THE APPROACH --- GOD MAKE ME FOR YOU!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This is a lesson I do in two parts.
TEXT:
Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM THAT LOVED US.
1. ONE LITTLE BOY GREW A NEW APPROACH TO THE GAME.
We have this little boy at church, Seth Keown, Seth is 6 years old and plays PeeWee football.
Our son is the coach of the Packers. Our grandson Matthew plays on the same team with Seth.
There are only two teams in this league, the Packers and the Titans.
The Packers have yellow jerseys and the Titans have blue.
The Titans are a much bigger team in size than the Packers, and thus won every game.
We drove to Brownsville for this week’s game, every week prior the Titans stomped the Packers.
Seth’s team, the Packers had lost every game.
This Saturday Seth got out of their car with a different attitude.
Seth had on his number 44 yellow uniform. As Seth walked away from his Mother,
I watched him. Seth had his shoulders spread eagle and his eyes sparkled.
Seth walked right up to the star of the Titans, the biggest blue Titan player,
Seth came up to the bigger boy’s number on his jersey, Seth look right at the big blue star, and
Seth made a declaration to the biggest player.
SETH SAID: WE ARE GOING TO WIN TODAY!
Seth turned and walked away.
Seth came to this game with a different approach than the other games.
Well, I thought this was really cute, this little boy went to Goliath and stated a new attitude,
but I feared another lost. I knew there was no way the Packers could beat the Titans.
BUT THEY DID! The Packers won. Seth was right.
At the end of the game, it was Packers 14, Titans 6.
Seth’s new approach was infective, contagious to the other players.
I heard my son, the Coach, say, Boy’s I prayed for you this week --- the prayer was not just to win,
but for a new approach to the game.
Last Saturday, in Brownsville, Kentucky was the TOY BOWL. The Titans coach had never lost a TOY BOWL. Seth and the Packers took the field, they were behind, loosing most of the game.
With two minutes to go, the Packers scored a touchdown and took the lead, and won the TOY BOWL.
As a bystander, I remembered back to the day, that Seth climbed out of the car, saying, the Packers are going to win today. At first, Seth was just saying this to himself.
But later with a boldness, Seth walked up and told the Star Titan, WE ARE GOING TO WIN TODAY.
2. HISTORY RECORDS SEVERAL YOUNG MEN WITH A NEW APPROACH! MAYBE JESUS NEEDS A TEAM MEMBER TO SAY: WE CAN! WE CAN DO THIS!
This is all David did? David was surprised God’s army was standing back listening to Goliath as Goliath mocked and taunted God’s people.
David say, God and I can handle this giant!
David’s older brother mocked the showoff David?
Goliath laughed and said, What, you are sending me a puppy dog to fight?
No, it is not a puppy dog, it is a young man with a new approach.
3. MY APPROACH IS I WILL TRY! I WILL TRY AGAIN! I WILL TRY UNTIL ---
Courage does not always roar, sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying "I will try again tomorrow!"
GOD CAN HELP YOU CHANGE YOUR APPROACH TO DEFEAT!
4. APPROACH 99 OR THE ONE?
Luke 15 is the LOST CHAPTER of the Bible.
There are 99 safe, and a loving shepherd that leaves the 99 comfortable sheep, to find the one lost lamb. Most of us have grown so comfortable with the 99, we have no vision for the one that is hurting. We can ignore the one very easy.
This new approach brings JOY when the lost is found.
5. THE LOST COIN, A LESSON IN GRADUAL DIRTY APPROACHES.
The young lady had 10 silver coins. She needed ten coins to get married.
Somehow, in careless, slip shop, neglect the young lady lost one coin, now she can’t marry?
Seems, the lady got out a candle and lit the candle.
What the light was illuminated was shocking, there was dirt in her house.
The lady’s new approach is to clean up the dirt. When the dirt gets cleaned up,
she finds her coin. The new attitude or approach brings JOY, the house is clean and the coin is found.
6. THE APPROACH OF THE TWO SONS...
Most call this the story of the PRODIGAL. This is only 1/2 of the story, the whole story must include the approach of the ELDER BROTHER ALSO!
7. WHEN THE PRODIGAL HAS AN APPROACH CHANGE, THERE IS A LIFE CHANGE!
The Prodigal Son has a serious ATTITUDE PROBLEM.
Luke 15:12 The younger said, FATHER GIVE ME the portion that falls to me... I WANT MY share....
THERE IS AN ATTITUDE CHANGE, IT IS A PARADIGM SHIFT!
Luke 15:18 I WILL ARISE and go to my Father,
The wayward son made a decision, I am getting up out of this mess.
YOU CAN TELL WHEN THERE IS AN APPROACH CHANGE!
The Proof of change is tangible, seeable, measurable ...
Luke 15:19 MAKE ME as hired servant...
FROM GIVE ME TO MAKE ME
8. JESUS WANTED SOME FISHERMEN TO MAKE AN APPROACH CHANGE...
CHANGE YOU VALUE SYSTEM TO SEE THE SOULS OF MEN.
