Ps Darin Browne @ Ignite Christian Church

Poisons of the Pilgrim 6- Pining or Coveting

The poison of pining or coveting is another insidious poison, one that we rarely consider even though we live in a society that attempts to produce this poison in our lives 24/7!

 

POISON OR PURE WATER?

 

Some of the poisons we look at are pretty obvious, but one trend you may have noticed is that many of the poisons are insidious, they're hard to pick. 

 

Arsenic for example looks like table salt. It dissolves completely in water, is odourless, tasteless and completely lethal.  There are poisons that look like crystal spring water. A glass of such poison, placed next to a glass of clear water will fool the eye; the two look exactly alike. But one has death in it, the other life. You have to discover the true nature by means other than drinking the two liquids.

 

In the same way there are many things in life that are deadly, but have the seeming appearance of goodness. This is why, when you must make a choice about some pleasure, amusement, thing or action, you must not come to your decision on the basis of appearances.

 

Wanting something is not necessarily bad. You may want it to further your ministry, or to bless those around you. But there is a difference between wanting something and lusting after it.  So be careful lest you find yourself drinking a poison!

 

PINING AWAY- I’M ONLY DREAMING

 

Pining or coveting might be considered dreaming of good things to come, which is not that bad, right? 

 

Covetousness is defined as a strong desire after the possession of worldly things (Col 3:5 Eph 5:5 Heb 13:5 1 Tim 6:9 10; Matt 6:20). It assumes sometimes the more aggravated form of avarice, which is the mark of cold-hearted worldliness.

 

In essence, the poison of pining is jealousy for what someone else has on steroids!

 

We may make the mistake of thinking that coveting is a “small” sin that involves daydreaming about other people’s stuff or wanting a little more than what we have. But covetousness is a poison that will infiltrate every area of our lives. It begins a chain of enslavement that motivates all kinds of sin.

 

And our society openly and brazenly promotes this sin! It takes the desire for better things and a better life and twists it to make us poison ourselves!

 

Desiring wealth is not a bad thing, it can be a great thing for you, your family and the Kingdom of God. Money is not evil, but when you love it, you want it and you obsess about it it can become a fatal poison…

 

1 Timothy 6:9-10

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

 

THE AD MAN COMETH

 

Enter the Ad Man, the guy out there constantly thinking about how he can make you discontent with what you have so you will buy more.  That car, that holiday, that new cell phone. You see your friend with it, you want it… That's the poison of pining or coveting right there.

 

I am actually quite fascinated with the psychology behind selling and marketing, so I have studied it a little bit. Let me point out that the psychology is not evil, but there is a subtle line that you need to be aware of in order for you to detect this poison.

 

Marketing starts by highlighting a need you have. It might be a pain point, it might be a new product to help you… maybe you have trouble losing weight, maybe you have a child struggling at school, perhaps you are lonely or stuck in a dead end job.

 

The technique marketers use is to highlight your pain or need, dig into it a bit so it really hurts, then provide the solution. This is all fine, it's all legitimate marketing. The next step is to create urgency to force you to buy by giving the impression that the product is scarce, or about to disappear. This is where it sails close to the line of introducing this poison.

 

They'll do anything to make you buy! Including lying. 

 

So beware of the marketing you see all around you every day, some good, some bad, some honest, some scams.

 

And don't take things on face value, or should I say Facebook value! I mean, I have it on good authority that there is a Nigerian prince who need to move $10 million out if his country and needs your bank account to do it. Or that Bill Gates is going to give you $10,000 if you pass an email on.

 

Clearly a lie, right? But people get fooled and get scammed.  But what about you, how do you feel when you see someone who has something you desire? Maybe it's a great house or car, or maybe husband or wife or kids that behave.

 

HOW SERIOUS IS GOD ABOUT THIS POISON?

 

Deadly serious. Don't be fooled, the lives of many Christians are ruined by this poison. It's subtle, insidious and affects all of us in some way, even if we seem to have it all! 

 

This is commandment 10 of the 10 Commandments, so it is a pivotal instruction in how we are to live…

Exodus 20:17

“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”

 

That's all of us! There will always be someone with more, with better, with the latest. Someone with seemingly a better house, perhaps a better marriage, a better job… Doesn't matter what it is, this commandment is designed to stop the jealousy and see you content in God.

 

Even pastors feel this! How do I feel Pastoring Coast Church when I meet James McPherson, Pastoring the massive church at Calvary? Do I want all he has, or do I remain content with where God has placed me, instead deciding to learn from a pastor more successful and experienced than I, rather than covert what he has or has achieved.

 

Thou shalt not covert thy neighbours Crystal Cathedral!

 

God is so serious  about this poison He lists it with some more obvious and clearly destructive sins… 

 

Ephesians 5:5

For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 

 

Colossians 3:5

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

 

The Greek word for idolator refers to a worshipper of false gods, or of mammon or money. And that is a hint of what the poison of pining and covetousness is, it is becoming obsessed with what another person has, and worshipping that! 

 

So a covetous person actually transgresses the Tenth, First, and Second Commandments. When he loves material things more than he loves God, he is setting his affections on the gift, rather than on the Giver. What father wouldn't be grieved if his beloved child loved his toys more than the father who gave him the toys? A child should love his father first and foremost. He should love the giver more than the gift.

 

And it's not just things…

 

Deuteronomy 5:21

“‘And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.’ 

 

You can covet someone else's wife or husband, kids, servants or employees, jobs, house, land, livelihood like an ox or donkey, anything that belongs to another. That's why the poison of pining is so insidious… The net is so broad!

 

God lays down clear boundaries regarding our self-centered tendencies to obsess over material wealth, or what someone else has.

 

AUSTRALIAN IDOL

 

The “Idol” competitions get everyone excited. The term is used because people worship successful people as idols. From Caesar worship through to Beatlemania, from a football team to a motivational speaker, people love to worship people and build their entire lives around them!

 

So why is coveting equated so often with idolatry? Because it is idolatry, when you want someone or something that bad, and several Hebrew and Greek words are used for this poison throughout the Bible, so let's have a quick look at them…

 

In the OT. In addition to being a commandment, look at Achan in Joshua 7:16-26 who was stoned for coveting. In the Hebrew there are several words for coveting, all of which imply that a soul is full of vigorous desires which urged it to extend its influence over other persons and things, for personal gain at any price.

 

In the NT it's the same, where the poison of pining or coveting expresses itself as ruthless self-assertion, or a desperation to get what you want. Jesus warns us… 

 

Luke 12:15

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

 

In Ephesians 5:5 coveting is actually and directly called idolatry…

For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

 

Interestingly in the Greek a word for coveting is used of an intense desire for spiritual gifts …

 

1 Corinthians 12:31

But earnestly desire the higher gifts. 

 

But the exact same Greek word is used negatively in

 

James 4:1-3

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

 

In short , when you get to the place of pining for everything your friend has, or you think they have, this becomes an idol to you and you start to build your life around this desire. It can cause fights and quarrels, even murder. As James describes it, your passions are at war within you!

 

Yet your Heavenly Father knows what you need and is willing to bless you. Remember our verse this year,

 

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

 

James points out that we miss this blessing because our motive is wrong… We want to spend it on our passions. When you desire something or someone to the point where it controls you, your thoughts and your actions, then your motive is wrong and you've created an idol!

 

THE WAR WITHIN

 

James says our passions are at war within us. What a great description. You see something or someone your friend has, and you start at jealousy.

 

1. JEALOUSY

 

I wish I had that! I always wanted one of them. Doesn't God know that I need a man like that in my life? He's got the perfect job, and earn squillions without working on hard.

 

2. CONDEMNATION 

 

How come he drives that car when I'm in a piece of junk? She doesn't deserve a man like that! Why did he get the promotion, I've been here longer? She's not even a nice person, why is she getting that holiday?

 

3. THE INNER WAR

 

I'm a Christian, I shouldn't be thinking like this. But I still reckon I should have got the job. I will smile and wish them well, and congratulate them on their win (ever watched the loser at the Academy awards, or a Grand Final?). Look at her with him, doesn't God know how much I need a man like that? All the men I know are either married, useless or not interested.

 

4. STRIFE

 

I'm not going to take this lying down. I'm going to undermine them and make sure the boss knows he's made the wrong choice. I'll just flirt with him a bit when she's not looking. I'll arrange it so I bump into him when he's alone. I don't want to be his friend anyway, arrogant sod!

 

THE ANTIDOTE TO THE POISON OF PINING OR COVETING

 

The antidote to this consuming poison is the same as the antidote for idolatry…

 

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

 

What things? Those things you desire or need come your way. You don't need to pine for what someone else has, you need to seek God and you get the lot!

 

Hang on a minute! Are you saying that if I read the Bible and ask God I will get everything I want in life? Are you promoting some new prosperity teaching? Come to church, give all your money and you will get everything your heart desires?

 

The answer is yes, and let me tell you why. 

 

Psalms 37:4

Delight yourself in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 

If you delight in God, if you seek His Kingdom and righteousness, if you study the Word of God, come to church, pray and live with only Him in mind, if you only think on what is true, right, noble, lovely and admirable, then one of two things happens…

 

Either you get what you need or desire, if your motives are pure and you are not pining for what another person has, or what you desired once fades away because your will conforms to the will of the Father. It's a win win… You either get it, or you don't care that you don't get it. 

 

Either way, if you delight yourself in the Lord and seek first His Kingdom and righteousness you will realise the desire of your heart.

 

The antidote to this controlling, should destroying poison is to get into God. Use the Bible reading plan. Come to church. Join a connect group. Share, grow, live the life you've only ever dreamed of. 

 

The antidote is seeking God. Even if you are a committed Christian. We often go off the boil, we lose our passion and start seeking other things. Now is the time to get back on track…

Poisons of the Pilgrim 5- Power and Position

One of the most subtle poisons to afflict the Christian is power and position. Even in the church we often see people striving for, clutching at and even destroying one another for power and position. As humans we crave it, we admire it, we dream about it.

 

Clearly having power or position is not evil, and we all aspire to it. It gives us an amazing ability to change a situation, even to change the world. It is not wrong to be honoured with a position, or to have some sort of power, which can range from political or financial through to relationships. 

 

With great power comes great responsibility. We are often happy to embrace the trappings of power and avoid any responsibility, but as President Harry Truman said, “the buck stops here.”

 

But it has been well said that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely! The power or position is not poison, it's the temptation to abuse it and the way it can poison your life that is the real problem.

 

When you are a boss it is tempting to abuse your position, same for a church leader. In the home as a parent, you have a position… And many parents abuse their children.  Power corrupts, unless we handle it carefully!

 

Power left unchecked can easily destroy us, and the greater the power, the greater the tendency to abuse and destruction. Don't believe me? Just look at history, the power and influence of great men, everybody from Caesar to Hitler, from Napoleon to Stalin… So powerful, so corrupt, all gone in an instant. 

 

Loved? Admired? Feared? In the end it doesn't matter, and all of them are deceived by the devil. Many Christians, even in our service for the Lord in church, find themselves afflicted by this poison.

 

So why do we love power and position so much?

 

THE POISON OF POWER AND POSITION

 

Speaking about politics, 16th century Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli insisted that compassion got in the way of eminence. If a leader has to choose between being feared or being loved, Machiavelli insisted that the leader should always go with fear. Love is overrated.

 

 We all want the trappings of power, the respect, the admiration and the riches but not all of us are up for the responsibilities power and position require. 

 

So what us the big attraction of power and position? What drives ordinary people to become Prime Ministers or Presidents, CEOs or even Pastors?

 

1. FAME/RESPECT 

 

People know you, they look up to you and they treat you special.  Folks go out of their way to honour you, and they curry favour with you.

 

2. WEALTH

 

With position and power comes an increased ability to generate wealth. Frequently this is corrupt, as in Sepp Blatter and the entire FIFA hierarchy who are currently under investigation by the FBI.

 

3. SERVICE

 

People long to serve you to be a part of your team. In church, many times being in charge of an area means people will do all the things you do not want to do.

 

4. INFLUENCE

 

In power you have the chance to bring influence, to implement policies or changes, for good or for evil, for others or for yourself.

 

To examine the lure, the subtleties and the tragedy of the poison of power and position, I want to examine a specific story from the Bible

 

Judges 9:1-57, Abimelech, the illegitimate son of Gideon.

 

He was deeply infected by this poison. And wanted to be king at any cost (not unlike Hitler, Stalin, even several of our recent Prime Ministers.)

 

Abimelech wanted to control the key city of Shechem. Once Satan trapped Abimelech with the first strands of his lust for of power, He became enmeshed in a web of deceit and violence that brought about his ultimate destruction.

 

POWER PLAYS… POLITICKING WITH POISON

 

Judges 9:1–57

 

The story of Abimelech, the son of Gideon, is the story of a series of power plays carried out by Abimelech in his quest for authority over the city of Shechem. 

 

This guy had no idea how tragic the consequences of the poison of power and position would be.  Here are some of the stages of the poison he went through…

 

1. RATIONALISATION 

 

Judges 9:2

“Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.”

 

He rationalised he situation, conveniently ignoring his own selfish agenda. When people are infected with this poison, don't expect it to be easy to pick. When they present their ideas, things may sound pretty reasonable, but underneath is a hidden agenda that could cause tragedy.

 

Hitler did not seize power, he was elected by the people. He seemed very rational at the time, a perfect leader to restore Germany’s fortunes.

