FOCUS? ATTITUDE? PERSPECTIVE? WHAT DO YOU SEE?
by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT) For we live by believing and not by seeing.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (MSG) It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going.
I. WHAT DO WE REALLY UNDERSTAND? WHAT DO I SEE?
THERE MUST BE MORE THAN THE VISUAL FIELD, WHO CAN SEE THE SPIRITUAL,
ETERNAL VALUE SYSTEM?
Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible;
but with God all things are possible.
Mark 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for
with God all things are possible.
Luke 18:27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
A. TERMS:
FOCUS: subject on which attention is drawn, what is discussed or studied, the main
purpose, the point where vision is centered, adjustment for distinct vision, where there is clear
perception or understanding, a fixed point, point of concentration, where effort is given attention.
B. ATTITUDE: the way you think or feel, feelings or way of thinking that affects behavior, your mental
position,
C. PERSPECTIVE: how you view facts or things,
D. VISION: the ability to see, picture in your mind, what you see or dream, a thought or concept,
Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law,
happy is he.
Proverbs 29:18 (NIV) Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is
he who keeps the law.
Proverbs 29:18 (NLT) When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But
whoever obeys the law is joyful.
II. WE MUST DEVELOP THE FOCUS, PERSPECTIVE, VISION AND ATTITUDE:
WE CAN DO THIS! THIS IS POSSIBLE! COME ON...
A. DO YOU THINK MAN CAN EVER FLY?
This question was often a matter of heated debate.
A VERY EDUCATED PREACHER traveled his circuit and the PREACHER
debated man will never fly, God would not allow it. He would argue with anyone.
MAN WILL NEVER FLY...
The Preacher had two sons... you have heard of them:
1. WILBUR WRIGHT: (1871 to 1948)
2. ORVILLE WRIGHT (1867 to 1912)
IN 1902 THE TWO BROTHERS APPLIED FOR A PATENT TO COVER THEIR FLYING MACHINE.
IN 1903 AT KITTY HAWK, NORTH CAROLINA the brothers did what their FATHER HAD
PREACHED COULD NEVER BE DONE... THEY FLEW...
B. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE AND CAN NEVER BE DONE: NO MAN WILL EVER STEP THEIR
FEET ON THE MOON. IT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE AND NEVER WILL BE...
Many people joined a team called NASA AND APPLIED GREAT EFFORT and thousands
of test flights and failures...
ON JULY 20, 1969 two men: (APOLLO 11)
1. BUZZ ALDRINE
2. NEIL ARMSTRONG
Crawled out of COLUMBIA into the EAGLE and had a lunar landing...
Man stepped on the moon --- the IMPOSSIBLE BECAME A REALITY.
C. THE IMPOSSIBLE BECAME REALITY ---
THOSE THAT SAID IT CAN'T BE DONE STAND ON THE GROUND AND WATCH
PEOPLE ARISE BEYOND THEIR LIMITATIONS...
D. What could we do if we were determined to overcome OUR LIMITATIONS?
III. BLESSED IS HE WHO SAYS IT CAN'T BE DONE,
FOR HE PROPHESES HIS OWN DESTRUCTION
A. 40 DAYS OF DOOM AND GLOOM BECOMES FORTY YEARS OF HEARTACHE.
Can we reason away our miracle?
Numbers 13:31 But the men that went up with him said, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO GO UP
against the people; for they are stronger than we.
B. Will we walk by Faith? or will our head define by Reasoning?
I ponder, could everything hinge on FAITH?
I ponder whose report are you believing? Why?
We fail to realize that listening to words can bring life or they can bring death?
C. I would like to teach how faith learns to recognize the value of rightly spoken words, and
the GREAT danger of face when we misspeak NEGATIVE THOUGHTS and dooming words.
V. THE MORE YOU LISTEN TO THE NEGATIVE THE MORE EVIL YOU WILL TOLERATE...
A.One man's negative words places a whole ARMY UNDER FEAR...
FEAR BREEDS FEAR... WORRY RELEASES THE SPIRIT OF IMPOSSIBLE-NESS...
