“Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels” (Psalm 81:11-12).

I’m curious. Is there anyone reading this who would not admit to having a stubborn streak at times? You know what I mean. I’m referring to our tendency to do things our way, in our time and for our purposes. One of the primary characteristics of our sinful nature is that we are stubborn. Yet can I tell you that such an attitude toward the things of God can result in disaster?

This is where the words of the psalmist speak so directly to us. You see, there comes a time when our stubborn attitudes result in God giving us over to the obstinate and intractable desires we pursue. In other words, if we persist in being stubborn before God, we may very well be given over to our own counsels. That’s not a good place to be, by friend.

Let me be very direct with you in this regard. I speak with people on a regular basis who will not submit to what they know God is telling them. In other words, they are digging their feet in, remaining stubbornly opposed to what God is asking them to do. No doubt such an attitude manifests itself in a variety of ways. Perhaps God is telling you to flee from an area of sin, repair a broken relationship, apologize for an unkind word or action, or restore a regular pattern of fellowship and communion with God. The list is endless.

Further, even though you are aware that God impresses upon you the need to act in accordance with his will, you’re stubborn and have not yet done so. If that describes you to any degree, pay particular attention to what the psalmist said: “So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts.”

Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t ever want to be in a place where God “gives me over” to my stubborn heart. You see, once that happens, the reality is that we will be on the receiving end of exactly what we deserve. We will be left to “follow our own counsels.” I can’t think of a higher risk context in which to live, and for this reason; the Bible is clear in telling us that the heart of man is deceitful above all things. Thus, if God “gives us over” to our own counsels, there is nothing but chaos to follow. That’s what our own counsels produce.

Let me make this hurt a bit. Likely some of you reading this have been stubborn as it relates to something God is asking you to do. Am I right? If that describes you, there are two options. You can remain stubborn and follow your will with the resultant outcome. Or you can humbly submit to God’s leading and experience the blessings that come with obedience. I for one am not willing to follow my own counsels. The outcome is not good. How about you?

“’The time is coming to gather all the nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory… And they shall declare my glory among the nations. And all flesh shall come to worship before me,’ declares the Lord” (Isaiah 66:18-19, 23).

Regardless of one’s personal beliefs regarding the sequence of events that describe the “end times,” one thing is quite certain. According to the prophet Isaiah, there will come a day when all nations will be gathered; all nations will see and declare God’s glory; and all flesh will worship before the Lord. In total, those statements tell us that on a day of his choosing God will fulfill his purposes in demonstrating his glory before all creation. As I meditated on this passage, the thought struck me; we don’t we take enough time to consider the implications of what that means for us as we navigate our way through life.

Here’s what I mean by that. Life gets busy for each of us, no doubt. At times we feel so pressed by the immediate and daily responsibilities we bear that looking ahead, let alone looking way ahead to ponder the day when Isaiah’s words will be fulfilled is the last thing on our mind. Yet thinking deeply about Isaiah’s words has implications for how we structure our lives today and every day.

I believe Isaiah’s prophesy contains three key words that make what he said applicable to us. The words “see,” “declare” and “worship” have implications for us in this way. First, we have an opportunity to “see” God’s glory every day as we identify, ponder and acknowledge his work in our lives and all around us. Whether manifested in the beauty of creation, the cry of a newborn baby, an answer to prayer or an unexpected blessing, we have God’s glory all around us. The issue isn’t whether it’s there but rather whether we see it as we should.

Second, we have the privilege of “declaring” his glory. This can happen in the privacy of our home or in a more public context as we tell others of what God means to us and has done for us. My guess is that if we took the time to examine our daily conversations, we would easily identify numerous missed opportunities to “declare” his glory.

Finally, according to Isaiah, all flesh will come to “worship” before the Lord. Why wait till then? We can learn to have a worship-filled attitude throughout the day. Worship is simply telling God how worthy he is. We come together as a church to worship each Sunday, but why not worship throughout the week as you go through your normal activities? It’s not at all a difficult thing to learn.

Yes indeed, a day is coming when “all nations will see and declare his glory and all flesh will come to worship him.” Why wait? Start today!

“They received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

I would be hard pressed to identity a more precious gift a congregation could give to a pastor than to model what we read in Acts 17:11. The text tells us that Paul and Silas traveled from Thessalonica to Berea. After they arrived, they went into the synagogue and began to preach. That’s when we see the response of the people: “They received the word with all eagerness.”

I’ve been reading a helpful little book recently. It deals with practical suggestions regarding how God’s people can prepare for and respond to the preached word of God.  The book lists six things to consider as a means of preparing oneself for the Sunday sermon. Let me list them for you.

• Expect God to speak.
• Admit God knows better than you.
• Check what the preacher says against what the passage says.
• Hear the sermon live in church (“electronic preaching” is not preferable).
• Be there week by week.
• Do what the Bible says today and rejoice as you do it.

