DOOMED TO FAILURE BECAUSE OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS #3
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This is a two part lesson.
THERE ARE NONE SO BLIND AS THOSE THAT REFUSE TO SEE!
I. ASK THE QUESTION: WHY DID GOD CREATE THE SABBATH DAY? MOST SPIRITUALLY BLIND PEOPLE WILL ANSWER TO REST?
Can we see the disease of spiritual blindness in public worship?
A. WHAT DO SPIRITUAL BLIND PEOPLE CONTRIBUTE TO WORSHIP SERVICES?
Is my responsibility to God one hour a week?
Have we developed the attitude that we love to ride in the worship wagon, but we don’t want to push?
B. Has spiritual blindness or spiritual leprosy caused us to undervalue church attendance and spiritual participation?
I am talking more than just blindness that we will not go to church, --- we will go play golf?
I am exposing when we go to church we do not raise holy hands, we do not sing with fervor, we do not testify, we do not say AMEN to the word?
We leave like we came?
Has worship become no more than a spectator sport?
C. We live in a day where there are professional --- polished ministries.
It is their job to perform a good entertaining, up lifting service that will make us leave this place laughing and feeling good.
D. Well, we are to rest on the Sabbath day, that is true, but the whole duty of man and the purpose of the day is worship!
E. Have we seen? Have we heard what God’s Word says?
Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
F. HAVE YOU SEEN THE RECENT POLL?
60% OF WOMEN SURVEYED --- FIND OPRAH WINDREY’S SHOW MORE INSPIRING THAN THEIR LOCAL WORSHIP SERVICE? WHY?
Psalm 122:1 A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.
G. DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL RESPONSIBILIITY IN A WORSHIP SERVICE?
We think that Sunday School teachers need to prepare their lessons, EVEN IF I AM NOT GOING TO BE THERE?
We know the preacher better have a good sermon?
We know the musicians better have some good sounding music?
H. Can we not see the second coming of the Lord is near?
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
I. DON’T BE BLIND!
DO NOT PROFANE THAT WHICH IS HOLY UNTO THE LORD.
SUNDAY IS A HOLY DAY AND WE SHOULD WORSHIP THE MOST HIGH AND HOLY GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.
J. Let me ask you again:
What kind of church would this church be,
If every member were just like me?
K. BLIND CHRISTIANS CAN NOT SEE HOW IMPORTANT GOD’S HOUSE IS.
The society today is blind.
Kids miss church for baseball, football, dance, and recreation.
Why??? --- Is it more important than God?
II. WHAT YOU LOVE YOU WILL FIND TIME TO DO! That is a fact. CAN WE SEE WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?
A. Pretend with me?
I was drafted into the army?
I had to leave my sweet new bride and go to military training?
I sent her money every month?
B. After military training, I came home for a month and then received orders I was being shipped out for Viet Nam? (Draft era conflict)
I hugged my precious new wife and left for combat duty?
C. I wrote home often but my dear wife never wrote me one letter?
She cashed every check, but she never wrote me a love letter?
After a year of duty, I wrote her and told her I would be coming home on a certain date?
D. She was not at the airport to welcome me home?
E. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?
It is easy to tell:
#1. She has been unfaithful to me while I was away?
OR
#2 She never loved me in the first place.
III. SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS CANNOT ACCEPT THE ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN WORSHIP!
SOMETHING IS WRONG IN THE ATTITUDE AND THE HEART OF GOD’S PEOPLE THAT DO NOT LOVE HIS CHURCH AND ARE NOT FAITHFUL TO THEIR POST OF DUTY.
A. THERE GOES A SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENECE IN THE CHURCH.
I DON’T NEED YOU! I WILL DO MY OWN THING!
B. I REFUSE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!
There is great safety to the body and the individual where people of God are held accountable.
C. AARON HAD A ROLE AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND HE HAD TO DO AS COMMANDED, OR ELSE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MANY MORE DIED.
D. Who will run for the people? Who will stand in the gap for the lost and dying?
Numbers 16:44 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun.
47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
E. PERHAPS THE SUCCESS OF EVERY SERVICE HINGES ON YOU?
IV. WHO IS RIGHT?
A. I was in Louisville, KY for church services.
I take a fluid pill every morning, so to not disrupt the service I sat in the very back
near the door.
