POISON IN THE POT… METAMORPHOSIS: COMPLETE THE JOURNEY?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (Refer to lesson THE SAME OLD SAME OLD VS CHANGE)
IMPOSSIBLE? IMPOSSIBLE? NO I’M POSSIBLE! Metamorphosis…
BOX: WE TEND TO LIVE IN A BOX… WE TEND TO PUT OTHER PEOPLE IN BOXES. (STEREOTYPES.)
WHAT DEFINES YOU? DIFFERENCES? SIMILARITIES? Can your words, attitudes and actions be distorted and invalid?
Every problem is an opportunity in disguise. You could be the change you are looking for in this world. WE OFTEN CALL OUR WORDS AND ATTITUDES A BOX. The box is an IDIOMATIC EXPRESSION. Forest Gump said LIFE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET. Life is full of many surprises and nothing goes as we expected. Life is unpredictable and we do not understand what might happen next.
We also hear LIFE IS A BOWL OF CHERRIES. While life can be very pleasant? Life as a cherry also speaks of THE PITS. Life at times is very beautiful and we need to walk in JOY and PEACE. While we may experience many DEFEATS in our daily walk we must NEVER ALLOW YOURSELF TO BECOME DEFEATED. LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT DOING WHAT YOU LIKE. LET’S BE REAL HONEST: LIFE MUST ADAPT TO WE NEED TO LEARN TO LIKE WHAT WE DO. Life is like a GARDEN… maturity knows you will reap what you sow. HEAR MY HEART: LOVE THE LIFE THAT YOU LIVE… and if you don’t love it… change! My friend, you need to be the change you wish to experience.
Our value systems change. Often young people focus on materialism and things. WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME? Define your VALUE SYSTEM!
Define MATERIALISM: a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort and entertainment MORE IMPORTANT THAN
SPIRITUAL VALUES… Nothing really exists except matter and movement. DOES OUR WORDS, ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS SAY MONEY AND THINGS ARE MORE IMPORTANT?… DO WE TEND TO FORGET ETERNITY AND SPIRITUAL ISSUES? Is it life BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT? What does the Bible say? SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY! We have a distorted view….
As we age and mature we find life is not at all about things. Things rust. They fade. Is life about who has the most toys? Success--- the car you drive? The square footage of your house? How much is in your bank account?
STUPID! Often we live by judging what we think should meet our expectations. How shall we judge a fish? I know, let us evaluate a fish by how well it can CLIMB A TREE? The results will be sheer stupidity!
THERE WILL BE A REPORT CARD: FINAL TEST. THIS TEXT IS AN IMPERATIVE COMMAND… GROWTH REQUIRES CHANGE… OUR CHOICES WILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES --- CHANGE, GROW OR DIE?
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.
Come and understand we need ACCOUNTABILITY and SUBMISSION.
WILL WE OUT GROW STUPIDITY? WE MUST QUIT EATING OUT OF THE POT OF POISON: POISON SOUP WILL MAKE YOU SICK AND COULD BRING DEATH… THE YOUNG MAN IN OUR BIBLE STORY TODAY SEEMS TO BE IGNORANT AND DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HIS DEEDS HAVE CONSEQUENCES. WE NEED ACCOUNTABILITY!
Come and meet a group of students desiring to learn of God… THEY ARE LEARNING. They are doing something to help. The students are HUNGRY! LET US EAT WELL. They had passion and zeal but seemingly a little on the ignorant side about cooking. ZWW= ZEAL WITHOUT WISDOM. WWZ=WISDOM WITHOUT ZEAL… BOTH CAN BRING DANGER TO THE CAMP…
2 Kings 4:38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets. 39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. 40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.
CHANGE? REMEDY? ANTIDOTE! WE NEED AN IMMEDIATE CHANGE… WE NEED CORRECTION OF THIS IGNORANCE.
We don’t have time to play spiritual games we need something to COUNTERACT THE POISON…We have a problem… WE MUST HAVE CHANGE NOW… THE PREACHER HAS TO FIND A DIVINE PLAN TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE AND CORRECTION!
2 Kings 4:41 But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.
The amazing change works in the pot to neutralize the poison for those that will eat. The real amazement is that the people that had already tasted the DEATH IN THE POT were cured. The change occurred to those that were going to eat and to those that had already grown sick.
