MAKE A BUCK VS. MAKE A DIFFERENCE? IN MY OWN EYES?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Luke 12:15 And Jesus said unto them, TAKE HEED, and BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of THE THINGS which he possesseth.
16. And Jesus spoke a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.
17. And he thought (WITHIN HIMSELF), saying This will (I) do, because (I) have no room where to bestow (MY) fruits?
18. And he said, This will (I) do: I will pull down my barns, and (I) will build greater; and there will (I) bestow all (MY) fruits and (MY) goods.
19. And (I) will say to (MY) soul, Soul, (THOU) hast much goods laid up for many years; take (THINE) ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
1. IN YOUR OWN EYES? YOU ARE A PRODUCT OF YOUR CHOICES!
A. The book of Judges ends on a very sad note.
Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was RIGHT IN
HIS OWN EYES.
B. SELF JUSTIFICATION HAS A GREAT ABILITY TO HIDE REALITY.
The person driving under the influence says everybody else does this?
A bank robber justifies his action. This will not hurt any one, there is insurance to cover this?
The person committing adultery blames their cold hearted spouse?
C. The church is made up of people, saints? Well, not in man’s eyes?
David is known to us as a MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART, but to those that walked daily with David,
they saw his behavior when it was less than Christian like?
The church is not a gathering of performing perfection.
Are we using people to build the church or are we using the church to build people?
D. People can be very smart? But the same smart person can show their humanness and say or do something less than what you may expect? The bottom line is: People make the difference.
E. You are a sum total of your daily choices. You see choices are what make people different.
F. When people can’t see what a difference their choices make, the difference they make is small.
When others can see their little choices can make a difference, a difference is made.
G. So the difference can be established by choosing to do the small things with great joy and enthusiasm.
H. See there is value in little things, give a big smile, a personal touch, or a hug and see you are the one that makes the difference for others. It is not the church that makes a difference, it is people.
I. Talk about choices? How about the attitude of going the second mile with joy? Walk the mile for Jesus!
Then it is easier to walk the second mile. What gift are you giving?
J. For your choices are what make the difference.
You must realize: If a difference is made, it is up to me!
The church doesn’t make the difference, it is the choices and the people.
2. IT IS OF THE WORLD? EARTHLY VISION? INVESTING IN THE WORLD?
A. 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the THINGS that are in the world. If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him.
16. For all that is in the world, THE LUST OF THE FLESH, and the LUST OF THE EYES, and the PRIDE OF LIFE is not of the Father, but is of the world.
B. THERE ARE THREE SPIRITUAL KILLERS:
1. The lust of the flesh
2. The lust of the eyes
3. The pride of life
3. IT IS EASIER TO MAKE A BUCK, THAN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Luke 12:15 And Jesus said unto them, TAKE HEED, and BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of THE THINGS which he possesseth.
16. And Jesus spoke a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.
17. And he thought (WITHIN HIMSELF), saying This will (I) do, because (I) have no room where to bestow (MY) fruits?
18. And he said, This will (I) do: I will pull down my barns, and (I) will build greater; and there will (I) bestow all (MY) fruits and (MY) goods.
19. And (I) will say to (MY) soul, Soul, (THOU) hast much goods laid up for many years; take (THINE) ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
A. WHEN GOD CALLS A MAN A FOOL?
Luke 12: 20 But God said unto him, THOU FOOL, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21. So is he that layeth up treasure for HIMSELF, AND IS NOT RICH TOWARD GOD.
B. Just imagine what this rich man could have done?
This rich man could have helped missions? He could have fed many poor people?
He could have built a clinic to help the sick? He could have helped train preachers?
He could have made a difference in his community? What this man could have done?
C. But what did he make? A BUCK, so his wife could really marry a nice new husband and spend his BUCKS?
4. IN MY OWN EYES? I LOST THE BIG PICTURE? MAKING A PROFIT? I NEVER COUNTED THE COST!
A. There is a promise of victory.
B. 36 good soldiers die. 36 mothers lost their sons. 36 families without a Dad.
C. A man has been caught red handed, his guilt becomes known to all. The man made a profit, yet he lost miserably.
Joshua 7:20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed, (I) have sinned against the Lord,
God of Israel and thus have (I) done:
21. When (I) saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, THEN I COVETED THEM, AND THEN I TOOK THEM; and behold they are hid in my tent.
D. Achan lost sight of the BIGGER PICTURE. He thought he deserved more than he had?
Achan could justify his greed, his selfishness.
Achan knew COVETOUSNESS WAS A SIN!
E. ACHAN HAD MORE THAN AN EYE PROBLEM, ACHAN HAD A HEART PROBLEM!
In Achan’s eyes what is a little gold and silver and some nice clothes? What about obedience to God?