 

2. DISCORD 

 

Judges 9:3

And his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”

 

The next step is planting the seeds of doubt about other people. People infected with this poison will often try to get around everybody, or send others the “spread the word” about how bad someone else is. They try and stir up dissent, usually in a way that says, “I'm not one to speak ill of others but…”

 

This has happened to me already in the church since I stepped up to be pastor. I bet at some stage it has also happened to you in the church, so we need to look at the fruit. If someone is spreading discord or stirring up trouble, chances are they are infected by the poison of power and position and not of God. If the fruit is not holiness and unity, keep away!

 

3. DEBASEMENT

 

He elevated himself by devaluing others…

 

Judges 9:2

“Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.”

 

Comparisons are never good. If the other guy is better than you, you feel depressed. If you are better than him, you are prideful. Many try to elevate your opinion of them by running someone else down… The tall poppy syndrome is alive and well! 

 

4. FACTIONALISM

 

Judges 9:4

And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.

 

Factionalism occurs when you seek out others who will reinforce your plan, even if they are not people of repute. You keep working your way around until you find people sympathetic to your point of view, or maybe just anti your opponent, and then you organise these into a destabilising faction. In the church we call it a power base, and it is more common than you might think!

 

5. POWER MONGERING

 

This is the poison at it absolute nastiest… You eliminate the opposition. That's what Abimelech did…

 

 Judges 9:5

And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.

 

Hitler did it in the night of the long knives. Stalin sent millions to the gulags, including almost all of the 1938 Party convention. I'm church you tend not to kill them, but you neutralise them out of the picture. You eliminate your rivals.

 

6. RUTHLESS CRUELTY

 

Judges 9:45

And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.

 

Judges 9:49

So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women.

 

This guy went on the warpath, in much the same way Stalin or Hitler did, and evil cruelty became the hallmark of his reign.

 

And that's the seductive part of the poison of power and position… 

 

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely!

 

 Abimelech probably never realized his self-destructive tendencies. He never understood the truth that leadership means service. That true leaders defer their personal gain for the good of others. That they build up their power base as they serve in humility. They strive for unity and deal with others justly, mercifully and honorably.

 

Abimelech was willing to do whatever it would take to accomplish his goals and put himself in a place of power. Instead of rising to prominence, his life was marked by contention and bloodshed. His self-centered lust resulted in the destruction of his family and his own death in a manner he couldn’t possibly have envisioned, via a millstone being dropped on his head (see Jdg 9:51–54).

 

Perhaps Abimelech’s most important lesson to us is that the web of self-destruction can be cast with only a single strand: the lust for power and position. It was true then, and it is certainly true now!

 

THE PARABLE OF THE PLANTS

 

The only survivor of the Abimelech massacre then stood up and delivered a speech, the first parable in the Bible…

 

Judges 9:7-8

When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, “Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you. The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’

 

The olive Tree, the fig tree and the vine all say they are busy producing fruit, but the bramble is available to lead. This highlights a valuable lesson for us too.

 

These plants take pride in their posts, in their service and the good that they provide.  Why abandon fruitfulness? In the end, only the thornbush takes the offer, because it is not producing fruit.

 

Be careful, the story instructs. In a desire to be great, one might cease being any good. That's the poison right there, and the devil is happy to use it to destroy the good you might be able to do.

 

So here's the thing… Not everyone is destined, nor should they be, for leadership.  Not every teacher is equipped to be a principal. Not every carpenter has the skill to head a crew. Not every musician should conduct an orchestra. Promotions might promote a person right out of his or her sweet spot. For the love of more, we might lose our purpose. (From Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado)

 

 

SERVE WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED

 

Where has a God planted you, either at work, at home or in the church? Do you crave being higher up the food chain, better paid, better respected?  Nothing wrong with that, unless it starts to poison you, and your service where you are.

 

And here's the thing… The fastest way to grow your ministry is by serving another ministry. I was a little known Christian musician traveling from country town to country town to play for 9 people and a dog. I longed to see my ministry flourish and the touch people around the world, but I had no money, and little opportunity.

 

I was asked to travel 7 hours each way to sing 5 songs at a Bill Newman rally, but that changed my life. God linked us up, and I started to minister for Bill. About a year later God clearly told me to give up my ministry and just serve Bill. That meant no posters with my name on them. Bill Newman and team, and I'm the team! I had to lay down my position and my ministry.

 

But since then I have ministered all over the world to hundreds of thousands of people. Tonight I fly to Sydney to lead worship for Billy Graham's grandson Will. I'm not doing this, God is. 

 

Psalms 127:1

 Unless the Lord builds the house,

those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city,

the watchman stays awake in vain.

 

THE POISON OF POWER AND POSITION IN THE CHURCH

 

Like any other institution, the church has its share of power hungry individuals. We tend not to have murderous purges, but many think that because they are in a certain position of the church, they can demand whatever they like and orchestrate things to benefit themselves.

 

Rich men are at the top of the list. They give a lot to the church, and thus believe they have the right to control it. In Coast Church we have some generous and godly business people who give and do not crave power or position, and I believe God will bless them for this.

 

So how can you tell if you are infected with the poison of power and position?  Here's a quick test…

 

THE TEST

 

1. DO YOU ASK OTHERS TO DO WHAT YOU WOULD NOT DO YOURSELF?

 

Having a position is not about being able to order people around. If you wouldn't do it yourself, can you really ask others to do it? 

 

 

2. WOULD YOU KEEP SERVING IF THERE WAS ZERO RECOGNITION?

 

This is an acid test for your attitude and motivation… Are you doing this out of pure motives, are you leading for the Lord, or for what others think of you? If no one saw what you did, would you still do it with all your heart?

 

3. DO YOU RAISE OTHERS UP?

 

Some leaders, even some pastors, are so paranoid about their position the push down rather than raise up others, for fear that they might become better, more popular or more significant that they are! Raising others up is the hallmark of a great leader.

 

4. DO YOU MICROMANAGE/CONTROL OTHERS?

 

True leaders trust the people they raise up. They don't micromanage them, and they don't control them. They give freedom within established boundaries, and they trust them to do a good job. They my offer tweaks, but they don't control every aspect of other’'S ministries.

 

SUCCESS VS SIGNIFICANCE… 

 

There is a difference between success and significance. You can have a position, you can have power, but are you really making a difference in the lives of others…

 

Ken Blanchard and S. Truett Cathy contrast the ideas of success and significance:

 

”The successful person has learned how to make money, but the significant person has learned how to give it away—how to be generous, to share the blessings of money with those who are in need or those who help meet a variety of social and humanitarian needs.

 

The successful person has achieved great things—sadly sometimes at the expense of others. He or she is proud of what has already been accomplished. The significant person understands that the greatest thing anyone can accomplish is to serve others and to help them achieve their goals.

 

Finally, successful people have attained a measure of status. Others look up to them and maybe even see them as role models. We often discover later that those who have become our role models let us down … In direct contrast, the significant person is one who values relationships. They become trusted friends and invaluable mentors, and they invest their time in others rather than in striving to build status.”

 

The question is, will you use your power and position in the family, the office or the church correctly, or corruptly? 

 

THE ANTIDOTE TO THE POISON OF POWER AND POSITION

 

 James and John were afflicted by this very poison in Mark 10…

 

Mark 10:35-37

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”

 

In other words, we want the power and position of being your special ones. We want the top job.  Jesus promptly rebuked them, and went on to say this…

 

Mark 10:42-45

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

 

Serving with a humble heart is how this sinister poison is neutralised. In Coast Church, anyone in any position including myself needs to first be a servant. We need to think of others first. We need to wash someone else's feet, not line our own pockets. We must accept full responsibility, and when we are criticised, we need to keep a humble, servant attitude.

 

The abuse of power and position is not an issue here in our church, but that doesn't mean we should ignore this poison. It sneaks in as soon as we let our guard down, so be vigilant, and keep taking the antidote… Keep on serving!

 

If you have a desire in your heart to serve the Lord in this place, and many of you do, not for power or position but to serve Jesus, and the body of Christ, then come and let's pray for you.

Mother's Day

It's MOTHER’S DAY and today we want to celebrate Super Mum!

 

For many of us we have great mums, and often we are closer to them than our fathers. But whether you have a great mum or a shocker, whether she is alive or dead, near or far, today is a day to celebrate the good things about your mum.

 

So did you give her a gift? A card? A phone call? A cuddle?

 

THE ORIGIN OF MOTHER’S DAY

 

Mother’s Day was the idea of Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia in 1907, after her own mother had died. She wanted a special day to celebrate motherhood, and within 4 years every US state was celebrating Mother’s Day, and it was travelling around the world.

 

Yet within a few years she was shocked at the commercialism that had evolved around it. In fact, in 1923 she sued to stop a Mother’s Day celebration, saying it should be a day if sentiment, not profit.

 

Abraham Lincoln said, ''No man is poor who has a godly mother.'' Mums, there's a challenge for you on this your special day.

 

And the challenge to all of us with our mums is to honour them…

 

Ephesians 6:1-3

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

 

THE HEART OF A MOTHER

 

Mother’s hearts are different to others… Most often there is something in them that is nurturing and loving, despite many times their own difficulties and idiosyncrasies. In Lily House reunification of families is central to what we do. These girls could have been into drugs, prostitution, homelessness, illicit affairs, lying, cheating, alcoholism, whatever. But when they come to us their almost universal cry is, “"I want my kids back!”

 

Any woman can become a mother, it is a biological consequence of a sexual Union of some kind, good or bad. But becoming a great mother involves a lifetime of caring, sacrifice and hard work.

 

In a class one day the kids were given a maths question: state your answer as a fraction:  If there’s 10 at the table and one apple pie, how much does each one get?  One ninth! Say a child.  “Don’t you know your fractions?” Asked the teacher.  “Do you know my mother?  If there’s that many at the table and only one pie, she don’t want none!”

 

And frankly, we often don't really appreciate what our mothers have done, or sacrificed for us. We often concentrate on the negative. Yet, despite whatever problems they may have, there would not be a mother in this room that doesn't feel something special for their children. 

 

Mary the mother of Jesus was like that…

Luke 2:51b

 And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

 

HOW TO LOVE YOUR MUM

 

Loving your mum is a priority. It was in the Old Testament, and it was for Jesus.

 

Pauls sites the Ten Commandments and says, 

Ephesians 6:2

“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise),

 

Jesus, hanging on a cross in agony, still cared for his mum…

 

John 19:26-27

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

 

So how you should love your mum, today and every single day. Love is not a gooey feeling, it's an act of the will, so no matter how good or bad your mum might be, you can decide right now to love her. 

 

And how should we love our mums? I believe we need to love them as God loves you. So here's 8 ways to love mum like God loves you…

 

 

1. LOVE YOUR MUM VERBALLY

 

God tells you He loves you. The entire Bible is God telling you He loves you…

John 16:27

the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

 

What you say reflects what's in your heart…

 

Luke 6:45

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

 

What you say to your mum and about your mum reflects how you feel about her. Guys, women need to hear the words, “"I love you,” regardless of how much you show that you love them.

 

There was a couple in counselling where the wife complained that her husband never told her he loved her. He replied, “"Woman, I told you I loved you 40 years ago when we married, and if I ever change my mind I will let you know!”

 

Men especially, tell your mum that you love her. It's not weak or sissy, it's actually pretty cool. Regardless of what your mum has said or done, this Mother's Day tell your mum you love her with your words. Write her if you can't verbalise it, and she will cherish that note forever. 

 

My kids made myself and Fiona little photo books highlighting what they think of us and what they remember as kids. I look at them from time to time and cherish them.

 

2. LOVE YOUR MUM DEMONSTRATIVELY 

 

You can talk until the world ends, unless you demonstrate your love it is worthless. Many times we demonstrate the opposite of what we say. A man says "I love you,” then hits his wife. A child says “I love you,” then disobeys his parents.

 

God doesn't just say He loves you, He backs it up with actions. He demonstrates His love for you…

 

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

Ask yourself, how can you demonstrate your love for your mum today. A phone call or a visit? A card or a present? Spending money or spending time, or both?

 

Demonstrate your love for mum just as God demonstrated His for you.

 

3. LOVE YOUR MUM PATIENTLY 

 

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

 

Let's face it, everyone can be irritating at times, including you, and including your mum. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that love is patient, so especially as she gets older, be patient with your mum.

 

Mum can be a pain. She might call at the most awkward times, say slightly offensive things, have her own particular, peculiar way of doing things. I adore my mum, but she's a classic for odd things said, like, “your dad would be taller if his legs were longer,” or, when we are all thinking but not saying a family member’s dress might be inappropriate, “"Don't wear that, it makes you look fat.”

 

 I know mums can be irritating, but hey, she's your mum and deserves some patience! When she says the same thing 12 times, when you've heard the story a dozen times already, just love her patiently. I mean, Fiona's had to endure my latest fishing story a dozen times already!

 

4. LOVE YOUR MUM AFFECTIONATELY 

 

Deuteronomy 7:7-8

 

The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery.

 

God sets His affections on you. He loves you affectionately, and He’s not afraid to show it. So why not decide right now decide to show your mum some affection, more than you ever have before.

 

Women are usually pretty touchy-feely. They love hugs, kisses and the like from those who are special to them.  In our current culture, everyone suspects something sinister behind a hug, especially from men. But most often, women can sense if a hug is genuine and pure, they are wired that way.

 

So when’s the last time you gave your mum a big hug spontaneously, without her asking for it…or a kiss on the cheek, or just sat on the couch and held her hand for a change?

 

Think of this… Your mum is the first person who ever touched you… you were inside of her for 9 months, and when you were born the first overwhelming things she wanted to do was to hold you, cuddle you, settle you and care for you.  She changed nappies, cleaned up after you, fed you. 

