Losing Sight Of The Goal? Faith Fights

HAVE WE LOST SIGHT OF OUR GOALS?

FAITH FIGHTS!

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

TEXT:

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also

called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

2 Corinthians 5:7 (MSG) It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT) For we live by believing and not by seeing.

Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

1. INTRODUCTION:

ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS BOXING (FIGHTING MATCHES) OCCURRED NOVEMBER 25,

1980 IN THE SUPER DOME IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUSIANA.

The World champion had been SUGAR RAY LEONARD.

Sugar Ray had lost his WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BELT TO A BOXER NAMED:

ROBERTO DURAN II.

Sugar Ray Leonard won a chance to FIGHT ROBERTO to try to regain his title...

THE BATTLE IN THE RING WAS ALMOST TIED GOING INTO THE 8 TH ROUND.

Three judges scored Sugar Ray 68-66, 68-66, 67-66....

The the round was a few seconds from being over ---

ALL OF A SUDDEN ROBERTO DURAN II TURNED HIS BACK TO SUGAR RAY

LEONARD AND SAID FOUR WORDS, NO MAS! NO MAS!

In Spanish NO MAS means NO MORE! NO MORE!

The referee, Octavio Meyran, waved off the fight, returning the title

of word champion to Sugar Ray Leonard ---by TKO.

For years Duran was labeled a coward, a chicken and a QUITTER.

ROBERTO DURAN II will always be known for quitting. Yes, he came back in three years

and won the championship again, few people know of his return?

2. FAITH FIGHTS ---

FAITH FIGHTS FEARS AND DOUBTS...

Matthew 14:29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he

walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid;

and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched

forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

A. IT TAKES FAITH TO STAND UP IN A BOAT AND CLIMB OVER BOARD...

B. Why do we talk negative about the one that climbs out of the boat and

refuse to discuss the 11 sitting in the boat, hanging on for dear life?

3. FEAR HAS TORMENT AND WILL KILL THE WALK OF FAITH...

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.

He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

PAUL WARNED THE SOLDIERS AND THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP,

DO NOT SAIL WE WILL BE IN DANGER... BUT ONCE THE STORM WAS DASHING THE

LITTLE VESSEL ALL WE CAN DO IS CAST THE 4 ANCHORS AND WISH FOR THE

DAY OF DELIEVERANCE.

Acts 27:29 (KJV) Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out

of the stern, and wished for the day.

4. FAITH HAS TO FIGHT FEELINGS, CHRONIC FEELINGS,

---EMOTIONS AND NEGATIVE REPORTS

Mark 5:25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

THIS LADY IS SICK --- SHE IS AT THE END OF HER ROPES...

THE DOCTORS GIVE HER NO HOPE --- THERE IS NO PEACE...

Luke 8:43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon

physicians, neither could be healed of any,

5. FAITH HAS TO STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR THE FAMILY---

The Preacher lives in desperate times.

The political system is in decay... The education system is pure heathenism.

The Preacher has a wife and three sons...

Faith builds an ark...for HIS FAMILY...

1 Peter 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in

the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved

by water.

NEVR FORGET FAITH FILLS A GAP FOR FAMILY MEMBERS...

1 Corinthians 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving

wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

6. FAITH FIGHTS WHEN WE FACE FIERY FURNACES ---

Daniel 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery

furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee,

O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

7. FAITH FIGHT FOES ---

HAMAN HATED MORDECAI --- VOWED DESTRUCTION

Esther 3:5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was