ARE WE UNBELIEVING BELIEVERS?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Let’s start with some humor:
1. Have you ever noticed that we put worthless junk in our garages and park our cars worth thousands of dollars outside in the weather?
2. Have you ever noticed that we buy hot dogs ten in a package, but the hot dog buns come in a package of eight?
3. Have you ever noticed that we drive up TO ATM machines with Braille lettering?
4. Have you ever noticed that we call what a medical doctor does --- "PRACTICE?"
5. Have you ever noticed that we have lemon juice made of artificial flavoring, but our dishwashing detergent has real lemon?
6. Have you ever noticed that we have brokers investing our money?
7. Have you ever noticed that we don’t have psychics winning the lottery? Wonder why?
8. Have you ever noticed that we call what our government leaders do POLITICS. POLY means many, tics are blood sucking creatures?
9. Have you ever noticed that people load up their plates to running over at the buffet table and then they drink diet cokes?
10. Have you ever noticed that you have to walk to the back of the drug store to get your pills, but the cigarettes are always up front?
11. Have you ever noticed that we have a quick police escort for funerals, but you are on your own when you get married?
12. Have you ever noticed that they say flying is so safe, but they call the buildings at the airport "TERMINALS?"
13. Have you ever noticed that we park in the driveway, and drive on the parkway?
14. Have you ever noticed that we have the slowest traffic of the day, and call it rush hour?
15. Why do you need sterilized needles for lethal injections?
Do we really believe? What do we really believe?
OUR ENEMY IS GOING AROUND BLINDING THE LOST, BLINDING THE BACKSLIDDEN AND BLINDING MANY SIDELINE-- ARM CHAIR QUARTER BACK CHRISTIANS SO TO KEEP US FROM UNDERSTANDING WHAT GOD DESIRES.
WE MUST SEEK THE LORD TO BRING HIS WORD WITH HIS POWER TO THIS PLACE SO WE MIGHT HEAR THE LIVING WORD OF A LIVING GOD.
ARE WE UNBELIEVING BELIEVERS?
1. LET US FOCUS ON SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS!
A. IF WE WALK IN DARKNESS WE HAVE BLINDED MINDS,
WE NEED THE LIGHT TO EXPOSE OUR WEAKNESSES AND FAILURES!
B. In the Old Testament there was a veil of the unknown between God and His people. That veil was rent from the top to the bottom, from God to man.
C. BUT LACK OF THE WORD, THE LACK OF FAITH, AND THE PRESENCE OF WORRY RESTORES A SPIRITUAL VEIL TO OUR HEARTS.
Matthew 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent...
D. IN LUKE 15 THE LADY LOST ONE OF HER TEN COINS.
SHE GOT A CANDLE, THE LIGHT EXPOSED THE DIRT, AND SHE CLEANED THE HOUSE, AND FOUND HER COIN.
2. BLINDED MINDS?
A. THERE ARE NONE SO BLIND AS THOSE THAT REFUSE TO OPEN THEIR EYES!
II Corinthians 4:3 But if the Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
B. We need the Holy Spirit to do His office work and convict God’s people.
3. THIS GOSPEL IS PERSONAL AND MUST BE CLAIMED!
A. When I was 15 years old I was deeply in love with my precious sweet heart.
We would write each other love notes and exchange them. I loved reading her notes to me.
B. My Dad was the pastor of the church, and I played the guitar on the worship team. I would save all my love notes and hide them in the back of my guitar
amp. When I would be at church alone I would get them out and read my love notes.
C. One day we got to church a little late and a teenage friend had my love notes out and he was reading them to other people. He would read them and laugh.
D. WHY DID HE READ MY LOVE NOTES AND LAUGH?
I NEVER LAUGHED WHEN I READ THEM?
WELL, THE LOVE NOTES WERE PERSONAL, TO ME, THEY WERE NOT TO HIM.
4. THE BIBLE CONTAINS WORDS YOU CAN USE IF YOU CHOOSE!
A. BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER THE BIBLE IS A PERSON TO PERSON BOOK, IT IS GOD TALKING TO HIS CHILDREN.
B. A carnal mind can read the words of the Bible and glean great wisdom, but to really understand and receive God’s plan for you, you need to be an
earnest believer.
C. The Bible is a love letter to you personally!
D. The Bible is a gold mine, stake it and claim it!
5. NOTHING HURTS THE TRUTH AS MUCH AS STRETCHING IT.
A. MANY WANT TO STRETCH THE WORD OF GOD AND COMPROMISE THE DELIVERING POWER.
B. WE MUST BE MORE THAN A SOCIAL CLUB. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOOD SOCIAL CLUB AND THE CHURCH IS THE WORD OF GOD.
