United Church of God

Let It Go

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Let It Go

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Let It Go

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The Passover season is on the horizon and we know that we need to take special care in finding that sin and rooting it out.

Sermon Notes

Presenter's Notes

The Passover Season is on the horizon and we know that we need to take special care in finding that sin and rooting it out.  We know that Jesus Christ died for our sins.  Sins are defined in the Bible as ‘the transgression of the law.’  We learn God’s truth, way and law by studying the scriptures but sometimes we fall backwards into sin and yes, even in some cases, we run back to sin. 

Satan is known by many names in the Bible:  The great deceiver, the destroyer, the accuser, the adversary and for the sake of this message, I will call him another name – the hunter.

Satan wants us all destroyed.  He has no love for God’s people and will do his best to isolate us and get us to reject God’s authority.  He does this by helping us believe that we should give in to our own desires and lusts by setting up snares and traps.   We see in Psalm 38:12 (NKJV) those also who seek my life lay snares for me; those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, and plan deception all the day long.  These “Snares” can take many forms.  God shows us how to avoid these snares but there are times when the snare is so inviting, we don’t trip and fall into the snare but we run to it. 

The title of this message is “Let it go”

Have you ever heard of the practice of snaring a monkey with a coconut?  This is how it works: The hunter would take a coconut and cut out a hole that is just big enough for a monkey’s hand to go into. Once the monkey’s hand is closed, it will not be able to pull it out. The Hunter would then tie this coconut to a tree. Next, the Hunter would place a handful of peanuts (or as in some other accounts I found, rice) into the coconut and leave a trail of it along the ground all the way to the nearby forest. The Hunter would then sit and wait patiently.

These snares are set up on trails that the monkeys frequent.  It might surprise you to find out that these snares are not put in odd places or hidden but out in the open to catch the eye of a passing primate.  The sprinkled treats outside of the snare lure the poor creature to it.  Remember that the hole is just big enough to reach in and pull out a very small amount but like most primates, it’s not in the nature to do that.  He wants to take with him as much as possible and quickly to rush back to the safety of the woods.  As he reaches for this treasure, he forgets he’s not safe and out in the open. EVEN when he becomes caught, he just can’t stop thinking about the treats in the coconut and refuses to let go. 

Now refusing to let go of the treat, the monkey becomes trapped!  He will then scream and shout and alert all the hunters who will then come along and capture this poor creature! This monkey would then lose its freedom forever.  The fate of the primate varies from being sold to a zoo or sold to someone who plans to eat him.

The saddest part of this whole scenario is that the monkey could have ACTUALLY escaped at any time! All he had to do was to LET IT GO and release the TEMPTATION. But you know what? He can’t bring himself to EVER let it go. It is so afraid of losing something that a few moments ago, they didn’t know about to becoming something that’s so important to them, they will never let go. As a result, the monkey loses more than just his treat…he loses HIS FREEDOM!  Do we, brethren do this with bad habits or ‘treats’ or perhaps things that we shouldn’t be near?

When I was 7 years old, my family came to the church of God while living in Corpus Christi.  Our family was quite poor however my father was/is an excellent fisherman.  We usually wouldn’t have meat to eat if he didn’t catch it.  Dad also made a shrimp sein to catch gobs of huge Texas Gulf shrimp.  As we got to learn more about God’s ways, we found out we could no longer eat shrimp, catfish and other unclean things which made the family upset.  The family decided to have “one last meal” of unclean food and then put it away from now on.  Soon Dad caught a huge amount of shrimp and other fish and prepared it as he had many times before for our family.  We always ate this sort of fair but this time it was different.  Apparently I developed a huge shellfish allergy where my face and hands swelled to cartoon size and I almost stopped breathing.  The rest of the family also got sick and the desire for shellfish was completely gone.  God saved me from that snare…for some, clean and unclean meats is a deal breaker.  I am thankful that for me, God removed my desire or temptation for shellfish completely! 

So what kind of things are a snare to us?  There are many things that are harmful to us that are easy to stay away from like illegal drugs, murder and eating unclean foods. The list could go on and on but I won’t use our time with looking at the obvious and look at the ‘not so obvious.’   Could it be telling “white lies” because telling a small lie is easier? Do we believe that we deserve respect from others when we freely gossip about others faults? Do you justify participating in activities that are not exactly wrong but they’re not good either?  Just how many alcoholic drinks are too much in an evening or in a week? Should you really have watched that new movie or read that ‘famous’ book?  Do you look like everyone else in the world by trying to fit in with those around you (like having to have the latest styles of clothing, the wrong kinds of music or entertainment) instead of seeking to have Christ live in you in all things?  Do these simple things remove us from God’s presence and trap us so we cannot get away? 

Society today pushes our youth to be their own person but in reality what society is actually doing is telling our youth to not be like our parents.  You find this mentality expressed freely at our schools, colleges and Universities.  For example, I went back to college in my 30’s and was the oldest student in many of my classes.  I’m most grateful that I went back as an older student because I was more mature and didn’t feel the need to fit in.  My program required me to take a humanities course and found one that fit my schedule perfectly.  The course was taught by a short and sweet lady … or so I thought she was till the class started.  The very first class she let us know that we need to stop thinking old like our parents and should explore everything especially what our parents told us not to do.  She preached the joys of promiscuity and dabbling in drugs as well as promoting experimentation.  I asked the instructor what exactly was this purpose for this class.  She cheeringly told us that we were here to learn to be ‘ourselves’ and that once we figure out who that was, no one could make us conform to their ways especially the outdated thinking from our parents and churches.  I asked her if we would fail the course if we didn’t end up more liberal thinking at the end of the semester and she said ‘Of course not!  Who am I to tell you that you’re wrong for how you think, act and feel?”  I thanked her and said “Ma’am, with all due respect, my way of beliefs are backed by my belief in God and I do not agree with how you promote throwing away the teachings of our parents and churches.  As you stated earlier, we will not fail this class by having a different mindset than you and I will hold you to that.”  

After the class was over some of the students came up to me and said that did not know how to react because this class was required for their program.  They knew that if they dropped the class, they would never graduate.  I told them that God is their ultimate judge and it was Him that they had to please.  I feel that’s exactly what some of our higher learning intuitions have become so beware!

Oh, in case I forget to say – I got an “A” in that class.  =)

We should remember that we are pilgrims in this world and not part of it.  Let’s go to 1 Peter 2 and start in verse 11:  Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Now verse 9 in 1 Peter 2: But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

When you see the snare in this world (and there are many) don’t be like the monkey who must satiate his desire to have it and will not let go even unto death.  Act like that chosen generation that God has chosen us to be a part of.  Cast out your leaven, change your paths, change your ways and let Christ live in you. When you see temptation, just let it go.