Author: Christian Channel

Excuses Instead of Service
by John Hamby
Exodus 3:10-15, 4: 1-17
 
Why is that we feel that we can offer excuses when it comes to things of the church that would be ridiculous if used anywhere else. Have you ever wondered what would happen if people were as intense and committed and determined about church as they are about sports – or any number of other pastimes. Some years ago Moody Monthly ran a piece which included excuses which a fellow might use for quitting sports.
“Every time I went they asked for money.
The people with whom I had to sit didn’t seem very friendly.
The seats were too hard and uncomfortable.
The coach never came to see me.
The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.
I was sitting with some hypocrites – they only came to see what others were wearing.
Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home.
The band played numbers that I had never heard before.
The games were scheduled when I want to do other things.
My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up. Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches anyhow.
I don’t want to take my children, because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.” (as quoted by Charles Swindoll. The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart And 1,501 Other Stories. (Nashville: Word, 1998.) p. 189]
You need to remember that in Exodus 3, we have seen God tell Moses that he has heard the cry of Israel for deliverance and that he is now ready to deliver them. Then the surprise came in verse ten when God said, “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” We are going to see today that when God confronts Moses with a call he offers, “Excuses Instead of Service.” Have you ever responded that way?
*You’re asked to teach a class – the excuses start.
* You’re asked to serve in the nursery – the excuses start.
* God put in on your heart to share your faith with a friend or neighbor – the excuses start.
* You’re made aware of someone with a need that you could provide – the excuses start.
* In fact if you’re asked to do just about anything for the Lord and the excuses start. “I’m too busy, I’m already doing this, get someone else.”
Sometimes our excuses pile up and get in the way of doing something for God. I read a humorous story about some GI’s on furlough that I think illustrates this. “The commanding officer was furious when nine GIs who had been out on passes failed to show up for morning roll call. Not until 7 p.m. did the first man straggle in. “I’m sorry, sir,” the soldier explained, “but I had a date and lost track of time, and I missed the bus back. Being determined to get in on time, I hired a cab. Halfway here, the cab broke down. I went to a farmhouse and persuaded the farmer to sell me a horse. I was riding to camp when the animal fell over dead. I walked the last ten miles, and just got here.” Though skeptical, the Colonel let the young man off with a reprimand. However, after him, seven other stragglers in a row came in with the same story-had a date, missed the bus, hired a cab, bought a horse, etc. By the time the ninth man reported in, the colonel had grown weary of it. “Okay,” he growled, “now what happened to you?” “Sir, I had this date and missed the bus back, so I hired a cab .” “Wait!” the colonel screeched at him. “don’t tell me the cab broke down.” “No, sir,” replied the soldier. “The cab didn’t break down. It was just that there were so many dead horses in the road, we had trouble getting through.” Excuses! (Contributed by John F. King ) Sometimes our excuses hold us back from accomplishing anything for God.
Moses had his “reasons” for not following the call of God. Moses begins a series of five reasons to demonstrate sufficient weakness so as not to be responsible for the call which God had given him.
Excuse One – The “Who Me” Excuse. (3:11-12)
The first excuse that Moses offers is kind of pitiful, but see if it does not sound like something that you may have said to God. Verse eleven says, “But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Moses no doubt remembers his earlier failures. Stephen relates the story in chapter seven of the Book of Acts, (vv. 23-29), “”Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel (24) And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. (25) For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. (26) And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ (27) But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? (28) Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?”
When Moses tried this deliverance thing 40 years earlier, he was neither believed nor listened to. If they did not believe Moses 40 years prior, why should they believe him now. It is a terrible thing to believe that when we speak that no one is going to listen to us or believe us. But the past is redeemable. We may feel that everything is set in concrete. But the truth is that things change. People change. We change. But what Moses had failed to realize is that the people of Israel and he himself are at a different spiritual place than they were 40 years earlier. Moses is terrified of being rejected and feeling like a failure.
God answered Moses in verse twelve; “So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
Moses first excuse expressed doubt in himself, his second excuse unfortunately, however, expresses doubt in God.
Excuse Two – “By What Authority” (3:13-15)
“Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”
God didn’t ask Moses to go and explain all that he did not know about God. He just asked him to go and explain what he did know!!!
God responses in verses fourteen and fifteen, “And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (15) Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’
God says, “I AM who I AM.” God told Moses it doesn’t have to do with who you are but with who I am. In any conflict it important to know who is sending you into battle.
What is the reason why so many people are not committed to God, quite frankly, they do not know God. They sort of know about Him. But like the Hebrews in Egypt they have lost track of who God is. He is not a grandfather figure sitting in heaven, merely watching or antics and turning a deaf ear to our language, closing his eyes and winking at our sin. He is not only the giver of life, HE IS LIFE!!!
When God tells Moses that “I Am who I Am” he is literally saying that “I am He who was, and is and always shall be!” or “I will continue to be what I have always been.”
Excuse Three -The “What If’s”” (4:1- 9)
“Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”
In the King James Version Moses’ third excuse began with the words, “What if…” and it is was totally hypothetical. Moses’ response was, “But what if they ask me a question that I don’t have an answer to?” Have you ever used that as an excuse for not sharing your faith, “I would but I am not an expert on the Bible, they might ask me a question that I do not know the answer to.”
