Sermon: The Human Animal Summary: All humans are like the animals that die, regardless of whether they are rich, poor, successful, or failures in this life. There is nothing any unbeliever can do to buy himself out of death. The wise and discerning person will take the implicit lesson to heart, which is that we need to focus our lives on the only one that can buy us out of death and into eternal life, which is Jesus Christ. Know: All people will die and none of the successes, wealth, etc. of this world will make a difference in it. Only God can make the difference. Feel: The uselessness of the relentless pursuit of earthbound success Do: Reflect on the character, goals and perspective of an unbeliever in light of the larger picture of God. Identify ways we are tempted to fall into the same modes of thinking as well as ways to resist this temptation. Identify and commit to what is truly important in the overall scheme of life. Text: Psalm 49 Scripture Reading: Mark 8:36 Intro: 1. Riddles - Kids love them a. How many letters in The Alphabet - 11 b. Lighter than a feather, but you cannot hold it for 10 minutes - breath c. Bought by the yard, worn by the foot - carpet d. It is there, but when you call, it disappears - silence 2. Today's Psalm is based on a riddle a. It applies to all people v.1-4 - Rich, poor, believer, Atheist, student, wise, ignorant b. Purpose to speak Wisdom and Understanding - Wisdom - Skill for living - Understanding - Insight -- "Inward" sight - Those without it cannot see behind what it obvious - If we listen, will have wisdom and insight c. Proverb & Riddle - Small statement with a large truth - Riddle on the Harp - Not abstract exposition, but a song - Wants to make it memorable 3. Riddle appears in v.13 & 20 a. Man in his pomp/honor/preciousness will not endure, he is like the beasts that perish b. I've hear the proverb put this way in modern terms - - How is a King like the lion, the dogcatcher like the dog, the Mafia boss like the pitbull, the Farmer like the Cow? c. The Psalmist makes these observations and reflections I. Selfish Ambitious people often climb over the righteous (v.5-6) A. The Psalmist may have had a crisis of faith B. The iniquity of my "foes" 1. Heb: akab, from where the name "Jacob" comes from a. Does not mean deceiver b. It means supplanter, to take the place of, to replace c. Word is not necessarily negative d. But Psalmist refers to the "iniquities" of my replacers 2. Maybe can think of some folks in scripture a. Absalom who tried to overthrow and replace David b. Athaliah who nearly wiped out the entire royal family C. Still Happens - The righteous are at a disadvantage in evil society 1. Christian student in class, teacher grades on curve a. Surrounded by students with no problems cheating b. Throws the curve off, they get better grades c. She gets a bad grade even though she studied 2. Christian Athlete working hard a. Someone else on the team taking drugs to enhance b. Outperforms the Christian, Christian gets dropped 3. Christian Business man or salesman - Works hard and honestly a. Surrounded by ambitious dishonest colleagues b. They will lie, misrepresent, make empty promises c. They move up in the company and he gets passed over 4. There are those who take advantage of honesty of the righteous a. Maybe you have experienced this in some way b. Mad and wonder what being righteous gets you c. Perhaps the wicked are better off? No. D. Rhetorical question - Why should I be concerned about this? a. Brings us back to the riddle b. How is a king like a lion, dogcatcher like dog, mafia man like the pitbull, the farmer like the cow? c. Brings us to the next reflection II. The achievements of the selfish ambitious are useless A. There seems to be so much they gain 1. They seem to keep getting ahead 2. They become rich and wealthy B. Why are they useless 1. (v.7-9) Wealth cannot redeem themselves from death a. Old Testament concept of Redemption - Could buy self out of slavery - If Ox gores, you liable, can redeem self with money b. Doesn't apply in the case of death 2. (v.10) Their smarts will not save them from death v.10 a. Rich get finest education, can become wise man, skilled b. Can have several PhD's, invent ways to prolong life c. Inevitable comes - You die anyway, just like the stupid 3. (v.11) Their names will not redeem them a. Many have their names "immortalized" - With wealth, donate large sums of money - Get name written in stone somewhere b. Names of states, cities, hospitals, colleges, streets, etc. - Colonel Henry Leavenworth