The decision to live for God or the World:

We have talked about living our lives for God now for the last several weeks, I feel now  the time has come that we make a decision, are we going to live for God or the world.  We like to think that we can do both but that is not true, God wants all or nothing.  God tells the city of Laodicea, “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other!  But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth!  You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.  I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. And also buy white garments so you will not be shamed by your nakedness. And buy ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.  I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference.”  How many of us are just like the city Laodicea? We love to come to church on Sunday mornings, we love to call ourselves Christians, those that follow Christ yet we do not want to have to live the life of one who follows Christ.  We may even go home and read the bible daily, high light our bibles, and memorize scriptures, yet at the end of the day we easily say God understands if I sin a little, or if I miss one Sunday. 

In Matthew 13:44 Christ says, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”  We have a wonderful reward in coming to the  Kingdom of Heaven, are we willing to go where we are asked to go, to sell what needs sold, to give up what needs to be given up?  We have a God that loves and wants us to have a meaningful relationship with Him.  In Matthew 13 Christ tells the parable of the soils.  “A farmer went out to plant some seed.  As he scattered it across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The plants sprang up quickly, but they soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil.  Other seeds fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades. But some seeds fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!”(Verses 3-9)  Many of us want to say I am the healthy the soil!

I like what Francis Chan has to say about this piece of Scripture; “Has your relationship with God actually changed the way you live? Do you see evidence of God’s kingdom in your life? Or are you choking it out slowly by spending too much time, energy, money, and thought on the things of this world? Are you satisfied being “godly enough” to get yourself to heaven, or to look good in comparison to others? Or can you say with Paul that you “want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil. 3:10)? For a long time this verse had just too much Jesus for me. In my opinion, the verse should have ended after the word resurrection, so I could have an appealing, popular Jesus who didn’t suffer. The feedback I received from other Christians reassured me that this was a fine perspective, and it gave me little reason to strive to know Christ more deeply. I was told I was good enough, “godly enough.”

Chan, Francis (2010-01-01). Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God (pp. 65-66). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.

Are we really to trust God with everything?

We live our lives trusting that people are going to do the right thing, but the reality is, that is not really going to happen.  Don’t get wrong I’m not down on people I’m pointing out that for most of the time we are going to make mistakes, forget something, not call when we should, you get the picture.  Another word for trust is faith; if we put our faith in someone we are saying that we trust them.  But are we really putting our trust in God, do we really believe that He is going to be able to take care of us when we need Him.  Is our faith weak like that of the Israelites when Moses lead them out of Egypt?  More than once we read about how they grumbled and complained at times saying has God sent us out of Egypt to die in the desert?  They had seen many powerful signs from God, yet they could not believe, because of their disbelief that God could not deliver them many had to wonder in the dessert for 40 years.  Numbers 14:20-24 says “Then the Lord said: “I have pardoned, according to your word; ^but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord— ^because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice,^ they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. ^ But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.”  Did you notice the part where God says “for those who rejected me,”  did you ever think about when you do not put your trust in God that you are rejecting Him?

        God doesn’t want us to just trust Him when we want to but at all times, things may not be going well for you.  God says trust me I am with you, do not worry about it I’m taking care of you.  “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; He will never permit.(psalm 55:22)  God wants us to trust Him enough that we come to Him with all of our burdens, we can trust that God is not going to let us down.  The prophet Jeremiah tells us this, “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. ⁸ They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit.”(17:7-8)  Do we want to be a people that go back and forth, complaining about what is not happening in our lives?  Or do we want to be strong in God, putting our trust in God knowing that through all things God is with us and is making us stronger in Him each day?

Do you know that Christ tells us that when we ask for something in prayer believe that you have received it?  That is right, it is in Mark 11:22-25, “Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God.  I assure you that you can say to this mountain, ‘May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,’ and your command will be obeyed. All that’s required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart.  Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it.  But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”   God wants us to know we are to trust Him in all things to put are faith in Him, not in the world around us.

What, Are We Really Not to Worry? I'm Worried!