What ifs are victory killers, zeal quenchers. Excuses will relegate us to second best. Moses was so concerned about what might happen, he didn’t hear what God said would happen.
God gave Moses three proofs:
First, his Staff turns to a serpent and back again (vv. 2-4). “So the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” (3) And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. (4) Then the LORD said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), (5) “that they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
It is important to note that God did not ask Moses to use something that he does not have. God asks Moses, “What is in your hand?” God uses what we have, and has never demanded from us what we do not have. We will never know the full potential of what can be done until or unless we are willing to offer it to God. God is not looking for ability, he is looking for availability.
When God calls we are tempted to put our assets and abilities in one column and limitations and liabilities in another to determine if we can indeed do what God has called us to do. God is not interested in that. God often allows us to enter a place where we feel confident and when we flounder and fail, and then he puts us into an area where we feel inadequate and were are forced to depend on him, we discover that he uses us.
God’s command to Moses is simple, “Throw it down.” Okay that’s simple. And he throws it down. Because of his obedience it becomes a serpent. And now the LORD says, “Pick it up.” Now that is difficult enough but God says, “Pick it up by the tail.” Now everyone knows that is not the way you pick up a snake. (Actually I don’t pick them up at all!) Now that was difficult but Moses obeyed and the snake again became a rod, and his faith is strengthened. (We will look at the significance of these miracles later when Moses appears before Pharaoh.)
Next, Moses is given the signs of his hand being made leprous then clean again (vv. 6-7) and the ability to turn water into blood (vv. 8-9).
God has thus far revealed himself to Moses, told Moses of his desire to deliver the people, has promised him success, and given him three signs that the people will believe him. Despite all this revelation, it is not enough for Moses.
Excuse Four – “But Lord I Don’t Speak Well”  (4:10-12)
“Then Moses said to the LORD, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”
Moses now says, “I am not an eloquent speaker and I talk funny. He may have been slow of tongue but he seems fast enough with the excuses. That seems odd in the Stephen indicated in Acts chapter seven and verse 22 that Moses in his first forty years of his life in Egypt was a man “mighty in words and deeds.”
The LORD responses to Moses in verse eleven and twelve: “So the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? (12) Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”
Our inadequacies are not problem for God, he made us the way we are. But if we no not make ourselves available then God’s plan for our lives cannot go forward.
Excuse Five – “Send Someone Else” (4:13-17)
“But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”
No matter what, signs or no signs, whether God promises to be with him or not, Moses does not want to go! This last objection was not based on even the slimmest shred of a reason. Moses just does not want to do it. Moses is simply putting his foot down and telling God, “No!”
Exodus 4:14 “Then the LORD’S anger burned against Moses…” Put this down in your notes, get it in your head, sink this truth into your heart. God becomes angry at our excuses. His blessings are withdrawn from those who whine. It is not because the Lord has patience for four question but five is one too many. Moses is refusing to trust God’s answer. When Moses begs God to send someone else, he is in effect telling the Lord, “I don’t trust you.” This angers God.
The Lord’s anger burned against Moses. The sin of excuses will someday come to judgment. Standing before our Judge – our excuses will be all gone; we will be standing in naked truth.
Not only do excuses angers God, they also cause discouragement within the body of Christ. Excuses force the few to carry the weight of the many. Satan will use this as a wedge to bring division and discouragement.
We do not need someone else to do what God is calling us to do. If we let others do what we are afraid to do we probably letting them do what God is calling us to do. Have you ever stopped to realize the harm you are doing when you retreat in fear?
In the later part of verse fourteen God says to Moses, ” …. and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. (15) Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. (16) So he shall be your spokesman to the people. ….”
God accommodated Moses’ lack of faith, but the compromise was less God’s best. Moses was God’s man for the job but he told Moses that his brother Aaron would be allowed to assist him. Once the children of Israel left Egypt, Aaron got his brother and the children of Israel – into serious trouble. It was Aaron who led the children of Israel in making an idol while Moses on Mt. Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments.
God’s perfect will is always better than His permissive will!
Conclusion
Now we see the breakthrough. Moses finally responds in Obedience! Exodus 4:20: “So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.” Moses ultimately did as the Lord asked. Think of the lives that he touched because of his obedience. Over 2 Million Israelites under Moses eventually walked out of the land of slavery. When we walk in obedience, we too will touch the lives of those around us. Let me leave you with this final thought, Dr. B. J. Miller once said, “It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it.” – (MBI’s Today In The Word, November, 1989, p.11) The cost of obedience is nothing when compared with the cost of disobedience.
Can’t or Won’t? Christians need to be very careful which one they choose. Although we often choose to say we can’t it really is a case of I won’t. Is your excuse “I can’t” or “I won’t?” Let face facts when we refuse to follow the Lord, it is because we won’t…we disobey because we choose to… not because we have to. The sooner we accept the truth the sooner we can make a change.
Intricately involved in God’s calling, is God’s Plan. Now listen carefully to what I am about to say or you may not understand. God has a plan but He never expects you to carry out the plan. He is going to see that it carried out. He simply wants you to make yourself available as His instrument. After all it is His reputation that is at stake, not yours.