1 Samuel 17:11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed,
and greatly afraid.
B. NEGATIVE WORDS FALL ON NEGATIVE EARS...
RE-ENFORCE --- THE POWER OF A HABIT...
1 Samuel 17:16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
C. WHAT DO WE SEE? A big giant? OR A BIG DREAM OF POSSIBILITIES...
1 Samuel 17:24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
D. THERE IS ALWAYS A NEGATIVE CROWD TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN'T DO...
1 Samuel 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him:
for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant
kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
E. PROMOTION COMES WHERE GOD'S PEOPLE ARISE AND SEE GOD'S
POWER GREATER THAN THE NEGATIVE.
1 Samuel 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a
spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the
armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
VI. WE MUST VERBALLY STATE AND BELIEVE WITH OUR HEART THAT GOD IS ABLE...
WE SERVE THE GOD THAT IS ABLE TO DELIVER US FROM THE FIRE,
BUT HIS BEST WORKS ARE IN THE FIRE
A. But know LISTENING and human reasoning can be a faith killer.
Reasoning can focus all our attention on the our limitations and the negative until we fall into the pit
of doom and gloom.
It is very hard these days to know who to believe.? Why the facts are true?
B. Emotions and ignorance WILL TOY with our FAITH..
C. Faith without reasoning is as dangerous as zeal without wisdom.
We need to reason, but there is a higher plane of spiritual life.
Daniel 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace,
and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Daniel 3:22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot,
the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these
three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery
furnace.
D. WHERE IS THE FOURTH MAN?
HE IS STILL IN THE FIRE WITH US!
Daniel 3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they
have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Daniel 3:27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together,
saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither
were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
VII. DO WE UNDERSTAND WHAT FAITH CAN DO?
DO WE UNDERSTAND THE INACTIVE-DO NOTHING OF THE LACK OF FAITH?
A. What is faith? Does faith give credence to everything it hears?
What does faith mean?
B. Could you reduce faith’s definition to two words?
If I could only use two words to define faith they would be: CERTAIN and SURE.
Christians must learn to operate in a level that reaches far beyond reason into the realm of FAITH!
C. We have lessons of those with great faith and those with little faith.
Many times we find how important faith can be to the men and women of God.
Now WE MUST ASK THE QUESTION about which statement was correct?
We can't? Sure, we can?
The story hinges upon FAITH vs Reasoning.
They both saw the same thing? Well, yes and no.
The focus of reason was on the giants, the focus of faith was beyond what could be seen,
there was a statement of -- LET’S TRUST GOD’S PROMISES!
CONCLUSION: FAITH HAS ALWAYS BEEN A TRAIT OF GOD’S SERVANTS, from the
beginning until the last day. Ponder the nature and the power of faith. Faith is an object of HOPE,
LOVE, PATIENCE. Those that belong to God had a firm persuasion and expectation that GOD WILL ...
FAITH PROVES TO THE MIND, THE REALITY OF THE UNSEEN TO THE EYES.
Faith will birth obedience, submission, service, patient sufferings.
When reasoning says what’s the use? Faith steps into the unknown.
Consider the faith of Noah? Enoch? Abraham? Jacob? Daniel? Joseph? Moses? Rahab?
ALL FAITH WILL BE TESTED!
FAITH OVERCOMES THE LIMITATIONS of our hands and hearts.
Samson failed and never deserved victory?
NOAH?
David was involved in adultery and murder?
Rahab was a harlot?
Abraham was a liar?
JOSEPH?
Peter was a denier?
We all sin and come short ... we just don’t stay down.
Let faith arise out of the pig pen and return to the PLAN of the Father!
All Faith must operate beyond reason in the realm of promise.
All faith shall be tested. Learn to expect the test! Learn to thrive in seasons of testing?
Lay hold of the promise! Be an OVERCOMER! Be cheerful!
2 COR. 5:7 FOR WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT ...
TEACH ME THIS LESSON LORD!
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Pass it on?
