THE HOUND OF HEAVEN
JOHN 11:28
A. Francis Thompson write The Hound of Heaven He
was not being irreverent or disrespectful.
1. Saying, Where ever he went God followed. Aware
of Gods blessings & offer of salvation.
a. PS. 139:7-10.
(A) God is like that. He seeks mankind to save them. Does every
thing in his power to bless
them.
(1) In Bethany was a home Jesus Loved. Mary, Martha, Lazareth.
A place of rest.
(a) Jesus was away teaching & Lazarus died. Jesus did not
return for the funeral.
(b) The sisters belief was, If Jesus hd been here Lazarus
would not have died.
(2) In our sorrow, we often think that God has forsaken us. When
tragedy touches
our lives we have a tendency to blame God.
(1) God not promised Pie in the Sky. Never said, " The skies
will always be blue."
(2) God has promised to be with us. To provide every need to the
end of the way.
(B) Four days after Lazareth died Jesus returned to Bethany.
The 1st words He spoke were about the future Life. JNO. 11:23-25.
(a) Through sorrow they learned to turn to God. Thats just
one of the ways God
seeks us.
(b) Did you ever wonder about all the ways God makes us aware
of need for Him?
(c) Those are the ways He makes us wonder about Him and begin
to seek Him.
(2) God calls us through the Bible. From Genesis to Revleation
we hear God calling.
(a) GEN. 1:3:9, My Adam, My Adam, where are you.
(b) Gods favorite words are, Come to Me.
(c) In the Old Testament we hear God calling through the prophets,
ISA. 55:1.
(C) In the New Testament we hear that call more distinctly. We
understand it more clearly.
(1) The call has greater urgency, clearer meaning.
(a) MATT. 11:28.
(b) Yoke was the collar oxen pulled with. If it did not fit it
would gauld and make a
sore. Made the bruden very painful. Carpenter would shape &
smooth the yoke
so that it was no longer Painful.
(2) JNO. 6:37.
(a) It boils down to this. The Bible is a personal Invitation
from God Himself.
(b) Invitation written on the pages of this Book, sealed with
the blood of Gods Son.
b. God calls us through Loved ones. They can be great example
and encouragement.
(A) My wifes quiet life for the Lord. Faithful inspsite
of me. She walked in the cold rain.
(1) Little, by little the beauty of God in her drew me to Him.
She was Gods word to me.
(a) 2 COR. 3:2-3.
If you have a Godly wife or husband you are truly blessed.
(b) You need to become one with them in Christ. The last thing
you want to do
is be a hinderance to them in their relationship to God.
(2) God calls us through His goodness.
(1) ROM. 2:4.
(b) Warning about rejecting God. Recognize Gods goodness
& let it draw you
to Him.
(c) Once you find God & follow Him the more aware you become
of His goodness.
(d) You are what you allow God to make you. Or you are what you
allow Satan
to make of you.
(3) If a boy loves a Girl he does everything in his power to prove
it. She comes first.
(a) If she Loves him in return she does not treat him with Indifference.
(b) Proof of love, depth, degree is seen by the response it makes.
(c) JAS. 1:17.
(d) How do I respond to that unending love?
(B) God calls us through heartache, difficulties, troubles. That
may sound paradoxical but
its still true.
(1) Heard saying, Sometimes you have to hit a Mule between
eyes to get his attention?
(a) Some people only think of God when they experience hard times.
(b) Never see Jesus until their eyes are washed with own tears.
They never hear
Gods call until their ears are filled with the sound of
their own sobs.
(2) 2 SAM 14.
(1) Joab had a Barley field that was prized. Absolom wanted to
send a message to David by Joab. Called Joab and Joab refused
to come. Finally Absolom set the field on fire. Joab asked, WHY?
To get your attention and it worked, youre here.
(a) Ever see a shepherd throw a Lamb into a stream. It gets the
Ewes to follow.
(b) An unfaithful Christian lost his youngest son. He railed,
cursed God.
(c) After a long discussion he told me, Kennie is happier
than I could ever make him
and Im Thankful to God for caring for Kennie. Ill
serve God so I can see my son
again.
(3) The lesson is obvious. Its easier to serve God voluntarily
than to have God have call
you the hard way?
(a) There is one who loves you more than any parent ever loved
a child.
(b) He died for you and wants to bless you. Dont wait to
return His love.
(c) As Martha said to Mary in JNO. 11:28, The Master has
come and calls for you,
(d) ACTS 20:32.
Spur - 2/18/2001 pm
|