I Thought I Was Wrong, But I Was Mistaken
July 20, 2008
Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction
Farmer Joe decided his injuries from the accident were serious enough to take the trucking company (responsible for the accident) to court. In court, the trucking company’s fancy lawyer was questioning farmer Joe. "Didn’t you say, at the scene of the accident, ’I’m fine’?," questioned the lawyer.
Farmer Joe responded, "Well I’ll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the..."
"I didn’t ask for any details," the lawyer interrupted, "just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, ’I’m fine’!"
Farmer Joe said, "Well I had just got Bessie into the trailer and I was driving down the road..."
The lawyer interrupted again and said, "Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question."
By this time the Judge was fairly interested in Farmer Joe’s answer and said to the lawyer, "I’d like to hear what he has to say about his favorite mule Bessie."
Joe thanked the Judge and proceeded, "Well as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn’t want to move. However, I could hear ole Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. Shortly after the accident a Highway Patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. Then the Patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me. He said, "Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?"
It was then that I said, "I’m fine."
Today, no need to say or lie "I’m fine". We are not fine. We have been touched by death, because of sin.
B Dominos (mistakes) fall, sets up a chain reaction.
I Mistakes caused by panic.
A Panic mistakes are ones made when we get in a hurry, or when were afraid that something is going to happen.
1 The Station nightclub fire on the evening of Thursday, February 20, 2003, was the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history,
a The Station, which regularly hosted glam metal and 1980s rock bands, was a nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. That night, the headlining band was Great White, of which a member perished in this fire.
aa A few seconds into the concert, a pyrotechnics caught the stage on fire, and within minutes the stage was engulfed in flames.
bb Four exits, one blocked by a camera man/equipment.
cc Panic set in as everyone rushed the front entrance.
b Killing 100 people and injuring more than 200. (Ninety-six perished on the night of the fire, and four died later from their injuries at local hospitals.)
2 We get worried that God is not control . . . so out of panic we take control.
a God promises us that He is in control.
aa Ecc. 2.26; Ps. 57.2; 84.11
bb Phil. 4.19
B Abraham is a case study on the panic mistake.
1 God had called him to leave his homeland and go to the land where he would be blessed and posses.
a Gen. 12.2-3, 7-9
aa "I WILL" (4x’s) Give you land, great nation, name, blessing that will spread through the world.
bb Abraham could get all of these "I WILL," but he had to step out in faith.
b He gets to the land and sets up an alter . . . and then v.10.
aa God . . . we’re hungry, thirsty, crops & cattle are sick and dying . . .
bb Instead of waiting/trusting God . . . he leaves. (blessing/promise)
cc As he left in panic, he literally had to turn his back on God’s promise of provision.
c Abraham keeps on panicking and lies about his wife Sara to border patrol. aa(Concubine of Pharaoh)
bb He tears his family apart all because he panicked and took control instead of waiting on God.
2 Husbands, if you are out of the will of God, you can bring untold trouble to your wife (& family.)
a Never doubt in the dark what God has revealed to you in the light.
b Be patient, refrain from panicking . . . believe His promises.
II Mistakes caused by neglect
A Last Wednesday night I taught about Adonijah, the 4th son of David, who rose up to take the throne when David was on his death bed. (The throne had been promised to Solomon by God and David.)
1 Adonijah, around 35 at the time, along with some of David’s military (Joab) & religious (Abiathar) set out to be king.
a I Kings 1.6 tells of David neglect.
aa Lit. "never pained him."
bb David never spanked him, disciplined him, set him straight . . . easier just to give him what he wanted.
b David was busy defeating foreign armies, being King, acquiring wealth, working hard and he NEGLECTED to be a good father to Adonijah.
2 David made a mistake that many of us are still making today!
a He was so busy being king, important, administrator, that he neglected his family.
b Do not neglect your kids.
aa Answer their questions or someone else will.
bb Do not neglect to teach your gets about the God who loves them.
cc What one generation neglects to teach, the next generation rejects as false.
B Neglect is not limited just to family either . . . neglect can affect our spiritual life too.
1 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Heb 10:25 (NASB)
a At church we gather to remember Jesus, get our hearts right, gather at the Lord’s Table, take the same bread/cup.
2 People often tell me, "It is so easy to get out of the habit of going to church."
a Holiday, snow day, family event, sick, rainy day . . . one turns to two, two to three.
b We’ve got groups to help us stop drinking, eating, smoking . . . but we don’t need a group to help us quit going to church!
