#3 IT IS PRETTY DARK OUT THERE?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This is part three of a 4 part lesson.
I do this lesson in 2 parts. I conclude with part #5 Light/LAMP
I use a SAND HOUR GLASS, as the sands of time, so are the DAYS OF OUR
LIFES?
There are four groups of people:
1. Those that are getting ready for a dark night, a day of trouble...
2. Those that are coming out of a day of trouble...
3. Those that are currently in a day of trouble...
4. Those that seem to be in a continual day of trouble...
In times of darkness our imaginations can run wild.
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.
I. ONCE WHEN MY SON WAS VERY LITTLE HE WAS VERY CONCERNED... THE
SUN WAS GOING DOWN, AND HE SAID: DAD, WHAT IF THE SUN WILL NOT COME
UP IN THE MORNING ---
WE KNOW THE SUN WILL SHINE AGAIN... NO MATTER HOW DARK THE NIGHT...
A. Dark nights and fiery trials are part of life.
We must trust God in the dark night, just as we trust him in the bright SONSHINE...
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: [13] But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
B. He that teaches we can bypass TROUBLE has much to learn..
Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
Job 38:23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
C. God loves us and every dark night is an OPPORTUNITY.
Psalm 9:9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
II. TROUBLE IS OFTEN THE MEANS GOD USES TO DELIVER HIS PEOPLE.
WE OFTEN CRY--- WHY? WHY THIS DARK NIGHT?
GOD USES DARK NIGHTS, AFFLICTIONS, TROUBLES, SORROWS, CROSSES
AND THE ROD TO GROW DELIVERANCE...
A. We face two kinds of battles:
1. From without
2. From within...
Psalm 91:3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
B. What God does not keep us from---
HE KEEPS US THROUGH...
Neh. 9:27 Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven;
and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.
C. Why can’t we have all sunshine? Life would be a desert!
Psalm 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
Psalm 41:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
D. God’s plan is not to exempt us from the long dark nights,
God’s plan teaches faith, hope and love...
2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
III. HOW DARK IS IT IN THE BELLY OF A GREAT FISH OR A WHALE?
IF JONAH HAD A BIC LIGHTER --- I AM SURE THE LIGHTER QUIT BURNING LIGHT?
Jonah 1:3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
A. TALK ABOUT PAYING THE FARE? Jonah knew he had clear orders from God... NINEVAH IS THAT WAY --- TARSHISH IS THAT WAY --- ????
B. TARSHISH IS A TYPE --- A DESIRE TO DO GOD’S WORK OUR WAY?
Jonah 1:6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
C. YOU TALK ABOUT THREE DARK DAYS AND THREE DARK NIGHTS?
Jonah 1:17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
D. Jonah knew: YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE LIGHT TO TOUCH GOD...
Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly,
E. It is easy to FAINT in dark days and dark nights,
Jonah had to remember the Lord... and the CHURCH... Revival will come...
Jonah 2:7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
F. DURING JONAH’S TIME OF TROUBLE HE LEARNED TO PRAISE GOD...
Anybody can praise God when everything is wonderful.
Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.
G. GOD’S PLAN DELIVERS GOD’S MAN FROM THREE TOTALLY DARK NIGHTS...
and three dark days.
H. If God can deliver Jonah, GOD CAN DELIVER YOU...
IV. THE DARKER THE NIGHT --- THE GREATER THE LIGHT? HAVE A BIG DREAM ON A DARK NIGHT...
A. God really blessed Abraham and Sarah with the SEED OF PROMISE ISSAC...
B. God has worked many MIRACLES in the home of ISSAC and REBEKAH.
C. At best Issac and Rebekah have a DARK FAMILY SECRET... THEIR HOME IS DYSFUNCTIONAL...
Issac loves ESAU THE HUNTER...
Rebekah loves JACOB... the home boy...
D. There is a dark night at ISSAC’S HOUSE...
REBEKAH IS PLAYING WITH SPIRITUAL NITRO-GLYCERIN ... a bomb waiting to blow up...
Rebekah will never see her son again...
Genesis 27:12-13 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
[13] And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
E. ESAU IS A BITTER --- MEAN --- HATE-FILLED MAN...
NEVER FORGET ESAU SOLD HIS BIRTHRIGHT FOR THE PRICE OF A BOWL OF RED
LENTIL SOUP... IT WAS NOT STOLEN...
Genesis 27:41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
F. ON THE DARKEST NIGHT OF JACOB’S LIFE...
Genesis 28:11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
G. DURING DARK NIGHTS WE NEED TO DREAM BIG DREAMS...
WE MUST DREAM OF GOD’S PRESENCE AND LAUNCH NEW HOPE...
