LOWERING THE CASKET --- WHAT MATTERS?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for treasure for yourselves upon the earth, where moth and rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
21 FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO.
Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Or what shall a man GIVE IN EXCHANGE for HIS OWN soul?
WISE PEOPLE MUST LEARN AN IMPORTANT LESSON TO THRIVE IN LIFE...
TERMS WE MUST UNDERSTAND:
PRICE : The amount of money you pay for something...
What you give up to get something...
COST: The out lay you pay to achieve
WORTH: The usefulness
VALUE: How important is it? Fait worth?
The price of college may be $20,000 a year.
But the cost of the degree is much more than money...
The worth can have life long dividends...
Ever heard about the old man that put his fiddle in the auction.
The first bid was $2.50. The second bid was $5.00. His fiddle then was $20.00.
The old man stood up and tuned the fiddle and began playing a masterpiece.
The story goes he laid down the fiddle with tears in his eyes...
The next bid was $1,000, then $5,000 and it sold for $25,000...
WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN $5.00 AND $25,000?
WAS IT NOT THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER?
I read where a man in Texas was at a Flea Market and bought a "rock" and he paid $5.00 for
it. Later a friend told him you should get that appraised...
He did: The "rock" was worth $100,000...
WHAT DO I LACK?
IT IS POSSIBLE TO SPEND ALL YOU TALENT AND EFFORT ON THINGS THAT WILL
MATTER NOTHING WHEN THEY LOWER YOUR CASKET IN THE GRAVE...
THE MATTER OF REGRET ---
I WISH I HAD UNDERSTOOD: PRICE, VALUE, WORTH, AND COST?
Matthew 19: 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up:
what lack I yet? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give
to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the
kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE VALUE, COST, PRICE AND WORTH?
HOW DO WE BASE OUR CHOICES?
What do you treasure? Money? Family? Church? Sports? TV?
DID EVE CONSIDER THE COST, THE VALUE, THE PRICE OR WORTH OF HER CHOICE
WHEN SHE LOOKED AT THE TREE?
FEW LEARN THE QUESTION IS NOT ABOUT FOOD?
Genesis 3:6 (KJV) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant
to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and
gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
DID EVE PONDER THE COST?
1. SEPERATION FROM GOD...
2. DIVISION WITH IN THE FAMILY...
3. CAIN'S BAD ATTITUDES...
4. THE FIRST DEATH: ABEL DIES AS A RESULT...
5. EVE PICKS THE FIRST FLOWERS TO GO ON HER SON'S GRAVE...
6. CAIN WILL BE FOREVER CURSED...
WHAT DID THE TOWER OF BABEL COST? DIG A FOUNDATION?
BRICKS? BUILDING EFFORT --- WHAT THEY FEARED BECAME THE COST?
Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether
he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish
it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Building the tower cost DIVISON, CONFUSION AND MANY LANGUAGES...
Genesis 11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto
heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
Genesis 11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the
language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
The cost will be so great...
GOD WORKS WITH HIS PEOPLE: HE HAS ELIJAH --- ELISHA ---
AND NEXT IN LINE GEHAZI...
There is a terrible price tag on the LACK OF FAIRNESS, HONESTY AND INTEGRITY---
I THINK I DESERVE MORE THAN I AM GETTING --- DON'T YOU...
2 Kings 5:26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from
his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and
vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? 27 The leprosy therefore of
Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a
leper as white as snow.
GEHAZI NEVER COUNTED THE COST. HE WILL NEVER BE RECORDED WITH THE PROPHETS
AND NAAMAN'S LEPROSY WILL DOOM GEHAZI'S FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS...
COUNT THE COST?
MOSES WHAT CAN ONE TEMPER FIT COST?
In leadership Moses was frustrated with all the murmuring, fussing, complaining and division
in the camp...
GOD SPEAKS VERY CLEARLY --- MOSES NEVER COUNTS THE COST OF HIS
CIRCUS LIKE FIT...
Numbers 20:8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother,
and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring
forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
MOSES DID YOU COUNT THE COST?
Numbers 20:11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water
came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
THE QUESTION IS NOT HITTING THE ROCK ---
THE QUESTION IS ABOUT THE VALUE SYSTEM AND BELIEVING GOD AT HIS WORD...
Numbers 20:12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to
sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation
into the land which I have given them.
CONCLUSION: MOSES WILL CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN ONE LAST TIME...
BECAUSE MOSES NEVER COUNTED THE COST, HE GETS TO STAND AND OBSERVE THE
PROMISE--- HE DOES NOT MAKE IT...
CONSIDE THE VALUE, PRICE, WORTH AND COST...
WHAT IS THE COST OF THE FIVE FOOLISH VIRGINS?
What might that cigarette cost? What might that can of beer cost?
What might your temper fit cost?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
