Will We Pay Attention?

PAY ATTENTION! CAN GOD GET OUR ATTENTION AND GET US TO

EXPECT GOOD THINGS?

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

I do this lesson in two parts, if you try it in one part you must move to the next point quickly.

I. CAN GOD GET OUR ATTENTION TODAY?

THERE ARE SO MANY DEMANDS, WE HAVE TO PLACE A PRIOIRTY SYSTEM ON OUR TIME. OUR PRIORITY SYSTEM IS BASED UPON WHAT WE VALUE.

HAVE WE ESTABLISHED A PRIORITY SYSTEM?

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

A. WHAT YOU VALUE YOU WILL SET A SYSTEM TO GUARD.

B. WHAT YOU LOVE YOU WILL FIND TIME TO DO!

C. WHO OWNS WHAT?

Most know my Dad is a pastor. Once I went with my Dad to a house of a couple that were both lawyers. Their house was a museum. There were guns from the Revolutionary War, in another room were muskets from the Civil War.

We went into another room and there were art pieces worth multiple thousands of dollars.

The lawyers told us the place was insured for a huge sum of money.

They then showed my Dad they had a state of the art electronic security system to protect their investments.

My Dad asked them about attending church?

They said they could not attend church, they could not leave all their valuable goods unattended. If they went on vacation they paid a bonded person to baby sit their goods.

They were prisoners in their own home. They could not go out to eat together, because they had to watch their stuff.

How sad? The earthly materialism dictated their life?

There was no concern for the eternal? There was no missionary giving?

II. CAN GOD GET OUR ATTENTION TODAY?

GOD MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO GREAT THINGS IF HE COULD GET THE ATTENTION OF THE CHURCH to EXPECT GOOD THINGS?

A. ATTENTION:

The art of applying one’s mind, energy, and effort to a purpose.

A condition of readiness.

Narrowing of focus to consciousness and receptivity.

Consideration with a view of action.

B. A POSITION ASSUMED BY A SOLDIER WITH HEELS TOGETHER, BODY ERECT, ARMS AT THE SIDES, EYES TO THE FRONT.

C. THERE ARE SO MANY DEMANDS, WE HAVE TO PLACE A PRIOIRTY SYSTEM ON OUR TIME. OUR PRIORITY SYSTEM IS BASED UPON WHAT WE VALUE.

D. There were some believers going to church to pray.

This was a habitual act for them.

God was going to use them, but God needed their attention.

KJV

Acts 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

NIV

Acts 3:5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

LB

Acts 3:5 The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting a gift.

III. TAKE TIME TO SHARPEN YOUR TOOLS.

Eccles. 10:10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

A. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to keep sharp things sharp, hot things hot, and joy in all things?

B. Have you heard the story of the young man that hired on with a logging firm.

He was so strong, and as he started cutting trees, he and his chain saw worked as one. The young man could cut more trees than anyone.

An old man cut trees, but would stop several times a day to sharpen and adjust his chain saw.

The young man would keep cutting, and he would surpass the old man. After several days, the young man’s production was so reduced that he lost his job.

He could not understand how the old man could stop and rest and beat him. As he was leaving, he approached the old man and said, I just don’t understand I out worked you when you rested I continued cutting, yet you out produced me? How can this be?

C. The old man said, I learned a lesson many years ago from the Bible. If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. ( A dull ax requires more work, be wise and sharpen your blade.)

D. The old man said, I was not resting, I stopped to sharpen my chain and adjust my chain saw. He went on to explain, because the young man never stopped to sharpen his edge the greater his labor the less he accomplished.

E. This is a story about ministry, we must KEEP A SHARP EDGE. The sharpest tools today can become very dull tomorrow. We need Godly wisdom to apply our hearts and work wisely.

IV. WHAT WILL GOD HAVE TO DO TO GET OUR ATTENTION?