Sermon Central
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The Wrap And The Woof
Contributed by Samuel Fulkerson on Apr 14, 2013 (message contributor)
Summary: I have heard it said: “living for God easy is hard; living for God hard is easy.” It is the difference between getting in the boat and setting down and standing on the edge and trying not to fall out. The latter isn’t a question of ‘if’ you fall out, it
Quotes:
“Make sure you are doing what God wants you to do--then do it with all your strength.” ― George Washington
“Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your purpose.” –Aristotle
“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.” -Mother Theresa
Psalm 97:9-12 (10), Romans 12:9
Some things just don’t mix: water & oil, drinking and driving, spitting and the wind… light and darkness:
I John 1:5-7 “5- This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6- If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7- But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
And:
I Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
Because:
I Thess. 5:5 “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”
I have heard it said: “living for God easy is hard; living for God hard is easy.”
It is the difference between getting in the boat and setting down and standing on the edge and trying not to fall out. The latter isn’t a question of ‘if’ you fall out, it’s a question of ‘when’ you fall out.
This brings us to the Wrap and the Woof.
Wrap = The vertical strands in the weaving.
Woof= The horizontal strands that fill the “warp” in weaving; a weft.
These words are even used in the Bible.
Leviticus 13:56-56 “56- And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof: 57- And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire. 58- And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean. 59- This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.”
The wrap and the woof of material is the reason it is very difficult to tear it in one direction and very easy to tear in the other.
And just like the Wrap and Woof it is easy to tear up your life in one direction (away from God; the things of God) and much harder to tear up your life in the other direction (toward God; the things of God; God’s Word).
So how do we get going in the right direction?
Repentance is a “must”.
Acts 17:30 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”
Seeking His Kingdom.
Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye “first” the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
And we could list out all sorts of other things here. The list could be very long. Let’s try to role it up into one verse:
Deuteronomy 6:5 “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
This verse is part of the Jewish Shema (Deu. 6:4), referenced by Jesus in Mark 12:29. It was to be taught to their children over and over that God is one and that they should love Him with all their being.
It is interesting to note that both the Jesus and other Rabbis combined this statement with Leviticus 19:18 "and you shall love your neighbour as yourself". It should also be noted that both of these verses (Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18) state the same command: "And you shall love".
We are to LOVE. The Hebrew word used here is “ahav” meaning to provide for and protect what is given as a privileged gift.
