Forgotten God (when Christians fail)

Today's posting is a personal one and I write this because when writing  on the subject matters that I write, it is easy to pretend that I do not commit the very sins I hammer away at; that I am somehow better, holier, or more developed than those of you who read my writings.  When in truth, I am simply a man trying and failing at being the man that God wants me to be.  Which is the exact reason Jesus died for me.

Tonight was my weekly Bible study, we are beginning a new study on the Holy Spirit (Forgotten God, by Francis Chan), which I have been looking forward to; it is a subject that intrigues me and that I wanted to throw myself into.   However, I had previously mistaken the date that I was to pick a friend up from the airport (it was today and not tomorrow), but being a man of my word, I was there to pick them up and drop them safely off at their hotel.   All of this put me behind schedule so  I was running late when I arrived at the Bible study, I was thankful that the leader had delayed starting the group until I managed to squeeze in a ½ hour late.   

There was one chair left empty and as I took it I noticed that the person sitting next to me was new. I then remembered that I had earlier in the week received a phone call from a woman who was asking about where she  go to attend a bible study, and I had recommended this one, because of the people in it and because of the new subject matter we were undertaking.   The leader for tonight had everyone introduce themselves and tell just a pinch about who they were, when it got to me, I said my name and then simply said ‘I am the one who stirs the pot’ (Which is true, I am the one who will challenge you on your feelings, your beliefs, your actions, always testing...) 

After introductions a short DVD was played and during it I noticed that the new woman was tearing up.  It was taking every bit of self control she had to not break down and begin to cry.  I reached over and asked her if she was alright, to which she gave me a brief explanation as to why she was emotional.  My response was to tell her that I would talk to her later, that I may be able to help her after the Bible study.  The DVD continued to play and as it was finishing up Francis Chan mentioned that we should keep ourselves open to the Holy Spirit interrupting what we had planned, to be open to the idea that perhaps God had something else planned for us, that it may not be the Holy Spirits desire that we finish this study right now.  I nodded my head in agreement

Shortly after the DVD was over she had to leave (we started late - remember).  As she was leaving, the leader of our Bible study walked her to the door and was briefly visiting with her as I approached to touch base with her.  It was obvious that she was troubled, and that she needed to talk, but just did not have any more time tonight.  I gave her my phone number and told her to call, and I would be glad to sit down and listen.   She said she would.  With that she left.

Tonight I failed!  Tonight I was so rushed, so self-absorbed, so self-focused, so self-centered, so self concerned about what I wanted to get out of tonight’s bible study that I missed the obvious.  Tonight I was there to step into the gap, tonight I was to do - rather then listen.  Tonight God had brought a hurting individual to the chair next to me; tonight God had brought someone who I am uniquely qualified to help to my very side.  Tonight, the Holy Spirit wanted me to be open to the idea of not starting the study tonight.  Tonight I failed.  

We all fail, and when we do we can view it in one of two ways.  The first, which is the easiest and by far the most popular, is to say that we are thankful that the Holy Spirit has convicted us of our missed opportunity and that we have learned from it; in other words we pat ourselves on the back for being aware of the fact that we did nothing.  The other way is to let the conviction penetrate your very soul, to acknowledge that you failed, that it was your sin that caused you to fail, and to not let yourself off the hook with being alright with the fact that you did nothing when you were asked to do something.  To ask for a second chance and mean it.  

It is my heartfelt prayer that I am given another opportunity to step forward into the gap, instead of standing still.   I know that God’s plan for this woman will not be altered by my failure to do what He wanted me to do, I might be given another opportunity, or God will simply send someone else to do what I did not. 

Tonight I forgot God, I was busy thinking about me.  Tonight I failed, but with the Holy Spirit's help, I will do better tomorrow.  

God calls us to step into the gap regardless of what we planned or want.  We are not just blessed, we are called to be a blessing.  

The Easiest Place for Satan to Hide.

