WHEN OUR GOAL IS TO TAKE IT EASY?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
1 Cor. 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
KJV
1 Tim. 5:6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.
NASB
1 Tim. 5:6 But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives.
LB.
1 Tim. 5:6 but not if they are spending their time running around gossiping, seeking only pleasure and thus ruining their souls.
I. WE SEARCH FOR SMOOTH, EASY DOWN HILL ROADS?
HOW EASY CAN IT BE TO BELIEVE A LIE AND BE DAMNED?
A. The road to hell is easily traveled?
B. There is nothing easy when we do everything reluctantly.
C. Criticism comes easier than craftsmanship.
I would much rather be an artist than an art critic? How about you?
D. Once you make the choice of sin, sin becomes an easier, an easier choice.
E. TODAY WE TEND TO LOOK FOR GRAY AND NOT BLACK OR WHITE? WE SAY THIS IS A LITTLE WHITE LIE?
2 Thes. 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
II. WHY DO YOU NEED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF SCUBBA AND DIVING EQUIPMENT WHEN YOU ARE ONLY GOING SWIMMING IN A BATH TUB?
Luke 12:19 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 we face a terrible hard decision, do we seek an easy way out?
B. Every man must live with the man he makes of himself.
III. HE WHO DOES NOT ENJOY HIMSELF IS USUALLY RIGHT...
OUR CHOICES AND ATTITUDES CAN MAKE LIFE EASY OR HARD?
A. We had a terrible alcoholic come to the altar and have a wonderful experience with the Lord. He changed so much that the community and the family could hardly believe it.
ONE NIGHT IN A TESTIMONY HE STATED:
WHEN I WAS A DRUNK I COULD NOT STAND MYSELF, AND I COULD NOT STAND TO BE ALONE.
He said he had to be at a party with others, or be drunk, he could not stand who he had become. In his drunkenness he added more and more wrong to his behavior and scarred his family and his own life.
B. After meeting Jesus and accepting forgiveness he loved to spend time alone walking down a dusty road spending time just he and his Savior!
C. If you have a red letter edition of the Bible ---
will you note that these words are the words of the Messiah?
Matthew 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
D. WE DEVELOP MANY PERSONAL PROBLEMS BECAUSE WE DO NOT LOVE OUR SELF.
E. Sometimes it is hard to like yourself. Jesus said: Love your neighbor as your self, God help us to build good people.
IV. TO WISH TO BE SOMEONE ELSE IS TO WASTE WHO YOU ARE.
A. TO WISH FOR ANOTHER LOT IN LIFE, A DIFFERENT JOB, A NEW FAMILY IS TO BE WASTING THE OPPORTUNTITY TO ACCEPT GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU.
B. A great deal of talent is lost from the church because of the lack of personal encouragement.
V. THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO BE RICH:
A. HAVE SO MUCH MONEY THAT YOU CAN BUY ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING YOU WANT.
B. OR BEING CONTENT AND APPRECIATING WHAT YOU HAVE.
Having riches will not keep a man from heaven, but riches having man certainly will.
VI. WE COME TO UNDERSTANDING BY ONE OF TWO WAYS:
A. Remember years ago they found some children that could not walk nor eat with forks and spoons. The kids could not talk?
Many people thought the kids were retarded?
The kids had been raised locked in a cave, they had never seen an adult walk?
They had never heard a conversation, they grunted like animals. Their food had been poured into a slop trough, they ate like pigs.
B. A family took the kids in, soon they were watching people walk, and they started walking.
They were taken to a table and watched adults eat with a fork and spoon, soon the children were assimilated into society.
C. WE NEED GOOD EXAMPLES TO STAND UP AND WALK IN OUR CHURCH SO OTHERS WILL SAY WALKING IS BETTER THAN CRAWLING, FLYING IN FAITH BEATS CRAWLING!
VII. A DISCONTENT MAN FINDS NO EASY CHAIRS.
A. INSTINCT:
A NATURUAL OR INHERENT APTITUDE, IMPULSE, OR CAPACITY.
An inherited tendency.
Behavior by reactions below the conscious level.
