WHITEWASHED OR WASHED WHITE?
GIVE THE OFFERING OF EXCUSES?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I. THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE IN WHITEWASHING AND WASHING WHITE. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUTWARD RIGHTEOUSNESS AND INWARD CORRUPTION, AND REAL RIGHTEOUSNESS!
AN EXTERNAL SIGN OF AND INTERNAL PROBLEM.
A. When I was a little boy there was a common practice in the yards of people that had big trees. They would whitewash the tree truck from about three feet
high down to the ground. Over time this whitewash would fade, and it would not be as pretty.
Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full
of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
B. WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE THERE WAS A HANDSOME, TALENTED MAN FROM DAYTON, OHIO.
We had a hard Physical Education class. Our coach ran us very hard, and we perspired so much that I would call it sweat!
After class we all took showers, except this young man from Dayton.
He would run in and change into his street clothes, he would cover himself with cologne or after shave lotion, and head off for class.
After a few days of not showering this young man had terrible body odor.
The cologne or shave lotion could not cover the smell.
You cannot cover up stink, you have to wash it off.
C. LET’S TRY TO SAY IT ANOTHER WAY? Paint the pump?
Let us pretend we have a well of water. It is a deep well and there is water even during the droughts.
While we pretend, the owner of the well has a family and they all get sick.
The county agent discovers that there are bacteria by the millions per part in the water.
So the farmer buys some pretty paint, and he sands the pump and paints it a shinny silver color.
The family stays very sick, the county agent finds their well is still dangerous from the bacteria in the well.
But the farmer says, This can’t be, I painted the pump?
Well, the water will not improve until they get the dead dog out of the well?
D. THE PROBLEM OF THE HEART IS THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM.
II. INTRODUCTION:
Define:
A. Excuse
***to try to remove the blame *** To get out of ***To exempt
***To disregard as of trivial import ***Expression of regret for failure
***To grant exemption *** To release from responsibility ***To justify
***To give an explanation for a situation that had appeared dubious.
B. PALLIATE:
***To make light of
***TO COVER BY APOLOGIES AND EXCUSES
***To reduce the violence
*** To moderate the intensity of
***To cover up or conceal
***To cause to have a less harsh effect ***To soften the blow
***To sugar coat, whitewash or gloss over
C. Seems man has the great ability to make excuses to deny his problems.
Can man correct a problem without acknowledging it?
How long will the drunk say, I am not an alcoholic?
How long will a liar keep stretching the truth? He soon gets where he is the only one that believes his lies?
D. IS IT POSSIBLE TO BELIEVE A LIE AND BE DAMNED?
III. IS YOUR BEST OFFERING AN EXCUSE?
A. God has a plan for you and for your church.
B.God wants to grow you and to stretch your faith.
C. You can, if you want to.
D.IF GOD BRINGS YOU TO IT,
GOD CAN BRING YOU THROUGH IT.
E. ADAM SAID, GOD I WAS AFRAID? ---
THAT WOMAN THAT YOU GAVE ME? ---
SHE GAVE ME TO EAT? ---
F. EVE SAID: THE SERPENT BEGUILED ME? ---
OFFERING EXCUSES AND NOT REPENTANCE?
G. God wants to get us out of our bubble into the realm of His purpose.
Some see the little picture, some see the bigger picture. We need the total picture in a balanced way.
We can stay here if we want to, or we can reach to His higher plan.
We need to speak to our Divine Possibilities.
May we launch into what God desires for us, in us, and through us?
H. IF WE DESIRE CHANGE, WE MUST GET OUT OF THE DEATH RUT OF OFFERING EXCUSES AND STAYING THE SAME!
Do you see? Do you hear? Do you understand?
Divine Possibilities can never be known where there is spiritual blindness and spiritual deafness.
Don’t be afraid to see! Don’t be afraid to hear!
Then we can correct what is wrong and healing will come to the camp of believers!
May we quit pretending and playing church?
DO WE CORRECT PROBLEMS, OR DO WE DRIFT IN TROUBLED
WATERS?
IV. IGNORANCE OF THE LAW EXCUSES NO ONE; NOT THAT ALL MEN KNOW THE LAW, BUT BECAUSE IF AN EXCUSE RELEASES A MAN, THEN EVERY MAN WILL PLEAD IGNORANCE AND WHO CAN REFUTE HIM?
