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Colossians 3:23-3:24
Does excellence matter to God? Does God care about quality?
Is He concerned with how well things are done? Does it make
any difference to God whether: the instruments are in tune;
the worship team has rehearsed the songs, etc.? Some would
say, "no." All God cares about is our hearts. Its the thought
that counts. God is not impressed with a slick program or
flashy audio-visuals; what matters to Him are internal things
like love, compassion, and humility.
And thats right - partially. Its also partially wrong. God
doesnt care about those things in and of themselves. God is
primarily concerned with our hearts. But God does care about
those things as an expression of our hearts. Because the way
we serve God - in the church, in our homes, in our workplaces,
in our families - the way we live out our faith; the level of
commitment we have to doing things well, to honoring God in
every area of our lives - that reveals what is in our hearts. Its
not the things themselves God cares about. Its what those
things say about our hearts.
[Example: visiting a rich family member who is unprepared for
your visit vs. visiting a poor relation who has gone all out to
provide the best that they have. Which one loves you more?]
"Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a
fattened calf with hatred." -- Proverbs 15:17 (NIV)
If all you have to offer God is vegetables [speaking
metaphorically], and you prepare them with care and serve
them with love, then God receives them in that spirit.
However, if you have more - if you have beef, and ham, and
roast chicken - but you give little thought or care to what you
offer God, then God will rightly see that as indicating a lack of
love. Do you see what I mean? God wants our best, whatever
that may be. Excellence in Gods sight isnt being the best; its
being your best.
At WestShore we believe that God cares about excellence. We
believe that God deserves the very best we can offer, and we
believe that He desires our best. The best of our time, abilities,
Him.
2. Why should we give God our best? Because God gave us His
best.
"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us
all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all
things?" -- Romans 8:32 (NIV)
God gave the best He had - his own Son, Jesus Christ - to
suffer and die in our place so that we could be reunited with
Him. [Your most precious possessions are your children] Jesus
Christ gave his best for us - His own life - so that our sins
could be forgiven and we could have eternal life. Nothing we
can ever give Him could compare with those gifts, but He
deserves no less than the best we have to give. Will you give
your life to him?
(For an .rtf file of this and other sermons, see
www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)