A WALK THROUGH LIFE
Just think there is a completely different world out there, one that we know very little about. The only way that we can be a part of this, new world is to pass from the life that we now are experiencing. God knew us before we entered into this life; of this, we have no recollection. Through God’s wisdom, He has given us a record of man through the pages of the Bible, a record that demonstrates God’s love for His created beings and a means by which man can be saved from the sins of the world.
We walk this life shrouded in the clouds of sin and blinded by the lusts of the flesh. We stumble and sometimes fall to the temptations of Satan, forever forbidden to enter the kingdom of God without repenting of our sins through Jesus Christ. When we hit rock bottom with no other place to turn, some will turn to God for help. Their excuses being, “Even though I do not believe in God, what do I have to lose? I have tried everything else; perhaps there is something to this God that others are talking about.” At this point the clouds of sin that we have been walking through begins to dissipate and a beam of light shines through and for the first time in our life we feel the warmth and love that God has for all seek Him. This will make dramatic changes in our life and lifestyle and if we revert to our old lifestyle, we now have a place to go for help in our struggle with the temptations of sin.
If we allow ourselves to succumb to the temptations of Satan, it can indeed be very difficult to escape from his influence in our lives. While under the influence of Satan, we lose sight of what is right and wrong and go about life in complete disregard for our spiritual life. The more we indulge in gaining personal wealth, power, prestigious positions in our business life or whatever we think will make us happy, the more we come under the influence of Satan’s deceitful ways and the less we pay attention to what the Bible admonishes us to do. Many will die in their sins and never come to the realization that they face eternity separated from God. This is Satan’s goal, to blind people to the truths of God, Satan cares nothing about us or who we are except to destroy our faith and trust in God.
Deep inside we know when we do right or wrong, it is when we allow the wrongs in life to control our lives that we become in danger of the damnation. It is then time to come before the throne of Jesus Christ and confess our sins, asking for forgiveness of our sins and in turn, Jesus Christ will forgive us our sins and restore us to our rightful place in His sheepfold.
Sin, like darkness cannot survive where the “Light” of God shines. The “Light” of God casts no shadows where sin can hide. The sun leaves one-half of this world in darkness, but God’s “Light” bathes the whole world in “Light” and there is no darkness found anywhere. All who come to the “Light” will be cleansed from all unrighteousness and live a more Christ-like life, seeking and doing the will of God in their lives.
Our walk through life is what we make it, we may be influenced by the actions of others, but it is our decision as to allow that influence to affect our lives or not. It is easier to blame others for our own shortcomings, than it is to admit that we are wrong and need to change our ways. Blaming others is just another way of getting out of our responsibility to admit our wrongs and making the necessary changes. We are admonished to forgive those who trespass against us and love them as God loves us, thus receiving forgiveness of our own trespasses against others. Those who reject change in their lives will one day face their day of judgment and will be judged by the same standards that they judged others, and then will justice be served.
Walk in the paths of righteousness by doing the will of God in your life and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, reject Him and face the fires of hell. Let not the trials of this life weigh you down, take them to the Lord in prayer and He who hears in secret will reward you openly. The path of life we choose for ourselves reflects our belief in our Triune God. God would that no one be lost, but that decision is up to you and up to me.
Merrill Phillips
Friday, January 27, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
MAY MY EYES SEE
MAY MY EYES SEE
As I stand before God’s throne I gaze upon a sight that
man has never known.
My eyes are closed and yet I see things that eyes have
never seen.
The brightness of His countenance will light the path
of man and guide him in the way that he
should go.
To describe God is not for man to do and if I open my
mouth to try my voice will not be heard.
That which I have seen makes me glow inside, but it is
not for me to describe.
It is by faith that man must accept things that are
hidden from his view.
My ears are filled with the strains of music, never
before heard by the ears of man.
To describe the tunes that I have heard cannot be done
by the likes of me, because the words of man
are too feeble and frail. The music of
heaven is beyond the ability
of man to conceive.
Let my mind be open so that I may understand the
voice that only I can hear.
My neighbors can hear it too if only they would be
still and listen and have an attentive ear.
To witness the beauty of God’s throne is for all to see,
it is not just for me.
God’s powers are far beyond the feeble mind of man
to understand.
May my eyes see and my mind understand that which
God has in store for me.
May I walk in God’s garden of love and hear His voice
from above.
May His love fill my heart with joy and dispel the myths
that men set before me.
O Lord help me walk Thy path so straight, if I stumble
let it be in Thy hands that I tumble.
Merrill Phillips
As I stand before God’s throne I gaze upon a sight that
man has never known.
My eyes are closed and yet I see things that eyes have
never seen.
The brightness of His countenance will light the path
of man and guide him in the way that he
should go.
To describe God is not for man to do and if I open my
mouth to try my voice will not be heard.
That which I have seen makes me glow inside, but it is
not for me to describe.
It is by faith that man must accept things that are
hidden from his view.
My ears are filled with the strains of music, never
before heard by the ears of man.
To describe the tunes that I have heard cannot be done
by the likes of me, because the words of man
are too feeble and frail. The music of
heaven is beyond the ability
of man to conceive.
Let my mind be open so that I may understand the
voice that only I can hear.
My neighbors can hear it too if only they would be
still and listen and have an attentive ear.
To witness the beauty of God’s throne is for all to see,
it is not just for me.
God’s powers are far beyond the feeble mind of man
to understand.
May my eyes see and my mind understand that which
God has in store for me.
May I walk in God’s garden of love and hear His voice
from above.
May His love fill my heart with joy and dispel the myths
that men set before me.
O Lord help me walk Thy path so straight, if I stumble
let it be in Thy hands that I tumble.
Merrill Phillips
Sunday, January 15, 2012
JUDGMENT OR HEAVEN
OBEY GOD OR FACE THE JUDGMENT
Deuteronomy 29:1-29:30
STATING THE SCRIPTURES (Deuteronomy 29:1-29)
These are the terms of the covenant the LORD commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.
Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders. But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear. During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God.
When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out to fight against us, but we defeated them. We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do. All of you are standing today in the presence of the LORD your God—your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, together with your children and your wives, and the aliens living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water. You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the LORD your God, a covenant the LORD is making with you this day and sealing with an oath, to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you who are standing here with us today in the presence of the LORD our God but also with those who are not here today.
You yourselves know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed through the countries on the way here. You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold. Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.
When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, "I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way." This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The LORD will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. The LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.
Your children who follow you in later generations and foreigners who come from distant lands will see the calamities that have fallen on the land and the diseases with which the LORD has afflicted it. The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur—nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in fierce anger. All the nations will ask: "Why has the LORD done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?" And the answer will be: "It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, the covenant he made with them when he brought them out of Egypt. They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them. Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against this land, so that he brought on it all the curses written in this book. In furious anger and in great wrath the LORD uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now."
The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
SETTING THE STAGE
Only a few days ago I saw a video of the Bradford City fire disaster, as part of a fire training exercise at work. I was eight years old when it happened, and had heard about it, but I had never seen the footage, that was captured live, by a shocked camera crew who just kept filming.
On Saturday 11th May 1985, 11,000 football fan had gathered to watch a football match between Bradford City and Lincoln city. At 15:40 hours that day a small fire was noticed at the back of the Sunwin Stand. The play was continuing, but the fire was also spreading. The commentator mentioned the fire but then resumed commentary on the match, oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. People were simply being moved away from the area of the fire, and fire fighting equipment was requested, but everything else seemed calm. About 30 seconds later the fire was growing and the people at the end of the stand where the blaze was had started to move onto the pitch and so the game was stopped. The people at the other end of the stand simply sat where they were, unaffected by what was happening.
Within a short time the roof of the stadium had combusted into flames and the people at the other end of the stand suddenly began to panick. People were unable to get onto the safety of the pitch in time, 56 people lost their lives and 265 were taken to hospital with serious injuries. Many of the dead were the young and elderly, crushed in the stampede to get to safety. Others died in the flames.
This video is so shocking and upsetting, that it is only used for fire safety exercises and is banned from view to the general public. When I watched it, I was horrified at how unnecessary the deaths were. If only people had reacted when they first saw the fire, and made their way onto the pitch, nobody would have been killed. Even though the footage is almost 20 years old, and I knew the result, as I watched, I still found myself urging people to do something when the flames could first be seen.
There were a number of upsetting factors of the video. An elderly man, who like the rest, hadn’t initially thought that he was in danger, could be seen desperately trying to climb over the seats to the front of the stand and on to the pitch. When he got about half way his clothes had begun to catch fire. He suddenly realised that he wasn’t going to make it. He just gave up, and waited to die.
Another upsetting feature was that, as many people were dying, or about to die, the rest of the crowd who were on the pitch didn’t realise this. They were still singing and chanting football songs, and many were jumping in front of the cameras, trying to get there faces on television. That rejoicing soon went quiet, as reality dawned.
One thing that struck me however was the efforts of one police officer. He had been near to the area of the fire and had realised the seriousness of the situation. He could be seen near to the start of the incident, frantically trying to wave people towards the pitch, towards safety. However, people didn’t seem to be listening to him, it was as if they felt safe in the crowd that they were in. However a number did listen, they went towards the pitch, and they were saved.
When I was reading Isaiah chapter 6, it struck me that police officer’s job was not dissimilar to Isaiah’s. Just like Isaiah he had seen the danger and the coming destruction if the people didn’t act, was desperately trying to guide the people to safety. But just like in Isaiahs day, they thought that they were safe in the crowd and only a few listened. Because of this, unnecessary destruction was to follow.
An investigation into the fire suggested that it was probably caused by the accidental dropping of a match or a cigarette stubbed out into a polystyrene cup. The resulting fire was then fuelled by rubbish that had collected underneath the wooden stand. This fire was a disaster waiting to happen.
In the same way rubbish has been allowed to collect in this area and this nation. Pornography, sexual immorality, greed and idolatry are just a few of the pieces of rubbish that are waiting to fuel the fire of judgement that will come upon this land. In that day there will be many who don’t respond until its too late. There will be the sound of rejoicing, unaware of the situation. We are called to be like Isaiah or that police officer, warning the people and trying to lead them to safety. There will be many that won’t listen, but we are still called to do it for the sake of those that will. We need to realise the seriousness of the situation. God is going to judge this land.
The Lord is asking the same question today, as He did to Isaiah..."Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
Will you stand before God today and reply, "Here am I. Send me."
INTRODUCTION
This is the hour of decision, the hour for salvation and the rededication of our lives to God. Our commitment and covenant with God need to be renewed. People within the church have come short of what they should be, and sin and evil are sweeping throughout our communities. Lawlessness and violence are engulfing our states and nations. People everywhere are living unholy and ungodly lives, committing all forms of sin and wickedness. There is the abuse of children and spouses, incest, forced labor, prostitution, homosexuality, premarital sex, adultery, humanism, intoxication and drunkeness, anger, hostility, greed, hatred and covetousness.
There is no end to the list of our shortcomings and failures before the face of God’s holiness. If there has ever been a day when repentance was needed, it is today. This is the day for rededication, the day when we must renew our commitment and covenant with God.
This was exactly what Moses was facing: a stubborn, stiff-necked, hard-hearted people. Israel stood before him as he was preaching and doing all he could to prepare them to march victoriously into the promised land. They had failed so often in the past throughout the wilderness wanderings. But here they stood: in the plains of Moab, close by the Jordan River, almost ready to cross the Jordan and enter the promised land. They were soon to lay claim to the inheritance given them by God. What could Moses do to prepare them, to make sure that the hand of God remained upon them, blessed them, and kept them in the promised land? There was only one thing Moses could do: challenge the people to rededicate their lives to God, to renew their commitment and covenant with God. This Moses did.
OPENING THE TEXT
Our passage opens by revealing the first term of the covenant, which spelled out the parties who were to agree to the contract. There were three parties involved in renewing the covenant: God Himself, the people (Israelites), and Moses--the mediator who stood between God and the people
The Lord appointed Moses to share the terms of the covenant with the Israelites. As the mediator of the covenant of the law, Moses is a clear type of Christ, the Mediator of the new covenant of grace.
The covenant being renewed in the plains of Moab was now to be enlarged. Additional terms were to be added to the covenant made at Mt. Sinai. A new revelation, more information about the covenant, was now to be revealed by God. What was the new information, the added terms? The restoration of Israel. This is what is called by some commentators the Palestinian Covenant.
The utter failure of Israel and their dispersion or scattering the people among the nations of the world had just been predicted. Now the additional information about the restoration of Israel was to be revealed. The restoration involved some future repentance and their return to the promised land.
It should be noted that some commentators refer to Deut. 29-30 as the Palestinian covenant; whereas other commentators prefer to look upon these chapters as a renewal and reaffirmation of the covenant given at Mt. Sinai. Whatever the case, the new information about the restoration of Israel is definitely a new revelation, a new promise to be added to the covenant given to God’s people.
Moses was the mediator who stood between God and man. He preached the covenant of the law to man, the fact that man must obey the commandments of God to receive the great promises of God. As the mediator between God and man, Moses is a type of Jesus Christ, the Mediator who represents us before God. Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the covenant of grace. He brought the gospel of grace to man, proclaimed the fact that we are saved by the grace of God through faith.
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" (Romans 8:34).
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephes. 2:8-9).
"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:3-5).
"Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17).
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:14-15).
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).
"But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises" (Hebrews 8:6).
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance" (Hebrews 9:12-15).
"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Hebrews 9:24).
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2).
The covenant spelled out the basis or the reasons for the covenant. Moses declared that there were five basic reasons why the covenant between God and man was needed, five reasons why the people must renew their commitment, their covenant with God.
The covenant was needed because of the salvation and works of God (Deut. 29:2-3). The people had actually seen and experienced the saving power of God from the slavery of Egypt. Remember, Israel’s deliverance from Egypt is a symbol of the believer being saved from the enslavements of the world. God had done so much for the Israelite believers. Moses reviewed the wonderful salvation of God, knowing that the goodness of God would help stir the people to rededicate their lives, to renew their covenant with God.
Not every person standing in front of Moses had actually been in Egypt, but many had. At the time of the Exodus, many were 18 years of age or younger, which means that they were now around 40 to 58 years old. These were the ones who had actually seen and witnessed the saving power of God from Egyptian slavery. Everyone else had been born in the desert, but they knew one evident fact: if God had not saved their parents from Egypt, they would have been born in slavery. Thus the preaching of Moses was correct: every Israelite had been delivered from Egyptian slavery by the hand of God. It was the wonderful salvation of God that had saved them. This was the first basis of the covenant, the first reason why the people should renew their commitment, their covenant with God. Their salvation should stir them to rededicate their lives to God, to renew their covenant to obey God.
