Have you ever heard somebody say: “Well I don’t really have to go to church to know God – you see when I’m out there on the Lake fishing, or out in the deer stand hunting, or hiking in the mountains that is when I feel closer to God.”
Todd Friel the host of Wretched Radio once gave this analogy: There was a father who had three young boys, and every day when the father returned home from work the boys met him at the door with arms open and joyous laughter. One day the father brought home a brand-new color television set, and it was received with great joy.
The next day, when the father returned from work he was not received with joyous open arms but rather still silence. The boys were too busy watching the TV to notice that daddy had come home.
The point of Todd Friel’s analogy is that it is often all too easy to enjoy the gift rather than the giver.
God created the earth and therefore the earth belongs to him.
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
God created man to subdue and replenish the earth therefore we are his servants.
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
All too often we enjoyed the gift of life rather than the giver of life.
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
But the giver of life is merciful.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Repent, believe the Gospel , and go into all the world and proclaim the word of reconciliation!
Luke 19 : 37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;38Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.39And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.40And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.