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WEIGHED AND FOUND WANTING April 7, 2005 Daniel 5: 25- 28INTRODUCTION: 1- What a message to come from God to anyone! 2- Just suppose tonight on the wall of your bedroom these same words were inscribed! 3- If God said tonight your days are over; tonight you must die; “Are you ready”? 4- Are you prepared? 5- O’ You don’t scare me preacher! 6- I don’t think folks ought to be sacred into religion! But if it works! Hello! 7- Some folks are scared of nothing. No Fear! But the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Pr. 9: 10 1- A man who does not fear God is not wise! 2- Fear may not be the highest motive for coming to Christ. 3- But it sure is a good sensible motive! By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Heb. 11: 7 1- How many of you know that it’s better to be scared and repent; than meet God in your sins? For it’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Heb. 10: 31
THE QUESTION TODAY IS IF YOU WERE WEIGHED TODAY; HOW MUCH WOULD YOU WEIGH? 2- Notice how Belshazzar was weighed! 3- He wasn’t weighed in the balances of his friend’s reputation or his own reputation. 4- He wasn’t even weighed in the balances of the gods of Babylon. 5- He was weighed in the balances of God! 6- The righteous judge; the God of Heaven; and he weren’t big enough to balance the scales.
LET ME GIVE US SOME IDEA OF A SCALE: 1- On a suspended bar are two pans on either end. 2- On one end you place the weight; on the other you place what is being weighed. 3- When the bar is perfectly level; it is balanced. 4- If either end is heavier; the other is found wanting.
LETS REACH UP AND PULL DOWN A SET OF GOD’S BALANCES: 1- But first; “How many of you know there’s no mercy with balances”? 2- Only Justice comes with balancing the scale.
BUT THAT’S ALL I WANT IS JUSTICE! 1- No, No, No, what you want is “Mercy”, not justice! Amen? 2- Preacher all I ask is to be treated right! Just give me what I deserve! 3- No, No, No what you need is “MERCY”. 4- If any of us got what we deserved today; it would be the lake of fire! 5- We all need the Mercy of Almighty God!
IF WE STEP UP ONTO THE SCALES, HOW DOES GOD WEIGH A MAN? 1- God one day will measure a man by His very own standard of Holiness, righteousness and perfection. 2- But Preacher, I could never measure up! 3- Beloved; that’s exactly why none of us want justice; we only want Mercy. 4- Step up on God’s scales and we must be just good as God. 5- No flaws, no sins, no mistakes and no weaknesses. 6- God may very well measure a man by the standard of His Law; 7- God’s law is an expression of His very nature SO, ONTO THE SCALES WE’LL JUST USE THE 10 COMMANDMENTS: 1- I believe everyone here today wants his or her scale to balance with God! 2- But food for thought is this! 3- The very first Commandment is: Thou shalt have no other Gods before me! 1- That’s why we need mercy and not justice. 2- Jesus said in Matthew 22: 37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. 1- Question: “Has there ever been one second that you didn’t love God above all else? 2- Friends this is why the need for His Mercy is so great today! THOU SHALT NOT MAKE UNTO THEE ANY GRAVEN IMAGES: 1- In this day in which we live; there’s been an awful lot of name changing. 2- You know; How about the Used Cars, now they’re called Pre-Owned, it sounds better. 3- Gay, used to mean a person was happy! 4- That’s the way with man’s gods today. 5- The Greeks worshipped; Bacchus; the god of wine. 6- Today, Well, I’ll let you name yours; but some could start with Bud & Coors. 7- The Greeks worshipped Plutus; the god of riches and wealth; 8- Folks are still doing the same today just another name. 9- How about their Venus; the goddess of beauty, sex and passion? 10-You’ll find those sexual beauties hanging on thousands of dormitory walls. 11-Young men bow down to them, Lust and sex they worship her. 12-Men haven’t changed; Their gods haven’t changed! Their names have been changed. 13-Every man has a god; will yours be the Almighty God of Heaven. 14-What we need is Mercy! Amen?
THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN: 1- Have you noticed, folks ever so ready to justify their habits? 2- I live clean, pay my bills treat my fellow man OK, and just cuss a little bit now and then. 3- Just fly off the handle once in a while. 4- You may as well go out and murder someone. 5- Now wait preacher, that’s enough! 6- Beloved the same God that said thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain. 7- Said “Thou shalt not kill”; the two are only six commandments apart. 8- Are you weighing OK? 9- Are you getting closer to wanting His Mercy?
