THE PREACHER MADE ME MAD! DISAPPOINTED AND BROKEN!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr., Kyfingers@aol.com
I do this lesson in two or three parts.
The church needs to let go of disappointments and cling to the CROSS.
TEXT:
2 Samuel 17:23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass,
and arose, and got him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and HANGED HIMSELF, and died, and was buried in the sepulcher of his father.
2 Kings 5:11 But Naaman was WROTH, and WENT AWAY, and said, Behold, I THOUGHT, Elisha will surely COME OUT TO ME, and STAND, and CALL on the name of the Lord his God, and STRIKE his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12. Are not the Abana and the Phirpar rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?
MAY I NOT BE WASHED in them, and be clean? SO HE TURNED AND WENT AWAY IN A RAGE!
Matthew 6: 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. 20 But LAY UP for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL BE YOUR HEART ALSO.
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lust!
Amy is a young Mom at church, Sunday night Amy left a card on my Bible.
The card is neat, but let me share what the card says: "THE DAILY DECISION"
Each day there is a decision that each of us has to make, for each of us needs to decide for ourselves
whether to GIVE or whether to TAKE, whether LOVE or reject love, whether to bring PEACE or strife,
and that is the DAILY DECISION THAT AFFECTS the whole rest of our life.
There is a personal note inside Amy’s lovely card about being an example.
God please bless and encourage Amy today for this thoughtful card.
1. WE GET DISAPPOINTED WHEN WE GROW OUT OF FOCUS. WHERE IS YOUR PLEASURE? WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE? CAN YOU SEE WHERE YOUR INVESTMENTS ARE? WRONGFUL TREASURES?
If an alien came from outer space and walked into your home, What would he identify as the center piece of your home?
Look in your check book? What would the checkbook tell?
A real way to identify where your treasure is, would be what do your spend you time doing?
A. DO YOU PITY THE POOR, RICH MAN?
Matthew 6: 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal. 20 But LAY UP for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL BE YOUR HEART ALSO.
Have you heard the story from many years ago of a wealthy man that purchased cruise tickets for Africa? The man liquidated much of his stocks and bonds and decided to invest in gold.
He heard that Africa had some of the best gold mines in the world. So he headed by ship to south Africa. When he arrived he found a fantastic deal on gold so he purchased several large bars of gold.
On the man’s return trip to the USA, he would get the gold out of the ship’s safe and admire his wealth.
Several days out in the ocean a terrible storm was tossing the ship like a toy.
The captain sent out a distress call and no other ships were near.
The captain passed the life jackets out to the passengers and crew. The rich man demanded the crew hand to open the safe and give him his gold right now!
So the little crew member did as he was instructed and gave the heavy gold bars to the rich man.
They were all standing on deck, the children and the ladies got in the life boats and were launched into the dark night. The men were all ordered to abandon the ship.
The rich man had duct taped the gold bars around his body and around his legs.
All the men had to jump into the ocean.
The next day another ship that had heard the distress call came to the rescue. The crew counted, all was present and accounted for but one. Everyone was saved, every one but one.
The poor rich man had saved his gold, but lost his life? Do you pity the poor rich man?
THE RICH MAN’S LOVE HAD BECOME THE DRIVING FORCE OF HIS DREAM.
IS FAITH AND FAITHFULNESS ONE OF YOUR TREASURES? Cling to faith, never squander it!
How about the treasure of a good name? Are we investing wisely in our daily walk?
Have you lost your vision? What is really important?
B. CONSUMED ON LUST? WHEN WE SEE GOD AS SANTA CLAUS, WE ARE HEADED FOR DISAPPOINTMENT!
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING UP FRONT AND SETTLE THIS:
GOD IS NOT A SANTA CLAUS!
Often times our prayer life is no more than a "GIVE ME LIST!"
God, I gave $5 in the offering, now you better give me this and give me that.
Can you buy God? Can you bribe God? Prayer must be more than a ’WISH LIST!"
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lust!
2. I WOULD LIKE US TO PONDER DISAPPOINTMENTS? WHY DO WE FACE DISAPPOINTMENTS?
FROM WHERE DO DISAPPOINTMENTS COME? HOW DO I HANDLE DISAPPOINTMENTS?
HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY ATTITUDE TO DISAPPOINTMENT?
A. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A "STAR?"
Have you ever dreamed big, to have your dreams dashed as others laughed?
Have you looked to some Preacher or some church or some personality as your answer,
and the person or the group has let you down?
