Is God for Real in Israel? [30mb]

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This is a sermon based on II Kings 1:3 that describes a confrontation between Elijah and the messengers from King Ahaziah who were sent to consult with Baalzebub, the god of Ekron.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:  The nation of Israel is in a state of decline both spiritually and politically. Their worship to God has been corrupted by mixing the practices of the pagans for many years. There have been brief periods of revival and renewal when certain kings and leaders were in power, but then the nation lapses back into idolatry and horrible immorality.

Samaria is the capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the King, Ahaziah, was severely injured after falling through the lattice work of a window or door on an upper story of the building.

The king sends his messengers off to the city of Ekron which originally was the northern-most city of the Philistines. The purpose of his trip is to find out from the god “Baalzebub” whether the king would recover from his injury or not. So the prophet of the true God is sent by an angel to interrupt the mission and give them a message from the Lord.

The message that Elijah had from God was framed in the form of a question that is somewhat difficult to grasp as written in the KJV because of the “double negative.” I believe that this question could be rephrased to read something like this, “Are you seeking answers from a pagan god because there is no God in Israel?” “Is the God of Israel no longer alive, so that you need to consult a pagan god of the Philistines?”

Or, as our title reads, “Is God for real in Israel?”

What about making the question a little more personal or up-to-date? “Is God no longer relevant in America (Grove City) so that you seek spiritual knowledge from alternative sources?”

With the Lord’s help, I would like to draw some parallels between the situation described in 2 Kings and the current conditions in our society and even our church world.

I.  Conditions that could suggest there is no God.

A.  Leaders seek answers from false prophets and false gods.

1.  In the Scripture that I read, Ahaziah had fallen and been injured, so he sends messengers to Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, in order to learn if he would recover from his injuries.

Scholars tell us that Baal-Zebub was a god of the fly(ies). Some suggest that its original “creation” was to ward off the flies that permeated the region. This particular cult had apparently become well known for being endowed with prophetic powers, hence the king’s commissioning of the servant to go receive a message regarding his own future health and healing. (Clarke, Keil & Delitzsch, Henry, and Jam. Fau. & Brown)

Adam Clarke points out that this “god” is the same one that was called the prince of devils in Matthew 10:25, which would have been a reference to Satan himself.

At this point in Israel’s history, the leaders and the people have forsaken God for so long by worshiping pagan deities that it doesn’t even occur to King Ahaziah to call on the Lord God of Israel. The reality of the prophet’s question is evident. The Lord has been out of their minds and hearts for so long that it seems like He does not even exist in the nation any longer.

2.  In comparison, it appears that alternative religions and practices are growing in America.

I tried to check out some research regarding the trends in religious faith in America. I read some articles put out by the Pew Forum on Religion as well as the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Both sources provided a lot of statistics and analysis that was not very easy to understand.

Their studies did seem to show that membership in traditional Christian denominations is declining. One of the studies revealed that the number of people unaffiliated with any religion is greater than previous studies had shown.

I don’t know if I was reading the data accurately or not, but it seemed to me that there were three trends identified:

·        More people are becoming unaffiliated with any religion, i.e. walking away from the faith traditions of their childhood.  

·        Non Judeo or Christian-based religions such as Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism are gaining membership in America, but it is unclear how much of this growth may simply be the result of immigration.

·        More and more Americans are integrating alternative faith practices into their existing religious beliefs.

These religious trends show similarities to this account in 2 Kings regarding the king of Israel who sought the counsel of a pagan deity rather than the counsel of the living God.

3. Additionally, some have pointed out that Ahaziah illustrates the common response of many people today who seek to know the outcome of some pending circumstance or peer into the future rather than simply taking life one-day-at-a-time. They simply don’t seem to like the idea of trusting God to work out His will for His glory.

There are a lot of people I have known over the years who would claim to be a Christians, but they still consult Ouija Boards, horoscopes, and many other occult-related practices in order to find out what the future holds for them.

For all those people seeking answers from other sources than from God I would echo the words of the prophet, “Is there no God in America any longer?” “Is God for real, or is He just a myth like all the other pagan gods?”

