(j) A n3·7EF -vD_ e_.s-rL.__ _ _ _ ·cLASSIFICATIO~: ... TEXT ____._. Isliaui~ahu___.:a4~D~·Z~8~-- "-'1'------(I) CH ,it IA(1l: R, J,, ~ C.# ~EXPOSITORY TITLEo:-- - '-'T_H_E_ S_K_Y_I_S_T_H_E_ L_I_M_I_T_! _" ______--BIOGRAPHICAL --TEXTUAL --TOPICAL SCRIPTURE READINU------DEVOTIONAL

DELIVERIES: Date Hour Place Results and Comments:

FBC 3-11-73 a. m. San Angelo, Texas XXX++ 1 red . FRM 1-2-77 a.m. San Angelo, Texas XXX* 1 letter (XXX+++) ; FBC 12 - 31-80 Wed pm San Ang e lo, Tx F.B.C. 1-4-87 A.M. San Angelo, TX ,(XXX++++); (XXX++++); F.B.C. 4-14-91 p.m. San Angelo, ,.,.TX P./3.C. 3 -3~9<, pi--m Ir L> Aw BS/If ~~ 3·'1~ /vtltn-t " II II (XXX++++); 5-+P.~ ~-1<7--1~ 4, .1.' w.:... /t

BIBLIOGRAPHY ______THE SKY IS THE LIMIT !

_ /J. S cripture: Isaiah 40 : 2 8-3 1 P-t w e, bh r 4 l. r va-,4eie - ~ - l-t-9? INTRO:/\TifE DANISH THEOLOGIAN AND PHILOSOPHER KIERKEGAARD HAS A PARABLE OF A WILD DUCK. WITH HIS MATES THIS IHJc°K WAS FLYING IN THE SPRINGTIME NORTH-, WARD ACROSS EUROPE • ON THE FLIGHT HE HAPPENED TO COME DOWN IN A BARNYARD IN DENMARK WHERE THERE WERE TAME DUCKS. HE ATE AND ENJOYED SOME OF THEIR CORN, AND STAVED --FIRST FOR AN HOUR, AND THEN FOR A DAY, AND THEN FOR A WEEK, AND THEN FOR A MONTH, AND, FINALLY, BECAUSE HE LIKED THE GOOD FARE AND THE SAFETY OF THE BARNYARD, STAYED ALL SUMMER. BUT ONE AUTUMN DAY WHEN HIS WILD MATES WERE WINGING THEIR WAY SOUTHWARD AGAIN THEY PASSED OVER THE BARNYARD, AND THEIR MATE HEARD THEIR CRIES. IT STIRREI HIM WITH A STRANGE THRILL OF JOY AND DELIGHT; AND, FLAPPING HIS WINGS HE ROSE IN THE AIR TO JOIN HIS OLD COMRADES IN THEIR FLIGHT TO THE LAND OF SUMMER. BUT , ALA , HE FOUND THAT HIS GOOD FARE HAD MADE HIM SO SOFT AND HEAVY THAT HE COULD RISE NO HIGHER · THAN THE EAVES OF THE BARN. SO HE SANK BACK AGAIN TO

THE BARNYARD I AND SAID TO HIMSELF, II OH, WELL I MY LIFE IS SAFE HERE AND THE FARE IS GOOD. 11 EVERY SPRING I AND AGAIN EVERY AUTUMN WHEN THE WILD DUCKS FLEW OVER HIS -IDARNYARD AND HE HEARD THEIR HONKING CRY, HIS EYE GLEAMED FOR A MOMENT AND HE BEGAN TO LIFT HIS WINGS AND WOULD FAIN HAVE JOINED HIS MATES. BUT AT LENGTH THE DAY CAME WHEN THE WILD DUCKS FLEW OVER HIM AND UTTERED THEIR CRY AND HE PAID NOT THE SLIGHTEST ATTENTION TO THEM. WHAT A PARABLE THIS IS OF HOW WE CAN FORGET THE HIGH AND NOBLE LIFE GOD HAS IN MIND FOR US • .JtilI'-. BECOME SO AND COMFORTABLE, CONTENT WITH THE MEDIOCRE TRIFLING THINGS OF LIFE. FIND OU - SELVES CAPABLE £?F JUSI!'J~ ~-9 .. ~ IC.Hi H1-J'JiAN THE EAVES , OF THE BARNS \ABOUT US WHEN GOD SAY! 'THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES -- TH SKY IS THE \ LIMIT! II _A·~&~~~~/, The Sky Is the Limit:

I. WHEN WE ARE TRULY AWARE OF THE PO R OF GOD --Isa. 40:28 --II Cor. 4:7 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and ·not

