TENDANCY WHEN LEFT TO SELF... DEGENERATION
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I. GROWTH AS A GOAL? ARE WE GROWING?
GROW: To become larger, to increase, TO BECOME BETTER, improve, develop,
mature, to change from childhood to adult...
GROWTH HAS 3 GOALS:
1. PHYSICAL
2. MENTAL/EMOTIONAL
3. SPIRITUAL/ETERNAL
1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
IF WE EVER SUCCEED IN LIFE IT WILL BE BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A PLAN
AND PURPOSE ---
Success is not for those THAT DO NOTHING and let FEAR HOLD THEM BACK.
Success is GETTING UP ONE MORE TIME THAN HOW MANY TIMES YOU FAIL...
SOMEDAY WE WILL REALIZE WHAT WE COULD HAVE DONE AND DID NOT DO...
What if I had LOVED JUST A LITTLE MORE? SECOND CHANCE?
What if I had exercised my FAITH MORE OFTEN?
WHAT IF I HAD BEEN MORE FAITHFUL TO THE CHURCH?
WHAT IF I HAD PRAYED MORE?
Did you hear about the rumor that was going around the little town?
The young lady had been a church member since a child. It had been many years since
she had been to church. She did not know who the pastor was?
The lady heard the rumor: THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATE WAS GOING TO
BE IN CHURCH SUNDAY.
So the lady called the church and talked to the pastor, she informed him she had been a
member of that church many years and that she heard the President was coming to worship
there Sunday morning.
She told the Pastor as a member she demanded to come to the service and worship with
the President, and he better have saved her a ticket to worship with the President.
THE OLD PASTOR WAS VERY ANGRY WHEN HE REPLIED:
I DO NOT KNOW WHERE YOU HEARD THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WOULD
BE HERE SUNDAY, BUT NO! NO! NO! The President will not be here Sunday, but THE KING
OF KINGS, THE LORD OF LORDS, THE SON OF GOD WILL BE HERE! COME AN VISIT
WITH US!
The lady was so sad, and said: I AM SORRY, I CAN'T BE THERE, I THINK I WILL BE
HAVING A HEADACHE
II. NATURE HAS MANY LAWS: ONE SUCH LAW IS ANY THING LEFT TO ITSELF TENDS
TO DEGENERATE!
WHO ARE YOU?
Luke 11:26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself;
and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
WHO ARE YOU? DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHO YOU ARE?
WHERE ARE YOU?
Why do we face hard times and experience pain and hurt?
YOU MIGHT HAVE TO REALLY LEARN WHO YPOU ARE?
Samson thought he was strong?
Solomon thought he was smart?
Peter thought he could never do that?
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
III. DO WE SUBMIT TO ACCOUNTABILITY?
ANY THING THAT IS LEFT TO ITSELF HAS A TENDANCY TO DEGENERATE...
PROGRESSIVELY DETERIORATE?
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Did you used to do more than you do now?
Did you used to give more?
DEGENERATE:
1. Lower standards...'
2. To lessen and not be as good...
3. DECLINE --- DECAY
4. To change to a WORSE STATE...
5. TO SINK LOWER
IV. HOW CAN WE DO THAT?
HAS LIFE EVER DEMANDED MORE THAN YOU PLANNED ON GIVING?
Psalm 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered
Zion. 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 3 For there they that carried
us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying,
Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?
Psalm 137:1(NLT) Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem.
2 We put away our harps, hanging them on the branches of poplar trees. 3 For our captors
demanded a song from us. Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn: “Sing us one of those
songs of Jerusalem!” 4 But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?
WE PUT AWAY OUR INSTRUMENTS, WE ARE TRAPPED, FOREVER TRAPPED?
Then our CRUEL ENEMIES DEMANDED US TO SING HAPPY, JOYFUL SONGS?
V. JUST BECAUSE YOU PRACTICE DOES NOT MAKE YOU GOOD ---
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE FOOTBALL PLAYER THAT MADE A TOUCH DOWN ---
HIS COACH AND TEAM WAS SCREAMING AND JUMPING HIGH ---
HE RAN THE FOOTBALL ACROSS THE OPPOSITION'S GOAL LINE?
