DINNER IS SERVED
By Dr. Larry A. Bergeron
Matthew 5:6
Red Bay COG / June 10, 2001 / PM
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
The title of the message this evening is DINNER IS SERVED.
How many of you know that God has prepared a banquet table, full of the things of God?
Listen again to 2 Peter 1:3
3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
HAS GIVEN US EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR LIFE AND GODLINESS
I want to give you an image . . .
A banquet table spread before you
Filled with the things of God
Dinner is Served
BUT, THE QUESTION IS,
HOW HUNGRY ARE YOU
FOR THE THINGS OF GOD?
Tonight, as we prepare ourselves to come before the table of the Lord,
As we remember Christ’s death and resurrection,
Let us confirm in our hearts the Hunger for the things of God
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 5:6
6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
PRAYER
SERMON
There is a principle with God, that is, there is something God expects before He acts
I believe it is the element of hunger, or thirst . . .
in a phrase,
it is how much we DESIRE something
This morning we talked about what it takes to get anything from God,
Faith, and perhaps just as important, ASKING
Not half-heartedly
But asking with desperation
Asking with fervency!
Luke 11:9-13
9And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
There is a story in the Old Testament of the blessing of God being determined by someone’s desire, hunger
2 Kings 13:14
14Now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!”
15Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 16“Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.
17“Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The LORD’S arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”
18Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”
Oh that we would ZEALOUSLY SEEK HIM AND HIS MIGHTY POWER
Listen to what the writer of Ecclesiastes says in this regard . . .
Ecclesiastes 9:10
10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,
It is the EFFECTUAL, AND FERVENT PRAYERS THAT GET ANSWERED
It’s Cain asking fervently for mercy and receiving mercy from God…
even when Cain had killed his brother
It’s Abraham asking fervently for God to spare his nephew Lot . . . God spared Him
It’s Moses asking fervently for God to spare the children of Israel . . . God spared them
It’s Joshua asking fervently for God’s help in battle . . . God stopped the sun
It’s Hezekiah asking fervently not to die . . . God granted Him 15 more years
It’s Elisha asking fervently for the rain to stop . . .
God stopped the rain until Elisha prayed again
It’s Hanna asking fervently for a child . . .
God granted her Samuel, one of the greatest prophets of Israel
It’s Several Lepers asking fervently to be healed . . .
Jesus heals everyone of them
It’s the blind man asking fervently to be healed . . .
Jesus heals him
It’s Cornelius asking fervently for a blessing . . .
God sends Peter with the Holy Ghost
It’s the Widow asking fervently for justice . . .
God, the just judge, will grant her justice
It’s You and Me asking fervently for what ever we intensely desire of God . . .
And God gives us the promise
Mark 11:22-25
22“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
DINNER IS SERVED !!!!
ARE YOU HUNGRY? REALLY HUNGRY?
Hunger . . . .
THOSE WHO ARE HUNGRY
WILL DO WHAT IT TAKES
TO GET WHAT THEY NEED
You see, hungry people don’t make demands,
They Humble themselves before their benefactor
They Honor their benefactor
They have a zealous determination to get what they need
You see, God is not impressed with a half-hearted prayer or desire
Listen to God’s complaint against the children of Israel who half-heartedly worshipped Him, they didn’t hunger after the things of God
Malachi 1:9
6“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD Almighty. “It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’
7“You place defiled food on my altar.
“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’
“By saying that the LORD’S table is contemptible. 8When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the LORD Almighty.
9“Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the LORD Almighty.
10“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD Almighty.
12“But you profane it by saying of the Lord’s table, ‘It is defiled,’ and of its food, ‘It is contemptible.’ 13And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the LORD Almighty.
“When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the LORD. 14“Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the LORD Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations.
God wants to give us the things we need
Luke 12:31
31But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
2 Peter 1:3 tells us that He already has given us everything we need . . .
again, I present you with the question . . . .
HOW HUNGRY ARE YOU FOR THE THINGS OF GOD?
IN A FEW MOMENTS WE ARE GOING TO PARTAKE OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
Tonight, as we come before the Lord’s table, I want to ask you. . .
Are you hungry for the things of God?
Are you giving God your best, are you desiring the good food from His banquet table?
DINNER IS SERVED
See, God promises us that the fervent, whole-hearted prayer will be heard.
Jeremiah 29:13
13You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
COMMUNION
Luke 22:15-20
15And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer: 16For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 17And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: 18For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. 19And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
>>> ALTAR CALL AFTER COMMUNION
“DINNER IS SERVED”
LET THE HUNGRY
CRY UNTO GOD
CAN YOU HEAR JESUS,
JOHN 7:37-39
37In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Matthew 5:6 6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
DINNER IS SERVED . . . . LET’S ZEALOUSLY AND FERVENTLY ASK WHAT WE NEED . . . GOD IS READY TO PROVIDE FOR EACH AND EVERYONE OF US
