Remember The Focus? Thorns? Rose?

REMEMBER: WE CAN NEVER FOCUS ON THORNS?

WHEN A THORN CAUSES US TO AVOID THE ROSE?

REMEMBER TO FOCUS BEYOND THE PAIN OF THE THORN?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

I. REMEMBER HOW DANGEROUS IT IS TO FORGET?

GOD GAVE HUMANS A DISTINCT HONOR TO REMEMBER AND FORGET

GOD WARNS THE MINDS OF PEOPLE TO BEWARE --- FORGET AND REMEMBER...

A. CAN A MAN FORGET WHEN HE IS SO BUSY...

Several years ago in SCOTIA in Harlan County, Kentucky there was a mine explosion that killed

many men... in several different explosions.

My Dad was a local pastor and he worked hour on end. They sealed the mine off

several days to allow no oxygen to fuel the fire. I had a friend that was a FEDERAL

MINE INSPECTOR, THEY SEND CAMERAS ON ROBOTS, THEN THE INSPECTORS

WENT IN TO RECOVER THE BODIES... THEY FOUND SEVERAL MINERS GATHERED

TOGETHER KNEELING ON THEIR KNEES, ONE MAN WAS KNOWN AS AN ACTIVE

CHRISTIAN, HE HAD HIS ARM WRAPPED AROUND ANOTHER MAN ---

ALL HAD HOPED THE MEN REMEMBERED TO PRAY --- ALL HOPED THEY DID NOT FORGET?

Deuteronomy 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things

which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach

them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

B. FORGOT? TOO LATE?

In Macon, Georgia several years ago there was big hotel where people often gathered

to party. The locals knew that this hotel had become notorious for drugs, wild sex parties and

gambling. Late one night a terrible EXPLOSION OCCURED leaving many dead. There was

a massive fire, many people had no escape, no choice but to leap to death on the streets below.

Several heard men screaming from the upper levels as they ran to and fro looking for a way of

escape. The screams from the top floors had people in prayer HOPING THAT THOSE TRAPPED

IN THE FLAMES REMEMBER TO PRAY...

Deuteronomy 4:23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God,

which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the

LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.

Deuteronomy 6:12 Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land

of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

C. HOW COULD PEOPLE IN A CHRISTIAN NATION FORGET CHURCH AND JESUS CHRIST?

II. DO WE FORGET? CAN WE REMEMBER WHAT A SPETER IS?

WHAT IS A CROWN? PURPLE ROBE...

A. The Roman soldiers gave Jesus a SCEPTOR... emblem of authority, token of royalty.

Jesus had a purple robe?

Jesus had a crown --- A CROWN OF THORNS ---

Matthew 27:29 (KJV) And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head,

and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying,

Hail, King of the Jews!

Matthew 27:29 (MSG) They plaited a crown from branches of a thorn bush and set it on his head.

They put a stick in his right hand for a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mocking reverence:

"Bravo, King of the Jews!" they said. "Bravo!"

A. Jesus had a purple robe? Purple was costly and a mark of leadership...

Jesus had a crown --- A CROWN OF THORNS --- Crown: dignity, power, honor, success, top,

Jesus crown was absolute MOCKERY

1. The Romans desired to INSULT Jesus...

2. The crown of thorns was to INFLICT PAIN...

B. THE TORN IS A SPECIALIZED LEAF --- IT IS AN INVOLUTED LEAVE...

IT IS TURNED IN ON ITSELF AND CAUSES PAIN AND HURT.

*III. DO WE REMEMBER WHAT A THORN REPRESENTS??

A. WHAT IS A THORN --- long, sharp, curved...

B. Two kinds of thorns...

1. In Hebrew the word is

* 1. ... HEDEK --- brier ( Proverbs 15:19)

* 2. ... KOTZ --- spine (Gen 3:18; Hosea 10:8)

* 3. ... AKANTHA --- thorn (Mat. 7:16; 13:7; Heb.6:8)

* 4. ... NA'ATZUTZ ---large thorn as in the CROWN OF THORNS...( Isa. 7:59; Isa. 55:13)

The JUJUBE TREE...

A thorn bush grows in the JORDAN RIVER VALLEY... It is called the "APPLE OF SODOM."

It is a thorny plant that grows into a HEDGE.

It grows 3 to 5 feet high, and it is clad with SPINES.

ALL THESE THORNS OF ISRAEL TEND TO CREATE A FESTERING WOUND...

C. THERE ARE REAL THORNS THAT ARE NOT THORNS AT ALL ---

BUT THEY ARE THORNS THAT HURT MORE THAN THE FLESH ---

THESE ARE WHAT WE CALL :THORN IN THE FLESH...

2 Corinthians 12:7 (KJV) And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of

the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest