THE FOCAL POINT: ARISE --- THERE IS A TIME TO GET UP ----
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I do this in two parts.
I went to Lowes and bought a PLUMMET, or a PLUMBLINE. I hold the
plumb line and tell how important a plumb line is as one starts to build.
A GREAT WORK CAN START WITH A SMALL TOOL CALLED A PLUMMET, OR PLUMB LINE, PLUMB BOB. We need a process to establish the FOCAL POINT.
A plumb line drops or falls perpendicularly.
To make a straight line.
I. INTRODUCTION:
GOD CARES FOR PEOPLE THROUGH PEOPLE!
A. Great people’s vision see beyond what things are ...
THEY SEE INTO THE REALM OF POSSIBILIES.
B. Poor vision looks back --- GOOD VISION DREAMS WHAT MIGHT BE.
C. I am not for sure who invented the ALARM CLOCK?
I guess I am glad they did. We need that machine to help us.
There are many days I would like to shoot that ALARM CLOCK when it sounds
out the alarm...
D. My wife has our ALARM CLOOCK set 20 minutes fast. Her reasoning is that it allows her more time to sleep. She will hit the SNOOZE BUTTON several times, and fall back to sleep. Now that is not smart to me. Wake me up and get out of my way.
E. I guess that the ALARM SOUNDS A NEW DAY OF OPPORTUNITY, while we grumble at the NOISE?
Yesterday is gone.
Tomorrow may never be?
All we have is TODAY? Will we make the best of today?
Seldom can we find LOST OPPORTUNTIES?
F. Is it easier to JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS than to JUMP AT OPPORTUNITIES?
One great opportunity few ever take is to KEEP THEIR MOUTH CLOSED?
G. WATER BAPTISM ILLUSTRATES SEVERAL GOOD POINTS.
1. Death
2. Burial ---
There have been times when I took the individual under the water that
I would have loved to held them under until their toes came up blue.
They might have learned a valuable lesson.
3. The RESURRECTION: WE MUST GET UP!
WE NEVER LEAVE THEM UNDER THE WATER, THE BEST ILLUSTRATION IS
TO BRING THEM BACK TO THE SURFACE TO SERVICE AND LIVE IN THE
RESURRECTION POWER.
GET UP! MY FRIEND: WE MUST GET UP AND HAVE AT IT!
II. DO WE EVER MISS THE POINT? A CERTAIN MAN HAD TWO SONS?
DO WE PRAY SOMETHING LIKE THIS: GOD CHANGE MY SPOUSE? GOD CHANGE
MY KIDS? GOD CHANGE MY FRIENDS? GOD CHANGE MY CHURCH? GOD
CHANGE MY JOB? WITHOUT SEEING THE NEED TO CHANGE OURSELVES?
Luke 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
A. EVERY ONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THE PRODIGAL SON --- HE CHANGED?
WHY DON’T WE WANT TO DISCUSS THE OLDER SON?
B. Have you ever purchased new shoes and they hurt your feet?
Can new IDEAS hurt for a while?
C. DO WE CHANGE WHEN WE SEE THE LIGHT?
OR WHEN WE FEEL THE HEAT?
D. Do we desire LAST YEARS WEATHER FORECAST?
E. WE CAN ONLY CHANGE THE WORLD BY CHANGING MEN AND WOMEN!
F. ONE SON MAKES A TWO WORD DEMAND: FATHER, GIVE ME ---
TEXT:
Luke 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants
of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father,
I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
G. CHANGE COMES WHEN THE SON DECLARES: SIN IS INSANE!
I AM NOT STAYING HERE! I WILL ARISE, I AM GETTING UP! I AM WASHING OFF!
I AM GOING HOME.
III. THE SECOND SON IN THE STORY IS JUST AS IMPORTANT A LESSON AS THE
PRODIGAL... THE SECOND SON IS JUDGMENTAL AND ANGRY --- HE IS RIGHTFULLY
DISAPPOINTED?
A. The older brother refused to talk to Dad. This son wanted the GOSSIP?
He deals in HEARSAY!
Luke 15:25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
B. The older son was BITTER and UNFORGIVING? He wanted to throw up the PIG PEN!
Luke 15:28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
C. The older brother had LIMITED VISION, he did not VALUE HIS BROTHER.
He was not willing for CHANGE... He knew the rest of the INHERITANCE WAS HIS!!!
The Prodigal was a threat to His future?
D. The older brother spirit resists change.
E. THE OLDER BROTHER SHOULD HAVE MADE THE DECISION: I WILL ARISE...
He refused to take the HIGH ROAD!
IV. HELLO --- MY NAME IS MARA? I AM BIITER? I AM EMPTY? LIFE HAS NOT BEEN FAIR TO ME?
There is a severe FAMINE IN GOD’S CAMP.
Naomi and her dear husband leave for the country of Moab.
ELIMELECH RENTED A U-HAUL TRUCK, AND LOADED UP HIS TWO SONS AND
WENT TO MOAB.
B. YOU KNOW THE STORY: ELIMELECH DIED!
One married son dies? The second son dies? All hope is gone...
Ruth 1:21 I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
C. NAOMI KNEW: I CAN’T STAY HERE! I HAVE TO GET UP!!!
Naomi could have stayed forever BITTER and HOPELESS, but she made a
DECISION --- I AM GETTING UP, I SHALL ARISE...
Ruth 1:6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.
D. ORPAH MADE A CHOICE, AFTER SHE AROSE WITH NAOMI --- OPRAH DECIDED
TO RETURN ... WITH A KISS ORPAH IS NEVER HEARD OF AGAIN...
