HITTING THE WALL!
CUMBERED --- WEARY AND WORN!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I. FATIQUE MAKES THE BEST SOLDIERS COWARDS!
A. We face battles from within and from without. Then the battle can weary our hearts and a spirit of tiredness will grow.
We must KEEP ON KEEPING ON ---
Hebrews 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
B. CUMBERED:
Trouble, harassed
To clutter up
Luke 10:40 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.
C. THE DESIRE TO SERVE IS GOOD, BUT WE CAN GET TOO BUSY.
It is possible to do God’s work without God.
D. WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY BEFORE US?
Will this opportunity bring me closer to God?
E. MARTHA’S FAULT IS THAT SHE ALLOWED HER WORK TO CUMBER HER.
F. WHEN MARTHA WAS SO CAUGHT UP IN SERVICE SHE FORGOT HER SWEET COMMUNION WITH JESUS.
G. MARY MADE A BETTER CHOICE, SHE CHOSE THE GOOD PART.
Luke 10:42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
II. WHEN MINISTRY BECOMES CUMBERSOME, AND LIFE IS WEARINESS, WE NEED AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT. WE NEED TO COME IN TO A SWEET HOLY PRESENCE --- WE NEED AN ANCHOR!
Hebrews 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
A. The anchor is not only a symbol of HOPE, but it is a sign of God’s STABILITY.
We must learn the HOLD-FAST ELEMENT.
B. GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH IN TIMES OF TROUBLE.
C. I WATCHED A SPIDER SPIN IT’S WEB.
The web takes much time to spin and even longer to wait patiently for his fruit to come.
One day a big, juicy bug swings by, and the patient spider grows fat.
D. AS THE SPIDER LEARNS TO WAIT, SO MUST WE.
DON’T FORGET HEAVEN! CUMBERED SERVICE HAS A WAY OF CAUSING A SPIRIT OF TIREDNESS.
There is something beyond just being tired, there is a spirit of tiredness.
E. TIRED:
Drained of strength and energy
Fatigue to the point of exhaustion
Obviously worn by hard use, run-down
To wear out patience
Fatigue
Tired to the point of being unable or unwilling to continue
Unable to endure any more
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.
III. MY FRIEND, HAVE YOU EVER HIT THE WALL?
HITTING THE WALL IS PART OF MINISTRY.
Gal. 5:7 YE DID RUN WELL, WHO DID HINDER YOU THAT YE SHOULD NOT OBEY THE TRUTH?
A. HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT SPLATTING.
Sometimes all of our towers of labor seem to fall.
When our dreams are dashed on the rocks and our hopes seemed buried in a tomb we must try again.
HANG ON SUNDAY’S COMING!
B. JESUS WAS A PEOPLE PERSON, NOT A PAPER PERSON.
Problems are great opportunities.
C. Peace is not the absence of problems, but rather the presence of the Almighty God.
D. REACHING INVISIBLE BARRIERS.
A. Heb. 12:1 Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
E. AT TIMES WE WILL REACH INVISIBLE BARRIERS...
We call these invisible barriers splatting!
Long distance runners will always reach a point in any race that is called SPLATTING OR HITTING THE WALL.
F. Splatting is when the legs knot up, the lungs can’t get enough air, the muscles tighten.
IV. WE HAVE HAD HIGH HOPES AND LIFE DASHED OUR HOPES, WE HIT THE WALL.
WE GET A NEW DETERMINATION AND PRESS ON!
A. When life’s hurt tries to breed bitterness we face SPIRITUAL and MENTAL and PHYSICAL BARRIERS.
B. The race started with high hopes, ends in broken mental concentration.
Physical fatigue can cause a collapsing dreams, and sense of quitting the race.
2 Cor. 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
C. A CHAMPION has learned to expect this splatting, somehow they discipline their heart and mind, KEEP PICKING THE FEET UP, KEEP PUTTING THE FEET DOWN.
D.YOU DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM --- YOU HAVE AN INTERESTING SITUATION!
A. No man is an island to himself.
B. 90% of people will never change UNTIL THE PAIN IS SO GREAT THEY HAVE TO ...
E. God’s people are people ---
As God’s people we must be PEOPLE PEOPLE, we need to see the impact of RELATIONSHIPS.
F. RELATIONSHIPS CAN BE COMPLEX AND SOURCES OF GREAT INTERNAL CONFLICT.
WE NEED JESUS’ PEOPLE SKILLS.
G. Everyone has an opinion.
Each opinion has an impact on others.
We often don’t like or appreciate other’s impact ... WE SPLAT
V. FRET NOT MY FRIEND! THIS TOO SHALL PASS!
Psalm 37:1 A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices
to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
A. We serve a God of GREAT MERCY AND GRACE.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE DOVE FOUND NO REST OUTSIDE OF THE ARK?
B. GOD CAN GIVE REST TO THE SPIRIT MAN!
The toils of life may weary and press hard on our hearts, yet we trust.
C. WE NEED DREAMERS --- SOLUTION SEEKERS.
Gen. 37:19 And they said one to another, BEHOLD THE DREAMER COMETH.
D. If it weren’t for this dreamer the whole family and nation of Israel would die.
VI. WE MUST REMEMBER HOME! DON’T FORGET GOD IS A REWARDER.
A. You see things as they are and say WHY? But we must dream things that are not, and say, WHY NOT?
B. LYNN KNOX, setting in his chair in a rehab center, eyes closed, THINKING ABOUT HOME.
THINKING ABOUT GOING HOME.
Exercise and doctor orders HELP,BUT GETTING well is made easier by thinking of home.
C. The dream is the small hidden door in the deepest and most intimate sanctum of the soul ... the dream opens far beyond ability and egos.
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
D. IF I WERE THE ENEMY WHY WOULD I STEAL GOD’S PEOPLE’S DREAMS?
HOW WOULD I GO ABOUT STEALING GOD’S PEOPLES’ DREAMS?
Joel 2:28 Your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.
E. Aristotle: Hope is a waiting dream.
F. THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE WIND-----
G. The little child told me, I AM AN ACCIDENT!
I said, Where did you hear that?
My mommy told me.
I said, Honey, you are no accident, maybe a surprise!
GOD HAS A PLAN.
Deut. 1:38 But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
VII. GOD USES PEOPLE TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE.
Proverbs 15:23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!
Isaiah 50:4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning
by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
A. God’s work can be accomplished by great Divine Miracles, but God can also use ordinary, every day menial things to help his people.
God’s normal route is to use man to touch man.
HEAR THE CALL TO ENCOURAGE AND LIFT UP THE ARMS OF OTHERS.
B. FIND THE SPARK, FAN THE DYING EMBERS.
GOD CAN USE A WORD IN SEASON.
C. DON’T FORGET HEAVEN, MY FRIEND!
CAN WE FIND ENOUGH IN OUR LORD AND SAVIOR?
TAP INTO THE SPRING OF JOY!
Jesus works in prison, in the dungeon, and in the fiery trial!
Isaiah 40:30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they
shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
D. OUR HOPE IS OUT OF THIS WORLD.
Our anchor holds and it is sure and steadfast.
E. WELL DONE THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!
2 Tim. 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
My friend --- it is always too soon to quit.
Get up and try again.
Trust the unseen hand.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Enlarge my hands and pass this to others?
