TRUST GOD AND CLOSE THE BOOK
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This is a lesson on CLOSE THE BOOK. It has some wisdom, but we need balance, some doors should never be closed.
They should remain open, others needed to be locked and to go on --- I can’t tell you when to open a door, nor
can I tell you when to close a door, but use wisdom. Jesus help this be balanced with wisdom,
PART OF THE ANSWER IS IN TRUSTING.
TEXT:
Luke 4:20 And he closed the book and he gave itagain to the minister, and sat down.
And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Mat. 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
1. FOR WHAT ARE WE SEARCHING?
We search for popularity and applause. But do we realize how foolish this desire is ?
The applause of men is so shallow and vain.
Jesus goes into Jerusalem for his 7th. time, we call this the Triumphal Entrance.
The people sing praise and glory as they lay their coats down before Jesus.
Within a few hours the chant of the crowd changes, it is not praise, the cry is crucify, crucify.
2. We have a great duty to carry the light!
Jesus had the light, Jesus gave us the light, He told us to let our light so shine ---
We --- Carry the Torch --- we carry the Torch as far as we can, then we have a duty to train others and
we Pass the Torch into capable hands and entrust the light to others.
Then we Close the Book. Many people never learn how to CLOSE THE BOOK.
Let us study a few of the men in the Bible and see they learned how to CLOSE THE BOOK!
3. EVERY JEWISH SYNAGOGUE HAD A MESSIAH’S CHAIR IN THE FRONT.
There were many things common in a Jewish Synagogue. One of the common things there was a BIG FANCY CHAIR in front, this was called the Messiah Chair.
No person would ever be seated in this Messiah Chair, for this represented a HOPE of the one to come.
This Chair recognized there was an unseen honored guest with them.
Someday, the Messiah would come, and this chair would be for Him.
Jesus had opened the Book of the Law and had taught a powerful lesson.
Jesus CLOSED THE BOOK, AND THEN JESUS TOOK A SEAT IN THE MESSIAH CHAIR.
Luke 4:20 And he closed the book and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down.
And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
...."He gave it again to the minister (or the Bookkeeper)"
Jesus made a great statement that the traditional religious leaders could not accept...
Jesus CLOSED THE BOOK and he started a NEW BOOK, a NEW TESTAMENT, that the Messiah was here. THE OLD WAS GONE, A NEW DAY FOR THE CHURCH HAD ARRIVED.
JESUS THE SON OF GOD HAD TAKEN THE GIANT STEP AND DECLARED --- I AM HE!
4. THERE IS A BOOKKEEPER
A) that knows the date
B) that knows the motive
"He closed the book!" "He gave it to the minister!"
5. God designed Us to Close the Books.....Daily.....
(Each day a new day, a new chance, a new opportunity.)
We have a merciful God full of Grace.
God could have designed time as one endless day, but if God had done that, if we messed that day up,
we would have messed the total up. God designed a day as 24 hours, a week as 7 days, a month as 30,
a year as 365 days.
This way if I mess up a day, I have a fresh start tomorrow, I have a new chance.
Each Sunday starts a new week, the first is a new month, so God designed a SYSTEM TO CLOSE THE BOOKS.
December 31, we close an old year, January 1 we begin a new.
We need DAILY MENIAL VENTILATION, CLOSE THE BOOK, AND GO ON ---
A) "Jesus sat down."
vs. 28 The religious traditionalist got angry - Wrath
Explain again the Messiah Chair
B)You will stumble today (If you carry yesterday’s-tomorrow’s load.)
Mat. 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
6.TOO MANY NEVER LEARN HOW TO CLOSE THE BOOK, AND MOVE INTO THE NEW...
God can pull you through, if you can stand the pull!
A) You can make it, if you want to --- Guaranteed Enough
1 Cor. 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
CLOSE THE BOOK
B) God never Wanted you under this load, YESTERDAY’S LOAD WILL CRUSH TODAY!
1. Trucks have load limits, roads have load limits ---
D.O.T. - weigh stations to enforce the load limits, some people are determined to carry more than the legal limits.
2. Cargo ships -- depth lines....
As the ship sinks in the ocean, a man goes and unlocks the safe, he gets out all the gold and straps it to his body.
He had on a life jacket? He still drowned, for the life jacket was designed
to carry a man’s weight, not a load of things.
7. EVERY BOOK HAS HAPPY CHAPTERS AND EVERY GOOD BOOK HAS SOME SAD PARTS.
We learn that life has many twisted trails, some come, some go, but it is God that directs... CLOSE THE BOOK!
We taste sweet victory -- sometimes bitter defeat --- BUT WE MUST LEARN TO CLOSE THE BOOK.
Sometimes God give s us warm sunshine, other times it is rain destroying storms ---CLOSE THE BOOK.
How we love seasons of success --- but the best face failure at times --- CLOSE THE BOOK!
We learn how to hide our wrongs, and BLAME OTHERS ---WE MUST CLOSE THE BOOK!
8. WHY CAN’T WE CLOSE THE BOOK? IT TAKES GREAT FAITH TO CLOSE THE BOOK!
A. My Dad, Wade M. Hughes, is an artist. He paints beautiful pictures. I was amazed one day when Dad told me, it is very hard to walk away from a drawing, you look back and see something that needs to be done, maybe something that needs to be corrected, --- he told me it’s hard to quit on a picture. But there was a time, to walk away, and CLOSE THE BOOK on that piece of work.