Of US o II --NQr:§: When we realize the resource for our power and then avail ourselves of it, "The sky..i.§_ the limit!" 1. Who Is Everlasting -- s. 28a - IIJ.US. .: God is everlasting, that is he does not change The same God who rolled up the Red Sea and led his people to safety on the other side is the same God whose power is operative and available today •••• 2. Who Rules Over All Things and All eople -- vs. 28b =c:,;U=-: Since this is true1God can bring about a complete reversal in a man's attitu~a 3. Who Created_All That Is --.vs. 28c_~ SW.5 -~1e1t-M6'.,...7 ' ILLUS: Dr. Elmer W. Engstrom~~ the Chief Executive Officer of the Radio Corporation of America, a Corpo­ ration with over 100,000 employees. Dr. Engstrom has long been a recognized leader in tlie advancement of science and technology. ! In a private interview when asked, "D....o you see i evidence that God is living and ruling in our age, Dr. Engstrom said , "All the things that are developing and evolving in the world, whether material or not, seem to me to show tnat the world is moving on God's plan, not ours. Yes, I believe that the power of God is complete, and that the authority of God is absolute and final, that God is both Creator.and Redeemer; that in His providence God is in control of His creati on, and that He rules in the affairs of men." t%yrP..- 4. ose Power Cannot be Depleted -- vs. ,ad 5. Whose Wisdom Is Be nd Our Compre_b_en_sion -- vs . 28e C.4,L~ eA-,7611 ff .. C!!:1.__0-.) II. WHEN WE ADMIT OUR OWN INADEQUACIE~ --Isa. 40:29 (L.B. "He gives power to the tired and worn • out, and strength to the weak.") 1. Because We The_n P.Jace Ourselves in a Position to Be Used of Go__,d., g Dov9 fftr.•..,..,,, LA,, .J'...... - F / v II. WHEN WE ADMIT OUR OWN INADEQUACIES --II Cor. 12.:10b (L.B ) For when I am weak, then I am strpng ; -- the less I have, the more I depend on him." =:.;U~S:.,: Are you "tired and worn out" today. Do you find yourself saying, "I just can't do it, life is too demanding, God knows I've tried but I've failed?" Well, God says to you, "Man, I've been wai_ting S a long long time for you to admit this •••• •Wo:f 11 2 • cause We Then Identify With Others fo~ ·" .:..:..;:=E=-=: The church too long has given the outsiders the impression that we are so far above them that we cannot possibly identify with them. - ...ILLUS: George VI was a king who had an impediment in his speech. It was not a stutter. · It was really a stop. One day he was seeing over a certain film studio • • By an unfortunate coincidence, the engineer who was showing him round had exactly. the same im­ pediment. I his nervousness the engineer found he was becoming worse and worse • .. King. George put his hand on the man's shoulder. "It's all right friend II he said. "I know what it's likE!~ The same King's broth.er, the Duke of Kent, was killed in a wartime plane crash. That same King's h me, Buckingham palace., was bombed. > Wh-en we admit our own inadequacies and identify with others they fi.nd it much easier to accept our Lord as the answer to their ne.ed. 3 • Because We Then Magru,fx Cfiflst -'-NOTE: There is no cause left for our magnifying our­ selves. - - ILLUS: Some magnify the amount of ~ they do; some magnify the u:=~....,""""'=- of life; some magnify w..1,W,r,Wlilil....,f,,il!,a,..Wlolii,,lr;la.t~ · but some magnify Christ,. --Gal 6:14a 'God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. 11 4. Because Then Prayer Becomes Meaningful - - NOTE: Sad but true, that most of us do not really pray except out of a sense of deep need and a keen feeling of our own inadequacies. - --U.LYS:-(1) Prayer is not Goctdoing things for us; it is God's helping us to do things for ourselves. (2) Prayer may not change circumstances , but it ean change us . (3) Prayer ts not escape, it i s conquest. (4) Prayer is not so much telling God wnat we want him to do as it is lim ning to hear what he wants us to do.