We live in a society where people are consistently walking around worried and stressed about all kinds of things. We seem to just go right along with it in the church; we even begin to say that there is justifiable worry and stress. But is that what Christ tells us? In Matthew 6:25-27 Christ says “So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.”  I have to say it sounds like what Christ is saying here is don’t worry about your earthly passions, don’t worry about money our about making sure that you are keeping up with others.  But isn’t that what we do? We worry about all kinds of things, am I going to be able to pay this bill or that bill?  Do the clothe that I own look as good as others?  But God doesn’t want us to worry about that.  No, he wants us to go to Him in prayer and trust that no matter what He is going to take care of us. 

Shouldn’t we be worried about all this, If we aren’t who is going to worry about it?  Francis Chan points out to us that, “worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what’s happening in our lives. Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control.”  In James 4:13-17 tells us, “Look here, you people who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.”  How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.  What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”  Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”  We have a God that has called us to be holy, to put our trust in Him.  We continue to look at this world that is around us, but God is calling us to look at His kingdom to live for Him not for us.  We are generally too busy looking around at the world around us that we forget about Gods Kingdom.

In Matthew 14:22-33 we are told about a time where Christ came to the disciples while they are in a boat during a storm.  Christ tells them don’t worry I have come.  Peter says if it you tell me to come to you and I will.  So Christ tells to and Peter is walking on water looking at Christ, then we read this; “But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him. “You don’t have much faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” And when they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped, then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.”  Two things I want you to notice in this, first It says but when He took His eyes off of Him.  How many times do we begin to worry because we have stop looking to God for the answers or strength we need, that’s when worry creeps into our lives, and we begin to lose faith in Christ.  Second it Says they worshiped Him, we need to begin to worship God all the time, not just on Sundays but all the time, if you want to defeat worry and stress begin praising God in  all things.  “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

Chan, Francis (2010-01-01). Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God (p. 40). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.   

Are we really to glorify God in everything we do, what about me?

If we are to follow God does that really mean we have to go around glorifying Him all the Time? Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”  Then in Philippians 4:4-7 Paul tells us, “rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ^ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  Notice Paul does not say when times are going good rejoice, but when times are not so good just don’t worry about rejoicing.  In all things we are to rejoice in Christ, we are to show  those around us that we serve a God who no matter what is happening we are going to glorify and rejoice in.  How do we do that, are we to go around with our hands in the air shouting and singing songs to God?  Are we to be constantly  putting post of Facebook about how great our God is?  I do not believe this is what Paul meant when he wrote this.

As we look the words that follow, “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”   What Paul is saying is that when we go out we must not allow our own wants to get in the way of how we live for God.  We can easily live our lives thinking about all the things we desire, and trying to build ourselves up to others.  But God wants us to live for Him building Him up, showing others who He is and how when we have the Spirit of God living in us we can live with peace in our lives no matter what happens at work, or our personal life.   We are too busy trying to bring glory to ourselves  to let people know how great we are, but God stops  and says don’t worry about it I’ll take care of you just bring glory to me.  We spend a great deal of trying to get notice for the things we do, things that we do only because God has allowed us to.  As we read the bible, we begin to notice one thing.  That one thing is that the entire bible points to God, it glorifies God, through all the different people we read about, they are only a small part of the bible.  The main purpose of bible is to bring us to God, our creator.

We read about King David, one of the greatest Kings that Israel ever had.  God had blessed him greatly.  At one point in the life of David, David forgot that all he had was because God had given it to him.  He was to bring glory to God with all that God had done for him, but David decided to take census of the people to how great his kingdom was.  He forgot that it was not his kingdom but Gods kingdom.  We read in Chronicles 21 all about how David’s advisors told him not to sin against the Lord, but David did not listen to them.  His own pride got in the way.  Because of his forgetting to praise and rejoice in the Lord many people ended up dyeing.  You may say that seems a bit extreme, but when we begin to let our own pride, wants, desires to take over and forget that it is all about God, what is the cost?  How many people look and say if that is what the church is about then I don’t want to go there?  Let us live our lives not for our own glory but for the Glory of God.