UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF DIVISON
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I do this lesson in two parts.
This lesson is part two and three of a three part lesson.
I. INTRODUCTION:
A. Did you hear about the good news?
An old woman called their Pastor to discuss a matter of great concern.
The woman’s husband inherited 100 million dollars from a long lost uncle they had not heard from in many years.
The Uncle had invested and worked in oil wells in Texas and had achieved great success. The Uncle passed away and left everything to his favorite nephew.
The problem was not the money, but the lady’s concern was for her frail husband. Her husband had a seriously weak heart and was near kidney failure.
The dear wife was afraid that on the announcement of the inheritance of 100 million dollars her husband would die --- because his weak heart could not handle
such excitement.
So it was agreed that the Pastor would come over at supper time, eat with them, and then the Pastor would break the news of the frail old man inheriting 100
million bucks.
They finished their meal, the Pastor and the frail old man went into the living room.
The Pastor said to the old man: WHAT IF I TOLD YOU --- YOU HAD INHERITED 100 MILLION DOLLARS?
The old man looked into the Pastor’s eyes and said: "PASTOR, IF I HAD 100 MILLION DOLLARS, I WOULD GIVE YOU HALF!"
The Pastor fell in the floor and had a heart attack and died!
B. 5 WAYS TO GET RID OF YOUR PASTOR
John R. Rice told of five ways to get rid of your pastor that you might should think about.
1. Sit on the front pew, smile and say AMEN real loud.
Your pastor will preach himself to death.
2. Compliment your Pastor often, pat him on the back, brag on how well he is doing in the community and the church. Your Pastor will work himself
to death.
3. Increase your giving to the church so much that the Pastor will get a raise and a month’s vacation paid, your Pastor will go into shock and die.
4. Tell your pastor you are going to come to Sunday School every Sunday, and that you will be at every service. Tell him you will head of visitation to
the community, joyfully visit the widows and the orphans, and visit the rest home and the hospital several times a week.
This will immediately cause stress to his systems and you can go to the funeral home and visit him.
5. Come together in agreement, unity and prayer and band together in strong prayer for your pastor. He will improve so much and be so efficient that a huge
church will send their pastoral search committee to hear him, and they will be so impressed that they will call him, double his salary, and they will take
him off your hands.
C. DO WE KNOW THE PESSIMIST’S CREED?
THINK, IF THE PESSIMIST HAD A CREED WHAT WOULD IT BE?
ALL BUT ME AND THEE!
THE PESSIMIST CREED!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Why rejoice in sunshine?
It will just turn to dark clouds and much rain!
Besides that, the sunshine can hurt your eyes,
More than that it can cause skin cancer!
Why should I smile?
A smile might send a wrong message to a friend?
A frown will burn more calories, we all know!
Smiles might wrinkle my face?
I don’t want to advertise for free for the dentist,
Because his fee was much too high!
If I smile everyone will wonder what I am thinking about?
Why should I give a friend a flower?
Flowers might cause an infection of my sinus glands?
Flowers cost so much, and you can’t eat them?
The beauty of the flower will soon fade!
A silk flower will but gather dust!
Besides all of that, I didn’t get a flower today?
Why should I whistle, hum or sing?
I don’t know the song!
That song is too slow,
And that song is way too fast!
How can we sing in a strange land?
I can’t sing, someone may think I am glad.
Why should I go to Sunday School and Church?
You know, I know more than that teacher,
he just reads out of the book!
The Preacher screams and wags his arms.
He preaches the everlasting Gospel.
That preacher, all he does is talk about money!
I gave two dollars three weeks ago,
Ain’t that enough?
All there are at that church are hypocrites!
Why should I encourage and say nice things to others?
If I brag on someone they will get a BIG HEAD!
And pride always goes before the fall.
I remember something negative 22 years ago about them!
Want me to tell you?
It is always good to be realistic and pessimistic,
Because the optimist is wrong much of the time!
I find it much easier to murmur, grumble and complain.
Praise ain’t all it is cracked up to be.
I like this grumblers corner!
