Why the Yawns Across America and Around the World? (I need your help with sermon prep)

49 thoughts on “Why the Yawns Across America and Around the World? (I need your help with sermon prep)”

1. People yawn during church because it is often the first time they sat down all morning. There mind and body are catching up from a busy morning:-0

   I think people do not have the right understanding of the church. So many people think that the church is around in case they need something or if they don’t have anything better to do. Other get upset because the church is filled with sinners, but they call them hypocrites.

   Others just don’t want accountability. At some point in time church became something we go to and not something we are.

2. Hey, Chris!

   Here are my thoughts on this…

   Even though the life and ministry that Jesus lived while here on earth was nothing to yawn at and God’s sacrifice of His Son on the cross to overcome our sins is the most joyful hopeful and exciting act in the history of the world I think there are a couple of reasons for the apathy that we so oftentimes experience when sharing the Gospel.

   1) Our society today continues to scream through life at break-neck speed. We are bombarded with media messages promoting quick-fixes and convenience. Technology is an incredible tool for ministry, but it also serves as a tool for the evil one. Movies, and t.v. shows are so fast-paced, edgy, and exciting that people seem to be always looking for the next fix of excitement. Facebook, cell-phones, and other gadgets get us information faster than ever before…to the point where we can end up with information overload. Is it possible that the hope and excitement of what Jesus has to offer as he turns lives upside down is comparatively losing out to the seemingly-better excitement and instant gratification that the world has to offer?

   2) Connected to this idea, our fast-paced society has encouraged many of us to not take care of ourselves as a “temple of the Holy Spirit”. After eating quick and easy (and unhealthy) foods out of convenience and downing an endless supply of coffee to keep ourselves going, is it no wonder why so many of us skid into church sideways and find it so easy to go through the motions of doing church once per week? Maybe the yawns we see are simply the result of our bodies craving rest for so long? Not just physical rest, but Biblical rest that God has called us to on a regular basis. Maybe we are not really able to hear the Good News that God is trying to tell us because we are all on overload from running the world’s race?

3. 1. Because most people, and especially “good” people, have never had a Damascus road moment (or moments) where God knocks them down and shines a light into what their “goodness” really looks like to Him.

   2. Because many people are afraid to pray for those moments, because they can’t rest in the confidence that their sin is covered by the blood of Jesus, because they don’t understand it.

   3. Because, ultimately, the Holy Spirit has permitted it. (That’s the one that’s the hardest for me to submit to. And I’m not a pastor! 🙂 )

4. I probably shouldn’t say anything until I’ve given it more thought (which I will do), but for me, I had to understand the depth of MY depravity (and I’m sure I only know in part) – not the depravity of others I was quick to judge, but MINE – before this verse both put me on my face and makes me weep with joy. That’s a tough job for a pastor – to remind people that they are sinners and their works are as filthy rags. It’s got to be the Holy Spirit, don’t you think?

5. Yes, Patricia, I agree. So far, that has been my biggest thought. I need to pray more. It is very much in keeping with Rachel’s comment.

6. Thank you so much, Rachel, these are excellent and helpful thoughts! More prayer is needed.

7. Thanks Heidi. I am with you on the yawns! I yawn sometimes myself.

   I agree – – -it has to be about our union with Christ – – our identity with Him.

8. It’s about weakness of Christian belief, in general. More specifically, most professing Christians have adopted a simplistic gospel that is mostly false, though true as far as it goes. Not too helpful yet, right?

   Here’s the all-too-common understanding of the gospel: “God in Christ Jesus has done all these things for me, forgiving me all my sins – past, present, and future – so I’m in. I am secure in Christ’s love, I am heaven-bound by grace through my faith in Jesus, and that’s all I need to do. The pastor said it a thousand times: I don’t need to be a Bible scholar, I don’t need to do good works, I don’t need to measure up at all – I’m forgiven, and that’s all there is to this thing. Even the pastor’s ‘trustworthy saying’ echoes my assumptions: Paul was way worse than I ever was and ever will be, so it’s all good. I wonder what’s for lunch…”

   I don’t believe that’s a cynical take on the average evangelical churchgoer. I think it’s real, and it’s tragic. Because that average evangelical churchgoer may actually be missing the gospel entirely. Our “sign-the-petition” “eternal security” “gospel” is leading people to effective unbelief.

