Anybody ever watch the show 60 minutes? It’s a news show, so I know most of you haven’t. But, there’s a guy named Andy Rooney. What a character! He has a segment where he brought up things to think about, and he would always start out with, “Did you ever wonder?”. Well, I want to bring up some things to think about today.
Who here likes shopping at Wal-Mart? What about Toys-R-Us? I like Home Depot and some of the car parts stores. When you go in your favorite store, do you just blow all your money? Well, what if there is a CD out that you want or some new toy or baseball glove? For the adults, how about that cake in the bakery sitting over there calling your name, and there is no special occasion, just a want? Let’s say you have $30. The thing you want is $20. Would you get it? Most people would so be honest, I mean the next allowance or pay-day is just around the corner. It’s really not all that bad is it? Did you ever wonder why $20 seems so little to us when we go shopping, but so huge when you donate it to church?
Now I want you to think about your best friend in the whole wide world, or your boyfriend/girlfriend or wife/husband. Is it hard to strike up a conversation with them. Come on now, you know it isn’t! There’s really nothing you can’t or don’t talk about. The conversations are limitless and you don’t have to “think-up” a conversation like you would with a stranger, or even somebody that you just see every now and then. Did you ever wonder why we can do that but become speechless when you pray?
I like looking at car magazines, and reading e-mail. The stuff I read though needs to have pictures! I know when I go get a magazine, I can’t wait to see the next tech tip. Anybody here read Harry Potter books? Kind of a suspense thing that you don’t want to put down. Kelly reads a lot, she used to read those romance novels. Any guys in here read those things? Would you really admit it if you did? She would read the book sometimes in the course of a day. Reading just really isn’t my thing unless it’s something I am interested in. Did you ever wonder why we can spend hours reading a book like Harry Potter but have trouble reading just one chapter in the Bible?
Does everybody here like going to concerts? What about football or baseball games. Me…I like drag racing. Ever have something sneak up on you that you forgot about and have to scramble getting ready bathing, washing your hair, putting on make-up (hopefully no guys are doing this), and just generally acting crazy so you can go. Or what about getting off work late, or out of school, in the day on Friday, ready to sit down and take it easy. Once you get home, plans change and you quickly have to get ready because the family is going to town to eat out and you better hurry. Did you ever wonder why we can adjust our schedules so quickly for things like this, but have to know about church events 2-3 weeks ahead of time?
How many of you here have ever gossiped? Tell the truth! We all have at some point or the other. It’s one of those things. But think about that for a minute, because a lot of you gossip regularly. How easy is that to do? I mean, it’s almost a feeling of power when you know something someone else doesn’t. You know what’s going on, or atleast think so, and all focus is on you at that time. You are popular! And you can tell it over and over again without thinking twice, whether you know it’s true or not. Some people spread it even when they know it isn’t true and that is even more fun to them. Did you ever wonder why we can spread gossip and rumors so easily, but struggle to tell someone the facts about God?
Did you ever wonder why 2 hours is nothing when you go to the movies with you super-size coke and pop-corn, but seems like an eternity in God’s House?
Did you ever wonder why you can pick up a school book or magazine a read word for word, everything in it, AND believe it, but question and try to re-interpret Scripture in the Bible?
Did you ever wonder why people run to the front row at concerts, or sporting events, but do whatever possible to sit in the back of the church? (I should have checked for tomatoes before I said that!) But if I didn’t have the Youth Group sit up here, where would you be?
Did you ever wonder why people want a place in heaven but...they don't want to believe, do, or say anything to get there? I do. I wonder that often. We are afraid top take a stand. We are afraid to be different from the rest of the world and its opinions for fear of being unpopular. We make God’s wishes and rules fit us, instead of us fit them. We make concessions in our lives and to His Word, and interpret it to make us feel justified in what we are doing. Church across this country is becoming more of a feel-good event than a worship service. We have to feel good about ourselves even when we know we’re wrong, but we don’t fool God. Ladies & Gentlemen, He’s takin’ names, and the result won’t be as simple as detention! We take Jesus’ command of love one another, and pollute it in to meaning be tolerant of each other so you don’t hurt someone’s feelings, even if it means sinning against God. We take the traditions that MAN has put in place and use them, instead of relying on what God told us to do. Just because everybody else is doing it, or it’s always been done that way, doesn’t make it right. If we worship in any way other than Scripture reveals, we’re wrong, and what’s worse, He WON’T receive that worship, it is worthless! We sin against God in so many ways, but justify it by saying we are doing our best to honor Him. We turn God away by not standing up for Him because of the trouble that might come about for doing it. Next week, I’m taking a stand for God in something that I will be presenting. I won’t be popular, but I don’t care. In the meantime, did you ever wonder after all of this, why we have the troubles we do in our lives?
With love,
Mike
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