E. RUTH MADE A DECISION, I HAVE GOT UP, I SHALL GO ON --- ALL THE WAY...
Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
F. WHAT APPEARED TO BE A BITTER, EMPTY LIFE WAS FOREVER CHANGED WITH
THE DECISION, I WILL ARISE, I WILL GET UP OUT OF THIS MESS,
I WILL RETURN ...
GOD HAD A PLAN --- THERE WAS A KINSMAN’S REDEEMER ...
Ruth 4:14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
G. Ruth married BOAZ, they had OBED, Obed had a son named JESSIE,
Jessie had a son named DAVID... Naomi was forever changed by the CHOICE TO GET UP AND GO HOME!
GOD IS A RESTORER...
V. GOD’S PLAN IS MUCH LARGER THAN GOD’S MAN! GOD BLESSES HIS MAN...
BUT GOD’S MAN’S BLESSINGS POUR OUT ON OTHERS...
A. The man of God was very FRAGILE. There were written orders from the
King’s wife, Jezebel to have the Preacher killed.
B. Elijah prayed to die ... while he ran for his life.
If he wanted to die? Why run?
He didn’t want a WOMAN’S LIBER TO KILL HIM...
C. Elijah hid down by the BROOK CHERITH.
The birds feed him.
He was tired, he rested and RECHARGED HIS SPIRIT...
D. Brook Cherith dries up...
God was still in control!
E. GOD’S WORD COMES CLEAR TO THE MAN OF GOD:
GET UP! ARISE!
There is a strange thing about this getting up --- God sent Elijah to a STRANGER.
This woman was not of the house of God.
1 Kings 17:8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
F. WHEN ELIJAH GOT UP AND TRUSTED GOD AND THE WIDOW AND HER SON WAS
FED...
G. THERE WAS A SIDEBAR TO THIS BLESSING:
I KNOW THE MAN OF GOD IS AMONG US!
1 Kings 17:17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
22 And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
1 Kings 17:24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.
H. God didn’t bring us here to KILL US!
VI. WHO KNOWS WHY WE ARE HERE? WHY ARE WE FACING THIS MOUNTAIN?
WE ARE HERE TO GET UP AND TRUST THE UNSEEN HANDS...
A. Who knows but what God placed this OBSTACLE BEFORE US TO SHOW HIMSELF STRONG?
Esther 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
B. DO YOU TRUST GOD’S PLAN AND PURPOSE?
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
C. WHY IS THIS MAN SICK?
Did his Mom or Dad sin? Did he sin?
THIS IS FOR GOD’S GLORY!
D. There are three questions every Christian must ask:
1. Is God real?
2. Is God real to me?
3. When can God do this for me?
E. THIS PROBLEM NEVER CAUGHT GOD BY SURPRISE! GET UP!
Do we KNOW that God is real?
Do we know that GOD IS GREATER THAN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE AND EVERY PROBLEM
THAT IS PRESSING AGAINST YOU?
F. WE MUST MAKE THE DECISION, I AM NOT STAYING HERE!
SOMETIMES THE WORSE THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU ---
IS THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
God has a plan and a purpose.
G. How would you ever know God is all you need ---
UNTIL GOD IS ALL YOU HAVE?
VII. GOD HAS A TARGET! GOD HAS AN AIM...
FIND A PURPOSE IN THIS PROBLEM !!!
Do you know God has something He is trying to accomplish through this trial or storm?
2 Chron. 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
A. Am I fighting everything God is trying to do?
B. DO WE ALWAYS FIGHT ON THE SURFACE LEVEL?
Can we determine what the real ROOT OF THE PROBLEM IS?
C. SELF-PITY CAN BE A REAL KILLER?
Sin
Emotions
Feelings
Worry
Frustration
Anxiety
Fear-driven
D. IS SUBMISSION A DIRTY WORD IN YOUR BOOK?
Do you manipulate and control?
E. DO YOU LOVE PITY PARTIES?
IT’S MY PARTY AND I’LL CRY IF I WANT TO...
HAS GOD AND GOD’S WORD DEVELOPED A CONFIDENCE IN YOUR HEART?
VIII. THIS CAN START WITH A SMALL TOOL CALLED A PLUMMET!
A. A GREAT WORK CAN START WITH A SMALL TOOL CALLED A PLUMMET,
OR PLUMB LINE.
A plumb line drops or falls perpendicularly.
To make a straight line.
Zech. 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
B. WE NEED A PLUMB LINE TO FOCUS US IN A STRAIGHT LINE.
An established priority system.
C. CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE VALIDITY OF WRONG?
Wrong feelings?
Wrong emotions?
Wrong priorities?
Wrong words?
Wrong thinking?
Wrong thinking patterns?
Wrong actions and deeds?
D. SELDOM WILL WRONG THINGS PRODUCE GOOD THINGS?
E. DO WE WANT TO BRING THE WHOLE WORLD TO THE FEET OF OUR PROBLEMS?
OR DO WE WANT TO BRING OUR PROBLEMS TO THE FOOT OF THE CROSS?
F. WHAT IS YOUR MISSION? TO BEG?
DROP HINTS? GET ALL TO COME TO YOU AND FEEL SORRY?
G. Do we REMEMBER: --- THAT THIS TOO SHALL PASS...
H. TO ARISE MEANS TO GET AWAY FROM PITY PARTIES?
TO FIND OUR MISSION --- OUR CALL --- TO BE SENT TO OTHERS...
I. IS THERE A TIME TO GET UP ---
TO WASH OFF ---
TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND HEAD HOME?
OR SHALL WE STAY IN THE PIG PEN?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Could you please help me? Pass this on to another?
