March 6 Honoring God Matthew 15:8
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Matthew 15:8)
Over the years, it has been obvious that this scripture passage is absolutely true! Active, energetic and busy folks, doing “church work,” expressing the idea that all is for the church and all is to make things better! Speaking beautiful words that honor God by what we hear from them, yet their hearts are far from Him. At the first sign of challenge or difficulty, the depth of their convictions and commitments becomes crystal clear. Dear Friends, when we gather, together, to worship our God, and we are harboring unforgiveness and anger and animosity towards our fellow believer, then we ARE NOT in a Position to Honor God, nor worship Him in Truth! Recently, a young couple asked me about the inconsistency of the witness and words of an individual, and how they could express a relationship with Jesus, yet be so angry and divisive. “How do you justify that, Preacher?” The simple answer is, “I Can’t, and I don’t!” Each one is responsible for their own relationship and witness for God and we can be busy in and with church and miss the real and true message. Mark 12:30-31 explains what we are to do in our relationships with God, ourselves and others… “ ‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” If your words, attitudes, actions and interactions are not expressing God’s Love and His Witness, then it is time to get on your knees and ask God to forgive you, reestablish you and to make you acceptable before Him and your neighbor! Just this past Sunday, a well-meaning lady spoke to me with such harsh and venom-filled words that it caught me off guard, and I had to step back and quickly pray for the proper response before I spoke. Sadly, the cause of her anger was the fact that folks were not acting the way that she thought they should and she was ready to straighten them out through the preacher, after all, “that is what we pay you for!” Bottom Line: If your attitude and witness moves people further away from God and your words are laced with venom and arrogance and your actions are not edifying to the Body of Christ, then it is time to have a Spiritual Inventory and it is time to spend some quality time in the presence of God, through Jesus Christ, in confession, repentance and restoration! Mama would call it, “A Check-up from the Neck Up!” I wonder if you qualify. I wonder if your words, actions and attitude, if observed by a new church visitor, who is a non-believer, or a new convert, would cause them to grow closer to God or to run away from that type of professing believer’s words and actions. Remember, “WATCH YOUR MOUTH!” “WATCH YOUR ATTITUDE!” “WATCH HOW YOU ACT AROUND FOLKS!” Stay Strong, Stay Focused… THE BEST IS YET TO BE!
BOTTOM LINE: What is the most important role of the local church? What, and how, are we to respond to the chaos and anger of the world? Are the physical surroundings and the images around our buildings the most important aspect of church life? Green Carpet, Blue Carpet, Gas Heat, Electric Heat, 70 degrees or 68 degrees, glass plates or paper plates, white shoes after Labor Day, Long Sermons, Short Sermons, Loud Preaching or “I can’t hear him” preaching, hard seats or padded seats, grumpy or grateful, pleasant or hateful… do you really think that any of this is important to God, the creator that made Heaven and Earth, fashioned and formed Man in His image and breathed Life into Him, and when we messed up, God still loved us enough to sacrifice His Son Jesus, to save us and to restore our opportunity for a relationship with Him? Please know that God is more interested in your commitment, not your comments! He is more concerned about your relationship, not your opinions! Please act like you are forgiven! If you are not motivated, directed and following God, then there is a possibility that you are part of the problem! Please, Please, Please don’t be a part of the problem, be a part of the solution, and that is a growing and dynamic active faith in God and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you and to filter your words and actions! “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself! (Mark 12:30-31)”