III. WJ-!ENWE [SE TO BE DISCOURAGED BY THE FAILURJ OF OTHERS c:lt.. - -Isa. 40:30 (L. B.) "Even the youths shall be exhausted , Jr and the yo 11 og meo...will .all gi~' --NOTE: Even wben those whom you feel are the les s likely to tire and quit, do fail, you must refuse to e discouraged. i .e . "Disillusionment" in others .u •boo-t. 1. ·ro Whom the Work Is Too Exhausting -- ~s. 30a LB --ILLUS: Anythi ng worthwhile t akes time and effort. But really how much time does your church take. you have hours in a week; if you are faithful

Bible study, 1 hour;1 a.m. worship, l; , 1; prayer service, 1; = leaving .Llif hours . 2_._1@w. ~iv t1p Too Easily - v~. 30 b (L. B ) , , h - - ~ : · e .,. ~tY o"f fno6le"1'1_r --:;r;t .CavttA ,1-i,e, ,tJ =.:;.._.--• ~ C.,tw;tt/, t,.--i,o '/n-e. Ur,

N. WHEN WE PATIENTLY WAJ.T ON THE LORD --Is a. 40:31 ~ - - NOTE: Too often we want God to hurry 1 • Who Knows What We Need --ILLUS : Paul's 11 t horn in the flesh. 11 2. Who Knows When We Need It --Luke 24:49b "Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, UN ­ TIL ye be endued with power from on high." - - ILLUS: Christ knew both what they needed {"power") and when they needed it. God doesn't impart his power and blessings according to our whims. 3. Who Will Renew Our Strength -- vs. 3 la --NOTE: Have you lost your strength? Is your sp. battery discharged -- run down? Do vrn, h ;::w e a bad case of the sp. blahs? •• • au ~~~ 4. Who Will Enable Us to Soar to Ne Heights -- 3 l b (1) When living for Christ is our ruling passion --ILLlffi: A man will never become outstandingly good at anything until that thing becomes his rulina oassion. There must be somethi ng of whic ~~" '.1 -~--- - ·, .L..01). r \ he can say, "For me to live is •••• ,.J v~ 2) When we turn loose of all that weights us down ~ )..,... /, , --ILLUS : Little boy with hand in expensive vase. 5. Who Imparts an Inexhaustive Reservoir of Spiritual Energy -- vs. 31c " "I :.>o St>"'1 l ify I --NOTE: Not just a temporary surge of.. energy ~ , , revival) but a continuous supply. · • l . ' . . . CON: God expects you to rise above the level of medi0cre Christianity! He calls you tQctay to mount up with the)' wings of eagles i;lnd soar to the heights of Christian joy and service. ~-- . , ;> T e sic I~ 111 ffie iintt: (1) w en we are tx:u].y aware f the power of God; (2) when we admit our own nadequa­ cies; (3) when we refuse to be discouraged by the failure of others; ~ (.';H-o.-it.U'~' we patiently wait on the L_ord ! -y.,mJtke :' k -[q:r;;:~Qi.s-i~ ;a-~~111 el ~;a,.e._,-C,dA,f r·-, -v--.. I VS £ -+ ;11Arz; L./fvld,..,,11~~

r-~~L.__--,....._ Oec l'l'll ::is;o1l~ Cf '[Ytjf .f 'I--'~ .;::::,,, I've taught a class for man years; Borne many burdens--toiled through tears; But folks don't notice me a bit; Um so discouraged--I'll just quit. Sometime ago , I joined the choir; That many souls I might inspire; But folks don't seem moved a bit, And I won't stand it. I'll just quit. I've led young people day and night And sacrificed to lead them right, But folks won't help me out a bit And I'm so tired, I think I'll quit. Christ's cause is hindered everywhere And folks are dying in despair. The reason why? Just think a bit; The church is full of FOLKS WHO QUIT, The Sky Is The Limit! Isaiah 40:28-31 Sardis Baptist Church, August 19, 2012

The sky is the limit when:

I. We are truly aware of the power of God - Isa. 40:28 & II Cor 4:7 1. Who is everlasting - vs. 28a 2. Who rules over all things and all people - vs. 28b 3. Who created all that is - vs. 28c 4. Whose power cannot be depleted - vs. 28d 5. Whose wisdom is beyond our comprehension - vs. 28e

II. When we admit our own inadequacies - Isa. 40:29 1. Because we then place ourselves in a position to be used of God - II Cor. 12:IOb "When I am weak, then I am strong." 2. Because we then identify with others 3. Because we then magnify Christ- Gal. 6:14a 4. Because then prayer becomes meaningful > Prayer is not so much telling God what we want Him to do as it is listening to God to hear what He wants us to do.

III. When we refuse to be discouraged by the failure of others - Isa. 40:30 (LB) "Even the youths shall be exhausted and the young men will all give up. " 1. For whom the work is too exhausting - Isa 40:30a 2. Who give up too easily - Isa. 40:30b

IV. When we patiently wait on the Lord - Isa. 40:31 1. Who knows what we need 2. Who knows when we need it - Luke 24:49b 3. Who will renew our strength - Isa. 40: 31 a 4. Who will enable us to soar to new heights - Isa. 40:31 b

God expects us to rise aboe the level of mediocre Christianity The Voyager success and the Mars landing are reminders of what can be done when we put our minds to it. THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!