The covenant was needed because of the hard hearts of the people (Deut. 29:4). They wanted to do their own thing and live as they wanted, not as God said. Consequently, they disobeyed and rebelled against God. They closed their minds, eyes, and ears against God. They did not seek to understand the salvation and works of God. They refused to look and see the hand of God at work in nature and in the lives of people. They refused to listen to the commandments and Word of God. Because of the hardness of their hearts, the Lord was not able to open their minds, eyes, and ears so that they could understand His commandments and Word—all because the people had become hard, stiff-necked, and stubborn against God. This was a second reason why the people needed to renew their commitment, their covenant with God. They needed to repent of their stubborn, hard hearts and heed the Word of God.
The covenant was needed because the people needed the guidance and provision of God (Deut. 29:5-6). God had led His people day by day through the wilderness wanderings, taking care of their every need. This included all the necessities of life: clothes, food, and water. Note that God miraculously kept their clothes and sandals from wearing out. The clothing lasted as long as it was needed. The reason why God used miracles to provide for His people is clearly stated: to demonstrate that He and He alone is "the Lord your God." Moses declared that this fact—the miraculous guidance and provision of God—should stir the people to renew their covenant with God. God would be with His people—guide and provide for them—only if they obeyed the covenant, kept His commandments. Rededication and recommitment to God—renewing one’s life to the covenant—was therefore an absolute essential.
The covenant was needed because the people needed to be victorious over all their enemies (Deut. 29:7). The Lord had given a great victory over two strong kings who had opposed the Israelites, King Sihon and King Og. Victory over enemies—living a victorious life, a life that conquers—is the reason why God’s people need to make a covenant with God. The only way God’s people can secure victory over their enemies is to keep their covenant with God. For this reason, Moses declares that the people of God must renew their covenant with God. They must honor their part of the contract agreement: they must obey God, keep His commandments.
The covenant was needed because of the hope of the promised land (Deut. 29:8). Note that the conquered land of the two kings had been given as an inheritance to several of the tribes. None of the other tribes had received their inheritance. The promised land still lay out in the future for them. But they were soon to cross the Jordan River and enter the promised land, laying claim to their inheritance. Standing there preaching to the people, Moses knew that the hope of the promised land was alive in the hearts of the people. Therefore, he reminded the people that only a few of the tribes had received their inheritance; the other tribes still had to conquer theirs. It was, therefore, absolutely necessary to renew their covenant with God.
The covenant was needed because of the necessity for obedience (Deut. 29:9). The people must obey God, follow all the terms of the covenant. Obedience is absolutely necessary in order to prosper throughout life. Therefore, the people must rededicate their lives to God. They must renew their commitment to obey God, renew their covenant with God.
The purpose of the covenant was spelled out. Standing before the Israelites preaching to them, the heart of Moses was tender toward the people. Yet, his heart was burning with zeal, longing for the people to rededicate their lives to the Lord, to renew their covenant and commitment with God.
The covenant embraced every person who stood in the presence of the Lord (Deut. 29:10-12). All of the Israelites stood before God as Moses proclaimed the terms of the covenant to them. Standing there were the leaders, elders, officers, men, children, wives, and foreigners (Deut. 29:10-11).
Note that this is a formal ceremony. It is a very special worship service where all the people are renewing their covenant with God. Just picture the scene: all the leaders, elders, officers, and armed forces of the government are standing there with all the citizens of the nation—the men, women, children, and foreigners—all three million plus stretched out across the valley floor tribe by tribe. They stand there together to renew their commitment, their covenant with God. What a sight! What a dynamic example and lesson for the peoples of the world! There the people stood to renew their covenant with God, to renew it with an oath. And note the urgency stressed by Moses: it was necessary to renew their commitment and covenant "this day" (Deut. 29:12). The word today is stressed five times in these six verses.
Moses declared that the covenant had one purpose and one purpose only: to establish that the believers—those who truly followed God—were God’s people and that He was their God (Deut. 29:13). This is the core, the essence, the summary statement of the covenant. The people were to confirm that they were God’s people, that God had chosen and raised them up to be a people for Himself. In the covenant, God was taking an oath that He was choosing the Israelites to be His people and His witnesses upon the earth. They were to be His missionary force to the world, declaring that there is only one living and true God. In response, the people were to declare that the Lord was their God. They were to promise that they would follow and obey the Lord and bear strong testimony to the truth of His Holy Word.
Note how both God and the people were undertaking obligations to one another. The people were responsible to obey God, and God was responsible to accept the true believer, the obedient person. God was to make him His treasured possession and witness upon the earth. This is clearly stated in this verse (Deut. 29:13), but it is spelled out in more detail at Mt. Sinai where God first shared the covenant: "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel" (Exodus 19:5-6).
Note the wonderful assurance given by God: He promises to fulfill His part of the covenant. God will not fail in His obligations to the people. He will do exactly as He promises. Just as He swore to the forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so He swears to the Israelites standing there this day. He will not fail. He will fulfill His promise, His part of the covenant. But this was not all: the covenant included future generations as well (Deut. 29:14-15). The covenant with its oath was being made with the Israelites there in the formal ceremony of rededication and renewal. But the covenant was also being confirmed with all future generations of believers, even those who had not yet been born.
There are three meaningful lessons for us in this point. First, God will keep His promises to us. Every promise He has made will be fulfilled. God is faithful; God will not fail us. Second, we must be faithful to keep our promises to God. When we first accepted Christ as our Savior, we made a covenant with God, a covenant to follow and obey Him. We must do just what we promised: obey—follow and walk after Him. Lastly, the genuine believer—the person who truly believes and follows after Christ—is accepted by God and becomes one of God’s people. The genuine believer—the person who truly believes and follows after Christ—becomes a very special person to God: His treasured possession.
Note that the covenant included future generations as well as those who were standing before Moses. Over three million Israelites were standing there being challenged to renew their commitment and covenant with God. The decision they made would affect the future of the nation, affect the destiny of all future generations.
The terms of the covenant included a strong warning against breaking the covenant and against hypocrisy. The warning is personal, very personal, and very descriptive: Zeal, fervor, urgency, and a burning passion were ablaze in the heart of Moses as he warned the people. He cried out: "You must remember the false gods and false worship of the world." The people had lived among the idols and false worship of the Egyptians when they were enslaved by Egypt. Moreover, they had seen the detestable worship of idolatry and false worship among the nations throughout their wilderness wanderings (Deut. 29:16-17).
Moses shouted out: "You must make sure—absolutely sure—that you do not turn away from the Lord. You must not worship the false gods of the world, must not engage in the false worship of your neighbors" (Deut. 29:18). Note how personal the warning is: no man or woman, family or tribe, must ever turn away from the Lord and engage in false worship.
Note the fruit of idolatry and false worship: it is a root that bears bitter and poisonous fruit (wormwood). The picture is that of a flowing, permeating evil that will contaminate and grow. No person is "an island to himself." He influences other people. Therefore, if he turns away from God and engages in false worship, he will influence and lead others to rebel and forsake God. One individual can poison the whole community, even become a stumblingblock to a nation. The poison of his sin and evil can ruin the whole tree.
A person must make sure—absolutely sure—that he is not a hypocrite, feeling that he is safe and immune from God’s judgment (Deut. 29:19). Again, note how personal Moses makes this point: an individual must make sure that he does not think, "I will be safe and experience peace of heart and security, even though I do my own thing and live as I want." This person will bring disaster upon himself and everyone else and even upon the land.
There are two clear warnings in this passage applicable to us: The warning against idolatry and false worship. Also, the warning against feeling that we are safe and immune from God’s judgment. Few people actually think they will ever have to bear God’s judgment. Most people think they are good enough to be acceptable to God, that God would never reject them. They feel they do not do enough bad or evil to be kept out of heaven, out of God’s presence. They feel safe and secure, immune from God’s judgment. They feel that they can, for the most part, do their own thing and live life as they wish, even if they do break the commandments of God. But the warning of God is clear: we must make sure—absolutely sure—that we do not live hypocritical lives. We must not profess to follow God and then not follow Him. If we say that we follow God, then we must follow Him. We must obey Him, keep His commandments. The warning is clear: we must not break our commitment and covenant with God; we must not live lives of hypocrisy.
The judgment for breaking the covenant is spelled out in descriptive terms. The person who turns away to false gods and false worship will suffer the awesome weight of terrifying judgment. Note the graphic description in the Scripture: The Lord will severely judge the violator, the idolater and false worshipper (Deut. 29:20-21). If a person lives a hypocritical life, feeling that he is safe and secure, immune from God’s judgment—that person will bear the awesome weight of God’s terrifying judgment. Note what Moses declared: The Lord will never forgive him and will blot his name out from under heaven (Deut. 29:20). The Lord’s wrath and jealousy will burn against that person.
The Lord will separate him for very special judgment (Deut. 29:21). The Lord will pour out upon him all the curses written in the Book of the Law, the Word of God.
Why so severe a judgment against the hypocrite, the idolater and false worshipper? The answer is given above: because the person turned away from the Lord, turned away to false worship, to worship the gods of this world. By so turning away, he misled others to turn away from God and to engage in false worship. He became a hypocrite, claiming to follow God, while all the time he was following a false, lifeless, and senseless god. Following the false god, he felt safe and secure, immune from the holy judgment of the only living and true God. But the judgment of God is sure: this person will suffer all the curses of God’s judgment.
Moses declares that the nation of Israel will become a spectacle (Deut. 29:22-23). Note that this is a prediction of what will happen to Israel in the future. The people will be chastised as a nation because they allowed idolatry to infiltrate and permeate the nation, because they allowed so many to be swept away by the hypocrites, swept away into false worship. The judgment upon the nation will be severe: The land will suffer calamity after calamity and disease after disease (Deut. 29:22). The land will be a burning waste with no vegetation growing. The land will suffer the same destruction that fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim (Deut. 29:23).
The judgment will be so fierce and catastrophic that people will question why (Deut. 29:24-28). Very simply, the answer will be because the people broke the covenant of the Lord God. The people broke the promise they made to God when He saved them from Egypt (Deut. 29:25). Remember, this is a symbol of the believer being saved from the enslavement of the world. The Israelites broke their promise, turning away from the Lord to false gods and false worship. Tragically, they abandoned their commitment and covenant with the Lord.
The result of their apostasy would be catastrophic and tragic: the Lord’s anger would burn against them and devastate the land itself. In furious anger and wrath, the Lord would allow a nation to conquer and uproot them. They would be transported into a foreign nation. The people of Israel would be conquered and taken as slaves into the foreign nation (Deut. 29:28).
The prediction of these things are said to be "secret things" (Deut. 29:29). They belong to the Lord and are known only by Him. The hypocritical spirit and apostasy of the Israelites would happen just as God reveals in Holy Scripture. The judgment upon Israel would also happen just as God predicted and history has now shown. But when the events were revealed for the first time here in Scripture—back in the days of Deuteronomy—they were secret things. The fact that they would actually happen, especially to those standing there before Moses, was incomprehensible. But today, history has shown that they did happen.
Now note this fact: Moses declares that the things revealed in God’s Holy Word belong to us. But God has revealed them to us for a very specific purpose: that we may follow His Holy Word, keep His commandments.
CONCLUSION
The judgment of God will fall upon any person who lives a hypocritical life. No matter what a person professes, if he does not live for Christ, following and obeying Him, he will suffer the judgment of God. But not only the hypocrite: the idolater and false worshipper will also bear the judgment of God. The judgment of God is sure: the wrath of God will be executed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, in particular against those who hold the truth in unrighteousness.
FINAL SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18).
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left" (Matthew 25:31-33).
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36).
"But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath" (Romans 2:8).
"But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience" (Ephes. 5:3-6).
"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished" (2 Peter 2:9).
"But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men" (2 Peter 3:7).
"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (Jude 14-15).
Deuteronomy 29:1-29:30
STATING THE SCRIPTURES (Deuteronomy 29:1-29)
These are the terms of the covenant the LORD commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.
Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders. But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear. During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God.
When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out to fight against us, but we defeated them. We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do. All of you are standing today in the presence of the LORD your God—your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, together with your children and your wives, and the aliens living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water. You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the LORD your God, a covenant the LORD is making with you this day and sealing with an oath, to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you who are standing here with us today in the presence of the LORD our God but also with those who are not here today.
You yourselves know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed through the countries on the way here. You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold. Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.
When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, "I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way." This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The LORD will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. The LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.
Your children who follow you in later generations and foreigners who come from distant lands will see the calamities that have fallen on the land and the diseases with which the LORD has afflicted it. The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur—nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in fierce anger. All the nations will ask: "Why has the LORD done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?" And the answer will be: "It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, the covenant he made with them when he brought them out of Egypt. They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them. Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against this land, so that he brought on it all the curses written in this book. In furious anger and in great wrath the LORD uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now."
The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
SETTING THE STAGE
Only a few days ago I saw a video of the Bradford City fire disaster, as part of a fire training exercise at work. I was eight years old when it happened, and had heard about it, but I had never seen the footage, that was captured live, by a shocked camera crew who just kept filming.
On Saturday 11th May 1985, 11,000 football fan had gathered to watch a football match between Bradford City and Lincoln city. At 15:40 hours that day a small fire was noticed at the back of the Sunwin Stand. The play was continuing, but the fire was also spreading. The commentator mentioned the fire but then resumed commentary on the match, oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. People were simply being moved away from the area of the fire, and fire fighting equipment was requested, but everything else seemed calm. About 30 seconds later the fire was growing and the people at the end of the stand where the blaze was had started to move onto the pitch and so the game was stopped. The people at the other end of the stand simply sat where they were, unaffected by what was happening.
Within a short time the roof of the stadium had combusted into flames and the people at the other end of the stand suddenly began to panick. People were unable to get onto the safety of the pitch in time, 56 people lost their lives and 265 were taken to hospital with serious injuries. Many of the dead were the young and elderly, crushed in the stampede to get to safety. Others died in the flames.
This video is so shocking and upsetting, that it is only used for fire safety exercises and is banned from view to the general public. When I watched it, I was horrified at how unnecessary the deaths were. If only people had reacted when they first saw the fire, and made their way onto the pitch, nobody would have been killed. Even though the footage is almost 20 years old, and I knew the result, as I watched, I still found myself urging people to do something when the flames could first be seen.
There were a number of upsetting factors of the video. An elderly man, who like the rest, hadn’t initially thought that he was in danger, could be seen desperately trying to climb over the seats to the front of the stand and on to the pitch. When he got about half way his clothes had begun to catch fire. He suddenly realised that he wasn’t going to make it. He just gave up, and waited to die.