B. One fellow preacher got up and went stomping out of the service. He was visibly angry. I knew him. He said as he went stomping by: THIS IS TERRIBLE PREACHING,
I CAN’T STAND THIS I AM GOING HOME! I WILL NOT BE BACK!
I pondered this man’s reaction to the Preacher and the Word?
C. After service was over a friend of mine came past me. I had noticed him raise his hands in worship. I had heard his voice say, AMEN!
His nose was red from crying, he still was crying.
He said, I BELIEVE THAT IS THE GREATEST SERMON I HAVE EVER HEARD, I WILL BE FOREVER CHANGED!
D. AS I STOOD IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM I PONDERED --- WHO WAS RIGHT?
E. After pondering a while I concluded: THEY ARE BOTH RIGHT!
The negative, fault finding man had found enough fault to prove how bad that service and preacher was!
The other man was right, he was edified, he learned, and gained new insight and new hope from the word of God.
One man left in anger, one man left hugging everybody, blessed and praising God.
F. NOW --- THIS WAS IN THE SAME SERVICE AND THE SAME MESSAGE?
Maybe the one man came angry? Maybe he loved to find faults?
Maybe he watched people? Maybe his attitude before the message affected the message?
G. WHAT DO YOU LEAVE SERVICE WITH --- ???
This may hinge on your attitude and effort you invest in the service?
Spiritually blind people can not see --- this worship service depends on me!
Did I pray about this service this week?
When have I encouraged the preacher?
Did I sing with a fire shut up in my bones?
V. SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS CAN NEVER SEE THAT NO COST SERVICE WILL NOT EFFECTIVELY BRING REAL WORSHIP.
A. There is a cry coming out of the church to give us cheap, no effort worship?
We want to laugh, dance and be entertained?
B. A man left church one morning. He was grumbling and complaining about everything. The music was too loud. The air conditioning was too cold. The songs
were too fast.
The preacher preached to long. They took up two offerings. Everything was bad!
C. The little son took off his seat belt and leaned forward, and he replied to his dad ---
DAD, WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?
I SAW YOU DROPPED TWO PENNIES IN THE OFFERING.
WHAT DID YOU EXPECT TO RECEIVE FOR TWO CENTS?
D. DAVID WAS A MIGHTY KING.
DAVID MADE SOME POOR CHOICES.
GOD WANTED DAVID TO DEPEND TOTALLY ON HIM.
DAVID WANTED TO NUMBER THE PEOPLE,
THIS CENSUS WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO THE FLESH.
E. DAVID WAS BLIND AND WOULD NOT HEED WISDOM!
2 Samuel 24:3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?
F. DAVID’S HEART CONDEMNS HIM, HE SEES THAT THE ISSUE IS MORE THAN NUMBERING THE PEOPLE --- THE ISSUE IS OBEDIENCE AND FULLY TRUSTING GOD.
Do want 7 years of famine?
Do you want 3 months of the enemy attacking you?
Do you want three days of the plague on your people?
G. NOW DAVID YIELDS UNTO THE LORD.
There are three sad days coming ...
H. David comes to repent and stays the plague at ARAUNAH’S (uh-RAW-nah) FIELD.
2 Samuel 24:23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The Lord thy God accept thee.
24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
VI. SPIRITUALLY BLIND PEOPLE WANT SOMETHING FOR NOTHING! THEY REFUSE TO GIVE.
MANY PEOPLE ARE DOOMED TO FAILURE BECAUSE THEY HAVE A WISHBONE INSTEAD OF A BACKBONE TO WORK.
A. What discoveries would old Chris Columbus have made if he had always stayed in sight of the shore of Spain?
Eccles. 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
B. You may make a living by what you earn?
But you make a life by what you give.
Acts 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
C. You can not find extraordinary anything with ordinary effort!
D. WE MUST HAVE OPENED EYES!
Psalm 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
E. Most failure in families and people are caused by a lack of effort, determination and dedication more than a lack of talent.
