Daily Dealing with Death

This is a sermon that was delivered on Nov. 1, 2020. The theme of the message focused on the reality of persecution for believers in biblical times, as well as the present. This message was given in recognition of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, as well as All Saints Day. Millions of Christian believers have lived out their faith being confronted daily with the possibility of suffering and death. You may view a video recording of the worship service in which this sermon was delivered by clicking here.

Written excerpts of the sermon follow below.

Psalm 44:22 (NKJV)  Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Introduction:

Annie Johnson Flint was born on Christmas Eve in 1866 to Mr. & Mrs. Eldon Johnson. Three years later she was joined by a baby sister, but her mother died while giving birth. Her father had an incurable disease, so before his death, he willed the girls to a couple by the name of Flint.

Annie gave her heart to the Lord at the age of 8 and joined her church 10 years later, having never doubted that she was truly converted. She was generally disposed to be cheerful and optimistic. She looked on the bright side of life and was able to get much enjoyment out of life. 

After high school, Annie eventually became a schoolteacher. In her second year of teaching, arthritis began to show itself. She grew steadily worse until it became difficult for her to walk at all, and she was soon obliged to give up her work, followed by three years of increasing helplessness. The death of both of her adoptive parents within a few months of each other left Annie and her sister alone again. There was little money in the bank, and the twice-orphaned children had come to a real “Red Sea place” in their lives. (https://hymnary.org/person/Flint_Annie)

These limited details about Annie’s life help us understand how she could write a poem like this:

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater;
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limit; His grace has no measure.
His pow’r has no boundary known unto men.
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!

The words of this hymn are appropriate for anyone that is going through difficult times of adversity, especially persecution.

Today has been designated by the Voice of the Martyrs organization as “International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.” Today is also “All Saints Day” on the Christian Church calendar. For those two reasons, I chose the passage of Scripture from Hebrews, which was read earlier and the title of today’s message: “Daily Dealing with Death.”

All Saints Day was celebrated long before the Protestant Reformation but continued to be observed by many protestant denominations. Initially it seems to be a time to remember all those who were martyred for their faith but later included honoring both living and dead. Some churches stress the strong connection between the believers who have died (the Church Triumphant) and those yet living (the Church Militant), and give thanks to God for the lives of all saints (believers) whether famous or obscure. Protestant Christians have resisted the practice of praying to saints or worshiping them, but we certainly honor their testimony.

I would like to take the rest of our time this morning to look into various Scriptures and speak about the plight of Christians who serve the Lord in spite of great danger and threat to their lives.

Psalm 44:22 (NKJV)  Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

(Pulpit Commentaries) Verse 22. - Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; or, continually, as the phrase is often translated. Not only are the Israelites not suffering on account of any previous desertion of God, or other misconduct, but they are suffering for their fidelity to God. The heathen hate them, and make war upon them, as worshippers of one exclusive God, Jehovah, and condemners of their many gods, whom they hold to be "no-gods."

They are martyrs, like the Christians of the early Church (see Romans 8:36). We are counted as sheep for the slaughter (compare v. 11).

Psalm 44:11 (NKJV)  You have given us up like sheep intended for food, And have scattered us among the nations.

(Barnes Notes) The meaning is [this], It is on thy account; it is in thy cause; it is because we are thy friends, and because we worship thee. It is not on account of our national sins; it is not because there is any prevalent idolatry, but it is because we are the worshippers of the true God, and we are, therefore, martyrs. All these calamities have come upon us in consequence of our attachment to thee. There is no evidence that there was any self-glorying in this, or any intention to blame God as if he were unjust or severe, but it is the feeling of martyrs as suffering in the cause of religion. 

The Psalmist is revealing the fact that the people of Israel were objects of hatred and violence / attacks because of their devotion to Jehovah. In some parts of the world that has always been true even to this day.

Revelation 12:11 (KJV)  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

(Lenski New Testament Commentary) – … "and did not love their life up to death" (John 12:25). They would rather suffer martyrdom than deny that blood and the Word and their testimony. We have an example in Paul, Acts 20:24."

John 12:25 (NKJV)  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Acts 20:24 (NKJV)  But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

(Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) – To give way in the face of persecution is to fall away from Christ and to lose everything, but to stand firm means final victory over Satan. That John has the martyrs in mind is clear from the words they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. But the same quality of devotion is required from all the followers of the Lamb (cf. Luke 14:26; John 12:25).

As John writes these words in The Revelation, again we are reminded that followers of Jesus Christ were targeted for harm and even death, but that didn’t deter them nor change them.

