What if you had six weeks to live?
1Thessalonians 4:13-18, John 14:1-3
Pastor Suzanne Taczak

I received a phone call from my Aunt Go last week after 11pm. She never calls so late so I knew something was up. She called to tell me that she had some sad news. My Aunt Sally had 6 weeks to live. Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. My mind quickly flashed to all the fun and wonderful times we had all through life!!! I remembered all the trips we would take. I would have never left rural Ohio if it hadn’t been for Aunt Sal. She took me to Montreal Canada to see the world’s fair in 1966. Each summer we would travel to Washington DC to see her sister and her nieces and nephews. We had so much fun. She introduced me to the theater, to dance, to the symphony! She has a zest for living!!!! Her family came over from Poland and my grandmother rented her a room and she became part of my family in the early 1940's. I never knew her as a family friend. She was my Aunt S al!!!! Now, she’s dying, I thought. How can this be, her mind is so very sharp? I burst out in tears. My Aunt Go cautioned me about crying. When you call your Aunt Sal, you better not cry. She said that she doesn’t want anyone crying tears all over her. If fact, Aunt Go didn’t know what she would do when she saw her either, because we’re all such cry babies, your mom, you and I. We need to focus on this fact: She reminded my Aunt Go that she had a good life. She lived a very full life and that she knew where she was going. She was going to be with Jesus in heaven and she would see all her family and all of our family!!! Wow, what an attitude I thought. Yes, I could dwell in this sad moment for a few hours, even days, but she has such a wonderful attitude about her life and her death. I continue to learn from her, even now in her final weeks.

Yes, I cried, but I was reminded of God's promise of eternal life. It gave me such comfort! I remember when I was in my 20’s and racing through college, anxious to be finished with another course, closer to graduation, so I could get on with my life. Aunt Sal was in her 60’s taking another college class. I remember my parents asking me to ask Aunt Sally, the next time you see her, what she’s going to school for at this age? We would meet for dinner or lunch or I would call and see if I could stop by. She never said no, come on over, she would say. I’m so excited to hear how you have been doing at school. She was always so excited to see me and always so interested to learn something new. So, I finally asked what degree she was pursuing. No degree she would say. I go for the sake of learning!!! “So, here I am racing through school to get on with life and you’re taki ng college courses just for the sake of learning!!!!” “Yes, it’s all in your attitude!!! You rush to get it over with. I take my time so I can learn and grasp every morsel of knowledge that I can!!! Try not to rush through life, Suzanne. Just enjoy it and live it. Life is too precious to rush through it!!!!”Wow, another enlightening few hours with such a wonderful Aunt!!! How blessed I have been to know her!!!!

My Aunt Go continued to tell me in our phone conversation that Aunt Sal made all her funeral arrangements. “Give me the least expensive pine box that you get get your hands on. If it’s good enough for the Pope, its good enough for me,” she said!!!! So she will be buried in a pine box. Nothing elaborate. A simple burial for a magnificent person. She loves life and enjoys it all.

I cried my tears and after a couple days, I called her. Yes, it's true, I don't know how much time I have left. I'm a fighter, as you know, and I'm not giving up!!!We spent many good times over the years! Our time was always special! You have always been special to me!!! Yes, I remember seeing her this past September. There was a note on the door that she would be back in the next 15 minutes. Soon, Barb and I heard a car racing down the street and barreling into her driveway. She jumped out of her car and hugged us with such love and excitement!!! As usual, she was so loving and interested in us. She was so very interesting as she told us of the latest college class she took. She also talked about a young priest who is teaching her so much about the Bible!!! This young priest will say her funeral mass. She has selected all the music and made all the arrangements. S he didn't want anyone else to have to deal with it! “There is one thing you could do for me, if you would, please?”Sure anything Aunt Sal, anything! Pray for me. I’m going to try to beat this thing. I have a good attitude and prayer works!!!! Yes it does and I sure will pray for you. I’ll pray with you too. “Great!!!, she said!!!” Oh, by the way, did I mention that my Aunt Sal is in her early 90's?

So what if you had six weeks to live? Would you look to Psalm 16, verse 11? “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”This is the path that we search for ever since we were born. What is our purpose in life? What is the meaning of life? The way of life depends on guidance deep within. We should never stray from it but pursue it with vigor and enthusiasm and zest like my Aunt Sal. Always learning about God. Always asking questions. Always seeking God's will for our lives!!!! What is your purpose in this life? What if you only had six more weeks to live? How would you live it? Maybe we need to wake up every day and think we only have today. It is really what we have isn't it? Not even a day, a second, a moment! We're not promised any time at all. Live as if it were your last hour!!!!

