VALUE? WORTH? THEN? NOW?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VALUE, PRICE AND WORTH?
( I hold before me a bag of lentils. We identify lentils as a Biblical food. You can buy a bag of lentils at any grocery store. The bag I purchased
cost $0.79. It is good to have this visual to hold before the people.
I always start by asking what is this worth? Some will say, $2.00, etc. Then some one gets around to the correct answer, it depends on how hungry you are? Hunger might make the lentils worth more than $0.79.)
I was in Nashville, Tennessee. I love to go to Broadway and visit Gruhn’s Guitars. There was a Gibson guitar in a glass case.
I asked Mr. Gruhn how much was that guitar in the case?
He never raised his head, he said $200,000.00. He went on reading his paper. Well, I never took that guitar home that day.
A few weeks later I went back to the music store, the guitar was gone. I enquired about it?
Someone had purchased the guitar at the full asking price. I knew the value of the guitar, but I never thought it was worth that to me?
Do we value our health? What is the worth of reasonable health?
What is the value of the Bible?
I paid $99.00 for the Bible I am using?
But this Bible is worth much more than 1000 bucks.
A Bible is worth more than a 1000 guns!
Value may be the life giving power?
Price may be what one is willing to pay?
What is the value of a good pastor? A good teacher?
Worth is what a person is willing to pay?
I guess my writing has little value without a treasured reader?
I ask what is the young person worth?
$4.89 in chemicals?
But what is the worth of this young person?
True happiness depends upon worth and choice.
THE PERSON GIVING THE GIFT IS WORTH MUCH MORE
THAN THE PRICE OF THE GIFT!
IF SOMETHING IS WORTH DOING, IT IS WORTH DOING RIGHT.
When the well is dry, we know the worth of the water.
Is life worth living? May well depend on your approach and desires?
A cynic is a man that knows the price of everything, but knows the value of nothing.
One more thought before we launch in the word.
What is the price of a quart of oil?
$3.00, maybe more, what is the price of a new engine?
The price of a quart of oil could be $1,500.00 if you fail to check?
I. MANY TIMES IN LIFE PEOPLE DO NOT UNDERSTAND VALUE AND WORTH. THERE IS A HIDDEN LESSON OF ESAU NOT KNOWING WORTH.
SOMETIMES A HUNTER WILL FAIL?
WHAT WILL WE DO WHEN SUCCESS ELUDES US?
HOW SHALL I APPROACH MY WEAK MOMENTS?
WHAT SHALL I DO IN DRY TIMES?
A. A GOOD HUNTER IS PREPARED FOR GOOD TIMES AND BAD
TIMES! WHAT WILL WE DO IF IN OUR LITTLENESS THERE SEEMS TO BE A LACK OF PROVISION?
Esau never understood life and the worth of the family.
B. WE HAVE A PROMISE!
THEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM TO OVERCOME!
THEN THERE IS A DIVINE PROVISION!
C. A hunter looks for several things while in search of food. He looks for tracks and he looks for the animal waste left lying. There are times that our best efforts seem to bring little results.
II. THERE ARE TWO BROTHERS IN A DYSFUNTIONAL FAMILY.
A. ESAU IS AN IMPULSIVE, GIVEN TO THE SENSES AND EMOTIONAL MAN. ESAU IS USED TO GETTING HIS WAY, FOR HE IS DADDY’S PET.
Esau was a hunter and loved the outdoors.
B. JACOB IS THE SECOND BORN TWIN. Jacob came out with his hand on his brothers heel. Jacob was a Mommy’s boy and liked staying around the house with Mommy.
Genesis 25: 30 And Esau said to Jacob, FEED ME, I pray thee, with that red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright?
Genesis 25:32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do for me?
III. ESAU HAD AN VALUE APPROACH TO HIS PROBLEM.
ESAU HAD A POOR ATTITUDE TO THE DEEPER THINGS BEFORE HIM.
Genesis 25: 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils, and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way, thus Esau despised his birthright.
HERE IS A VAULE PROBLEM!
A. ESAU HAD SOME PROBLEMS, BUT HIS ATTITUDE PROBLEMS
SEEMED TO ENLARGE HIS PROBLEMS.
B. ESAU HAD SOME SERIOUS VALUE/WORTH PROBLEMS.
C. WHAT SHALL I DO IN DRY TIMES?
1. It does not take a lot of horse sense to understand that hunters do not always bag game.
2. There is a serious lack of preparation on this hunters plan.
3. He could have had deer jerky, a few left over biscuits, or something to keep his stomach from growling.
4. Esau was not prepared, just like the five foolish virgins.
D. DO WE CONTROL OUR APPETITIES OR DO OUR APPETITES
CONTROL US?
A. ESAU WAS HUNGRY NO DOUBT, BUT TO THINK HE WAS STARVING TO DEATH IS A LONG STRETCH OF ONE’S IMAGINATION?
B. Many today are cutting their days because they can’t control their appetites.
C. Esau allowed physical appetites and impulses to dictate his actions, and Esau would live in regret the rest of his days.
E. ESAU MIGHT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT PRICES,
BUT HE NEVER UNDERSTOOD VALUES.
