#1 THE GREATEST MAN I NEVER KNEW?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon this earth.
26 And though after my skin the worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reigns be consumed within me.
I. I PONDER WHO WAS THE GREATEST MAN I NEVER KNEW?
A. Reba McEntire has a hit song, I will play this hit song before this sermon.
B. I understand that Reba sings this song about her Dad. She tells about how she loved her Dad, and she knew he loved her. He worked hard and raised his famous daughter, but somehow they never really got to know each other.
C. HOW SAD? We can live in the same house and not know each other.
Here are the words to Reba’s hit song.
THE GREATEST MAN I NEVER KNEW!
Author not known.
The greatest man I never knew lived just down the hall
And everyday we said hello, but never touched at all
He was in his paper, I was in my room.
How was I to know he thought I hung the moon
The greatest man I never knew came home late every night
He never had too much to say too much was on his mind
I never really knew him and now it seems so sad
Everything he gave to us took all he had
Then the days turned into years and the memories to black and white
He grew cold like an old winter wind Blowing across my life
The greatest words I never heard I guess I’ll never hear The man I thought could never die He’s been dead almost a year
He was good at business But there was business left to do He never said he loved me Guess he thought I knew
II. IS IT POSSIBLE BLIND PEOPLE CAN SEE MORE THAN
THOSE WITH VISION?
A. THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL SONG CALLED BEULAH LAND,
written by Squire Parsons, Jr.
Squire looks at the potential that faith is going to end in sight.
Squire says:
I am kind of homesick for a country to which I’ve never been before; No sad goodbyes will there be spoken, for time won’t matter any more.
Beulah Land, I am longing for you, And someday, on thee I’ll stand; There my home shall be eternal, Beulah Land, sweet, Beulah land.
I am looking now across the river, WHERE MY FAITH WILL END IN SIGHT; There’s just a few more days to labor, Then I will take my heavenly flight.
B. THERE IS A FAMOUS SONG WRITTER NAMED FANNY J. CROSBY.
There are many wonderful old hymns forgotten and bypassed for more popular, faster, more fun choruses.
I love Fanny Crosby. She has written hundreds of old hymns.
One of my favorite works of Fanny is BLESSED ASSURANCE.
She says:
Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight: Angels ascending, bring from above, echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
FANNY J. CROSBY WAS TOTALLY BLIND, YET SHE HAD
VISION BEYOND THIS WORLD.
Fanny J. Crosby wrote another song:
I SHALL KNOW HIM (Or MY SAVIOR FIRST OF ALL)
When my life work is ended, and I cross the swelling tide, When the bright and glorious morning I SHALL SEE;
I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side,
And His smile will be the FIRST TO WELCOME ME.
I SHALL KNOW HIM, I SHALL KNOW HIM,
AND REDEEMED BY HIS SIDE I SHALL STAND,
I SHALL KNOW HIM, I SHALL KNOW HIM,
BY THE PRINTS OF THE NAILS IN HIS HAND.
Oh, the soul thrilling rapture when I view His blessed face, And the luster of His kindly beaming eye,
How my heart will praise Him for the mercy, love and grace That prepared me for a mansion in the sky.
Fanny Crosby walked with no sight into the realm of great vision, because Fanny declared by great faith: I SHALL KNOW HIM!
III. WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU KNOW?
A. The first thing you know, Ole Jed’s a millionaire, kin folk say, Jed move away from there, said California is the place you ought to be, so they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly,
Hills that is, Movie Stars, swimming pools, ----
B. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO KNOW JESUS?
To KNOW:
***To perceive directly, to discern
***To have understanding
***To recognize, to perceive
***To be familiar
IN THE KNOW --- IN THE POSSESSION OF KNOWLEDGE AND
INFORMATION
C. Know thyself.
Know how to tell times and seasons.
D. We have a sweet 93 year old woman at church.
She is very faithful and loves to testify of God’s goodness.
I have many times heard her tell: she was a member of the church many years and did not know Jesus. She says she knew who Jesus was, but that she did not know Him in a personal way.
She carries a deep concern, that many attend church that may not know Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord.
IV. CAN WE MISS THE PRESENCE OF A HOLY GOD?
Jude 1:22 And of some having compassion, making a difference.
A. I recently read one of the main reasons a pastor leaves a church and moves to another church, or even leaves the ministry, is that the little pastor feels unappreciated.
B. 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. He forgets what he knows.
C. So in great discouragement Christian workers walk with their heads hanging down, tears in their eyes, and pondering, I have not made any difference.
Are we emotion based ministries, or are we faith based?
V. WE WALKED WITH HIM, WE TALKED WITH HIM, AND WE
DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS JESUS?
A. WE KNEW HIM THREE YEARS, WE HAD GREAT HOPES.
NOW ALL OF OUR HOPES ARE DASHED.
WITH NO VISION, WE LOSE SIGHT OF THE GOAL AND OUR EMOTIONS BECOME DISTORTED.
Proverbs 29:18 WHERE THERE IS NO VISION THE PEOPLE PERISH,
B. TWO MEN KNEW JESUS BUT IT SEEMS THEY DID NOT KNOW HIM? THEY ALMOST MISSED IT.
C. IS IT POSSIBLE TO WALK WITH JESUS AND NOT KNOW IT?
D. 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.
E. There is SHOCK and DOOM as their expectations and dreams fade into nothingness.
F. THEY HAVE HEARD THAT THE CROSS AND THE GRAVE HAD KILLED THEIR DREAM. Don’t you know?
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.
G. Two men walk with their heads hanging down,
two men talk of what might have been.
H.Two men are frustrated, their best efforts have been brought to naught.
Luke 24: 21. BUT WE TRUSTED ---
NOTICE -ED IS ON THE END OF TRUST.
This trust is past tense, used to be, gone.
I. 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.
J. In the midst of losing SIGHT OF JESUS, Jesus was
still there.
Jesus was walking with them, Jesus was talking with them.
K. 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.
L. 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?
M. How does this lesson apply to us?
Do we really know Jesus? Do we know Jesus is walking WITH US?
VI. JESUS IS IN THE HOUSE AND WE TAKE HIM FORGRANTED?
We enter into THE PRESENCE OF JESUS, and the PRESENCE of a Holy God and miss it?
A. 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.
B. 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.
C. As these men are so casual about the presence of
the Son of God, they miss opportunity after opportunity to minister.
D. 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.
E. YOU NEVER GAVE NO WATER --- JUST A LITTLE EFFORT?
YOU NEVER GAVE JESUS A KISS ---
You never anointed God’s ONLY SON!
F. They missed REAL MINISTRY BEING SO BUSY MINISTERING, they could not see the opportunity to come into His Presence for real ministry and to know Him.
Mat. 26:15 Verily, I (Jesus) say unto you, Where soever 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.
G. 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!
VII. DO WE NOT KNOW WHAT NOT KNOWING CAN COST?
WHAT YOU REFUSE TO DEAL WITH CAN HAUNT YOU
AND YOURS.
NOT KNOWING AND MISSING OPPORTUNITies CAN BECOME
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.
VIII. THE NEW KING DID NOT KNOW THE OLD PREACHER?
WE CAN OBEY GOD HALF HEARTEDILY, AND NOT LISTEN
TO THE PREACHER.
WHY SHOULD WE 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 says: 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 DID NOT KNOW!
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 KNEW what
complete zeal in obedience would accomplish.
He never knew there was a man of God among them.
Joash was playing, he had great feelings, but little faith.
H. Today Israel still has problems with Syria,
what a missed opportunity?
Part #1 The greatest man I never knew? of a 2 part series. I do this in several parts.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
