¡§The Rule Of Your Rather¡¨
INTRODUCTION: We continue in our study of ¡§Words of Distinction¡¨. We have studied, and made application, to the words ¡§daily¡¨ and ¡§adoption¡¨. Today, we look at the word ¡§rather¡¨.
There are some things that we would ¡§rather¡¨ do than others ¡K AMEN?
o I would RATHER watch TV than do homework.
o I would RATHER go to Hawaii than Iceland.
o I would RATHER eat a bowl of chili than beets.
Given a choice ¡K given my ¡§druthers¡¨ ¡K I¡¦d RATHER do certain things over other things.
o TV COMMERCIAL ¡V ¡§Mother, please, I¡¦d RATHER do it myself!¡¨ ¡K ¡§Wouldn¡¦t you RATHER have a Buick?¡¨
o BUMPER STICKER ¡V ¡§I¡¦d RATHER be sailing.¡¨
BUT ¡K it isn¡¦t always BEST to DO what we¡¦d RATHER do ¡K IS IT? It isn¡¦t always BEST to HAVE what we¡¦d RATHER have ¡K IS IT? We wouldn¡¦t get much done, if we did all the time what we¡¦d RATHER be doing ¡K LIKE ¡K going to WORK vs. going FISHING. SOMETIMES, we just have to do what¡¦s BEST.
Look at Adam & Eve. They had a CHOICE ¡K to obey God or Satan. RATHER than be content with what God had given them (Paradise!) ¡K they chose to disobey God because they wanted MORE.
WE TOO, have a will of our own. Both God and Satan want to rule over our ¡§rather¡¨. We make choices every day as to who will rule over our ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨ ¡K doing what is RIGHT ¡K OR ¡K what we would ¡§rather¡¨ do. Some day. we¡¦ll have to give an account of our ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨ to God.
SOMETIMES, we would RATHER do wrong ¡K DON¡¦T WE? That¡¦s when our old nature is in control. BUT ¡K when we let God take over our new nature, we would RATHER do His will. His desires become our desires. His way becomes our way.
MOSES had this dilemma ¡K turn to Hebrews 11:24-27
The word ¡§rather¡¨ is used 60 times in the Bible. In the N.T., it comes from the Greek word ¡§mallon¡¨, which means ¡¥very, very much¡¦.
Moses had a CHOICE to make. He could have chosen the EASY way out ¡K the way of PLEASURE ¡K of RICHES ¡K of FAME. Every day, we have to give an account of our ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨ to God. Our ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨ have CONSEQUENCES, DON¡¦T THEY?
SOMETIMES, Christianity is HARD. Satan makes sure of that. It¡¦s not easy being dependable ¡K committed ¡K faithful ¡K responsible. It means doing what GOD wants ¡K PERHAPS ¡K RATHER than doing what WE want. It SHOULDN¡¦T be such a tough choice ¡K but it is!
Moses had to decide. Do what he would RATHER do ¡K the ¡§pleasure of sin¡¨ ¡K OR ¡K what God would RATHER him do ¡K ¡§suffer affliction¡¨. We make this decision every day of our lives.
What are some of the things that can INFLUENCE our decision?
1.- ¡§pleasure of sin¡¨ ¡V 11:25 - Nobody has ever said that there isn¡¦t ¡§pleasure¡¨ in sinning. If sin wasn¡¦t ¡§pleasure¡¨, we wouldn¡¦t be tempted to sin, would we? Has the Devil ever tempted you to have a root canal? Or tempted you to hit your thumb with a hammer? He only tempts us to do things that we find some ¡§pleasure¡¨ in, doesn¡¦t he?
What are some of the things that can INFLUENCE our decision?
2.- ¡§for a season¡¨ ¡V 11:25 ¡V This ¡§pleasure of sin¡¨ doesn¡¦t last. Sooner or later, you¡¦re going to ¡§reap what you sow¡¨.
o That LIE will catch up with you.
o That HABIT will have its consequences.
o That SIN will come to light, and you¡¦ll have to face up to it.
That ¡§pleasure of sin¡¨ might cost you your job ¡K your marriage ¡K your health ¡K your life. THEN ¡K we have to ask ourselves the question ¡K ¡§Was it worth it ¡K for a SEASON of pleasure?¡¨
What are some of the things that can INFLUENCE our decision?
3.- ¡§greater riches¡¨ ¡V 11:26 ¡V Moses saw that the ¡§greater riches¡¨ are ETERNAL, rather than EARTHLY. Moses looked at the BIG PICTURE. He looked BEYOND temporary satisfaction ¡K to permanent rewards. Moses looked to what would give him the greater return on his investment ¡K in the long run.
