The Handicapped Jesus [29mb]

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This is a sermon based on Mark 6 regarding the visit that Jesus made to his hometown of Nazareth. It discusses the fact that Jesus could not do many mighty works there even though he desired to do so.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:  This Scripture presents the story of Jesus’ visit to his hometown of Nazareth. I suppose that any normal person would have the desire to do something special for his hometown folks. So it was with Jesus, no doubt. The passage also reveals that He was unable to work any miracles like He had done in many other towns that He visited.

This gives some insight in the debate between the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. In some mystical way, God’s sovereign rule and power works in harmony with man’s free will. In our human understanding it seems as though they are mutually exclusive, but they are not. It is difficult for us to understand how God can be totally sovereign and have sovereign control over this universe, yet allow human beings to exercise free will and have the ability to resist His will for their lives.

I would compare it to the concept of the Trinity. In our human understanding it seems that three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is mutually exclusive to one God, but somehow both one-ness and three-ness are true at the same time.

The fact that Jesus could not do something that He would have done and apparently wanted to do, brings us to the title I have chosen for this message: “The Handicapped Jesus.” This title is a thought that hopefully grabs our attention. It might seem a little shocking! Who would ever think that Jesus is handicapped in any way? Who would think that He is limited or restricted from doing something that He really wants to do?

In our board meeting this week, we were discussing the need to designate two or three more spaces in our parking lot as “handicap parking spaces.” I wonder if we need to reserve one of them for Jesus?

If Jesus were to visit our church this week, would He be restricted, hindered or limited from His normal activity? Would there be something that He wants to do for us that He would be unable to do?

The words mighty works are used to translate the Greek work “dunamis” from which we get our English word, “dynamite.”  Thus, a mighty, powerful, display of God’s ability.

The Scriptures also reveal the reason why Jesus was unable to perform the mighty works that He would have done – it was because of their unbelief.

Mk. 6:6 …He marveled because of their unbelief.

Matt. 13:58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

So, the underlying reason why Jesus was limited and restricted from doing many wonderful things that He wanted to do for His own people of Nazareth was their lack of genuine faith in Him.

Today, I would like to take a little while to explore...

I.     The Cause of Their Unbelief

II.    The Results of Their Unbelief

I.          First of all, I want to discuss the causes of their unbelief.

A.   Their personal prejudices produced a lack of faith.

(v. 3) - They were offended at him.

The word offended means a stumbling block. In other words, Jesus became a stumbling block to them. The Greek word is actually the same word from which we get our word “scandal.” This Man, His teaching, and His wonder-working miracles all appears to be scandalous to the hometown folks.

Some have even suggested, due to the comments of the people about His occupation (carpenter) and His family, that it was scandalous for someone of such lowly upbringing to be this popular with the people. (see Adam Clarke) Earlier in v. 3 - “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary...”

v. 4 – “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”

The double negative makes this a little harder to grasp. He is saying that a prophet does have honor, respect or esteem everywhere except among his own kinfolk and his hometown.

They stumbled because of familiarity. They had watched Him grow up and they had seen Him so often as a child and a young man it caused them to doubt that He was anyone special or different than themselves.

I think there is a spiritual lesson for us in this. Has the story of Jesus Christ become so familiar to us that it really doesn’t mean that much any more? For those of us who have been around the church for years and we’ve heard the gospel message over and over, have we gotten so used to hearing it and accustomed to the lessons that it doesn’t really impress us any longer?

His willingness to leave the glory of heaven to be born in a stable; His willingness to die as a sacrifice for the sins of all people; His awesome display of power and victory in the resurrection from the dead; all of these events and more should be absolutely astounding to us, but we just kind of take it for granted and think nothing of it anymore.

This “oh-hum” attitude and lack of awe or wonder with the message of the gospel can certainly put a damper on the work of God in our lives and in our community.

What about His deity? Without a doubt, the townspeople did not really think of Jesus as being divine. They had watched Him grow up. No doubt they had seen some things that made them “scratch their heads,” but He was just the son of Joseph and Mary, nothing special about Him.

What about His divine power? It seems to me that it must have been hard for them to believe that He really had the power that they had heard about. Surely they had heard the stories of the kinds of miracles Jesus had done in other towns, but this was different. He was home now. He’s right here among those with whom he grew up. He looks the same. He seems like one of us.

