Begin by singing??Open Our Eyes?
?Open our eyes Lord?
We want to see Jesus?
To reach out and touch Him?
And say that we love Him?
Open our ears Lord?
And help us to listen?
Open our eyes Lord?
We want to see Jesus.?
PRAYER?
Isn?t getting a hold of Jesus the most important thing anymore?
-Does He really matter to us?
-Are we really as desperate for Him as we sing about?
Just share from your heart about being busy?
-Have you ever had one of ?those? days? Weeks?
It is so easy to be consumed with the things of this life?and forget what is really the most important thing?
We are so busy with kids activities?our jobs?doing the shopping?having our ?personal time? that we forget just whose we are?
Maybe we are busy having fun?and making the best of this life??if you are only going around once; then you might as well make the best of it??and you ignore what the real priority is in the first place?
-And obviously?it is God who is the priority?or at least, He should be!
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Exodus 20:3 confirms this very fact to us. Written on the tablets of stone as the Lord had given them to Moses?and beginning with the most important one?
"You shall have no other gods before Me.?
There is no doubt?we would all agree that God should be and is first in our lives?
-However, we are told that we are able to judge a tree by its fruits?
-Could we consider the ?fruit? of our lives for a moment?would they tell of a life that is consumed by God or one that is consumed by everything BUT God?
A revealing question?one that shows the quality of the depth of our hearts?and reveals the truth of our relationship with Him!
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Exodus 34:14
??for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God??
In a time that God was giving warning to the Israelites about the people they would encounter throughout their Exodus?He was advising them to not allow for their hearts to wander off ?in love? with another God?a false God?
He tells them that He is a Jealous God?a God that will not permit any cheating on Him?
-In the same way a wife is a jealous wife?not sharing her husband with another woman?or visa versa.
-We are not only made a ?one woman man?, gentlemen?but we were also made a ?One God, people?!
But?life is consuming!
We must admit that we get too busy most of the time.
-But we have got to ask if it is a business that God has required of us, or a business that we have established and made happen?
-For I would never believe that God would make us soooo busy that we would never have the time for Him.
It would be contradictory to Him and His nature!
I think this is why we have heard this warning come from the Word of God?
Surely, God knew just how crazy this life could and would get?so He gave us a warning and admonishment that we should heed?
Psalm 46:10
"Cease striving and know that I am God??
-Cease, or ?Be still? as we often hear it?
-In other words??Let it go?Relax?Take a Chill Pill?Chill Out?Get A Grip!?
-Stop being so consumed?and discontinue allowing yourself to be consumed?and remember that He is God?
When we remember that He is God?we remember what He then requires of us and deserves.
We will no longer hold onto the things that keep us from exalting God and giving Him His proper place in our lives?
After all?this life is all about Jesus?is it not?
And if that is so?then what is hindering us?is our own desires, sin, and the pursuit of things that will one day fade away!
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There is a song that I remember as a kid?
One that we even hear a lot on TV advertisements?
It is a song that simply says?
-MAKE THE WORLD GO AWAY!
This is the only lyric that I remember from the song?but it is one that I think most of us agree upon the sentiment of it?
-LORD! Please make this world GO AWAY!
?Make The World Go Away!?
This is a desire of all who live in this society; at least at one time or another?
We would agree that we are all to busy?to burdened?and responsible for too many things.
The TV advertisers play into this as well with their clever ads?
Vying for us to buy their products because they will take us into another world of pleasure and peace?making us a new and improved person?refreshing us and helping us carry on with our ?consumed? life?
Remember??Calgon?take me away!?
-All the while, we have not solved a thing?we are only treating the symptom?
-While Christ is wanting to deal with the root of the problem!
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TRANSITION STATEMENT:
Well, unfortunately my friends?
I do not know how to make all your problems go away.
I do not know how to get you to relax and know the goodness of God.
I don?t even know how to get you all to MAKE God a priority in your life?other than just doing it.
-But you need help, or steps to take, in order to get there.
And there are a few words of advice that we can glean help from?
A couple actions that we can pattern our lives after and find better success at ?knowing God? in the middle of those ?wild-n-crazy? days?weeks?and months.
Let?s turn in our Bibles to?
Luke 7:36-38
?Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him. And He entered the Pharisee’s house, and reclined at the table. [37] And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, [38] and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet, and anointing them with the perfume.?
