11 January 2009
U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris
Fortress Chapel
F.O.B. Sykes
Tall-afar, Iraq
BIG IDEA: When God speaks, what He says come to pass.
REFERENCES: Proverbs 14:23(KJV) In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips [tendeth] only to penury; Genesis 1:3 (NIV) And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
Isaiah 55:1 (ESV) God says “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.; Leviticus 13:46 (ESV) Prohibitions about Leprosy; John 8:1-11 (ESV) The Woman that caught in the very act of adultery by the Scribes and Pharisees; Luke 5:12-16 ESV (The Cleaning of the Leper); Luke 7:1-10 (The Centurion’s Servant healed by the spoken Word).
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Genesis 1:1-5 (NIV);
II. READ THE PERICOPE: Genesis 1:1-5 (NIV);
III. READ THE TEXT: Genesis 1:3 (NIV) And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
IV. PURPOSE: To motivate the hearers to affirm to others that when God speaks - what He says come to pass.
V. SERMONIC THEME: “… When God Speaks …”
VI. INTRODUCTION: As some of you may recall, this past Tuesday (6 Jan 09), was the first day of the theme of Epiphany, which celebrates the shining forth of God in Jesus Christ.
On this First Sunday after Epiphany, we are given Only the start of the story of creation in Genesis 1.
We hear only of the beginning and day 1 of creation. Research indicates that this reading has been selected to fit with the other readings for this week … when we celebrate the baptism of Jesus.
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MOVE 1: Our focus in Genesis 1, this morning, is on the description of pandemonium or disorder before God starts or commences the act of creation.
a. It is described in watery terms – the deep and waters.
b. This not only makes the link with the waters of baptism …
c. … but specifies creation in Genesis 1 as a matter of bringing order to a watery disorder.
d. This is significant because it shows ….
e. … the disorder out of which … God brings order in creation by simply … SPEAKING.
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MOVE 2: Now, in reference to speaking, during my sermon preparation, I came across a short story dubbed, Heavenly Voice Mail.
a. To be truthful, if we weren’t in Tal-Afar Iraq - …
b. … and we were back in the States – most of us could attest to having some sort of voice mail.
c. Because we have learned to live with voice mail as a necessary part of our lives.
d. But, have you ever wondered what it would be like if God decided to install voice mail? Imagine praying and hearing the following:
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MOVE 3: Thank you for calling heaven.
a. For English press 1
b. For Spanish press 2
c. For all other languages, press 3
d. Please select one of the following options:
Press 1 for request
Press 2 for thanksgiving
Press 3 for complaints
Press 4 for all others
e. I am sorry, all our Angels and Saints are busy helping other sinners right now.
f. However, your prayer is important to us and we will answer it in the order it was received. Please stay on the line.
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MOVE 4: If you would like to speak to:
a. God, press 1
b. Jesus, press 2
c. Holy spirit, press 3
d. To find a loved one that has been assigned to heaven press 5,
e. then enter his social security # followed by the pound sign.
f. (If you receive a negative response, please hang up and dial area code 666)
g. For reservations to heaven, please enter JOHN followed by the numbers, 3 16.
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MOVE 5: For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, life and other planets, please wait until you arrive in heaven for the specifics.
a. Our computers show that you have already been prayed for today, …
b. … please hang up and call again tomorrow.
c. The office is now closed for the weekend to observe a religious holiday.
d. If you are calling after hours and need emergency assistance, please contact your local pastor.
e. Thank you and have a heavenly day.
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MOVE 6: Like the “HEAVENLY VOICE MAIL”, … Some people are like Voice Mail – They’re Just All Talk!
a. We all know folks that are … just all talk.
b. Some of these folks are our friends.
c. Some are fellow Soldiers.
d. Others … are our relatives.
e. We all know folk that are JUST TALK.
f. Big Talkers!
g. They talk all the time.
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MOVE 7: They’re good at it.
a. In fact, to let them say it; they’re good at everything.
b. If you didn’t know any better; and if you didn’t know them - from just listening to them - you would think they were really good at what they talk about.
c. If it’s a 5K run; they run it faster. If it’s firing their weapon; they do it expertly.
d. If it’s Soldiering; they are the Sergeant Mo-ral-es of the Armed Forces.
e. Even if it’s joking or singing in the choir; they do it funnier and better.
f. The fact of the matter is … we all know folk that are just … ALL TALK.
g. The Bible says in Proverbs 14:23 – In all labor there is profit; but the talk of the lips (tendeth) only to penury.
