THE PATHWAY TO HELL --- THE SPIRIT OF GRADUALNESS
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I. Often we hear the path to hell is paved with good intentions, and I believe this.
A. I don’t think there is one person, male or female in hell that believed they were going there.
B. I think they always planned on getting right and turning their life to a meaningful direction.
C. But there is a hidden trap, gradualness --- that leads down twisted roads that become harder and harder to correct.
D. Sin will take you farther than you planned on going.
Sin will keep you longer than you planned on staying.
Sin will cost you more than you planned on paying.
E. Hell is full of people that played with sin and gradually got deeper and deeper, until the trap closed around the neck of the person that had plans.
II. COULD WE BE LIKE THIS?
A. In a recent movie, a man had great fears.
One he decided to approach was his fear of elevators.
His mentor taught him --- TAKE BABY STEPS TOWARD YOUR FEAR.
In the next scene we saw the man as he slowly --- gradually took baby steps toward his fear the elevator.
He conquered the fear by using baby steps.
B. I am told if you put a frog in hot water it will jump out immediately. I am also told that if you put a frog in cold water, and gradually, slowly warm the water, that the frog will boil to death and grin the whole time?
COULD WE BE LIKE THIS?
III. GRADUALNESS IS INEVITABLE!
A. Life moves by gradual and silent encroachments more often than by violent and sudden usurpations.
B. GRADUAL
Proceeding by steps or degrees.
Moving, changing, developing by fine often imperceptible degrees.
Go by small increments.
C. PROGRESS --- PROGRESSIVE
Onward movement.
Gradual betterment.
Development to higher, better, advanced stages.
IV. ONE OF THE SUREST ROADS TO DIVORCE AND HELL IS THE GRADUAL ONE. THE GENTLE SLOPE, SOFT UNDERFOOT, WITHOUT SUDDEN TURNINGS, WITHOUT SIGN POSTS, WITHOUT MILESTONES.
A. I HEARD A STORY OF A LITTLE LADY THAT HAD HEARD FROM GOD. GOD TOLD HER TO GO BUY A BEAUTIFUL GIFT AND TAKE IT WHERE HE WOULD TELL HER.
She went and purchased a beautiful gift and was driving around, and she felt impressed to go into the back door of a strip club.
There was a young woman sitting there in almost no clothes. The young girl was crying.
As the old woman walked by she felt God say, GIVE HER THE GIFT!
The old woman returned and gave the beautiful young lady the gift.
B. THE YOUNG GIRL ASKED HER: ARE YOU AN ANGEL?
She went on to explain she had been thinking about committing suicide and she had just prayed a prayer, GOD IF YOU ARE REAL SEND AN ANGEL TO MINISTER TO ME.
C. Just then I looked up and here you came walking down the hall and gave me this precious gift.
D. The old lady went on and told the girl about Jesus and prayed a prayer with her. The young girl got up and went back home to her family, and was FOREVER CHANGED.
Rev. 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
E. A BABY BEAR IS A SHAPELESS MASS OF WHITE FLESH THAT LOOKS LIKE A SMALL MOUSE.
The only visible bear trait are the claws at the end of each paw.
THE MOMMA BEAR, LICKS AND LICKS THE LITTLE BABY.
The baby bear eats and eats, the Momma bear licks,
and with time and love the bear takes form and learns from the Momma the life of a bear.
V. THE TEN WERE ALL VIRGINS! WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE SIN OF THE FOOLISH?
A. GRADUALNESS....
B. LACK OF PREPARATION.
Matthew 25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
VI. SICKNESS CAN GRADUALLY PUT A DEATH GRIP ON ONE.
Mark 5:26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
VIII. BAD HABITS TAKE ROOTS ---
A. THEY GRADUAL BY REPETITIVE BEHAVIOR GAIN CONTROL.
1. TOLERANCE
2. FREQUENCY
3. CONTROL
B. PREACHER --- PAUL WARNS OF GREAT DANGER ---
THE SHIP GRADUALLY WILL BE DESTROYED.
Acts 27:11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
C. FALSE EVIDENCE LEADS TO WRONG CONCLUSIONS.
Acts 27:13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
D. TRUST GOD’S WORD
Acts 27:25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
E. NOW SOUND OUT OF THE GRADUALNESS...
Acts 27:28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
IX. THE STORY OF FAITH OR FEAR EITHER GAINS BIRTH IN GRADUALNESS.
A. SPIRITUAL MATURITY IS A PROCESS.
B. IT IS A GRADUAL PROCESS.
C. WE MUST LEARN HOW TO EXERCISE AND RELEASE FAITH!
Matthew 13:32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air
come and lodge in the branches thereof.
X. ONE VULTURE MIGHT NOT MEAN MUCH, BUT GRADUALLY WE SEE A TREND. BUT IF THEY GATHER MANY TOGETHER, CHECK OUT THE CASE, DEATH MUST BE AROUND?
NIV
Luke 17:37 "Where, Lord?" they asked. He replied, "Where there is a dead body,
there the vultures will gather."
LB
Luke 17:37 "Lord, where will they be taken?" the disciples asked. Jesus replied, "Where the body is, the vultures gather!"
A. PEOPLE GAIN WEIGHT GRADUALLY AND BRING ABOUT HEALTH CRISISES BECAUSE THEY CAN’T SEE.
B. SMOKING, DRINKING AND DRUGS ARE ALL GRADUAL PROCESSES THAT CAN DESTROY LIFE.
C. DROPPING OUT OF CHURCH, WATCHING PEOPLE? JUDGING OTHERS ARE ALL GRAUDUAL PROCESSES THAT CAN LEAD TO HELL.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me? Pass this on to another?
