WHERE ARE YOU?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I. WHERE ARE YOU?
Genesis 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
A. God is asking a question... You can learn a lot by observation and by asking questions?
My Dad taught me when someone asks a hard difficult or baited question that you can often lead to a problem by asking "WHAT DO YOU THINK?"
B. God came daily in the cool of the evening and walked and talked with his Creation.
The Creator seemed to love to spend time with his creation, he said THIS IS GOOD.
C. Adam and Eve had made POOR CHOICES and developed bad attitudes. Choices have consequences. Man refused to acknowledge and repent of the SIN CHOICES.
D. Adam HIDES, instead of CONFRONT & CORRECT, they hide from God.
Now their ATTITUDES are forever changed.
THE VAGABOND SPIRIT --- RUN-WAWAY FROM YOUR PROBLEMS THRIVES.
E. Eve lost focus and was caught up in a conversation, and the words played games with her eyes and heart.
The enemy caught Eve alone and isolated her.
F. The snow ball effect comes into play and a new game is developed.
THE BLAME GAME --- Adam blames Eve, then God --- that woman YOU gave me.
Eve blames the mean old devil.
G. WHERE ARE YOU? ARE YOU HIDING AND LYING TO YOURSELF?
Where are your children? Do you thing as they hid from God they ever consider Abel's grave?
II. WHERE ARE YOU? IS IT EASIER EVALUATE WHERE OTHERS SEEM TO BE TO AVOID SELF-EVALUATION?
A. Several questions arise out of where are you?
1. The question HOW DID I GET HERE?
2. THEN WE ASK: HOW LONG WILL I STAY HERE?
B. Do I honestly evaluate me, myself, and I?
Haggai 1:5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
C. Have I developed this great ability TO HIDE from reality? I can never be happy? Enough is never enough? Can I develop a plan to KNOW WHERE I AM and change?
III. WHERE AM I? HOW DID I GET HERE? WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN MY GARDEN? I DID NOT PLANT THIS MESS?
Matthew 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
A. There are two kinds of seeds.
1. WHEAT: Wheat is a grain known as a great food source for thousands of years.
2. TARES: The bearded darnel, a rye grass. The seeds are a STRONG SOPORIFIC
POISON. Tares look a lot like wheat until the harvest season.
B. THE ENEMY LOVES TO THROW POISON IN THE GARDEN OF YOUR MIND AS WE TEND TO NOT IDENTIFY THE TARES UNTIL THE HARVEST COMES AROUND.
C. Once the tares grow there is little one can do ABOUT THE POISON until after the harvest when SEPERATION TIMES COME.
D. Where are you? The HARVEST TIME is coming and if your field is full of poison time will reveal the truth?
IV. WHERE AM I? I AM DEEPLEY TROUBLED? WHY ALL THESE TARES? WHY AM I IN THIS TERRIBLE MESS? GOD SAVE ME FROM THIS MESS?
A. Where do I go? What do I say: MY SOUL IS DEEPLY TROUBLED? Some of this trouble is where others have sown TARES? Some of this mess is from WRONG CHOICES that I have made?
B. When my soul is deeply troubled, WHAT DO I SAY?
FATHER, SAVE ME FROM THIS HOUR?
Or should I remember:
BUT FOR THIS PURPOSE I CAME TO THIS PLACE AT THIS HOUR! LORD BE GLORIFIED IN THIS PLACE AT THIS TIME...
John 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. 28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
V. 3 FEET--- 3 FEET?
AM I HIDING IN THIS PLACE BECAUSE I AM SO TIRED, WEAK AND WORN ---IT IS EASIER TO QUIT THAN IT IS TO FINISH THE TASK BEFORE ME...
A. Life has a way of destroying our energy. Our dreams are dashed. Our hope is gone.
I have only one option, I MUST QUIT...
B. WHERE AM I? Some mighty good people and some very important work have been halted because a TIRED & HOPELESS SPIRIT DOMIANTED OUR SPIRIT PERSON.
Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
C. IN 1937, NAPOLEON HILL wrote a development / self-help book:
THINK AND GROW RICH. Hill discussed a man that invested all his and his family's money into a GOLD MINE. The man worked and worked. He was so excited, he was going to make millions of dollars and become rich and famous. For weeks the man worked day and night digging for gold. Finally there was no money to buy food. The Gold Prospector was broke and very broken. He found a man that would buy all his tools, equipment, land and rights to the gold for pennies on the dollar.
The new owner was so excited and dreamed all night about GOLD. The man jumped up his first morning and ate breakfast and started digging. The new prospector dug THREE FEET and hit a huge vein of GOLD ORE. He was rich. His life was forever changed. HE DUG THREE FEET TO HIS MIRACLE.
The old, tired, hopeless poor man was broke and BROKEN. THREE FEET --- THREE MORE FEET AND ---
D. Have you ever GIVEN UP three feet from your miracle?
Are you tempted to give up? What's the use?
More mistakes are committed by QUITTING TO SOON... Than ever by trying a little longer?
E. TRIUMPH --- is a little UMPH and A LOT OF TRY. Try again. Push on...
VI. WHERE ARE YOU? GLOOM, DESPAIR, AGONY ON END...
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO ENCOURAGE YOURSELF---
1 Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
VII. WHERE ARE YOU? DO YOU REALIZE THAT NO ONE IS IN CHARGE OF YOUR JOY BUT YOU? IF YOU ARE ANGRY YOU HAVE GIVEN CONTROL TO ANOTHER.
A. There is a time to quit crying and celebrate life and not mourn away your days.
Nehemiah 8:9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
B. WHO DETERMINES THE MOODS THAT YOU HAVE...
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
C. Today can never be destroyed if you make peace with God and with yourself and then let nothing steal your joy.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
D. Let us get real: What others think about you is none of your business.
VII. WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU ARE GOING AND WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO REAP IS TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON WHAT YOU SOW AND HOW YOU SOW...
A. Life has a mirror effect, you see what you are expecting. Blessed is he that expects nothing for he shall receive exactly what he expected.
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. YOU RECEIVE IN DIRECT PROPORTION TO YOU.
2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
VIII. COMPARING YOUR SELF TO EVERYBODY ELSE CAN BECOME A SPIRIT TRAP AND KEEP YOU HIDING FROM GOD...
A. When we lived in eastern Kentucky we had a neighbor that had a huge mansion. They had two brand new cars. They had a big John Deer Riding lawn mower. The lady would mower their beautiful lawn in a bikini. I did not know they had no furniture in their house. They lost everything and later a real ugly divorce.2 Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
IX. DID YOU KNOW YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT MADE? WHERE ARE YOU? YOU ARE HEADED AT 1440 MINUTES A DAY TOWARD DEATH... AND AFTER DEATH THE JUDGMENT...
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
A. THE BEAMMA SEAT OF GOD is a sure fact. We shall see the King.
Jesus was our lawyer, he will change robes and be promoted to the divine appoint of a becoming a HOLY, JUST JUDGE.
B. HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?
WHERE ARE YOU IN THE GARDEN?
CONCLUSION: Quit hiding from the presence of God. Come boldly---
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
2 Timothy 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
We lived in Jellico, Tennessee when I was a child. The local women's club offered $50.00 to the person that had the prettiest yard. My Dad said we were going to make the parsonage the winner of this award. We worked so hard preparing the soil. We made two large round flower gardens and we also used the rotor tiller all down the hedge wall. An old man in our church supplied us with all the SCARLET SAGE SEEDS we needed. Scarlet Sage is a beautiful green plant with bright red flowers. We planted the seeds and watered them every other day. Soon the green plants broke through the dirt and we were so proud as they grew.
One day an elderly laugh stood in our yard and laughed and laughed. She informed us that our SCARLET SAGE was nothing but MUSTARD GREENS. We did not win the $50, but we supplied everyone at church with all the mustard greens they could eat and freeze. We delivered all our neighbors mustard greens.
Are you expecting SCARLET SAGE? If you desire red flowers, you better plant the right seeds.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