USED: F.8.C. SA~ //-nG-£J.o 3-11- 73 ;lf./'1.(lt~{-,.t.Y--l!j) " '1 f/ /-l..-- 77,t{ft! (/L,lf~(X'I-K.J_/ F . B.C. , San Angelo 12-31-80 Wed.p.m. (>()t.1,.1+!); r 1s c. s~;;.,1 ~ lo I - 4 -?7 >tftf. ~ (x~ -1+1-~ ; ~ IJ. C, ,. , , 't .- '"' 91 l"·A1, (~.,. tt!!)/' f . B,c, ~.,+n,do 3 ... 3 .. %,w(°~+++)) ,A se,- S.SAt- S"-3'W AIH,,v('(Wr,..~ i S A,0,I~ B,c., lt~~·- -- U-·,.U,t.A <;J - /'(-').I){ J. )$ '), ...... ---"?~ rlJ'. v· I Dec. 17: Breaks 1946 n1~:M'II'~ Dec. 20: Aircraft tossed at a Flight Hlghllghts r~rd for ~,ven 90 degree bank by violent O.C.. 1t: Wings drag on p~ weather. takeoff and w\nglets are O.C. 18: Breaks records for Dec. 21: Aircraft alters course damaged, but does !)O\ - ---­ unrefueled straight-line flight, to avoid turbulence. seriously affect-aircraft. one for distance and one for Dec. Rear engine stalls alters time. 22: Oec. 1S: Plape course briefly but second engine to avoid typhoon and c,osses QK. 19: Aircraft clears west quickly restarted. International Dateline. coast of Africa. O.C. 11: Skirts Typhoon Dec. 20: Crew forgets to add Dec. 23: Aircraft lands in Marge and switches to rear oil creating an abrupt rise in California one day ahead of engine for remainder of trip. engine temperature. schedule.

