DO WE LOVE TO PLAY GAMES WITH THE FLESH?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
GOSPEL COMEDIANS make good incomes, entertaining and making
people laugh...
WE ALL LOVE A GOOD JOKE... makes me laugh, humorous... funny...
We have gotten so good at games...
1. We want to play at work...
2. We WORK at play...
3. We love to worship worship, and praise praise, and forget about a
HOLY GOD.
4. ENTERTAIN HAS BECOME A GOAL... I want to be happy...
IN WW II a man named WINSTON CHURCHHILL was on the battle field.
Germany was bombing all around, soldiers were running and hiding...
Winston said: I REFUSE TO TAKE THE COWARDLY PATH,
I WILL STAND AT MY POST OF DUTY...
What do you do when everyone else is running?
I. WE TEND TO DESIRE THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE... EASY...
WE LOVE GAMES...
1 Corinthians 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should
not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat
down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
A. Water will always take the PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE...
Water will never take the pathway up hill, it will never climb...
Water will always seek a lower level.
B. EASY: not hard to do or get, not difficult, free from pain, no trouble,
no worry, never in a hurry, nothing steep or abrupt, slow, leisurely...
C. EASYGOING: carefree, take life easily, light hearted, no concerns,
never faithful, not very serious...
D. history is full of people that HAD A RUN AWAY SPIRIT, and took life at
the easy... CAIN TOOK THE EASY... HE GAVE OF HIS FRUIT...
ABEL TOOK THE BEST...
II. LIFE AND DEATH ARE NOT ALWAYS FUNNY...
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap.
A. I have never seen the TV on when a person is dying...
I HAVE NOT SEEN COMEDIANS DOING FUNERALS...
B. PEOPLE WILL FACE 3 SOLEMN DAYS, no matter where they live:
1. Solemn day of SICKNESS
2. Solemn day of DEATH
3. Solemn day of JUDGMENT...
III. TODAY MANY TRY TO REDUCE LIFE TO A GAME...
REMEMBER THE SHOW QUEEN FOR A DAY?
2 Timothy 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2 Timothy 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers
of God;
A. GAME: amusement, fun, diversion, spirited contest, animal pursued in
hunting...
B. Terms:
PLAY: recreational activity, gamble, child behavior...
PLAY HOOKY: unexcused absence...
C. WE HAVE WHOLE AREAS BUILD ON THE IDEA OF FUN AND GAMES...
1. Las Vegas
2. ATLANTIC CITY
3. Disney Land, Kings Island, Six Flags...
D. GOD PLEASER? MEN PLEASER?
Ephesians 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ,
doing the will of God from the heart;
1. FIRST GAME IN THE BIBLE... HIDE AND SEEK...
Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the
cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the
LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
A. ADAM and EVE play HIDE and SEEK with God...
B. Cain hides his brothers body:
AM I MY BROTHERS KEEPER?
C. MAN THINKS HE CAN HIDE HIS SIN... love darkness...
2. GAMBLING... TAKE A CHANCE...
A. GAMBLE: to play a game for money, property, TO TAKE A RISK...
Uncertain outcome... to give a pledge by result of action, to BET,
TO RISK OR VENTURE ON A FINAL OUTCOME...
Matthew 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that
it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments
among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
B. LOOK AT PETE ROSE...
AROD... MICHEAL VICK...
Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose
his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
C. I WILL BUILD GREATER... ??? Take it easy...
Luke 12:18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater;
and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
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.
3. THERE IS ANOTHER SPIRITUAL GAME WE PLAY CALLED:
LET'S MAKE A DEAL...
A. A popular TV show trades... UP or may DOWN...
Acts 8:20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast
thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight
of God.
B. Simon the sorcerer...
4. THERE IS A TIME CONSUMING GAME CALLED MONOPOLY...
A. The goal of MONOPOLY is to have it all...
YOU INCREASE THEY GO DOWN...
B. You made it brother...
Luke 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required
of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
C. THE RICH YOUNG MAN...
Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what
good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Matthew 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast,
and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had
great possessions.
5. WHEN YOU DO NOT VALUE THE REASON OF BEING TOGETHER...
WE MAY TEND TO PLAY HOOKY...
A. THOMAS LEARNED THE HARD WAY ABOUT HOOKY...
FOREVER KNOWN AS THE DOUBTER...
John 20:24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when
Jesus came.
B. There are reasons to assemble...
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.
6. SEEMS WE ALL LIKE THE GAME OF CHARADES...
A. TO ACT OUT, MINIC, NOT FOR REAL...
PLAY-ACTING, role playing... artificial behavior... act like another...
B. DELIAH?
C. JESUS? JUDAS... ROLE PLAY...
Luke 22:47 And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called
Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.
48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?
7. RUSSIAN ROULETTE, HIGH DEGREE OF CHANCE...
A. PUT A BULLET IN A COMPARTMENT OF A REVOLVER, SPIN AND PULL
THE TRIGGER... 1 IN 6 CHANCE...
B. DRUGS, cigarettes, METH, cocaine, booze,
C. NOT KNOW GOD'S WORDS...
Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the
scriptures, nor the power of God.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
James 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is
finished, bringeth forth death.
8. THERE IS A TERRIBLE GAME CALLED DENIAL...
A. say not true... to refuse to admit or acknowledge...
to give a negative answer,
John 4:17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto
her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband:
in that saidst thou truly.
B. MAN HAS A GREAT ABILITY TO DENY, TO JUSTIFY, TO PALLIATE...
CONCLUSION: Life is serious... We come this way but once...
WE MUST PRESS ON AND BE SERIOUS...
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
MOST NOTORIOUS LOSERS?
In 1995 the WILDCATS FOOTBALL TEAM OF NORTHWESTERN...
Northwestern had set a RECORD in the NCAA for the MOST CONSECUTIVE
LOSING GAMES... their record for consecutive loses was 34 from 1979 to 1982.
In 1995 a new coach GARY BARNETT TOOK THE TEAM TO 10-0...
The WILDCATS WON THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE and went to the
ROSE BOWL RANKED 8TH IN THE NATION...
BARNETT HAD WON 17 COACHES OF THE YEAR...
COACH KNEW THERE WAS A NATURUAL TENDANCY TO LOOK BACK
OVER 1995 AS WINNERS...
IN THE "CHICAGO TRIBUNE MAGAZINE: ANDREW BAGNATO WROTE:
The FOOOTBALL TEAM had gathered for the AWARDS PROGRAM...
70 players were there... Coach had an award for each player...
Barnett gave each play his award for a winning season...
Barnett waved his 17th AWARD OF COACH OF THE YEAR, the crowd roared
and applauded this coach...
BARNETT MADE THIS GREAT SPEECH WITHOUT SAYING A WORD...
HE TOOK ALL THE AWARDS OF BEING CHAMPION, COACH OF THE YEAR,
HE WALKED OFF STAGE AND THREW HIS AWARDS IN A GARBAGE CAN...
HE JUST STOOD THERE... In a few minutes the quarterback took the
lead and place his award in the garbage can, soon all 70 players
played their trophies and plagues in the same can...
See it was 1996, 1995 was history... we must face this new year as a
team.. THE ONLY WAY TO CONTINUE TO ACHIEVE BIGGER AND BETTER
AWARDS WAS TO AHEAD AND LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND US...
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this
one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto
those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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