A second condition that could suggest that there is no God is…

B.  When God’s people are experiencing continual defeat. 

I want to point out another example in the O.T. that carries a very similar message or impact as the story in 2 kings. In the book of Judges, an angel appears to a man called Gideon and announces that God is with him.

Judges 6:13 “And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

1.  Based on the past history of Israel, Gideon equated the presence of the living God with having miracles and experiencing victory.

He makes a logical point with the angel by essentially saying, “If God is with us, they why aren’t we seeing God’s miraculous intervention similar to the deliverance from Egypt and the dividing of the Red Sea?”

It seems like Gideon is really asking, “Is God really in this place?” Or, “Is God for real here?”

2.  Similarly, even today, when God’s people are not experiencing victory in their personal lives or corporate church life, and they are not witnessing any evidence of the miraculous power of God, then there is a legitimate reason to ask “Is God for real in this place?”

When Christians are repeatedly overcome by the temptations of the world and defeated in their spiritual progress, it is a testimony that God is not actively at work in their lives. It simply reveals “There is no God in this place.”

C.  When there is a general absence of morality and justice.

1.  As one reads the history of the nation of Israel in the O.T., we find that in certain times in Israel’s history when she plunged to the depths of her backslidden state, then all sorts of horrible injustices and immorality prevailed.  For example:

·        Most of the prophets denounce practices current in their times such as: injustices to the poor, the widows and the oppressed.

·        Immoral lifestyles (e.g., temple prostitution as a result of mingling pagan cultic practices in with the worship of God).

·        Child sacrifices. We’ve talked about this before, but it is an example of the depths to which a nation can fall when God’s truth is rejected.

2.  While there has always been religious diversity in America, there was a time when the overall moral climate was much better than it is today; especially following the Great Awakening and some of the other revival periods in our nation’s history.

However, in today’s society we witness all sorts of immoral, criminal and deviant behavior.  We are witnessing a time when moral perversions are passed off as alternative lifestyles. Things that were formerly viewed as morally offensive are now lauded as progressive, while former virtues are denounced as bigotry and prejudices. Sadly enough, some of the immoral conduct is practiced by those who call themselves Christian.

When anyone looks at the moral climate in America, they would certainly have the right to ask, “Is there no God in America?”

II. Conditions that would suggest that God is real today.

A.  When the Church experiences a genuine revival of its original mission and purpose in the world it would project a message that “God is for real.” 

We are not saved from our sins just so we can sit around and dream about heaven and “be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease.”  We are saved first of all because God loves each one of us, but also because God has a task and a mission for the church to perform.

In the NT book of Acts and even in the epistles, pagans “sat up and took notice” as the apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ “turned the world upside down” with their zeal and passion in fulfilling the mission they had been given.

No matter where they went, they projected a message that God was alive and real.

B.  When individual Christians and the collective church experience consistent victory over Satan and the world it will project a message that “God is for real.”

God intended for the church to be a victorious army, not an army of victims. 

cf. Matt. 16:18 “Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

I don’t remember if I have made this point here before or not, but this passage of Scripture does not mean what many people think it means. Many have interpreted this to mean that the church will be able to survive all the attacks that Satan and the forces of hell might bring against it.

But, remember, gates are not offensive weapons. They are defensive fortifications. So it is literally saying that the walls and gates of hell will not be able to stand up against the advancement of the church. The church, as God planned, will invade the very territory of the devil and advance the Kingdom of God.

CONCLUSION: 

We hear voices in our society today that tell us we are experiencing revival in various areas of the country.  I’m truly grateful for everything that is being done, and I certainly would not want to minimize anything that God is doing. 

However, if we were truly experiencing revival, then I propose that the overall moral climate in America would be in much better condition than it currently is. I have to confess that I do not see this happening. It may be happening in small pockets here and there, but not to the degree that we need it.

I am not one who believes that revival is impossible. I do not believe that the apparent nearness of the end time rules out the possibility of true revival, if the church meets the conditions which will certainly bring revival.

I want to end our service today by singing a hymn that boldly proclaims, “We are on the victory side!”

Let us sing this song with passion and with the conviction that God will indeed lead us in victory and help us demonstrate to a watching world that He is for real! Amen? Amen!

