TAKING INVENTORY
INTRODUCTION
In every business that renders a service to the general pubic, or provides a serviceable commodity, They must at some point in the year pause and take inventory
To determine the stock on hand, availability of what will be needed, and to determine any possible future needs. Inventory allows a company to make preparation to meet them.
Today we will determine to take inventory. Also I would note that many companies use only a skeletal crew to accomplish this task. Not all the employees are generally used for the taking of inventory. Usually a skeletal crew is adequate.
We have excellent quality of people to take inventory here today.
I believe this will be profitable personally to every person assembled
here today.
INTENTIONS
I entered the year last year with many intentions. Some call these intentions resolutions.
Well what became of these intentions and resolutions?
What did you want this year to be like. Each day takes us closer to another year, and they come so rapidly.
Did you carry your resolutions into resolve. Do you find yourself better than you were a year ago?
Being human sometimes its difficult to carry through with our good intentions.
We all have the good intentions and it is no sin to be human.
We do allow negative forces to enter in and thus hinder our spiritual progress and development.
This is especially true when it come to good intentions, when it comes to various resolutions to better ourselves and improve out life.
Somehow or other we allow things to become strained and our plans for go awry.
Very seldom do we arrive at where we wanted to be in a pre-determined goal.
While there are many negative influences and when your intention is to do that which is good, there is also the power of Satan to be reckoned with.
Also there is the simple negative circumstances that is characteristic of a fallen world.
You have noticed there is a force working against your best interests and at variance to what you want and need.
The world and nature of this creation in the fallen state. Nothing really goes for a long period of time as I desire. Very few things are set or arranged in the natural realm to promote my best interests.
Satan is the God of this world.
II Corinthians 4:4 In whom the
god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine unto them.
Prince of the power of the air.
Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according
to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children
of disobedience:
His influence is everywhere. At every turn of the way we see the negative conditions which prevail because people will not turn to him which can bind Satan.
Satan is not helpless but he is bound.
REVELATION 20:2 And he laid hold on the
dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound
him a thousand years,
You could use a leash on a dog that binds him 12 feet in any direction.
You stay 13 feet from the stake you are all right. You get 12 feet or closer and you have a tremendous problem.
The only power on earth that can bind and restrain Satan is the power of the gospel today.
The word of God in the heart brings me out of the negative influences of a element of humanity that rebels against God.
I then go into a relationship where I have harmony and peace with God.
I surrender my will to God and then enter a relationship which promotes my best interests.
Invariably however I being clothed in this flesh and dwelling in a material
world. I make my resolutions and my good
intentions and then allow so many things to get in the way.
Possibly just a word about the planning of the culmination of such resolve will be of benefit to us.
We generally go about things in a negative way.
I am sure you know about people going on a diet. I hear this all the time. People go on a diet on Monday. More diets are started on Monday than any other day.
I realize during the holidays we resolve to go on a diet after we eat all we want.
If we say beginning today I will not eat sweets, dessert, or my favorites.
What is happening is the old habitual self, my gluttonous appetite is laughing. The winner will be the flesh.
One person said he has lost 1,000 pounds. You say that's impossible. Yes, he lost it 10 pounds at a time, then gains it back with 2 more ,over, and over again. Even our metabolism begins to work against us being disrupted.
What does all this have to do with this lesson? Well, it has everything to do so far as the planning is concerned.
The accomplishment and achievement of our goals is what we are discussing.
We are in a struggle over achieving our goals
and keeping our resolutions.
What about your intentions to serve the Lord.
Did you resolve only in a nebulas abstract way or did you get concrete
and specific. Did you spell out and make a direct
decision that will be accomplished and fulfilled.
Whether small are great we must be specific. We must work daily and on a weekly and monthly basis to accomplish that which we have resolved and made as a good intention.
We must start working at this today.
If we are going to accomplish our resolution. If our goal is not worked at today then forget it it won't work.
You can't carry through or fulfill what we have set unless we work at it daily because we are not really that interested. We are not meaning it.
Roman 12:11 in diligence not slothful, fervent in spirit serving the lord.
That is the only way anything is accomplished. Go to work on it now.
Is it really worthwhile? You think of what could be the case in the end of a year if each one of us did just a very, very simple thing. Maybe just a least of the Lord's expectations of each of us. Just convert one soul for Christ in one year.
You say I can't do that. Your right, absolutely right, and in
1 year you will still be saying this.
I Can't do that 1 year later you'll still say I Can't do that.
You will go to your grave saying I can't do that.
