Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Crossroads 1.5.2005

This Wednesday we will begin a new series on the book of James, discovering how God wants us to develop a faith that we can use everyday. Specifically, every problem we encounter is an
opportunity to profit and grow. Come ready to share and be challenged for more in 2005!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you have a desire to go out and meet life head-on?

Do you like big challenges?

Do you want to make an impact far greater than a sole person could make?

If so, you’ve got to meet Nehemiah tonight! He says, “There was a time in my life when everything was going well for me. I had access to the king daily, and I enjoyed the many pleasures of the palace. Mine was a coveted position, one that a foreigner doesn’t usually achieve. You could say that I had ‘arrived.”

The man turns his head and looks you and then me in the eye. He says, “I am Nehemiah. I was cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia.”

Before we can react, he continues, “Then one day I received word about my hometown, Jerusalem. The walls of the city were in ruin and the gates had been burned to the ground. The people were unprotected from their many enemies. The news hit me like a blow. I began to weep uncontrollably. The situation was hopeless, and I was helpless to do anything about it. In my grief, I turned to God, and He made me understand something: No problem is too big when you have help. I knew what I had to do: ask the king for help.”

Turn to the person next to you, and tell them they need to ask for help!

Small group discussion

Show video clip of ocean’s 11

Working Together

The story of Jeremiah is a story of a man who faced a seemingly impossible job: rebuilding Jerusalem.

Have you ever driven through a really bad part of town, or gone into a city that seemed hopeless?

This was Jerusalem!

This was supposed to be a grand capital city, and that’s how Nehemiah remembered it. But it had gone downhill fast!

It was a hood!

Here’s the account

Nehemiah 2:11-15
11Three days after my arrival at Jerusalem, 12I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us, except the donkey that I myself was riding. 13I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal's Well,[b] and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates. 14Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but my donkey couldn't get through the rubble. 15So I went up the Kidron Valley[c] instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the Valley Gate.

Check out those fancy, international sounding names of this capital.

The major landmarks had been reduced to things such as the ‘Jackal’s well. Was it only fit for donkey’s to drink from?

And the dung gate! What a great gateway for the city. Hey, everyone drop your poop off at the front door.

Jerusalem was not what it used to be.

Here’s some questions to ask yourself to find out if you are living in a hood, just like city Nehemiah faced!

Read list

Most people throw their hands up, pretend the problem doesn’t exist, or just plan don’t care enough to do something.

The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem is not the story of a single successful person. The walls were rebuilt because many people helped one another and worked together. First, Nehemiah sought the aid of his king, who agreed to send him to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. When he got there, Nehemiah again asked for help. Scripture quotes his plea to the people:

“You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer he a reproach.” And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they [the nobles, priests, and officials] said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. (NEH. 2:17-18)

We enjoy hearing Nehemiah describe how the people banded together, family by family, and worked for a remarkable fifty-two days with swords in one hand and trowels in the other, rebuilding the wall.

When Should We Ask for Help?
With the wisdom of someone who has rallied a great group of people to do a work for God, Nehemiah shows us that:

We should ask others for help when we’ve Shared the Problem with God
The first thing Nehemiah did when he heard about Jerusalem’s condition was talk to God.

Neh 1:4:
4When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. 5Then I said, "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! 7We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, laws, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.
8"Please remember what you told your servant Moses: `If you sin, I will scatter you among the nations. 9But if you return to me and obey my commands, even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.'


Too often we try to carry the load of a problem all by ourselves. But the first person we should ask for help in any situation is God. The great hymn writer Joseph Scriven was correct when he penned the words:
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Scripture asserts, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

Phil 4:6
6Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

As Christians, it’s easy to take it for granted that we’ve prayed for something, when actually, we’ve only worried about it.

Worrying is not praying! They’re quite different.

We worry when we’re by ourselves, we complain to others, and then fish for help from our friends.

But who is your biggest ally tonight?

Is it your mom, your girlfriend, your pastor, or is it God?

There is a time and a place to build networks and seek out help, especially from other believers, but God should never take a back seat.

Seeking God’s blessing first can give us favor and wisdom to find the human help we need.

We Should Ask Others for Help When the Problem Is Bigger Than Us
The problem Nehemiah faced was certainly bigger than he was. Look at what he was tip against:

Nehemiah was geographically far from the problem——more than One thousand miles away—when he learned of it.

The people of Jerusalem had no materials to rebuild the walls.
The people had no will of their own to take on the rebuilding project.
There was great opposition to the rebuilding project from their neighboring enemies.
When you and I face problems that are bigger than us, it’s not time to get discouraged; it’s time to get help!

Pastor Greg was talking to me this morning about what he calls the ‘Principle of Proximity’

What happens to our perception of a problem when we get closer to it? Does it get bigger or smaller?

This was the problem with the residents of Jerusalem, and why they were a bunch of good for nothings!

Sometimes we need to ask for help just to get a better perspective.
Sometimes people will come up to me at church, and tell me what a good kid I am, and then how horrible their kids are!

It’s the perspective principle.

They’re too close to the problem.

This happens in our spiritual lives too.

I have a friend from North Central, and I always tease him because he can talk about the state of his spiritual life for hours on end, and he’s always telling me what a wreck he is!

Too close! The problem has become too big. That’s when it’s important to share and pray with fellow Christians.

They can remind you of what God has brought you out of, and all the growth he’s brought to your life.

When the problem is too big, ask others for help, just like Nehemiah did.


We Should Ask Others for Help When the Problem Becomes Personal

Neh 2:1
1Early the following spring,[a] during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never appeared sad in his presence before this time. 2So the king asked me, "Why are you so sad? You aren't sick, are you? You look like a man with deep troubles."
Then I was badly frightened, 3but I replied, "Long live the king! Why shouldn't I be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been burned down."
Has the problem you’re facing causing you to lose sleep?
Are you grieved by a need?

The problem, perhaps by God’s will, has become personal, and you need the help of others.

When Nehemiah heard about the state of Jerusalem, he mourned for many days. It wasn’t just some hit of foreign news. It was personal. Max Du Pree says, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” As the leader for the rebuilding project, Nehemiah recognized the reality of the situation in the Judean capital, and it wasn’t good!

We Should Ask Others for Help When We Are Willing to Do Our Part

Neh 2:20
20But I replied, "The God of heaven will help us succeed. We his servants will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no stake or claim in Jerusalem."

Notice Nehemiah says ‘we’

God wants to be our partner throughout life. Too often we are tempted to either carry the entire load ourselves or give everything to God and do nothing. God doesn’t like either strategy. Sometimes He moves before US and sometimes after us—but He doesn’t move without us. Without God . . . we cannot. Without us . . God will not. Just as Nehemiah was willing to go halfway across the known world to do what he could, so should you and I.

We Should Ask Others for Help When We Sense God’s Approval for the Vision

When Nehemiah prayed, he asked God to give him favor. As Nehemiah obeyed God, he increasingly sensed that God had answered his request. Nehemiah says that when the king gave him permission to go back to Jerusalem and supplied him with letters and materials, “The king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me” (Neh. 2:8). When Nehemiah stood before the people of Jerusalem to challenge them with the huge rebuilding project, he encouraged them by telling them of the “hand of my God which had been good upon me” (2:18).

When opposition arose concerning the rebuilding of the wall, with confidence Nehemiah said, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build” (2:20).

Nehemiah’s increased awareness of God’s blessing was a direct result of his continued obedience.

“Never try to explain God until you’ve first obeyed Him,” Nehemiah tells us.

Do you agree with this statement?

We should ask for help when People Oppose Us

Repeatedly Nehemiah and the people were confronted with opposition. When Nehemiah received permission and resources to go back to Jerusalem, the opposition was “deeply disturbed” (Neh. 2:9-10).

When the people declared their intention to rebuild the wall, the opposition laughed at them and despised them (2:18-19). When the people actually began rebuilding the wall, the opposition became “furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews” (4:1). When the people continued rebuilding the wall anyway, the opposition became very angry and conspired to attack them and create confusion (4:6-8). And finally, when the people finished rebuilding the wall, the opposition pretended to be reasonable, but they meant the people harm(6:1-9).

Motion always causes friction. But whenever God’s people move forward, the enemy always increases its oppositions and that really turns up the heat. When others oppose us, it’s not time to give up. It’s time to get help.

Nehemiah’s Words of Encouragement

As our time with Nehemiah comes to a close, I regret that you and I will not be able to run an additional lap with him. His leadership is incredible, and there is so much that I would like to learn from him. I listen eagerly as he shares these last thoughts with us:

“It isn’t easy to ask for help.
I know. Even after I prayed and planned, I found it difficult to tell the king my heart’s desire. Don’t let insecurity or ego or fear make you try to go it alone. In God’s kingdom, there are people ready to help you at the right time, in the right way—people you don’t even know yet.”

“Not everyone will help.
When I arrived in Jerusalem, I had momentum on my side. I had received permission and resources to rebuild. The leaders of the city had bought into my leadership and vision. When we began rebuilding the wall, I thought, Everyone is ready to work! But to my surprise, some nobles did not put their shoulder to the work of the Lord. Remember this, no matter how great the vision, how strong the morale, or how far the progress, someone in your camp will refuse to help. Don’t wait on them. Keep moving forward.”

‘Many times you don’t need a miracle—you just need each other.
Many of the great men and women here in this stadium saw God provide for them miraculously. But you don’t always need a miracle to do something miraculous! God had already provided all that we needed. We just needed to work together. Without the leadership I provided, the people would have remained fearful and inactive. Without the hard work the people provided, the walls would have remained in ruins. My friends, you can run this race well, but you cannot run it alone. Why do you think all of us are here encouraging you?”

God wants you to do the incredible this year. To be a hero.

And being a hero begins by understanding you can’t do it by yourself.

Too often, the problems in our lives make us avoid getting help from God and from others.

The life of Nehemiah shows us how can work through us if we just ask for help.

Let’s pray.

Anonymous said...

We have been getting ready for quite awhile now for ‘Celebrate Freedom’, a great time of thanking God for the privilege of living in America.

1. Only in America......can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance.
2. Only in America......are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink.
3. Only in America......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.
4. Only in America......do people order double cheese burgers, large fries, and a diet coke.
5. Only in America......do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.
6. Only in America......do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.
7. Only in America......do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place.
8. Only in America......do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.
9. Only in America.....do we use the word 'politics' to describe the process so well: 'Poli' in Latin meaning 'many' and 'tics' meaning 'bloodsucking creatures'.
10. Only in America......do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

I know I’m amongst people who are very patriotic like myself.

And yet as much as we love our country, many of us have a burden for the direction America has been headed.

We see big problems getting bigger, and we feel our land growing more distant from the God that blessed it.

There was a man who lived in the Old Testament that I believe exemplifies what a Godly response to these challenging times should look like.

That man was Nehemiah.

(Background info)

“There was a time in my life when everything was going well for me. I had access to the king daily, and I enjoyed the many pleasures of the palace. Mine was a coveted position, one that a foreigner doesn’t usually achieve. You could say that I had ‘arrived.”

The man turns his head and looks you and then me in the eye. He says, “I am Nehemiah. I was cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia.”

Before we can react, he continues, “Then one day I received word about my hometown, Jerusalem. The walls of the city were in ruin and the gates had been burned to the ground. The people were unprotected from their many enemies. The news hit me like a blow. I began to weep uncontrollably. The situation was hopeless, and I was helpless to do anything about it. In my grief, I turned to God, and He made me understand something: No problem is too big when you have help. I knew what I had to do: ask the king for help.”

The story of Jeremiah is a story of a man who faced a seemingly impossible job: rebuilding Jerusalem.

