#3 The Wet Blanket Of Depression

#3 THE WET BLANKET OF DISCOURAGEMENT...

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com THIS IS THE 3RD PART...

I. IS IT POSSIBLE TO DENY THE REALITY OF YOUR SITUATION?

I AM NOT HAPPY HERE?

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men

loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that

doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be

reproved.

A. I read a story about a MIDDLE EASTERN DESERT NOMAD.

He had been in the desert traveling by himself. He decide to set up camp and rest for

the night. By the time he had set up his tent and had his camel bedded down he was so

tired that he would just go straight to bed and resume activity the next morning.

THE NOMAD was awaken during the night by his growling stomach. So he rolled over

and lit a candle. He had a saddle bag of DATES. So he decided he would eat some DATES

then return to sleep. The candle was so bright in the dark desert.

As the NOMAD was eating the DATE, HE NOTICED THERE WAS A BIG, BLACK WORM

in the center of THE DATE. So the man was disgusted and he threw the WORM & the DATE

outside the tent. HE WAS SO HUNGRY. He picked another DATE out of the bag and took

a big bite out the DATE, just to find another BIG,FAT WORM. So he threw that date

outside the tent.

The Nomad reasoned in his heart, if he kept throwing the DATES out of his tent

he would soon have NO DATES and he might starve to death before he could get

home. So the man decided: BLOW OUT THE CANDLE AND FINISH EATING THE DATES.

He quickly ate the rest of the DATES and laid back down to rest until the sun came up

in the east.

B. THIS LESSON MIGHT BE: WE DO NOT DESIRE THE LIGHT OF GOD TO EXPOSE THE DIRT...

WE MIGHT JUST PREFER TO STAY IN THE DARKNESS AND DENY OUR PROBLEMS?

II. HOW DID WE GET HERE?

LUKE 15 IS AN INTERESTING CHAPTER DEALING WITH LOST ITEMS.

A LOST SHEEP? A LOST COIN? TWO LOST SONS?

THIS IS A REAL CRISIS MOMENT, BECAUSE OF CARELESSNESS, SOMEHOW THE LADY

IN OUR LESSON LOST 10% OF HER SAVINGS --- WHERE IS THAT SILVER?

A. HOW LONG HAS THE SILVER BEEN GONE?

Something happened to make the lady realize: I AM IN TROUBLE... MY SILVER IS GONE.

B. Where did I put that coin?

THERE SHADOWS AND DARKNESS ARE HIDING MY SILVER?

Luke 15:8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a

candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

C. THE LADY COMES TO ACKNOWLEDGE SHE NEEDS LIGHT TO FIND HER COIN.

When the light started shining THE LESSON GROWS:

WE HAVE ACCUMMULATED DUST BUNNIES? HOW DID WE GET ALL THIS DIRT?

E. THE LIGHT EXPOSES DIRT --- WHEN THE LADY NOCTICES THE DIRT ---

SHE MAKES A WILLFUL DECISION TO GRAB THE BROOM AND SWEEP THE HOUSE.

When she gets the house clean, she FINDS HER SILVER COIN.

F. Perhaps we need the HOLY SPIRIT to shine His light in the dark corners of our hearts

and convict us, correct us and guide us to the FACTS... Clean up this mess?

III. LIFE CAN THROW MANY WET BLANCKETS AT US... WHAT WILL WE DO WITH

THE OBSTACLES THAT WILL HINDER OUR VICTORY AND KEEP US TRAPPED---

A. DID YOU EVER HEAR ABOUT HOW THEY USED TO CATCH MONKEYS & CHIMPANZEES?

The chimpanzees were to smart to fall for the traps and snares that would be set.

The captures had big, thick, heavy glass bottles with a neck large enough the chimp

could reach inside the neck. THEY WOULD THROW 10 PEANUTS TO THE BOTTOM

OF THE HEAVY GLASS JAR. The chimps would place their hands in the neck of the bottle

and make a FIST AROUND THE PEANUTS.

WHEN THE CHIMP CLOSED HIS FIST HE COULD NOT GET HIS HAND OUT. The glass jar

was so heavy the chimp could not escape. THE CHIMP WILL END UP IN A ZOO

AND LOSE HIS FREEDOM --- WHEN ALL HE WOULD HAVE TO DO IS OPEN HIS HAND, LET

GO OF THE PEANUTS and pull his hand out the neck of the JAR.

B. My friend, seems many people love to smother the zeal, enthusiasm and love out of

your family... THERE IS A BATTLE --- THE BATTLE OF THE WET BLANKET... IT IS REAL BATTLE.

WET BLANKET: grinch, kill joy, one that quenches or dampens pleasure/enthusiasm

A person who makes it difficulty for other people to enjoy themselves by