THE SNEEZE THAT SURELY CAUSED A SHOUT!
OUR TEXT:
The child sneezed seven times. - 2 Kings 4:34.
THERE ARE MANY THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS STORY
***** THE UNCERTAINTY OF LIFE
****
Even though this child was a gift of providence,
****
he was not exempt from the perils of this life.
*** It appears that he died of a sun stroke.
** The sun is a gift from God,
** even good things to excess can be damaging.
*** Ordinary days can meet with extraordinary trials.
** No one realized at breakfast
what the day would bring.
***** WE SEE HERE THE EXASPERATION OF GRIEF
*** Those things in life that bring us the most joy
*** bring the most tears when they appear to be gone.
** That is why we should express our affection daily.
When was the lad last hugged?
***** AH! WE SEE THE VALUE EVEN
OF A DEAD LAD
TO THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.
*** EVEN THOUGH THE LOST ARE DEAD IN TRESPASSES
*** & SINS, THEY HAVE VALUE TO A LOVING GOD.
** ill. - Picture a new crisp $20.00 bill
** now picture a dirty, torn $20.00 bill SAME VALUE
* - Dirty Kid; Clean Kid
* wicked sinner -
***** THE VALUE REMAINS THE SAME
**** GOD LOVES YOU REGARDLESS
*** Self-righteous people want us to turn away from sinners
*** Jesus turned toward them.
He was the friend of sinners.
***** THERE IS A LESSON IN THIS STORY
***** OF GOD'S STRANGE WORKINGS
**** Look at what a strange thing the prophet did.
*** Perhaps if we would have the intensity of Elisha
*** we could see more of the miraculous power
*** of God in resurrecting sinners
*** dead in trespasses & sins
****
It was as if he laid down his life for the lad.
*** it appeared to be a form of resuscitation,
*** as if life was breathed into the dead
** perhaps not unlike the creation of Adam
****
It was as if he shared his life with the lad.
**
This is what we want to do with those
**
dead in treaspasses and sins,
**
We want to share with them
**
the life we have found in Christ.
** Perhaps
ultimately this pictures
what Christ did for us.
* He
breathed in our death,
* &
breathed out his life into us.
***** NOTE THE SIMPLICITY OF THE SIGNS OF LIFE ,
****
LET'S CONSIDER NOW
****
THE SNEEZE THAT SURELY CAUSED A SHOUT.
** Nothing
simpler than a sneeze;
** even
a baby can do it.
** It's
an involuntary action;
** nothing
artificial or phony about it.
** Sneezes
are different, yet alike.
* think of different sneezes
* loud, explosive, rocks the
house
* reserved, contained, hardly
released
* but none-the-less a sign of life.
* dead people don't sneeze.
***** NOTHING MORE WAS NEEDED -- HE'S ALIVE!
****
He didn't have to answer a series of questions
to prove he was alive.
*** JUST A SNEEZE
** What an inarticulate, uninstructed
proclamation of life,
** but a proclamation none-the-less.
***** WHAT JOY MUST HAVE BURST FORTH WITH THAT FIRST SNEEZE
****
HOW THAT JOY MUST HAVE INTENSIFIED
****
TO A CRESCENDO TO THAT SEVENTH SNEEZE.
**
as they celebrated life.
***** NOW, THINK WITH ME ABOUT THE SIGNS
OF LIFE
***** IN THOSE NEWLY RAISED FROM THE SPIRITUALLY
DEAD.
****
LIKE THE SNEEZE, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ANYTHING
****
PHENOMENAL TO BRING REJOICING
*** We rejoice at the slightest evidence of life.
watch parents & grandparents
giggle with glee
at the slightest burp
***** IT IS ABOUT LIFE
AND AFFECTION
FOR THE BURPER ... OR SNEEZER
WHAT A JOY TO EMBRACE THE SNEEZER.
NOTE THE WORDS OF ELISHA --
___________________ - "take up thy son"
thy sneezing son.
what a joy to take the child
up in arms
& parade him around
to the point
of embarrassment.
***** BUT THAT IS NOT THE ONLY REASON FOR
TAKING HIM UP
to parade him around
TAKE HIM UP TO NURTURE HIM.
HE'LL NEED SOMETHING TO EAT.
The dead have no appetite.
***** BY THE WAY, THE SNEEZING WAS NO GREAT
DELIGHT
TO THE ONE WITH NEW LIFE
THE SUDDEN EXUBERANT EXPLOSION
OF PROCLAMATION OF LIFE
may have even surprised the sneezer
***** THE PROCLAMATION OF NEW LIFE
can burst forth as unexpectedly as a sneeze
& may even be an unpleasant experience
OR SOMETIMES YOU FEEL IT BUILDING UP
so it is with our proclamation of life
YOU MAY ACTUALLY TRY TO HOLD IT IN
like a sneeze.
