Don't Get Ahead of God by Brother Curtis Hansen

         Good morning. Today's scripture is going to be a selection from James chapter 5 and also 1 Samuel chapter 15. If there is a title for this message today, it's don't get ahead of God. What I hope you take with you with this message is that you need to put on the attribute of patience.

        We will begin reading with verse 7 of James 5.

        7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

        8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

        9 Grudge not one against another brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

        Apply patience in everything that's in your life. We live in a world that says if it doesn't happen, we can make it happen. You are capable. Doing the right thing at the wrong time can ruin things in life. James writes to be patient all the way to the coming of the Lord. Patience is a choice of mindset to waiting. The Bible has many examples and teaches patience. It also gives examples of steady feet among men and not rushed. That mindset, the spirit of rush is everywhere today.

        You have a big problem? Chip away at it a little bit at a time. If you rush, you end up moving before God moves. Patience is just doing nothing. It's waiting on God to move.

        God provides us 3 different answers to our requests before him. No, yes, and not yet. We need to learn to respect all three. Sometimes you go to God with something and he immediately says no. If you have that spirit of rush, you try to crush and change God's direction for you. You then repurpose or even rebuild it to your flesh's satisfaction.

        Let's go over to 1 Samuel 15. We are going to read verses 21-23. The summary of this chapter is that King Saul was told by the prophet Samuel to smite and spare not the Amelekites. He was to slay both man and woman, infant, suckling, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey. Saul would smite those people but keep their king alive. He also kept the best sheep and oxen for sacrifice to the Lord.

      21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep, and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.

      22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

      23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

        The answers no and yes require obedience from you. The answer of not yet requires faith. The enemy will try to convince you that God isn't listening, and you need to do it yourself. An example of this is with Abraham and Sarah with their slave Hagar. God promised the couple a son in spite of their advanced age, and rather than be patient, they got Sarah's servant pregnant. The spirit of rush says to do something. Prayer asks what I do and waits for an answer. The enemy wants you emotional and edifying yourself in tongues. Your flesh can pump up your senses with a moment of tongues while you still have a wreck of a life and character to work on. As long as you are slain in the spirit, you never think beyond that. You think you have attained or arrived in holiness when you are just at the starter block. The apostle Paul warns about such in 1 Corinthians 14 of having disorder and improper service. The enemy doesn't want your flesh held accountable or submitted. Patience isn't passivity it is faith under control. Patience doesn't mean to stop moving. You can pray, study the word, prepare, obey what he already told you to do repeatedly. 

        Rushing can lead to rebellion. Saul didn't reject God. He had felt pressure from the people while he waited on Samuel. Saul partially obeyed God. To partially obey is to rebel. Rebellion is, "My way is better." Stubbornness also happens. You decide I can do what I want to do because I like it this way. Idolatry is not just anything elevated above God as your focus. You can make yourself your own idol.

        Don't feel rushed. You are called to fight your own battle. That fight shouldn't fall on your family, friends, spouse, or even your pastor. They aren't your front line of defense, nor do they fight the battle for you.

        Stay steady and don't feel rushed. Idolatry is, "My opinion, my timing, my way." When you identify an idol, it's when it has been done in secret. When it is found out, the person will defend his position and often include scripture to make his argument. When the person is tired of defending, they withdraw from the body of the church.

        God doesn't care about what percentages you give him. He wants all of you. Praying keeps you from making emotional decisions. Prayer calms you and not every door God opens is good for you. Especially if you don't have the right mindset to walk through it.

        I will conclude this message with this thought. The question isn't what you are waiting on it's what you are tempted to do because you have grown tired of waiting.