Is Jesus Your Hobby or Your Lifestyle?
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
1 Timothy 4:12
12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
According to Webster, a hobby is: “an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation.
And a lifestyle according to Webster is: “the typical way of living, reflecting attitudes, preferences, etc., of an individual or group.
There are many things in life that people do that are hobbies. It’s something that’s on the side that we do for pleasure. A hobby is an occasional thing, not something that’s consistent.
But other things in life that makes up who and what we are, such as our occupation. Our lifestyle is something that is daily, consistent, and who and what we are.
The things we are compassionate about is usually what we are known by. What one is passionate, excited, or in love with will be something they spend a large amount of time with and they will always find time and take part in the things that promote the things that they love.
Usually others around us know what is really important to us.
I want to ask a question. When people make mention of you in conversation, what are you known by? Is Jesus your lifestyle or is He just your hobby? Are you consistent in your walk with God or is He just your hobby on a 2/3 week basis, or just when you come to church?
Most people we are around know that we go to church. Just attending church doesn’t prove anything. Many people go to church. Jesus and church can be a hobby. Just attending church services is not living for God; even though we are suppose to be there EVERY service according to the Bible. And if we are, that doesn’t mean we’ve made it. That doesn’t mean we’re living for God.
The things that we don’t do, rules and restrictions, are not living for God. Living for God is not what we don’t do, but living for God is what we do. Living for God is what He does through us. Remember we are saved by doing His will. The rules and restrictions have their place. We must understand that it’s what we put on, it’s what the Lord Jesus Christ does through us.
Matthew 7:21
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
We can’t do His will without:
1. Him
2. Holy Ghost
3. Word of God
4. Church
5. Preaching
6. Grace
7. Mercy
8. Blood
9. The Name
We have to have it all to do His will.
It’s got to be a daily thing, something that’s consistent. It’s our lifestyle and not a hobby. It’s not something that we are doing part time; it’s not something that we are doing on the side. But it’s something that we got to do all the time.
Deuteronomy 6:5
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
The scripture says we got to be an example
1. In word- Word of God
2. In conversation- Lifestyle, your manner of life
3. In charity- love
4. In spirit- the Holy Ghost
5. In faith- believing God, walking with God, walking by faith
6. In purity
You can’t be a good example in conversation and charity if Jesus is just a hobby. It has to be in our lifestyle.
We can’t do it as a hobby, but it only can be done because it’s what we are and how we live.
We only can be an example for Jesus when we have a consistent relationship with Jesus, a consistent lifestyle.
We need to include Him in EVERYTHING we are doing.
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Why must we acknowledge Him? Because it’s our lifestyle!! It’s not just a hobby, but it’s who we are.
We wants our full heart. He doesn’t want just half. Anything else is idolatry and there is or should be no other gods beside Him.
We can’t just say “Lord, I’ll pick you up here when I need you. I’ll talk to you when I need you. Lord, I’ll pay attention to you when I need you. But mean while let me engage in this and let me engage in that until you’re needed.”
When we do this, He is considered a hobby. That’s something part time. But I’m glad to know that our God is there ALL THE TIME!!!!! He’s not there just part time or when we need Him but He’s there all the time. It’s a good thing we’re not God’s hobby.
I’m glad that He’s not concerned about us part time. I’m glad that He doesn’t pay attention to us part time. I’m glad He doesn’t look at us part time. We’re not His hobby. He wants to live His life in us. He wants to live His life through us. He wants to be our life!!
How often do we see those that have Jesus as a hobby and fulfilling their fleshly desires? They have Jesus has a hobby and fulfilling their fleshly desires as a lifestyle. They’re in church Sunday, spending time with their hobby. They enjoy the energy of the church. They enjoy the chill bumps they fill up and down their spine. They enjoy the music and the preaching. It’s a hobby that’s enjoyable. But they walk out and leave Jesus at the church. And then they go back to their lifestyle of self.
We could come every time the doors are open and it still could be a hobby because that’s the only time we try to get spiritual is when we come to church. That’s the only time we talk to Jesus is when we come to church. It’s a hobby.
A lifestyle is something that we are engaged in on a consistent or daily basis. I don’t want to leave Jesus at the church and say “Now I’m going to fulfill the fleshly lust of my desires and just leave Jesus aside. I need Him to give me guidance. I need Him when I go to bed and when I wake up in the morning, and all the way through all the day.
1 Corinthians 6:20
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
This is Jesus’ lifestyle. We got to get rid of our lifestyle and live His lifestyle because this is His life we are living.
How can you tell those that have Jesus as a hobby?
These people rarely
1. Speak about God or the church on non-church days
2. Talk to Him
3. Think about Him
4. Don’t read about Him
He’s only when I come to church. That’s the only time I talk to Him and spend time with Him.
