July 21, 2008

 

 

THE COST OF EXCELLENCE

 

            “The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.” John Gardner 

            I want to talk about excellence today, and what it means to give the best you have. In the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, God addresses the people through the prophet about a problem. The people have been offering sacrifices to God, but what they have been giving has not been their best. They have taken the livestock that probably wouldn’t have gotten sold at market, and were using that to sacrifice to God. “When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty. "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"--says the LORD Almighty.” (Malachi 1:8-9 NIV)

 

            God insists on our best. When we put something else before our relationship with Him, then everything is out of balance. When serving God becomes something we do when we are not busy at work, or with our families, or with Little League, or with some hobby, then everything tends to suffer. I know that last sentence is going to rub some people the wrong way. “Pastor, you are offending us.” Sometimes, that is the job of a pastor. If a doctor never tells his patience that smoking is bad for them because he is worried that they may be offended, then he is not doing a good job as a doctor.

 

            When we don’t give God what is best about us, when we do not serve Him with excellence and put Him before everything else, then it is our spiritual life that suffers. We wonder why God seems so far, and why we seem so incapable of handling the difficult things in our life. The answer is easy. We have not been excellent in our devotion to God.

 

            Excellence only comes with sacrifice. The Olympic athlete wasn’t born with the ability to jump off a high dive and twirl five times in the air. That comes with practice, and practice requires sacrifice. The prayer warriors that you see, and wonder who they have drawn so close to God didn’t get that way by chance. They choose to work at it, and make their relationship with the Lord a priority.

 

            Henry Kissinger, in his book The Whitehouse Years, tells of a Harvard professor who had given an assignment and now was collecting the papers. He handed them back the next day and at the bottom of one was written, "Is this the best you can do?" The student thought, "no," and redid the paper. It was handed in again, and received the same comment. This went on ten times, till finally the student said, "Yes, this is the best I can do." The professor replied, "Fine, now I'll read it."

 

            Be excellent. Give God your best.

 

THIS AND THAT

 

            Next week’s sermon will come from Matthew 16:1-12. In this passage, Jesus warns His followers to be careful of the misleading ways of the Pharisees…….Big thanks to everyone who helped out this last week with Vacation Bible School. A great deal of preparation went into the teaching, crafts, snacks, decorations, etc. Thanks to all who gave of their time for this ministry……..Don’t forget that the church picnic is coming up on Sunday, June 27………Sometime this week read Genesis 1:1-5.

 

Pastor Chris