Dinner Is Served

DINNER IS SERVED

By Dr. Larry A. Bergeron

Matthew 5:6

Red Bay COG / June 10, 2001 / PM

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

The title of the message this evening is DINNER IS SERVED.

How many of you know that God has prepared a banquet table, full of the things of God?

Listen again to 2 Peter 1:3

3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

HAS GIVEN US EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR LIFE AND GODLINESS

I want to give you an image . . .

A banquet table spread before you

Filled with the things of God

Dinner is Served

BUT, THE QUESTION IS,

HOW HUNGRY ARE YOU

FOR THE THINGS OF GOD?

Tonight, as we prepare ourselves to come before the table of the Lord,

As we remember Christ’s death and resurrection,

Let us confirm in our hearts the Hunger for the things of God

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 5:6

6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

PRAYER

SERMON

There is a principle with God, that is, there is something God expects before He acts

I believe it is the element of hunger, or thirst . . .

in a phrase,

it is how much we DESIRE something

This morning we talked about what it takes to get anything from God,

Faith, and perhaps just as important, ASKING

Not half-heartedly

But asking with desperation

Asking with fervency!

Luke 11:9-13

9And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

There is a story in the Old Testament of the blessing of God being determined by someone’s desire, hunger

2 Kings 13:14

14Now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!”

15Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 16“Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

17“Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The LORD’S arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”

18Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”

Oh that we would ZEALOUSLY SEEK HIM AND HIS MIGHTY POWER

Listen to what the writer of Ecclesiastes says in this regard . . .

Ecclesiastes 9:10

10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,

It is the EFFECTUAL, AND FERVENT PRAYERS THAT GET ANSWERED

It’s Cain asking fervently for mercy and receiving mercy from God…

even when Cain had killed his brother

It’s Abraham asking fervently for God to spare his nephew Lot . . . God spared Him

It’s Moses asking fervently for God to spare the children of Israel . . . God spared them

It’s Joshua asking fervently for God’s help in battle . . . God stopped the sun

It’s Hezekiah asking fervently not to die . . . God granted Him 15 more years

It’s Elisha asking fervently for the rain to stop . . .

God stopped the rain until Elisha prayed again

It’s Hanna asking fervently for a child . . .

God granted her Samuel, one of the greatest prophets of Israel

It’s Several Lepers asking fervently to be healed . . .

Jesus heals everyone of them

It’s the blind man asking fervently to be healed . . .

Jesus heals him

It’s Cornelius asking fervently for a blessing . . .

God sends Peter with the Holy Ghost

It’s the Widow asking fervently for justice . . .

God, the just judge, will grant her justice

It’s You and Me asking fervently for what ever we intensely desire of God . . .

And God gives us the promise

Mark 11:22-25

22“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”