" HOW COULD WE HAVE BEEN SO BLIND" orEaster 1999 Preached Sunday Morning by Rev. Rickey Honea: at College Heights Baptist Church - Lubbock Texas
Copyright © 1999 Dr. Rickey Honea
As we look at our churches and its members across our
lands today. We wonder if this is not the new theme song for many!
Our Text for this morning:
(Mat 19:16 KJV) And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing
shall I do, that I may have eternal life? (17) And he said unto him, Why callest thou me
good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the
commandments. (18) He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou
shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, (19)
Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (20) The
young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
(21) Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou
hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come
and follow me. (22) But when the young man heard that saying, he
went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Many today are just like the young man in our text today.
You will find that our text today is needed in our churches more now than ever before
because of the spiritual blindness in our churches today.
I began to ask myself. Why is it, that so many people, who profess to know Jesus Christ as their Savior, do not seem to have what I have?
Why are our churches filled with families who are struggling so hard to find a way to be happy. They never really seem to have any peace and when you call on them during the times of trials and tribulations they seem to fall apart so easily and so quickly fade away.
Why do people quit today? Why do they live such lukewarm lives before God today? Why do people go to church, read their Bible, serve in ministries yet seem to be so empty? I was driven back to my Bible and I saw some things that opened my heart: I found:
God gave to Adam a people to guide for God in the things
of God.
God gave to Abraham a Nation to guide them in the ways of God.
God gave them Moses to lead a nation to the promise land.
God gave them David to assemble the 10 kingdoms together.
God gave them Elijah so they could hear from God.
God gave them John the Baptist to prepare the way for God.
God gave them Peter to build the first church for God.
God gave them Paul to evangelize the Gentiles
ETC…..
God has given to all the people through all the ages a way
to find Him. A way to know Him, A way to experience Him.
God gave Jesus to make away for us to get right with God
God gave us the Holy Ghost to lead us in the things of God and to give us the power to
witness to a world about Him.
POINT: God has always appointed someone ANOINTED to lead people in the ways of God.
Today, God has chosen the CHURCH to do just that. To lead people to Him.
PROBLEM: For the most, our churches today are not ANOINTED.
We are not operating under the ANOINTING One
We do not love under the ANOINTING of the Word
We are not winning souls under the ANOINTING of the commission.
WHY? Because our people today have not placed the things of God in the right order for
their lives ----
Everything is to be done decently and in order – Bible tells us:
We know that in the Bible that Water many times is a
picture of the Word of God.
In the tabernacle 1st you entered in from the East gate and you were met by a
priest. Here is the divine order of the sacrifice being offered to God.
Fist came the BLOOD sacrifice on the alter, then the Water basin, then and only then could
you enter into the sanctuary.
Here is the thought. You must first get saved by the Blood of Christ before the Word of God will have a real affect on you. You can not get this divine order out of order. A lost person can not understand the ways of God with out first getting saved by the Blood. Salvation first, the Word of God second. Our churches today are filled with people who go to church to study the Word when they really need a relationship with Jesus Christ.
John the Baptist would not baptize anyone who had not first trusted in the Lamb of God
When Jesus hung on the cross, spear in His side, out came BLOOD with water. Do you see the diving order: First the BLOOD then the Water
POINT: People today have been feasting and grazing on the water of God’s Word with out going getting saved first---- can not do that. You have to get under the BLOOD first then the Word for the Word to really effect our lives. You have to get saved first.
You have to first be under the ANOINTED One (GOD) before you can graze on the Word of God.
You have to get connected to the one who is the ANOINTED. If you are not connected to GOD – then the Word of God will not have a lasting affect on your life.
SOLUTION: We have to get our people under the ANOINTING of God. Get them saved first!
ILL.. When a man was made ready for the priest hood. He was stood before the congregation of God, Having prepared his mind and heart and was in his right garments --- He was placed standing. A rams horn filled with OIL was placed directly over his head --- NOT to the left, NOT to the right NOT in front NOT in back BUT right over his head. If you do not stand in the right place you will miss the anointing. The oil would only have flowed on parts of the man instead of the whole man.
POINT: God has to draw you to Him by Him– not some program, not some movie – not some preacher – not some song ----- JESUS has do draw you for it to be real and from God. The anointing today still comes from God.
BIBLE tells me that, (John 6:44 KJV) No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
(John 12:32 KJV) And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
(Heb 10:22 KJV) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
POINT: You have to be under the one who is going to do the ANOINTING and you have to be drawn by God.
