Deuteronomy 28
1-6 If you listen obediently to the Voice of God, your God, and heartily obey all his commandments that I command you today, God, your God, will place you on high, high above all the nations of the world. All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of God, your God:
I think to start today off we can ask one question. Why don’t we obey God? I have come to the place that a great deal of us are practicing a “Simon says religion. No one thing has triggered this story. I was just laying in the bed this morning talking with God and it just came to me. Why do we as humans try and fit ourselves into this preconceived mold that somebody along the way has taught us that’s how were supposed to be.
Simon says “you must worship me this way, at this time and even on this day. Simon says “raise your hands to the Lord when this song plays but not that one, Simon says “you can’t worship that way, only the way Simon says. I guess you are getting the point. I know there are many ways we do things but lets get real here.
I’ve often wondered what it would have been like to worship in the days of Jesus. Pastor Danny preached a message this week on John 9, Jesus healing the blind man. I have read that many times and heard it preached more times than I read it, but this was different. Danny applied the message to us in a way I had never thought of before. It was not the miracle that was life changing for the man but the opening of his spiritual eyes. His place in the kingdom was realized. The blind man was consistence in what he was saying, “I could not see and now I can. Can you truly say this?
So how can we encourage each other to have a relationship with God that is not “Simon says. How can I not be a “Simon says” kind of person. I do believe it’s in part right here in Deuteronomy 28, ” If you listen obediently to the Voice of God. Are we listening to the voice of God. When in worship on any given Sunday, singing and praising God, the Lord says to you “lift your hands and give me praise, what do you do? Do you think about what others will say, do you think about the chatter that will go on after church, “did you see that?
If this is happening to you and you hear God speaking to you then let it go, lift your hands, praise Him, don’t be ashamed that God is working in your life. Let me encourage you to give Him praise, break this cycle of “Simon says” religion. Break free of the bonds that man has put on you, break free of these so called worship rules. If your church kicks you out then your in good company, the blind man got kicked out to.
Lets leave the “predefined worship where it belongs, back at the temple with the pharisees.
George Beasley
Monday, April 23, 2007