A Gift from the Lord [31 mb]

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This is a sermon based on Psalm 127:3-5 that discusses the value of children. It was preached on the occasion of Father's Day as well as the Dedication of an infant to the Lord.

Written Excerpts:

Psalms 127:3-5   Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Introduction:

Our Scripture reading from a few moments ago relates to both the child dedication we have had today and the celebration of Fathers’ Day today.

We are living in a cultural environment in our society that seems to devalue human life. There seems to be a strong emphasis on not letting children get in the way of personal and career goals. Children are the victims of abuse and neglect in alarming rates. This word from God, however, stresses that our children are a valuable heritage from the Lord.

In our society we have been told that the abortion-on-demand policies would cause "every child to be a wanted child" and it would theoretically end child abuse and neglect. Well, we have now experienced 38 years of abortion liberties, and the abuse and neglect of children still soars.

If you have a King James Bible, you will notice this psalm, along with 14 others (120-134), are designated with a heading/title that reads, “A Song of Degrees”. (More recent versions list each of them as a “Song of Ascents” or “Song of Steps.”)

Four different explanations of this title include:

1) A song that would have been sung by caravans of exiles returning from captivity as they wound their way towards the city of Jerusalem and hills of Palestine;

2) A song that Jewish pilgrims would sing as they journeyed toward Jerusalem;

3) A song that was sung on the steps of the temple court; or

4) A song that contained “steps” of progression in the content or thought.

In reviewing these four explanations, it appears to me that each view is supported by content found in some of these psalms, but no one view seems to adequately explain all fifteen of the psalms. Therefore, I am inclined to think that it might be a combination of most if not all four views. That kind of sounds like a politician’s answer, doesn’t it?

It does seem possible that this particular Psalm could have been written around the time when the Israelite exiles were returning from captivity because of the writer's references to “building houses” (v.1a) and “guarding them from enemies” (v.1b) both of which would have been relevant topics during the rebuilding of the cities and walls after the captivity. Both Ezra and Nehemiah record instances of opposition that were experienced by the Israelites as they returned and tried to rebuild the city, temple and the walls.

I.     Children are a gift from the Lord.

The author of this psalm describes children as a valuable gift. In fact, he equates receiving a child the same as receiving an inheritance. In the normal structures of Hebrew Poetry, there is little or no emphasis on rhyme or rhythm, but the emphasis is usually on parallel concepts in the thoughts or ideas presented. Therefore, in this passage, “children” is a parallel thought equivalent to “fruit of the womb,” and “inheritance” is equivalent to “reward.”

In other passages of Scripture the Promised Land of Canaan was often referred to as the inheritance given to the Israelites by the Lord, which they received purely because of the benevolence of God.

Biologically and genetically, we understand that children are the result of loving intimacy shared by a husband and wife. Yet, we all know that the “fruit of the womb” is truly a blessing of God’s grace, because many loving relationships are not blessed with the children they so fervently desire.

Since children are an inheritance and gift from the Lord, what implications does that have?

A.  Childless couples are not loved less by God.

Some may hear this verse and understand it to mean that God must not love them as much as He does others since He did not bless them with children. That would be a misunderstanding or misreading of the text. This passage is not primarily teaching us a lesson about the ways that God chooses to demonstrate His love to people. Rather, the primary teaching of the text is to remind us of the value and importance of children. If you want to learn about all the ways God demonstrates how much He loves us, there are plenty of other texts throughout the Scriptures that describe the ways of God’s love.

B.  We should treat our children with value and respect.

Suppose God gave you or me a jewel of some kind. He just sent it down from the sky into the back yard accompanied by a booming voice from heaven proclaiming, “This is my gift to you.” How do you think any person would cherish and value that gift?

Dear friends, children are much more valuable than any jewel. They are human souls that not only have the image of their parents indelibly stamped into their physical and psychological being, but they have the image of their Creator stamped into them as well.

Because each child has the image of God molded into them, they all deserve to be treated with respect and with dignity and honor. Now, don’t get me wrong. Children still need to be corrected, disciplined and instructed in order to be guided in due time into a responsible, mature adult. But, no child deserves to be neglected, abused, or victimized.

