How many of you have found yourself looking for something that was lost, but no matter how hard you searched, you couldn’t find it? I think we can all say that this has happened to us at some point.
There is a commercial running on the TV right now where a man is searching the house over trying to find his eyeglasses. He’s looking in cushions, under the sofa, everywhere he can and he can’t find them. When he asks his wife if she has seen them, she looks at him and says, “Oh they’re around here somewhere.” Of course she knows exactly where the glasses are because she sees them on top of his head. He has them on but doesn’t realize it. That may seem funny to her and us who are watching it all happen, but I wonder if that man will find it funny when he realizes that he’s been searching for nothing, and no one told him the truth?
One person may think that it’s all fun and games, but another may be very serious. Sometimes those things backfire to cause problems that we wish we hadn’t started.
Just let me say that if you ever see me crawling around on the floor looking for anything and you know where it is, don’t keep it a secret. If I’ve gotten down there, what I’m looking for has to be very important. It takes a lot of effort to get down there and crawl around. It’s no joking matter because when I get down, getting up again takes a lot of effort, and sometimes it’s just easier to stay there for a while and see what else is on the floor that I might need.
The thing is that we all lose things, and some things that are lost are never found again. It always amazes me that when you lose something and other people see you looking for it, they always ask, “Well, where did you lose it?” I think to myself, “If I knew where I lost it, it wouldn’t be lost would it.” And don’t you think that if I knew the last place I had it, that I would already have looked there?” I may not be the brightest star in the sky, but at least give me some credit.
Quite often, as you all come and go here at the church, someone finds things that are left behind or lost. Since we don’t know who they belong to we begin asking around, or put them where you might can find them again. I’ve had jackets, sweaters, rings, bibles and other things that were never reclaimed. Some things obviously have very little value so after a while we just get rid of them because whoever owns them think that seeking for them isn’t worth the effort.
There is a passage of scripture where Jesus is speaking. I know that because it’s written in the “Red Letters”, and when I’m reading in the red letters I really pay close attention because I know that it’s the very word of God coming from the mouth of God.
I believe that whole Bible is inspired, anointed and true, and that it is all the word of the Lord. I want to know all of it, discover all I can about it, and live by it. I know it teaches me how to be like Jesus. I want to know how my God thinks; how he loves; how he cares for his people; what he expects of me in order to be a profitable servant, and obedient son, and a man who after God’s own heart. Everything I believe; everything I try to teach; everything I base my whole life on; and everything I trust in for not only the life that I live in this world, but the life that I seek to have in the world to come, it all based on the foundation of the word of God, for it is the only foundation that I’m convinced will never fail.
I use many resources to help me understand what the Bible teaches, but no matter what resources I use, whether it’s printed commentaries, historical or traditional teaching of the Jews, or of world history; or whether it is other teaching and insights given through sermons and messages through other preachers; or wherever I can find anything that helps me to understand the word of God more, it is all very valuable to me. I know that I’m not wise enough, or educated enough, or smart enough to find as much information as I can on my own.
I search for everything nugget I can, by mining it from every resource I can find, knowing that there is always more depth, height and width of God’s word than I have already found. I know that the Holy Ghost leads me and he reveals to me so much as I search God’s word, but I also know that I am often dull of hearing and I can easily miss what the Holy Ghost is trying to reveal to me. And he uses many things to speak to me. I’ve had him give me sermons off of a billboard along the highway; off of commercials on the TV or radio; and from scriptures included in other minister’s sermons. I refuse to limit where I can get a word from the Lord, and it often comes from the least expected places and in the most uncommon ways.
Proverbs 11:14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
Proverbs 24:3-6 Through wisdom is an house built; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.
Let me be clear though – everything I hear, no matter who says it; and everything I read, no matter who wrote it, must be compared to the truth of the God’s word in the Bible before I will accept it as truth. God’s word is the only absolute foundation for truth. Never forget that!
Proverbs tells us that a multitude of counsellors, sources of helps and information, are a necessity for the safety of our understanding of God’s ways, and give us strength to grow and become better Christians, but hear what I am saying, “A multitude of counselors won’t help if those counselors are fools.”
Human beings are fallible. No one gets it right 100 percent of the time. The wisest and most godly among us are still subject to human error. We set ourselves up for trouble when we build our lives or ministries based upon the counsel of just one person, especially if that “one person” is ourselves. And we can find ourselves in trouble if we submit ourselves to other people who are focused on the wrong things.
It is good to surround ourselves with trusted advisers—a multitude of counselors—realizing that even wise people can see many things differently. And my advisers are not only other ministers, other anointed men and women of God, but often books and study materials passed down from people I will never meet in this life.
The Bible tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, so why not hear their witness left behind for us to learn from and to grow by.
I’d rather learn from their experiences than to try and experience everything they have. One lifetime isn’t long enough to experience the lessons learned by the many who have gone before and left me with their wisdom and understanding. And I’d be foolish not to take advantage of all that I can.
Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 10:40-41 as he was teaching his disciples, preparing to send them out into the world to preach the gospel.
Matthew 10:40-41 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
How often do we hear the word of the Lord coming from another minister and think to ourselves, “That’s the very voice of my Father in Heaven speaking through the mouth of a man.” Do we not understand that when the Holy Ghost anoints the man or woman of God, and gives them a word to give to us, that it is coming from our Father in Heaven, through the Mind of Christ, through the filter of the Holy Ghost, and then into the mind of the one who is preaching or teaching?
