Loosing Sight Of The Goal?

LOOSING SIGHT OF THE GOAL?

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

As I start to preach, I have some men carry a portable basket ball goal into the front of the sanctuary and set it up.

We discuss who are we going to trust to take a shot and make a basket and not harm our pretty lights?

I know who we are going to pick, I have talked to him before hand and told him not to take any shot, just act out the role with me.

I give him the basketball and tell him to shoot, he prepares for the shot.

I asked him to wait, I blind fold him and tell him to shoot, he is still facing the goal.

I say wait a minute. I spin him around and around and around.

When he stops I tell him to shoot. He is facing the opposite way of the goal.

He starts to shoot, and every one screams, NO! NO!

We discuss why blind people do not play basket ball in the NBA.

They have never had a blind player? Why?

They can not identify the goal.

There are many other goals in basketball than shooting the ball, one must be able to dribble and pass the ball?

I. DO WE CLEARLY KNOW OUR PURPOSE?

ARE WE PREPARING AND GROOMING GOD’S PLAN IN OUR LIFE?

ARE WE HELPING OTHERS TO KNOW GOD’S PLAN?

A. You have heard: People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan, and thus they fail.

B. GOAL:

The terminal point of the race.

The end toward which effort is directed.

The score resulting from an act causing the desired effect to be accomplished.

What one intends to do.

A plan or objective.

What one seeks to achieve.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them

that diligently seek him.

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

C. WE NEED TO ENLARGE OUR DREAMS AND BE MORE INCLUSIVE TO RELEASE DIVINE PLANS IN OUR CHURCH.

II. IN EVERY LIFE THERE MUST BE A GOAL, OR WE AIMLESSLY DRIFT.

A. John F. Kennedy set a goal ...

Before this decade is over, of landing a man on the moon and returning to earth safely.

B. What is the goal of football? basketball? baseball? soccer? swimming? WHAT IS YOUR GOAL IN LIFE?

C. I TAUGHT MY SONS IT IS BETTER TO PLAY AND LOOSE THAN NOT PLAY AT ALL.

D. Even those that play the game and become the losers attain some reward. You learn the role of the team, and the scheme of the game.

E. You learn the value of preparation and exercise.

F. As the team travels there are friendships that will last a life time.

G. What is the goal of life?

What is the goal of the church?

III. A LACK OF PREPARATION AND PULLING TOGETHER CAN BE COSTLY.

A. Years ago I saw on the news where a football team was angry at their coach. The coach was making them run long distances. He was making them run sprints. They had to do push ups and jumping jacks.

Several of the team members got together and complained and told their Moms how mean the coach was and all he expected.

The Moms had a meeting with the coach and later with the Principal.

Later they met with the school board and filed a complaint that the coach and his assistants were mean and expected too much.

The parents and many of the players had a strike and invited the local TV station camera to broadcast their complaints.

B. I bought a newspaper every Saturday just to follow this team’s Friday night schedule and record. They lost every game that year. Their attitudes toward

the coaches and practice had undermined the authority and the lazy approach to the game cost them dearly.

C. When the race is be over, but the work is never done.

IV. NONE ARE SO BLIND AS HE THAT KEEPS HIS EYES CLOSED?

KJV

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

NKJV

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.

LIVING

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is ignorance of God, crime runs wild; but what a wonderful thing it is for a nation to know and keep his laws.

A. WHAT IS VISION?

Something seen.