WE ARE ALL ON A JOURNEY...
THERE IS MORE TO A JOURNEY THAN JUST YOUR DESTINATION.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
THE JOURNEY? THE DESTINATION?
On April 18, 1995, 20,000 people gathered to hear that JOE MONTANA was announcing his
RETIREMENT AFTER 16 SEASONS AS QUARTERBACK in the NFL. There were football
fans and stars gathered for the ceremonies to honor THE SUPER STAR QUARTER BACK
of San Francisco 49'ers.
JOHN MADDEN spoke: HE INTRODUCED JOE MONTANA AS THE GREATEST QUARTERBACK
THAT EVER PLAYED IN THE NFL.
BILL WALSH, THE COACH stepped to the microphone to speak, when a fan yelled:
We love you Joe!
Walsh leaned in to speak in the microphone...
Coach Walsh said: YOU WERE NOT SAYING THAT IN 1979. YOU SAID:
WHERE DID YOU GET THAT GUY THAT LOOKS LIKE A SWEDDISH PLACEKICKER?
In 1979 JOE MONTANNA was a lowly third round draft pick from NOTRE DAME.
The expert scouts said MONTANNA was a skinny, weak arm man without the muscular
build that was needed to make it in the NFL.
Something happened on JOE MONTANNA'S NFL JOURNEY. He developed an unbelievable
TIMING and accuracy passing the ball. He mastered the TWO-MINUTE DRILL. He lead
the San Francisco 49'ers to be the dominant NFL team in the 1980's.
JOE MONTANNA LEAD HIS TEAM TO 4 SUPER BOWL TITLES.
JOE MONTANNA was a very UNIMPRESSIVE ROOKIE, but the journey lead him to
a place in NFL HISTORY.
I. WHERE ARE YOU GOING? WHAT IS IN YOUR SUITCASE?
MOST THINK LIFE IS ABOUT A DESTINATION?
THE BIBLE TEACHES US A BALANCED LIFE IS ABOUT THE JOURNEY?
Jonah 1:1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
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. DESTINATION: the purpose, the end of journey
B. JOURNEY: passage from one place to another,
C. JONAH'S JOURNEY LIMITED THE REVIVAL...
JONAH HAD A SERIOUS ATTITUDE PROBLEM...
Jonah 4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
D. GOD TRIES TO GET JONAH TO REPENT...
Jonah 4:4 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry? E
E. JONAH'S MINISTRY WAS ABOUT HIS COMFORT ZONE...
HE LOVED HIS SHADE AND GOURD PLANT MORE THAN PEOPLE...
ATTITUDE?
II. WHAT ARE YOU CARRYING? COULD ANGER BE A DRIVING FORCE IN YOUR DAILY
LIVING? HONEST EVALUATION AND APPRAISALS MAY MAY REVEAL A DEEP SECRET?
IF YOU CAN NOT GET ALONG WITH OTHERS ---
MAYBE IT IS YOU THAT YOU CAN NOT GET ALONG WITH.
A. I read where a man explained life as WHAT A PERSON CARRIES.
His lesson was every person carried TWO BUCKETS.
1. BUCKET ONE IS A BUCKET OF WATER...
2. BUCKET TWO IS A BUCKET OF WATER...
Proverbs 26:20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer,
the strife cease. 21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to
kindle strife.
B. The lessons of life depend on which bucket you will use.
III. IS OUR PERSCEPTIVE A VALID REALITY, OR A TERRIBLE DISTORTION...
A. IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE OFF COURSE AND THINK YOU ARE STILL RIGHT?
2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion,
that they should believe a lie:
B. Your mind is much like A COMPUTER+++ You run what ever program you have installed.
JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE SAID IT, OR IT IS ON THE COMPUTER DOES NOT
MAKE IT THE TRUTH.
C. I heard an Abraham Lincoln quote the other day:
Lincoln has been recorded saying: YOU CAN BELIEVE EVERYTHING THAT THE CNN
AND FACE BOOK HAS PRINTED.
D. BE WARNED LIFE CAN TAKE DISTORTED, INVALID CONCLUSIONS.
Does your PERSPECTIVE ALIGN with God's word.
Mark 8:24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
E. We knew an old man that really believed if a horse tail hair fell by the river,
it would turn into a living snake? Crazy? He would argue anyone.
IV. IF WE ARE ALL ON A JOURNEY WHERE ARE WE GOING?
THERE IS GREAT DEBATE WHETHER MAN'S NATURE IS REALLY GOOD OR REALLY
BAD? WAGES ARE EARNED...
A. WE CAN NEVER FORGIVE OUR SELVES WE NEED A SAVIOR...
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare
his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier
of him which believeth in Jesus.
B. WAGES ARE EARNED...
GIVES ARE GIVEN...
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
VI. WHERE ARE YOU GOING? DO WE HAVE A PLAN? MAP?
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET THERE? ---
THERE IS ONLY ONE REMEDY OR ANTITODE FOR SIN...
YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN...
A. There is no excuse... we must repent...
YOU CAN NOT UNDERSTAND THIS WITH THE HUMAN MIND...
John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher
come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when
he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
B. Many are trying to FORGIVE SELF AND FORGET ABOUT REPENTANCE...
VII. WHEN JESUS FORGIVES THEN WE GET UP AND CHANGE, NEVER TO RETURN
TO THE VOMIT OF THIS WORLD. GO AND SIN NOT MORE...
A. WE CAUGHT HER, SHALL WE STONE HER...
B. ACKNOWLEDGE, OWN IT, REPENT...
John 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee:
go, and sin no more.
C. DAVID MADE MANY MISTAKES, HE OWNED THEM REPENTED OF THEM ---
PARADIGM SHIFT --- CHANGE...
Psalm 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according
unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
CONCLUSION: NEVER BYPASS THE PLAN OF GOD. We are all on a journey to somewhere?
THERE IS MORE THAN TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF.
We must not follow trends and currents that bypass the heart and plan of God.
God commands that every man repent.
God desires every person to repent...
THERE IS MORE THAN JUST FORGIVING YOURSELF...
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