Have you ever driven through a really bad part of town, or gone into a city that seemed hopeless?

This was Jerusalem!

This was supposed to be a grand capital city, and that’s how Nehemiah remembered it. But it had gone downhill fast!

It was a hood!

Here’s the account

Nehemiah 2:11-15
11Three days after my arrival at Jerusalem, 12I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us, except the donkey that I myself was riding. 13I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal's Well,[b] and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates. 14Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but my donkey couldn't get through the rubble. 15So I went up the Kidron Valley[c] instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the Valley Gate.

Check out those fancy, international sounding names of this capital.

The major landmarks had been reduced to things such as the ‘Jackal’s well. Was it only fit for donkey’s to drink from?

And the dung gate! What a great gateway for the city. Hey, everyone drop your poop off at the front door.

Jerusalem was not what it used to be.

Our city, similarly, is facing bigger challenges than ever before.
• Violence has taken over large areas of our community
• Families are under strain like never before, and the concept of actually having children within a marriage is becoming increasingly rare
• Cycles of poverty and social dysfunction are being passed on from generation to generation
• And the ranks of those in our state prison system have grown exponentially in the last 10 years

Against this backdrop you vocal fractions trying to separate God from America on a daily basis, largely through the courts.

The challenges for our city, state, and country are large, and we as Christians can be tempted to respond in two different ways:

We can throw their hands up,
• The problems are too big! The destruction too vast! There’s no turning things around now.
• These are the people who say “America is going to Hell in a handbasket’


Pretend the problem doesn’t exist,
• Instead of watching the news, because of all the bad news, we now watch our favorite reality TV program
• If the problem is not in our backyard, it is out of sight, and out of mind


just plan don’t care enough to do something.
• It’s not my fault, or it’s not my problem
• Other people destroyed the wall, so they should be the ones to fix it
• I do feel bad about what’s happening around me, but it would be too much work to start working on a solution.

The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem is not the story of a single successful person. The walls were rebuilt because many people helped one another and worked together. First, Nehemiah sought the aid of his king, who agreed to send him to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. When he got there, Nehemiah again asked for help. Scripture quotes his plea to the people:

“You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer he a reproach.” And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they [the nobles, priests, and officials] said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. (NEH. 2:17-18)

We enjoy hearing Nehemiah describe how the people banded together, family by family, and worked for a remarkable fifty-two days with swords in one hand and trowels in the other, rebuilding the wall.

When Should We Ask for Help?
With the wisdom of someone who has rallied a great group of people to do a work for God, Nehemiah shows us that:

We should first share the Problem with God
The first thing Nehemiah did when he heard about Jerusalem’s condition was talk to God.
Neh 1:4:
4When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. 5Then I said, "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! 7We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, laws, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.
8"Please remember what you told your servant Moses: `If you sin, I will scatter you among the nations. 9But if you return to me and obey my commands, even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.'


Too often we try to carry the load of a problem all by ourselves. But the first person we should ask for help in any situation is God. The great hymn writer Joseph Scriven was correct when he penned the words:
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Scripture asserts, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

Phil 4:6
6Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

As Christians, it’s easy to take it for granted that we’ve prayed for something, when actually, we’ve only worried about it.

Worrying is not praying! They’re quite different.

We worry when we’re by ourselves, we complain to others, and then fish for help from our friends.

But who is your biggest ally tonight?

Is it your mom, your girlfriend, your pastor, or is it God?

There is a time and a place to build networks and seek out help, especially from other believers, but God should never take a back seat.

Seeking God’s blessing first can give us favor and wisdom to find the human help we need.

We should work together as a team
The problem Nehemiah faced was certainly bigger than he was. Look at what he was tip against:

Nehemiah was geographically far from the problem——more than One thousand miles away—when he learned of it.

The people of Jerusalem had no materials to rebuild the walls.
The people had no will of their own to take on the rebuilding project.
There was great opposition to the rebuilding project from their neighboring enemies.
When you and I face problems that are bigger than us, it’s not time to get discouraged; it’s time to get help!

Pastor Greg was talking to me this morning about what he calls the ‘Principle of Proximity’

What happens to our perception of a problem when we get closer to it? Does it get bigger or smaller?

This was the problem with the residents of Jerusalem, and why they were a bunch of good for nothings!

Sometimes we need to ask for help just to get a better perspective.
Sometimes people will come up to me at church, and tell me what a good kid I am, and then how horrible their kids are!

It’s the perspective principle.

They’re too close to the problem.

This happens in our spiritual lives too.

I have a friend from North Central, and I always tease him because he can talk about the state of his spiritual life for hours on end, and he’s always telling me what a wreck he is!

Too close! The problem has become too big. That’s when it’s important to share and pray with fellow Christians.

They can remind you of what God has brought you out of, and all the growth he’s brought to your life.

When the problem is too big, ask others for help, just like Nehemiah did.


We should make the problem personal.

Neh 2:1
1Early the following spring,[a] during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never appeared sad in his presence before this time. 2So the king asked me, "Why are you so sad? You aren't sick, are you? You look like a man with deep troubles."
Then I was badly frightened, 3but I replied, "Long live the king! Why shouldn't I be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been burned down."
Has the problem you’re facing causing you to lose sleep?
Are you grieved by a need?

The problem, perhaps by God’s will, has become personal, and you need the help of others.

When Nehemiah heard about the state of Jerusalem, he mourned for many days. It wasn’t just some hit of foreign news. It was personal. Max Du Pree says, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” As the leader for the rebuilding project, Nehemiah recognized the reality of the situation in the Judean capital, and it wasn’t good!

We Should be willing to do our part

Neh 2:20
20But I replied, "The God of heaven will help us succeed. We his servants will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no stake or claim in Jerusalem."

Notice Nehemiah says ‘we’

God wants to be our partner throughout life. Too often we are tempted to either carry the entire load ourselves or give everything to God and do nothing. God doesn’t like either strategy. Sometimes He moves before US and sometimes after us—but He doesn’t move without us. Without God . . . we cannot. Without us . . God will not. Just as Nehemiah was willing to go halfway across the known world to do what he could, so should you and I.

We should seek God’s wisdom for a plan

When Nehemiah prayed, he asked God to give him favor. As Nehemiah obeyed God, he increasingly sensed that God had answered his request. Nehemiah says that when the king gave him permission to go back to Jerusalem and supplied him with letters and materials, “The king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me” (Neh. 2:8). When Nehemiah stood before the people of Jerusalem to challenge them with the huge rebuilding project, he encouraged them by telling them of the “hand of my God which had been good upon me” (2:18).

When opposition arose concerning the rebuilding of the wall, with confidence Nehemiah said, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build” (2:20).

Nehemiah’s increased awareness of God’s blessing was a direct result of his continued obedience.

“Never try to explain God until you’ve first obeyed Him,” Nehemiah tells us.

Do you agree with this statement?

We should not allow resistance to stop us.

Repeatedly Nehemiah and the people were confronted with opposition. When Nehemiah received permission and resources to go back to Jerusalem, the opposition was “deeply disturbed” (Neh. 2:9-10).

When the people declared their intention to rebuild the wall, the opposition laughed at them and despised them (2:18-19). When the people actually began rebuilding the wall, the opposition became “furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews” (4:1). When the people continued rebuilding the wall anyway, the opposition became very angry and conspired to attack them and create confusion (4:6-8). And finally, when the people finished rebuilding the wall, the opposition pretended to be reasonable, but they meant the people harm(6:1-9).

Motion always causes friction. But whenever God’s people move forward, the enemy always increases its oppositions and that really turns up the heat. When others oppose us, it’s not time to give up. It’s time to get help.

Nehemiah’s Words of Encouragement

As our time with Nehemiah comes to a close, I regret that you and I will not be able to run an additional lap with him. His leadership is incredible, and there is so much that I would like to learn from him. I listen eagerly as he shares these last thoughts with us:

“It isn’t easy to ask for help.
I know. Even after I prayed and planned, I found it difficult to tell the king my heart’s desire. Don’t let insecurity or ego or fear make you try to go it alone. In God’s kingdom, there are people ready to help you at the right time, in the right way—people you don’t even know yet.”

“Not everyone will help.
When I arrived in Jerusalem, I had momentum on my side. I had received permission and resources to rebuild. The leaders of the city had bought into my leadership and vision. When we began rebuilding the wall, I thought, Everyone is ready to work! But to my surprise, some nobles did not put their shoulder to the work of the Lord. Remember this, no matter how great the vision, how strong the morale, or how far the progress, someone in your camp will refuse to help. Don’t wait on them. Keep moving forward.”

‘Many times you don’t need a miracle—you just need each other.
Many of the great men and women here in this stadium saw God provide for them miraculously. But you don’t always need a miracle to do something miraculous! God had already provided all that we needed. We just needed to work together. Without the leadership I provided, the people would have remained fearful and inactive. Without the hard work the people provided, the walls would have remained in ruins. My friends, you can run this race well, but you cannot run it alone. Why do you think all of us are here encouraging you?”

God wants you to do the incredible this year. To be a hero.

And being a hero begins by understanding you can’t do it by yourself.

Too often, the problems in our lives make us avoid getting help from God and from others.

The life of Nehemiah shows us how can work through us if we just ask for help.

Let’s pray.

Anonymous said...

We have been getting ready for quite awhile now for ‘Celebrate Freedom’, a great time of thanking God for the privilege of living in America.

1. Only in America......can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance.
2. Only in America......are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink.
3. Only in America......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.
4. Only in America......do people order double cheese burgers, large fries, and a diet coke.
5. Only in America......do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.
6. Only in America......do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.
7. Only in America......do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place.
8. Only in America......do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.
9. Only in America.....do we use the word 'politics' to describe the process so well: 'Poli' in Latin meaning 'many' and 'tics' meaning 'bloodsucking creatures'.
10. Only in America......do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

I know I’m amongst people who are very patriotic like myself.

And yet as much as we love our country, many of us have a burden for the direction America has been headed.

We see big problems getting bigger, and we feel our land growing more distant from the God that blessed it.

There was a man who lived in the Old Testament that I believe exemplifies what a Godly response to these challenging times should look like.

That man was Nehemiah.

(Background info)

“There was a time in my life when everything was going well for me. I had access to the king daily, and I enjoyed the many pleasures of the palace. Mine was a coveted position, one that a foreigner doesn’t usually achieve. You could say that I had ‘arrived.”

The man turns his head and looks you and then me in the eye. He says, “I am Nehemiah. I was cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia.”

Before we can react, he continues, “Then one day I received word about my hometown, Jerusalem. The walls of the city were in ruin and the gates had been burned to the ground. The people were unprotected from their many enemies. The news hit me like a blow. I began to weep uncontrollably. The situation was hopeless, and I was helpless to do anything about it. In my grief, I turned to God, and He made me understand something: No problem is too big when you have help. I knew what I had to do: ask the king for help.”

The story of Jeremiah is a story of a man who faced a seemingly impossible job: rebuilding Jerusalem.

Have you ever driven through a really bad part of town, or gone into a city that seemed hopeless?

This was Jerusalem!

This was supposed to be a grand capital city, and that’s how Nehemiah remembered it. But it had gone downhill fast!

It was a hood!

Here’s the account

Nehemiah 2:11-15
11Three days after my arrival at Jerusalem, 12I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us, except the donkey that I myself was riding. 13I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal's Well,[b] and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates. 14Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but my donkey couldn't get through the rubble. 15So I went up the Kidron Valley[c] instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the Valley Gate.

Check out those fancy, international sounding names of this capital.

