Letting God Be God

LETTING GOD BE GOD GENESIS 16:1-6 A FELLA WHO HAD NOT HAD HIS •PILOTS LICENSE VERY LONG WAS FLYING ON A CLOUDY DAY. •HE WAS NOT VERY EXPERIENCED IN INSTRUMENT LANDING. •AND HE KNEW THERE WERE A COUPLA •TALL MOUNTAINS NEAR THE AIRPORT WHEN THE CONTROL TOWER WAS •GETTING READY TO BRING HIM IN FOR A LANDING •HE BEGAN TO GET PANICKY… •HE STARTED ASKING WHERE THE MOUNTAINS WERE. •HOW WOULD HE KNOW IF HE WAS GONNA HIT ONE…. THEN A VERY STERN VOICE CAME •OVER THE RADIO, “YOU JUST OBEY OUR INSTRUCTIONS, •WE’LL TAKE CARE OF THE OBSTRUCTIONS.” •THIS IS KINDA HOW IT WORKS BETWEEN US AND GOD •IF WE WILL LET HIM HE WILL ↓ DIRECT OUR PATHS IF WE WILL OBEY •IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WE WILL FACE OBSTACLES •MOUNTAINS… AND OTHER THINGS THAT •BLOCK OUR PATHS AS WE TRY TO NAVIGATE THROUGH LIFE •GOD OFFERS A WAY FOR US TO KNOW WHAT TO DO WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO •HE PROVIDES THIS INFORMATION IN HIS WORD… THE BIBLE. •WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE MIND OF GOD THROUGH HIS WORD •BUT… FOR THIS WORD TO DO US ANY GOOD •WE HAVE TO LISTEN TO IT….. AS CHRISTIANS WE NEED TO LET GOD •BE GOD… THAT MEANS LISTENING TO AND OBEYING HIS WORD •IT MEANS BEING PATIENT WITH GOD’S PLAN… •LETTING GOD BE GOD…. MEANS •NOT TRUSTING IN OUR OWN PLANS LETTING GOD BE GOD MEANS NOT •TRYING TO DO GOD’S JOB FOR HIM.. •GOD IS SOVEREIGN WE ARE NOT.. •GOD IS OMNISCIENCE WE ARE NOT… •SO WE NEED TO GET OUTTA THE WAY AND LET GOD BE GOD TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT •3 PEOPLE AND HOW THEY TRY TO HANDLE A PROBLEM IN LIFE •ONE COMES UP WITH HER OWN PLAN… •A PLAN THAT GOES AGAINST GOD’S PLAN •ONE… LISTENS TO AND AGREES WITH THIS PLAN AND ONE GETS DRAGGED INTO THE •PLAN AND GETS CARRIED AWAY IN THE CHAOS •TURN TO GENESIS 16:1 •GOD HAD JUST MADE A COVENANT WITH ABRAM •IN THIS COVENANT GOD HAD ASSURED ABRAM THAT GOD HAD A PLAN •AND THAT ABRAM WOULD HAVE AN HEIR •AND MANY DESCENDANTS… •WHO WOULD RECEIVE THE LAND OF CANAAN •BUT GOD HAD NOT SAID HOW THIS WOULD HAPPEN…. GENESIS 16:1–2 NOW SARAI, ABRAM’S WIFE HAD BORNE HIM NO CHILDREN, AND SHE HAD AN EGYPTIAN MAID WHOSE NAME WAS HAGAR. SO SARAI SAID TO ABRAM, “NOW BEHOLD, THE LORD HAS PREVENTED ME FROM BEARING CHILDREN. ↓ PLEASE GO IN TO MY MAID; PERHAPS I WILL OBTAIN CHILDREN THROUGH HER.” AND ABRAM LISTENED TO THE VOICE OF SARAI. GOD ALLOWS OUR TRIALS •IF WE ARE GOING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON HERE •WE REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS FIRST PHRASE •NOW SARAI, ABRAM’S WIFE HAD BORNE HIM NO CHILDREN •THIS IS A REALLY BIG DEAL ABRAM IS RICH, ABRAM IS •POWERFUL… ABRAM HAS WON BATTLES, HE HAS MANY FLOCKS AND HERDS •BUT HE HAS NO CHILDREN AND IN HIS CULTURE THAT IS HUGE •GOD JUST PROMISED HIM HE WOULD HAVE AN HEIR •AND YET SARAI HAD NO CHILDREN THIS WOULD BE DEVASTATING •AND IN THIS DEVASTATION SARAI SAYS SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING •“NOW BEHOLD, THE LORD HAS PREVENTED ME FROM BEARING CHILDREN •LET THAT SINK IN A SECOND •ACCORDING TO SARAI IT IS GOD WHO HAS KEPT HER CHILDLESS NOW WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL HERE •SARAI SAID THIS… GOD DID NOT… •JUST BECAUSE A PERSON IN THE BIBLE SAYS SOMETHING •DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT IS ACCURATE •JUST BECAUSE SARAI THINKS GOD ↓ PREVENTED HER FROM HAVING •CHILDREN… DOES NOT MEAN THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED •I LOOKED… I TRIED TO FIND… ONE TIME WHERE IT SAID GOD •‘CAUSED’ SARAI TO NOT HAVE CHILDREN •I CAN’T FIND IT ANYWHERE IN THE BIBLE BUT I DID FIND WHERE JAMES SAID JAMES 1:16–17 DO NOT BE DECEIVED, MY BELOVED BRETHREN. EVERY GOOD THING GIVEN AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT IS FROM ABOVE, COMING DOWN FROM THE FATHER OF LIGHTS, WITH WHOM THERE IS NO VARIATION OR SHIFTING SHADOW. THAT IDEA OF NO VARIATION •IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT MEANS GOD DOES NOT CHANGE •SO JAMES IS SAYING GOD GIVES EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT THING… •AND HE DOES NOT CHANGE •SO I THAT MEANS HE NEVER GIVES BAD THINGS NOW, WE DO NEED TO UNDERSTAND •GOD IS SOVEREIGN… HE IS TOTALLY IN CHARGE. •AND WHILE HE DOES NOT CAUSE BAD THINGS TO HAPPEN •HE DOES ALLOW THEM TO HAPPEN •IN THIS CASE GOD DID NOT CAUSE SARAI TO BE BARREN BUT, GOD DID ALLOW SARAI TO BE •BARREN. THIS MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A BIG DIFFERENCE… •BUT, IT IS AN IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE… •WHEN GOD ALLOWS TRIALS TO HAPPEN WE NEED TO MAKE SURE •THAT WE DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS HIS WAY… WE NEED TO LET GOD BE GOD •GOD ALLOWING SARAI TO BE BARREN IS PART OF GOD’S PLAN •BUT…SEE… SOMETIMES WE THINK WE HAVE BETTER PLANS •THAN GOD HAS.. MAYBE HE IS NOT GOING AS FAST •AS WE WOULD LIKE… SO WE MAKE OUR OWN PLAN SARAI DID NOT LET GOD WORK •HIS PLAN SHE CAME UP WITH HER OWN PLAN •PLEASE GO IN TO MY MAID; PERHAPS I WILL OBTAIN CHILDREN THROUGH HER.” •AS STRANGE AS THIS SOUNDS TO US… THIS WAS ACTUALLY •A COMMON THING IN THEIR DAY IF A WOMAN COULD NOT HAVE •CHILDREN, SHE WOULD GIVE HER SERVANT •TO HER HUSBAND AND THE CHILD THAT •CAME FROM THE SERVANT WAS CONSIDERED AN HEIR •WHAT SARAI IS SUGGESTING IS VERY PRACTICAL IT IS PART OF THE CULTURE •IT IS A LEGALLY ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION TO THEIR PROBLEM •IT IS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE…. •BUT IT IS NOT GOD’S PLAN… •WHEN WE COME UP WITH OUR OWN PLAN WE ARE NOT LETTING GOD BE GOD •WE ARE TRYING TO TAKE HIS JOB… AND DO IT FOR OURSELVES. •I UNDERSTAND IT IS HARD TO WAIT FOR GOD’S PLAN.. •I KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO SEE “A BETTER PLAN” •A FASTER WAY.. I USED TO SPECIALIZE IN NOT LETTING GOD BE GOD… •BUT… WHEN WE DO THIS… THERE WILL ALWAYS BE •CONSEQUENCES… THINGS THAT RESULT •FROM US TRYING TO DO A JOB WE ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO DO…. •LETS FACE IT… WE AREN’T QUALIFIED TO BE GOD…. SOMETIMES WE ARE NOT THE ONES •PLAYING GOD… BUT WE ARE HANGING OUT WITH THEM •WHEN WE ARE AROUND SOMEONE WHO IS TRYING TO •TAKE GOD’S JOB FROM HIM… •WE NEED TO ↓ BE CAREFUL WHO WE LISTEN TO •IT IS A REALLY BAD IDEA TO REJECT GOD’S PLANS •AND MAKE