BY YOUR DEEDS...
HOW WILL YOU BE REMEMBERED?
WHAT IS YOUR REAL CHACARTER IN THE DARK?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
John 3: 20 For everyone that doeth evil hatred the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds be reproved.
21. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be manifest,
that they are wrought in God.
Romans 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds.
I. WILL WE BE BARREN AND UNFRUITFUL?
WILL WE HAVE FRUIT, MORE FRUIT, MUCH FRUIT?
WE MUST UNDERSTAND WHAT REAL CHARCTER REALLY IS...
Proverbs 20:11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and
whether it be right.
A. In a day before cell phones there had been a terrible shooting on a cold wintry night.
There was a man that received a call from the hospital that is son had been shot in a
gang related shooting.
His son was very serious and they did know think he would live. The staff had called the
best doctor in the area to come in and do surgery. They told the man if he wanted to see
his son alive, he better get to the hospital immediately.
B. The city bus system was closed for the night.
So the dad went out on the street and watched the late night traffic.
He took a gun and hijacked a car stopped at the red light. He threaten to kill the man,
but informed him all I want is your car.
In great fear the man jumped out of the car and say: HERE... TAKE THE CAR...
C. The man put his gun away and drove the miles at high speeds to the hospital.
The family waited and waited for the doctor to appear. The Dad PRAYED AND PRAYED
FOR HIS SON.
The dad went back and held his son's hand and slowly watched him slip into a coma.
After several hours the young boy was failing, they asked the family to wait in a room.
The dad's tears and prayers seemed to not leave the room.
D. The man was very angry, what had taken the doctor so long?
Finally the doctor came in the emergency room and explained: he had been car jacked.
He inquired about the patient, they said: WE THINK YOU COULD HAVE SAVE HIM.
They said: DOCTOR, THE FAMILY IS WAITING IN A ROOM, WILL YOU GO BACK
AND TELL THEM THEIR SON IS DEAD...
E. The doctor went into the room and he explained to them he was so sorry for his
excessive delay, someone
had hijacked his car and he had to walk for miles to a pay phone and call a taxi.
F. So the doctor scanned the faces of the large family gathered in the room...
the DOCTOR RECOGNIZE ONE FACE...THE FATHER THAT HAD HIJACKED HIM
AND TAKEN HIS CAR... THE DOCTOR LOOKED HIM IN THE EYES AND SAID I AM
SORRY FOR YOUR SON'S DEATH... I AM SURE YOU UNDERSTAND.
G. The dad had hijacked the doctor's car... the death ...
THE REAL CHARACTER OF THE MAN WAS CLEAR...
H. Will we be known as kind? Patient? Under-control? Godly?
Or will we be known as UNFRUITFUL, mean, cruel, sin?
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be
barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
II. WHERE ARE YOU?
WE LIVE IN A DAY OF ACCEPTANCE AND COMPROMISE...
SIN IS NOT BLACK, GOOD IS NOT WHITE...
WE SEE EVERYTHING AS GRAY... IT IS OK...
A. I have said if I win the lottery, (can't do, never played it), I would put mirrors all around
the church. That way you could see how you looked worshipping God. Then I would
fear everyone would be watching everyone else and there would only be people worship.
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that
shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth
to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
B. I have a large sponge.
I saturate the sponge with water.
C. You really do not know what is in the sponge until you press down with your fingers.
We know what is in the interior pockets of the sponge when you press it.
D. LIFE IS MUCH THE SAME WAY...
YOU CAN NOT TELL WHAT YOU ARE FULL OF UNTIL YOU ARE UNDER PRESSURE...
WHEN YOU ARE UNDER PRESSURE YOU WILL SHOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE...
III. WHAT IF THERE WERE WINDOWS THAT EXPOSED THE HEART OF A PERSON?
WHAT IF WE COULD REALLY SEE INSIDE A PERSON?
A, Have you ever been to an exercise gym.
There are mirrors all around, people like to look on their outside....
Let's do that in churches?
B. WHAT ARE YOU FULL OF....???
Romans 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also
are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
C. I was having a scope done on my colon. They put me to sleep. As I was laying
there I woke up and was enjoying watching the TV and listening to them talk.