Come with me and recognize GOD DESIRES US TO GROW, TO DEVELOP, TO BE CORRECTED. Will we submit to discipleship or will we refuse?… BRING ME THE MEAL… GOD CALLS US TO CHANGE AND GROW.
IS THE SAME OLD THE SAME OLD RULING OUR CHURCHES AND FAMILIES? ARE WE PASSIVELY SITTING IDLY WAITING FOR PIE TO FALL OUT OF THE SKY? THERE IS A DAY, AN APPOINTED TIME FOR US TO EVALUATE OURSELVES TO MAKE A PLAN OF GROWTH.
Job 14:14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
I am using an illustration with METAMORPHOSIS… 2 Kinds of metamorphosis, INCOMPLETE and COMPLETE METAMORPHOSIS.
INCOMPLETE METAMORPHOSIS: The insect hatches from the egg and is a small nymph stage. The baby bug stays the same and as the adult insect. It just grows to become larger but the looks stay the same from birth to death. It never changes.
COMPLETE METAMORPHOSIS: Complete has 4 stages. Each stage is much different to the eye and the function than the previous stage. The 4 stages are. EGG, LARVA, PUPA AND ADULT.
I have a set of: frog eggs, tadpole, small frog with a tail, all live in water. Then the adult frog, the tail is absorbed into the body and the adult frog can live out of the water.
I also have the LIFE CYCLE OF THE BUTTERFLY. The egg… The larva (caterpillar bound to the ground)… The pupa: wrapped up in leaf --- appears dead. One day the adult butterfly will be set free and ride the wind.
2 Kinds of metamorphosis, COMPLETE and INCOMPLETE METAMORPHOSIS. The Holy Spirit teaches us that we need to submit to change. We walk in perilous days… be ready to SUBMIT and grow…
*METAMORPHOSIS IS THE PROCESS OF CHANGE. To develop, to grow, to change, a profound change. It is the process of TRANSFORMATION. To change. To change the nature of a thing or a person into a completely different form. TO ALTER.
SPIRITUAL METAMORPHOSIS: GOD IS PREPARING TO TAKE THE OLD PREACHER ELIJAH TO HEAVEN. 2 KINGS 2 RECORDS THE FOUR STEPS OF CHANGE IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH. THIS CHANGE IN ELISHA COMES FROM PLOWING TO THE DOUBLE PORTION OVER A SEVERAL YEAR TIME TABLE. ELISHA HAD TO BE ACCOUNTABLE AND SUBMITTED. ELISHA MAY NOT HAVE ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD THE JOURNEY BUT HE REFUSED TO QUIT.
GILGAL= rolling stones, rolling stones gather no moss, not established, unfaithful, emotional driven. Not submitted to teaching and correction. ELISHA YOU CAN QUIT HERE?
BETHEL= HOUSE OF PRAYER… developing a root system, devotion, student of learning, growth, effort demanded, submitted to the leader and the journey. ELISHA YOU CAN QUIT AND GO HOME!
JERICHO: praise, worship, disciplined, submitted, deep growth system, knowing God in a personal way, deeper understanding, controlling emotions, control of anger, etc. ELISHA YOU CAN QUIT HERE NOW!
JORDAN: The watering place, living water, but death to self. The snow of Mt. Hermon feeds the Jordan. Total submission… overcoming obstacles, deep roots, sustaining in droughts… ELISHA YOU HAVE DONE WELL YOU CAN QUIT IF YOU SO DESIRE.
WHEN ELIJAH TOOK ELISHA THROUGH THE JORDAN, THE OLD PREACHER ASKED WHAT DO YOU WANT ELISHA… ELISHA UNDERSTOOD THE METAMORPHOSIS IN THE SPIRIT REALM… I WANT, I HAVE EARNED THE DOUBLE PORTION…
Today many stay in a SMALL BOX and limit their usability of the Holy Spirit. They opt out at Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho and the Jordan.
