March 3, 2013 - Do You Need the Instructions?

This week’s scriptures are: Isaiah 55: 1-9, Psalms 63:1-8, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9

Please pray with me:

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that the words of this sermon are YOUR words, and not mine.  I pray that the message here touches those that need to be touched.  I pray that those receiving this sermon remember that all Honor and Glory are yours, Lord, both now and forever.  Amen and Amen.

Grace and Peace to you, from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Have you ever noticed how simple things can look, only to find out that's not the case?  You get the box home, take out all of the pieces  and think, "I can DO this!  I don't need those instructions to put this together." 

You get started and everything is going GREAT!  And then you find one piece that doesn't seem to have a home.  Or it's SEEMS finished only it looks...........funny.  NOT exactly what the box promised.  You go ahead and set it in place, only to have it fall apart or worse, break so bad it's beyond repair.

If only you'd taken time to pay attention to those instructions.  Of course, the instructions are there for a reason.  The manufacturer wants you to USE the instructions and avoid problems.

Centuries ago the children of Israel wondered the desert and the wilderness.  All of their needs were provided to them by God.  Were they satisfied?  Were they content?  NO!

They had everything they NEEDED, but not everything they WANTED.  They complained to God.  They engaged in sexual immorality.  They tried to test God. 

Earlier they were told what was pleasing in God's eyes.  They knew what was not.  They knew right from wrong. 

They had examples of what happens when you go against God.  They knew about Sodom and Gomorrah, but they still insisted in engaging in sexual perversions. 

God did not tolerate this.  A written record was created to instruct future generations that God will provide for your NEEDS.  The record is there to instruct future generations on what happens when you test God.  To instruct on what happens when you complain about God.

If you want to do ANYTHING, you can find instructions on how to complete that task.  I was trying to find out how to contact a retired baseball player.  All I had to do, was go to the internet and search.  BOOM!  There's instructions on how to write to him.

If you want to know how to build something, use something, go some place, or just do anything.  It's simple to look it up on the internet.

The problem is do we follow the instructions that are right there?  Or do we decide it's too simple and we don't need the instructions provided for us?

If you are a young man, do you want to know how to be a good father?  Look in the Bible.  It's the best instructional manual you'll ever find.

If you're a young woman, do you want to know how to be a good wife?  Read your Bible.  It's the best instructional manual you'll find.

Do you want to know how to treat your spouse?  Read your Bible, it's in there.  How to treat your children, your parents, the stranger on the street?  It's in your Bible.

The problem is we have instructions and yet we ignore them.  How simple would our lives be if we just studied our Bibles and HONESTLY tried to live by the instructions provided for us?  If we learned our lessons not from PERSONAL experience, but from the failings of those who went ahead of us, would our lives be better?

The Bible is full of examples for us to follow or to learn from.  People who have failed and people who have lived successfully.  The Bible instructs us to avoid certain things, behaviors, that are bad in God's eyes.

Still we go blindly into situations and then cry out and complain that God allowed us to do that.  We're not robots.  We have free will to do things and to live as we see fit.  

God provided us with an instruction manual to help us live a successful life according to His ways.  It's up to us to follow the instructions and have everything fit, look and be right.  Or we can go about our way without following the instructions provided and HOPE that things work out.

I'm not sure about you, but I NEED instructions in my life.  Sometimes I need to following the instructions more closely.  However, in everything I do, I need instructions from God.

What about you?  Do you need the instructions God provided for us? 

Amen.  Amen.

May the reading of this sermon bless you.  May God be with you and you with Him, until we meet again.

Amen.  Amen.