Sweet and Bitter

TEXT:  Rev. 10:8-11

INTRODUCTION:

A.      REVELATION FILLED WITH SYMBOLISM.

B.      THOUGH SOME ARE HARD TO UNDERSTAND – THIS ONE IS EASY.

          1.       Eating is hearing, digesting God’s word.

          2.       Because it is from God, it is sweet to the taste.

          3.       Because of its demands and judgments, bitter in application.

C.      A LESSON WE NEED TO HAVE IN OUR HEARTS.

I.      SEEN IN THESE STORIES, ALSO.

A.      ABRAHAM AND ISAAC ( Gen. 22:1-2 ).

          1.       Abraham eager ( vs. 1 ).

          2.       God’s request seems harsh to us ( vs. 2 ).

          3.       How did Abraham feel about it? ( Gen. 12:1-3;  15:8;  17:1-8;  20:12 ).

B.      JEREMIAH AND ISRAEL ( Jer. 14:10-12;  19-22;  15:1-4 ).

          1.       The people “loved to wander” ( vs. 10 ).

          2.       Their fate one of utter despair ( vs. 12: 15:1-4 ).

          3.       Jeremiah’s love expressed in a prayer for them ( 14:19-22 ).

          4.       Jeremiah told to pray no more for them ( vs. 11 ).

C.      EZEKIAL’S WIFE ( Ez 24:15-24 ).

          1.       Ezekial warned in advance – Not said of her that she was wicked.

          2.       He loved his wife ( vs. 16 ).  “the desire of thine eyes.”

          3.       He was forbidden to morn her death ( vs. 16-17 ).

          4.       This was a sign for the people ( vs. 24 ).

D.      THOUGH GOD IS GOOD AND LOVING, HE IS ALSO SEVERE ( Rom. 11:22 ).

II.     WE ARE ALL GLAD TO HEAR FROM GOD – “GOSPEL” MEANS “GOOD NEWS”

         – THOUGH HIS WORD IS SWEET IN THE HEARING,

IT IS OFTEN BITTER IN ITS APPLICATION TODAY.

A.      AS SWEET AS GOD’S WILL IS, IT SOMETIMES REQUIRES THAT WHICH IS

CONTRARY TO OUR TASTES, OPINIONS, AND DESIRES.

          1.       2 John 9.  Instrumental music and peanut butter in the Lord’s supper.

          2.       What will God’s command to dress modestly do to our wardrobe?( 1 Tim. 2:9 ).

          3.       What about our identification with the world in our entertainment?(1 John2:15).

B.      GOD’S WILL EFFECTS OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD AND RELATIONS WITH

          RELATIVES ( Matt. 10:34ff ).

          1.       Much of what the Bible teaches may be contrary to what we were taught all our

                             lives by our parents.

          2.       What were we taught about the plan of salvation? ( Mark 16:15-16 ).

          3.       What about worship, daily lives, miracles, concepts of God.

          4.       What must we admit when we find our parents were wrong ( Matt. 15:13-14 ).

C.      DISCIPLINE IS BITTER IN APPLICATION, BUT PART OF THE SWEET WILL

          OF GOD ( 1 Cor. 5:4-6, 9-13;  2 Thess. 3:6, 14-15 ).

D.      WHAT DO THE GLAD TIDINGS SAY ABOUT DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE?

          ( Matt. 5:31-32;  Matt. 19:9, 12 ).

CONCLUSION:

A.      THERE IS GOOD REASON FOR GOD TO CALL HIS WORD “GOOD NEWS.”

B.      THOUGH SWEET IN THE MOUTH, IT IS OFTEN BITTER IN THE STOMACH.

C.      WHETHER OR NOT WE GO TO HEAVEN DEPENDS ON OUR ABILITY TO

          ACCEPT GOD’S WORD IN ALL OF ITS SWEETNESS AND BITTERNESS.