But if we will say I can by the help of the Lord I am going to convert
one soul this year for the Lord.
Then if you begin working on that starting today you will accomplish
this task.
You won't convert one person you'll convert several people to the Lord.
But preacher, not everyone is susceptible to the teachings of our Lord Yeah that's true.
You'll find that out in the course of a year, certainly you'll find that out.
But if you will talk to 50 people and just 1 person is interested look
what will happen. Also I believe that with your
choice of prospects, I don't believe the at will be the
case.
The reason we are not going convert someone is because we aren't going to even try it.
You see, we say we would like to see that done, when really we would not like to see it done at all.
Somebody says preacher, you know our hearts, you know we are good people,
and you know good in well that's
not the case.
You know brethren the Lord has some things to say about that.
I am just like you are, a human being with my limitations ,weaknesses,
and fall shorter than you do in many areas of my life.
No question about that.
But the Lord has a reed by which he measures things.
Matthew 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and
he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
There is no middle ground, we are either serving God, or we are tearing down what is being done.
The christian is positive, we are fighting a continual battle trying too serve the Lord. If not, we are scattering abroad.
Christianity is militant in every sense of the word as far as evangelism is concerned.
It is conceivable that you might labor diligently with much prayer and study throughout the year talking to people up to 1,000 persons and never convert a one. That is conceivable but highly unlikely. Very, very doubtful.
However if that is the case and not one of us converts one soul in a year after talking to a thousand people how many people would have heard about Christ.
That is the task. That is what he wants us to do. He does not require that I convert anyone, he takes care of that. What Christ requires of me is the sowing of the seed which is the word of God.
Luke 8:5 A sower went out to sow
his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden
down,
and the fowls of the air devoured it.
That is my task, but marvelously enough, you all have unique connections, relations and opportunities.
That with many fine people should spell success..
What about that, this past year or in the year to come. We would double and double and double.
That is not important numbers for numbers sake. The figures are not primary. they just simply show in a material way the accumulation or growth in number.
The important thing is that you are on fire for Christ. That in
the daily achievement of the long range goals that there is
peace, contentment, and happiness based on convictions and the knowledge,
we made an honest effort to reach those
who are uninformed
What a joyous thing would occur for our efforts. We would be more spiritually mature.
This is not difficult to do if we set our hearts mind and goal on these things.
Romans 12:11 We must be diligent and not slothful and be fervently serving the Lord.
Talk to someone you know, about the Lord. Let the love of Christ show in your life. Its amazing what can be done.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ Jesus which strengthenth me.
No, no, he is not bringing in the impossible or extraneous affairs and relationships of men.
What he is saying is, whatever the Lord wants done, whatever he requires of one who will follow in his footsteps, we have the power of the almighty to accomplish.
He is able to do exceeding abundant above all that I ask or think.
EPHESIANS 3:20 Now unto him that is able to
do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that worketh in us,
Listen to those superlatives that are there: exceeding, abundantly,
and above.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through
Christ which strengtheneth me.
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek,
and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Do not make any mistake about this. The only thing that
will cause your damnation is your unbelief.
Don't deny the Lord ,you heard him.
Ask and ye shall receive, seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.
This is for everyone, not the big "I"s" and little "U's"
not the tremendously talented people, not those with great abilities.
But people like me, everyone. Everyone that asketh
What was that? We have not, because we ask not.
If our heart is selfish and bent upon an unworthy goal the prayer is no good.
But if you pray, and ask according to faith, and the will of God, then you will succeed.
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Just think that to win a soul to christ, it is a worthy ideal.
Too think that one soul would enjoy eternity and the divine presence because a feeble and sinful creature like me.
Made up your mind that with the help of God you will not allow
human limitations to stand in your way,
but you will talk to others about their souls.
We need to ask, then he he will grant it.
Somebody says preacher I can think of a thousand and one reasons why it won't work.
No, you can't you can think of a thousand filthy excuses
like those in Luke 14:
One said I bought a field I need to go see it, you don't buy land without looking at t it its an excuse.
I bought five yokes of oxen, I must prove them That is another excuse don't buy oxen to plow unless you know they will plow.
Another said he married a wife I can't take her to a feast/
That is as bad as the Indian when asked to loan a man his rope said, I can't I gotta tie my milk up with it.
Borrower said you don't tie milk up with a rope, Indian says when you look for an excuse one is as good as another.
That's exactly right sorry excuses are all the same no-good..
