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Village SDA Church

Ron Kelly

The Little Book, the Blank Book, and the Final Chapter

And may we learn to trust Jesus more day by day.

I want to welcome you on this beautiful July morning to church.

And let's not miscalibrate the pleasure, the privilege, and the opportunity to be here.

And for those watching online, we welcome you as well.

May God guide and direct wherever you're at, and may His Spirit bless us this morning.

Father, we're here in your house and for those that are in their own homes this morning, all seeking the same blessing.

A word from You to edify, to exhort, to comfort, to lead us on this journey to going home, to helping us, Lord, discern Your voice, see Your providential indications.

So this morning, Lord, I'm praying, may Your Spirit anoint us all, and may we come away from this time blessed.

We humble ourselves before You, in Jesus' name, amen.

During this time of year, many try to take a few moments and get away and experience a rhythm of refreshment.

And this morning, I wanna talk with you about some of the habits from the Kelly family when we break away from the regular routines of life.

Now, it's very important that we do this, and I'll tell you, in an age of increasing superficiality, it's important that you find a real connection with God as you're breaking away.

In other words, seek God in the quiet of both His created world and be still and know God in His Word, because the journey is about knowing Jesus.

And this morning, I've entitled my message The Little Book, The Blank Book, and the Final Chapter.

So as I've thought about books, I had to think about the most important books in my life.

I'm holding the oldest book that was ever given to me, and it's a copy of a Bible that many of you probably received as well when you were children.

This Bible came to me from my dear grandmother.

It was received when I was 10 years old, almost, from grandmother, February 16, 1974.

And this little book represents the first memory of any book given specifically to me.

Oh, I shared some books with my siblings, and those were family books.

But this book is the oldest book I have that was given to me.

Grandma's gone, but her prayers long since answered.

I'm here before you this morning sharing the word of God.

Now, probably the next most important book in my life is a book that you can still get used.

You won't find it new unless you find it, well, you might find a few copies unsold in some places, but this is a book entitled God's Minutes.

It was published by Southern Publishing Association, which no longer is operating, but it was reprinted.

And this book was the book out of which my earliest chapters in devotional life were tutored by my teacher because he read this book every morning at church school to us.

And I still think of the stories in it, the house with the golden windows, the story of a poor boy that would sit every night looking across the valley and see that house with the golden windows.

And oh, how he wished he could live in that house.

And then 1 day, he had a chance to make a trip across the valley.

And when he got there, he discovered it was an old broken-down house with windows that actually had holes in them.

But it was the end of the day and as he turned around, looked back across the valley, he saw his own house.

The sun setting had illuminated the windows of his home as well.

When I look at other books that have affected me through my life distinctly.

The best devotional books, well 1 of the best ones if they're not written by the pen of inspiration, are the books written for the juniors.

And if you can get your hands on these 3 devotional books, you'll have true gold.

Osmussen, entitled, With God You Win, fantastic stories of God's missionaries and God's people.

And then this is another older 1 by Dorothy Eaton Watts, Stepping Stones, and fantastic stories of great men and women who served God.

And then, of course, the classic of all time, the 1 nobody wants to be without is Eric B.

As a matter of fact, they will inspire you.

And of course, I have some other books that are favorites.

I have 1 that would be a little bit unassuming, not too terribly prestigious.

It's entitled The Speaker's Sourcebook No.

It's a cheap paperback, but the compilation of quotes and stories is really wonderful.

And then I have probably the biggest book in my library is this 1 here, which is a compendium a source book with 3, 700 pages of Illustrations most of which I've never read But you know Jefferson had a large library and in his library 1 day He was asked if he had read all these books, and he said I've read some of them twice so we come down to Other books that have had a impact in my life I Love to tell stories and so at summer camp through the years, I've told probably my 2 most favorite ones.

Every kid should hear this 1 over and over again by Norma R.

Youngberg, taught by a tiger, the story of Nipah, who hates the missionaries and finds himself—well, I can't be a spoiler, can I?

But of course many of you have read it, but it's time to read it again.

And how about this 1, I Changed Gods, The story of Marie Ann Hirschman.

This book is full of living, practical transformation, interventions by God.

And then, probably 1 of the best secular books I've ever read that had an impact on me, not so much because, well, because in this book, 5 principles were enunciated that without the author knowing it, many of them simply illuminated the enhanced leadership dynamics of Christ.

I read that book realizing that these people that developed these fantastic companies actually created families with high levels of commitment and real purposeful living.

It was an interesting secular expose in the excellency of Christ.

And then I thought I should have a little book if the sermon is entitled The Little Book, The Blank Book, and the Final Chapter.

This is called Martin Luther's little instruction book.

I like quote books, so I leave these sitting around occasionally.

High-spirited ministers, he must be of a high and great spirit that undertakes to serve the people in the body and soul, for he must suffer the utmost danger and unthankfulness." Well, that's an interesting quote.

If obedience is not rendered in the homes, we shall never have a whole city, country, principality, or kingdom well governed." Sounds timely, doesn't it?

And when a man reads the Word of God, the Holy Spirit is speaking to him.

But then let's go to the most interesting book that I like to read.

Of course, the Bible is the chief of all books, but when it comes to books other than the Bible.

Now, these are my favorite books, and if I were to open it up to you, certain parts of it, you'd see that it's a blank book, But the pages are not all blank.

As a matter of fact, if you go to the front of the book, and I have several of these, you might even say many, if you go to the front of the book, you can start to see that this is a journal.

Now, nobody has a more interesting job than a preacher.

The only people that would get close would be doctors and policemen, and maybe teachers.

In my life, I deal with a variety of situations.

Very rarely is there a dull moment in my life.

And unfortunately I'm so busy I don't make nearly as many entries into this book, but when I really want to have an interesting moment, I go to the shelves where my journals are kept and I pull it down and I start reading.

I have in here quotes from the Bible, quotes from the spirit of prophecy.

I have memories of interacting with God's people.

And there are things in my life the first entry in this book is 11 years old Those are the books that are most interesting to me to read because I'm reading the chapters of my life Now I want to take you on a journey this morning, and when we're all said and done, I want you to have considered what are you writing in the chapters of the book of life about yourself?

Because I believe beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Bible is an absolutely abridged version of salvation.

What I mean is you cannot take 4, 000 years of history from creation to just pass the cross.

You can't put it between 2 cardboard or leather covers, even if you use up 11 or 1, 200 pages.

What you're getting are the highlights of people's lives.

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The Little Book, the Blank Book, and the Final Chapter

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