I’ll be real honest with you to say that there is nothing else I know of that stirs up anger in me any more than when I read about or hear about a child being abused. Jesus Himself has some pretty harsh words to say against anyone who causes “one of these little ones to be offended.” (Matt 17:6)

C.  We should understand that our children are eternal souls.

Children are the only “earthly possessions” that we can take to heaven with us. Obviously, we do not “own” our children in the same way we do other material goods. But, out of all the “objects” that belong to us, our children are the only ones that we can also enjoy in heaven.

II.    Children provide an invaluable service to the Lord.

As I read and studied the remaining verses of this Psalm (4-5) it appeared to me that the Psalmist was emphasizing the practical benefits of having a house full of children. The wording seems to be emphasizing the aspect of safety and security comparable to a warrior defending his home and/or his country from enemies.

The author’s choice of words and the analogy implied would again coincide with the possibility we spoke of earlier regarding the attacks from enemies when the Israelites were rebuilding their homes, the temple and the city walls. The author compares children born to a young man as being like arrows in the hand of a mighty warrior.

(Keil &Delitzsch) This is a comparison which the circumstances of his time made natural to the poet, in which the sword was carried side by side with the trowel, and the work of national restoration had to be defended step by step against open enemies, envious neighbors, and false brethren.

I realize that there is a risk in over-spiritualizing some passages. Yet, I believe that there is a definite parallel between this “defense of the home” against enemies, and the defense that needs to be made in the church of God against spiritual enemies.

The application I see is this: I don’t believe there is any better defense against the demise of a church than to raise “an army” of children and youth who are committed to Christ and are grounded in the truth of His Word. There is no better defense against the spiritual attacks of the enemy upon the life and effectiveness of the church than “an army” of children and youth who will grow up having been taught the truth of God and filled with the Spirit of God and committed to the work of God.

Buildings, programs, and technology all have their proper place, but nothing matches the value of children growing up physically and spiritually to assume leadership roles in the Kingdom of God; becoming spiritual giants of faith in an unbelieving and godless world.

Conclusion:

As we come to a close, let me summarize the main theme of this message:

Our children are a rich and valuable gift or inheritance from God and deserve all our love, respect and investments of time and instruction.

Parenting, including the role of father, is an awesome responsibility, because it involves the molding and directing of a life that will ultimately live forever in either heaven or hell.

May the Lord grant every father the wisdom and the abilities necessary to raise our children for God’s glory.

Who Speaks for God? [33 mb]

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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:

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.

Written Excerpts:

For All Intents and Purposes [31mb]

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This is the twelfth sermon in a series of messages on the Ten Commandments. This message deals with the tenth commandment, "Thou Shalt Not Covet."

Written Excerpts:

Exodus 20:17   Thou shalt not covet... anything that is thy neighbor’s.

Introduction:

As I pondered what might be an appropriate title for today’s message, I was thinking how this command addresses the intentions and motives of our hearts rather than mere actions or behaviors. The common phrase that we have heard and perhaps used a good bit in personal conversations came to my mind: “For all intents and purposes.”

What is the meaning of the phrase? I looked it up online and discovered that the most common meaning expressed is, “In all practical situations” or “in every practical sense.” “The first recorded use was in an Act of Parliament under Henry VIII, in 1546: "to all intents, constructions, and purposes." http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/all-intents-and-purposes.html

My obvious intent and purpose for using this title was not because of its actual meaning, but because of the play on words and how these words relate to the meaning of the tenth commandment. As you might notice, the tenth commandment does not pertain to any wrong behavior or conduct. Instead, it speaks about the initial desires and plotting that take place before the wrong behavior.

Walter Kaiser, Jr. in his book, Toward O.T. Ethics, has pointed out that the O.T. is as concerned with the internal response to morality as it is with outward acts. He also references the work of another author by the name of Gemser when he states that there are 36 occurrences in the OT where the Hebrew words for “thought,” “plan,” “counsel,” “intent,” or “deliberation” are linked with ethical judgments or behaviors.

Let us examine the last commandment to see what lessons we can learn that will benefit our quest for living a life of holiness before God.

