All About Me
Gtcotr/ws092204
Early last week while I was in prayer, I was interceding for a child I had heard about. I could not imagine what would have happened in the life of a mother to cause her to abandon her baby.
After prayer I was still bothered by this situation and others like it. I walked outside and sat down beside my pond to meditate. Unable to escape this burden pressing on my heart and mind, I questioned God as to why things like this happen. Why don’t parents love and take care of their children as they ought? What’s wrong with this world?
God gently answered me and I understood. I offer to you tonight what God said to me about why some people make the decisions they do. I have changed God’s personal word to me into a 3rd person statement of principle. This is what God revealed:
Love is the enemy of selfishness and selfishness is the enemy of God.
I have re-surveyed the whole counsel of God’s word and have found that trouble begins when love’s commandments are abandoned. The result is a lifestyle of decisions based on - “It’s All About Me!”
Love often demands that we make difficult decisions, but never selfish ones.
The motivation for every difficult decision must be judged.
When we say, “This is for the best.”, we should examine that statement and ask ourselves the next question, “Best for who?” and the follow up question to that, and “Who does this hurt?”
Selfishness has taken over the lives and cultures of society. It was the basis for satan’s fall and the original sin of mankind and will be the downfall of the whole world. Selfishness causes so much trouble …
Selfishness is not only the enemy of God, but the enemy of us all.
I. Selfishness says: It’s All About Me
A. Insight On: - The Sin of Selfishness Begins
1. Mingling with the wrong crowd (people or seducing spirits)
* seeds of discord, disharmony, dissatisfaction
* support for sin
2. Entertaining alternatives
* subtle conversations
* the satanic translation of the bible
3. Deceived to believe a lie
* tunnel vision
* temporary insanity
4. Departure from the revealed will of God
* an isolated decision
* Proverbs 18:1 ¶ A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.
5. Leading others astray
* companion in misery - group support
* somebody to blame
B. Next Hiding From The Presence Of God
1. Once you realize you are wrong
2. Stay away from the light - fear of condemnation, criticism and/or rejection - John 3:17-21 - This is the condemnation …
C. Then Blaming & Accusing Others
1. Everybody in general
2. Unrepentant people will eventually accuse God
Genesis 3 (NKJV)
1 ¶ Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’ ?"
2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;
3 "but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’"
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.
5 "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 ¶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
9 ¶ Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"
10 So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."
11 ¶ And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"
12 Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."
13 And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
II. Two Steps To Avoiding The Trap
Ecclesiastes 12
12 But, my child, be warned: There is no end of opinions ready to be expressed. Studying them can go on forever and become very exhausting!
13 ¶ Here is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is the duty of every person.
14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
A. Fear God
1. More than you fear not getting what you want
2. More than you fear death itself
B. Obey God’s Commands
* John 14:15 ¶ "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
III. Self Examination - How do I know if I love only myself?
1 John 5
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
You are only as smart as God made you and He did not make you smarter than Himself.
IV. Good News
God charged Himself, sacrificed His Son, defeated satan and all sin and gave you His Word and Spirit.
When you fear God and obey His commandments you are demonstrating that you love Him, trust in His power and are committed to His will, not just what‘s best for you in your own eyes.
God will see your faith and works and will reward you with His deliverance and His dream for your life.
If you have failed the test of selfishness, (i.e. you are not afraid of God and/or you have disobeyed His commands) -
Turn from that way of life
Humble yourself
Repent
Ask for His forgiveness
Accept His pathway to restoration
Rekindle a relationship with God
Give Him time and space to accomplish His will - not your will
Support His work in you and in others
Examine each new decision in the light of love, fear & obedience.
