BUSINESS HERE AND THERE

1 KINGS 20:4

A. HISTORIC SETTING OF OUR TEXT
  1. Benhadad, King of Syria, had been given into the hand of Ahab, the king of Israel:
  2. Ahab neglected to destroy the enemy of God's people:
  3. A prophet uses a parable to point out to Ahab the consequences of his neglect:
B. "AND AS THY SERVANT WAS BUSY HERE AND THERE, HE WAS GONE"
  1. Ours is a busy age:
    1. One finds plenty of opportunity to keep occupied - Luke 14:16
    2. The cares of this busy age endanger our soul's salvation - Luke 21:34, 35
  2. The Lord warns against this danger:
    1. The cares of this world are, according to the Master, foremost in weakening the believers in their spiritual relationship to the truth and to a life of prayer - Luke 12:16-21
    2. The ever increasing clamor for riches - Mark 4:19; Jas. 5:1-7
    3. Ours is a pleasure made generation - 2 Tim. 3:1-9
  3. These conditions have dimmed the vision of some church members:
    1. They have lost interest in the activities of the church.
    2. The prayer life seems to have died so completely, there is no more reading of the Bible; the family altar is a forgotten institution.
    3. The enticements of the world have become the main attraction for these deluded people.
  4. Our opening text shows that:
    1. Golden opportunities are the gift of the Lord; that was true in the experience of Ahab; he failed to make use of them.
    2. That was true of the people before the flood, they flaunted His appeal for repentance - Gen. 6:1-20
    3. The Lot family--some of the children failed to heed God's invitation - Gen. 19:1-20
  5. Golden opportunities come but once in a lifetime:
    1. The foolish virgins learned this truth - Matt. 25:1-12
    2. The requirement for ancient Israel to put the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of the home came but once - Ex. 12:7
    3. Esau's birthright came but once to him - Heb. 12:14; Gen. 25:30-33
C. HERE IS A GREAT LESSON FOR US TODAY
  1. We are a very busy people:
    1. Our ever increasing problems to make a living and keep up with the Jones' keep us very busy.
    2. Daniel speaks of our times in terms of running to and fro - Dan. 12:4
  2. And yet, ours is more than making a living; we have a job to do, a work to finish:
    1. We are duty bound, under God, to share our faith with others.
    2. This is the great day of carrying the message to the ends of the world - Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:18-20
    3. The fields are ripe for harvest; and the Lord is looking to us to do our part in this great harvest of souls - John 4:34-36; 9:4-8
  3. Only eternity will reveal the harm done through neglecting to make use of the golden opportunities that come our way but once in a lifetime:
    1. Ahab was sorry afterward, but that did him no good.
    2. The five foolish virgins were so sorry afterward, but that gave them no oil for their lamps.
    3. We ought to pray daily for wisdom to know how to use every opportunity to the glory of God and for the advancement of the cause of truth.
  4. What a sad acknowledgement it was on the part of Ahab to say, "And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone."
    1. But how much more sorrowful will we be to discover that we have had golden opportunities to prepare for God's kingdom, but did not use them.
    2. Or when we learn that we had a chance to help a soul into the kingdom of God, and failed.


Design © John Bryant 2011