BE SURE YOU'RE RIGHT, AND THEN GO AHEAD!

LUKE 2:52

Rick Jackson

In 1820 a new congressman stood before the House and said, "Mr. Speaker: The Gentleman from Massachusetts talks about summing up the merits of the
question, but I'll sum up my own."

"In one word, I'm a screamer. I've got the roughest racing horse, the
prettiest sister, the surest rifle and the ugliest dog in the District! My
father can whip any man in Tennessee, and I can whip my father. I can give
any man on this floor two hours start and outspeak him!

"I can run faster, dive deeper, stay under longer, and come up drier than
any man this side of the big swamp. I can outgrin a panther and outstare a
flash of lightning, tote a steamboat on my back and play at rough and tumble
with a lion, with a kick now and then from a zebra!"

Thus congress heard the first speech from the new representative from
Tennessee, David Crockett. As you study the life of Davy Crockett you learn
he had a life motto, BE SURE YOU'RE RIGHT, AND THEN GO AHEAD! He applied
this to all areas of his life. In shooting he said, "Be sure you're right
and then go ahead and pull the trigger!" In marriage, in fighting, and even
in politics:

"If I'm the only member of the house to vote against this bill--- yes, if
I'm the only man in the whole country against it, I'll still vote against
it! It'll be a matter of rejoicing to me till the day I die that I've voted
as I intend."

I don't know if Davy came up with his motto from the Scriptures but the
plain truth is, it is Scriptural! Eph. 5:10 says, "Proving what is
acceptable unto the Lord!" Now using the pattern of our Lord from Luke 2:52

let's see how it might work.

I. BE SURE YOU'RE RIGHT INTELLECTUALLY, AND THEN GO AHEAD!

1. God is the author of truth (Pr. 1:7, Jn. 14:6, 17:17, Rm. 1:18-25, 3:4)

2. Guard your mind with truth (Phil. 4:8, Col. 2:8)

3. Grasp the fullness of truth (I Tm. 6:12-21)

II. BE SURE YOU'RE RIGHT PHYSICALLY, AND THEN GO AHEAD!

1. God is more important than the physical (Mt. 6:25-33)

2. God has a place for the physical (I Tm. 4:8)

3. God has guidelines for the physical (I Cor. 6:18-20)

III. BE SURE YOU'RE RIGHT SPIRITUALLY, AND THEN GO AHEAD!

1. God has given His Word (Jo. 1:8, II Tm. 3:16-17)

2. God has revealed Himself in His Word (Is. 42:5-9)

3. God has revealed Himself as the Word (Is. 42:1-4, Jn. 1, Acts 10:43)

IV. BE SURE YOU'RE RIGHT SOCIALLY, AND THEN GO AHEAD!

1. Watch your crowd (Ps. 1:1-2, I Co. 5:9-11)

2. Watch your choice (I Co. 7:39b)

3. Watch your character (Gal. 5:16-26, 6:7-10)