Non-taught capabilities.
B. LEARN:
To gain knowledge by listening, learning, understanding, experience, instruction.
Philippians. 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
C. Why did God give us memories?
So we can remember roses and daisies in December.
D. SOMETIMES IT IS GOOD TO BE ABLE TO FORGET!
Once we had a friend get old and was in the rest home and lost all her memories.
A friend prayed her memories might return?
I pondered the disappointment and pain she had suffered in life and I thought this
might be what is best in this case, to forget.
VIII. A DISCONTENT MAN FINDS NO EASY CHAIRS?
Amos 6:1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
A. There was a song when I was a teenager: HE AIN’T HEAVY, HE IS MY BROTHER.
NOT HEAVY :
Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
B. GOD’S WORD CAN BRING EASE.
James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
IX. TO HEAR MANY TESTIMONIES WE WOULD THINK THAT BEING A
CHRISTIAN IS A HARD THING!
Proverbs 13:15 Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.
A. EVERY PERSON IS WORTH UNDERSTANDING...
B. PROCRASTINATION AND PUTTING EASY THINGS OFF WILL MAKE THEM MORE DIFFICULT.
C. PUTTING OFF DIFFICULT THINGS WILL CERTAINLY ALMOST MAKE DIFFICULT THINGS IMPOSSIBLE.
X. IF YOU THINK YOU CAN’T YOU ARE PROBABLY RIGHT.
A BAD MOOD IS A WAY OF PUNISHING YOURSELF AND OTHERS.
WHEN IS IT ENOUGH?
A. My friend was at the doctor, he asked how she was doing? She replied I was doing well until that man pulled out in front of me! HE MADE ME MAD!
The doctor replied: HE DID NOT MAKE YOU MAD, YOU MADE A CHOICE TO GET MAD!
I think she wanted a second opinion?
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.
B. THINK? writer unknown
You are not just what you eat.
You are what you think.
Clothes do not make the man,
THINKING MAKES THE MAN.
THINK ON THESE ----?
I THINK I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST.
Philip. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
C. James Ellis often said:
The people that say it can’t be done are being passed by the people that are doing it!
D. It may be easy to say one thing and do another.
E. Life has a way of forcing our hand and our faith.
F. Confusion, doubt, self doubt, and a lack of understanding God’s word and plan
can become a terrible trap.
G. What do we do when our world and family is turned upside down?
It is easy to FRET and not trust God’s plan.
H. IS IT EASIER TO WORRY THAN TO PRAY?
I. Can I trust God durng the confusion of difficulty and uncertainty?
Can we stand in the valley of tears and in the desert of dryness and still trust God?
J. I can believe, then the encounter of the third kind contradicts my faith?
K. HOW EASY IS IT TO BELIEVE OUR DOUBTS AND DOUBT OUR FAITH?
How easy is it to doubt and misunderstand God’s plan for me while I am deep in a dark valley?
God promised, but now I see how small my hands are. I can’t reach that goal.
XI. IT IS EASY TO BE ANGER/ BITTTER DRIVEN.
IT IS MUCH EASIER TO DEAL WITH SURFACE PROBLEMS THAN GOING TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM.
Hebrews 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be
turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God;
lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
A. GOD HAS A GRADUATE SCHOOL AND IT IS THE SCHOOL OF SUFFERING.
B. WE MUST LEARN MORE THAN RESIGNATION AND REGRET.
C. WE MUST LEARN MORE THAN JUST PATIENCE.
D. WE MUST LEARN TO REJOICE IN TRIBULATION.
XII. IT BECOMES MUCH EASIER WHEN WE LOWER OUR STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS TO REACH THE GOALS MORE EASILY.
A. It is better to set our goals high and shoot for the stars and miss the stars and land on the moon, than it is to not set our goals and hit the mud puddle every time.
B. Do we want God to bring His level down to us?
Or do we want to raise us to His Level?
C. WE MUST DREAM AND DREAM BIG! WE MUST NOT ALLOW THE FLESH TO SEEK FOR THE EASY.
1 Cor. 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any
means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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