www.rossvillechurch.com

781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 307411August 14, 2011

Things precious and valuableThings precious and valuable

1 Samuel 3 1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the Word of the Lord was preciousprecious in those days; there was no open vision.

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What makes something precious?

It is rareIt is rare..

Greg MadduxAtlanta Braves

People say that major league baseball players make too much moneytoo much money; I don't agree.

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They have a rare talentrare talent.

Not many people can make a baseball back upbaseball back up, or turn sharply rightsharply right; not many can play ball at this levelat this level.

Greg Maddux won more gameswon more games in the 1990's than any other pitcher in baseball.

From 1988 through 2008 Greg Maddux earnedearned $153,845,000.00

Depending on the type of cardiology one practices, cardiologists earn anywhere from $418,000 to over $537,000 annually. Cardiologists diagnose and treat diseases and disorders of the heart and circulatory system.

http://healthcareers.about.com/od/compensationinformation/f/TopPayDoctors.htm

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Oncologists specialize in the treatment of cancer. Demand for oncologists is increasing rapidly; therefore a shortageshortage of oncologists is predicted. Radiation oncologists, who treat solid tumors using radiation, earn over $528,000 (annually) on average. http://healthcareers.about.com/od/compensationinformation/f/TopPayDoctors.htm

People smart enoughsmart enough to become cardiologists or oncologists are rarerare, and therefore valuablevaluable.

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But they are not as rarenot as rare, and therefore not as not as valuablevaluable as people with talent to playtalent to play

major league baseball.

There are only 750 major league750 major league baseball players.

Bibles are no longerno longer rare.

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The Word of God is still preciousstill precious.

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Very few people actually study the Biblestudy the Bible to

know God's Willknow God's Will for their lives and do itdo it.

Those who do, are blessedblessed beyond measure.

BetterBetter than $153,845,000 than $153,845,000

A Bible not prayerfully studiednot prayerfully studied is the Word of God not heardnot heard.

The devil doesn't care how manyhow many Bibles there are.

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But when someone begins to rightly dividerightly divide the Word of God, learninglearning to live life God's Way --

When someone actually livesactually lives by the Command-ments, principles, and Wisdom of the Bible --

Proverbs 30 5 Every Word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.

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We put our trustput our trust in God, as we live accordinglive according to His His everyevery Word Word.

Luke 4 4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by everyevery Word of God.

During this time in the history of Israel, God had seldom spokenseldom spoken directly to anyone.

We are at the end of the time of the JudgesJudges.

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Judges 17 6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did every man did that which wasthat which was right in right in his own eyeshis own eyes.

There are few things worseworse than people setting their ownown standard to live by.

Doing rightDoing right becomes becomes rarerare and and preciousprecious..

1 Samuel 3 (NIV) 1 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the Word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

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God will always speakspeak to those whowho love and fear Him.

We need more preacherspreachers and teacherteachers

who are willing and determined to speak

God's TruthGod's Truth.

No CompromiseNo Compromise!!

And we need people with ears to hearears to hear God's Truth.

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Proverbs 8:32 (KJV) 32 Now therefore hearkenhearken unto Me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep My Ways.

HearkenHearken = to hear intelligently, giving full attention, and with the

will to obey.

And we need men and women with a vision.

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Proverbs 29:18 (NIV) Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.

We don't need a man's visionman's vision, but rather we need God's VisionGod's Vision revealed unto men.

Too fewToo few Christians give their full attentionfull attention to anything.

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Focus on the Focus on the importantimportant..

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So often the devil is able to distractdistract us from the important (the precious; rare) things in life

By showing us the urgenturgent things.

Get up earlier!

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Plan for troubles and save some money.

There's nothing wrong with any of these things, as long as they don't keep us from God's Best.

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But don't push the things of God to a back burnerback burner, or use Goduse God like a spare tire.

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Matthew 6 33 But seek ye firstfirst the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.