What excuse does a rational human being bent upon doing the will of God committed my obedience and life to the Lord, what excuse can I offer God about not sharing the love of his son to someone else.
God says I can do it and he will do more exceedingly abundantly above all I ask or think.
God said seek and I will find.
Somebody says If I win someone to Christ he'll kill me, great you gotta die sometimes. Who is worried about that.
We need to be worried about doing the will of God, and we can do that He will help us.
The problem is in the way we set or goals and lightly esteem our resolve or pledge to God and that is a very serious thing.
We don't have to make New Years resolutions. But every christian needs to daily resolve and commit every day to serve God to the extent of your ability.
sure you have to grow, sure you'll stumble and fall short, yeah there will be set backs.
Yet when we begin sensibly by the power of God to lean on his omnipotent
arm and trust him for the fulfillment of his word, and the set our selves
to the accomplishment of this worthy ideal no way it can fail, no way it
can fail because God almighty is behind it.
LOOKING AT MY NEED
Need and not needs are under consideration at this point. I really have but one true need.
Humanity has really a single need. Especially true for humanity following the master, a singular expression.
Many things are involved in the meeting of that need.
How about your deficiency? In what area did you find a deficiency as you surveyed the past year and it recedes further and further into history and we go further and further into eternity. what will your primary needs be in the one general need of humanity?
Prayer more frequent and earnest. We are a peculiar people, one more ways than the Lord intended in Titus 2:14
TITUS 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he
might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a
peculiar people, zealous of good works.
We are peculiar in the doing of things that the lord wants us to do. Yet we feel inadequate, have you ever noticed that.
Somebody makes a physical challenge and we feel confident, but in the things we can do, and the Lord wants us to do, and realizing he backs us up with his omnipotence that is his we still feel inadequate.
A brother said I feel my weakest when I try to pray. Every human being does too.
Satan says your praying to God, Who are you, The audacity,
Praying to the perfect sinless God, remember your
filthy thoughts yesterday, You fell short, You failedl
in what God wants from you.
Shame on you Turner, Your not worthy trying to pray to God. Shame on you, Who are you to pray to the lord?
If I am not very careful I will listen to that and pray less frquently than I ought.
Its all true in one sense Yet I do know the Lord died for me and
wants to converse with me.
I must not allow the devil to convince me that I am too
weak and sinful to pray.
Yes, the Lord wants me to converse with him. He sent his son to save sinners and I believe that with all my heart.
The reason we are not praying to him enough, is that we maybe are listening too much to the devil
Yes we make mistakes, We flounder and make many mistakes. Sometimes we don't know what to pray.
I cannot adequately express my feelings, yet the Lord knows my needs.
I am not perfect, and the Lord knows that, yet he loves me.
I must remember that God alone hears. I must pray from the heart my desires and needs.
We cannot let the devil hinder us and rob us of the blessing of talking to our heavenly father..
We need to go to our closets and pray to the lord daily.
We may be on the hillside, creek bank, or anywhere, just let your mind go to God. Set your mind on God!
Tell him how weak you are, how much you love him. Apologize to him for not praying enough.
Ask the lord for help, understanding, and great love, and faith.
The Lord knows your weaknesses and limitations.
That is the person God wants to talk with. That person is you.
Let me ask you something. Did you ever hesitate to go to your earthly father when there was some real or imaginary need in your life?
Did you hesitate because he was an adult and you were a child?
He could express what you had in mind in eloquent terms. No, you went to dad because you loved and trusted him and believed he could help you.
Why don't we realize there is nobody else that loves me and knows me better than my heavenly father.
The Lord provides everything I have. Among his creatures I fail more than any other, yet I have penitent heart.
I know that I will never attain perfection, yet he wants to hear from me, I need to pray more.
We segmentilize and compartmentalize our lives and leave prayer out.
David was a man after God's own heart, but he was also a sinner. Yet he became great by the grace of God.
David committed crimes against God, adultery, murder, whatever.
David sat in his tent and cried and prayed to God.
He asked for a new heart, he prayed all the time, and God made him stand 10 feet tall.
Think about it and look at your life and make improvements that God
wants and then go to work on them.
CONCLUSION
As you take inventory in your life please resolve to become better
and not bitter. The Lord loves you and will take care of you if you
will trust and obey him. To became a Christian obey the Lord's commands.
Believe Jesus To be God's son, John 8:24
Repent of sins, Luke 13:3
Confess Christ before men, Matthew 10:32
Be baptized for the remision of sins, Acts 2:38
Live faithful unto the Lord, Revelation 2:10