IT'S ALL ABOUT HIM

Exodus 30:34-38 (KJV)

 ³⁴And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:   ³⁵And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:  ³⁶And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.  ³⁷And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.
 ³⁸Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

Amos 5:21  (KJV)

 ²¹I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

 

      God has specified in the Bible the acceptable way He is to be worshipped. He is not to be worshipped according to the evil and vain imaginations and devices of men. Whatever that is not commanded in scripture in our worship to God is forbidden.  God is not obligated to accept our worship just because we offer it to Him. We dare not substitute what we want for what God has commanded if we want to please Him and go to Heaven.

       Jesus said in Matthew 4:10, "You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve." If we worship God in spirit and in truth, we cannot worship anyone or anything else. Anything we worship, other than God, is an idol. According to Webster, an idol is "an image used as an object or instrument of worship."  Therefore at Halloween we don’t worship evil as the world does, but rather we worship God.  At Thanksgiving we don’t give glory to Tom & Tina Turkey but we worship God.  At Christmas we don’t worship Santa and his elves but rather we worship Christ our King.  (Thought: Have you ever thought about tht fact that the letters in the word Santa can be rearranged to be Satan.  Hmmmm.....Just something for you to think about.)  At Valentines we don’t worship cupid but we worship God.  At Easter we don’t worship Peter Cottontail but rather we worship our Holy God. God forbids us to make and worship idols. God says in Exodus 20:4-5, "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God."

      We see we are not to make any image whether it is a statue or any likeness of anything in heaven or earth to worship them. But this is done today when people worship icons.  In 1 John 5:21 we read, "My little children, guard yourselves from idols." We are warned in Colossians 2:18, "Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worshipping angels." We can lose our reward in heaven if we worship someone other than God. He is the only one we are to worship because He is a jealous God. God will not allow us to worship anyone else other than Himself. Revelations 21:8 tells us that "idolaters shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."    

We must only worship God and our worship must be in spirit and in truth if we expect to be with Him in heaven when this life is over.

He Desires True Worship

Exodus 30:34-38 (KJV)

 ³⁴And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:   ³⁵And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:  ³⁶And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.  ³⁷And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.
 ³⁸Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

Amos 5:21  (KJV)

 ²¹I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

The purpose of our worship is to glorify, honor, praise, exalt, and please God. Our worship must show our adoration and loyalty to God for His grace in providing us with the way to escape the bondage of sin, so we can have the salvation He so much wants to give us. The nature of the worship God demands is the prostration of our souls before Him in humble and contrite submission. James 4:6, 10 tells us, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up". Our worship to God is a very humble and reverent action.  Bowing has to do with the bringing our hearts in alignment with God.  It’s not just a physical posture, but at position of the soul.  God reveals Himself to those who bow and seek Him.  If with all your heart you truly seek Him, you will find Him.  Lamar Boschman says, “When I worship, I would rather my heart be without words than my words without heart.”  We should not worship to be satisfied but rather we should want God to be glorified.  Stephen Charnock says, “When we believe that we should be satisfied rather than God glorified in our worship, then we put God as though He had been made for us rather than we had been made for Him. 

      Jesus says in John 4:23-24, "But the hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." It doesn’t say we can worship God anyway we want, but we "must worship Him in spirit and in truth". The word "must" makes it absolute. There is no other way we can worship God and be acceptable to Him. The word "must", according to Webster, expresses "an obligation, a requirement, a necessity, a certainty, and something that must be done". When "must" is used it means that it is not optional. Here the word "must" is expressing that in spirit and in truth is the only way to acceptably worship God.

     God seeks true worshippers, and He identifies them as those who "worship Him in spirit and in truth". Worshipping God in spirit means that it must be done from the heart. Worshipping God in truth means that it must be done according as God has specified in the Bible. Worshipping God in spirit and in truth is a serious matter which must not be taken lightly. If we have any regard for our own souls, we will want to make sure we are worshipping God in spirit and in truth.

      Since God is the object of our worship, He and He alone has the right to determine how we are to worship Him. We read in Jeremiah 10:23, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself, it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps." We are not granted the option of directing our own ways in religion. God is the One who we look to for guidance and direction in our lives.

      Our very best in worship is due God and is prescribed by Him in the Bible. The worship God has prescribed is the only way we can be pleasing to Him in this life and finally attain everlasting life with Him in eternity. The Christian’s worship is of the greatest importance.

       Worship is a time when we pay deep, sincere, awesome respect, love, and fear to the one who created us. Acts 17:24-25 says, "God who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives life, breath, and all things."

     God is the one who holds our eternal destiny in His hands. Philippians 2:12 tells us to, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Our salvation is a very serious matter and will not happen by accident. We must work it out "with fear and trembling". Our salvation depends on whether our worship is pleasing to God or not. On the Day of Judgment it will be too late to make any corrections.

     Worship should cause us to reflect on the majesty and graciousness of God and Christ, contrasted to our own unworthiness. God does not have to have our worship, but we must worship Him to please Him. Our singing, praying, studying His word, giving, and communion are designed by God to bring us closer to Him and to cause us to think more like He thinks, thus becoming more like Him. James 4:8 tells us to, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

     Our worship not only honors and magnifies God, but it is also for our own edification and strength. Worship helps us develop a God-like and Christ-like character. We become like unto those we admire and worship. When we worship God we tend to value what God values and gradually take on the characteristics and qualities of God, but never to His level. As Philippians 2:5 says, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ." How do we take on the mind of Christ? In Romans 12:2 we read, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." We renew our mind as we study and meditate on God’s word and worship Him.  When we worship God we develop such traits as forgiveness, tenderness, justice, righteousness, purity, kindness, and love. All of this is preparing us for eternal life in heaven with God and Christ. As we are told in Colossians 3:2 to, "Set your mind on things above, and not on things on the earth." 

       Worshipping God "in spirit" means with reverence, attentiveness, and having the right purpose of honoring God, while understanding what we are doing. Hebrews 12:28-29 says, "Let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire." Our worship must glorify God. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, "For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s."

      In order to worship God in the right spirit, we must take time before worship to make ready our hearts and emotions so we will be in the proper frame of mind. We read in Psalms 89:7, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him." Our worship must show great reverence toward God. He is our creator and He holds our eternal destiny in His hands. We must strive to please Him. We should not have to rush or hurry to worship. Our mind must be ready, attentive, and alert.

      Concerning the Lord’s Supper, we are warned in 1 Corinthians 11:27, "Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." Our worship to God must be done in a worthy manner. It must be done in a manner that brings glory and honor to God and Christ. Continuing to read in verse 29, "For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body." We must control our thoughts during periods of worship and not let them wander to other things. We should never be wishing the worship  would hurry up and be over but rather we should be overjoyed and refreshed by being in the presence of the Almighty God.

What Does Your Worship Smell Like to God?

Exodus 30:34-38 (KJV)

 ³⁴And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:   ³⁵And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:  ³⁶And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.  ³⁷And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.
 ³⁸Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

Amos 5:21  (KJV)

 ²¹I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

God has given us the sense of smell so that we may better enjoy life and be able to identify unsafe conditions.  Smells are among the most powerful forces in human experience.  Smells are so powerful that they can leave a lasting impression in the mind that arises with the thought of that familiar situation occurs.   Think about these two illustrations. Suppose for your whole life you’ve dreamed of a vacation to visit a tropical island.  After planning and saving for years, you’ve arrived in the long awaited place of your dreams.  Flowers are blooming.  The sky is a deep blue.  The sun is brilliant.  The sights are more than you could have ever imagined.  The breeze is gentle, warm, and relaxing.  The ocean has a hypnotic color and sound.   But the first night there, as the breeze drifts into your beachfront condo your room is penetrated with an awful scent of sewage. You go outside and the smell of sewage takes your breath away.   You go to eat, the smell of sewage overwhelms the smell of your food. How long will you stay?  Will you ever forget that odor?  Can you ever disassociate the odor from the tropical paradise? Does the odor destroy your dream?

