INTRO.- ILL.- A Milwaukee teacher took her first-grade class to a dairy where a guide showed the children through the entire plant, explaining the whole process. The tour over, the guide asked if anyone had any questions. One little girl raised her hand and said, “Did you notice that I’ve got on my new snowsuit?”
How’s that for wanting attention and recognition?
ILL.- Theodore Roosevelt, sometimes known as Roosevelt the First. One of his children said, “Father always had to be the center of attention. When he went to a wedding, he wanted to be the bride. When he went to a funeral, he was sorry that he couldn’t be the corpse.”
Have you noticed that most people like recognition in some form or another?
This is what Hollywood is all about…recognition, fame, etc. Most actors and actresses like to be interviewed, photographed and seen on TV, etc.
Actor James Caan said, “Actors have bodyguards and entourages not because anybody wants to hurt them—who would want to hurt an actor? But because they want to get recognized. God forbid someone doesn’t recognize them…”
Of course, some people who should be noticed are not often noticed. The people who serve and do all kinds of good things in this world should be noticed and recognized.
ILL.- Dec. 15, 2005. Man Catches Baby Thrown From Burning NY Building. BRONX, NY, A New York man made the catch of a lifetime after a woman threw her 3-week old baby out of the window of a burning apartment in the Bronx one morning.
A fire broke out in the kitchen of a third floor apartment shortly after 8 am, leaving the mother and baby trapped by a window. The mother screamed out of the window for help.
Felix Vasques, father of three and a maintenance worker in New York City who plays catcher on the company baseball team, didn’t know what the woman was holding out of the window until after she let the newborn baby drop. Vasques caught the soot-covered baby "like a football" and blew air into his lungs in order to get him breathing again. Firefighters were able to rescue the mother, and now both are doing fine.
Brothers and sisters, someone like that man needs to be recognized and praised! God put the right man in the right place at the right time, I would say. That was more of a God-incident than a coincidence.
People who do good in this world should receive a certain amount of recognition. I doubt that Mother Teresa lived for recognition but she certainly received some for all the good she did in this world.
In our text, we have a picture of God’s chosen one, God’s chosen servant. The most notable person of all time! He is the person above all other persons who deserves the greatest recognition of all.
PROP.- Let’s take a look at how God’s the creator and Father describes Him. 1- God cherished 2- Spirit inhabited 3- Justice proclaimer 4- Heart builder 5- Hope producer
I. GOD CHERISHED
Matt. 12:17-18 “This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight.”
ILL.- Little Johnny wasn’t getting good marks in school. One day he surprised the teacher with an announcement. He tapped her on the shoulder and said, "I don’t want to scare you, but my daddy says if I don’t start getting better grades...somebody is going to get a spanking!"
Isn’t it great when your children do well in school and in life?
ILL.- Last week I went to visit with my son Shane and go to work with him for RC Cola company for a day. He wanted me to do this for some time and he said that Friday would be a good day, because that was a short day, time wise. He generally works only about 8 hours on that day. Well, that Friday turned out to be nearly 11 hours.
We took off around 4:45 a.m. for the RC Cola plant just south of Cape and then headed out in the truck. We hit three Super Wal-Mart stores and one Sam’s Club. The big Super Wal-Mart store in Cape, then Sam’s Club, then the Wal-Mart in Jackson, MO, then the Wal-Mart in Perryville, MO, and then back again to Wal-Mart store in Cape. That’s his best-selling store.
We unloaded soda on wooden pallets and then carted them to the floor and stocked the shelves. And I discovered that 8 2-liter bottles in a case are pretty heavy! Shane works hard and fast. He wastes no time unloading and stocking those shelves.
Brothers and sisters, I have a new appreciation my son. I discovered how hard he works, how fast, and also how pleasant he is with the people around him. He not only knew the people who received his merchandise but also every other vendor who delivered as well: Pepsi, Coke, beer vendors, etc. He has a good rapport with them all. He is friendly to all and courteous. I was impressed and quite pleased.