B. My first year teaching school in Lee County, Virginia was 1974. There was a wise old teacher across the hall from my room. Her name was Edith Walton, she has been died many years. But Edith spoke some wisdom to me, DO YOUR BEST AND FORGET THE REST!
We can never achieve perfection, we have to do our best and forget the rest.
9. SAUL LATER PAUL HAD TO LEARN TO CLOSE THE BOOK!
II Tim. 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course. I have kept the faith.
A. We need wisdom in balance --- too much REGRET can kill ---- But so can the lack of REGRET!
Whatever, we must close the book !
B. All assignments can not or are not always perfection. Do best - close the Book!
10. SAUL / PAUL WAS NOT A PERFECT MAN, HE WAS GUILTY AND A FAILURE AT TIMES.
A. Saul / Paul was wrong at times, he was cruel and very mean. He had papers from the religious crowd that gave Saul authority to kill Christians, and he held the coats and clothes of zealous religious people as the y threw rocks at good men of God. Close the book!
B Saul / Paul was gloriously saved. The Christians of the New Testament church feared him --- Paul was not allowed to preach, no sermons from Paul’s heart ... ??
Barnabas steps forward and helps Paul get started --- Acts 9 --- Paul had to Close the book!
C. Paul was a basket case, they were going to kill him --- Acts 7, some held the basket and let Paul down over the wall! Close the book!
D. Paul was hindered by an evil man, Elymas sorcerer stop - Deputy hear/goes blind. --- Close the book!
E. Paul had Thorn in his flesh, he expected God to remove the thorn that was causing him pain.
Paul prayed 3 times for it to be removed - God left the thorn, God’s grace is sufficient --- Close the Book!
F. There was a nice young man that was helping Paul, his name was John Mark.
John Mark deserts Paul --- Acts 13 --- Close the Book!
G. There was a terrible FUSS over circumcision of the males, ---- Big Peter was two faced, he ate with Gentiles until Jews came --- and then he removed him self --- Acts 15 --- Close the Book!
H. After John Mark desert ed Paul, he had the nerve to want to go again? Barnabas took up for him and wanted
John Mark to go, Paul and Barnabas split up --- Acts 15 --- Close the Book!
I. The secular leaders wanted to be popular and had Paul and Silas locked up in jail -- The guys Prayed and Praised God until there was an earthquake. --- Close the Book!
J. Paul runs into some low life, the Baser sort, that moved of envy -- Acts 17:5 --- Close the Book!
K. PAUL WORKED HARD WITH HIS HANDS, the Church never paid him, he had to go to work. --- Acts 18
Close the Book!
L. Paul ran across some that were so ignorant and very superstitious at Mars Hill, teach, and --- Close the Book!
M. Paul was preaching his heart out, and Eutychus falls asleep --- and he really falls out the window, and dies.
Close the Book!
N. Some well intended ministers Get Paul’s Girdle, and try to get Paul to go the easy way. Acts 21:13-- Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. Close the Book!
O. A crew of Paul’s enemy’s get together and vow and promise not to eat until Paul’s death. --- Acts 23.
Close the Book!
P. Paul is on a ship, he had warned the Captain don’t sail. There was a terrible shipwreck, he told them !
Close the Book!
Q. Cold and wet Paul was finally on shore, as he built a fire a big poison snake bites him, the people conclude Paul is really bad... Close the Book!
R. Demus was Paul’s good buddy, Demus just up and quits, another quitter. --- CLOSE THE BOOK!
Alexander the Coppersmith WAS WORSE THAN DEMUS, HE DID MUCH HARM, EVIL! Close the Book!
11. DEATH VISITS THE ROYAL HALLWAYS OF DAVID’S PALACE. DAVID HAD TO CLOSE THE BOOKS.
King Saul never closed the books - David - jealous - javelin
David learned life goes on no matter what the day may bring.
11 San. 12:22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? 23: But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. --- Closed the Book!
12. JOSEPH IS A GREAT LESSON ON HURT AND REJECTION, YET JOSEPH HAD TO CLOSE THE BOOKS!
Joseph closed the book
Gen. 45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither; for God did send me before you to preserve life. --- Close the Book.
13. JOB HAD TO OVERLOOK SOME WELL INTENTIONED FRIENDS AND CLOSE THE BOOK!
Job 1:21-22 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither; the Lord gave, and
the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. 22: In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
Don’t pull the ravel - Nip it in the bud....
You can cut the Dandelion flower off, but it will grow again -- you can’t see but there may be a 10 ft. root.
14. TRUST - CLOSE BOOK - REST
I talked to a Preacher, he told me as a young Preacher, his old Pastor told him:
"ONE OF THE BEST TRAITS A SPIRITUAL LEADER CAN DEVELOP IS TO FORGET! Forget the pains,
disappointments, and bitterness that will try to leech the victory out of your ministry.
Wow, that was good advice.
15 PETER DENIED THE VERY ONE HE LOVED, 3 TIMES HE HURT JESUS!
Peter wept, HE REPENTED, HE CLOSED THE BOOK. Peter went on to Upper Room, and was forever changed.
If God be for us ... who can be against us... ?
No weapon formed AGAINST us can prosper !!!
My little friend, CLOSE THE BOOK AND PRESS ON...
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com I seriously ask
you to help me and pass this on to others?