 Next imagine necessity forces you to have to take a much disliked trip.  Everything goes wrong.  You get stuck in a strange, dreary, airport for many hours.  When the flight finally leaves the plane flies through horrible weather.  Your rental car breaks down on a lonely, deserted road in the middle of nowhere.  Your cell phone has no reception.  You think you are traveling this road along because no one comes by for minutes.  You decide to walk for help.  A mile from the car a sudden, intense storm soaks you with a cold rain.  You decide to go back to the car.  When you turn around you see a truck speeding away from the car only to find they took all of your possessions. The rain finally stops and you take off to walk for help once again.  Miles from the car, you approach a house and smell the most wonderful food aromas you’ve ever smelled in your life. The people invite you in, feed you, and give you the much help that you needed.  Will you ever forget the aroma?  Will you always remember how wonderful the food was?  Will that aroma always remind you of one of life’s greatest moments?  

God himself even has a sense of smell.  2^nd Corinthians 2:14-16 says, “But thanks be to god who always lead us in triumph in Christ, and manifest through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.  For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death to the other an aroma from life to life.”  Smell played a very critical role in the Old Testament.  Before Israel existed, God “smelled” the smoke of animal sacrifices as an odor of sweet smell. Noah’s ark was a beautiful type of Christ.  The universal death sentence that was given by God in Genesis 6:7 which reads, “And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowl of the air , for it repenteth me that I have made them.”  this death sentence could not be reversed, but God’s grace provided a way to rise above it.  Not one perished in the Ark.  It mattered not how heavy the storms, how furious the winds, nor how deep the waters; the Ark rose triumphantly above it all.  Like Christ it provided absolute safety for all who were within, but it could help no one who was on the outside.  One of the first things Noah did when he left the ark was to offer many animal sacrifices to God (Genesis 8:20,21). 

 The smoke and aroma of those burning sacrifices was “smelled” by God as a “soothing aroma.”  After Israel existed, incense played a key, important role in Jewish worship.  There was an alter of incense used to burn incense in the tabernacle and later the temple (Exodus 30).   The Day of Atonement was the only day of the year in which the high priest (and he alone) could enter the Holy of Holies.  The high priest could not enter the tabernacle without a sacrifice of blood to offer for himself, and the errors of the people.  The first  piece of furniture in the tabernacle was the Brazen Laver. The brass for the laver was obtained from “the looking glasses of the women (Exodus 38:8).”  In James 1:22-25 God’s word is likened unto a mirror.   The water in the Laver typifies the Word of God, by which we all are judged.  The brazen laver is the place of sanctification.  Upon entering the tabernacle, the high priest had to wash his flesh with water.  When the priest approached the brazen laver, he saw his reflection in the water and a second reflection in the basin.  It is here that God showed the priest a true reflection of himself.  The high priest proceeded with utmost caution, “that he die not.” 

Next was the Brazen Alter. The Brazen Alter was three cubits high, which represented the Godhead.   This Alter was the one place where all sacrifices were to be offered.  The Alter is an obvious piece that represents Calvary.  God said in Leviticus 17:3-9 if anyone offers a sacrifice, “and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer and offering unto the Lord...; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people.” 

When God gave Moses instructions for the building of the tabernacle, He also gave him very specific instructions for the garments that were to be worn by the priest.  Each priestly garment harmonized with the material and colors that God instructed Moses to use in the Holy place in the East Gate.  The priest was clothed in an ephod (a short smock) of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and of fine twined linen, a girdle, a breastplate, robe, linen coat, linen mitre (turban), and the plate of gold. 

On that day, the most holy place had to be filled with smoke.   If the most holy place was not filled with smoke and the aroma of incense before the high priest entered, he died (Leviticus 16:13).  Some “smell” had to mask the stench of sin when God’s people approached Him.  Throughout the Old Testament, smells and aromas were an extremely important part of worship.  To honor God, one had to approach Him with sweet, soothing aromas. The bible on many accounts records that the natural stench of evil is the smell of death.  A stench is a very strong and unpleasant smell. 

After the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, those who trust Christ and have accepted Him as Lord and Savior are the soothing, sweet smelling aroma that God “smells.”  To all who accept Christ’s liberation and salvation, the incense is the aroma of freedom from sin and death.  The smell is the sweet smell of holiness and purity.   But to all that hate holiness, and purity, Christ, and God the incense is the aroma of certain death.  