YOUR OWN PLANS… •BUT IT IS ALMOST AS BAD TO FOLLOW SOMEONE DOING THIS… •ABRAM HAD HEARD GOD PROMISE THAT HE WOULD HAVE AN HEIR ABRAM REALLY WANTED AN HEIR •AND GOD HAD NOT ACTUALLY SPECIFIED THAT HIS HEIR •WOULD COME THROUGH SARAI •SO MAYBE ABRAM THOUGHT SARAI’S PLAN •MIGHT BE THE WAY GOD WAS GOING TO PROVIDE THE HEIR BUT IT IS MORE LIKELY ABRAM •DID NOT THINK GOD COULD BRING A CHILD THROUGH SARAI •AND HE TRUSTED THE TRADITIONAL.. CULTURAL.. •LEGAL WAY TO GET AN HEIR.. MORE THAN HE TRUSTED GOD •ABRAM LISTENED TO THE VOICE OF SARAI. OVER GOD. NOW HUSBANDS… YOU DO NOT •GET TO USE THIS AS AN EXCUSE TO NOT LISTEN TO YOUR WIFE… •SURE.. ADAM LISTENED TO HIS WIFE AND IT WENT BAD.. •SO DID ABRAM… SO DID KING AHAB… •HE LISTENED TO HIS WIFE JEZEBEL.. AND THAT WENT BAD BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU •SHOULD NEVER LISTEN TO YOUR WIFE… •HOWEVER, IF YOUR WIFE, OR ANYONE ELSE •ASKS YOU TO GO AGAINST GOD’S PLAN •THEN I WOULD SUGGEST YOU DON’T LISTEN TO THEM. WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHAT •WE LISTEN TO BECAUSE IT AFFECTS •WHAT WE DO… HOW WE LIVE… •WHERE WE END UP… •OUR DIRECTION IN LIFE IN THE OCEAN THERE ARE •COUNTLESS ICEBERGS, SOME LITTLE AND SOME GIGANTIC. •SOMETIMES THE SMALL ICE BERGS MOVE IN ONE DIRECTION •WHILE THEIR MASSIVE COUNTERPARTS FLOW IN ANOTHER. •THE EXPLANATION IS SIMPLE. SURFACE WINDS DRIVE THE LITTLE •ONES, BUT THE BIG BERGS ARE CARRIED ALONG BY DEEP OCEAN CURRENTS. •WHEN WE FACE TRIALS AND TRAGEDIES, •IT’S HELPFUL TO SEE OUR LIVES AS BEING SUBJECT TO TWO FORCES— •SURFACE WINDS AND OCEAN CURRENTS. THE WINDS REPRESENT EVERYTHING •CHANGEABLE, UNPREDICTABLE, AND DISTRESSING. •BUT OPERATING SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THESE GUSTS AND GALES •IS ANOTHER FORCE THAT’S EVEN MORE POWERFUL. •IT IS THE SURE MOVEMENT OF GOD’S ↓ WISE AND SOVEREIGN PURPOSES, •THE DEEP FLOW OF HIS UNCHANGING LOVE. •WHEN WE LET GO OF TRYING TO RUN THE UNIVERSE. •WHEN WE LET GOD BE GOD… •WE CAN BE MOVED BY GOD’S WORD, GOD’S PLAN AND NOT BY OUR OWN •CHANGEABLE, UNPREDICTABLE, AND DESTRESSING NATURE. •WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE LISTENING TO GOD •AND NOT TO FOLKS MAKING THEIR OWN PLANS. •FOLKS WHO ARE IMPATIENT WITH GOD… GENESIS 16:3–4 AFTER ABRAM HAD LIVED TEN YEARS IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, ABRAM’S WIFE SARAI TOOK HAGAR THE EGYPTIAN, HER MAID, AND GAVE HER TO HER HUSBAND ABRAM AS HIS WIFE. ↓ HE WENT IN TO HAGAR, AND SHE CONCEIVED; AND WHEN SHE SAW THAT SHE HAD CONCEIVED, HER MISTRESS WAS DESPISED IN HER SIGHT. DON’T GO AGAINST GOD’S PLAN •GOD HAD SAID IN THE GARDEN THAT A MAN SHOULD •BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE AND THE TWO SHALL BE ONE FLESH •THAT IS GOD’S ORIGINAL DESIGN •HE DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT WIVES GIVING SERVANTS TO THEIR •HUSBANDS… THAT WAS NOT PART OF GOD’S PLAN •SO, AFTER ABRAM BEEN IN CANAAN 10 YEARS •HIS WIFE GOT IMPATIENT.. WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE •SHE IS NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER AND IN THIS IMPATIENCE, SHE GOES •AGAINST GOD’S PLAN.. SHE TOOK •HER MAID, AND GAVE HER TO HER HUSBAND AS HIS WIFE •HAGAR WAS SARAI’S PERSONAL SERVANT •AND GIVING HER TO ABRAM DOES NOT CHANGE THAT. WHEN IT SAYS HAGAR IS ABRAM’S •WIFE THAT DOES NOT MAKE HER SARAI’S EQUAL… •CULTURALLY THIS MAKES HER A CONCUBINE SLAVE •SHE WAS STILL SARAI’S PROPERTY •SHE IS ABRAM’S SECONDARY WIFE ALL OF THIS GOES AGAINST GOD’S •PLAN… AND WHEN WE GO AGAINST •GOD’S PLAN… THERE WILL ALWAYS BE CONSEQUENCES. •SOMETIMES WE GO AGAINST GOD’S PLAN CAUSE •WE ARE IN A HURRY… SOMETIMES.. WE GO AGAINST GOD’S PLAN •BECAUSE WE THINK WE HAVE A BETTER PLAN •SOMETIMES WE JUST DON’T WANT TO DO IT GOD’S WAY •SOMETIMES WE THINK OUR CULTURE •HAS A BETTER PLAN JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS OK •WITH THE CULTURE DOES NOT MEAN IT IS OK WITH GOD •MOSES TELLS US THAT ABRAM •WENT IN TO HAGAR, AND SHE CONCEIVED; •NOW.. OUR CULTURE TELLS US THERE ARE ALL KINDA WAYS TO MAKE A BABY… •SOME OF THESE WAYS FIT IN GOD’S PLAN… AND SOME OF THEM DO NOT… •AND THE CULTURE IS JUST FINE WITH ALL THESE WAYS. •BUT, GOD IS NOT.. GOD CREATED ALL THINGS •HE DESIGNED ALL THINGS TO WORK A CERTAIN WAY •AND WHEN WE GO AGAINST GOD’S WAY THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES FOR •GOING AGAINST GOD’S PLAN… WE DON’T REALLY LIKE CONSEQUENCES… •WE WOULD RATHER JUST DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO •BUT… GOD IS A GOD OF ORDER NOT CHAOS… •SO.. THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES FOR OUR ACTIONS ONE OF THE CONSEQUENCES HERE •IS THAT HAGAR’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS SARAI CHANGES •WHEN SHE SAW THAT SHE HAD CONCEIVED, HER MISTRESS WAS DESPISED IN HER SIGHT. •THERE IS NO INDICATION HAGAR HAD A PROBLEM WITH SARAI BEFORE BUT NOW THAT SHE IS WITH CHILD •SHE DESPISES SARAI… MAYBE SHE THOUGHT •SHE WAS BETTER THAN SARAI… BECAUSE GOD BLESSED HER •WITH A CHILD… MAYBE SHE WAS WORRIED •ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO HER FOR WHATEVER REASON… SHE •DESPISED SARAI.. AND THIS WAS •A CONSEQUENCE OF SARAI GOING AGAINST GOD’S PLAN •BUT THIS IS NOT THE ONLY CONSEQUENCE GENESIS 16:5–6 AND SARAI SAID TO ABRAM, “MAY THE WRONG DONE ME BE UPON YOU. I GAVE MY MAID INTO YOUR ARMS, BUT WHEN SHE SAW THAT SHE HAD CONCEIVED, I WAS DESPISED IN HER SIGHT. MAY THE LORD JUDGE BETWEEN YOU AND ME.” ↓ BUT ABRAM SAID TO SARAI, “BEHOLD, YOUR MAID IS IN YOUR POWER; DO TO HER WHAT IS GOOD IN YOUR SIGHT.” SO SARAI TREATED HER HARSHLY, AND SHE FLED FROM HER PRESENCE. RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR PLANS •ABRAM DID NOT SUGGEST THIS PLAN •REMEMBER THIS PLAN WAS SARAI’S IDEA •AND THE MINUTE THE PLAN GOES BAD •SARAI SAID TO ABRAM, “MAY THE WRONG DONE ME BE UPON YOU SARAI IS BLAMING ABRAM FOR •HAGAR DESPISING HER… •BEFORE WE GET ALL DOWN ON SARAI •MOST OF US NEED TO ADMIT WE HAVE DONE EXACTLY •WHAT SHE IS DOING.. BLAMING SOMEONE ELSE WHEN OUR PLAN GOES WRONG •SOME FOLKS WANT TO SAY BLAMING OTHERS •FOR YOUR PROBLEMS IS A NEW PROBLEM •THAT THE YOUNGER GENERATION INVENTED BLAME SHIFTING •BUT 1000S OF YEARS AGO SARARI BLAMED ABRAM FOR •HER PLAN FAILING… SHE SAID •MAY THE LORD JUDGE BETWEEN YOU AND ME.” •IT WAS HER PLAN… HE