News Too Good to Keep Quiet!!
This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent.
Introduction: Boy is it hot!! I just came back in from my mother’s house across the street. It is so hot out side until the asphalt is soft and melting on the road. It reminds me of a saying I often use while talking to people about Christ and it is, “There ain’t no air conditioners in hell.”
My momma was making some hot dogs so I sat down and looked at the news paper. It seems that the world is in a big mess. This is so true! I looked at the paper for a few minutes and no where did I see any good new that is worth sharing right now.
Murder, rape, school officials accused of miss using funds, wars, death, murder, cheating. The big thing now is drugs. People using, buying, killing for more drugs. Crack cocaine, is a killer. It kills families, homes, lives, churches, business, the list is endless.
Good News: As I pondered all these things I was reminded of some special news that is always good. The weather never gets to hot or cold to share this news. Life is short, and we will be here on this earth for a very short while, compared with eternity.
I came home and started looking for a way to share that Good News today and here it is.
Scripture: 2nd Kings 6:24:30; 7:3-11 NIV. If you want to get the full benefit from this message, it will help if you take your own Bible and read and study these Scriptures from 2nd Kings on your own. Let God speak to your heart as you read them.
The lesson in this Bible story is so obvious we cannot help but be aware that God must have placed it here on purpose, to give us a vivid example of our obligation to share the gospel.
The nation of Samaria was under siege, and within the city, an awful famine was stalking the residents. Outside the city were the mighty armies of Aramea. Just beyond the city's gates were four lepers about to experience the best day of their lives.
1. The Bad News (2 Kin. 6:24-30,) (24) Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. (25) There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eight shekels of silver and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels. (26) As the King of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my lord and king!” (27) The king replied, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress.” (28) Then he asked her, “What is the matter?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son. (29) So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him." (30) When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and there, underneath, he had sackcloth on his body.
Our story begins after the nation of Israel had been divided by civil war. The northern portion of the nation, which retained the name Israel, was suffering the siege of its capital city. The mighty armies of the nation of Aramea held the city in a death grip. Their siege was so effective that the city, Samaria, was facing a deadly famine. A donkey's head sold for two pounds of silver and a cup of dove dung cost two ounces of silver. This siege and famine had come as a direct result of Israel's rebellion against God. (Could this be what is happening to our nation?)
Introduction: Boy is it hot!! I just came back in from my mother’s house across the street. It is so hot out side until the asphalt is soft and melting on the road. It reminds me of a saying I often use while talking to people about Christ and it is, “There ain’t no air conditioners in hell.”
My momma was making some hot dogs so I sat down and looked at the news paper. It seems that the world is in a big mess. This is so true! I looked at the paper for a few minutes and no where did I see any good new that is worth sharing right now.
Murder, rape, school officials accused of miss using funds, wars, death, murder, cheating. The big thing now is drugs. People using, buying, killing for more drugs. Crack cocaine, is a killer. It kills families, homes, lives, churches, business, the list is endless.
Good News: As I pondered all these things I was reminded of some special news that is always good. The weather never gets to hot or cold to share this news. Life is short, and we will be here on this earth for a very short while, compared with eternity.
I came home and started looking for a way to share that Good News today and here it is.
Scripture: 2nd Kings 6:24:30; 7:3-11 NIV. If you want to get the full benefit from this message, it will help if you take your own Bible and read and study these Scriptures from 2nd Kings on your own. Let God speak to your heart as you read them.
The lesson in this Bible story is so obvious we cannot help but be aware that God must have placed it here on purpose, to give us a vivid example of our obligation to share the gospel.
The nation of Samaria was under siege, and within the city, an awful famine was stalking the residents. Outside the city were the mighty armies of Aramea. Just beyond the city's gates were four lepers about to experience the best day of their lives.
1. The Bad News (2 Kin. 6:24-30,) (24) Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. (25) There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eight shekels of silver and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels. (26) As the King of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my lord and king!” (27) The king replied, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress.” (28) Then he asked her, “What is the matter?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son. (29) So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him." (30) When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and there, underneath, he had sackcloth on his body.