1. There was a great value to Esau and to his children of this birthright.
2. Do you think Esau thought about his Mom and Dad and their efforts invested in this birthright?
F. ESAU DID NOT RESPECT FAMILY ORDER AND HISTORIC MORALES!
1. Esau had little respect for the social norms and customs of his family.
2. He had little thought of purpose and the future.
3. Esau was the first born.
4. He had a duty to his Father Isaac and his Mother Rebecca.
G. ESAU VALUED THE TEMPORAL BUT HE PLACED LITTLE VALUE
ON THE ETERNAL THINGS.
1. Esau despised what was good and right, he never saw beyond his belly.
Philippians 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.
2. Each of us experience weak moments when we should not make decisions.
3. When you are weak, when you are tired, when you are discouraged you should never make a big decision!
H. THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO OUR CHOICES.
1. When we make our choices we must prayerfully consider our decisions.
2. Esau can belly ache and complain and blame, and palliate the rest of his life. But Esau made a poor choice, he did it.
3. The choices you make in a moment of tiredness and weakness can have consequences and cast a shadow on the rest of our lives.
Hebrews 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
IV. SEEMS WE WILL VALUE OUR STRENGTHES MUCH MORE THAN
OUR WEAKNESSES? HOW SHALL I VALUE MY STRENGTHES? VALUE MY WEAKNESSES?
A. SAMON WAS STRONG! SAMSON WAS VERY STRONG!
Samson had good godly parents, Manoah’s wife was barren?
B. The Angel of the Lord appeared and said: GOD HAS A PLAN O, BARREN WOMAN.
C. The plan of God was conditional on two little things.
1. No wine and no strong drink!
2. No razor shall come to the Promised son’s hair.
D. The Angel of the Lord confirms to Manoah the PROMISE.
E. Manoah gives a sacrifice of praise on a rock.
Manoah gave a goat, and the fire of God came down,
and the Angel ascended, and the couple worshipped God.
MANOAH VALUED THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME AND MOVED ON SAMSON.
V. WE WISH SAMSON WOULD HAVE HEEDED THE WISE MAN
SOLOMON’S LESSON!
Songs of Solomon 2:15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
A. DO WE ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF SOUL TIES?
We must know that there is a connection with our approach to men and our approach to God’s words.
What is the value of friends?
Songs of Solomon 3:4 It was a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth,
B. YES, SAMSON WAS STRONG, BUT SAMSON WAS WEAK.
SAMSON SHOULD HAVE STRENGTHENED HIS WEAKNESSES
WITH GOOD, GODLY FRIENDSHIPS.
C. One sin leads to another.
D. No doubt Samson was missing something in his daily life. Samson never evaluated what was wrong or what was missing, and soon Samson’s DESIRES WERE DRIVING HIM, INSTEAD OF SAMSON BEING IN CONTROL OF HIS DESIRE.
E. In a weak moment Samson’s loneliness yielded and he was tempted to look upon a woman in a lustful way.
F. Samson had this value problem before and never dealt with it!
Samson gave in to his weakness that he had in his daily life.
G. Samson continued and did not heed the warnings and he continued in dangerous behavior instead of exercising self control and self discipline .
H. ARE YOU CONTINUING ON A DANGEROUS ROAD OF LACKING IN VALUES? DON’T YOU KNOW THIS APPROACH COULD BE DEADLY?
VI. GOD HAS AN APPROACH ON OUR BEHALF.
BUT WE MUST LAUNCH INTO THE REALM OF FAITH.
THERE IS POWER BEYOND THE REALM OF SIGHT AND EMOTIONS.
Thanks Pastor Ray.
A. We must arise above emotions and feelings, for God’s plan moves in faith.
Faith moves the HEART of God.
Psalms 89:18 For the LORD is our defense; and the Holy One of Israel is our King.
B. SO THEN FAITH!
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
C. NOW FAITH REACHES BEYOND SIGHT AND BEYOND EMOTIONS!
NOW FAITH SEES THE INVISIBLE.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
HEBREWS 11:27 By faith Moses forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured, as seeing Him who IS INVISIBLE.
D. Only by faith can we see things that are not seen —
MOST OF ALL WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS NOT SEEN, THIS WARFARE IS NOT CARNAL.
E. HOW CAN WE BE A WITNESS TO WHAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN?
BY FAITH, AND FAITH ALONE!
There is a realm of eternal life, but the resurrection power of the eternal God is found when life is gone.
Many learn how to see with their eyes,
GOD’S CALL AND THE VALUE APPROACH TO THE HEART OF GOD IS BEYOND THE EYE OF AN EAGLE OR THE EYE OF MAN.
Will we bring NOW FAITH THAT WILL APPROACH GOD’S VALUES, AND WE SHOW GOD STRONG EVEN WHEN WE ARE WEAK.
Joel 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears,: LET THE WEAK SAY, I AM STRONG.
LET US BOLDLY APPROACH THE THRONE AND RELEASE THE NOW
FAITH TO SEE THE UNSEEN.
We must believe that life is worth living. And by believing that we can help create worth.
The price of wisdom is far above rubies. Job 28:18
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