A. WE HAVE GROWN AND DEVELOPED THIS GREAT ABILITY TO EXCUSE, PALLIATE, AND DENY THERE IS A PROBLEM AND THEN AFTER WE DENY, WE PRETEND EVERYTHING IS OK!
B. When I taught school I learned much more than I ever did in my college classes.
I loved trying to challenge a student to learn and apply the lesson.
Learning is one thing, that may be the easy part?
Applying the lesson may be the difficult part.
C. Seems Christians can learn great lessons and just sit on their pew?
God wants to grow, develop, and stretch your faith.
We can have the attitude I am happy right here, and stay the same.
V. BEGINNING TO MAKE EXCUSES SETS A PRECEDENCE!
Luke 14:18 And they all with one consent began to make excuses. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go see it: I pray have me excused.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
A. THERE IS POWER OF UNITY? ONCE YOU START MAKING EXCUSES, IT BECOMES EASIER AND EASIER TO OFFER THEM!
B. MAKE EXCUSES, MAKE THEM?
C. The land deal is finished, he didn’t want to go plow, he wanted to go see his land. His priorities were all wrong, he would rather see land than be with the Master?
HAVE ME EXCUSED?
D. Buying the oxen is a done deal. He just wanted to try them out. HAVE ME EXCUSED?
E. RELATIONSHIP PRIORITY PROBLEM, this is a scheduling problem.
He could have moved the wedding forward? Or backward.
HE DOES NOT EVEN ASKED TO BE EXCUSED?
VII. CAN YOU SEE THE GREAT POWER IN PALLIATION, EXCUSING, AND DENIAL?
ANYTHING THAT BRINGS THE LACK OF CORRECTION OF THE PROBLEMS WILL BRING GREATER PROBLEMS!
A. NO SADDER WORDS OF PEN OR TONGUE,
THAN THE WORDS WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?
B. WHAT ARE YOU HIDING IN YOUR CLOSET?
WHAT IS HIDING IN YOUR HEART?
VIII. DO WE EXCUSE AND PLAY AT CHURCH AND IN WORSHIP?
DO YOU WEAR A MASK?
ARE WE SOMEONE DIFFERENT AT CHURCH THAN WE ARE AT
WORK?
CAN WE SEE SPIRITUAL DANGER IN THIS?
A. Are you growing and developing?
B. Do you have a plan to arise to the Divine Possibilities?
C. Have you grown calloused and hard?
D. Where is your trust?
E. Do we accept problems as the norm?
F. ARE YOU DENYING WHAT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU?
IX. DAVID DISCUSSED THE STUPIDITY OF WORSHIPPING FALSE GODS, THAT THOSE THAT WORSHIP THEM ARE JUST LIKE THEM.
TODAY THERE ARE MANY FALSE IDOLS HIDDEN IN THE HEARTS
OF SOME BELIEVERS? WE EXCUSE THIS FALSE WORSHIP.
Psalms 115: 5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They have ears, but they hear not; noses have they, but they smell not,
7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8. They that make them are like them; so is everyone that trusts in them.
9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: He is their help and their shield.
11 Ye that fear the Lord, TRUST THE LORD: He is their help and shield.
A. DEFINE IDOL.
*** pretender, impostor,
*** a false conception
*** a form or appearance visible but without substance
B. WE CAN DEVELOP THE TENDENCY TO WORSHIP WORSHIP,
TO PRAISE PRAISE, AND SING SO POLISHED AND LOUD THAT
WE WORK UP THE MOVE UP GOD.
C. Is love our motive? Do we tend to show the flesh?
D. Do we live consistently devoted to whole heartedly zeal of good attitudes?
E. Do you match in public what you are in private?
Integrity is what you are in the dark when no one can see!
X. HEAR INDEED? SEE INDEED? UNDERSTAND INDEED!
HEALED INDEED! WE CANNOT MOVE IN DIVINE POSSIBILITIES
WITHOUT FOCUSED EYES, LISTENING EARS, AND AN
UNDERSTANDING HEART!
Isaiah 6:9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
10 MAKE THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE FAT, AND MAKE THEIR
EARS HEAVY, AND SHUT THEIR EYES; LEST THEY SEE WITH THEIR EYES, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and be healed.