***** LIKE THE SNEEZE, EACH PROCLAMATION
OF NEW LIFE
***** IS DIFFERENT, YET THE SAME.
as in the natural, some things
surely mark the presence of life
so in the spiritual, some things
surely mark the presence of life
There are things that accompany salvation.
Heb.6:9
. . .beloved, we are persuaded better things of you,
and things that accompany salvation, . . .
***** SNEEZING SEEMS TO ACCOMPANY LIVING (in the natural)
LIKE THE LAD,
WE MIGHT PRAY TO BE EXCUSED FROM SNEEZING.
THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT ACCOMPANY SALVATION
THAT THE NEWLY SAVED SEEK TO AVOID.
****
The newly regenerate may not
find themselves always rejoicing
****
as they experience the struggles
that life brings.
TRUE FOR BABES IN THE NATURAL
they do not enter the world
without pain;
life is painful.
ill. - I have read that when a person
nearly drowns, & is resuscitated,
the first flowing of blood through
the veins is tingling & painful.
***** THE DEAD HAVE NO SENSATIONS;
THEY SNEEZE NOT. (no allergies)
no allergy prescriptions
are delivered to the cemetery.
PERHAPS, in the natural,
WE SHOULD SHOUT AT EVERY SNEEZE.
WHAT IS TRUE FOR BABIES IN THE NATURAL
IS TRUE FOR BABIES IN THE SPIRITUAL
some of the experiences of new life
can be painful
***** SNEEZERS NEED LOVE, SUPPORT, & CARE.
THE CHURCH IS METAPHORICALLY A
SNEEZER'S SUPPORT GROUP,
***** LET US REJOICE AT THE SNEEZES of those
experiencing new life -
****
LET ANY SIGNS OF LIFE BRING SHOUTS OF PRAISE
FROM THOSE WHO ARE ALIVE.
***** SOMEONE MAY HAVE TO WIPE THEIR NOSE,
& ENCOURAGE THEM IN THEIR NEW LIFE.
SOMEONE TAKE THEM IN ARMS;
& LOVE THEM.
***** LET US ALWAYS REMEMBER
TO CELEBRATE EVEN THE SLIGHTEST SNEEZE.
EVEN THE SLIGHTEST EVIDENCE OF LIFE.
***** LET ME SOUND A NOTE OF WARNING TO
THE CHURCH
****
THE CHILD SNEEZED SEVEN TIMES.
** Sneezing
can become monotonous.
BE CAREFUL lest the same sounds
that once rejoiced the heart
do not begin to be wearisome.
***** THE TESTIMONIES OF LIFE CAN BE REPETITIOUS
EVEN MOTONONOMOUS
SURELY THIS CHILD WILL NOW
DO MORE THAN SNEEZE.
WE REJOICE CHEERFULLY WHEN A YOUNG ONE
BANGS GLEEFULLY ON THE PIANO,
but, at some point, let us learn the scales,
LET US MAKE MUSIC.
THERE IS MORE TO LIFE THAN SNEEZING.
expand your repertoire.
WE ENJOYED YOUR SNEEZE,
now let's do something more.
***** HOWEVER, IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS,
***** WE WILL TAKE A SNEEZE ... IF NOTHING
MORE
****
I've seen some, I'd have rejoiced at a hiccup
****
Even an occasional attendance at worship
****
We just want to know that you are alive.
****
For heaven's sake, do something.
***** WE HOPE YOU WILL DO MORE THAN LESS,
BUT DO SOMETHING.
It is sad that all some families
have at a funeral to testify
that there ever was life
(in their loved one)
is something like
Well, He SNEEZED once
He did make a profession
THANK GOD FOR THAT.
***** FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER SNEEZED
***** BECAUSE
THERE IS NO LIFE IN YOU,
why not come into contact
with Christ today,
as this lad came into contact with the prophet,
& at least sneeze to let us know you are alive.
***** WE HOPE YOU WILL DO MORE, BUT AT LEAST
DO THAT
***** SO
OTHERS CAN REJOICE.
****
At least come for baptism
****
At least make a public profession of faith.
** Let's start with a sneeze
** and go from there.
****************************************************************
The preceeding is a sermon written by
Ben Shepherd
Copyright 1999 Ben Shepherd
Permission is freely granted to those who minister
to use in public proclamation
without stating attribution. All other rights reserved.
Written and edited after reading & rereading from the sermon(s) cited below by C.H. Spurgeon.
Some of the words, thoughts and ideas were inspired
by Spurgeon's sermons, which are in the public domain.
Written and edited after reading & rereading
a sermon
by C.H. Spurgeon - 162 -THE SEVEN SNEEZES.
Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 25, NO.
1461A
WRITTEN AT MENTONE, BY C. H. SPURGEON,
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