THE STRONGMAN OF STRIFE
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Proverbs 26:20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer,
the strife ceaseth.
21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
I. DO WE REALY UNDERSTATE THE STRONGMAN'S DAMAGE TO THE INDIVIDUAL, HOME,
CHURCH AND SOCIETY?
FRICTION: The rubbing against, the force that resists, the clashing of two with opposite views...
CONFRONT: to challenge,
CONFLICT: not together, battle, fight, at war, opposing, incompatible, mental struggle,
DISACCORD: clash, to disagree,
DISHARMONY: discord, lack of harmony... conflict....
DIVISION: to separate, clique, exclusive, to be apart, break up, divorce,
DISCORD: to lack agreement, no harmony, quarrel, in fighting....
STRIFE: bitter conflict, contention,
WAR: open hostile conflict, hostility, struggle
II. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT STRIFE?
A. There was a little boy quietly watching cartoons, when his big brother comes into the
room and demands the REMOTE CONTROL... The little brother says: WHAT RIGHT
DO YOU HAVE TO COME IN HERE AND MAKE ME CHANGE CHANNELS.
The older brother replied with force... SEE MY FINGER? SEE MY THUMB? SEE
MY FIST? YOU BETTER RUN! The older brother joined his fingers in a fist
of unity... So away the lad ran...
B. The little boy felt like A WIMP...
When he got outside, he looked at his five fingers and made a little fist...
AND HE SAY TO THEM: WHY CAN'T THE FIVE OF YOU GET TOGETHER AND
GET ORGANIZED LIKE HIS?
Proverbs 18:6 A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.
Proverbs 20:3 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
Proverbs 22:10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
Proverbs 26:21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
Proverbs 30:33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose
bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
Isaiah 58:4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye
shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
Romans 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness,
maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
1 Timothy 6:4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof
cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is
godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
III. WHEN YOUR FEARS BECOME A REALITY...
THERE CAN BE GREAT NEGATIVE POTENTIAL WHEN NEGATIVE PEOPLE JOIN TOGETHER
FOR NEGATIVE ISSUES...
A. TOGETHERNESS misfocused ... the ambition to be famous can be twisted...
B. In the ruins of Babel's Tower, in the center is an area devoted to many gods...
They could not agree on one god...
Genesis 11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto
heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they
begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one
another's speech.
8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left
off to build the city.
C. Their unity to bring about togetherness and fame became a destructive power...
D. THEY OFFENDED GOD...
1. ONE LANGUAGE
2. The tower was destroyed, not because it was a tall building, but because of their
mind set to make MAN GOD...
3. The top of the tower was to be a testimony of HOW GREAT MAN WAS.
4. Their agreement was FOCUSED ON IDOL WORSHIP...
5. Too focused on man's ability and idol worship...
E. TODAY MAN'S FOCUS IS ON PLEASURE...THE FLESH...
F. COUNTRY COMMON SENSE...
I AM TOLD THAT YOU CAN TIE TO CHICKENS TOGETHER at their legs...
They are together, but if you throw them over a clothes line
WHILE THEY ARE UNITED, YOU CAN SEE THEY ARE NOT IN UNITY...
Genesis 37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren,
they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
IV. GOD DESIGNED US TO BE RIGHTLY JOINED TOGETHER...
A. Let us buy a brand new Cadilac...
Let us fill the gas tank with antifreeze, the radiator with transmission fluid, the transmission
with kerosene fuel, and put gas in the windshield washer... California here we come?
There is a design... TO OPERATE SMOOTHLY MUST FOLLOW THE OWNERS MANUEL...
B. WHAT CAN AN INFECTION DO TO THE HUMAN BODY?
1 Corinthians 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not
of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not
of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were
the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
C. IF A TAPEWORM HAS IT'S FREE WAY,
the worm can grow from the intestine and come out the nose.
It can grow and destroy the host...
D. THERE IS AN INTERNAL THREAT...
The brain can swell...?
The heart enlarge and harden...? Have a big heart?
The stomach can quit digesting the food, there will be no energy?
A TUMOR CAN CAUSE CELLS TO BE COME DISLOYAL TO THE BODY FUNCTION,
The tumor will be self-feeding, and grow wildly and distort the body.
Plague can slowly build up and clog the arteries and veins...
DISHARMONY CAN ATTACK THE BRAIN, LIVER, KIDNEYS, BONES, BLOOD,
AND TAKE OVER THE FUNCTION AND DESTROY THE HOST...
White cells destroy infections, but the white cells can recklessly reproduce,
over loading the LYMPH SYSTEM ... and become: LEUKEMIA...
V. NO PERSON IS AN ISLAND TO SELF.
WE ARE ALL PIECES OF A PUZZLE...
ANY PERSONS DEPARTURE TAKES AWAY A LITTLE OF ME... I AM DIMINISHED...
A. Why do mountain climbers tie themselves together as they climb??
IS IT TO KEEP THE MOUNTAIN CLIMB THAT GETS TIRED AND WEARY FROM QUITTING?
GOING HOME?
B. Look there is a mountain of mercy before us... Let us tie together and climb it.
VI. THERE CAN BE GREAT POTENTIAL WHEN A GROUP OF PEOPLE COME TOGETHER...
A. They gathered all interested in the same issues and same THOUGHT PATTERNS...
Of the 120 gathered TOGETHER...
1. None was LUKEWARM...
2. They were not DAYDREAMING, they were FOCUSED...
3. They were all INTERESTED AND CONCERNED ABOUT THE SPIRIUAL PROMISE...
4. They had COMMON FAITH, agreement
5. They were good at prayer... Individually, collectively.
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
CONCLUSION:
LET US PULL TOGETHER, TOGETHER, TOGETHER, TOGETHER, HOW HAPPY WILL BE...
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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