{"id":12113,"date":"2016-07-25T15:07:47","date_gmt":"2016-07-25T19:07:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=12113"},"modified":"2016-10-01T15:21:14","modified_gmt":"2016-10-01T19:21:14","slug":"what-exactly-did-horton-hear-71716","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=12113","title":{"rendered":"What Exactly Did Horton Hear? (7\/17\/16)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Dr. Seuss may have written a series of “Children’s Books,” but he usually packed a message that spoke to us too.\u00a0 In the immediate aftermath of World War 2, Dr. Seuss wrote a book called “Horton Hears a Who<\/a><\/span>” to express his personal challenge of accepting the Japanese as fellow humans instead of evil enemies.\u00a0 “A Person’s a person, no matter how small.”
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In the divided atmosphere of today, how does this speak to us now?\u00a0 How can we listen and hear the cries of others?\u00a0 The whole world is groaning; do we as His Church hear the groans?\u00a0 Are we willing to be like Isaiah who said “Here am I.\u00a0 Send me.”???\u00a0 How can we BE the answer???
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The following recording is from the 11:00 service.\u00a0 Click on the play button, then scroll down to follow along…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Sermon-2016-07-17b-What-Exactly-Did-Horton-Hear-by-Pastor-Jim-Bolton-6kbs-mono-.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

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Our scripture reading was from Romans 8:18-25.\u00a0 Open the below drop down box to follow along.\u00a0 The New Living Translation is shown…<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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Romans 8:18-25<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.<\/p>\n

19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.<\/p>\n

20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope,<\/p>\n

21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.<\/p>\n

22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.<\/p>\n

23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.<\/p>\n

24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.<\/p>\n

25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

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A Person’s a Person, No Matter How Small…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Dr. Seuss wrote the book, “Horton Hears a Who!” in 1954.\u00a0 It’s a lovable, Dr. Seuss story featuring that large, loving elephant, named Horton. The book tells the story of Horton the Elephant who…<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cOn the fifteenth of May, in the Jungle of Nool, <\/span><\/p>\n

In the heat of the day, in the cool of the pool, He was splashing\u2026enjoying the jungle\u2019s great joys\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

When Horton the elephant heard a small noise So Horton stopped splashing. He looked toward the sound, <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s funny,\u201d thought Horton. \u201cthere is no one around.\u201d Then he heard it again! Just a very faint yelp, as if some tiny person were calling for help. \u201cI\u2019ll help you,\u201d said Horton, \u201cBut who are you?\u201d \u201cWhere?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Seuss-<\/p>\n

What Horton hears is a small speck of dust talking to him. It turns out the speck of dust is actually a tiny planet, home to a city called \u2018\u2018Whoville\u2019\u2019, inhabited by microscopic-sized inhabitants known as Whos and led by a character known as the mayor. The entire world of the Whos\u2019—including Whos of all ages, with houses, streets, churches, and a grocery store—exist on a tiny speck of dust too small for the elephant to see. BUT Horton is able to hear them loud and clear, and he makes it his mission to protect his tiny, defenseless, friends.\u00a0 He was able to recognize and identify that there was a need.
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The Who\u2019s ask Horton (who, though he cannot see them, is able to hear them quite well) to protect them from harm, which Horton happily agrees to do, proclaiming throughout the book that \u2018\u2018even though you can\u2019t see or hear them at all, a person\u2019s a person, no matter how small.”<\/span><\/p>\n

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A Person’s… Made in God’s Image!<\/span><\/h3>\n

Genesis 1:26 tells us that we are made in the image of God…<\/p>\n

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Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like ourselves. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”<\/span><\/p>\n

So God created human beings in his own image.<\/span>
\nIn the image of God he created them;<\/span>
\nmale and female he created them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Genesis 1:26-28, NLT<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Are we as a nation going wrong in how we keep coming up with things that separate us?\u00a0 How many different labels and titles do people need to wear???\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/div><\/div>\n

Jesus says that we’re all one.\u00a0 We’re all in this thing together.\u00a0 We can’t keep hiding behind titles and labels.<\/p>\n

Humans are made in God’s image.\u00a0 They are valuable, but they are also fragile and need protection…<\/p>\n

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew 13:45-46<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

With much care and precision, Horton places the speck of dust that houses the entire world of the Whos, onto a clover for safekeeping.\u00a0 He was giving it the very best he could.\u00a0 He didn’t know the details about the needs; he was just doing his best to respond.\u00a0 He wasn’t even going to ask them what class they belonged to, or what party they’re from, or which side of the tracks they live on.<\/p>\n

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God’s People WILL Encounter Opposition…<\/span><\/h3>\n

It can’t be helped.\u00a0 Any time you try to do something to make the world a better place, there’s going to be criticism coming at you.\u00a0\u00a0 And, true to real life, Horton ran into opposition when he tried to protect these little “whos.”\u00a0\u00a0 In trying to protect the citizens of Whoville, Horton is ridiculed and insulted because no one else is able to hear the desperate cries of the Who\u2019s.<\/p>\n

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FRIENDS, whenever you\u2019re trying to remain faithful to Christ and do the work of Christ in the world, whenever Christians try to reach out \u201cto the least of these\u201d as Jesus says in Matthew 25:40, there are going to be those who criticize.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Matthew 25:40<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
Matthew 25:31-40…<\/p>\n

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.\u00a0 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.\u00a0 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.<\/p>\n

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.\u00a0 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’<\/p>\n

37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?\u00a0 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?\u00a0 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’<\/p>\n

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!<\/span>‘<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div>
\nThe other animals in the Jungle of Nool, however, are convinced that Horton is not all together well. The other animals decide to make fun of Horton and to take the clover away. His chief tormentors are Vlad Vladikoff<\/strong>, the Wickersham Brothers<\/strong> and the Sour Kangaroo<\/strong>.\u00a0 Dr. Seuss is saying that whenever you try to do good in the world, you’re going to get nailed for it.<\/p>\n

The Christian Church and it\u2019s mission and ministry has been misunderstood by an unbelieving world for centuries. Many negative comments born out of ignorance have levied against the Church. BUT as goes the Holy Spirit of God, so must the Church go.<\/p>\n