Mistakes
1. Several years ago General Motors had a very costly mistake.
2. 4.9 million vehicles had to be recalled to check faulty carburetors and exhaust systems.
3. Each vehicle owner was contacted by registered letter.
4. General Motors spend more than 4 million dollars on postage.
5. A mistake was costly.
HUMAN BEINGS MAKE MISTAKES; WE ALL SOMETIMES TIMES ERR. IN MANY CASES WE ARE ABLE TO LEARN FROM THE MISTAKES OF OTHERS.
a) One of the places where we can learn from other’s mistakes is the Bible.
b) Today we want to look at several individuals who made mistakes.
2) Our first example comes from the Old Testament, First Samuel 1.
3) As this book opens we read about a godly woman named Hannah.
a) For a long time Hannah could not have any children.
b) One day she gave birth to a little boy named Samuel.
c) In the 11th verse of First Samuel 1 we read about a vow made by Hannah.
d) Hannah’s vow was said silently but her lips moved.
e)
Someone saw the moving lips and drew a conclusion –
verses 12-14 – READ.
4)
Verses 15-16
tell us Hannah was not intoxicated –– READ. Eli
made a mistake.
5)
Here we find
an example of a person—a religious person—jumping to a conclusion.
6)
Eli thought he
understood the situation but he really didn’t.
7)
Our first
example of a mistake is jumping the gun and thinking something without having
all the facts.
8)
Toda, being a
Christian means we strive to give people the benefit of the doubt.
9)
It also means
we want to know the facts before making a judgment.
10)
Our second
example of a mistake also comes from this part of the Bible, 2 Kgs. 4.
a)
It so happens
that in this chapter we read about another woman who did not have a child.
b)
The prophet
Elisha said this lady would give birth to a child in about a year.
c)
Per the
prophet’s promise, the lady did become a mother.
d)
Some time
passed, the child died, and the prophet brought the boy back to life.
11)
After this
these details we read about something else.
12)
Elisha went to
Gilgal, verse 38. In this place people
were suffering; there was a “famine.”
13)
Along with the
famine were some “young prophets” who were receiving instruction.
14)
At the end of
verse 38 we find a servant being told to make some food (stew) for the
students.
a)
We will start
with verse 39 and go through verse 40 -
READ.
b)
Whatever was
used to make the food was poisonous.
c)
Unless we
believe people intentionally chose to use bad food, here is another mistake.
15)
A lot of
mistakes in life are just like this one.
16)
A person did
something wrong but no malice was intended.
17)
There was no
desire to harm another or create any kind of loss.
18)
As we go
through life it is important to stop and consider if a mistake was intentional.
19)
If not, it is
good for us to remember that everyone makes unintentional mistakes.
20)
In 2 Kgs. 4,
the unintentional mistake was corrected – verse 41 – READ.
21)
As a Christian
we should strive to correct mistakes.
22)
Here a prophet
corrected a mistake that had been made by others.
23)
As Christians
this is something we can sometimes do.
24)
We may not have created some type of mess
(literally or figuratively), but we can help fix it.
25)
We can also
seek to correct our own errors.
26)
In a certain
sense, this is done with repentance; we identify sin (wrongs) and turn from
them.
27)
A third
practical lesson concerning mistakes is found in the book of Jeremiah.
a)
The exact
location is Jeremiah. 44:17f.
b)
One does not
have to read very far in this book to see how difficult life was for God’s
prophet.
c)
In the very
first chapter of Jeremiah God made some startling statements about Jerusalem.
d)
Jer. 1:13
pictures a huge boiling pot ready to fall on the city of Jerusalem
e)
Jeremiah knew
of some Jews living outside Jerusalem (these are the people in Jer. 44).
f)
Like the
residents of Jerusalem, these Jews were wicked and idolatrous.
g)
Here is what
the people outside Jerusalem were saying to God – verse 17 – READ.
h)
Verse 25 is
also a related thought – READ.
i)
Verse 17 has
the people saying, “We are committed to staying with idolatry.”
j)
“When we lived
in that manner, our lives were just fine.”
k)
“Don’t preach
to us preacher; we know how to get through life okay without you and God.”
l)
In verse 25, the
prophet agreed – these people had made their choice & they would stick with
it.
m)
Jeremiah also
told them punishment would befall them.
n)
In fact, verse
27 says they were all going to die.
28)
Here is an
example of people who make a mistake and they would not turn from it.
29)
In the world
we often express a similar idea in different ways.
30)
A person may
be identified as “hard headed, stubborn, obstinate, inflexible, unbending, etc.
31)
There are
people who will not admit to mistakes or turn form a course they have chosen.
32)
Such an
attitude generally creates a lot of problems and it is certainly not a Biblical
lifestyle.
33)
A general
principle from repentance is that mistakes (sins) require change.
