What's your excuse?

Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.”For God understands all hearts, and he sees you.He who guards your soul knows you knew.He will repay all people as their actions deserve. - Proverbs 24:12

WARNING:  Don't keep reading if you don't want to be held accountable for the things I'm about to say.  Once you read this, you will know...

We seem to always find ways to ignore certain parts of the Bible.  Things that Jesus commanded that we brush of as not pertaining to us.  Have you ever uttered any of these phrases:

• I'm not called to do that.
• Everyone has their area of ministry, and that's not mine.
• I don't have the money.
• I don't have the time.
• Someday I will ...

The list goes on....

We all like to pass the buck.  It's someone else's responsibility, I don't know who's but it's not mine.  Or, someday when I have the money I'll ________.  Fill in the blank.  We want to wait for God to bless us or wait until we know God better to start doing His work.  Tell me what kind of faith does that require?  Philip Yancey says it like this:

“I do not get to know God, then do his will; I get to know him more deeply by doing his will.”

So the question is, what is it that we are supposed to be doing?  We are supposed to be going into the whole world and preaching the gospel to everyone.  We are supposed to do as Paul told the Corinthians and become all things to all people so that BY ALL MEANS we may save some.  (1 Corinthians 9:22)  We are supposed to be taking care of the widows, orphans and homeless (James 1:27).

If there is one thing that I've been learning recently it is this:  Everything I have belongs to God, nothing is mine.  Everything that I have is provided by God, He is Jehovah Jireh, my provider.  So, if nothing belongs to me and He provides it all, then when He asks us to give our money or our time or our talents to someone else, it should be easy, it's easy to give away someone else's money and since He is the provider, then it is easy to believe that He will provide for our needs even though we've just given away the very thing that could have met those needs...  God blesses the ones to are willing to give it all away.

There is plenty of work to do, and time is short.  our churches have become huge stadiums where all the Jesus fans go on Sunday to cheer him on.  But the moment there is some sacrifice or discomfort, we're out.

So I ask you, what is your excuse for ignoring God's work?

What's so important in your life, what comfort are you holding so desperately to?

Your House? Your Car? Your TV? Your favorite restaurant?  Your Christmas presents?  Your vacation?

God knows you "deserve" all of these things right? But don't worry, God will understand one day when he asks us why we didn't take care of the homeless man down the street because we had to pay $86 this month to the cable company so we could watch the latest episode of our favorite show.

 Did you know that even the poorest Americans are richer than 80% of the rest of the world?  Kind of puts things in perspective...

Let's play with a few numbers...

Let's say the average movie theater has 20 screens and each theater holds on the low side 200 people.  The cost for a regular adult ticket around here is $9, and let's say each screen shows 2 movies between 7PM and Midnight.  So every 2 hours the theater moves 4000 people through at $9 a ticket, that's 8000 tickets for a good night or $72,000!   Oh and let's not forget the popcorn and drinks, that adds what? another $15 per person, lets say half of the people get a refreshment: So that's another $60,000.  $132,000!  Let's also say that the average cost of an international adoption is $30,000.  Congratulations, collectively, your night of entertainment just caused 4 orphans to remain captive in an orphanage, but I'm sure God understands that you deserved to see that movie.

Feel guilty yet?  You should, I do.

Let's also consider an average church of 1000 members.  I'm sure each member can part with $30 one week.  1000 people at $30 = $30,000.  You know those medical bills that you fellow church member is struggling to pay for?  One body, one week, no more bills.  But don't worry, I'm sure God will understand that you needed to go out to eat after church instead of making your own meal.

Feel guilty yet?  You should, I do.

What excuse will you give God when he asks why to traded this...

for this...

or this...

for this...

Feel guilty yet?  You should, I do.

Am I saying that its wrong to go to a movie or eat out?  absolutely not!, but God's work should not be compromised for these luxuries that we "deserve".  what kind of sacrifice is it if we have everything and give nothing.  If we give freely and help when we know help is needed, God will bless us with these things that we enjoy, but we have got our priorities mixed up.  We are entertaining ourselves to death and not doing any of God's work.

So, I ask the question again.  What's your excuse?  What's your excuse for ignoring God's work when you "know" that it needs done?

Well, I warned you... now you know, and now you will stand before God without excuse and answer for your action, or inaction as the case may be.

Go, and do some God work.

This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear. - 1 John 3:16-17

Adoption is not an afterthought

But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, "Papa! Father!" Doesn't that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you're also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance. - Galatians 4:4-7

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I'm coming to realize that the church in America considers adoption to be an afterthought to all of the other programs that it supports.  This is backward thinking.  THE reason that Jesus came to planet earth was so that we can be adopted as God's sons, joint heirs with Jesus.  I don't think that we truly grasp this concept.  We have been ADOPTED by God.  This is why caring for the fatherless is so important to God, WE are the fatherless, the spiritually fatherless.  WE have been adopted by God himself with a huge price tag. Jesus paid the ransom with His life in order to free us from our orphanage, called sin.

Wake up church and realize that adoption is not something nice that God wants us to do to earn extra points.  Adoption is THE point.  When we take care of the fatherless and needy here on earth, it's as if we are doing this for Jesus himself.  The Bible says that if we don't take care of the needy, the poor, the fatherless, the widows, that we are "goats" and he will say he never knew us.  Why should God acknowledge us if we refuse to do for others what He has done for us?

I'm very disappointed at the church's attitude, we're missing the point.   I think a lot of "Christians" will be shocked to find out one day that they ignored the heart of the great commission.  "Go into all the world and preach the good news."  What's the good news?  God paid the price so we can be adopted as His sons!  the good news is not that we can live a happier life because the great genie will grant you all of your wishes...  What a horrible state the church is in..  Selfish Christianity is what it is... what's in it for me?  The church isn't filled with Christ Followers, it's filled with fans...

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