What Might Have Been?

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, IF I TRIED A LITTLE HARDER?

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

INTRODUCTION:

Have we really been trying?

Oct. 1978: Mrs. Fannie Turner of Little Rock, Arkansas passed her written drivers test on the 104th attempt, and thus made the Guinness Book of World Records. Now what if we would try that hard?

THERE ARE NO SADDER WORDS OF PEN OR TONGUE, THAN THE

WORDS WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?

THERE SHOULD BE!

Has reality ever differed from what you expected? Have you ever been so disappointed with people that you wondered what is the use?

A good church is much more than being a cookie cutter making same old same old products.

We need an awake church trying and trying again until we find a solution.

We can so specialize in reaching the 99 that we miss the ministry to the ONE!

We can’t say there are four months and then the harvest, we must launch an all

out effort to reach the lost and minister to offended, hurt, and dying. We have developed this great ability to analyze what is wrong and then sign the death

warrant.

We do not accept abortion as right, neither should we accept spiritual abortion of all the perpetual babies. If we would touch God, then use our focused efforts

to reach out maybe could change the history of some individuals. Who knows what God might do --- if we trusted the word and released greater effort?

THERE ARE NO SADDER WORDS OF PEN OR TONGUE, THAN THE

WORDS WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?

I. THE HIDDEN LESSON IS TRYING AGAIN!

Luke 13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard: and he came and sought fruit thereon, AND FOUND NONE.

7. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree; WHY CUMBERETH IT THE GROUND?

And he answering said unto him, LORD, LET IT ALONE THIS YEAR ALSO, TILL I SHALL DIG ABOUT IT, AND DUNG IT: 9. And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

A. This lesson of the unfruitful fig tree goes beyond just bearing fruit.

We do not know if the tree had many figs the next year or if the tree had no figs. The lesson is trying again. Don’t give up.

B. We fall into traps of despair and hopelessness because we have not seen what we dreamed we would see. We have not felt the rain, and this dry spell

has been so long, that our hands hang down. Well, my precious friend, we must heed the call to try again.THIS IS OUR ACT OF FAITH.

C. I went to revival in Columbia, KY recently. The evangelist, Ralph Tennyson said several times, " I WANT TO BE A PLUS!"

What might God do if we would TRY A LITTLE HARDER? GIVE A LITTLE MORE?

REACH OUT ONE MORE TIME. Pray more? Fast?

D. I fear we have buried many people and projects while they were still alive.

Let’s don’t embalm this marriage until we try with great effort.

Let’s don’t throw away this teenager, let’s try again.

Who knows what God can do to honor our efforts?

E. OK, let’s say this is dead and we can legally prove it is dead?

Well, don’t we believe that love conquers all?

Do we believe in the resurrection power to raise this to life again?

Let us arise and see God’s work through the finish line!

F. While results are demanded, there is a beautiful lesson in giving extra effort. We walk in days that try a man’s soul, but man must keep trying. We must try, then try again. We must try and learn. We must try and learn to be kinder.

We must try to find the silver lining, BE A PLUS!

One great man said, Try first, then call on God. But how smart would it be to touch God, try, and then touch God again.

G. Man sometimes tries to bypass God’s way, and come through the tree of good and evil to do things man’s way. This is bad. But it is also bad to pray

many words and then do nothing.

THERE ARE NO SADDER WORDS OF PEN OR TONGUE, THAN THE

WORDS WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?

II. BUT I AM SO TIRED, I DON’T WANT TO TRY AGAIN.

Galatains 6: 9 And let us not grow weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, IF WE FAINT NOT.

A. We are tired? We are burned out? We are burned up?

We are burdened to the point that we have lost sight of the goal.

B. We have a duty to the cross! We have a duty to the fallen.