4 of a 12 part series.
#4 REMOVE THE WEIGHTS ... BLAME GAME
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Hebrews 12: 1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, LET US LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT AND SIN WHICH DOTH SO EASILY BESET US, AND LET SO RUN WITH PATIENCE THE RACE THAT IS SET BEFORE US...
Let us ponder Laying aside weight to attain victory.
This is the 4th in series of Weight to remove, text, Heb. 12:1
I. Remove the weight: Introduction
II. REMOVE THE WEIGHT OF SIN.
III. Remove the weight of no evaluation.
IV. Remove the weight: Blame Game.
I am wearing a backpack with 40 pounds of rock,
the first rock was labeled SIN. This rock is labeled EVALUATION.
I have a friend remove the one rock from my backpack,
I have painted the word SIN on the rock.
I have SIN the biggest rock, it is a little larger than three fist,
the rest are little bigger than soft ball size.
I note my load is getting lighter as I remove the weights.
Today the 3th rock is removed.
I wear the back pack for the whole service, the load sure gets heavy.
We have the great ability of denial.
We can be caught right in the act of wrong and deny everything.
We can detach ourselves from our words and behaviors.
We can claim no responsibilities for the consequences of our poor choices.
We can claim life has not been fair, and God is mean?
I knew you was a hard Master?
We can look at everything in a negative light.
Man has the great ability to let pleasure and self gratification to become
excuses and hide.
You can paint the pump all you want, but painting the pump will never
purify the water in the well.
Part of repentance must be to acknowledge our wrongs and motives.
In addition to all this man will try to blow smoke that will hid the real issues and truths.
Once I was teaching school.
This older teacher told in a staff meeting about a lady that came in to school every day two hours late, and yet turned in false hours.
The older teacher did not want any trouble, but she felt this was unfair to the faithful workers.
The Principal said he would send a memo around to all and see if this would help.
The note read, "SOMEONE IS BEING LATER EVERY DAY, THIS MUST STOP OR THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES."
As the memo made it’s rounds each would initial their name.
When the note WENT IN THE ROOM WHERE THIS AID WAS WORKING,
She read the note and came out stomping and in great anger ran down the hall into the Principal’s Office and she demanded to know ...
"WHO TOLD ON ME? I DEMAND TO KNOW?"
She this was a device to keep her from accepting responsibility for her behavior and try to pass the buck.
Later this aid lost her job in a disgrace.
Instead of admitting and correcting, she knew how to blow smoke thinking this would repair her problem.
IV. REMOVE THE WEIGHT OF BLAME GAME.
THE WEIGHT...NO SHAME, JUST BLAME.
Danger and destruction.
We want to SAVE FACE...
Save credit in front of others....
MORE THAN THE PARDON OF GOD.
A. HIDE ...
to put out of sight, conceal, keep secret, evade,
JUST BURY YOUR BROTHER.... AM I HIS KEEPER?
You may have the body buried, but just because things may be out of your sight and memory does not mean God can’t see.
Concealed behaviors by nature expose a danger.
Why is it needed to find darkness?
Hiding is a way of evading responsibility.
Secret? Secret? There is an All Seeing Eye.
B. COVER-UP ...
Let’s mask it...
To wear a mask does not change who you are?
Can you disguise yourself that your Mother does not know you?
Pretense? Motive?
Can covering up things protect you?
Are you playing games? Is life a masquerade?
Can we disguise our true character and intentions?
A skunk may say, I am getting a bad wrap, I ponder why?
You can say, be warmed and fed? But who are you kidding?
C. EXCUSE IT...
REMOVE BLAME, exempt me, justify,
1. Please release me.
2. Not correct it...
3. Explain away ... rationalize.
Master I bought a piece of land? ... you already seen the land or you are an idiot.
I purchased a new tractor? Oxen? ... you already tried the vehicle or you are an idiot.
I just got married? ... Move the date forward or backward...
Classes of excuses...
1. Materialism
2. Business/Pleasure
3. Relationship/scheduling.
D. EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING IT...
We are social beings, and we can tend to justify our behaviors and words any way
we want to...
If everyone else eats snot are you?
E. PALLIATE...
to make less harsh, apologize but make light of...
1. Moderate the intensity
2. Sugarcoat,
3. WHITEWASH NOT WASH WHITE.
We have ways to make our wrongs little.
White lies? What is the difference in a white lie and a black lie?
F. BLAME THE MIRROR...
for what you see?
Honey if a donkey looks in the mirror,
he need not expect to see a prophet’s reflection.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, you better say what I expect.
G. HATE THE MESSAGE,
KILL THE MESSENGER...
Saul, first king of Israel, becomes a type...
Yes, Samuel I obeyed all... what do I hear...
Namaan almost went home the way he came because he did not
like the message of dip in a dirty river.
God’s way is not up to a vote or a committee decision.
Be careful judging the messenger for the message, you may not have all the facts.
Negative crowds look for people to use and manipulate and then laugh at you when it is over.
H. MOB MENTALITY
Some of the same crowd that sang HOSANNAS as Jesus was coming into Jerusalem, lifted their voice as the crowd cried CRUCIFY!
A little puppy hand fed by it’s master can turn and help kill it’s owner when it joins the pack of dogs.
You better be care with whom you hang.
BY FAILING TO ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ACTIONS AND REACTIONS...
WE HAVE TO GO TO FIG LEAVES....
FIG LEAVES NEVER MAKE BETTER PEOPLE.
THERE IS NO TERROR AND CONFUSION WHEN WE SEE GOD...
ONE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN IS A DISTORTION OF OUR VISION AND OF GOD.
WE MUST REMOVE THE WEIGH OF BLAMING OTHERS.
They never made you made, you did ... you sold yourself short not others.
WHERE DOES THE BUCK STOP?
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
Please pass this to others?
