GOD's ROSES
I would humbly say this is one of my most powerful sermons I have ever preached. I know of at least a couple of women in the church who got some counseling because of this sermon.
This is a rough manuscript. I preached it from my heart and preached it as an ex-abuser. I pray that somehow even this manuscript will bringing healing to an abused woman or change the life of an abuser.
Manuscript
Use the metaphor of women as roses and the concept of gardening.
Sunlight
Jesus Christ is the sun. He provides light, warmth. He is life itself.
Water
The Bible, God's word
Ephes. 5:25
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up
for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,"
Fertilizer
Life's circumstances. Trials and tribulations.
Romans 5:3-5
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that
suffering produces perseverance; [4] perseverance, character; and character, hope. [5] And
hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the
Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
Aroma
This is the fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Thorns
Character flaws, rough edges
Master Gardener
Our Heavenly Father is the master gardener. He is working to create a beautiful rose.
He says come and see My beautiful roses. Have the women stand up.
God calls men to love the women in their lives and be a loving 'gardener' for
women
Men are to bring sunshine (Jesus) to the women around them. They can do this by
watering (sharing the Word). As men love the women in their lives, they will smell the
aroma (fruit and gifts of the Spirit) permeate from the women.
And guess want men-roses have thorns. And it is not our job to try and remove the thorns. It is the job of the Master Gardener (Heavenly Father) to remove the thorns in His timing.
Women need to realize that they will need to be fertilized (go through trials and tribulations). It is part of life. The Master Gardener (the Father) needs to do the fertilizing, not men, otherwise too much fertilizer will burn the rose.
Men-we should not be willfully fertilizing (by our sinful behavior) the women in our life.
Read Poem
A ROSE NEEDS LOVE
A Rose without water will
wither.
A Rose without sunlight will fade.
And the Rose without love and attention
Will not live even one day.
So don't take the love that is given
And crush it and throw it away.
For Words that are spoken harshly
Will cause love to die all the way.
So speak softly to your darling
With tenderness and care,
For the Rose that you so wanted will
bloom to its fullest,
And will grow deeper for you each day.
For in giving your best to your loved ones,
And caring for what they have to say,
You're saying, "Darling, I love you,"
In one of the most precious ways.
Jesus said, "Love one another,"
And without this love we will die,
So water your Rose carefully,
And plant it deep in the love of God's ways.
A.L. Fiasconaro
Some of you women do not feel like roses because of physical, emotional, spiritual abuse. Especially by the men in your life. Father, brother (spiritual or natural), husband, son.
Men as abusers
Use rose (pick pedals off rose and finally throw rose down and stomp on it.
Words spoken harshly wound the rose
Some have even been crushed
Share about abuse
Men need to Repent
The purpose for getting help and to stop abusing is not to be forgiven, to get back
together, or to be trusted again. Repent because it is wrong to abuse. Verbal,
emotional abuse is just as harmful as physical abuse.
Scripture Quotes from Journey Bible
Rev. 3:19-20 page 1637
"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline". So be earnest, and repent.
2 Cor. 7:10 page 1516
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation (to make whole) and leaves no
regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. Example of Peter and Judas
Matthew 3:8 page 1261
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
I personally repent on behalf of abusers
Women Need to Forgive
Luke 17:3,4 page 1366
So watch yourselves.
"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins
against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,'
forgive him."
Mark 11:25 page 1323
"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so
that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
Matthew 18:21-35 page 1284
Story of the unmerciful servant. Turned over to the tormentors
Many women are carrying pain and suffering because they have allowed the abuse of the past to affect them in the present and future. God wants to bring healing and deliverance, but there must be forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean forget or walk into the abuse again.
Men who have abused
Realize that men who have abused and want to change, but may not change overnight. And
men who have abused must realize they may never gain the trust of the women they have
abused.
Pray and read poem again.
A ROSE NEEDS LOVE
A Rose without water will
wither.
A Rose without sunlight will fade.
And the Rose without love and attention
Will not live even one day.
So don't take the love that is given
And crush it and throw it away.
For Words that are spoken harshly
Will cause love to die all the way.
So speak softly to your darling
With tenderness and care,
For the Rose that you so wanted will
bloom to its fullest,
And will grow deeper for you each day.
For in giving your best to your loved ones,
And caring for what they have to say,
You're saying, "Darling, I love you,"
In one of the most precious ways.
Jesus said, "Love one another,"
And without this love we will die,
So water your Rose carefully,
And plant it deep in the love of God's ways.
A.L. Fiasconaro
Pick up broken and crushed rose. Replace it with a good rose. Invite women and men to altar.
If there is anyone reading this
who has experienced abuse, I encourage to get counseling and be set free. Contact:
The Center for
Counseling & Health Resources-A Place of Hope
New Life Minsitries (Minrith-Meier
Clinics)
Rose Graphics provided by Pats Web Graphics