The major landmarks had been reduced to things such as the ‘Jackal’s well. Was it only fit for donkey’s to drink from?

And the dung gate! What a great gateway for the city. Hey, everyone drop your poop off at the front door.

Jerusalem was not what it used to be.

Our city, similarly, is facing bigger challenges than ever before.
• Violence has taken over large areas of our community
• Families are under strain like never before, and the concept of actually having children within a marriage is becoming increasingly rare
• Cycles of poverty and social dysfunction are being passed on from generation to generation
• And the ranks of those in our state prison system have grown exponentially in the last 10 years

Against this backdrop you vocal fractions trying to separate God from America on a daily basis, largely through the courts.

The challenges for our city, state, and country are large, and we as Christians can be tempted to respond in two different ways:

We can throw their hands up,
• The problems are too big! The destruction too vast! There’s no turning things around now.
• These are the people who say “America is going to Hell in a handbasket’


Pretend the problem doesn’t exist,
• Instead of watching the news, because of all the bad news, we now watch our favorite reality TV program
• If the problem is not in our backyard, it is out of sight, and out of mind


just plan don’t care enough to do something.
• It’s not my fault, or it’s not my problem
• Other people destroyed the wall, so they should be the ones to fix it
• I do feel bad about what’s happening around me, but it would be too much work to start working on a solution.

The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem is not the story of a single successful person. The walls were rebuilt because many people helped one another and worked together. First, Nehemiah sought the aid of his king, who agreed to send him to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. When he got there, Nehemiah again asked for help. Scripture quotes his plea to the people:

“You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer he a reproach.” And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they [the nobles, priests, and officials] said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. (NEH. 2:17-18)

We enjoy hearing Nehemiah describe how the people banded together, family by family, and worked for a remarkable fifty-two days with swords in one hand and trowels in the other, rebuilding the wall.

When Should We Ask for Help?
With the wisdom of someone who has rallied a great group of people to do a work for God, Nehemiah shows us that:

We should first share the Problem with God
The first thing Nehemiah did when he heard about Jerusalem’s condition was talk to God.
Neh 1:4:
4When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. 5Then I said, "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! 7We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, laws, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.
8"Please remember what you told your servant Moses: `If you sin, I will scatter you among the nations. 9But if you return to me and obey my commands, even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.'


Too often we try to carry the load of a problem all by ourselves. But the first person we should ask for help in any situation is God. The great hymn writer Joseph Scriven was correct when he penned the words:
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Scripture asserts, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

Phil 4:6
6Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

As Christians, it’s easy to take it for granted that we’ve prayed for something, when actually, we’ve only worried about it.

Worrying is not praying! They’re quite different.

We worry when we’re by ourselves, we complain to others, and then fish for help from our friends.

But who is your biggest ally tonight?

Is it your mom, your girlfriend, your pastor, or is it God?

There is a time and a place to build networks and seek out help, especially from other believers, but God should never take a back seat.

Seeking God’s blessing first can give us favor and wisdom to find the human help we need.

We should work together as a team
The problem Nehemiah faced was certainly bigger than he was. Look at what he was tip against:

Nehemiah was geographically far from the problem——more than One thousand miles away—when he learned of it.

The people of Jerusalem had no materials to rebuild the walls.
The people had no will of their own to take on the rebuilding project.
There was great opposition to the rebuilding project from their neighboring enemies.
When you and I face problems that are bigger than us, it’s not time to get discouraged; it’s time to get help!

Pastor Greg was talking to me this morning about what he calls the ‘Principle of Proximity’

What happens to our perception of a problem when we get closer to it? Does it get bigger or smaller?

This was the problem with the residents of Jerusalem, and why they were a bunch of good for nothings!

Sometimes we need to ask for help just to get a better perspective.
Sometimes people will come up to me at church, and tell me what a good kid I am, and then how horrible their kids are!

It’s the perspective principle.

They’re too close to the problem.

This happens in our spiritual lives too.

I have a friend from North Central, and I always tease him because he can talk about the state of his spiritual life for hours on end, and he’s always telling me what a wreck he is!

Too close! The problem has become too big. That’s when it’s important to share and pray with fellow Christians.

They can remind you of what God has brought you out of, and all the growth he’s brought to your life.

When the problem is too big, ask others for help, just like Nehemiah did.


We should make the problem personal.

Neh 2:1
1Early the following spring,[a] during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never appeared sad in his presence before this time. 2So the king asked me, "Why are you so sad? You aren't sick, are you? You look like a man with deep troubles."
Then I was badly frightened, 3but I replied, "Long live the king! Why shouldn't I be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been burned down."
Has the problem you’re facing causing you to lose sleep?
Are you grieved by a need?

The problem, perhaps by God’s will, has become personal, and you need the help of others.

When Nehemiah heard about the state of Jerusalem, he mourned for many days. It wasn’t just some hit of foreign news. It was personal. Max Du Pree says, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” As the leader for the rebuilding project, Nehemiah recognized the reality of the situation in the Judean capital, and it wasn’t good!

We Should be willing to do our part

Neh 2:20
20But I replied, "The God of heaven will help us succeed. We his servants will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no stake or claim in Jerusalem."

Notice Nehemiah says ‘we’

God wants to be our partner throughout life. Too often we are tempted to either carry the entire load ourselves or give everything to God and do nothing. God doesn’t like either strategy. Sometimes He moves before US and sometimes after us—but He doesn’t move without us. Without God . . . we cannot. Without us . . God will not. Just as Nehemiah was willing to go halfway across the known world to do what he could, so should you and I.

We should seek God’s wisdom for a plan

When Nehemiah prayed, he asked God to give him favor. As Nehemiah obeyed God, he increasingly sensed that God had answered his request. Nehemiah says that when the king gave him permission to go back to Jerusalem and supplied him with letters and materials, “The king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me” (Neh. 2:8). When Nehemiah stood before the people of Jerusalem to challenge them with the huge rebuilding project, he encouraged them by telling them of the “hand of my God which had been good upon me” (2:18).

When opposition arose concerning the rebuilding of the wall, with confidence Nehemiah said, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build” (2:20).

Nehemiah’s increased awareness of God’s blessing was a direct result of his continued obedience.

“Never try to explain God until you’ve first obeyed Him,” Nehemiah tells us.

Do you agree with this statement?

We should not allow resistance to stop us.

Repeatedly Nehemiah and the people were confronted with opposition. When Nehemiah received permission and resources to go back to Jerusalem, the opposition was “deeply disturbed” (Neh. 2:9-10).

When the people declared their intention to rebuild the wall, the opposition laughed at them and despised them (2:18-19). When the people actually began rebuilding the wall, the opposition became “furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews” (4:1). When the people continued rebuilding the wall anyway, the opposition became very angry and conspired to attack them and create confusion (4:6-8). And finally, when the people finished rebuilding the wall, the opposition pretended to be reasonable, but they meant the people harm(6:1-9).

Motion always causes friction. But whenever God’s people move forward, the enemy always increases its oppositions and that really turns up the heat. When others oppose us, it’s not time to give up. It’s time to get help.

Nehemiah’s Words of Encouragement

As our time with Nehemiah comes to a close, I regret that you and I will not be able to run an additional lap with him. His leadership is incredible, and there is so much that I would like to learn from him. I listen eagerly as he shares these last thoughts with us:

“It isn’t easy to ask for help.
I know. Even after I prayed and planned, I found it difficult to tell the king my heart’s desire. Don’t let insecurity or ego or fear make you try to go it alone. In God’s kingdom, there are people ready to help you at the right time, in the right way—people you don’t even know yet.”

“Not everyone will help.
When I arrived in Jerusalem, I had momentum on my side. I had received permission and resources to rebuild. The leaders of the city had bought into my leadership and vision. When we began rebuilding the wall, I thought, Everyone is ready to work! But to my surprise, some nobles did not put their shoulder to the work of the Lord. Remember this, no matter how great the vision, how strong the morale, or how far the progress, someone in your camp will refuse to help. Don’t wait on them. Keep moving forward.”

‘Many times you don’t need a miracle—you just need each other.
Many of the great men and women here in this stadium saw God provide for them miraculously. But you don’t always need a miracle to do something miraculous! God had already provided all that we needed. We just needed to work together. Without the leadership I provided, the people would have remained fearful and inactive. Without the hard work the people provided, the walls would have remained in ruins. My friends, you can run this race well, but you cannot run it alone. Why do you think all of us are here encouraging you?”

God wants you to do the incredible this year. To be a hero.

And being a hero begins by understanding you can’t do it by yourself.

Too often, the problems in our lives make us avoid getting help from God and from others.

The life of Nehemiah shows us how can work through us if we just ask for help.

Final thought: Why was it so important to God that a wall be rebuilt?

John 10:10
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Let’s pray.

Anonymous said...

Crossroads 7.2.2006: Principles to Winning With People

The Approachability Principle
Being at ease with ourselves helps others to be at ease with us

Characteristics of Approachable People:
1. Personal warmth-they truly like people
2. Appreciation for the differences in people
3. Consistency of mood
4. Sensitivity toward people’s feelings
5. Understanding of human weaknesses and exposure of their own
6. Ability to forgive easily and quickly ask for forgiveness
7. Authenticity

The Foxhole Principle
When preparing for battle, dig a hole big enough for a friend

The Facts about Foxholes
• The foxhole is for you and a friend-not a friend alone
• Before the battle, you have developed a friendship
• Foxholes without friends are unhealthy
• Foxholes prove friendships

Things to keep in mind before agreeing to do battle with someone:
1. Foxhole friends are few
2. Foxhole friends provide strength before and during the battle
3. Foxhole friends see things from the same perspective
4. Foxhole friends make a difference in our lives
5. Foxhole friends love us unconditionally

The Gardening Principle
All relationships need cultivation

Understanding the nature of the relationship
• Some people come into our lives for a reason
• Some people come into our lives for a season
• Some people come into our lives for a lifetime

Ways to keep cultivating important relationships
1. Commitment
2. Communication
3. Friendship
4. Memories
5. Growth
6. Spoiling each other

Anonymous said...

Crossroads 7.2.2006: Principles to Winning With People

The Approachability Principle

We’ve all met people who are cold and unfriendly.

Then we’ve met people who seem like old friends from the day one.

Can the people closest to you have an honest talk on just about anything?

Can they share a concern they have with you without expecting a fight?

When was the last time a friend confronted you? If it’s been a while, you might not be very approachable.

Being at ease with ourselves helps others to be at ease with us

How at ease are you with yourself? Are you secure or insecure?

What are some behaviors of people that make them seem unapproachable?

People miss opportunities for connection and to build deeper relationships because they don’t make themselves approachable.

Read story on 155
Characteristics of Approachable People:
1. Personal warmth-they truly like people. You can tell when someone doesn’t like people. And you can feel it when individuals really care for people.
2. Appreciation for the differences in people. Do you have little patience for people different than you? You could be missing out on a lot. You can laugh about weaknesses and celebrate strengths different than yours.
3. Consistency of mood. Have you met people who are always up and down all the time? How do you react to people who are moody? Approachable people learn to stabalize their mood. They are even keeled and predictable. They are basically the same each time you see them.
4. Sensitivity toward people’s feelings. Approachable people don’t expect others to be emotionally steady. They quickly adjust to the other’s mood and feelings.
5. Understanding of human weaknesses and exposure of their own. Nothing turns people off like pretending to be perfect. Editor Ed Howe says ‘Express a mean opinion of yourself occasionally; it will show your friends that you know how to tell the truth. Approachable people are honest about their strengths and shortcomings. They are willing to be told not what they want to hear but what they need to hear.

