Your In The Church But Is The Church In You

I know your in the church, but is the church in you

· Many people today are wasting their time in church. What I mean by this, is that they are in the church but the church is not in them.

· Amazingly people come to church and see other people get blessed, healed, and delivered but it is never their day for a miracle.

· It doesn’t make any sense to attend church every week and still die and go to Hell.

· We should keep in mind that we might not be perfect but we can be in right standing before God.

· The text this morning addresses the issue of being around the people of God and not actually being one of them.

· It is sort of like Lot, the one who was blessed because of Abraham, not because of his standing before God

1. Historical Setting:

· Note the relationship between Gehazi and Elisha

· Note the miracles God performs through Elisha in the presence of Gehazi

· Gehazi witnesses and partakes in these miracle events

· Gehazi is classified as the Servant of the Man of God

2. Situation: Priveledged (vv. 15-19)

· Gehazi was privileged, he was special, he was #1 student, he was in the church if you will

· Gehazi’s name means “the valley of vision” he was honored to behold all the wonderful works of the Lord, he saw the right stuff yet he wasn’t right

· He heard the right things and knew the people, was in all of the right places, but his heart wasn’t changed

· Do you know people like this: always acting right at the church but don’t follow them home.

3. Selfishness: was his Purpose “I WILL” (vv. 20-21)

· When the situation presents itself Gehazi fails the test.

· Instead of doing God’s will he acts and does his Own will b/c it seems good and harmless (be careful of good intentions when they are not Godly motivated, they may still equal sin)

· His lack of faith is displayed in his haste to provide for himself thus not allowing God to provide for his needs (so many of us are the same way, we are quick to take matters into our own hands instead of letting God be God, He knows our needs)

· The love of money is the root of all evil

· Matt. 6:32,33 tells us that the things that the Gentiles seek after we have faith for

· Proverbs 3:5,6 tells us to trust in the LORD, PHIL. 4:19

4. Sinful Plan vv.21-22

· He runs to do evil… how often are we quick to do evil and slow to do good

· He lies on the man on God and thus he is lying on God

· Apparent success: he receives 2 talents, 2 servants to aid him and he has gotten away with it

· IF FEELS THAT IF NOONE KNOWS HE MUST BE O.K.

· (how many of us right now are sitting here knowing that we have hidden sin in our lives, but we feel that if noone knows we must be o.k.)

5. A Strange Place v.25ff.

· He went in and stood before the man of GOD

· Although he has been there before it is strange now because of sin

· He was in a holy place but he was not holy

· He was in the church but the church was not in him

· How many of us are here today and we feel strange, like we don’t belong, because we are not holy

· He tried to trick the preacher by saying that he had not been anywhere, but GOD knows

· You might can fool people, but you can’t fool God

6. CONCLUSION

· We must get right and stay right before God especially when we are working for Him

· Service alone is not enough to please God, God is concerned with our hearts

· Don’t give God half of you always give Him all of You!