#4 Darkness Can Have A Defining Moment!

#4 DARKNESS CAN HAVE A DEFINING MOMENT!

THE LIGHT CAN PUSH AWAY THE DARKNESS...

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

This is part #4 of darkness with part 5 on the light to follow.

FRIDAY IS HERE, BUT SUNDAY IS COMING...

I. DARKNESS HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH THE LAMP --- YOU CAN HAVE A BEAUTIFUL

LAMP BUT IF THE LIGHT BULB IS BURNED OUT THERE WILL BE NO LIGHT.

A. Today thanks to TV and other media we have had many bright preachers and bright ministries arise to reach the world. Sin has darkened the globe and dimmed the light.

Many ministers today "BURN OUT" and grow weary in well doing...

B. TEXT:

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

2 Thes. 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Psalm 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

C. LET US DEFINE DARK/ DARKNESS:

Little or no light; absence of light... miserable, feeble

Suspicious, shady, gloomy, gray,

Sullen, angry; secret or mysterious...

Gloomy, depressing, dismal; shady, dreary, bleak

Evil, sinister;

D. It is all about the light, not about the darkness...

HIS LAMP I AM

By A.J. Flint

His light I am to shine where He shall say;

And lamps are not for sunny rooms, nor for the light of day;

Lamps are for the dark places of the earth,

Where shame and wrong and crime give birth,

Or for the murky twilight gray.

Where wandering sheep have gone astray,

Or where the lamp of faith grows dim,

And souls are groping after HIM.

And sometimes a flame we find,

Clear shining through the night so dark,

We can not see the lamp, but only see the LIGHT!

So may I shine His Love and Flame,

THAT MEN MAY GLORIFY HIS NAME.

II. IS IT EASIER TO SERVE THAN TO COME INTO HIS PRESENCE?

I SERVE? I SERVE WELL? I SERVE MUCH?

MINISTRY CAN CUMBER THE LIGHT... DO NOT LAY THE TORCH DOWN...

A. I OWE --- I OWE --- SO OFF TO WORK I GO...

B. Our we good for the EXTERNAL SERVICE and SKIP THE INNER ALTAR?

For our Christian service to be balanced we must serve with our HEAD and our HEART!

MINISTRY HAS MANY OPPORTUNITIES...

Luke 10:[38] Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. [39] And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. [40] But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost

thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

[41] And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

[42] But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

C. WHEN OUR MINISTRY BECOMES HEAVY AND A DUTY AND WE BECOME CUMBERED

THEN WE ARE HEADED FOR DARKNESS...

D. Martha remembered her DUTIES in His service, but SHE FORGOT HIS PRESENCE AND HIS SWEET COMMUNION.

E. HAVE YOU SPENT TIME SITTING AT JESUS’ FEET?

Or are we trying to keep all the manure cleaned out of the stable?

III. CONTINUAL --- INCESSANT DRAINS EMPTY THE TANK...

HOW DOES THE LAMP’S LIGHT GROW DIM?

WHY DO WE FIND OURSELVES SO BUSY WE FORGET GOD...

WE PRAISE A BEE ... BUT WE SWAT A MOSQUITTO? IS THE ISSUE BUSYNESS?

A. We have a personal responsibility to KEEP OUR LAMPS BRIGHTLY BURNING...

Matthew 25:2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

[3] They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

[4] But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

Matthew 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil;

for our lamps are gone out.

B. What was the SIN of the FOOLISH VIRGINS? They were still virgins?

The SIN was easy... they LOST THEIR RESPECT FOR THE LIGHT...

I will BORROW FROM THE WISE?

C. MANY YEARS AGO THE LIGHTHOUSE ON THE SHORE LINES THAT WOULD

PROTECT THE SEA VESSELS WORKED ON OIL OR GAS...

The keepers of the LIGHTHOUSE HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY TO:

1. Keep fuel for the light.

2. Keep the lens and globe clean...

D. We let the SPIRIT OF GRADUALNESS SLOWLY DIRTY THE GLOBE OF THE

LAMP?

IV. HOW DO WE GET INTO DARKNESS?

FREQUENT --- CONTINUAL --- INCESSANT DRAINS --- NEGLECT ---