Maybe not a huge gold statue, but ...
What are they?What are the things that entice us to bow?
Read Daniel 3 to see the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego ... three priveledged, young men who chose to be faithful to their God at the risk of death.
I feel like verses 16-18 carry the weight of this passage. S, M, and A didn't make their decision because they were confident that God would protect them from the fire.
They were confident that he COULD and made their decisions based on that reality.
Too often we make decisions based on the outcome (or expected outcome). We let the end "justify" the means.
What if S, M, and A had burned up? Would God be any less faithful?
So ...
What are our idols?
To what do we bow?
In what ways do we doubt God's faithfulness by the decisions we make?
In what ways do we not obey God because the decision to do so seems like it would result in an unfavorable outcome?
In what ways have you seen obeying God confirm that we really are more than conquerors through Christ, just like S, M and A?
I loved that Aaron said these three men did not simply "get through" this trial. They didn't come out of the fire, with some burns, needing to spend some time in ICU...but praise God they lived...they came out VICTORIOUSLY with out even the smell of smoke on them! Wow!
Why don't we see that anymore?
I don't want philosophy...I want examples.
I don't want to know what is wrong with the church today...I want to know what is wrong with US, individuals who make up the church.
Why don't we live like we are more than conquerors already, unafraid to stand up for the Truth and freedom God's Word has brought into our lives instead of bowing to the gods of our culture, our feelings, what others think about us...why?
posted by Hope Grouper at 7:58 AM
7 Comments:
I think the biggest problem with us, isn't that we think God is unable, or the cause is unworthy of great sacrifice... in reality we don't even ask those questions. The problem is that we love other things more...
we love recognition... it make us feel important.
we love achievement... it makes us feel powerful.
we love comfort and security... it makes us feel safe.
We are a self-sufficient, self-serving, self-preserving people. Always wanting to be the hero and not admitting our need. We will do nothing that costs, inconveniences, or takes effort, unless of course it is to our benefit.
What is wrong with us? We want everything to serve us and our purposes... even God.
We don't come through the fire, because we are unwilling to enter the fire, because it is unfair or unconstitutional.
Or perhaps it goes even deeper. Perhaps we worship other gods because we would rather have a false god that serves our purposes, than have a real GOd who requires us to serve His purposes.
just a random explosion of thought...
oops... examples not philosophy....
it's not that we don't live like conquerors already... it that we THINK we conquer in our own strength.
examples... churches that change dostrine or plicy (or the Bible) to cater to the world around them. i.e. the ordaining of homosexual clergy so that they are not labeled as "insensitive" or "judgemental" They think they must figure out a way to survive in this culture rather than trust God and stand His word.
examples... um, going into debt, or relying on credit cards, instead of trusting God to provide or to enable us to do without.
examples... pursuing spouse, occupation, and "the AMerican dream" without trusting that God will bring us someone in HIS timing if will will serve Him now. The attitude is if we rely on God, we won't accomplish or receive what we want when we want.
examples... I had a student one time tell me he had to skip church to work so that he could pay for things he doesn't need inorder to build up his credit rating, because that credit score would provide for him more than God could.
I'll continue to see if I can think of other examples... hopefully one of these helps someone.
I have a lot of enchilladas. If you need some supper...I'll send some home with you.
Heather
Oh...and that has NOTHING to do with the service this weekend. It's not a skit idea, or a song title...sorry.
The following is a list of things that are idols and/or areas where we like to become God that either I've struggled with or that I've seen people struggle with:
Careers-we pursue our career no matter what the cost, even if it pulls us away from God by worrying about it (which is sin, even though some over look that), compromising morals, and/or by the amount of time and focus that consumes us.
Spouse-most people search for spouse by "shopping around" not even considering the type of sin they get involved in with that. And most of the time, the reason they want a spouse has to do with themselves, not God.
Looks/weight-this is a big one, especially with girls. We try to control these things in sinful ways (anorexia, bulimia, etc.). We’ll even cross lines of modesty at times to look the hippest or the sexiest.
Laziness-I think sometimes we miss out on being conquerors because we don’t even join the battle. We’d much rather just sit at home and be comfortable 24/7.
Acceptance from others-we compromise God’s word is so many ways to achieve this like gossiping, not calling out sin, holding back in worship, not wanting to be aliens of the world, etc.
