#2 THE GREATEST MAN I NEVER KNEW?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This is #2 of a 2 part series, The Greatest man I never knew.
REVIEW FROM THE PREVIOUS LESSON.
It can be possible to be religious in form and not really know Jesus in a real personal way. We must KNOW HIM AND THE BEAUTY OF LOVE AND SERVICE.
Years ago I was in a church and at the end of the service a lady stood up and testified. She said, God was not here at the first of the service.
She went on to say, God was not here during the singing. God was not here during the preaching, but God came in just a few minutes ago!
I was embarrassed for the Evangelist and the Pastor.
The lady was wrong.
I knew God was there from the start, I brought Him with me. But I also knew God was there before we got there, and God would be there when we left. Because I trust in an Omnipotent, Omnipresence Holy God!
Ever heard the line:
NO JESUS, NO PEACE!
KNOW JESUS, KNOW PEACE.
Let’s not get to dogmatic and throw out the baby with the dirty bath water. There is a good, pure religion and may we know the fullness of this. To testify in a court one cannot offer hearsay, it must be a first hand account.
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: To visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
TEXT:
Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon this earth.
26 And though after my skin the worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reigns be consumed within me.
I. I PONDER WHO WAS THE GREATEST MAN I NEVER KNEW?
A. Reba McEntire has a hit song, I will play this hit song before this sermon.
B. I understand that Reba sings this song about her Dad. She tells about how she loved her Dad, and she knew he loved her. He worked hard and raised his famous daughter, but somehow they never really got to know each other.
C. HOW SAD? We can live in the same house and not know each other.
Here are the words to Reba’s hit song.
THE GREATEST MAN I NEVER KNEW!
Author not known.
The greatest man I never knew lived just down the hall
And everyday we said hello, but never touched at all
He was in his paper, I was in my room.
How was I to know he thought I hung the moon
The greatest man I never knew came home late every night He never had too much to say too much was on his mind I never really knew him and now it seems so sad
Everything he gave to us took all he had
Then the days turned into years and the memories to black and white He grew cold like an old winter wind Blowing across my life
The greatest words I never heard I guess I’ll never hear The man I thought could never die He’s been dead almost a year He was good at business But there was business left to do He never said he loved me Guess he thought I knew
II. IS IT POSSIBLE BLIND PEOPLE CAN SEE MORE THAN
THOSE WITH VISION?
A. THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL SONG CALLED BEULAH LAND,
written by Squire Parsons, Jr.
Squire looks at the potential that faith is going to end in sight.
Squire says:
I am kind of homesick for a country to which I’ve never been before; No sad goodbyes will there be spoken, for time won’t matter any more.
Beulah Land, I am longing for you, And someday, on thee I’ll stand; There my home shall be eternal, Beulah Land, sweet, Beulah land.
I am looking now across the river, WHERE MY FAITH WILL END IN SIGHT; There’s just a few more days to labor, Then I will take my heavenly flight.
B. THERE IS A FAMOUS SONG WRITTER NAMED FANNY J. CROSBY.
There are many wonderful old hymns forgotten and bypassed for more popular, faster, more fun choruses.
I love Fanny Crosby. She has written hundreds of old hymns.
One of my favorite works of Fanny is BLESSED ASSURANCE.
She says:
Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight: Angels ascending, bring from above, echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
FANNY J. CROSBY WAS TOTALLY BLIND, YET SHE HAD
VISION BEYOND THIS WORLD.
Fanny J. Crosby wrote another song:
I SHALL KNOW HIM (Or MY SAVIOR FIRST OF ALL)
When my life work is ended, and I cross the swelling tide, When the bright and glorious morning I SHALL SEE;
I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side,
And His smile will be the FIRST TO WELCOME ME.
I SHALL KNOW HIM, I SHALL KNOW HIM,
AND REDEEMED BY HIS SIDE I SHALL STAND,
I SHALL KNOW HIM, I SHALL KNOW HIM,
BY THE PRINTS OF THE NAILS IN HIS HAND.
Oh, the soul thrilling rapture when I view His blessed face, And the luster of His kindly beaming eye,
How my heart will praise Him for the mercy, love and grace That prepared me for a mansion in the sky.
Fanny Crosby walked with no sight into the realm of great vision, because Fanny declared by great faith: I SHALL KNOW HIM!
IX. LET US OFFER NO EXCUSES, LET US KNOW WE ARE IN
GOD’S SWEET PRESENCE AT ALL TIMES.
TEXT:
Joshua 1:7 Only be thou strong and courageous, that thou mayest observe to DO according to ALL My law, which Moses my servant commanded thee.