Achan knew better!!!!
5. WHAT IS A PACK MENTALITY? LET US MAKE US A NAME?
WHEN DOES THE LORD HAVE TO SCATTER?
MAN HAS A CHOICE AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVELY AS A GROUP!
GOD SEES BEYOND THE DEED, GOD KNOWS THE ATTITUDE AND THE MOTIVE!
A. Years ago, I read in a newspaper, where a young boy was walking down the road from his house to his Grandmother’s house.
A pack of dogs attacked the young boy and killed him.
Seems, the family’s pet dog, that the boy had loved since it was a puppy, was in the pack that killed his little owner.
The pet dog took on the nature of the pack when it was with the pack.
B. What kind of choices will you make as an individual and as part of a group?
C. Man had a plan, but man’s plan did not have any respect of God’s desires.
There came a sad day in the history of man, man only had one fear. Seems the unity of purpose and direction became a motive. God was not against them building a tall building.
The problem in Babel was an attitude problem, they wanted to make a name for themselves.
This attitude problem of a great name was above the name of God?
Genesis 11:4 And THEY SAID, Go to, LET US build a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven;
and LET US MAKE US A NAME, lest we should be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
D. HOW SAD WHEN A PEOPLE MOVE WITH LITTLE TO NO RESTRAINT?
When man’s choices and attitudes push into God’s domain man is headed into dark days of judgment.
E. What was the fear of the people?
Seems that the men of Babel were more concerned about the creation more than the Creator!
When the creations’ choice is place above the desire of the Creator the society will have
TWISTED MOTIVES, TWISTED THOUGHTS, AND TWISTED DEEDS.
Genesis 11: 6 And the Lord said, Behold the people is one, and they all have one language; and this they
BEGIN to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they imagine to do.
7. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s
speech.
8. So the Lord scattered them aboard...
F. WHAT THE PEOPLE FEARED BECAME THEIR JUDGMENT!
After the failure of the tower of Babel, all mankind would forever be divided and the language barriers
would separate groups from others.
6. WHEN A MAN HAS TO LOSE HIS SIGHT TO SEE?
Judges 16:21 But the Philistines took Samson, and PUT OUT HIS EYES, and brought him down to Gaza,
and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
A.Seems there would only be restraint in Samson’s life after he lost his eye sight?
B. What do you think Samson saw in his mind’s eye while he lay on his bed in the prison of the enemy?
C. Don’t blame Deliah for Samson’s poor choices!
7. IDENTIFY THE SOURCE?
James 4: 1 From where come wars, and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lust
that war in your members?
Our choices, our words, our thoughts, our deeds, our motives all play a role in what is happening around us,
and what is happening within us. Why blame others?
8. THE SUM TOTAL, IT IS JUST THINGS.
11 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:
for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Years ago, I was riding in a canoe up the flooded road. We rounded a corner and we saw our friend’s house submerged in the muddy flood waters of the Big Sandy River. I felt so sorry for the man, and could not find the words to comfort him.
As we surveyed the damage, everything was destroyed. My friend said, IT IS JUST THINGS! IT IS JUST THINGS!
Luke 12:15 And Jesus said unto them, TAKE HEED, and BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of THE THINGS which he possesseth.
Matthew 6:33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all of these things shall be added unto you!
9. IT IS A SAD DAY, WHEN MAN DOES NOT WANT TO PAY THE FIDDLER THAT PLAYS FOR THE DANCE!
Genesis 4:13 And Cain said unto the Lord, MY PUNISHMENT IS MORE THAN I CAN BEAR...
A. I was watching a morning TV program, a newscaster typed some things on the computer.
Then the man erased, deleted, wiped out what he had written.
In a few minutes a computer expert stepped to the keyboard and made a few strokes and the expert recalled everything the newscaster had thought was permanently deleted.
B. Words, deeds, actions, attitudes, choices will make a forever permanent image on others.
Today and each day your life you are building memories.
C. One of the greatest gifts you could ever give another is forgiveness.
There is only one good way to get rid of an enemy, make him a friend!
10. GIVE AND GIVE NOT GRUDINGLY!
11Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he PURPOSETH IN HIS HEART, SO LET HIM GIVE;
NOT GRUDINGLY, OR OF NECESSITY: FOR GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER.
A. You can say a quart of oil cost too much, and save $2.00. But at the same time you save, the cost could be
several thousand dollars to replace the motor that needed the quart of oil.
B. Count the cost. Count the cost in the light of eternity!
God can! You can, if you want to?
C. You are a product of your daily choicess. Choose wisely!
MAY YOUR EYES AND HANDS SEE THE ETERNAL AND MAY YOU INVEST OF YOUR TIME,
TALENT AND ENERY WISELY.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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