6. Ability to forgive easily and quickly ask for forgiveness.

Understanding human weakneses and a willingness to reveal their own make approachable people humble. They quickly ask for forgiveness and extend it to others.

7. Authenticity

they are real. They are who they are. They engage others on a genuine level.

Is it the responsibility of the one in authority to be responsible?

People will naturally be intimidated by those in authority

The Foxhole Principle
When preparing for battle, dig a hole big enough for a friend

This comes from proverbs!
Read from 163


What makes a person willing to fight another person’s battle with him?
The Facts about Foxholes

The home should be the most important foxhole in your life, where you can receive support.

But it should also be church. It could also be a business, sports team, small group, ect.
• The foxhole is for you and a friend-not a friend alone. You can ask a friend to fight with you, but you should never send someone else to fight your battles.
• Before the battle, you have developed a friendship. It’s not about imposing on distant acquaintences or using people. You should be a friend before asking help of a friend
• Foxholes without friends are unhealthy

When you isolate yourself from others, you are 2-3 times more likely to die an early death

More likely to contrat terminal cancer

If you’re divorced, separated, or widowed, you have 5-10 times greater chance of being hospitalized for a mental disorder

If you are a pregnant woman without good personal relationships, your chances of having a complication are 3 times as great as those with strong relationships.
• Foxholes prove friendships

Things to keep in mind before agreeing to do battle with someone:
1. Foxhole friends are few.

If you have people in your life willing to go to battle for you, value them, for they’re rare.

2. Foxhole friends provide strength before and during the battle

simply knowing that someone believes in you and will fight for you is uplifting.

Think about a parent, teacher, boss, or coach who went out of the way to express belief in you. Isn’t it great to be trusted? Didn’t that have a great impact? If so, thank that person. Make that investment of trust in people whom you’re willing to fight.

3. Foxhole friends see things from the same perspective. What’s important to you is important to them. Example of crossroads leaders.

4. Foxhole friends make a difference in our lives
5. Foxhole friends love us unconditionally –page 170

What kind of friend have you been to others? Have you gone to the foxhole with someone else?

Why take the time to invest in others?

p. 175
The Gardening Principle
All relationships need cultivation


How do you determine with home you spend your time? Do you think in terms of the importance of the relationships? Do you carve out time for the most significant people then guard it carefully, or do you fill up the calendar on a first come, first serve basis.
Understanding the nature of the relationship
• Some people come into our lives for a reason
• Some people come into our lives for a season. How can you tell the difference between a relationship that is meant to last for a season and one that’s meant to last a lifetime.
• Some people come into our lives for a lifetime. P 181

Ways to keep cultivating important relationships
1. Commitment. . there may be nothing more important in a marriage than a determination that it will persist. All relationships will have trouble at one time. What will you do when that comes.
2. Communication. How can a relationship begin without communication. (story of being unenthusiastic about talking to wife.)
3. Friendship.
4. Memories
5. Growth. Why do people allow difficult issues to remain unresolved in important relationships?
6. Spoiling each other

Anonymous said...

Winning With People: July 16, 2006

If we’re honest, there are some people with whom we want to spend time with and others with whom we don’t.

The difference is synergy. Some relationships are win-win, adding value to both people.

Lopsided relationships don’t last. If one person does all the giving, and the other all receiving, the giver will become worn out.

And the taker will feel like he is not receiving enough!

The Boomerang Principle
When we help others, we help ourselves.

No man becomes rich unless he enriches others-Andrew Carnegie

Some people treat relationships like slot machines!

But people are worth investing in because people have value

Somebody has to make the first move in relationships, so why not me?

Where do you stand on the subject of giving to others? 3 types of people:

1. Takers receive and never give. Focus on themselves, rarely go out of their way to do anything for others. Never satisfied.
2. Traders receive and then give. Some people focus on keeping score. They are willing to give, but the main motivation isn’t to give, perhaps they feel they owe it to someone. They don’t initiate giving.
3. investors give and then receive. People focus on others. They believe success comes from being helpful, caring, and constructive. They give first, and then receive if something is offered.

How should one go about the process of selecting people to invest in? What specific needs or characteristics should a person you would mentor possess? Why?

What are your greatest talents and gifts? Are these traits that can be shared? How can you use them to add value to others?

People who invest in other people have some things in common:
• Investors understand that people are of great value-people, your friends can be your greatest asset. But people are only appreciating assets if we’re willing to invest in them. Most people, if left along, remain much the same.
• Investors embrace the boomerang principle. They know the best way to help themselves is to help others. When you invest in friendship, you open the door to investment, and ultimately the possibility of a return.
• Investors practice the principle of sowing and reaping. There has never been a person who gave that did not receive in return! Could be valuables, values-have you ever given anonymously? If so, you understand that you benefited emotionally and spiritually. Virtues-most benefits of giving comes in the area of character. You overcome the inclination to be greedy, becoming less selfish.
• Investors believe that helping others is the Divine work of people –quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson on p. 234

Take investing in others to a new level
1. Think “others first”. Good healthy relationships begin with the ability to put other people first! Have an attitude of kindness towards everyone. Begin every relationship by giving respect, even before they’ve had the chance to earn it.
2. Focus on the investment, not the return. We can’t live only for ourselves. There may be benefit to forging a friendship, but that can’t be the goal. Investors in people are like investors in the stock marked. Over the long haul they’ll receive benefit, but they have little control over what the return will look like or how it will occur. But we can control what and how we invest. That’s our focus.
3. Pick out a few people with great potential. You can have the desire to add value to others, or you can multiply value to others by adding value to leaders. –read p. 236 (underlined section)
4. With their permission, begin the process-you can’t help someone who doesn’t want your help. People first buy in to the leader, then the vision. People being mentored must trust and believe in their teachers. It’s an agreement.
5. Enjoy a return in due season. Maybe immediately, or perhaps over a long time, but it will occur. When people’s motives are pure and they genuinely want to add value to others, they cannot help but receive benefit.

Develop a plan to intentionally invest in others.

The Satisfaction Principle
In great relationships, the joy of being together is enough.

What is the price a person has to pay to develop deep relationships? What would make the price worth paying for you?

(story of long term friendship)

Simply being together is enough when:
• Shared memories create a bonded environment –friends at school-make a vow that your best memories will be shared together with your closest relationships
• Growing together creates a committed environment-what is the bridge that spans the gap between relationships that start together and those that stay together? The answer is growth.
• Mutual respect creates a healthy environment
• Unconditional love creates a safe environment

The Partnership Principle
Working together increases the odds of winning together.

In learning the partnership principle, we often go through four stages:
1. I want to make a difference…
2. I want to make a difference with people…
3. I want to make a difference with people who want to make a difference…
4. I want to make a difference with people who want to make a difference doing something that makes a difference

The Power of Partnership
• When you partner with others, you lose nothing
• When you help others, you help yourself
• When you partner with others, you are rewarded with hope

Anonymous said...

• Mutual respect creates a healthy environment. Respect creates a healthy environment because it produces 2 things- trust, which is the foundation of relationships, and servanthood. People can’t help themselves from helping and serving those they deeply respect. Albert Einstein said ‘only a life lived for others is worthwhile.
• Unconditional love creates a safe environment. There’s a comfot of feeling safe with a person. Not having to weigh thoughts, measure words. When somebody loves you unconditionally, it’s the most freeing thing in the world. It creates a safe environment wherever you are.
Where’s home? Where she is!
How have shared memories affected your closest relationships?

Be intentional about creating new memories together

The Partnership Principle
Working together increases the odds of winning together.

You can do what I cannot do. I can do what you cannot do. Together we can do great things.

In learning the partnership principle, we often go through four stages:
1. I want to make a difference… most people start of on a focus on me and what I can do. That’s not necessarily wrong. But it’s a limited perspective. You can work hard, and get a lot done, but you can’t do anything of real significance by yourself. One is too small of a number to achieve greatness
2. I want to make a difference with people… start looking beyond yourself, and discover you can go father and achieve more when others join you on the journey. And we can want to take everyone on the journey, but that would be a mistake.
 Not everyone should take the trip-passion. These are people who say they’re on board, but you keep having to talk them into doing their part. No passion to work. They want to go for a ride, but don’t want to peddle. Bring them along, and they’ll wear you out.

Not everyone wants to take the trip-attitude. Some people don’t believe in what you’re doing. It doesn’t mean you’re wrong, or they’re wrong. Just don’t take them with you

Not everyone can take the trip-ability. Some people want to make a difference, but they have no ability to affect what you’re doing. You can’t partner with someone with whom there is no fit.
 3. I want to make a difference with people who want to make a difference… those closest to you determine your level of success. You can move from simply working with good, capable people to partnering with difference makers. Find capable people with the same passion and mission as yours who also need others to make a difference. No telling what you can do together
4. I want to make a difference with people who want to make a difference doing something that makes a difference. Join with others to make a positive impact by helping others. There is nothing more rewarding.
 This is why crosswalk groups have been such a hit with so many of you.

The Power of Partnership
• When you partner with others, you lose nothing

How much control do you have over the people you work most closely? If you have little control, what could you do to change that situation?
 Thomas jefferson-a candle loses nothing when it lights another candle. Many don’t think that way. They believe that sharing means losing something. Not true
 Every person either has a mindset of scarcity or abundance. Scarcity people believe there’s only so much to go around, so scrap for yourself everything you can, protect what is yours at all cost.
 People with an abundance mindset believe there’s more than enough to go around. Share an idea, and you’ll come up with another one. Give money away, and you can make more. Give the last piece of pie away, and you can bake another one. (or buy one if you’re me)
 Hoard what you have, and receive no more, or give, and be rewarded with abundance. Attitude makes the difference.
• When you help others, you help yourself
 Mark twain- the best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer everybody else up.
 When you help others, they have the desire to turn around and help you.
 Work hard to help others to achieve their own victories, and yours will follow.
• When you partner with others, you are rewarded with hope
It’s such a joy to work with people who share the same vision.

Summerfest outreaches, working on this friend nite. There’s nothing we can’t do when we work together.

Anonymous said...

Secrets of the Harvest Revealed

State fair: how many have gone this year?

You can get everything on a stick!

My favorite thing, though, is the farmers. Seeing their pride in their animals. All the award winning fruits and vegetables.

We’re going to be discussing this morning a short parable about a farmer found in Mark

Mark 4:26-29
26He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."

In some ways the story seems, the story seems un-remarkable.
Ever since I was a little kid, I have understood that if you put some seeds in the ground, sooner or later a plant would come up.

When we lived here at the church, I had saved up my allowance, which was $1 a week, and bought a rose bush for the backyard.

Interesting story, but there is not a lot of details.

Nothing is said about soil preparation, rainfall, sunshine, weed control, or organic fertilizer.

The parable seems to bypass all the details, significant as they may be, and places all the emphasis on sowing and reaping.

We know of his initial planting of seeds, and then we’re told that it’s harvest time.

And as a result, the keys to a successful harvest almost seems like a secret.

But it’s no secret at all!

Throughout scripture the secrets of harvesting are laid out for all to see.
Principles of sowing and reaping, cause and effect.

Every person who is here today and wondering why certain circumstances have come about in your life needs to understand these principles.

Every person here today that’s seeking to transform their surroundings for the kingdom of God must understand the laws of the harvest.

John Armstrong has researched these biblical laws in a book titled ‘Down to Earth’, and I will be sharing some of his findings today as well.

So, what are these secrets of the harvest:

Secret #1: We reap only what has been sown

This parable doesn’t talk much about the work this farmer did.

Vs. 27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.

Some of you who like to sleep in are thinking that I’ve finally found Biblical support for waking up at the crack of noon.