I want to take the next few moments a focus on these few verses?and pull from them just how we should approach our own ?consuming life-styles??
Finding that we too are able to have a healthy relationship with God?even IN THE MIDDLE of??one of those days?; weeks; or months?
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There is an unnamed woman here who comes on the scene?
And we begin by recognizing her as a party crasher?she crashed this dinner party that Jesus was invited to?
-And this is where we begin our lesson?
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There is no doubt in my mind that this woman knew about having bad days?weeks AND months?even years!
I bet she even wished that the world would go away a time or two too!
And the Bible makes it rather clear that she is probably not your first pick on the Ms. Congeniality contest?
-The Bible says that she is a woman who lived a sinful life?
-She began with a strike against her right away?she is a dirty sinner.
So she is not to unlike any of us?
-Having a bad go of life?
A bad day?
-And being found with a less than desirable position before Christ?she was a sinner!
But are we all not just that before God?we are only able to stand because of His grace and mercy!
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Coming into this story we can find a few things that we must overcome, even as ?this woman? did overcome them?
First?the Bible says that she came into this Pharisee?s home to meet Jesus there.
There was not a more critical person?s home for this woman to walk into that the home of this Pharisee.
-We have always known the Pharisees to be a cruel, calculating and cold group.
-And this is the home that she chooses to walk into.
She ran the risk of great trouble?great ridicule?and serious ramifications from this single act.
-But yet, she ignored them all and stayed focused on doing what her heart was leading her to doing?
She had to worship the Lord!!!
She had to express her heart to Him!!!
She just had to relay her heart?s contents to the Lord in an act of worship!
What was the risk?
-She was a she?she was a woman?and women were not to be so presumptuous and bold.
-Next?she was a sinful woman.
And what manner of woman would dare to come into this company like her? She had no right!
-Then, she was an uninvited guest.
This was a bold step. Who of you would just go into someone?s home unannounced? Unannounced and uninvited to a party?and just go on in!?
-She ran the risk of what these Pharisees could say and do to her.
And what I love about this woman is that she shunned all possible problems from her SOCIETY?
All so that she would be able to worship and know her Lord and Savior!
Other accounts tell us that the disciples were also at this dinner party?
-And she pressed in through all the business and all the crowd and made that personal time for the Lord?
ILLUSTRATION:
Smith Wigglesworth did the same?
While Lester Summerall visited him for lunch on day?abruptly Wigglesworth got up from the table and went into another room?
In the middle of a conversation?
Why? It was time for Him to be with the Lord.
-Well that is legalistic!
-Is it?or is it faithful?
How about us?are we willing to take that kind of risk to know and worship our Lord?
Are we willing to go against the grain of our society?and being like everyone else?so that we can be with our Lord?
Not only did she disregard the societal issues of her day?but she also disregarded her FINANCIAL status and future?just so she could express her truest heartfelt feelings for her Lord.
We are told from history that this alabaster box was something of great value.
This was an item that was saved and only used for VERY special occasions.
An item that represented the wealth of a person saved up for years and years.
-A Life-Savings account, if you will?
And what did she do with all that was hers?
How did she handle what was a great amount of wealth?
She broke it open and poured the box out onto the head of Jesus.
-Matthew?s account of this story tells us that the crowd got upset and were angry that this kind of item could have been sold for a great amount of money and used for something good?even better.
My friends?we spend so much time chasing after the all mighty dollar?
We loose sight of just what is the most important.
I am not saying that we should abandon all financial responsibility?
BUT?if we are so consumed with ?the chase? that we cannot find time for the Lord?then we are in grave danger of doing what the Gospels say??gaining the whole world; and yet losing our own soul!?
How much money is worth losing our soul over?
How many overtime hours justify your not serving the Lord in the capacity that He would want from you?
This sinful lady had a great priority?IN SPITE of her sinfulness?how could this be?
How can it be that a Church of the Blood-Bought?the Redeemed?HS filled, and power-filled?cannot discern this same priority???
-We have been to diluted by our world.
-Too watered down and weakened?because to much of the world has crept into the church!
Beyond the societal expectations?past the financial responsibilities?
One other thing was laid to rest by this woman?
-This woman laid down her PRIDE so that she could truly express her heart in worship to the Lord.