NOT EVERY GOD CALLED PERSON COMPLETES THE JOURNEY OR METAMORPHOSIS TO REACH MATURITY. PERHAPS TO BRING ABOUT THE NEEDED CHANGE GOD WILL REMOVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE…OFTEN TIMES TO BE USED OF GOD REQUIRES GROWTH AND CHANGE! CHANGE IS COMING! I GUARANTEE CHANGE IS COMING… WE SEEM TO LOVE OUR COMFORT ZONE SO MUCH… JONAH LOVED THE SHADE OF THE GOURD PLANT MORE THAN HE CARED ABOUT LOST PEOPLE…
God loves you so much. Any good father knows discipline might be needed to change attitudes. WILL WE BE CORRECTABLE OR WILL WE RUNAWAY ANGRY? WILL WE CHANGE? WILL WE STAY THE SAME?…
Jonah 4:6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. 7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. 8 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
METAMORPHOSIS IS THE JOURNEY TO OVERCOME PROBLEMS AND FIND DIVINE OPPORTUNITIES… GOD CAN CHANGE US BY FAITH…
GOD CHANGED ABRAM (exalted father) to ABRAHAM (FATHER OF MANY NATIONS, FATHER OF THE FAITHFUL! (Genesis 17:5)
GOD CHANGED SARAI --- laughter in doubt, to SARAH PRINCESS, HIGH FAVOR OR RANK.
GOD CHANGED JACOB --- CHEATER, SUPPLANTER TO ISRAEL: WRESTLED WITH GOD, TRIUMPHANT, PRINCE WITH POWER WITH GOD…
GOD CHANGED SIMON: UNSTABLE, POTENTIAL, TO PETER THE ROCK.
GOD CHANGED SAUL: BIG SHOT, VIP, LEADER TO PAUL: LITTLE SERVANT, SUBMITTED SLAVE.
CONCLUSION: MANY QUITTERS ARE PEOPLE THAT NEVER UNDERSTOOD THE PROCESS OF METAMORPHOSIS… THE JOURNEY… ACCOUNTABILITY, THEY DID NOT SEE THE PROCESS --- HOW MANY QUIT WHEN THEY WERE SO CLOSE TO THEIR MIRACLE?
There were several eggs laid on the underside of a leaf. The warm air and sun shined on those eggs and the eggs hatched out into caterpillars. When this one caterpillar climbed in the mud there was something in his heart that knew there was more to life than crawling in the mud. He kept saying I don’t know the answer but there has to be more than mud. The caterpillar crawled up on a rock and was warming in the sun. A beautiful female caterpillar in a bikini crawled up on the rock. She flirted with him. He said I am looking for more. She said stay on the rock with me. We will enjoy the warmth and the sun together. Caterpillar said: I KNOW THERE IS MORE THAN LAYING ON A WARM ROCK. I must travel on… The caterpillar said: I AM SEARCHING FOR MORE as he crawled through the grass. He looked back at the lady in the bikini, he thought of returning. No, there is more than crawling in the mud… After several days the caterpillar made it to a huge tree truck. He started climbing up the steep rough tree trunk. Wow this was difficult. But he felt compelled to climb. After a few days of climbing the caterpillar felt he was growing stronger. He met an older caterpillar going down the tree. The older caterpillar told him you are wasting your time climbing there is nothing up there. Nothing! Caterpillar rested two days and thought of that warm rock and the bikini lady. His heart knew there was more. He decided to keep climbing. He grew tired and a fellow caterpillar warned him, there is nothing up there. He absolutely knew there was A CHANGE COMING. He finally made it to a limb and he went out on the limb. He rested a while and started climbing out on the limb. Finally he realized there was a plan. He found a big sweet yellow apple and he ate and so enjoyed… he found the more? Yet he knew there was more. He found a leaf and wrapped up in the leaf and took a long nap. When he woke up he felt a struggle, he kicked and kicked until he was set free… the wind blew and dried him off… The wind blew him off the limb and he started flying and riding the wind. He said: I HAVE FOUND THE MORE… I grew, I developed… He flew down the trunk of the tree and saw the dead caterpillars that quit. He rode the wind over to the rock and landed. He beautiful bikini friend was all dried up and wrinkled. She was dying. HIS DETERMINATION TO GROW AND DEVELOP PAID GREAT DIVIDENDS.
My friend keep on climbing… there is more… the Holy Spirit desires to bring deep change, a real penetrating change to be like Jesus. WILL WE STAY THE SAME OLD SAME OLD OR WILL WE GROW AND EXERCISE OUR FAITH THAT WILL BRING ABOUT THE MORE?
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (Catch Wade Hughes on YouTube)
Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
IMPOSSIBLE? IMPOSSIBLE? NO, I’M POSSIBLE! CHOICE: YOU DRAW YOUR OWN BOX!