Another upsetting feature was that, as many people were dying, or about to die, the rest of the crowd who were on the pitch didn’t realise this. They were still singing and chanting football songs, and many were jumping in front of the cameras, trying to get there faces on television. That rejoicing soon went quiet, as reality dawned.
One thing that struck me however was the efforts of one police officer. He had been near to the area of the fire and had realised the seriousness of the situation. He could be seen near to the start of the incident, frantically trying to wave people towards the pitch, towards safety. However, people didn’t seem to be listening to him, it was as if they felt safe in the crowd that they were in. However a number did listen, they went towards the pitch, and they were saved.
When I was reading Isaiah chapter 6, it struck me that police officer’s job was not dissimilar to Isaiah’s. Just like Isaiah he had seen the danger and the coming destruction if the people didn’t act, was desperately trying to guide the people to safety. But just like in Isaiahs day, they thought that they were safe in the crowd and only a few listened. Because of this, unnecessary destruction was to follow.
An investigation into the fire suggested that it was probably caused by the accidental dropping of a match or a cigarette stubbed out into a polystyrene cup. The resulting fire was then fuelled by rubbish that had collected underneath the wooden stand. This fire was a disaster waiting to happen.
In the same way rubbish has been allowed to collect in this area and this nation. Pornography, sexual immorality, greed and idolatry are just a few of the pieces of rubbish that are waiting to fuel the fire of judgement that will come upon this land. In that day there will be many who don’t respond until its too late. There will be the sound of rejoicing, unaware of the situation. We are called to be like Isaiah or that police officer, warning the people and trying to lead them to safety. There will be many that won’t listen, but we are still called to do it for the sake of those that will. We need to realise the seriousness of the situation. God is going to judge this land.
The Lord is asking the same question today, as He did to Isaiah..."Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
Will you stand before God today and reply, "Here am I. Send me."
INTRODUCTION
This is the hour of decision, the hour for salvation and the rededication of our lives to God. Our commitment and covenant with God need to be renewed. People within the church have come short of what they should be, and sin and evil are sweeping throughout our communities. Lawlessness and violence are engulfing our states and nations. People everywhere are living unholy and ungodly lives, committing all forms of sin and wickedness. There is the abuse of children and spouses, incest, forced labor, prostitution, homosexuality, premarital sex, adultery, humanism, intoxication and drunkeness, anger, hostility, greed, hatred and covetousness.
There is no end to the list of our shortcomings and failures before the face of God’s holiness. If there has ever been a day when repentance was needed, it is today. This is the day for rededication, the day when we must renew our commitment and covenant with God.
This was exactly what Moses was facing: a stubborn, stiff-necked, hard-hearted people. Israel stood before him as he was preaching and doing all he could to prepare them to march victoriously into the promised land. They had failed so often in the past throughout the wilderness wanderings. But here they stood: in the plains of Moab, close by the Jordan River, almost ready to cross the Jordan and enter the promised land. They were soon to lay claim to the inheritance given them by God. What could Moses do to prepare them, to make sure that the hand of God remained upon them, blessed them, and kept them in the promised land? There was only one thing Moses could do: challenge the people to rededicate their lives to God, to renew their commitment and covenant with God. This Moses did.
OPENING THE TEXT
Our passage opens by revealing the first term of the covenant, which spelled out the parties who were to agree to the contract. There were three parties involved in renewing the covenant: God Himself, the people (Israelites), and Moses--the mediator who stood between God and the people
The Lord appointed Moses to share the terms of the covenant with the Israelites. As the mediator of the covenant of the law, Moses is a clear type of Christ, the Mediator of the new covenant of grace.
The covenant being renewed in the plains of Moab was now to be enlarged. Additional terms were to be added to the covenant made at Mt. Sinai. A new revelation, more information about the covenant, was now to be revealed by God. What was the new information, the added terms? The restoration of Israel. This is what is called by some commentators the Palestinian Covenant.
The utter failure of Israel and their dispersion or scattering the people among the nations of the world had just been predicted. Now the additional information about the restoration of Israel was to be revealed. The restoration involved some future repentance and their return to the promised land.
It should be noted that some commentators refer to Deut. 29-30 as the Palestinian covenant; whereas other commentators prefer to look upon these chapters as a renewal and reaffirmation of the covenant given at Mt. Sinai. Whatever the case, the new information about the restoration of Israel is definitely a new revelation, a new promise to be added to the covenant given to God’s people.
Moses was the mediator who stood between God and man. He preached the covenant of the law to man, the fact that man must obey the commandments of God to receive the great promises of God. As the mediator between God and man, Moses is a type of Jesus Christ, the Mediator who represents us before God. Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the covenant of grace. He brought the gospel of grace to man, proclaimed the fact that we are saved by the grace of God through faith.
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" (Romans 8:34).
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephes. 2:8-9).
"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:3-5).
"Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17).
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:14-15).
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).
"But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises" (Hebrews 8:6).
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance" (Hebrews 9:12-15).
"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Hebrews 9:24).
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2).
The covenant spelled out the basis or the reasons for the covenant. Moses declared that there were five basic reasons why the covenant between God and man was needed, five reasons why the people must renew their commitment, their covenant with God.
The covenant was needed because of the salvation and works of God (Deut. 29:2-3). The people had actually seen and experienced the saving power of God from the slavery of Egypt. Remember, Israel’s deliverance from Egypt is a symbol of the believer being saved from the enslavements of the world. God had done so much for the Israelite believers. Moses reviewed the wonderful salvation of God, knowing that the goodness of God would help stir the people to rededicate their lives, to renew their covenant with God.
Not every person standing in front of Moses had actually been in Egypt, but many had. At the time of the Exodus, many were 18 years of age or younger, which means that they were now around 40 to 58 years old. These were the ones who had actually seen and witnessed the saving power of God from Egyptian slavery. Everyone else had been born in the desert, but they knew one evident fact: if God had not saved their parents from Egypt, they would have been born in slavery. Thus the preaching of Moses was correct: every Israelite had been delivered from Egyptian slavery by the hand of God. It was the wonderful salvation of God that had saved them. This was the first basis of the covenant, the first reason why the people should renew their commitment, their covenant with God. Their salvation should stir them to rededicate their lives to God, to renew their covenant to obey God.
The covenant was needed because of the hard hearts of the people (Deut. 29:4). They wanted to do their own thing and live as they wanted, not as God said. Consequently, they disobeyed and rebelled against God. They closed their minds, eyes, and ears against God. They did not seek to understand the salvation and works of God. They refused to look and see the hand of God at work in nature and in the lives of people. They refused to listen to the commandments and Word of God. Because of the hardness of their hearts, the Lord was not able to open their minds, eyes, and ears so that they could understand His commandments and Word—all because the people had become hard, stiff-necked, and stubborn against God. This was a second reason why the people needed to renew their commitment, their covenant with God. They needed to repent of their stubborn, hard hearts and heed the Word of God.
The covenant was needed because the people needed the guidance and provision of God (Deut. 29:5-6). God had led His people day by day through the wilderness wanderings, taking care of their every need. This included all the necessities of life: clothes, food, and water. Note that God miraculously kept their clothes and sandals from wearing out. The clothing lasted as long as it was needed. The reason why God used miracles to provide for His people is clearly stated: to demonstrate that He and He alone is "the Lord your God." Moses declared that this fact—the miraculous guidance and provision of God—should stir the people to renew their covenant with God. God would be with His people—guide and provide for them—only if they obeyed the covenant, kept His commandments. Rededication and recommitment to God—renewing one’s life to the covenant—was therefore an absolute essential.
The covenant was needed because the people needed to be victorious over all their enemies (Deut. 29:7). The Lord had given a great victory over two strong kings who had opposed the Israelites, King Sihon and King Og. Victory over enemies—living a victorious life, a life that conquers—is the reason why God’s people need to make a covenant with God. The only way God’s people can secure victory over their enemies is to keep their covenant with God. For this reason, Moses declares that the people of God must renew their covenant with God. They must honor their part of the contract agreement: they must obey God, keep His commandments.
The covenant was needed because of the hope of the promised land (Deut. 29:8). Note that the conquered land of the two kings had been given as an inheritance to several of the tribes. None of the other tribes had received their inheritance. The promised land still lay out in the future for them. But they were soon to cross the Jordan River and enter the promised land, laying claim to their inheritance. Standing there preaching to the people, Moses knew that the hope of the promised land was alive in the hearts of the people. Therefore, he reminded the people that only a few of the tribes had received their inheritance; the other tribes still had to conquer theirs. It was, therefore, absolutely necessary to renew their covenant with God.
The covenant was needed because of the necessity for obedience (Deut. 29:9). The people must obey God, follow all the terms of the covenant. Obedience is absolutely necessary in order to prosper throughout life. Therefore, the people must rededicate their lives to God. They must renew their commitment to obey God, renew their covenant with God.
The purpose of the covenant was spelled out. Standing before the Israelites preaching to them, the heart of Moses was tender toward the people. Yet, his heart was burning with zeal, longing for the people to rededicate their lives to the Lord, to renew their covenant and commitment with God.
The covenant embraced every person who stood in the presence of the Lord (Deut. 29:10-12). All of the Israelites stood before God as Moses proclaimed the terms of the covenant to them. Standing there were the leaders, elders, officers, men, children, wives, and foreigners (Deut. 29:10-11).
Note that this is a formal ceremony. It is a very special worship service where all the people are renewing their covenant with God. Just picture the scene: all the leaders, elders, officers, and armed forces of the government are standing there with all the citizens of the nation—the men, women, children, and foreigners—all three million plus stretched out across the valley floor tribe by tribe. They stand there together to renew their commitment, their covenant with God. What a sight! What a dynamic example and lesson for the peoples of the world! There the people stood to renew their covenant with God, to renew it with an oath. And note the urgency stressed by Moses: it was necessary to renew their commitment and covenant "this day" (Deut. 29:12). The word today is stressed five times in these six verses.
Moses declared that the covenant had one purpose and one purpose only: to establish that the believers—those who truly followed God—were God’s people and that He was their God (Deut. 29:13). This is the core, the essence, the summary statement of the covenant. The people were to confirm that they were God’s people, that God had chosen and raised them up to be a people for Himself. In the covenant, God was taking an oath that He was choosing the Israelites to be His people and His witnesses upon the earth. They were to be His missionary force to the world, declaring that there is only one living and true God. In response, the people were to declare that the Lord was their God. They were to promise that they would follow and obey the Lord and bear strong testimony to the truth of His Holy Word.
Note how both God and the people were undertaking obligations to one another. The people were responsible to obey God, and God was responsible to accept the true believer, the obedient person. God was to make him His treasured possession and witness upon the earth. This is clearly stated in this verse (Deut. 29:13), but it is spelled out in more detail at Mt. Sinai where God first shared the covenant: "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel" (Exodus 19:5-6).
Note the wonderful assurance given by God: He promises to fulfill His part of the covenant. God will not fail in His obligations to the people. He will do exactly as He promises. Just as He swore to the forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so He swears to the Israelites standing there this day. He will not fail. He will fulfill His promise, His part of the covenant. But this was not all: the covenant included future generations as well (Deut. 29:14-15). The covenant with its oath was being made with the Israelites there in the formal ceremony of rededication and renewal. But the covenant was also being confirmed with all future generations of believers, even those who had not yet been born.
There are three meaningful lessons for us in this point. First, God will keep His promises to us. Every promise He has made will be fulfilled. God is faithful; God will not fail us. Second, we must be faithful to keep our promises to God. When we first accepted Christ as our Savior, we made a covenant with God, a covenant to follow and obey Him. We must do just what we promised: obey—follow and walk after Him. Lastly, the genuine believer—the person who truly believes and follows after Christ—is accepted by God and becomes one of God’s people. The genuine believer—the person who truly believes and follows after Christ—becomes a very special person to God: His treasured possession.
Note that the covenant included future generations as well as those who were standing before Moses. Over three million Israelites were standing there being challenged to renew their commitment and covenant with God. The decision they made would affect the future of the nation, affect the destiny of all future generations.
The terms of the covenant included a strong warning against breaking the covenant and against hypocrisy. The warning is personal, very personal, and very descriptive: Zeal, fervor, urgency, and a burning passion were ablaze in the heart of Moses as he warned the people. He cried out: "You must remember the false gods and false worship of the world." The people had lived among the idols and false worship of the Egyptians when they were enslaved by Egypt. Moreover, they had seen the detestable worship of idolatry and false worship among the nations throughout their wilderness wanderings (Deut. 29:16-17).
Moses shouted out: "You must make sure—absolutely sure—that you do not turn away from the Lord. You must not worship the false gods of the world, must not engage in the false worship of your neighbors" (Deut. 29:18). Note how personal the warning is: no man or woman, family or tribe, must ever turn away from the Lord and engage in false worship.
Note the fruit of idolatry and false worship: it is a root that bears bitter and poisonous fruit (wormwood). The picture is that of a flowing, permeating evil that will contaminate and grow. No person is "an island to himself." He influences other people. Therefore, if he turns away from God and engages in false worship, he will influence and lead others to rebel and forsake God. One individual can poison the whole community, even become a stumblingblock to a nation. The poison of his sin and evil can ruin the whole tree.
A person must make sure—absolutely sure—that he is not a hypocrite, feeling that he is safe and immune from God’s judgment (Deut. 29:19). Again, note how personal Moses makes this point: an individual must make sure that he does not think, "I will be safe and experience peace of heart and security, even though I do my own thing and live as I want." This person will bring disaster upon himself and everyone else and even upon the land.
There are two clear warnings in this passage applicable to us: The warning against idolatry and false worship. Also, the warning against feeling that we are safe and immune from God’s judgment. Few people actually think they will ever have to bear God’s judgment. Most people think they are good enough to be acceptable to God, that God would never reject them. They feel they do not do enough bad or evil to be kept out of heaven, out of God’s presence. They feel safe and secure, immune from God’s judgment. They feel that they can, for the most part, do their own thing and live life as they wish, even if they do break the commandments of God. But the warning of God is clear: we must make sure—absolutely sure—that we do not live hypocritical lives. We must not profess to follow God and then not follow Him. If we say that we follow God, then we must follow Him. We must obey Him, keep His commandments. The warning is clear: we must not break our commitment and covenant with God; we must not live lives of hypocrisy.