Turn not from it to the right or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
A. I have a concern today about some attitudes that exist within the heart of many believers.
We so teach the God of love, that often we get an unhealthy acceptance of sin and wrong.
B. Sure, I believe that God is love. But I also know a balanced view is better. God is love, but God’s word is serious and to be obeyed at all times.
C. Today we palliate wrong.
Palliate means to cover up by excuse, to take lightly,
to make apologies.
D. We desire to be so accepting that we tolerate sin as a norm. We need to turn away. We need to be broken and contrite.
Many are contrary, but not contrite.
Godly sorrow is a real fundamental truth we should teach.
E. There is a big difference between being sorry you got caught, over being genuinely sorry for your action.
F. There are two kinds of sin.
1. Sins of commission, that is what you do.
But there is another class of sin,
2. Sins of omission, or things we should do that we don’t do.
To know to do right and to do it not is a sin.
I guess we might consider this the difference in abuse
and neglect?
X. WHERE ARE YOU GOD? WE SHOULD KNOW,
GOD IS HERE NO MATTER HOW I FEEL.
A. In this study we have been considering how Jesus can be in our midst and we DON’T EVEN KNOW IT.
B. We can overlook orchids while searching for roses?
C. We can have a visitation from God and not even realize He has been here.
D. There is a story of a man that lived in the mountains. There had been a lot of rain. The rain was causing flooding.
The man prayed and asked Jesus to help him.
The man felt assured that Jesus would come and help him in his situation.
The flood waters started ascending.
The neighbor came and said, Come on, lets go to safety before the water raises over the road.
The man said, No, Jesus is going to help me.
Later, the rains poured down and a boat came right up the street.
The boat stopped and the rescuer invited the man to go in the boat to safety.
The man refused to leave.
He stated that God assured him help was on it’s way.
The flood waters raised so much that the man had to climb on top of the house.
A national guard helicopter flew over and offered to take him to safety. The man again refused aid, because God was going to help him.
Late in the night, the man was angry at God for leaving him out there on top of his house.
The man said, God, you forgot me up here?
God said, NO! NO, I DIDN’T --- I SENT HELP TO YOU THREE TIMES
TODAY AND YOU REFUSED TO ACCEPT MY HELP.
God was in the car, in the boat, and in the helicopter.
XI. WAS GOD’S PRESENCE IN MOSES LIFE BEFORE THE BURNING BUSH? OR DID GOD JUST APPEAR IN MOSES LIFE AT THE BURNING BUSH? OR WAS IT AN ISSUE THAT MOSES RECOGNIZED GOD’S PRESENCE?
A. While Moses was in the hot, dry desert taking care of sheep, Moses might have got so caught up in the menial that he lost his vision and his goal was lost.
B. God was with Moses as a baby.
C. Pharaoh’s daughter was not an accident, God had a plan.
D. While Moses was being taught at the liberal palace, God was there.
E. My friend Terri penned some neat words. (Webservant2003)
1. Terri wrote that we are always "Experiencing the Presence of God."
2. She noted that when we say "Let’s all come into the Presence of God, we really were not appreciating God as we should.
After all, God is Omnipresent.
He is everywhere at all times in general, and, if we are Christians, God is living within us in some special way and often we don’t understand that.
3. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year we live and walk and work in the Holy presence of God, and most of the time we don’t even realize it.
4. Terri went on saying: We think we have to go to church, or have a big song service, or bring in an evangelist to "bring down the presence of God."
5. We don’t need to enter the presence of God.
We don’t need to bring down the presence.
We are already in His presence, we must simply allow ourselves to be aware of God’s presence. We must realize every common bush is aflame with God’s presence.
6. It’s like Elisha’s servant.
Seems we can see the enemy, but Elisha saw the army of God. The army was there all the time, but the servant just hadn’t opened his spiritual eyes to see it.
7. It’s like that with the presence.
It is there 24/7, but we get busy with everything else, even church services and programs and fail to pause and simply let down our barriers and let God make his presence known.
XII. THOMAS WAS TOO BUSY FOR PRAYER MEETING AND
THOMAS MISSED KNOWING A DEPTH OF JESUS.
John 20:19 -- 23 records a very interesting story of missing the presence of Jesus.
John 20:24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, WAS NOT WITH THEM WHEN JESUS CAME.
A. WHAT DID THOMAS MISS BY SKIPPING ONE LITTLE SERVICE?
1. Thomas missed seeing Jesus with his eyes.
2. Jesus gave those gathered a measure of PEACE.
(John 20:19)
3. Thomas is going to miss out on JOY and GLADNESS.
(John 20:20)
4. Thomas is going to miss out on a commissioning, Jesus given authority. (John 20:23)
5. Thomas will miss out on a special touch of the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22)
6. Thomas had missed some really good fellowship with the brethren.
B. WHAT DID THOMAS GET?
1. Thomas gets a second hand story, hearsay.
Hearsay is not admissible in court.