Let’s take a look at the passage in Hebrews we heard earlier.

Hebrews 11:36-38 (NKJV) Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented-- of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

Here are some observations based on these passages of Scripture:

1. True people of faith see what others cannot see.

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

All of these examples we have read about in both the OT and the NT were people who could “see” what was invisible because of their faith.

That still holds true today.

2. True people of faith possess strength that others do not have.

Because faith enables people to “see” the invisible, what they see – the fulfillment of God’s promise – provides an inner strength that others do not have.

I cannot read about the suffering and persecution and even death that believers endured in the Bible and in modern times without being amazed at their strength to hold up in such horrible treatment. That strength obviously comes from their intimate connection to the Lord through His Holy Spirit, Who is faithful to provide the grace that is needed and when it is needed.

Romans 8:35-37 (NKJV) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

The personal, loving relationship with Christ sustains us and there is nothing that can take it away.

3. True people of faith will win the prize they seek.

Hebrews 11:39 (NKJV) And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,

The word “promise” is singular in the original language and is defined by Lenski in his commentary like this: (Lenski New Testament Commentary) – It is the final and supreme fulfillment, the consummation at the last day, the ultimate of all that we are hoping for, of all that is not seen (v. 1).

(R.T. France, Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) – This general comment looks back over the whole list of heroes of faith and puts them all, even men of the stature of Abraham and Moses, into perspective within the whole scope of God’s plan of salvation. None of them had reached the ultimate goal to which they were looking forward, whether consciously or not. They may have received the fulfillment of many “promises” (see vv.11-12, 17, 33; 6:15) and seen God’s power spectacularly at work in their behalf, but there still remained “the promise” (singular; NIV, “what had been promised”), which for our author denotes something beyond all these temporary blessings: the ultimate fulfillment of God’s purpose for his people.

This fulfillment, verse 40 indicates, will be realized when all of God’s people are finally and completely redeemed.

Conclusion:

It really doesn’t matter whether you’re speaking about the believers who lived in Bible times, or the millions of believers since then up to the present, they all need to be recognized for their stalwart faith. They need to be honored for their willingness to stay true to their faith and their Lord in spite of tremendous opposition and suffering. For many of them, the possibility of death was a reality they had to reckon with every single day, just like the Scripture we quoted earlier,

Psalm 44:22 (NKJV)  Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

In Uganda, Anna came to Christ from a Muslim background, and her family did not accept her choice. She fled to a pastor’s home in earlier August, but by then she was already ill and rapidly losing weight. After several days, she was struggling to walk and in great pain. Her family knew she was ill, and her father sent a message to her saying she would not survive. After a month in the hospital, she succumbed to the illness and passed away. Doctors found damage to her internal organs from poison, which her family likely administered to her while she still lived at home. Anna is survived by two children, ages 12 and 6, who are being cared for by the pastor.

A Bru community in rural Laos was so determined to drive out a group of Christian families that they resorted to drastic measures. “They were so resistant to their faith, they were trying to scare them out of the village or to renounce their faith,” a VOM field worker said. Persecution began in 2018 when the villagers killed the livestock and crops of the three families. They even planted a bomb in their cooking fire, hoping to scare or injure them. The Christian families are also banned from using the village well. Even so, the believers are determined to stay in their village as a testimony to God’s power, so they requested that VOM drill a well for them. Pray that the firm bravery of these families will cause many in their village to turn to God.

The real threats of persecution and death that thousands and perhaps millions of Christians face every day cause us to realize how strong and courageous they are for continuing to practice their faith. All the while these believers continue gathering for worship and prayers in the face of such threats, here in America we have been making it easier and easier for people to stay home. If we do not soon experience a spiritual awakening in our nation, Christians in our nation will also face the reality of dying for their faith. Prayer is absolutely crucial.

One thing we know for certain. Regardless of all that the enemies of God try to do, God’s kingdom and God’s truth will prevail and will keep marching on! The closing song I’ve chosen for today is a great reminder of that fact.

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Rush to Justice - Part Two

This is a sermon delivered on October 25, 2020 that addresses the culturally popular call for "social justice" in our society. The message attempts to provide biblical qualities of justice and to contrast that from what is being promoted in society. If you would like to view a video recording of the worship service in which this message was delivered, please click here.

Written excerpts of the sermon follow below.

Ezekiel 18:20 ^(NKJV)  The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

Introduction:

Last Sunday I presented a message regarding the subject of “social justice.” In that message I attempted to lay a biblical foundation for the need to have justice as a vital aspect of our personal lives as well as our public and national life. There is no question about the fact that God requires right conduct toward others regardless of social status, racial background, or any other characteristic that might become the target of hatred and injustice.