   If the people in the pews thought there was a sniper on the premises, armed with deadly weaponry, stealthily waiting to pick off one or two more of the congregation, they would be waiting with bated breath for the next word out of the mouth of the most heavily-armed and battle-trained man in the room. And if they understood their role outside the church building as calling people into the battle on the side of the God of all the universe, there might be less yawning.

   Basically, our people believe what we see (peace and harmony) and their everlasting “deal” with God makes Him largely irrelevant to “their” daily lives.

9. I believe people “yawn” because God is not real to them, at least not in the near term. Having to fix a meal in an hour or go to work or mow the lawn are all near term things that must be dealt with. We have many things that we treat as urgent, that must be dealt with today. God is so distant in practical terms that He is more philosophical than real. The unspoken thought is that I have to deal with my urgent issues now, these are the things that are most important and that occupy my mind the most.

   God becomes most relevant, it seems, when life is the most out of our control. When we must face a disease or terrible storm or economic crisis then it’s much easier to look to God, pray to God, listen to any nugget of truth to help us with our issue. Our sin nature keeps us so self centered that it’s difficult to see the world any other way.

10. Reading this two things come to mind: First, that we are ALL undeserving rebels…Romans 3:23 is clear about that. It’s easy to point the finger and recognize the sins of others, but pointing the finger back at ourselves is tougher. It’s uncomfortable. We don’t like to be uncomfortable (agree with previous comment about technology and comfort!). I think we often don’t get it that even though we are in the midst of doing good, we are still sinners, rebellious, stiff-necked people who only deserve the death that Christ took on our behalf. And, that doesn’t change even after we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.

    The second thing that jumps out to me is that Christ came into the world to save ME. Yes, He came for all people, but I am one of those people…it’s personal, it needs to be personal. We also learn throughout our Christian lives that Jesus came, died, and rose. However, we often learn a Rated G version. But, what Christ endured was NOT Rated G…it was brutal and definitely not pretty. And He did it for YOU, He did it FOR ME. Our humanity says why would anyone do that, go through that for people who rejected Him? But, He did it because of the depth of His love for us. We don’t understand that kind of love because we can’t love like He does…our brains can’t fathom it. But, until we get an intimate, personal glimpse of what He did, we are desensitized to it. Desensitization makes it distant and because it’s distant, we can remain apathetic. However, when you realize the depth of the experience Christ endured for you, understand that your identity is in Him, you realize how much you need a Savior.

11. I think we are unaware of the enormity of our offense. Yes, we think we’ve sinned, but we hasn’t everybody? We fail to understand the magnitude of the One we’ve offended. The gravity of my sin (even small ones like preferring football to your sermon :))is proportionate to God’s great worth. So, since God deserves immeasurable honor, my sin is immeasurably reprehensible.

    Unless I realize that I’m the foremost of sinners, I don’t squirm at the prospect of judgement. Conversely, my delight in salvation is commensurate with a cognizance of the greatness of my offense.

    For example, when my son drinks pop out of his sister’s glass, that is offensive and gross, but he doesn’t care. He does it anyway. But when he mistakenly drank out of a guest’s glass, he was mortified. What was the difference? He recognizes the guest deserves honor. He fails to recognize that his sister does, too. When we yawn at the way we’ve offended God, we show that we fail to recognize his great worth.

    I’m sure there’s more to it, but I think that’s at least, a part of the problem.

12. We have always considered Saturday night as part of our Lord’s day commitment; getting a good night’s rest by not being out late, laying out clothes and locating other items we know we’ll need, etc. Preparing our hearts with what one of my mentors termed ‘Bible, bath, and bed’ on Saturday night goes a long way toward making Sunday restful and teaching our kids that the Lord’s day is worthy of special consideration. Just my two cents.

13. For me, one reason I may “yawn” is that I have not come properly prepared for receiving the Word. How many times have I rushed into the sanctuary to sit down to the “meal” that my pastor has prepared without taking time to quiet my heart, to pray that the Spirit will have His way in me, to mull over the Scripture passage in advance?