How about us? Are we really convinced that Jesus is the Son of God? Are we really convinced that He can do anything? Any time that I doubt the ability of God to do what needs to be done it prohibits His working in my life.

B.    Their fear of personal cost produced a lack of faith.

Now this point is not taught in this specific text either explicitly or implicitly. However, I am making this point based on other passages of Scripture that expound on the meaning of genuine faith and what is involved.

If you will remember in the 11^th chapter of Hebrews, many of the examples provided in that chapter gave vivid demonstrations of people who realized that their faith required some commitment and action or response on their part. Genuine faith cannot be divorced from actions that demonstrate our commitment. Genuine faith and trust in someone or something will become the basis for decisions and actions that otherwise would not have been made or performed.

Another example is the story of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus and asked what he needed to do in order to inherit eternal life. Jesus, knowing the key obstacle in his life and the thing that hindered his faith in God, tells him to sell all and give it away. The Bible records the sad results of the conversation as it describes him walking away in great sorrow for he had great wealth.

I truly believe that these people might have been thinking, “If we acknowledge that Jesus is different; if we believe what others are saying about Him, what will that require from us?”

There are many people today who either refuse to believe or they are afraid to believe, because of a fear of what it will cost them. It might require more sacrifice and dedication on our part if we were to really believe God for mighty works or miracles in our church.

For me to truly believe and trust God for a miracle might require a willingness to be used by Him in some capacity that I fear. It might require me to get outside of my comfort zone and get involved in some kind of ministry or get involved in a work for the kingdom of God that I am afraid I can’t really do.

If we can just kind of nod our heads in agreement with the nice Scriptures and songs and sermons, but don’t really give serious thought to how God wants to implement His strategy through us, then life can go on real comfortable like and it won’t really require any sacrifice, commitment or disruption for us.

If I really believe in Him, I might have to get involved in things that I don’t think I can do. I might have to give up some other activities that I really enjoy. If I really believe people are lost and on their way to hell, I might be compelled to spend more time in prayer and more time in reaching out in love with the message of Christ.

II.        Secondly, let us notice the results of their unbelief.

Briefly, I only see one result identified in this passage. – He could do no miracles, no mighty works. There was no display of His supernatural power; no display of divine power.

The sad thing, I feel, about this whole story is that these people apparently never realized what they missed. Here was the Messiah, the Son of God right here in their company. He desired to do many mighty works for them. He desired to demonstrate His love and His awesome power. But... they missed it.

I can’t help but think of the passage where Jesus is looking over the city of Jerusalem and says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Matthew 23:37-39)

The people of Nazareth no doubt went on with their lives as usual. The Scripture doesn’t say that God sent judgment and wrath upon them... They just missed out on something wonderful and miraculous that God had for them.

Conclusion:

Wouldn’t this be a sad commentary on our church today?

Friends, I believe that this same Jesus desires to work mighty miracles in our lives, our homes and our churches today. I believe that He loves to demonstrate His power and grace to needy people.

The question is, will He be able to demonstrate His power, or will He have to go away in amazement at our unbelief?

“Lord I believe, Help thou mine unbelief.”

Our closing hymn today is titled, “Trusting Jesus.” (# 190)

This song speaks of putting our full trust in Jesus in all kinds of circumstances. As we sing, let us realize that to really trust in Him requires more than saying words, but it requires commitment and response in our actions.

He Will Live Again [26mb]

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This is a sermon based on the passage of Scripture in John 11:1-27.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

I can almost envision the look on Martha’s face as she told Jesus that her brother would not have died if Jesus had been there a couple of days earlier. Jesus responds to her heart-felt words by assuring her that her brother would live again – not merely after the future resurrection, but he would live again now.

Have you felt that same sorrow and pain over the circumstances in your family. It might have been the death of a family member like Martha experienced. Or, it might have been some other crisis – abuse, addiction, violence, cutting remarks and a permanent separation… the list goes on and on.

How many of you here today have known the feeling that Martha is expressing in this story? “Lord, if you had been here, my marriage would still be whole; my child or spouse would be healed from disease or addiction; etc.”

I.          Death is a reality.

In his classic novel, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens begins with the blunt declaration: “Old Marley was dead.”

