I heard something the other day. I assume it's true. Some of you who know more about physics may already know this. I am told that you can take a paper cup, not a plastic cup, but a paper cup, hold it over a flame and the cup will burn--now we all know that. Don't we? But I heard---if you put water in that cup---and hold the cup with water over the flame---the cup will not burn. The water may boil, but the cup will not burn---the water protects the cup from burning.
Now I thought about that---I said, "I'll think I'll find out if that is really true. And if it is, I can use that. For the Holy Spirit protects me from a lot of things that would happen to me---IF HE WERE NOT IN ME. Wow. Think about that. Now, I don't all of you to go home this afternoon and burn paper cups. But I heard that from a very reliable source. In fact the gentleman said, "I have experimented with it. I heard about it and in the presence of 2 or 3 other people, we went down to the kitchen and we experimented." And he said, "Without the water in it the cup burned." "But with the water in the cup---the cup doesn't burn."
Now that won't cost you any extra, I just wanted to share it with you.
Now this morning I want to preach a very familiar message from the Book of Exodus, chapter 8. It is so good to be in the house of the Lord this day and I hope that today He blesses us in such a way that we will see the Lord with the eyes of our soul, if we have not already. Exodus chapter 8 (read 8-10)
Now I believe that the Lord always blesses the reading of His Word. Shall we pray.
Father, in the blessed name of Jesus, that King of kings, the Lord of Lords, that name which is above all other names, Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace--Father may we hear that which You have prepared for us this morning. May we take from it the nourishment for our souls. May we realize the healing power of Your Word. The Comfort of Your presence. The wisdom that You have for us today that we may live closer to You than we have ever been before. In Jesus Name,
And all God's children said, praise the Lord.
On the back side of a mountain, an 80 year-old man stood one day---tending to the flock that belonged to his father-in-law. This 80 year-old son-in-law had done this responsibility many times. In fact, he had been now with his father-in-law for roughly 40 years. So, it was not unusual that he was out there--on the back side of the mountain---tending to the flock.
But all at once, Moses saw a bush-----on fire. And the amazing thing about the burning bush---was- ----the fire was not consuming the bush. Moses-----stepped a little closer--to examine that burning bush. And all at once----MOSES HEARD THE VOICE OF GOD. ---------------------------- wow-- -You never know what's going to happen. He heard the voice of God speaking---out of---from that burning bush.
God said, "Moses, take off your shoes---you're on holy ground." Whew. You know, I believe the preacher may come this morning. God, as you know, spoke to Moses, and said, "Moses, I want you to go back to Egypt, and I want you to tell Pharaoh to -- LET MY PEOPLE GO." And Moses----responded by saying, "WHO, ME?" "Who can I say has sent me? God said, tell them I AM has sent you." I AM. I cause everything that is to be. "You tell them, I AM HAS SENT YOU."
Moses had some other excuses. But it came down to that time in his encounter with God, out of the burning bush, that he finally said the one word that God wants from all of us, and that word is---- YES! --------------------------- Moses and Aaron go down to see Pharaoh. Moses and Aaron walk into the presence of Pharaoh of Egypt and they tell Pharaoh, "Pharaoh, Jehovah has said, Let My people go, that they may sacrifice unto Me." And Pharaoh said, now it may not be exactly this way in your Bible, word for word, but you understand. Don't you? Pharaoh said, "NO WAY!" So---Moses by the power of God caused a plague, as it were, to come upon the waters of Egypt, and the waters of Egypt turned into blood.
Pharaoh still would not let the people go. And then,--- God sent a plague of frogs on the people. Now I don't want to use my sanctified imagination too much...but, have you ever stopped to think about the plague of frogs? The Scripture says they were in the ovens. Now can you imagine going to the oven to prepare to bake something, and open up the door, -- however that door was made back in that day, and out jumped 37 frogs.
Scripture says they were in the beds. You thought that lump down at the bottom was some cover that had not been made up. And you listen and all at once it croaks and the covers move and THERE'S FROGS. The Scripture says there were frogs everywhere.
Finally Pharaoh said, "ENOUGH!" Now it really wasn't Pharaoh. I know who put the pressure on Pharaoh. MRS. PHARAOH. She came to her husband one day and she said to him in essence, "Either the frogs go or I go." She laid the law down. And being the strong man and the head of the home that he was, he said to her----"yes dear. yes dear."
And Pharaoh calls for Moses, and he says, "Get rid of the frogs and I'll let the people go." NOW LISTEN. "And Moses said to him, 'when do you want me to get rid of the frogs?'" ----------------- --- "Just tell me, when, and I will." And Pharaoh said, "Let's wait until tomorrow." And as other preachers have said, "Pharaoh made the decision to spend one.. ..more.. ..night.. ...with the frogs."
WHY? If I understand the thrust of that Scripture passage, Moses was saying to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh, You admit you've got a problem---and the problem is frogs---I am here to tell you that I can take care of your problem the very moment you say so, --- just tell me when---and the frogs are gone back to the river. And Pharaoh said, "Let me live one more night with my problem."
