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Sermon of 03-10-01 FEED THE HUNGRY CHILDREN by Dr. D.A. Farmer, pastor
Mark 7:27; “But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast [it] unto the dogs.” How many of you like football? I would like to invite you to imagine for a moment with me that we are at a Super Bowl game. Our team, the Dallas Cowboys of course, are trailing by 2 points when the 2-minute warning is sounded. With the ball on their own 25 yard-line, the quarterback begins his history-making jog to the sidelines to receive the plays to move the ball 75 yards and secure victory. The crowd is tense; the cameras focus on each move made. Soon the quarterback returns to the huddle. As he kneels down, he looks into the faces of the world’s best defensive players and says: “Men, I’m not sure football is what I would like to do for the rest of my life.” Now I know that is an outrageous scene, but it helps us understand where we are going today. Now I need you to understand that whenever I use the word children, I’m not always referring to our small children. I believe God has His children throughout the world, in all Churches. Today, our subject will be on leadership. When Jesus was about to depart from this earth, He knew He would need a leader to continue for Him. So in Matthew 16:18-20 we find such a leader. Listen; “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.” Here we find Peter was one of the leaders Jesus called to carry on with His work. When Jesus symbolically turned the keys of His kingdom over to Peter, He was actually saying, “Peter I need a representative. I need someone to take over for me when I am gone and Peter, that someone is you.” Friends, every assembly of people needs a leader. Someone that will take charge. Someone that will stand up and point others in the right direction. And I believe it starts in our homes. There has to be someone to take charge and God’s plan was the father and husband was to be that someone. In war we need leaders. Men and women who have the natural ability to pilot others to combat and return safely back home. In our government, we need a person to lead this country. That person is our president. But, what about God’s house? Who is that person or persons? Was it God’s plan that only the pastor is to take charge, point and lead? I don’t think so. I believe the house of God is to be made up of different bodies to guide and lead. For example, you have the Church board as one place that leadership begins with. But is the Church board the only place leadership is needed in God’s house. Again, I don’t think so. Today we have Sabbath Schools leaders that are needed. Personal Ministries, building committees, business meetings, Women’s Ministry, and on and on. Bottom line, we need leaders throughout God’s house. In fact, I believe today more than ever before, what is needed in God’s house, is good Christian leadership to carry-on God’s assigned duty to us all. We need men, women and children to will step forward and lead God’s Church into new dimensions of service. Men, women and children that will say, “Lord you can count on me.” That is what we see took place in our Bible. You had men and women like Peter, Noah, Paul, Easter, Ruth, King David, Abraham, John, Timothy, Mark, and Luke. A boy with a small sack lunch whose name we do not know, but a boy who God lead and he followed God’s lead. On and on throughout the entire Bible you find men, women and children that God used to carry on His work. Let’s consider our own Church for a minute. Now to keep from embarrassing anyone, I will use no names, but you know whom you are. This morning someone played the piano. Someone sang special music. Someone taught Sabbath School to the adults and our children. Someone saw to it that all the Sabbath School supplies were in their designated areas. Someone saw to it we had bulletins. Someone saw to it you had a sermon this morning. Each week someone sees to it that the Church is cleaned and in order for Sabbath Morning. Someone saw to it that the lawn was mowed and neat. I know its still winter, but someone did it before the cold set in. Someone saw to it that I had water to drink and the tape player was ready to record this morning topic. Someone turned the PA on and made sure the mikes all worked correctly. Someone took up the offering and someone greeted you at the door and saw to it you had a place to sit. On and on, someone took charge and saw to it that God’s house was in order for you this morning. Leadership! That is what it is called! In today’s Church, God assigns deacons, deaconess, along with jr. deacon and deaconess. God has elders, clerks, and treasures. He has Personal Ministry Leaders and Sabbath School Superintendent Leaders. Leadership positions of every description. Positions held by those that are using their natural Spiritual Gift for the Lord. This local and world Church has always depended on dependable men, women and children who will step out in faith to do God’s will. Turn with me to Acts 1. Can you imagine how Jesus must have felt in verse 9 as He ascended into heaven knowing the men and women He left behind to finish His work? Remember now, these men and women had made some huge mistakes during the time they were with Christ. Yet, these are the very ones He left in charge of His Church. And you and I are the very ones He has left in charge of His Church today. This morning I would like to look at three things I believe are necessary for God’s Church to fulfill in order to finish the work He has left us. The three things are work, vision and prayer. As we are reviewing each one, see if you can spot which one God is using you in. Who knows, God may be using you in each one. To begin, lets look at the four-letter word – “work.” The Bibles says in John 9:4, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” First you need to understand that there was nothing extraordinary about the men, women and children of the Bible. Most were just as messed up as you and me. They had hang ups, problems with their children, and some cases even their spouses. They all had some sort of sin in their life. But they were willing to do the job God assigned them. That was half the battle won right there. Now I know work is not everybody’s favorite pastime. For example, how many of you ladies like house cleaning? Not many women like to clean house as a hobby. The same as men mowing the lawn. But those are things that have to be done. Being in the vacuum cleaner business in Marshall, TX a few years back, I heard that Panasonic was trying to come out with a new vacuum cleaner. Now ladies listen to this. It looked like a robot from Star Wars, a little R2D2. It could be programmed to vacuum your whole house. Even the tile floors. Whenever it came to wood or tile floors, it would cut off its beater bar and then turn it back on when it came to carpet again. When it was through vacuuming, it would then go back to the same plug it begin at and plug itself back in. Now men, we need a lawnmower like that! Which one of you men will start designing one tomorrow? Yea work, not everyone’s favorite pastime. But friends, you and I are the very ones God has called to and entrusted with His Church with all the nut and bolt jobs that must be done to keep His Church moving forward. God needs willing hands, feet and willing hearts to help spread and finish the call to take the Everlasting Gospel into the World. The next word has 6 letters, “vision.” The Bible says in Proverbs 29:18; “Where there is no