Isn’t it great when you are pleased and delighted with your child, grown or otherwise? It just makes you love them even more! And you want to commend and praise them. In fact, after doing some more reflecting I called Shane the next day and told him how proud I was of him, his hard work and his politeness to the people around him.
Jesus was God’s chosen one. And God the Father couldn’t have been more pleased with Him! "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight.”
And personally, I think is how we should also feel about Him. He is God-cherished and should be cherished by us all. We should cherish Him for His devotion to people and His death for all mankind. NO SON EVER DID BETTER.
II. SPIRIT INHABITED
Matt. 12:18 “I will put my Spirit on him.”
ILL.- "Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound --- ’Look, up in the sky,’ ’It’s a bird,’ ’It’s a plane,’ ’It’s Superman...."
Yep, that’s who I wanted to be when I was a little kid. Superman fascinated me. His spirit grabbed me. Who captivated you in your youth?
ILL.- A committee of ministers in a certain city was discussing the possibility of having D. L. Moody to serve as the evangelist during a city-wide evangelistic campaign. Finally, one young minister who did not want to invite Moody stood up and said: “Why Moody? Does he have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit?” There was silence. Then an old, godly minister spoke up: “No, he does not have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit; but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly of D. L. Moody.”
Judges 14:6 “The Spirit of the LORD came upon him (Samson) in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done.” Wow! Amazing strength given by God!
Some may equate physical strength with the power of God’s Spirit. If this were true then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger would be one of the most spiritual men in the US. But I don’t think this is true.
ILL.- The late Dr. A. W. Tozer, author and pastor, said, "If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference…” WHAT AN INDICTMENT!
Could it be that we are not as spiritual as we could be or should be? Could it be that God’s Spirit is not really active in our lives?
If there ever was someone who was controlled by God’s Spirit, inhabited by God’s Spirit and empowered by God’s Spirit, it was Jesus. Jesus was a servant, a healer, a blesser of people, a forgiver, a minister to the human soul. God’s Spirit moved in Him and motivated Him. This should also happen in our lives.
III. JUSTICE PROCLAIMER
Matt. 12:18-19 “He will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.”
ILL.- Superman fought a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way. Christ also fought a battle for truth, justice and God’s way. But as we well know, truth and justice doesn’t always happen or win out in America.
ILL.- LONEDELL, Mo. State and federal investigators kept up the search Saturday, Sept. 16th, for a woman who walked into a rural home, told a young mother (Stephanie Ochsenbine) "I’m here to take your child," then slashed the mother’s throat and left with her 1-week-old baby.
THIS WHOLE INCIDENT IS JUST NOT RIGHT! It’s horrible, despicable, practically insane, what that woman did! Of course, now we know that the baby has been safely returned and the woman is in custody.
ILL.- LUGOFF, S.C. Sep 17, 2006 (AP)— A man suspected of kidnapping a 14-year-old girl and keeping her in an underground bunker was charged Sunday with raping the teen. Kershaw County Sheriff Steve McCaskill said Vinson Filyaw had eluded police with an elaborate system of hideouts and bunkers since November 2005 when he was charged with criminal sexual conduct on a 12-year-old girl.
He surrendered Sunday morning to police as he walked along Interstate 20 near Columbia, about five miles from where investigators found the teenager. Police say Filyaw, 36, abducted the girl as she walked home from a school bus stop on Sept. 6.
That is one man who will meet with justice. But as we all know, many do not. Many get away with their horrible and heinous crimes. HOWEVER, THERE WILL COME A DAY WHEN THEY WON’T! And Jesus will set all things straight in eternity!
Matt. 12:18-19 “He will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.”
Jesus was a proclaimer of justice, right living, honesty, etc. But he would not quarrel with people or cry out loud in the streets or anywhere else.
Some people are quick to speak out, protest, yell, and even fight in order to make their cause known, but not Jesus. He proclaimed the truth about God, the kingdom of heaven, justice, etc. but He didn’t do it in perhaps a loud and offensive fashion. He told the truth and let the chips fall where they may. He did not force people to follow Him or believe in Him. Nor must we.
