TOPIC:"Something Wonderful Can Happen to You"
by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap
TEXT:John 1:9-13
"Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become the children of God" John 1:12, NIV)
Someone has called winning the mega lottery jackpot the American dream. I doubt that very much, but I shall never find out because I don't participate in it. And I might add the law of averages tell us that not any one of us stands much of a chance of winning it.
But what about some who do win? Have you ever wondered what has happened to those winners? Let me give you two examples of winners who came to realize that such an experience was not so pleasant and wonderful.
Evelyn Adams, who twice won the New Jersey lottery, declared: "Winning the lottery isn't always what it's cracked up to be...I won the American dream, but I lost it, too. It was a very hard fall. It's called 'rock bottom.' Everyone wanted my money. Everyone had their hand out." Today the money is gone and Evelyn lives in a trailer.
William "Bud" Post, who won the Pennsylvania lottery, declared: "I wish it never happened. It was totally a nightmare." He eventually declared bankruptcy and today lives quietly on food stamps and a $450.00 Social Security check.
And to anyone here today who believes they have a good chance of winning give attention to the special message Ronald Crump, recent winner of the Texas lottery, gave to everyone who didn't have his winning numbers: "To all the millions who bought tickets and didn't win, I thank you very much." He seems to be scoffingly implying: "To all you suckers out there."
But on the other hand, let me tell you something exciting and wonderful that can happen to you today. It is the greatest transaction that can happen to any human being. It is becoming a child of the living God. I know this experience has already taken place in many of your lives, so what I ask of you is to pray for me while I share with others this wonderful experience of personally knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.
I.
First of all, this wonderful event involves a CONTRAST. Notice the words of the Apostle John in our text: "the children of God." John was fond of those words as he declared later in his writings: "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!...now we are children of God" (I John 3:1, 2).
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