I think I might say something similar to describe the situation facing Jesus as he arrives at Bethany. “Old Lazarus was dead.” Of that fact there was no doubt. He had been in the grave four days and everyone knew what Martha candidly expressed, “By now he stinketh!”

In the spiritual reality every one of us were dead. Lester was dead... You fill in your name.

A.        We are dead by nature.

We are born “with our backs toward God.” We are born with a nature that is predisposed to self-centeredness and sin. It is a condition that the Bible tells us we somehow inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve, passed down through each generation. Theologians call it: inherited depravity.

No one has to teach us how to sin; it comes natural. No one has to teach us how to be selfish; it comes natural. Our problem is not lack of opportunity, education or proper environment. Our problem is a defective nature that is contrary to God’s nature.

Not only are we born with a defective spiritual nature, but…

B.        We are also dead by choice.

Eph. 2:1 “You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins.”

Rom. 6:23 “The wages of sin is death.”

We are dead because spiritual death is the consequence of our own decisions and choices to follow the impulses of our sinful nature. We’ve knowingly made deliberate choices to disobey what was right and good. And, according to the message in Romans 6:23, and James 1:15, death is the result.

II.        Death is not God’s perfect will, but it serves God’s purposes.

In this story, Jesus states, “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe….” He proclaims to them that this event, as tragic and sad as it was, would be an event that would ultimately be used to bring glory to God and create new faith in the hearts of the witnesses. Likewise…

A.        Sin and its consequences are not God’s fault, but ours.

It is never correct to say or imply that God tempts us to sin or leads us to sin (James 1:13-15). His Word clearly states that sin is the result of our own willful choice, and death came about as the consequence of sin.

The Apostle Paul makes it clear that death entered the world because of the sin or disobedience of our first parents in the Garden of Eden (Romans 5:12). He also states that death has passed upon all humanity because we have all followed in the footsteps of our ancestors and disobeyed the will of God. So, death was not originally God’s design for Adam and Eve and certainly sin and death was not God’s original design for any of us. It is the consequence of every one of us exerting our own will over the will of God for our lives.

However, in spite of all this…

B.        God can still be glorified when He intervenes.

In spite of the fact that individuals make choices that lead them down a path of dire consequences, yet Christ is ready and able to turn those circumstances and consequences into opportunities for miracles; opportunities for glorifying God.

How could Jesus be glad about someone’s death? Because He knew that it is an opportunity to display the infinite power of God, for which God’s name would be praised and exalted and glorified.

Sometimes I have heard men at the chemical dependency treatment center where I used to work talk about how they believe it was God’s will for them to go through the experience of addiction so that they would ultimately come to the place of total surrender to His will. I understand what they mean. Even though God would have rather kept them from addiction, yet He is now teaching them lessons they wouldn’t have learned otherwise. It simply illustrates the point that God is still all-powerful and still has the ability to create “beauty from ashes.”

III.       Resurrection is both a present and future reality.

In the conversation that takes place between Jesus and Martha (vv. 21ff), both of them make reference to the fact that the resurrection is coming in the future, but Jesus wants her to understand that it is also possible now.

A.        It is only possible because Jesus is the author of life.

(v. 25) “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”

John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

John 1 indicates that Jesus Christ was the agent of creation; and the original author of life. Therefore He can bring life anytime He wills.

B.        Resurrection is literal and spiritual.

We obviously do not usually hear about miracles just like this today. Other than those events that are sometimes called “near death experiences,” or “out of body experiences,” we usually do not hear of people literally being brought back to life; especially after 4 days. However, we know by faith that the future resurrection will be a literal reality.

We also certainly know that resurrection from spiritual death is a present reality. The Scriptures often contain language that uses the imagery of resurrection to describe the spiritual new birth.

IV.       Resurrection produces major changes.

We can only imagine the changes that literally transpired in the lives of Lazarus and his family and friends.

Spiritually, the same is also true. The Apostle Paul stated like this in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

V.        Being resurrected has its “dangers” or challenges.

A.        Some will always oppose God’s divine work.

John 12:10-11 “But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; ¹¹Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.”

Any person that has been raised from death to life; sin to salvation; and depravity to righteousness will sooner or later face the opposition of Satan and others who are the enemies of grace.

You would think that everyone ought to be ecstatic about a resurrected life! But, it isn’t always true. The Devil always seems to make sure that there is someone around to oppose anything and everything positive that God is doing in people’s lives.

