Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Lord Of All(Most)

Hello readers.  Welcome to my heart.  Lets begin.

Disclaimer: I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CONVICTION BEYOND THIS POINT.  BLAME THE HOLY SPIRIT, NOT ME.  ; - )


Smile, its not that bad. I promise. This subject is a just big deal to me.  I know some pastors that would rant and rave about this topic, deciding to make people feel bad about not following through and working out their salvation. Here's the thing, shhh, really big secret. Pay close attention.


These people are missing out. 


What am I talking about?  I've recently been discovering that a lot of people only want bits and pieces of God.  Especially the Bible Belt, where a lot of lukewarmness is prevalent.  A lot of people are raised in the church.  A lot of people have heard over and over and over and over again that Jesus Christ died for their sins and God so loved the world and Christmas was the birth of Jesus and Easter was the resurrection of Jesus----so why is everyone not on fire for God?  I mean, this information is SUCH A BIG DEAL RIGHT?! ITS THE GOOD NEWS!  So, how can people attend church every Sunday and continue in their sin?  How can people even serve and BE in the church and continue in their sin?

You're asking great questions.  Keep it up. 

What got me to these questions was truly incidental.  My lovely school newspaper at Auburn University published an article about two openly gay guys who were roommates and also practicing Christians. 


Um? What? 


Everyone had that response huh?  You wonderful Christians, so proud of you.  But wait, there's more.  Listen to what God said to me.


"Just like you, they haven't made me Lord over every part of their lives."

If you can't say Amen, say ouch. 


So, what does this title mean?  Lord of All(Most)?  I've heard my pastor say this before, "If He's not Lord of All, He's not Lord at all." What this generation is facing is a lot of this.  A lot of people who call God Lord, but only over selected areas.  I consistently hear people quoting bible verses and saying how blessed they are and God is first but not actually considering what that means.  So we want God in the area of blessings, or financial security, or the "good life", or to continue to zap us with the warm fuzzies when life is going perfect for us and we finally can say, "Live, Love, Laugh--- I'm blessed".  But the areas where God would demand attention, or demand reconsideration of our actions, we don't like that one.  We don't want Him Lord over that because that requires us to change.  It requires us to step away from our comfort zones, which is why I said in one of my poems that I was completely comfortable in my sin.  I mean hey, everyone is doing it! Of course I'll be comfortable.  That's how I started to fit in because I started to lust over women just like my friends, but the minute God entered into my life and His word challenged me with looking at my sin and challenging my behavior I immediately pushed it away.  God quickly became, LORD OF ALL MOST. 

Now, I was ok with God blessing me to get into college and blessing me in school and blessing me with peace and joy and a blessed life but not with Him trying to change me.  Because it cost something to give up what I had been defining myself as for so many years.


I love illustrations.  Here's one.  This is just like joining a professional football team.  We were the star player in our college where we were comfortable in the spotlight and we may had a lot of freedom and respect and attention.  But now we're on the professional team with the NFL's most recognized and critically acclaimed coach in the universe! And the coach has this amazing vision of how He runs His team.  Now the options are simple, you can be on the team, and you'll benefit more if you get acquainted with the vision. You'll benefit more if you build a good relationship with the coach so you can understand the purpose of every aspect behind His vision.  But however, if you walk in there demanding things to change to fit what you're use to....lets just say its not a good look. 


And we do that with God.  This generation has such a lack of honor for authority.  We can be practicing Christians and never take heed to the scriptures of God's law. "Hey, I see it God, like I'm feeling you on some of this book, but I'm not feeling ALL of it.  Because I was born like this.  Or, this is just how I am.  Or it's not that big of a deal. Or I'll get over it in time."


Lies.


Again? Lies.  These are lies Satan plants in our hearts to make us settle in our sin.  Even for myself, I figured once I get a wife these lust issues would just magically disappear.  And thankfully I read this book that I'm now leading a small group about called Every Mans Battle that completely wiped my brain of that lie.  I learned that however you are is what you'll take into your next season.  If you're broken now, you'll be broken when you get that boyfriend/girlfriend.  You'll be broken when you get that good job.  You'll be broken when you finally get married.  Everyday is a part of our life story.  So, I challenge you to join me in getting completely bathed and completely immersed into the vision of our Lord and see what happens.  Because just like the football team, if you disagree with the results of the vision, you can always change teams.  But, I'm pretty sure you'll be happy with the results of the vision of this team.  Because My Dad's been doing this for awhile now.  Have you noticed that He didn't ASK anybody to help Him create the Earth? He didn't have to call and ask for advice on the best way to design the universe, nor did He have to borrow a template. Which means He's not looking for your two cents on how you would do it better if you were God.  I think we try to lower God like He's our president.  You can't vote for God to be God.  No campaign necessary, He'll forever reign.


And, that's what I'm mostly excited about--submitting to the vision and the leadership and authority of my God.  Because I never want to miss out on experiencing Him just like the young ruler did in the Bible.  He came to Jesus seeking more of Him.  But because the man was comfortable, because He was holding on to something that He didn't want to make Him Lord over, He walked away disappointed.  I don't want to be that guy.  And I don't want you to be that guy either.  We sing these songs all the time about God you're my everything and God I'll surrender my life to you and I bet He sits up there thinking to himself, "Yeah, we'll see."  We'll see when this concept is being addressed. Is He Lord of All?  Or ALLmost?

Which is why I say you could be possibly missing out.  I love how God expresses how interesting He is in this verse, "seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7.  Let me share with you how I read that.  The Creator of the universe.  The King of Wonders, The Majesty, Holy of Holy, The Most High, says if we seek Him, we'll find.  Making Him Lord over ALL will clear the way for this seek, and I can guarantee, YOU WON'T REGRET THIS DECISION.  Because....

I haven't regretted giving up my life yet. ;-)

1 comment:

  1. Good word. Taking the scales off your own eyes will make those comfortable around you, uncomfortable. Keep it up! Your generation and mine need it.

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