The “Social Justice” message has been around for a long time, and it has produced more chaos and harm than most people want to admit. I remember studying in seminary about a contemporary theological movement known as “Liberation Theology.” Liberation Theology was very prominent among so-called Christians, especially in South America. It was almost entirely Marxist in its emphasis and did very little to erase the social problems and improve the lives of citizens.

Before I continue this subject today, I want to provide a brief review of the three main points I shared last week. As I do that, I want to add additional “meanings” that have become common in our society today, even among evangelical Christians.

Last week I said, God cares about justice. (But many people today use this phrase as biblical support for policies that are not scriptural. As long as the word “justice” is used, who can say they’re not for it?)

Last week I said, Christians are expected to act righteously. (But too many insist today that righteousness should be defined by current socially approved standards.)

Last week I said, Christians should influence national righteousness (But that has come to mean they should exert such influence by every ungodly and unbiblical means possible.)

As I continue the subject today, I want to draw your attention to a few more important principles that we must keep in mind as we think and act in a way that exemplifies the mercy and justice of our Father in heaven. However, before I share those principles, I want to provide some details of the current “Social Justice” movement and what it advocates.

(Dr. Daryl McCarthy – Fundamental Wesleyan Society Conference in Nicholasville KY, Sept. 2020) Five Tenets of Current Social Justice “doctrine”

1. Identity Politics – everyone is either part of “the oppressed” or “the oppressors.”

·         Racial Identity – Whites are oppressors; colors are oppressed

·         Gender Identity – Males are oppressors; females are oppressed, or heterosexuals are oppressors; homosexuals are oppressed

·         Economic Identity – Rich/Wealthy are oppressors; poor are oppressed

·         Intersectionality – i.e. identities are added up; for example a poor, black, female, lesbian would be most oppressed.

2. Equality of Outcomes (Equity)

3. Statism – Equity must be achieved by government force.

4. Redistribute Wealth – Socialism (relates to #2) 

5. Gender is a choice

These five tenets reveal the problem with the modern “social justice” doctrine – if anyone experiences an injustice that doesn’t fit into these socially-approved categories, then it is not important to even care about.

For example, many times those who are the loudest in advocating changes in order to benefit the “oppressed” are strangely silent about the plight of other oppressed groups outside of the “sanctioned” list of oppressed (i.e. Identity Politics) we mentioned earlier. Therefore, little is said by the “justice warriors” about the plight of the unborn. Little is said in national discussions about the plight of Christians persecuted for their faith. It becomes increasingly clear that for those who wave the banner for social justice, it only means justice for the pre-approved groups that fit the politically correct definition of “the oppressed.”

Here are three more principles I want to stress today in regards to social justice:

I.          Biblical justice is necessarily linked to love.

A. Love is the core tenet of the Ten Commandments.

Jesus said there are only two great commandments:

Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Mark 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Romans 13:8-10 (NKJV) ⁸  Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹  For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁰  Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Paul has just quoted the second half of the Ten Commandments, which all have to do with the treatment of others, and he says it all can be summed up with “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

B. Love, by definition, must be voluntary. (Adapted from Social Justice and the Christian Church, by Ronald Nash)

The imitation “social justice” tries to use the power of the state to enforce what God’s Word says must be the expression of love. Imitation “social justice” attempts to force members of society to demonstrate love to select portions of the society in publicly-approved ways, while blatantly failing to demonstrate any love to other members of society who do not fit the “approved” criteria. God’s requirement is for all people to love all people, and it cannot be coerced nor restricted to certain classes.

In the Bible, love is an action. It is the denial of self for the benefit of the one loved. A state/government can only show "love" by forcibly taking from one segment of society and giving it to another segment. No sacrifice on the part of the state is required.

II.        Biblical justice is necessarily linked to truth.

Many people have repeatedly stated how uninterested our society is these days concerning truth. I have also emphasized in previous messages the fact that truth has been abandoned in so many ways. Many of us have frequently lamented the fact that we hardly know when we are being told the truth in news reports these days.

A. Truth is essential in judging results as well as intentions.

Ronald Nash, in his book, Social Justice and the Christian Church, points out how many liberal evangelical leaders and theologians have argued for blatant socialist policies on the basis of loving concern for the poor and disadvantaged. Yet, they apparently have not noticed that many of those socialist policies, in reality, have done more harm than good for the people they claim to be concerned about.