34)
Jeremiah dealt
with people who refused to alter their course no matter what.
35)
May we be
people who are sensitive to mistakes, be willing to acknowledge and learn from
them.
36)
If people can
make so many mistakes, we might ask about the basis for them.
a)
With a little
thought most of us would say mistakes are made for many reasons.
b)
A person may
makes mistakes because he or she is tired or is trying to do too many things at
once.
c)
Unfamiliarity
with a job will lead to mistakes as might poor judgment.
d)
Jesus gave an
interesting perspective on mistake making in Mt. 22.
37)
There were
some Sadducees who came to the Lord and they had a question.
38)
They wanted to
know about the resurrection.
39)
In their minds
they had a complicated question.
40)
A man had been
married but he and his wife did not have any children. The man then died.
41)
Moses’ law
said this man’s widow was to marry his brother.
42)
This woman did
and that brother died. The widow then
married another brother.
43)
Since this
woman married seven men, whose wife will she be in the resurrection?
44)
The key verse
for us is Mt. 22:29 – READ.
a)
Jesus said
these men made a mistake.
b)
According to
Lord, not knowing the Scriptures is a mistake.
c)
Failing to
understand God’s power is also a mistake.
d)
We should also
stress this point.
e)
The Sadducees
were not from the local atheists club.
f)
These people
were very, very religious.
g)
They were
highly respected and considered to be very knowledgeable concerning religion.
45)
In spite of
their knowledge and position, Jesus said they were mistaken about the
Scriptures.
46)
Mistakes can
be and are made in the spiritual realm just as mistakes occur in the material
realm.
47)
Lots of people
make serious mistakes about belief and doctrine and we do not want to repeat
them.
48)
We certainly
do not want to follow religious ideas that are incorrect.
49)
As we look at
mistakes we find an example shortly after the gospels (Acts 10).
a)
Peter went to
the house of a man named Cornelius.
b)
Peter was a
Jew but Cornelius was not.
c)
Luke tells us
Peter was not very comfortable going to this man’s house.
d)
A lot of
attention has recently been given to the new pope.
e)
It is
interesting to contrast what we have seen in the news with the information in
Acts 10.
f)
We have seen
pictures of people bowing before a man who is called the pope.
50)
Peter had a
similar experience on this occasion.
51)
Acts 10:25 – READ.
52)
Cornelius was
ready to honor Peter in every way he could.
53)
How did Peter
accept these gestures? Verse 26 – READ.
54)
After the
introduction was over, verse 28 says: READ.
a)
In 28a, there
is a conclusion by Peter.
b)
In 28b, we
find a revision in his thinking.
c)
Peter’s
mistake was based upon race.
55)
Throughout
time many mistakes have been made by race.
56)
Mistakes have
also been made with gender.
57)
Our society
has tried to right some of the errors from the past by making a lot of laws.
58)
Prejudice has
caused people to make a lot of terrible mistakes.
59)
Acts 10 is one
place where we learn why prejudice exists and the solution for it.
60)
People who are
prejudice have rejected or misunderstood Bible teaching.
61)
No man is “unclean” (worthy of prejudice).
62)
Again and
again in the Bible we find people who made mistakes.
a)
Jonah thought
he could flee from God; that belief was an error.
b)
There was a
young man (Lk. 15) who took his share of dad’s wealth and went into a far
country.
c)
He must have
thought life was going to be good for a long, long time.
d)
One day he
realized his great mistake.
e)
He had left a
home of love and plenty for a pig pen.
f)
Peter denied
the Lord, and he later realized he had made a horrible mistake.
g)
A jailor in
Acts 16 thought his life was over; he was ready to destroy himself.
h)
His conclusion
was wrong. That day was one of the most
important days in his life.
63)
Job blamed God
for all his troubles; he was terribly wrong.
64)
Joseph had
brothers who spurned him; they realized their rejection of a family member was
a mistake.
65)
Pharaoh
hardened his heart against God; that mistake cost him as well as the land of
Egypt.
66)
Israel decided
to worship a golden calf instead of serve the true God, it was a great error.
67)
Maybe one of
the most important lessons about mistakes comes from a contrast.
68)
In the world,
mistakes are not always forgiven.
69)
If we make a
mistake, the consequences may be extreme.
70)
Some mistakes
are so serious a person may lose a job, life, or additional chances.
71)
With God,
mistakes can be forgiven. He is a God
of second chances.
72)
All sin; we
violate God’s laws and this is the most serious offense we can commit.
73)
While all sin,
all also have the hope of forgiveness by being obedient to the gospel.
74)
Do we learn
from the mistakes of others, especially Bible characters?
75)
Have we taken
care of the sin problem in our life by coming to Christ?
76)
If not, today
is the day to make things right.