F. MORE PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE BY WHAT THEY SEE WITH THEIR EYES, NOT BY WHAT THEY HEAR FROM YOUR MOUTH.
G. WE MUST DISCIPLINE OUR EYES TO SEE THE ETERNAL.
2 Cor. 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things
which are not seen are eternal.
H. BLINDNESS COMES FROM SELF-CENTEREDNESS! GIVE ME! GIVE ME! FORGET YOURSELF FOR GOD AND OTHERS AND GOD WILL NOT FORGET YOU.
VII. CAN WE SEE THE USELESS THINGS?
KJV
Psalm 119:37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
NKJ
Psalm 119:37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.
A. Spiritually blind people are like the tiger that chased his tail.
Matthew 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
B. THE REAL CURE FOR CRIME IS NOT FOUND IN THE ELECTRIC CHAIR.
THE REAL CURE IS FOUND IN THE HIGH CHAIR.
C. We need Moms and Dads to not be spiritually blind, they must see that Sunday School and faithful -- high priority church attendance is needed.
D. OFTEN TIMES CHILDREN ARE LIKE MIRRORS, THEY WILL REFLECT THE ATTITUDES, OPINIONS, WORDS, AND ACTIONS OF THE PARENTS.
E. The best inheritance parents can give their children is a good name and a
good example.
F. FOR WE MUST SEE ALL THE MIGHTY OAK TREE IS ---
IT IS A NUT THAT STOOD HIS GROUND.
G. FALLING DOWN DOES NOT HAVE TO MAKE YOU A FAILURE,
BUT STAYING DOWN ONCE YOU FALL GUARANTEES FAILURE.
VIII. SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS CAN NOT SEE HOW BITTERNESS AND UNFORGIVENESS DRIVES THE HEART OF INDIVIDUALS.
YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT? WHAT DO YOU WANT?
A. HEROD THE KING IS PLEASED WITH THIS YOUNG WOMAN.
B. Here is a great opportunity for a young woman.
She could have the fastest Mustang of her day? Horse of course?
She could have had the best clothes and shoes made?
She could have a palace in which to live?
C. TALK ABOUT OPPORTUNITY?
Matthew 14:7 Whereupon Herod promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.
D. There is a spiritually blind mother named Herodias.
E. Herodias is married to Philip.
Herodias has had a sexual affair with her brother-in- law.
You talk about blind and setting a poor example for her daughter!
F. Many believe Herodias had more than a sexual desire, she was power hungry and she could advance her standing in the society by this affair with the King.
G. There was a mighty man of God named John the Baptist. John did not sugar coat nor did he fear those spiritually blind.
John preached a message, HEROD AND HERODIAS THIS IS SIN, IT IS WRONG.
H. They were spiritually blind and would not repent.
IF THIS IS WRONG I DON’T WANT TO BE RIGHT.
I. BITTER, ANGRY PEOPLE ARE DRIVEN BY VENGANCE AND VINDICTIVE SPIRITS.
Matthew 14:8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger.
J. THIS BITTER MOM WAS MANIPULATIVE AND CONTROLING AND SHE GOT HER OWN WAY!
How sad are missed opportunities.
This young lady could have been the queen and had 1/2 of the Kingdom.
Matthew 14:11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
K. BY BEING DRIVEN BY A SPIRITUALLY BLIND MOM THIS DAUGHTER RECEIVED A HUMAN HEAD AND A SILVER TRAY.
PLEASE DO NOT LET SIN DRIVEN, SPIRITUALLY BLIND, BITTER PEOPLE DRIVE YOU.
Today, how many young people are not driven to church by their bitter parents?
Has the preacher corrected your spiritually blind ways and you avoid the preacher, church and God?
L. Imagine many years later, when this lady realizes:
WHAT HER MOTHER COST HER? The blind leading the blind AFALLING into ditches?
M. SPIRITUALLY BITTER, BLIND PEOPLE SELL TREASURES FOR TRINKETS?
SPIRITUALLY BITTER BLIND PEOPLE SELL OUT DEEP THINGS FOR THE WORTHLESS.
Hebrews 12:15 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;
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
PLEASE JOIN Y TEAM AND PASS THIS ON TO AT LEAST ONE OTHER?
