THERE ARE LIONS OUT THERE? HOW DID I GET HERE?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I do this lesson in two parts.
ILLUSTRATION:
A. I use a pint jar. I fill it up with ping pong balls. ( You can substitute: English walnuts, or something cheap, etc.) enough to fill the small jar. (A large jar is harder to fill.)
I say is this full? It sure is.
I take some little small plastic B.B.’s and pour them in the jar and shake it. More goes into the pint jar. Is it full now?
I take sand or rice and pour in the top and shake it. More goes in!
Is it full now? I take water and pour the water on the balls, B. B.’s, sand, and we see the jar can hold more.
Sometimes we can hold more than we think we can?
We say: God --- I can’t handle any more? God
Thanks Pam Girard for this thought.
B. There is another way: Take a small jar, a pint maybe, and place English walnuts in the jar, then take three cups of rice and pour it in the jar filled with walnuts.
Make a point something like this. The walnuts ( or what ever you choice) are the things that are important to God. The rice (or sand) are the pleasure things we like to do.
If you put the rice in the jar first there will be no room for the walnuts. If you do what pleases the flesh, we often force God out. If we place the walnuts in the jar first, then pour the rice around the nuts and shake them down, it will all fit. God first will make a big difference in the PRIORITY SYSTEM OF OUR FAMILIES!
If we put what we desire first, it will never fit God into our time.
Thanks Linda Slaughter for this idea.
I. WHEN WHAT I DREAD COMES UPON ME? THERE ARE LIONS OUT THERE?
LIFE HAS BEEN MEAN TO ME? MY FAMILY HAS BEEN MEAN TO ME? MY PREACHER
HAS BEEN MEAN TO ME?
A. Often God hears my prayers and answers them... I appreciate that.
Sometimes God’s answer is WHAT I DREAD? He didn’t answer as I expected.
B. DELUSION AND FEARS CAN BE AS REAL AS REALITY! ...
Give FEAR an inch and it will become THE RULER? Fear and delusions can grow at very rapid rates.
Isaiah 66:4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
C. Recently, I had a friend call the police at 4:30 am. She told the police that her husband was trying to kill her. He had almost ran over her with their car.
4 Police Units were dispatched in the worse code they had. The police waited for back up. They stormed the house to find a lady bedfast bombed out of her head on pills.
Her husband has been dead 12 years. She has not been out of her room in over a month. She begged the police and ambulance drivers to take her to the hospital. They refused.
Her problem was not real. I talked to her the next day. She told me she really saw her deceased husband trying to kill her.
I recommend less pills?
D. I have seen FEAR and DREAD CRIPPLE GOD’S PEOPLE.
Is this problem real? What is the real root of this problem? Worry has little benefit. I have seen reactions to drugs cause people to see bugs and snakes. I have seen God’s people play victim and hide in dark places for fear and dread grasped their heart.
E. I have dealt with people walking in fear that have taken misunderstanding and whispering to great heights. They have given CREDANCE to CONTRARY WINDS?
Seems we can jump to conclusions very easy in the spiritual realm?
II. I AM SO GLAD? LET US SIT AND WATCH? WHAT? WILL I OVERCOME MY ANGER?
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A MERCIFUL GOD --- IN HIS MERCY DESTROY ONE OF HIS
PEOPLE’S COMFORT ZONES?
A. How soon can joy and gladness die? The call is real... GET UP --- ARISE... GOD CALLS JONAH OUT OF HIS COMFORT ZONE... Nineveh needs to know God!
Jonah 1:2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
B. How soon can joy and gladness die?
Jonah was tired and Jonah was angry, bitter and remembered the past.
Jonah hated Nineveh and he hated every Ninevehite.
C. Jonah’s ministry and life was HATE DRIVEN!
Jonah’s calling was wasting sitting down watching WHILE HE ENJOYED THE COMFORT OF THE GOD GIVEN SHADE.
