Brother Gary Sunday Morning 11/29/15

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 11/29/15

2Ch 1:7  In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.

God appeared to Solomon and asked a very serious question, “Go ahead and ask what I shall give thee.” 

This question was asked after Solomon had offered 1000 offerings at the tabernacle of the congregation.  The tabernacle of Moses was at Gibeon.  David had moved the ark to Jerusalem but Solomon went to the tabernacle of the congregation.  He had taken a large number with him and Solomon and the congregation offered 1000 offerings there.

This took place when Solomon was 16 years old.  Some of you are at the teenage years, others of us passed the teenage years many years ago. 

This was quite a question to ask a teenager.  Our age may have educated us to not think of teenagers as able to make a good choice.  There were many prayers that had gone up for Solomon for this exact season of life.

Solomon’s testimony: verse 1, God was with him. 

This eternal God has a design to be with teenagers, with children, with those that pass through the teenage years and from then to when we are summonsed into His presence.  We have the testimony as Solomon that God was with him.

God strengthened him as a teenager. 

There is a great need of strength and a great warfare turned lose against God’s people everywhere.  Wherever men and women love God and truth, the enemy is fighting in a strong and vehement way.  The battle is pronounced.

Solomon had a great task before him. 

We each have a great task before us.  We have a job.  We have a task of a wife or husband, a parent, a grandparent, we have a task of being the church of God.  May we realize that we have a God in heaven that is very interested in strengthening us. 

When we recognize the call of God and that there are souls weighed in the balance, we realize that we need God to give us strength.

God magnified Solomon. 

The word Magnified means that God increased him in every necessity for the responsibility that God had given him.  God knows how to make us able ministers of the New Testament.  We are ministers, servants, of the Most High God.  God knows how to make you a bigger person. 

Let us follow the steps of Solomon after he was anointed King.  He went to the tabernacle, took others with him, and offered 1000 sacrifices.

God dealt with Solomon after he worshiped.  “Ask what I shall give thee.” 

You are not wrong to have desires and requests.  You are not wrong to have thoughts in your mind.  There is a time when after we have worshipped, or while we are worshipping, that God appears to us, brings a solemnness to our soul and our spirit, and asks, “What would you like from me?” 

Solomon answered wisely, “Thou hast showed great mercy to my father.”  It was a request of David that Solomon follow him as king.  God said, “You will not be able to build but your son will.”

“Grant me wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and come in and judge this people.”

One of the greatest privileges that we are afforded is to know tabernacle worship.  One of the greatest privileges what you and I have is understanding the symbols of tabernacle worship.  The brazen altar represents Mt Calvary and the sacrifice that was given to buy our salvation. 

Salvation means more to me the longer that I live.  It is not a cliché to me.  It brings a great deliverance, a great change.  It totally changes our life and our eternal destination.  When I think of where sin would have taken me fast… I would have already been in torments in hell had I not gotten saved.  God has been wonderful. 

As Solomon was in the presence of God, he prayed for wisdom to know how to go in and to know how to come out. 

There are so many things to cloud our vision, to dust our life.  I studied on the thought of the laver, it thrilled my soul that there is no measurement to the laver.  To every other piece of furniture there is a measurement.  It was vital that the priests would wash any impurities that they had picked up from the point of sacrifice to coming into the Holy place from them.

There are many conveniences afforded to us here.  There is a crock pot cooking in many homes today.  When we get home there will be a meal ready for us.  I appreciate Sister Julie being able to call this morning, Kathy being able to call this morning, and Sister Dorothy being able to call last night.

There are a lot of things about living today that are scary.  We can receive spots on our garment that we must be washed of before we can enter into the holiest place. 

“Here I am.”  It was taught in Sunday school and was sung by the choir. 

There is a strong conviction on your and my soul, “God from the time I thank you that Jesus paid the supreme sacrifice that I can be saved; to enter in the Holy place, I come by the laver.  Of anything that my mind would bring, of anything that I have heard, I want to be washed.  There is nothing more valuable than appearing before God and having Him meet with us.

2Ch 1:8  And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.

2Ch 1:9  Now, O LORD God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.

2Ch 1:10  Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?

2Ch 1:11  And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:

2Ch 1:12  Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

God spoke to Solomon.  You and I know that Solomon knew the value of appearing before God before he appeared before man.  He wanted wisdom to go out and come in and judge righteously.  

God granted this request and added riches, wealth, and honor.

I would like to look at the New Testament riches, wealth and honor.  This is a definite riches and has definite value to you and me and is given to every man:

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

The word of God is designed that the little seed of faith that was given you by God would grow exceedingly.  One of the greatest battles that we face as a saint of God is the battle of faith.  The enemy doesn’t want you to believe God.  He doesn’t want you and me to believe that we will receive wisdom, wealth, and honor.

There are two things that I was well instructed of as a child by my mother, father, and Sunday school teachers.  I learned John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” My mother wanted me to know how rich I was. 

Our neighbor told us that had I been a privileged child and been given a pedal car, they are worth anywhere from 50,000 to 75,000 dollars today.  My mother gave me something more valuable than a pedal car.

God help us to realize how valuable true riches are.  My mother and father and the Sunday school teachers gave me Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created heaven and earth.”

