Intro: In these times in which we live, I am disturbed by the way that we treat the all mighty God. We say that we love him, and we say that we can’t live without him, he’s my all and all, and we say for God I’ll live and for God I’ll die but on an everyday basic we can find everything else more important than God.
We say that we trust him as our leader and our guide, but we can’t even trust him enough to be honest with our tithes and offerings. (Oh yeah it’s going to be a little rough this morning). He tells us give and it shall be given back to you, good measure pressed down, shaken together and running over will men give into your bosom. But we put more trust in our savings and loans, then we do the word, we put more trust in the friends than we do in trusting his word, we have more trust in our job than we do in the word of God. And I know that some of you are sitting there saying nall pastor you just don’t know me. I love God more than you can ever know, and as a matter of fact you really don’t even know me that well so how can you judge me like that. You might be right.
So then for argument sake, I don’t know you that well so let’s let you judge yourself. (Pull out your spiritual evaluation sheet and pen and let’s take this spiritual poll with me). First of all, when I say tithe, I’m not just talking about money, but we are suppose to give 10% of our time, 10% of our talents, and 10% tithe. Now there are 168 hours in a week and 16.8 of those hours belong to God, so that averages out to about 2.4 hours a day.
Let’s compared to your manmade job to your Godly job. Your man- made job consist of 40 hours a week and some folks do even more. We spend a norm of 8 hours a day on sleeping, that 56 hour some people not all but some people spend about 28 hours a week on the computer, others spend on an average of 1 hour and 30 minutes in driving, the T.V takes
about 12 hours a week, and let’s split the telephones. On our land phone we and unlimited amount of time so I’m not going to even count those minutes. But the average cell phone has about fifteen hundred minutes on them and we burn them up like nothing. So that means that we spend an average 350 minutes a week on the phone which equals up too 2450 plus hours and then we spend about 2 hours in church on Sunday’s and then complaint if the preacher goes to long, and that’s not including bible studies because many don’t go. And in this time, I’m not including, getting your hair cut, getting your hair done, getting your nails and your toes together, shopping, going to the hospital, the movies, the restaurant’s, your pillow talk time and on and on. So, in your poll how many hours do you spend a week with God. Do you at least spend fifteen hours a week communicating with the one who really birth you, and gave you eternal life? Do you spend at least 7 hrs. with God the one that you claim that you are going to spend eternal life with. And let me throw this in since you gave me a little time. I noticed that some of us has roll over minutes just in case that we need them, but how many of you have extra roll over prayer just in case you need them, and it’s a shame that it seems like God has to text message some of us just to get our attention. So, I’m here to tell you to hear the word of the Lord because the bible says that no man knows the day nor the hour when the son of man shall return.
We say that we are going to take the Lord at his Word, but we leave God hanging as though God don’t exist or as though he doesn’t know what he is talking about. But our God is a deliver, he a heart fixer, and a mind regulator. And nothing is too hard for God. But, we shut down when it comes to God, we can function in any other fashion except God. And there is one thing that I have learned about God and that is if he brings you to a thing then he will bring you through a thing.
The Word of God has such a sufficient meaning to it. The Word is our guider, the Word is our light, and the Word is our life. It gives us direction, it gives us information, it gives us notification, motivation, stimulation. The Word gives us Sanctification, aspiration, and inspiration. As a matter of fact, the Word is even our food. Because in Matthew 4:4 Jesus says that man shall not live by bread only but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
The Word of God has always been around; the word of God has always been into existence. If you remember John 1:1 says in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God, and the same was in the beginning with God. John 1:14 says that the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory.
People have been healed by the Word of God, because if Jesus was the Word then whenever he spoke there was power being released. When he healed the blind man, it was at his Word. When he healed the man at the pool of Bethesda, he told him to pick up his bed and walk it was at his Word. When he healed, the 10 lepers and he told them to go show themselves to their kindred’s and the priest it was at his Word.
The Word has saving power. Do you remember when he met the women at the well it was at his Word that she got saved. When Peter said bid me to come unto you Lord and then when he took his eyes off of the word and started watching the billows and the waves and he begin to sink and drown he screamed saved me Lord it was the word that saved him.
I tell you that the Word even has raising power, because if you remember when Jesus had just got off of a ship Jairus ran up to him and said my daughter is dead and some of the those who was with Jesus asked him why bother the master?
But when Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said be not afraid. And once he got to the house where she was, he found those that was screaming, and hollering, and acting a fool, and he asked them why are you all doing all of this she not dead, and they begin to laugh at Jesus. So, Jesus put all of them out and took the mother and the father in the room where she was lying (don’t missed this) and he SAID, Talitha cumi (TA-Le-Thia Cume); which meant, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And immediately the damsel got up but it was only after the he spoke the Word.
