What do you think of when I say the word order?

What do you think of when I say the word order in respect to your relationship with God?

There are two opposite ways to view the word order. It can have two directions in respect to a person. An order can come to you or an order can come from you.

In 2000 years the word order in respect to our relationship with God has taken a 180 degree turn. It has moved from a word that comes to us from God to a word that comes from us to God.

As Americans we are used to ordering things. We order food at a restaurant, we order prescriptions at the drive through line, we order our employees to do something, we order our children to behave, and we order clothes through the internet. We are indeed a blessed society. We get to order a lot of things. We like ordering. We are good at ordering.

In many parts of American Christianity, Church and God is just another place we order things. Instead, of the Coca-Cola logo on the vending machine at the store the Church version of the vending machine has a picture of a dove coming out of a cloud on it.

The church has encouraged this vending machine mentality. Our auditoriums are full of the ‘vending machines’. Matters of fact, the churches with the most vending machines have the biggest crowds. Most of our sermons and programs are describing our use of getting things out of the vending machines. We like ordering at church. We are also good at ordering at church.

I want to submit to you, that 2000 years ago, the Church did not know what it meant to order God. Instead, God ordered them.

Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”

Do you realize that the most common name of God in the Bible is the ‘Captain of the Hosts (Army)’? Captains give orders, they don’t take orders.

Now, I have done more than my fair share of giving orders to God. I have gotten some of the best ways to give orders to God from the Church. And you know, not once, did He ever obey. I even did it with faith, in accordance with His Word, with power, and might! He still didn’t move. He usually waited for me to get through ranting, spitting, yelling, declaring, and then would say something like this, “You move with me, not the other way around, Private. The only orders I obey are the ones I give to you.”

I have enjoyed life so much more since I have stopped giving orders to God. There is more peace since I started asking God what His orders are for me. He loves fulfilling my orders when they first come from Him. It’s an amazing thing.

“God, one last request for the day, can I have a Big Mac, Fries, and a large Coke, with that better job”?