Acts 28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them!
XII. WE MUST TAKE OWNERSHIP OF OUR FAULTS AND FAILURES!
ARE YOU THE ONE IN CONTROL OF YOUR CHOICES?
A. DO YOU BLAME OTHERS FOR YOUR BEHAVIOR?
B. DO YOU HAVE HEALTH PROBLEMS BECAUSE YOU CAN NOT OWN UP TO YOUR PROBLEMS?
Smokers smoke on?
Diabetics eat your sugar?
High blood pressure pour on the salt?
I absolutely love the commercial that says you are overweight and it is not your fault!
E. GOOD EXCUSES? (Thanks Terri)
*HE GOT ME IN TROUBLE ---
*I COULDN’T HELP IT ---
*I DIDN’T MEAN IT ---
*HE MADE ME DO IT ---
F. KEEP YOUR ANGER, NO ONE ELSE WANTS IT!
G. Some people ABUSE THE GOSPEL.
Other people would never abuse the Gospel, they will NEGLECT HEARING AND DOING.
HEARING IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GROWTH!
Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
XIII. HE WHO EXCUSES HIMSELF, ACCUSES HIMSELF.
GOD CAN AT ANYTIME!
WE NEED TO HAVE BLESSED EYES AND EARS!
HAVE YOU DEVELOPED EYES THAT SEE? EARS THAT HEAR?
AND HEART TO PERCEIVE? FORGET NOT THE BENEFITS!
EXCUSES AND PRETENDING WILL HINDER THE REAL MOVE OF GOD!
Matthew 13:15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; LEST AT ANY TIME they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should
understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I SHOULD HEAL THEM.
16 BUT BLESSED ARE YOUR EYES, FOR THEY SEE:
AND YOUR EARS FOR THEY HEAR!
XIV. IF YOU DO WHAT GOD SAYS TO DO;
GOD WILL DO WHAT HE SAID HE WOULD DO!
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
A. WE FIND MANY HIDING BEHIND THE EXCUSE OF HYPOCRITES?
As a young pastor I was visiting door to door in our community inviting people to church. One man opened the door and we talked, I invited him to church.
He asked is that where so in so goes to church, I smiled and replied, YES!
He slammed the door in my face.
B. I had someone tell me, they could not go to church, there are to many hypocrites at church.
C. What amazes me about the terrible excuse that I can not go because of hypocrites is that they go to Walmart with those hypocrites?
They go to the lake with those hypocrites.
They go to the gas station with the same hypocrites.
They will go to the grave with those hypocrites.
WHY CAN’T THEY GO TO CHURCH WITH THEM?
XV. WANT TO SEE MORE CLEARLY?
WHAT COLOR ROBES DO SAINTS WEAR? WHITE?
WHAT COLOR ROBE DOES A JUDGE WEAR? BLACK?
Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again!
3. And why beholdest the mote that is in your brother’s eye,but considerest the beam that is in your eye?
4. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold, a beam is in your eye?
5. First, cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and
THEN THOU SHALL SEE CLEARLY
A. To pretend to know when you do not know is a terrible disease.
Some can pretend that the doubt in their heart makes no difference in their walk and talk.
B. TWO GREAT TESTING SITUATIONS:
1. PROMOTION ---advancement, raised, growth, elevation
2. DEMOTION --- REDUCE, LOWER, LESS,
C. OMITTED THE WEIGHTIER?
Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and HAVE OMITTED THE WEIGHTIER MATTERS OF THE LAW, judgment, mercy, and faith. These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
D. CONCLUSION:
God has a great plan and purpose for you.
MANY TIMES EXCUSING A FAULT MAKES THE FAULT WORSE BY THE EXCUSE.
To release the Divine Possibilities you must be honest and truthful with God and yourself and with others.
Don’t palliate and excuse bad behavior and bad attitudes.
Bury the pride! Quit looking for the anointing with your eyes!
Repent! Come clean!
Don’t excuses, palliate, pretend and presume!
Are you playing church? Are you role playing?
Get your heart right. Honor God by obeying His Commandments.
Get serious with God.
God search us, cleanse us and set us free!
Send a revival and start the work in me.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me and pass this on?
