Jump Start # 3590

Hebrews 4:2 “For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not untied by faith in those who heard it.”

Years ago, I read a book titled, “Stop dating God.” Love the title and the premise. The book was so-so. Two people dating, they like each other. They like spending time together and doing things together. There is a lot of fun being with each other. But at the end of the day, they go their separate ways. When the guy wants to hang with the boys, he just tells his girlfriend that he is busy. When she wants a weekend with the girls, it’s the same thing. Always a phone call away but no real commitment. They are just dating.

And, in many ways, that concept may define our relationship with the Lord. He’s always there. He’s just a prayer away. We like being with Him. We enjoy His company. But, when we want to do something else, we just say, “Can’t, I’m busy.” No real commitments. No real accountability. Be at worship unless there are more pressing matters. At work, just too busy to think about God. At the ballgame, not the time for God. We want a dating relationship—not too many demands and we can come and go as we want.

Such a spirit towards God dominates the religious landscape. They’ll follow God in matters that they want to. But, the moment God says something they don’t like, they ignore it as if He never said it.

Dating God—close, but not too close. Always nearby to enjoy His company, but no promises and no commitments. Just a dating relationship.  Love to be with Him, but don’t want to be smothered by Him. Still want the freedom to come and go as one pleases. Want the liberty to be able to do what I want to do.

Just dating God…

First, this is not the way God describes His relationship with Him. Nor, is this the way that God treats us. Dating has a purpose and in time it leads to the next level of a relationship, which is marriage. To be dating for decades and decades is not good in earthly relationships and terrible spiritually with God. All in, is the best way to describe what God wants. No longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, the apostle told the Galatians. The Ephesians were told to have the word of God richly dwelling within them. Walking by faith and not by sight and seeking first the kingdom as our Lord presented it, are concepts far beyond the casualness of dating.

Second, the dating God syndrome results in a very weak and very selfish faith. We want the preacher and his Bible when mama dies. But, a week later, those same people don’t have a need for the Bible nor that preacher. The ole’ expression, “I’ll be there, Lord willing and the creek doesn’t rise,” has two possible meanings. First, if it is intended to be a creek with water, then get a boat. I’ll be there. Second, others have said it refers to the Creek Indians. If they were rising up and one couldn’t travel, then do your best and keep God in the forefront.

Having God nearby, but not too close, allows us to call the terms and is very selfish. It makes one wonder, who is God, the Lord or us?

Third, dating God is not enough to really change your life. You go to church. You know a few things. Just enough guilt to go, but not enough faith to change. Such results in shallow and empty lives. God doesn’t make a real impact upon such a person. They are likely to act like the world, talk like the world, be entertained by the world and die like the world, because God has never been much of their lives.

And, the best part of that book was the title: Stop Dating God. Time to get serious. Time to know Him. Time to be devoted to Him. All in with the Lord. The Devil can fool us into thinking we are doing right, when we are nothing more than just keeping God at arm’s length. Get God off of speed dial and put Him in your heart and in your life. Your words, your choices, your friends, your attitudes will all reflect a righteous life when God becomes the center of your life.

Jesus said that he who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy. God must be first. God must be the center.

Stop Dating and become committed to God.

Roger

Jump Start # 1024

Hebrews 4:2 “For indeed we had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.”

Our verse today recognizes the value of the preached word. Preaching is God’s idea. That’s pretty obvious. Those groups that think that they know a better way of doing things have left preaching long ago. They moved on to plays and skits, drama and comedy, real life stories and “how-to” fix about anything but a soul. Crowds have gathered and the powers that be have been convinced that they found what works but they have left the soul empty, dry and lost. What they needed was preaching.

In our verse, you’ll notice two groups of people, they and us. The “they” had the good news preached to them. The “us” also had the good news preached. But the “they” and the “us” had different reactions and outcomes. The “they” group did not unite faith with what they heard. As a result, the preaching did not profit them. It did not help them. It did not change them. This is a case where some would happily pronounce the death of the sermon. Sermons, don’t work, some would say. That is true, that is always true, if one does not believe. For a sermon to profit, faith and the preaching must intersect. One must believe what is preached. Then, and only, then, positive things happen. It profits.

What good is a sermon?

First, a sermon informs. It fills the heart with truth. Truth is the weapon that destroys error. Satan conquered Eve because he confused her about truth. Without truth in your heart, error has a field day. Up and down, right and left, in and out get all scrambled up within us. The wolves in sheep clothing begin to make sense. A believing heart hearing preaching will be informed. It will recognize error because it knows the truth.

Second, a sermon builds faith. That is the direction of our passage today. The Romans were told, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The preached word, especially about Jesus, strengthens us and builds our faith. This is the avenue in which we lay a solid foundation upon a rock. The winds will blow. The rain will fall. The floods always come. Yet our faith stands, because it is built not upon a church, or a group of friends, but rather, Jesus Christ. Sermons build us up.

Third, sermons answer questions. We wonder about things. We hear things. We are not sure about things. A sermon connects dots and helps us to see exactly what God’s word teaches. Sermons drive out doubt. Sermons  help. The question marks in our minds become exclamation points when we believe what is preached.

Fourth, sermons motivate us, challenge and move us. Faith connecting with sermons will make us rise up and be the disciples that Jesus wants us to be. Forgiveness, grace and hospitality become the norm for us once we see it unfold within a sermon. The lukewarm, the indifferent and even the spiritually dead can all come alive because of a sermon. Sermons change us. A man will realize that he has not been the father that he should have been and he will resolve to do better. A stingy person will see himself in a sermon and decide to be generous as God is. A sermon has that power.

Fifth, sermons can save us. An honest and good heart connecting with the word of God will make a person realize that they are lost without Jesus. It will lead a person to realize that they need to change their ways. It will bring tears to a person’s eye when they see a loving Savior who is waiting for them to come home. The greatest impact of a sermon is that it can save us. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. What did Jesus do? He preached. He turned common fishermen into preachers. He sent out preachers. Preach the word, all of it, is the banner of Christianity.

Bless those who devote their lives to preaching. Bless the young man who pours his heart out week after week through his sermons. Bless those who preach because of the love of God. Bless those who see the good that can come from sermons. Encourage such. Support them every way you can. Let them know that you appreciate them and are behind them.

There are those who preach for money. Some preach because they see it as a power thing. Some do not preach the good news, which is God’s gospel, instead, they preach what they want. They twist the word. They distort the truth. They are not honest in their studies nor their conclusions. Such ought to be banished from the pulpit. They ought to be run out of town. They injure the name of Christ by promoting a twisted and  crooked form of the Gospel. They have followers. They have those who love them. They are not doing well. There is no profit from God because the message is not from God.

Don’t give up on preaching. It’s God’s way. Don’t assign preaching to the past. We need it today. Don’t think that folks today will not listen. They will. The challenge of the preacher is to make the message relevant, practical, truthful, interesting, helpful and useful. Preaching is digging into God’s word. Preaching is thinking. Preaching is knowing people. Peaching is finding a way to connect God’s good news with faith. It’s there and it happens all the time.

Stay at it preachers. Keep working hard preachers. We need you. Everyone else needs to bring their faith and connect it to the good news of God. Boy, when that happens, good things happen. It profits.

Roger