Get What We Want
Good Morning,
My wife and I have been a part of the Christian life for many years. Having been a pastor for four decades, I have observed a few proven facts over the years. One such observation is this: In many cases, God will let you have what you want.
In some situations, God will give us the things we desire, even though they may not be best; and as much as that sounds like an error, remember the story of God hardening the heart of Pharaoh.
Exodus 7:3 “And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.”
vs. 4 “But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.”
Pharaoh did not want to honor God; therefore, God hardened the heart of Pharaoh so he would go on with his agenda of ignoring right and exalting self.
First, God will not force anyone to get saved; that is the personal choice of each individual. If one chooses to ignore the grace of God, he will die and go to Hell of his own accord.
Second, God will not force anyone to love Him or to live for Him. On occasion, God may push us into a place where He needs us to be, as He did with Jonah, but at the end of the story, God allowed Jonah to go his own way – bitter and far from home.
Third, especially regarding young people, God will not force you to honor your parents, your church, or your God. You are free to become fools or live any kind of lifestyle the vile world might encourage.
God will allow people to have the country that they desire. If good people will not raise up and follow biblical methods for building a nation and are content to live like the world, fight like the world, follow the filth of the world, and seek the goods of the world, God will give them the nation like the nations of the world around them.
Remember, Israel pleaded with God to give them a king like all the other nations? Most of the time, God will give us what we truly want — whether or not it is best.
What kind of church do we want? God will give us what we want, not in word but in life and actions. Do we want a church full of lazy people who do not serve at all? God will let us have it. Do we seek comfortable preaching that never provokes us to be more or do more? God can accommodate us. Do we want a church where little is expected of us? God can provide that; and with little work on our part, our young people will then go to the world for entertainment, and we will never have to raise money for mission trips or support for our own who choose to serve God full-time.
Let us refer our youth ministry for example. Most people adore the youth of our church. The sheer numbers, the spirit, the appearance and manners, their ability to deal with people and face situations with confidence, and so much more. What is it that gave us this group of quality young people? We should cherish whichever element is the key ingredient. It is probably the bus ministry, the car wash, and the Christian school, but within the school, it might be the candy sale, science and history fair, and teen soul winning.
If we do not care to be involved in the bus ministry, then it is very likely God will let it drop and give us our way. In so doing, God will also drop the influence of buses on our youth. If we, as adults, do not desire to help with the various ministries that develop young people, then God will give us what we desire -- a group of young people no different from any other group across our community. Success is work. Quality is achieved when we invest in it. If we desire to work at nothing, then God will most likely give us a product that can be achieved without effort.
The book of 3 John documents the letter that John wrote to a church. The church had been urged to receive missionaries and support them, but a man in the church wanted to be the big shot and wanted to decide who could or could not do things in the church — just one pushy, overbearing man.
3 John 9 “...I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.”
vs. 10 “Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.”
vs. 11 “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.”
The trouble was not with John; neither did the trouble lie simply in this man. The trouble was with the church people who tolerated this guy in their church. He stood against the spiritual leader and caused grief to the membership as a whole — yet, the members did nothing about it. If the church people wanted to have that in their church, God would allow them to have it — it was their church.
If a church wants to listen to lies, God will let them. If a church wants to follow feelings over truth, God will let them. If a church wants a relaxed, no-pressure environment, that is the kind of church they will have. John warned the people, but God allowed the church to have what they tolerated.
When preaching, the disciples were urged to leave the very dust of their shoes behind and allow folks to have what they wanted.
Matthew 10:14 “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.”
When Jesus sent his disciples to a Samaritan village to prepare for His coming, the people refused to entertain Christ. The disciples wanted to destroy the village, but Jesus said they would just go to another one. If that group of people did not want Jesus there, He would accommodate them.
Luke 9:52 "And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.”
vs. 53 “And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.”
vs. 54 “And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?”
vs. 55 “But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.”
We will have the kind of church or school we want. We will raise our young people there. If we want a relaxed and carnal church or school, we will have it. If we want it full of criticism and slander, it will not be long before we will have it.
God has offered America a decent chance to turn to right and blessing, but if we do not want it, He will allow us to follow the path of a controlling, socialist government. God will allow us to turn to godless and corrupt schools to train our children. The choice is up to us.
Many a family has fussed over the stand for right and wrong our church takes. They have wanted a more relaxed and free philosophy of church and family life. In the years that followed, God gave them what they wanted. They occasionally attended another church with Bible lessons but with nothing that applied to daily living. These families found their children living just like the world around them, with little or no regard for God. Their families faced all the troubles of this cursed world, and their children nurtured a poor relationship with their parents. God allowed these families to have what they wanted; but in the end, it was not what they wanted. In just a moment, God can turn our church into something else if we do not seek to keep what we have.
In the fifties and sixties, our government banned Bible reading and prayer in public schools; Christian parents did nothing. They kept their children in those godless schools. They complained some, but they really did not care about God’s involvement in the training of their young people; therefore, God gave them what they wanted — godless youth. The end result was the hippy movement, LSD, the burning of draft cards, students taking over colleges, and the introduction of rock-and-roll. The same rebels, who brought in the new era, have rewritten our public school textbooks and currently run our country. Since we did not want God in our schools, God gave us our way.
I suggest we seek passionately and work diligently to keep the good and right things we desire and seek the Lord with all our heart.
Pastor