To Be Like Jesus

To be like Jesus

Illus. By sermon central

The American minister and writer Philip Brooks (1835-93); was noted for his poise and quiet manner. However, one day a friend saw him feverishly pacing the floor like a caged lion and asked him what the trouble was.

"The trouble is," replied Brooks, "that I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t!"

Illus. By Charles Wallis

A man was in a hurry to get to his destination. He paced back and forth, watching his watch. He kept going to the ticket booth asking questions. While he worried, his train came in and left without him. If we spend too much time focused on the future, we will miss what’s happening in the here and now!

Have you ever prayed for patience, I once prayed for patience, boy did that ever take a long time to happen! In fact I’m still waiting.

Psalms 46:10 NKJ

Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

We live in a hustle and bustle world, mankind’s mindset is; hurry up and take advantage of every situation before its to late. Ever heard this one? Opportunity won’t knock twice!

Remember the early internet and dial up? If there ever was something associated with hurry up and wait, that would’ve been high on the list.

The infancy of computers left a lot of people staring at a blank screen for hours, learning patience.

Now a days if we wait longer than a few seconds, we’re ready to call the internet supplier and complain, almost wanting to demand a refund!

We want everyone else to hurry for us, while not really wanting to be hurried for everyone else’s sake! I’ve said it before but it’s true, the only thing we don’t mind wasting is someone else’s time!

In the old days before cell phones, someone would let you know you were late when you got to your appointment. Nowadays, they let you know about 3 minutes after your late, before you even get to your appointment.

Me time is a precious commodity isn’t it? Some folks get a lot of me time all day long but are unwilling to do anything extra for anyone else,

while others get very little and always make time to squeeze in one more thing someone asked them to do, into their busy day!

Mankind is quick to ask God to hurry hurry hurry, And when you have what you think is an urgent request there’s no time to have your needs met like there was 10 minutes ago.

however when the shoe is on the other foot, the answer to the request is almost always, whats the big hurry there’s plenty of time!

Jesus took time and made time for everyone. TBS He healed them all!

Luke 8:43-48 King James Version (KJV)

43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

Jesus could’ve kept right on going, after all He was a busy man and He already knew how everything was going to play out! He was on a mission doing His Fathers work,

if anyone could’ve have ever said I’ve got a busy schedule to keep it would’ve been Jesus, He was going somewhere else we read the same time this happened.

Luke 8:40-42 KJ

40 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.

41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:

42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.

(Everyone was clamoring for Jesus attention, Jairus daughter was dying but what did He do? He took time, even though His time was limited He stops!)

45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

Even though we would’ve certainly defined Jesus as being hurried and rushed at times, the Bible doesn’t record Jesus even one time being hurried or rushed.

Illus. Gordon Curley

WHISTLER AND THE DOCTOR

James Whistler, the Victorian artist, showed scant respect for the hierarchy of any profession. When his poodle fell ill with a throat infection, the artist sent immediately for the country’s leading ear, nose, and throat specialist. Sir Morell Mackenzie was not amused when he was shown his patient, but he conducted a thorough examination, wrote out a prescription, and left with his fee.