Are You Willing to Be Sifted?

 

“All the people of the world will be gathered before him. Then he will separate everyone into two groups. It will be like a shepherd separating his sheep from his goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”  (Matthew 25:32-33)

 

There is a separation going on.  It’s time to decide whose side you’re on.  Are you a sheep or a goat?  Are you on God’s side or the side of this world and the devil?

 

You may ask, how can you tell there’s a separation going on?  Well, just open up your eyes and look at what’s going on in the world today, especially in our country (“the good ole US of A)!!!  We seem to be leading the rest of the world down the “road to perdition”.  (Same-sex marriage, unisex bathrooms/locker rooms, do whatever feels good…)

God is asking His people to stand up for truth and righteousness.  We are not to be conformed to the world’s standards and morals.  “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  (Romans 12:2)We must be willing to say what thus says the Lord, according to His Holy Word and be willing to suffer the consequences.  If we are followers of Christ, we must stop trying to be “politically correct” and speak the truth in love, not watering the Word down to receive approval from this world.

God is drawing a line in the sand and we must choose whose side we are on.  And if we choose God’s side, then we must be ready to be sifted.  Now, some of those who are familiar with baking have heard of the term sifting.  For those of you like me who don’t bake, let alone cook, I’ll explain what sifting is.

Sifting is the process of sending flour through tiny grates of a sieve or flour sifter.  The sifting process aerates the flour, making it finer, softer and able to absorb liquids more evenly.  The reason flour had to be sifted was because as flour sits for a long time, it becomes lumpy.  If the flour isn’t sifted, your dessert will become very heavy and dense.  Now you may be wondering where in the corn cob is she going with this analogy???  Once again, let’s open our spiritual eyes.

When flour was milled using stone wheels, sifting removed bits of millstone and other impurities that might be found in the flour.  If we are like that flour that has been sitting in the cupboard (pew), not being used by the Baker, then we have become a hard lump that’s good for nothing.

Flour>Us     BAKER>GOD     Dessert>Purpose

The Baker wants to add air to the lump of flour, so that it can be broken up (surrendered).  The only way the Baker can do this is by sifting the flour.  He needs to put the flour through the tiny grates of a sifter to remove all of its impurities and have the flour become lighter without anything weighing it down.  If the Baker tried to use flour without sifting, His dessert would be heavy and not very good.

Sometimes the Baker may sift other dry ingredients with flour.  In this case, all the dry ingredients are placed together in a bowl, lightly stirred and then sifted together.  So, the flour actually will be sifted twice, individually and corporately.  Do you see it???

God needs to sift out every evil thing we have committed, so we can be useful to Him.  “A person shakes flour through a sifter.  The good flour falls through, but the bad lumps are caught.”  (Amos 9:9)  We cannot allow ourselves to sit on our church pews and not make ourselves available to the purpose God has for us.  We must become bold witnesses for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We must stand up for truth and righteousness, even if we stand alone.  We must not conform to the world’s values; we must be transformed daily with the Word of God.  We must not be afraid of what the world, the devil, our family, our friends, our co-workers, our neighbors think, if we are speaking the truth of God’s Word.  Remember the world is ever changing, but God is still the same.  “For I am the Lord, I change not.”  (Malachi 3:6a)  Whatever was considered a sin before is still a sin to God.  And if you’re not sure, here’s what the Word of God says in Galatians 5:19-21, “The actions that are produced by selfish motives are obvious, since they include sexual immorality, moral corruption, doing whatever feels good, idolatry, drug use and casting spells, hate, fighting, obsession, losing your temper, competitive opposition, conflict, selfishness, group rivalry, jealousy, drunkenness, partying, and other things like that. I warn you as I have already warned you, that those who do these kinds of things won’t inherit God’s kingdom.”  You cannot expect to inherit the Kingdom of God, if you are practicing these sins.  I didn’t say it, God said it!

The world will not understand us.  They will continue to call us backwards, old-fashioned, hateful, judgmental fools.  But we must continue to preach the Cross in love no matter what the cost.  “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are being destroyed. But it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved.  But people who are unspiritual don’t accept the things from God’s Spirit. They are foolishness to them and can’t be understood, because they can only be comprehended in a spiritual way.”  (1 Corinthians 1:18; 2:14)

• Are you willing to be sifted? 
• Are you willing to allow God to get rid of your impurities? 
• Are you willing to fulfill your God-given purpose? 
• Are you willing to join with other believers on the front lines? 
• Are you willing to lose your life for Christ? 
• Are you a sheep or a goat? 

Only you can answer these questions.  “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  (Joshua 24:15)

I choose Jesus!  I sure hope you will?!  “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  (Philippians 1:21)