vision, the people perish:” Some of you may have heard the story about the elevator at the El Cortez Hotel in San Diego that couldn’t handle all the traffic. Business had increased to the point that a new elevator had to be installed. They concluded that the only way to do this was by cutting holes in each floor and installing the motor for the elevator in the basement. After the plans were drawn up, the day before they were to start construction, the architect and engineer met in the lobby of the bottom floor. As they discussed their plans, the janitor stood close by and overheard them discuss cutting the holes in each floor. Soon the janitor interrupted the engineer and architect and reminded them that cutting holes in each floor would make a huge mess. The architect and engineer assured him that he would not be the one to clean up the mess. After a few minutes the janitor interrupted the two men again. He said, “Do you want to know what I would do if I was you?” The two men said, “No, not really, but tell us anyway what you would do if you were us.” The janitor reply, “I’d build the elevator on the outside.” And immediately light bulbs went off in the heads of the architect and engineers head as they designed the worlds first outside elevator. Vision. That’s what it’s called and God need’s it in His Church today. We need to listen to others, even the young people, because God may use any of us to direct His plans for His Church. Work, vision and last but far from least important, “prayer.” Let’s face it folks. Where does good work and vision come from? From down on our knees praying for God’s leading. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.” We need to be praying for wisdom, understanding, guidance and souls for His Kingdom. Friends we must, we have to be a Church today full of people that are willing to work, dream and pray. I would like to finish this morning’s sermon with one more story. Remember I said earlier that I need you to understand that whenever I use the word children, I’m not always referring to our small children. Please remember that as I tell this story. There once was a lady that received an invitation to a feast being given by a Royal Family. She had heard that this family only offered food that served nothing but life giving value to those who ate it. The food would keep you healthy to the point of living forever! She was most anxious to attend this banquet. So upon Feast Day, she entered the Banquet Hall and mingled with the many that were there. She beheld in the middle of the room a huge table, which was cover with a white linen tablecloth. She saw that the table held many different wonderful and delicious dishes of food. Soon the grown people were seating themselves for preparation for partaking of the great feast. She also noticed that among the people were a large amount of children. Children of all ages, races, and languages. But to her astonishment, she quickly noticed that none of the children were being allowed to sit at the Banquet Hall Table. Surely she thought, the children need food too. But perhaps their food will be served at a more child size table. Then as she looked she noticed there was no such table. And to her amazement no one seemed concern about whether the children were served any food or not. She couldn’t understand it so she asked those at the table, “Who is going to feed the children?” “Don’t look at me” the person replied seating next to her. “They’re not my children. Let someone else feed them on Feast Days. With so many here who are much better at feeding than me, I’m sure it is of no importance whether I feed them or not.” So she continued searching the table seeking anyone that would feed the children. But she soon found that even the children’s own parents did not want to feed them. “We feed them all week,” one parent said. “Let someone else do it on Feast Day.” One mother said, “I cannot feed them because I must feed my husband first.” One did say that she might feed them once in a while but not on any regular basis. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. With such a large company of people, many whom had been attending Feast Days for years and years, there could not be found anyone willing to feed the hungry children. Finally she screamed from the top of her lungs, “See the hungry children, who will feed them?” Replies soon returned, “I fed them for years. Now I am old, let someone else do their turn now.” “I never fed children before and I’m sure I would not know how” came another reaction. One person said, “I tried once and someone hurt my feelings because they didn’t like the way I did it so I’ll never do it again.” One person remarked, “No one appreciated my effort, so I gave up.” Another one said, “If you can’t find anyone else to feed the children, I will do it but I really don’t want to.” The woman’s heart sank at the words she was hearing but she would not give up until she found those willing to feed the hungry children, which needed food immediately. From down the table she heard the chorus, “It cost to much to feed children. We are not full ourselves.” She finally came upon a few people that could not eat in front of the hungry children. They shared with the children some of the food they had. And the ones that shared never went hungry. No, instead they seemed to attain radiant health that far outshined the others. But the children were many and the willing ones were few. She soon noticed that many of the children went wandering off in search for food and were feed polluted food. This caused the children’s health to suffer. Some even starved to death. Feasts Days came and Feast Days went as the family continued eating at the great Banquet Hall. And it came to past that there were almost no more children left. One day, the Head of the Royal Family, who had been observing what was happening spoke. He asked, “Where are my children?” The people looked around themselves and noticed for the first time that almost all the children were gone. The Head of the Family asked, “Didn’t you know that bedsides loving you - I loved the children too? I thought you would count it a joy to take care of My children.” But the people had not counted it a joy to take care of the children. Rather than answer the Head of the Family, they hung their heads in silence. As their heads were down they noticed that the fine food that had been so graciously provided was now dust in their plates. For you see, the life-giving food served at the table of the Royal Family’s Banquet Hall will benefit no one that doesn’t share it with hungry children. Then she saw that people who did not share their food with the hungry children – perished. Friends I share that story and this sermon with you because as you know, our Nominating Committee will soon begin meeting. These are the men and women you chose. These are the ones that God will lead to appoint as His leaders for this next year. They will have the awesome task of following God’s leading. Some of you will be called to hold an office. I ask that every one of you pray over the position God may be calling you to do for Him. A lot will be changing very soon in our new church. So God will need willing hands and feet to do His work. Will you step forward for Him this year if He calls you? Never under estimate God’s call or power. He will give you the wisdom and knowledge you will need. Please pray about it. |
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Printed From Texarkana SDA Church Website http://www.tagnet.org/texarkana |