 

She touched you, even when you were grubby, smelly and screaming. She may not have always been there for you, but she did her share of touching when you needed it.

 

A mother’s love involves physical touch, so it's time to be affectionate back in love!

 

If you visit a nursing home! You will often notice old ladies want to touch you. They want to hold your hand, have a hug, etc. this is often because they are starved for that simple, innocent brand of love.  Their physical needs are covered by nursing staff, but that's not the same as the right touch.

 

5. LOVE YOUR MUM PROTECTIVELY 

 

Psalms 32:7

You are my hiding place;

you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

 

Particularly as your mum grows older, you need to protect her.

 

2 Thessalonians 3:3

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

 

As mums get older, many people just fob them off and ignore them. If mums are older, or single, then you need to go out of your way to protect and cherish them.

 

NBC America filed this report…

A 4-year-old boy may have saved his mother's life when he managed to unlock her iPhone and call his father for help after he found her unconscious on Sunday night.

 

Dr. Jeremy Vaughan was at his office when he received the frightening call from his 4-year-old son, Camden. "[He said,] 'Daddy, you need to come home! Mommy can't wake up,'" Vaughan told ABC News.

 

Vaughan dropped everything and rushed home to his wife Misty, where he found her unresponsive. He called 911. She had suffered a mysterious illness and had a seizure.

 

Hey, if a 4 year old can look out for his mum and protect her, I think we all could do the same, don't you?

 

6. LOVE YOUR MUM GENEROUSLY

 

God is not a stingy God, He lavishes blessing upon you. He not only provides the bear minimum, He blesses you in thousands of ways. A home, a car, friends, fun, you don't scratch through life as a Christian, He promises life to the full!

 

Deuteronomy 7:13

He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you.

 

Your Heavenly Father loves to be generous. In fact, many mums are generous to a fault, especially with their kids and grandkids. My mum could be tough where needed, but unbelievably generous. My mum and dad gave me my first guitar, and they gave me a slap on the backside when I was out of line. They gave me my first little bomby car at Uni, and they gave a hard time when I dated the wrong type of girl.

 

But years later, I want to be generous back to my mum. It's Mother's Day, buy the lady a present. Buy her a decent present, maybe one that actually costs a little bit!

 

I heard about a wealthy son who decided to do something very special for his mother on her day. He went to a pet shop and saw a very expensive talking bird. This was an unusual bird. This bird could whistle Amazing Grace and quote the Lord’s prayer. It was an unusual bird. Sure, it might cost $30,000, but he was wealthy so what did he care? He bought the bird, and arranged for it to be delivered to his mum. 

 

On Mother's Day he called her, ''Mother, how did you like the bird I sent you?'' She said, ''O, it was delicious, son.'' 

 

Hopefully your gift fares a little better than his!

 

1 John 3:1

 

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 

 

So don't be stingy with your mum, be generous with your money, and your time. The second one is often the hardest, because we all live busy lives. But I urge you to lavish some time on your mum. Take her out to dinner on a date, sit with her, relive the good times, listen to her whines and aches and pains, but decide to be lavish and generous because God is generous with you!

 

7. LOVE YOUR MUM FAITHFULLY

 

Faithfulness is not a common thing in our modern world. Friends, spouses, elected officials, no one seems to be faithful these days.  When the going gets tough, most people disappear!

 

Lamentations 3:22-23

 

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

 

God loves you with great faithfulness, and do you should love others with the same faithfulness, especially your mum on Mother's Day. 

 

I saw a documentary on death row, where the interviewer spoke to men going to execution and their mothers. Invariably the moms would say, “He’s really such a good boy, he has a good heart, etc.” he may be an axe murderer, but she faithfully sees the good in him.

 

Now for most of you your mum has been there for you for at least part of your life. She's believed in you and even given up what she wanted for you. 

 

Now the boot’s on the other foot, and it's payback time. Does your mum know you love her faithfully?

 

 

“But, she’s always complaining”…yes, just like you did! (Have you ever asked “"Are we nearly there yet?”) She talks about herself and asks same question over and over… just like you did as a kid or as a teenager, right?

 

One day, folks, you will be old too. You will experience the same fears, anxieties and pains your mum currently does.  Lets treat our mums as we’d hope to be treated when we are in their shoes!

 

 

Let's love them faithfully as our Heavenly a father loves us!

 

 

8. LOVE YOUR MUM SACRIFICIALLY

 

God your father sacrificed for you because He loves you. He gave Heaven’s best for your worst sins, to win you to Himself!

 

King David knew how to love God. We tend to try and bargain with God like we do at the markets, trying to get the greatest blessing for the least price. David refused to do that, insisting that he would not offer sacrifices that cost him nothing…

 

1 Chronicles 21:24

 

But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”

 

True love is sacrificial. This flies in the face of modern love, which is all about “"What's in it for me.” Your mum loved you sacrificially at some point, and I believe that that is the way we should love our mums, and also God.

 

Sacrificial love hurts to bless another. It thinks beyond its own needs or wants or comforts to put someone else first. 

 

When you visit your mum, she will want to talk about her pains, her dramas, her situation. She won't want to discuss the footy results. She probably won't want to talk about what you do. She might even make you miserable or mad or frustrated or even exhausted. When you put her first this Mother's Day, when you sit through this or give her a special gift or take her somewhere special, you are loving her sacrificially.

 

You might not like your mum. You might say that she doesn't deserve to be loved like that. She did this or that when I was young, she abandoned me, hurt me, destroyed my life! Sure, maybe your mum doesn't deserve your love, but neither do you deserve God’s love. That's what grace is, it's being loved when we don't deserve it.  And to give you grace God sacrificed the best of Heaven for you, to win your soul back from death to life.

 

Sacrificial love doesn't mean it is deserved!  When you love your mum despite what she might have said or done to you, you love her sacrificially, you love with the same love Jesus had as he hung on nails for 6 tortuous hours for you!

 

He laid His life down. He sacrificed Himself when you did not deserve it. If you love your mum in this way today, despite whatever she has done or said in the past, if you realise that this is not about what she deserves but about who she is, your mum, and about your sacrificial love, then this could be the best Mother's Day she's ever had!

 

Jesus died sacrificially one day hanging in unbelievable agony, for you. You don't deserve life, you deserve eternal death in hell, but He did it because He decided to love you. Not to make you into someone better than you are, but because He decided you're worth it! 

 

Jesus Christ didn't die to make bad men good, He died to make dead men live. How will you respond to His sacrificial love for you today, and how will you show that love to your mum today?

 

 

Poisons 4- The Poison of Prosperity

OUR 4th poison is a surprising one… Prosperity.

 

How in the world can being prosperous become a poison to your soul? Don't we all want to be prosperous, financially and every other way? Don't we work hard and strive and study and take risks investing to become prosperous?

 

Please understand, I am not about to suggest that being successful, rich or being prosperous is a sin, because clearly it is not. There are very godly rich people, also some very godly poor people, and there are some very ungodly rich and poor people as well.

 

But this poison is pretty important to God, and He knows how sinister it really is.  In fact, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, 1 out of every 6 verses deals with money. Of the 29 parables Christ told, 16 deal with a person and his money.

 

W.A. Criswell tells of an ambitious young man who told his pastor he'd promised God a tithe of his income. They prayed for God to bless his career. At that time he was making $40.00 per week and tithing $4.00. In a few years his income increased and he was tithing $500.00 per week. He called on the pastor to see if he could be released from his tithing promise, it was too costly now. The pastor got on his knees and began to pray. The man asked, “"Are you releasing me from my tithing debt?” The pastor replied, "I don't see how you can be released from your promise, but I can ask God to reduce your income to $40.00 a week, then you'd have no problem tithing $4.00."

 

Many people stay faithful when things are tough, they pray and ask God for their needs, they even trust God to bless them, but forget God when things start to go well.

 

ABASE OR ABOUND

 

Philippians 4:11-13

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

 

Now if things are going badly for you right now, you probably won't relate to this at all. Here you are, struggling away, wishing you had more money than the next guy, right? I mean, if things went well and you were given a pile of money, your world would be sunshine and unicorns and roses, wouldn't it? And you would be the most godly, generous soul around, correct?

 

Not so! 

 

Charles Spurgeon had some great teaching on this very subject. He said, 

 

“There are many who know "how to be abased" who have not learned "how to abound." When they are set upon the top of a pinnacle their heads grow dizzy, and they are ready to fall. 

 

The Christian far oftener disgraces his profession in prosperity than in adversity. It is a dangerous thing to be prosperous. The crucible of adversity is a less severe trial to the Christian than the fining-pot of prosperity. Oh, what leanness of soul and neglect of spiritual things have been brought on through the very mercies and bounties of God!”

 

Paul tells us he was content to abase and to abound. His eyes were set so firmly on Jesus, whatever circumstances he faced was of no consequence to his disposition. How can you be happy when you are in need? The answer lies in the heart of Paul, not the flesh.

 

Are you in need right Now?  Many have asked for mercies that they might satisfy their own hearts' lust and desires.  Sometimes  when we have much of God's providential mercies, it often happens that we have little of God's grace, and little gratitude for the blessings we have received and are enjoying. This is when prosperity begins to become a poison in your life!

 

You can be full and forget God: satisfied with earth, so much so that you are content to do without heaven. It is harder to be full on for Jesus when you are full than it is to know how to be hungry- so desperate is the tendency of human nature to pride and forgetfulness of God.

 

It's like God blesses us and we say, “"Thanks, Lord, I'll take it from here. Call you if I ever need you.”

 

 Don't let God’s gifts drag you away from Him!

 

THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL

 

An often misquoted verse is that money is the root of all evil. That's not true, and it's not what the Bible says. It says…

1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

 

Money is not evil, it is simple an object. The love of money is what is evil, and when money does come your way, it can be as destructive a poison as any in your life.  Consider these people…

 

Michael Carroll was a garbage man in England when, at age 19, he won £9.7 million in the lottery in 2002. A mansion, drugs and gold jewelry ate up the money quickly. Within ten years Carroll was broke and living off unemployment checks. Now he works on an assembly line in a cookie factory, making £204 per week.

 

Gerald Muswagon, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, won $10 million in 1998. He bought cars for friends and family, and made his new house into a “party pad.” Within a few years he’d spent all his $10 million and he took a minimum-wage job to support his six children and his girlfriend. In 2005, just seven years after his big win, he took his own life.

 

Janite Lee won $18 million in 1993. 8 years later she filed for bankruptcy.

 

Willie Hurt won $3.1 million in the Michigan lottery in 1989. Within two years he wrecked his marriage, lost custody of his kids and was charged with attempted murder. He spent his winnings on his divorce and drugs, according to his attorney.

 

Billie Bob Harrell Jr. won $31 million in the Lotto Texas game in 1997, and he no longer had to stock shelves at Home Depot.  He bought a ranch and a few homes, gave money away.  Soon his marriage was in trouble as he lent and spent all of his winnings. In 1999, less than two years after his big win, Harrell took his own life.

 

Sharon Tirabassi, of Hamilton, Ontario, won $10.5 million in 2004. She treated friends to vacations, bought houses and cars and within 4 years, with her husband in jail for a DUI, she lost their home. Now, to pay the rent and support her kids, she takes the bus to her part-time job.

 

These stories are sad, and they graphically illustrate the lure of prosperity, and the root of evil that loving money can provide. If you face financially challenging times, rejoice! Trust God, rejoice and listen to this message so you don't face what those folks faced.

 

THE OLD STORY, ON STEROIDS…

 

People wanting stuff is not a new story, it's an old, old story.Jesus said, 

 

Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

 

So the tendency for God’s good gifts to poison our lives is very, very real!

 

And the pressure is now more intense than ever! We are as a society caught up in addictions to the simplest things—food, drink, fashion, beauty, culture, products?

 

Throughout history, people have always had the desire to get more stuff. But in our culture today, the media allows us to see how much we don’t have. Because we are exposed to people in different social standings in a way we never could have been before, we are more easily able to compare ourselves to others. 

 

In previous generations, people compared what they had with their family or neighbors (who probably had similar things); today we have TV shows that portray the lifestyles and toys of the rich and famous. And we still envy our friends and neighbours. TV and the Internet scream at us every day about what we haven't got, and what we need to really be satisfied, everything from new cars to viagra.

 

When we begin to focus on what others have, we become tempted to live beyond our means. We become obsessed with material things. We become stressed as we work harder and longer in order to buy more stuff. We start to serve the wrong master!

 

In many Western societies, consumerism calls out to us to follow a path of insatiable pursuit for more or the next “better” of what we already have. In fact, Marketers use dissatisfaction with what people already have to drive them to want more. Media messages continually remind us of our mediocrity if we fail to strive for “the best” in food, fashion, fitness or electronics.

 

Pope John Paul II (1920–2005) said, “It is not wrong to want to live better; what is wrong is a style of life which is presumed to be better when it is directed toward ‘having’ rather than ‘being,’ and which wants to have more, not in order to be more but in order to spend life in enjoyment as an end in itself.”

 

Is it wrong to have nice things? No, of course not! But it is wrong to pursue good things if your motive is not aligning with God. Are you content without a new home, without a new iPhone, without the latest fashion or toy?

 

As one writer joked, “The trouble is that too many people are spending money they haven't yet earned for things they don't need to impress people they don't like.”

 

And you cannot serve two masters, especially when one is as poisonous and deceptive as prosperity can be!

 

SOMETHING’S GOT A HOLD ON ME!

 

Everybody hold your wallet or purse up, and wave it in the air. Have you got a hold of it? Good. But the real question is, do you have a hold of your money, or has your money got a hold of you?

