Religion is Boring...

Revelation 1:17 (NKJV) And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

Isaiah 6:1 (NKJV) In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord...

Rev. 4:9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

Introduction:

• Religion is boring - - - - - Seeing the Lord is anything but. (but we will come back to this thought... )

• The Book of the Revelation to John from and of Jesus is definitely anything but..

• When we see the worship of the creatures around the throne, the 24 elders, the Prophets of old, the early new Church, which is now the ancient old Church, they  all seemingly had no problem offering their whole existence to worshiping Jesus with singular focus.

• What did they tap into that so acquired and required and kept their attention.

1. Religion is boring - church is boring - or maybe we are bored with our relationship with Jesus.

1.1. The enemy of our soul would want nothing more than for us to feel like having a relationship with Jesus is boring.

1.1.1. The things that we have to give up.

1.1.2. To keep us distracted for our brief time here on earth. 1.2. We want our time for ourself.

1.2.1. Satan has been around for a while... he does not die so his perspective of time is different than ours.

1.2.2. The feeling that we are somehow missing out on something.

1.2.3. The feeling that we would rather be some other place.
1.2.4. Not enough time so we rate what is the best way to spend our time.

1.2.5. And the Lord ends up last...

1.2.6. 168 hours in a week.

1.2.6.1. We work 40 to 50.

1.2.6.2. We sleep and eat and clean 60

1.3. Your time is your existence.

1.4. Is then your seed of time then the greatest worship you can bring to the Lord.

1.4.1. Well maybe s long as it was not relentlessly boring.

1.4.2. If we could only send our offering and it be enough.

1.4.3. Or just write a devotional to send out.
1.4.4. Or record a message to stream out.

1.4.5. Show me where you spend your time and money and I’ll show you what is most important to you.

Psalms 121:1-2 (NKJV) I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

1.5. What will keep our interest... enough so to get your time...

1.5.1. When we are not pressing into our walk with Jesus, being filled continually with the Holy Spirit, digging into the Word... Looking for the next sign ... inspiring teaching ...

1.5.2. What keeps the creatures and the 24 elders worshipping...?

1.5.3. Was it that they were created to do it
1.5.4. Or the glory they were beholding required their constant worship.

1.5.5. It is a battle!

1.5.5.1. A flesh burner.

1.5.5.2. A daily dying.

1.5.5.3. A striving.

2. How quickly we forget from where we came from... (classic reading but stay tuned in)

Exodus 32:1 (NKJV) Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

2.1. The beginning of the journey was pretty exciting
2.1.1. The red sea crossing seeing the Lord defeat our enemies
2.1.2. The bread from heaven, at the beginning was pretty cool, but I’m kind of tired of that bread now...
2.1.3. Water from the rock was nice but water just showing up every morning with the bread would be nicer.
2.1.4. But those days are gone and that man he has disappear into smoke...
2.2. Driven by forgetfulness, boredom, discontentment, fear, and a need for some excitement...
2.3. A Pastors temptation to make spiritual the carnal demands of the people.

Ex 32: 2 And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

Exodus 32:5-6 (NKJV) 5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD.” 6 Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

2.3.1.  How quickly they got bored.

2.3.2.  So they turned again to their idol.

2.3.3.  Surrounded it with religious activities.

2.3.4.  But that was not enough...

2.3.5.  Then they commenced to eating and drinking and playing.

2.3.5.1. Ela... it reminds me of the Super Bowl that I was told that all the Eagles fans have something they do acting like an eagle.

2.3.5.2. A wave offering to the Lord.

Ex. 29:24 and you shall put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and you shall wave them as a wave offering before the LORD.

2.3.5.3. But a wave offering as an eagle to a golden calf.

2.3.5.4. Yet, in worship hands are idle.

2.4. The excitement of playing compared to waiting.

Exodus 32:17-18 (NKJV) 17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But he said: “It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat, But the sound of singing I hear.”

2.4.1.  It was the noise of drunkenness

2.4.2.  The noise of dance around their idol.

2.4.3.  Your idol is not one that looks like a golden calf if we are misunderstanding.

2.4.4.  The rose to play - to make sport.

2.4.5.  Ela... we walk the streets marching for Jesus and then join their sport participating in the worship of the golden calf.

2.5. Giving to play and work and drunkenness does not lead to the growing an interest in the things of God.
2.5.1. By the mercy of God I was set free from drunkenness in November 1993 and by His continual grace, mercy and power I have not touched a drop since.

2.6. Making simple the things of God yet keeping our interest.

2 Corinthians 1:12 (NKJV) For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.

2.6.1.  But even simple can be boring.
2.6.1.1. Ela... Eating broccoli every night might seem simple and boring. A jelly donut with sprinkles looks a lot more exciting.
2.6.1.2. This pulpit might be too simple and old fashion. Just good ole fashion wood with some stain on it. Maybe titanium or carbon or some more exciting finish. Or if I was keeping up with the times I should have a small round table and stool.

2.6.2.  This same mentality filters into everything.

2.6.3.  Without pressing in the Word could become too simple and loose our interest. Let’s find something else to read.

3. Just keep looking.

Revelation 5:1-8 (NKJV) 1 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. 4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” 6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. Worthy Is the Lamb 8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

3.1. I saw

3.1.1.

Acts 9:3 (NKJV) As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.

3.3. The longer you look the more you see.

Conclusion:

I am of the mind that my walk with Christ is the only relationship that will keep my interest.

And if something is waning there it is not on Jesus’ side.

If you seek just excitement or comfort or a feeling you may look to many relationships and to many substitutes.

But if you seek the Lord, keep looking, keep searching, truth you will find, almost surprising, the excitement you desire.