Ask for Prayer | Contact Us | Visit Our Website | Subscribe | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bookstore

This Day’s Thought from The Ranch, P.O. Box 3784, Greenwood Village, CO 80155, USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?zIyM7IwcjLSszJwcrCzMrLRGtExsrGwMnAwM

I have learned to move man by prayer alone.
Hudson Taylor

And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Matthew 4:18-19
The King James Version

Since He looked upon me, my heart is not my own. He hath run away to heaven with it.
Samuel Rutherford

Watch Here! | Listen Here! | Ask for Prayer | Contact Us | Visit Our Website | Subscribe | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bookstore

This Day’s Thought from The Ranch, P.O. Box 3784, Greenwood Village, CO 80155, USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?zIyM7IwcjLSszJwcrCzMrLRGtExsrCzM7Owc

Happiness is like manna; it is to be gathered in grains, and enjoyed every day. It will not keep; it cannot be accumulated; nor have we got to go out of ourselves or into remote places to gather it, since it is rained down from Heaven, at our very doors.
Tryon Edwards

the price of wisdom is above pearls.
Job 28:18
The Revised Standard Version

Watch Here! | Listen Here! | Ask for Prayer | Contact Us | Visit Our Website | Subscribe | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bookstore

This Day’s Thought from The Ranch, P.O. Box 3784, Greenwood Village, CO 80155, USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?zIyM7IwcjLSszJwcrCzMrLRGtExsrMwMDAyc

God wants the whole person and He will not rest till He gets us in entirety. No part of the man will do.
A. W. Tozer

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
Psalm 20:7
The New International Version

A good example is like a bell that calls many to church.
Unknown

Watch Here! | Listen Here! | Ask for Prayer | Contact Us | Visit Our Website | Subscribe | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bookstore

This Day’s Thought from The Ranch, P.O. Box 3784, Greenwood Village, CO 80155, USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?zIyM7IwcjLSszJwcrCzMrLRGtExsrIwcbOzs

Prosperity simply means “Having enough to do the will of God” and that’s how much God wants you to have, no more and no less.
Unknown

Kind words are like honey- sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
Proverbs 16:24
The New Living Translation

Watch Here! | Listen Here! | Ask for Prayer | Contact Us | Visit Our Website | Subscribe | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bookstore

This Day’s Thought from The Ranch, P.O. Box 3784, Greenwood Village, CO 80155, USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?zIyM7IwcjLSszJwcrCzMrLRGtExsrAzMjKxs

His prayer was nothing else but a sense of the presence of God.
Brother Lawrence

Praise the LORD!  Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 106:1
The English Standard Version

God has a bigger plan for me, than I have for myself.
Unknown

Watch Here! | Listen Here! | Ask for Prayer | Contact Us | Visit Our Website | Subscribe | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bookstore

If you enjoyed reading our Christmas series, St Nicholas: The Believer,  we’re happy to let you know the series is now available as an Audiobook from places like iTunes, Amazon and Audible.  We’d be glad to send you a free download of the Audiobook if you’ll just leave a 1-2 sentence review on any of those websites.  Your reviews help us to spread the word about the book and share the good news of Christ with many, many more!  Just reply to this message to let us know you wrote a review on one of these sites ( iTunes, Amazon, Audible) and we’ll send you a link to the free download!  Happy New Year!

