TRAPPED? MAKING CHOICES? CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES?
HOW DID I GET HERE? HOW LONG WILL I STAY HERE?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Deut. 11:26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
[27] A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day:
[28] And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of
the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
NIV
Deut. 11:26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse--
[27] the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today;
[28] the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command
you today by following other gods, which you have not known.
NL
Deut. 11:26 "Today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse!
[27] You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today.
[28] You will receive a curse if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn from his way
by worshiping foreign gods.
Today we are hearing about quarterback TIM TEBOW, and is God blessing TEBOW's team?
Why can we not consider darkness and those choicing to live under curses?
I. LIFE CAN ESTABLISH MANY TRAILS... HERE IS A SAD TRAIL MANY FOLLOW...
A. ATTITUDE ----> LUST OF THE EYES---> CHOICES---> BEHAVIOR PATTERNS---> HABIT--->
REINFORCED HABITS---> ANGER---> BITTERNESS---> THOUGHT PATTERNS--->
SPIRITUAL ROOTS---> CURSES...
B. When will we become smart enough to CONNSIDER CONSEQUENCES TO ACTIONS...
II. DAVID HAD WATCHED SOME SAD EVENTS IN HIS NATION...
HE SAW SAUL'S FALL? HE SEE HIS SON'S POOR CHOICES? HE SEE ABSOLOM
UNDERMIND HIS KINGDOM... DAVID ASK A QUESTION 3 TIMES...
2 Samuel 1:19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
2 Samuel 1:25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in
thine high places.
2 Samuel 1:27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
A. DAVID IS LOOKING AT THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AND COMES TO
THE POINT ---> WE MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH WHY WE ARE HERE...
B. CONSIDER THE INSANITY OF SAMENESS... \
You can not do things the same way and expect a different outcome.
III. LIFE HAS A WAY OF PASSING THE BUCK, BLAMING OTHERS AND DENYING
MY HANDS ARE DIRTY...
A. BE WARNED MIGHTY KING...
Matthew 27:19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying,
Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream
because of him.
B. BIG -- TOUGH MIGHTY KING, YOU MAY WASH YOUR HANDS, BUT YOUR HEART WILL
ALLOW THIS CRUEL DEED...
Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made,
he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of
this just person: see ye to it.
C. PILATE WHO ARE YOU FOOLING BY WASHING YOUR HANDS?
IV. BIBLICAL HISTORY IS FULL OF TWO FACED INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE CAUGHT
WITH THEIR HANDS IN THE COOKIE JAR, AND THEY REFUSE TO ACCEPT THEIR
ACTIONS HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT...
A. EVE was guilty, what does she do...
Genesis 3:13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done?
And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
B. ADAM accepts the fruit and he excuses...
Genesis 3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the
tree, and I did eat.
C. THE HUMAN NATURE OF EXCUSING BEHAVIOR GOES TO CAIN...
Genesis 4:9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not:
Am I my brother's keeper?
10] And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
[11] And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's
blood from thy hand;
D. REMEMBER WHEN MOSES IS UP ON THE MOUNTAIN AND AARON IS LEFT IN CHARGE?
AARON EXCUSES HIS BEHAVIOR.
Exodus 32:24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me:
then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
E. AARON MADE THE CHOICE, CAN NOT BLAME OTHERS...
Exodus 32:2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives,
of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
F. GOD KNEW WHO MADE THE CALF OF GOLD...
Exodus 32:35 And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
G. GOD SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO HIS MAN JONAH, AND JONAH DOES NOT GET IT...
Jonah 4:9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to
be angry, even unto death.
V. THE ULTIMATE SAD STORYING OF STAYING IN THE TRAP AND DIGGING IN DEEPER AND
DEEPER IS THE FIRST KING OF ISRAEL: SAUL...
A. THE STORY STARTS WITH PRIDE AND LYING...
1 Samuel 13:4 And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that
Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after
Saul to Gilgal.
B. WANT TO KNOW THE REAL TRUTH?
1 Samuel 13:3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the
Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying,
Let the Hebrews hear.
VI. THERE IS A LESSON... SPIRITUAL LESSON... HEAR THE WARNING, WAIT...
THE ULIMATE SAD STORY GOES FROM PRIDE AND LYING TO DISOBEDIENCE AND
UNDERMINDING THE PREACHER... THE LESSON IS SIMPLE... GO AND WAIT...
A. SAUL IS AT GILGAL... GILGAL MEANS ROLLING STONES, NOT ESTABLISHED...
B. SAMUEL THE PREACHER GAVE CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS... GO, GET READY, AND WAIT...
C. SAUL WAS IMPATIENT, HE WAS THE KING...
1 Samuel 13:8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed:
but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
D. THE PREACHER HAS A LOT OF NERVE MAKING ME WAIT...
VII. SAUL'S IMPPATIENCE TEAMED WITH PRIDE IS BAD... THIS IS BUT THE START OF
THIS JOURNEY... WHAT HAVE YOU DONE SAUL?
1 Samuel 13:11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the
people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the
Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
VIII. NO REPENTANCE, NO ACKNOWLEDGE OF WRONG... I FORCED MYSELF...
A. BECAUSE THE PEOPLE... I HAD TO DO SOMETHING?
1 Samuel 13:12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and
I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
B. BOY, YOU HAVE DONE FOOLISHLY...
1 Samuel 13:13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the
commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have
established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
IX. SAUL DIGS A LITTLE DEEPER... SAULS REBELLIOUS SPIRIT GROWS AND IS LOOSENED
MORE AND MORE... THE PREACHER TRIED TO CONFRONT THE PROBLEM...
A. CAN WE UNDERSTAND CLEAR DIRECTIONS?
1 Samuel 15:2 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he
laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
[3] Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay
both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
B. SAUL CLAIMS TO HAVE OBEDIED?
1 Samuel 15:13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord:
I have performed the commandment of the Lord.
C. WHAT IS THIS II HEAR?
1 Samuel 15:14 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears,
and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
D. THEY DID IT... THEY DID IT... WHO IS THE KING HERE?
1 Samuel 15:15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people
spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the
rest we have utterly destroyed.
X. SAUL HAS A SECOND CHANCE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND REPENT...
A. WAKE UP SAUL?
1 Samuel 15:19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the
spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?
B. THE TRAP TIGHTENS UP AND REVEALS THE HEART...
1 Samuel 15:20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have
gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly
destroyed the Amalekites.
C. THE PREACHER STANDS FIRM... IT IS OVER...
1 Samuel 15:21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which
should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.
[22] And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in
obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the
fat of rams.
[23] For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
[24] And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord,
and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
[25] Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.
[26] And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord,
and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
CONCLUSION:
GOD'S LEAD MAY TAKE MANY STRANGE TURNS, IT IS JUST A TEST.
YOU MAY NOT ALWAYS UNDERSTAND THE WAITING AND THE ROADS BEFORE US,
BUT WE MUST TRUST GOD AND HIS PLAN...
GOD HONORS THOSE THHAT SUBMIT AND HUMBLE THE FLESH TO HIS PLAN...
TO REVERSE THE CURSE:
1. ACKNOWLEDGE... PSA. 34:18
2. REPENT AND CONFESS...II TIM. 2:25
3. RENOUNCE THE ENEMY AND HIS CURSE... ISA. 55:7
4. SUBMIT TO GOD...JAMES 4:7
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
PASS IT ON?
