Just Do It! NO SERIOUSLY DO IT!

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. James 1:22 NLT

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  NIV

Studies show that a lecture-style format in teaching/preaching has a very low retention rate. (more specifically we remember roughly 5% of the sermon) Which stands to prove why we have been somewhat ineffective....we meaning Christians, the body, not the Pastor's technique, message, or length of service.  5% is 5% whether he/she preaches 5 or 50min.  So what's the problem? (and if I'm stating the problem....I better have a solution....I know.)


1) We don't know the WORD!  - often times if we are really honest, we don't know the WORD OF GOD.  We leave that up to the pastors, youth leaders, elders, church leaders in general.  If asked name 5 promises of GOD to you (not to specific characters in the Bible, but the ones to you)....could you name them?  We make many mistakes, and many of the mistakes we make are because of either we don't know what GOD's WORD says about the matter, or we don't care to do what GOD's WORD says on the matter.

a) Solution to not knowing the WORD:  READ and STUDY it.  I'd encourage you to develop a daily devotion of reading a verse or a few (less than 10) a day.  If you don't understand it....this leads you to then ask questions of a respected person of the WORD (a solid friend, mentor, or pastor).  Studying it will require other people so you need to be in a small group, and if you've never been disciple....this is KEY to your growth in CHRIST.  You can't reproduce disciples if you aren't one.

2) We fail to do what it says! - It doesn't matter how great of a speaker the pastor is, how engaging they are across the pulpit or stage, if when service ends you have or show no intention to practice what the WORD SAYS.   Notice I didn't say what the PASTOR SAID or PREACHED or TAUGHT on.....if you don't have your Bible, Digital Device, or old notepad before doing everything to capture what was said, and then intentionally doing it....then what was the point of sitting and pretending listening for 45 (possible Catholic run time) 75-80min (your contemporary services) or 2+hr ( you know who you are) if when it ends you will continue to do your own thing?

a) Solution figure out before you leave the place of worship how to respond to the message.  Who will you call following the message?  Who will you bless because of the message?  What act of worship will you commit to DOING immediately after the service. 

The scripture says YOU MUST DO WHAT IT SAYS, or you're deceiving yourselves.  I leave you with this thought:  What are you deceiving yourself of?  Jesus said to those in the CHURCH in Matthew 7:21-23    Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. ²² On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ ²³ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.  Jesus knew these people were deceived, the problem was they didn't know it because they were doing good acts, but their hearts were far from him.   So examine yourself....where have you practiced THE WORD (what you were told to do) from last Sunday's message?

I sincerely pray as you lace up your shoes for the day, for the weekend, for the week....and beyond you JUST DO IT.  That you'd find yourself in a CHURCH that LOVES GOD (enough to teach the WORD, especially in DEED) and LOVES PEOPLE (enough to walk alongside them until the end up at the foot of the cross, willing to get up from the cross and bring back others in need of meeting THE CHRIST) tomorrow!  LGLP 

PROOF YOU'VE WRESTLED

²⁴ This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. ²⁵ When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. ²⁶ Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”
But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
 
²⁷ “What is your name?” the man asked.
He replied, “Jacob.”²⁸ “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel,^[a] because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”  ²⁹ “Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.  “Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.

³⁰ Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”  (GEN.32:24-30 NLT)


No one is born a Christian.  As much as we'd love to believe this...we are born sinners.  We are brought desiring people to serve us, change us, feed us, give us, do for us....and few people grow up, and out of this mindset.  So you see how it is easy for us to go through life confused when someone introduces Christianity to us.

Jacob desired to make things right in his life.   He know he had lied and cheated Esau out of his birthright, but now it was time to face him, and he had some anxieties regarding doing so.   As if he wasn't already wrestling with facing his brother, he is now locked in a wrestling match physically with what appears to be an angle of the LORD.   Jacob knowing this.....decides not to let the angel go until he obtains a blessing, for he apparently knew if an angel was there....there had to be a blessing in this visitation.

We wrestle with many things in this life; addictions, relationships, insecurities, health, unfair expectations, wt. gain/loss, selfishness, religion, faith, finances, many other things and even with God.   But my curiosity is what are the results of what it is we wrestle with? I mean looking at the scripture above, I'm sure Jacob was changed after encountering the angel.   Not just physically because his hip had been dislocated, but even spiritually having been face to face with an angel of the LORD.  Not to add his name and identity had changed for all time that his name even to this day is associated with the very nation GOD heart breaks for, ISRAEL.

So I simply want to leave you wrestling with this thought....what is it that you wrestle with?  Are you as successful as Jacob was?  Is there a noticeable change   physically/mentally/spiritually/relationally/financial

 

or are you still in the midst of the wrestling match?  I know people that have scars from battles that they've won, and they are changed forever.   I know people that have conquered addictions, walked away from accidents and near death experiences that walk a different walk.  

I know I've wrestled with things in my life from fatherlessness, to desiring the love of my father, to insecurities, and many other things, but my prayer is that now I walk as if I've encountered GOD in my wrestling and that I walk in the victory &  power of God's might and His word, that is attractive to all those I encounter for HIS GLORY!  LGLP