I’ve been finding myself watching this famous preacher, that I’ll leave unnamed. Maybe it’s because I want to understand why so many people are drawn to him. Maybe it’s because I want to prove that his theology is all wrong and that simply preaching to tickle someone’s ear is dangerous. Maybe it’s because I want to know if I’m missing something about God that I myself need to believe in more. Maybe it’s because I want to learn how to, as a friend of mine always says, “be positive.”
The biggest thing I’ve picked up from watching this preacher is the focus on “believing in God to do great things in your life.” He’ll somewhat touch on the reality that it may not be in God’s timing or come as we expect it to, but he’ll quickly make sure the focus remains on the truth that God can, wants to and will do. And to almost everything the preacher says, I stay in complete agreement. (I have noticed this preacher in other platforms make sure there is a balance of understanding that things may not turn out like we want them to be, unlike other so called “name it, claim it” preachers. I do believe this preacher has balance understanding, but it’s clear that in certain contexts he wants to make sure people hold on to having a faith strong in God.)
However, I obviously have some less agreements with the last part that God WILL do something for us. I don’t think it’s necessary to think and preach that our faith needs to remain strong in Him by believing He will do things for us. The Scriptures are full of examples to back up God’s ability to do amazing things. The Scriptures are full of examples of God’s desire to see good things done through us for His glory. The Scriptures are full of references of God’s amazing love and care for us, more than we can ever imagine or comprehend. Yes, yes and absolutely.
But that’s where I would often like to leave it. More than believing God WILL do things for us because He CAN and He WANTS TO is simply stopping at the “believing God” part. Believing in a God who can and in a God who loves us…stop. That truth is enough to blow me away. Here is a God who can do anything He wants, and then you tell me that He loves me and wants great things to be done through me? That is enough to chew on for days! That’s called grace. Grace is something amazing, undeserving, humbling and honored to receive. We don’t need to believe that God WILL do anything for us.
The apostle Paul asked God three times to remove this “thorn in the flesh,” and God’s response was: “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). When Lazarus died and Jesus (on purpose) showed up four days later, Martha and Mary cried out “if only you were here!” (John 11:21, 32). Martha and Mary believed that Jesus could have healed Lazarus. And eventually Jesus did end up doing what He CAN do, but before He did, He asked “do you believe?” Believe what? Believe that He WILL do? Believe that He WANTS to?
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” (John 11:25-27 NIV)
“Believe in me.” Just simply believe in Him. It’s more about believing in God ALONE than about what God CAN, WANTS, OR WILL do. It’s about believing in a God that can. Believing in a God that can and saying that He doesn’t HAVE to or hold on to that He WILL, is incredible believing. The biggest kicker to all this kind of preaching is what Hebrews says about those heroes of faith of the Old Testament.
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:13-16).
ALL these people did not get what by faith they were believing in God to do. Yet, ALL these people didn’t feel ripped off. They didn’t believe less in God or become less positive. They seem to grin inside themselves and positively say “it’s doesn’t matter if God will give it to me on earth, I’m waiting for something even better in heaven.” And this kind of believing is what makes God proud for it says that ”God is not ashamed to be called their God.” WOW!!
Who cares what God will do for us on earth? It’s nothing compared to the better country – a heavenly one. How’s that for being positive? Believe God.
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I'm starting to recognize the importance of not only focusing on what people say, but also what don't they say. It's possible that a person might say nothing but sentences I 100% agree with… and yet if that person is only potraying one side of the truth, I might find that somebody else, who I disagree with half the time, is the better person to listen to, because he's not cherry picking the truths he's choosing to share. As you discussed that paster (At first I was thinking it was a pastor whose name rhymes with Gob Nell but then I realized it was probably a pastor whose name rhymes with Mole Bowlstien.)
that is the hardest trap to fall into. I don't want to deny what he is saying because by Scripture it's backed up. It does cause me to look up the passages he uses and embrace more of that side that I tend to stay away from so that I don't sound like a prosperity theological. the worse thing to do is to swing to the opposite and make God seem as though He can't, won't, too distant or is too big for our problems.
As in most things it isn't just that we understand the mechanics, but the motives or purpose. The "why" is always the most important question, and most frequently – the most elusive. As preachers continue to promise their flocks that God WILL (usually on condition of appropriate amounts of personal input), they often forget that the motive of God is always that he is the end. Whether in suffering or prosperity the REASON is always God himself.
said most excellently!
Awesome post Steve!
Excellent post Steve. I am cautious of my motive for wanting or expecting God to do something for me. Do I expect God to bless me just because I say he should? What am I 5? I know that God loves me and wants the best for me but am I arrogant enough to think that I always know the will of God for my life? I have heard people stating that God has to bless them in a particular way because they have seen it written in his word, but I listen in amazement at the way they take the verse out of context and use it to dictate to God what he should do.
For me I think God has done abundantly more than I could ever ask in that he gave his life for me. He called me to himself; he whispered my name so I could hear it and respond. That alone is worthy of more than I could ever give him back.
I do ask God things in prayer, and yes I fully expect him to answer those prayers. But my love for him and faith in him isn’t dependent on what more he will do for me. I am never doubting God just because his answer was no or not yet.
Thanks for sharing Joe, appreciate your wisdom. It is good to Praise His name. We should always tell God what we want and believe that He can, but always believe He knows best.