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Handling of Things

"LET'S MAKE A DEAL!"
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. The title for this lesson comes from a popular game show on
 television...
 a. "Let's Make A Deal!"
with Monty Hall
 b. Some even recorded it on their VCR for later viewing!
 
2. We're going to borrow the basic concept from this game show...
 a. To set the stage for our study
 b. To help illustrate an important point in our lesson
 
[I want you to imagine that have within my power to offer you some great
deals...]
 
I. LET'S MAKE A DEAL - THE GAME
 
 A. MY FIRST OFFER...
 1. I will give each of you $100
000 for your car(s) right now!
 2. Would anyone turn this offer down?
 -- I doubt it; but before you spend the money
I have another deal
 to offer you
 
 B. MY SECOND OFFER...
 1. I will give each of you $1
000
000 for your car(s)
but...
 a. You must give me back the $100
000 I just "gave" you
 b. You must wait one week
 c. You must leave your car where it is parked right now until
  next week
 d. You must be back here next Sunday to receive the money
 2. Would anyone turn this second offer down? I doubt it...
 a. I suspect everyone would be willing to exchange $100
000 for
 $1
000
000
 b. Not even the conditions would deter you; somehow you would:
 1) Get back home (even walk if you have to)
 2) Get along all week without your car
 3) Get back here next Sunday
no matter what
 -- For the sake of illustration
let's assume everyone accepted
 the second offer
 
 C. LET'S ANALYZE THIS...
 1. The first offer sounded exciting at first
but paled in
 comparison to the second offer
 a. Who would wouldn't want $100
000 for their car(s)?
 b. But then the offer wasn't as exciting compared to the second
 offer
 1) $1
000
000 is worth a lot more
 2) Even if you have to wait a week
 3) Even if you have the inconvenience of no car for a week
 2. By accepting the second offer
you have turned down the first
 offer:
 a. An offer of immediate gain for a much larger offer of future
 gain
 b. An offer requiring no effort or sacrifice for a much larger
  offer requiring much effort and sacrifice
 
[With this illustration in mind
let's begin making the application...]
 
II. LET'S MAKE A DEAL - IN REAL LIFE
 
 A. SATAN OFFERS YOU A DEAL...
 1. He will give you immediate pleasures and rewards
  a. In regards to the lusts of the flesh (immorality)
 b. In regards to the lusts of the eyes (materialism)
 c. In regards to the pride of life (self-glorification)
 2. He requires virtually no effort or self-discipline on your part
 a. If it feels good
do it!
 b. If it looks good
take it!
 c. If it sounds good
go for it!
 -- The Bible refers to this deal as "the passing pleasures of sin"
 - cf. He 11:25
 
 B. GOD OFFERS YOU A DEAL...
  1. He will give you future pleasures and rewards
 a. An eternity of bliss
 b. Far exceeding the pleasures and rewards of this life
 2. He requires much effort and sacrifice on your part
 a. Such as faithful service
 b. Such as resisting temptation
 c. Such as enduring persecution
 -- The Bible refers to this deal as "eternal life in Christ Jesus
 our Lord" - cf. Ro 6:23
 
 C. WHY DO SO MANY ACCEPT SATAN'S OFFER OVER GOD'S...?
 1. For the same reason anyone would keep $100
000 and refuse
 $1
000
000
 a. They fail to appreciate the difference in value
 b. This failure to appreciate the difference is especially true
 in real life
 1) The promises of Satan last only a lifetime (if that)
 2) The promises of God last for eternity - cf. 1 Ti 4:8; Mk
 10:28-30
 -- Yet many people literally "sell their souls" to accept the
 deal Satan offers!
 2. Moses understood the difference
and made the right choice - He
 11:24-26
 a. His choice?
 1) "to suffer affliction with the people of God (rather)
 than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin"
 2) "esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the
 treasures in Egypt"
 b. His reason for this choice?
 1) "for he looked to the reward"
 2) He evaluated the "deals"
and made the right choice!
 
 D. WHAT DEAL HAVE YOU MADE...?
 1. Are you accepting the deal made by Satan?
 a. Who offers the path of least resistance
the immediate
 pleasures of this life?
 b. You are if you refuse to obey the gospel
 c. You may even as a Christian
for I fear there are many...
 1) Who would have gladly accepted the second deal of
 $1
000
000
 a) No matter how hard it would be to get home and back
 again
 b) They would not let anything keep them from being here
 2) Yet do not consider the promise of eternal life worth the
 same effort
 a) They do not make the effort to be at services on
 Sunday and Wednesday nights
 b) They allow many things to hinder their service to God
 and to their brethren
 3) Who evidently...
 a) Place a higher value on $1
000
000 than on the gift
 of eternal life
 b) Selling their souls for much less (i.e.
to the idols
 of money
materialism
or just plain laziness) - cf.
 Ep 5:3-5
 c) Have accepted the offer of Satan over God's offer!
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. My purpose has not been to bestow feelings of guilt
but to remind
 ourselves...
 a. That each day we are making choices
 b. We are choosing to serve either Satan (i.e.
Satan) or God
 -- I hoped to illustrate the folly of letting immediate and temporary
 gratification keep us from a much greater and future reward
 
2. Brethren
let's make a deal...!
 a. To esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures
 of the world
 b. To choose to suffer affliction with the people of God (even if it
 means assembling more often!) than to enjoy passing pleasures of
 sin and selfishness
 c. To keep looking to the reward that God has prepared for His
 children
 
Together we can help each other keep our priorities straight
and
receive the best "deal" that one can make!

－－《Executable Outlines》