WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, IF I TRIED A LITTLE HARDER?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
INTRODUCTION:
Have we really been trying?
Oct. 1978: Mrs. Fannie Turner of Little Rock, Arkansas passed her written drivers test on the 104th attempt, and thus made the Guinness Book of World Records. Now what if we would try that hard?
THERE ARE NO SADDER WORDS OF PEN OR TONGUE, THAN THE
WORDS WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?
THERE SHOULD BE!
Has reality ever differed from what you expected? Have you ever been so disappointed with people that you wondered what is the use?
A good church is much more than being a cookie cutter making same old same old products.
We need an awake church trying and trying again until we find a solution.
We can so specialize in reaching the 99 that we miss the ministry to the ONE!
We can’t say there are four months and then the harvest, we must launch an all
out effort to reach the lost and minister to offended, hurt, and dying. We have developed this great ability to analyze what is wrong and then sign the death
warrant.
We do not accept abortion as right, neither should we accept spiritual abortion of all the perpetual babies. If we would touch God, then use our focused efforts
to reach out maybe could change the history of some individuals. Who knows what God might do --- if we trusted the word and released greater effort?
THERE ARE NO SADDER WORDS OF PEN OR TONGUE, THAN THE
WORDS WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?
I. THE HIDDEN LESSON IS TRYING AGAIN!
Luke 13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard: and he came and sought fruit thereon, AND FOUND NONE.
7. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree; WHY CUMBERETH IT THE GROUND?
And he answering said unto him, LORD, LET IT ALONE THIS YEAR ALSO, TILL I SHALL DIG ABOUT IT, AND DUNG IT: 9. And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
A. This lesson of the unfruitful fig tree goes beyond just bearing fruit.
We do not know if the tree had many figs the next year or if the tree had no figs. The lesson is trying again. Don’t give up.
B. We fall into traps of despair and hopelessness because we have not seen what we dreamed we would see. We have not felt the rain, and this dry spell
has been so long, that our hands hang down. Well, my precious friend, we must heed the call to try again.THIS IS OUR ACT OF FAITH.
C. I went to revival in Columbia, KY recently. The evangelist, Ralph Tennyson said several times, " I WANT TO BE A PLUS!"
What might God do if we would TRY A LITTLE HARDER? GIVE A LITTLE MORE?
REACH OUT ONE MORE TIME. Pray more? Fast?
D. I fear we have buried many people and projects while they were still alive.
Let’s don’t embalm this marriage until we try with great effort.
Let’s don’t throw away this teenager, let’s try again.
Who knows what God can do to honor our efforts?
E. OK, let’s say this is dead and we can legally prove it is dead?
Well, don’t we believe that love conquers all?
Do we believe in the resurrection power to raise this to life again?
Let us arise and see God’s work through the finish line!
F. While results are demanded, there is a beautiful lesson in giving extra effort. We walk in days that try a man’s soul, but man must keep trying. We must try, then try again. We must try and learn. We must try and learn to be kinder.
We must try to find the silver lining, BE A PLUS!
One great man said, Try first, then call on God. But how smart would it be to touch God, try, and then touch God again.
G. Man sometimes tries to bypass God’s way, and come through the tree of good and evil to do things man’s way. This is bad. But it is also bad to pray
many words and then do nothing.
THERE ARE NO SADDER WORDS OF PEN OR TONGUE, THAN THE
WORDS WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?
II. BUT I AM SO TIRED, I DON’T WANT TO TRY AGAIN.
Galatains 6: 9 And let us not grow weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, IF WE FAINT NOT.
A. We are tired? We are burned out? We are burned up?
We are burdened to the point that we have lost sight of the goal.
B. We have a duty to the cross! We have a duty to the fallen.
C. Our enemy has stopped, impeded, or hindered many works of God by getting people to see the negative and then quit. How many times have we quit right on the brink of our miracle?
D. IT IS ALWAYS TOO SOON TO QUIT! So get up and try again. James Ellis always said: The people that say it can’t be done, are being passed by those people doing it!
III. THE BIBLE IS NEWS YOU CAN USE IF YOU CHOOSE!
MAKE THE CHOICE TO BELIEVE THAT GOD WILL USE YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE TRIED AGAIN.
A. Deut. 6:5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
B. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; lean not unto thine own understanding.
C. Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, IF ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove to yonder place; and it shall be removed; and NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU.
THERE ARE NO SADDER WORDS OF PEN OR TONGUE, THAN THE
WORDS WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?
D. Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, WITH MEN THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE; BUT WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.
E. Mark 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, BUT NOT WITH GOD: FOR WITH GOD ALL THINGS ALL POSSIBLE.
F. Luke 1:37 FOR WITH GOD NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE.
G. Luke 18:27 And Jesus said, The things which are impossible with men, ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD.
H. Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.
IV. YOU HAVE A GREAT POTENTIAL IN JESUS, BUT YOU MUST GIVE EFFORT!
A. Potential
existing in possibility
capable of development unto actuality
expressing possibility
something that can develop
that which might come to be the case
likelihood of becoming successful
B. EFFORT
conscious exertion of power
a serious attempt, to try hard
the sweat of one’s brow
C. Most people live spiritually in a very restricted circle of the potential of what God could do through your hands.
D. We make use of a very small portion of our possible consciousness of our soul’s resources.
E. The average man uses less that 20% of his brain, and a lesser percentage of God’s word and power.
F. We are a total being, a whole body, but we seem happy just flexing our little finger.
G. We cannot with mortal mind search out and know God’s purpose and His possibilities.
H. It is absolutely absurd --- to accept the fact that with God all things all possible.
The absurd is one of the facts we must accept in our understanding.
I. I can’t is not acceptable, sure we can’t but our effort with God can do anything.
TRY AGAIN.
THERE ARE NO SADDER WORDS OF PEN OR TONGUE, THAN THE
WORDS WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?
J. To many people nothing is more troublesome than the effort of thinking and looking for a way of solution. You can if you want to.
V. GOD NEVER CALLED IDLE PEOPLE TO DO HIS WORK.
GOD’S PLAN REQUIRES EFFORT FROM MAN, GOD DOES NOT JUST
DROP PIE AL A MODE FROM THE SKY.
A. Moses was busy with his flock.
B. Saul was looking for his Dad’s lost donkeys.
C. David was out in the field working for his family.
D. Peter was fishing for the tax money.
E. Saul, Paul was busy with his religious duties.
F. Widow was picking up sticks for her last meal --- she had to cook a cake for the preacher.
G. The man was blind --- had to go to the pool some distance away to be healed.
H. The people were hungry --- here is a lad with some fish and biscuits.
I. Namaan had to dip seven times in a dirty river.
J. Jehoshaphat had a musician play music and gets a plan from God: Make the valley full of ditches, you will not see rain, wind, but you will get water ---
and the Moabites thought it was blood and ran in defeat.
THERE ARE NO SADDER WORDS OF PEN OR TONGUE, THAN THE
WORDS WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?
VI. FUNCTIONAL VS DYSFUNCTIONAL BELIEF
A. Satanic deception hides the word from action. We must believe the word.
B. I often say there are three important truths we must latch on to:
Can God do this?
Will God do this for me?
When will God do this for me?
We must accept the word of God is for me today. If I will place my best effort forward, God will honor it with His presence.
B. Laziness and idleness are satanic tools to keep your effort at a minimum and hinder God’s work.
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee, but his heart is not with thee.
C. Our actions are in a direct proportion to the way we focus or refuse to focus our mind and heart on God’s word for you.
D. A CHRISTIAN CAN SEEM TO BACKSLID IN AN IDLE AND A PROGRESSIVE
WAY.
No self evaluation system
No zeal and joy
Grow weary
VII. EVEN DEAD FISH SWIM DOWN STREAM, WE MUST APPLY OUR HEARTS TO GOD’S WORD.
A. Man desires to be free from trouble and problems, and lazy people are sad people. Laziness, idleness, and procrastination are sins that sap the victory out of life.
B. Man’s joy and happiness in life is a direct correlation and result of one’s own effort,
it is not a gift of God, nor just a product of nature, it is because of effort.
C. IDLENESS IS HABITUAL
1 Tim. 5: 13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things they
ought not.
Unamuno, a Spanish Philosopher told how the aqueduct that carried water for 600 years to Segovia, it was a great marvel of man’s ingenuity. They decided to make it a museum item and run iron or steel pipes to the city. So for several years this aqueduct became a piece of art, and then it started falling down and be destroyed.
WHAT AGES OF SERVICE COULD NOT DO, A SHORT TIME OF IDLENESS DID.
VIII. LET US REACH BEYOND OUR POTENTIAL INTO THE REALM OF DIVINE POSSIBILITIES, COME OUT OF LAZY IDLENESS.
Romans 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
A. We must do all to keep the MIND OF CHRIST!
We grow dysfunctional homes and churches, we bypass God’s way of trust and faith.
B. The real battle zone for the enemy is the mind of the believer.
Spiritual warfare is mental warfare.
An idle mind is the devil’s work shop.
C. Idleness is more than being idle. Idleness often is associated with meanness and mischief.
God does not want the church to maintain lazy busybodies.
Come on, let’s try harder. Let’s apply ourselves a liitle more. Let’s change our attitudes and our efforts.
OFTEN WE DREAM SO LITTLE THAT WE HINDER THE WORD OF GOD
DOING THE WORK OF GOD.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