The judgment for breaking the covenant is spelled out in descriptive terms. The person who turns away to false gods and false worship will suffer the awesome weight of terrifying judgment. Note the graphic description in the Scripture: The Lord will severely judge the violator, the idolater and false worshipper (Deut. 29:20-21). If a person lives a hypocritical life, feeling that he is safe and secure, immune from God’s judgment—that person will bear the awesome weight of God’s terrifying judgment. Note what Moses declared: The Lord will never forgive him and will blot his name out from under heaven (Deut. 29:20). The Lord’s wrath and jealousy will burn against that person.
The Lord will separate him for very special judgment (Deut. 29:21). The Lord will pour out upon him all the curses written in the Book of the Law, the Word of God.
Why so severe a judgment against the hypocrite, the idolater and false worshipper? The answer is given above: because the person turned away from the Lord, turned away to false worship, to worship the gods of this world. By so turning away, he misled others to turn away from God and to engage in false worship. He became a hypocrite, claiming to follow God, while all the time he was following a false, lifeless, and senseless god. Following the false god, he felt safe and secure, immune from the holy judgment of the only living and true God. But the judgment of God is sure: this person will suffer all the curses of God’s judgment.
Moses declares that the nation of Israel will become a spectacle (Deut. 29:22-23). Note that this is a prediction of what will happen to Israel in the future. The people will be chastised as a nation because they allowed idolatry to infiltrate and permeate the nation, because they allowed so many to be swept away by the hypocrites, swept away into false worship. The judgment upon the nation will be severe: The land will suffer calamity after calamity and disease after disease (Deut. 29:22). The land will be a burning waste with no vegetation growing. The land will suffer the same destruction that fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim (Deut. 29:23).
The judgment will be so fierce and catastrophic that people will question why (Deut. 29:24-28). Very simply, the answer will be because the people broke the covenant of the Lord God. The people broke the promise they made to God when He saved them from Egypt (Deut. 29:25). Remember, this is a symbol of the believer being saved from the enslavement of the world. The Israelites broke their promise, turning away from the Lord to false gods and false worship. Tragically, they abandoned their commitment and covenant with the Lord.
The result of their apostasy would be catastrophic and tragic: the Lord’s anger would burn against them and devastate the land itself. In furious anger and wrath, the Lord would allow a nation to conquer and uproot them. They would be transported into a foreign nation. The people of Israel would be conquered and taken as slaves into the foreign nation (Deut. 29:28).
The prediction of these things are said to be "secret things" (Deut. 29:29). They belong to the Lord and are known only by Him. The hypocritical spirit and apostasy of the Israelites would happen just as God reveals in Holy Scripture. The judgment upon Israel would also happen just as God predicted and history has now shown. But when the events were revealed for the first time here in Scripture—back in the days of Deuteronomy—they were secret things. The fact that they would actually happen, especially to those standing there before Moses, was incomprehensible. But today, history has shown that they did happen.
Now note this fact: Moses declares that the things revealed in God’s Holy Word belong to us. But God has revealed them to us for a very specific purpose: that we may follow His Holy Word, keep His commandments.
CONCLUSION
The judgment of God will fall upon any person who lives a hypocritical life. No matter what a person professes, if he does not live for Christ, following and obeying Him, he will suffer the judgment of God. But not only the hypocrite: the idolater and false worshipper will also bear the judgment of God. The judgment of God is sure: the wrath of God will be executed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, in particular against those who hold the truth in unrighteousness.
FINAL SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18).
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left" (Matthew 25:31-33).
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36).
"But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath" (Romans 2:8).
"But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience" (Ephes. 5:3-6).
"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished" (2 Peter 2:9).
"But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men" (2 Peter 3:7).
"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (Jude 14-15).
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
WHO ARE YOUISTENING TO
WHO HAS YOUR EAR, THE ADVERSARY OR GOD? -
Romans 8:1-8:1
WHO HAS YOUR EAR, THE ADVERSARY OR GOD?
SETTING THE STAGE
Many years ago in St. Louis, a lawyer visited a Christian to transact some business. Before the two parted, his client said to him, “I’ve often wanted to ask you a question, but I’ve been afraid to do so.”
“What do you want to know?” asked the lawyer.
The man replied, “I’ve wondered why you’re not a Christian.”
The man hung his head, “I know enough about the Bible to realize that it says no drunkard can enter the kingdom of God; and you know my weakness!”
“You’re avoiding my questions,” continued the believer.
“Well, truthfully, I can’t recall anyone ever explaining how to become a Christian.”
Picking up a Bible, the client read some passages showing that all are under condemnation, but that Christ came to save the lost by dying on the cross for their sins. “By receiving Him as your Substitute and Redeemer,” he said, “you can be forgiven. If you’re willing to receive Jesus, let’s pray together.”
The lawyer agreed, and when it was his turn he exclaimed, “O Jesus, I am a slave to drink. One of your servants has shown me how to be saved. O God, forgive my sins and help me overcome the power of this terrible habit in my life.” Right there he was converted. That lawyer was C.I. Scofield, who later edited the reference Bible that bears his name.
INTRODUCTION:
Our message today examines how Satan attacks the Believer with condemnation and guilt, and what the word of God has to say about the sins of our past.
SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES
The following are four areas of attack and accusation that is used by Satan. When Satan, the "Accuser of the Brethren" (Rev. 12:10) attacks a Christian with guilt and condemnation, it is many times a combination of three of these, if not all four:
1. FEELINGS of UNWORTHINESS - "I’m not a good-enough Christian" "I’m too great a sinner for God to save me." "God loves others, but He doesn’t love me as much"
2. FEAR & WORRY - "I’m afraid! I don’t trust God to take care of me and supply my needs!"
3. DOUBTING YOUR SALVATION - "I’ve committed the unforgiveable sin"
4. DEPRESSION & DESPAIR - "What’s the use of trying, I’ve failed so many times" -- I’ll never conquer this addiction, habit or whatever in my life - I’m a failure!"
Here is how Satan uses guilt and condemnation in the life of a Believer. You may not doubt your salvation, but you will doubt God’s willingness to ANSWER YOUR PRAYERS because of some sin in your past. You are saved, but you have been robbed of the JOY of your salvation, and the CONFIDENCE that God will answer your prayers. You tell yourself that you are not doubting God’s promises, but deep in your soul, you doubt His willingness or ability to apply those promises to YOU! It begins with the feelings of unworthiness, then fear and worry that God will not come through for you, and that leads to depression and despair.
This work of Satan of "accusing the brethren" (believers) may also lead to addictions, or certainly FEED addictions that may have started in your past, maybe even before you were saved. How does this work? If the feelings of doubt, lack of self-worth in your own eyes, condemnation and guilt are left unchecked, or are buried rather than cleansed out and removed, you may find yourself "medicating" the pain with drugs, alcohol, wrong sexual relationships, overeating, binging and purging, or other forms of escapism.
As a Believer in Jesus Christ, if you have repented of your sins, claimed the blood of Jesus for your cleansing of ALL sin and unrighteousness, and are NOT continuing to PRACTICE those sins, you should have NO feelings of guilt, condemnation, or consciousness of that sin at all. God has completely wiped it out and forgotten it, and you are clean and righteous in His sight.
If you are continuing to practice a certain sin, then, yes, you will feel some "condemnation" from the enemy, because you have placed yourself in a position where Satan has the right to mess with you. You will also feel conviction in your spirit from the Holy Spirit, because that is His job to let you know you are doing wrong! God’s word does not give us a "license" to continue sinning, but that is another study altogether.
Right now, we are focusing on the SINS of your PAST, and any residual feelings of guilt or condemnation that are interfering with your walk with the Lord or your ability to BELIEVE His promises. Let’s walk through the steps of repentance and restoration just to be SURE you have done everything the word of God says to do. Then, "having DONE ALL" you must learn to "STAND on the promises of God" (Eph. 6:13), and again, "take your thoughts captive" when any accusations or thoughts come to your mind that tell you otherwise (II Cor. 10:3-5).
GOD WANTS to RESTORE to YOU the JOY of YOUR SALVATION -HERE ARE THE STEPS to RESTORATION:
1.) Humble yourself before God, and confess and repent of all sin. Repent means to turn around and go the opposite direction, to completely change your mind (way of thinking) about something.
2.) Receive and accept by faith your complete forgiveness and cleansing, just because of what Jesus did for YOU on the cross, not because of anything you did to deserve it.
3.) Close any doors that might still be open to Satan and his demons to have access to your life. Satan is a liar, so cast out any demons that may have been attached to you, especially the "spirit of condemnation."
4.) Begin to walk in that freedom and forgiveness.
Psalm 34:18 "The Lord is NEAR to those who have a BROKEN HEART, and He saves such as have a CONTRITE spirit."
II Corinthians 4:2 "But we have RENOUNCED (confessed as wrong) the hidden things of SHAME, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully...."
Psalm 51: 1-4, 10,12 "Have MERCY on me, O God, according to Your loving kindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, BLOT OUT my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and CLEANSE ME from my SIN. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight..... Create in me a CLEAN HEART, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. RESTORE to ME the JOY of YOUR SALVATION, and uphold me with Your generous Spirit."
Psalm 51:16-17 "For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a BROKEN SPIRIT; a BROKEN and a contrite HEART — these, O God, You will not despise."
Isaiah 1:18 "‘Come now, and let us reason together’, says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’"
Acts 3:19 "Repent, therefore and be converted (turn around), that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
2.) Receive and accept by faith your complete forgiveness and cleansing, just because of what Jesus did for YOU on the cross, not because of anything you did to deserve it. It is vitally important that you not only believe that God has forgiven you, but that you also FORGIVE YOURSELF! There are no sins that are worse than others - sin is sin, in God’s eyes. Just when you think you’ve committed the worst kind of sin ("an abomination" to God), you can find Scriptures which state that something else is an abomination to God. Abortion and homosexuality are not worse sins than lying and coveting. Drunkenness is not worse than gluttony (overeating). PRIDE is always an abomination to God. In I Cor. 6:11, Paul is speaking to Christians, showing us that the Church of Jesus Christ is made up of sinners, because he says, "such were some of you." It is only by the blood of Jesus Christ that we are forgiven and CLEANSED of those sins. A person who has NOT trusted Jesus Christ for salvation and forgiveness of their sins has NO PART in the kingdom of God. Jesus said, "Unless a man is BORN AGAIN, he cannot [even] SEE the Kingdom of God." (John 3:3)
Proverbs 6:16-19 "These six things the Lord HATES, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a PROUD look, a LYING tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren."
•Ephesians 5:5 "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an IDOLATER, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."
I Corinthians 6:9-11 "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers (users of abusive language), nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were WASHED, but you were sanctified (made holy), but you were JUSTIFIED in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."
I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to FORGIVE us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Psalm 103:10-14 "He has NOT dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, SO GREAT is His MERCY toward those who fear Him (reverence Him); as far as the east is from the west, so far has He REMOVED our TRANSGRESSIONS from us."
Colossians 2:13-14 "And you, being dead in your trespasses (sins)......... has He made alive together with Him, having FORGIVEN you ALL trespasses; BLOTTING OUT the handwriting of requirements (God’s laws that you could never keep) that was against us, and took it out of the way, having nailed it to His CROSS."
Hebrews 10:16-17 "‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,’ says the Lord. ‘I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,’ then He adds, ‘Their SINS and their lawless DEEDS I will REMEMBER NO MORE.’"
Isaiah 43:25 "I, even I, am the One who WIPES OUT your transgressions for My own sake; and I WILL NOT REMEMBER your SINS."
Micah 7:18-19 "Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious acts of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving kindness. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."
Colossians 1:14 "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the FORGIVENESS of sins."
3.) Close any doors that might still be open to Satan and his demons to have access to your life. Satan is a liar, so cast out any demons and deceiving spirits that may have been attached to you, especially the "spirit of condemnation." COMMAND all demons to leave you in the NAME of JESUS! John 8:32 "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you FREE." Tell Satan and his demons that you belong to Jesus, and he has no more right to attack you or oppress you. Tell Satan he cannot deceive you any longer, because you know the truth, and the truth has made you free. He is no longer your master — Jesus is your Lord! CLOSE any DOORS that have been opened to allow demons into your life by saying something like this, "In the NAME of JESUS, I close the door that may have been opened to allow Satan into my life through my participation in (Name the sin)--I ask You, Lord, to keep the door closed with the precious blood of Jesus." Do this for each individual sin.
•Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION to those who are IN CHRIST JESUS, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
Ephesians 4:27 "And do not give place (opportunity) to the DEVIL."
James 4:7-8 "Therefore SUBMIT to God. RESIST the DEVIL and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. CLEANSE your hands, you SINNERS; and PURIFY your HEARTS, you double-minded."
I Timothy 4:1 "Now the Spirit expressly says that in the last days some will depart from the faith, giving heed to DECEIVING spirits and doctrines of DEMONS; speaking LIES ......."
John 8:44 "You (non-believers) are of your father, the DEVIL, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him....for he is a liar, and the father of lies."
4.) Begin to walk in that freedom and forgiveness. Realize that God sees you as being completely righteous because you are in Christ. God does NOT see you with a label from your past: adulterer, fornicator, idolater, drunkard, etc., because you are JUSTIFIED, your sins are FORGIVEN, and God does NOT REMEMBER your sins anymore (they are WASHED away in the BLOOD of Jesus). Justified means that God by His GRACE declares RIGHTEOUS the sinner (that’s you!) who believes on Jesus Christ. It is NOT a process of becoming righteous, it is a ONE-TIME ACT of GRACE — we are MADE RIGHTEOUS the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior! It is NOT merely FORGIVENESS, although forgiveness is INCLUDED — God does indeed FORGIVE and FORGET OUR SINS. However, JUSTIFICATION means God even FORGETS that we WERE EVER SINNERS! There is NO MORE RECORD of our sins. Now, WALK in that freedom!
I John 1:7 "But if we WALK in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the BLOOD of Jesus Christ His Son CLEANSES us from ALL SIN."
II Corinthians 5:21 "For He made Him who knew no sin (Jesus) to BE SIN FOR US, that we might be MADE the RIGHTEOUSNESS of GOD in Him."
•Hebrews 9:12 & 14 "Not with the blood of goats and calves (the Old Testament sacrifices), but with His own BLOOD He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without sin to God, PURGE your conscience from dead works to SERVE the living God?"
I Peter 2:24 "Who Himself bore our SINS in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might LIVE for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed."