 

Jesus was approached by a young, rich man, who genuinely asked what he needed to do to be saved. Jesus looked right into his heart, and diagnosed the poison. He asked if he had kept the commandments. The young man replied yes, then Jesus said this…

 

Luke 18:22

“One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

 

Look at the next few verses…

Luke 18:23-25

But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

 

Jesus is not saying this because He wants you to be poor. He says this because He knows that for many wealthy people, they don't have money so much as their money has them. Money is not the problem, the love of it is.

 

And it's a seductive love! It's a subtle poison that, before you know it, steals your love of God, your devotion and very often your joy. One rich man was asked how much money is enough, and he replied “"Just a little bit more.” 

 

Money will buy a bed but not sleep; books but not brains; food but not appetite; finery but not beauty; a house but not a home; medicine but not health; luxuries but not culture; amusements but not happiness; religion but not salvation; a passport to everywhere but heaven. (Discipleship Journal)

 

WHERE’S YOUR TREASURE?

 

As a child I remember reading stories of pirates, and they were all looking for buried treasure.

 

Matthew 6:19-21

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

 

Prosperity and all the good things it brings is always transient….it comes, it goes, it never lasts…

James 1:9-11

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

 

We need to recognise that what we have comes from God: our spouses, children, families, friends and jobs. Our houses, property, furnishings, cars, clothes, family heirlooms and all other personal belongings. God gives them to us because He loves us, and they are for our use and enjoyment. There is nothing wrong with these things… They are gifts, but they're not even really ours, we are just stewards of them. 

 

Yet sometimes our attitudes toward our things can cause problems for us, and become the poison we are looking at here. What's more, the poison of prosperity can even afflict those who don't have very much, because ultimately it isn't about what you have or haven't got, it's about the love of money and it's place in your heart!

 

How bad is that… You're not rich, but still afflicted with the same poison!

 

Our entire nation us afflicted by the notion that you deserve things without working for them. People believe that Centrelink money, rent assistance, government handouts are our God given right. I'm happy we have social security in our country, but we must never be so arrogant as to take it for granted. Be blessed you have it, and be thankful! 

 

If you are struggling to pay your debts, it's easy to say, “Other people are just like us, but they seem to have so much more than we do. It’s not fair! Why doesn’t God bless us like he does them? Why should we always have money problems?”

 

Jealousy, anger and ambition can eat away at your life, your health and your relationships. And remember, prosperity is not just about money, it's about your soul and your health also…

 

3 John 1:2

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.

 

If I gave you a choice today of which prosperity you want, what would you choose? Financial prosperity? Health? Your soul prospering?

 

PROFIT AND LOSS

 

Jesus said to accumulate treasure where it will not be destroyed or stolen, where the exchange rate is never against you, and where your return on investment is infinite!

 

So what's really important to you? Is it money, stuff, getting stuff for you and your family? Is it success? 

 

Here's the litmus test… What do you think about most throughout the day? What causes your heart to beat fast in wonder and anticipation? What do you think you couldn’t live without? 

 

Whatever has your attention is your treasure, whatever fills your mind is what you value, but in the end, only God is truly worthy of your heart.

 

Jesus said,

Mark 8:36-37

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?

 

The answer… Nothing!  Have you ever visited the local city dump? You’ll see everything from appliances to stuffed toys to the most precious family heirlooms. All discarded, all thrown away, all considered worthless.

 

Jesus wants us to seek real profits—not material ones that pad our wallets, but spiritual ones that benefit our souls. These heavenly treasures represent an investment opportunity too good to pass up. When Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” He means that we naturally worship our first love. If we love money and worldly treasures, we offer God no higher than second place in our lives.

 

The poison of prosperity will tell you it's all about things, it will scream at you like Tom Cruise, “"Show me the money!”  But Jesus reminds us to invest in true profit by giving God first place in our lives. Heaven’s treasures won’t ever decay, decline, deteriorate or decompose. Heaven has no city dump.

 

THE ANTIDOTE TO THE POISON OF PROSPERITY

 

Like all the other poisons, there is an antidote. Jesus touched on it with the rich young ruler, but it requires more than an single action, it requires an entire change of heart!

 

The antidote is giving. I'm not saying this to pad our church coffers, I'm saying this because a generous spirit is the total opposite spirit to the poison of prosperity.

 

Proverbs 11:24-25

 

One person gives freely, yet gains even more;

another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

A generous person will prosper;

whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

 

I've had missionary trips when they've counted out every last penny, and no one has had enough money. I've had other thrips where everyone rushes to be the first to pay, and money has abounded. I've kept a generous spirit in times of great lack, and seen God work miracles in my life, turning things around financially to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. 

 

A generous attitude is something you can apply right now, whether you currently have money or not! If you have no money to give, give your time, cook a meal, visit a housebound friend… It's not just money, it's everything!

 

We live in the most self centred culture in history. Yesterday on Facebook I read, “Never before has a generation so diligently recorded themselves accomplishing so little!” It's the I generation… iPhone, iPad, iPod, I come first!

 

If we seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, all these things are added to us. We will have everything we need, much of what we want, and if we don't get it we are content anyway, because when you put Christ first, and His Kingdom, you are content whether you abase or abound!

 

If you are in financial need this morning, I invite you to come forward and let your spirit be renewed in prayer. If you start to be generous with the little you have, like the widow and her mite, then I believe God will turn things around for you. I also want those in business to come forward and let the team pray for you and your future prosperity. If you have a generous spirit, I know God will bless you so you can give more away. If you struggle with this, let's start taking the antidote to the poison of prosperity today!

 

Poisons of the Pilgrim 3- Poison of Passing Judgement

Lastweek we looked at the poison of pain and bitterness. Another similar poisonoften feeds off the poison of pain and bitterness, and it affects pretty muchthe way you see everything. It's the poison of passing judgement.

 

Sotoday I want to examine the entire area of passing judgement… Do we, don't we,should we, shouldn't we?

 

No onelike a judgemental person… They are miserable, painful and depressing to bearound. They can make  our lifemiserable, especially when you are married to them.

 

If youever offer any criticism, then this verse will be the one they quote at you. Infact, Matthew 7:1 is fast surpassing John 3:16 as the most quoted verse of theBible. So let's have a look at it now…

 

 Matthew7:1

“Judgenot, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will bejudged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 

 

Itshould be noted that this verse is usually quoted either to point out someoneelse's sin, or when trying to excuse your own sins. 

 

So doesthis mean that if we make any judgement about so on else, or the behaviour ofsomeone else, that we are poisoned with this thing? 

 

Doesthis verse mean that we are never allowed to make a moral judgement aboutsomeone's heavy our, or another right or wrong in another person.  If wsee wrong in someone's life, am I never allowed to point it out or mention it?

 

TOJUDGE OR NOT TO JUDGE, THAT IS THE POISON

 

It's soeasy to be judgemental. So are we or are we not allowed to judge, and if weare, when can we? And when does passing judgement upon another person become apoison?

 

Theshort answer is, when all you ever do is pass judgement on another, it'sdefinitely a poison, poisoning your character and everyone around you!

 

Thewords of Jesus are often misquoted, and used by people to stop adverse orunfavourable criticism. They are sinning, they know it, and they use this versebecause they know they are guilty! 

 

I'msleeping with 5 women, hey man, don't judge me!  Alright, I cheat on mytaxes, but don't judge me!

 

Thething is, if we apply this tenant to every situation, we can never make adecision on anyone's conduct, we can never offer useful or constructivecriticism, we can never stand against those teaching error and we can neverapply church discipline.

 

Inshort, if Jesus’ words here are applied across the board so we can never judgeanything or anyone, we become moral imbeciles.  I for one want to haveGod’s standards in my life! 

 

I wouldalso argue that if we remain silent and make no judgement when we seepeople overtaken in a fault or sin, we not only bring reproach upon the name ofChrist, but we also fail to exercise love towards that person. If I see someonein danger and remain silent when I can speak and save them, am I not morally atfault?

 

Greekword for judge is krino, which means to judge, pass judgment on, condemn in alegal sense. This means to stand on trial, judge, condemn and punish. Scriptureteaches that there are certain times we must not judge others, certain times wemust judge or make a decision about others, but that doesn't mean we should notbe judge, jury and executioner. The carrying out of the penalty is not ourrole, it's God’s!

 

Avariation of this Greek word is also translated “to discern”, in passageslike Hebrews 4:12 and Romans 12:2.

 

Jesusis not saying that all judgement is wrong at all. If you look across Scripture,clearly some judgements are right, while others are clearly wrong, and theseare the ones that can become poison your life.

 

WHICHARE THE POISONS OF PASSING JUDGEMENT?

 

Hereare some of the judgements that need to cease because they become poison in ourlives…

 

1.HYPOCRITICAL JUDGEMENT 

 

Let’sgo back to the passage in Mathew to examine the context of what Jesus isactually saying, not as one verse in isolation.

 

Matthew7:1-5

“Judgenot, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will bejudged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you seethe speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is inyour own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out ofyour eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take thelog out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out ofyour brother's eye.

 

Hypocriticaljudgement is that harsh, bitter, fault finding spirit that finds and points outthe sins of others, often while committing the same sins themselves, is whatJesus is talking about here.

 

Thesame phrase is used of judgement in Luke 6:38, but there it is linked with thephrase, “"with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” Whatis Jesus saying here?

 

Judgeothers, sure, but be careful because however you judge others, you will bejudged in the same way. Are you ready for that? Seriously, are you prepared forthat? Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

 

Romans2:1

Thereforeyou have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgmenton another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very samethings.

 

It isespecially challenging in the Message Bible,

Romans2:1

Thosepeople are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on thehigh ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every timeyou criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one.Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection inyour own crimes and misdemeanors.

 

Thestory is told of a Bishop, who was sailing for Europe on one of the greattransatlantic ocean liners. When he went on board, he found that anotherpassenger was to share the cabin with him. After going to see theaccommodations, he came up to the purser's desk and inquired if he could leavehis gold watch and other valuables in the ship's safe. He explained thatordinarily he never availed himself of that privilege, but he had been to hiscabin and had met the man who was to occupy the other berth. Judging from hisappearance, he was afraid that he might not be a very trustworthy person. Thepurser accepted the responsibility for the valuables and remarked, 'It's allright, bishop, I'll be very glad to take care of them for you. The other manhas been up here and left his for the same reason!'

 

So whatabout you? Do you condemn others hypocritically? Do you look down onothers? 

 

Anddon't think that Christians are the only ones guilty of this, because peoplewho aren't Christians are more often than not bigger hypocrites. They judge andcondemn us Christians without even properly examining what we believe. Theyrefuse to come to Jesus not because He is wrong, or fictitious, but simplybecause they don't want to change the way they are living. If someone says thechurch is full of hypocrites, I invite them in because there's always room forone more! If you want to attack Christianity, be my guest, but please check itout thoroughly first. We've nothing to hide, so I challenge you, examine beforeyou attack.

 

2.JUDGING BY APPEARANCES

 

Anotherpoisonous form of judgement is when we judge by appearances…

John7:24

Do notjudge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

 

Inother words, Jesus says, “Don't judge a book by its cover”, and He isright! How many people have you met and made a surface judgements about, ajudgement not based on facts but on their appearance? We do it all the time!

 

Jesussaid these words when others judged Him for healing on the Sabbath. 

John8:15

Youjudge according to the flesh; I judge no one.

 

Wejudge according to the flesh, but God looks at the heart. How many times haveyou judged someone, for good or ill, based on appearances of what you think youknow of them? If someone is rich, successful or honoured, do you judge themdifferently? 

 

In 1884a young man died, and after the funeral his grieving parents decided toestablish a memorial to him. With that in mind they met with Charles Eliot,president of Harvard University. Eliot received the unpretentious couple intohis office and asked what he could do. After they expressed their desire to funda memorial, Eliot impatiently said, "Perhaps you have in mind ascholarship."

 

"Wewere thinking of something more substantial than that...perhaps abuilding," the woman replied. In a patronizing tone, Eliot brushed asidethe idea as being too expensive and the couple departed. The next year, Eliotlearned that this plain pair had gone elsewhere and established a $26 millionmemorial named Leland Stanford Junior University, better known today asStanford University.

 

I likeElton John's music, but if he walked in here today, I bet you'd make a fussabout him, despite that fact that he lives a completely debauched, bisexual,hedonistic, self glorifying lifestyle. 

 

If analcoholic walked in, I'm sure you’d treat him differently to Pastor BrianHouston, right? We see the outer, but God sees what's within. That's why Jesussaid, do not judge by appearances.

 

3.HASTY JUDGEMENTS

 

1Corinthians 4:5

Thereforedo not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who willbring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposesof the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

 

Listento this verse in the Message…

1Corinthians 4:5

Sodon't get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgmentsbefore all the evidence is in. When he comes, he will bring out in the open andplace in evidence all kinds of things we never even dreamed of—inner motivesand purposes and prayers. Only then will any one of us get to hear the"Well done!" of God.

 

So Godwill ultimately judge men, not you. Don't be too hasty to pass judgement onothers, because only God can see and will eventually judge the heart.

 

F.B.Meyer once said that when we see a brother or sister in sin, there are twothings we do not know: First, we do not know how hard he or she tried not tosin. And second, we do not know the power of the forces that assailed him orher. We also do not know what we would have done in the same circumstances.

 

In thesame way, don't be too hasty judging people's actions or motives.  Romans14 talks about people who judge each other based on liberties we take.

 

Romans14:3

Let notthe one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstainspass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.