I want to tell you teachers and parents; I want to preach to myself this morning:  The most valuable thing that we can give to our children is truth under the anointing of the Spirit of God.  It is unjust for children to be left untaught the plan of salvation.  (That is not the message I want to try to preach.)

We were given Romans 6:23: “The wages off sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The plan of God is not for you to be spiritually poverty stricken, it is not for our children and grandchildren to think too highly of anything that is tangible.  I am not here preaching against gifts or loving your children, but those things fade fast.

There are things that are such riches that I remember after I got saved of the unsearchable riches of Christ.

1Pe 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

I have never been good with journaling.  I regret that.  I remember getting saved and having a deep desire to serve God:  Colossians 3 “If you be risen with Christ, seek those things that are above and not the things of the earth.”  These are riches that will not pass, they will never cease to give a bountiful reward in our life.

Shun the very appearance of evil:  There are somethings that you never want to touch.  Once the door is opened then it swings more freely than it did before.

What is wealth?  It is accumulated riches that become treasures.  In our lifetimes there are things that you are given that to the world may not be significant, but because of where it came from it is a treasure to you. 

These riches have become treasures in your and my life. 

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Do you realize the treasure that this is and that it becomes a great wealth?  There are a million people that do not have that wealth this morning and yet are religious.  They have not grasped, been taught, or have not hungered and thirsted enough to go from that stagnate state of “I can do no better than sin more or less every day.” 

What a wealth to have our sin all taken away!

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

It is interesting how even children become weighted down.  Last year my daughters’ families decided it would not work for them to come for Christmas.  The little boys wanted me to know that they didn’t want me to feel bad because they would not be coming but would have Christmas at their house. 

Danny bought this car and told little Danny that there wouldn’t be much money for Christmas, little Danny decided he needed to get a job.  Little children take things on.  They take on more than they should.  We need to be careful what we tell them.

Lay aside every weight.  There are many things that will weigh you down.  Do we know how to lay aside every weight?  This is an old message but it is almost a new experience every day. 

“I am not going to be weighed down with that.  God is this what I should be doing?  Is this going to help me as a servant?  Is this going to help my brother, my sister?  Is this going to help my joy?”

Before I leave the house Monday morning, my mind will be busy with a lot of things.  I usually choose to not look at my computer in the morning.  I want to give my best to God.  I am sorry for the trouble that is in America; knowing about it is not going to cure it.  Praying about it will bring healing to me.

I am convicted to pray for the prayer requests that have come in Wednesday and Sunday.  There are somethings that are a pleasure to carry, your request for a soul, your request for a decision.  I will pray.  I have learned long enough to know that prayer really works. 

You say, “I am going to do things my own way.”  You go ahead and do it.  People can do things their own way.  I will not be hoping something goes wrong.  I want to tell you that it is a value to have the saints of God pray.

When I am in a battle of unbelief I tell God, “God you have never failed.”  You did not fail in 1965.  There are a few occasions that I have just brushed death.  Last year if that logging truck would have hit us Karen and I would be buried.  We serve a might God, He has a mighty hand.  He can move logging trucks, he can move Toyota pickups. 

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Saints love to sing about heaven.  Oh the glory that must have been there when the saints wrote those songs.  I would love to ask some of them of their testimony when they wrote the song, “Did you write this before or after you were hurt?”

I can’t help but think of what it will be like when I am usured into the presence of God.  Can you imagine being there and hearing the saints singing and hearing the music? 

Such wealth is ours:  “Jesus, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross.”  When I think of what He went through… I would not want to miss it.

He will give us honor.

Rev 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

If you think that no one but you has ever had a battle, then go back and read Revelations.  To every church age it is written, “To him that overcometh.”

I will give to eat of the hidden manna:  “Poor old so in so was saved but kept sinning al the time.”  What an abomination!  I will give you the hidden manna. 

You must overcome to get there.  You must face something.  You must feel the violent attack of the enemy.  Then you and I will have to get violent.  I will give to eat of the hidden manna.

Give him a white stone:  you talk about the honor of having that stone.  It came from the day when individuals took stones, cut them in half, inscribed their name in a very place that might not be known by anyone but the one that had it and the one that would receive it.  They would give it to someone and as they would travel, they could ride into or walk into a place and say, “I was told to stop here.”  They would look at the stone, recognize it, and say, “Yes, come in.”

God wants you to have that white stone.  He wants the name of the savior on that white stone.  For whatever you need, when you present the stone, every need will be supplied.

There are two parables in Luke 12 that I would like to bring out:

There was a man that was covetous.  “I have a plan.  I will pull down my barns, make bigger ones…”  It was said to him, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.”

The second parable was the man that heard of a treasure hid in a field.  He heard of salvation, of total surrender, and he sold all that he had and bought the field with the treasure in it. 

Solomon was asked a question and he answered it right.  God said, “Not only will I give you wisdom and knowledge, but I will give you riches, wealth, and honor.”

We are blessed to be this close to eternity and have so much available to us.  May we not be as the covetous man, but as the man that heard about the wealth of total surrender, of totally trusting God.  He heard of the wealth that David spoke of, “All my springs in thee.” 

The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

I think of hymns that have been written, “Why should I long for this world and its pleasures?” or “Is your all on the altar?”

There is no rest in anything other than total surrender to God.  Fanny wrote, “Oh the unsearchable riches of Christ!”

May God help me to answer right when He asks, “What do you desire?”