A Sermon For You
A Ministry of Huckaby’s Evangelism
Today’s Sermon
God’s Flower Garden
By-Evangelist Gary Huckaby
Our text comes from
John 20: 1-16; The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
Mary supposing Him to be the gardener! She was not wrong in this assumption, for Jesus is the Creator of all the lovely flowers. He was the One who created the Garden of Eden for the first couple as seen in the book of,
Genesis 2: 8-10; And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
The Lord God is the creator of flowers, and in this message let us suppose that He likens people to flowers. Many people compare to flowers in their character of life.
(1) The Rose
Our first flower is the rose. It is found two times in Scripture.
First we see the rose in Song of Solomon 2:1; I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
The next time a rose is mentioned is in the book of Isaiah 35:1; The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
When I think of a rose, I think of the beautiful fragrance it gives. I think of it’s texture of each pedal, and the color of the flower. They come in many colors today, Red, yellow, white, and various other colors.
I know people who are similar to the rose, they have a beautiful fragrance, beautiful color and wonderful in texture, but like the rose they have thorns on their stems.
Many Christians are like a rose in this aspect too. They may look spiritual, smell spiritual, but at the stem they too have thorns. I have known people who seemed to be Spirit filled Christians who later showed their thorns. They were not the spiritual Christian as I first thought.
Another ting about roses is that they wilt under great heat. The hot sun of summer will cause them to droop and eventually fall to the ground. Does this remind you of any Christians you have met?
(2) The John Quill or Buttercups
James 1:10; But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
Isaiah 40:6-8; The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
This flower is the first ones usually seen just before spring. They are yellow in color, and I have seen them come up with snow still on them. I like to think of these flowers as John The Baptist flowers.
Their message is that Spring is on the way. Just as John the Baptist was the fore runner of the Lord Jesus. I have met some of this kind of Christians, no matter what the weather is they are proclaiming that the Lord Jesus is coming. Nothing can stop them from their ministry of winning others to the Saviour. Jesus is coming! Get ready people!
(3) Morning Glories
John 15: 1-5; I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
The morning glory flower is a pretty flower, but the vines on which they grow can cause a lot of trouble to those who have gardens. I remember well when as a young boy my father planted a large garden each year. Guess who had to keep the weeds out of the garden? Me, and my brothers. Boy did I hate those morning glories too. We seemed to daily have to hoe, and pull those vines and flowers out of the garden. They were pretty when the were in full bloom, but when the sun came up those pretty flowers would close and the vines would wind themselves around the corn or any other vegetable in our garden.
You and I both have known some Christians that are like morning glories. Open bloom for a while, but when the sun comes up their flower closes and they are nothing but choking vines, destroying the goo vegetable plants.
(4) Bleeding Hearts
Mark 5:38; And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.
Mark 14:72; And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.
Acts 20:37; And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him,
Mark 16:10; And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
The bleeding heart flower is a white flower with little red dots near it’s middle. The red dots look like little drops of blood dropped on a white cloth. I like to call these the weeping flower. They seem to always be sad in appearance. Some people especially Christians are like the bleeding hearts, they are always crying or weeping about something. They are the Boo hoo people.
Something in the Church goes contrary to what they thing or want and they begin to boo hoo about it. But you probably do not know any bleeding heart Christians do you?
In one of my former Pastorates I had a certain couple of ladies that no matter what was presented in a conference meeting, they would stand up and in the mournful tone of voice they always used, they would question why any new thing should be needed. "Now Pastor, we should reconsider the matter proposed. It might now be good for this Church." This is the way they felt recognized as a part of the Church. Questioning every new proposal, any new method to reach out to others. "Let’s keep things just as they have been for the past fifty years or so." They would say. That’s why they had not grown past the twenty in attendance each Sunday Morning. That is until this young preacher came along. When we reached past one hundred, they were still saying the same things in every meeting they attended.
These bleeding heart Christians will keep the Church from moving forward for our Lord.
(5) Lilies
Our last flower today is the Lilly. There are many Scriptures which speak of this flower. Verses such as;
Matthew 6:28-30; And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
1Kings 7:19-26; And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits. And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter. And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz. And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished. And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast. It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.
The lilies were a part of the temple ornaments. They were also used on the altar of brass in the temple as seen in,
2Chronicles 4:5; And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.
Even Solomon mentioned them in His song, Song of Solomon 5:13; His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
Jesus Himself illustrates by the Lilies in Luke 12: 27; Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. This is the same as our first verse concerning the lilies from the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus our Lord tells us that when we are worried or concerned about food and clothing to consider the lilies.
Even the most wealthy man who lived was not clothed as they are, so why should the child of god be so concerned about the material things. If we will obey the Word of God, and Seek the Kingdom of God first, then all these things shall be added unto us.
So what type of a flower are you in God’s Garden?
Are you a part of the family of God today? Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour? If not, come to Him now, confess him as yours right now!
Huckaby’s Evangelism
P.O.Box 1011
Pine Mountain, Georgia
31822
glhuc@earthlink.net