III Mistakes caused by curiosity
A King Saul (1 Sam. 28) was struggling w/ his life (low self-esteem, mistake after mistake, disobeyed God, and God was no longer talking to him (v.6.)
1 He takes some bad advice and seeks the guidance of a spiritual medium.
a Witchcraft, Sorcery, seance were all against God’s law, but Saul is desperate & curious.
b He’s dead 24 hours after consulting the medium.
2 You get sucked into the mistake of curiosity about a particualr sin and you can get in over your head real quick.
a Homosexuality, pornography, occult . . .
b Drugs . . . all controlled and influenced by the devil and his demons.
c May start with an innocent curiosity and ends up in sin.
B Red Devil Tools of Union, NJ. has their slogan, "It’s easy with the devil."
1 If you know God’s word, you know the devils aim. (Steal, kill, destroy.)
a He makes sin seem desirable, attractive, exciting.
b He never shows you the tragic end, premature death, broken family, ruined lives, loneliness, brokenness . . . HE’S A LIAR!!!
2 The Bible says sin is pleasurable for a season . . . the end result is pain and separation of God on earth, then eternity.
a Life with the devil is not easy . . . it is the most difficult of all lives.
b Curiosity not only killed the cat, it will kill the Christians relationship with God given a chance.
IV Mistakes caused by blind spots
A Blind spots are mistakes that we make because we are unable to see ourselves as who we really are. (In our mirrors, we turn our head because we have a blind spot.)
1 IL. Preacher and a grumpy older man, "They sure needed to hear that."
B Gal. 2.11-14
1 Peter had a blind spot about how he behaved in the presence of certain people.
a He was working w/ Gentile believers, but when his Ultra-Orthadox Jewish Christian buddies show up, Pete stops associating with g.b.
b The g.b. was seen as a lesser Christian, not as close to God, they didn’t believe exactly like us.
2 Paul notices Peter doesn’t see that what he is doing is a mistake so he tells him.
a Peter stood condemned (v.11) (lit. self condemned)
b Paul, you’re right. I didn’t see it like that. My bad. BLIND SPOT
C Don’t we all have make blind spot mistakes?
1 We hear a sermon and we think, "Boy, I sure hope so-and-so heard that message. It was what she needed to hear." Or, "It’s a shame so-and-so wasn’t hear, they sure needed to hear that sermon."
a Blind spots. That sermon may have been speaking right to you and me and we missed it because it was in our blind spot.
b Open your eyes today and look for your blind spots.
2 They are there.
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V Fix our mistakes
A Psalm 31 must have been written after David had made multiple mistakes.
1 He doesn’t know what to do (Hemmed in)
2 He goes to God
B He gives at least three hints at what we can do about our mistakes.
1 V. 5 Turn to God
a "I’ve got nowhere else to go, nothing else I can do."
b There must come a point where we turn to God for help, forgiveness, mercy (if we don’t, it’s the biggest mistake we’ll make).
2 V. 9-10 Take a good look at your life
a Look for & confess all your scars, scabs, demons, sin...God, here they are.
b I can fool my wife/husband, world...I can’t hide them from You.
c God will not cast you aside
3 V. 8, 19-20 God rescues you
a Regardless of your mistakes
b God hides you, forgives you, & protects you
c He’s not the God who was . . . I AM
MY NAME IS "I AM" I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly my Lord was speaking: "My name is "I AM." He paused. I waited. He continued, "When you live in the past with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not ‘I WAS.’ When you live in the future with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not ‘I WILL BE.’ When you live in this moment it is not hard; I am there! My name is ‘I AM!’
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Conclusion
A A Soapmaker, who was not saved, walked along the road with a preacher one day. He said to the preacher, "The gospel you preach has not done much good. There is still a lot of wickedness in the world, and wicked people, too." Quietly they walked on. The preacher did not reply to his friend’s comment until they passed a dirty little child making mudpies in the gutter. With this before them, the preacher spoke, "Soap has not done much good in the world, I see; for there is still much dirt in the world, and many dirty people about." "O, well, you know," said the Soapmaker, "soap is only useful when it is applied." "Exactly," said the preacher, "so it is with the gospel we proclaim."
1 We make mistakes, errors . . . you’ll only know peace, joy . . . apply the good news to your mistakes.
2
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Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