But it would be a mistake to think that the lack of details meant this man was lazy.

The farmer did not spend his days idly, because he had lots of work to do. There is plowing, fertilizing, and weeding, and it must have taken much of his time.

Besides these daily chores he had to do buying and selling, planning and preparing for the harvest. This is all understood and taken for granted in the parable.

And God will provide the necessary rainfall. He is in control of the natural elements that we can’t control.

The farmer did his part, and God did his part, and there was a harvest.

Working on a farm is hard!

But that’s not the emphasis here. The story is on sowing and reaping, and a principle throughout scripture is you only reap what you’ve sown!

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
Life is filled with choices, choices that affect us on an everyday basis in everything we do which means our everyday choices are not without significance. Our choices affect us and others in dramatic ways whether we see it immediately or not. While earth remains, no man will mock God by changing for even one time these laws of the harvest.
Stop and think about this! All life comes from a previous life: from the labor and sowing of others.
What we reap was planted either naturally or purposely, either by God or by man, and for either positive or for negative results.
We reap the fruit of much for which we have extended no labor because we enter into the labor of others either for good or for bad. In other words, this law of the harvest, We Reap Only What Has Been Sown, has both a positive and a negative side.
What are you reaping in your life today? By and large this will be a matter of specific things that have been sown in your life.

Is there potential all around you that will never be discovered? Take the initiative today to start sowing, to start investing into the lives of others.

And you can start small by sowing generously in something as common as tipping!

Secret #2: We reap the same in kind as we sow

How many of you as you grew older heard that you were just like your mom? Just like your dad?

What these people are doing is validating Secret #2: we reap the same in kind as we sow.

From the very beginning, in the garden of Eden, this important principle of sowing and reaping shows up:

Genesis 1:20-24 Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.” 21 And God created the great sea monsters, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. 24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind”; and it was so.
Genesis 5:3 When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.
Notice that in all of creation, the pattern is that we can only multiply who and what we are.

In the garden of eden, the principles of this law, of choices and consequences, became evident.

Adam & Eve messed up, they sinned by eating the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. Disobedience to God’s law ultimately reaps one thing: death

Romans 5:12-18 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned

Adam and Eve sowed disobedience and sin, and that DNA of sin is in each and every one of us.

And without the intervention of Christ in our lives, our natural course is to sow sin, and reap death.

Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Whatever we sow, we reap; so that, if we sow good, we will reap good. This principle as stated in Galatians 6 is an absolute law .
“Be not deceived, God is not mocked.” These words introduce not only the law of sowing and reaping, but the fact that we reap the same in kind as we sow. This is a warning and stresses the absolute nature of this law.
“Be not deceived” is planao (planavw) “to cause to wander, lead astray, deceive.” It is a present passive, imperative and means, stop allowing yourself to be deceived, led astray, or never allow it to happen. The continuous present and the passive voice anticipates the constant threat and activity of our spiritual enemies seeking to wreck havoc on our spiritual walk with God. It warns and reminds us that Satan and the world system under his control is ever at work with his age-old lie, “you surely shall not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:4-5).
I’m so thankful that because of the change that Christ has made in my life, and in your life, we have the potential to sow seeds of change, seeds of love, seeds of hope, to advance God’s kingdom here.

And it begins with ourselves. What are we sowing into our lives? Because we will reap the same in kind as we sow. It works like this:

Sow a thought, reap an act;
Sow an act, reap a habit;
Sow a habit, reap a character;
Sow a character, reap a destiny.
Hosea 8:1-10
Put the trumpet to your lips! Like an eagle the enemy comes against the house of the LORD, Because they have transgressed My covenant, And rebelled against My law. 2 They cry out to Me, “My God, we of Israel know Thee!” 3 Israel has rejected the good; The enemy will pursue him. 4 They have set up kings, but not by Me; They have appointed princes, but I did not know it. With their silver and gold they have made idols for themselves, That they might be cut off. 5 He has rejected your calf, O Samaria, saying, “My anger burns against them!” How long will they be incapable of innocence? 6 For from Israel is even this! A craftsman made it, so it is not God; Surely the calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces. 7 For they sow the wind, And they reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads; It yields no grain. Should it yield, strangers would swallow it up. 8 Israel is swallowed up; They are now among the nations Like a vessel in which no one delights. 9 For they have gone up to Assyria, Like a wild donkey all alone; Ephraim has hired lovers. 10 Even though they hire allies among the nations, Now I will gather them up; And they will begin to diminish Because of the burden of the king of princes.
Secret 3: We Reap in a different season than we sow

Back to our farmer story: Notice that there is an amount of time that passes between when the seeds were planted and when the harvest time came.

The amount of time that passed is unknown, yet we know that the farmer did have to wait for the crops to come about.

We don’t think very much about the future.

For a guy like me, it’s not very exciting for me to invest now for my retirement way down the road.

If we don’t see the benefit now, we’re not interested!

And if we can put off hard sowing, and not suffer the consequences immediately, we don’t care.

Yet Scripture reminds us that we can be sure that we will reap what we sow, often in a different season, at a later date.

“Too many believers are sowing wild oats throughout the week and then going to church on Sunday and praying for a crop failure.”3

They hope their life-style won’t catch up with them, but of course, it always does.

As seen from Galatians 6:7, God will not be mocked by man. No man can turn up his nose at God’s laws and get away with it.

Sooner or later his choices will return to haunt him. What we sow, we reap, but the thing that is so deceptive is that we reap in a different season.

As the farmer points out in the story, this can be great cause for hope.

It calls us to be patient. To do our work, and trust God to do his part, that there will eventually be a harvest.

Corn was planted, and months later, corn was harvested.

What seeds have you been planted?

What have you sown this past week?

What did you sow last month?

How about in 2005? What things did you do to make a difference for God.

Perhaps you’ve forgotten about seeds sown long ago; years ago. The growth that you expected was slower than you expected, and took longer than you’d hope for, and you’ve forgotten about what’s been sown.

Don’t lose hope. Don’t fall for the lie that work done for the Lord was a waste of time. The Harvest doesn’t come on our time table, but it inevitably comes:
James 5:7-8 Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.
There’s a problem in the church in America today. And I think the problem is that we give up way to easily!
We give up on ministries that don’t immediately flourish, we avoid work that we don’t see dividends instantly, and even worse, we give up on people.
All the time I hear things like:
They’re never going to change!
They’re a waste of my time. They’ll never get serious about God.
You don’t know my kids! I don’t know what has happened to them!
My son is all grown up now. He’s his own boss.
My daughter is an adult. She makes her own decisions. I’m not her dad anymore.
Really?
Since when does a son and daughter cease to be your son or daughter?
When they move out of the house? When they become married?
Don’t give up on the seeds that have been sown.
What would our relationships look like; what could the harvest be if we held on?
If we said “Jesus didn’t give up on me, and I’m not going to give up on you, because I’m your friend.’
Whatever you’re going through I’ll be there with you.
NO matter how far they’ve strayed from God, we continue to sow seeds of hope, love, and truth in their lives, doing our part, trusting God to do his part, and expecting a harvest. We don’t know when they’ll come into a relationship with Christ, but we’re trusting in the Lord of the Harvest for it to come to pass.
I know this is easy to talk about. And much more difficult to live out.
Some of you have been more patient than I’ll ever know, and you’ve faithfully prayed, shown kindness, and shared Christ, and you have yet to see the results of your work.
In my life, God has been stretching me to faithfully love, serve, and share Christ with difficult people. People who on the outside show little appearance of change.
And if I’m to be honest, some people are just frustrating!
You know what I’m talking about!
How many of you know people that you wouldn’t mind buying them a 1 way airline ticket. Wait, that’s too nice.
You wouldn’t mind buying them a one way greyhound ticket.
You want so badly for them to come to know Christ, and all they do is take advantage of you.
But here’s what’s important for us to remember.
I want you to think of the difficult people in your life, the people who continually make the same mistakes, and even your enemies who are lost.
Did Christ come to save them? Does God love them. Did God see it worthwhile to send his perfect son to be mocked and killed to pay the penalty of our sin?
If these people were worth His effort, they ought to be worth our effort.
Let’s not give up so easily on the seeds God has privileged us to sow.
Let’s not give up on winning family and friends to Christ.
Because we reap in a different season than we sow.
Law 4:
We Reap More Than We Sow
Use illustration of corn.
At the state fair the corn roast is always extremely popular, but you won’t see me there.
According to my theology, vegetables are a result of the fall, not meant for human consumption, so I try to avoid them.
But that’s besides the point.
One single kernel of corn when planted will grow to become a stalk of corn, producing many ears of these things.
The Farmer in our story scattered seeds that seemed small and insignificant, but by harvest time turned into a field of wheat, requiring him to pull out the sickle.
How many of you have used a sickle?
Back when I was in 7th grade they were building a new middle school just south of my parent’s house, and between that school and the end of my street was a field, and me and two friends decided that there should be a trail going to this new school, just for us.
No fact is more significant and sobering than this one.
When we sow good, we bountifully receive from the hand of God who is debtor to no man; for the harvest is always greater than the seed planted. If this were not the case, no farmer would ever plant a thing. If he only got back what germinated in the ground, he would be on the losing end and spend his life in utter futility.
Reaping more than we sow is fundamental to the laws of the harvest and this is not just true for the agricultural world, it is true for nearly every aspect of life: for the physical and the spiritual, for believers and unbelievers alike.
This law works in reverse as well. When we sow evil, we will generally reap more than we sowed as well.
Of course, there are some exceptions due to the fact we live in a sin cursed world with natural and economic disasters. A farmer may sow bountifully and have his crop destroyed by drought or a tornado, or he may reap a good crop and not be able to reap a reward from it because of economic factors in his country.
Also, due to God’s grace in this age, when there is genuine repentance and change, we may not reap the results of sin as bountifully as in Old Testament times, but the law still applies in general.
The example of Jacob

The example of David

I’m sure many of you can relate to the experiences that I’ve had where I’ve said something that appeared small and innocent and yet it created hurt feelings and division.

James 3:5-6 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

We as Christians ought to way our actions carefully, because we understand God has established the principle that we’ll always reap more than we sow.

Let’s take advantage of this principle.
What a difference we can make with a kind word at the right time.

An offer of help.

Offering to pray with someone.

I was at the gym and saw a guy my age moving painfully in the pool. I asked if I could pray for him. And this has opened up a friendship and opportunities to invite him to church. He hasn’t come yet, because I know we often reap in a different season than we sow. But I’ve already seen that sowing a small gesture of concern is producing more than I thought.

