Birthdays

WHAT’S IN A BIRTHDAY?

INTRODUCTION

Birthdays. “Ready or not, here they come.” But that is not how everyone looks at a birthday. For some a birthday is a joyous event, especially for the young. Birthdays mean presents and being the center of attention. Birthdays mean surprises and all the cake we can eat.

Then the double digit years come. “I’ll be ten.” Then the seeming long wait to become a … TEENAGER. Then the miserable long wait until we can drive (a car). (We already know how to drive our brothers and sisters and parents and teachers crazy.)

From 16 to 21 everything seems a daze. Then one day, either after high school or after college we have that final “fun” birthday and have to act our age. We have to work like an adult. We have responsibilities.

Then comes those plateau years; 30, 40, 50, 60. They come too fast. Some welcome them with tears. Others by having a second childhood. Others by having a mid-life crises.

And through out it all, “Ready or not, here they come.” Birthdays don’t slow down, they speed up. Then one day we wake up and say, “Where has my life gone?”

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. James 4:14

THEME: AS WE LIVE OUR LIVES:

I. WE CAN BE MIXED BLESSINGS TO OTHERS

     A. Birthdays Have Been Occasions For Some To Use Their Power

         1. The Biblical references to birthdays

          2. Used by pagan totalitarian rulers who had little else to celebrate

NOTE: The more a person tries to control, the less that person has to celebrate

     B. Pharaoh Celebrated His Birthday Making A Feast For His Servants            Genesis 40:20

NOTE: And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.

And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand

Genesis 40:20-21

          1. He used it as an occasion to show his power over his servants

          2. He showed his power by restoring his butler

T.S. AS WE LIVE OUR LIVES:

          I. WE CAN BE MIXED BLESSINGS TO OTHERS

II. WE CAN BE HARMFUL TO OTHERS

     A. We Can Deliberately Harm Others As A Way Of Celebrating

          1. But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.      Genesis 40:22

          2. And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:

Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.

Genesis 40:18-19

NOTE: The celebration was not a happy one for everybody

     B. Our Boasting Can Be Harmful To Others

NOTE: Maybe as a way to “recapture our youth”

NOTE: Herod celebrated his birthday too

          1. But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.

Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger.

And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.

And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.

Matthew 14:6-11

          2. Mark 6:21-28

     C. The Sin Of “Zero Sum Mentality”

          1. Most of the world does not know how to enjoy themselves without making someone else miserable

          2. It is though there is only:

a. So much happiness

b. So much prosperity

c. So much well being in the world

          3. In order for one person to have more, someone else has to have less

NOTE: This is the Devil’s lie!

T.S. AS WE LIVE OUR LIVES:

          I. WE CAN BE MIXED BLESSINGS TO OTHERS

        II. WE CAN BE HARMFUL TO OTHERS

III. WE CAN BE BLESSINGS TO OTHERS

     A. The Earlier Greeks Used Birthdays For One’s Death Date

NOTE: Genesia – Beginning

          1. It was called funeral commemorations

          2. A festival commemorative of a deceased friend

     B. God’s Heroes Of The Faith Seemed To Ignore Their Birthdays

          1. They celebrated other noteworthy accomplishments

          2. They emphasized God’s accomplishments

               a. The Passover

               b. The Day of Atonement

               c. Pentecost

                d. etc.

     C. In Contrast To The Selfish “Zero Sum Mentality”

          1. There is plenty of blessing

          2. There is plenty of eternal life

          3. There is plenty of prosperity

          4. There is plenty of happiness

          5. There is plenty of room for obedience to the Word of God

NOTE: Happiness is a matter of perspective. Most of us decide whether or not we will be happy or miserable.

     D. Three Perspectives On Life

          1. The gloomy perspective

               a. Life can be worse than death if there is no purpose, direction or accomplishment

               b. Death can be worse than life if there is no hope in eternity

               c. Life or death can be miserable to those who live it selfishly

               d. Life or death can be miserable for those who life it godlessly

          2. The tarnished perspective

               a. Death can be better than life if we know the Lord

NOTE:  A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.         Ecclesiastes 7:1

               b. Death can be better than life if that is what God chooses for us

               c. Death can be better than life if that is what gets us to Christ

NOTE: For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

               d. Death can be better than life if we die in the Lord

          3. The bright perspective

               a. Life can be better than death if the Lord blesses our life.

               b. Life can be better than death if we are serving the Lord

               c. Life can be better than death if we are bringing other’s to the Lord

               d. Life can be better than death if we meet the Lord in the air

NOTE: And that is why we celebrate the birthday of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords

     E. That Is Why We, The People Of God, Should Celebrate Three Birthdays

          1. When we were born physically – He gave us life

          2. When we were born again – He gave us eternal life

          3. When the King was born

CONCLUSION

AS WE LIVE OUR LIVES:

I. WE CAN BE MIXED BLESSINGS TO OTHERS

II. WE CAN BE HARMFUL TO OTHERS

III. WE CAN BE BLESSINGS TO OTHERS