X.        Thou Shalt Not Covet…

A. The Negative Meaning: Do not even desire anything that belongs to another person.

The word “covet” in Ex. 20:17 means “to desire earnestly, to long after, or covet” while the parallel passage in Deut. 5:21 uses a different Hebrew word that has a similar meaning, “to set one’s desire on something.” (Kaiser, Toward O.T. Ethics)

Some have concluded that there is a distinction between the two words. They insist that the word found in Exodus emphasizes the plotting and scheming that must go on in the heart before the actual deed is carried out, while the word in Deuteronomy emphasizes the desire that comes even before the plotting or scheming. (See Laura Schlessinger, The Ten Commandments, p.300.)

Others do not really see a distinction, but simply view the two words as synonyms,—the only difference between them being, that “the former denotes the desire as founded upon the perception of beauty, and therefore excited from without, the latter, desire originating at the very outset in the person himself, and arising from his own want or inclination” (Schultz in O.T. Commentary by Keil & Delitzsch).

In any case, the prohibition is against the desire and plotting within one’s heart that leads to overt action against one’s neighbor.

B. The Positive Principle: Motives and passions are sacred.

During our study of the Ten Commandments I have been providing a positive principle for each commandment to guide us while we live out a life of holiness.

 (By the way, I need to mention that the idea of finding a positive principle behind each of the commandments is borrowed from the author that I mentioned a moment ago, Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. in his book, Toward Old Testament Ethics. However, I have slightly modified the wording of each principle for the purposes of our study.)

It would appear that the positive principle behind the Tenth Commandment has to do with the motives, desires and passions of our heart.

C. Exposition: How does this commandment relate to life?

1. This commandment emphasizes the root problem of sin.

Jer. 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Matt. 12:35 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.”

Matt. 15:18-19 “¹⁸But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. ¹⁹For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”

James 1:14-15 “¹⁴But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

All of these passages I have quoted, and many others we could have referenced, instruct us about the problem of sin in our lives that originates in the heart. We are born into this world with the problem of a heart that is tainted with sin. We are born with an inclination toward evil and away from God. Our sinful, wicked, deceitful hearts lead us to want that which is forbidden.

The lesson we need to learn early and thoroughly is that our real problem is not environment, not poverty, not lack of education or any of those things that we tend to use as excuses for our wrong behaviors. OUR REAL PROBLEM IS A WICKED, SINFUL, DECEPTIVE, SCHEMING, SELFISH HEART!

2. This commandment emphasizes the need for heart purity.

If the root problem of sinful and wicked conduct is a wicked, sinful heart, then the solution is for us to let God do His purifying work in our hearts; to cleanse our motives and desires, so that we want what He wants.

Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; ²⁴and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Acts 15:8-9 “So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, ⁹and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”

James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

These passages of scripture provide hope and good news to the person who seeks a remedy for the wickedness of his heart. God’s wonderful plan of redemption is as complete and thorough as necessary to remedy the problem brought upon us by sin. There are no defects with God’s plan of redemption. It has done and will do all that God intended.

We just recently finished a series of Bible studies on Wednesday nights regarding the topic of redemption. One of the segments in that study was about the different actions that God does for us once we make a decision to accept His provisions. We talked about how God forgives us, and pardons us by removing the condemnation that we deserve. He expunges our record and adopts us into His family and makes us one of His children. We also talked about the language used in Scripture that describes God’s action in our lives and our hearts to cleanse us from all impurity and sanctify us for His purposes.

That sanctifying/cleansing work of God’s grace is the solution to the problem we described a moment ago – a wicked, deceptive, and sinful heart that seeks to satisfy its own passions and desires.

3. This commandment emphasizes the need to guard one’s heart.

Finally, dear friends, I’m convinced that even after we allow God to perform His cleansing work in our hearts, there continues to be a need for diligence on our part to protect our hearts from illicit desires and passions.

Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

If the desires, passions and affections of our hearts determine what our actions will be, then it is vitally important to guard our hearts and protect them from ungodly and spiritually detrimental influences.

