God Wants to Get Our Attention

God Wants to Get Our Attention

Why is there so much evil in this world today?

Reason one: The Fall of Man, Sin, the Sin Nature

Reason two: Satan 

The Bible explains:

Romans 1:20-23 NIV
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.  For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to

look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Romans 1:28-32 NIV
Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.  They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Effects on non Believers and Followers of Christ:

We are living in an evil age. God has allowed Satan to be the Prince of this world for a time.  Since Satan is influencing the decline of our culture and the desires and thoughts of many people, followers of Jesus are hated and persecuted. 

1 John 5:19 TNIV 
We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 NIV
The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

John 15:18-21 NIV
The World Hates the Disciples

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.'  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the

One who sent me.

For this reason the Apostle Paul warns believers to live wisely because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,  making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

If we look at what is going on in the news we see that this age is dangerous for everyone.  Believers and non- believers alike are affected by the evil in this world.  The big difference is, believers are no longer enemies of God or objects of His wrath.  So even though believers will suffer along with everyone in

this world, yet they will not suffer or be separated from God for eternity once their physical bodies no longer sustain them.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 NIV
For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 25:8 NIV  
he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth.  

Revelation 7:17 NIV  
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

John 3:16 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

However, those who reject God’s truth will continue be His enemy:

Romans 2:5 NIV 
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of

God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

Romans 2:8 NIV 
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

Because of the love we have in Christ we can help others who are still under God’s wrath. As believers we must understand that this is also a time of God’s grace because He is still continuing to call people to salvation.  None of us deserve to be saved, but God in His mercy desires us to be in right relationship with Him. We should always keep this in mind:

Romans 5:8 NIV
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Believers often have the great privilege and opportunity to share the Gospel with those who do not understand God’s truth. We must not be ashamed of the Gospel.  Sometimes we must be bold in our attempts to demonstrate God’s Love for others by sharing a part of our story along with the power of God’s Word conveying the impact Jesus has had on our lives.  Remember the “Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”  By sharing the Gospel we are demonstrating Godly love.  In fact, we have an obligation to show others Godly love because Jesus said to “Love your neighbor as yourself”.  And if we never stop loving ourselves then we should never stop loving others.

We must use our time wisely. We must be faithful in living for God and demonstrate that faith to others.

Ephesians 5:15 NIV 
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,

Hebrews 10:23 NIV 
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

1 Peter 4:19 NIV 
So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Matthew 7:24 NIV 
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

When we demonstrate to others the joy we have living as children of God, we will impact those around us. When we withhold that joy, how are we really helping others?

Hebrews 1:9 NIV 
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."

Galatians 5:22-23 NIV 
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control

Romans 15:13 NIV  
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ultimately people lack joy because they are separated from God.

Man’s biggest problem goes like this:

Everyone is born with a sin nature and wants to entertain their sinful desires. This sin separates us from God.

Even though people know about God many choose to run away from Him. Sin continues to reign in those who are not followers of Christ. Unbelievers continue to be enemies of God because they reject Christ even though God has given them

Christ, the one and only answer to their sin problem.

Romans 8:6-8 NIV
The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Believers hold the answer to man’s biggest problem and can impact their world:

(Jesus is the way the truth and the life) 

(We can have true joy because of what Jesus did for us)

The truth is this: if followers of Jesus want to impact this world they must live Godly lives. As believers we live for God and desire to be like Jesus.  We must also help others wake up from their spiritually dead lives to know the One who came to bring us new life. If we understand every day we are getting closer to Christ’s return, then shouldn’t we get serious about helping others know who Christ is and what He did on the cross?

God has given us a very important mission:

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them  to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

What a privilege it is to be part of God’s family and to be given the highest calling; to serve others by helping them receive and embrace the God who loves them more than they could ever know.