Genesis 28:12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
[13] And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; [14] And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. [15] And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
16] And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; andI knew it not.
H. Jacob will become ISREAL, PRINCE WITH GOD...
Jacob had to learn how to build altars after DARK NIGHTS...
20] And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, [21] So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: [22] And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will
surely give the tenth unto thee.
I. During the dark night Jacob saw the angels going to heaven and returning. His pillow during a dark night reveled that God is in control.
V. IS LIFE A BOWL OF CHERRIES? MAYBE THE PITS? LET US ASK JOSEPH?
HEY JOSEPH WAS IT DARK IN THE WELL?
WAS IT BRIGHT IN PRISON? OR WAS IT DARK?
A. A positive thought is a SEED FOR POSITIVE RESULTS...
B. I saw a flower blooming in A DARK VALLEY, there was little rain and even less sunshine... the FLOWER WAS THE LILLY OF THE VALLEY...
The Lilly of the Valley is a plant that has specialized to grow in dry, dark places...
C. THERE IS A GOD GIVEN REFUGE IN THE TIME OF DRY, DARK VALLEYS...
THERE IS A REFUGE IN THE TIME OF TROUBLES AND THE TIMES OF THE STORM...
D. Once again we find a DARK, DYSFUNCTIONAL HOME ---
God can use the DARK HOLES OF LIFE... to bring glory to His Name.
E. DREAMS ARE NEEDED IN FAMILIES...
DREAMERS ARE NEEDED ---
WHY SEE AND ACCEPT THINNGS AS THEY ARE?
WHY CAN’T WE DREAM OF BETTER?
Genesis 37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
Genesis 37:5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
F. TIME WILL TELL ... DARKNESS CAN NOT KEEP GO FROM HIS PURPOSE.
Genesis 37:20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
G. JOSEPH HAS SOME LESSONS TO LEARN, IT MAY TAKE A DARK PIT
TO FIND A BRIGHT GOD?
VI. DARK NIGHTS HAVE LIMITATIONS!!!
THERE IS AN ESCAPE IF WE WANT TO FIND IT.
A. The people that marched around Jericho 13 times had heard every mean joke the enemy could dream of...
The people of God had to SHOUT before the WALLS FELL DOWN... FAITH...
B. GOD HAS A PLAN, GOD HAS A DESIGN...
Psalm 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life:
weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
C. NEVER FORGET THE POWER OF PRAYER.
Psalm 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee,
and thou shalt glorify me.
D. EVERY DARK SITUATION MUST HAVE A WAY OF ESCAPE.
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.
E. THE LORD WILL DELIVER...
2 Tim. 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
VII. HOW SHALL WE EVER LEARN GOD IS ALL WE NEED---
UNTIL GOD IS ALL WE HAVE??? ???
A. We are not in HEAVEN today... the battle rages... we must trust the Unseen Hands.
2 Cor. 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
B. By faith we must see every DARK NIGHT AND EVERY DARK SITUATION
IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GOD TO SHOW HIMSELF STRONG.
C. Quit fussing! Quit complaining! Quit criticizing others!
D. We must learn: WE ARE WEAK --- BUT HE IS STRONG!
E. During the dark nights, we have an IMPERATIVE COMMAND...
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. [2] In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
VIII. IT IS HARVEST TIME IN THE HOUSE... DURING THE DARK NIGHT A MOM
DECLARES WORDS OF FAITH --- IT SHALL BE WELL...
THE FAMILY NEEDS THE SON TO HELP WORK...
THE SON IS A PROMISE AND THE INHERITANCE IS HIS...
THE DARK NIGHT COMES WITH A HEADACHE AND DEATH...
A. There was a woman and a man that had been very nice to the preacher.
All had been blessed...
2 Kings 4:18 And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. [19] And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.
B. A DARK DAY IS COMING FOR THIS MOM AND DAD ...
2 Kings 4:20 And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
C. Now what are we going to do? Take him to the Preacher’s room...
2 Kings 4:21 And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. [22] And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.
D. WE MUST MAKE A DECLARATION OF FAITH DURING DARK DAYS...
IT SHALL BE WELL...
[23] And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.
E. SHE GROWS TO A NEW LEVEL OF FAITH...
SHE DECLARED... IT IS WELL WHILE HER SON WAS IN THE DARKEST DAY
OF HER LIFE...
2 Kings 4:26 Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.
CONCLUSION:
Are you in a DARK DAY? Is your night LONG AND DARK?
Joy comes in the morning... Hang on... DON’T QUIT...
Declare: IT SHALL BE WELL ...
IT IS WELL AND HANG ON UNTIL GOD DELIVERS...
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Pass it on? This is part #3 of a #4 part lesson...
I conclude with a 5th part on LIGHT/LAMP.
