Acts 24:24-25; 1 Kings 12:25-33
We are very fortunate in the United States because we have easy access to so many things. I love the many conveniences that we have. For example, don’t you love the fact that you can go through the drive thru of a fast food restaurant and have a hot meal within 5 minutes or less? We have “convenience” stores, “smart” phones, so remote controls we don’t know what they do anymore.
I really like the “drive-up churches” or the “internet churches” that are popping up around our country.
We have taken this mentality and have applied to every aspect of our lives, even our attitudes towards God. God has become convenient to us, to do as we bid.
A good example are our “fox hole prayers” when we cry out to God when we are in trouble: “If you get me out of this, then I will become a missionary . . . .”
We have put God in a box and pull him out when we need him. We put the box on the shelf and don’t bother with God except in emergencies.
In the story of Paul and Governor Felix in Acts 24, Paul spent two years under arrest in Caesarea talking to Felix about the Lord. Felix would not belief but kept calling Paul back for more. How many opportunities did Felix have to believe, and listening to one of the best preachers and theologians of all time?
There is a phrase going around called God of the parking lot. People drive through parking lots and pray that God will open up a spot close to the front of the store. That is about the only time they talk to God in the day or week.
God is not a commodity, we take off the shelf when we need him or when it is convenient. Convenience is all about self.
Another story is King Jeroboam in 1 Kings 12:25-33. Jeroboam set up different shrines for the northern kingdom of Israel after the kingdoms split. He did not want people of the ten northern tribes to go south to worship in Jerusalem. Verse 28 records him saying, “It’s too much for you to go up to Jerusalem.” Jeroboam was afraid that if the people continued to go to Jerusalem they would once again unite with David’s kingdom. He made a convenient religion for the people. This became a great sin. Jeroboam became the paradigm for an evil king for the rest of Israel’s history.
Some concluding thoughts and principles:
1. God is bigger than we can imagine.
2. God asks us for total commitment.
3. God is big enough to meet all our needs.
4. Our relationship with God should not be dependent on circumstances.
5. One way to keep God in the right place in our lives is with thanksgiving.
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