 

This isnot suggesting we should not judge another's sin, but don't judge those whohave different liberties to you. In the Philippines recently I met a lovely guywho told me that the minions were demonic, and all action movies were of thedevil and Christians should never watch them. This teaching is not in theBible, but if that's his deal then I won't judge him, and I expect him not topass judgement on me if I watch Rambo!

 

STANDARDSAND MOTIVATIONS?

 

If not all judgementsare poisonous, so which ones are acceptable?

Firstly, you before youconsider any judgement of any kind, consider the state of your own heart… and make sure you are judging with…

A. The right standards: 

 

Any judgement must bemade using the right standards. And what is the right standard. Is it the lawof the land? Is it culture and society? I hope not,because  that changesevery minute! What was illegal 10 years ago is now accepted by society.  YesterdayI read a report stating that a group of paedophiles are lobbying thatthey have a different sexual orientation and they should be allowed toexpress it.  10 years ago marijuana was considered an illegal drug.Legalised in Colorado, it is now considered acceptable, but scientific evidenceproves it is irrevocably damaging the minds of teens who smoke it.

Our standard must besomething that doesn't bend or change depending on militant lobby group orsocial media. Something that remains relevant, strong and true, something uponwhich society is built. Something that promotes family, health, goodrelationships and what is right…

The Word of God is ourstandard! Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God isliving and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the divisionof soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts andintentions of the heart.

The Word of God judgesthe thoughts and attitude of the heart. If you know God well, if you study Hisword every day as many of you are doing, then you will start to make right andcorrect judgements. You will know the mind of Christ because yours will berenewed.

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed tothis world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing youmay discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

So as you read His Word,your mind is renewed and you are able to discern what is true and right.

 

B. The right motives:

 

John 6:38

For I have come downfrom heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Why are you judgingsomething? Is it for the Lord, for His glory, or is it something within you?Will the judging build others up, or build you up? What is your motive?

WHATCAN WE JUDGE?

 

Passing judgement onpeople is a poison, to us and to them. But there are certain Judgments asChristians We Must Make:

1. Judge what is right 

Luke 12:57

“And why do you notjudge for yourselves what is right?

If you study your Bible,if you listen to the Holy Spirit, if you get to know God closely, then you canmore easily judge truth from error, what is morally right or wrong. As PeterMarshall sad, you are better to stand for something lest you fall for anything!

John 17:17

Sanctify them in thetruth; your word is truth.

2. Judge what is taught

 

Matthew 7:15-16

“Beware of falseprophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.You will recognize them by their fruits. 

Many Christians thinkthat because the pastor says it, or does it, it must be true. No, you need tojudge what I say and make sure it's true. If my word becomes unquestionable werun the risk of becoming a cult! Whatever I teach, I challenge you to check itout and make sure I preach truth. Same with TV evangelists, Connect group leadersor Christian books.

 

3. Judge between believers

 

Sometimes disputes arisebetween people, because the people of God are still people, and a discerningbeliever is better placed to make a value judgement…

 

1 Corinthians 6:2

Or do you not know thatthe saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, areyou incompetent to try trivial cases?

We should not be goingbefore civilian magistrates to settle church issues. This is one area ofjudgement we are qualified to exercise!

4. Judge what is sin

 

People do things thatyou might think are wrong, but how do you know if they are? Our standard is notthe law, its not the prevailing culture of the day, it's not TV or the latestcelebrity, it is the Word of God.

 

Hebrews 5:13-14

for everyone who liveson milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. Butsolid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernmenttrained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

 

It takes time and practice,but if you know God and His Word, not as milk but as meat, you can judge whatactions are sin, and move to stop them. You can stop them in a your own life,and in the lives of fellow believers.

I must point out herethat I believe we can judge the actions of a person, and the havoc theiractions cause, but we cannot judge the person. Does that mean we have to shutup and put up with anything anyone wants to do? Of course not, but whateverthey do, however wrong or destructive they are, we need to love them and dowhat we can to care for them, not judge and condemn them, or reject orpersecute them.

 

Lily House exists tohelp girls who have made bad decisions, and help them get back onto the righttrack. We don't condemn them, we love them, but we still judge that baddecisions have been made. But I believe that if they live by God’s standards,if they live for Him, He will bless them in their lives, and their futures.

 

JUDGENOT, BUT BE A FRUIT INSPECTOR 

 

While Jesus says judgenot that you may not be judged, He is warning us not to be judge, jury andexecutioners, not to treat people with contempt and punish them ourselves. Weare not to pass judgement and condemnation against others, be they in the churchour out of the church.

However, we must be ableto judge the results, the fruit of what others do. In a sense, we cannot bejudges or condemners of men, but we must be fruit inspectors!

Matthew 12:33

“Either make the treegood and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the treeis known by its fruit.

 

Jesus said in John 15:5

I am the vine; you arethe branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears muchfruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

 

Luke 6:43-45

“For no good tree bearsbad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known byits own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapespicked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of hisheart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure producesevil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

So if you are to judge,don't judge the man or woman… Judge the fruit. 

As a pastor, I havepeople telling me that God told them to do certain things. If God said it, I amnot going to stand in their way. I cannot judge them, but I can be a fruitinspector. If the fruit of their decision is disharmony, disunity anddestruction, that's bad fruit. That decision is not God, folks, because thefruit of the Spirit is…

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of theSpirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

 

Don't be judgemental,just be a fruit inspector. You've every right to pass judgement on the fruit onsomeone's decision, but no right to judge the person themselves, because thatis God’s job!

 

THEPOISON SEEPS IN

 

A judgemental spirit isa poison that seeps into your life. If you have this poison, then everythingyou see is negative. Everything any one else says or does you immediately jumpto the most negative judgement you can.

James 4:11-12

Do not speak evilagainst one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judgeshis brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judgethe law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiverand judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge yourneighbor?

Or as the Message says, 

James 4:12

God is in charge ofdeciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny ofothers?

So if you are someonewho is quick to judge others negatively, and maybe quick to condemn them also,then you may be infected with this poison.

THEANTIDOTE TO THE POISON OF PASSING JUDGEMENT 

 

The antidote to thissinister poison of passing judgement on others is to renew your mind. Youcannot just say, I'm going to change, you must renew your mind. You do this byfilling it with that which is good…

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers,whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, ifthere is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

In other words, do thedaily bible reading plan and watch your mind, attitudes, standards and eveurging be renewed. It really works!

Remember also if you arequick to judge that you will be judged accordingly…

Romans14:10

Why doyou pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? Forwe will all stand before the judgment seat of God;

 

Ultimatelywe will all be judged by God. That's His job, not yours, not mine.

 

Thosewithout Christ experience the Judgement of the Great White Throne, where Godwith a broken heart will say, depart from me, I never knew You. They go toeternal hell. That's why we urge you to give your life to Jesus. If you acceptChrist, then you skip this judgement. But you still face the judgement seat ofChrist. Here your actions, word and thoughts will be judged. You are not atrisk of going to hell, because you are saved already, but you will receiverewards for what you have done.

 

AsChristians we must not judge one another negatively, we cannot condemn oneanother and we must not treat each other with judgement and contempt. Beforeyou try and pass judgement on another, stop and think about what they are goingthrough, how hard their struggle has been and don't for one moment think youare better than them, and that you'd never be tempted to fall too.

 

Everythingwe do must be done in love, not judgement. Remember, you can be right but stillbe wrong. If this poison is in you, I challenge you to join us in the Biblereading plan and renew your mind. Don't be too busy. If you have time to eat,watch TV, you have time to read your Bible. And if you are serious about thisantidote, you can start taking it immediately.

Poisons of the Pilgrim 2- Poison of Pain and Bitterness

Last week we looked at the Poison of Pride and saw how it can affect every aspect of your life, even if you are a believer. This week, we move into the second poison and again it is one that can completely ruin your life, believer or non-believer. 

 

It is the poison of Pain and Bitterness…

 

What makes this poison so subtle and so sinister is that you feel justified in it. People hang onto hurts for years, especially when they feel it is justified. “I didn't deserve that,” or “That’s not fair!”

 

This poison is so sinister it is not only often undetectable, you actually feel justified in doing this sin. You won't feel good, but you'll feel right in indulging in this poison, but all the while it will be killing your walk with God!

 

Hanging onto hurt and pain is like drinking poison hoping the other guy dies! The only one being hurt by this is you. The perpetrator? They've often moved on with their lives and don't even know you are still seething within.

 

Hebrews 12:15

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

 

THE POISON OF PAIN AND BITTERNESS

 

Let's face it, we all feel pain. It's a part of life. Someone says something against you, or does something to hurt you, and the pain just not let up. As a Christian, you know you need to forgive the other party, but they were wrong in what they did to you, and you just can't let it go.

 

You might even mouth the words, “I forgive…” But then you wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it. Or you see them and you wish them evil. Or at very least you hope God judges them, and does it real quick and really thoroughly!

 

It's a fact, we all get hurt. The question is how we deal with it, because if we don't do this right, it becomes the root of bitterness, and then it's sin, plain and simple!

 

WHAT CAUSES BITTERNESS?

 

Usually hurt is caused by 3 things…

1. What's been done to us

2. What's been said to us

3. What's been taken from us

 

You can't generally control and stop these things from happening, but what you can control is the way you respond.

 

Bitterness is a hurt, dug in deep and amplified or left to fester. I once had a piece of glass in my hand, and it festered up with poison as my defences eventually expelled the foreign body.

 

Hurt left unresolved will fester into bitterness.

 

Hebrews 12:15

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

 

The word for bitterness actually means having a sharp, pungent taste or smell, like bitter gall.

 

The person who becomes bitter is always the one who has been wronged, or feels they have been.

 

 How does bitterness take root in your heart? Before there is a root there is a seed. The seed of pain or hurt is planted and the plant of bitterness begins to grow.

 

  "Root" means it exists beneath the surface, invisible to the eye, but very real. The seed is planted when someone does you wrong, or you perceive that you were wronged. It could begin when you were disappointed or hurt. Sometimes the person who hurts us does it unintentionally being insensitive to what they did or said. Other times. . .it is deliberate. In either case the seed sprouts unseen by others and it takes root.

 

The Problem is, if we don't deal with it properly, instead of returning love for hurt we disregard the Grace of God which is God's unmerited favour and it blocks God’s blessing flowing to us. 

 

God forgives the sinner who does not deserve to be forgiven… Take yourself, for example. Bitterness begins when instead of forgiving, we become resentful and bitter towards them. We think the person should know what they did and that we should be the ones to correct their behavior, but they go on as if nothing has happened. 

 

But God's word teach us that forgiveness is not based on merit, but on grace....because we choose to forgive and not hold resentment. And we must make that choice! 

 

Listen to what Jesus said on the matter…

Matthew 18:21-22

 

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

 

Matthew 6:14-15

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 

God treats this poison very seriously, because it is so destructive to you, those around you and the church.

 

So how do you deal with hurt and pain?

 

BLOW UP, CLAM UP OR GIVE IT UP

 

Most of us dealing with hurt and pain have one of two responses…

 

1. They blow up, or 2. They clam up. This verse mentions both…

 

Ephesians 4:26-27

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

 

Blowing Up is never a good idea. When pain or hurt comes, the knee jerk reaction is pretty much never going to be God. The Bible says be angry, but it also says do not sin.

 

Ephesians 4:31

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

 

When we explode, however justified we think it may be, it will never produce the righteousness of God. You don't explode in anger and see peace, faith, righteousness, joy, etc. result. Measure the worth of an action by its fruit, and you'll find that the fruit of an explosion is going to be all bad!

 

James 1:20

for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

 

A woman once told Gypsy Smith the famous evangelist that she was good because she fires up quick in anger but then it all passes and things are fine. The evangelist said, “"Yes, a shot gun fires up in less than a second, but look at the damage it can cause in that short space of time!”

 

If you are the blowing up kind, I would counsel you to step back and take some time to calm down. In WHOS Najara, our local drug rehab facility, they make you take a mandatory 24 hour time out before you answer any conflict. Not a bad strategy. 

 

In your marriage, with your kids, with others in the church, try stepping back and taking a half hour breather before you respond. That way you will respond rather than react! Remember

 

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

 

And don't run around thinking you have righteous anger towards people who hurt you, as some Christians claim. Even if your grievance is right, that doesn't give you carte Blanche to react angrily. Righteousness anger I anger on behalf of God. So if you see victims of war or abuse, or if you hear God being slandered in the media, that's righteous anger.

 

Anger about what has happened to you, that's not righteous anger, because you basis for anger is all about you. Doesn't mean you can't be angry, just means it is not righteous anger. The emphasis here is, however angry or justified you think you might be, DO NOT SIN!

 

When you react, when you lash back, when you explode, when you get snarky, or short or high and mighty, or picky… call it what it is… It's sin, so watch how you react.

 

Clamming up is no good either. If you are the clam up person, you might feel good and righteous that you haven't caused the carnage that the other guy’s caused, but you run the risk of bitterness. When you clam up, it's like a pressure cooker, and the pressures is rising. Eventually you life can be ruined, or you will explode on a nuclear scale!

 

When the Bible say not to let the sun go down, it means don't hold onto your anger. It means let it go, let the pain go. Why? Because hanging onto it will cause you to stew on it, which causes bitterness, which is the poison we are looking at now.

 

I spent many years in a country Baptist church. I observed Christians, even leaders in the church, who had held grudges and not spoken directly to people in the church for over 10 years. They still justified this action to themselves, and went to church every week.

 

Psalms 37:8

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

 

So don't blow up, or clam up, give it up and let it go. Remember, this poison might make you feel justified, but it only hurts you and those you love, not the original perpetrator!

