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Do you all know what a grandfather or grandmother clock is? Have you ever looked inside to see the workings of the clock? It is a maze of gears and rods and cogs, a projection on the edge of a gearwheel that engages with corresponding parts on another wheel to transfer motion from one wheel to the other. What happens if one of the cogs in the clock slips out of place or gets broken? The clock will either; not work or will work improperly, is this correct? Lets think of another example; what happens in the workings of a family when the children act like the parents making all the decisions for the family, how it will work and what it should do? I believe all we have to do to prove this out is look at our society today and see the wrecked homes and juvenile crime rate to see what happens in that context. For things to work properly there needs to be a right relationship in them. Take any part of creation; if there is not a right relationship between the parts then there is disharmony, it will not work properly. It is the same for us as well in life as we have discussed. The reason there is so much disharmony in the world today is because people are out of sink with God. This all began at the fall of man into sin. A sharp change entered into the relationship of man and God, our creator. When sin entered the world man adopted an altered attitude toward God, which damaged the Creator – created relationship. In which there was harmony, true happiness and fulfillment for man.
It was at this point that salvation became a need for man to return to the state of harmony that existed previously with God, our Creator. A satisfying spiritual life will begin for us when we choose to change our relationship with God from sinful rebellion to a complete submission to Him and His will over our lives, honoring Him, our creator above all else. I am talking about after we have asked Jesus into our hearts as Lord and Savior, not the leading of us to the point of new birth in Christ. Rom. 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. When we receive Jesus we are put right judicially before God opening the way for the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and begin His work. But is our whole attitude changed toward who will rule over us? The story of the Prodigal Son is a great illustration of this change of will that we all must have. The Prodigal brought a whole world of trouble upon himself when he turned his back on his father’s relationship with him, as his son, not the head over the father. When all was said and done the consequences of his poor decisions and rebellion against his father’s authority, he realized that he would be happiest in total submission to his father than in his sinful rebellion which only caused pain and strife in his life. When it comes to our relationships we must understand our place in them or they will not work well. For us as believers we must put God back in the place He was before our sinful rebellion. God must be the focal point of our lives, directing us just as the old time mariners used the stars to guide them on their journey and safely to their destination. Psalm 48:14 For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. Many of the problems we face in the church today are from the unwillingness of Christians, us, to allow God to be the director and guide of our lives, for Him to be our ruler. It seems we are often diverting from the course laid out for us so we can indulge our sinful selfish appetites and carnal ways. We excuse them away as meeting our need or giving us satisfaction, when all the time we know it is against what God wants for us.
If we can get back into proper relationship with God, putting our will aside, being the cog, we will grow in love for the Lord and experience times of reverent admiration of God, knowing a joy unspeakable in our hearts. So, just as the prodigal son had to discover his rightful place under his father so we need to put things back in order in our lives, exalting God as head over our lives, because all things exist for His glory and pleasure. Rev. 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” This means we belong to Him and exist for His pleasure. We are cogs in the mechanism of God’s creation, be it highly loved and valued cogs. We owe God every honor that is in our power to give and we will not find true happiness doing anything else. 1 Cor. 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Peter 4:11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. We owe God every honor that is due Him. It is a voluntary offering of honor, exalting Him to His proper place. The moment we make up our minds to exalt God above all else, we remove ourselves from the rat race of the world. This means we will find ourselves out of step with the world and there will be heat for that, in spite of it we will find ourselves making progress toward the holy life we are called to. 1 Peter 1:13-21 When we choose to be the cog God designed us to be we will begin to see the world in a different light, a new power will take hold of us, surprising us by the new way we react and do things. Our break with the world will be in direct relation to our changed relationship to God. It will be clear and evident because the world does not honor God. There will even be those who call themselves Christians who pay little honor to God in their lives. God is exalted only in some areas of their lives and not all. They will criticize us for our stand. We need to make sure we are not among these by testing ourselves with a simple but straight forward test; we need to ask ourselves who or what is exalted above God in our lives?
The Prodigal son exalted worldly living above all else and became a slave to it until he hit bottom. John 8:34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. So, does God rank higher than money, the approval of men, personal ambition, self will and human love in our lives? If any of these things are exalted above God in our lives then we are truly not honoring God above all else in our lives. The proof of the test is proven out in the choices we make daily. Luke 16:13 Psalm 96:1-10a When we live out our lives, shining this tune, we will have a victorious spiritual experience. When we can say “Be exalted O God above all else in my life” the thousands of minor problems of life will be solved at once. Our lives as Christians will cease to be complicated and the answers will become simple; will God be exalted in this decision or choice? When we do this, if something comes to knock us off course it will be easy to again regain because our spiritual compass will direct us back again quickly. Remember when we honor something above ourselves we become slaves to that thing or person. Rom. 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. We were made in the image of God so it is not a long hard stretch to make Him our all in all again, submitting ourselves totally to Him. We were created for such a relationship and there we will be at home as the prodigal was when he returned there. There is more to this; If we honor God above all we will be honored by Him as well. 1 Samuel 2:30b But now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. John 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. Our lives given to honor God above all will find the fulfillment of being honored back by God. In our desire for God in our lives we must remember that God has a desire as well; those who will make a once for all decision to honor and exalt God above all else, are precious treasures to Him. In these He finds a canvas to display His kindness to us in Christ. With these God can work unhindered, being God over our lives. This is not an easy decision to make. If we choose God above all else we will experience grief from without and within. There will be a battle to fight with the flesh and the spirit. It will take some time to get our whole being in line. But if we will stay the course keeping our focus on who is in charge we will pass the test and win the war. It will mean that we have to pray over every detail seeking mercy from God to help us. But remember this is something that God desires for us so He will answer our prayers. Benediction: Psalm 96:7-10a
