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This is the final sermon in a series of messages on the Ten Commandments. This message focuses on the ministry of God's prophets to proclaim the law of the Lord to the people.
Exodus 19:3; Deut. 34:10; Jer. 1:5; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Introduction:
Introduction:
We have been working our way through the Ten Commandments in a series of messages. I have tried to faithfully and accurately present to you the meaning of each commandment; not only in its original O.T. context, but in the N.T. context as well. Today I want to wrap up the series with a concluding message that I hope will remind each one of us about the importance of following God’s will in living out a life of holiness in a modern-day context.
Before I begin the main part of the message, I want to briefly review some of the points that I made at the very beginning of the series in the introductory message. It has been several months since I started the series. Some may not have been here and others may have forgotten these key points, so let us quickly review together. We said…
The purpose of the law is: to define what sin is, to reveal our helplessness/hopelessness, and to ultimately bring us to Christ.
The difference between law and grace is: the law is powerless to enable righteous attitudes and behaviors, but grace is the strength and power of God. The law teaches and condemns, but grace pardons, empowers and liberates.
Our method has been: to give the meaning of the command and the behaviors it either condemns or requires, followed by the positive principle underlying each command and how it applies to the life of holiness and Christian conduct today.
As I meditated on what approach I should use in this final message of this series, I felt impressed to focus on the role and ministry of the prophet as portrayed in the Bible. I am currently reading through the book of Jeremiah in my personal Bible reading and I have been impressed to use some of the material in Jeremiah as an appropriate illustration of how God uses His prophets to proclaim His law, along with its blessings and curses.
I remember reading and hearing long ago (although I cannot remember the sources) that a prophet is “one who speaks for God.” So I have chosen a question related to that description as the title for today’s message. “Who Speaks for God?” Who is willing to say, “Thus saith the Lord,” and courageously stand for the authority of God’s Word whether the listener feels good about it or not?
Vance Havner, a well-known Baptist preacher from the middle of the last century, once said something like this, “A true prophet of the Lord is not in a popularity contest. He doesn’t really care what people think about him, he only cares about delivering the message God has given him.”
The Bible has a great deal to say about prophets in both the O.T. and the N.T. I trust that we can learn some important truths today that will inspire us, awaken us and challenge us. Before we get into that, let me define the role of a prophet. There were two basic tasks of a prophet as illustrated throughout the Bible. One task was to proclaim the Word of God on any given issue or for any given circumstance. This was sometimes referred to as “forth-telling.” (i.e., telling forth the Word of the Lord.)
Another task of the prophet would include the prediction of coming events, which were usually the coming judgments of God for the disobedience and disregard for His commands.
In the N.T. we continue to see both roles utilized, but the role of proclamation (“forth-telling”) seems to more predominant than “fore-telling” or predicting the future.
There are two basic thoughts that I want to give you today regarding God’s use of prophets in conveying His Word to the people.
I. The Credentials of a Prophet and II. The Message of a Prophet.
Let us look first of all at …
I. The Credentials of a Prophet
I believe that there are at least four qualifications that a prophet needed to have.
A. Discernment
If you look at the passage of Scripture in 1 Corinthians 12, you will find a list of spiritual gifts mentioned by the Apostle Paul. In that list, you will discover that the gift of discernment is mentioned immediately after the gift of prophecy. I believe that this was intentional by the Apostle because they are so closely related. It is hard for me to see how a prophet can truly be a prophet of the Lord without discernment.
There are two areas in which a prophet needs discernment. He needs discernment to understand God’s message. And, he needs discernment to detect the presence of evil or corruption and any disobedience to God’s will.
There were a number of examples in the Bible of false prophets who spoke their own words rather that the words of God. So the prophet who truly was the spokesman for the Lord had to be sure His message was, in fact, from God.
On the other hand, the prophet had to possess a level of discernment regarding what was going on around him. He had a God-given ability to “sniff out” any evil or corruption that was prevalent in his society and expose it. If you read through the O.T. prophets, you will find that they boldly confronted the evil practices that were prevalent in their culture; even if it meant confronting the king.
B. Connection to God
This is definitely related to the previous point. The ability to discern right from wrong and good from evil was primarily because the prophet maintained a close connection or intimacy with God.
C. Compassion
This trait did not stand out in all examples, but in many cases the prophet of God was a person that was truly heart-broken and burdened by the wickedness they saw and the coming judgment they saw. Jeremiah, for example, is often referred to as the weeping prophet.
