Ozzie dropped a bomb this morning when he said,
They said to Moses, ’You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not
God speak with us, lest we die’ `—Exodus 20:19
We don’t consciously and deliberately disobey God— we simply don’t
listen to Him. God has given His commands to us, but we pay no
attention to them— not because of willful disobedience, but because we
do not truly love and respect Him. “If you love Me, keep My
commandments” (John 14:15). Once we realize we have constantly been
showing disrespect to God, we will be filled with shame and
humiliation for ignoring Him.
“You speak with us, . . . but let not God speak with us . . . .” We
show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His
servants rather than to Him. We like to listen to personal
testimonies, but we don’t want God Himself to speak to us. Why are we
so terrified for God to speak to us? It is because we know that when
God speaks we must either do what He asks or tell Him we will not
obey. But if it is simply one of God’s servants speaking to us, we
feel obedience is optional, not imperative. We respond by saying,
“Well, that’s only your own idea, even though I don’t deny that what
you said is probably God’s truth.”
Why do we listen to and put up with preaching?
If it is by grace God speaking His Words to us, why do we treat it
like the performance and opinion of the man we call pastor?
If it is not God speaking His Words and only a man speaking his
opinions, why do we come back week after week? Why should we buy the
pastor’s house for him?
Do not argue with me about why you will not obey God.
Look up at Heaven and take it up with Him directly.
We have less anxiety about casting off men’s words when we suppose
they could be wrong.
We are too cowardly to tell God we don’t like Him and His demand for our lives.
So we pretend the pastor is just a man speaking just his opinion.
If that’s true, then preaching is useless.
Galatians 4:16
Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?
They said to Moses, ’You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not
God speak with us, lest we die’ `—Exodus 20:19
We don’t consciously and deliberately disobey God— we simply don’t
listen to Him. God has given His commands to us, but we pay no
attention to them— not because of willful disobedience, but because we
do not truly love and respect Him. “If you love Me, keep My
commandments” (John 14:15). Once we realize we have constantly been
showing disrespect to God, we will be filled with shame and
humiliation for ignoring Him.
“You speak with us, . . . but let not God speak with us . . . .” We
show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His
servants rather than to Him. We like to listen to personal
testimonies, but we don’t want God Himself to speak to us. Why are we
so terrified for God to speak to us? It is because we know that when
God speaks we must either do what He asks or tell Him we will not
obey. But if it is simply one of God’s servants speaking to us, we
feel obedience is optional, not imperative. We respond by saying,
“Well, that’s only your own idea, even though I don’t deny that what
you said is probably God’s truth.”
Why do we listen to and put up with preaching?
If it is by grace God speaking His Words to us, why do we treat it
like the performance and opinion of the man we call pastor?
If it is not God speaking His Words and only a man speaking his
opinions, why do we come back week after week? Why should we buy the
pastor’s house for him?
Do not argue with me about why you will not obey God.
Look up at Heaven and take it up with Him directly.
We have less anxiety about casting off men’s words when we suppose
they could be wrong.
We are too cowardly to tell God we don’t like Him and His demand for our lives.
So we pretend the pastor is just a man speaking just his opinion.
If that’s true, then preaching is useless.
Galatians 4:16
Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?
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