Jonah 4:5 So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
6 And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief.
So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
D. GOD’S PLAN FOR GOD’S WORM AND GOD’S WIND CAN DESTROYED JONAH’S
COMFORT ZONE.
What was God trying to do?
Jonah 4:7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
8 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
E. SEEMS THAT JONAH’S LOST COMFORT ZONE TAUGHT HIM LITTLE BUT MORE ANGER.
God save the church from ANGER and UN-FORGIVENESS.
III. IS THIS FEAR REAL? IS THIS FEAR IMAGINARY? IS THIS FEAR MENTAL? OR
EMOTIONAL? OR IS IT SPIRITUAL?
A. Is God concerned with my COMFORT ZONE?
Is what breaks my heart what breaks God’s heart?
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
B. DELUSION AND FEARS CAN BE REAL...
Give them an inch and they will become THE RULER?
C. We must understand VALIDITY!
Is this sound? Right? Well-grounded? Meaningful?
Is this logical? Correct?
D. THERE WAS A YOUNG MAN THAT LIVED IN JERUSALEM IN DAVID AND SOLOMON’S
TIME. He had work to do? He is mentioned twice.
This young man was FEAR DRIVEN AND DREAD CONTROLLED.
Proverbs 22:13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.
Proverbs 26:13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
E. This young man will refuse to exert effort and go to work because he has an IMAGINARY EXCUSE --- THERE MAY BE A LION OUT THERE.
The lion out there may be hiding on my way to work?
The lion may be hungry? The lion can run faster than I can.
The lion may kill me?
The lion may eat me? I better not go to work?
F. Young man that fears lions --- HOW ARE YOU GOING TO PAY YOUR MUSTANG PAYMENT? How are you going to pay rent? Maybe BUY A LOTTERY TICKET?
IV. THE LION IS A TYPE IN THE BIBLE. Of all the animals you can think of meeting in the wild, the LION IS PROBABLY ONE WE WOULD DREAD THE MOST!
A. The lion is a fast, powerful, smart engaging CARNIVIOUS ANIMAL.
B. LIONS WERE KNOWN AND FEARED IN BIBLICAL TIMES.
In the Bible lions were feared when they were in cave areas, around some river banks and in the forest.
C. SIX WORDS ARE USED IN THE BIBLE ABOUT LIONS:
1. GOR, a young or baby lion.
2. KEPHIR, a fast and strong shaggy haired animal.
3. ARI, one cruel to it’s enemy, A PULLER INTO PIECES.
4. SHAHAL, a roarer, --- A MATURE LION.
5. LAISH, the tribe of Dan received it’s name here --- strong, brave, ferrous, strong.
6. LABI, to be loud, to roar, to strike fear.
V. THERE IS A GREAT VALUE TO LEARN TO FACE THE LION. ALLOW GOD TO HELP.
DON’T RUN --- DON’T GIVE FEAR A PLACE --- THAT LION IS NOTHING TO THE ANOINTING.
A. THERE IS A LION WITHOUT --- WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?
Samson was out of his COMFORT ZONE?
Judges 14:5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
B. There is another young man. This young man has a DIFFERENT ATTITUDE TOWARD THE LION than the man in Proverbs laying on his couch?
Judges 14:6 And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
C. Samson did not let FEAR OF THE SITUATION DRIVE HIM.
It is all about GOD’S ANOINTING!
VI. BECAUSE OF SAMSON’S ATTITUDE --- HE HAD A VICTORY TODAY.
NEVER FORGET TODAY’S VICTORY IS TOMORROW’S NOURISHMENT.
A. Samson comes back to the area and he is hungry and McDonald’s is closed.
Judges 14:8 And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.
B. God took yesterdays stand and in the carcase of the LION --- GOD PROVIDED A MEAL...
C. While there was Divine Provision for Samson, God’s plan was to help Samson’s Mom and Dad.
Judges 14:9 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.
