May 2022

One of Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” columns pictures a plain bar of iron worth $5. The same bar of iron, if made into horse shoes would be worth $50. If it were made into needles, it would be worth $5,000. It were made into balance springs for fine Swiss watches, it would be worth $500,000. The raw material is not as important as how it’s developed.

I.         What have you done with the raw materials God has given you? - I Peter 4:10

            A.        We each do not have the same mixture of gifts - Romans 12:4-8

            B.        What raw material we have doesn’t matter as much as what we do with the material.

            C.        I Corinthians 12:12-27

II.        A parable explains that the Lord gives us each material and expects us to so something with it - Luke 19:12-27

            A.        Are we hoarding what God has given us?

            B.        Or are we developing it, putting it to use, and thereby making it more valuable?

Text: I Peter 1:22-2:3

I.         It seems every parent at some point tells their child, “Why don’t you just grow up?”

            A.        In one sense, that is what they are doing; but what the parents want is for the child to stop acting so much like a child and more like an adult.

            B.        Children are flighty creatures who live for the moment. They don’t look ahead to see the consequences of their actions. They avoid responsibility for actions of the past – especially if they are seen as bad actions by adults.

II.        The parable of the feast - Luke 14:16-24

            A.        People had been invited to a feast. They knew of it in advance. But when it was ready, they suddenly had excuses as to why they could not come.

            B.        Each was a lame excuse, especially in light of the fact that the dinner party was planned in advance.

            C.        One needed to look at land he had just bought. How many of you buy land sight unseen?

            D.        Another needed to try out five yoke of oxen that he had just bought. How many of you buy an automobile without a test drive?

            E.        Another stated he had just married and could not come. So why not bring his bride?

            F.        The lord was rightly angry and filled his home with people willing to come. People who would truly appreciate what he offered.

III.       The application - Luke 14:25-35

            A.        There are many people who accept the Lord’s invitation to become a Christian, but they are unwilling to follow through on the commitment.

            B.        Family first - Luke 14:26

                        1.         Children have strong ties to their family. Such is needful, but it cannot be permanent. 

                        2.         One mark of adulthood is the ability to stand on your own - Genesis 2:24

                        3.         It is very easy to put prior relationships ahead of our Lord. 

                        4.         It is easy to look at the immediate instead of the one we cannot see.

                                    a.         Just as the man who claimed not to be able to come because he recently married.

                        5.         The example of Paul - Philippians 3:3-11

                                    a.         The goal is far more important than anything this world offers

            C.        Me first - Luke 14:26

                        1.         Children only think about what is in it for them.

                                    a.         Being at grandma might be fun, but they don’t want the trip.

                                    b.         People want heaven, but you mean I have to sit through worship? - Malachi 1:12-13

                        2.         The adult view is to see the benefit of the journey - Psalm 122:1; 84:10

                        3.         Often we want the results, but not the education - James 1:2-5

                        4.         In the Judgment, notice the basis of judgment is what we have done for others and not what we have done for ourselves - Matthew 25:31-36

                        5.         The example of Christ - Philippians 2:3-11

                                    a.         The goal was far more important and greater than the misery in reaching it.

                                    b.         Others are more important than self

                        6.         An adult will do without so that others can do with.

            D.        It’s someone else’s responsibility - Luke 14:27

                        1.         Children play, but they rather let someone else clean up.

                        2.         People come to worship, but they let others do the actual work - Ezekiel 33:30-31

                        3.         Take advantage of opportunities - Galatians 6:10

                        4.         Work hard while you can - Ecclesiastes 9:10

                        5.         Your salvation is your responsibility - Philippians 2:12-18

            E.        Commitment without forethought - Luke 14:28-30

                        1.         Children often get themselves into trouble because they did not think ahead as to the result

                        2.         Redeem the time - Colossians 4:5

                                    a.         Limited time to work - John 9:4

                                    b.         Take advantage of youth while you have it - Ecclesiastes 12:1

                                    c.         Adults will put off momentary pleasure to get work done. It is not because they don’t like to play, but they foresee the consequences of not working.