Secret #5:
We Can’t do Anything About Last
Year’s Harvest, But We Can Affect This Year’s
Life is full of consequences both good and bad. Life is full of important choices because every choice has a consequence of some kind and to some degree. Actually, the most important choices are often the ones that seem small by comparison, but these are the ones which may either protect us from evil or expose us to choices that have tremendous repercussions (cf. Prov. 5:8-9; 6:21-24; 7:1-10 and Luke 16:10).
But how do we handle it when last year’s harvest is not so good, when we have fumbled the ball or failed? The tendency is to let our failure keep us from positive sowing today. What we must understand and act on is this final law of the harvest—we cannot do anything about last year’s harvest, but we can about this year’s.
This law translates into at least four important concepts that we need to understand and apply if we are going to be able to act on this law. Let me summarize them and then we will look at each one in more detail.
(1) We cannot do anything about last year’s harvest.
Whatever we did last year, last month, last week, even yesterday is over and past. There are no time machines to take us back so we can change what we did yesterday. Nothing we do today can in any way change the record of what was sown and what was or will be reaped as a consequence. It is either a harvest that will be worthy of praise or burning—or perhaps portions of both—but whatever was produced stands as the record of the lives we live on this earth. The problem with all too many Christians is that they are not forgetting the past and reaching on to what is before (Philippians 3:13-14).
(2) We must learn to live with the consequences of our failures.
• By confessing our failures to God (1 John 1:9; Ps. 32:5). This wipes the slate clean.
• By knowing and resting in the fact we are forgiven through Christ and can move ahead for the Lord and in life regardless of the past (Ps. 32:1-8; 51:1-13).
• By learning from our failures: use them as back doors to success (Psa. 119:59, 67, 71). The principle is we need to learn from our failures (Heb. 5:8).
• By forgetting the past (triumphs and failures) so we can press on for the future with renewed commitment to God’s will (Phil. 3:13-14; Luke 9:62).
• By seeing and using the trials caused by our failures as character builders. “The tests of life are to make, not break us. Trouble may demolish a man’s business but build up his character. The blow at the outward man may be the greatest blessing to the inner man.”10 Again consider Ps. 119:67, 71 with Jam. 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 1:6-7.
Brooding and wallowing in self-pity for having wasted some part of one’s life will only cause us to fail to produce anything glorifying to the Lord in the year ahead.
(3) We must commit ourselves to this year’s harvest.
We must press on in our lives by sowing for the future and for the Lord. Whether we did or did not produce effectively in last year’s harvest, we must neither sit around in self-pity or guilt, or sit on our laurels. We must press on toward the upward call of God in Christ.

Today is a big theme of the gospel. I did a search to see how many times the word ‘today’ is mentioned in the Bible, and it is in there 190 times! Today.

And in those 190 uses of the word ‘Today’ you find the concept of living in the present. Not stuck in the past or consumed by the future.

My parents, particularly my mom, likes watching TV Land. She likes all the old shows from the past, particularly ‘Leave it to Beaver’

The show portrays a traditional home with two parents, two good looking and obedient boys, and each episode ends with some moral lesson.

Since that show has been on the air, there has been a lot of change in our country, and much of what has changed has been an erosion of the family and of moral values.

And I hear people talk about the good old days, and how bad the 60’s were, and how even worse the 70’s were, and that we kicked God out of the schools and out of public life.

And regrettably, much of that is true.

But we can’t go back and change the past. What’s done is done.

But God has placed us here today, God has given us seeds of potential today in 2006 in the United States of America. Today he has given us opportunities to sow and advance the Kingdom of God not only for now but for future generations. Nothing in the past can hold us back when we have God’s spirit and God’s favor to make a difference now. To change the course of history.
More than one hundred years ago, a Swedish chemist name Alfred Nobel opened up his morning newspaper an got quite a shock. He found his name listed in the Obituary column. The columnists had confused him with his brother who had recently passed away. Hmmmm. What an interesting predicament. Alfred had the opportunity to read his life sentence in the paper! Here is what he read, ”Alfred Nobel a chemist, died a wealthy man. A the inventor of dynamite, he enabled people to kill each other more efficiently than ever before.”

Reading those words was eye-opening experience for him. He was actually being remembered for inventing dynamite and for aiding the death of multitudes. Clearly, that was not how he wanted to be remembered. So, Alfred took action. He set his wealth aside in a fund that was to be given to people who fostered peace not killing. This fund still exists today and is known as The Nobel Peace Prize. I love what Alfred Nobel observed late in his life. He said, “I believe everyone deserves a chance to change their obituary in the middle of their life.”

Anonymous said...

It takes over 6 mo’s to build a Rolls Royce; then before it can roll off the assembly line, someone listens to the engine for 8 hours with a stethoscope trying to detect the slightest imperfection. On the other hand, it takes only 13hrs to build the average economy car.

In 1924, two climbers were part of an expedition that set out to conquer Mount Everest. As far as is known, they never reached the summit; and they never returned. Somewhere on that gigantic mountain they were overpowered by the elements and died. After the failure of the expedition, the rest of the party returned home. Addressing a meeting in London, one of those who returned described the ill-fated adventure. He then turned to a huge photograph of Mount Everest, mounted on the wall behind him.
"Everest," he cried, "we tried to conquer you once, but you overpowered us. We tried to conquer you a second time, but again you were too much for us. But, Everest, I want you to know that we are going to conquer you, for you can't grow any bigger, and we can!"

Jon Brooks said...

Secrets of the Harvest Revealed

State fair: how many have gone this year?

You can get everything on a stick!

My favorite thing, though, is the farmers. Seeing their pride in their animals. All the award winning fruits and vegetables.

We’re going to be discussing this morning a short parable about a farmer found in Mark

Mark 4:26-29
26He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."

In some ways the story seems, the story seems un-remarkable.
Ever since I was a little kid, I have understood that if you put some seeds in the ground, sooner or later a plant would come up.

When we lived here at the church, I had saved up my allowance, which was $1 a week, and bought a rose bush for the backyard.

Interesting story, but there is not a lot of details.

Nothing is said about soil preparation, rainfall, sunshine, weed control, or organic fertilizer.

The parable seems to bypass all the details, significant as they may be, and places all the emphasis on sowing and reaping.

We know of his initial planting of seeds, and then we’re told that it’s harvest time.

And as a result, the keys to a successful harvest almost seems like a secret.

But it’s no secret at all!

Throughout scripture the secrets of harvesting are laid out for all to see.
Principles of sowing and reaping, cause and effect.

Every person who is here today and wondering why certain circumstances have come about in your life needs to understand these principles.

Every person here today that’s seeking to transform their surroundings for the kingdom of God must understand the laws of the harvest.

John Armstrong has researched these biblical laws in a book titled ‘Down to Earth’, and I will be sharing some of his findings today as well.

So, what are these secrets of the harvest:

Secret #1: We reap only what has been sown

This parable doesn’t talk much about the work this farmer did.

Vs. 27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.

Some of you who like to sleep in are thinking that I’ve finally found Biblical support for waking up at the crack of noon.

But it would be a mistake to think that the lack of details meant this man was lazy.

The farmer did not spend his days idly, because he had lots of work to do. There is plowing, fertilizing, and weeding, and it must have taken much of his time.

Besides these daily chores he had to do buying and selling, planning and preparing for the harvest. This is all understood and taken for granted in the parable.

And God will provide the necessary rainfall. He is in control of the natural elements that we can’t control.

The farmer did his part, and God did his part, and there was a harvest.

Working on a farm is hard!

But that’s not the emphasis here. The story is on sowing and reaping, and a principle throughout scripture is you only reap what you’ve sown!

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
Life is filled with choices, choices that affect us on an everyday basis in everything we do which means our everyday choices are not without significance. Our choices affect us and others in dramatic ways whether we see it immediately or not. While earth remains, no man will mock God by changing for even one time these laws of the harvest.
Stop and think about this! All life comes from a previous life: from the labor and sowing of others.
What we reap was planted either naturally or purposely, either by God or by man, and for either positive or for negative results.
We reap the fruit of much for which we have extended no labor because we enter into the labor of others either for good or for bad. In other words, this law of the harvest, We Reap Only What Has Been Sown, has both a positive and a negative side.

What are you reaping in your life today? By and large this will be a matter of specific things that have been sown in your life.

Isolation?
Frustration?
Mistrust?
Lack of purpose
Lack of peace

And with the help of the Holy Spirit, I believe today you can discover the seeds of the current struggles you may find yourself in today. And you can switch your seed.

Is there potential all around you that will never be discovered? Take the initiative today to start sowing, to start investing into the lives of others.

And you can start small by sowing generously in something as common as tipping!

Secret #2: We reap the same in kind as we sow

How many of you as you grew older heard that you were just like your mom? Just like your dad?

I think my parents look pretty good, so I take it as a compliment.

What these people are doing is validating Secret #2: we reap the same in kind as we sow.

From the very beginning, in the garden of Eden, this important principle of sowing and reaping shows up:

Genesis 1:20-24 Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.” 21 And God created the great sea monsters, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. 24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind”; and it was so.
Genesis 5:3 When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.
Notice that in all of creation, the pattern is that we can only multiply who and what we are.

In the garden of eden, the principles of this law, of choices and consequences, became evident.

Adam & Eve messed up, they sinned by eating the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. Disobedience to God’s law ultimately reaps one thing: death

And the template for reaping the same in kind as sowing is set.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned

Adam and Eve sowed disobedience and sin, and that DNA of sin is in each and every one of us.

And without the intervention of Christ in our lives, our natural course is to sow sin, and reap death.

Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Whatever we sow, we reap; so that, if we sow good, we will reap good. This principle as stated in Galatians 6 is an absolute law .

“Be not deceived, God is not mocked.” These words introduce not only the law of sowing and reaping, but the fact that we reap the same in kind as we sow. This is a warning and stresses the absolute nature of this law.

“Be not deceived” is planao (planavw) “to cause to wander, lead astray, deceive.” It means, stop allowing yourself to be deceived, led astray, or never allow it to happen.

It anticipates the constant threat and activity of our spiritual enemies seeking to wreck havoc on our spiritual walk with God. It warns and reminds us that Satan and the world system under his control is ever at work with his age-old lie, “you surely shall not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:4-5).

I’m so thankful that because of the change that Christ has made in my life, and in your life, we have the potential to sow seeds of change, seeds of love, seeds of hope, to advance God’s kingdom here.

And it begins with ourselves. What are we sowing into our lives? Because we will reap the same in kind as we sow. It works like this:

Sow a thought, reap an act;
Sow an act, reap a habit;
Sow a habit, reap a character;
Sow a character, reap a destiny.

What is your Character like today.

Are you faithfully sowing obedience, and reaping a character that is more patient, sacrificial, loving, overcoming temptation, and becoming the person God created you to be.

Be faithful today, sowing obedience, sowing quality time with God. There’s no question in time you’ll reap the benefit.

Anything that’s truly worthwhile in life will take some time.

It takes over 6 mo’s to build a Rolls Royce; then before it can roll off the assembly line, someone listens to the engine for 8 hours with a stethoscope trying to detect the slightest imperfection. On the other hand, it takes only 13hrs to build the average economy car.

Commit to go all the way with Christ today, and don’t become discouraged by the long process.

Secret 3: We Reap in a different season than we sow

Back to our farmer story: Notice that there is an amount of time that passes between when the seeds were planted and when the harvest time came.

The amount of time that passed is unknown, yet we know that the farmer did have to wait for the crops to come about.

We don’t think very much about the future.

For a guy like me, it’s not very exciting for me to invest now for my retirement way down the road.

It’s almost as exciting as buying life insurance.

If we don’t see the benefit now, we’re not interested!

And if we can put off hard sowing, and not suffer the consequences immediately, we don’t care.

Yet Scripture reminds us that we can be sure that we will reap what we sow, often in a different season, at a later date.

Hosea 8:7 For they sow the wind, and they reap the whirlwind.

“Too many believers are sowing wild oats throughout the week and then going to church on Sunday and praying for a crop failure.”3

They hope their life-style won’t catch up with them, but of course, it always does.

As seen from Galatians 6:7, God will not be mocked by man. No man can turn up his nose at God’s laws and get away with it.

Sooner or later his choices will return to haunt him. What we sow, we reap, but the thing that is so deceptive is that we reap in a different season.

As the farmer points out in the story, this can be great cause for hope.

It calls us to be patient. To do our work, and trust God to do his part, that there will eventually be a harvest.

Grain was planted, and months later, Grain was harvested.

What seeds have you been planting?

What have you sown this past week?

What did you sow last month?

How about in 2005?

Has it been seeds of disobedience,

Or have you been living your life listening to the voice of God, being faithful to obey him in the big and small areas of life?