Every moment of every day, we have to give an account of ourselves to God. One day, You and I will be judged as to WHO we let RULE our ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨.
o I would RATHER read the newspaper .. than do my daily devotions ¡K JUDGMENT.
o I would RATHER stay home ¡K than go to God¡¦s house to worship Him ¡K JUDGMENT.
o I would RATHER do what feels good ¡K than do what feels right ¡K JUDGMENT.
o I would RATHER please myself ¡K than please God ¡K JUDGMENT.
Doesn¡¦t most of our Christian life boil down to this? OUR desire vs. GOD¡¦S desire. OUR ¡§rather¡¨ vs. GOD¡¦S ¡§rather¡¨? WHY is this such a hard choice? Isn¡¦t God¡¦s desire for you BETTER than any desire you may have?
Even Jesus prayed to God, and said, ¡§I¡¦d RATHER not go to the cross!¡¨. BUT ¡K notice also what Jesus said. Luke 22:42 ¡V ¡§Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.¡¨ Jesus would RATHER have God¡¦s will for Him, than His own will. That¡¦s a ¡§no-brainer¡¨ ¡K God¡¦s will is better ¡K RATHER THAN ¡K your will.
Turn to Psalm 84:10 for another ¡§rather¡¨.
This has to do with CONTENTMENT.
o David is saying that he would RATHER be in God¡¦s house than anywhere else. Do you feel that way this morning? AMEN?
o David is saying that he would RATHER be an usher in church ¡K than the owner of a Las Vegas casino!
o David is saying that he would RATHER be a nobody for God ¡K than a somebody for the Devil.
o David is saying that he would RATHER be a poor Christian ¡K than a rich atheist ¡K AMEN?
SONG: ¡§I¡¦d Rather Have Jesus¡¨
This has to do with CONTENTMENT. What would you RATHER have? We have to decide ¡K every day. Would we RATHER have JESUS ¡K or would we RATHER have the world? We will be JUDGED for who we let rule our ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨.
Turn to Matthew 10:28 for another ¡§rather¡¨.
Whenever Satan tempts your ¡§rather¡¨, just remember this verse. Remember WHO IT IS that you¡¦re sinning against. If you¡¦re a child of God, He¡¦s not going to send you to Hell for sinning against Him. HOWEVER ¡K He will judge us for who we let rule our ¡§rather¡¨.
I don¡¦t have a thing to fear from the Devil.
o He can TEMPT me all he wants to ¡K BUT ¡K 1 Cor. 10:13 ¡V ¡§There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.¡¨
o He can DESTROY everything I have worked for all my life ¡K BUT ¡K Philip. 4:19 ¡V ¡§But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.¡¨
o He can MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT FOR ME ¡K BUT ¡K Philip. 4:13 ¡V ¡§I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.¡¨
I have nothing to fear from the Devil. If I¡¦m going to fear ANYONE ¡K I need to fear God! WHY? BECAUSE ¡K
o It is GOD, who is going to JUDGE me ¡K not Satan.
o It is GOD, to whom I have to answer to ¡K not Satan.
o It is GOD, who is in charge ¡K not Satan.
o It is GOD, who is control ¡K not Satan.
o It is God, whom I am to serve ¡K not Satan.
I can see why the LOST would RATHER be under Satan¡¦s control ¡K BUT ¡K NOT the child of God.
Turn to John 3:19 for another ¡§rather¡¨.
I can see why the LOST are under Satan¡¦s control. They would RATHER live in darkness, than light. For this, they will receive ¡§condemnation¡¨ ¡K BECAUSE ¡K they love darkness RATHER than light.
It all centers around ¡§love¡¨, doesn¡¦t it? 3:20. The LOST ¡§love¡¨ the darkness ¡K they ¡§hate¡¨ the light.
Why do we ¡K the SAVED ¡K RATHER not do God¡¦s will sometimes? 3:21. BECAUSE ¡K we don¡¦t ¡§come to the light¡¨. BECAUSE ¡K we don¡¦t walk in His light. BECAUSE ¡K we walk in darkness.
o INSTEAD of fleeing the opportunity for sin ¡K we walk toward the darkness.
o INSTEAD of letting Jesus rule our ¡§rather¡¨ ¡K we walk toward the darkness.
o INSTEAD of looking to Jesus for our strength ¡K we walk toward the darkness.