I’m not here to give you what I think! I’m here to give you what “Thus saith the Lord”! I’m giving you God’s own words; his own thoughts toward his church, and his own message to your very heart. My words are not mine alone, if I am speaking under the anointing of the Holy Ghost, and the words I speak are being given for your strengthening, for your understanding of Jesus and his word to you, and for you to be able to build your own life of service to God in the right manner and on the firm foundation that God’s word provides.
But let me give you a word of caution! Never take whatever I say, or any other man says, no matter how godly or right it may sound, until you have compared what is said to the written word of God in the Bible. Even under the anointing, a man or woman can say things that don’t come out right, or things that aren’t perfect because we all make mistakes. Only take that which is in perfect unity with the Word of God and flush the rest, and then pray for those who make mistakes and let the Lord deal with them.
Jesus said that if I, or any one of his ministers, who are all one his disciples, are sent forth to preach a message, and we speak what the Holy Ghost gives us to speak, then those who hear the message and receive it into their hearts to change their own lives, are hearing the word that Christ has spoken to them.
And if they hear what Christ has given through his servant, then they are hearing what the Father in Heaven has spoken to his Son, Jesus. And God will never contradict his own word, so every word spoken must agree with what is already written. God does not change. His word does not change. Whatever is spoken will always agree with what is written, and when you hear something that isn’t in agreement then it’s time to leave it alone and get back to the truth.
What about verse 41? What that says is that when we hear the words of a prophet, and most of the time this refers to a teacher, but can refer to a prophetic word revealing God’s will for a future date, then we receive the ability to speak, to teach or to prophesy what we have been given, and we are now able to operate as a prophet as well. We pass along that which we have been given and that anointing and calling to pass along is the prophet’s reward.
It works the same way with anything we receive from any child of God whose heart is right with God. Whatever we receive, be it teaching, a witness of the gospel, or whatever; it becomes a part of us as well and builds our own testimony, so that we are better equipped to give spiritual aid and teaching to others.
Everything we receive, if it is truly of God, is from the Father, to the Son, through the leading of the Holy Ghost, to us, and then to be shared with others as the Spirit leads. That’s the manner that God has appointed to spread the knowledge of his word, and to spread the message of the gospel.
Matthew 10:42 says, And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
Those who are called, anointed and given a word to share with either the church, or to preach to the lost, are just as blessed for giving that word, as those who receive that word.
My greatest joy is when I know that what I speak to you is what God wants you to hear. Whether you receive it or not is not my choice. My only responsibility is to give what I have been given.
Myself, and everyone who stands in this pulpit, will stand here and offer you a “drink” from the will of living water. Whether everyone who takes it and drinks it in so that it can affect your life, or ignores it so that it accomplishes nothing in your spirit, is your choice. The Reward of the Giver is assured in either case because of their obedience to the call of God that is placed upon them.
The word of God, given under the direction of the the Holy Ghost, will not return empty, without having any effect, but it will accomplish what it’s meant to do.
The only question is, “Will it accomplish what it’s meant to do in you or me?” We can all hear the same word go forth, but I dare say that it will not be heard by all as God intended. And even in all who hear it, the effect that it will have in us will be different for each one, depending upon how much we allow it to work in us.
The word of the Lord preached and taught in the church is meant to build us up, to lead us closer to Jesus, and to help us be more like Christ as we pick up our “cross”, which means to do the work that Jesus calls us to do as walk with Jesus every day.
It is meant to help us “find the Life in Christ” in a greater measure each time we hear what God has to say to us.
We find “life” through the hearing of the gospel. Souls are saved through learning of the price that Jesus paid for our sin, and then coming to the Lord to be saved.
Then we find more “life” in Christ through the continual cleansing of our lives as hear more and more of God’s word after we are saved.
And I love what Jesus said in Matthew 10:39, He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Every one of us comes into this world, and from the moment we are matured enough to understand what life is, we begin searching for the purpose and meaning of life itself. That has always been the greatest question in the hearts of men. “Why am I here? What is the purpose of my existence? What does it all mean in the end?” The search for those answers goes on and on, and many never find the answers.
We search for it in relationships with other people. We search for it in our children. We search for it in possessions and enjoying the things that are entertaining and fun. But when it’s all said and done, none of these things really give the answer we need. If we search for answers, without ever turning to Jesus and hearing his word, then the answer we receive are never sufficient. They always leave us empty and seeking for more. Nothing fully satisfies.
But when we seek first Jesus, and his Word, and live through is Righteousness, then everything falls into place. Life takes on its true meaning, which happens when we realize, “I was born to serve the Lord!” Put Jesus first and everything else falls into its proper order in our lives.
Seeking only to fulfill the desires of the flesh in this life, will cause to lose the eternal life that we should have in the world to come, but putting Jesus first will not only ensure that we have the life to come, but that the life that we now live will be full and satisfying.
Let your life be full and satisfying by surrendering all that you are to Jesus. Let him be the Lord of your life. Hear the word of the Lord and allow it to have it’s effect in your heart. Let the word wash you, change you and form you into the image of Christ as you live daily for the Lord.
If you receive the word of God that is given to you, then you also receive the blessing and love of your Father in Heaven because Jesus makes the way for that to happen in you.
Hear the word of the Lord this morning church. Let God speak to you by his word, through his Love and learn of Jesus, who is the only way to truth and eternal life. Let the Word find a place in your heart to grow. God desires that all of us grow in grace to become the children of God that he has designed us to be.
Come to Jesus. Find Life in his word! And let God give you his eternal life! Lose the life that leads only to death, to gain the life in Christ that leads to eternal life.
