DON’T TAKE HIM FOR GRANTED
TEXT:
MATT 21:33-40, MARK 12:1-9
One of the profound
signs of the end time is taking God for granted “for many shall come (A) IN MY
NAME saying (B) I AM THE CHRIST and shall deceive many” Matt 24:5 (emphasis
mine),(as if Christ himself is dead, what a pity) what also can be derived from
the parable of Jesus in the text for this study is the all important lesson
never to take God for granted may we receive the grace never to take God for
granted in our lives, careers, family and ministry in Jesus name
A brief on the text
(KJV) shows in Matt two sets of servants comprising of numbers not given were
sent before the son of the owner of the farm was sent while the passage in mark
states three different servants (one at a time) were sent before the son of the
farm owner was sent. The owner was painfully taken for granted servants beaten,
humiliated and in some instances killed son also killed.
The lesson is broken
into four parts viz:
Who is HE?
Why do people take God
for granted?
How do people take God
for granted?
Aftermaths of Taking
God for granted.
(A)Who is He?
1. Alpha
and Omega: Rev 1:8, 22:13 says I am the alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the
end, that which was which is and which is to come.
2. Saviour
and Judge: It is either the son of God is your Lord and savior now Matt
1:21 and she shall bring forth a son and thou shall call His name Jesus for He
shall save His people from their sins. Or he will be your judge latter Rev
22:12 behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give everyman according
to his work shall be.
3. Creator:
Gen
1:3-27 clearly tells us the creative activity of God, all that were
created were done by Him.
4. Omni ALL: all: powerful, knowing, present
same time everywhere the list is endless. Psalm 62:11 God has spoken twice have I
heard that all power belongs to God. Matt 28:18 and Jesus came and spake unto
them saying all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
(B) Why do people take God for granted:
1. Because God is not physical:
If God was to be appearing physically or with a known sign and giving out
commensurate punishment(s) when we err the story will be different from what it
is. John
4:24 paraphrased says God is spirit and they that must worship Him must do it
in spirit and truth. God is
spiritual and acts as such.
2. Ignorance:
Psalm
14:1a says a fool says in His heart that there is no God, he does not
only says it in his heart he/she actually acts it out, ignorance kills and
destroys Hosea 4:6a says my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge .Proverbs
9:10a says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
3. The enduring patience of God:
Ex
34:6 says and the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed ,The Lord, The Lord
God, merciful and gracious, long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth. The
fact that God is abundantly patient is one of the major reasons why people take
Him for granted.
4. The grace of God:
some people take Him for granted because of a grace he has given to them e.g
they will be rude to Him, His vessel and everyone because He (God) made them intelligent,
gave them money, gave those positions and influence. James 1:17 says every good and
perfect gift comes from God the father of lights who gives without variableness.
Another reason on the grace is because God may not withdraw his grace even our misbehavior
(although when we continue to break principles we will be broken by God’s
immutable principles itself), Samson may not have died in such manner if the
grace had been taken or reduced at his first escapade with a woman against
God’s and his parents guidance. He didn’t die in the laps of the first woman he
misbehaved with. Judges 14:1, Judges 16:1ff.
5. God’s concept of time:
because God does not do things when we think or anticipate make people take him
for granted and look for alternatives Psalm 90:4 for a thousand years in thy sight
are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. God is not a man, He doesn’t think or
act or deals with in and with time like us, as heaven is from earth so are His
thought and ways different from ours.
(C) How do people take God for granted?
·
Consistent and intentional acts of
wickedness/sin: it is taking God for granted when
anyone continues in sin/acts of wickedness with all the sacrifice that God made
for us, the zenith of which is the death like a criminal. Roman 6:1 says what shall we continue in
sin, that grace may abound? Alas one of the last unveiling to John
christened revelation 22 :11-12 says he that is unjust let him be unjust still and
he that is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is righteous let him be
righteous still. And behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give
everyman according as his work shall be. lets us watch it the master
comes soon
·
Acts of ingratitude:
Luke 17:17 Jesus speaking says And Jesus answering said, were there not
ten cleansed? But where are the nine? As we receive all forms of
goodness from God he expects to show acts of appreciation to Him as the
source of all goodness and good , James 1:17 says Every good gift and perfect
gift comes from the father of light who gives without variableness . Don’t
be an ingrate to God. Have you said thank you Jesus today?
·
Lack of reference for His house and
His vessels: thank God for the era of grace that we
now live in but the generation that lived in the old testament/covenant who
needs a priest to do anything in the temple especially in the holy of holies (Ex
28:35a which says and it shall be upon Aaron to minister(ministering in the
temple) ,Lev 16:2-34 or some who were buried alive while insulting or taking
vessels of God for granted (Number 26:10 says And the earth opened her
mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died,
what time the fire devoured two hundred
fifty men and they became a sign) learnt this lesson better although in
a very bitter and an expensive/ not pleasant a way. One of the things that easily leads to abuse are access lets us
not fall victim of this to God, Let’s learn to honour the house things and all
sincere and heavenly conscious vessels of God.
·
All form of Idolatry: Isaiah
42:8 says I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not give to
another neither my praise to any graven image. God abhors all forms of
idolatry hence the referenced scripture and the first in the laws or the world
famous ten commandments that God passed down to Moses in Exodus 20:3 says Thou shall have
no other God beside me underscoring His disposition towards idolatry. God
gets very angry with us when we get involved in any form of idolatry including
worshiping men (for whatever reason).
·
Using any God given grace for
personal gains only: The God that we serve is never
myopic or selfish, When HE releases any form of grace on any individual he
doesn’t do it only for the person’s benefit, He does it to advance His course
which is always bigger than the recipient or the vessel. When Samson was
endowed with power it was not to jump from one woman to the other or for self-aggrandizement,
the mission statement was also released Judges 13:5 For, lo, thou shall conceive and
bear a son, and no razor shall come on His head, for he shall be a nazarite
unto God from the womb, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of
the philistines. Flee or stop using divine enablement for personal
desires ONLY.
(D) Aftermaths of Taking God for granted.
1.
Losing
one’s placement in God and his agenda: Acts
1:26 says and they gave forth their lots and the lot fell upon Matthias and he
was numbered with the eleven apostles.
The
referenced scripture climaxed the process with which Judas was replaced after
he by transgression fell out of grace of being amongst the twelve disciples of Jesus.
The bible is full of people who took God for granted and were replaced, anyone
that continues to take God for granted will be faced with such situation. May
we receive grace not to take God for granted so that we won’t lose our place in
God and his agenda.
2. Losing one’s soul in hell: The
offer of the Lamb of God in John 3:16 is for all it says “for God so loved the world, that
He gave his only begotten son that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life. It is an open cheque to anyone who will not
take the all-important offer of the son of God for granted.
CONCLUSION
There is no situation
worse than having to spend eternity in hell(with the Devil as a companion, it
is better imagined) and this is what ultimately happens when one take God and
the offer of His son for granted, amend your ways TODAY accept Jesus truly and
sincerely as your Lord and Saviour tomorrow may be too late. 2 Cor 6:2 says for
he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of salvation have
I succored thee behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of
salvation.
JESUS
IS LORD, HE IS COMING SOON!!!!!!!!!
##
Freshlogosexperience.blogspot.com.ng ###
##
Spirit and life ###
##
John 6:63 ###
###HAPPY
NEW YEAR ###
