Intersections - Audio

Life is filled with the intersection of events that seem to be mere chance. However, when we look back at these intersections, we realize that these moments cannot be coincidence. There is such a mystery about life. Because of the unknowable and unexplainable there are often questions. Many become hung up on the questions and unexplainable. We all have questions. As a result there often comes a hardening. The disappointments in life tend to cause a defense mechanism that hardens the outer shell. The number of people sidelined by these questions and hardening is staggering. These people come to a point in life that no matter what is said or done, they are locked into this world of protection . The questions of life can propel us to find something, or they can lock us in a world of hardened disillusionment. The question posed by Nathanial in our text displays such an attitude. It implies a prejudice about Nazareth being less than other regions of Israel. When Philip announced that he had found the Messiah, and it was a Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanial closed his thinking and discounted it as not being possible. This almost cost him to lose his discipleship. Nathaniel is not the only one to have almost missed the opportunity of a lifetime. Nathaniel questioned if anything good could come from Nazareth. Some of us might question if anything good could come from our situation. Sometimes we restrict the movement of God due to a location, but the truth is that God can move anywhere anytime. Do not let life get locked into thinking that I cannot happen here. It CAN happen here. Do not let our attitudes and opinions keep us from the blessings that God wants to pour out. Many opportunities are missed even in a church service. "Well it is only Wednesday night." "If we were in the auditorium and not the gym..." The truth is that on a Wednesday night, in the family center, or under the fig tree under which Nathanial was sitting, God can move. There are people facing dispute in their families due to no other reason than attitudes and prejudices between family members. There are people who need blessing at church, but they cannot receive it because of attitudes about the one trying to minister to them. The attitude is at the root of the unhappiness. We cannot let the attitude or spirit get in the way of God reaching for us. How many things are missed in life because we are not willing to go where God wants us to go? How many times are we like Nathanial that the evidence is there, but the timing or place are not to our liking? It is a dangerous place to be to let attitudes and prejudices get in the way of the hand of God. More than the questions of life, it is more often the mindset that hangs us up. What attitude, what mindset, what preconceived idea is limiting us today? What is it that is keeping us from moving on in life? What kind of spiritual rendezvous are we in danger of missing because of an attitude?