For example:
- YOU KNOW WHEN the telephone rings at three in the morning, more than likely someone has an emergency.
- YOU KNOW WHEN the sheriff’s department calls, it is important because more than likely your wife was caught speeding again!
- YOU KNOW WHEN the boss calls, more than likely it is not a social call.
We know immediately that many calls we receive are to be taken seriously. If we were to take those calls, or telegrams, any other way it would be foolishness on our part.
However, listen very closely - many do not take the most important calls of life seriously at all!
The most important calls we receive are from God, and some people ignore every call God sends them! Sad to say, this has been a practice of SAINTS and SINNERS.
Let me show you, from the Word of God, important calls He sends us. You judge for yourself how you have responded to those calls. For example-
I. GOD’S CALL TO THE SAINTS.
What is the message God sends to the saints? Look at Ephesians 6:10. We read, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”
What a message to the saints! “...BE STRONG IN THE LORD, AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT.”
WHY DOES GOD SEND THIS MESSAGE TO THE SAINTS? Because it takes strength and courage to be a victorious Christian. That is why God gives us this clear command - “...BE STRONG IN THE LORD...”
You are absolutely deceiving yourself to think that you are a match for Satan if you are NOT STRONG IN THE LORD!
CAN WE BE STRONG IN THE LORD?
YES, WE CERTAINLY CAN! GOD WOULD NEVER HAVE COMMANDED US TO BE STRONG IN HIM IF WE COULD NOT.
HOW DO WE ACQUIRE STRENGTH?
God tells us He is our strength! We acquire spiritual strength much the same way we acquire physical strength. For example-
Illus: Many fellows have made up their minds they will not be content being physically weak. Some were not content with being “beat up on,” and decided to do something to change their situation. WHAT DID THEY DO? They began exercising their muscles. They stopped eating “junk food.” They began eating nutritious food. Now guess what - THEY ARE NO LONGER NINETY POUND WEAKLINGS!
Illus: Do you remember the story of Charles Atlas? Many claim it was he who made “body building” what it is today. It is public knowledge that he began lifting weights because one day he was on a beach, in his bathing suit, and some boys made fun of him. They called him all kinds of names. He decided to do something about that and he became the Hercules of his day. No one picked on him again!
The reason Satan “beats up on” so many of God’s people is because he knows they are no threat to him. He knows they are spiritual weaklings so he walks all over them.
Many Christians have been that way all their life. Sad to say, they will continue to be that way right on. The only ones who will change are those who are willing to do something to grow stronger spiritually.
CAN YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR SPIRITUAL CONDITION?
YES, you can! Although there are many things we have no control over that enter our lives, our strength is something we can control. The same way one can often improve hair and skin tone and appearance, they can also change appearance by eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly.
Just as a young man can build physical muscles in a body-building program, so one can also become strong spiritually. If you are tired of Satan beating you up, of people not regarding you as spiritually strong, and of being less than you are capable of being, YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. YOU CAN BECOME STRONG IN THE LORD. With His help, you can “beat the socks off” Satan every time he shows his ugly face!
However, before you can become a spiritual “Hercules” you will have to BECOME DISCONTENTED WITH BEING WEAK. You have to say, “By the grace of God, I am going to do something about this pathetic situation!”
Notice, the responsibility of becoming strong in the Lord is placed upon us, not on God. Paul did not tell us to fall on our knees and ask God to open the top of our scalps and pour in some strength from heaven...no! No! No!
Why? That is not God’s way. If Christians became STRONG IN THE LORD that way they would never learn to trust God. God placed the responsibility in our laps. He expects us to recognize our condition. Those of us who are weak must DESIRE TO BE DIFFERENT. Then we must dedicate ourselves to doing all we can to become strong.
IF WE OBEY GOD’S WORD, IS THIS A GUARANTEE THAT WE WILL BECOME STRONG? YES!
God is not like people. People make promises they may not be able to keep. God is able, and He keeps any promise He makes!
Illus: Years ago the manufacturers of Wheaties breakfast cereal came under strong criticism. Why? Because they advertised that their WHEATIES could make your day. They were so successful in brainwashing the American people that even today some folks still say, “You must not have had your WHEATIES today!” After some research it was discovered that the cereal did not produce all the benefits the advertisements claimed. In fact, if you ate a box full you might not receive all the benefits they advertised. Many researchers believe that one might even receive more nutrition from the box than from the cereal.
Listen beloved, of all the FALSE PROMISES that a product can make us “macho,” that we hear today on radio and television, the biggest deceivers of them all are the breweries about the liquors and beers produced.
While we all can appreciate politicians attacking the cigarette advertisements that brainwash people into using tobacco products, tobacco has not come close to bringing the misery to the people of this nation as alcoholic products have.
Yet we have hypocritical politicians who will not lay a hand on them. Through the years they have allowed promotion of their damnable products with almost no restraints. For example:
-They have allowed advertisements showing young people drinking and having a great time. The truth of the matter is that no other one product on this earth has done more to bring misery to young people than alcohol!
