TREAT THE SOURCE, EXPOSE THE DIRT!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I. INTRODUCTION
A. I have a friend that absolutely HATES DANDELIONS in his yard.
He was determined to exterminate each dandelion from his yard. He desired them pesky
weeds to out of his yard and to be completely rid of them forever.
He went to Lowe's and purchased the sharpest hoe he could find.
Every time he saw a dandelion push it's way above the ground, he would cut it's head off.
Before he went to work each morning he would whack those little plants off.
B. Seems like the more he cut them down, the more they grew? They were thriving
with his best effort to destroy them.
One day he was reading that DANDELION PLANT COULD HAVE ROOTS UP TO TEN
FEET DEEP... His battle seemed hopeless until he found a product that dealt with the
ROOT... IF YOU KILL THE ROOTS --- YOU WILL ELEMINATE THE WEED?
II. OFTEN WE TREAT THE SYMPTON RATHER THAN DEALING WITH THE REAL ISSUE...
WE NEED TO FIND THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM...
WE NEED MORE THAN A DIAGNOSIS PROGNOSIS...
*A. DIAGNOSIS: The act of identify the real problem. A statement the reveals the REASON
for the problem.
*B. PROGNOSIS: The answer to the conclusion. The plan of recovery. To reveal signs of
relief from symptoms.
C. When I was in the 6th grade my dad had a terrible infection on his hand. It was so swollen
and red Dad could not close his hand. It was very painful. Someone told him it would never
get better until the head and the pus were removed.
He squeezed and squeezed and his hand was worse.
One day dad asked me if we would work together and fix this problem.
Mom got us some big needles, the rubbing alcohol, and some matches to STERILIZE
and clean the germs off.
I felt like a doctor operating on my Dad, Mom would not look. She kept warning us
that is dangerous?
I worked and removed a huge cord or head and the infection. That felt much better
and his swelling went down. I thought, "I AM GOING TO BE A DOCTOR ONE OF
THESE DAYS."
The next day would tell? They called and said dad had a red streak going up his
arm and that he was at the hospital with BLOOD INFECTION and dad was very ill.
The real doctor's not only removed the infection but they gave him a SHOT and medicine
for him to take TO KILL THE INFECTION FROM THE INSIDE OUT...
D. THAT WAS THE END OF MY MEDICAL CAREER AND MY BEGINNING OF PRAYING.
You have to not only remove the external, visible problem... You must go to
THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM AND DEFINE THE REAL ISSUES...
III. I GUESS I WILL STAY THE SAME? MY OFFERING IS AN EXCUSE...
THERE IS AN INVITATION TO BE WITH THE KING. COME ---EVERY THING IS READY!
WE LIVE OUR LIFE WITH NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS AND TURNING OVER NEW
LEAVES....
Luke 14:17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all
things are now ready. 18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said
unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have
me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them:
I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I
cannot come.
A. I will CLEAN UP my potty mouth?
I will lose weight?
I am going to get out of debt? I will control my spending and use a budget?
I WILL NOT GET ANGRY and try to manipulate people?
*B. IF YOU ARE GOOD WITH EXCUSES, YOU WILL SELDOM SEE REAL CHANGE?
IV. REAL LOVE THAT IS ROOTED AND GROUNDED WILL SURVIVE THE STORMS AND
THE DROUGHTS.
A. I love weeping willow trees as my Grandfather Sumner loved them also.
We had a beautiful weeping willow tree.
As Linda would drive by the tree with the grandsons on board, they would stop and Linda
would roll down their power windows and the boys would "shake hands" with the tree and
talk to it.
The weeping willow was in a low area where water would saturate the ground.
One spring morning as Linda left for work, she called me...
Old WEEPING WILLOW WAS ON THE GROUND... The roots had rotted out?
THE TREE LOOKED SO HEALTHY --- WE HAD NO IDEA THAT HER ROOTS WERE
ROTTING?
Today old weeping willow is just a memory, she died before her time?
B. I am told that a health 30 feet tall OAK TREE will have roots that go out 30 feet in any direction
and that the roots will be 30 feet deep!
Ephesians 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened
with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye,
being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth,
and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that
ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Ephesians 3:16 (MSG) I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious
inner strength— 17 that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him
that with both feet planted firmly on love, 18 you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant
dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths!
Rise to the heights! 19 Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
V. THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM IS THE PROBLEM OF THE HEART.
Matthew 13:27 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. When I was young, traveling playing music on the road we were sitting up in a church in Virginia.
We had all the equipment set up and the music tuned and went out and changed into our
suits. When I came back into the church the Pastor was leaning on the glass door peering
out.
A YOUNG MAN on the other side of street, went walking through town. The young man had long
hair and probably looked a "little wild."
The Pastor told me, THE BIBLE SAYS LONG HAIR IS A DISGRACE!
He said...if that young man tried to come in here, I would TELL him to let me cut his hair and
then he would be welcomed.
B. HOW MY HEART WAS INJURIED. I saw the young man's soul and thought of eternity.
The Pastor saw the EXTERNAL SHELL the young man was wearing.
When we started playing music, I could see the young man looking in the glass doors.
I had tears running down my face, I SAW A MESS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A MIRACLE?
I SAW SOME MOTHER'S SON AND THOUGHT HOW SHE MUST HAVE PRAYED FOR
YEARS ASKING FOR GOD'S MERCY FOR HER PRECIOUS SON.
C. I often wonder about that young man? I pray somewhere he learned:
GRACE IS UNMERITED FAVOR.
WE MUST SEE BEYOND THE EXTERNALS ---
VI. Often times religion tries to deal with EXTERNAL PROBLEMS and tries to force change
from the out side...
WISDOM HAS LEARNED: YOU CAN NEVER CHANGE A PERSON'S OUTSIDE WITHOUT
CHANGING THEIR INSIDE...
Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be
judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
VII. COME LET US LOOK AT THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM ---
FOR REAL, LASTING CHANGE WE MUST LOOK DEEP INTO THE ROOT --- WHY AM
I DOING WHAT I AM DOING?
A. SEARCH FOR THE MOTIVE!
WHY DO I ACT THIS WAY?
What kind of company do I keep? ARE WE NEGATIVE?
WHY AM I SO DEFENSIVE and I don't want to hear or be corrected?
B. AM I DRIVING? OR ARE MY EMOTIONS DECEIVING ME?
Do you have the root of hurt? ---bitterness? --- rejection?
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
James 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
C. Once the inside is corrected the outside, external issues will be easier to deal and correct.
VIII. A PROBLEM WELL STATED AND CLEARLY DEFINED ---
IS A PROBLEM THAT CAN BE CORRECTED...
Colossians 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught,
abounding therein with thanksgiving.
IX. DO WE HONEST SELF-EVALUATE AND INVITE THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD TO
SHINE THE LIGHT AND EXPOSE THE DIRT?
A. We must get honest and down to the root of our attitude problems!
Real positive change can only come after internal searching...
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
B. CONCLUSION:
Luke 15 the little lady that lost her coin.
She grabbed a lamp and the LIIGHT EXPOSED THE REASON HER COIN WAS GONE...
DIRT HAD ACCUMULATED... SHE CLEANED UP THE DIRT AND FOUND HER COIN!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
