Keith Battle - God's Family - Part 4

1 Thessalonians 5. Before I read this passage, I’m going to read verses 19 to 24 to you. I’m going to do something different; I’m going to give you my subject before I read the passage. Here’s my subject: let God work. Yeah, you feel me? Let God work. Let God work. Say that with me: let God work. Again, let God work. One more time, let God work. Okay, I’m scheduled to preach, but I need you to preach for like five seconds. I just want you to look at somebody right next to you; just pick someone and do it. Look them in the eye and just say, «Let God work.» God, let God work! Yeah, let Him work. Let Him work. Let God work; He wants to work. Let Him work. Let Him work. Amen? Amen! Let me read this passage to you, and hopefully it’ll make sense.

Verse 19 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 5: «Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.» Don’t, don’t, don’t suppress the Holy Spirit. Don’t, don’t hinder the Holy Spirit. The Old King James says, «Don’t quench the Holy Spirit.» Instead, we should do what? Let God work. Let Him work! Next verse, verse 20: «Do not scoff at prophecies.» Don’t minimize the value of prophecy, but instead do what? Let God work! Yeah! In verse 21, even though we shouldn’t scoff at prophecy, we should let God work, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Verse 22: «Stay away from every kind of evil.» Verse 23 says, «Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way.» Somebody say, «Let God work!» Yeah, that too! «And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.» Let God work! Somebody say it! God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful. And all of God’s people say, «Let God work! Let God work!» Amen? Before you are seated, let’s pray.

Father, we pray now that the perfect teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit would be ours today in abundance. Make us alert right now; quicken our thinking. Even if we haven’t had coffee today, perk us up! Make us attuned to Your word. Block out all distractions so that we get everything out of this teaching that You want for us. In Jesus' name, and everybody agreed said, «Amen! Amen! Amen!»

You may be seated. Let God work. It is clear in this passage that there are a number of things that God wants to do. Now, think about that. When we say God wants to do something, we have to let God do it. Let God work. Now, that sounds a bit oxymoronic when you think about who we’re talking about. We’re talking about God! How can you let God do something, as if He’s a child? I’m going to let you play with your toy for 30 minutes. I’m going to let you go outside until it’s dark. God is God! How in the world do we have the power to let Him do anything? How do we have the authority to hinder Him? Ride on, King Jesus. No man, oh, y’all ain’t old-schoolin’ here, cannot hinder Thee.

How did we get the authority, audacity, and capability of hindering the work of God? How do we get the prerogative to decide what we’re going to let Him do? Do you understand the enigmatic nature of letting God do something since He is God? There’s a real simple answer as to why this is the way it is: it’s because of one word—volition. Yes, free will! God has given every human being something called choice. We have the choice to allow Him to move in our lives. We have the choice to resist Him. We have the choice to open up areas of our life to Him. We have the choice to keep Him close.

God is a gentleman; He won’t barge in. Think about it: if I say to you, «Make yourself at home,» that’s what you say because that’s what we say. But you don’t really mean that! Can you imagine if I made myself at home and walked around your drawers? I’m going to the kitchen and drinking out of the juice bottle when nobody’s looking, then putting the juice bottle back! Y’all ain’t going to talk to me! I’m going in the master bedroom— that’s where I sleep! You didn’t mean that when you said, «Make yourself at home.» You meant, «Stay right here; we’ll bring you something to drink. Don’t you move! Go to that bathroom over there. Do not go up those steps and do not open this door!» How many of y’all know what I’m talking about right here?

I didn’t make it up; «At home» just means take your shoes off, but keep those socks on! 'Cause I know your situation! And I’m saying we do God just like that. You can work right here, but no, no, no, no—don’t work in my business. God, send me some clients, but don’t mess with this little relationship I’m in. Oh, I don’t want you over here. I don’t want you in my sex life; that’s personal. I’m grown! But please heal my mother! Y’all ain’t oh! We compartmentalize Him. We send Him places, Pastor Green, that we want Him to go, not where we need Him to be.

Oh! Yeah, yeah! Does He have all access? Does He have all access to our lives, or is He compartmentalized? So when I say in my subject, «Let God work,» see, see, the more surrendered you are…