What things did you do to make a difference for God.

Perhaps you’ve forgotten about seeds sown long ago; years ago. The growth that you expected was slower than you expected, and took longer than you’d hope for, and you’ve forgotten about what’s been sown.

Don’t lose hope. Don’t fall for the lie that work done for the Lord was a waste of time. The Harvest doesn’t come on our time table, but it inevitably comes:

James 5:7-8 Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.
There’s a problem in the church in America today. And I think the problem is that we give up way to easily!


We give up on ministries that don’t immediately flourish, we avoid work that we don’t see dividends instantly, we drop devotions and prayer time when we don’t see the difference in our lives, and we give up on people.
All the time I hear things like:
They’re never going to change!
They’re a waste of my time. They’ll never get serious about God.
Prayer lists that have name after name crossed out. We say that God gave us a ‘release’, but they still don’t know God. Have we given up?
You don’t know my kids! I don’t know what has happened to them!
My son is all grown up now. He’s his own boss.
My daughter is an adult. She makes her own decisions. I’m not her dad anymore.
Really?
Since when does a son and daughter cease to be your son or daughter?
When they move out of the house? When they become married?
Don’t give up on the seeds that have been sown.

The farmer had to wait. And the amount of time that passed in the story is unknown.

And the amount of time that you and I will have to wait till we can reap is unknown, but based on God’s word, I tell you with total confidence that the Harvest does come.

What would our relationships look like; what could the harvest be if we held on?
If we said “Jesus didn’t give up on me, and I’m not going to give up on you, because I’m your friend.’
Whatever you’re going through I’ll be there with you.
NO matter how far they’ve strayed from God, we continue to sow seeds of hope, love, and truth in their lives, doing our part, trusting God to do his part, and expecting a harvest. We don’t know when they’ll come into a relationship with Christ, but we’re trusting in the Lord of the Harvest for it to come to pass.
I know this is easy to talk about. And much more difficult to live out.
Some of you have been more patient than I’ll ever know, and you’ve faithfully prayed, shown kindness, and shared Christ, and you have yet to see the results of your work.
In my life, God has been stretching me to faithfully love, serve, and share Christ with difficult people. People who on the outside show little appearance of change.
And if I’m to be honest, some people are just frustrating!
You know what I’m talking about!
How many of you know people that you wouldn’t mind buying them a 1 way airline ticket. Wait, that’s too nice.
You wouldn’t mind buying them a one way greyhound ticket.
You want so badly for them to come to know Christ, and all they do is take advantage of you.
But here’s what’s important for us to remember.
I want you to think of the difficult people in your life, the people who continually make the same mistakes, and even your enemies who are lost.
Did Christ come to save them? Does God love them. Did God see it worthwhile to send his perfect son to be mocked and killed to pay the penalty of our sin?
If these people were worth His effort, they ought to be worth our effort.
Let’s not give up so easily on the seeds God has privileged us to sow.
Let’s not give up on winning family and friends to Christ.
Because we reap in a different season than we sow.

Secret 4: We Reap More Than We Sow
Use illustration of corn.
At the state fair the corn roast is always extremely popular, but you won’t see me there.
According to my theology, vegetables are a result of the fall, not meant for human consumption, so I try to avoid them.
But that’s besides the point.
One single kernel of corn when planted will grow to become a stalk of corn, producing many ears of these things.
The Farmer in our story scattered seeds that seemed small and insignificant, but by harvest time turned into a field of wheat, requiring him to pull out the sickle.
How many of you have used a sickle?
Back when I was in 7th grade they were building a new middle school just south of my parent’s house, and between that school and the end of my street was a field, and me and two friends decided that there should be a trail going to this new school, just for us.
No fact is more significant and sobering than this one.
When we sow good, we bountifully receive from the hand of God who is debtor to no man; for the harvest is always greater than the seed planted. If this were not the case, no farmer would ever plant a thing. If he only got back what germinated in the ground, he would be on the losing end and spend his life in utter futility.
Reaping more than we sow is fundamental to the laws of the harvest and this is not just true for the agricultural world, it is true for nearly every aspect of life: for the physical and the spiritual, for believers and unbelievers alike.
This law works in reverse as well. When we sow evil, we will generally reap more than we sowed as well.
Of course, there are some exceptions due to the fact we live in a sin cursed world with natural and economic disasters. A farmer may sow bountifully and have his crop destroyed by drought or a tornado, or he may reap a good crop and not be able to reap a reward from it because of economic factors in his country.
Also, due to God’s grace in this age, when there is genuine repentance and change, we may not reap the results of sin as bountifully as in Old Testament times, but the law still applies in general.
The example of Jacob

I’m sure many of you can relate to the experiences that I’ve had where I’ve said something that appeared small and innocent and yet it created hurt feelings and division.

James 3:5-6 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

We as Christians ought to way our actions carefully, because we understand God has established the principle that we’ll always reap more than we sow.

Let’s take advantage of this principle.
What a difference we can make with a kind word at the right time.

An offer of help.

Offering to pray with someone.

I was at the gym and saw a guy my age moving painfully in the pool. I asked if I could pray for him. And this has opened up a friendship and opportunities to invite him to church. He hasn’t come yet, because I know we often reap in a different season than we sow. But I’ve already seen that sowing a small gesture of concern is producing more than I thought.

Secret #5:We Can’t do Anything About Last
Year’s Harvest, But We Can Affect This Year’s

Life is full of consequences both good and bad. Life is full of important choices because every choice has a consequence of some kind and to some degree. Actually, the most important choices are often the ones that seem small by comparison, but these are the ones which may either protect us from evil or expose us to choices that have tremendous repercussions (cf. Prov. 5:8-9; 6:21-24; 7:1-10 and Luke 16:10).
But how do we handle it when last year’s harvest is not so good, when we have fumbled the ball or failed? The tendency is to let our failure keep us from positive sowing today. What we must understand and act on is this final law of the harvest—we cannot do anything about last year’s harvest, but we can about this year’s.
This law translates into at least four important concepts that we need to understand and apply if we are going to be able to act on this law. Let me summarize them and then we will look at each one in more detail.
(1) We cannot do anything about last year’s harvest.
Whatever we did last year, last month, last week, even yesterday is over and past. There are no time machines to take us back so we can change what we did yesterday. Nothing we do today can in any way change the record of what was sown and what was or will be reaped as a consequence. It is either a harvest that will be worthy of praise or burning—or perhaps portions of both—but whatever was produced stands as the record of the lives we live on this earth. The problem with all too many Christians is that they are not forgetting the past and reaching on to what is before (Philippians 3:13-14).
(2) We must learn to live with the consequences of our failures.
• By confessing our failures to God (1 John 1:9; Ps. 32:5). This wipes the slate clean.
• By knowing and resting in the fact we are forgiven through Christ and can move ahead for the Lord and in life regardless of the past (Ps. 32:1-8; 51:1-13).
• By learning from our failures: use them as back doors to success (Psa. 119:59, 67, 71). The principle is we need to learn from our failures (Heb. 5:8).
• By forgetting the past (triumphs and failures) so we can press on for the future with renewed commitment to God’s will (Phil. 3:13-14; Luke 9:62).
• By seeing and using the trials caused by our failures as character builders. “The tests of life are to make, not break us. Trouble may demolish a man’s business but build up his character. The blow at the outward man may be the greatest blessing to the inner man.”10 Again consider Ps. 119:67, 71 with Jam. 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 1:6-7.
Brooding and wallowing in self-pity for having wasted some part of one’s life will only cause us to fail to produce anything glorifying to the Lord in the year ahead.
(3) We must commit ourselves to this year’s harvest.
We must press on in our lives by sowing for the future and for the Lord. Whether we did or did not produce effectively in last year’s harvest, we must neither sit around in self-pity or guilt, or sit on our laurels. We must press on toward the upward call of God in Christ.

Today is a big theme of the gospel. I did a search to see how many times the word ‘today’ is mentioned in the Bible, and it is in there 190 times! Today.

And in those 190 uses of the word ‘Today’ you find the concept of living in the present. Not stuck in the past or consumed by the future.

My parents, particularly my mom, likes watching TV Land. She likes all the old shows from the past, particularly ‘Leave it to Beaver’

The show portrays a traditional home with two parents, two good looking and obedient boys, and each episode ends with some moral lesson.

Since that show has been on the air, there has been a lot of change in our country, and much of what has changed has been an erosion of the family and of moral values.

And I hear people talk about the good old days, and how bad the 60’s were, and how even worse the 70’s were, and that we kicked God out of the schools and out of public life.

And regrettably, much of that is true.

But we can’t go back and change the past. What’s done is done.

But God has placed us here today, God has given us seeds of potential today in 2006 in the United States of America. Today he has given us opportunities to sow and advance the Kingdom of God not only for now but for future generations. Nothing in the past can hold us back when we have God’s spirit and God’s favor to make a difference now. To change the course of history.
More than one hundred years ago, a Swedish chemist name Alfred Nobel opened up his morning newspaper an got quite a shock. He found his name listed in the Obituary column. The columnists had confused him with his brother who had recently passed away. Hmmmm. What an interesting predicament. Alfred had the opportunity to read his life sentence in the paper! Here is what he read, ”Alfred Nobel a chemist, died a wealthy man. A the inventor of dynamite, he enabled people to kill each other more efficiently than ever before.”

Reading those words was eye-opening experience for him. He was actually being remembered for inventing dynamite and for aiding the death of multitudes. Clearly, that was not how he wanted to be remembered. So, Alfred took action. He set his wealth aside in a fund that was to be given to people who fostered peace not killing. This fund still exists today and is known as The Nobel Peace Prize. I love what Alfred Nobel observed late in his life. He said, “I believe everyone deserves a chance to change their obituary in the middle of their life.”

Anonymous said...

There is a popular movie that has been in theatres that has a local connection. The movie is ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ and it is based off the story of Chris Gardner

From early on in life we learn to pursue what is valuable.

And when I look back on my early years, it’s interesting what I saw was worthy of pursuing.

While still in elementary school, there were times in between loathing my older sister Stacey that I actually looked up to her.

And what was evident early on is that Stacey liked nice things.

Although the nearest Saks Fifth Avenue was down in Chicago, Stacey had the department store’s bags pinned all over the walls of her bedroom.

And then she saved up enough one day to get a sweatshirt from Saks. She wore it all the time!

Stacey taught me about being name brand consciences. But it was hard to shop for name brands when you’re in 2nd grade and making $1/week in allowance.

So I began to take my plain white t-shirts, and with markers in hand, transform then into really cool, expensive shirts, like ‘Ocean Pacific’. How many of you remember Ocean Pacific?

As I grew older, I realized that I was not alone in my desire to have nice stuff. In fact, earlier this month, I read in USA Today the results of a Pew Research Center poll that asked people what their life goals were. According to this poll 81% of young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 said that getting rich was their most important

And in Matthew we read 2 stories of two different men both seeking riches.

And so Jesus tells 2 parables that are as relevant today as they were 2000 years ago.

Our Text

Matthew 13:44-46

44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
The context:
The Gospel of Matthew was written primarily to a Jewish audience, speaking to people who were religious, who claimed to have a privileged relationship with God.
And Throughout the book of Matthew are numerous teachings and parables that make a distinction between people who think they’re in the kingdom of Heaven and those who actually are.
This is the backdrop of which Jesus tells the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl.

These two stories have many similarities with the shared purpose of giving the reader a better grasp of what is the Kingdom of Heaven, and what it means to be truly living in it.

The Kingdom of Heaven.