Can’t you see there is something wrong
With everybody but me and thee!
And to be honest, sometimes I worry about thee!
IF YOU ARE DOG-TIRED MAYBE YOU GROWLED ALL DAY?
II. DO WE KNOW THE SIGNS OF THE LAST DAYS?
WILL WE GAIN UNDERSTANDING THAT DIVISION IS A SIGN OF THE LAST DAYS?
A. Jesus gathers his students on a hill side, the Mount of Olives, and they discuss the second coming and the events leading up to the second coming of Jesus!
B. Jesus told them of earthquakes, diseases, the powers shaken, and many other details.
C. But Jesus also warned of division within the family, the society, and the church.
Matthew 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
D. JESUS ALSO WARNED OF "THE RUN AWAY SPIRIT" THRIVING WITHIN --- Is it easier to run away than to fix it?
1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
E. What will happen to the banana that is pulled away from the bunch?
It will get skinned!
III. LET US DEFINE:
A. DISAGREE --- DISAGREEMENT --- DISAGREEABLE
Lack of harmony, clash.
To hold a different opinion.
Quarrel.
To have an adverse effect.
To dispute, to argue.
To refuse to accept others or opinions.
UPLEASANT, RUDE, BAD TEMPERED.
CONTRARY.
To love to debate, quarrel, fuss or find fault.
B. CONFUSION:
Chaos, mess, mix-up, to not understand.
Perplex, bewilder, puzzle, disorder.
IV. JESUS CLEARLY TAUGHT US TO COME INTO AGREEMENT QUICKLY! JESUS CLEARLY WARNS US TO MARK AND AVOID DIVISIVE FOES.
A. WILL WE IDENTIFY THE CAUSE, THE ROOT, THE MOTIVE, THE BASIS, THE GROUNDS FOR, THE REAL REASON OF BEING HURT, OFFENDED, AND WANTING TO RUN AWAY IS THE SPIRIT OF DIVISION?
Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
B. We seem to be able to grow personalities and attitudes that are very quick to pick apart every spoken word and find fault and judge others because we
can not find a point of agreement.
C. Agreement and Unity prepares the hearts of people for GOD’S BLESSINGS.
D. We must be known FOR OUR ATTITUDES OF RECONCILIATION AND FORGIVENESS.
E. The family and the church must operate by the POWER OF AGREEMENT.
Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father
which is in heaven.
F. Our enemy got Eve to disagree with what God taught.
G. Adam comes into this disagreement with God.
H. Cain does not agree with God, the punishment is greater than Cain wants to accept.
I. Jezebel and Ahab agreed to disagree with the man of God --- Elijah and they thus disagreed with the message of God.
V. SATAN KNOWS THE POWER OF DIVISION!
WISE MEN KNOW THE POWER OF DISAGREEMENT IN THE HOME AND IN THE NATION AND IN THE FAMILY --- WHERE IS THE UNITY?
DIVISION AND STRIFE ALWAYS WORK IN THE FLESH, THE CARNAL.
HARMONY AND UNITY WORK IN THE REALM OF THE ETERNAL.
1 Cor. 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1 Cor. 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
VI. TWO LADIES IN THE PHIILIPPIANS CHURCH WERE DISAGREEING?
WHO WAS RIGHT? THEY WERE BOTH RIGHT IN THEIR OWN EYES!
Philip. 4:2 I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.
A. The Bible does not discuss what the two ladies were disagreeing about so the bone of contention is not the issue!
The issue is CONTENTION --- DISAGREEMENT ---
BOTH LADIES WERE RIGHT IN THEIR OWN EYES.
B. The Bible so states disagreement --- that Paul’s lesson was instruction to bring them together in unity.
VII. WHERE THERE IS DIVISION THERE IS ALWAYS CONFUSION!
A. Paul was preaching in a great city, there was much disagreement, they were nearing problems with the law.
B. Some men had a jealous fear of loosing their business of making little god statues, and the disagreement turned into great confusion.