James 4:4 “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Romans 8:5-7 “⁵For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. ⁸So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

This conflict between the flesh and the spirit, or the spirit and the world that James and Paul are talking about is a vivid reminder of why we need to carefully guard what we feed our minds on and what we consume for entertainment. I don’t think there would be any dispute to the fact that whatever we watch, read, and participate in generally affects the direction of our ambitions, desires and motivations.

The reason some people are not very spiritually motivated is because they have done very little to feed the spiritual appetite within the soul. On the other hand, they have regularly fed the fleshly appetites by the entertainment activities and media that they consume.

I trust that all of us can understand the importance of protecting our minds and hearts from evil influences in order to avoid violating the tenth commandment.

Colossians 3:1-2 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ²Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Conclusion:

By giving us the tenth commandment, God has reminded each of us that the motives, desires and passions within our hearts are just as important as any behaviors or actions we might perform.

Let us remember that:

·        Our real problem is a heart that is inclined toward sin; that

·        God offers cleansing and purity as a remedy; and

·        The life of faith includes guarding our minds and hearts against all evil influences that would eventually lead us back into sinful behaviors.

Next sermon in this series is: Who Speaks for God? (link available in blog archive on right) 

Truth or Fiction [31mb]

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player shown above.)

This is the eleventh sermon in a series of messages on the Ten Commandments. This message discusses the Ninth Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Today we are going to be discussing the Ninth Commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

I don’t suppose that I have to convince you that we are living in a cultural environment that has deteriorated in many respects over the last several decades. This fact is demonstrated in many ways, but perhaps none so prevalent as the loss of trust and truthfulness between citizens and even family members. Lying and distortions of truth has become so commonplace that many people rarely take anyone’s word at face value anymore.

Bending the truth, stretching the truth, hedging the truth as well as outright lying have all reached epidemic proportions in our world and our society. God has a plan and design for each of us when it comes to the matter of honesty and integrity and it is summed up in the ninth commandment… DO NOT LIE.

IX.       Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness

A. Negative Meaning: Do not give a false testimony against another person.

I want to briefly define a few of the words that are used here in this command.

“false” – [shéqer] a Hebrew word that means lie, falsehood or deception. It is derived from a word that means to deal falsely. It is used of words or activities which have no basis in fact or reality. In the ninth commandment it involves an accusation made against another citizen that is not based on fact. (Theological Wordbook of the OT by Harris, Archer, and Waltke)

When the TC are repeated in Deut. 5, a slightly different word is used. There, the word means vanity, worthlessness or emptiness. It designates anything unsubstantiated, unreal or worthless, either materially or morally. (HAW)

“witness” – [ed] a Hebrew noun meaning witness or testimony. It can refer to either a person who is giving testimony or to the actual written/oral testimony itself [which would be the equivalent of evidence]. (Complete Word Study Dict.)

The word derives from the Hebrew word meaning: return, repeat, or do again. A witness, therefore, is one who by reiteration, emphatically affirms his testimony. (HAW)

Based on these meanings, the command primarily and specifically condemns the giving of false, misleading and unsubstantiated testimony against another person in a court setting.

B. Positive Principle: Truth is sacred.

As we have been saying with all of the previous commandments, every command reveals to us a positive principle that is intended to be a guide for everyday life. The principle being taught by this command is that truth is something that is sacred.

C. Exposition: How does this commandment relate to life?

1. This commandment demonstrates the nature of God.

In the Scripture verses that were read earlier in the worship service, and in many other additional verses in the Bible, we get a clear understanding of God’s attitude toward lying and toward the truth.

When we speak of truth as it relates to God, it includes the concept of being authentically consistent with the rest of His own nature. In other words, God cannot act in any way that violates His perfect nature. It also implies that God is reliable, faithful, and dependable.

God commands truthfulness from us because we are expected to emulate Him in our own character and way of life. When we practice deceit, give false evidence or testimony, or just flippantly lie to one another, we are not acting like God is our Father. Instead, we are acting like we have a different father!

See John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

2. This commandment promotes the administration of justice in society.

This point basically re-emphasizes what I said a little earlier when I was giving the definitions of the Hebrew words that are used in the text.

