REMEMBER: WE CAN NEVER FOCUS ON THORNS?
WHEN A THORN CAUSES US TO AVOID THE ROSE?
REMEMBER TO FOCUS BEYOND THE PAIN OF THE THORN?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I. REMEMBER HOW DANGEROUS IT IS TO FORGET?
GOD GAVE HUMANS A DISTINCT HONOR TO REMEMBER AND FORGET
GOD WARNS THE MINDS OF PEOPLE TO BEWARE --- FORGET AND REMEMBER...
A. CAN A MAN FORGET WHEN HE IS SO BUSY...
Several years ago in SCOTIA in Harlan County, Kentucky there was a mine explosion that killed
many men... in several different explosions.
My Dad was a local pastor and he worked hour on end. They sealed the mine off
several days to allow no oxygen to fuel the fire. I had a friend that was a FEDERAL
MINE INSPECTOR, THEY SEND CAMERAS ON ROBOTS, THEN THE INSPECTORS
WENT IN TO RECOVER THE BODIES... THEY FOUND SEVERAL MINERS GATHERED
TOGETHER KNEELING ON THEIR KNEES, ONE MAN WAS KNOWN AS AN ACTIVE
CHRISTIAN, HE HAD HIS ARM WRAPPED AROUND ANOTHER MAN ---
ALL HAD HOPED THE MEN REMEMBERED TO PRAY --- ALL HOPED THEY DID NOT FORGET?
Deuteronomy 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things
which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach
them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;
B. FORGOT? TOO LATE?
In Macon, Georgia several years ago there was big hotel where people often gathered
to party. The locals knew that this hotel had become notorious for drugs, wild sex parties and
gambling. Late one night a terrible EXPLOSION OCCURED leaving many dead. There was
a massive fire, many people had no escape, no choice but to leap to death on the streets below.
Several heard men screaming from the upper levels as they ran to and fro looking for a way of
escape. The screams from the top floors had people in prayer HOPING THAT THOSE TRAPPED
IN THE FLAMES REMEMBER TO PRAY...
Deuteronomy 4:23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God,
which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the
LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.
Deuteronomy 6:12 Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land
of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
C. HOW COULD PEOPLE IN A CHRISTIAN NATION FORGET CHURCH AND JESUS CHRIST?
II. DO WE FORGET? CAN WE REMEMBER WHAT A SPETER IS?
WHAT IS A CROWN? PURPLE ROBE...
A. The Roman soldiers gave Jesus a SCEPTOR... emblem of authority, token of royalty.
Jesus had a purple robe?
Jesus had a crown --- A CROWN OF THORNS ---
Matthew 27:29 (KJV) And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head,
and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying,
Hail, King of the Jews!
Matthew 27:29 (MSG) They plaited a crown from branches of a thorn bush and set it on his head.
They put a stick in his right hand for a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mocking reverence:
"Bravo, King of the Jews!" they said. "Bravo!"
A. Jesus had a purple robe? Purple was costly and a mark of leadership...
Jesus had a crown --- A CROWN OF THORNS --- Crown: dignity, power, honor, success, top,
Jesus crown was absolute MOCKERY
1. The Romans desired to INSULT Jesus...
2. The crown of thorns was to INFLICT PAIN...
B. THE TORN IS A SPECIALIZED LEAF --- IT IS AN INVOLUTED LEAVE...
IT IS TURNED IN ON ITSELF AND CAUSES PAIN AND HURT.
*III. DO WE REMEMBER WHAT A THORN REPRESENTS??
A. WHAT IS A THORN --- long, sharp, curved...
B. Two kinds of thorns...
1. In Hebrew the word is
* 1. ... HEDEK --- brier ( Proverbs 15:19)
* 2. ... KOTZ --- spine (Gen 3:18; Hosea 10:8)
* 3. ... AKANTHA --- thorn (Mat. 7:16; 13:7; Heb.6:8)
* 4. ... NA'ATZUTZ ---large thorn as in the CROWN OF THORNS...( Isa. 7:59; Isa. 55:13)
The JUJUBE TREE...
A thorn bush grows in the JORDAN RIVER VALLEY... It is called the "APPLE OF SODOM."
It is a thorny plant that grows into a HEDGE.
It grows 3 to 5 feet high, and it is clad with SPINES.
ALL THESE THORNS OF ISRAEL TEND TO CREATE A FESTERING WOUND...
C. THERE ARE REAL THORNS THAT ARE NOT THORNS AT ALL ---
BUT THEY ARE THORNS THAT HURT MORE THAN THE FLESH ---
THESE ARE WHAT WE CALL :THORN IN THE FLESH...
2 Corinthians 12:7 (KJV) And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of
the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest
I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart
from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in
weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest
upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in
distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
D. PAUL NEVER IDENTIFIES OR TRIES TO EXPLAIN WHAT HIS THORN IN THE FLESH WAS?
BUT IT WAS SOME KIND OF AN OBSTACLE OR HINDERANCE THAT WOULD TRY TO
KEEP PAUL FROM ACCOMPLISHING THE WILL OF GOD...
2 Corinthians 12:7 (MSG) Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a
big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's
angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of
walking around high and mighty! 8 At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it.
Three times I did that, 9 and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes
into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the
handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness.
10 Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—
abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the
stronger I become.
E. WHAT EVER THE THORN (STAKE) WAS IT WASPAINFUL AND ON-GOING...
RELIEF WAS TEMPORARY AT BEST...