D. IF YOU RUN FROM YOUR LION TODAY, THERE MAY NOT BE FOOD TOMORROW.
Life is a process --- you must face your LIONS.
E. There is another HIDDEN LESSON HERE: Samson can keep SECRETS from his
Mom and Dad, but not from women.
F. WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THE LIONS?
VII. IS THIS PIT MY DEATH OR GOD’S OPPORTUNITY?
ARE YOU IN THE PIT? IS YOUR COMFORT ZONE KEEPING YOU RUNNING AWAY
FROM LIONS? ARE LIONS CHASING YOU? OR ARE YOU CHASING LIONS?
A. Thanks Mark Batterson for the fodder.
B. BENAIAH --- O MIGHTY MAN OF GOD, WHERE ARE YOU? In the pits?
LIFE HAD BEEN IN THE PITS FOR A BIBLICAL HERO.
The pit is a hard place.
A Pit is a hole in the ground.
A GRAVE ---
A pit is known as a PLACE OF MISCHIEF, WOES OR TROUBLE.
C. WHAT IF YOU FACE A LION WHILE YOU ARE IN THE PITS?
2 Samuel 23:20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:
D. ON TOP OF BEING IN THE PIT --- BENAIAH WAS FAR FROM A COMFORT ZONE...
IT WAS COLD IN THE PIT. THERE WAS A DEEP SNOW IN THE PIT...
The pit was steep, the PIT WAS SLICK --- SLIPPERY --- UPHILL...
E. Benaiah had some serious problems. The pit and the cold snow is bad,
but Benaiah had to learn GOD CAN MOVE IN LESS THAN IDEAL SITUATIONS.
F. Benaiah heard the LION ROAR. The lion was very hungry.
The Lion was saying: GRACE OVER A WARM MEAL.
Benaiah looked like good food to that lion.
G. THE SNOW COVERED PIT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR A MAN OF GOD
TO BREAK OUT OF THE MOULD OF JUST THE ORDINARY --- BENAIAH WILL ARISE ---
HE WILL BE A LION CHASER.
H. With TIME and GOD Benaiah gets noticed and promoted.
He becomes the second in command to one of the greatest warriors known.
VIII. WILL WE FOREVER BE CHASED BY THE LIONS OR WILL WE GROW AND BE LION
CHASERS?
A. Fear tried to stop what God had planned. God was with Benaiah!
God knew about the LION! God also grew a LION CHASING HEART IN HIS MAN.
B. Benaiah was forever changed. He would come under a new God anointing.
He would never be the same again.
C. That one day in a cold, cold snow covered Pit --- Benaiah would never look back.
D. THIS IS YOUR CHANCE. GOD BROUGHT YOU TO THIS PLACE. Quit complaining.
You may be out of your comfort zone, but GOD CAN DO IT --- LET HIM...
E. BENAIAH DID NOT LIVE A LIFE OF REGRETS. HE GOT IN THE PIT AND
TRUSTED GOD. O lion --- you can not haunt my family ever again!
IX. HAS LIFE EVER BEEN MEAN AND CRUEL TO YOU? HAVE YOU BEEN KNOCKED
DOWN IN THE PIT? ASK JOSEPH? ASK BENAIAH?
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN PUSHED AND SHOVED?
EVER PONDER WHY SOME PEOPLE SEEM TO GET PUSHED AND SHOVED A LOT?
A. A young boy approached the throne of his King. The people of the Kingdom absolutely loved and respected the King. He ruled the Kingdom well for many years. The young lad asked the King: HOW DID YOU GET TO BE KING? Were you real smart and talented? Were you a war hero? What traits made you a King?
B. The King said: THAT IS A LONG STORY, YOU PROBABLY DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT? The King went on and was talking about King things.
Later the boy enquired again: SIR, HOW DID YOU GET TO BE KING?
The King started telling the real story. He had been real poor on a small farm. When he was a boy he had to work real hard and help support his family.
