Casting All of Our Cares on Him
By Bishop S. N. Hancock-1949
Turn to the Book of Mark 4:18. Jesus explained these parables thus: “A sower went forth to sow.” I want to speak of the seed that fell among the thorns. They have no excuse–they hear the word. Verse 19, “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” I also want to bring to your attention the cares of this world and of the deceitfulness of riches and lust for other things. The Word that’s sown should be fruitful in that man, woman, girl or boy. They do not perform that which God would have them perform. First, the cares of the world. Most people have in their minds against doing God’s will. I do not have to be immoral to be against God’s will. That is just like the man who had barns too small. His whole mind and spirit was taken up with the cares of the world.
There were men who had an encounter with God to the extent He had given them a special invitation to eat of his supper. They had various excuses. One said, “I want to be excused because I have some property I have to attend to.”
I wouldn’t dare to say that the man was immoral or did not believe. Knowing he was invited, he let the cares of life turn him from the invitation to the dinner. I have a duty to perform that is affecting my ability to come. Another married a wife. He was burdened with that care. He knew the day that the supper was supposed to take place and he had to make some report and account for not being there. He knew that the Lord was expecting him to be there. He turned away from fulfilling the engagement he was exposed to because of God’s invitation. He asked to be excused because of his wife. How many folks today have in their mind that the cares of life will get them excused? How many think that if the good they eat doesn’t keep them alive that they will just die? How many die with their bellies full? How many thousands have sat down to their luxurious tables and eaten to their fullest extent and then go to their beds and lie down to death? God is the strength of your life, not because you eat or wear warm clothes or are here without tuberculosis. You are spared this dread disease because God has spared your life. We have made ourselves to think that one must care for himself.
Your strength does not come from yourself. God gives you the privilege to breathe the breath of life. God gives you breath moment by moment. It’s a gift of God alone.
We let the cares of this life keep us from doing God’s will. Hear the Word of the Lord: “He that seeketh to save his life shall lose it.” Read again verse 18. How can you hear God’s Word and think you have the whole care upon yourself? Pile up gold and silver if you choose. Where will we get water if God doesn’t let the rain fall? Where will you get vegetation without God? God keeps the world green. He keeps sheep producing lambs with wool to clothe us. Without God we are helpless creatures! Don’t be overcome with the cares of this world. Don’t say, I have to care for myself and if I do not, my family will suffer. There was a woman in the Sunday School lesson who went to the meal barrel and found it empty and her oil cruse without oil. God sent the prophet to go down there to the woman’s house and get her meal and oil to eat. She was concerned with the cares of the world. The Prophet said; “Give the oil and meal to me and forget the cares of life.” She finally gave the meal and oil to the prophet and God sent a blessing to her home.
The man or woman who turns away from the cares of this world and becomes aware of God’s care will be benefited.
Bishop Samuel Hancock was born November 9, 1883 in Adair County, Kentucky. His parents were John Wyatt Hancock and Lottie Winston Wheat. In 1888 the family moved to Indianapolis, Indiana. At the age of thirteen, Samuel left school to work and help support the family, working many years as a railroad yardman. In 1908 he married Bertha Valentine. To this union were born two children: Norlin and Geraldine Hancock. His wife, Bertha, died in 1913 after only five years of marriage. A few years later he married Anna Williams. In 1914 Elder Hancock began attending Christ Temple, pastored by G. T. Haywood. He was baptized and on September 5, 1914, he received the Holy Ghost. He served as Bishop Haywood’s Assistant Pastor until 1921, when he was called to Detroit, Michigan to pastor a small store-front church consisting of thirteen members. From that group, he, with the help of God, built the mighty Greater Bethlehem Temple until it reached a membership of almost three-thousand members. He was a great, but at times controversial, Bible scholar and teacher. He traveled extensively being very “missions minded.” He served many years as a Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, and during his tenure to that office was one of its most influential and dynamic leaders. He later organized and became the first titular head and presiding officer of the Pentecostal Churches of the Apostolic Faith. Bishop Hancock was a very progressive Pastor, far ahead of his time as an innovator. He departed this life Sunday evening at 7:15 P. M. on August 18,1963. He was 80 at the time of his death.
THE ABOVE MATERIAL WAS TAKEN FROM EARNEST CONTENDERS FOR THE FAITH BY ELDER JAMES L. TYSON AND PUBLISHED BY PENTECOSTAL PUBLICATIONS, 1982, PAGES 37-39. THIS MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHTED AND MAY BE USED FOR STUDY & RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY.