Even though Satan and others oppose what God is doing…

B.        People that have been brought to life will testify anyway.

Their very life is a testimony in itself.

Lazarus was a living breathing testimony even if he didn’t say anything.

Can you imagine his friends going up to Lazarus and saying, “Hey, Laz, what happened man? You’re walking around and breathing and eating and everything.”

Lazarus may reply, "Oh nothing. It's just another normal day," but they can readily see that he is alive.

I believe that the same parallel can be made to the person that has been spiritually resurrected from a life of being dead in sin. When anyone has been truly born again through faith in Jesus Christ, he / she is a “new creature.” “Old things have passed away and behold all things are become new.” (1 Cor. 5:17)

People will immediately notice something is different. As time passes, they will see more and more evidence of the miraculous change that has taken place in the heart of the new Christian.

Conclusion: 

This is the predominant message I want to leave with you today. If you have unsaved and wayward loved ones; if you have insurmountable crises in your family or your life; hear the words of Jesus, “He will live again. She will live again. You will live again.” It can happen through the power of the divine Son of God.

Jesus still has the power to resurrect the spiritually dead. He has the power to resolve any crisis. Jesus has the power to raise all of us in the final resurrection to live for ever with Him in glory.

The New Covenant [24 mb]

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This is a sermon based on Hebrews 8:1-13 and Matthew 26:28. It was given at a worship service which included the sacrament of communion.

Written Excerpts:

Hebrews 8:1-13

Matthew 26:28 “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

Introduction:

There are several different covenants that are described in the Bible. For example:

            Noah; Abraham; Moses; David, etc.

Many of the covenants described in the Bible had specific components that made up the covenant.

First, the Introduction contained a preamble that usually defined the participants of the covenant including their specific identities; and a prologue that describes the setting for the covenant.

For example: Exodus 20:2 – I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt.

This sets up the introduction for the covenant that God was making with the people of Israel through Moses.

Secondly, the body of the covenant sets forth the stipulations and requirements of the covenant. In the example of Exodus 20, the body would be the Ten Words (Commandments) that God gave to Moses.

In a covenant between two people, there would be stipulations offered by both parties. In the covenants with God, He sets forth the stipulations for both parties by stating “these are the requirements you must follow, and these are the blessings that I will provide.”

Finally, the Conclusion of the covenant would include witnesses if there are any, and the sanctions that specify the blessings and curses upon the participants of the covenant for obeying or violating the terms of the covenant.

In commenting on the verse in Matthew 26:28, Adam Clarke says,

The original… [wording for] New Testament… simply means, the new Covenant. Covenant, [in Latin] from con, together, and venio, I come, signifies an agreement, contract, or compact, between two parties, by which both are mutually bound to do certain things, on certain conditions and penalties. It answers to the Hebrew [word for covenant], which often signifies, not only the covenant or agreement, but also the sacrifice which was slain on the occasion, by the blood of which the covenant was ratified; and the contracting parties professed to subject themselves to such a death as that of the victim, in case of violating their engagements.

It is as if Jesus is holding the cup representing his own blood that would soon be shed and illustrating to them, “This is the cost and this is the sacrifice by which I am ratifying this covenant.”

For a few moments today, I want to consider a few distinctions between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant and its significance for us today.

I.          The Old Covenant was temporal, but the New is Eternal

Heb. 13:20-21 “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, ²¹make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

This passage is a benediction offered for the readers of this letter, but it emphasizes the fact of the eternal covenant established by Jesus.

See Hebrews 9:11-15

The whole message of Hebrews is to inform the Jewish believers that they are better off now than they were before.

See Heb. 8:6 “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.”

One of the reasons for that is the New Covenant is a permanent and eternal covenant; not a temporal and earthly one. This is one that will never have to be updated, revised or renewed.

II.        The Old was written on stone, but the New is written on “flesh.”

In our series of messages we preached on the Ten Commandments, I started out by explaining the purposes and the weaknesses of the Law compared to grace.

In regards to the covenant, the implications are similar. The Old Covenant was important and necessary, but it wasn’t complete. It had weaknesses that the Gospel and Grace of the New Covenant overcame.

The Old Covenant was external on tables of stone, written by God, but all too commonly, not embraced by the people. But the New Covenant is one that specifically and purposefully affects the heart.

