““But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”” Luke 6:46……………….
I most assuredly at my ripe old age with my definitely fallible memory do not recall the details of the childhood game called “Simon Says,” but what I do remember is that when Simon gives instructions, the instructions are to be heard and followed. Simon is in charge, and when Simon says something, the participants in the game are to listen and take action. They are not to pick and choose which of Simon’s instructions they would like to follow and obey, which ones make them comfortable, which ones they’re in the mood to heed, which ones give them pleasure, which ones they feel they have the time to take to obey, which ones they feel will earn them praise, which ones will make them look good, which ones they determine are beneficial to themselves, etc. They are simply to listen for Simon to issue his instructions, and voila. They need to obey.
Believing in and following the Lord Jesus Christ is NOT a game, and Jesus Christ is not Simon. Following Christ is not a game of Simon Says. Jesus Christ is Lord. Yet if we’re honest with ourselves, some of us call Jesus Christ Lord, some of us believe intellectually He is Lord, some of us go to church every week and read our Bibles, some of us pray regularly, some of us do service work in Christ’s name through the churches we attend or through other ministries or even on our own in our everyday lives, but do not truly, sincerely, and genuinely place Christ above all else in our hearts and our lives and act in our thoughts, feelings, words, decisions, and actions like Christ is really Lord. Some of us are less serious about Christ being Lord and in our love for and obedience to Him than children are serious about Simon giving instructions that need to be followed. And some of us don’t go to church, read our Bibles, pray, and do service work in Christ’s name, all of which we absolutely should do, and also do not look to the Lord Jesus Christ as the highest and greatest priority in our lives and as the One whom we need to look to, listen to, and obey.
In the game Simon Says, are not children to be utterly serious and dedicated and committed and devoted and attentive and attuned to Simon and his commands? Simon Says is a game! Following Jesus Christ as Lord is about having a forever relationship with God, it’s about Christ being Lord, it’s about our eternity, it’s about intimate fellowship with Christ, it’s about Christ’s followers being His servants and God’s children, it’s about a way of life of being utterly devoted to Christ, it’s about not exalting self but about exalting God above everything and everyone else in our lives.
Christ’s followers are to be utterly serious and dedicated and committed and devoted and attentive and attuned to the Lord – and to obey when He speaks through His Word to us and by His Spirit to our individual hearts which will always line up with His Word when He does.
Let us ask ourselves this. Are we spending time with the Lord regularly, praying, studying the Bible, and learning to live by it, learning to recognize His voice and choosing to obey Him in all things? Are we taking the time to listen to Him, to hear Him, and not being selective about when we obey based on our own likes, comforts, preferences, dreams, moods, agendas, plans, schedules, etc. but instead choosing to obey Him without fail because He is Lord?
Is this message as convicting for you as it is for me? If the Spirit of God is convicting us through this message, let us hear Him and do something about it. This isn’t a game, my friend. This is about love, reverence, and obedience to the Lord of the universe! May we love Him! May we honor Him! May we revere Him! May we adore Him! May we seek Him! May we hear Him! May we obey Him! May we worship Him! This isn’t a game. This should be our very way of life! This isn’t Simon Says. This is about the Lord Jesus Christ and eternity!