Made Ya Look! Series

“MADE YA LOOK”

HOW MANY OF YOU WERE HERE LAST WEEK? HOW MANY OF THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE HERE CAN TELL ME WHAT THE MARQUEE SAYS TODAY? JUST CHECKING. THIS MORNING WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE QUESTION WHAT HAVE I DONE?

LET’S PRAY

IF YOU WERE ASKED TO DESCRIBE THE BIBLE TO SOMEONE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

- INHERENT WORD OF GOD

- GOD’S LOVE LETTER

- TRUTH REVEALED TO MAN

- DIVINELY INSPIRED BY GOD AND WRITTEN BY MEN

- A GUIDE BOOK TO LIFE

ANOTHER QUESTION THIS MORNING IS DO YOU BELIEVE THAT GOD’S WORD CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE?

LISTEN TO THIS DRAMATIC COMPARISON AND THEN ANSWER ME THAT QUESTION.

MAX JUKES LIVED IN NEW YORK, HE DID NOT BELIEVE THE BIBLE AND HE THOUGHT THE CHURCH WAS FULL OF HYPOCRITES.

HE NEVER ATTENDED OR ALLOWED HIS CHILDREN TO GO TO CHURCH.

HE HAD 1,026 DESCENDANTS;

300 WERE SENT TO PRISON FOR THE AVERAGE TERM OF 13 YEARS;

190 WERE PUBLIC PROSTITUTES;

680 WERE ALCOHOLICS.

MANY LIVE ON THE WELFARE SYSTEM, AND HAVE NOT CONTRIBUTED TO SOCIETY.

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JONATHAN EDWARDS LIVED IN NEW YORK AT THE SAME TIME AS JUKES.

HE READ HIS BIBLE DAILY AND LOVED THE CHURCH.

HE AND HIS FAMILY WERE IN CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY.

HE HAD 929 DESCENDANTS:

430 WERE MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL;

86 WERE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS;

75 AUTHORED A BOOK;

5 SERVED IN THE US CONGRESS;

2 SERVED AS SENATORS;

ONE AS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

NONE WERE EVER IN THE WELFARE SYSTEM, NOT ONE COST THE STATE A PENNY.

THEY WERE SERIOUS CONTRIBUTORS TO THEIR CHURCH AND THIS NATION.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? THE INFLUENCE AND PRESENCE OF THE WORD OF GOD AND THE CHURCH. I HAVE HEARD MANY PEOPLE DESCRIBE THE BIBLE AS GOD’S LOVE LETTER TO HIS CHILDREN. THIS MORNING I BROUGHT A VISUAL AID. CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT I HAVE HERE? A BOX - GOOD. THIS BOX ACTUALLY CONTAINS MANY OF THE NOTES AND LETTERS AND CARDS THAT PATTY AND I SHARED DURING OUR COURTSHIP AND EVEN SOME SPILLING OVER INTO OUR MARRIAGE. CAN YOU IMAGINE THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO - A YOUNG BOY WRITES A HEARTFELT LOVE LETTER TO HIS SWEETHEART. WHEN SHE RECEIVES IT SHE SAYS: “THE NEXT TIME I HAVE A CHANCE I’LL READ THE LETTER!” NO SHE RIPS IT OPEN AS FAST AS SHE CAN AND FINDS A SPOT TO SIT DOWN AND READ IT. YET ALL TO OFTEN YOU AND I REACT LIKE THAT SWEETHEART AND WE SAY WELL WHEN I GET A CHANCE I WILL READ THIS LOVE LETTER. HERE IS A GOD WHO HAS SHOWN HIS LOVE FOR US IN THAT WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU AND ME.

THE QUESTION THIS MORNING IS THIS:

WHAT HAVE I DONE WITH THE BIBLE (GOD’S WORD)?

I READ AN INTERESTING QUOTE THIS WEEK AND IT SIMPLY SAID THIS:

READ THE NEWSPAPER TO SEE WHAT MAN IS DOING,

BUT READ YOUR BIBLE TO SEE WHAT MAN SHOULD BE DOING!

HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER OUR SERIES ON THE LORDS PRAYER? DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT WE SAID ABOUT THAT PRAYER? WE SAID IT WAS A DANGEROUS PRAYER TO PRAY BECAUSE IT COULD AND WOULD BRING ABOUT A CHANGE IN YOU AS YOU WALKED OUT IT’S TRUTH. WELL I AM HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU THAT GOD’S WORD IS DANGEROUS! IT’S DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT WILL MAKE YOU MAKE SOME CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE IF YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST A “HEARER” OF THAT WORD. THIS WORD OF GOD THE BIBLE WILL CAUSE YOU TO GIVE UP SOME OF YOUR BAD HABITS. IT WILL MAKE YOU BE MORE FAITHFUL TO YOUR CHURCH AND TO YOUR GOD. IT WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO TITHE. IT WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO LIVE LESS FOR THE WORLD AND MORE FOR THE SAVIOR. THESE CHANGES ARE ALL FOR THE BEST. THESE CHANGES ALL BRING YOU INTO A PLACE OF BECOMING MORE LIKE JESUS.

THE QUESTION REMAINS: WHAT HAVE I DONE WITH THE WORD OF GOD THE BIBLE?

SO WHAT DOES THE BIBLE HAVE TO SAY FOR ITSELF? TURN WITH ME TO PSALM 119:105:

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

TURN BACK A FEW VERSES TO PSALM 119:11

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

STUDY AFTER STUDY HAS SHOWN US THAT EVEN IN OUR BEST INTENTIONED WORLD CALLED CHURCH WE AND OUR CHILDREN KNOW MORE ABOUT MODERN CULTURE AND TV AND SONGS ON THE RADIO AND INTERNET THAN WE DO ABOUT GOD’S WORD. THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MINUTE. ANYONE HERE EVER FOUND THEMSELVES SAYING THE WORDS “I HAVE A HARD TIME MEMORIZING THINGS? I JUST CAN’T SEEM TO REMEMBER ANYTHING ABOUT THE BIBLE. YET ONCE AGAIN IF WE TOOK A TEST I WOULD SAY THAT MOST OF YOU COULD COMPLETE A COMMERCIAL JINGLE OR FINISH THE WORDS TO A SONG. YET WE SAY THOSE THINGS. DOESN’T IT REALLY COME DOWN TO PRIORITIES? DOESN’T IT COME DOWN TO DISCIPLINE?