Can I suggest to you that God never meant some "STAR" or some "SUPER PROGRAM" or a "QUICK FIX"
to be substituted for His Presence and the CROSS! Any thing placed as a substitute on the altar
will have to be removed by God’s Hand. God shares His Glory with no one!
Let us define DISAPPOINTMENT:
*** Fail to fulfill the expectation or hope of ***to come between a person and their aim or desire ***
***to have a plan defeated *** frustrate *** to let down ***
Could many of our daily life problems be birthed by the boredom of disappointments?
Obesity, habits, drugs, alcohol, illicit sex.
B. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE DISAPPOINTED?
Do you allow your disappointments to wound your spirit man? Are we spiritual cripples because
we can’t get over our disappointments?
Did you hear about the big fancy church that had an ignorant janitor that had worked many years
for the church. The ignorant janitor was often an embarrassment to the pastor and the deacons.
The man could not read or write, and he was just ignorant. One day the new pastor gave the ignorant
janitor a time frame to have his GED and learn to read or be fired. Time came and went and the janitor
had failed to do his self improvement classes.
The new pastor called the janitor into his office and fired him.
The poor ignorant man took his last pay check, bought some fresh fruit, and sold it by the road.
His inventory grew, and his business thrived. The man built a little stand. He opened up another fruit
stand for his son to run, later he rented a building. In a few years the man opened a grocery store.
Soon another store, until one day the man owned a chain of grocery stores.
Later someone asked him, Here you are a multimillionaire with no education, where might you have been if you got your GED?
The man replied, I WOULD BE A JANITOR DOWN AT THE BIG CHURCH!
The ignorant janitor never let disappointments and hurt dictate to him. He never got bitter, he got better.
C. FROM WHERE DOES DISAPPOINTMENT COME?
There is no little, easy class to explain where disappointments and bitterness come,
disappointments can come from a variety of sources.
*** I try my best, and I still failed?
*** I"ve been waiting to win the lottery? My
horoscope and fate are always wrong.
*** My Dad disappointed me? My Mom disappointed me?
My whole family is nothing but a disappointment?
*** The glass ceiling on my job keeps me trapped!
*** Life is so full of useless, menial nothingness.
*** I just knew Brother Preacher was the answer to all
my family’s woes, and I found out he is as human
as we are.
*** I just can’t see the bigger picture? Where is the
plan and purpose behind this?
3. THERE ARE MANY TYPES OR EXAMPLES IN THE BIBLE,
AHITHOPHEL IS A TYPE THAT CARRIES A GREAT LOAD OF DISAPPOINTMENT.
A. TYPES IN THE BIBLE.
Job is a type dealing with suffering. Joseph is a type dealing with hurt.
Lot is a type in a lack of deep commitment. Jezebel is a type of woman given to pleasure.
But there is a hidden type in the Old Testament, I do an illustrated sermon where I act
out the role of Ahithophel. Seems like every time Ahithophel loves and trust somebody, they
do something stupid and they let the hopes of Ahithophel down. Poor old Ahithophel
allows all these disappointments to get him down.
Ahithophel was a very wise man. He grew and was a GREAT COUNSELOR TO MANY.
Not only was Ahithophel wise but he had a way of helping people when they were in trouble.
While he could help people, seems Ahithophel could not get over when people let him down.
B. THE SAD WORDS: GOD’S GLORY IS GONE! WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!
Ahithophel was a young man and knew Eli. Eli served the Lord faithfully, but the light grew
very dim in the temple under Eli’s watch. As Eli aged, his two sons Hophni and Phinehas did not care about God’s ministry in Shiloh. Eli’s sons were disappointment to their Father and to the church.
Hophni and Phinehas were compromising the holy standard that the priesthood should carry.
Seems Eli was content to turn his head away from his sons’ sins and ignore the sin.
This winking at evil turned to be a disappointment to Ahithophel and the church.
Phinehas and Hophni died in the same day, Eli falls off the wall and breaks his neck and
dies in the judgment of God. Eli’s daughter in law received the news of the three deaths, and she goes into labor and has a son.
The little boy is born and they named him, ICHABOD. ICHABOD MEANS THE GLORY OF GOD HAS DEPARTED US. Then the Mother dies.
How sad the loss of the Ark of the Covenant was!
Poor Ahithophel is broken and he will forever remember this let down and disappointment.
