Just Do It…Now!
A Sunday School teacher was teaching her children the benefits of unselfishness. She concluded by saying: "The reason you are in this world, children, is to help others." After a moment’s silence, a little girl piped up: "Well, then, what are the OTHERS here for?"
Exodus 32:29 Then Moses said, "You have been set apart to the Lord today, …..and he has blessed you this day."
An out-of-towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area. Luckily, a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse named Buddy. He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" Buddy didn’t move. Then the farmer hollered, "Pull, Buster, pull!" Buddy didn’t respond. Once more the farmer commanded, "Pull, Cocoa, pull!" Nothing.
Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull!" And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch. The motorist was most appreciative and very curious. He asked the Farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times. The farmer said, "Oh, Buddy is blind and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn’t even try!"
• The Nike© commercials urge people to "just do it." They are encouraging people in the area of athletics and to quit being a couch potato. Of course, ideally if you "just do it" you will need shoes and hopefully you will buy their shoes. The more you "just do it" the more your shoes will wear out and they will be rich from the repeat business. They do not say it, but they are implying that they want you to "just do it" now!
• That is not a bad thing because Americans as a whole are great at procrastinating.
• Christians are good at procrastination. I do not know an honest Christian that would not say that this country is in great need of revival. With as many Christians as we have in this country, why do we not have a revival? Partly, because we are really seeking a political solution rather than a spiritual solution to the problems. Another reason we do not have revival is that we have relegated it to occurring only when we have revival meetings, which in our age is once a year whether we need it or not.
• We may talk about the wonderful program and great sermons for awhile, but only for awhile.
• We start reading and praying again but this activity is much like a New Year’s resolution that lasts for a few days and then we go back to our normal mundane selfish ways until our emotions are stirred up again next year.
I. Consecrate means to devote yourself or dedicate yourself.
a. In this passage, the words translated as consecrate literally mean to fill up your hands with God.
b. 1 Tim. 2:8 I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer,
This is an act of surrender and gesture of desire and willingness to receive from God what He would give. God cannot pour His riches into hands already full. To fill up your hands with God you first have to empty them of all the vain and useless things that you are holding onto as if they were treasure.
c. You may be holding on to habits that temporarily bring some pleasure to your mind and flesh, but rob you of being filled with God.
d. Drop them like they were fiery coals before they burn you anymore.
e. It may be places you like to go that you don’t want to be caught at if Jesus comes, but who knows when that is so you risk it.
f. It may be friends you refuse to give up though they drag you down into this world’s muck and mire.
i. If they are not helping you to get closer to Jesus then you need to get as far away from them as East is from West.
g. Whatever or whoever it is that has your hands full that you cannot receive from God dump it or them.
h. Paul dropped all the things that he had in this world.
i. What was treasure to him and this world before Christ became dung. What dung are you holding on to? Why smell that when you can smell sweet incense of Heaven as He communes with you and fills your hands with that which will be treasure forever and not just a season?
j. Empty your hands and filled them with God.
k. How does that happen in the New Testament?
l. We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit. If you are filled with the Spirit you are obedient to God and a renewed obedience to God is revival.
m. Be revived today! Consecrate yourselves TODAY! Just do it... now!
II. Consecration results in service.
a. Revival is not just so you can feel good or have some guilt relieved. That may be a result of revival, but that is not the purpose.
b. Revival is a return to a life lived in obedience to God.
c. Joshua 24:14 "Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
d. Joshua did not say choose this day whom
i. you will believe in
ii. you will pray to
iii. in whose building you will sit
e. He said, "Choose you this day whom you will serve." Choose to serve Him this day!
f. To many people get saved and then sit, soak and sour.
g. They are always going to serve Him someday.
i. When I get my career together then I will serve Him.
ii. When I meet my mate and get married, we will serve Him then.
iii. When the children are grown, I will serve Him.
iv. When I retire, I will serve Him.
v. NOT!
h. When a person becomes a child of God, they are given at least one spiritual gift.
i. God has equipped you!
j. Often they are given many more and sometimes they are called upon to serve in a capacity that is not within their gift.
Paul told Timothy to do the work of an evangelist. That was not his gift. He had the pastoral gifts of shepherding, teaching, and administration, but he still had to work outside his comfort zone. He may not have been called to be an evangelist or especially empowered for that type of ministry, but it had to be done and he could do it. Why, because in Christ we can do all things.
Too many Christians are not serving. When you ask them to do something they say, "Well, uh, sorry, but that is not my spiritual gift." Trouble is they seem to think they have no spiritual gift because they say that about everything. Brethren, I tell you the truth in Christ that are no such gifts as pew warming and sermon or music listenin’!! All of the spiritual gifts are proactive. You will be doing something. If you tell me that you are sold out to the Lord and not doing anything I will try not to be rude and call you a liar, but I will have to ask you to explain your definition of consecration to me.
k. If you are consecrated and your hands are full of God then tell me how can you remain on your sanctified sacroiliac?
l. In Experiencing God we learned that God is always at work in the world.
m. It stands to reason that if a person has their hands full of God they will have to be moving with Him to keep up with Him.
n. God is not into spectator sports. He calls no one to be an armchair quarterback.
o. Christ came to do the work of God and we are in Him.
p. Quit putting off serving Him. Listen to that still small voice today and see where God wants you to serve.
q. Choose this day to serve Him! Just do it ... now!
An army chaplain was visiting wounded soldiers in the hospital. The chaplain offered to read some Bible passages to one young soldier. But the soldier said, "I’m cold," so the chaplain wrapped his own coat around the young man. Next, the soldier asked for something to drink. The chaplain propped up the soldier’s head and held his own water canteen to the young man’s lips. Then the chaplain asked again if he could read some passages to the young man. This time, the soldier replied, "If there is anything in that Bible that caused you to do what you’ve done for me, yes. Please read to me that part of the Bible."