The Lord told the prophet Jeremiah, who is quoted here in Hebrews 8, that the day was coming when He would “put His laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.”

The wonderful news of the gospel dear friends, is that we no longer force ourselves to live up to an external standard of righteousness while we struggle with a heart that is self-centered and turning away from the Lord.

Now, we can enjoy a heart that has been transformed in its most intimate and passionate desires, and purified by the Holy Spirit, so that our desires are His desires. His will is our will. We seek what He wants and seeks.

III.       The Old was ratified yearly, but the New was ratified once-for-all.

Hebrews 9 emphasizes the differences between the OT priests that went once per year into the holy of holies with the blood of the animal to make atonement for the people; to keep the covenant active, because this was God’s requirement.

But, now the Son of God, the perfect High Priest, goes into the Heavenly temple with His own blood and makes atonement once-for-all, obtaining eternal redemption for everyone.

No more sacrifices are necessary. The covenant has been ratified for ever and ever.

Conclusion

Now, here we are today, once again using emblems instituted by our Lord for the purpose of reminding us of the new covenant He has established.

The emblems we partake of today symbolize His sacrifice that He willingly gave, consisting of His own life and His own blood.

They symbolize the everlasting covenant established for every one of us to have eternal redemption and a permanent relationship with God the Father, the Sovereign Creator and Ruler of this universe.

Losing Weight and Running Races [28mb]

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This is a sermon based on Hebrew 12:1-3.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction: This letter was written primarily to Jewish Christians who were undergoing substantial persecution for their faith and they had been banished from the use of the temple in Jerusalem. Some believers were abandoning their Christian faith and returning to former Jewish beliefs so they could resume their worship at the temple with the tangible benefits.

The author is trying to show them how their faith and their privileges are better now than before. Some writers affirm that one of the key words in Hebrews is the word "better." They have a better sacrifice, a better high priest, better access to God, etc.

Now in this particular passage, the author is trying to encourage them to keep believing and not give up. I would propose that this passage of Scripture presents some incentives from the past and encouragement in the present for the task that is at hand.

I. Incentives from the Past

v. 1a - Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses...

These are individuals and groups mentioned in the previous chapter where we learn what their faith was able to do for them. They witness or testify of a living, vibrant and effective faith. A witness is one who testifies only of those things that he or she knows to be fact from first-hand knowledge or experience. Witnesses are not permitted to testify about hearsay, or opinions, or conjectures.

The witnesses mentioned in chapter 11 "obtained a good report" (v.39), which means they acquired a good reputation because of their faith and the results that they received by their faith. This report continues to live on centuries later and now inspire New Testament believers to keep their faith as well in the midst of opposition and persecution.

II. The Encouragement in the Present

vv. 2-3 - "Looking unto Jesus..."

This verb is in the present tense which denotes an ongoing, continuous action. Their source of encouragement for the present and for all time is to keep looking at the Lord and following Him, rather than getting their eyes on other people.

A. Jesus is the author and finisher of our salvation.
All that is necessary for our redemption has not only been started by Jesus, but has been completed as well. Nothing else is needed for our salvation to be complete and perfect. Our Lord Jesus Christ paid the full price to accomplish all of this for each of us.

B. Jesus endured rather than evaded.
In verse 2, we read that he endured the cross. In verse 3, we read that he endured opposition to his ministry. The Christian life is one that requires endurance; not just for a little while, but for our whole lives. The message in Scripture over and over is "he that endures to the end will be saved, and will receive the crown of life."

III. The Task at Hand

A. Part of the task includes getting rid of extra baggage.

"Let us lay aside every weight." Weight refers to superfluous flesh that slows down the runner in a race. This wording gives the idea that he is not necessarily talking about sinful behaviors, but perhaps things that might be considered legitimate, yet they have the potential to distract and weigh us down if we do not exercise temperance and restraint.

We see this principle applied in all kinds of athletics today. Athletes will exercise, train, and avoid certain foods, activities, etc. in order to get in shape and stay in shape so they can run a race or play the game. This same attitude should be evident in the lives of believers as they strive to run this Christian race.

B. Part of the task includes getting rid of our besetting sin.

"... and the sin that so easily besets us..."  This is referring to the area of temptation that we are most likely to yield to. Everyone of us knows what our weak areas are and so does Satan. He is most likely to keep attacking us at our weakest point, because he knows that is the temptation that we have yielded to so many times before.