C. The church must not be reduced to entertainment and polished music teams.
6. THE WORD OF GOD DOES THE WORK OF GOD.
If we are weak and anemic in the word, our families will be weak and anemic, and our churches will be weak and anemic.
7. OUR ENEMY KNOWS THAT UNBELIEF AND DOUBT WILL BLIND THE EYES, THE EARS, THE MIND AND THE HEART AND KEEP PEOPLE FROM UNDERSTANDING GOD’S PROMISES AND THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL.
Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, YE DO ERR, NOT KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES, NOR THE POWER OF GOD.
A. TO BRING A RELEASE IN OUR CHURCH AND LIFE WE MUST KNOW THE WORD OF GOD AND THE AMAZING POWER THAT IS LAYING DORMANT.
B. The sleeping giant is not China, it is the church!
8. MAN HAS TWISTED GOD’S PRIORITIES!
Matthew 22: 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL, AND WITH ALL THY MIND.
A. WE ARE CREATED A TRIUNE BEING BEFORE GOD.
ASK WHAT IS THE TRIUNE MAN?
THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS --- BODY --- SOUL --- SPIRIT!
We twist the priority system of God.
B. This is man’s answer!
God’s answer is Spirit --- Soul --- Body.
Man and the modern church emphasizes BODY OVER THE SPIRIT!
GOD EMPHASIZES SPIRIT OVER BODY!
I Thess. 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
C. We have revivalist that train people to walk the isle?
Where is the role of the Holy Spirit to draw and convict?
9. ONCE I HAD A DREAM, JESUS WAS CRYING?
A. I ASKED JESUS, WHY ARE YOU CRYING?
B. HE REPLIED, PEOPLE ARE PRAYING, BUT THEY ARE SEEKING FOR CARNAL THINGS. THEY ARE ASKING FOR CARS, BIG HOUSES, AIRPLANES AND WEALTH.
C. JESUS SAID, THEIR HEARTS ARE NOT BROKEN FOR WHAT BREAKS MY HEART.
10. There is the opportunity set before us to reach into realms of FAITH!
A. I HEARD IT, BUT I DIDN’T HEAR IT.
B. I BELIEVE IT, BUT I DIDN’T BELIEVE IT.
C. HEAR IT DEARER AND CLEARER THAN EVER BEFORE.
Matthew 13:15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross,
and their ears they have closed; 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.
11. THERE ARE SEVERAL LEVELS OF THE EXERCISE OF FAITH:
A. UNBELIEF:
Matthew 13:58 And Jesus did not many mighty works because of their unbelief.
B. DOUBT
Matthew 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth His Hand, and caught Peter, and said unto him: O THOU OF LITTLE FAITH, WHEREFORE DIDST THOU DOUBT?
C. MOUTH AND LIP SERVICE
Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
D. WE BIND AND HINDER THE DIVINE POSSIBILITIES BY HUMAN REASONING AND BY THE POWER OF THE MOUTH.
Matthew 15: 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile a man.
12. WE MUST BREAK THE BONDAGE!
A. WE MUST PROCLAIM LIBERTY!
B. WE MUST DEMAND DELIVERANCE!
C. WE MUST EXERCISE THE DELEGATED AUTHORITY OF JESUS!
D. WE MUST RELEASE VISION TO THOSE WITH NO SIGHT!
E. OUR ENEMY IS BLINDING THE LOST, THE BACKSLIDDEN AND MANY SIDELINE CHRISTIANS TO THE UNDERSTANDING.
F. LORD BRING YOUR WORD WITH THE POWER TO THIS PLACE.
G. ARE WE UNBELIEVING BELIEVERS?
H. MAN’S BLINDNESS HINDERS GOD’S MOVE!
J. WE PRAY FOR REVIVAL OF THE LOST COMING TO KNOW GOD,
HEALING TO THE SICK, AND DELIVERANCE TO GOD’S PEOPLE.
THE PROBLEM OF THE HEART IS THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM!
K. LORD HELP MY UNBELIEF!
Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears: LORD, I BELIEVE; HELP THOU MINE UNBELIEF.
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
MY HANDS ARE SO LITTLE, YOU COULD JOIN MY TEAM AND PASS THIS ON TO ANOTHER AND JOIN MY TEAM!