This Day’s Thought from The Ranch, P.O. Box 3784, Greenwood Village, CO 80155, USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?zIyM7IwcjLSszJwcrCzMrLRGtExsLBycnJxM

Abraham: A True Model of Worship
by Steven Dow
Genesis 22:1-19
It seems that very few Christians know much about true worship. Charles Stanely once said that he believed that most Christians in most churches have never worshiped God. We go to church, but we don’t worship. We sing songs, but we don’t worship. We listen to sermons, but we don’t worship. All of these things are elements of worship but they are not worship in and of themselves which means that you can do all of them and yet have failed to truly worship God. We Christians often mistake the means of worship for worship itself.
A man told a story about the time his son’s sixth birthday was approaching. He had mentioned he wouldn’t mind a party, and as his son usually was very specific about the kind of presents he liked so the dad asked him what he could get him. Bill expected a well planned reply, such as “I’d like a baseball glove; you can find it at Toys-R-Us, aisle 6, below the batting helmets, or a Parcheesi board; the games are in alphabetical order in aisle 1; its between the Pac Man and Pay Day.” But his son’s request was a bit different. He said, “Dad, I’d like a ball to play with for my birthday.” Bill said, “Great, what kind of ball?” “Oh, I don’t know, either a football or a soccer ball.” “Well, which would you want more?” He said, “Well, and thought about it. Then he said, “If you have some time to play ball with me this year, I’d really like a football so we could throw it back and forth in the back yard. But if you’re gonna be real busy this year, maybe you just better get me a soccer ball, because I can play soccer with the rest of the kids in the neighborhood.” The dad thought about this and said, “Let me surprise you. How does that sound?” And the little boy smiled and said, “Oh that would be great Dad. I really love you.” Then Bill went in and shared this little encounter with his wife and together they agreed, their son was not so much interested in the gift. He was interested in the giver. (Autoillustrator.com)
True worship is not interested in the created but the Creator. Question’s like — Did I like the sermon/service/music? — are the wrong kind of questions. The right question — Did God like it?
Christians also make the mistake of limiting their worship to one hour each week. And when they come to that service they often come to observe and be entertained. I have been at services that were opened with the following statement: “We want you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the program we have prepared for you.” If the people feel that they were entertained they say they had a good worship service. We have gotten the whole concept of worship backwards. We think that the pastor and worship leaders are the entertainers and we are the audience. But in true worship we are the performers, the pastors and worship leaders are the directors, and God is the audience. Because our concept of worship is backwards we want to know what’s in it for us. If we are going to truly worship, we must come to the realization that worship is not for us, but for God. Because God desires our worship, we must learn how to worship him.
The word ‘worship’ appears in the Bible for the first time in Genesis 22:5. We are going to look into this episode in the life of Abraham to see what he can teach us about the true worship of God.
THE ELEMENTS OF TRUE WORSHIP:
1. REVELATION (vv. 1-2)
This episode in Abraham’s life begins with God revealing Himself to Abraham and speaking to him. True worship is based on the revelation of God. Worship is not based on my likes or dislikes. It is not based on my personal preferences or priorities. It is based solely on God’s revelation of Himself as it is found in the scriptures. Because true worship is based on the Bible the only question that needs to be asked of our means of worship is — Are they biblical? The music must be biblical. The sermon must be biblical. The prayers must be biblical.
Why is it so vitally important that our worship be biblical?
Allow me to answer that question with a story. James Michener, writing in his book, The Source, tells the story of a man named Urbaal, who was a farmer living about 2200 B.C. He worshiped two gods, one a god of death, the other a goddess of fertility. One day, the temple priests tell Urbaal to bring his young son to the temple for sacrifice — if he wants good crops. Urbaal obeys, and on the appointed day drags his wife and boy to the scene of the boy’s “religious execution” by fire to the god of death. After the sacrifice of Urbaal’s boy and several others, the priests announce that one of the fathers will spend next week in the temple, with a new temple prostitute. Urbaal’s wife is stunned as she notices a desire written more intensely across his face than she had seen before, and she is overwhelmed to see him eagerly lunge forward when his name is called. The ceremony over, she walks out of the temple with her head swimming, concluding that “if he had different gods, he would have been a different man.” (Erwin Lutzer, Pastor to Pastor, p. 89)
Because the kind of God you worship is the kind of person you will become, we must make sure that the God we worship is the God of the Bible and not a god of our own making.
