HAVE WE LOST SIGHT OF OUR GOALS?
FAITH FIGHTS!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also
called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2 Corinthians 5:7 (MSG) It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT) For we live by believing and not by seeing.
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
1. INTRODUCTION:
ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS BOXING (FIGHTING MATCHES) OCCURRED NOVEMBER 25,
1980 IN THE SUPER DOME IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUSIANA.
The World champion had been SUGAR RAY LEONARD.
Sugar Ray had lost his WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BELT TO A BOXER NAMED:
ROBERTO DURAN II.
Sugar Ray Leonard won a chance to FIGHT ROBERTO to try to regain his title...
THE BATTLE IN THE RING WAS ALMOST TIED GOING INTO THE 8 TH ROUND.
Three judges scored Sugar Ray 68-66, 68-66, 67-66....
The the round was a few seconds from being over ---
ALL OF A SUDDEN ROBERTO DURAN II TURNED HIS BACK TO SUGAR RAY
LEONARD AND SAID FOUR WORDS, NO MAS! NO MAS!
In Spanish NO MAS means NO MORE! NO MORE!
The referee, Octavio Meyran, waved off the fight, returning the title
of word champion to Sugar Ray Leonard ---by TKO.
For years Duran was labeled a coward, a chicken and a QUITTER.
ROBERTO DURAN II will always be known for quitting. Yes, he came back in three years
and won the championship again, few people know of his return?
2. FAITH FIGHTS ---
FAITH FIGHTS FEARS AND DOUBTS...
Matthew 14:29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he
walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid;
and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched
forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
A. IT TAKES FAITH TO STAND UP IN A BOAT AND CLIMB OVER BOARD...
B. Why do we talk negative about the one that climbs out of the boat and
refuse to discuss the 11 sitting in the boat, hanging on for dear life?
3. FEAR HAS TORMENT AND WILL KILL THE WALK OF FAITH...
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.
He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
PAUL WARNED THE SOLDIERS AND THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP,
DO NOT SAIL WE WILL BE IN DANGER... BUT ONCE THE STORM WAS DASHING THE
LITTLE VESSEL ALL WE CAN DO IS CAST THE 4 ANCHORS AND WISH FOR THE
DAY OF DELIEVERANCE.
Acts 27:29 (KJV) Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out
of the stern, and wished for the day.
4. FAITH HAS TO FIGHT FEELINGS, CHRONIC FEELINGS,
---EMOTIONS AND NEGATIVE REPORTS
Mark 5:25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
THIS LADY IS SICK --- SHE IS AT THE END OF HER ROPES...
THE DOCTORS GIVE HER NO HOPE --- THERE IS NO PEACE...
Luke 8:43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon
physicians, neither could be healed of any,
5. FAITH HAS TO STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR THE FAMILY---
The Preacher lives in desperate times.
The political system is in decay... The education system is pure heathenism.
The Preacher has a wife and three sons...
Faith builds an ark...for HIS FAMILY...
1 Peter 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in
the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved
by water.
NEVR FORGET FAITH FILLS A GAP FOR FAMILY MEMBERS...
1 Corinthians 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving
wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
6. FAITH FIGHTS WHEN WE FACE FIERY FURNACES ---
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. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee,
O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
7. FAITH FIGHT FOES ---
HAMAN HATED MORDECAI --- VOWED DESTRUCTION
Esther 3:5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was
Haman full of wrath.
HAMAN HATES MRDECAI AND GOD'S PEOPLE SO MUCH HE WILL PAY A LARGE
MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT TO DESTROY...
Esther 3:9 If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten
thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring
it into the king's treasuries.
GOLIATH HATED DAVID AND ISRAEL...
JEZEBEL HATED ELIJAH
JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS HATED A LADY FOR HIS MESSAGE ON SEXUAL SIN...
8. FAITH FIGHTS FACTS ---
FOR 40 YEARS JERICHO KNEW GOD'S PEOPLE WAS COMING...
For forty years they built strong and higher walls...
God had a plan to attack the strongest city first --- God put fear in the enemy...
Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about
seven days.
THE FACTS IS THE ENEMY IS GREATER THAN YOU ARE...
YOU HAVE 30,000 REDUCE TO 300 ---FACTS
FACT: THE VALLEY IS FULL OF DRY BONES?
FACT: WE HAVE 5 LOAVES---2 FISHES --- 5,000 MEN?
TAKE UP 12 BASKETS?
Matthew 9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
9. FAITH FIGHTS FINANICAL PROBLEMS --- APRIL'S TAX DAY...
PETER IS IN CAPERNAUM --- THEY ARE TAKING UP THE TRIBUTE MONEY...
Matthew 17:27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an
hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt
find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.
PETER GO FISHING --- TAKE CARE OF YOUR DEBT AND PAY FOR MINE WHILE YOU ARE
THERE.
10. FAITH WILL FIGHT FOR YOUR FUTURE, THE WORLD OF DOOM AND GLOOM...
GOD SAYS: TRUST ME --- I CAN HANDLE THIS..
.Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow
is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or,
Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Matthew 6:34 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.
LOOSING SIGHT OF THE GOAL:
In 1952, there was a world famous long distance swimmer.
Her name was FLORENCE CHADWICK. Florence was known for her experience as a long
distance swimmer.
NO WOMAN HAD EVER SWAM THE 26 MILE DISTANCE IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN from
Catalina Island to the California coast. Florence trained for months to swim this distance.
Finally one JULY morning Florence dove into the water. The had been a storm and the waters
were unusually cold for July. THERE WAS A THICK FOG that morning.
As she was swimming with her support team following her in a small boat, several SHARKS
began following her. She had to change course a few times because of the SHARK DANGER.
The FOG was so thick the visual field was limited. Her coach was in the boat and was
constantly YELLING: GO FOR IT FLORENCE, YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN MAKE IT.
Florence was tired and cold and afraid of the sharks, she finally called the boat
near her and she climbed into the boat. She was felt discouraged and defeated as SHE QUIT
and crawled out of the water, the fog blinded their view and they had no idea how far was
left to swim...THE FOG HAD HIDDEN GOAL AHEAD... FLORENCE HAD SWAM 25 1/2
MILES, SHE ALMOST MADE THE WORLD RECORD... SHE WAS WITHIN SIGHT OF
THE SHORE WHEN SHE QUIT... IF SHE HAD ONLY KNOWN HHOW CLOSE SHE WAS
TO REACHING HER GOAL ... 15 MORE MINUTES AND SHE WOULD HAVE FINISHED...
OH, THERE IS MORE TO THE STORY FLORENCE CHADWICK TRAINED MORE AND MORE.
2 MONTHS LATER CHADWICK SWAM THE 26 MILES, THE FIRST WOMAN TO EVER
ACHIEVE THIS DISTANCE IN THE PACIFIC. OH, THERE IS MORE TO THE STORY...
THE SECOND TIME SHE TRIED AND SUCCEEDED SHE SET A NEW SPEED RECORD...
We cannot focus on the outer stresses and failures...
We must focus beyond the externals--- THIS STORM WILL BE won or lost in the
overcoming the INTERNAL BATTLES OF THE MIND... YOU CAN--- IF YOU WANT TOO...
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