    How many times have I listened to the Word being preached and had the thought, “I hope So-and-so is listening. THEY really need to hear this one!”?

    On a recent Sunday I watched in dismay as a teenage boy in the row in front of me played with miniature robots of some sort as we prepared for communion. His Dad sat right next to him, even laughing at what he was doing in the pew, doing nothing to stop the distraction. I was offended, yet it caused me to think about how we (myself included) often allow distractions of life to keep us from “examining our own hearts” in preparation for coming to the table.

14. I like Shannon’s reply a lot. Is God great, or just very good to us? See Tozer for more along these lines – our view of God’s greatness is very dim.

15. I am not a member of your church (although I have always heard great things) so my view may not be what you are seeking here. I am, however, guilty of a yawn as my ex pastor extolled the wonders of the scripture.

    Here’s the thing. . . I know that Jesus gave His life for me. No question. I know that I sin even as I am asking forgiveness. I don’t need another mortal who has credentials to stand before me and tell me so. The pastor does not reveal anything new to me and hence, there may be a yawn. I get it. What I want from a church is a family that is wholly loving and accepting. I need a pastor who understands his parishoners are thinking, caring people who want to be better, do better and collectively move toward that betterment.

    I’m not sure it is apathy in the face of the truth so much as how to we honor that Truth?

    I have been to a lot of churches. What I take away is not a feeling of joy so much as a feeling of sadness. There is judgement in the sermons, judgement in attitudes, judgement in what a Christian is, really.

    Sadly, I have come to the conclusion that organized religion is a function of the mortal need to manage God.

16. To put distance between ourselves and God. Consciously or not. In doing so, we alleviate ourselves of any responsibility, response or respect we owe God and the gospel.

17. This may be human nature, but it would seem that the desire for something new and profound is at the root of people losing interest in most anything.

    To bring this into the discussion of our Faith in Christ, if we are not digging the depths of the scriptures and learning new things from the Holy Spirit, our natural inclination is to take on the “Been there done that” attitude. The power of the cross is amazing and new to those who are living at the foot of the cross. But if you are not at the foot of the cross, we lose perspective.

18. We yawn because God and His holiness fall so lightly on us. It seems nearly impossible for us to imagine God as full of wrath toward sinners. So Christ bearing God’s wrath for us is not a major accomplishment.

19. I’m not focused on reality, I am fooled by the here and now. I begin to believe that this is all there is. I don’t mean that I truly doubt that there is a hope and a future, but I fail to think of that hope and future as a real and eminent series of events. I can’t mark the dates down on my calendar that I will see the LORD and the New Heaven and Earth revealed, but that reality is more sure than my next haircut, my plans for dinner tonight, or saving up for another vacation for our family. When I have that perspective as I listen to a sermon I’m eager to prepare my heart for meeting my LORD!
    I’m focused on appeasing my guilt rather than developing a relationship with God based upon grace. Our pastor gave a very moving sermon this past Sunday. He spoke from Colossians 2 and 3 and used the rich man who turned away in contrast with Zaccheus to illustrate the point. My motivation for being at church, for listening to the sermon, and for wanting to obey all have to be examined. If I’m focused on appeasing my guilt rather than on God and His grace the message loses it’s awesome depth and truth. Without trying to grasp grace I can’t even begin to grasp the message. When I am focused on grace and I hear these truths it makes my mind eager to take more in and explore and savor the truth. I can’t get enough because it makes me throw away the thought that I can understand God and instead I realize that I’m so small and insignificant and so utterly dependent upon God…in a great way.
    I’m out of focus because I’ve been that way all week long. I’m unprepared to hear what is preached. When you spoke at our wedding you charged us to glorify God in everything and every moment, whether we are gassing the car or tying our shoes. When the majority of my week is spent focused on God, it’s much easier to focus during the message on Sunday morning.

20. Amen, Tim. Succinctly at the heart of it I think.

21. Joanna, this is very helpful.

22. Judi, your thoughts are so very helpful. One of the necessary things in preaching is to know where people are at. This really helps. Come visit us if you have a chance. I, SERIOUSLY, would be interested to hear your feedback if you visited.

