On Purpose
On Purpose
How many of you have revisited the message from last Sunday throughout this week? I admit now that I am in a continuation of thought from last week, thru Wednesday, into today’s message. God has chosen not to let me move to far from where we were, though I’m happy to know that it is progressing.
Have you ever done something on purpose? I pitched a nearly perfect game once, and another time was pulled when the score was out of reach by the top of the second. I clicked one button once, and an entire hard drive was erased. After lots of study and searching, I was able to restore all of the pictures on that drive, much to my mother in law’s delight.
Has there ever been a point where you have done nothing at all? Man, can I come up with times when I’ve done nothing at all!!
Here’s the kicker, though…Have you ever given the reason, just because? Why did you do that? What made you go there? Did someone make you?
May I submit to you that we cannot come into God’s presence just because? Let me read something to you that we covered Wednesday night, and may I put a shameless plug in for Wednesday s?
Ecclesiastes 5:1-2
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. 2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
Stay with me through this… We are so wrapped up in the “grace philosophy” that we are totally missing where God requires us to be. Do we live under and in grace? Absolutely!!! But we have established ourselves in this philosophy that we have little expected of us, forgetting that God is still the God who expected strict adherence to what He spoke. You could not touch the Ark of the Covenant. You had to follow the prescribed laws exactly as a high priest before going into the Holy of Holies. The sacrifices made were to follow certain guidelines. Some were burned uneaten, some were boiled and eaten, some were of flesh and some of grain, some were for the priests and some for families. Samson was a Nazirite and could not shave his head. John had to prepare the way for Jesus to come on the scene. If you lied, your life could be required, and your spouse’s.
Where am I going? QUIT DOING THINGS JUST BECAUSE!!! If I had started service like normal, some of you would have opened your mouths and sung the songs, raised your hands, clapped, whatever just because that’s what you are supposed to do. Some of you may have said an amen, responded to an altar call, or helped me “pray” for a sick person, just because. Just because that’s what you were raised in, just because that’s what’s expected of you from others, just because you felt sorry that no one else was going to do it. Just because. What does God have to say about that? Or how does he put it? (on purpose, not at all, or just because)
Rev 3:14-16
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
It’s hot, it’s cold, or it’s lukewarm.
Hot is good!!! Many people want to claim their own level of hotness. But spiritual hotness generates and radiates from deep within. The passion that we feel towards our God and Lord reflects in every aspect of our lives. People are affected merely by our presence, or rather the Presence within us. The Holy Spirit has control and directs us. We are blessed in our lives. Jesus is our homie!!! When someone sees a WWJD symbol, they turn and watch your reaction so they know WJWD.
Cold is bad, but at least you have made a definite choice. God is able to deal with that. It doesn’t make Him joyous within, but it is a decision made. You are not a hypocrite. You will end your life here in all the paradise you will be able to experience, and begin a new life in flames and worm torture, but, hey, your future is sure.
But lukewarm…such a tactical device of the enemy. You play the part so well in the eyes of all who casually observe. You wear the right clothes, you speak the right dialect, you smell with the right fragrance. Your Bible has all the signs of being used and studied. The smile is flawless. At the perfect moment you stand and clap, sit and weep, kneel and pray. But the problem is that the person whom you are closest to at work only has knowledge of the church you attend. They only see that you may not say the words, or may not do the habit(s), or may not involve yourself in the wrong activities.
God says He will spit you out of His mouth. Don’t misread that. It means that you will be rejected. You will attempt a claim on how many people you’ve affected, or what you’ve done, but he will be no more privy to who you are than you are of the power that was in your hand in Jesus’ name.
God help us guard our steps as we walk into His house. God grant us clarity to know when we are going through motions, and when we are being genuine. God let us choose this day to be hot for you, and never allow luke-warmness to settle into our lives again. God let us begin now to do things ON PURPOSE for you!!!