Last Words And Last Sighting

INTRO.- In my former book. Do you like books? Do you read books?

ILL.- TEACHER: Who is your favorite author?

PUPIL: George Washington.

TEACHER: But George Washington never wrote any books.

PUPIL: You got it.

TEACHER: How many books have you read in your lifetime?

PUPIL: I don’t know. I’m not dead yet.

TEACHER: What does your history book tell you about the Civil War? PUPIL: It doesn’t tell me anything. I have to read the dumb thing.

ILL.- It has been said that Harry Truman was one of our most bookish Presidents. Ken McCormick of Doubleday Book Company remembers going up to see him at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel after Truman had left the White House.

He arrived early in the morning and the President wasn’t up yet, but Mrs. Truman said, “Go right into his bedroom—he’d love to see you, Ken.”

So Ken walked in, and there was the President, the former President, sitting in a big chair with two stacks of new books on either side of his chair.

Ken said, “Mr. President, as a publisher, I’m so pleased to see that you’re buying all those books. I suppose you read yourself to sleep at night.” He said, “No, young man, I read myself awake.” That’s what books do for some people. Some put you to sleep and some may wake you; if they’re really good!

ILL.- Asked if he had known Mark Twain, the white-bearded proprietor of a roadside stand in Hannibal, Missouri, where the great humorist had spent his boyhood days, replied promptly and indignantly: “Sure I knew him. And I know just as many stories as he did, too. Only difference is, he wrot’em down.”

We all know plenty of stories. All of us are a veritable gold mine of stories and even wisdom for life but few of us write a book.

You probably never even considered writing a book. It might have been the least desirable thing you would want to do in life, but not for a doctor. A doctor is an educated man. He spends much time in study.

The book of Acts was written by Dr. Luke. It basically contains the history of the early church, the growth of the church, persecution, etc. Luke starts in chapter one with Jesus’ last words and His last sighting on earth before ascending into heaven.

If you were to leave this world very soon what would your last words be? And to whom would you speak them? More than likely if you had the choice you would want to speak to your family members; your mate, your children, and perhaps others.

But what would you say? “I love you!” Yes, of course, but what else? I’ve thought about this a lot and I can only hope that I will have my mind so I will be able to talk to those I love.

What would you say to your loved ones? I think I would say something like: “I love you very much! But Jesus loves you more. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to a far better place. I am going to be with the Lord, with the Father and the Savior. I’ll be just fine. But please seek the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul. Love Him, worship Him, live for Him and you will never be sorry. And I will look forward to seeing you again. I love you, my darling and my darlings.”

PROP.- We want to zero in on what Jesus said to His apostles and how it relates to us today. - Wait patiently - Worry not - Witness everywhere - Wonder not.

I. WAIT PATIENTLY

Acts 1:4-5 “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Wait for the gift.

Waiting is not our best suit or not the thing we do the best. It seems like we Americans are always in a hurry. And we want what we want right now! We’ve got a lot to do and we don’t have time to wait on anybody or anything!

ILL.- Let me give you an example. One day I was driving to Kinko’s on Nettleton. There was a car directly in front of me. Suddenly I noticed a car behind me that seemed to be in a hurry. How much of a hurry? I looked to the left and the lady was driving an SUV and decided to pass my car and the car directly in front of me. And she passed us both while driving in the left hand turning lane (which is not a passing lane) and while talking on a cell phone at the same time. THAT WOMAN WAS IN A HURRY!