Sermon – “You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have”

And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye. 43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. 46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, 2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; 3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, 4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;

I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the steward-ship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

A message just warning is titled You can’t give what you don’t have and I hope by Tom I’m done this message you understand what I mean by that you cannot give what you do not possess what you have Luke six verse thirty nine through forty nine hear the word of the Lord and he spoke a parable to them. Can the blind lead the blind. Will they not both fall into the ditch a disciple is not above his teacher but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher and why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but do not perceive the plank in your own eye or how can you say to your brother brother let remove the speck that is in your eye when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye hypocrite first remove the plank from your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye for a good tree does not bear bad fruit nor does a bad tree bear good fruit for every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush a good man out of the good trader if his heart brings forth good and an evil man the evil traitor of his heart brings forth evil for out of the abundance of the heart the mouse his mouth speaks. But why do you call me Lord Lord and do not do the things which I say. Whoever comes to me and hears my sayings and does them. I will show you whom he is like he is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock and when the flood arose the stream beat the humanly against the house and could not shake it for it was founded on the rock but he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a found a. And against which the stream be the Hemet Lee and immediately it fell in the room of that house was great you know for some time now and Sabbath school for probably a couple months or so we’ve been discussing for you know what is the church what is the purpose of the church. What should the church be doing what is faith talking about all the different gifts in the church and the talents in the church and I believe that there is one thing that should be very near the top of every church every church’s purpose its main purpose and that is to make disciples to make disciples to train and teach others that is really what this entire passage is about you might think that. Well he’s talking about the blind leading the bind he’s talking about a speck in the ice talking about bad fruit and good fruit but it’s all about teaching the entire passages about teaching really and making disciples. Matthew twenty eight eighteen through twenty and Jesus came and spoke to them saying all authority not just a little bit of authority but all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth go there for and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things that have commanded you. And lo I am with you always even to the end of the age. You see the connection between this passage in the passage in the loop teaching them to observe. We are to teach others to observe the words of Christ teach others to observe the things that Christ did to follow in his ways to walk in His ways we are to teach others we are to disciple others verse thirty nine. An Inner Passage said can the blind lead the blind. Will they not both fall into the ditch kids. Rhona FOD have you and Isabel come up here or not blindfold both of you as it’s a row and I want you to lead Isabel downstairs around back and back back up. Could you do it now because you’re blindfolded the blind cannot lead the blind or they will both fall into the ditch the great meaning of the word lead is it used in this passage is not only to God as one would take a blind person and guide them. It means to teach. That’s what the Greek meaning of lead means here. It means to teach therefore meaning that those who are mature in their faith those who proclaim to have an understanding of the gospel. They need to be faithful they need to have an understanding because if you don’t have the understanding you can’t teach someone else. The blind cannot lead the blind those without understanding cannot lead those and give understanding that they don’t have at themselves someone who proclaims a be a teacher and have a grasp on the Word of God need to have a firm knowledge and understanding of the truth they have to have the wisdom of God within them or they should not be teaching you can’t I like the illustration of the blind. If you’re proclaiming to be a teacher of the Gospel and have an understanding of the word you think of leading someone leading the blind person. It could be in rough terrain because life sometimes gets rough doesn’t it. So if you can’t see to navigate through that rough terrain you surely are not going to be able to lead the blind person can’t lead the blind person so life gets Roy. Off life gets hard if you don’t have a firm grasp on understanding on the Word of God how are you going to guide somebody else through the tough times of life the tough terrain that may come in one’s life you have to have a grasp but in wisdom and understanding of God’s ways and of God’s word. You can’t give what you don’t have I had an example and I meant the bring an item and I forgot it I don’t know if we even had it have any at the house. Isabel. If I were to hand you an ORNGE and tell you this to squeeze that thing as hard as you can. What are you going to get out of it. What kind of juice. Orange juice. Will you keep you mean you can’t squeeze a Norns and get apple juice. I want to not because it’s not an apple it doesn’t have it in there right. You’re going to have orange juice if you squeeze an orange because that’s what’s in it if someone squeezes you what are they going to get. Ah. Punched if someone squeezes you though what are they going to get what’s in there. Do you have the knowledge do you have the understanding what’s inside you. The Holy Spirits to be dwelling in there what are they going to get. I hope they get a men hope they get love. I hope they get kindness. I hope they get compassion. I hope they get sincerity I hope they get the gifts of