Last Words to Heed

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." - 1 John 5:21

The last words John writes in his first epistle are for us to keep ourselves from idols.  Why would those words be the last thing on his mind & heart as he closes his letter?

Probably because God knows how easy we fall into idol worship. In our culture it's not little statues we worship, but instead it is activities, programs, events, stuff & our own comforts, to mention a few, that become idols in our lives. We can't make time for prayer (private &/or corporate) but we can make time for our favorite TV show or sports game. We can't make time for extra fellowship activities but we can make time for extracurricular activities. We can't make time for our family because we are too busy working to gain stuff. We can't make time for service because our own comforts of time cry out to us.

What's an idol? Anything that easily takes you away from more important things of the Lord or puts itself in place of God.  If you can't stop something (or don't want to), it perhaps is an idol.

Keep yourselves from idols - be it your kids' events that keep them from church functions, be it your work, or your activities.  This world is not our home!

Questions That Should Be Asked - But We Already Know the Answers So We Don't

In this week's teaching, "Wanting the Truth You Can't Handle" from John 10:22-42, we looked at the Jews who asked Jesus to tell them whether He was the Messiah but they weren't interested in the truth - just a fight.  Plus Jesus said they did not believe because they weren't His sheep.

I posed that we too ask questions we really don't want the answers for or maybe we don't ask questions because we already know the answers:

• Do I really need to forgive that person?
• Do I really need to be one devoted to Scripture reading?
• It's okay if I fudge a little on my taxes right?
• I know I should be devoted more to my walk with Jesus, but it isn't a matter of Heaven or Hell so why bother?

The problem with these, and other like questions, is we already know the answers but we just aren't interested in obeying so we don't honestly ask.  It is like in school - if we don't ask the professor for further clarification, then we won't have to do all the work that would be required if he did answer.  In other words, ignorance is bliss.

Where we fail is when we think that the here and now is the most important thing at stake - that our own comfort, wants and desires are the most important things. 

• "Sure I could for go my time to go to a Sunday night prayer meeting, but it's not a matter of salvation so I'm sure my time is better used being happy in my own home." 
• "Sure I could spend more time with the Lord, but it's football/baseball/hockey/basketball/name-your-sport season and He isn't all that concerned." 
• "Who is that guy to challenge me - that's just legalism or being a Pharisee"

Listen, it isn't necessarily the church, the Lord or the pastor who misses out the most when you pay more heed to the temporary things rather than the eternal ones - it is you!  There is blessing both here in seeking more of the Lord as well as in the eternal when we get to partake of those heavenly things we invested our time or money into.  Not one of us will get to Heaven and wish we had spent a little more time in front of the TV or whatever it is.  That's not to say we can't have free time or anything like that, but I think too often we justify our free time and liberty as a means of not partaking in the eternal opportunities God has set in front of us.  I think we've let "comfortable" become the biggest idol we idolize in our modern society. 

Perhaps the biggest question that should be asked - but one we are afraid to fully examine - is just that: have I made comfort and fun the idol I worship more than anything else?

This blog post comes from further thoughts of the sermon on John 10:22-42 titled “Wanting the Truth You Can't Handle” which can be found by clicking here or simply visiting http://www.refugesanger.com/teachings.  It was originally posted on refugesanger.wordpress.com