Each of these suggestions would be valuable for any congregation to consider and take to heart. Would you agree?

Now the reason why I chose to list these for you is because they are entirely consistent with what we value as a church. The pastoral staff and the elders are of one mind in agreeing that it is the preached word of God that brings health to God’s people. It’s not by accident that we place such a high priority on preaching. God blesses his word.

Yet by the same standard, we must all take part in prioritizing our attitudes while on the receiving end of God’s word. That takes thought and preparation as we make our hearts and minds ready to receive it each week. In that light, let me ask you several simple questions. First, if it’s truly God’s word, then we should expect him to have something important to say to us each week. Is that your mindset? Second, if it’s truly God’s word, then he must know better than us. He’s God and we aren’t. Are you ready to admit that he knows better than you? And even more importantly, as we expect him to speak and admit it’s his word to us, are we prepared to obey what he says? For you see, not only does God bless his word, he especially blesses those who obey it.

I want you to know what a gift you are to me as you hunger after God’s word week in and week out. You model what Luke described in the book of Acts. You are indeed eager for God’s word. I see it in your faces every week. Take the time to consider the things listed above and let’s grow together in eagerness as I preach and you hear God’s word!

“Their children did likewise, and their children’s children - as their fathers did, so they do to this day” (II Kings 17:41).

As I’ve read and re-read this verse, I can’t help but notice that it has the potential to represent both good and bad news for us. What I mean by that is that a father’s life can impact his children in one of two ways. It can either promote or hinder the degree to which his sons and daughters become more Christ-like throughout their lives. I see this principle demonstrated almost weekly. Here’s what I mean by that.

All too frequently I hear a dad or mom say something like this: “My son or daughter has turned their back on the church and on God.” Why did this happen? Friends, although there is no sure and certain guarantee that any child will not turn their back on God, in the overwhelming number of instances when I hear parents express such things, there is at least a slight component of parental spiritual neglect in their history. Now don’t get me wrong. No mother or father should feel their child’s rejection of the things of God is their fault. Yet having said that, who can argue with the simple reality that our children have either been exposed to a healthy Christ-like faith or a watered down surface Christianity? Either way, they were affected by what they were exposed to; would you agree?

These principles are on my mind because of the overwhelming number of babies born to our church families over the past year or so. I see the excitement in the faces of our young mothers and fathers. I see their desire to raise their children to know Jesus Christ as their Savior, while at the same time I know how pressing life becomes and how easy it is to lose the early zeal new parents have to raise their children to be godly. All of us (and I mean all of us), no matter if we still have children in our home or if they are out from under our daily care, bear a responsibility to go to war on our knees for our children. Parents, is prayer your top priority for your children? Further, as a church are we making prayer for our little ones a major focus?

I’ve come to see that adopting a “wartime mentality” for our children is the only way to bring God’s resources to bear in our joint fight against the forces that seek to capture our children’s hearts and minds. Yes, we are at war! To think otherwise is foolish. Think about it in this manner. This past week the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for Americans travelling abroad. The threat of violence is increased worldwide against Americans. Is the threat any less for our children? The passage I cited above is a warning we dare not miss for it has eternal implications. Fight with me in prayer for our kids, will you?

“We have all become like one who is unclean, and all of our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment… There is no one who calls upon Your name, who rouses himself to take hold of You” (Isaiah 64:6-7).

The message of the Bible is clear and unmistakable. We have done nothing, and can do nothing, to merit the mercy and favor of God. All of our attempts to earn God’s favor in the performance of the flesh are as filthy rags in God’s sight. Hence, a radical understanding of the sinfulness of man calls for a radical plan of salvation; one that originates, is sustained, and is ultimately carried out by God.

This was Jesus’ message to Nicodemus. Listen to a sample of what He said: “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God… God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” There is no way to mistake Jesus’ words. Salvation comes not through the effort of man, but through the gracious gift of God for those who place their faith in Him as their Savior.

This is the message of the gospel; and further, this is the message we are to proclaim as individuals and as a church. How are you doing in this regard? When is the last time you told someone about Jesus? I know of no more effective plan of evangelism than for God’s people to tell others about Jesus and God’s offer of salvation through His name.

Can I encourage you to be more intentional about sensing the opportunities God places before you to speak about Jesus? You don’t have to be a theologian to speak of what Jesus has done in your life. It’s your own personal story of salvation. No one knows it better than you; therefore no one can share it better than you. And the best part is that you don’t have to worry about the results. It’s God that provides new life to those who respond to His call as you tell them about Jesus. Our job is in the telling. His job is in the “saving”.

My guess is that each of us misses at least one opportunity per week to tell someone about what Jesus has done for us. The Apostle Paul put it well when he wrote, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” God calls your efforts to tell others about His Son “beautiful”. Join with me in seeking opportunities to speak of Jesus. He will care for the results as we faithfully bring “good news” to those we come in contact with each week.