Jesus is OUR "advocate" or defense attorney against Satan (I John 2:1). If Satan accuses you before God, Jesus INTERCEDES and steps forward and says, "That’s already PAID for - it’s covered by My BLOOD!" (Romans 8:33-34). If Satan makes the accusations to you, in your own thoughts, that’s where "taking your thoughts captive" comes into operation. You must recognize those thoughts as being AGAINST God’s truth, and counteract with the word of God. James 4:7 says "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee (run away) from you." RESIST Satan by quoting scripture (God’s word) OUT LOUD to him, and then BELIEVE GOD’S WORD, instead of Satan’s accusations. Two things happen when you speak God’s word out loud: first, it is a weapon against the enemy, and second, it allows YOU to HEAR the word of God, and get it down into your spirit, and that builds your faith (see Romans 10:17).
I John 2:1 "My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. But if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
Romans 5:1 & 9 "Therefore, having been JUSTIFIED by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Much more then, having now been JUSTIFIED by His BLOOD, we shall be saved from WRATH (God’s judgment and anger) through Him."
Romans 3:24-26 "Being justified freely by His GRACE through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His BLOOD, through faith....." ".....that He might be just and the Justifier of the one who has FAITH in JESUS."
Ephesians 1:7 "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the FORGIVENESS of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
What do you do when your prayers don’t seem to be answered? Don’t allow Satan to bring you under condemnation, and make you think God is holding your past sins over you, and that is why your prayers are not being answered. Instead, examine yourself, and look at some Biblical reasons as to why your prayers may SEEM to be unanswered. There is nothing beyond God’s ability, but there may be some things that are not His will for our lives, and therefore He will withhold those things. The reasons are various, and only the person praying can examine himself to find the reason (i.e. - we should not JUDGE or speculate on why someone else’s prayers are not answered).
Genesis 18:14 "Is ANYTHING TOO DIFFICULT for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son."
Jeremiah 32:17 & 27 "Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and Your outstretched arm! NOTHING is TOO DIFFICULT for You." "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is ANYTHING too DIFFICULT for Me?"
Mark 10:27 "But looking at them, Jesus said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God; for WITH GOD all things are POSSIBLE.’"
Luke 18:27 ".....The things which are IMPOSSIBLE with men are POSSIBLE with God."
Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is ABLE to do EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."
CONCLUSION:
When Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman was a student for the ministry at Lake Forest University, Illinois, he heard the famous evangelist D.L. Moody speak. Charmed by Moody’s simple presentation, Chapman followed him from one service to another. Finally one day he told Moody that he didn’t have assurance of salvation. Though he was studying for the ministry, one day he was sure he would be in heaven, then the next day was in despair for he did not know for sure if he were saved.
Moody pointed him to the verse, "He that believeth on the Son shall not come into condemnation" (see John 5:24). Moody asked, "Do you believe on the Son?" "Yes," replied the young student. "Will you come into comndemnation?" "That’s what I don’t know for sure. That’s why I’ve come to see you," answered the young man. Then D.L. Moody said in his firm way of dealing with people, "See here, young man, whom are you doubting?"
In a flash it dawned on young Chapman that he was doubting none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, whose word is truth and cannot be broken. That was the beginning of better days for young Chapman. He never doubted his salvation from that day on, and became an evangelist known the world over.
You may not be a great Bible scholar as C. I. Scofield in our opening story, or a world traveling evangelist like Wiblur Chapman, but if you have trusted in Christ..in His Person, Word and His sufficient sacrifice on your behalf for sin...if you have received Him as your Lord and Savior repenting of your sinful natured ways---you are no longer condemned under the divine justice of God for you have been robed in the righteousness of the risen Jesus.
Stand on those truths and, at at the portal of death, grace will usher you into the glory of God and everlasting life.
Oh yes....and don’t forget, "...resist the devil and he will flee from you." But first we must humble ourselves before God, for His power is made perfect in our weakness.
NOTE:
Special thanks to Love Lifted Me Ministry where the main body of this message was taken with their permission. Please feel free to write to Pastor Tom and his wife Dottie at the following ministry address, for any of their topical Bible studies or the recovery material which they offer.
TOM & DOTTIE HOOPER
LOVE LIFTED ME RECOVERY MINISTRY
2404 FREY AVE.
VENICE, CA. 90291
MARANATHA
JD
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Romans 8:1-8:1
WHO HAS YOUR EAR, THE ADVERSARY OR GOD?
SETTING THE STAGE
Many years ago in St. Louis, a lawyer visited a Christian to transact some business. Before the two parted, his client said to him, “I’ve often wanted to ask you a question, but I’ve been afraid to do so.”
“What do you want to know?” asked the lawyer.
The man replied, “I’ve wondered why you’re not a Christian.”
The man hung his head, “I know enough about the Bible to realize that it says no drunkard can enter the kingdom of God; and you know my weakness!”
“You’re avoiding my questions,” continued the believer.
“Well, truthfully, I can’t recall anyone ever explaining how to become a Christian.”
Picking up a Bible, the client read some passages showing that all are under condemnation, but that Christ came to save the lost by dying on the cross for their sins. “By receiving Him as your Substitute and Redeemer,” he said, “you can be forgiven. If you’re willing to receive Jesus, let’s pray together.”
The lawyer agreed, and when it was his turn he exclaimed, “O Jesus, I am a slave to drink. One of your servants has shown me how to be saved. O God, forgive my sins and help me overcome the power of this terrible habit in my life.” Right there he was converted. That lawyer was C.I. Scofield, who later edited the reference Bible that bears his name.
INTRODUCTION:
Our message today examines how Satan attacks the Believer with condemnation and guilt, and what the word of God has to say about the sins of our past.
SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES
The following are four areas of attack and accusation that is used by Satan. When Satan, the "Accuser of the Brethren" (Rev. 12:10) attacks a Christian with guilt and condemnation, it is many times a combination of three of these, if not all four:
1. FEELINGS of UNWORTHINESS - "I’m not a good-enough Christian" "I’m too great a sinner for God to save me." "God loves others, but He doesn’t love me as much"
2. FEAR & WORRY - "I’m afraid! I don’t trust God to take care of me and supply my needs!"
3. DOUBTING YOUR SALVATION - "I’ve committed the unforgiveable sin"
4. DEPRESSION & DESPAIR - "What’s the use of trying, I’ve failed so many times" -- I’ll never conquer this addiction, habit or whatever in my life - I’m a failure!"
Here is how Satan uses guilt and condemnation in the life of a Believer. You may not doubt your salvation, but you will doubt God’s willingness to ANSWER YOUR PRAYERS because of some sin in your past. You are saved, but you have been robbed of the JOY of your salvation, and the CONFIDENCE that God will answer your prayers. You tell yourself that you are not doubting God’s promises, but deep in your soul, you doubt His willingness or ability to apply those promises to YOU! It begins with the feelings of unworthiness, then fear and worry that God will not come through for you, and that leads to depression and despair.
This work of Satan of "accusing the brethren" (believers) may also lead to addictions, or certainly FEED addictions that may have started in your past, maybe even before you were saved. How does this work? If the feelings of doubt, lack of self-worth in your own eyes, condemnation and guilt are left unchecked, or are buried rather than cleansed out and removed, you may find yourself "medicating" the pain with drugs, alcohol, wrong sexual relationships, overeating, binging and purging, or other forms of escapism.
As a Believer in Jesus Christ, if you have repented of your sins, claimed the blood of Jesus for your cleansing of ALL sin and unrighteousness, and are NOT continuing to PRACTICE those sins, you should have NO feelings of guilt, condemnation, or consciousness of that sin at all. God has completely wiped it out and forgotten it, and you are clean and righteous in His sight.
If you are continuing to practice a certain sin, then, yes, you will feel some "condemnation" from the enemy, because you have placed yourself in a position where Satan has the right to mess with you. You will also feel conviction in your spirit from the Holy Spirit, because that is His job to let you know you are doing wrong! God’s word does not give us a "license" to continue sinning, but that is another study altogether.
Right now, we are focusing on the SINS of your PAST, and any residual feelings of guilt or condemnation that are interfering with your walk with the Lord or your ability to BELIEVE His promises. Let’s walk through the steps of repentance and restoration just to be SURE you have done everything the word of God says to do. Then, "having DONE ALL" you must learn to "STAND on the promises of God" (Eph. 6:13), and again, "take your thoughts captive" when any accusations or thoughts come to your mind that tell you otherwise (II Cor. 10:3-5).
GOD WANTS to RESTORE to YOU the JOY of YOUR SALVATION -HERE ARE THE STEPS to RESTORATION:
1.) Humble yourself before God, and confess and repent of all sin. Repent means to turn around and go the opposite direction, to completely change your mind (way of thinking) about something.
2.) Receive and accept by faith your complete forgiveness and cleansing, just because of what Jesus did for YOU on the cross, not because of anything you did to deserve it.
3.) Close any doors that might still be open to Satan and his demons to have access to your life. Satan is a liar, so cast out any demons that may have been attached to you, especially the "spirit of condemnation."
4.) Begin to walk in that freedom and forgiveness.
Psalm 34:18 "The Lord is NEAR to those who have a BROKEN HEART, and He saves such as have a CONTRITE spirit."
II Corinthians 4:2 "But we have RENOUNCED (confessed as wrong) the hidden things of SHAME, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully...."
Psalm 51: 1-4, 10,12 "Have MERCY on me, O God, according to Your loving kindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, BLOT OUT my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and CLEANSE ME from my SIN. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight..... Create in me a CLEAN HEART, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. RESTORE to ME the JOY of YOUR SALVATION, and uphold me with Your generous Spirit."
Psalm 51:16-17 "For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a BROKEN SPIRIT; a BROKEN and a contrite HEART — these, O God, You will not despise."
Isaiah 1:18 "‘Come now, and let us reason together’, says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’"
Acts 3:19 "Repent, therefore and be converted (turn around), that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
2.) Receive and accept by faith your complete forgiveness and cleansing, just because of what Jesus did for YOU on the cross, not because of anything you did to deserve it. It is vitally important that you not only believe that God has forgiven you, but that you also FORGIVE YOURSELF! There are no sins that are worse than others - sin is sin, in God’s eyes. Just when you think you’ve committed the worst kind of sin ("an abomination" to God), you can find Scriptures which state that something else is an abomination to God. Abortion and homosexuality are not worse sins than lying and coveting. Drunkenness is not worse than gluttony (overeating). PRIDE is always an abomination to God. In I Cor. 6:11, Paul is speaking to Christians, showing us that the Church of Jesus Christ is made up of sinners, because he says, "such were some of you." It is only by the blood of Jesus Christ that we are forgiven and CLEANSED of those sins. A person who has NOT trusted Jesus Christ for salvation and forgiveness of their sins has NO PART in the kingdom of God. Jesus said, "Unless a man is BORN AGAIN, he cannot [even] SEE the Kingdom of God." (John 3:3)
Proverbs 6:16-19 "These six things the Lord HATES, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a PROUD look, a LYING tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren."
•Ephesians 5:5 "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an IDOLATER, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."
I Corinthians 6:9-11 "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers (users of abusive language), nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were WASHED, but you were sanctified (made holy), but you were JUSTIFIED in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."
I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to FORGIVE us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Psalm 103:10-14 "He has NOT dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, SO GREAT is His MERCY toward those who fear Him (reverence Him); as far as the east is from the west, so far has He REMOVED our TRANSGRESSIONS from us."
Colossians 2:13-14 "And you, being dead in your trespasses (sins)......... has He made alive together with Him, having FORGIVEN you ALL trespasses; BLOTTING OUT the handwriting of requirements (God’s laws that you could never keep) that was against us, and took it out of the way, having nailed it to His CROSS."
Hebrews 10:16-17 "‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,’ says the Lord. ‘I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,’ then He adds, ‘Their SINS and their lawless DEEDS I will REMEMBER NO MORE.’"
Isaiah 43:25 "I, even I, am the One who WIPES OUT your transgressions for My own sake; and I WILL NOT REMEMBER your SINS."
Micah 7:18-19 "Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious acts of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving kindness. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."
Colossians 1:14 "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the FORGIVENESS of sins."
3.) Close any doors that might still be open to Satan and his demons to have access to your life. Satan is a liar, so cast out any demons and deceiving spirits that may have been attached to you, especially the "spirit of condemnation." COMMAND all demons to leave you in the NAME of JESUS! John 8:32 "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you FREE." Tell Satan and his demons that you belong to Jesus, and he has no more right to attack you or oppress you. Tell Satan he cannot deceive you any longer, because you know the truth, and the truth has made you free. He is no longer your master — Jesus is your Lord! CLOSE any DOORS that have been opened to allow demons into your life by saying something like this, "In the NAME of JESUS, I close the door that may have been opened to allow Satan into my life through my participation in (Name the sin)--I ask You, Lord, to keep the door closed with the precious blood of Jesus." Do this for each individual sin.
•Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION to those who are IN CHRIST JESUS, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
Ephesians 4:27 "And do not give place (opportunity) to the DEVIL."
James 4:7-8 "Therefore SUBMIT to God. RESIST the DEVIL and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. CLEANSE your hands, you SINNERS; and PURIFY your HEARTS, you double-minded."
I Timothy 4:1 "Now the Spirit expressly says that in the last days some will depart from the faith, giving heed to DECEIVING spirits and doctrines of DEMONS; speaking LIES ......."
John 8:44 "You (non-believers) are of your father, the DEVIL, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him....for he is a liar, and the father of lies."
4.) Begin to walk in that freedom and forgiveness. Realize that God sees you as being completely righteous because you are in Christ. God does NOT see you with a label from your past: adulterer, fornicator, idolater, drunkard, etc., because you are JUSTIFIED, your sins are FORGIVEN, and God does NOT REMEMBER your sins anymore (they are WASHED away in the BLOOD of Jesus). Justified means that God by His GRACE declares RIGHTEOUS the sinner (that’s you!) who believes on Jesus Christ. It is NOT a process of becoming righteous, it is a ONE-TIME ACT of GRACE — we are MADE RIGHTEOUS the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior! It is NOT merely FORGIVENESS, although forgiveness is INCLUDED — God does indeed FORGIVE and FORGET OUR SINS. However, JUSTIFICATION means God even FORGETS that we WERE EVER SINNERS! There is NO MORE RECORD of our sins. Now, WALK in that freedom!
I John 1:7 "But if we WALK in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the BLOOD of Jesus Christ His Son CLEANSES us from ALL SIN."
II Corinthians 5:21 "For He made Him who knew no sin (Jesus) to BE SIN FOR US, that we might be MADE the RIGHTEOUSNESS of GOD in Him."
•Hebrews 9:12 & 14 "Not with the blood of goats and calves (the Old Testament sacrifices), but with His own BLOOD He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without sin to God, PURGE your conscience from dead works to SERVE the living God?"