The way of life is in joy; even in the face of death, sickness and hardship. Those who find the path of life face life's difficulties with a sense of assurance that no matter where the path leads they will come out in God's hands on the other side. That path leads straight through hardship, straight through sickness, straight through the grave!!!!! David asks God to show him the path to everlasting life. He said finding that path would guarantee him a life of joy in the presence of God and after this life, pleasure, as he sits at the right hand of God! Do you believe that God will not abandon you to the grave? Will you seek the path of life? Will you be filled with joy in God's presence? Do you believe that His eternal pleasures are at the right hand of the Father?For the faithful child of God, death is the beginning of eternal life, is it not? Turn to 1Thessalonians 4:13-18 “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to your own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with a trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” Paul wanted the Thessalonian to know that death is not the end of the story. When Christ returns, all believers – dead and alive- will be reunited, never to suffer again or di e again. We need not despair when loved ones die or events take a tragic turn. God will turn our tragedies into triumphs, our poverty to riches, our pain to glory, and our defeat to victory. As Paul comforted the Thessalonians with the promise of the resurrection, So we will comfort and reassure each other with this great hope!!!

Turn to John 14:1-3. Now this is Jesus speaking! “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” Now, this should give us comfort! Jesus' words show that the way to eternal life, though unseen, is secure – as secure as your trust in Jesus. He has already prepared the way to eternal life. Are you willing to believe this????These verses are rich!!! Jesus says, “I am going there to prepare a place for you. And I will come back.” This is the promise that Jesus makes to each of us who believe in Him. Do you believe it?

IF YOU DIED TODAY . . . ? Are you ready??? You cannot be certain you will be alive on this earth tomorrow. No one can! Have you taken the time to really consider for yourself what will happen to you when you die? Isn't this question too important to neglect, or to just take someone else's word for? You can, and should, have an assurance and a peace about it. Jesus Christ came to earth to live and die, and raise from death as your substitute, so you could have peace and assurance about your eternal destiny. God promises in the Bible that whoever receives Jesus Christ gets the right and privilege of becoming a child of God (John 1:12), and living with Him forever (John 14:3).

TOMORROW! Everyone's thought today. Thinking today of what needs to be done tomorrow. Why do we assume tomorrow will come? Is it we take for granted today or are we just so fixed on setting things aside that we could do everything important tomorrow? Have you ever stopped and thought about it? How are you living? Are you procrastinating and not doing what needs to be done today? After all, Who promised YOU tomorrow? Is it written in stone here on earth that you will have tomorrow to do what you put off today? No it is not. We have no clue as to where we will be tomorrow. Christ could come back tonight and you could be left here. Oh, now isn't that a scary thought? Let me ask you this. If you died at this moment, would you go to heaven? Would you live or forever be in agony? Makes you think doesn't it? Are you one of those people saying, "I know I need God, but I'll ask tomorrow." OR s omeone who says, "I don't need God. I'm fine the way I am." Like I said before. Who promised you tomorrow? You're life is as some would say, "Here today, gone tomorrow." Today is today, so don't worry about tomorrow. As Matthew 6:34 says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." You don't know what tomorrow holds. Life is so short, we all take it for granted. Treat today like it is your last day on Earth and live your life to the absolute fullest. Take that extra 45 minutes to take the kids to the park. Make your spouses favorite dinner. You're not here by accident listening to this message. Jesus loves you, and He wants you to have a personal relationship with Him. There is just one thing that separates you from God. That one thing is sin. "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy." Titus 3:5 Jesus paid the price for your sin and mine by giving His life on Calvary's cross. God brought Jesus back from the dead and paved the way for you to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus. All that's left for you to do is to accept the gift that Jesus is holding out for you right now.

"If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-10. God says that if you believe in His son, Jesus, you can live forever with Him in glory. "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

If you haven' yet accepted the gift, are you ready to accept the gift of eternal life that Jesus is offering you right now? If it is your sincere desire to ask Jesus to come into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior, then talk to God from your heart through the Sinner's Prayer right now, let us pray: "Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I do not deserve eternal life. But, I believe You died and rose from the grave to purchase a place in Heaven for me. Jesus, come into my life, take control of my life, forgive my sins and save me. I am now placing my trust in You alone for my salvation and I accept your free gift of eternal life." AMEN??? AMEN!!!!!