Get "IF" Out Of Me!

Today, let's step back and take a "big-picture" look at the chapter Pastor Richie preached from this past Sunday.

Hebrews 11, which we sometimes refer to as 'the faith chapter', is filled with examples of men and women who demonstrated their faith. That is, they heard what God said and they believed Him. If I can take this a little further, they believed Him in the face of no tangible evidence available to corroborate what God had said. And, if I might even step out a bit farther with this, some lived and died believing Him, even though they never saw the answer with their own eyes. How does the writer say it? "These all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise..." (Hebrews 11:39).

One of the dangers we face is that we sometimes equate faith with rescue, or conquest, or deliverance; something like "If I have faith I will get what I want, I won't get hurt, I will experience ease and peace." But the Hebrews passage is built on the promise of God, not our personal gain. God speaks and we agree with what He has said. So, for example, Noah and his household went into the ark. My guess is that it was not easy to build, and that it was not easy to endure the months of waiting for the waters to recede. But Noah didn't give God a clause or a rider. Noah just said yes to the command of God.

How many times have we said "if" to God?

'God, if you would just fill my husband with Your Spirit.' 'God, if you could just wait until my daughter finishes high school, then I'll do what You asked.' 'God, if You could preserve my reputation: I don't want to be ridiculed.'

And then we come into service and sing "Yes, Lord, completely yes...". Do we really mean yes? Is it a complete yes, or a conditional yes?

Friends, let's not play games. Time is too short. If you are one of those who's only embraced Christianity for what you can get out of it, may I implore you to consider instead what God can get out of you? Your love? Your loyalty? Your obedience? Your willingness to suffer for the sake of His name?

Lord, forgive us for those times our lips have sung 'yes', but our hearts did not speak 'yes'. We repent, and from now on we promise to speak the truth with our lips and in our hearts. Please help us, by Your Spirit, to agree with You by faith. In Jesus's name, Amen.