Jesus used the analogy, "If your eye offends you (causes you to sin), pluck it out...." Whether or not you believe that he meant this literally, the least he was saying is that we must take whatever measures are necessary in order to avoid committing that sin, so that we will not end up losing our soul in hell.

C. Part of the task includes just running the race.

This race of faith involves daily living out the principles and teachings of Christ. It is a marathon; not a sprint. We must stay true to the Word of God and follow the teachings and example of our Lord. We must remember that only those who are faithful to the end that receive the crown of life.

Let us not give up, but just like those mentioned in the previous chapter, and just like our Lord Jesus Christ, let us also keep faithfully serving and trusting until our race is over. Then we too will be able to say with the Apostle Paul, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Now there is reserved for me a crown of life..."

Liberty Is God's Idea [28mb]

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This is a sermon that celebrates Independence Day and our nation's freedom as well as our spiritual freedom in Christ.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Tomorrow our nation will be celebrating Independence Day and the birth of our country. Many people have referred to the United States of America as the greatest experiment in human freedom in the history of the world. I have heard some who make the claim that the only reason America has become such a great nation is because of its great freedoms; not just political and religious, but also economic freedom. One popular radio host has repeatedly stated that if we truly desired to “export” the prosperity of our country to the other countries of the world, the first and foremost necessity is to “export” the same type of freedom we have enjoyed for all these years.

I have also read and heard many comments over the years that have made a direct link between the basic principles of freedom outlined in the Bible and the principles found in our founding documents. I concur with these comments and therefore I have developed a message with the title, “Liberty is God’s idea.”

We will be referring to different passages in Scripture as we talk about the various principles related to the topic of freedom.

I. Liberty was woven into the very fabric of creation.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

2:15 ¹⁵Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. ¹⁶And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

In these passages we find the first indication of free will and free choice given to humanity in creation.

Chapter one describes the fact that man was created in the image of God. There are many things that can be defined as part of the image of God in each one of us. Free will and the freedom to make real choices is obviously one of the characteristics of the divine image. It is one of those qualities that make us like our Creator. This image of God and this type of freedom sets us apart from the animal kingdom God created.

Some would argue that animals have liberty and freedom because they “can do anything they want to do.” Well, that is true to a certain extent. However, we must understand that is not genuine freedom as compared to the type of freedom that God granted to human beings.

Animals may “do anything they want to do,” but their “wants” are dictated by instincts; stimulus and response; and what we might call “basic animal passions.” In fact, sometimes we describe human beings as “living like animals” when they fail to practice self-discipline or self-restraint, but continually seek to satisfy every passion and desire of their fleshly or carnal nature.

Animals are so driven and “enslaved” by their natural instincts and passions, that it many times gets them into traps or even killed. An animal does not have the basic ability to analyze life situations and then restraint their habits and instincts for a longer better outcome and more enjoyable freedom.

Only people in God’s image have the ability to forfeit some immediate desire by intentional choice in order to gain a greater freedom in the long-term future. After all, true freedom is not the ability to do whatever one wants to do, but it is the ability and the strength to do what one ought to do.

The reference in Ch. 2 gives a hint regarding free will in the sense that God is giving a command, directive or instruction about something that He does not want the man and the woman to do – eat of the fruit that is in the middle of the garden. In spite of providing a mandate that they were expected to follow, God does not coerce or force them to obey; He allows them to make the choice whether to obey or not. With this fact, we observe that free will and freedom or liberty was part of God’s design.

This situation points out at least two interesting conclusions:

A. God could have guaranteed that they would obey Him by simply taking away their freedom to choose.

God could have simply eliminated the forbidden tree and its fruit from the garden. He could have provided a perfectly “sterile” environment with no possible choices to err or go astray. Then there would have been a perfect “obedience” or performance of every desire or plan of God. Or, God could have found some other method to force / coerce obedience. He was the Creator and Designer. He could have eliminated the free will aspect of their creation.

B. Since God did not eliminate their choice and “sterilize” their environment, and he gave the freedom to choose, it emphasizes the fact that freedom is a higher quality than perfect obedience.

