life fulfilled at this moment, have you found what your looking for? People, nothing that this world has to offer you will ever bring the meaning and fulfilment that comes through having a relationship with God, and the only way to have a relationship with is through Jesus Christ, through accepting what Jesus has done for you.

If you would like some more information on how Jesus can bring fulfilment to your life then please email me at: stevetuck@unwired.com.au