23. Such great practical advice Glenn.

24. Deb, this is going to help me connect (by God’s grace). It needs to be personal! I agree. This helps.

25. Cindie, several people have talked about the need to prepare and be ready to “dine.” I hadn’t been thinking along these lines. It is a great help.

26. Joanna, I agree. I think we live in a time where people want God to be distant.

27. Tom, it’s amazing that you would point to Tozer. I am just reading him in relation to the sermon on 1 Tim 1:17!!

28. Chris, wish you were just up the street so we could sit down at the Blue and discuss this!

29. Pastor Chris,
    For me it summed up in the word distraction. C. S. Lewis brings this out so succinctly in his book “Screw Tape Letters”
    I’ve also heard it said that “religion” is the opiate of the people. Yes, religion is the opiate of the people. All the man made traditions, the add on works base details and the deadness of a movement without the vibrancy of Christ and the power of his resurrection and forgiveness of sin. Along with that is our cultires obsession with pleasure. As long as satan can keep us occupied with empty religion and meaningless, emotion-packed events (I’m talking sports here), we are bound to be uninterested in saving truth. Plus Hollywood is in bed with the aforementioned, thus most of what we see on the big screen is supporting this world view…we might be a bit lazy as well.
    Food for thought.

30. These are all great responses. Thanks for asking the question, Chris. Makes me think deeper about our role in discipleship.

31. Hey Chris. Check out Kevin DeYoung’s blogs on the dangers of constant busyness. It turns out the juggernaut of our culture wants us to be too busy, too bored, too constantly hopping to care, to focus on Christ. I will email you the document which was a two day episode on what social media (it’s not all evil, but)is doing to our passion.

32. Ryan – – thanks so much!

33. Patricia, it is going to help me SO much for sermon prep.

34. What comes to my mind is
    1 Corinthians 2:13-15
    New International Version (NIV)

    13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[a] 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,

    This is seems to be pointed at the unsaved, but even Christians not seeking after the spirit may find them self lost and without understanding of there standing before God.

35. I haven’t read all these so I apologize if I’m being redundant. I think it’s a couple of things. First of all, many people have heard it since they were a child, so they think they know it already, and just don’t pay attention to the significance of it – dismiss it as “yeah, yeah, old news, what else you got?”.

    I think for other people it’s not tangible enough. It’s a spiritual concept that we can’t sense with our 5 senses. Our day to day lives are filled with problems and pain and it’s sometimes hard for us humans to see past the physical world that we live in. Many think of it as a nice idea, hope it’s true, say the necessary prayers to cover thier bases and get into heaven, and then turn their attention to solving the urgent problem at hand in the physical world. It takes a lot of self discipline to be keep Jesus at the center of your life.

    Mainly, I don’t think our human minds are capable of comprehending the magnitude of it. It’s just too much for us so we “switch off” or “short circuit” and turn our thoughts to things that don’t overhwelm us, like football, grocery lists, etc.

    There also may be more people than you think who are struggling with theological issues. For example I’ve had some recent discussions with people about the validity of substitutional atonement as doctrine (inspired by study of John Shelby Spong and John Dominic Crosson). Many of those people don’t speak up in church, but may not agree with what’s being said. My guess is that in Stillman this is a small percentage, but I’ll bet they are there.

    (I used an alias because I found out that these blog comments come up on a Google search and I’d rather keep this kind of thing more private – I’ll send you a PM to let you know who I am). Good luck with your sermon 🙂

