Proverbs 14:4 gives us some special insight in a unique way. It is says “Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.” Its' message is simple. If you are going to have an ox, it is going to make a mess, but the ox will help you do many good things. The message may be simple but the profound wisdom it in goes far beyond the barn. Many times I hear an idea or work proposed in the church, but before it can even get off the ground, it is stopped by those that can only see the “mess” it will create. We need to balance this with what the idea will be able to do. If the work is productive enough, it may be worth putting up with the “mess” it creates. The wisdom in this proverb tells us to look at both sides of the idea before we dismiss it.
In Acts 20, there is the tragicomic event surrounding a young man by the name of Eutychus. He did what a lot of folks before and after him did, he fell asleep during a sermon. Unfortunately, he was setting in in the third story window at the time. So instead of nodding off and hitting the pew in front of him, he fell to his death. The good news was the apostle Paul was delivering the sermon and had the ability to bring him back. I don’t know, however, if we can judge Eutychus too harshly. The sermon had gone on till midnight. Paul wouldn’t finish it up till daybreak. That’s a long lesson. I know some folks that might want to jump out of a window if I had a lesson that long, yet these Christians wanted to be there to hear Paul. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pushing for all night sermons but I think we might need to adopt these folks' dedication. They knew that Paul was only in town for a limited time only and they were determined to ...
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