 

This poison is insidious, and the poison of pain and bitterness can kill you.

 

WHAT THE POISON OF PAIN AND BITTERNESS DOES

 

This poison Is one of the most destructive and dangerous of all human emotions and if not dealt with, will spiritually destroy the person who has it.

 

* It can rob you of your peace and joy.

* It is an open door for Satan to control you life.

* It can lead to the lost of good friends.

* It can hurt or destroy you relationship with your family, your wife and can even lead to the breakup of your home.

* It make peace and harmony impossible.

* There can be no true biblical love where it exists.

* It destroys any true relationship with the Lord and will keep you from growing in the Lord.

* It will defeat you and ruin your life and the lives of those around you.

 

 

LONG TERM FRUIT OF THE POISON OF HURT AND BITTERNESS

 

The fruit of this poisonous root can be devastating to your life.

 

1. Bitterness causes the person who holds it harm. It will rob you of your peace of mind, of joy in your life or satisfaction. Most of all it will deeply hurt your pride. 

 

Holding onto hurts will saturate your mind. The root of bitterness can take hold our your mind. You find yourself thinking about the person who harmed your all the time. You cannot get over it or get it out of your mind.

 

  In Dr S.I. McMillen’s book "None of these Diseases" he said: "The moment I start hating a person I become that person's slave. I can't enjoy life...he controls my thoughts...I can't escape his/her grasp on my mind. He or she may be many miles away, always in my mind.”

 

The story is told of a very bitter woman who was bitten by a rabid raccoon. Test are run and the doctor tells her she has rabies. She then got out a notebook and began to write down names. The doctor asked if she was making a will. She replied, NO! I am making a list of all the people I am going to bite!

 

2. Bitterness will sadden your spirit. Bitterness is a depressant. There are no happy bitter people. It will make you critical, pessimistic, and negative. It will blow out the candle of joy in your heart. It will rob you of any getting any enjoyment out of life.

 

You get the "Woe is me” syndrome and everything you look at in your life will be seen through the colored lens of bitterness. You make yourself the perpetual victim, and so many in our society do this.

 

3. It is an open door for the devil to control your life. Ephesians 4:27

and give no opportunity to the devil. It is a foothold for the devil in your life.

 

4. It can sicken your body. God did not create our bodies to nurse bitter feelings towards others. It has been said that "Not every sick person is bitter, but every bitter person will eventually get sick."

 

It causes stress and we all know that what the doctors tell us about stress it true. It will ruin our health and can kill us. Yet, is a sickness that can be 100% prevented and completely cured.

 

5. Bitterness will defile others around you if if you do not overcome it.

 

- It will ruin your family and children if you are bitter against another Christian, your church, preacher, and yes....even God. This poison ruins churches and families if left unchecked.

 

- It will seriously effect your relationship with others and your ability to show love to your husband, children, family and friends. Marriages have been destroyed by bitterness, often when it is even directed towards others. Hurt people hurt people, and you hurt the people you love the most and who count on you. 

 

- It will rob you of your testimony. Who is going to listen to a bitter, twisted, resentful person speaking about love and forgiveness. 1 John 5:2,

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.

 

- It will rob you of your service and reward for the Lord. Often bitterness grows and a person become so dishearten that they give up on the Lord. There is no satisfaction in serving the Lord. 

 

You see, bitterness effects our relationship with the Lord and God cannot bless us in this sinful state. - It will rob you of the blessings of the Lord. God cannot bless a person who is not living filled and guided by the Holy Spirit. 

 

Romans 12:17-21

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

 

THE ANTIDOTE TO THE POISON OF PAIN AND BITTERNESS

 

Ultimately, hanging onto pain and bitterness is sin. Sin severs our fellowship within God, and stops the flow of His blessings and anointing In our lives.

 

Psalms 66:18

If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

 

The antidote to this terrible poison is to cast it upon Him, 1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

 

Carrying this stuff around inside of you, dealing with the sleepless nights, the anxiety, the hurt, the possibility of meeting them again, what is said, what will they do, this is burdensome. 

 

It's time to stop this poison right now. It's time to take the antidote of casting all this upon your Lord, who loves you and wants the best for you. Let it go, stop carrying this junk, give it to Him, and don't hang onto it. If you can trust Him for your salvation, can you not trust Him to deal justly with whatever cause or grievance you have?

 

And this diabolical sin will cut the heart out of your ministry for the Lord. You might outwardly serve the Lord, but your heart will not be in it. Your service is not done in faith serving God but you get resentful. This poison is  sin, and the wages of it is still death.

 

Many of you will know that I suffered a severe and unwarranted attack late last year, both verbally, on the phone and in a letter many of you got about me. I hope you noticed that I did not respond to or address the false and slanderous lies and accusations made against me. I didn't have to, I knew they were wrong. I also couldn't afford to get bitter about it. So I let God deal with it. I am not angry or bitter towards these folks, just sad that they are so angry and bitter. God has dealt with it for me, and I have given my reputation to Him, so I don't have to fight to answer anything.

 

One of the greatest examples of overcoming bitterness is Corrie Ten Boom. A survivor of Ravensbrck concentration camp, where her beloved sister Betsie had died in agony, she was speaking at a church in Munich Germany when she met a former SS guard. Let me share what she wrote about this:

 

"But since that time," the former guard, "I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Frulein,"--and the hand came out--"will you forgive me?"

And I stood there--I whose sins had every day to be forgiven--and could not. Betsie had died in that place--could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking?

It could not have been many seconds that he stood there, hand held out, but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.

For I had to do it--I knew that. I knew it not only as a commandment of God, but as a daily experience. Since the end of the war I had had a home in Holland for victims of Nazi brutality. Those who were able to forgive their former enemies were able also to return to the outside world and rebuild their lives, no matter what the physical scars. Those who nursed their bitterness remained invalids. It was as simple and as horrible as that.

And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion--I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling."

And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.

"I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart!"

For a long moment we grasped each other's hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God's Love so intensely as I did then.

Brothers and Sisters, pain and bitterness can ruin your life and ministry, but I won't let it ruin mine because I gave it all to the Lord. 

 

And so must you. Some of you here have tried to escape the effects of this poison, especially with regards how you feel towards those who have wronged you, family members, church leaders and pastors or former friends.  You cannot escape this poison on your own, it's in you, and you need to totally give it to God right now and receive His antidote. 

 

The antidote often takes time to work, but God promises it will. Step one is giving it to Him and letting Him deal with it, without your butting in and taking back control of your bitterness. Let's dig this root out now!

 

Bill Newman says, Don't nurse your hurts, don't curse your hurts, don't rehearse your hurts. Give them to God and reverse your hurts, because hurts will make you bitter or better

 

So what do you choose this morning? Do you want to be bitter, or better. Do you want curses, or blessings, death or life. Now choose life!

 

Deuteronomy 30:19

 

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live

Biblical Healing- Pastor Greg Biddell

Pastor Greg Biddell brings a timely message about Biblical healing, how reading and interpreting the Word of God properly can teach us how to live healthy lives.

In this message Pastor Greg shares how he has found incredible links in the Bible between things like grief and blindness, and how removing things like grief, guilt and forgiveness can actually lead to positive changes in your health and well being.

With so many struggling today in their health, Pastor Greg's timely message was well received in Coast Church, and is a message worth listening to for anyone who genuinely cares about their health and  living life to the full!

Sit enjoy the ministry of Pastor Greg Biddell today...

In God We Trust

As Christians we claim to trust God, we say "In God We Trust", we claim we're trusting the Lord in this situation or that, but are we really walking the walk or just talking the talk?

Psalms 33:16-18

The king is not saved by his great army;

a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.

The war horse is a false hope for salvation,

and by its great might it cannot rescue.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,

on those who hope in his steadfast love,

Hebrew word for hope is yahal, which means to hope, to trust, to wait patiently, to tarry. This psalm is highlighting the fact that we would often rather trust in what we can see or touch tangibly instead of truly trust God!

Church is typical of this. We claim we are trusting in God, then our actions indicate we are following a church, or a denomination or even a man!

Blondin was a famous 19th century acrobat, especially famous for his tightrope act 160 feet above Niagara Falls on a rope which was over a thousand feet long.

In 1860 a Royal party from Britain saw Blondin cross the Niagara Falls tightrope on stilts, and even blindfolded. Next he wheeled a wheelbarrow from one side to the other, and returned from the Canadian side with a sack of potatoes in it.

Then Blondin approached the Royal party. He asked the Duke of Newcastle, "do you believe I could take a man across the tightrope in this wheelbarrow?"

"Yes, I do" , said the Duke. "Hop in, then" , replied Blondin. Needless to say, the Duke declined Blondin's challenge. You see, he might have believed Blondin could do it, but he wasn't about to trust him with his life.

When it comes to trusting God, we often show this kind of belief. We believe in principle, We know He can do it, we're just not sure He can do it for us. But God is looking for followers who will trust him with their lives.

WHAT DO YOU FACE RIGHT NOW?

What is it that you are facing right now? Is it your health, financial loss, relationship breakdown?

However big the biggest thing you face right now, the question is not how big your problem is, it's how big is God and how faithful is He?

Honestly, we can talk about faith till the cows come home, our Christian faith should be like a tea bag... Our true colour comes out in hot water! When things get tough, when the odds are against us, these are the times when true faith stands up and says, no matter what you throw at me, I believe in Jesus!

IN GOD WE TRUST... IF WE CAN TRUST THE TANGIBLE

The challenge is, as Psalm 33 says, that we say we trust God, but I'm reality we are actually trusting man. Now before you get all high and mighty on me, let me confess that I think all of us, including me, does this.

In fact, in our modern world, this is the default position for Christians.

We say we trust God to heal us, but we pop a pill before we pray. We say we trust God to prosper us, but we are stingy with our giving and tithing, for fear that we won't have enough. We say that Jesus is Lord over our family, but we whine and complain about how our partner or children behave, and nag them when they let us down!

If we say we trust God, then we must not limit ourselves to horses, chariots, cars, houses, churches, men or anything else!

Listen to this...

Jeremiah 17:5

Thus says the Lord:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength,

whose heart turns away from the Lord.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.

He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream,

and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

THE DANGER OF PRESUMPTION

There is a hidden danger we need to be explicit about before we move on, and that's the and danger of presumption. I see this time and again in the church. We make our own plans and assume that God is going to bless them. We even pray for His blessing on our plans, rather than waiting on Him to reveal His plans!

Proverbs 16:9

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

How dare we treat God like a performing puppy! He is God, and we are His servants, not the other way around. Formulating our own plans then asking God to bless them is like throwing a few nuts and bolts together and asking God to turn them into a car!

We have previously talked about waiting on God, and we do this to establish His will, as opposed to our will. So stop pursuing your own desires and asking God to bless you in them. And the logical extension to that is, stop following your own plans then blaming God when they don't work out!

THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE

As human beings we always want to follow the path of least resistance. As Bruce Lee once said, flow like water around the rocks. We wants to be happy, blessed and comfortable. We have no room in our Theology or our pea-sized view of God to suffer, to hurt, to agonise, to face opposition or do it tough!

We just want to be blessed. Now while I absolutely believe God wants to bless you, He also is happy to take you through trials, temptations and difficult circumstances. Why? Because He knows the path of least resistance develops fat, lazy, uninspired, useless sheep.

He loves you more than that! In fact, He loves you so much that He will escort you personally through every fiery trial you face, if you'll let Him.

That's why He writes,

James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

He wants you to be complete, He wants you to mature, and He's not adverse to letting you face trials to do it! Your comfort is a bit down on His list of priorities. The development of your character and your faith is quite a bit higher.

Theology that preaches that God never lets you suffer is not only shallow, dangerous and wrong, it robs you of the chance to grow in the things that really matter... Character, faith, trust, perseverance and more!

So does this mean God doesn't want to bless you? Does it mean He doesn't want to prosper you? Of course not! Jeremiah 29:11 clearly states that God wants the best for you, not to harm you. So what if God's best for you is the way of discomfort, trouble or even pain?

They're not misjudging God's character, or desires for us. They're just misjudging what's really important.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Faced the wrath of the most powerful man on earth, King Nebuchadnezzar. They would not worship the image of gold the King had set up, so the King threatened to throw them into the fiery furnace. They didn't complain that life was tough, they didn't take the way of least resistance, they stood firm and trusted God!

And they said this...

Daniel 3:16-18

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

In other words, If God does something miraculous and saves us that's fine, and if He does not intervene and save us, we're good with that too. But we will never, never bow the knee to you, King!

That is faith! Not the path of least resistance, but the faith to follow their Lord down any path the Master chooses, trusting the Master, not man and not circumstances!

And what if He answers differently? What if the path God leads us down is not the one we, in our not so infinite wisdom, reckon we should follow? What if the whole thing takes longer than we reckon it ought to take?

Can you trust Him enough that, no matter the opposition, no matter the pain and no matter how long it takes, you will stay the course?

7 REASONS WHY IT IS BETTER TO TRUST IN THE LORD THAN IN MAN

Psalms 118: 8-9

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

There are good and trustworthy men and women in life. Most of them are not politicians.  But no matter how good any man is, you cannot compare him with God.

Remember that verse from Jeremiah?

Jeremiah 17:5-8

Thus says the Lord:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength,

whose heart turns away from the Lord.

He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come.

He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,

in an uninhabited salt land.

Jeremiah tells us here the consequences of trusting in man. It brings curse and dryness. It brings disappointment and frustration. It doesn't bring life, it brings ultimately death.