Those are just a few examples I can think of off the top of my head. Why do we do this? Well, I know for me personally, I discovered this summer that I didn’t believe Jeremiah 29:11. I just plain and simple didn’t trust him when he said “I have plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. I felt liked by God, but I didn’t feel loved by God. No matter how many times I read it, I just could not truly trust it even though I believed it in my mind. I just couldn’t help comparing the love I read about God having for me in the Bible, to the love I had had by the people in my life, which is sacrificial only when it was convenient for them, totally conditional, even sometimes resentful and revengeful. So I just thought that anytime God was calling me to do something, the only reason he was wanting me to do it was to punish me.
Praise God he has healed me from that! He has shown me how ridiculous it was to even compare his love to the love of sinful humans. I can’t say that there was an “A,B,C” check this for how I got that. I think that’s the thing for this series. It’s such a heart issue and you just can’t say “ok, I’ll do this, this and this and then I’ll get it”. It’s really just a supernatural work of God, like salvation.
Ok, Heather, I tried starting this out application, but maybe I got to philosophical. Sorry, but I hope it’s useful anyway.
As a side note, I don’t think Romans 8:37 is true for use because Romans 8:35 isn’t true for us. Or somehow we see trouble, hardship, persecution, etc. as worse than being separated from the love of Christ.
one example of an idol that i see alot around here is kinda "job security" after college. so many of the college students are so consumed with their future and getting involved in everything they can while they're here to try to improve their odds of getting that perfect job, that we really put God on the back burner. i think this is a huge reason why some many just show up on sundays, but, never get plugged in. and very few actually seek what God would have with the rest of their lives. so... i think that this would have the possibility to hit home with a lot of us.
Ok...I think things are taking a turn this weekend.
I think we are using a movie clip. It's great...it will show that by faith, we can go much further than we can in our own strength...it's a great clip.
After reading my Bible this morning, I think I'm having us concentrate on the wrong things.
Just like the "put offs" in scripture are only there to show us our sin, and we should concentrate on training ourselves and our lives (through the power of God's Word and Holy Spirit) to live the "put-ons" in scripture, I think we have to stop concentrating on the put offs in this scenario.
That sounds confusing, but here are my thoughts:
Let's stop thinking about what our idols are and start thinking about why on earth we think anything at all compares in this life to God.
Why do we think ANYTHING is better than serving our incredible God?
The real reason we don't live a life like S, M and A is because we don't believe that God IS who He says He is. Plain and simple.
Next week we are doing Daniel's story...the lion's den.
I read it this morning and holy cow, it's so awesome.
Do you know that after the king passed the law about not praying, Daniel went straight to his room and prayed...and you know what he prayed? Did He pray that God would save Him...keep him safe...deliver him...change the law...no. He prayed a prayer of THANKSGIVING. THANKSGIVING!!
I think the reason why Daniel went in his room and prayed with the windows open...and did NOT pray for protection or any of the things I would have been praying for in that situation is because He didn't need to pray for God to protect Him...He didn't need to pray that God would keep him safe...He didn't need to pray that God would do any of those things because he already knew God would do those things...for sure.
He knew the angels of the Lord are camped around those who fear Him.
He knew that God was his deliverer.
He never doubted. Never.
How much further would we be in our Christian walk if we quit doubting God...if we quit doubting His Word...if we could live a life of victory and thanksgiving because we knew God does not lie...He is faithful...what if those things were settled in our hearts?
I think we would see God move like Daniel and S, M and A did.
They never doubted.
They had NO REASON to doubt.
And neither do we.
What would life look like if we lived it with all our doubts settled...I mean we have SAID we believe God is who His word says He is...but what if we lived it?
We too could move pass doubt, insecurity, distration with rubbish, and into a life of thanksgiving...and I think we could see God do amazing things in our midst.
"Let's stop thinking about what our idols are and start thinking about why on earth we think anything at all compares in this life to God."
It's not that we think anything compares... we don't think about God at all. We are too wrapped up in other things. The real reason we don't live a life like S, M and A is because we don't care who God is. We are thinking of ourselves.
That's the difference. The reason Daniel prayed a prayer of thanksgiving is not because he new God would deliver him or take care of those other things. He DIDN'T CARE ABOUT THOSE OTHER THINGS!! All He cared about was God, not himself, his opinions, or his circumstances. He just wanted to be faithful to God... period. whatever else happens, happens.
I really don't think it has to do with doubt... it matter who you love and live for. Go back to the S, M, A episode. They did not take anything God was going to do for granted. It was irrelevant. The most important thing was that they would NOT bow down. They refused to live for anything or anyone else but Him...
not even for themselves.
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