Just as a football player must study the play book in order to be a good player so the worshiper must study the Bible in order to be a true worshiper. If you want to do more this Sunday than merely singing songs and listening to a preacher talk then study the play book.
If the elements of the service are biblical and you still can’t worship, maybe it is because you haven’t prepared properly.
2. PREPARATION (v. 3)
The revelation that Abraham received from God was hard to hear but Abraham made preparations to obey immediately. He got his servants together, cut the wood for the burnt offering, saddled his donkey, and took his son and set out. Just like Abraham we need to make the appropriate preparations in order to worship God. If we have not prepared our hearts to worship God we will not be able to worship even if the worship service is biblical. When football players prepare for a game they do what they call ‘getting their game face on’. That means that they prepare themselves mentally for the challenges of the game they are about to play. Spiritually speaking we need to ‘get our game faces on’ before we go to church.
Deeply immersed in meditation during a church service, Italian poet Dante Alighieri failed to kneel at the appropriate moment. His enemies hurried to the bishop and demanded that Dante be punished for his sacrilege. Dante defended himself by saying, “If those who accuse me had had their eyes and minds on God, as I had, they too would have failed to notice events around them, and they most certainly would not have noticed what I was doing. (Today in the Word, March 10, 1993)
Like Dante we need to get our eyes and minds on God because we cannot go from the secular to the sacred in a moment. We cannot pass from the world to worship at the drop of a hat. We prepared for work. Shouldn’t we prepare for worship. When you think about it we spend time preparing for almost everything in life. We spend time preparing for work, for vacations, for school, for exams, for meals, and we even take time to prepare for bed. But very few of us take time to prepare ourselves for worship. We may prepare to go to church. But that isn’t the same as preparing for worship. We prepare for church by getting dressed in our Sunday best, fixing our hair and make up, and grabbing our Bibles as we head out the door. The typical Christian is very well prepared for church but not at all prepared for worship.
Abraham prepared to worship God by being obedient to the revelation of God. We need to do much more that simply study the play book. We need to do what it says. If we are going to truly worship God, we must study the play book and get our game faces on. Part of preparing to worship is to eliminate anything that distracts you.
3. SEPARATION (vv. 4-5)
At a certain point in the journey Abraham left his servants behind. It is very possible that they would have interfered when they realized that he was going to sacrifice his son and Abraham wasn’t about to allow anything to distract him from worshiping. We need to separate ourselves from anything that would draw our attention away from God. I’m not even talking about sinful things. I’m talking about the natural and normal things of life. Things like work, family, and finances can all distract us from the worship of God. These are not things that we can simple eliminate from our lives. But we do need to put them out of our minds so that we can be free to focus on God. We can even allow the elements of the worship service itself to distract us from worship. You must not allow the preacher, the music, the praise team, the ushers, or the people around you to distract you from worshiping your God.
During the tenure of the great orator Henry Ward Beecher, a visiting minister (Beecher’s brother) once substituted for the popular pastor. A large audience had already assembled to hear Beecher, and when the substitute pastor stepped into the pulpit, several disappointed listeners began to move toward the exits. That’s when the minister stood and said loudly, “All who have come here today to worship Henry Ward Beecher may now withdraw from the church. All who have come to worship God keep your seats!” (Today in the Word, April 1989, p. 22)
We have not come together this morning to worship the preacher, the music, the singers, or the instruments, but God and God alone.
The night before a game the players all stay in a hotel together even if it is a home game. They do this so that they can separate themselves from all the cares of their regular lives and begin to focus on the game entirely. The coach also establishes a curfew so that the players aren’t out to late because they need rest to be their best. We need to start getting ready for Sunday morning worship on Saturday night. On Saturday evening we should begin reading and meditating on God’s revelation. We should spend time praying and praising. And we should get to bed early. If you are going to truly worship God you must study the play book, get your game face on, and keep your curfew.
4. DEDICATION (vv. 6-10)
Abraham dedicated his son Isaac to God. It wasn’t like he had twelve sons. Isaac was his only son. Isaac was the son God had promised to him years earlier. Isaac was the son that was to carry on the family line and grow into a great nation. Abraham also dedicated himself completely to God. As Abraham stood holding the knife above his head ready to plunge it into his son he was completely dead to self. He had dedicated all he was and all he had to God. True worship is always costly. True worship always requires us to give up our best for God’s best. Oswald Chambers said it this way: “my utmost for His Highest.”