God was so very specific in every detail he gave Moses of the construction and placement of furniture in the tabernacle.  He was also detailed in how the priest were to wash, clothe themselves, offer sacrifices, and be anointed.   That lets me know how important it is that the people of God today worship Him and only Him in the way that He so desires.   I say only Him because He tells us in His Word that He is a jealous God and that we should have no other god.  Often times we curse ourselves,  yet think we have given God worship.  Have you ever just wondered how your worship smells to God?  Is the worship that you give him today a sweet smelling fragrance or the stench of death?

 

Lay Aside the Weight of Jealousy & Worry

KJV (King James Version): “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. (2) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author & perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, & sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

Weight #4 – Jealousy

Jealousy means to demand complete devotion; intolerance, suspiciousness, hostile, harboring envy, REFUSAL TO SHARE... POSSESSIVE ... mine.  Proverbs 6:34  - “For jealousy is the RAGE of a man, therefore he will not be spared in the day of vengeance.”

Song of Solomon 8:6 ... “For love is as strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are the coals of fire, which hath the most vehement flame.”

JEALOUSY IS A VENOM, A POISON. Sari’s relationship with Hagar immediately changed once Sarai was poisoned with jealousy over the son Hagar & Abram shared. 

THE EAR OF JEALOUSY HEARS ALL RUMORS AND GOSSIP, AND ENLARGES.

It was the gossip and rumors that the children of Israel heard and believed and chose not to enter their land flowing with milk and honey in their due season. 

 JEALOUSY STOPS COMMUNICATION. It was jealousy that stopped the communication between the prodigal son and his elder brother. 

JEALOUSY CAUSES YOU TO SEE OTHERS AS ENEMY.  Saul had it in his mind that David was his enemy. He saw everything as a threat to his kingdom and family.

Jealousy is too heavy and damaging to carry around.  Lay it aside. 

Weight #5 – Worry

Worry is a cause of anxiety; to affect with mental distress or agitation.  Philippians. 4:6 Living Bible says ... “Worry about nothing, instead pray about everything and then thank Him for the answers.”

Humans are the only creature that has learned to worry. We literally worry about any and everything possible.  We worry about whether people like us or not, reputations, our shapes, our jobs, bills, children, aging parents, health, family dysfunctions; we worry away our future, discontent with the present, unable to sit still, unable to face the idea of death.  We are just creatures of worry.

WORRY IS BIRTHED FROM THE DESIRE THAT THE THINGS WE THINK SHOULD HAPPEN DON’T THE WAY WE THINK, OR WISH?  WE DON’T FOCUS ON GOD’S WILL? BUT OURS?

Many times we see life like a puzzle, we see one piece at a time.  God has a "BIGGER PICTURE." He knows what it looks like when all the pieces are put together and we have to trust as if we see what He sees.  

Martha’s worrying caused a relationship problem with her sister. Martha had a clean house, but missed being at Jesus’ feet. Worry distorts and enlarges faults in other people.  Rather than Martha focusing on who was in her presence she was worried about things that really didn’t matter.  Stop focusing on the situations around you and place your focus on Jesus.  God has promised that He’ll supply our need.  It’s His desire that we prosper and be in health.  He knows our past, present, and our future and we must trust that He’s working things out for our good.  The song says Don’t Worry Be Happy but I admonish you today “Don’t worry be prayerful.”  Lay worry aside. 

Wow! This load is getting lighter already but there are still some heavy things that we are carrying around.  Don't the weights back in your backpack. Leave them at the foot of the cross.  It’s uncomfortable and worrisome to lug around weight we absolutely can't handle.  Lay it aside!  It is so much easier to run this race with patience without all the excess weight.    Verse 2 tells us just what we need to do it reads, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author & perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, & sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus ran this race with patience and endurance.  He knew it would not be profitable to carry around excess baggage.   Though was tempted by Satan he never sinned.  He didn’t have to lay it aside because He chose to never pick it up.   He never blamed anyone for the circumstances of His life even though he could have.  For I’m sure there were those who talked about Him being Mary’s illegitimate baby boy.  Jesus never let greed be a hindrance to His mission for everywhere He was giving away food, giving out healings, raising the dead, spending time with those others felt were not important.  For Jesus was not jealous of anyone.  He ran the race on Earth for you and I when He could have been sitting on His throne in glory.  Jesus never worried.  He wasn’t worried but rather prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.  He wasn’t worried when they carried Him from judgment hall to judgment hall.  He wasn’t worried when they beat Him beyond recognition.  He wasn’t worried when he marched up Golgotha’s Hill.  He wasn’t worried when they hung Him high and stretched Him wide.  He wasn’t worried when He cried out, “It is finished.”  Jesus sure wasn’t worry when the grave couldn’t hold Him.  He didn’t worry when He rose from the grave.  He’s not worried right now as He sits on the right hands side of His Father.  Therefore if you want to be light so you can truly run this Christian race, lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