Even good men have limits. God knows that if you trust in me as your pastor, at so,e point I will let you down. I'm not God, but I know Him and long to walk with Him!

 

1. GOD NEVER CHANGES, BUT MEN DO

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Malachi 3:6

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

God doesn't change. His compassions, His promises, His purposes last forever.

Im sick of hearing people saying God told them something, then a little later they claim God told them the complete opposite. That's not faith, folks, that's a joke, and it is against Scripture. Again, stop changing your mind and blaming God! Start listening to Him and being obedient, even if it's not the answer you were after!

2. GOD DOES NOT LIE, BUT MEN DO

Numbers 23:19

God is not man, that he should lie,

or a son of man, that he should change his mind.

Has he said, and will he not do it?

Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

In fact, Hebrews 6:18 says it is impossible for God to lie.

That's why I am encouraging you strongly to read the Word of God. When God speaks to you, He never lies and you can stand on it to face any opposition when you know God has spoken.

I faced a lot of opposition when I stepped up to pastor this church. But I could stand firm knowing that God had called me. And I had pages of Scripture to support me. Because God spoke, I didn't need to listen when others told me the church would be destroyed in less than 2 years.

God promised and led me... And He doesn't lie!

3. GOD IS FAITHFUL, MEN ARE NOT

As we read His word every day we begin to understand His faithfulness, which is beyond anything man could ever offer

Lamentations 3:22-23

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

The Bible even contrasts men and God for faithfulness...

2 Timothy 2:13

if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

4. GOD IS OMNISCIENT, MAN HAS LIMITED KNOWLEDGE

Hebrews 4:13

And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

God knows everything, and everyone totally. Think you can hide your sin? Think again. Think you can conceal you true intentions or your secret plans and agendas? Think again. Men cannot see and understand like God can.

So as you live your life, do you want a man in your corner, or an omniscient God!

5. GOD IS OMNIPRESENT, MAN IS IN ONE PLACE

Jeremiah 23:24

Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.

You cannot run, you cannot hide, you cannot secretly do anything because God is there. His Spirit is so dependable, it doesn't matter where you go, God is with you...

Psalms 139:7-10

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

6. GOD IS OMNIPOTENT, MAN HAS LIMITED POWER

Isaiah 40:28

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

God created everything with just a word! God is so powerful atomic bombs are like tiny hiccups. And this is the same God we serve. This same God loves you and asks for your trust.

Matthew 19:26

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Do you believe it. In the midst of your storm, can you stand firm and trust that this same God will see you through.

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

7. GOD SEES THINGS THROUGH, MAN GIVES UP

He's proved this again and again. Jesus saw it through...

Hebrews 12: 2 - Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He saw His part through, and He promises He will finish the job in you if you let Him!

Philippians 1:6

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

God never gives up, He never walks away, He is never not able to complete what He has promised, and He never breaks His promises or changes his mind.

TRUST IN THE LORD... IN GOD WE TRUST... TRULY

I've just shown you how awesome, how amazingly huge and powerful and loving God is. Your struggles to trust God have nothing to do with Him, for He is able, but everything to do with you, and how you perceive Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

God is so immeasurably, mind bogglingly powerful, He is so immutably able to do exceeding abundantly beyond anything we can ask or even think. Trying to fathom how amazing He is constitutes a disservice to Him, and an attempt to lean on your own understanding.

Don't try and get God, just learn how to know Him and love Him, and He'll do the rest, whatever you are trusting for.

Let me finish with a quote I read in my quiet time this week from AW TOZER...

"If we are not aware of what kind of God our God is, or what He is like, we simply cannot have faith; and so we struggle, wait and hope for faith. Faith does not come, because we do not know the character of God.

Faith, trust and hope are an automatic thing. If we have put our faith and hope and trust in the character of God, it will come naturally. It will flow as naturally as a stream down the mountain. When we know what God is like, that knowledge gets expressed in faith and trust and hope."

In other words, your trust in God is directly proportional to how well you know Him. Not how well you know of Him, not how many times you go to church... How well you actually know Him.

And the way you get to know Him is by daily Bible reading and prayer.

My challenge to you this morning is, will you commit to reading the Bible every day.  If you don't want to, then I must assume that you don't really want to know God, and are content with where your spiritual life is at right now.

But for the rest of us, let's get serious and committed to reading the Bible and prayer.

A tiny amount of faith in an infinitely powerful, infinitely loving God is worth far more that all the faith you can muster in a man, something man has made or even a church!

He Maketh No Mistake

In the 1920s a young man named A. M. Overton became the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Baldwyn, Mississippi. I happen to know a little about Baldwyn because we lived for seven years in nearby Tupelo. Baldwyn is a small community in north Mississippi on the road between Tupelo and Corinth. Back in the 1920s Baldwyn was just a tiny place. In 1932 Mrs. Overton was pregnant with their fourth child, but when it came time for delivery there were complications and both she and the baby died. During the funeral, the preacher officiating the service noticed Pastor Overton writing something on a piece of paper. After the service the minister asked him about it, and he handed him the paper with a poem he had just written. The poem was unknown for many years until someone set it to music. It eventually went around the world. The poem is called “He Maketh No Mistake.”

My Father’s way may twist and turn

My heart may throb and ache,

But in my soul I’m glad to know,

He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,

My hopes may fade away,

But still I’ll trust my Lord to lead,

For He doth know the way.

Tho’ night be dark and it may seem

That day will never break,

I’ll pin my faith, my all, in Him,

He maketh no mistake.

There’s so much now I cannot see,

My eyesight’s far too dim,

But come what may,

I’ll simply trust and leave it all to Him.

For by and by the mist will lift,

And plain it all He’ll make,

Through all the way, tho’ dark to me,

He made not one mistake.

The Voices in Your Head... Inside Out

Romans 8:5-9

 

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

 

If you have not seen the kids movie "Inside Out," then you have missed a really great movie. It's the kid movie very adult should see! In the movie, it relates the thoughts that go through a little girl's head in various situations, and features voices in her head like joy, sadness, anger, fear and disgust.

 

A kid movie, yes, but doesn't it ring true. How many of you know that, whenever you face anything in you life, there are often conflicting voices in your head. So which ones are God, which are the demons, and which is just you?

 

Please note that I'm not suggesting that you are all schizophrenic! These poor people hear voices in their head telling them to do all kinds of things, and they need professional help. I heard one guy joke, "I used to think I had Schizophrenia, then I realized that is just what the voices want me to think," but it is no joking matter. If that's you, seek professional help now.

 

But even if we are not mentally ill, we still hear voices in our heads every day, either God, us or demonic voices.

 

YOUR CHOICES OF VOICES

 

Simply, the voices in your head are from either of those three sources. But sorting them out, and figuring which ones you want to listen to is no easy matter! 

 

Choose the right ones and you will grow and prosper in God, choose the wrong ones to listen to and you will be tormented and maybe even have your life ruined! The stakes are high, but God is God, and His ways are higher than your stakes.

 

IPOD, IPHONE, I SAID IT!

 

In the "I Generation", we think everything is about us. This of course is not new... Remember the foolish rich man...

 

Luke 12:18

 

And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

 

Man has always been all about himself.

 

The thing is, demons love to use this to trick us, and they do this by whispering in our spiritual ears, just as God often does. But they use the word "I".  You've always assumed that you are the originator of your own thoughts, but I think you need to step back and have a look at that theory right now...

 

The demonic wants to influence you in every way. If you've ever read the Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis you will recognise this. One of their greatest tools is planting thoughts in your mind and convincing you that the thoughts are yours.

 

They do this by using the first person... "I'm such a loser", "I won't make it," "How can God bless me when I'm such a mess."

 

If the devil can get you to take ownership of negative thoughts he can lead you to utter despair. 

 

Slightly less subtle but equally as effective is the second person attack...

"You shouldn't have done that", "You always let God down."

 

Recognise that these destructive thoughts are planted in your head, so don't fall for them hook, line and sinker!

 

 

THE GHOSTS OF THE PAST

 

Dickens explored this area in his famous story, "A Christmas Carol." The first voice old Scrooge had to deal with was from the past.

 

You may have had a tough upbringing, you may have been abused, hurt or put down by someone in your past. God knows this, and yet He says,

 

Isaiah 43:18-19

 

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

 

That voice in your head which brings up the hurts of the past... It's most often the devil. And if he wants to bring up your past, try bringing up his future!

 

It's time to make the past past at last! The things your parents or sibling said, the failures you've experienced, the hurt people have caused in your life...that failed marriage, that failed business, that miserable church experience... It is time to let them go. Put them behind you, draw a line and say, "Enough... I'm done, and I'm moving on!"

 

MAX LUCADO WRITES...

The forgiven who won’t forgive can expect a sad fate—a life full of many bad and bitter days. . . .

Hoard hurts in your heart and expect the joy level of a Siberian death camp. 

 

A friend shared with me the fate of a hoarding grandmother. . . . She refused to part with anything. Her family witnessed two terrible consequences: she lost sleep and treasures. She couldn’t rest because junk covered her bed. She lost treasures because they were obscured by mountains of trash. Jewelry, photographs, favorite books—all were hidden.

No rest. No treasures. Or clean your house and give the day a fresh chance!

 

Hang onto your hurts and you don't hurt them, you hurt yourself.

 

Has someone taken something from you? Your innocence, your money, your reputation? Release them now. Why let them take even more from you? Haven't they stolen enough?

 

Forgiving them releases their hold over you. It doesn't mean you approve of what's happened to you. You aren't endorsing what they did, but you are stopping them from doing it to you again and again in your mind!

 

If you cannot forgive and release the hurt, then the ghost of Christmas past will always haunt you. You will never be free. 

 

Let Jesus remove that burden from your weary, discouraged shoulders, and replace it with a yoke that is easy and light. He say,

 

Matthew 11:28-30

 

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

 

In the end, we all choose what lives inside us. We all choose what voices we will listen to.

 

THE GHOSTS OF THE FUTURE

 

We all have fears of the future, if we're honest. Mostly they revolve around money, families, whether we'll ever make it and, for the guys,.. Money. 

 

Again, we have conflicting voices in our heads... Come on, you can do it, or... You'll never make it.

 

90% of all the things we worry about never happen. But that doesn't stop the voices telling you that they could happen. Sometimes these voices keep you up at night wondering what you'll do if it does happen, when you have no guarantees that it will happen!

 

Confused? Yep, that's where the devil wants you! He wants you trusting your feelings not the Lord, basing your life upon the whispers of trouble ahead instead of the Word of God.

 

Yet the Word says this...

 

Isaiah 41:10

 

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

 

Max Lucado says, "You don’t have wisdom for tomorrow’s problems. But you will tomorrow. You don’t have resources for tomorrow’s needs. But you will tomorrow. You don’t have courage for tomorrow’s challenges. But you will when tomorrow comes. God meets daily needs daily and miraculously. He did then, he does still, and he will for you."

 

You've got on one hand the God of all creation, you loves you and wants the best for you, vs the worry wort in your head. So who are you going to believe? Who will you listen to?

 

THE GHOST OF THE PRESENT

 

Bill Keane said, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.”

 

Yet we listen to the voices that tell us we're in trouble, right here right now. They say things like,  "You don't deserve any better than this," and "I'll never be able to do that," or "I just can't take it any more." 

 

Often the voices write us off, even before we attempt anything. We worry about the future, and this spills over into the present. 

 

The big thing in business circles these days is living in the moment. This is in direct contrast to recent teaching about goals, KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and profitability. What they are saying is that if you cease listening to the voices of worry in your head, you will have a happier life.

 

But Jesus said exactly this long ago...

 

Matthew 6:31-34

 

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

 

So to finish up, I want to talk about the present, and the battle that we all face in our minds. Those voices keep on whispering, and if you want to grow in life, it's time to tell the bad voices to shut up... Permanently!

 

THE VACILLATION EQUATION... SHALL WE DANCE?

 

1 Kings 18:21

 

Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

But the people said nothing.

 

The Hebrew word for waiver is "pasah", which means to limp, skip over or dance.

 

That's what these voices do, they whisper in your ear, and you think the evil voice is your own. Then you waiver. You start to vacillate between one opinion and the other. One minute you believe, the next you doubt.

 

Shall we dance? Sure, let's waiver, let's sway between God and the devil. Let's do the dance of indecision, and let's play this game all day every day. We dance and skip from one voice to the other. If you keep dancing this dance, you, your ministry and your life will be paralysed.

 

James 1:6-8

 

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

 

SO HOW DO YOU RECOGNISE AND OVERCOME THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD

 

1. FORGIVE ANYONE WHO HAS HURT YOU IN THE PAST

 

You will not hear God clearly if you view everything through the lens of you past hurts and pain. Forgive whoever has hurt you, family, friends, investments, friends, anyone who has spoke words of curse over you.

 

Forgive and let them go. Forget the former things and release yourself, and watch God bless you and change your mind forever!

 

Isaiah 43:18-19

 

2. LISTEN TO THE ACCENT OF THE VOICE

 

You can recognise the voices in your head by their accent. I'm not suggesting that good voices are in French and bad ones in German, but each voice has an accent from its country of origin. You can tell where people come from by their accent!

 

God's voice is always encouraging. The devil is discouraging. God's Spirit even brings correction with an accent of conviction, not condemnation. His words are accented with life, but the devil always has an accent of death.

 

2 Timothy 1:7

 

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. A sound mind is one that is only listening to the Holy Spirit, not the evil one.

 

3. ACCEPT GOD'S VOICE, AND REJECT THE OTHER VOICES

 

Make a conscious decision to accept the voice of the Lord, and make a decision to reject the voice of criticism, discouragement and fear.