Bertoldo de Giovanni is a name even the most enthusiastic lover of art is unlikely to recognize. He was the pupil of Donatello, the greatest sculptor of his time, and he was the teacher of Michelangelo, the greatest sculptor of all time. Michelangelo was only 14 years old when he came to Bertoldo, but it was already obvious that he was enormously gifted. Bertoldo was wise enough to realize that gifted people are often tempted to coast rather than grow, and therefore he kept trying to pressure his young prodigy to work seriously at his art. One day he came into the studio to find Michelangelo toying with a piece of sculpture far beneath his abilities. Bertoldo grabbed a hammer, stomped across the room, and smashed the work into tiny pieces, shouting this unforgettable message, “Michelangelo, talent is cheap; dedication is costly!” (Gary Inrig, A Call to Excellence)
Too often Christians are just like Michelangelo in that we simply coast through worship service by simply going through the motions. Going through the motions of singing songs and taking notes is cheap; dedication to true worship is costly.
Football players have a saying — “leave it all on the field.” It means that during the game they don’t hold anything back. They give 110%. God expects us to do the same thing as Christians. He wants us to be totally dedicated to Him. Is there anything that you are holding back? If you are going to truly worship God you must study the play book, get your game face on, keep your curfew, and leave it all on the field.
5. PROCLAMATION (vv. 11-14)
Abraham called that place “The Lord Will Provide” — Jehovah Jireh. By doing so he was proclaiming the nature and work of God. He was declaring who God is and what God does. That is praise and worship. Praise is proclaiming what God has done. Worship is proclaiming who God is. When was the last time you told someone what God has done for you? We all like to share good news so why don’t we share the Good News? In the game of football following a big victory the players usually douse the coach with a bucket of Gatorade. It is their way of proclaiming that they love their coach and that he has done an excellent job. That is what we do when we tell others about God. That is why we all need to brag on God. If you are going to truly worship God you must study the play book, get your game face on, keep your curfew, leave it all on the field, and douse the coach.
THE RESULTS OF TRUE WORSHIP:
1) RESTORATION (vv. 11-12)
We have looked at the various elements of true worship and so let us now examine the results or benefits of true worship. We see that Isaac was restored to his father. And I believe that as a result of this Abraham’s spirit was restored as well. Abraham was willing to part with his son, but this dramatic intervention by God renewed his faith. That is what true worship does for us. The Bible says that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. Only true worship can do this. We can sing our favorite songs and have an emotional experience but if we have not truly worshiped this experience will quickly fade away when the music is over and that is the true test of true worship.
2. CONFIRMATION (vv. 15-18)
God confirmed his covenant with Abraham. God declared that He would bless Abraham because Abraham had worshiped him. We find here the principle that worship results in the blessing of the worshiper. If God’s blessing seems absent from your life, perhaps it is due to an absence of true worship in your life.
A few years ago the Tennessee Titans were involved in a heart wrenching defeat in the Super Bowl. All season they had fought back from deficits to win and it appeared as though they were going to pull off another comeback victory over the Rams. However, they came up about a yard and a half short.
The next evening when the team returned to Nashville they were bused to Adelphia Coliseum where more than 45,000 fans had gathered to greet and honor their team. People painted their faces. They put on their Titan hats and jerseys. They screamed wildly as the team exited the bus and players were introduced. When that tribute to the Titans team was over not one fan walked away saying, “That event was a dud. That did nothing for me.”
The event was a great success, not because of the performance — the teams didn’t play. It wasn’t their speeches, because few of the players are great public speakers. it was a great success because people understood the purpose. The purpose wasn’t to please the fans. The purpose of the event was to honor the team and show how much they were appreciated. (Tom Dooley)
That is what true worship is all about. It’s not about the performance (music and drama) or the speech (sermon). It’s not about pleasing you or me. It’s all about pleasing God and expressing our appreciation and love to our Lord and Savior.
Verse 19 tells us that after Abraham had this beautiful worship experience on the mountain top he walked off the mountain and returned home to Beersheba. The true test of our worship comes not from what takes place in this sanctuary on Sunday morning. The true test of our worship comes when we walk out those doors and return home.

