Summary: We need strong accountability in the "free" age in which we walk. If we would apply self evaluation we would not need others to correct us. It is easy to fall into bad habits.

ACCOUNTABILITY: SELF EVALUATION...

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

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

[2] For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure

ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

I. HAVE YOU EVER HAD AN APPOINTMENT MADE?

HAVE YOU EVER MISSED AN APPOINTMENT?

THERE ARE COMING TWO APPOINTMENTS THAT ALL MEN FACE...

A. APPOINTMENT:

An arrangement to meet at a specific time and place...

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this

the judgment:

B. There are several words that is not liked in our modern society.

Duty, requirement, submission,FAITHFULNESS, authority, responsibility,

accountability, sin,

II. WHERE DOES ACCOUNTABILITY BEGIN?

CAN WE OFFER AN EXCUSE... ???

A. Do you know what DOA IS? (DEAD ON ARRIVAL)

Few seem to know what OCA...

SMART PEOPLE EVALUATE AND JUDGE THEMSELF, AND MAKE

ON THE COURSE ADJUSTMENTS...

B. Do you know a space ship headed to the moon with 0.5% error margin will

miss the moon by 150,000 to 200,000 miles?

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God:

and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

C. TO OFFER AN EXCUSE IS TO ACCUSE YOURSELF...

Romans 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest:

for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest

doest the same things.

D. Watch your hands as you are driving down the Interstate...

your hands are constantly moving making adjustments to the steering wheel.

E. IT IS A TERRIBLE TRICK OOF PEOPLE TO WATCH OTHERS, JUDGE OTHERS,

AND BE CRITICAL OF OTHERS --- INSTEAD OF SELF EVALUATION!

III. ARE WE INCLUSIVE OR EXCLUSIVE... ???

DO WE DESIRE PEOPLE LIKE US AND REJECT THOSE NOT LIKE US?

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A HANGING JUDGE?

I KNEW YOU WERE A HARD DEMANDING JUDGE...

AND YET I NEVER TOOK THIS SERIOUS...

A. WHY IS THE ONE TALENT MAN SO CRITICAL AND JUDGMENTAL?

B. What does the Master think of LAZINESS...

Matthew 25:24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord,

I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown,

and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

[25] And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast

that is thine.

[26] His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou

knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

[27] Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then

at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

[28] Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

C. TAKE WHAT THE ACCOUNTABLE PEOPLE HAVE AND GIVE IT TO THOSE

THAT TRIED...

IV. HAVE YOU EVER HAD A GRASSHOPPER PROPHET TRY TO CORRECT THE

FAITHFUL?

Luke 16:2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee?

give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

A. I HAD A CHURCH MEMBER THAT ATTENDED ABOUT EVERY THIRD WEEK?

He often told me what was wrong with me and what was wrong with the church?

I would listen...

HE SAID: WE NEED MORE PRAYER MEETINGS...

He never attend one that we had...

He said: WE NEED ALL NIGHT PRAYER MEETINGS...

I booked 3... HE WAS NOT AT ONE OF THEM...

B. He would hold others accountable, but never evaluate himself...

HE HAD A SERIOUS LOVE OF THE WORLD & ENTERTAINMENT...

V. THERE ARE FIVE JUDGMENTS RECORDED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT...

WE NEED REAL ACCOUNTABLITY AND A GREATER EFFORT INVESTED

TO BUILD THE KINGDOM...

A. HOW MANY TIMES HAS A PERSON CRITIZED A MUSICAN AND NEVER PAID

FOR ONE INSTRUMENT, ONE LESSON, OR A SET OF STRINGS?

Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

B. ACCOUNTABLE, ACCOUNTABILITY:

Responsible, required to give account, answerable, liable

ACCOUNT --- deposit, withdrawal

C. ACCOUNT FOR:

To provide explanation

VI. THE MOUTH IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE HEART OF MAN...

A. HOW CAN ONE TELL WHAT THEY REALLY LOVE...?

1. WHERE YOU SPEND YOUR TIME AND MONNEY...!!!

2. WHAT YOU TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME... !!!

Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?

for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

B. Your words will clear you or they will CONVICT YOU!

Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak,

they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be

condemned.

C. I once had a friend that talked about everybody... they all smelled...

After I got to know this person very closely: I NOTICED THEY OFTEN HAD AN ODOR?

VII. TO JUDGE OTHERS IS A TERRIBLE BOOMERANG...

A. I knew this old lady that would talk about her neighbor's wash hanging out on

the SOLAR DRYER... (clothes line.)

She told me on various occassions the neighbor used to get her clothes bright clean.

Over time she began noticing the clothes were dingy and not as clean as they used to be.

The community burned coal in the winter to heat their homes?

COME SPRING THE LADY AND HER HUSBAND DID THEIR SPRING CLEANING.

They washed their windows...

The neighbor's next wash day? Her clothes were back bright...

The dingy clothes were not dirty clothes but DIRTY WINDOWS...

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

B. I heard a pastor of a very successful church discussing a young guest speaker at

his church. The pastor had on a $1,500 suit and a $900 pair of shoes.

The young man came and preached AN IGNITING SERMON...

The old preacher said: WOW, THAT WAS A POWERFUL LESSON, IF I HAD

ONE CRITICISM OF THE YOUNG MAN IT WOULD BE:

HIS SHOES DID DID NOT MATCH HIS SUIT.

It was the only pair of shoes the young preacher had, he paid $19.99 for them.

VIII. CONCLUSION

EVALUATE AND TRY AGAIN... SOME 30, SOME 60, SOME 100 FOLD...

We need JUDGMENT in the House of God.

Not judging others. Not fault finding and analyzing every word in great deal...

WE NEED ACCOUNTABILITY --- WHERE PEOPLE WILL EVALUATE THEIR

PERSONAL ATTITUDES AND THEIR EVERYDAY WORDS AND SUBMIT TO THE

HOLY SPIRIT FOR CORRECTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF SELF.

Philip. 4:17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to

your account.

WHAT KIND OF FRUIT ARE YOU PRODUCING?

HOW MUCH FRUIT ARE YOU PRODUCTING? Are you teaching and mentoring?

Great in the yield of a FERTILE FIELD...

Luke 13:7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years

I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it

the ground?

[8] 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.

I was laying under a tree in Virginia one day.

I rode my bike several miles, I saw this shade, so I stopped, parked my bike

and laid down.

I noticed there were many rocks and sticks laying all around under the tree.

I could not understand why?

I looked up and noticed there were many yellow apples "up there."

I stood up and picked one and ate it... the yellow apple was so sweet, I really

enjoyed eating the apple as I lay in the shade.

I noticed the tree next to me had no sticks and rocks under it.

Yet as I lay there I observed it was full of apples. I got up and picked a apple

off the tree. They were small, hard and green... THEY WERE CRAB APPLES...

No rocks? No sticks? No body wanted the fruit it was bearing...

If you have no rocks? No sticks? Maybe you have BITTER FRUIT?

Why not EVALUATE YOUR FRUIT?

EVALUATE YOURSELF HONESTLY: ARE YOU 30%, 60%, OR 100%?

WILL YOU LET THE MASTER PRUNE YOU TO BEAR MORE FRUIT?

Luke 6:44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather

figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

Pass it on? Share my work?