Our story begins after the nation of Israel had been divided by civil war. The northern portion of the nation, which retained the name Israel, was suffering the siege of its capital city. The mighty armies of the nation of Aramea held the city in a death grip. Their siege was so effective that the city, Samaria, was facing a deadly famine. A donkey's head sold for two pounds of silver and a cup of dove dung cost two ounces of silver. This siege and famine had come as a direct result of Israel's rebellion against God. (Could this be what is happening to our nation?)
In words recorded hundreds of years before, God had warned the nation of what would happen if they rebelled against Him (Lev. 26:27-29, (27) If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, (28) then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. (29) You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters.)
As a result, people were so hungry they turned on their own children. It's one of the most horrible scenes in Scripture. The bad news for Samaria was that death was certain. There was no hope. The bad news for us is that death is certain (Rom. 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.) and afterward the judgment. (Heb. 9:27, Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.).
2. The Good News (2 Kin. 7:3-20 ) Take time to look this scripture up and read this great story).
While these atrocities were occurring within the walls of Samaria, at the gate of the city sat four lepers, outcasts of society. Since leprosy was considered extremely contagious (Just like sin) they were forced to live outside the city walls, quarantined from normal society. Their disease forced them to live apart from wives and children, and there was a social stigma--they were despised and rejected by others.
As a result, people were so hungry they turned on their own children. It's one of the most horrible scenes in Scripture. The bad news for Samaria was that death was certain. There was no hope. The bad news for us is that death is certain (Rom. 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.) and afterward the judgment. (Heb. 9:27, Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.).
2. The Good News (2 Kin. 7:3-20 ) Take time to look this scripture up and read this great story).
While these atrocities were occurring within the walls of Samaria, at the gate of the city sat four lepers, outcasts of society. Since leprosy was considered extremely contagious (Just like sin) they were forced to live outside the city walls, quarantined from normal society. Their disease forced them to live apart from wives and children, and there was a social stigma--they were despised and rejected by others.
In normal circumstances, these four might have received scraps from residents of the city or spoiled vegetable or fruit from a merchant. Since the Arameans had arrived there was nothing. Sitting outside the gates, they began reasoning that they had nothing to lose, (What do you have to lose?).
The only place where there was food was in the camp of the Arameans, so they decided to go there. To their surprise, the camp was abandoned. Entering a tent, the lepers ate, drank, and carted off silver, gold, and clothes. They entered another tent to take what they wanted. But then, they had a serious bout of conscience.
They knew they had to share the news. Here are four of society's outcasts, rejected, avoided, ridiculed by the people of their culture. Yet, when they received good news they didn't want everyone else to be left out. In the middle of the night, they went to the city gate and got the attention of the gatekeeper who sent the news to the palace. When the word got out it caused a stampede at the city gate in which one of the king's officials was trampled to death.
The news was so good that the lepers could not keep it to themselves. The city that faced death without food now had plenty to eat.
Those of us who know Christ as Savior have entered a camp of hope. We have discovered the life-giving promises. We now have life, and we have it more abundantly!
Jesus is the greatest discovery of life!
Conclusion: The good news and bad news can be summed up simply. All of us will one day die and after death, we are destined to face judgment. The many wrong things I have done, the good news is that Jesus died on the Cross to pay the penalty for all those wrong things. He offers forgiveness simply for the asking.
How about you? Have you received the good news that Jesus is willing to forgive those who place their trust in him? If you have not done this, today is a great day to do it.
If you still have questions, ask them, but don't put it off. The news is too good to refuse. If you have received the good news of Jesus' forgiveness and have placed your trust in Him, are you sharing it with others?
Those of us who know Christ as Savior have entered a camp of hope. We have discovered the life-giving promises. We now have life, and we have it more abundantly!
Jesus is the greatest discovery of life!
Conclusion: The good news and bad news can be summed up simply. All of us will one day die and after death, we are destined to face judgment. The many wrong things I have done, the good news is that Jesus died on the Cross to pay the penalty for all those wrong things. He offers forgiveness simply for the asking.
How about you? Have you received the good news that Jesus is willing to forgive those who place their trust in him? If you have not done this, today is a great day to do it.
If you still have questions, ask them, but don't put it off. The news is too good to refuse. If you have received the good news of Jesus' forgiveness and have placed your trust in Him, are you sharing it with others?
Thanks
posted by Fisherman For Christ at 8/03/2006 04:31:00 PM
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