Ask for Prayer | Contact Us | Visit Our Website | Subscribe | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bookstore

If you enjoyed reading our Christmas series, St Nicholas: The Believer,  we’re happy to let you know the series is now available as an Audiobook from places like iTunes, Amazon and Audible.  We’d be glad to send you a free download of the Audiobook if you’ll just leave a 1-2 sentence review on any of those websites.  Your reviews help us to spread the word about the book and share the good news of Christ with many, many more!  Just reply to this message to let us know you wrote a review on one of these sites ( iTunes, Amazon, Audible) and we’ll send you a link to the free download!  Happy New Year!

This Day’s Thought from The Ranch, P.O. Box 3784, Greenwood Village, CO 80155, USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?zIyM7IwcjLSszJwcrCzMrLRGtExsLBwMDGwM

If you aren’t serving, you’re just existing, because life is meant for ministry.
Rick Warren

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.
Proverbs 14:27
The New King James Version

Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.
C. H. Spurgeon

Watch Here! | Listen Here! | Ask for Prayer | Contact Us | Visit Our Website | Subscribe | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bookstore

If you enjoyed reading our Christmas series, St Nicholas: The Believer,  we’re happy to let you know the series is now available as an Audiobook from places like iTunes, Amazon and Audible.  We’d be glad to send you a free download of the Audiobook if you’ll just leave a 1-2 sentence review on any of those websites.  Your reviews help us to spread the word about the book and share the good news of Christ with many, many more!  Just reply to this message to let us know you wrote a review on one of these sites ( iTunes, Amazon, Audible) and we’ll send you a link to the free download!  Happy New Year!

This Day’s Thought from The Ranch, P.O. Box 3784, Greenwood Village, CO 80155, USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?zIyM7IwcjLSszJwcrCzMrLRGtExsLGwMbCxs

The heartfelt praises of one true believer are more precious to God than all the 220,000 oxen and the 120,000 sheep that Solomon offered to God at the dedication of the temple.
Jonathan Edward

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Luke 12:15
The English Standard Version

Watch Here! | Listen Here! | Ask for Prayer | Contact Us | Visit Our Website | Subscribe | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bookstore

If you enjoyed reading our Christmas series, St Nicholas: The Believer,  we’re happy to let you know the series is now available as an Audiobook from places like iTunes, Amazon and Audible.  We’d be glad to send you a free download of the Audiobook if you’ll just leave a 1-2 sentence review on any of those websites.  Your reviews help us to spread the word about the book and share the good news of Christ with many, many more!  Just reply to this message to let us know you wrote a review on one of these sites ( iTunes, Amazon, Audible) and we’ll send you a link to the free download!  Happy New Year!

This Day’s Thought from The Ranch, P.O. Box 3784, Greenwood Village, CO 80155, USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?zIyM7IwcjLSszJwcrCzMrLRGtExsLCwcHIwc

Our Lord worked with people as they were, and He was patient-not tolerant of sin, but compassionate.
Vance Havner

And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
Mark 3:11
The King James Version

You’re in a hurry.
God is not.
Trust God.
Marie T. Freeman

Watch Here! | Listen Here! | Ask for Prayer | Contact Us | Visit Our Website | Subscribe | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bookstore

If you enjoyed reading our Christmas series, St Nicholas: The Believer,  we’re happy to let you know the series is now available as an Audiobook from places like iTunes, Amazon and Audible.  We’d be glad to send you a free download of the Audiobook if you’ll just leave a 1-2 sentence review on any of those websites.  Your reviews help us to spread the word about the book and share the good news of Christ with many, many more!  Just reply to this message to let us know you wrote a review on one of these sites ( iTunes, Amazon, Audible) and we’ll send you a link to the free download!  Happy New Year!

This Day’s Thought from The Ranch, P.O. Box 3784, Greenwood Village, CO 80155, USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?zIyM7IwcjLSszJwcrCzMrLRGtExsLMxszIws