the spear. I hope they get understanding of Jesus Christ if they squeeze you what’s inside. I found a story called the secret spring. Rossini Rawson the Rossini How do you say it. Rossini was once presented with a watch by the King of France of which he was very proud several years after having received the watch he was shown to a friend and was told by this friend that though he had possessed it for so long he did not know its real value and possible said receive any where upon the friend took the watch from ING and touched a secret spring at which an inner case flew open disclosing a beautiful miniature painting overall Seanie himself. This is characteristic of a certain type of modern Christianity it values its ethics and is acquainted with and appreciates much of its teachings but it has not discovered in words the inner secret which gives it its supreme value the portrait of Christ is still hidden when a sacred spring is touching the face of crisis recognize the whole attitude of mind in theory of value is changed it is characteristic also of much of our discipleship the true value in us is Christ in here. Jesus said the Philip in John fourteen nine. Have I been so long a time with you and has not known me fill up think about this Philip had been with Jesus almost from the beginning from the beginning of his ministry. He’s seen the mazy miracles that Jesus performed he heard the sermon on the mounds the feeding of the five thousand so many things in Jesus still says to him. Do you not know me. Do you not know me Phil did he have a firm knowledge and understanding of the truth of Jesus’ ministry what Jesus came for is the knowledge of Christ still hidden within us. Or is it flowing out of us. It should be flowing out of us. This could be understood in a couple of ways. Some have allowed that word to enter in but they’ve kept the basket over it kept it hidden but others haven’t allowed it to come in they haven’t allowed that seed in and allowed it to root deep into their hearts. Jesus said in John seven thirty five thirty seven thirty nine when the last day that great day the feast just Jesus stood and cried out saying if anyone thirst let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me as a Scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of living water but this he spoke concerning the spear who those who believe in him would receive for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified God’s word in US is not supposed to be a pond. It’s not supposed to be a still body of water. It’s supposed to be a river flowing out of us if he is in US is supposed to just flow back out of us do you have Christ in here is he flowing out of you going back to the scripture in Luke first forty five a good man out of the good trader of his heart brings forth good. Good. And an evil man are the evil traitor of his heart brings forth evil for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks a person’s heart is like a tray jury. It is where our thoughts are stored it’s where our character is stored it is what identifies who we are what’s in our heart identifies who we are I ask a person at work one day we were working on a project I said What do you think I was asking about you know what I thought about how we should do this I said What do you think he says thoughts. He said Use me dirty ones how much is too much that the information that our thoughts shouldn’t be they should be pure they should be holy the mouth will reveal what is stored in this tracery that’s what he say and the mouth will reveal what is in our hearts. You know if a person would have just say swore to cuss you out up one side and down the other and called you all con names and and then turn around and said I’m sorry I didn’t mean that that really is not in me. Why yes it is in them or it wouldn’t have come out. You get it it wouldn’t have come out if it wasn’t in there because what’s in there all the abundance of the heart is going to come out of the mouth. That’s not me telling you that that’s God’s word. What is in us if wickedness is in their wickedness is going to come out of that mouth but if good is in there. If righteousness and holiness is in there that’s what’s going to come out of our Miles is going to flow out of us like the living water. Amen. What is in us what. When we give Do we have the knowledge of God’s word do we have the understanding Do we have wisdom. You know if someone were to come to me and say Ronnie. I want to build an airplane and I need your help I need you to show me how to do it. What I’m going to have to be honest as I am. It’s not in here. It’s not in here I don’t have it. I don’t know the very first thing about build an airplane. I don’t you know I have a hard time understanding how they get off the ground and fly but if someone were to come inside Iran. I’m going to build a house. I need a little help I need a little understanding. I can tell him how to do it I can help I’m a showman tell me how to do it because I know how to build a house from the bottom from the ground from the foundation up know how to lead blocks I know how you have to tie the foundation in I know how to cut the wood and build you give me the blueprints we can build it. I know how to do that because it’s in here. You know if you needed brain surgery Gary if you need a brain surgery are you going to go to north of Phoenix surgeon. You want to not because you don’t have the knowledge to do the brain surgery right. If you need brain surgery. You’re going to go to a neurosurgeon I would. See if on anything I do know a guy I do know God work with a guy that was having problems with his legs and the problems was the veins in his name and actually the heart doctor in our local area did surgery on his knee because he was repairing the veins. I said well you know I’d rather have a heart doctor work in a woman a than a doctor working on my heart. Amen. But you need a brain surgeon. I suggest you find a brain surgeon because he has it in him to know how to work when the brain. What’s in you what’s in you do you have a knowledge and understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Do you have a firm grasp on how we want to say in how they live and walk in and give the road to Jesus Christ we need to have a church we need to have it that we can teach it. We cannot be blind and lead the blind. The heart of every single believer can be filled with the love with the knowledge and with the understanding of Jesus Christ and his message. God says if any of you lack wisdom let him ask proverbs two one through seven. My son. If you receive my word and trades are my commands within you. It’s up there treasure my commands where. Within you. Where is within you in the heart not just head knowledge but here so that you incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding. Yes if you cry out for discernment and lift up your voice for understanding. If you seek or a silver and search for her as for hidden treasures. Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God for the Lord gives wisdom from his mouth come knowledge and understanding he stores up with stores up sound wisdom for the upright. And he is a shield to those who walk upright. Wow what a wonderful promise. That he is our shield that he is our protector. If we walk up rightly God these God desires that we who believe in Christ would be mature enough in our faith that we would grow one our faith that we would move move on from feeding on only mill. They eating solid food that we would eat the real meat of the the Word of God instead of always needing to be taught that we would grow and graduate if you will into being teachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They will be able to lead the blood that we would not be forever following but become the leaders a God wants us to be what you might say well but God also says have the faith of a child Don’t misinterpret that the main that we should always remain in mature the faith of a child maint simply means that we have absolute and total complete trust we were talking about that in Sabbath school complete trust. That’s what it means to have the faith of a child when my children were very young and and we had a schoolroom poled I tried to entice them to jump in and I’d catch them. You know at first they were very scared didn’t want to do that you know they shake. But once they finally took that leap and saw that daddy was going to catch them and not let him go under the water. Guess what from that point on they trusted. They had faith that I was going to catch them they weren’t afraid to jump in do you have that childlike faith in God to know that you can take that leap of faith to do what he’s called to do to just jump out and do it and know that he is with you that he is going to guide you that he is going to be your shield the he’s going to be your protector we can jump into whatever God says with absolute trust. Colossians one twenty fourth or twenty eight says I now rejoice in my suffering for you and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the effects of the affections of Christ for the sake of his body. Which is the church of which I became a minister according to the store chip from God which was given to me for you to fulfill the Word of God The mystery which had been hidden from many from ages and from generations. But now it’s been revealed to a Saints to them God will to make known what are the riches of the glory of his mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of glory him we preach warning every man in teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man. Perfect in Christ Christ in you in Him we preach warning every man and teaching every man making disciples. Now the story found would you rather be a tumbleweed or an oak in your influence of others or influence on others which would you rather be a tumbleweed or an of. An oak of course we would that’s a question posed by Galen Anderson who wrote a man’s life is like either the tumbleweed or the oak tree. Some people just grow like a weed. They are of no value in their youth and as a years of life calm they break loose and become a blotch on society. They have no useful purpose in life just Drifters their loved ones will mourn their loss but society will not miss them then there are those whose lives are like an oak tree. They have turned from the frivolously of this life and have invested in things that had genuine worth their influence for good will live on in the lives of others after they are long gone their death is noticed because their lives. Were spent bettering the nation and the community they will be missed. Will our lives make a difference in others. What is in you is Christ love flowing out of you making a difference in the lives of others. You know back to the illustration of the firm foundation the house little more rock the house bill in the sand. You know you could build two houses that would look absolutely identical from the outward appearance one house could have that foundation dug be built on the firm solid rock then the foundation built up in the house built the other one could be built right on top of the ground they could both be a Cape Cod house have identical porches identical Dormer same siding and everything look at exactly the same but one is inferior to the other because when the storm comes out house it’s not built on that firm foundation is going to collapse in the same way a believer or those who profess to believe they can look the part just like that house looks identical to the house on the firm foundation. They can look the part but when the storms of life calm. They’re going to crash. They’re going to be destroyed. It’s what’s in you that determines whether you’ll stand or fall and that is that which is in you must be the cornerstone which is Jesus Christ he is the firm foundation that our lives that this House that this church is built upon because any church that is not built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. It will fail. It will be destroyed any church that does not proclaim that Jesus Christ is a son of the living God that He came to worse that he lived that he suffered he died that he rose again the third day and a church that is not built upon that will fall they will be destroyed. What is in you what is your firm foundation Acts Chapter four they’ve done have this one eleven and twelve. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders which has become the Chief Cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. That’s the only message had that Paul had was Jesus Christ and Him crucified. There’s all other kinds of messages out there to tickle the ear and make people feel good but as Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That is the word that is the firm foundation is he in you what is in you. I hope that he is in you. I hope his wisdom and understanding it is in you because if he’s not. How are you going to give it. You’ve got to have it to give it. Hope the crisis filled your heart to the full to overflowing Amen.