VIII. FROM WHERE DO WE FIND DISAGGREMENT AND CONFUSION AND STRIFE?
A. We better ask the Bible, or people will get mad at the answer!
B. This lack of agreement again hinders progress and blessings.
James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
IX. WITH DEEP UNDERSTANDING --- CAN WE AGREE THAT DISAGREEMENT CAN BECOME HATE?
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
X. DAVID WAS A LEARNER, HE HAD KNOWN HOW UNPLEASANT STRIFE, MISUNDERSTANDING AND FEUDING WAS.
A. Saul loved David, and then his love turned to hatred and Saul wanted to destroy David.
B. There was a song Saul liked: Saul has slain his thousands, but the second verse of the song Saul did not like: David has slain ten thousands.
C. DAVID FOUND A PLACE WE CALL THE CAVE OF ADULLAM
1 Samuel 22:1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him. 2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and
every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred
men.
E. David had been abused, misunderstood, he knew dissension, and heartache. BUT DAVID ALSO KNEW THE BEAUTY OF AGREEMENT.
Psalm 133:1 A Song of degrees of David.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
XI. THERE IS GREAT BEAUTY WHEN PEOPLE WALK TOGETHER, AND ALL WALK TOWARD THE LORD’S PLAN.
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
A. DO WE JUDGE BY APPEARANCE?
FAMILIES THAT LIVE ON CREDIT MAY BE ROBBERS?
Have you ever thought about FAMILIES THAT LIVE ON CREDIT?
The husband and wife work overtime on two jobs to pay the bills.
Then they can live in a big house and drive a shiny car and go to the mall so they can buy on credit things they do not need.
Then they can impress people they do not like.
All this leads to division and depression from the weight of the debt load and the inability to pay their tithes and offering to a Holy God.
No wonder God calls people that have trouble giving ---ROBBERS!
B. DIVISION, FAULT FINDING, GRUMBLING, MURMURING, DISAGREEABLE ATTITUDES ARE SELF-FEEDING HABITS THAT LEAD TO DISCONTENTMENT AND DISCOURAGEMENT.
C. OZ IS OLY OZ TO THOSE THAT DON’T LIVE IN OZ!
If you are not happy here, what makes you think you will be happy over there?
D. We tend to look for joy on temporal, fleshly avenues.
XII. IS OUR PROBLEM THE GREATNESS OF THE OBSTACLES AND OUR DIVISION, OR COULD IT BE THE SMALLNESS OF OUR TRUST AND SPIRIT --- THAT GIVES
BIRTH TO MURMURING, GRUMBLING, AND COMPLAINING?
A. Where WORRY AND ANXIETY BEGIN, --- FAITH ENDS ---
Where FAITH BEGINS --- ALL WORRY AND ANXIETY WILL END!
B. Maybe we should ask Daniel a question?
Is it better to try to sleep with lions rather than trying to work without prayers?
C. OFTEN TIMES --- CRITICISM IS THE DEATH GARGLE OF THE DYING!
It is very embarrassing to those that said IT CAN’T BE DONE, to be PASSED
BY THOSE DOING IT. GET UP AND TRY AGAIN!
XIII. PLEASE, GOD HELP US TO LAY ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES AND PROBLEMS THAT TEND TO KEEP US APART, AND BRING US TOGETHER IN LOVE AND UNITY.
A. The only way to answer the critics and fault finders is to be faithful to your post of duty until you complete your task and reach your goal!
The measurement stick of success is much longer than what you give, success might be measured by what you keep?
B. TRAITS OF UNITY TRAITS OF DIVISION
Agreement, agreeable Division
Cooperation Fussing, argumentative
Unity, togetherness Separation
Harmony Disagree, debate
Accord Splintered, quarrel
Unification Opposition
Whole,one Strife, contention
Union Separation, split,
Mutual Incompatible
Comrade, friend Combative, fight, battle
Share Selfishness,
Edify Complain, dispute,
MATURITY PERPETUAL BABYHOOD
C. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO GET WITH GOD, YOUR FAMILY,
OR YOUR CHURCH? WILL YOU DO IT?
2 Cor. 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me? Pass it on to others?
This is part two on three of a three part lesson.
