Sermon Central
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Wade Deeper Series
Contributed by Kemuel Travis on Mar 13, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: To show that we must never give up in spiritual matters for the Lord will be there to guide us into the deep things of our spiritual lives and greater success than we could ever imagine on our own.
INTRODUCTION
-There is an old saying that says, “Winners never quit and quitters never win.”
-There is a great deal of truth in that statement
-It is impossible to win when you quit
-Boxer throwing in the towel
-Runner stopping mid-race
-Tennis player walking off the court
-Basketball player refusing to guard the basket
-Quitting may me uncommon is sports, but it is very common in life
-A couple faces financial disagreement and opts for divorce
-An employer makes harsh demands of an employee who decides to resign
-A dear loved one gets weary of the pain and sickness, so they stop fighting their illness and slip away into eternity
-Jesus’ disciples were faced with a give-up type of situation
I. They Had Tried
A. By their own skills
-They were fishermen, they knew how to fish
B. For a lengthy time
II. They Were Told What To Do
A. They probably resented this at first
-Most people resent being told what to do
B. They probably wondered about the one making the demand
-Who is this guy?
-Does He know anything about fishing?
-Why is He concerned with us?
III. They Tried Once More
A. In God’s Way
B. With God’s power
IV. They Succeeded Greatly
A. They filled their own boat
B. They filled a second boat
C. They were on the verge of sinking
-We have much we can learn from the disciples
-There are many times in life, even in our spiritual lives, that we just simply want to give up
-But, Jesus says, “Wade deeper”
-Let’s look today at three areas of our Christian walk that God tells us this morning to “Wade deeper” in
I. Temptations
A. Character traits
-Some says it is not possible to change your character
-Your personality is set and unchangeable
-But, the truth is, that nothing is impossible for God
-And when God truly transforms a life, He transforms all of it, character included
-I’ve seen it happen
-And many of you have too
-Fruit of the Spirit
-We find it difficult to love everyone, even sinner
-But the fruit of the Spirit is love
-We find it difficult to rejoice in the midst of trouble
-But the fruit of the Spirit is joy
-We find it difficult to forgive those who wrong us
-But the fruit of the Spirit is peace
-We find it difficult to wait for someone to come around to the truth
-But the fruit of the Spirit is patience
-Or loooooooooooooooooooooongsuffering
-We find it difficult to treat others as we would like to be treated
-But the fruit of the Spirit is kindness
-We find it difficult to be obedient to the Lord
-But the fruit of the Spirit is goodness
-We find it difficult to always follow God’s ways
-But the fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness
-We find it difficult to keep from being easily angered
-But the fruit of the Spirit is gentleness
-We find it difficult to control our human appetites
-But the fruit of the Spirit is self-control
-You see, character traits, while we are born with the human part of them, can be controlled by the Spirit
-Thus they can be changed by Him
-But we are too often on land putting up our nets because we’ve tried to change them ourselves
-The Lord comes and says, wade deeper and throw out the nets once more”
-Let the Holy Spirit work in you to give you the character that is of God
B. Addictions
-Or besetting sins
-Those sins we have tried numerous times to say no to and have found that we have failed miserably
-It’s real easy to throw up our hands in despair and to think that we must quit trying
-Some fall back on the belief that we all sin everyday in thought, word or deed
-While it is true that we will all go against God’s perfect will for our lives everyday, it is not true that we are helpless against those temptations that Satan throws our way
-We always have a choice of whether to submit to these or not
-And, with the Spirit’s power in us, it is possible to consistently, every time, say “NO!” to the evil he tries to get us to do
-If you believe that, say “AMEN!”
-But so many get weary from the fight
-Sometimes they’ve given in more times than they can count
-Sometimes, they’ve resisted for a long time, but they are tired of fighting anymore
-So they throw in the towel
-Trying to get the devil off of their back
-You may feel like you are bound to give in to your addictions or temptations
-But, you are not
-God says to you, “Wade deeper and throw out the nets once more”
