WALKING THROUGH A SEASON OF CRUSHING ...
THE DEATH OF EXPECTATION...
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I have rarely started a lesson with the conclusion, but I think I shall start with the end and then build up to the conclusion.
CONCLUSION:
AFFLICTION IS NOT ALWAYS CHASTISEMENT.
22 YEARS AGO I MARRIED A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY TO A MAN
NAMED PAUL. Vonda was the sweetest teen and we used to sing
the Lord’s praise together as the youth group.
It was a touch of heaven.
I received an email yesterday from Vonda.
She has had a terrible battle with cancer.
The battle has been up and down, LIFE HAS HAD MUCH PAIN AND
HEARTACHE. Vonda now has a 16 year old son.
Vonda has had so many surgeries one very recent and ONE COMING
UP SOON...
Vonda’s email said: THE SCARS ARE A MAP THAT IS LEADING ME
TO HEAVEN...
WOW! DOUBLE WOW! WOW!
Thank you Vonda for reminding this old preacher: WE ARE ON A JOURNEY...
DON’T RAPE THE SEEDS.
I sat next to Dave Roever --- the battle scarred Viet Nam Vet:
I heard him say: THESE SCARS ARE A TESTIMONY OF SURVIVAL.
DO I REALLY BELIEVE THE BIBLE WHEN IT SAYS:
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.
DO I KNOW EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK?
OR WILL I RAPE THE SEED OF EXPECTATION?
Can you agree with this statement:
GREAT IS THE YIELD OF A FERTILE FIELD?
Why? or Why not?
I. HAVE YOU HAD A CRUSHING EVENT? CRUSHING WEEK? A CRUSHING SEASON?
ALL HELL WAS COMING AGAINST JESUS! THE ENEMY’S TOTAL FOCUS WAS
TO DESTROY THE WORK OF GOD’S SON.
A. In your daily life you are going to face NEGATIVE, DIFFICULT, HARD, LONG SEASONS THAT WILL DEFINE WHO YOU ARE AND DEFINE FROM WHAT YOU ARE
MADE --- LET US CALL THIS SEASONS OF CRUSHING.
B.When we walk through a SEASON OF CRUSHING we will throw up our hands
and quit or we will KICK INTO PASSING GEAR and ARISE TO A NEW LEVEL.
II. SEASONS OF CRUSHING ARE NEITHER GOOD OR BAD, THEY ARE NEUTRAL ---
IT IS WHAT WE DO WHILE WALKING THROUGH THESE SEASONS THAT WILL
DEFINE WHO YOU REALLY ARE!
A. Remember when Jesus had been on a fast and was physically weak?
This season of crushing had a two fold opportunity...
1. Jesus’ ministry could have been nipped in the bud and failure could have doomed the birth of the public ministry of the SON OF GOD...
2. This season of crushing was a great opportunity to RELEASE THE WORD
and BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF THE WORD to overcome every OBSTACLE.
B. SEASONS OF CRUSHING MOST GENERALLY COME AFTER A TIME OF
VICTORY WHEN ONE IS WEAK AND TIRED...
Matthew 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
C. This CRUSHING - TRYING TIME IS BUT AN OPPORTUNITY...
How can we release the WORD TO ACCOMPLISH GOD’S PLAN IF WE ARE
DOUBTERS...
--- if we don’t accept the power of the word ...
--- if we don’t know the word ...
--- if we keep the WORD buried in DRY fertile soil and don’t release
the light
to germinate the word ...
--- if we don’t release the word by SPEAKING it and meditating day and
night upon the power that is contained within releasing God’s word...
III. HAVE YOU EVER WALKED THROUGH THE --- IFS... IF THIS? IF THAT?
WHAT IF? SEASONS OF CRUSHING OFTEN COME AT A TIME OF DOUBT...
WATCHING OTHERS AND DOUBTING THEM --- OR A SEASON OF SELF-DOUBT...
A. CALL DOUBT ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BUT DOUBT REALLY MEANS YOU DO
NOT TRUST GOD OR TRUST HIS KEEPING --- PRESERVING POWER...
B. Most of the time God’s people will not DOUBT GOD, they will DOUBT OTHERS AND THIS DOUBT THEN BREEDS TO SELF- DOUBT.
Matthew 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Matthew 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down:
for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Matthew 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
C. IF AT ANYTIME WE WAVER ON THE IF’S, THE POSSIBILITIES OF
THE NEGATIVE WILL DOOM THE POTENTIAL OF GOD’S WORD...
James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
IV. SEASONS OF CRUSHING ARE NEITHER GOOD OR BAD, THEY ARE NEUTRAL ---
IT IS WHAT WE DO WHILE WALKING THROUGH THESE SEASONS THAT WILL
DEFINE WHO YOU REALLY ARE!
A. IS THE WORD TRUE? CAN YOU DEPEND UPON THE WORD?
B. Jesus never argued or debated with the ENEMY!
Jesus knew that the power to defeat self-doubt, doubt of others and social doubt is by RELEASING THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD...
C. IT IS WRITTEN:
Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
D. THE WORD OF GOD DOES THE WORK OF GOD... THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS... THE BATTLE IS GOD’S --- GOD CAN HANDLE THIS... LET HIM...
Psalm 68:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David.
Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.
V. SEASONS OF CRUSHING, TESTING OF FAITH HAS ITS LIMITATIONS...
THIS TOO SHALL PASS... STAY TRUE IN THE CRUSHING... GOD WILL MINISTER
TO YOU!
A. STRIKE A MATCH AND PUT IT IN A GLASS OF PURE WATER...
Matthew 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
B. OUR ENEMY IS LIKEN UNTO A DOG ON A CHAIN TIED TO CONCRETE
POURED IN THE GROUND... BARK ALL HE WILL ... STAY AWAY THE LENGTH
OF THE CHAIN... HE CAN’T GET YOU...
C. THE IS A WAY OF ESCAPE ON THE DESIGN BOARD...
I don’t know about a lot of things ... BUT I KNOW MY GOD IS FAITHFUL...
1 Cor. 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
VI. WE DREAM OF BEING SELF-SUFFICIENT ... TO LEAN TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY
IS TO MOVE AWAY FORM GOD...
A. I used to preach of the CHILDREN OF GOD in a negative way, why didn’t
they GROW UP TO BECOME THE ADULTS OF GOD? ....
B. Years ago a friend of mine offered me a business deal, I could change my
focus away from the ministry and BECOME FINANCIALLY INDEPENDANT and
not have to look to the church or God for what I needed...
This deal came from a very successful pastor business man... he had everything I wanted.
C. I prayed through out the night. The Lord dealt with me that this was an area of great danger. When he called the next morning I told him Thank you for considering me to become a partner, but I was not interested...
D. He asked: WHY?
I told him, I would love to be independent and not have to look to others, but God dealt with me... HE CALLED ME, HE WOULD SUSTAIN ME, THAT I MUST LEAN ON GOD...
E. I was in that area many years later. My successful pastor friend had a
huge house --- three new cars and fancy everything. He left the church
in a CRUSHING SEASON ... he did not need the church. He made more
a year than the whole church budget. His family was splintered, he had
it all ... the opportunity lead him away from his call and his work.
VII. HAVE BELIEVERS RAPED THE EXPECTATION OF THE WORD OF GOD
ABOUT THE SEED? ARE YOU DOUBTING BLESSINGS? HAVE YOU ALLOWED
CURRENT EVENTS TO DEFINE YOUR MOOD? HAS WORRY GROWN INTO
FEAR?
A. Has who ever been the leader affected God at anytime in history?
B. God cries: ARE YOU RELEASING ME TO DO MY WORK?
C. Has the economy ever driven God? or God’s man?
D. Can the Republican party stop God? Can the Democratic party stop God?
E. Has our God ever depended on the STOCK MARKET to feed His children?
F. MODERN CHURCH MEMBERS ARE WORRIED AND TROUBLED ABOUT MANY
THINGS ... they are RAPING THE SEED OF EXPECTATION...
VIII. IF I TRUST GOD I MIGHT MAR UP MY THINGS AND SITUATIONS...
A. The rightful KINSMAN REDEEMER CAN NOT REDEEM RUTH AND NAOMI...
IT MIGHT MAR UP HIS LIFE...
Ruth 4:6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.
B. THERE WAS A MAN WILLING TO GIVE BEYOND THE DEMANDS
OF THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY, WHEN OTHERS RAPED THE SEED OF
EXPECTATION... HE REACHED OUT BEYOND HIS DUTY...
Ruth 2:8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter?
Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:
C. ONE COUSIN WAS WORRIED ABOUT MARRING THEIR INHERITANCE,
BOAZ RELEASED THE SEED...
Ruth 2:12 The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.
Ruth 2:15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:
Ruth 2:16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.
D. BOAZ ON PURPOSE TRUSTED MORE THAN THE SEED,
HE TRUSTED THE GOD OF THE SEED --- WILL YOU?
OR WILL YOU MAKE THE CHOICE YOU CAN WORRY THIS CASE BETTER?
CONCLUSION:
AFFLICTION IS NOT ALWAYS CHASTISEMENT.
22 YEARS AGO I MARRIED A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY TO A MAN
NAMED PAUL. Vonda was the sweetest teen, and we used to sing
the Lord’s praise together as the youth group. It was a touch of heaven.
I received an email yesterday from Vonda.
She has had a terrible battle with cancer. The battle has been up and
down, LIFE HAS HAD MUCH PAIN AND HEARTACHE.
Vonda has had so many surgeries one very recent and ONE COMING UP
SOON... Vonda’s email said: THE SCARS ARE A MAP THAT IS LEADING ME
TO HEAVEN...
WOW! DOUBLE WOW! WOW!
Thank you Vonda for reminding this old preacher: WE ARE ON A JOURNEY...
DON’T RAPE THE SEEDS.
I sat next to Dave Roever --- the battle scarred Viet Nam Vet:
I heard him say: THESE SCARS ARE A TESTIMONY OF SURVIVAL.
DO I REALLY BELIEVE THE BIBLE WHEN IT SAYS:
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.
DO I KNOW EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK? OR WILL I RAPE THE SEED OF EXPECTATION?
Walk on dirt and it will become a hard path...
Step on a rose and it will release sweet odors!
Ron says: IT IS ALWAYS TO SOON TO GIVE UP HOPE!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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