Tuesday, April 27, 2010

"Choose Wisely", by Pastor Kevin Lynch

Joshua 24:14-15 (Amplified Bible)

"(14) (Now therefore, [reverently] fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in truth; put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the [Euphrates] River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. (15) And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Serve the Lord in all sincerity and truth, and make sure you pick the right God.

As for me? I serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who do you serve?

The god of extracurricular activity? The god of extended work hours? The god of happy hour?

How about the god of Sunday softball? Sunday golf? Sunday soccer? Sunday late sleeping?

There's are plenty more, but you get the point.

It's not the Amorites anymore. It's simply the gods of where you have decided to pitch your tent.

It's usually a lot farther from Jesus Christ than you intended at first, but as you look back you realize how far you've strayed. It's a lot closer to the 14th hole than to make it all the way back to the Lord.

There is this side of the River, and then there are still the gods of the "other side of the River".

Have you already picked a side?

You have even if you can't quite remember when it happened.

Some of you have chosen unwisely by choosing against God.

Not a wise choice at all. Even though you might be humming along rather nicely. Golf average is right where you'd like it. New business connections are being made on the green, and you're really feathering your nest. That new promotion is in the bag.

It's a shame that when it all falls apart you will have never seen it coming. Oh, and make no mistake. It WILL all fall apart eventually. You god has a disaster streamlined just for you.

You picked the wrong god. Your god wasn't there for you. The "other side of the River god" just takes and never gives back. It takes until you are a withered dried up shell. It sucks life out of a person instead of breathing life in.

Maybe this is how Mumsy and Daddy raised you. Guess what? This ain't your parents religion.

Keep thinking that God isn't offended when you miss Church or don't show up for Him in prayerful fellowship. Keep thinking that you ignoring His plan for your life is a take it or leave it proposition.

Keep thinking that He is as non-confrontational and easy going as your pastor probably is.

Keep not showing up for Him and see if He doesn't show up for you one day.

Let me say friends, and I speak from experience. God not showing up for you is devastating.

I found myself on the floor one day wondering why. I had six long months to lie around and try to figure it out.

My conclusion was that I was disobedient. I strayed away from the plan and made my own. I tried to make something happen according to my own initiative. He allowed me to do that.

One healed quad tendon later I am resolved to serve Him and Him alone.

The tough part is that I thought everything was fine. I didn't see how I had let some stuff slip, how I had become immersed in a job I had no business taking in the first place. It wasn't even sinful. It just wasn't the right choice to make.

So...choose wisely. Some of you who are reading this have not.

Me? I'm staying on the right side of the River and I am going to serve Him fully.

Keepin' it Real,

Pastor Kevin <><

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