F. THE "THORN IN THE FLESH" WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT OR A CIRCUS EVENT, IT HAD A REAL
PURPOSE --- TOO MAKE PAUL STRONGER AND STRETCH HIS FAITH BEYOND HIS HUMAN
ABILITIES...
G. REMEMBER: THE THORN PHYSICAL OR SPIRITUAL IS TO GET US TO LOSE FOCUS ON THE
ETERNAL PURPOSE OF GOD'S PLAN... If we focus on the thorns of life, WE WILL LOSE SIGHT
OF OUR GOALS.
IV. REMEMBER THE KING CALLS US ABOVE THE THORNS AND PAINS AND ANGER OF THIS
WORLD...
A. There was once a King that loved his nation and he was getting old and he never had a son?
He thought of a plan to GET HIS DAUGHTER MARRIED and to move toward the PRINCESS
BECOMING THE QUEEN. The King studied how could he FIND A BRAVE, HONEST, STRONG
YOUNG MAN TO MARRY HIS DAUGHTER AND BECOME THE NEXT KING UPON HIS THRONE?
The King called every AVAILABLE SINGLE YOUNG MAN to stand at one side of THE MOTE
surrounding the palace at a certain time on a certain date. Thousands of young men reported and
stood by the mote. There were huge man eating ALLIGATORS and CROCODILE in the mote.
The were thousands of PIRANHAS in the water around the castle.
A guard came to the top of the wall and threw meat and chickens into the mote. Almost instantly
the meat was devoured. The King had his BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER STAND AT THE TOP OF THE
WALL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOTE AND THE KING CAME TO ANNOUNCE:
WHO EVER SWIMS ACROSS THIS MOTE FIRST WILL PROVE THEY ARE BRAVE AND WILL
HAVE MY DAUGHTER'S HAND IN MARRIAGE AND BECOME THE NEXT KING WHEN I DIE.
All the men standing at the MOTE, NO ONE IS STUPID ENOUGH TO JUMP IN THAT MOTE
AND TRY TO SWIM ACROSS WITH ALL THOSE MAN EATING ANIMALS. The King stood
and watched. ALL OF A SUDDEN ONE HANDSOME, SMART YOUNG MAN JUMPED IN THE
WATER AND SWAM AS FAST AS HE COULD AND HE MADE IT ACROSS THE MOTE ALIVE.
The King's guards were so amazed as they pulled the BRAVE, HANDSOME man out of the water.
One guard said: SIR, WE TOLD THE KING, NO MAN WILL TRY SWIMMING ACROSS THIS MOTE.
SIR, YOU WILL BE THE NEXT KING AND MARRY THE PRINCESS. YOU ARE SO BRAVE!
The young man was shaking so bad as they dried him off... and prepared him for the WEDDING.
The young boy said: IF I KNEW WHO PUSHED ME OFF THE BANK AND INTO THE WATER
I WOULD HAVE HIM BEHEADED...
FRIENDS, GOD MAY WORK IN STRANGE AND MYSTERIOUS WAY TO GET HIS PEOPLE
TO LEAVE EGYPT... THEY LEFT EGYPT IN A DAY...
IT TOOK 40 YEARS TO GET EGYPT OUT OF GOD'S PEOPLE'S HEART.
V. REMEMBER, I WILL --- I WILL DO --- I WILL
IF GOD CALLS YOU A FOOL?
REMEBER WHERE WE HAVE BEEN?
REMEMBER WHERE WE ARE?
REMEMBER GOD HAS A PLAN? MAYBE YOU NEED A PUSH INTO THE MOTE?
A. WHO HAS THE MOST TOOLS? WHO HAS THE MOST TOYS?
WHO DRIVES THE BIGGEST NEWEST CAR? WHO HAS THE MOST SQUARE FOOTAGE?
WHO HAS THE MOST TROPHIES?
B. I AM THE CHAMPION?
Luke 12:17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to
bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there
will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid
up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool,
this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
C. REMEMBER
CHAMPIONS MUST REMEMBER HOW SUDDENLY THE NIGHT CAN CHANGE IT ALL...
VI. REMEMBER WHAT IS IMPORTANT? WORRY HAS NO PROFIT?
BEWARE OF THE RE-DEFINING OF THE ISSUES OF LIFE...
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things
shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought
for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
VII. WHAT MATTERS? WHAT IS THE ISSUE OF YOUR HEART?
CAN WE SEPERATE WANTS FROM NEEDS?
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.
VIII. REMEMBER, REMEMBER --- WHAT IS IMPORTANT?
WHAT IS CARNAL/FLESH? WHAT IS ETERNAL/SPIRITUAL?
A. THERE WILL COME A DAY WHEN YOU WILL REMEMBER, BUT YOU MISSED YOUR CHANCE?
B. Linda and I took a little boy to church with us. He loved church so much. He begged his Mom and Dad
to attend church with us? They were to busy. He grew up and slowly started skipping church to
do things with his parents.
Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not,
nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God
who gave it.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
CONCLUSION: God created man... Man has a great ability to think, weigh, ponder, evaluation,
correct behavior and attitudes... The secret is to not forget God... REMEMBER LIFE IS A
TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENT... LIFE IS NOT ABOUT ME... CONSIDER YOUR WAYS?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
ARE WE SERIOUS IN OUR LIFE STYLES ABOUT REMEMBERING THE SECOND COMING OF
JESUS CHRIST?