Yes, these are evil times. Yes, God does allow evil to continue at this present time. But we must remember, God in His Grace is continually trying to get our attention.  You may ask the question does God allow evil to continue for some ultimate good? Does God use these tragedies to draw people to Himself? How many times have we seen people return and cling to their faith in God through some horrible tragedy.  For believers one thing is for certain:

Romans 8:28 NIV
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Every time there is an evil act perpetrated against the “innocent”, many people ask the question; “Why do bad things happen to good people”?  As followers of Jesus we can give people answers. The first thing to remember is that we longer live in the “Garden Of Eden”. God’s original desire to have a perfect relationship with man has been altered by sin and now it is man who desires to do life apart from his Creator.  Ultimately we need to be able to look at ourselves honestly and evaluate who we really are? Are we lovers of God or are we lovers of ourselves? Jesus died because we are all in a grave spiritual condition.  No matter how many good deeds we participate in there is one fact we need to consider: In and of ourselves not one of us is good.

Psalm 14:2-3 NIV
The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Romans 3:10 NIV
There is no one righteous, not even one

 

There is only one thing that puts us in a right relationship with God and that is our faith in Jesus.

Galatians 3:11 NIV  
Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."

Romans 10:13 NIV
 "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

 

Jesus saved us from God’s wrath and eternal separation.   When we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior and when we act on that belief, we truly have a saving faith.  There is nothing else we can do to attain our salvation. Jesus did it all and willingly suffered for those who don't love God.

Romans 5:6 NIV
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

I am overjoyed at the fact that God pursued me and showed me through His Word the truth about of my grave spiritual condition. God got my attention through a variety of painful circumstances. He opened my eyes to the truth, and in gratitude I gave Him my life. I have never regretted that decision. I am now committed to tell others about the hope I have in Christ. 

If you have ever seen the Movie “The Matrix” you can make the same analogy about a people who are in a grave spiritual condition because they are unable to see the truth. The people in the “Matrix” have been deceived by computers to think that they are alive and living in a normal society. But in reality they are actually dying because the life is slowly being sucked out of them. Humanity is being used by the Computers as batteries to fuel their appetite for man’s essence and soul.

Our enemy Satan is essentially doing the same thing.  He is trying deceive us into believing lies about God and ourselves. Our enemy will try to get us to believe stuff like, God doesn’t exist, Jesus never died for our sins, God has no power or authority over us, God created the universe but no longer plays an active role, If there is a God He doesn't really love us, we should gratify our sinful desires, There are no absolutes, We should do what feels good regardless if it is morally wrong, we are not worthy of God's love, the human race was not created by God for His purpose, Jesus is not God, etc.   

In essence, if what the enemy says is true, we will suffer the consequences of being separated from God for all eternity. Yet the enemy is out to decieve us. He is the father of lies. The truth is God loves us and sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins. Unfortunately many people have bought into Satan’s lies and are now living their lives separated from God.  Those who are Followers of Jesus still need to be on guard because of this fact:

1 Peter 5:8 NIV 
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

With all this in mind it is important for Christians to have an influence on our culture especially when a tragedy happens. The Church should come to the aid of those who are struggling and who are asking difficult and profound questions. We may not have all the answers but we can show Godly love amongst the deep suffering and despair they are experiencing.

As Believers we have the responsibility to tell others about the hope we have:

1 Peter 3:15 TNIV 
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

God does not want anyone to perish:

2 Peter 3:9 TNIV 
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting  anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

In a world so filled with terror, fear and tragedy, what can we do to help?

This is why God wants our attention:

This is the perfect time to display Godly love and a confidence in our faith. We have a great privilege and opportunity given to us by God to share the Gospel (Good News) with those God has put in our path.  I believe God wants us to help others process the evil in this world with the truth of His Love. As we look around us, every day we will see a spiritually dead person hopeless and wondering if this life is all there is. Is there real meaning and purpose to life? Is God real? We can help others to see that even in a turbulent world filled with evil there is hope in Jesus Christ.  

Just Sayin………………..Dave