Got To--? Have To --?

GOT TO --- DO I HAVE TO?

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

I do this in two parts.

I. THERE IS A CRY FROM THE PEW TO THE PULPIT, CAN WE HEAR IT?

DO WE CRY IT?

A. We walk in a day when control and manipulation can become a norm.

Often those that are power hungry are so driven that they can not see there is a problem with the lack of submission and yielding.

B. By gaining control of the messenger we can control the message, and can distort and refuse God’s real word.

C. ISAIAH WAS A MIGHTY MAN OF GOD.

Isaiah means "Yahweh is Salvation!"

Isaiah was so on target with God that his work is directly quoted 21 times in the New Testament.

D. ISAIAH’S MESSAGES AND WORDS WERE AT A CRITICAL TIME IN THE HISTORY OF GOD’S PEOPLE.

Isaiah 30:10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

E. ISAIAH WAS NOT A REAL POPULAR PREACHER.

Isaiah’s message was a great warning to a people that had slowly and gradually drifted into moral and spiritual sin.

F. In Isaiah’s day there were many secret, hidden places given to CARNAL PLEASURE.

Just because you think you have sin hidden, there are some all-seeing eyes watching you.

Isaiah warned of serious judgment that was looming in the near future.

Isaiah preached great hope and promise to those that would repent and be faithful.

G. MANY LEADERS AND COMMON PEOPLE THAT DID NOT LIKE ISAIAH’S MESSAGE AND DID NOT LIKE HIM. THEY SOUGHT OUT THEIR OWN PREACHERS THAT THEY COULD CONTROL AND MANIPULATE AND THEN DICTATE A SMOOTH, EASY MESSAGE.

H. TODAY ISAIAH’S BOOK SPEAKS VERY POWERFULLY TO THE MODERN CHURCH. WILL WE ACCEPT THE CORRECTION AND LATCH ON TO THE HOPE?

I. Maybe we need some like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel that would stand and proclaim

what thus saith the word of the Lord.

II. WHY IS SUBMISSION A DIRTY WORD TODAY?

A. I have a preacher friend named Gerald Hogan.

Gerald tells a story about when he was in high school.

Seems the English teacher called him to the chalk board and invited him to diagram a sentence.

Gerald said to the teacher: " DO I HAVE TO ... ? "

The teacher replied: " No, sir, you get to ...! "

B. Many times we approach life with a "HAVE TO ..." or a "GET TO ..." ATTITUDE.

C. Well, many use the word submission to control and manipulate others and this gives submission a bad name?

D. What is submission?

Yield, give way, to concede, to bend.

To humble, obedient.

E. WHAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF SUBMISSION?

Demanding, selfishness, greedy, grudging, inconsiderate, independent, rebellion.

F. WHAT DOES GOD THINK OF SUBMISSION?

Ephes. 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

G. YOU CAN RUN AND FIGHT THE DEVIL ALL DAY,

VICTORY COMES BY SUBMITTING TOTALLY TO GOD.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

H. OFTEN TIMES WITH YOUTH THERE COMES AN ELEVATED OPINION OF SELF. WE NEED TO LISTEN TO THE OLDER PEOPLE.

1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God

resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

I. WE HAVE HOME GROWN ATTITUDES OF INDEPENDENCE AND A LACK OF HOLDING OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they

may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

III. GOT TO... ? There are 10 Commandments, they are much more than suggestions or optional attitudes.

A. Again, we walk in a day that people do not like to be told what they have to do.

WE WANT LIFE OUR WAY! Life is more than a hamburger at Burger King.

Eccles. 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

B. The Jewish say there are 613 moral laws for people to follow. Jesus reduced all to two laws on which all the others fall.

Matthew 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

C. THE QUESTION IS NOT CAN WE AFFORD TO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS? THE QUESTION IS CAN WE AFFORD NOT TO...?