AP/Cynthia Greer AP Laserphoto The nine-day flight of the Voyager from December 14-23 is outlined in this schedule as it highlights the activities of pilots Dick Tur an and Jeana Yeager who touched down Tuesday at Edwatds Air Force Base in Calif. , . .._ 1 Chronology of record flight: MOJAVE, Calif. (AP) - Here is shorter. porarily lose up to 30 percent of a chronology of Voyager's record Dec.15- Voyager reaches the in- their hearing because of the nonstop, unrefueled flight around ternational dateline with favorable engine's constant drone. the world: high winds from a storm near Dec. 20 - Voyager's tired~ July 15 - Voyager completes a Guam increasing the plane's forgets to add oil to the rear engine 111-hour, 11,600.9-mile test flight 123-mph cruising speed. out the subsequent rise in engine over the Pacific between San Luis Dec. 16 - fears mount that temperature is fixed when 1.7 Obispo and San Francisco, setting qetours ta ayoid storms have used quarts of oil are added over the the world's distance record for a too much fuel as Voyager crosses Atlantic. Spokesman Peter Riva closed-course flight. Pilots Dick -Malaysia shortly after 9 a.m. CST. says it appears the crew failed to Rutan and Jeana Yeager say they With Yeager at the controls, check the oil level for a day and a are exhausted. Voyager flies icio towering raln half when it should have been November - A series of short ~ near the Phillippines, monitored every six hours. "They test flights are successfully com­ heading toward Singapore. The just got sort of complacent and let P1eted and spokesmen say the flight surgeon orders more rest for the engine run without adding oil," around-the-world flight must begin Rutan, who is said to be suffering said Glenn Maben, the project's by mid-December or risk postpone­ from fatigue. engine specialist. ment until spring due to worsening Dec.17 - Voyager godges Indian Dec. 21 - Voyager rounds the weather over the Indian Ocean. Ocean storms and there are con- northeast coast of South America. Dec. 13 -After a_pries ot dglays cerns that the craft may have used Dec. 22 - An electrical pump us­ because of tropical thunderstorms so much fuel it could fail in its mis- ed to draw fuel from eight tanks on over the Pacific and Indian oceans sion. But.jt is thought a fuel gaug~ the right sid~ of the craft fails. The and poor local weather conditions, may be indicating a higher hourly crew switches valves that enables meteorologists give final approval. consumption than is actually the the fuel pump on the rear engine to "Go for launch tomorrow morn­ case. draw fuel directly from the right ing," Voyager spokesman Lee Her­ Dec. 18 - Voyager crosses the side, bypassing the faulty pump. ron says. Later that day, however, midpoint in its journey and heads Dec. 23 - Voyager's rear engin~ Yeager is examined by doctors for into Africa over Somalia as worries stalls briefl~ asthe plane makes its cold symptoms that threaten to over fuel supplies diminish. The way towar California, but a se­ delay the flight again. plane surpasses a distance record cond engine is quickly restarted. Dec. 14 - Voyager takes off a few of 12,532 miles for unfueled The plane lands at Edwards Air minutes after 10 a.m. CST from Ed­ straight-line flight set by a U.S. Air Force Base shortly after 10 a.m., wards Air Force Base but ~ Force B-52 in 1962. wie day ahead of schedule. after ~ damages both wingtiD~ on the Dec. 19 - Voyager crosses out of completing a trip that lasted 216 way; it continues its flight with Africa over the Bight of Biafra. hours and four minutes and covered the ~rayed wingtips at least two feet Doctors say the two pilots may tern- more than 26,000 miles. - ~ /-~ ./l.-c_ I ffie world without one stop EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) - %V.qyager landed RELATED STORY, 4C in triumph Tues((iy,1Mthe cheers of tens of thousands after completing five minutes Tuesday morning. the first unrefueled non-stop flight Voyager also was tipped on its arouod the world. side like a kite in powerful storms: Voyager crossed the Pacific just battering pilot Jeana Yeager inside south of Hawaii and flew over the the phone booth-size cabin. And ori Marianas, tbe Philippines, takeoff, its wings dragged along thE\ Malaysia, the Indian Ocean, cen­ ruoway and frayed off about a foot tral Africa, the Atlantic ocean, the fro each Styrofoam · Caribbean, South America's Atlan­ e Voyager success) is area tic coast, Central America and reminder of what we c o when Mexico's Pacific coast before com­ ing home. ~'f.r=dp~~t,' a rospac " It wasn't the best landing I've ~ made, but we'll walk away from tists, said Tuesday. it," pilot Dick Rutan said as he The craft's wings and three toucf,ed down on i, desert rflnway fuselages all are made of a carbon­ here at 8:06 a.m. PST, nine days fiber honeycomb material. Empty, and four minutes after the spindly, the craft weighs just 1,858 pouods; lightweight craft took off from the fully fueled, it took off at 9,300 same base on its historic journey. pouods. The plane officially traveled Worries about a lack of gasoline 25,012 miles, at an average speed of waned in the final days, only to 102 mph, according to the National have an engine stall out early Tues­ Aeronautic Association, which cer­ day because of air pockets in the tified its record. However, designer fuel line. Voyager dropped 3,400 Burt Rutan, Dick Rutan's brother, feet-from 8,900 to 5,500 feet - dur­ said Voyager had actually traveled ing the five-minute outage before AP Laserphoto about 26,000 miles. the fore and aft engines could be !r Edwards Air Force Base near Mojave, California, Tuesday as thousands of spectators line a dry lakebed to During the flight, Voyager en­ restarted. y Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, the craft landed safely, ending a nine-day, non-stop, unrefueled flight around couotered oil problems, a faulty The plane effectively doubled fuel gauge and finally a vapor lock every non-stop, nonrefueled that conked out the rear engine for distance record in aviation history. Voyager's pilats exhausted but healthy EDWARDS Am FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) - or injuries during the flight of more than 25,000 miles. -v opens fire Voyager pilots Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager said " We feel a little wobbly, but we didn't have any they were exhausted and dazed Tuesday but in physiology problem except for fatigue," Rutan said. basically good physical shape after their uo­ Early in the flight, Voyager physician George Jutila nlin policies precedented nine-day rouod-the-wo Id flight. said be feared the pair would suffer permanent hear­ Rutan, 49, and Yeager, 34, looked lean and athletic ing loss because of grinding engine noise. But Rutan ei D. was convicted in 1984 of slander­ as they climbed into Voyager at the beginning of the said an electronic device fitted into special earphones that ing the Soviet state. trip. Wben they emerged for a news conference Tues­ muted the noise. from Scores of reporters were day, they looked even leaner. Throughout the flight, Voyager officials said violent alex­ waiting when they arrived from "In long-distance flight, you never eat all the food air currents were bouocing the two pilots about the e out their eight-hour, overnight train you have," Rutan said, looking fit in his navy-blue cockpit. The turbulence, they said, had especially af­ mman ride in the pre-dawn cold at Voyager flight suit. "Your appetite is never as good as fected the petite Yeager. Yaroslavsky train station. it should be." Yeager, however, minimized any pain she suffered, Sakharov was banished to Although they consumed only 10 percent of their the food supply, they said they suffered o major Illnesses Please r ee VOYAGER, Page 4A