Lay Aside the Weight of Greed

KJV (King James Version): “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. (2) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author & perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, & sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

Greed is selfish desire beyond reason. 

1Timothy 6:9 – “But they that WILL BE RICH fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, (desires), which have drown in destruction and perdition.  (10.) FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 

Giving is more than money, we can give honor? We can give love?  We can give our talents? We can give time?  My prayer is Lord make me an instrument of giving!  May I give peace where there is strife?  May I give love where there is hatred?  May I pardon others where I am hurt and injured?  May I give faith where others are drowning in doubt and worry? May I give hope where there is despair? May I give light where there is darkness?  May I give joy where all seem sad?  We sometimes fail to realize that God has given us many things to give.  Yet we hoard those things for ourselves. 

Many of us are just like monkeys in the wild.   One of the ways they capture monkeys out of the wild is by putting a few peanuts in a heavy jar. The heavy jar has a small neck opening. The opening is just big enough for the monkey to place his opened hand into the jar. The monkey will close his hand around the peanuts, when he makes a fist he is trapped. The monkey will not open his hand to let the peanuts go, and he will spend his life in a cage, all because he will not let go of a few peanuts? How sad?  What is it that you would rather hold on to and stay in bondage rather than letting go of and being free. 

In 2^nd Chronicles 10:16-19 – The third and last king of United Israel Rehoboam,  lost almost everything, trying to have it all.  He was motivated by greed and power.  He didn’t need more money or more power because he had inherited the richest kingdoms in the world.  Those who insist on having it all often wind up with little or nothing.  MONEY IS JUST A TOOL MAN USES.  MANY THINK MONEY IS THE ANSWER FOR ALL QUESTIONS,  NOT SO!  Someone once told me money and things won’t love you back when you need it.

A Sunday School teacher taught a lesson that no one in the class would learn for years.  The teacher said, "What is better than a whole candy bar?"  No one could imagine? What?  The teacher said, "A half of a candy bar and a brother to share the other half with... many laughed and said sure.  But as we grow older we often realize money means nothing without the people we love to share it with.  Some of the most miserable people in the world are those who have lots of money and things but they don’t have a real relationship with Christ. Malachi 3:8 -9 says "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But you say, where with have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse."  Don’t be so greedy that you take for yourself what belongs to God.  Lay aside the weight of greed.

Is Blame Weighing You Down

NLT (New Living Translation): “Therefore since we are surrounded by such huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (2) We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.  He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be His afterwards.  Now He is seated in the place of the highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven.”

Weight # 2  - Blame

To blame means to criticize or to find fault.  We have the great ability of denial.  We can be caught right in the act of wrong and deny everything.  We can detach ourselves from our words and our behaviors.  We can claim no responsibilities for the consequences of our poor choices.  We can claim life has not been fair, and some will go as far to say God is mean.  We can look at everything in a negative light.  Man has the great ability to let pleasure and self gratification become his excuse and reason to hide.