C. THE FIRST KING WAS A SECOND TERRIBLE DISAPPOINTMENT TO AHITHOPHEL.
Ahithophel saw the first King of Israel anointed by Samuel. Saul had great potential.
Saul received a new heart and a new mind. Saul stood among the prophets and prophesied
the heart of God. Saul was very special.
Saul became rebellious and disobedient and blamed everybody else for his sin. Saul jerks the
mantle of Samuel the man of God, and Samuel cried because the old preacher knew Saul was
going to lose the Kingdom. Saul and all of his sons are going to die a terrible death the same day.
Ahithophel saw all this and suffered greatly because another man was going to be a
disappointment.
D. AHITHOPHEL HAS A NEW HOPE, JUST TO BE DASHED UPON THE ROCKS!
The old preacher Samuel anoints David as a new King. David was different, Ahithophel
had new hopes, God was really with David. Ahithophel becomes a great counselor to David.
Ahithophel saw David’s anointing. Ahithophel was disappointed again.
History tells us that wise Ahithophel was a grandfather to Bathsheba.
Ahithophel heard the whispering about his Granddaughter’s affair with the new King.
Ahithophel heard about Uriah’s untimely death, and something hurt deeply in his heart.
Ahithophel met David and Bathsheba at the local funeral home as they picked out a beautiful
coffin for Ahithophel’s grandson. Poor Ahithophel is heart broken again. Another man of God
had been a disappointment.
E. AHITHOPHEL FINDS A NEW HOPE, LET’S SEE A REVIVAL, OH NO, NOT AGAIN!
Absalom was the handsome son of David. Ahithophel was tired and life had drained him of all
his hopes. Seems everything Ahithophel touched turned into a terrible disappointment.
Now Ahithophel is a wise old man. Absalom becomes a new hope to the old man.
Absalom was gathering people around him to start a new thing, a new Kingdom.
Absalom was the new hope of this old tired man.
One day Absalom was riding his donkey on important business, and Absalom’s hair catches
in the fork of a tree and Absalom is left hanging by his hair.
Joab, David’s good friend comes riding by... Absalom calls on Joab to help him.
Joab pulls out three sharp darts and throws them right into handsome Absalom’s heart.
Ahithophel faces another dream dasher, the hope is gone. What is the use?
Ahithophel saw Absalom’s new potential, and poured himself into the young man and
was disappointed again.
F. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AHITHOPHEL? WHAT HAS DISAPPOINTMENT DONE TO YOUR
WISDOM?
2 Samuel 17:23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass,
and arose, and got him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order,
and HANGED HIMSELF, and died, and was buried in the sepulcher of his father.
4. JUDAS WAS A DISAPPOINTED MAN AND WAS A DISAPPOINTMENT DRIVEN MAN!
Judas had a great potential. Judas had walked with the Son of God. Judas saw many miracles.
Judas saw Peter walk on water. Judas’ eyes had seeN thousands fed and the dead raised to life.
Judas knew the voice of the heart of God.
A. JUDAS WAS DISAPPOINTED BY MINISTRY.
Judas was disappointed by the ministry of Jesus. Judas saw how mean the Romans were to the
nation of Israel. Judas was tired of the second mile. Judas was tired of turning the cheek.
Judas was looking for an answer that would solve all his problems NOW! Right now GOD!
John 12: 4 Then saith one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray Jesus.
5. WHY WAS NOT THIS OINTMENT SOLD, for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
B. JUDAS COULD ONLY SEE THE PHYSICAL NOT THE ETERNAL.
See Judas saw the physical side of ministry, and a moron could see this dirty woman wasting profits?
Judas knew this could convert to money to build this ministry! How can we help others with a
puddle on the floor?? Ponder what was Judas’ real motive?
Judas was disappointed: JUDAS WAS LOOKING FOR THE IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION KINGDOM?
THE ROMANS WERE MEAN, LET US GET ON WITH THIS PLAN?
Judas saw the gift not the giver?
C. JUDAS WAS DISILLUSIONED AND DISAPPOINTED IN OTHERS AND SELF AND GOD!
Matthew 27:5 --- Judas went and hanged himself...
Judas the waste of your life is more a waste than what you expected that woman should have done.
5. THE PREACHER REALLY TICKED ME OFF! I EXPECTED HIM TO ... AND I AM DISAPPOINTED
TO ANGER! GOING AWAY IN A RAGE! WHEN THE PREACHER DISAPPOINTS MAN?
