WHAT WOULD I BE WILLING TO GIVE IF?

SCRIPTURE THAT INSPIRED THIS THOUGHT:
AMOS 4:6-13
FOR, LO, HE THAT FORMETH THE MOUNTAINS, AND CREATETH THE
WIND, AND DECLARETH UNTO MAN WHAT IS HIS THOUGHT, THAT MAKETH
THE MORNING DARKNESS, AND TREADETH UPON THE HIGH PLACES OF
THE EARTH, THE LORD, THE GOD OF HOSTS, IS HIS NAME.

THE PHRASE: "AND DECLARETH UNTO MAN WHAT IS HIS THOUGHT"

1. GOD HAS REVEALED UNTO MAN HIS WAYS AND HIS THOUGHTS, WE
   THEREFORE HAVE NO EXCUSE.

   A. GOD HAS REVEALED HIMSELF THROUGH:
      1. NATURE
      2. PROPHETS OF OLD
      3. THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
      4. THROUGH THE APOSTLES
      5. AND THROUGH HIS PRECIOUS WORD

   B. THERE IS NO GREATER WISDOM ANYWHERE THAT WHAT I AM
      SHARING WITH YOU NOW.  THIS WISDOM IS NOT FROM ME BUT
      FROM GOD.

      1. BUT SUSPOSING THAT I WERE THE ONLY ONE THAT HAD THIS
         WISDOM:  WHY I WOULD BE A BILLIONAIRE OVER NIGHT.  I
         COULD SELL THE WAY TO ETERNAL PRICE FOR WHATEVER THE
         ASKING.  I COULD CHARGE YOU WHATEVER I THOUGHT YOU
         WERE ABLE TO PAY.

2. BUT, WHAT IF GOD HAD NOT REVEALED TO US HIS WAYS AND
   THOUGHTS?  WHAT IF WE HAD NEVER HEARD THESE BEAUTIFUL
   WORDS: "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE?"
   "IAM THE BREAD OF LIFE."  "ALL THAT COMETH TO ME I WILL IN
   NO WISE CAST OUT."
3. WHICH BRINGS UP THE QUESTION?  "WHAT WOULD WE BE WILLING
   TO PAY TO HEAR THOSE PRECIOUS WORDS?

4. ILLUSTRATIONS:

   A.  THE RICH YOUNG RULER CAME TO JESUS AND ASKED, "WHAT
       MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?"  JESUS REPLIED: "SELL ALL THAT
       YOU HAVE AND GIVE TO THE POOR."  IT WAS AS IF JESUS
       ASKED HIM, "WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE FOR THIS
       KNOWLEDGE."

   B.  THE WIDOW WHICH GAVE TWO MITES.  SHE GAVE ALL

   C.  THE RICH MAN WHO DIED AND WENT TO HELL.  IF IT COULD
       HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE, WHAT DO YOU THINK HE WOULD HAVE
       GIVEN TO ESCAPE THE ETERNAL AGONIES OF HELL?

   D.  SUPPOSING THAT WE HERE ON EARTH HAD NEVER HEARD ABOUT
       GOD OR WHAT JESUS CHRIST HAS DONE ON THE CROSS.
       SUSPOSING THAT IT HAD BEEN HID FROM US AND ALL WE KNEW
       WAS THE WICKNESS OF THIS WORLD AND A ETERNAL DEATH IN
       HELL?  SUPPOSING THAT SOMEONE DISCOVERED THIS SECRET
       OF ETERNAL LIFE:  SUPPOSING THIS PERSON BEGAN TO SELL
       ETERNAL LIFE; THE QUESTION NOW IS WHAT WOULD I BE
       WILLING TO GIVE FOR THIS KNOWLEDGE THAT WOULD LEAD TO
       ETERNAL LIFE?

   E.  SUSPOSING THAT WE HAD CANCER AND THE DIAGNOSIS WAS
       TERMINAL.  SUSPOSING THAT SOME RESEARCH SCIENTIST
       DISCOVERED A CURE FOR CANCER.  ALL THIS SCIENTIST HAD
       TO DO WAS GIVE YOU ONE SHOT OF THIS MIRACULOUS
       MEDICINE AND YOU WOULD BE TOTALLY HEALED.  WHAT WOULD
       YOU GIVE FOR THIS ONE INJECTION?  WHAT WOULD YOU BE
       WILLING TO GIVE?

       1.  PEOPLE WOULD BE LINED UP CARRYING ALL THEIR
           VALUABLE POSSESSIONS WITH THEM.  THEIR DIAMONDS
           AND RUBIES, AND MONEY, AND JEWELS, AND STOCKS AND
           BONDS, AND THE TITLES TO THEIR HOUSES AND
           FURNITURE AND CARS AND BUSINESSES.  ALL
           POSSESSIONS FOR JUST ONE INJECTION FOR THIS
           PRECIOUS LIFE.

       2.  WHICH BRINGS US BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION,
           "WHAT WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO GIVE FOR ETERNAL
           LIFE?"

       3.  WOULD WE BE WILLING TO SELL ALL THAT WE POSSESS
           AND GIVE TO THE POOR, AS JESUS SHARED WITH THE
           RICH YOUNG RULER?

       4.  WOULD WE BE WILLING TO GIVE ALL THAT WE
           POSSESSED AS THE WIDOW DID IN GIVING OF THE TWO
           MITES?.