A Great Man Has Fallen
A GREAT MAN HAS FALLEN
2 Samuel 3:38 And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?
As I sit before the laptop this morning my thoughts are with the Duncan family, as we learned yesterday afternoon that our dear brother Roger Duncan had made his crossing to a land he had preached about for years. Roger was a person I made acquaintance with some years ago and while I had not known him as long as many, yet I felt as I had known him for ever. He had that quality about him. If you knew Roger I’m sure you feel the same way.
What makes a great man? The first and foremost thing would be his relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, to be a great man he will love others because Jesus first loved him. Another quality of a great man is that he does not think too highly of himself, he will be humble in what he does. Another quality of a great man is that he will strive to help others to become great men, not for the praise of men, but, to give honor and glory to God and His Son Jesus Christ. A great man will be generous not thinking of him self but, of others. There are many other qualities of a great man but, I would run out of paper listing them all. But I can say my friend Roger met all these qualities. He loved Jesus, his fellowman, he was humble, always trying to encourage others and generous to a fault. I have been the recipient of his generosity, as I have several books he has given me that I treasure. One of the things I think of when I think of Roger is his sense of humor and the stories he could tell. When he was feeling good he would tell one right after another and have you rolling in the floor laughing. For the most part they were all true or very close to true.
He was known as the Prince of Preachers. Often you will hear other preachers refer to something he had said in a previous message or a story he told. Roger is mentioned probably more than any preacher from our time.
But as I write this I know Roger would be saying, “I don’t know about all that”. He would not want praise for himself but for the Lord. But, scripture tells us to honor to those that deserve it.
Romans 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
What will people say about you when you leave this walk of life? Will they be able to say he or she was a great man or woman? Have you made a difference in your world that is a lasting difference? I hope you have, but it starts with the right foundation and Jesus Christ is that foundation. Starting today will you resolve to become a great man or woman for the kingdom of God.
Have a great day!