-They have allowed advertisements which show professional business people toasting each other and saying, “Through the lips, over the gum, watch out stomach, here it comes!” Yet the truth of the matter is that alcohol has destroyed more careers than anything on this planet!
-They have allowed them to advertise their products and show us that the breweries and the liquor industries of this nation are good neighbors in our communities. Yet they do more harm than the dope peddlers do every day in our neighborhoods.
-They have allowed them to advertise on sports events. Yet anyone knows if a fellow has been drinking he can not run the bases when playing baseball because he can not even find the bases!
We have men today who think they are “macho” because they can down a six-pack. That is, the devil has lowered the standard of TOUGHNESS to the drinking of a six-pack every day!
If that is being “macho” then a lot of farmers could raise “macho pigs,” because you could go into any hog pen in America and pour two or three six packs into the hog troughs and the hog would do the same with that beer as people do.
DRINKING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES DOES NOT MAKE ONE MACHO!
Illus: One day when your life has been spent and is behind you, you will realize how you allowed yourself to be brainwashed. You will then see how alcohol has robbed you of...
- A beautiful house in which to live.
- The beautiful family you could have had.
- Self esteem you could have had.
- Good friends you could have had.
- A good reputation you could have had.
- Your chances to earn eternal rewards!
Drinking does not make anyone “macho.”
Sinners have been brainwashed and the sad thing about it is that they do not even know it!
God sends a message to SAINTS OF GOD and tells them not to fall for this deception. This was why Paul told young Timothy, “Be strong in the Lord!” Instead of being “macho” as far as the world is concerned, be “macho” spiritually. BE A REAL MAN!
Listen, a real “macho” man is a man who is STRONG IN THE LORD! He studies God’s Word every day. He obeys what God tells Him to do
II. GOD’S CALL TO THE SERVANT.
Look at Luke 19:13. We read, “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” The word translated “occupy” here is from the root word from which our word “occupation” comes. In other words, the Lord is sending us a clear message that we are to “work” until He returns.
One of the tragedies of our nation is that we have raised a generation of children who do not like, nor know how to work. In fact, the hardest work some do is to try to figure out a way to keep from having to work.
Some today are only 30 to 40 years of age and have completely retired from the work force. It is their goal to do the least amount of work that they possibly can.
Listen, anyone ought to be ashamed to retire so young. God did not create man to RETIRE! In fact, He commanded that we work six days of a week and rest one.
If there is something we are able to do, we should be found doing it. Shame on us if we are not. Worse yet, the person who retires PHYSICALLY sends a message to his body that he is shutting down. Soon the body gets that message and begins shutting down, and that person will die in his chair.
God sends the strong message to us to “OCCUPY TILL I COME!” The healthiest thing a person can do PHYSICALLY and SPIRITUALLY is to “OCCUPY TILL” HE COMES!
God wants to be proud of His children. He can not be proud of lazy bums, can he?
God, the Father, wants His children to amount to something. This is the natural desire of a father.
Illus: When a child catches a football and runs the wrong way and scores for the other team, that child’s dad does not jump up and yell, “Atta boy son, I am proud of you!” No! It is when his son makes a touchdown for his team that the dad jumps up and says, “That’s my boy. He is a chip off the old block!”
Yes, God wants to be proud of His children. He wants us to encourage each other to become the best we can become. Go out and win sinners to Christ. “Occupy till I come.”
This may not seem to be a very important message right now. You may talk to some Christians about such things and they will look at you as if you had just fallen off a turnip truck. But one day they will understand just how important this really is because God’s Word says, II Cor. 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
III. GOD’S CALL TO THE SEEKER.
In John 1:29 He sends a clear message as to what we should do.
Illus: As John was preaching one day, he looked up and saw Jesus coming. He stopped what he was preaching and pointed toward Jesus and proclaimed to the multitude, “...Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
John was telling people that we should FOCUS OUR EYES ON JESUS, AND UPON JESUS ALONE.
The devil has people trying to focus on so many things today. Did you know that what you focus on will effect you tremendously? Beloved, THE THING THAT CAPTURES YOUR ATTENTION CAPTURES YOU!
The things we read, the things we watch, and the people we associate with all effect us.
Illus: Remember when the television series called “Happy Days” first came on? There was a character named “The Fonz.” Remember, he often would signal he thought a thing was right with his thumbs up, saying, “A-a-a-a-a-a!” It was not long before every child in this nation was walking around imitating him.
Illus: Then there was another fellow, Evil Knievil. He did daredevil jumps over greyhound buses on a motorcycle. It was not long before almost every emergency room in this country began getting more children in with broken legs and arms. Why? Because they had been influenced to imitate Mr. Evil Knievil.
Illus: Then Mr. “T” came along with his Mohawk haircut and wearing women’s necklaces. You guessed it. All over this nation people began to imitate him!
John sends a strong message to us. He says, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Introduction: Will you answer God’s call? It is to you today.
I. GOD’S CALL TO THE SAINTS
II. GOD’S CALL TO THE SERVANT
III. GOD’S CALL TO THE SEEKER