36. This is question is easily put. Answering it may more be a more complex exercise. You’ve already got some wonderful food for thought above!
    When I read your post though, I kept focusing on the two categories: Saved and Unsaved.
    With the unsaved I think immediately of Paulesque explanation of pre-saved state — so pick your poison (aka NT letter) Romans: we’re blinded; Ephesians; dead in our trespasses,etc. Isaih reminders us we all like sheep have gone astray and are in need of the good shepherd. As with one of your earlier responders, surely in that state we have no ability to comprehend the holiness of God and we suppress the truth (Jer 17:9). Its always the Holy Spirit convicting (as has been expressed).
    As for those saved, most of the previous explanation still applies because though declared righteous we are not made righteous and thus struggle as Paul says of himself to do the things we should and not do those we shouldn’t. However, we’re also in various states of growth — some are more aware of the struggle whereas others may be oblivious. I appreciated your comments Sunday in church regarding the verse the reminds us we fall into the hands of a living God.
    For both groups though, as one good friend of mine said of someone close to him, unsure where they stood, “…its not the outward behavior, its that Christ isn’t your treasure” (Matt 6:21 Where your treasure is there your heart will be also). Daily dying to self and continuing to make Christ our treasure is at the root. Accomplishing that is found in the 1st and 2nd greatest commandments — Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul… Love your neighbor as yourself. That’s not only appropriate for February but always.
    Another good start on the solution for us as Christians: Col 3:1-2 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

37. Excellent thoughts Hermione. And an intriguing alias. I’m okay with that.

38. Darren, you are right in your break down of the discussion. There are essentially 2 categories and they cannot be analyzed together.

39. I found Richard Winter’s little book “Still Bored in a Culture of Entertainment” to ask many of the right questions and give some helpful perspective on answering them.

    I found it striking how recent (relatively speaking) the word “bored” entered the English language. It is not that “boredom” is a new thing, but the way people think about it is fairly new and has been growing in the wrong direction in relation to cultural biases.

    Previously, it was believed that boredom was the fault of the bored person (it was called various things like “sloth” “ennui”, “langour,” and various other terms) and called the state of the soul into question. In modern times, where the self is the center of our universe, the term used is “boring” and refers to the things that don’t (immediately) please us.

    In modern culture, we are constantly trained and reinforced that our desires are the standard of good and interesting, and anything outside of what appeals to us is “boring.” To make matters worse, we are constantly reinforced in seeing only immediacy as interesting. All this reinforces the notion that people and ideas had better please us quickly if they are going to keep our attention.

    Some have pointed out the “culture” is a misnomer to describe our environment. “Culture” implies “cultivation,” standards, a call to grow, change, and develop. How many things in our “culture” do that? How many things challenge us to recognize we are not the standard and that things are not about us?

    Of course, this only feeds the natural inclinations of our flesh and what our culture teaches us only reinforces what we already want to believe – our desires are the standard by which all things are judged. Our culture is a marketing culture, that makes much of our immediate desires – and we buy into it hook, line, and sinker because it feeds us what our selfishness desires.

    The unfortunate outcome of making the self the center, is that boredom must always increase if this is true and we only become smaller and smaller people. It promises to get worse, until we either repent, or suffer intolerable consequences to seeing our desires as central.

40. First time responder.
    I have read all of the responses very good insight.
    Summed up “moral decay” would be my first thought.
    I recall when the Bible was removed from my desk.
    This morning a friend sent me an article written on December 14, by a Canadian author, Howard Galganov that cited “our culture has removed all semblances of personal responsibility and respect.”
    He blames TV, movies, and game producers who pedal their “FILTH”. Reality shows that “demean humanity” and schools that do not teach values.
    According to Mr. Galganov they spend far to much time and effort ridiculing and attacking people who want to live by lessons of the Bible which has led to a social and culture that eats away like a cancer.
    only with respect and assuming responsibility for our actions

41. I agree with Shannon. This problem is particularly exaggerated by the American mindset-success, prosperity, comfort, entitlement.

42. I think Tim has a great point. I cannot fully comprehend heaven or hell. And since I am not destined for hell, it’s implication is somewhat lost. It is only when I think of those who are lost that I ‘wake up’.

43. How did Jesus teach? With stories. He got their attention by using a story they could relate to get the message across. Even at 67 I still love the Children Bible Hour stories. Rambo’s treasure: Missionary tries to explain salvation. Rambo said “it too easy.” Going to Bombay on his knees to earn salvation. Rambo tries to give large Pearl to his friend the missionary. Missionary tries to pay him for it. “No it is a gift. My son died diveing for this pearl. Nothing could pay the price.” He finally understands God’s gift. Great story. and illustration.