Watched for a few minutes and I said: IS THAT WHAT I LOOK LIKE INSIDE?
The doctor said: You are suppose to be asleep, GOOD NIGHT.
That was the end of the show for me....
D. I was have an echo gram of my heart. The ultra sound could see inside of my heart.
As the young girl place the cream on my chest and started moving the instrument
around... I saw a tape-worm moving up and down at a rather fast pace, in alarm I
asked the young girl, will that tapeworm in my heart kill me...
She laughed at me and said: THAT IS NOT A TAPE WORM, THAT IS THE VALVE
IN YOUR HEART, WHEN YOUR HEART PUMPS THE VALVES OPEN AND CLOSE...
WELL, I DID NOT KNOW, I HAD NEVER SEEN IN MY HEART BEFORE...
E. WHAT IF THERE WERE MRI's OF THE SPIRIT... & THE SOUL...
How about your heart? What is hidden in the garbage cans of your spirit and soul?
Is it black with sin? Or is it pure with... THAT'S THE THING THAT COUNTS TODAY.
IV. YOU ARE A WALKING, TALKING ADVERTISEMENT...
WE WILL BE REMEMBER BY SEVERAL THINGS:
1. OUR WORDS
2. BY WHAT WE LOVE
3. BY OUR ACTIONS
Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for
out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which
is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which
is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
A. What you talk about...? How you talk?
What you watch on TV? And listen to in music?
B. Where you go? What you do?
What you spend your money to buy?
V. LIVE SO THE PREACHER CAN TELL THE TRUTH AT YOUR FUNERAL...
IT IS NEVER THE LOAD THAT YOU CARRY THAT BREAKS YOU...
IT IS THE WAY THAT YOU CARRY LOAD...
YOU WILL BE KNOWN BY THE FRUIT YOU BEAR...
A. TWO THINGS WILL TELL ALOT ABOUT YOU...
1. WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?
2. TELL ME WHAT TICKS YOU OFF, AND I CAN TELL YOU WHAT MAKES
YOU TICK...???
Matthew 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt,
and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
Luke 6:44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs,
nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
B. God does not care what you used to be... GOD SEE WHAT YOU ARE TODAY...
C. CHARACTER IS NOT WHAT YOU SAY YOU ARE...
CHARACTER IS WHAT YOU ARE IN THE DARK WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING...
Matthew 21:28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first,
and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir:
and went not.
31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus
saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the
kingdom of God before you.
D. Your choices will affect many other people....
Others are watching you...
VI. ONCE YOU BREAK YOUR CHARACTER, IT IS VERY HARD TO CORRECT
AND RECOVER IT...
COMPROMISE IS SO GRADUAL AND SLOW, MANY REFUSE TO SEE THEIR
DOWN FALL...
A. Again character is not tested in the light, the real test of character is in the dark...
2 Samuel 1:19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
B. ONLY YOU CAN DAMAGE YOUR CHARACTER...
2 Samuel 1:25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast
slain in thine high places.
C. REPUTATION IS WHAT IT TAKES TO GET A JOB...
CHARACTER IS WHAT WILL KEEP YOUR JOB...
2 Samuel 1:27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
D. HOW WILL YOU BE KNOWN?
What if you died today? What would be said at your casket?
I am not thinking about the flowers, I am thinking about the real you?
E. TODAY MANY DO NOT CARE WHAT OTHERS SEE... THE REAL ME...
A persons character is not revealed when he wins, it will be shown in HOW
HE LOOSES...
F. HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED GOOD RICH TOP SOIL?
It can erode with storms and growing crops, one must continue to take care of it.
G. If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything...
H. HOW DO WE MEASURE HAPPINESS? SUCCESS?
CONCLUSION: Father, I will go? And he does not go... Let's us get real...
How are you known? HOW WILL I BE REMEMBERED?
DO I NEED TO MAKE ON THE COURSE ADJUSTMENTS?
I DEATH CAME TO YOUR HOUSE TODAY... what changes do you wish you had made?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
HELP ME PLEASE? PASS THIS ON?