THE RUSSIAN ARMY HAD THIS BRILLANT IDEA: THEY WOULD STRAP BIG BOMBS
ON DOGS... THEY WOULD TRAIN THE DOGS BY PUTTING FOOD ON THE BOTTOM
OF THE ARMY TANKS AND THE DOGS WOULD RUN UP UNDER THE PANZER TANKS
AND FIND GOOD FOOD... then the RUSSIANS WOULD SET OFF THE EXPLOSIVES AND
KNOCK OUT THE ENEMY TANKS.
The Russians practiced and practiced until the dogs recognized the food treats under their
tanks. The dogs were trained to attack ON THE RUSSIAN PANZERS...
After all the hours of training the dogs were very good TO RUN UP UNDER TANKS
with the bombs tied on them.
THERE WAS ONE REAL PROBLEM, THEY TRAINED THE DOGS ON THE RUSSIAN
TANKS SO AS WORLD WAR II BEGAN THE SECRET WEAPONS WERE LAUNCHED.
THIS PLAN WAS ABANDONED ON THE SECOND DAY: THE DOGS CARRYING THE
BOMBS KEPT RUNNING OUT AND RETURNING TO THE RUSSIAN TANKS AND
BLOWING UP THEIR OWN...
The dogs forced the whole SOVIET DIVISION TO RETREAT ---???
VI. PEOPLE NEVER PLAN TO FAIL---
THEY FAIL TO PLAN AND THUS THEY ARE DOOMED TO FAILURE...
Come and go with me to INDIANA, PENNSYLVANIA?
Make up your mind: Indiana or Pennsylvania?
Movie star Jimmy Steward is from Indiana, Pennsylvania.
Which road will take?
I do not know, we need a MAP or a GPS?
DO WE HAVE A PLAN?
Habakkuk 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain
upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
Whatever failures, mistakes, errors that we tend to commit whether in public or
private may be the CONSEQUENCE OF ACTION WITHOUT THOUGHT.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS ABOUT ETERNITY?
WHAT ABOUT THE FAMILY'S ETERNITIY? THE BIBLE?
VII. LOGIC... ? I PLOWED 10 ACRES AND PLANTED 10 SEEDS?
IT IS BETTER TO SHOOT FOR THE STARS AND HIT THE MOON THAN IT IS TO LAND
IN A MUD PUDDLE EVERYTIME!!!
2 Corinthians 9:6 (KJV) But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly;
and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
2 Corinthians 9:6 (NLT) Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small
crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
VIII. DO WE HAVE A GROWTH PLAN? AM I IMPROVING? STAYING THE SAME?
DEGENERATION?
WE MUST COME TO THE UNDERSTANDING THAT FAILURE IS NOT THE CRIME,
BUT TOO LOW OF AN AIM...
LIFE IS ABOUT FOCUS ---
THE MAIN THING IS TO KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING?
BY THE WAY, WHAT IS THE MAIN THING?
I can not define for you what the main thing, all I can do is try to get you to FOCUS
ON THE MAIN THING!
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things
shall be added unto you.
CONCLUSION: LET US PONDER: WHAT HOLDS BRICKS TOGETHER?
Well, the answer is simple: MORTAR --- CONCRETE.
Look, the same mortar that holds the bricks together also separates them?
DO YOU HAVE A GROWTH PLAN?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO IMPROVE YOUR FAMILY? YOURSELF?
Matthew 21:19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing
thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever.
And presently the fig tree withered away.
IT IS OK TO BE SMALL --- BUT PILGRAMS MUST MAKE PROGRESS?
BE LIKE THE MUSTARD SEED --- YOU STAND THE TALLEST WHILE ON YOUR KNEES...
Mark 4:30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison
shall we compare it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is
less than all the seeds that be in the earth: 32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh
greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge
under the shadow of it.
HEALTHY GROWTH IS SELDOM ACCIDENTAL...
IF WE EVER GROW & SUCCEED IN LIFE IT WILL BE BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A PLAN
AND PURPOSE ---
SOMEDAY WE WILL REALIZE WHAT WE COULD HAVE DONE AND DID NOT DO...
What if I had been kinder and more understanding?
What if I had LOVED JUST ALITTLE MORE?
What if I had exercised my FAITH MORE OFTEN?
WHAT IF I HAD BEEN MORE FAITHFUL TO THE CHURCH?
WHAT IF I HAD PRAYED MORE?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.co