I Peter 2:24 "Who Himself bore our SINS in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might LIVE for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed."
Jesus is OUR "advocate" or defense attorney against Satan (I John 2:1). If Satan accuses you before God, Jesus INTERCEDES and steps forward and says, "That’s already PAID for - it’s covered by My BLOOD!" (Romans 8:33-34). If Satan makes the accusations to you, in your own thoughts, that’s where "taking your thoughts captive" comes into operation. You must recognize those thoughts as being AGAINST God’s truth, and counteract with the word of God. James 4:7 says "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee (run away) from you." RESIST Satan by quoting scripture (God’s word) OUT LOUD to him, and then BELIEVE GOD’S WORD, instead of Satan’s accusations. Two things happen when you speak God’s word out loud: first, it is a weapon against the enemy, and second, it allows YOU to HEAR the word of God, and get it down into your spirit, and that builds your faith (see Romans 10:17).
I John 2:1 "My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. But if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
Romans 5:1 & 9 "Therefore, having been JUSTIFIED by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Much more then, having now been JUSTIFIED by His BLOOD, we shall be saved from WRATH (God’s judgment and anger) through Him."
Romans 3:24-26 "Being justified freely by His GRACE through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His BLOOD, through faith....." ".....that He might be just and the Justifier of the one who has FAITH in JESUS."
Ephesians 1:7 "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the FORGIVENESS of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
What do you do when your prayers don’t seem to be answered? Don’t allow Satan to bring you under condemnation, and make you think God is holding your past sins over you, and that is why your prayers are not being answered. Instead, examine yourself, and look at some Biblical reasons as to why your prayers may SEEM to be unanswered. There is nothing beyond God’s ability, but there may be some things that are not His will for our lives, and therefore He will withhold those things. The reasons are various, and only the person praying can examine himself to find the reason (i.e. - we should not JUDGE or speculate on why someone else’s prayers are not answered).
Genesis 18:14 "Is ANYTHING TOO DIFFICULT for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son."
Jeremiah 32:17 & 27 "Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and Your outstretched arm! NOTHING is TOO DIFFICULT for You." "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is ANYTHING too DIFFICULT for Me?"
Mark 10:27 "But looking at them, Jesus said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God; for WITH GOD all things are POSSIBLE.’"
Luke 18:27 ".....The things which are IMPOSSIBLE with men are POSSIBLE with God."
Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is ABLE to do EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."
CONCLUSION:
When Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman was a student for the ministry at Lake Forest University, Illinois, he heard the famous evangelist D.L. Moody speak. Charmed by Moody’s simple presentation, Chapman followed him from one service to another. Finally one day he told Moody that he didn’t have assurance of salvation. Though he was studying for the ministry, one day he was sure he would be in heaven, then the next day was in despair for he did not know for sure if he were saved.
Moody pointed him to the verse, "He that believeth on the Son shall not come into condemnation" (see John 5:24). Moody asked, "Do you believe on the Son?" "Yes," replied the young student. "Will you come into comndemnation?" "That’s what I don’t know for sure. That’s why I’ve come to see you," answered the young man. Then D.L. Moody said in his firm way of dealing with people, "See here, young man, whom are you doubting?"
In a flash it dawned on young Chapman that he was doubting none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, whose word is truth and cannot be broken. That was the beginning of better days for young Chapman. He never doubted his salvation from that day on, and became an evangelist known the world over.
You may not be a great Bible scholar as C. I. Scofield in our opening story, or a world traveling evangelist like Wiblur Chapman, but if you have trusted in Christ..in His Person, Word and His sufficient sacrifice on your behalf for sin...if you have received Him as your Lord and Savior repenting of your sinful natured ways---you are no longer condemned under the divine justice of God for you have been robed in the righteousness of the risen Jesus.
Stand on those truths and, at at the portal of death, grace will usher you into the glory of God and everlasting life.
Oh yes....and don’t forget, "...resist the devil and he will flee from you." But first we must humble ourselves before God, for His power is made perfect in our weakness.
NOTE:
Special thanks to Love Lifted Me Ministry where the main body of this message was taken with their permission. Please feel free to write to Pastor Tom and his wife Dottie at the following ministry address, for any of their topical Bible studies or the recovery material which they offer.
TOM & DOTTIE HOOPER
LOVE LIFTED ME RECOVERY MINISTRY
2404 FREY AVE.
VENICE, CA. 90291
MARANATHA
JD
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Wednesday, December 14, 2011
MAKING RESOLUTIONS
Making Resolutions that Last
Philippians 3:12-3:14
INTRODUCTION
A. You did it! You made it through another year. In a few days 2011 will be history.
And a new year is right around the corner. A year full of possibility and opportunity. 12 months. 52 weeks. 365 days. 8760 hours. 525, 600 minutes and 31,536,000 seconds. What will you do with all this time?
B. This is typically the time of year to make resolutions. In the dictionary resolution is defined as “a course of action decided upon; a fixed purpose.”
We resolve to do things differently. To lose weight, to exercise more. To be a better person. To dispense with old bad habits and begin some new good ones.
A newspaper in Boston has been allowing people to post new year’s resolutions on their website. Here are a few interesting ones:
I resolve to stop feeding the office plant leftover coffee. I will use water instead.
My new year’s resolution is to really start collecting Muppet and Peanuts stuff in the coming year!
As much as I hate government intervention, I resolve to try and get a law passed that requires every person on the face of this earth to have to use their common sense at least once a day!!!!
As a Theatre Major, I seldom have much time to eat real food...never mind eating with my family. This year, I resolve to try REAL hard to stop eating McDonalds and Wendy’s for 2 out of 3 meals a day. If that isn’t possible, I promise to at least clean the remains from my car.
I wish to become the old crone that my body already says that I am and stop trying to look like Barbie due to our culture.
I hearby resolve to accept the changes occurring at work. I will try to remember that the decision-makers have a brain and will use it if necessary. Finally, I will cheer for them if it works and I will not laugh if it doesn’t!
To refuse to take responsibility for my decisions, to never take the blame, not stand by my promises, and to ignore the needs of the poor. In short, my resolution is to become a politician!
To become as wonderful a person as my dog thinks I am.
C. THESIS: If we are interested in keeping any of our resolutions this year, we should adhere to the methods employed by Paul in Philippians 3:13.
I. WE MUST ENGAGE IN THE PRELIMINARY ACTIVITY
“Forgetting what is behind.” (v. 13)
A. Paul is talking about forgetting in such a way that the past, good or bad, will have no negative bearing on one’s present spiritual growth and condition.
1. Forget the wrongs that could paralyze you with guilt and despair.
Paul definitely had some of these. As a persecutor of the church, he had a lot he wanted to leave behind.
2. Forget the attainments that might cause you to pull into “neutral.”
He also didn’t want to dwell on how far he had come from where he was. This might make him want to be content with where he was, and too satisfied or smug about his spirituality. He realized he still had a long way to go if he wanted to know Christ fully and completely.
B. In order to make solid resolutions we have to put the failures of previous attempts behind us.
Sometimes we make resolutions and find that it takes us a very short period of time before we have already broken them. Out of 10 people who make New Year’s resolutions, eight won’t keep them for more than a month.
Maybe your failure to keep past resolutions makes you cynical or skeptical about making any for 1998. But if we adhere to the method of Paul, we forget about all those.
Speaking of forgetting: 2 old men were sitting on a park bench. One of the men said, “You know as I get older I can’t remember things the way I used to.” The other man said, “I used to have that problem too until I took this memory course. It’s a very simple technique, based on associating words with names, places and events. Now because of that I don’t have trouble remembering anything at all.” The first man said, “Really? What was the name of the course?”
The old man got a puzzled look on his face, turned white as a sheet, scratched his head, then asked, “What’s the flower with a long stem, has thorns on it, the petals can be white or yellow or red?” “A rose?” the other man replied. “Yes, thank you!”
He turned to his wife and said, “Rose, what was the name of that memory course?”
That’s pretty forgetful. In a similar way, if we want to move forward, we have to put the mistakes of the past behind. To forget them as over and done with.
Agricultural illustration: When you are cultivating corn, you have to look forward not behind. The shovels are breaking up the ground in between the rows, and coming very close to the plants themselves. Since a cultivator can do 12 or 24 rows at a time, when you get off center, it wipes out quite an area. But to get the job done, the farmer has to forget the past (what is behind) and keep working on what is ahead, or the job never gets done.
We have a clean slate when we forget the past, when we leave it behind.
TRANSITION: Paul’s first method is engaging in the preliminary activity. Forgetting what is behind. The second method found here that will help us make resolutions that last is:
II. WE MUST IMPLEMENT A PLAN
“Straining toward what is ahead.” (v. 13)
A. “Straining” refers to continuous concentration, like that of a runner in a race whose ceaseless personal exertion and intensity of desire help to achieve the hoped for victory.
This word helps us to picture a runner with his body bent over, hand outstretched, eyes fastened on the goal, never giving a backward glance.
In other words, this runner is focused and determined. A plan of action, once developed has to be held to with great exertion and intensity.
B. Concentrating on a solid plan will help to make our resolutions more of a reality. (Ideas taken from Tom Jones in The Lookout, 12-29-96, pp. 4-6)
1. Set some goals with the following questions in mind:
a. Will this goal glorify God?
The Bible says, “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31). God wants your goals or your resolutions to bring him glory.
Some of our goals could be:
Spend more time with my children
Volunteer to lead a ministry at church
Continue my education
Exercise regularly
Purchase a house
Get married
None of these goals is necessarily right or wrong. The question is, how will your goals glorify God?
b. Will this goal make me more like Jesus?
As we make resolutions for ourselves, this is really one of the ultimate questions. Would Jesus spend his time this way? Would Jesus have this as a goal? These are some excellent things to consider.
c. Will this goal make a positive contribution to the world?
Some things aren’t necessarily wrong as goals, they’re just not all that important. One way to make this distinction is to measure the goal’s positive impact on others. Will this goal make a positive contribution to your family, co-workers, church, community and your world?
d. Will this goal enhance my ability to witness?
Everything that we are involved in with other people is an opportunity to witness. Do any of your goals for 1998 intentionally involve you with unchurched people so that you can be a witness for Jesus Christ? Things like joining the Rotary Club, a tennis league, joining a health club, going as a chaperone on school trips with your children, inviting a neighbor over for dessert.
Do you have any goals that specifically get you involved with people who need to know Jesus Christ?
Once you’ve made some goals or some resolutions, these goals have to be translated into activities. A lot of us set worthy goals, but then nothing happens.
2. Organize your activities around these categories:
a. Your personal life.
Many of us don’t spend enough time developing our personal lives. This includes our spiritual well being, our prayer life, how physically fit we are, how emotionally healthy we are, how willing we are to grow mentally in wisdom and knowledge.
Goal: Get closer to God.
Activity: Read a chapter of the Bible each day before work.
b. Your family.
Obviously our goals and activities have to include our families. The Bible warns us not to neglect them.
Goal: Spend more time with my daughter
Activity: Agree to help coach her soccer team
c. Your church.
When we don’t include church, we get out of balance. We can’t be all that God wants us to be without being involved in the family of God.
Goal: Get more involved in church
Activity: Work with a ministry team on a regular basis.
d. Your work.
Work is a part of life. If we do everything for the glory of God, we also make work a priority.
Goal: Improve my job skills.
Activity: Attend a seminar or training session designed to enhance my effectiveness.
e. Your world.
We are citizens, living in communities. We have a responsibility to the people around us to be good citizens.
Goal: Take better care of our planet.
Activity: Start recycling.
3. Harmonize your schedule with your goals.
a. If you don’t schedule the important things in your life, you won’t do them.
If you’ve made the goal to get closer to God and your activity is to read a chapter of the Bible each day, you have to schedule the time for this, or it simply won’t happen.
Maybe you’ve made the goals of getting in better shape, and being a better witness in your community, and you combined them into one activity – joining an aerobics class through the park district. If you don’t do the work to sign up and then put the class schedule in your calendar, it won’t happen.
Maybe you have a goal of becoming a better musician, which translates into an hour of practice every other day. If you don’t schedule it, you know what will happen. NOTHING! And that’s the very reason why so many of our resolutions don’t stick. We don’t have a plan that we stick to. We never make these things appointments that cannot be compromised.
Paul “strained” toward his goal. He have to do the same with our resolutions.
b. Give priority to the scheduled events.
TRANSITION: We’ve seen that Paul’s methods for reaching a goal included his preliminary activity of forgetting the past, and developing a plan by straining toward what was ahead. In our remaining time, I’d like to also give you:
III. SOME POINTERS
“I press on toward the goal.” (v. 14)
If we are going to press on toward our resolutions in 1998, here are some things to remember.
A. Go slow! You probably can’t work on changing everything all at once.
This is usually my mistake. I see 15 things I want to work on in the coming year, and I start all of them at once. Can be pretty frustrating.
The cartoon character Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes once said, “God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I’m so far behind I’ll never die.”
The key with resolutions is just to make a couple and stick to them. It’s better to work on a little at time and succeed greatly than to work on everything all at once only to accomplish very little or nothing.
B. Remember this statement: “By the help of the Lord, I intend this year to work at improving myself in this area of my life.”
That’s really what resolutions are. Self-improvement for God. We want to be more like God himself. He wants to help us become more like Himself.
C. If you break a resolution, don’t give up! You don’t have to wait until January of 1999 to start over.
Remember, Paul said “forgetting what is behind.” God is continually making us new. If you have a relapse, talk to God about it, then get back in gear. It’s not the end of the world. God forgives.
D. Memorize a Scripture that helps you focus on your goal.
Today’s lookout has an article on this. The Bible has a lot to say to us as we work on becoming more like Christ. Put the Scripture on your refrigerator, your phone or computer monitor at work, the dashboard of your car. See it, remember it and live it!
E. Tell a friend about your resolution and ask them to keep track of your progress.
Accountability always helps me. Maybe you and a friend could work on the same resolution and help each other!
CONCLUSION
A. Making resolutions is a very Christian thing to do. By doing this we say, “I want to be better prepared for life in heaven by starting to live a more godly life right now.”
Philippians 3:12-3:14
INTRODUCTION
A. You did it! You made it through another year. In a few days 2011 will be history.
And a new year is right around the corner. A year full of possibility and opportunity. 12 months. 52 weeks. 365 days. 8760 hours. 525, 600 minutes and 31,536,000 seconds. What will you do with all this time?
B. This is typically the time of year to make resolutions. In the dictionary resolution is defined as “a course of action decided upon; a fixed purpose.”