Some time ago I watched a show called To Catch a Predator.  This show was focused on catching those who wanted to have sex with under-aged girls in Kentucky.  Many men were lured in on a chat line by a girl who they thought was 13 years old and home alone for the weekend.  They chatted telling this young lady what all they wanted to do to and with her.  Some were married, some law enforcement officers, and one even had Cerebral Palsy.  Some came after a 20 minute chat because they were lonely and others had spent months chatting with the young lady.  There were some who drove to the designated location for one hour and the guy with Cerebral Palsy drove to the location from five hours away.  Little did they know the girl was an actress and they had been set up on television.  When each of them was questioned about their intentions with the young girl, they all went into denial mode.  One man even blamed the young girl by stating she was teasing him and wanted him to teach her about life.  (BLAME)

Adam blamed Eve for eating the fruit.  The children of Israel blamed Moses, for their past, and for their current situation.  Joseph’s brothers blamed a wild animal.  Who or what are you blaming for the actions that you have?  What are you hiding behind?  Are you blaming your childhood?  What about your parents?  Maybe it’s poverty that you blame or the color you were born?  What about your appearance or an illness you might or may have had?  What are you putting the blame on?  One of the consequences of sin is a distortion of our vision and of God.  Stop the blame game and take responsibility for your own actions and reactions. 

Lay Aside the Weight

NLT (New Living Translation): “Therefore since we are surrounded by such huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (2) We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.  He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be His afterwards.  Now He is seated in the place of the highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven.”

Now let us look at part b of this verse.   Part be says, 1b - “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.”  We all know in the physical, carrying extra weight around slows our movement and progress.   Unfortunately, many of us like myself make that choice of losing weight a yearly goal.  In the physical many Americans always need to lay aside some weight. 

Well this weight that we are talking about in this passage is not physical weight but rather spiritual weights.  What are some of these things that we carry around that so easily beset us.  Today, I have some weights with me that are common to weigh us all down at some time during our Christian race.  Often times we don’t realize how heavy the burdens are that we carry.  It is this unnecessary weight that we are carrying around that hinders our race for Jesus Christ.   Today, we are going to identify and rid ourselves of some of this ungodly weight. 

Some of the weights that hinders God’s plans for our lives are:

1.SIN    2.BLAME    3.GREED   4.JEALOUSY   5.WORRY                                         

6. LAZINESS   7. BITTERNESS/ UNFORGIVENESS

8. TONGUE     9. JUGEMENTALISM    10. WORDLY PLEASURE

Weight #1  - Sin

Sin is missing the mark of God’s will by choice and because of human weakness.  When we sin, we disobey God in our actions or attitudes.  We betray Him, or fail to do good.  Sin always brings pain.
 

Sin leads in YOU IN PROGRESSIVE STEPS farther and farther from God and His Will.  Let’s  look at the lives of Adam & Eve to see where sin can cause you to carry too much weight.    A. Eve LISTENED...In Gen. 3:1 The enemy had a message, he SOLD EVE the package.B. Eve SAW...vs. 6...woman saw the tree was GOOD for food....** Sin starts in the eyes, appealing to sense, that seed grows in brain.....C. Eve TOOK...vs. 6...she took of the fruit thereof...ONCE ONE ENTERS THE PROCESS, THE NEXT STEP IS PROGRESSIVE.  A visit with a good friend, hanging out with a co-worker, needing someone to listen, talking over our problems, an innocent kiss, a warm hug, a LIE.....D. Eve ATE... Forbidden fruit may be exciting, but it makes BAD JAMS.  E. Eve GAVE...Gen. 3:6 She gave also to her husband...** Sin is contagious it draws others into our trap.

F. ADAM DID EAT...Gen. 3:6...He did eat...** God gives us free will and choice.  You can choose not to sin.  G. ADAM & Eve BECOME A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A BAD EXAMPLE.  1. Adam’s sin does more than a little harm.  Because of his sin we all come under a generational curse.  SIN WILL TAKE YOU FARTHER THAN YOU PLANNED ON GOING....SIN WILL KEEP YOU LONGER THAN YOU PLANNED ON STAYING....SIN WILL COST YOU MORE THAN YOU PLANNED ON PAYING....CONTROL THE EYES AND HEART...Control your DESIRES...

The center of s(i)n... pr(i)de...    &  Luc(i)fer  is  I.... carnal....selfish.  There are 2 Kinds of People:  1) The Righteous -They see themselves as sinners saved by grace. 2) The Sinners – They see themselves as righteous.  Release the weight of sin from your life the consequences are way too heavy to carry around.  Next, we will talk about the weight of blame. 

