Good morning everyone. We are blessed to be at the beginning of another week and fresh off the heels of another Sunday's worship services. Looking at the glass that is half full, sort of speak, in two days we get to go to Wednesday's services. I pray that you take advantage of the privilege you are afforded to worship in a church of your choice. That privilege may not always be here.???????
What if????,,,,, This is a questions that has kept a lot of psychiatrist living the good life. We live in a life of paranoia, asking ourselves "What if". What if the car breaks down? What if I lose my job? What if I do this or do that? I used to suffer from this as well. I would not walk around the block with my wife. I would say, "What if a dog is lose?" I had a terrible fear of dogs and because of that, I missed a lot of walks that I can never get back. Today, I want us to give some thought to what really matters in life and that is God's prospective on our lives and "What if?" we died today. I want to provoke you to thought. The Bible tells us that, God's ways and thoughts are not our ways and thoughts. They are higher and eternally focused. Knowing this about God, I would ask you to consider these questions and the possibility of God's "What if".
What if, while driving through a bad part of town late one evening your car starts acting up and you call out to God, "Please help me just get a few more blocks to the service station" and God's reply was "Why should I do that? Did you give Ms. Jones a ride to church this week? Did you take Ms. Smith to the doctor Friday? "No, I don't think I will help you today."
What if, while sitting in your house, you look up and say, "Lord, I wish you would give me that big house over on Madison Street, you know it is in a better neighborhood and bigger and better than this one and I think I deserve it for all the hard work I do" and God's reply was, "Why should I do that?" "Did you let the Browns stay with you when their house burned, knowing you had more than enough room?" "Did you take in the Thompson's when their house flooded?" "No, I don't think I will do this for you".
What if, when you sit down to chicken for supper tonight that you have had two other times this week, you said, "Lord I wish you would give me shrimp today instead of this chicken" and God's reply was, "Is it not enough that you have something to eat?" "Mr. Davis lost his job and his family would be happy with some chicken, did you offer to share?" "No, I will not do this".
What if, while you are on your way to work today you called out to God and said, "God I hate my job, won't you give me something else" and God's reply was, "Why should I do that?" "Do you know how many people who have been praying for me to give them your job?" "Do you know the problem and heartache involved with the job you think you want?" "Did you complete MY will and purpose where I have placed you at this point and time?" "No, I will not do this for or to you today".
What if, while at your next doctor's visit, you are told you have only weeks to live, or maybe even days and you cry out to God, "Please give me more time" and God's reply was "Why, what have you done with all these years you have already had"? "Did you share the plan of salvation with Ms. Clark all those times I urged you to?" "Did you serve as a Sunday school teacher all those years I tried to get you to?" "More time, no, I don't think so".
My point is, these are the types of "What ifs" we should be concerned with. Not what if someone sees me talking to so in so. Or what if I have a bad hair day and someone should see.
We buy a house knowing that we have to pay on it for 30 years and then keep up the taxes for it to be ours. We buy a car, pay on it for 3,4,5, or maybe even 7 years and invest in maintenance to make it ours and keep it going. But we do little to nothing for God, and expect Him to pop out of some sort of magic lamp and perform whatever we think we need whenever we think we need it. We expect Him to save us, prosper us and give us all our hearts desires all the while everyone else is on their own. God does not save us and pour out His blessings on us so that we can open up the "First National Bank of Brian". If you are blessed, and you are whether you know it or not, you are blessed so you can be a blessing to others.
In Matthew 15 we are told that the blessings of God are for His own. In Matthew 25 we are told that those who are faithful will be rewarded. And in Mark 8 we are reminded that if we are ashamed of Christ and His words, He also will be ashamed of us. Please read these chapters when you can and see what God is trying to reveal to you.
So, there it is. "What if" Christ came today? "What if" you were to die today? Would you be one of His? Would He be ashamed of you? Would He say, "welcome home thy good and faithful servant", or would He say as He did in Revelations 2, "I have a some against you"? I started out telling you I wanted to provoke you to thought today, and I pray this has and has spoke to you as it has me.
Remember: What if, you woke up tomorrow with only the things you asked and or thanked God for yesterday???
Until next time, please pray for each other and me, and I will continue to pray for you. Love in CHRIST,
Brian Hanvey
Associate Pastor
Bethel Baptist Church
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