 

Say, "Thanks for sharing, but I don't do that any more!" 

 

Why not listen to the one who says,

Jeremiah 29:11

 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

 

The thing is, you must not tolerate or put up with those evil accented voices. Don't fill you mind with that junk. Don't watch movies or listen to songs that depress you. Don't hang out with people that drag you down.

 

As Paul said, 

 

2 Corinthians 10:5

 

 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

 

So accept the voice of encouragement and take captive and then reject the voices that drag you down.  As Wayne Alcorn says, it's the voices John  West rejects that makes him the best.

 

Isaiah 30:21

 

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

 

Don't dance, walk in it. Don't vacillate, follow Him.

 

4. FILL YOUR MIND WITH THE RIGHT THING

 

Whatever you mind is filled with is what's going to speak to you. Fill you mind with your pain, and everything you see will be negative. Fill it with thoughts about money, and you'll be obsessed with getting money. Fill it with porn, and you'll have thoughts of lust.

 

Fill your mind with God, and guess what voice you'll start to hear more and more!

 

Do you know how investigators are trained to recognize counterfeit money? They don’t spend all of their time trying to keep up with the latest technological advances in creating false money. Instead, they first and foremost diligently study the original, the real thing. Then, held against the standard, the imitation stands out.

 

The best way to distinguish God's voice is to get to know it, and the best way to know God’s voice is to get to know Him. He's the real thing. Spend time in His Word and soak in His truths. You must know God’s Word before you can differentiate God’s instructions from the messages that Satan or your flesh is sending you. You must learn God's accent by spending time with Him, and then you'll realise that He sounds very different to the devil or the flesh.

 

When the devil attacked Jesus in the wilderness, every time He answered with Scripture. Answer with Scripture, and Jesus did! Matthew 4:4, But he answered, “It is written...

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

 

What you let into your mind will have a direct affect on the voices you hear, and the accents you detect.  So don't fill your mind with junk from TV, movies, songs, books or magazines... Renew your mind, 

 

Romans 12:2

 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

And the way you do that is to meditate on the Word of God. There is no substitute for reading a God's Word daily. You cannot live a Spirit filled, victorious life without spending time every day with the Lord. 

 

Colossians 3:2

 

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

 

Philippians 4:8

 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

5. DON'T FIGHT ALONE

 

God invented church, not so we could have tall steeples, but so we could share together. We can worship together, laugh together, cry together. We can share our money, our things and our hurts.  The Bible says this...

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

 

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.

For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

 

Yet most Christians listen to the evil accented voice and move not towards the people of God, but away. They're ashamed. The voices tell them they are sinful, they are unworthy, that no one will love them if the truth about them and what they've done gets around. 

 

If you're struggling, don't isolate yourself. Don't go it alone!

 

This church is built on love... God's love, His unconditional love. Listen, whatever you've done, whatever you are carrying, whatever voices you are listening to, let us stand with you. We are all sinners too! We love you and we're here for you. 

 

How to Wait for God's Perfect Timing

Last week we talked about why God makes you wait for His answers or His provision. If I could summaries the message it would simply be this... God has a perfect time for everything and you need to trust Him and wait.

 

After all, every Bible character had a period of waiting for God's perfect timing.  David, for example, 

 

HIS TIMING IS PERFECT

 

 

Psalms 13:1-2

 

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

 

How long must I take counsel in my soul

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

 

EVERYBODY HAS A WAIT PROBLEM

 

Sometimes when we pray long and hard about a situation in our life without receiving any answers, we just learn to live with it. We go on about our business, wondering if or when God will send the answer. We wonder if He even hears, or maybe He is too busy to bother answering us.

 

But God does hear those prayers, and He’s working out the answers even though we may not know all the details. 

 

Waiting for answers is a fact of life—nobody gets out of it. The young are waiting to grow up, the old are waiting to go home. So the question is not if we'll wait, but rather how we’ll wait. And I believe how we wait can actually determine how long we'll wait. Or at least, how long we seem to wait!

 

TWO WAYS TO WAIT

 

All of us will wait in either of two ways... passively, or expectantly. 

 

A passive person hopes something good will happen and is willing to sit around waiting to see if it does. After a short time, he gives up, saying, "That’s it! I've waited and waited and nothing's happened." The passive person has a lot of wishbone but not much backbone!

 

The active waiter is an expectant person, hopeful, believing the answer is just around the corner, due to arrive any minute. His belief is not a passive thing. His heart is full of hope, expecting his problem to be solved at any moment. He wakes up every morning expecting to find his answer. He may wait and wait, but suddenly what he’s been waiting for happens.

 

In the Bible, the word wait is always an active word, never passive...

 

Psalms 27:14

 

Wait for the Lord;

be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the Lord!

 

The Greek word for wait is qawa, which means to bind together, wait for patiently, expect, hope for or trust for.  So waiting is not sitting still waiting for God to lay it all out on a red velvet carpet for you, but rather keep on doing what you're doing fully expectant that, at any time, God is going to breakthrough and do something miraculous!

 

ACTIVE WAITING

 

It’s just like when a woman is pregnant; it's said that she is expecting a baby. She carries inside her that little child. She cannot see it, she can feel it later on in the pregnancy, but she knows the baby is there. 

 

When she learns of her pregnancy, the mum to be begins to plan for her baby's arrival. She starts collecting items she'll need and busily gets the nursery ready. 

 

She's waiting for the big day, but she is waiting expectantly... She actively prepares for the arrival of the baby because she knows the promise will be fulfilled—it's just a matter of time. It's not if, it's when. She is expectant and she'll wait as long as it takes, knowing that the result is a foregone conclusion.

 

Wait means "to expect" or "to look for." 

 

One episode of "Faulty Towers", Manuel the winter climbed onto a table. Faulty asked him what he was doing, he replied, "You told me to go wait on table. I'm waiting."

 

This week I took Fiona out for her birthday. We had a waiter. Waiting also means "to serve" — just like the waiter waits on your table at a restaurant. Our act of waiting isn’t supposed to be spent sitting around passively hoping that something will happen sometime soon. It is to be spent actively pursuing expectantly.

 

Romans 8:24-25

 

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

 

HOW TO WAIT FOR GOD'S PERFECT TIMING

 

Like you, I hate to wait. If you have sold a house and bought another, the wait to leave is hard. If you have ever given notice at a job, you'll know the wait to leave is horrible. You can't start anything new, you cannot put your heart into it. You're leaving, and the wait is torture!

 

Waiting is especially difficult when there are no guarantees that the wait will ever end in this lifetime.

 

Desires we long for, prayers we’ve been praying, and news we are waiting to hear can tempt us to be impatient, discouraged, to worry, and even to wonder if God really cares.

 

As we have seen, waiting for the Christian needs to be active. God wants us to keep living for Him, keep serving in our church, keep believing His promises.

 

Waiting strategically can cultivate good fruit in in our lives such as patience, perseverance, and endurance. It also draws us closer to our Savior and points those who are watching us to the gospel.

 

So, here's how to actively wait for God, His way...

 

1. WAIT REMAINING IN GOD'S WILL

 

I want to be absolutely clear about this... To have your prayers answered you must be in the will of God. You can pray, and ask, and beg as much as you like, if you are not in God's will, it ain't happening.

 

Somewhere in our crazy, mixed up Christian doctrines we have lost this simple truth. God does not exist to meet your needs, wants or whims. He is God, He is holy, and He is in control, not you, not the other way around.

 

I have seen it done many times. Preachers take a verse like...

 

Matthew 21:22

 

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

 

John 14:14

 

 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

 

And build a doctrine of self gratification upon it. Whatever you want, ask in the name of Jesus, and it shall be done. I mean, that's what the verse says, right?

 

In fact, if you even question people who have got into this doctrine, you are accused of having lack of faith!

 

Pastor Keith told me the other night about a woman arrested in Perth for running 6 red lights. She had swallowed this teaching, and as she approached every red light she prayed, "Change to green in Jesus' name", and believed. None of them did.

 

This "blab it and grab it" doctrine is centred not in God, but in self. It completely overlooks verses like...

 

John 15:7

 

 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

 

Or even this very clear teaching...

 

James 4:3

 

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

 

God is not a performing dog! You don't get to tell Him what you want and He has to go fetch! Beware of this type of teaching, because it is not only self indulgent, but it will destroy your faith totally. I've seen people walk away from God entirely because of it.

 

You decide what you want God to give you. You pray like crazy, believe with everything you've got, wait and wait, and nothing happens. Then you blame God for letting you down, because you didn't get something that God never even promised you! You believe God, and feel He's let you down because He did not do something you wanted, that He never promised in the first place!

 

Step 1 in waiting on the Lord is to make sure you are in His will. This means getting rid of sin

 

Psalms 66:18

 

If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,

the Lord would not have listened.

 

It means living a life devoted not to your own desires but to serving Him. Keep your life on track, stay holy, live right. Get to church, fellowship, study God's word, and soon your will begins to conform to His will, and what He wants for you is actually what you want and are praying and waiting for yourself.

 

2. WAIT MAKING SURE YOU HEAR GOD'S WORD

 

Listen, if God gives you a word, a direct word from Scripture, you can take that to the bank!

 

Psalms 119:105

 

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

 

If you have a need, a want, someone who needs Jesus, finances, relationship issues, whatever, don't just make stuff up and say God told me! He told you only if He told you, not if you told Him and then got out a concordance to try and argue Him into performing for you!

 

The Lord guides through prophecy, advice, circumstances, the still small voice, but when you get Scripture lining up, your can trust and wait as long as it takes.

 

I'm so sick of "God told me to go to this church," then a few months later, "God told me to leave." Listen, stop blaming God for your own decisions, or your own fickleness and inability to see things through!

 

Numbers 23:19

 

God is not man, that he should lie,

or a son of man, that he should change his mind.

Has he said, and will he not do it?

Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

 

Jeremiah talks about people claiming God's message when it wasn't Him. I love the message translation of this...

Jeremiah 23:38

 

But don't pretend that you know all the answers yourselves and talk like you know it all. I'm telling you: Quit the 'God told me this . . . God told me that...' kind of talk.

 

This is why the daily Bible reading is so, so important. It you are not doing it, you need to start, because without the constant flow of God's Word into your life, you are flying blind and waiting in vain!

 

Psalms 5:3

 

O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

 

3. WAIT WITH EXPECTANCY, BUT BE OPEN TO THE UNEXPECTED

 

When we pray and wait, God hears us and will answer. But it may not be the way we expect.

 

Philippians 1:20

 

as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed,

 

Moses didn't expect a 40 year journey, Gideon didn't expect his army to be reduced to 300 men. Joseph didn't expect to become the PM, the disciples, despite being told, didn't really expect Jesus' resurrection.

 

If God is God, lay your request before Him, and expect an answer, any which way He sees fit. You say you can trust Him and wait for Him by faith, can you, if the answer is different to what you envisaged, still trust Him?

 

If you have that relationship, if you have that daily walk with Him, you can wait and trust Him in every way! It stops being about the outcome, and starts being about the relationship.

 

This time last year, I was waiting on God, serving Him (actively waiting). I didn't see the pastor of Coast Church role coming. I didn't conceive it as an answer. But I'm so glad He led me this way, as I hope you are, and I know I am in His will right now!

 

4. WAIT WITHOUT FRETTING

 

Psalms 37:7

 

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

 

It is easy to say we trust God, but our response to delays, frustrations, and difficult situations reveals where we are actually placing our hope.

 

Waiting creates a litmus test that exposes what we really believe about God.

 

You cannot say, "I'm trusting God, I'm waiting on God, but I'm worried sick about it!" Those statements are mutually exclusive.

 

Are we convinced God is listening? Do we believe that He really is good and wants the best for us? Do we accept that our circumstances are sovereignly ordained, despite what we might see around us? 

 

When we choose to wait quietly and trustingly, we not only honor God but encourage others to put their hope in him as well.

 

This week a few of us went to hear Ps Wayne Alcorn. He spoke about the two voices in your head, and how you know each by its fruit. One is from God, encouraging and righteous, the other is from hell, discouraging and condemning. Fretting is the battle between these 2 forces in the battleground of your mind...

 

James 1:6-8

 

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

 

If you are waiting for God, just don't entertain one of those voices. Reject it, shut the door on it! Worry is like a rocking horse... It keeps you occupied, but you don't actually get anywhere.

 

So don't be double minded, don't flip between two opinions.

 

1 Kings 18:21

 

Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

 

 If God is God, believe Him. And wait for His perfect timing!

 

5. WAIT TOGETHER

 

God gave us the church, so that we can support each other. God's solution to a lost world is the church. God's solution to your waiting in faith involves the church.

 

Jesus said,

Matthew 18:19

 

 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

 

This is not a formula, whereby if you can just get someone to agree with you God is forced to do what you want.

 

It simply says that we need each other. When we stand together our faith is stronger! When we join our shields of faith together, we can believe for more, and we can support each other as we wait expectantly for the Lord.

 

Don't wait alone! There's safety in numbers. There's strength in unity. 

 

CONCLUSION

 

So the way to wait for God is actively, not passively sitting around doing nothing or complaining. If you have a promise in your heart the Lord has given you, and you know He's given you it, (you haven't just told Him what to do then demanded He perform) then today you need people around you standing shoulder to shoulder, praying with you, believing with you!

 

Stay close to God, read His Word daily, live for Him, wait expectantly. Those who wait on the Lord renew their strength, they soar like eagle, but they don't soar alone. 

 

Let's wait together. Let's stand together. Let's believe together!

 

If you are waiting on God, Come forward and let us stand with you!