We resolve to do things differently. To lose weight, to exercise more. To be a better person. To dispense with old bad habits and begin some new good ones.
A newspaper in Boston has been allowing people to post new year’s resolutions on their website. Here are a few interesting ones:
I resolve to stop feeding the office plant leftover coffee. I will use water instead.
My new year’s resolution is to really start collecting Muppet and Peanuts stuff in the coming year!
As much as I hate government intervention, I resolve to try and get a law passed that requires every person on the face of this earth to have to use their common sense at least once a day!!!!
As a Theatre Major, I seldom have much time to eat real food...never mind eating with my family. This year, I resolve to try REAL hard to stop eating McDonalds and Wendy’s for 2 out of 3 meals a day. If that isn’t possible, I promise to at least clean the remains from my car.
I wish to become the old crone that my body already says that I am and stop trying to look like Barbie due to our culture.
I hearby resolve to accept the changes occurring at work. I will try to remember that the decision-makers have a brain and will use it if necessary. Finally, I will cheer for them if it works and I will not laugh if it doesn’t!
To refuse to take responsibility for my decisions, to never take the blame, not stand by my promises, and to ignore the needs of the poor. In short, my resolution is to become a politician!
To become as wonderful a person as my dog thinks I am.
C. THESIS: If we are interested in keeping any of our resolutions this year, we should adhere to the methods employed by Paul in Philippians 3:13.
I. WE MUST ENGAGE IN THE PRELIMINARY ACTIVITY
“Forgetting what is behind.” (v. 13)
A. Paul is talking about forgetting in such a way that the past, good or bad, will have no negative bearing on one’s present spiritual growth and condition.
1. Forget the wrongs that could paralyze you with guilt and despair.
Paul definitely had some of these. As a persecutor of the church, he had a lot he wanted to leave behind.
2. Forget the attainments that might cause you to pull into “neutral.”
He also didn’t want to dwell on how far he had come from where he was. This might make him want to be content with where he was, and too satisfied or smug about his spirituality. He realized he still had a long way to go if he wanted to know Christ fully and completely.
B. In order to make solid resolutions we have to put the failures of previous attempts behind us.
Sometimes we make resolutions and find that it takes us a very short period of time before we have already broken them. Out of 10 people who make New Year’s resolutions, eight won’t keep them for more than a month.
Maybe your failure to keep past resolutions makes you cynical or skeptical about making any for 1998. But if we adhere to the method of Paul, we forget about all those.
Speaking of forgetting: 2 old men were sitting on a park bench. One of the men said, “You know as I get older I can’t remember things the way I used to.” The other man said, “I used to have that problem too until I took this memory course. It’s a very simple technique, based on associating words with names, places and events. Now because of that I don’t have trouble remembering anything at all.” The first man said, “Really? What was the name of the course?”
The old man got a puzzled look on his face, turned white as a sheet, scratched his head, then asked, “What’s the flower with a long stem, has thorns on it, the petals can be white or yellow or red?” “A rose?” the other man replied. “Yes, thank you!”
He turned to his wife and said, “Rose, what was the name of that memory course?”
That’s pretty forgetful. In a similar way, if we want to move forward, we have to put the mistakes of the past behind. To forget them as over and done with.
Agricultural illustration: When you are cultivating corn, you have to look forward not behind. The shovels are breaking up the ground in between the rows, and coming very close to the plants themselves. Since a cultivator can do 12 or 24 rows at a time, when you get off center, it wipes out quite an area. But to get the job done, the farmer has to forget the past (what is behind) and keep working on what is ahead, or the job never gets done.
We have a clean slate when we forget the past, when we leave it behind.
TRANSITION: Paul’s first method is engaging in the preliminary activity. Forgetting what is behind. The second method found here that will help us make resolutions that last is:
II. WE MUST IMPLEMENT A PLAN
“Straining toward what is ahead.” (v. 13)
A. “Straining” refers to continuous concentration, like that of a runner in a race whose ceaseless personal exertion and intensity of desire help to achieve the hoped for victory.
This word helps us to picture a runner with his body bent over, hand outstretched, eyes fastened on the goal, never giving a backward glance.
In other words, this runner is focused and determined. A plan of action, once developed has to be held to with great exertion and intensity.
B. Concentrating on a solid plan will help to make our resolutions more of a reality. (Ideas taken from Tom Jones in The Lookout, 12-29-96, pp. 4-6)
1. Set some goals with the following questions in mind:
a. Will this goal glorify God?
The Bible says, “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31). God wants your goals or your resolutions to bring him glory.
Some of our goals could be:
Spend more time with my children
Volunteer to lead a ministry at church
Continue my education
Exercise regularly
Purchase a house
Get married
None of these goals is necessarily right or wrong. The question is, how will your goals glorify God?
b. Will this goal make me more like Jesus?
As we make resolutions for ourselves, this is really one of the ultimate questions. Would Jesus spend his time this way? Would Jesus have this as a goal? These are some excellent things to consider.
c. Will this goal make a positive contribution to the world?
Some things aren’t necessarily wrong as goals, they’re just not all that important. One way to make this distinction is to measure the goal’s positive impact on others. Will this goal make a positive contribution to your family, co-workers, church, community and your world?
d. Will this goal enhance my ability to witness?
Everything that we are involved in with other people is an opportunity to witness. Do any of your goals for 1998 intentionally involve you with unchurched people so that you can be a witness for Jesus Christ? Things like joining the Rotary Club, a tennis league, joining a health club, going as a chaperone on school trips with your children, inviting a neighbor over for dessert.
Do you have any goals that specifically get you involved with people who need to know Jesus Christ?
Once you’ve made some goals or some resolutions, these goals have to be translated into activities. A lot of us set worthy goals, but then nothing happens.
2. Organize your activities around these categories:
a. Your personal life.
Many of us don’t spend enough time developing our personal lives. This includes our spiritual well being, our prayer life, how physically fit we are, how emotionally healthy we are, how willing we are to grow mentally in wisdom and knowledge.
Goal: Get closer to God.
Activity: Read a chapter of the Bible each day before work.
b. Your family.
Obviously our goals and activities have to include our families. The Bible warns us not to neglect them.
Goal: Spend more time with my daughter
Activity: Agree to help coach her soccer team
c. Your church.
When we don’t include church, we get out of balance. We can’t be all that God wants us to be without being involved in the family of God.
Goal: Get more involved in church
Activity: Work with a ministry team on a regular basis.
d. Your work.
Work is a part of life. If we do everything for the glory of God, we also make work a priority.
Goal: Improve my job skills.
Activity: Attend a seminar or training session designed to enhance my effectiveness.
e. Your world.
We are citizens, living in communities. We have a responsibility to the people around us to be good citizens.
Goal: Take better care of our planet.
Activity: Start recycling.
3. Harmonize your schedule with your goals.
a. If you don’t schedule the important things in your life, you won’t do them.
If you’ve made the goal to get closer to God and your activity is to read a chapter of the Bible each day, you have to schedule the time for this, or it simply won’t happen.
Maybe you’ve made the goals of getting in better shape, and being a better witness in your community, and you combined them into one activity – joining an aerobics class through the park district. If you don’t do the work to sign up and then put the class schedule in your calendar, it won’t happen.
Maybe you have a goal of becoming a better musician, which translates into an hour of practice every other day. If you don’t schedule it, you know what will happen. NOTHING! And that’s the very reason why so many of our resolutions don’t stick. We don’t have a plan that we stick to. We never make these things appointments that cannot be compromised.
Paul “strained” toward his goal. He have to do the same with our resolutions.
b. Give priority to the scheduled events.
TRANSITION: We’ve seen that Paul’s methods for reaching a goal included his preliminary activity of forgetting the past, and developing a plan by straining toward what was ahead. In our remaining time, I’d like to also give you:
III. SOME POINTERS
“I press on toward the goal.” (v. 14)
If we are going to press on toward our resolutions in 1998, here are some things to remember.
A. Go slow! You probably can’t work on changing everything all at once.
This is usually my mistake. I see 15 things I want to work on in the coming year, and I start all of them at once. Can be pretty frustrating.
The cartoon character Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes once said, “God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I’m so far behind I’ll never die.”
The key with resolutions is just to make a couple and stick to them. It’s better to work on a little at time and succeed greatly than to work on everything all at once only to accomplish very little or nothing.
B. Remember this statement: “By the help of the Lord, I intend this year to work at improving myself in this area of my life.”
That’s really what resolutions are. Self-improvement for God. We want to be more like God himself. He wants to help us become more like Himself.
C. If you break a resolution, don’t give up! You don’t have to wait until January of 1999 to start over.
Remember, Paul said “forgetting what is behind.” God is continually making us new. If you have a relapse, talk to God about it, then get back in gear. It’s not the end of the world. God forgives.
D. Memorize a Scripture that helps you focus on your goal.
Today’s lookout has an article on this. The Bible has a lot to say to us as we work on becoming more like Christ. Put the Scripture on your refrigerator, your phone or computer monitor at work, the dashboard of your car. See it, remember it and live it!
E. Tell a friend about your resolution and ask them to keep track of your progress.
Accountability always helps me. Maybe you and a friend could work on the same resolution and help each other!
CONCLUSION
A. Making resolutions is a very Christian thing to do. By doing this we say, “I want to be better prepared for life in heaven by starting to live a more godly life right now.”
Friday, November 25, 2011
New Years - NOW IS THE HOUR!
Ephesians 5:15-5:17
(Changed e-mail address: Powerpoint slides are available at no charge. Just e-mail me at mnewland@sstelco.com with your request - #224.)
A. I’m sure you’ve noticed that each year almost all the major news magazines put out an issue with special pictorial sections recalling people & events that made news during the previous year.
Many magazines also include articles by experts predicting what they expect to see happening in the years ahead. Some even go so far as to make predictions covering 10, 20, or more years in the future. In the past, a few of these predictions have proven amazingly accurate, while others couldn’t have been more wrong.
ILL. For example, back in 1967, experts predicted that by the turn of the century technology would have taken over so much of the work we do that the average American work week would be only 22 hours long, & that we would work only 27 weeks a year. As a result, one of our biggest problems would be in deciding what to do with all our leisure time.
Well, I don’t know about you, but that prediction certainly missed the mark as far as my life was concerned!
In fact, most of us seem to be very busy. We’re always in a hurry. We walk fast, & talk fast, & eat fast. And after we eat, all too often, we stand up & say, "Excuse me. I’ve gotta run."
B. So here we are, at the first Sunday of 2010. I wonder how we’ll do this year? Will we be as busy? Will we make any better use of our time? In 362 days, when this year is over, will we be looking back with joy, or with regret? Will we be looking at the future with anticipation, or with dread?
There is a passage of Scripture that I believe can be of help to us as we look forward to the rest of 2010 if we’ll listen to it. The passage is Ephesians 5:15 17, & here is what it says, "Be very careful, then, how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is."
PROP. I think that in this passage the Apostle Paul presents some important lessons that we need to consider.
I. OUR TIME ON THIS EARTH IS LIMITED
A. First of all, we must be very careful how we live because our time on this earth is limited.
The Psalmist wrote, "Show me, O Lord, my life’s end & the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life" (39:4). And again, "The length of our days is 70 years or 80, if we have the strength...they quickly pass, & we fly away" (90:10).
Now, I realize that for some of you younger folk, 70 or 80 years sounds like a long, long time. In fact, I can remember when I thought anyone over 40 was ancient. But no longer. It is all rather relative, isn’t it?
ILL. For example, for teenagers in love talking together in the car, an hour or two seems like a blink of an eye. But for mom & dad worrying about what’s going on out in that car, an hour or two seems like an eternity.
B. The Psalmist also tells us to number our days so that we will develop a heart of wisdom.
ILL. A few years ago People Magazine published an article entitled "Dead Ahead" telling about a new clock that keeps track of how much time you have left to live. It calculates an average life span of 75 years for men & 80 years for women. So you program your sex & age into the clock, & from then on it will tell you how much time you have left. It sold for $99.95.
I didn’t buy one. But it is an intriguing idea. Isn’t that what the Psalmist told us to do to number our days?
When I first heard about the clock I figured out that if I lived to be 75 years old that I had just about 2,345 days left to live. That’s all, just 2,345 days left to live. But wait a minute. Neither you nor I have a guarantee of even one day more to live.
In fact the Bible tells us not to count on tomorrow because tomorrow may not come for you or for me. All we have is right now. So our time on this earth is valuable because it is very limited.
II. MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY
Secondly, Paul tells us that we must make "the most of every opportunity." And he gives a reason, "because the days are evil."
A. Jesus said that Satan is a robber & a thief, & one of the things he tries to rob from us is our time because time is a very precious possession.
Just think of the time wasted in sinning. Think of the time wasted in bars or in gambling casinos or in shallow affairs. Think of the time wasted in gossiping or spreading rumors. Or think about all the time wasted worrying about the consequences of the sins we have committed. Satan is a thief & a robber!
B. But it is not just sin that makes demands on our time. Sometimes even good things can make demands.
ILL. Jesus went to the home of Mary & Martha & Lazarus. He sat down to teach, & Mary was sitting at His feet just soaking in every word. Meanwhile, Martha was out in the kitchen preparing dinner.
Now, you know the story. It is found in Luke 10. Martha gets upset because Mary is not in the kitchen, too. So she complains to Jesus, "Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," Jesus answered, "You are worried & upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, & it will not be taken away from her" [Luke 10:40 42].
Now was Martha committing a sin by fixing a meal in the kitchen? No, of course not! But here’s the problem. She was so preoccupied with what she was doing that she didn’t realize that God was in her living room.
APPL. That’s the same mistake you & I make almost every day. We get so caught up in the here & now that we fail to deal with the eternal, the things that will last forever & ever.
ILL. Richard Swenson, a medical doctor, wrote a book in which he discusses one of the major maladies of our time anxiety & stress. He calls it "overload," & says that people are just plain overloaded.
1. We’re overloaded with commitments. We’ve committed ourselves to go here & there, to take part in this activity & that social function. As a result we soon begin meeting ourselves coming & going because we have overloaded ourselves in the area of commitments.
2. We’re also overloaded with possessions, he says. Our closets are full, & our garages are overflowing. We’ve gone into debt to pay for all of these things that we "simply must have." And now we’re so afraid that someone will steal them. We are overloaded in the area of possessions.
3. Thirdly, we have an overload in the area of work. We get up early, fight traffic, & experience intolerable working conditions because we have to if we’re going to pay for all those possessions that we’ve accumulated.
4. There is also an information overload. He said that as a doctor he has to read 220 articles a month just to keep up with all the changes in his profession. And now with the internet there’s an information superhighway. But the problem is that we can’t possibly absorb it all. So we feel an overload in this area, too.