                        3.         Prepare by studying - II Timothy 2:15

                                    a.         We need adults to teach others - Hebrews 5:12-14

                                    b.         The example of Ezra - Ezra 7:10

            F.        Knowing your goal limits your choices - Luke 14:31-32

                        1.         Children are easily distracted. They can easily loose themselves following one interesting thing after another.

                        2.         James warns us not to be double-minded - James 1:6-8

                        3.         As children we can be tossed about by the changing winds of doctrine - Ephesians 4:14-15

                        4.         Knowing where I want to go, I will limit my choices to those which will take me to that goal quickly. Distractions are more easily avoided - Hebrews 11:24-26

                        5.         Adults keep the goal in mind and are able to persist.

                                    a.         Have you ever walk with a child? Halfway there he will stop and announce he’s tired. Of course, now he is in the middle of nowhere, but he won’t take a step further.

                                    b.         Hebrews 12:1-3 - Keeping a goal prevents weariness.

IV.      Isn’t it past time that you grow up?

            A.        Now is the time to wake up - Romans 13:11-14

            B.        Now is the acceptable time - II Corinthians 6:1-2

            C.        Today is the day to stop acting like a stubborn child - Hebrews 4:7-11

Ten Little Christians standing in line

One disliked the preacher, then there were nine

Nine little Christians stayed up very late

One overslept, then there were eight

Eight little Christians on their way to Heaven

One took the low road and then there were seven

Seven little Christians chirping like chicks

One disliked the music, then there were six

Six little Christians seemed very much alive

but one lost his interest then there was five

Five little Christians pulling for Heaven's Shore

but one stopped to rest, then there were four

Four little Christians each busy as a bee

One got his feelings hurt, then there were three

Three little Christians knew not what to do

One joined the sporty crowd, then there were two

Two little Christians, our rhyme is nearly done

They differed with each other, then there was one

One little Christian can't do much 'tis true

brought his friend to bible study- - then there were two

Two earnest Christians, each won one more

That doubled the number, then there were four

Four sincere Christians worked early and late

Each won another then there were eight

Eight splendid Christians if they doubled as before

In only just ten years, we'd have 1,024

In this little jingle, there is a lesson true,

You belong either to the building or to the wrecking crew!

–

Church decline and growth is determined by many factors. Some of those are referred to in the poem above. The question for each of us is seen in the last line.

    Are we part of the building crew or the wrecking crew?

    If everyone in this congregation was just like you, would the church be growing or declining?

    May we be sure we are helping to build up the church not tear it down.

A city slicker bought a farm and moved into the farmhouse. He went to his new neighbor and asked if he might purchase a milk cow. The neighbor sold him his prize milk cow, and the city slicker happily took the cow to the barn on his farm.

Within three weeks the cow went dry. The city slicker returned to his neighbor and complained: “That milk cow you sold me is no good!” The astonished neighbor replied, “What do you mean?” The city slicker explained: “She has gone dry! I can’t understand it, either. If ever a person was kind and considerate to an animal, I was to that cow. If I didn’t need any milk, I didn’t milk her. If I needed only a quart, I took only a quart.” The neighbor then explained that the way to keep milk flowing wasn’t to take as little as possible from the cow, but to take as much as possible.

Isn’t that true of the life of a Christian? Like milk cows, we must keep giving on order to keep the flow of Christianity alive. We are to give of our time, our talent, and our treasure. If we give of these things only when an extraordinary need arises, we miss the opportunities and joys of day-to-day service.

In the case of the milk cow, there is always a need for more milk. Not everyone has a full stomach. All over the world there are hungry people. Besides, the “use it or lose it” factor is obvious. Likewise, there is always more to do in the Lord’s kingdom. There are classes to be taught, discouraged people to be encouraged, sick and homebound people to be visited or called or written to, missionaries to be supported and encouraged, lost friends, relatives, co-workers, and neighbors to be contacted, and a world full of people to be prayed for. If we are content to do only a tiny bit, we may end up doing nothing at all. On the other hand, if we will give and give of our time, talent, and treasure, God will supply every need and give us additional opportunities to glorify Him and bless other people’s lives.