We understand in all of Scripture that God wants us to obey Him. Yet, this scenario implies that obedience that comes by one’s free choice is much more desirable than obedience that comes as a result of coerced compliance. I believe that this is true because obedience by free choice speaks to the issue of love as a motive rather than just simple performance of a certain deed.

I’ve said many times that it seems rather obvious that the freedom to love someone or not means their love is of higher quality than love that is not free. I think this may shed some light on why God wanted us to have free will in the first place.

II. Liberty was woven into the fabric of national civic life.

Lev. 25 8-17 (NLT) “In addition, you must count off seven Sabbath years, seven years times seven, adding up to forty-nine years in all. ⁹Then on the Day of Atonement of the fiftieth year, blow the trumpets loud and long throughout the land. ¹⁰This year will be set apart as holy, a time to proclaim release for all who live there. It will be a jubilee year for you, when each of you returns to the lands that belonged to your ancestors and rejoins your clan. ¹¹Yes, the fiftieth year will be a jubilee for you. During that year, do not plant any seeds or store away any of the crops that grow naturally, and do not process the grapes that grow on your unpruned vines. ¹²It will be a jubilee year for you, and you must observe it as a special and holy time. You may, however, eat the produce that grows naturally in the fields that year. ¹³In the Year of Jubilee each of you must return to the lands that belonged to your ancestors.

¹⁴“When you make an agreement with a neighbor to buy or sell property, you must never take advantage of [oppress] each other. ¹⁵When you buy land from your neighbor, the price of the land should be based on the number of years since the last jubilee. The seller will charge you only for the crop years left until the next Year of Jubilee. ¹⁶The more the years, the higher the price; the fewer the years, the lower the price. After all, the person selling the land is actually selling you a certain number of harvests. ¹⁷Show your fear of God by not taking advantage of each other. I, the LORD, am your God.

(International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) - Thus there are three distinct factors constituting the essential features of the Jubilee Year: personal liberty, restitution of property, and what we might call the simple life.

Without going into a lot of details about the O.T. law, I simply observe that liberty and freedom was built into the fabric of national civic life among the people of God. There were specific rules and laws given so that no one could oppress his fellow countryman or even “oppress” the land that was so vital for the growing of crops and food. Even the O.T. laws regarding treatment of aliens were written in such a way to prevent oppression of liberties.

III. Liberty was woven into the whole scheme of redemption.

John 8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³²And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ³³They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” ³⁴Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ³⁶Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

It is truly ironic that the very freedom to choose may actually result in a type of slavery. While we celebrate the genius of God in granting free will to humanity in creation, we must understand that if man uses that freedom to choose disobedience and sin, it has the power to enslave him.

This truth is vividly described in the words of Jesus here in the Gospel of John. Jesus clearly proclaims that the commission of sin is evidence of the bondage of sin. Also see Romans 6:11-18; 7:19

The Apostle is echoing the same concept Jesus had taught – doing one’s own will and disobeying the will of God will bring about slavery to the sinful nature and we continually find ourselves yielding to temptation and powerless over the impulses of the carnal nature. This slavery and bondage to sin goes contrary to the very nature of God and His will for all mankind. God desires that we be free from sin. Deliverance from the bondage and victory over sin is God’s will for all of us.

Conclusion:

Liberty truly is God’s idea. I am convinced that the founding fathers of our nation understood this basic truth because of their understanding of the Holy Scriptures that was so much a part of the fabric of public and civic life back in those days. The seed of liberty is planted in the heart of every human being. Every human heart yearns to be free; except the ones who have squelched that desire through excessive pessimism and fatalism.

This liberty not only pertains to the human desire for freedom from tyranny and oppression in the political/national sense, but it also pertains to the desire to be free from the bondage of sinful deeds and desires.

There are many people in the world today that regularly got out and “live it up” in the pleasures of sin and immoral behavior. They boldly proclaim what a fun time they’re having; what happiness and joy they feel. Yet, when they get home and find themselves alone and quiet with some time to think, they are filled with remorse and regrets. They long for the strength to stop the cycle of “madness.” I’m glad that there is real freedom available through the blood of Jesus Christ and the wonderful grace of God.

Jesus said, “The truth shall make you free.”

Let us close our service today by singing an old patriotic favorite that emphasizes the role of God’s truth in our personal and national freedom. “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”

Is God for Real in Israel? [30mb]

(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 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]

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

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.