44. Don is right that stories get people’s attention and we all love stories. We should use stories and as powerfully as we can.

    But two problems come to mind. First, is that when asked why he used stories Jesus did not give the answer that we expect he would, in fact his answer shakes us up a little bit.

    Mark 4:11-12 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.'”

    It sounds like he is saying that he used stories to hide truth (at least from the disinterested) instead of what we would naturally think. He also suggests that there is a time to get past stories and make the real point.

    Second, using stories often “illustrates” the point we are discussing. We love stories more than the point that they make. We are prone to be fomalists who love forms more than the transcendent truths they are supposed to direct our attention to.

    I love the story of the prodigal son. It seems nearly everyone does. But I’m also conscious that I too often love the story more than the spiritual truth it is meant to communicate. I think I love even bad sermons on the prodigal son. But I must confess all too often, no matter how often I tell myself that I am the prodigal or the older legalistic brother, I don’t have the kind of response toward God that leads to the joy of the angels in heaven.

45. Chris,
    I believe the church in America has been seduced by our own prosperity. Comfort and consumerism have successfully worked their way into church culture, with attendees often conditioned to opt for what they can get rather than what they can give. The worship style controversy is a great example.
    I often ask my humanities classes, “What is most likely to mature the human personality, comfort and pleasure or struggle and sacrifice?” A rhetorical question. So why is it that so much of our culture is geared toward the pursuit of ever greater pleasure, convenience, discontent and entitlement? (Our actions often indicate that we actually feel that we are more entitled to prosperity than those in other parts of the world.) Why don’t we instead resist these things and rather incorporate into our lives the things that will make us better people?
    The answer has to do with the seductive power of prosperity as indicated in Deuteronomy 8:7-10. “Beware…lest you forget the Lord your God.” According to the text one of the dangers of prosperity is coming to believe that we ourselves, not God, have brought us prosperity. The interesting thing is that riches are not evil. In fact without them our ability to reach the lost would be severely hindered. It is possible to be prosperous and godly, but as Jesus taught, it is difficult. Apparently only habitual generosity (on every level) can counter its seductive power.
    I have heard it said that “The voice of comfort is the voice of evil.” I believe this. And what more effective strategy for Satan to arrest the work of God, than by lulling His children into a stupor of comfort and pleasure?

46. A few thoughts from this side of the watery divide following my mid-week discipleship bible study this morning.

    This morning’s discipleship bible study sort of tied in with your question: the bible and the right and wrong ways to go about reading it. We talked about motivations – the good ones and the bad ones. We asked the question: “Why does the Word of God sometimes seem like a chore…or even boring?”

    On the basis of the principle that Jesus taught in Matthew 6:24, at any given point in time we are only ever loving, obeying and serving one of two masters – even if we try and serve both, ultimately only one master will be pleased. At any one point in time we either hate the one master with a commensurate amount of love and commitment towards the other or vice versa. In my experience the amount to which I love and live in the Word is commensurate to the amount I hate and am dying to the world (and vice versa!)

    If God’s Word is making me yawn it’s not because God’s Word is boring…it’s probably because the other master is exhausting me! It’s because I’ve fallen again for the empty promises of the world.

    The pleasures of this material life can make for useful servants in which we glorify God but they make for an awful master. They never truly quench or fulfil our desires; they set us up for disappointment despite the endless promises and teasers. Whether it’s sport, movies, friends or something (or someone) else, they never truly deliver on the satisfaction front. No matter how ‘great’ the Superbowl final, or the latest Spielberg movie…millions will continue to tune in for another instalment.

    There was a movie some years ago based on a book written by a guy who had actually dedicated a period of his life to saying “Yes” to anything asked of him (I think the movie was called “Yes Man”.) I never saw the entire movie (I think I saw the opening half hour on a flight once and said “No thanks”!) but the idea was that this guy’s ‘boring’ life became more adventurous as a result of him saying “Yes” – albeit in a somewhat hapharzardous and sometimes destructive way. This guy’s compass was simply to say “Yes” to anything and everything he was asked irrespective of personal, moral, financial, legal, social (etc.) boundaries and frameworks in which he might ordinarily operate. You can imagine how the documenting of that life-choice filled movie theatres and bookshops.