Those who are really in love with Jesus they’re going to
1. Talk about Him often in conversations
2. Talk to Him often
3. Think about Him often
4. Read about Him often
5. Reflect Him in everything they do
You can’t hide or cover up what somebody really is.
When Jesus was so excited about the open door at the well in Samaria with the Samarian women the Disciples was looking for something to eat. They said “Jesus here’s some meat for you” and He said “I have meat that you know not of.”
John 4:31-32
31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
The Disciples was in their carnal mind and they said who gave him meat? Jesus said I have an open door here. This woman is running back to town and we could get a crowd to preach to so the harvest is plenteous. He said I have blessed you in affect in a harvest that you did not plant. And here comes some hungry people of Samaria. We’re fixing to have revival. But the Disciples wanted to eat.
We all know how it is. When we know that we need to do something spiritual but we’re all pumped up to do something carnal. What’s going to win?
Let’s say that you’re at home, reading a book or you was doing whatever it was that you like to do and the phone rang. And it was one of the Brothers of the church and they said let’s go down to the church and pray. You’re too carnal for that right now. If that wasn’t scheduled in your planner, then no we can’t do that.
This is when I’m saying Jesus is a hobby. It’s a hobby when we can’t do the things of God, that we know we’re suppose to do.
So someone asked this question, how can you say that someone doesn’t love God? You don’t know their heart. On the contrary. What’s in their heart is always going to come out in one’s lifestyle.
What’s on the inside will show up in how that person
1. Talks
2. How they act
3. How you dress
4. How you live
5. What you do
What’s in your heart is going to show up in your lifestyle.
Inconsistent Christians are some of the most miserable people in the church. Those that try to make a show, those that try to pass inspection, those who are trying to show themselves to be doing good.
Those are some of the most miserable people because they treat God and church like a hobby. It’s something they can do part time. If they can do it part time and make some people happy then everything’s going to be okay.
But that’s not okay because the inconsistencies are going to show up in your lifestyle.
If Jesus isn’t our lifestyle, then what ever is our lifestyle will show up.
Inconsistent Christians aren’t real happy. They don’t have that joy because when God is in your life, there’s joy. But in inconsistent Christians there can’t be strong presence of God in that life. Because when you are in constant communication with Him, that means you are putting yourself in His presence.
His presence is not only at church, but its there whenever I need Him the most in my life. All I have to do is call on the name of Jesus and He’ll be right there. Because He’s not just a hobby but He’s a lifestyle!!!
Matthew 6:21
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 6:45
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
We have reached an age now where carnality is the norm because if you’re Spiritual, then that means you constantly have to do Spiritual things and to do those things is very, very, very bothersome to carnally minded people. So they’ll put it down, call it self-righteous, they’ll call it call kinds of things because that’s what is accepted now. So when you get together with your peers you have to talk about those things which are carnal or material things.
The carnally minded people don’t want to hear about church, who in the service got the Holy Ghost, who got blessed, or how the service went because church is OVER. It’s history. This is just a sign that Jesus is a hobby.
Church is not just something just because we should, or justify how we live. If we really love God then church would be our most looked forward to time and Jesus would be evident in our everyday living when He’s our lifestyle.
Before Paul was anything else in life, he was a Holy Ghost filled, follower of Christ. If Paul was meeting someone for the first time they knew in minuets who Paul was. Jesus must become number one priority in our lives. We can’t be an example in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity if Jesus is just a hobby.
He should be our first thoughts in the morning and our last thoughts in the evening.
What do we think it means to love Him with all of our heart, with all of our soul, and with all of our might?
Getting into His presence should be the first thing we do before we do anything else. The reason people go through disappointments, troubles and trials is because they don’t spend enough time in His presence.
HE HAS GOT TO BECOME OUR LIFESTYLE AND NOT OUR HOBBY!!!!
There’s just so much in our lifestyle that we don’t want to give up. The more things we have in our lifestyle that takes the place of Jesus, the more a hobby Jesus becomes.
I know that we have things to do in our everyday lives and He said “Occupy until I come” (Luke 19:13), but we must still make sure we are spending time with the Lord enough to the point where we can do what He wants us to do.
Besides church, what else are we doing that Spiritual? How many times have we’ve all been guilty of letting our time be consumed with frivolous things and letting things that satisfy the flesh become our lifestyle?
The things of this earth will fade away, but the things of God will last forever.
Matthew 6:33
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
He’s got to be our lifestyle. Everything that we do or are involved in has to evolve around Him. He’s got to be in the center of everything we do.
Colossians 3:2-4
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
The lifestyle YOU want to live has got to hide because it is hid in God because God is our life.
When we are so quick to go to those things which we enjoy, and put aside the Spirituality of Christ and the things of God and relax in the things and become carnal, that becomes our lifestyle to the point where God knows He can’t all on us or use us.
There’s something we all can do but we but we got to make Him our lifestyle.
Is He your hobby or your lifestyle?
