Fake It Till You Make It and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves

 

1. YOU CAN NOT ACT YOUR WAY SAVED Showing up to church on Sunday and to a mid-week service is not salvation. Shouting “Amen!” or running the aisles alone will not get you into heaven. You can not “Fake it Til You Make It” in the church. This is how people who are not really seeking after God end up in positions of leadership. They know the drill. When to clap, when to shout, and when to bow their heads in prayer.

We are loosing our youth and young adults in droves because the old addage “Do as I say, not as I do” simply doesn’t work. We have to BE saved not ACT saved even if it causes us to do things our local church may not agree with. If our young people are not equip with the important things like, how to pray, how to study The Word or basic apologetics they will go out into the world and waiver.  I sometimes wonder what church Jesus would go to if he were here. I’m inclined to believe it would look very different that we’d imagine.

2. DISOBEYING YOUR PASTOR IS NOT WITCHCRAFT 1 Samuel 15 makes it very clear that the Isralites were in an act of rebellion because they disobeyed a mandate from God. This was before they could go to God themselves. Before the ultimate sacrifice. In a time where the only time God’s voice was heard was through another. When you depend on the voice of another person to be the voice of God in your life you are short changing your salvation. This is a dangerous practice that can land you well outside the will of God. God wants to talk to YOU. He can and He will communicate with you in a way you can understand. Seek God daily, read your word and you will find your pastor will confirm the Word of God. What you hear on Sunday morning should not be a surprise it should be confirmation of what God has been showing you throughout the week.

3. SIN DOES NOT CAUSE DISTANCE FROM GOD (Ps. 11:5, Heb. 10:26, John 8:34) Have you ever had a sick child. I mean a child that is covered in vomit with chronic diarrhea walking towards you. Your instinct is not to rush toward them but it is to help them. You start getting them to the bathroom, the place where you can take off dirty things. Then you get them disrobed, they can’t stay in those filthy clothes. You then get them in the bath, they need to be covered with soap and water to remove the residual mess. See this is how sin is to God. The fragrance of it stops Him in His tracks and compels and answer. He summons our hearts to a place where we can be cleaned. (Rev. 3:20) He beacons us to remove the filth (Acts 2:38). He promises His Holy Spirit in return. Like a hug for our soul He beacons us into His bosom. His presence permeates our being and treats the root of our disease. Our sin nature. As long as we are willing…. Some of us choose instant gratification over treatment, conformity over treatment, apathy over treatment until we began to convince ourselves we aren’t sick with sin. Slowly but surely the symptoms show up. The stink, the filth, the justification, we bat God’s hand away as He beacons us to be cleansed. Let me tell you my friend, He will knock but you must answer, and answer and answer. Sin is a slippery slope whose intent is to kill.

The bottom line is seek God. There is no perfect church out there but if you search for God you will find Him. The most important thing is to be where He is calling you to be and serve where He is calling you to serve.