C. The old King had one daughter and no sons to inherit the throne. There was no one to rule on the old King’s throne.
The old King had all the schools dismiss their male students to the east side of the palace. We were all ordered to gather on the east side of the palace.
D. There was a huge mote all around the palace.
All of us young boys and men were standing next to the mote and the old King was going to stand high atop the wall above the mote and address all males gathered on the east side. I was early so I pressed my way right up to the front. I was standing next to the mote.
E. I heard everyone talking about how big the alligators and crocodiles were in the mote. One man told me he had seen a 20 feet long crocodile in the mote. I also heard people say there were rare man eating fish beneath the water.
One man said there were thousands of giant sharks from the ocean and flesh eating piranha from the Amazon River in the deep waters around the palace that always protected the Royal Family from danger.
F. I heard another man say there had never been one person make it alive across the mote. We stood there several hours, when finally the King and his advisors appeared on top of the wall across the mote. They informed us one of us would get to marry the King’s beautiful daughter and become the next King.
G. Well, I was standing up very close to the edge when the King’s daughter appeared. We were all shouting and screaming how beautiful she was and that we wanted to marry her? Please King consider me?
H. Then the King made the announcement loud and clear, who ever swam across the mote and lived --- the first boy or man would marry his daughter and inherit the Kingdom.
All of us young men were standing around and said what a deal! You should jump in and swim? No one was willing to dive in the dangerous waters.
I. About that time a chunk of dirt broke loose beneath my feet and someone in the crowd pushed to see in the water and they knocked me in --- I fell into the water. I couldn’t get out! I couldn’t turn back --- so I decided to swim as hard and as fast as possible before a shark or a crocodile was able sink their teeth into me. I never tried so hard in all my life to swim fast.
J. There were Knights waiting on the other side of the mote. They helped pull me out and had towels to dry me and a fancy outfit for me to wear. I had a hero’s welcome for my bravery swimming across the mote for the love and hand of the King’s daughter.
K. Young man I will tell you, I never jumped in the mote, someone in the crowd pushed and the ground on which I was standing broke away. All I did was swim for my life? I got to go meet the King and Queen and I got to dance at a ball with the Princess.
We were married some time later. Now the rest is history, I have been the King ever since my Father-in-law died.
L. The King told the young boy IF YOUR COMFORT ZONE BREAKS AND YOU STUMBLE--- IF LIFE PUSHES YOU INTO THE WATER --- SWIM THE BEST YOU KNOW HOW? WHO KNOWS --- YOU MIGHT MAKE IT.
X. THE ENEMY CHANGES HIS BATTLE PLAN. Watch --- he is subtle, sneaky, and sly.
A. AS THE LION GETS OLDER, SLOWER AND WEAKER HIS TACTICS WITH HIS PREY
CHANGES. As a young lion the animal quietly and quickly advances upon it’s prey and chases it down and destroys and kills the prey.
B. Notice our enemy is not quick and sharp ---
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
C. The older lion uses fear and loud noise to intimidate it’s prey.
Our enemy can’t catch you, he uses loud sounds to echo from that rock and that valley, you loose the ability to identify where the sound is coming from...
D. Then in fear and panic the enemy manipulates and controls the end and the death of his foe!
E. THERE IS GOOD NEWS MY FRIEND! THE GOOD NEWS IS THE BAD NEWS ISN’T THE TRUTH. There is a glorious church without spot or wrinkle.
F. WE HAVE MEDICINE! THE WORD IS OUR WAY OF PREPARING AND PRESERVING
AND COMPOUNDING OUR SOLUTION. FAITH IS OUR ALL CONQUERING WEAPON. FAITH IS OUR PHARMACY.
Conclusion: We need to quit fearing the lion without and GROW INTO LION CHASERS.
I DO THIS LESSON IN TWO PARTS.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me? Please, help me? Pass this on to another.