2. Thomas gets a big dose of doubt.
3. Thomas will forever have a new last name,
Thomas THE DOUBTER.
4. Thomas faces embarrassment when he finally sees
Jesus.
5. Thomas will be rebuked by the Master for his doubt,
fear, and missing the opportunity.
C. Thomas, yes, you see and believe!
It is easy to know when you see.
But blessed are those that believe without seeing.
Don’t miss the prayer meeting!
XIII. RECALL THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS?
A. The Master distributed talents,
1. to one he gave five,
2. to another two,
3. and to another one.
I have an opinion, I think the guy with one talent planned on doing something, until he heard the other guy got five talents, then he was jealous and took the attitude, SO WHAT TO THE MASTER’S OPPORTUNITY!
Maybe the one talent man just didn’t realize his importance to the Master?
Matthew 25:18 But he that had received one talent went and digged in the earth, and hid His Lord’s money.
B. Some of you today are sitting on hidden talents.
You don’t value the Master’s visit.
You don’t value the opportunity to advance the work of the Kingdom of God.
Some pastor is crying and alone. Some child is counting on you!
Some missionary needs your gift.
Please, please, don’t waste the visitation of the Divine Presence of Jesus. Get up and do something!
The presence of the Master will be worth it all.
XIV. WE CAN COME INTO GOD’S PRESENCE WITH A LACK OF
REVERENCE AND RESPECT. WHEN THE CHURCH WORSHIPS LIKE THE HEATHEN, WE MOCK A HOLY GOD!
KNOW GOD ACCORDING TO HIS WORD!
A. DAVID ALLOWED AN EASY COME -- EASY GO SPIRIT TO DEVELOP IN THE CAMP.
B. The Philistines capture the ARK OF THE COVENANT.
The Philistine placed the ARK in the temple with their God, Dagon.
C. Dagon falls over during the night.
D. The second night Dagon falls over and breaks off the head and the palms of the hands.
The Philistines decide to get rid of the ARK.
E. The Philistines make a NEW CART, and hitch two cows to the wagon. The cows leave their calves and head toward Israel.
F. ISRAEL WAS BLESSED PHYSICALLY, FINANCIALLY, AND THE NATION WAS THRIVING.
BUT DAVID WANTED A SPIRITUAL REVIVAL, AND THE REVIVAL CAN NEVER BE COMPLETE WITHOUT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT.
G. So David and several thousand people head out to the ARK. They take a NEW CART.
They are singing and worshipping and very excited for the Ark representing God’s Covenant is coming home.
H. UZZAH, David’s friend walks and worships, the OXEN pulling the cart, tilts, and UZZAH rushed to stay the ARK. UZZAH dies on the spot!
II Samuel 6:8 And David was displeased, because the Lord ...
9. David was afraid...
I. THERE IS A QUICK WAY TO LOSE YOUR JOY AND PRAISE,
THERE IS A QUICK WAY TO ANGER AND FEAR ---
It is ignorance of God’s presence and His word and disobedience and SIN!
J. GOD HAD VERY CLEAR DIRECTIONS, BUT DAVID TAKES GOD’S WORD LIGHTLY.
Only a Levite, a priest may carry the Ark.
Exodus 25:14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the Ark, that the Ark may be borne with them.
K. DAVID FINDS REVERENCE AND RESPECT IN THE WORD OF GOD. OBEDIENCE IS ESSENTIAL...
1 Chronicles 15:15 And the children of the Levites bare the Ark of God on their shoulders, with staves thereon, as Moses had commanded according to the WORD OF THE LORD.
16. Now, things are going to be different, the singers sing, the musicians play, they dance before the Lord, WITH GREAT JOY.
CONCLUSION:
Joshua 1:7 Only be thou strong and courageous, that thou mayest observe to DO according to ALL My law, which Moses my servant commanded thee. Turn not from it to the right or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
A. We need a return to the HOLY and the PROFANE,
WE MUST REALIZE GOD IS IN OUR MIDST!
B. We need RESPECT AND REVERENCE BACK IN THE HOUSE OF
GOD.
C. We need a HUNGER FOR TRUTH and the WORD of GOD!
D. We need OBEDIENCE and INTEGRITY and SUBMISSION
back in the hearts of God’s people.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr., Kyfingers@aol.com
Please help enlarge my hands, pass this on to others.
I do this in several parts.