Even after Lazarus had been dead for four long days and he called him from a dead grave and told the grave clothes to loose him, and let him go it was all at his Word.
So I am baffled, I am hurt, I am upset, disappointed, disillusioned, disenchanted with people because after seeing all that God the father, God the Son and God the Holy has done for us we still don’t believe that he has all power.
And here is a lesson that just proves my point all the more. Now Luke starts by telling us in chapter 4 and the 31st verse, he says that Jesus had just got through teaching and healing many in Capernaum. And then our lesson for the day unfolds with chapter 5 of Luke and verse 1. And I love any scripture that starts off by saying and it came to pass, which means, and it really did happen. But let’s start in chapter 4 verse 30 and work our way down.
But he passing through the midst of them went his way, 31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the Sabbath days. 32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. 33 And in the synagogue, there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art, thou come to destroy us. I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. 35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, hold thy peace, and come out of him.
And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. 36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, what a Word is this! For with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.
And that is a word from the Word about the Word for somebody this morning. You can speak with authority and power when you have the Word down inside of you. Verse 37 said And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about. 38 And he arose out of the synagogue and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. 39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her [in other words he spoke to the fever]: and just to let you know speaking has power over thinking. [TEST] and the bible say’s and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. 40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers’ diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. 41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: [we as Christian has the authority and the power to tell the devil shut your mouth] for these devils knew that he was Christ.
42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. 43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. 44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee. And that’s how we got to Luke the fifth chapter. Which says!!!!!!!!!!
1 And it came to pass (which means and it happen), that, as the people pressed upon him to hear more of the Word of God; he stood by the lake of Gennesaret. Gar-nay-sir-ret
And as he was gazing over the lake he saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and they were washing their nets because they had been out all night long trying to catch fish and they had not caught one. And there is nothing more frustrating then going fish and not at least catch one fish.
But I heard that 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which belong to Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, I can hear him saying unto Simon, Simon Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets. But Simon was like most of us. And Simon answering said unto him, come on JC, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing:
Just like when Jesus has instructed many of us that has aches and pains to call on the elders of the church just so that you be recovered, but most of us have to look like we can handle whatever comes our way.
Many times, God has told many of us to go to church and our answers are at the church. But we rather find our answer our answers in madam Cleo and her assisted pastor Deon Warwick, we would rather go to the palm readers, to the psychic, the soothsayers and the magicians, we rather find our answer in men and in women instead of the Word.
CLOSE
But Jesus said let down your nets Simons and what we need to do is says like Simon said.
I know that we have been toiling, I know that we have been seeking, and I know that we have been looking and have not found any fish yet but nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when he decided to do what Jesus told them to do, the bible says that they then enclosed a great multitude of fishes: so much that their net began to brake.
And I’m here to tell somebody that in the Word of God whenever you there is overflow, in the Word of God you can find relief, when you say nevertheless at thy Word you can seek joy.
You can have love that can not be surpass, you can have the brightest star that shine and you can have heaven on your mind.
John 5:24 says: He that heareth my Word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 8:31 says: if ye continue in my Word then ye are my disciple
Because Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and thy word a light to my path
Because thy Word is my light and my salvation
Thy Word is my medicine whenever I get sick
Thy Word is my health and my strength
Thy Word is peace in a time sorrow
Thy Word is my hope for tomorrow
Your word sooths all of my doubts and your word calms all of my fears
And I know that one of these old days at your Word, every knee must bow, and every tongue will confess that you are Lord
And I want to be one of those who listening to thy Word I want to be one of those that will sit at his feet and be bless.
Is there anybody else that is going to hearken unto God word?
If you are here this morning I dare you to tell your neighbor that you are going to hearken unto God’s word.
Tell your neighbor I got hearken
I’ve got to yield
I’ve got to obey his Word
Because you don’t know how many nights that I’ve walked the floor with folded arms worrying about things that are going on in my life, when the Word of God has told me to place everything in the hands of the Lord
Let ne tell you that I don’t know how many nights that my pillow has been wet with midnight tears, but I now know one that can wipe my tears away.
Shake a neighbor’s hands and say neighbor I don’t know about tomorrow but I do know about the one who holds tomorrow.
And I’m going to listen to his Word, why Spies
His Word brings me peace in the midst of a storm
His Word brings me hope when I’m in despair
His Word calms me from all of my creditors
His Word brings me happiness in the hour of bereavement
His Word lifts me
His Word raises me
His Word brought me
His Word taught me
His Word kept me
In His word I’m rapped up, tied up, tangle up, caught up, mess up, shook up.
Thank you for the Word!!!!!!