Some have suggested that perhaps Pharaoh thought that all of the people of God were doing for him as his slaves--and all the work they provided---he wanted to get as much work from them as possible. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. All I know is --- Pharaoh made the decision to live with his problem LONGER THAN NECESSARY. And that's what I've come here this morning to say--to my life and to your life--- is there anything now, we are living with--- that God could take from us. And it would be a blessing not to live with it--- BUT WE HAVEN'T YET MADE THE DECISION----LORD, TAKE IT NOW, I SURRENDER IT NOW!
Now, let me get right down where we live. Have any of you been thinking about one of these days you are going to start tithing? You don't do it now. Maybe you do tithe--but the Lord is leading you to give more than the tithe and you've been thinking about it. But you, when it comes to your giving--you know the Lord wants you to increase it---You know that, you know that, yet for some reason you have been putting it off, and saying, "Well, you know. I've got this mortgage on the house---the kids are this age---we are so sickly, and we have so many medical bills----we need to build our own home. LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN--- THE ONE WORD GOD WANTS FROM YOU IS YES! He knows you circumstances!
It amazes me sometimes how we Christians act like we need to educate God. DO WE KNOW WHO WE ARE DEALING WITH?---------- And you intention might be, "I know I need to, but not now"
Do you remember a few years back, a ferry leaned over on its side in the English Channel. Well, one of the reports that I heard on the TV---one report stuck like glue in my mind. One passenger who survived said, "What I heard people saying more than anything else, as the water rushed in was, they were telling each other, that they loved each other."
Now I'm not here this morning to lay guilt on anybody. But my friend is there somebody you need to let know that you appreciate them and you love them and they are a blessing to your life and you have been telling yourself that you need to write them a note. You've been telling yourself that you need to call them. You've been telling yourself that you need to communicate that positive word to them. And you keep putting it off.
Maybe there's some sin in your life. You know it's a sin. You have guilt. You try to hide that sin from others. You struggle desperately---GOD, help me. This morning may be the morning, THE DAY, in which you can have victory if you'll say yes to Jesus Christ.
NOT TOMORROW, TODAY. DON'T LIVE WITH THAT BURDEN ANY LONGER. Surrender it to Jesus Christ. If He doesn't take it away, He'll give you grace---He'll give you grace.
Some of you maybe doing things that are very harmful to your body. You are convicted that it is wrong. Weather it is over-eating, smoking, drinking, whatever it is. You are convicted it is wrong. You don't need for me to tell you. You know it in your own heart. And you keep telling yourself, "One of these days I'm going to kick this habit." "One of these days I'm going to do something positive." "One of these days...." My friend your life is going by--zip. You need to make a change NOW.
A father and a daughter. That ought to be one of the closest human relationships on this earth. One of them. But that father and daughter, as we say in Indiana, they had a falling out. There were some words spoken, in anger. They hurt each other. They misunderstood each other. As a result, they did not have any contact with each other. One day the father had a heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital to the intensive coronary care. He was able to communicate to one of the nurses, "Call my daughter. This is her telephone number." And he whispered out the digits of her phone number. The nurse made the call, the daughter was at home. "Your father has just had a heart attack, he's in intensive coronary care," and gave the name of the hospital. "He wants to see you."
The daughter rushed to the hospital. She walked through the swinging doors that led back into the intensive coronary care unit of that hospital. She reached that area where the sever patients are kept. She stood there in that area and someone approached her and she asked, "Where is Mr. So & So?" And the nurse said, "Who are you?" She said, "I am his daughter." "Oh, yes, I called you. I'm sorry, we lost him." "Did he say anything else about me?" "I'm sorry, nothing."
And the daughter turned around and walked outside that little area into the hallway and stood against the wall and sobbed like a baby. And cried out "Oh, daddy, daddy, daddy, forgive me."
And with all the compassion I have in my heart let me say to you "It was too late". And that's one of the tragedies about tomorrow. Tomorrow can be too late.
While I was pastoring a church in the Bedford area I found out one day that one of the members was in the Bloomington Hospital. He had not been to church in the time that I had been there as pastor. I did not really know him. I knew his wife. I knew his 3 children. He had 2 boys, one about 20, I think, the other one was about 18 and then he had a little boy. I say little boy, he was about 6 or 7 years old. The boys and the mother came to church. His name's Ralph. I'll not call his last name. I want to be sensitive to that family. But his name was Ralph and I went to the hospital. Walked into his room and introduced myself to him. He was a man in his 40's. I asked him what his problem was and he said he really did not know, he had just had some problems in his lungs and they were going to do a biopsy tomorrow, to see if they could find anything in his lungs.