• Compared
o To a man who sowed good seed
Matthew 13:24-30,38-43; Mark 4:26-29
o To a granule of mustard seed
Matthew 13:31,32; Mark 4:30,31; Luke 13:18,19
o To leaven (yeast)
Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:21
o To a treasure
Matthew 13:44
o To a pearl
Matthew 13:45
o To a net
Matthew 13:47-50
o To a king who called his servants for a reckoning (an audit)
Matthew 18:23-35
o To a householder
Matthew 20:1-16
o To a king who made a marriage feast for his son
Matthew 22:2-14; Luke 14:16-24
o To ten virgins
Matthew 25:1-13
o To a man, traveling into a far country, who called his Servants, and delivered to them his goods
Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27
The kingdom of Heaven is a huge concept that is worth your investigation. This kingdom includes salvation and eternal life, but is not limited to that. It’s a way of life that’s not of this world, with a purpose and power that comes from the true God in Heaven

To our parable:

the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field--no uncommon thing in unsettled and half-civilized countries, even now as well as in ancient times, when there was no other way of securing it from the envy of neighbors or marauders.

Jesus tells of an individual who isn’t necessarily looking for a specific treasure, but when they come across this buried wealth, they immediately see it’s value.

I believe that there’s something we can learn from this tonight. There are many people that surround us on a daily basis that are looking for something more in their life, but they aren’t specifically looking for a church, or for Jesus.

I’m amazed at how many cars I pass on the road that will have a crystal hanging in the window, or perhaps a dreamcatcher.

They realize that they have a soul, and they’re looking for spiritual fulfillment, but they haven’t found the real treasure yet – The Kingdom of Heaven.

It’s sometimes easy to dismiss people with crystals, people who are entangled in the New Age as simply clueless, lost, and without much hope.

But these people may be closer than we think. Because there’s a pursuit in the lives. They’re searching. Can they see the Kingdom of Heaven in us?

They’re not looking for religion. And they’re not interesting in knowing a bunch of facts. They want something valuable, something worth selling off everything else and giving their life to.

When the man found the real thing, real treasure, real wealth, he knew it was a sure bet, and he had to have it.

I’ve been encouraged and personally challenged to know several individuals who have recently decided to give their lives to Christ, often leaving everything else behind to pursue their new treasure.

And one of the dangers of serving God over a period of time is that we lose sight of what is at stake. That we could have so much through the kingdom of Heaven if we sought after it with all we have.
This is what we’re called to do. To give up everything.

And the response is immediate.























The Pearl Of Great Price (Mt 13:45-46)

INTRODUCTION

1. In "The Parable Of The Hidden Treasure", I suggested...
a. That Jesus was depicting the "value" of the kingdom to one who
accidentally finds it
b. That Paul's conversion was an example of how one is willing to
give up all in order to lay hold of the "treasure" of the kingdom
c. That the value of the kingdom can be seen when we consider that
it is:
1) A refuge from the powers of darkness - Co 1:13
2) A domain of righteousness, peace, and joy - Ro 14:17
3) An unshakable kingdom - He 12:25-29
4) Destined for eternal glory - Mt 13:41-43

2. Jesus followed His parable with another short parable...
a. Commonly called "The Parable Of The Pearl Of Great Price" - Mt
13:45-46
b. Its similarity to the previous parable is obvious, and yet there
is a difference

[The difference and some related thoughts will serve as the basis for
our study as we take a closer look at "The Parable Of The Pearl Of
Great Price". We begin with...]

I. THE PARABLE EXPLAINED

A. THE DETAILS OF THE PARABLE...
1. A merchant is seeking beautiful pearls
2. He finds one pearl of great price
3. Undeterred by its price, he sells all that he has and buys it!

B. THE MEANING OF THE PARABLE...
1. The use of the word "Again" ties this parable to the preceding
one
a. Where the value and preciousness of the kingdom was being
described
b. Where we saw the value to one who accidentally finds it
2. But in this parable, the person is on a mission to find that
which is of great value
a. He believes there is something out there worth looking for,
or he would not be seeking it
b. When he finds it, he immediately recognizes its value and
is willing to sell all to obtain it
3. Neither this parable (nor the previous one) is suggesting we
can "buy" or otherwise "earn" our salvation
a. For salvation is a gift - cf. Ro 6:23
b. We can "buy" salvation only in the sense of gaining
rightful possession of it
1) Which we do by grace through faith - cf. Ep 2:8-9
2) When we submit to the working of God and the renewing
the Holy Spirit which takes place as we are baptized
into Christ - cf. Co 2:11-13; Ti 3:4-7
4. This parable, then, describes how some people react to the
kingdom of heaven, when they know there must be something out
there worthy of great value and have been searching for it

C. SOME BIBLICAL EXAMPLES...
1. The Ethiopian eunuch - Ac 8:26-38
a. His journey to Jerusalem to worship, his reading of
Scripture while returning, indicate he was spiritually
searching
b. His immediate desire to be baptized shows his estimation of
the value of the salvation offered through Christ
2. Cornelius - Ac 10:1-8,30-33
a. His prayers and alms were indicative of his search for
"righteousness"
b. As promised by Jesus (cf. Mt 5:6), God took note of his
spiritual hunger and thirst, and sent Peter to tell him the
gospel of Christ
3. Lydia - Ac 16:11-15
a. Her meeting with other women to pray illustrates her
spiritual searching
b. Upon hearing the things spoken by Paul, she and her
household were baptized

[Each of these examples should remind us that there are many people who
know there is some "thing", some "purpose", some "meaning", that is
worthy of diligent search, and who spend their lives trying to find it.
When by the grace and providence of God they come to learn of Christ
and His kingdom, they are willing to give up all to obtain it!

These examples, and the parable itself, confirm the truthfulness of
Jesus' teaching about those "who hunger and thirst for righteousness".
That those who "hunger", those who "search", will indeed find what God
has for them!

It might be that we may "stumble" across the blessings God has in
Christ and His kingdom (as in "The Parable Of The Hidden Treasure").
But do we want to risk our salvation on possibly "stumbling" across it?

What can we do to ensure that we will find what God has for us? Well,
we need to be like that merchant, "searching" for that "pearl of great
price". How does one do that in regards to spiritual matters...?]

II. SEARCHING FOR "THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE"

A. FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH - Ac 8:27-28
1. Be a student of the Scriptures
2. Apply the Scriptures to the best of your understanding
3. Be open to what others may have to share concerning the
Scriptures

B. FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF THE BEREANS - Ac 17:10-11
1. Again, be open to what others may to share
2. But apply diligence (i.e., "readiness of mind") to understand
what others are saying
3. And in the end, let the Scriptures be your final authority
4. Demonstrate it by "searching the Scriptures daily"

CONCLUSION

1. Like the Ethiopian eunuch, the Bereans, Cornelius, Lydia, and many
other religious people...
a. We may be lost in our present state of understanding of God's
will
b. But if we will search like that "merchant" did, and have the
desire to understand and please God like these people did...
c. ...then we can trust in God's Providence to lead us to the truth,
and to that "pearl of great price"!

2. Is the "pearl of great price" worth it?
a. Again, I wish I could invite those who have passed on to give us
their perspective
b. Who though they may have suffered greatly in this life, have come
to experience the ultimate blessings of the "kingdom of heaven"
-- I am confident they would say "It is surely worth it all!"

3. And the blessings of the kingdom are not limited to the life
hereafter; as Jesus reassured Peter, there are hundredfold blessings
even "in this time" - cf. Mk 10:28-30

Dear friend, do you not desire this "pearl of great price"? Are you
even searching? Can we help you in your search?

The Ballad of the Oyster
There once was an oyster
Whose story I tell,
Who found that some sand
Had got into its shell.
It was only a grain,
But it gave him great pain;
For oysters have feelings
Although they're so plain.
Now, did he berate
The harsh workings of fate
That had brought him
To such a deplorable state?
Did he curse at the government,
Cry for election,
And claim that the sea should
Have given him protection?
No! He said to himself
As he lay on a shell,
"Since I cannot remove it,
I'll try to improve it."
Now the years have rolled by,
As the years always do,
And he came to his ultimate
Destiny--stew.
And the small grain of sand
That had bothered him so
Was a beautiful pearl
All richly aglow.
Now the tale has a moral;
For isn't it grand
What an oyster can do
With a small grain of sand?
What couldn't we do
If we'd only begin
With some of the things
That get under our skin.
There once was a merchant looking for pearls
Thinking of them like nuts to squirrels
But one day he found a pearl of great price
And sold all he had, all his merchandise
To buy the pearl he sought the most
Which in the end would be his boast.
There are those who seek from place to place
What can be found only through God's grace
The pearl of great price is Jesus our Lord
When you find Him you'll find that you can afford
To replace your trust in other things
With the One from whom eternal life springs

Verse 44
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
V. Parable of the Treasure Hidden in the Field
These parables, this one and the two immediately following, were spoken in the house, not to the multitudes by the seashore. In the case of the treasure, it was found when the finder was not looking for it; but in the case of the pearl, its discovery followed a long and diligent search for it. There are other notable differences. In the treasure is a likeness of the kingdom; but in the other, it is the merchantman searching for the pearl. The treasure hidden in the field teaches the supreme regard men should have for the kingdom of heaven; and that, whatever incident or opportunity leads to the knowledge of it, the finder should exercise every human effort to obtain it, even to selling all that he has, if necessary, to come into possession of it. The great consideration is that the kingdom of heaven is indeed a treasure, a treasure surpassing all others in riches and desirability.
Analogies:
The kingdom of heaven is a treasure.
It is hidden to some, indeed to many.
Some find it accidentally, or unintentionally, while doing something else.
Once found, a man should obtain it, regardless of cost.
________________________________________

Verses 45, 46
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls: and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
VI. The Parable of the Merchantman Seeking Goodly Pearls
Although it is not stated here that the kingdom of heaven is like a pearl of great price, a number of analogies suggest themselves. The pearl is a symbol of difficulties overcome, since it is caused by an annoyance to an oyster. It is a life-created thing of great value and beauty. Significantly, the gates of the Eternal City are said to be "each one a pearl" (Revelation 21:21). Thus, through obstacles overcome, one may enter the home of the soul.
The prime comparison, however, regards the merchant. man engaged in the search. This was Jesus' emphasis: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God!" Seeking is a vital and very necessary part of knowing and sharing the mysteries of God's kingdom; but so is decision! The merchantman is held up for our approval and emulation because: (1) he did not waste his time admiring the pearl, or wishing he had it; (2) he did not propose to obtain it at a reduced price; (3) he did not delay or postpone his decision; (4) he did not reject it as too expensive - none of these things, he simply sold all he had and bought it!
Some search all their lives for the truth and at last find it. Others, as in the hidden treasure, are not looking for it at all, as, for example, when some sinner marries a Christian wife or husband, but then, in the light of opportunity, rises to claim the prize!
That of the pearl of price (v. 45, 46), which is to the same purport with the former, of the treasure. The dream is thus doubled, for the thing is certain. Note, 1. All the children of men are busy, seeking goodly pearls: one would be rich, another would be honourable, another would be learned; but the most are imposed upon, and take up with counterfeits for pearls. 2. Jesus Christ is a Pearl of great price, a Jewel of inestimable value, which will make those who have it rich, truly rich, rich toward God; in having him, we have enough to make us happy here and for ever. 3. A true Christian is a spiritual merchant, that seeks and finds this pearl of price; that does not take up with any thing short of an interest in Christ, and, as one that is resolved to be spiritually rich, trades high: He went and bought that pearl; did not only bid for it, but purchased it. What will it avail us to know Christ, if we do not know him as ours, made to us wisdom? 1