Stand Guard!

John 12:^4-6 “But Judas Iscariot… the one who would betray him—said, “That perfume was worth a fortune. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor, but he was in charge of the disciples’ funds and often dipped into them for his own use!” (LB)

We will kick off with our final point from yesterday. Isaiah 64:⁶ “We are unfit to worship you; each of our good deeds is merely a filthy rag. We dry up like leaves; our sins are storm winds sweeping us away.” (CEV). Self-righteousness is the sister of entitlement, and all our self-righteousness counts for nothing before God. If allowed, entitlement not only will rob you of peace, but it will also rob you of vision. Whenever you feel entitled, it darkens your vision, and you are unable to see as God wants you to see. All you can see are the things that are lacking in your life, the things that are missing, the things that you should have that you do not have but your sister or your next-door neighbour has.

Entitlement is not just a thief of peace, it will not just rob folks of their vision, entitlement will rob folks of their joy. It is difficult to see a joyfully entitled person. Every time entitlement creeps into the door, joy goes to hide at least, that is if it does not go out the window. Entitlement is a thieving spirit that if allowed will not only steal the peace, the vision, and the joy of the person, entitlement will steal the praise of the person, and this is huge. Entitlement will steal your praise if you allow it. Your praise (your heart of gratitude and thanksgiving) is one of your greatest assets with God. But when entitlement comes in, it robs people of their praise.

So, when you are worshipping, for example, the spirit of entitlement is there challenging every word of worship. For example, you are singing, ‘every time I call You answer. Every door I knock You open. You’re incredible God…’. And the spirit of entitlement is saying, ‘Every time you call, really? You asked Him to give you a new bag but look at the old bag you have been using for the past six years. Did He answer?’ Entitlement robs that praise, and it shortens it. And even while you are still thinking, the spirit of entitlement shows you a door and says, ‘This door is your entitlement. You have knocked on that door repeatedly, but it has not opened.’

If you allow entitlement, it will rob you of your praise. Entitlement says, ‘You have prayed and prayed about this boil on your hand. You are entitled to healing. After all healing bread belongs to the children. And it has not gone.’ It even quotes Jesus in the scriptures. Entitlement says, how can you be expected to praise and worship God? And what that does is it takes away from how incredible God becomes in our hearts. Entitlement robs people of their praise.

Prayer (song): You are God from beginning to the end. There’s no place for argument. You are God all by yourself (x2). You’ve got times and seasons in your hands… Amen!