#1 TAKING THE THINGS OF GOD TOO CASUALLY
Missing the presence of God
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This is part one of a two part.
Jude 1:22 And of some having compassion, making a difference.
I recently read one of the main reasons a pastor leaves a church and moves to another,
or even leaves the ministry, is that the little pastor feels unappreciated.
This is probably a distortion of the ministry, often the man of God is loved and cherished,
just he feels like no one sees his sacrifice and his love gift.
So in great discouragement Christian workers walk with their hands hanging down, tears in their eyes,
and pondering, I have not made any difference.
Are we emotion based ministries, or are we faith based?
I.) THREE YEARS OF HOPES ARE DASHED, AND I LOSE SIGHT OF MY VISION.
TWO ALMOST MISSED IT. WE DON’T REALIZE THIS IS JESUS!
A. Two men are walking down a road. They are discouraged. They are disappointed.
Their 3 years of hopes were dashed, nothing went as expected.
The night has been long, the tears have flowed like a river.
There is SHOCK and DOOM as their expectations and dreams fade into nothingness.
THEY HAVE HEARD THAT THE CROSS AND THEGRAVE HAD KILLED THEIR DREAM.
Luke 24: 18 And one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto Him,
ART THOU THE ONLY STRANGER IN JERUSALEM, AND HAST NOT KNOWN the things
which are come to pass there in three days?
19. And Jesus said unto them, WHAT THINGS? And they said unto Him, Concerning Jesus
of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.
B. Two men walk with their heads hanging down, two men talk of what might have been.
Two men are frustrated, their best efforts have been but naught.
Luke 24: 21. BUT WE TRUSTED ---
NOTICE -ED IS ON THE END OF TRUST.
This trust is past tense, used to be, gone.
C. TRUSTED HAS TO TURN BACK TO TRUST BY JESUS DECLARING THE TRUTH.
Luke 24: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered those things, and to enter into glory.
In the midst of losing SIGHT OF JESUS, Jesus was still there.
Jesus was walking with them, Jesus was talking with them.
E. God open our eyes to see the spiritual reality.
Luke 24: 31 And their eyes were opened, AND THEY KNEW HIM; AND JESUS VANISHED OUT OF
THEIR SIGHT.
F. THESE TWO MEN COULD SEE JESUS WHEN HE WAS GONE, BETTER THAN WHEN JESUS WAS WITH
THEM. These men walked 7 miles with Jesus and almost missed it.
Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us, while Jesus walked
with us by the way, AND OPENED TO US THE SCRIPTURES?
G. How does this lesson apply to us?
II. JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE AND WE TAKE HIM FORGRANTED?
We are too casual about the PRESENCE of God! They missed a kiss of the Son of God.
Luke 7:44 And Jesus turned to the woman, and said unto Simon,
SEEST THIS WOMAN? I entered into your house, thou GAVEST ME NO WATER for my feet:
But she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45. Thou GAVEST ME NO KISS; but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
50. And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; GO IN PEACE.
A. The religious men had been walking with Jesus for 3 1/2 years.
Jesus’ journey is almost at the end.
These men knew this was the son of God, but they were not enjoying the presence of the Son.
B. As these men are so casual about the presence of the Son of God, they miss opportunity
after opportunity to minister.
C. DO NOTHING PEOPLE OFTEN ARE CRITICIZERS OF THOSE THAT TRY TO DO!
The DO NOTHING crowd stands around and murmurs and complains, and become critics.
They talk bad about the little woman.
I HAD RATHER BE AN ARTIST, THAN AN ART CRITIC ANY DAY OF THE WEEK.
D. YOU NEVER GAVE NO WATER --- JUST A LITTLE EFFORT?
YOU NEVER GAVE JESUS A KISS ---
You never anointed God’s ONLY SON!
They missed REAL MINISTRY BEING SO BUSY ENTERTAINING, they could not see the
opportunity before them.
Mat. 26:15 Verily, I (Jesus) say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole
world, there shall also this, What this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
MARY WAS NOT THERE TO BE SEEN, SHE DID NOT DO THESE THINGS FOR A SHOW!
MARY RECOGNIZED JESUS, MARY RECOGNIZED THE PRESENCE OF JESUS,
AND ALL MARY WANTED WAS TO KNOW JESUS!
III. MISSED OPPORTUNITY BECOMES A BIG TRAP FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
A. GOD GIVES JOSHUA THE VERY CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS TO UTTERLY DESTROY ALL THE ANAKIMS.
DESTROY THEM ALL!
Joshua goes to battle and he destroys many of the Anakims, BUT----
Joshua 11: 22 There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel;
only in GAZA, in GATH, and in ASHDAD, there remained.
B. WHAT IS THE PRICE TAG OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES?
Well, Joshua has tasted victory, BUT let’s see the REALITY OF MISSING OPPORTUNITIES?
C. GATH --- Will be the home of Goliath? There will be many battles for future generations
to fight, all because Joshua tasted enough victory to be satisfied.
Everybody belch right now?
D. GAZA --- Is the home of Delilah. The sexual temptation that the strong man of God will
fight, could have been dealt with in COMPLETE OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD OF GOD.
E. ASHDOD --- Will be the home of a heathen nation. This bunch of heathen will come and
STEAL THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, they will loot and burn the temple.
F. Count the cost of missing the opportunity that was before Joshua and God’s people.
IV. OBEYING GOD HALF HEARTEDILY, WHY TAKE THE MAN OF GOD SERIOUSLY?
WHERE IS THE JOY AND ZEAL OF GOD’S PEOPLE?
A. There is a new King named Joash.
B. There is an old preacher named Elisha.
C. Elisha has spent his whole life in Godly leadership.
D. Joash, the new King visits Elisha on his death bed. Joash wants to be blessed.
E. Elisha Get your bow.
Get your arrows.
Open the eastward window.
Shoot an arrow (Lord’s deliverance) out the window.
F. NOW HIT THE ARROWS ON THE FLOOR.
THE YOUNG KING DID NOT SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY, JOASH WAS LAZY AND HALF HEARTED.
II Kings 13:19 And the man of God was wroth with the King, Joash, and said, THOU SHOULDEST
HAVE SMITTEN FIVE OF SIX TIMES; then Joash, you would have smitten Syria till thou hadst
consumed it: where as now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.
G. Joash missed the opportunity, he never realized what complete zeal in obedience would
accomplish. Joash was casual, he had little feelings,
H. Today Israel still has problems with Syria, what a missed opportunity?
THIS IS PART ONE OF A TWO PART SERIES.
Taking the casual approach to the presence of God.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