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MOVE 8: In other words… working without talking … will turn to something good.
a. But, talking without working, will make men poor.
b. Talk tends to lead to poverty – it tendeth only to penury.
c. For those that love to boast of their business … and make a noise about it, and waste their time in tittle-tattle or telling … and hearing new things … tend to become poor.
d. Some folks are just all … TALK. The things they utter, never come to fruition. But, when God speaks, … what He says come to pass!
e. For by two immutable things – it’s impossible for God to LIE. What He says, you can believe it – IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN!
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MOVE 9: For don’t you remember … in our Text today … at the beginning of time, God spoke, and a universe was created out of nothing.
a. God followed a pattern when He created the earth: He spoke; it was so; it was good (Genesis. 1:3-4).
b. This pattern continued throughout the Bible.
c. Whenever God revealed His plans, … things happened just as He said, … and God considered the result “good”.
d. God doesn’t make suggestions.
e. He speaks with the full determination … to see … that what He has said will come to fruition.
f. Likewise, just like God the Father; whenever God the Son spoke – things happened.
g. For don’t you remember, whenever Jesus spoke, … WHAT HE SAID CAME TO PASS?
h. Who can ever forget the story of the man with an incurable Skin Disorder called LEPROSY?
i. In our day and time, it might be called Psorasis.
j. But, in Luke 5:12-16, Dr. Luke diagnosed this man as being covered with “the disease”.
k. Despite prohibitions against contacting a healthy person, the leper approached Jesus and fell … at His feet to beg for help (see Leviticus 13:46).
l. And by addressing Jesus as Lord, he showed respect. He said, LORD – If you will .. you can make me clean.
m. Jesus … reached out His Hand. And the moment the Lord reached out his hand and touched the leper, … THE LEPROSY DISAPPEARED and the man was no longer uncleaned.
n. Now, it would have been ENOUGH for our Savior to JUST … SPEAK A WORD … of healing…
o. But … the touch … of his Hand communicated a sense of LOVE TO THE MAN.
p. Still, the MASTER’S response to the MAN .. “I will: be thou clean,” and the man was cured … reminds us ALL …
q. … of the proceedings OF OUR CREATOR … listed in our TEXT this morning…
r. … where God’s spoken Word is followed by IMMEDIATE RESULTS.
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MOVE 10: Now, you may also recall … the story of the woman … who was caught in the very act of adultery by both the Scribes and Pharisees in John 8:1-11.
a. If she was in attendance today, at COS SYKES, she would NO DOUBT attest to having experienced forgiveness through … a word from the Lord (in John 8:11).
b. For don’t you remembered, Jesus said (in verse 7): “He that is without sin among you; let him cast … the first stone …”
c. If Jesus had condemned the woman; then those that had caught her in the “very act” would have thrown the first STONES;
d. But, when the Lord spoke and requested for the One WHO KNEW NO SIN to throw it: it condemned all of them.
e. Because the truth of the matter is; the only one that could have thrown that STONE was JESUS.
f. Now, Jesus does NOT look upon sin likely, … but He forgives this woman graciously.
g. He didn’t excuse the woman’s actions.
h. … Instead, Jesus emphasized that the woman’s life, from this point on, should show evidence that she had repented … of her sin and had been forgiven.
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MOVE 11: In fact, my brothers and sisters, there was never a time that Jesus spoke …
that what He said did not happen.
a. Therefore, the question is, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GOD SPEAKS TO US?
b. If the Roman (Centurion) Officer’s Servant – in Luke 7:1-10 – was on COS Sykes today.
c. He would testify that he was terminally ill; when his boss sent a messenger to Jesus … requesting his presence in order to heal him.
d. And as Jesus got closer and closer to the Officer’s home.
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MOVE 12: The Officer sent friends to JESUS, saying “Sir, don’t trouble yourself.
a. I do not deserve to have you come into my house, … neither do I consider myself worthy to come to you in person. Just … speak a word … .
b. The Bible says that Jesus was surprised when he heard the message.
c. So much so, that He turned around and said to the crowd - which was following Him – I have never found FAITH like this in Israel .
d. Then the Bible says the messengers went back to the Officer’s house and found the SERVANT HEALED and well.
e. The Bible says, in the New Testament, … Jesus condemned the Pharisees (the theological analyst of His day) …
f. … because they assumed that knowledge of the written Scriptures “alone” would give them life.
g. And … they were satisfied with having just the words … instead of experiencing the person who spoke the word (John 5:39).
h. How powerful a word from God is to our life. As we read our Bible, and pray, today …
i. The Creation Story in Genesis reminds us that … God SPEAKS … and we should listen to what God has to say to us …
j. … about His will for our life.
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CELEBRATION:
For GOD is NOT LIKE MAN;
When God speaks, nothing remain the same.
For don’t you remember, in Isaiah 55:11,
God says “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
WHEN GOD SPEAKS … nothing remains the SAME!
WHAT HE SAYS … HAPPENS!!
