How Real Do You Want God To Be? 34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. 35 And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test him: 36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” 41 While the Pharisees were together, Jesus questioned them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They replied, “David’s.” 43 He asked them, “How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’: 44 The Lord declared to my Lord,‘Sit at my right handuntil I put your enemies under your feet’? 45 “If David calls him ‘Lord,’ how, then, can he be his son?” 46 No one was able to answer him at all, and from that day no one dared to question him anymore. Matthew 22:34–46 We like things in little boxes—neat, in their place…contained…under control. Don’t know what I am getting at? It’s like this: We like to keep all the physical stuff in one box and all the rest—the spiritual in another… Well, except on Halloween…and maybe on Sunday…although Sunday has become less and less consigned…set aside for things spiritual… …well...maybe just an hour is okay… …unless you confuse Tom Brady with a god… I mean… I might… …or think twelve noon is the witching hour in which you must be at home…or you will turn into…what...I wonder? But anyway, as long as God stays in the box called spiritual—the non-physical, the metaphysical…the emotional… …you know… As long as God stays in the church, and when you are not in it, He stays there… Don’t let Him follow me out there…where I live or where I work… At least not until you need something…or you need Him to fix things…then it is different—am I right? Then it is okay for Him to enter into your little world to do the rescue mission…but until then… …but until then, God should stay in the unseen, the unreal…the after death…the other places… You have heard people say that church people know nothing about real life—that they are too heavenly minded to be any earthly good. Pastors—too…as they don’t know what it is like out there…so how can they ever expect me to ...what? Yes ... to do what? No... God and pastors are to stay in their own lanes… in their own world. We will come and visit, on some Sundays and other times, but…keep in your rightful place and we will stay in ours. Don’t expect us to do what you do pastor...and be that…or act like…or think like that…out in the real world. Boxes. Neat little boxes. Safe, isn’t it? No, not really, but keep believing that little lie and you end up in a box, in the ground...and then in a cell in hell. I am not kidding. No… not at all! That is what our text is all about. That is what the Christian Life is all about. The fight over the two worlds…over territory…property…rights… And nobody wants for one side to have the right to interfere with the other. God and church can stay where they are, and me and mine is to be left alone….well...again...unless I need some help…some rescuing… …but otherwise just stay away. Problem is, even if somehow that is what God wants—each side to stay in their corners, within their boundaries… The World—your...you...(I hope not) they (them) and the world they have made for themselves wants all of it…wants to invade and take over even the church. And it has been, if you haven’t noticed! It wants the church and God to play by its rules, to look like it does—to do what the world…what the culture does…to play nice. To tolerate false teaching, and all manner of sin. So yeah, just keep to yourselves. Live and let live. Because if you really preach on sin, people will leave the church. I have heard them say, “You pastors… you can believe that, but don’t ask me to. I have relatives that… Yes? So, who should come first in life—and no longer is it a life in this or that box…but in all places? What is the first commandment? We should fear, love and trust in God ABOVE all else. God comes first—and in ALL areas. His Word is the final authority. Then family, then work, and then whatever other GOOD thing or whomever is in the world. Problem with us is we have it all mixed up. Yeah… and God has come to invade and take over lives. Remember: Jesus said, I do not come to bring peace, but a sword—peace between you and God, but NEVER between you and the world. The Christmas story that states that now there is peace on earth and good-will toward men, is not between people, but between God and people. It is not peace on earth as we all get along, but peace on earth through Christ between us ...
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Oct 30 202620 min