Matthew 4:19 And Jesus said unto them, Follow me, and I will MAKE you fishers of men...
Mark 4:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will MAKE you to become fishers of men.
9. BEWARE OF YOUR WEAKNESSES!
Human weaknesses can hinder approach changes.
Homer, the famous Greek writer tells a lesson of Achilles.
To protect Achilles from weakness there was an approach...
Achilles was dipped as a weak baby into a barrel of solution that would make him strong.
Achilles was strong and invincible except for the one place, where when he was baby he was held by his heels.
One day Achilles was in a battle, his approach was that he was invincible, but by accident an arrow shot him, and he died. Achilles approach should have protected his weaknesses.
10. THE HUMAN APPROACH, OUR DUTY - - FOLLOW ME
A. We must cut the cord. (umbilical cord)
Marty, my son, was little. He was looking at his belly button and said, "What is this, Dad?"
I said, "Where you used to eat."
OK!
Later Marty was looking in his naval again ... WHERE WAS MY TEETH, DAD?
Matt. 19:29-30 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
30: But many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first.
B. There are conditions to Christian fellowship.
Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
C. We cannot have it our way, as the SEED MUST DIE, SO MUST WE.
John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much
fruit.
11. THERE IS A DIVINE APPROACH - I WILL MAKE YOU!
THERE IS A DIVINE PLAN WE NEED TO SUBMIT TO..
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life: and he that winneth souls is wise.
Jude 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire: hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Each one Reach one...
You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.
Ye are salt of the world... ???
Singing, Prayer meeting - How about Personal Soul Winning
12. THE GREATEST APPROACH IS AT THY WORD?
THE WORD OF GOD DOES THE WORK OF GOD.
Luke 5:5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net.
13. THE WRONG APPROACH!
Seems there was a beautiful little pond of water in the park during the spring.
There were some people that would come and fish in the water pond.
A good fisherman tries to stay out of sight ... quiet.
What the people never realized was it was a city water retention pond.
The people would bait their hook (Bait...allure...scented bait) and sit there for hours.
They waited ... they were persistent -- they used much perseverance, but no fish?
What the people never realized was it was a city water retention pond?
There are no fish is a water retention pond, it is dry much of the year?
Go where the fish are?
This is a real point THAT WE CAN’T FORGET ...
THE WRONG APPROACH
There was a young girl, she was 14 or 15.
Her choir director was preparing the church for a state wide choir competition.
They needed to see who had the best church choir in the state?
The Pastor and the church were all excited in the preparation to win and be the best.
There were regional competitions, then they advanced.
Statewide all the church choirs had to sing the same two songs and the third song was of their choice.
Their local choir was very good. But the choir director had a problem.
One of the young girls loved to sing so much but she was ugly, fat, and often sang off pitch.
So the choir director asked this young girls friend, her best friend, to sit out of the choir and not to sing until after the competition was passed.
The choir director felt if there was any chance to win, they had to cut this one girl.
Both young girls were seriously hurt, and could not understand this cut?
In great anger the friend of the cut teen girl came into the home.
There was family visiting and they could not understand why the teen came in crying.
The teen girl declared that she would never sing at church again!
This cutting was unfair and mean to her best friend.
Her family tried to calm her, and tell her that she was the one making the wrong choice, to never sing again.
She could still sing for the Lord and not be in the choir. We can’t stop singing for Jesus, ever.
Well, the discussion got heated, she knew she was right, the family knew they were right, and they knew she was wrong.
She knew she was right. They raised their voices screaming at each other!
The young girl slapped one of the family members, and they raised their hand in self defense and as she pulled away there was a scratch on her arm.
She ran into the bedroom and cried for her friend and why couldn’t anybody understand her?
The family had enlarged her problem.
They didn’t mean to ... but the wound was there.
Seems everyone cried. The family knew they were right, but wow, was their timing off?
The timing was very poor.
The decision to raise their voices in argument was poor, and there was little wisdom there.
To this day, we know to never sing again was wrong. We must sing again.
You may be right, just the approach may be wrong.
We should listen more and speak less.
An hour or so later, the family cried together, and talked. They all apologized for how they had said what they said.
They cried together and talked about how a spirit of competition was not right in the church.
All the state choirs should have got together and sang together praising God.
The story does not end there. The girl no longer sings.
As the regional contests were held, there was hard feelings toward the judges, one church was mad at another church because they lost.
THE APPROACH WAS WRONG, IT WAS LOSE, LOSE.
Most know I have two of the most talented sons, they play several instruments. I never ever allowed them to play in any worldly or church talent contest.
I know I robbed them of some opportunities of advancement, but the lesson is real.
I love special Olympics, each participant is a winner. God loves us, we come from differing abilities, the playing fields are not level, and politics vary,
the judges can be bias, too many variables.
See, we can grow an approach --- This is me right, but with the wrong approach.
I have been there done that. God help us develop the right approach.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
My hands are so small, can you help me and pass this on to a friend?
