The word "but", occurring more than 3800 times in the Bible, is used as a conjunction that marks opposition in passing from one thought or topic to another. It is often used to indicate an exception. It is used to mean "excluding the fact that"; "save that"; "were it not that" or "unless". This little three-letter word has a profound effect on one’s spiritual condition and relationship to God having both negative and positive connotations. This morning I want you to see …
I. The BUT of Improper Priorities
A. Luke 9:61 MKJV And another also said, Lord, I will follow You, BUT FIRST allow me to take leave of those in my house.
B. I will accept Christ but... (Except, were it not that)
1. I want first to sow my wild oats – Ecclesiastes 11:9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
2. First I want to clean up my act – Luke 11:39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
3. Now is not a good time I will – when it is more convenient – Acts 24:25, Luke 12:19-20 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
C. I will serve Christ but... (Except)
1. Right now I want to have fun and enjoy myself while I can
· 2 Timothy 3:2-4 MKJV For men will be self-lovers, money-lovers, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, unyielding, false accusers, without self-control, savage, despisers of good, traitors, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
2. First I need to make sure my family and I are financially secure
· The founder of McDonald’s, Ray Krock, was asked by a reporter what he believed in. "I believe in God, my family and McDonald’s," he said. Then he added, "When I get to the office, I reverse the order." - Source Unknown
3. I have other things to take care of, I have too much on my plate
· The feeling of being hurried is not usually the result of living a full life and having no time. It is, on the contrary, born of a vague fear that we are wasting our life. When we do not do the one thing we ought to do, we have no time for anything else--we are the busiest people in the world.
D. I will attend church faithfully but...
1. (Unless) I’ve got things around the house that need done
2. (Except) that Sunday is the only day I can sleep in
3. First I want to go to the game…fishing…hunting
4. (Were it not that) I’ve got to attend a family party…picnic…outing
5. (Unless) someone else asks me to go somewhere and do something
E. The following story appeared in "The Prairie Overcomer:" A fisherman who was out of fellowship with the Lord was at sea with his godless companions when a storm came up and threatened to sink their ship. His friends begged him to pray; but he demurred, saying, "It’s been a long time since I’ve done that or even entered a church." At their insistence, however, he finally cried out, "O Lord, I haven’t asked anything of You in 15 years, and if You help us now and bring us safely to land, I promise I won’t bother You again for another 15!" Although this story at first evokes a smile, it is sobering to realize that communing with God is often an escape mechanism rather than a way of life. This may be true even of believers who call on God only when they’ve reached the end of their rope and there seems to be no other way to solve their problems. - Copied
F. Hebrews 2:3 MKJV How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by those who heard Him
II. The BUT of Incomplete Obedience
A. Genesis 19:15-17 MKJV And when the dawn rose up, then the angels hurried Lot, saying, Rise up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And he lingered, the angel laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters (Jehovah being merciful to him), and they brought him forth and set him outside the city. And it happened when they brought him outside, He said, Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, nor stay in all the plain. Escape to the mountain lest you be consumed.
B. Genesis 19:24-26 MKJV Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire, from Jehovah out of the heavens. And He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that, which grew upon the ground. BUT HIS WIFE LOOKED BACK from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
C. Victory in the Christian life is dependent upon complete obedience to Christ. Partial obedience results in disaster.
D. We pray, "What do You want me to do, Lord? Where do You want me to go? I’ll do anything You say." But then when the Lord says, "I want you to get up and pray every morning, read your Bible daily, attend church faithfully, tell your neighbor about Me" we fail to obey Him. We say, "I know I should" BUT we don’t.
E. Luke 16:10 MKJV He who is faithful in the least is also faithful in much. And he who is unjust in the least is also unjust in much.
F. Elisabeth Elliot, at Urbana 76, told of her brother Thomas Howard. Their mother let him play with paper bags she’d saved if he put them away afterwards. One day she walked into the kitchen to find them strewn all over the floor. Tom was out at the piano with his father singing hymns. When confronted, he protested, "But Mom, I want to sing." His father stated, "It’s no good singing God’s praise if you’re disobedient."
G. Deuteronomy 10:12-13 MKJV And now, Israel, what does Jehovah your God ask of you, but to fear Jehovah your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul, to keep the commandments of Jehovah, and His statutes, which I command you today for your good?
H. The will of God never has been and never will be accomplished by those who are not totally obedient to Him. During the Civil War, it is said that there was a man who was sympathetic to both sides. He lived, you see, in a borderline state. Finally, he decided that he would effect a compromise. He put on a mixed uniform, wearing the Confederate gray coat, and the Union blue trousers. All went well, it seems, until he became engaged in a hard fought battle, when the Federals shot him in the coat, and the Confederates shot him in the seat of the pants! Now, there’s a moral to this highly improbably story. If you are going to serve in an army you must wear its uniform. If you are going to march in the parade, you must keep in step.
III. The BUT of Complete Grace.
A. Genesis 6:5-8 MKJV And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And Jehovah repented that He had made man on the earth, and He was angry to His heart. And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created, from the face of the earth, both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air. For I repent that I have made them. BUT NOAH FOUND GRACE IN THE EYES OF JEHOVAH.
B. John 3:16 MKJV For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish BUT have everlasting life.
C. John 3:36 MKJV He who believes on the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, BUT the wrath of God abides upon him.
D. Man was and is lost and totally depraved in his trespasses and sins. He is hell bound from the moment he takes the very first breath. He is completely helpless and hopeless with absolutely no method, way, or ability to approach a holy righteous God. Romans 5:8 states, BUT GOD commended His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
E. Because of God’s just character He would have to punish all mankind, but His love provided a way that all men could be saved from their punishment and ultimately restored back to a loving, chosen, relationship.
F. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
G. When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day’s pay for his time that is a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high achievements that is an award. But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no award—yet receives a gift anyway - that is grace. – adapted from Clip-Art Features for Church Newsletters, G.W. Knight, p. 53.
H. Ephesians 2:4-5 MKJV BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us (even when we were dead in sins) has made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved).
I. A large sum of money was given to Rowland Hill to dispense to a poor pastor. Thinking that the amount was too much to send all at once, Hill forwarded just a portion along with a note that said simply, "More to follow." In a few days the man received another envelope containing the same amount and with the same message, "More to follow." At regular intervals, there came a third, and a fourth. In fact, they continued, along with those cheering words, until the entire sum had been received. C. H. Spurgeon used this story to illustrate that the good things we receive from God always come with the same prospect of more to follow. He said: "When God forgives our sins, there’s more forgiveness to follow. He justifies us in the righteousness of Christ, but there’s more to follow. He adopts us into His family, but there’s more to follow. He prepares us for heaven, but there’s more to follow. He gives us grace, but there’s more to follow. He helps us to old age, but there’s still more to follow." Spurgeon concluded, "Even when we arrive in the world to come, there will still be more to follow." - Source unknown
J. God has provided the only way -- we must make the choice.