    The Word of God is the Word of the God who designed us and the universe in which we live. He knows best how to fulfil us.

    We know this. Christians know this. We teach it kids in Sunday school and teens in discipleship bible studies. But if we really knew it, wouldn’t we be excited about being “Godly Yes Men” and “Godly Yes Women” and “Godly Yes Boys” and “Godly Yes Girls” each time we turned to the Word of God? How much more adventurous, exciting, fulfilling, glorifying, satisfying and liberating life would be if we began to listen to God’s Word with a prayerful desire to simply say “Yes!” to whatever the Lord asks of us.

    Following our discipleship study this morning, we left with a renewed sense of excitement at opening up the Word of God with a desire to say – with God’s help – “Yes” to whatever He was telling us.

    Not sure if these raw ramblings might help. But at least its been a good exercise for me to have a zealous vent!

    Our love in Jesus,

    Ry and Annie

47. Chris,
    Hermione said what I had been thinking in the first part of her comments. I would add that many times the reason I yawn (and I assume you are talking metaphorically) is that I tend to not see God in the mundane things of life. Outside of the peaks and valleys of our lives, we live pretty mundane and uneventful lives. Sure we have things to fill the time, and the mundane is perfectly fine. But in those times, it is sometimes hard to see God. It’s not that we don’t love God, nor think He isn’t there and important in our life. It’s just that nothing is pulling us.

    Not a perfect analogy, but one that comes to mind and one I think you can relate to, is this. It is similar to my son being at college. I love my son to death, and would do anything for him. After all, he’s my first born, and my only boy. However, now that he is gone to college, our relationship has changed. Honestly, there are many days that go by, that I am not thinking about what he is doing and how his day went. I don’t get to come home and ask him that each day like I do my girls. It’s not that I don’t love him any less, or want that communication any less, it’s just that he is living his life and I have my own things going on. When he calls to ask for money, or we call to see how things are going, are those times that he is drawn to our mind.

    Similarly, during the days when not too much interesting is going on, we are just living our lives, pretty much yawning at those incredible statements you mentioned. I don’t believe it’s because we don’t care, because we do (or at least many of us do). It may just be that we don’t see God and those statements in the mundane of life.

    Wyn

48. Pastor, I think this is a spiritual relationship problem. At Sinai God spoke to the people from the Mountain. The people told Moses, “We don’t want to hear from God. Tell Him to tell you and then you tell us.” That way we won’t listen to God and we ignore Moses. So God’s presence can be put in the corner. We can yawn in His face. We are the ones in control. Our own little selfish center is spitting in God’s eye. We think by ignoring Him, He will go away. Our own deaf ears and own blind eyes will dump us over the precipice. God is still God! And we have turned to fools.

    I don’t mean to be harsh, but we have to be real.

    Pastor, This seems to be a spiritual relationship problem. There are many of ways to yawn in God’s face, to spit in His eye, to nail Him to the cross: we can take a good deep yawn, turn a blind eye, deny He exists, just can’t see it that way, by a multitude of words confuse the issue, or we could follow Eve’s example. In open defiance against God’s law, she used a disguise (she thought) to cover her open disobedience. 1) it was good for food. 2) it was beautiful to see. 3) it was desirable to give wisdom.

49. Hey Chris,
    I think the yawning is due to the human race becoming desensitized in today’s world. The competition between television programs to be the funniest, the goriest, the sexiest and the most suspenseful have us yearning for more, but not in the right way. Even churches are competing. Many are not pleased with the old traditional ways of church. Hopefully not to offend anyone but so many are not satisfied with the word of God the old traditional way. If there is not a big screen up front with a ball bouncing on top of the words of a song, the contagious yawns begin. If there is not a five piece band on stage, many are bored. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful thing when a musician can use their talent to share their love for Christ through music. If it is a way to reach people, it is great. Just saying, my opinion is that we have become desensitized in this competitive world and unfortunately, the churches have to keep up in order to spread the word and bring more people to Christ.

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