Jer. 8:20-9:1 “20The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!” 21For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt. I am mourning; astonishment has taken hold of me. 22Is there no balm in Gilead , Is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery for the health of the daughter of my people? 1Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!”
A true man of God, who knows the law of God and knows the judgment of God, will certainly be heartbroken and burdened for the condition and the fate of the people.
D. Boldness and Courage
Possessing boldness and courage does not mean a total absence of fear or dread, but rather the ability to overcome it in order to be faithful to the call of God.
The prophet of the Lord undoubtedly experienced a normal fear or anxiety over what the consequences might be for going against the king or the popular attitudes and wishes of the public. But his fear of Almighty God was stronger. His concern for the welfare of the nation and the people was stronger. So he would muster the courage to boldly proclaim the word of God, and let the “chips fall where they will.” As I quoted earlier from Vance Havner, “A prophet isn’t too concerned about his popularity with the people; only his faithfulness to God.”
Jeremiah 20:7-9 7 O Lord, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; everyone mocks me. 8 For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, “Violence and plunder!” Because the word of the Lord was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. 9 Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.
It is not only important to understand the credentials of a prophet, but we must also understand …
II. The Message of the Prophet
In speaking for God, the prophet was obligated to proclaim at least three categories of truth. In all three categories I will share examples from Jeremiah, but keep in mind that the other biblical prophets also shared truths in these categories as well.
The first category of truth proclaimed was...
A. God’s Nature
The prophet always, in one way or another, conveys a message about God’s nature or character. He feels compelled to inform the people about God’s holiness and judgment and anger. At the same time, he proclaims the mercy and forgiveness of God who will save, forgive and redeem anyone who turns to Him in repentance.
Jer. 23:23-24 “Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? 24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.
Here in this example, the prophet is reminding the people that they cannot hide anything from God. He is intimately aware of everything they are and everything they do.
The second category of truth proclaimed was...
B. God’s Law
Jer. 17:19ff – The prophet proclaims God’s law regarding Sabbath observance.
Jer. 21:12; 22:3ff – He admonishes them about how they are to treat the ones that are oppressed and victimized in society.
These are just two examples of how the prophet is clarifying what God’s law requires in terms of their behavior and conduct.
The third category of truth proclaimed was...
C. God’s Response
1. With mercy and forgiveness to the penitent.
Jer. 18:7-8 The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, 8if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.
2. With wrath and judgment to the unrepentant.
Jer. 18:9-10 9And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, 10if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.
Many people today seem to think that judgment was the predominant O.T. theme and mercy is the predominant N.T. theme. But, let me remind you that both themes can be found abundantly in the O.T. and the N.T. The N.T. doesn’t talk as much about imminent judgment, but focuses more on the future judgment that will come. Yet, it will certainly come. Contrary to the pop theology of today, the N.T. doesn’t deny or do away with the concept of judgment. The New Testament still has plenty of warnings about taking God’s grace for granted and using it as a license to fulfill the desires of the flesh and our own selfish will.
Conclusion:
So how does all this relate to our series on the Ten Commandments?
Well, I believe that every minister has a prophetic duty to show that God’s commands, especially the principles they teach us, are still relevant and required for everyone who professes to know God and wants to live a holy life. As the pastor of this congregation, it is my solemn duty to faithfully teach the Word of God, and to warn against any attitudes or behaviors that are contrary to His commands. I must from time to time fulfill the role of a prophet, if I am to faithfully discharge my responsibilities as pastor.
In reading the prophet Jeremiah I discovered a prevailing complaint by God against the false prophets that existed in Jeremiah’s day.
The false prophets were guilty of two things:
1) Encouraging and even enabling wickedness (Jer. 23:13-14)
2) Promising God’s blessing regardless of wicked behavior. (Jer. 23:16-17)
Dear friends, I do not want to be guilty of either of these practices. I certainly do not want to give anyone the impression that you can violate God’s law and still be okay on the Day of Judgment just because you made a profession of faith in Jesus at some earlier point in your life.
The purpose of the law is not to make you feel good about yourself. The purpose of the law is to alert you to any area where you have become lax and careless in following God’s commands and God’s will.
I don’t know whether you are aware of this fact or not … the purpose of grace is not to make you feel good about sinning either. The purpose of grace is to pardon, forgive and liberate from the guilt and power of sin.
If you are not currently walking in obedience to the will of God in any area of your life, I urge you to make the necessary adjustments in order to be in harmony with God’s Word. Seek God’s forgiveness and the power of His Spirit to live a holy life.
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