IV. HEART BUILDER
Matt. 12:20 “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out…”
ILL.- Years ago on a variety show, a guest appeared that was a body builder. As he entered the stage with his huge muscular body the crowd went crazy as the body builder began to flex his muscles and show his power. The first question asked of him was this: “What do you use all those muscles for?” Without answering, the body builder again stood up and began flexing his muscles while the crowd cheered wildly.
A second time, the question was asked, “What do you do with those muscles?” Again, the body builder flexed his muscles and the crowd became almost ecstatic. After asking three times, “What do you do with all those muscles?” And the body builder just sat in silence and had no answers.
Some people seem to have no real purpose in life other than taking care of themselves.
Jesus had purpose in life. His purpose was not to build up himself or promote himself but rather to minister to others.
Matt. 20:28 “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
ILL.- Billy Graham once said, "We’re suffering from only one disease in the world. Our basic problem is not a race problem. Our basic problem is not a poverty problem. Our basic problem is not a war problem. Our basic problem is a heart problem. We need to get the heart changed, the heart transformed."
Our heart problem is not only a sin problem but also a hurting problem. That is, so many people’s hearts are hurting for one reason or another. Life is hard on people. And Jesus came not to hurt people but rather to build people and bring healing to their hearts. No matter how low a person gets Jesus will not snuff out that smoldering wick or fire. He is willing to heal and forgive no matter what a person has done or how low they get. Thank God for that!
V. HOPE PRODUCER
Matt. 12:21 “In his name the nations will put their hope.”
Hope motivates us to keep going and not give up. Without hope we don’t want to do much of anything.
ILL.- In one Peanut’s cartoon Lucy and Linus were sitting in front of the television set when Lucy said to Linus, "Go get me a glass of water." Linus looked surprised, "Why should I do anything for you? You never do anything for me." "On your 75th birthday," Lucy promised, "I’ll bake you a cake." Linus got up, headed to the kitchen and said, "Life is just much more pleasant when you have something to look forward to."
Hope does make a difference in life.
If you know of something good that may be coming your way, it gives you hope for a better day and perhaps a better life.
We all have those days that we wished had never happened. It just seemed like one thing after another went wrong. But hope for a better day is what kept us going.
ILL.- I’ve had people say things like, “I really don’t want to go to work today.” Or “I don’t want to deal with this…” Or “I just hate to face so and so.” Or “I don’t have the money to pay this bill and I don’t know what to do about it.”
But if we have some hope for the future, the future will get better! Where is this hope going to come from?
ILL.- Bible Commentator, William Barclay, wrote, “"The Christian hope is the hope which has seen everything and endured everything, and has still not despaired, because it believes in God. The Christian hope is not hope in the human spirit, not in human goodness, not in human endurance, not in human achievement; the Christian hope is hope in the power of God."
Heb. 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Faith is being sure of what we hope for. Faith is being sure of the hope that we have and where that hope comes from.
ILL.- When a friend asked Sir Douglas Haig during a particularly tough time during WWI if he was discouraged, he replied, “Discouraged! A Christian man has no right to be discouraged in the same world as God.”
There is our hope! And Jesus is the person who showed us that hope. Our hope is in Him and our Heavenly Father who is all-wise, all-powerful and everywhere present!
CONCLUSION----------------------------
ILL.- Brother Robert Shannon has a book entitled, “Christ Above All.” And that pretty much says it all.
Hugh Thompson Kerr said, “We are sent not to preach sociology, but salvation; not economics but evangelism; not reform but redemption; not culture but conversion; not progress but pardon; not the social order but the new birth; not an organization but a new creation; not democracy but the gospel, not civilization but Christ.”
Brothers and sisters, our only hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no one who has any answers for this lost, corrupt and dying world EXCEPT CHRIST! And He is the answer! And He is above all!
