“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.
*********************************************************
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?
AS I PREPARED FOR THIS MORNING I COULD NOT HELP BUT BEGIN TO COMPILE A LIST OF BENEFITS WE RECEIVE FROM THE WORD OF GOD:
- KNOWLEDGE a)-OF OUR SAVIOR b)-OF OUR SINS
- WISDOM a)-FOR DECISIONS b)-FOR DIRECTION
- DISCIPLINE a)-FOR OUR JOURNEY b)-FOR OUR LIFE
- DIRECTION a)-FOR OUR MISSION b)-FOR OUR HEART
-COMFORT
-PEACE
-PURPOSE
-PASSION
-POSITION
-STRENGTH
TO COME FULL CIRCLE TO THE VERSE WE BEGAN WITH PSALM 119:105 GOD HAS PROMISED TO LIGHT OUR WAY. NOT THE WHOLE TRIP BUT A STEP AT A TIME.
I LIKE WHAT ELIZABETH ELLIOT HAD SET AS A MOTTO FOR LIFE: “JUST DO THE NEXT THING” ANOTHER WORDS DON’T GET CAUGHT UP WITH DAYS AND MONTHS AND YEARS BEYOND JUST DO THE NEXT THING GOD HAS REVEALED TO YOU.
AND IT WAS A.W.TOZAR WHO TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORD OF GOD IN OUR LIVES WHEN HE SAID: Contemplating the fact that more than 10,000 thoughts a day pass between our ears, ’Our thoughts not only reveal what we are, they predict what we will become. We will soon be the sum total of our thoughts’. The Holy Spirit uses the nourishment of the Word of God to rewrite our computer and renew our minds.
YOU SEE IF WE JUST GLAZE OVER THE WORD OF GOD AND NOT REALLY SEEK OUT THE TRUTH WITHIN WE WILL MISS THE PREPARATIONS WE NEED TO MAKE FOR EVERY DAY LIVING. EPHESIANS 6:13-18 TELLS US HOW TO PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THE DAY. TO BE READY FOR THE BATTLE THAT WE WAGE EVERY DAY. HOW WOULD WE KNOW THAT UNLESS WE READ THE WORD AND TAKE IT IN AS TRUTH FOR OUR LIVES?
LET ME JUST EXPOUND ON ONE MORE POINT. CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS TO A ROOM WHEN YOU WALK IN AND TURN ON THE LIGHT?
· NOW I MUST CONFESS, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND ALL THE MECHANICS AND WORKING OF LIGHT AND ELECTRICITY. I KNOW HOW TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB AND I ALSO NEED TO SAY, I AM A LITTLE FRIGHTENED BY ELECTRICITY I HAVE SEEN AND WITNESSED ITS POWER.
· I DO KNOW THIS ABOUT LIGHT; IT DISPELS DARKNESS. WHEN YOU WALK INTO A DARK ROOM AND TURN ON THE LIGHT SWITCH, DARKNESS DISAPPEARS.
· LIGHT ALSO REVEALS TO US THE FULL CONTENTS OF THE ROOM.
LET ME CLOSE WITH A STORY ABOUT MAX THE BOY SCOUT.
Max’s Boy Scout troop took an end-of-the-summer trip to Mammoth Cave. They didn’t take the lame 90-minute family tour. They took the 6-hour "Wild Cave" tour. In this tour, the boys saw only by helmet lanterns. The tour goes farther into the cave than any other public tour, and includes crawling on your belly through cracks in the tunnels less than 20 inches.
After the tour the troop gathered to turn in their equipment and eat dinner. As everybody got on the van, the Scout leaders realized that one boy was missing. Max was nowhere to be found.
Precautions had been made and safety was strictly enforced. The boys had been told to stay with a "buddy" at all times and never to wander off. But at a break in the tour, Max had taken off his backpack to get a candy bar. They got right around the corner, not 60 seconds away, when he realized he had left his backpack on the ground behind him.
Max turned around to get his backpack, squeezed through a small opening and grabbed his bag. But when he turned back around, he hit his helmet lantern on the rock face and smashed the bulb.
He was instantly so frightened, that he couldn’t even shout for help. He felt around in the darkness for the opening, but couldn’t find it. After a few minutes he started to shout. But no one came.
After a while he just curled up against the cave wall, holding his knees against his chest, crying softly. He was completely alone, not knowing where he was and it was totally dark
You want to know what happened to Max? He was alone and lost for 10 hours. The Park Rangers had to get organized, then set up two rescue teams - one to start at the beginning point of the tour, and one to work back from the end. When they found him, he wouldn’t take a step without his own helmet lantern. In the haste, the Rangers didn’t bring an extra, so one of the Rangers had to give his to Max. Max wouldn’t budge from where he was unless he could see the path ahead.
AS WE CLOSE TODAY I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU TO ANSWER THE QUESTION: WHAT HAVE I DONE WITH THE WORD OF GOD THE BIBLE? PERHAPS YOU HAVE LEFT IT AS A SHOW PIECE ON YOUR END TABLE OR COFFEE TABLE TO GATHER DUST. PERHAPS YOU HAVE READ IT AND BECOME UPSET BECAUSE IT BRINGS CONVICTION. PERHAPS YOU HAVE READ IT AND SAID I DON’T UNDERSTAND IT SO WHY TRY. GOD HAS WRITTEN YOU THE MOST AWESOME AND COMPLETE LOVE LETTER EVER. HE CALLS TO YOU AND ME TO READ IT HIS WORD ENCOURAGES US TO “TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD” (PS 34:8)
HOW IS IT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY THE WORD OF GOD? HAS IT CHANGED YOU/ HAS IT CHANGED YOUR LIFE? HAS IT SO FILLED YOU THAT YOU CAN’T HELP BUT TELL OTHERS WHAT YOU HAVE FOUND?
LET’S PRAY