Now?I may not know a lot about many things?but I do know that PRIDE can kill a person if it is permitted to rule the person.
We are taught from the Word of God that we are not to be full of pride?but rather we are to serve the Lord with humility and gladness!
And this ?sinful woman? did it again?she made the right choice and laid pride aside so that she could be able to truly express her worship to Jesus!
The Bible tells us that she began to cry?
-For us?we do not like to cry in front of people?we are ashamed to show that kind of weakness.
I am sure that she felt the same?but she would not let that stop her.
And beyond that?she began to use her hair to wipe the feet of Jesus?washing His feet with her tears and with her hair!!!!
What an act of humility?in front of the crowd?at her expense?and to Jesus? pleasure!
ILLUSTRATION:
There is a song that is popular lately called, UNDIGNIFIED.
It says, ?I?ll become even more undignified than this?some would say that it is foolishness.
And yes?they may say this?
But can we REALLY be to undignified when it comes to the Lord!
Can we really become to fanatical in our worship to the Lord???
-My answer is no!
-Not if it is done with the right intentions and motives?all to Jesus? Glory!
These disciples didn?t understand this woman and her worship.
They began to judge her and condemn her for this waste and ?over-emotional? response to Jesus?
-But we forget where people come from!
-We do not know the past that has been forgiven?
And maybe?just maybe?this should be the same response from each of us as well.
Hey?God deserves your truest and purest praise and worship!
Not being jaded by the things of this world?or hindered and watered down because we are concerned about our societies norm?our financial status or what pain our pride may suffer!!!
Our God is a GREAT GOD?.who reigns from heaven above?with wisdom power and love! OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!!!
-And my friends?he deserves our highest praise today!!!
My dear friends?pride with hinder you?but your humility will bring a liberty to you that you can never imagine will bring you through in your relationship with God?
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Do you want the world to go away today?
Do you hope for better days to get those priorities right, so you can know and worship the Lord in that way you know you should?
-Stop waiting for the better days?
-Stop wishing the world away?
-And just press in and press through.
This ?sinful woman? was able to break through those barriers?and with God?s help?so can we!!!!
IN CONCLUSION:
There is this story of the Ten Virgins?
In this story there are ten virgins who were to keep their lamps trimmed and prepared for when the groom would come for them?
However, there were five who thought that there would be plenty of time to do all that?
-What is the big fuss?he is not coming any time soon?
-We can do it tomorrow.
And no doubt we have all said the same when it came to being alone with Jesus!
-I am tired now?
-I have too much on my mind to go to the prayer closet right now?
-The kids are still running around the house and it is useless?
-And the excuses mount?
What one of them will stand before God on that fateful day???
These five virgins found that their procrastination was the beginning to their end?
When the bride-groom came?they were not prepared and were not able to partake in the blessings that the other PREPARED virgins were able to partake in!
No doubt that this is what will be the problem on the day when we stand before the Lord?
Matthew 7:21-22
"Not everyone who says to Me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. [22] "Many will say to Me on that day, ’Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’?
While we think that we have gotten the Lord?s blessing on all those things that keep us busy for the Lord?.
While we think that we have gained God?s approval for all the things that we keep busy with, and we do it ?as unto the Lord??
-God is standing aside saying??What about me??
Sound selfish??it is! He is a jealous God!
The world will not go away ?but we can slip away from the world for a moment to get closer to the Lord?
Have you taken advantage of those tough and difficult days?by slipping away for some therapy? A therapy that only the Lord can give you?by BEING STILL AND KNOWING THAT HE IS GOD!?
-He is standing there waiting for you?even while you are running around like a chicken with your head cut off!
An old adage says?
?Do not put off to tomorrow, what you can do today?
My friends?we cannot put off ?til tomorrow, what we should be doing today when it comes to our relationship with Him!!!
ILLUSTRATION:
Alex loves to go away to Grandma?s and Grandpa?s?
But there is that problem of me missing him to much?.
-Dads and their children?they miss them.
-How much more then does God the Father miss you and I?
?aching and longing to be with us?
Listen to the song, ?I Miss My Time With You!?
-Come to these altars in response?
How can we respond today????
ALTAR CALL:
Salvation?
You miss your time with God and want to be near Him more?
You must reorganize your priorities?
