We Don't Want God...

This is a "bloggified" version of the message I taught this week in Youth Sunday School... We, as a group, have decided that a mediocre, "ok with a 'B'"-faith/life just isn't good enough...so we are taking the chains off and plunging headfirst into some hard truths/scriptures/challenges...won't you join us?

The gospel of Jesus is hard. Messy. Dirty. It’s this amazing paradox of being freely given…yet demands everything from us. For most of us, when it comes to following Jesus, it isn’t as much of a “how-to” problem, as a “want-to” problem…we are going to discuss that...

There are several New Testament scriptures that talk about our messed up, fallen, sinful natures. One is Romans 3:23: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

We also struggle with the cause of sin. We struggle to place blame. Sometimes we even blame God (like, “If God is really in control…he must be making me sin.”). WRONG-O. James 1:13 says, When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.

So what is it?

Well, we need to go back to the beginning of our “want-to” problem: Genesis. Adam and Eve and trees and snakes. And really, I’m not interested if you think it literally happened just like this or if you think God took the first two “non-monkeys” and taught them all this stuff…and they rebelled. No matter: I read this and go, “That is SO me…”

So, I am not going to make us read the whole of Genesis 3 (but you can here if you'd like). Here is the “BIV” (Ben International Version): Adam and Eve knew God in a very real way. They directly experienced his care. He allowed all things, but told them to not mess with a tree that produced fruit, that it would “kill” them. Then a serpent, THE deceiver, the devil, said, “Whatever…you won’t ‘literally’ die…but your horizons will soooo be broadened…” So Eve ate, and then took it to Adam, who was a typical brainless man and said, “Uh, ok.” And then their eyes were opened to all this “enlightened” stuff…and they were scared. Knew they had strayed and disobeyed. And they hid from God. God found them, they made weak excuses, God informed them of the consequences, and made them leave the Garden…but not before showing he still cared for them…

Ok, a few specific points from verses that stood out to me:

1. When God said, “You will die”, I don’t think he only meant that they would physically drop and stop breathing. But, God knew that by “tasting what’s out there” we are involved in stuff ultimately more harmful than not, and thus our souls die.

2. When the serpent essentially said, “Whatever…your eyes will be opened!”, and then Eve sees that it was “desirable for gaining wisdom”, I cannot help but think of times either myself or others I know have rationalized BLATANT sin in the name of “finding myself” or “enlightenment” or “broadening horizons”. I certainly don’t think God wants us to be hermits who do not posses a mind, etc. Jesus proves that is false (just look at his life and actions). BUT, the Word clearly gives us some guidelines, and I think God knows what’s up and what’s best for us. And when we stray…well, more on that in a sec.

3. Notice what Adam and Eve did once they ate? They HID from God. Can you relate? I can. And often, it’s in the form of hiding from others, too. Really. Now, I’m no psychic, so don’t go there and get paranoid thinking I can see all your dirty secrets…but let’s say I usually can “tell” when not-all-is-right soul/wise with some of you. It may be you suddenly, without reason, stop coming to church-stuff. Or you still are here…but kinda “hide”, avoid eye-contact, conversation, etc. Or, you do talk, but it is quite harsh, not edifying, etc. That’s how we hide from God, I think. We avoid being “faced” with the Truth…

4. We do a good job at “passing the buck” like Adam and Eve did, when confronted with our lack-of-want-of-God. Eve blames being “tricked”, and Adam blames Eve. “Not my fault”. Well…yeah, it is. It always is. Maybe some things get set in motion that are “less” your fault at that time…but ultimately, the choices made that got you there…yeah, your fault. We can’t blame TV, or friends, or music, movies, Internet…

5. There are consequences (Women: pains in childbirth, desiring husband, etc.; Men: have to work the ground to “get” from it). Even when we realize where we are wrong…doesn’t mean all the “stuff” goes away.

6. But finally, even in the midst of this realization that we don’t want God…that we want to do what WE want…and to thus be left alone…God’s care and love still shines through. Look at verse 21 of Genesis 3: The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. God had every right to not only kick them out of Eden, but to never care again. But nope. He made them clothes… While the realization of their nakedness was the first evidence that they had “seen too much”, and God surely grieved…he clothed them…

So there we have it. When left to our own power and devices, our “default” if you will, we don’t want God. And as we continue this quest to crawl out of the muck of a mediocre faith, we must be confronted with this as it relates to us individually.