Last Lectures

Yesterday I attended the memorial service of a friend of mine named, Bob. During the service, three men who had been mentored by Bob gave testimony to his impact on their lives. Another friend of mine preached a message of comfort and hope to the attenders. Before his message, he remembered the life of Bob, who was now home with the Lord Jesus Christ. The speaker summoned up Bob's life in five words. He captured the essence of what the family wanted the attenders to know about their husband, father and grandfather, Bob.

As I was driving to the grave side service, I wondered if my friend, Bob, would have agreed with the speaker. I wondered what my friend would have liked the attenders to know about his life.

I asked some of my other friends who were attending the memorial how they would like to be remembered. I thought about how I would like to be remembered. As I thought about Bob, I was reminded of Randy Pausch. Pausch gained national recognition for his “Last Lecture.” He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September 2006. As a university professor, he was familiar with a concept called “The Last Lecture.” Pausch wanted to give a “last lecture” that could be recorded and saved for his students and all mankind, but especially for his children. He wanted to give them some life lessons. He wanted his last lecture to be available for instructional purposes in their lives when they were old enough to appreciate and apply the lessons. Learn more about his story

here.

OR here

OR here

When I returned from my friends memorial service, I checked to see how Randy Pausch was doing. I discovered that he had died a few days earlier. I found that his “last lecture” had been published as a book, “The Last Lecture.”

Biblical Examples

Pausch's last lecture was full of good advice, but none of it recognized Yahweh God as the center of the universe and the Lord of his life. Since my friend Bob's life and “last lecture” would have centered on Yahweh as the center of the universe and the Lord of his life. I started thinking about Biblical examples of “last lectures” that I might be able to learn from.

I was looking for some inspiration for what I should put in my last lecture. I didn't need to reinvent a last lecture from scratch, if a good one already existed.

Here is what I found:

Jesus

Jesus Christ's last lecture to His disciples can be found at the end of the Gospel according to Matthew. We refer to it as the Great Commission. “Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

David

King David's last lecture to his son Solomon can be found in 1 Chronicles. “ 'And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work. . . . .All this,' David said, 'I have in writing from the hand of the LORD upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan.' David also said to Solomon his son, 'Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished. The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.' “ (1 Chronicles 28:9-10, 19-21)

Joshua

Joshua's last lecture to the Israelites is at the end of Joshua. “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
. . .
You are not able to served the LORD. He is a holy God, he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.
. . .
You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.
. . .
Now then, throw away the foreign gods and that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
(Joshua 24:14-15, 19-23)

The Teacher

The Teacher in Ecclesiastes delivered this last lecture. “The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails – given by one Shepherd. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
(Ecclesiastes 12:11-14)

Others

Other “last lectures” to consider are:

Jacob in Genesis 49:29-33
Joseph in Genesis 50:24-25
Moses in Deuteronomy 33:26-29
Stephen in Acts 7:48-53, 56

Observations

I see a couple of helpful patterns.

One, there is a central focus on God.

Jesus – “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

David -- “ And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father”

Joshua -- “Now fear the LORD”

The Teacher -- “here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God “

Second, there is a charge given to the audience to participate in a vision or mission or purpose. A call to action.

Jesus -- “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

David -- “and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work. . . .”

Joshua -- “and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

The Teacher -- “and keep his commandments”

So my last lecture will need to include a clear focus on the importance of making Yahweh and the Lord Jesus Christ the center of life. And it will need to include a clear call to action to fulfill a life purpose that is based on the will of God.

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