The Lesson Of A Fishing Pole?

THE LESSON OF THE FISHING POLE?

WHY HOPE? LIVELY HOPE

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

I have a fishing pole, etc with me.

I WOULD RATHER FAIL IN A CAUSE THAT WILL ULTIMATELY SUCCEED,

THAN TO SUCCEED IN A CAUSE THAT WILL ULTIMATELY FAIL...

That is why we invest in the cross.

CAT LOVER:

In 1978 a book was written called THE BOOK OF FAILURES... by Stephen Pile.

There are many stories of failure of different kinds.

In 1978 in England the FIRE DEPARTMENT was "ON STRIKE."

So the army was officially taking calls, so the ARMY was taking all the calls.

On Jan. 18, A dear, sweet old lady called in great distress, her PET CAT was

stranded in a tree. She loved her precious cat.

THE SOLDIERS ARRIVE IN GREAT SPEED, they cleverly rescued the cat.

A GRATEFUL old lady invited the soldiers into her home for TEA.

LATER SHE HUGGED ALL THE SOLDIER AND THANKED THEM for their

kindness...

As the soldiers drove out of her drive way,

the FIRE TRUCK RAN OVER HER CAT AND KILLED IT...

I. Let the fisher man teach us a few lessons.

A VERY FAMOUS PREACHER WAS ALSO A PRETTY GOOD FISHER MAN...

SEEMS THE TWO HAVE MUCH IN COMMON...

LISTEN AS THE PREACHER DISCUSSES A "LIVELY HOPE!"

A. WHAT LESSON CAN AN OLD FISH MAN TEACH?

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to

his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus

Christ from the dead,

B. TERMS:

1. LIVELY: A fire still burning, alive, full of live, cheerful...

alert, energetic, vigorous, active, intense, quick to rebound,

2. HOPE: a cherished desire, anticipation, expectation to obtain, confidence, trust,

reliance, trust that what is wanted will happen, to expect, the object of desire...

C. THE HUMAN SPIRIT IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING...

WHEN IT BOILS DOWN: ALL WE HAVE IS HOPE... HOPE AGAINST HOPE...

Without hope we will quit trying?

Where there is no hope... we lose the PLAN OF A BETTER TOMORROW...

ASK ABRAHAM HOW IMPORTANT HOPE IS?

Romans 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many

nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

D. LET US GOING FISHING?

A FAMILY IN A DIRTY, RUSTY OLD VAN, PULLED UP IN THE CHURCH PARKING

LOT AND GOT OUT THEIR FISHING POLES AND CHAIRS AND WERE FISHING

IN THIS LARGE POND... It was a very nice pond, concrete all around.

The Pastor looked out his study window and saw this large family fishing.

HE WENT OUT AND TOLD THEM, THERE IS NO USE FISHING HERE, THERE

ARE NO FISH.

There was one old woman that appeared to be the spokes person.

The old woman used some bad words and said, WE KNEW YOU WERE A FANCY

CHURCH AND DID NOT LIKE POOR PEOPLE, WE JUST WANTED TO CATCH A

FEW FISH FOR DINNER. NEVER MIND, YOU DON'T WANT US POOF FOLK HERE.

They loaded up in the van and left in great anger. The van smoked off in the distance.

The Pastor of the huge church knew something the people refused to listen?

The whole area around the church was pronged to flood.

The Government spent several hundred thousands of dollars to help with water

drainage. THE GOVERNMENT BUILT THIS RETAINING CONCRETE AREA.

Most of the time the CONCRETE RETAINING AREA WAS DRY... BUT AFTER A

HEAVY RAIN, THERE WOULD ACCUMULATE A LOT OF WATER AND MAKE

A POND? This pond never had any fish in it...

THE FAMILY HAD ALREADY MADE UP THEIR MIND ABOUT THIS CHURCH AND

THE PASTOR... LISTEN TO THE PASTOR: NEVER GO FISHING IN A RETAINING

POND... YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME...

II. THERE ARE MANY HIDDEN LESSONS IN THE BIBLE...

JESUS WAS A CARPENTER, BUT HE SEEMED TO LOVE FISHER MEN...

FISH MEN SPEAKS OF HOPE... A FISHER MAN HAS TO BE OPTIMISTIC...

A. FISHING SURVIVES ON HOPE ALONE...

Ask a fisher man: "How are you doing?"

While answering the question, he says: "I HAVEN'T HAD A BITE ALL DAY

LONG?" ...

"WAIT A MINUTE, WAIT A MINUTE, I AM FEEL A HIT RIGHT NOW...?"

His line will go slack: "THAT IS OK, HE WILL BE BACK IN A LITTLE WHILE!"

HOPE SAYS: I BELIEVE I WILL CAST AGAIN!

B. It is wonderful to still go to the SEA OF GALILEE ...

The Catholic church owns the property that belonged to Peter.

PETER WAS A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MAN... HE OWNED SOME BOATS

AND HAD A REAL NICE HOUSE.

PETER WAS ORIGINALLY CALLED SIMON...

Simon means: LISTENER, HEARER...

His Dad's name was Jona, no mention of his mother?

PETER IS KNOWN AS THE APOSTLE OF HOPE...

PETER'S BOOKS CONSIST OF ENCOURAGEMENT and GREAT HOPE...