JUST LISTENED TO HER •AND SHE TELLS HIM GOD WILL JUDGE YOU FOR THIS IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND •GOD DOES HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUR ACTIONS •HE DOES NOT HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT OTHERS DO •BUT THERE ARE THINGS↓ GOD HOLDS US RESPONSIBLE FOR •NOW… ABRAM IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PLAN… •BUT HE DOES HAVE A REASONABILITY TO MAINTAIN ORDER •IN HIS HOUSEHOLD… THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY HUSBAND BUT… ABRAM PASSES THE BUCK •HE SHOULD HAVE DEALT WITH THIS PROBLEM HIMSELF…. •BUT INSTEAD OF DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM HE TELLS SARAI •“BEHOLD, YOUR MAID IS IN YOUR POWER; DO TO HER WHAT IS GOOD IN YOUR SIGHT.” I SHOULD PROBABLY JUST ADMIT •RIGHT NOW… THAT I DID THIS EXACT THING •WHEN OUR KIDS WERE YOUNG… I WAS BUSY RUNNING A BUSINESS •SO I TOLD ERIN.. YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF THE HOUSE AND THE KIDS •I PASSED THE BUCK JUST LIKE ABRAM WE ALL HAVE GOD GIVEN •RESPONSIBILITIES… WE CAN ACCEPT THESE RESPONSIBILITIES •OR WE CAN PASS THE BUCK AND BLAME SOMEONE ELSE •AND JUST LIKE THERE WERE CONSEQUENCES •FOR ABRAM PASSING THE BUCK THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES •IF WE PASS THE BUCK… CONSEQUENCES FOR US PERSONALLY •CONSEQUENCES FOR THOSE AROUND US •CONSEQUENCES FOR THE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN……. •WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE THINGS GOD SAYS WE •ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR.. THAT INCLUDES •MEN TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAINTAINING •ORDER IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD… •AND THAT MEANS WE ALL↓ TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR •ACTIONS… NOW SARAI HAD NOT TAKEN •RESPONSIBILITY FOR HER PLAN… •ABRAM HAD NOT TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR RUNNING HIS HOUSEHOLD •AND HERE WE SEE HAGAR REJECT RESPONSIBILITY FOR HER ACTIONS •ABRAM TOLD SARAI TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM •AND SHE TREATED HAGAR HARSHLY •JUST HOW HARSH… WELL THE WORD •USED HERE IS THE SAME WORD USED FOR HOW THE EGYPTIANS TREATED THE ISRAELITES AS SLAVES •SO THAT IS PRETTY HARSH.. •BUT REMEMBER HAGAR IS SARAI’S SERVANT •AND SHE HAD DESPISED SARAI.. •AND WHEN SARAI TREATS HER HARSHLY SHE FLED FROM HER PRESENCE •HAGAR IS IN A TOUGH SPOT HERE… SHE IS A BOND SERVANT… •THAT IS JUST SLIGHTLY ABOVE BEING A SLAVE •SHE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ABRAM AS A “SERVANT-WIFE” •FOR THE PURPOSE OF BEARING AN HEIR AND… SHE HAS RUN AWAY •THE REASON SARAI TREATED HAGAR HARSHLY •WAS BECAUSE HAGAR HAD DESPISED HER •NOW I AM NOT TRYING TO SAY THAT IT WAS OK FOR SARAI TO MISTREAT HAGAR •THAT IS A SEPARATE ISSUE… WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT •IS HAGAR RUNNING AWAY… NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY •FOR HER ACTION OF DESPISING SARAI •WE ALL NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS SARAI NEEDED TO TAKE •RESPONSIBILITY FOR HER PLAN AND NOT BLAME ABRAM •ABRAM NEEDED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY •FOR HIS DUTY TO MAINTAIN HIS HOUSEHOLD •AND NOT EXPECT SARAI TO DO HIS JOB HAGAR NEEDED TO TAKE •RESPONSIBILITY FOR HER ACTIONS OF DESPISING SARAI •AND NOT JUST RUN AWAY…… •WE ARE ALL MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD •AND PART OF THAT IMAGE IS FREE WILL GOD HAS GIVEN US A CERTAIN •AMOUNT OF FREE WILL… AND WITH THAT FREE WILL •WE CAN CHOOSE… WE CAN CHOOSE •TO FOLLOW GOD’S PLAN OR GO AGAINST IT •WE CAN CHOOSE TO ACCEPT OUR GOD GIVEN RESPONSIBILITIES OR WE CAN CHOOSE TO REJECT •THOSE GOD GIVEN RESPONSIBILITIES •WE CAN CHOOSE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITIES •FOR OUR ACTIONS… OR WE CAN CHOOSE •BLAME OTHERS FOR OUR THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR ACTIONS A LARGE PART OF CHRISTIAN •MATURITY IS MAKING GOOD CHOICES •WITH THE FREE WILL GOD HAS GIVEN US…. •TAKING RESPONSIBILITY AND •NOT JUST PASSING THE BUCK SOME YEARS AGO A FORMER •AMERICAN ASTRONAUT TOOK OVER AS HEAD OF A MAJOR AIRLINE, •HE WAS DETERMINED TO MAKE THE AIRLINE'S SERVICE •THE BEST IN THE INDUSTRY. •ONE DAY, AS THE NEW PRESIDENT WALKED THROUGH A PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT, •HE SAW AN EMPLOYEE RESTING HIS FEET ON A DESK •WHILE THE TELEPHONE ON THE DESK RANG CONSTANTLY. •"AREN'T YOU GOING TO ANSWER THAT PHONE?" •THE BOSS DEMANDED. "THIS ISN'T MY DEPARTMENT," •ANSWERED THE EMPLOYEE… WITH ATTITUDE, •APPARENTLY NOT RECOGNIZING HIS NEW BOSS. •" I WORK IN MAINTENANCE." "NOT ANYMORE YOU DON'T!" •SNAPPED THE PRESIDENT. •WE MAY NOT LIKE THAT WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES •THE CURRENT CULTURE MAY TELL US TO PLACE •THE BLAME ON SOMEONE ELSE BUT GOD CALLS US TO TAKE •OUR RESPONSIBILITIES SERIOUSLY •OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FOLLOW GOD’S PLAN •OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO WHAT GOD CALLS US TO DO •OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS SEE… IT IS KINDA LIKE WE ARE •FLYING BLIND… ON A CLOUDY OVERCAST DAY.. •AND WE KNOW THERE ARE MOUNTAIN IN OUR PATH •WE JUST DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.. •AND THE FELLA IN THE TOWER SAYS.. “YOU JUST OBEY OUR INSTRUCTIONS, •WE’LL TAKE CARE OF THE OBSTRUCTIONS.” •NOW… IF WE IGNORE HIS INSTRUCTIONS •AND FLY RIGHT INTO A MOUNTAIN.. •WE HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT OURSELVES. GOD HAS PROVIDED US WITH A •WONDERFUL SET OF INSTRUCTIONS... HIS WORD, THE BIBLE. •WHEN WE CHOOSE TO GO AGAINST HIS PLAN… •BY REJECTING WHAT THEY BIBLE TELLS US TO DO •WE… ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT CHOICE. WHEN WE PASS THE BUCK AND •CHOOSE TO NOT DO THE THINGS GOD HAS SAID •WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR… •THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT CHOICE… •GOD HAS GIVEN US A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FREE WILL BUT WITH THAT FREE WILL COMES •RESPONSIBILITY.. AND CONSEQUENCES •WITH THIS FREE WILL WE CAN CHOOSE TO FOLLOW GOD’S PLAN… WE CAN LET GOD BE GOD… •A MAJOR PART OF THAT PLAN IS GOD’S OFFER OF SALVATION •SEE… WE ALL SIN…WE THINK SAY..