This is so powerful if you will listen to what all this means:
When the young priest was ready to receive the ANOINTING,
they poured the OIL on his head first (anointing his mind to be used of God)
the OIL ran down over his Eyes (anointing his eyes to be used of God)
The oil ran over his Ears (anointing his ears to be used
of God)
The OIL flowed to his beard filling up his beard and then overflowing
(the anointing always comes from above, and then overflows onto our body) You CAN NOT
change the flesh without the anointing.
The OIL flowed over his chest or his HEART (anointing his heart to be used of God)
The OIL flowed over his BODY (anointing his whole body to be used of God)
Then and only then was he commissioned as a minister or priest of God.
POINT: we have many today who are serving God in our churches without being anointed by the presence of God. Many attend but are not serving as priests over His work.
You can be busy for God with out being anointed.
LISTEN: there is more to the anointing than just being covered with oil
There is more to being a ministering agent for God than
just having a title, or a place in the spotlight,
Many are called but few are chosen === the BIBLE tells us.
What do you have to do – to be under the anointing today?
FIRST: lets look at what Jesus Christ Said.
If you want to be my disciple – there is a divine order that must take place
Jesus has to be the one who is drawing you to HIM:
otherwise it is only of the flesh. Many today are moved by the story of Christ, but never
really KNOW the Christ.
Many today go to church but never really WORSHIP HIM as GOD etc…
Many today sing songs in church but never really sing to HIM.
Many today never really grasp the ETERNAL issues of living for Jesus.
BIBLE tells me that, (John 6:44 KJV) No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
(John 12:32 KJV) And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
(Heb 10:22 KJV) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
SECOND: (Luke 14:26 KJV) If any man come to me, and hate
not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and
his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
(Hate = choose Christ over their own family)
(Luke 14:27 KJV) And whosoever doth not bear his cross,
and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
CROSS: die - we have to be willing to DIE for CHRIST in every area of our lives for Him.
Many today are not willing to let go of some things in order to get under the anointing of God.
You man would not let go of his riches in order to get saved
You may not be letting go of some things that are keeping you from getting the joy, the happiness, the fulfillment that only a life lived for Christ can have.
Like the young man, you are not willing to let go of what you have in order to get what you want.
You will not let go of the GUILT in order to have a life
of self worth
You will not let go of that Wounded Heart, Bitterness, GRUDGE,
Bad Temper, Anger, Bad Spirit, Foul mouth, Disgusting habit, Attitude, Pride, Selfishness,
Greed, job, love for the pleasures of the world, etc….
No wonder our churches are in the shape that they are in.
We have never really gotten under the Anointing because we have some things out of order.
FIRST comes the Blood – our relationship with God
SECOND comes the water: the cleansing of our lives through the power of the Word of God in
our lives
THIRD comes our CROSS to die to self on
FOURTH: comes the anointed presence of God in our daily lives
POINT: Only then do we become the ministers, priests, and servants of the most High God
Only then will your life be changed from the inside out.
Only then will you understand what it means to be under the anointing of Almighty God
To walk in His presence
To serve in His presence
To sing in His presence
To win souls in His presence
To build a work in His presence
HE WAS NOT WILLING TO LET GO OF WHAT HE HAD IN ORDER TO GET WHAT HE WANTED
What is it today that you are holding onto that is keeping you from having the Joy in your life that God wants you to have?
… that is keeping you from enjoying life to the
fullest
… keeping you from surrendering today to full time ministry
… keeping you from wining souls to Christ
… keeping you from giving Christ your ALL.
Etc….
Are you in your place?
Have you allowed God’s presence to cover you?
Have you died on your cross yet?
Has God been drawing you and you have been fighting Him all the way
Why not come fully surrendered today, give it all to Jesus, Let Him cover you with His JOY
His HAPPINESS His FREEDOM His EXCITEMENT
Don't let this Easter Sunday just be another holiday.
Let this Sunday be the day that you decide to become anointed in the presence of Almighty
God.
To Get Saved Today
To turn your life around today
To finally find the happiness, peace and joy that you have longed for.
God's divine order:
Jesus shed His BLOOD
Died on the Cross
Because He was anointed with the presence of God, He paid for our sins
Then he arose with resurrection power
God's divine order for us:
The Blood - get saved
The Water - get cleanses
The Cross - die to self and to Christ
The Anointing presence of God in your life - God becomes real to you
Then we rise above life's heartaches with resurrection power
Invitation
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