SUM. Well, I could go on & on, but you get the picture. There are so many demands on our time, so many good things that need to be done. But there are just 8,760 hours in this year, & we’ve already used 58 of them. We do want to make the most of every opportunity, so what are we to do?
III. UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LORD’S WILL IS
Well, to answer that, Paul tells us, "...do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is."
Now what do you think God’s will is for you in this new year? Do you think He wants your mind so saturated with worries & anxieties that you can’t think spiritual thoughts? Do you think He wants your calendar so crowded that you don’t have time for the important things? What do you think God’s will is for you this year?
A. Let me make a couple of suggestions for you to consider. First of all, establish your priorities.
1. I’m assuming that since you’re in church this morning that you believe God should be a part of your life. But when you begin to establish priorities, you have to decide just where He stands in your life. So ask yourself, "Who or what is most important in my life?"
And I’m hoping that your answer will be, "My relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, is most important to me." If so, then put that at the top of your list of priorities, & say, "This will affect my decisions, my scheduling, my relationship with others, & my whole outlook on life."
"Therefore, when Sunday rolls around neither rain nor shine nor football kickoffs will interfere with my being in church, because He comes first in my life. I’ll worship the Lord & nothing will interfere with that."
2. You also need to schedule some definite time each day to pray & to read His Word. Pray for yourself & for your family & for people around you. Pray for the church, & for the missionaries. Sometimes they feel so alone & so far away. You’ll never know how much your prayers will mean to them. But you’ll be blessed as you grow in your faith & trust in the Lord!
3. You must also spend time with your family. Every husband here ought to have a date night with his wife. I’m serious. You ought to have a date night with your wife, a time when just the two of you get away & don’t have anything else to interfere. No beepers, no telephones, no interruptions, & you can just talk. Maybe at a nice restaurant or maybe at home. Wherever it is, spend some time together.
Spend time with your children, too. They’re growing up ever so fast. These are precious moments. Don’t let them get away. Make sure that you spend quality time with your children. Make sure that your family is very high on the list.
4. Now most of us have to work. And I think Christians ought to be good workers. When someone hires a Christian they ought to know they’re getting someone who will give them an honest days work, & not cheat them. Because we’re Christians we have a responsibility to the Lord to honor Him even in the marketplace.
SUM. So first of all, establish your priorities.
B. And then, learn how to live today. The two greatest enemies of time are regrets for things we did in the past, & anxiety about what will happen to us in the future. Many of us are living either in the past or in the future.
In fact, many of us are engaged in the little game of, "I wish it were." "I wish it were next week," or "I wish it were next month," or some such thing. Kids go to school & say, "Boy, I wish this day were over."
ILL. Gary Freeman tells about a girl who went to college & just hated it. But she told herself, "If I can ever get out of college & get married & have children, I know I’ll finally be able to enjoy life."
So she stuck with it. She went to classes every day & finally graduated from college. Then she got married & had children, & discovered that children are a lot of work. So she told herself, "If I can just get these kids raised, then I’ll be able to relax & really enjoy life."
But about the time the kids were entering high school her husband said, "Guess what? We don’t have enough money to send our kids to college. I guess you’ll have to get a job."
Well, she didn’t want to, but she knew he was right & they needed the money, so she went to work. And she hated it. But she told herself, "If I can just get these kids out of college, & get all of the bills paid, then I can quit work & really enjoy life."
Finally, the last child graduated from college, & all the bills were paid. So she walked into her employer’s office & said, "I quit." He said, "Oh, you don’t want to quit now. If you stay with us just another 8 years you’ll have a pension for the rest of your life."
She thought, "Well, I don’t want to work another 8 years, but there’s all that money there, & I really can’t turn down the opportunity." So she worked for another 8 years. Finally, she & her husband retired at the same time. They sold their home & bought a little retirement cottage.
Then they sat down on the swing on their front porch & looked at the family picture album & dreamed about the good old days.
ILL. Someone said, "Life is what happens to you while you’re making plans to do something else."
True, isn’t it? Another year has come & gone. A new year stretches before us. Help us Lord, to redeem the time. So have a happy new year!
ILL. And during the New Year may you have:
enough happiness to keep you sweet - enough trials to keep you strong,
enough sorrow to keep you human - enough hope to keep you happy,
enough failure to keep you humble - enough success to keep you eager,
enough friends to give you comfort - enough wealth to meet your needs,
enough enthusiasm to make you look forward to tomorrow,
& enough determination to make each day better than the day before.
Lord, please help us to use the 8,760 hours of this year the wisest way we can for you, & for your glory.
CONCL. Romans 13:11 12 says, "The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness & put on the armor of light."
Ephesians 5:15-5:17
(Changed e-mail address: Powerpoint slides are available at no charge. Just e-mail me at mnewland@sstelco.com with your request - #224.)
A. I’m sure you’ve noticed that each year almost all the major news magazines put out an issue with special pictorial sections recalling people & events that made news during the previous year.
Many magazines also include articles by experts predicting what they expect to see happening in the years ahead. Some even go so far as to make predictions covering 10, 20, or more years in the future. In the past, a few of these predictions have proven amazingly accurate, while others couldn’t have been more wrong.
ILL. For example, back in 1967, experts predicted that by the turn of the century technology would have taken over so much of the work we do that the average American work week would be only 22 hours long, & that we would work only 27 weeks a year. As a result, one of our biggest problems would be in deciding what to do with all our leisure time.
Well, I don’t know about you, but that prediction certainly missed the mark as far as my life was concerned!
In fact, most of us seem to be very busy. We’re always in a hurry. We walk fast, & talk fast, & eat fast. And after we eat, all too often, we stand up & say, "Excuse me. I’ve gotta run."
B. So here we are, at the first Sunday of 2010. I wonder how we’ll do this year? Will we be as busy? Will we make any better use of our time? In 362 days, when this year is over, will we be looking back with joy, or with regret? Will we be looking at the future with anticipation, or with dread?
There is a passage of Scripture that I believe can be of help to us as we look forward to the rest of 2010 if we’ll listen to it. The passage is Ephesians 5:15 17, & here is what it says, "Be very careful, then, how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is."
PROP. I think that in this passage the Apostle Paul presents some important lessons that we need to consider.
I. OUR TIME ON THIS EARTH IS LIMITED
A. First of all, we must be very careful how we live because our time on this earth is limited.
The Psalmist wrote, "Show me, O Lord, my life’s end & the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life" (39:4). And again, "The length of our days is 70 years or 80, if we have the strength...they quickly pass, & we fly away" (90:10).
Now, I realize that for some of you younger folk, 70 or 80 years sounds like a long, long time. In fact, I can remember when I thought anyone over 40 was ancient. But no longer. It is all rather relative, isn’t it?
ILL. For example, for teenagers in love talking together in the car, an hour or two seems like a blink of an eye. But for mom & dad worrying about what’s going on out in that car, an hour or two seems like an eternity.
B. The Psalmist also tells us to number our days so that we will develop a heart of wisdom.
ILL. A few years ago People Magazine published an article entitled "Dead Ahead" telling about a new clock that keeps track of how much time you have left to live. It calculates an average life span of 75 years for men & 80 years for women. So you program your sex & age into the clock, & from then on it will tell you how much time you have left. It sold for $99.95.
I didn’t buy one. But it is an intriguing idea. Isn’t that what the Psalmist told us to do to number our days?
When I first heard about the clock I figured out that if I lived to be 75 years old that I had just about 2,345 days left to live. That’s all, just 2,345 days left to live. But wait a minute. Neither you nor I have a guarantee of even one day more to live.
In fact the Bible tells us not to count on tomorrow because tomorrow may not come for you or for me. All we have is right now. So our time on this earth is valuable because it is very limited.
II. MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY
Secondly, Paul tells us that we must make "the most of every opportunity." And he gives a reason, "because the days are evil."
A. Jesus said that Satan is a robber & a thief, & one of the things he tries to rob from us is our time because time is a very precious possession.
Just think of the time wasted in sinning. Think of the time wasted in bars or in gambling casinos or in shallow affairs. Think of the time wasted in gossiping or spreading rumors. Or think about all the time wasted worrying about the consequences of the sins we have committed. Satan is a thief & a robber!
B. But it is not just sin that makes demands on our time. Sometimes even good things can make demands.
ILL. Jesus went to the home of Mary & Martha & Lazarus. He sat down to teach, & Mary was sitting at His feet just soaking in every word. Meanwhile, Martha was out in the kitchen preparing dinner.
Now, you know the story. It is found in Luke 10. Martha gets upset because Mary is not in the kitchen, too. So she complains to Jesus, "Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," Jesus answered, "You are worried & upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, & it will not be taken away from her" [Luke 10:40 42].
Now was Martha committing a sin by fixing a meal in the kitchen? No, of course not! But here’s the problem. She was so preoccupied with what she was doing that she didn’t realize that God was in her living room.
APPL. That’s the same mistake you & I make almost every day. We get so caught up in the here & now that we fail to deal with the eternal, the things that will last forever & ever.
ILL. Richard Swenson, a medical doctor, wrote a book in which he discusses one of the major maladies of our time anxiety & stress. He calls it "overload," & says that people are just plain overloaded.
1. We’re overloaded with commitments. We’ve committed ourselves to go here & there, to take part in this activity & that social function. As a result we soon begin meeting ourselves coming & going because we have overloaded ourselves in the area of commitments.
2. We’re also overloaded with possessions, he says. Our closets are full, & our garages are overflowing. We’ve gone into debt to pay for all of these things that we "simply must have." And now we’re so afraid that someone will steal them. We are overloaded in the area of possessions.
3. Thirdly, we have an overload in the area of work. We get up early, fight traffic, & experience intolerable working conditions because we have to if we’re going to pay for all those possessions that we’ve accumulated.
4. There is also an information overload. He said that as a doctor he has to read 220 articles a month just to keep up with all the changes in his profession. And now with the internet there’s an information superhighway. But the problem is that we can’t possibly absorb it all. So we feel an overload in this area, too.
SUM. Well, I could go on & on, but you get the picture. There are so many demands on our time, so many good things that need to be done. But there are just 8,760 hours in this year, & we’ve already used 58 of them. We do want to make the most of every opportunity, so what are we to do?
III. UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LORD’S WILL IS
Well, to answer that, Paul tells us, "...do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is."
Now what do you think God’s will is for you in this new year? Do you think He wants your mind so saturated with worries & anxieties that you can’t think spiritual thoughts? Do you think He wants your calendar so crowded that you don’t have time for the important things? What do you think God’s will is for you this year?
A. Let me make a couple of suggestions for you to consider. First of all, establish your priorities.
1. I’m assuming that since you’re in church this morning that you believe God should be a part of your life. But when you begin to establish priorities, you have to decide just where He stands in your life. So ask yourself, "Who or what is most important in my life?"
And I’m hoping that your answer will be, "My relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, is most important to me." If so, then put that at the top of your list of priorities, & say, "This will affect my decisions, my scheduling, my relationship with others, & my whole outlook on life."
"Therefore, when Sunday rolls around neither rain nor shine nor football kickoffs will interfere with my being in church, because He comes first in my life. I’ll worship the Lord & nothing will interfere with that."
2. You also need to schedule some definite time each day to pray & to read His Word. Pray for yourself & for your family & for people around you. Pray for the church, & for the missionaries. Sometimes they feel so alone & so far away. You’ll never know how much your prayers will mean to them. But you’ll be blessed as you grow in your faith & trust in the Lord!
3. You must also spend time with your family. Every husband here ought to have a date night with his wife. I’m serious. You ought to have a date night with your wife, a time when just the two of you get away & don’t have anything else to interfere. No beepers, no telephones, no interruptions, & you can just talk. Maybe at a nice restaurant or maybe at home. Wherever it is, spend some time together.
Spend time with your children, too. They’re growing up ever so fast. These are precious moments. Don’t let them get away. Make sure that you spend quality time with your children. Make sure that your family is very high on the list.
4. Now most of us have to work. And I think Christians ought to be good workers. When someone hires a Christian they ought to know they’re getting someone who will give them an honest days work, & not cheat them. Because we’re Christians we have a responsibility to the Lord to honor Him even in the marketplace.
SUM. So first of all, establish your priorities.
B. And then, learn how to live today. The two greatest enemies of time are regrets for things we did in the past, & anxiety about what will happen to us in the future. Many of us are living either in the past or in the future.
In fact, many of us are engaged in the little game of, "I wish it were." "I wish it were next week," or "I wish it were next month," or some such thing. Kids go to school & say, "Boy, I wish this day were over."
ILL. Gary Freeman tells about a girl who went to college & just hated it. But she told herself, "If I can ever get out of college & get married & have children, I know I’ll finally be able to enjoy life."
So she stuck with it. She went to classes every day & finally graduated from college. Then she got married & had children, & discovered that children are a lot of work. So she told herself, "If I can just get these kids raised, then I’ll be able to relax & really enjoy life."
But about the time the kids were entering high school her husband said, "Guess what? We don’t have enough money to send our kids to college. I guess you’ll have to get a job."
Well, she didn’t want to, but she knew he was right & they needed the money, so she went to work. And she hated it. But she told herself, "If I can just get these kids out of college, & get all of the bills paid, then I can quit work & really enjoy life."
Finally, the last child graduated from college, & all the bills were paid. So she walked into her employer’s office & said, "I quit." He said, "Oh, you don’t want to quit now. If you stay with us just another 8 years you’ll have a pension for the rest of your life."
She thought, "Well, I don’t want to work another 8 years, but there’s all that money there, & I really can’t turn down the opportunity." So she worked for another 8 years. Finally, she & her husband retired at the same time. They sold their home & bought a little retirement cottage.
Then they sat down on the swing on their front porch & looked at the family picture album & dreamed about the good old days.
ILL. Someone said, "Life is what happens to you while you’re making plans to do something else."
True, isn’t it? Another year has come & gone. A new year stretches before us. Help us Lord, to redeem the time. So have a happy new year!
ILL. And during the New Year may you have:
enough happiness to keep you sweet - enough trials to keep you strong,
enough sorrow to keep you human - enough hope to keep you happy,
enough failure to keep you humble - enough success to keep you eager,
enough friends to give you comfort - enough wealth to meet your needs,
enough enthusiasm to make you look forward to tomorrow,
& enough determination to make each day better than the day before.
Lord, please help us to use the 8,760 hours of this year the wisest way we can for you, & for your glory.
CONCL. Romans 13:11 12 says, "The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness & put on the armor of light."
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