I WANT TO DO IT MY WAY!
A. NAAMAN GOT HIS WAY IN LIFE!
Naaman was a leader and a man of authority.
NAAMAN was honorable, but he was a manipulative man!
NAAMAN thought he could buy, impress, and demand his way around God’s man.
B. DEFINE: WROTH -- INTENSELY ANGRY, HIGHLY INCENSED, FULL OF WRATH,
furious, infuriated, irate.
RAGE -- violent and uncontrolled anger, insanity, turbulently vexed emotions, to vent anger.
2 Kings 5:11 But Naaman was WROTH, and WENT AWAY, and said, Behold, I THOUGHT,
Elisha will surely COME OUT TO ME, and STAND, and CALL on the name of the Lord his God, and
STRIKE his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12. Are not the Abana and the Phirpar rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters if Israel?
MAY I NOT BE WASHED in them, and be clean? SO HE TURNED AND WENT AWAY IN A RAGE!
C. NAAMAN’S BEHAVIOR DISPLAYED SEVERAL UGLY POINTS BIRTHED BY DISAPPOINTMENT:
*** LACK OF RESPECT FOR GOD *** LACK OF RESPECT FOR THE OFFICE OF THE MAN OF GOD ***
*** LACK OF SUBMISSION *** PRIDE *** ANGER *** STUBBORN ***
*** LACKED AN UNDERSTANDING OF SPIRITUAL THINGS ***
*** COULD NOT SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE *** COULD NOT PLAY FOLLOW THE LEADER ***
D. NAAMAN’S SERVANTS TALK SENSE INTO HIM, NAAMAN REPENTS, AND SUBMITS TO
HIS DISAPPOINTMENTS AND IS HEALED!
6. GEHAZI WAS TO BE THE NEXT MAN OF GOD, THE NEXT ELISHA.
THERE WAS ELIJAH, THEN ELISHA TOOK THE MANTLE OF GOD,
THEN GEHAZI WOULD GROW INTO THE NEXT MAN OF GOD ... BUT THEN
GEHAZI WAS DISAPPOINTMENT DRIVEN.
Gehazi did not understand what was going on here. Gehazi had the focus of a man’s eyes,
not the man of God’s eyes.
2 Kings 5: 20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha THE MAN OF GOD ---
I WILL RUN AFTER HIM,
A. GEHAZI SAW HOW ANGRY AND THE FIT OF RAGE THE IMPORTANT MAN THREW...
GEHAZI UNDERMINES THE MAN OF GOD AND THE AUTHORITY OF GOD...
HE WAS ANGRY AT THE MAN OF GOD FOR THE PLAN OF GOD...
B. DO YOU THINK ELISHA WOULD HAVE LOVED TO PLEASED THIS HONORABLE LEADER?
MAYBE THE PEOPLE AROUND ELISHA COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE MAN OF GOD WOULD MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY?
Many no doubt felt like Elisha was stubborn and silly.
2 Kings 5:22 And Gehazi said, All is well, (not true), MY MASTER SENT ME...
GEHAZI TAKES PART OF A BRIBE, 2 TALENTS OF SILVER AND SOME CLOTHES...
C. WHY DID GEHAZI TRY TO HIDE WHAT HE DID FROM ELISHA IF IT WAS SO RIGHT?
2 Kings 5:25 Elisha ask Gehazi, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
GEHAZI ANSWERED, NO WHERE!?! I HAVEN’T BEEN ANYWHERE?
Gehazi thinks the OLD PREACHER IS OUT OF TOUCH?
2 Kings 5:26 ELISHA SAID, DIDN’T MY HEART GO WITH YOU?
THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF GEHAZI WAS UNREPENTANT,
NAAMAN REPENTED AND CHANGED ...
2 Kings 5:27 The leprosy of NAAMAN SHALL CLEAVE TO GEHAZI AND ALL HIS SEED...
D. GEHAZI GREW A DISAPPOINTMENT BASED MINISTRY AND LOST IT ALL.
"THE DAILY DECISION"
Each day there is a decision that each of us has to make; for each of us needs to decide for ourselves
whether to GIVE or whether to TAKE, LOVE or reject love, whether to bring PEACE or strife,
and that is the DAILY DECISION THAT AFFECTS the whole rest of our life.
Will you please let go of the cancer and poison of disappointment?
In the name of Jesus, let go, reach up, dream again. God can! Let Him!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr., Kyfingers@aol.com
