Why Would We Want To Settle For Less Than The Best?

Why Would We want to Settle for less than the Best?

Am service March 8th 2009

Hebrews 1:1-4

Introduction

The other day someone told me about the movie “City of Angels?” In the movie, an angel longs to become human so that he can experience the relationship between a man and a woman. My thought as I was listening was: Why would an angel ever consider giving up the best relationship possible- one with God- to settle for a human relationship?

Then it hit me- we do it all the time. Adam and Eve had the perfect relationship with God in the Garden of Eden but they were willing to give it all up on the chance that the serpent might be telling them the truth and there might be something more that they could gain by eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil?

Judas was in the perfect place- one of Jesus’ chosen disciples. He got to spend quality time with Jesus every day. But He was willing to trade it all in for thirty piece of silver.

There are times when I go into the office to study and I end up checking emails or playing around with the church’s website, I know that I have chosen less than the best.

It doesn’t make sense, does it? Logic would tell us don’t settle for less than the best but Adam and Eve did; Judas did; and so do you and I.

The writer of the book of Hebrews, right from the start, is going to get in our face and tells us that when we are looking for a relationship with God we better not settle for anything less than Jesus Christ.

And so today I want us to see how sometimes we do indeed settle for less the best. I want to know, given where we are in life and the struggles we encounter, how we could ever allow ourselves to settle for anything less than the best – anything less than Jesus Christ.

Read Scriptures: Hebrews 1:1-4

I. We are more comfortable settling for a powerless religion than we are a relationship with a Holy God that might require something of us.

Hebrews 1:1-2 “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.”

Judaism was a powerless religion. It could not provide a relationship with God; it could not provide a relationship with Jesus. All it could do is point out that you have this gigantic hole in your heart for which you need a relationship with God; for which you need a relationship with Jesus. But rather than embracing that relationship with God; they remained steadfast to their powerless religion because it was more comfortable to them.

We are a Southern Baptist Church and many of you are members of this church. But I am here to tell you today that this church and this denomination is powerless to get you to heaven. If you would have to stand before God today and He asked you why you should you enter My heaven, a good answer would not be that I was a Southern Baptist or I was a member of First Baptist. I am afraid being a Southern Baptist or a member of First Baptist does not have any clout with God in eternity.

Now don’t get me wrong- there is nothing wrong with being a Southern Baptist- there is nothing wrong with being a member of First Baptist. And you ought to be a member of a local church. But if you are using that membership in a church or a denomination to replace an ongoing personal relationship with Jesus you are settling for way less than the best.

And the reason why we settle is: it is a lot more comfortable to be a member in a church or a member in a denomination than to have a personal relationship with Jesus because God will always require more of you than this church or this denomination will.

But today, with the world the way it is, I would not want to be settling for a powerless religion. I will gladly take Jesus and cheerfully do what He requires of me knowing that I got the best than settle for a powerless religion.

II. We are more comfortable being entertained by a powerless message that brings no Holy Spirit conviction than we are a message that pierces our hearts and shakes up our lives.

Hebrews 4:12-13 “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”