Our motto should be ¡K ¡§I¡¦d RATHER have Jesus¡¨!
o The Devil says: ¡§Get angry ¡K lose your temper.¡¨ ¡K ¡§I¡¦d RATHER have Jesus!¡¨
o The Devil says: ¡§Gossip ¡K it¡¦s such a good story to tell.¡¨ ¡K ¡§I¡¦d RATHER have Jesus!¡¨
o The Devil says: ¡§Don¡¦t read your Bible, pray, serve, go to church.¡¨ ¡K ¡§I¡¦d RATHER have Jesus!¡¨
o The Devil says: ¡§Tell that dirty joke ¡K look at that dirty magazine ¡K think that dirty thought.¡¨ ¡K ¡§I¡¦d RATHER have Jesus!¡¨
Let Jesus be the ruler of your ¡§rather¡¨. Come into the light. Don¡¦t wander into the darkness. Love light RATHER than darkness.
Here are some other ¡§rathers¡¨ in the Scripture: (the Bible is FULL of them!)
REMEMBER: ¡§rather¡¨ means ¡¥very, very much¡¦.
o Acts 5:29 ¡V ¡§We ought to obey God rather than men.¡¨
o Ephes. 5:11 ¡V ¡§And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.¡¨
o Luke 12:31 ¡V ¡§But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.¡¨
We need to get to the point that we would RATHER do what Jesus wants us to do ¡K THAN ¡K anything else in this world! AMEN? We need to COMMIT ourselves to this ¡K we need to MEAN it ¡K we need to LIVE it.
Look at what the Apostle Paul said, when it came to the battle of ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨ in his life. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 ¡V all turn.
Paul would RATHER live in the will of God ¡K no matter the cost ¡K RATHER THAN have his own will and desires. WHY? BECAUSE ¡K Paul knew that one day, he would have to give an account of who he let rule his ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨ ¡K him or God.
CONCLUSION: We make decisions every day.
o WHO would we RATHER please ¡K ourselves or God?
o WHAT would we RATHER do ¡K our will or God¡¦s will?
o WHO is going to rule our ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨ ¡K Satan or God?
Whenever you¡¦re tempted to do what YOU would RATHER do ¡K remember this ¡K ¡§I¡¦d RATHER have Jesus!¡¨.
HEADS BOWED ¡K EYES CLOSED
o Are there some things in your life that you would RATHER do ¡K that you know God would RATHER you NOT DO?
o Have you been walking in darkness ¡K RATHER than in the light that Jesus has given you?
o Are you struggling with something that you know isn¡¦t God¡¦s will in your life ¡K RATHER than submitting to His strength, power and will?
God¡¦s ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨ are always better than yours. Why don¡¦t you give your ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨ to Him. Would you RATHER please yourself ¡K or God? Let Him rule your ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨ today.
STAND ¡V PRAYER
HYMN - #349 ¡V ¡§Have Thine Own Way, Lord¡¨
OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:
WORDS OF DISTINCTION ¡V ¡§Rather¡¨
¡§The Rule Of Your Rather¡¨
INTRODUCTION: We would RATHER do some things than others.
- Sometimes we would RATHER not do the BEST or RIGHT thing.
ƒæ Hebrews 11:24-27 ¡V Moses had a choice of ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨.
- Our choice of ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨ has consequences.
- What can influence our choice?
1.- ¡§pleasure of sin¡¨ ¡V That¡¦s why you are tempted.
2.- ¡§for a season¡¨ ¡V You reap what you sow.
3.- ¡§greater riches¡¨ ¡V Moses looked at the big picture ¡K beyond the present to the eternal.
- It boils down to our desire verses God¡¦s desire.
- Jesus would rather have God¡¦s will than His own ¡V Luke 22:42
ƒæ Psalm 84:10 ¡V David was CONTENT to be living in God¡¦s will RATHER than his own will.
- We will be judged for who we let rule our ¡§rather¡¦s¡¨.
ƒæ Matthew 10:28 ¡V We are sinning against Almighty God!
- We have nothing to fear from the Devil:
o He can tempt you ¡K BUT ¡V 1 Corinthians 10:13
o He can destroy what you have ¡K BUT ¡V Philippians 4:19
o He can make life difficult for you ¡K BUT ¡V Philippians 4:13
- Fear God ¡K He is the One who is going to judge you.
ƒæ John 3:19 ¡V The lost would RATHER live in darkness than light.
- They love the darkness and hate the light ¡V 3:20
- Even the saved tend to walk toward the darkness ¡V 3:21
- Our motto should be: ¡§I¡¦d Rather Have Jesus¡¨.
ƒæ Acts 5:29 ¡K Ephesians 5:11 ¡K Luke 12:31
- We need to commit ourselves to do what Jesus wants us to do RATHER than anything else in the world.
ƒæ 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 ¡V Paul would RATHER live in God¡¦s will ¡K no matter the cost.
CONCLUSION: We make decisions every day.
- Let Jesus rule your ¡§rather¡¨.
PRISCILLA BAPTIST CHURCH ¡V Ray Scott, Pastor