It is true that people will lie in court for the purpose of trying to get themselves out of trouble. Others will lie for the purpose of trying to get someone else in trouble. In either case, lying distorts the administration of justice in society and culture.

The sin / crime of perjury is wrong because it distorts the cause of justice and promotes the practice of evil in the world. This goes completely contrary to the nature of God who is perfectly just in all His ways, and He desires the same quality of justice and virtue in society.

One writer has stated that “justice is truth in action.” (J. Joubert, quoted by Randal Denny)

In the OT, when someone purposely brought a false accusation against another person, then the punishment that would have been given to the accused person is placed upon the accuser instead.

Deut. 19:18-19 And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, ¹⁹then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you.

Proverbs 19:9 “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish.”

A proverb is basically an observation about everyday life. So, with that in mind, this passage is probably not specifically talking about the same punishment for perjury that the passage in Deuteronomy was advocating.  The writer of Proverbs seems to be emphasizing the fact that society will not tolerate one who provides false testimony and in the end he will perish as a result of living his life by that pattern.

This illustrates the fact that God was very concerned about the accurate administration of justice in the civil matters of Jewish society. He literally refers to the distortion of justice as an evil that must be put away from among them.

I’m convinced that this commandment stresses more than just the character of God and the importance of justice in the world.

3. This commandment promotes honesty as a way of life.

The quality of honesty and integrity must be a vital part of our conduct and character. Without it, none of us can ever hope to develop meaningful relationships that are based on mutual trust and respect. While the literal interpretation of the commandment deals specifically with the matter of perjury in court, yet the general application of this command in everyday life is also included.

There are many, many texts throughout the Bible that condemn lying in all forms. Since I believe that the Ten Commandments provide the basis for all of the commands and principles found in the Bible, I conclude that the ninth commandment includes the matter of lying in daily conversation, because it is the only one out of the Ten that deals with the issue of truth.

Let’s look at a few other passages of Scripture as they apply to this issue.

Matthew 12:34b-37 declares, “…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. ³⁶But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. ³⁷For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

I believe this passage of Scripture is relevant in two ways:

(1) A person that can’t stick with the truth and repeatedly resorts to lying is revealing what is in his heart, because that is what is coming out of his mouth. Just like the prophet says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked…” These people are not able to be honest even with themselves.

(2) Whatever does come out of the mouth will be the basis of judgment against the speaker, rather than judgment against the other person that is falsely accused.

Matthew 5:33-37 “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: ³⁴But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: ³⁵Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. ³⁷But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”

James 5:12 “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”

Neither of these texts speaks about lying. They are more directly speaking about people who swear by an oath in order to reinforce the veracity of their words. Both Jesus and James are insisting that everyone should always live and speak in such a manner that does not require the use of an oath in order to get others to believe what they say.

Related to these concepts is the well-know and oft-quoted passage we refer to as the Golden Rule:

Matthew 7:12 “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (NKJV)

Isn’t it amazing that people who lie and deceive others are usually very offended and angry when someone lies to them?

Jesus “hits the nail on the head” by saying this “rule” covers the whole purpose found in the Law and the Prophets. Don’t treat anyone else in a way that you would not want to be treated yourself.  This includes being truthful and honest every day of our lives in our conversations and our conduct.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus and told them, “…put away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.” (Eph. 4:25) Again, if I expect my Christian brother/sister to be honest with me, then I need to be honest with them.

Conclusion:

As we bring this message to a close, I just want to urge all of us to examine our hearts and our lives to see how we measure up to this commandment. Are you truthful in all your conversation? Do you regularly excuse the use of a lie by calling it just a little fib or just a little white lie?

I have news dear friends, lies only come in one color, and I’m quite sure it isn’t white. If the devil is the father of lies, then I would guess the color is something dark, like evil.

There is so much more that can be said on this subject and certainly a lot of questions that are related to how we need to practice truthfulness in every facet of life. But the primary lesson I hope we all will take away from this message today is that God loves truth and hates a lie. Let’s all purpose to live in such a way that everyone around us knows our word can be trusted and they never have to wonder if we are telling the truth.

This is the kind of life that is pleasing to God.


Next sermon in this series is: For All Intents and Purposes (link available in blog archive on right)