I had prayer with him and I left. The next day I learned about the biopsy and later I learned it was malignant, it was cancer. There was no need for any lung surgery, it was too far advanced. They sent him home. Physically he began to grow weaker. I went to his home and visited with him several times. Almost everytime that I went, he would talk to me about what he use to do in the church, like this; "Preacher, do you still have RA's down at the church?" "Yes we do Ralph." "I use to work with those boys, and I'll tell you preacher those were some of the best days of my life. But, you know, I just missed a Sunday, then the next Sunday came around, and maybe a member of the family wasn't feeling well, so we just all stayed home. Preacher, you miss 3 or 4 Sundays and you just get out of the habit. You know how it is preacher."
"No Ralph, I don't know how it is." Did you hear me. He said, "Well, that's right. You're the preacher and all." He said, "But, but you just miss a few Sundays and the next thing you know, a month goes by or 6 months has gone by or a year has gone by. But when I get straighten up preacher, I'm coming back to church." "If you need somebody to work with those boys, down at the church, I want to work with them."
"Ralph, when you come back, we'll be happy to use you for the glory of the Lord." He got worse. One day I got a phone call, they had taken Ralph to the hospital. I went down to visit him, like on a Wednesday. Then on Friday I went back and he was worse. And I was talking to him and his wife and little boy where there. I shall never forget it as long as I live. And all at once in the course of that conversation, he looked over to his wife and called her by name and said to her, "You call my 2 sons." One of them, I do remember, was at work. I don't know where the other one was. But he said to her, "You call my other 2 sons and you tell them to come to the hospital, I've got some things I want to say. Preacher, I want you to stay here until my 2 boys come."
I sat there for over an hour, and this was back in the days when boys wore long hair and those 2 boys came in, rather tall, the long hair, and everything. Though Ralph was in a very weakened condition, he ask us if we would help him to set up on the edge of the bed. And that little frail body, because he had lost so much weight. We raised him up in bed and brought his legs out over the side of the bed and he sat there on the side of the bed, with his legs hanging down and his feet not quite touching the floor. He ask for his 2 oldest boys to come and set down by his side and he put his arms around both of them. I can quote some of the things he said, but I'll paraphrase them. He said, "Boys, I have not been the Christian Father to you I should have been. I've ask God to forgive me and I want you to forgive me."
They both were just looking down, they kind of grunted. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? He said, "I wanted to get well and us all go back to church as a family." He said, "I'm going to die. I want you to promise me, right here in front of God and in front of Mr. Ferry. I want you to promise me that you'll always take mother and your little brother to church. Will you promise me that before I die?" And they just kind of set there. (pause) All at once one of them kind of shook his head 'yes', the other one did the same. And Ralph prayed. The boys left. I left. The next morning, Saturday morning, Ralph was in a coma and he never talked again this side of the grave. (pause) Sometimes, you can wait too late. Sometimes you can wait too late before you tell somebody that you love them. Sometimes you can wait too late before you confess your sin. Sometimes you can live with the frogs too long, (pause) when you could get rid of them, if you wouldn't put it off and pay the price of surrender TO THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST.
Someone has said the favorite word of the devil is "Tomorrow". If the devil has a favorite word, it's tomorrow. And a lot of people have died and gone to a devil's hell with tomorrow on their lips. BUT JESUS SAYS, TODAY! today! TODAY, IS THE DAY OF SALVATION. COME, COME, COME, COME!
Left up to you. (pause) Left up to you. WHEN.......... ..WHEN.. (soft) when.....
Every head bowed and every eye closed, please. Now let me weigh my words carefully -- I believe, that there's someone here this morning.....who needs to make some kind of a decision that you have been putting off. In your mind....in your heart you've told yourself, "One of these days I will." But as of this day, you have not... I believe...that the Lord is ready to give someone victory this morning, but He won't do it, until you ask Him. Are you ready to ask? Are you ready to make that commitment? Are you ready to do it?
You may be lost. You've been telling yourself, "One of these days I am going to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior." You don't have the promise of another day. -- NOW IS THE TIME -- Well I'm going to join New Winchester Baptist Church, and you believe it is the Lord's will that you do. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING ON?
Maybe there is something God has been working in your life that you need to do for someone and you have been putting it off. Now if you know the Lord wants you to do it for that person, make the decision this morning that you'll do it as soon as you possibly can.
Maybe there's someone here you need to go to and just tell them that you love them and if you believe that's what the Lord wants you to do....THEN YOU DO IT. Whatever.
THE TIME HAS COME to move in the direction of obedience, we've waited and postponed long enough. We need to make the steps this morning, that will lead us to the completion of that which we know the Lord wants us to do.
Father, I know that you do want to bless and I know that You want to be good to us, but I know also Father that You will not force Yourself against our will. You simply stand at the door and knock. Lord, somebody's going to open that door this morning. (soft) Someone's going to open that door. So Father, I just pray for that man, for that woman, for that boy, for that girl who knows right now, THIS IS WHAT I'VE GOT TO DO. This is what I've got to do. Jesus, You help me. Jesus, You help me. And I'm going to do it, (pause) NOW. Father, thank You. We praise You. In Jesus name, Amen.