is dead c. Many just have name on head stone on grave 3. BUT - Man in his pomp/honor will not endure C. ILL: 1. In Alvord, a cemetery was discovered overgrown by brush a. Latest date in tombstone was 1958 b. What about their lives, their successes, etc? c. All there is - Forgotten, barely readable name d. Some of them were unreadable 2. Proverb - He who dies with the most toys - dies 3. Funeral of a rich, successful business man a. One man leaned over to the next and asked, b. How much do you think he left behind? c. Answer - "All of it" D. Wealth, education, a memorial, success, etc. will not save you 1. Man is no different than the beasts 2. Next section continues to reflect on this riddle III. Humans are like beasts that perish A. How is a king like a lion, dogcatcher like dog, mafia man like the pitbull, the farmer like the cow? Answer: We are all going to die 1. (v.14) - A gruesome image - Death grazing on bodies a. Lit: "Death will shepherd/graze on them" b. Sheol will consume them 2. Like sheep appointed for Sheol a. Reminiscent of after dinner, eat, only bones left b. Reminiscent of carcass left on ground - decay 3. Death does not have a picky appetite, will eat humans to 4. This is a sobering thought B. ILL: Trappist monks dig a grave, go out an look at it every day a. One in the community dies, they use it and bury another b. They do it for perspective c. Sound unhealthy? d. Better than what many of us do with death - Avoid it, disguise it, speak in euphemisms C. Contrast to the image of the ungodly in this Psalm (v.15-19) 1. v.15 - Lit: "Yet" God will redeem my Soul a. Probably a quotation of the wicked b. As in v.11 - Think they will be forever 2. His glory will not go to the grave with him a. Many rich, famous, ungodly are envied - Their personal lives are of interest to many people - What they wear, when they shave their head, etc. b. People congratulate them on their success 3. When they die, nobody envies that! a. At funeral, talk about how great they were b. But nobody wishes they were guest of honor at funeral c. They are buried in the darkness 4. They will never see the light a. Even if they are buried in glass casket on display b. They will be in eternal darkness D. What an unsettling thought Concl: 1. Final words in (v. 20) a. Some will never learn, "yet without understanding" b. Some will not take this riddle to heart c. Final question: What will you do with this wisdom? 2. Two choices: a. Be like v.11, 13, 18 and play the fool b. Or really listen and be wise 3. Jn 10:10 - I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly a. Great news - Jesus came to give you life b. Died and rose with new life and offers it 4. (Jn 3:36) - You to can have life (invitation) - You don’t have to be like the beast that perishes 5. What is the focus of your life? Your wealth, education, friends, success, etc. a. Question: Where will this lead? b. You have a fantastic gift from God - stay focused on it and not the world ======================================= Small Group Questions: The Human Animal Summary: All humans are like the animals that die, regardless of whether they are rich, poor, successful, or failures in this life. There is nothing any unbeliever can do to buy himself out of death. The wise and discerning person will take the implicit lesson to heart, which is that we need to focus our lives on the only one that can buy us out of death and into eternal life, which is Jesus Christ. Open: - How would you complete this phrase: "Man is the only animal that…" Explore: (Psalm 49) 1. How does the Psalmist get your attention in the first four verses? What is the purpose of this Psalm? 2. What are the characteristics of humans in this Psalm? 3. Knowing that God is just and righteous, which of these characteristics might have been the most difficult for righteous people to deal with and why? 4. What exhortations are there for the righteous in this Psalm and why? 5. How does the message from the Sermon on the Mount in Matt 6:24-34 complement the message of this Psalm? Apply: 6. Identify ways we are tempted to fall into the same modes of thinking of unbelievers who "get ahead" in life without God. 7. What are some ways to resist this temptation of wanting to be like unbelievers? 8. A look in the mirror: Examine and identify the things that are most important to you in your life - what do you expend the most amount of energy doing and why? What is God calling you to do through this lesson? 9. If you could make up your own simile or proverb from this Psalm, what might it be? Prayer