Let's Finish the Race

NLT (New Living Translation): “Therefore since we are surrounded by such huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (2) We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.  He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be His afterwards.  Now He is seated in the place of the highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven.”

Great Witnesses

Let us look at the part (a) of Hebrews 12:1.  It reads vs. 1a – “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great cloud of witnesses.” This “great cloud of witness” is composed of people described in Hebrews chapter 11.  The faithfulness of these patriarchs are to be a constant encouragement to us in our Christian journey.  These witnesses remind us that we do not struggle alone and we are not the first ones to struggle with the problems we face.  Although we like to think that, “I’m the only one that’s having such a hard time.  I’m really going through.”  The Bible reminds us over and over that what we’re going through is just that ¼¼¼¼¼..through. 

Most of us didn’t know when we signed up that this Christian journey was not going to be an easy one.  We thought for the most part, God was on our side and that meant we’d walk on beds of rose petals and sing and dance in the spirit without conflict or discomfort.  The reality is that this Christian life involves hard work and requires us to give up anything that challenges our relationship with God.  Today we will describe those things that challenge our relationship with God as weights. If there is one character flaw that we should be without, it would be that we are quitters. A Christian should never quit!  We are admonished, over and over again to endure, to stay in the fight to the very end.  When people start this Christian life, & then quit when the going gets tough, they can become a source of discouragement to others.  Quitters aren’t much of an inspiration, but people who stay with a commitment even though the going gets tough are a source of great inspiration to all. 

Notice that chapter 12 begins with the word "Therefore." That connects it with the previous chapter. And in chapter 11 the writer gives a long list of people who have been found faithful.

Abel – Abel is the first of the faith hero’s mentioned.  He is our reminder to always give God our best.  Abel’s sacrifice was more acceptable to God than his brothers because it was a blood sacrifice and he gave his offering with a good attitude. 

Enoch – Enoch had the testimony that because of his faith “he pleased God.” God took him to heaven without dying. 

Noah - It was by faith that Noah built an ark to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about something that had never happened before.   

Abraham - It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance.

Sarah - It was by faith that Sarah together with Abraham was able to have a child, even though they were too old and Sarah was barren.

Issac - It was by faith that Isaac blessed his two sons, Jacob and Esau. He had confidence in what God was going to do in the future.

Jacob - It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff. And it was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, confidently spoke of God's bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt.

Moses - It was by faith that Moses' parents hid him for three months. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid of what the king might do. It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.  It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt.  It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons. It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground.

Jericho - It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho seven days, and the walls came crashing down.

Rahab -  It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute did not die with all the others in her city who refused to obey God.  She had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

It would take too long to retell the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death.  But others trusted God and were tortured, preferring to die rather than turn from God and be free. They placed their hope in the resurrection to a better life. Some were mocked, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in dungeons. Some died by stoning, and some were sawed in half; others were killed with the sword. Some went about in skins of sheep and goats, hungry and oppressed and mistreated. They wandered over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. All of these people we have mentioned received God's approval because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.  For God had far better things in mind for us that would also benefit them, for they can't receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race. ( “We’ve Got to Finish the Race.”)

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2

KJV “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. (2) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author & perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, & sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

The New Testament book of Hebrews was written to Christians who were in danger of abandoning the Christian faith. They were tempted to give in to persecutions or to return to the lure of old beliefs. The writer, who is unknown but believed to be Paul, knew that Christian life was far better than any alternatives.  Hebrews encourages readers to face opposition with God’s power by confidently standing on His truth. 

I don’t know about you but there are times in my life when I am tempted to let my old woman come out. I know the song tells us to yield not to temptations for yielding is sin.  But there are times in my life when I want to choose the alternative and get down and dirty by saying what I want to say, and doing like I want to do.  Can I get an amen? However, we must remember God says vengeance is His and He’ll repay and we don’t have to try to handle things ourselves.  We must stay focused!  Now is the time, if it has never been that Satan wants to distract us and lead us off on a path that God has not ordained for our lives.  God has called us to a higher purpose. We can’t allow ourselves to be distracted by meaningless and immature things. Satan job is and always has been to make us abort our promise.  We are too close to giving birth to abort the promise.