PREACHED:OL,
“HOW MOMENTUM IS LOST”
INTRODUCTION
j CHARLES F. KETTERING
A.
Famous
business genius and visionary.
B. “The past is gone and static. Nothing we can
do can change it. The future is before us and dynamic. Everything we do will
affect it. Each day brings with it new frontiers, in our homes and in our
businesses, if we only recognize them.”
k The
same is true of the church!
A. “The
past is prologue.”
1. The
introduction to the present and the future where we live and will live!
B. ALEXIS
CARREL, Man, the Unknown: “Men
grow when inspired by a high purpose, when contemplating vast horizons. The
sacrifice of oneself is not very difficult for one burning with the passion for
a great adventure.”
C. Paul’s
great adventure was prefaced with the words, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward
to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, for the prize of the upward
call of God in Christ Jesus,” (Phil 3:13,14).
l But what happens
when the dream dies and the momentum that presses us onward toward glorious
victories for God comes to a halt?
A. What
is it that causes the momentum to slow and, if not reversed, to stop
completely?
B. Last week—“HOW WE BUILD MOMENTUM”
1.
Hezekiah
a. Great king and
spiritual leader!
1) Led
b. He
faced and overcame major enemies and obstacles!
c. He
helped
d. But
sadly, the final picture of his life was one of resignation and satisfaction
with the status quo!
C. What
can we learn from those who tried to halt
1. “Learn from the mistakes of others; you
can’t live long enough to make ‘em all yourself.”
a. “Anyone who does not learn from history is
bound to repeat it.”
2. There
are positives we can learn from negatives! A negative is only negative when it
has no positive message!
3. How
is momentum LOST?
DISCUSSION
u CONFUSION
A. II
Kings 18—Fearful challenge to Hezekiah and
1. He
had conquered
a. His
army worked its way downward toward
2. At
first, Hezekiah tried to appease them with tribute:
a. II Kings 18:14,15. “’I have done wrong, withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will
bear.’ And the king of
4. But
appeasement never works with a man who has an insatiable appetite for power and
conquest!
a. Sennacherib
sends his generals and high officials and his great army to the gates of
1) Their
purpose was fear and confusion!
a) Isa 36:4-10
36:13-37:3
B. What
was the solution for the confusion and fear?
1. A word from the Lord!
a. Isa 37:5-7.
b. Brothers
and sisters, there is strength from heeding the Word of God. His Word is his
bond! What he promises He will surely do!
1) Psa 119:38-40. “Confirm to our servant your promise, that you may be feared. Turn away
the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. Behold, I long for your
precepts; in your righteousness give me life!”
v COMPROMISE
A. Hezekiah faced another kind of challenge!
1. Isa 38:1-8.
B. How
would you suppose Hezekiah would react to God’s tremendous blessing?
1. Carefulness?
Renewed vigor? Humility? Vigilance?
a. Answer:
No! Pride! Satisfaction! Compromise!
C. There
was another power national power rising on the world scene—
1. Isa 39:1-4.
D. You can never compromise with evil and win!
1. I Cor 5:6,7
II Cor
6:14a. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?”
1. This
prideful compromise would eventually lead to Babylonian captivity for
E. In
l995, one of the outstanding pro prospects in College football was CLAY SHIVER,
a 6 foot 2 inch, 280 pound center for the Florida State Seminoles.
1. He
was so good that one magazine wanted to name him to their pre-season
All-American team.
a. One
problem—the magazine was Playboy!
2. That
created a major problem: Shiver was a young man of strong Christian moral
principles and a dedicated member of his church.
3. What
was he to do? His decision could affect pro contracts and multi-million
dollar offers!
4. But
Shiver’s moral convictions, priorities and values were higher than any monetary
offer, and when contacted by Playboy to inform him he had been selected he
simply said, “NO THANKS!”
5. Among
other comments Shiver said he didn’t want to embarrass his grand-mother and
mother nor give any of his high school friends an excuse to buy the magazine!
w COMPLACENCY
A. After
the fiasco with the Babylonians and the questioning of Isaiah:
1. 39:5-8. “Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts:
‘Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which
you fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing
shall be left, says the Lord. And some of your own sons, who will come from
you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in
the palace of the king of
B. The
greatest enemy to the growth of the Lord’s Cause is complacency, a sense of
satisfaction with the status quo and a desire for peace at any cost!
1. THOMAS
JEFFERSON: “We are not to expect to be
translated from despotism to liberty in a featherbed.”
C. Sadly,
Hezekiah’s attitude is all too common in the church: “Well, I created this problem, but I’ll let the next generation deal
with the consequences; at least I won’t have to fight the battle.”
1. A man with that attitude is dead
while he is alive and so is a church!
CONCLUSION
1Ø SO, WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
A. Let’s not let the world confuse and discourage us, but let’s keep a clear mind
focused on God’s sure Word!
B. Let’s never compromise with evil,
but be assured God purpose will be victorious!
C. Let’s never quench the Spirit, or let
our fire of zeal for the cause of Christ be put out! Let’s wear out, not rust
out!