WE’LL NOT HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH ALL THE COMMANDMENTS; 1- The one that deals with “Thou shalt not kill” deals with more than just murder. 2- There’s more than one way to murder a man! 3- There’s more than taking a revolver and blowing someone away. 4- Old Sam Jones said about a woman in Georgia; 5- She had a tongue so long she could sit in the living room and lick a skillet clean in the kitchen. 6- With an old gossiping tongue you can destroy a man’s reputation, kill his influence and render him fruitless! 7- Husbands kill their wives with indifference; neglect etc. 8- Wives do the same! 9- Children kill the Moms and Dads with a wayward, reckless lifestyle. 10-How are you doing; Need mercy yet?
THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY: 1- One must realize Jesus’ saying about the matter! But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Mt. 5: 28 1- I’ve been faithful to my wife! OK, but how have you been looking? 2- Jesus said that lust is adultery in the heart 3- God knows every thought that goes through the brain; 4- He knows every wicked imagination of your heart. 5- Some of which if your husband or wife knew about, they’d divorce you! 6- God already knows it all! HOW ARE YOU WEIGHING RIGHT ABOUT NOW? 1- Men usually get the blame for lusting! 2- But some of the blame goes to some of the women! Amen? 3- That same fallen nature that drives a man to lust drives some women to be lusted after. 4- There have always been men who think themselves to be God’s gift to women. 5- Women who strut in public places that parade their bodies immodestly clad. 6- Knowing very well what they’re doing; desiring to be lusted after. 7- Beloved; these simply have a harlot’s heart. 8- Now! Are you in need of Mercy; How are we weighing on the scales of mercy? DID NOT JESUS SAY? On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Mt. 22: 37- 40 1- Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 2- And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. DO YOU THINK AS MUCH OF YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU DO YOURSELF? 1- Does their life and happiness mean as much to you as your own? 2- Can you see how far short of measuring up we all come; How do we weigh? 3- You simply can’t balance the scales! 4- I knew that all along; I spent all this time trying to convince you! 5- The Bible has already told us, we’re too light. 6- For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God! Rm. 3: 23 7- And that beloved; includes both you and me.
WHO THEN CAN BALANCE THE SCALES? 1- What can a man do? Is it a hopeless case? 2- Will joining the church do it; “NO”. 3- I’ll reform and stop sinning! What about the sins already on the books? 4- Justice demands back payment! Your past sins are held against you! 5- I’ll do good works! Your righteousness are as filthy rags. Isa. 64: 6 6- Then what can I do? “Let me trade places with you for a moment!
THERE’S NO NEED OF ME CLAIMING I’VE NEVER SINNED: 1- I’m guilty, I’ve broken the law, and I’ve fallen short of the glory of God! 2- I’m too light on the scales; I’m found wanting. 3- Beloved; there’s only one who has never broken the law. His name is Jesus. 4- He kept it to the letter; the law can’t condemn Him; God can’t condemn Him; 5- Man can find no fault in Him! 6- He met all the demands of God all in our behalf. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. Mt. 10: 32 GET THIS IF YOU’VE MISSED ALL ELSE: 1- I’ve taken a stand for Him in this world. 2- And when I’m weighed at the judgment bar of God. 3- He’ll climb onto “MY” end of the balances; 4- And with Jesus standing with me; those balances will hang level! 5- Beloved; Holding to His unchanging hand, We’re going to the City of God!
SIMPLY PUT: 1- If He’s standing with you in the balances, you’ll go to heaven. 2- And if you’re standing before Him alone; you’ll be lost forever! 3- How are you measuring up now?
NOW BELSHAZZAR: 1- That night, Daniel was rewarded for the interpretation. 2- The Party is on; but overthrown by the Medes and Persians; 3- They changed the course of the river; and came under the walls in the riverbed. 4- Belshazzar lost his life that night pinned to the wall and beheaded. 5- And they marched through the streets of the city of Babylon with his head on a sword. 6- And in that night was Belshazzar slain! 7- If you were weighed right now! 8- How would you measure up; how would you weigh; “Would Jesus balance your scale”? 9- Or would you be “Weighed in the Balances and found Wanting”? 10-God help us everyone to get ready and stay ready! Amen?
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