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

—Hebrews 2:1

You know them, that person who goes to church on Sunday, smiles, listens intently to what the minister says, sings the songs, maybe even serves in the nursery, hospitality or some other area of the church.  But then they go home, back to their life of SIN, they continue the adulterous relationship, the backstabbing at work, ‘shacking up’, betraying their family by seeking a divorce, shoplifting from the local grocery store, slandering their neighbor, the church is full of them… you know the Christian, who ‘feels’ forgiven without repenting, who ’feels’ God love, believes but does not follow.   Those who think that simply going to church and going through a little ritual will bring them closer to God are in for a big surprise.  Because the easiest place to get a hardened heart is in the church. It is the easiest place in the world for Satan to hide those who he has a firm grasp on.  As I have said before, the same sun that softens the wax hardens the clay.

As the Word of God goes out, some people are impacted by it, some people are changed by it, and others are hardened by it, because they have no intention of believing it or they believe it, but refuse to follow it.  Continual exposure to God's Word is actually doing more harm than good and in the very place where they could be transformed; they will be worse off than ever. You know them.

Am I saying that some people shouldn't go to church?  Yes . . . if they have no intention of applying what they are hearing.  We can see miracles and hear truth, but if we don't have a desire to apply it, then our hearts will get hardened. You know them.

Someone who is living a double life like Judas Iscariot will experience an increasingly hardened heart. Judas walked and talked with Jesus for three-and-a-half years.  He was hand-chosen by the Lord.  He had heard Christ give His greatest sermons.  Judas heard the Sermon on the Mount and the Olivet Discourse with his own ears.  He saw Lazarus rise from the dead. He saw blind men receive their sight.  He saw deaf men receive their hearing.  Judas saw miracle after miracle, yet his heart grew harder. You know them, those just like Judas.

And even though Jesus knew what would take place, Judas, of his own volition, deliberately betrayed the Lord, reminding us that the foreknowledge of God does not change the responsibility of man.  You know them.  

So the answer is not to stop going to church; it is to go with a desire to know God.

You know them; in fact one of them may be the very one who stares back at you in the mirror every morning – the 'Judases'

Five points of Christianity

You have Christianity wrong if do not understand and have not internalized these 5 points.
 

                        1.    God can not be Loving -  without being Just 

2.    There is no forgiveness without repentance.

3.    There is no salvation without surrender.

                        4.    There is no life without death.

5.    There is no believing without following.

Most who fill our churches today want the benefits of Jesus, but are not interested in the sacrifices; they want Heaven but are unwilling to bear the cross.  They want a free ride.  We memorize John 3:16, but ignore John 9:23

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.   John 3:16

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  John 9:23

Are you doing it His way?  Or have you put a whole new spin on it - “if it feels good do it” otherwise know as doing it your way; and one day when you kneel before God is it your plan to simply proclaim “But I was just doing what made me happy.” 

Twenty times in the New Testament, Jesus issued a compelling and challenging invitation: “Follow Me.”   John 6 tells of Jesus at the height of His popularity, feeding 5,000 men plus women and children (to put that in context: this crowd was nearly as large as was the capacity of the largest theaters in the major cities of that time), afterwards knowing their hearts He left to cross to the other side of Lake Capernaum, the crowd followed not because of who He was, but because they wanted free food. On the other side, Jesus delivered hard words to the crowd and to the disciples - after which “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” John 6:66    

Jesus did not chase after them, Jesus did not try to appease them with entertainment, trinkets or donuts and ice cream, Jesus did not try to please the majority, Jesus did not make his teachings softer, in fact Jesus ratcheted up his teachings.  Jesus came to sift the wheat from the chafe.   Jesus is NOT looking for fans... He's looking for followers.

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!   So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot  nor  cold —I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:14-16

Are you a Christian? Or just one of the many fans who are okay with following Jesus when it is easy - when it feels good, or when you want to be forgiven (without actually repenting) all of which sounds like free food to me; but are unwilling to press on in difficult times, to do what God says to do, instead of what you want to do; unwilling to internalize:

                        1.    God can not be Loving -  without being Just 

2.    There is no forgiveness without repentance.

3.    There is no salvation without surrender.

                   4.    There is no life without death.

5.    There is no believing without following.

It's time to decide if you are okay with being lukewarm.