B. Truth is essential in accurately interpreting the Scriptures.

Nash also points out in his book that many liberal theologians who advocate for state-mandated policies to provide social justice have actually taken principles from the Bible that were meant to be practiced on an individual basis and they have insisted they be applied on a national scale and enforced by the state. That is, they make personal expectations or injunctions to be national / universal.

C. Truth is essential for exposing inconsistencies in arguments.

Black Lives Matter – Aside from the fact that the leaders of the BLM movement admit to being communistic in their philosophy, their message is blatantly inconsistent with truth.

If the phrase “Black Lives Matter” was founded in truth, then the lives of black unborn babies would matter. The livelihoods of black business owners would matter. Black police officers' lives matter, etc.

Far too many individuals who advocate for certain kinds of social justice tend to completely neglect other aspects of justice that doesn’t fit in their agenda.

We truly are witnessing what the prophet Isaiah witnessed…

Isaiah 59:14 (NKJV)  Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter.

In this 59^th chapter, Isaiah is describing all of the sin and crime and immorality that is so prevalent. When truth is fallen in the street, then justice is “turned back” and righteousness is “afar off.” Equity or fairness cannot be achieved when sin prevails and truth is sacrificed.

III.       Biblical justice must account for the problem of sin/depravity.

Psalm 51:5 (NIV2011)  Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

We must always keep the doctrine of original sin as part of the whole picture. There will never be “heaven on earth” as long as sin continues to reign in the hearts of all people. 

Even though Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” the kingdom of God on earth will always be flawed until sin has been completely and finally eliminated. That will only happen when Jesus returns.

A. Depravity causes abuse of power.

We cannot look to government leaders and the power of the state to be our “social justice saviors” and let them coerce equitable outcomes. Why? Because everyone in power is capable of the most severe and brutal misuse of power. It is born in them. It is inherited sin and depravity. Perhaps you’ve heard the adage, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Socialism and Marxism looks to the power of the state and/or dictators to enforce the equitable treatment of all oppressed. And yet, history has taught us that the most abusive and oppressive societies have been those who resorted to Socialist and Marxist dictatorships.

The end justifies the means. Attempt to achieve “holy” ends by unholy means.

B. Depravity leads the “oppressed” to unrighteous conduct.

The Prophet Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?” Every person and every identified oppressed group have the capacity to manipulate, twist and use very ungodly means to selfishly benefit from the system. Even the “oppressed” are capable of plotting how to cheat the system in order to achieve selfish desires. I'm not implying that they are more likely to do so just because they are poor or oppressed. I am just reminding us that their circumstances do not make them exempt from doing what anyone else would be tempted to do. Why? Because everyone has to struggle with the tendencies produced by inner nature of sin.

So, no matter how trite it may sound, we can still accurately say, “We do not have a social justice problem, we have a sin problem!”

Conclusion:

Let me bring this to a quick closing by simply reminding us today of two important truths.

1. It is imperative that Christians demonstrate love toward everyone regardless of who they are. It is our personal obligation as believers in Jesus.

2. Every attempt to usher in true justice in a national sense will always have flaws because people are flawed. The only remedy to that is the return of Jesus, the King of kings, and the Prince of peace.

In the meantime, it is a good policy for all believers to stand up for Jesus. That means promoting what is true, just and righteous, and standing against everything immoral, ungodly and demonic.

Closing Song: Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

Rush to Justice

 This is a sermon addressing the culturally popular call for "social justice" in our society. The message attempts to analyze justice from a biblical perspective and to contrast the biblical message from what is being promoted in society. If you would like to view a video recording of the worship service in which this message was delivered, please click here.

Written excerpts of the message are provide below.

Micah 6:8 (NKJV)  He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

Introduction:

You may have heard the phrase, “… a rush to judgment” as a reference to those who are seeking some kind of retribution against a suspected offender, without proper care for evidence or facts. Kris and I have been watching some videos loaned to us by our daughter. We have seasons 1 & 2 of the old TV series, “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.” In the episodes we have watched so far, there has occasionally been an accusation raised against one of the townspeople or the neighboring Cheyenne Indians. Most of the time there is a presumption of guilt levied against the offender, and nearly the whole town is ready to “string them up.” Thankfully, in these videos as in most movies, there usually seems to be a resolution to the issue and the correct villain is identified, and the innocent is vindicated as the true facts come to light.

What has been true at times about the rush to condemn an individual without all the facts, is also true about the rush to condemn certain aspects of a society or culture without knowing all of the facts. This particularly applies to the current push in our society for what many are calling “social justice.” Social justice is such a nice sounding term. Who in their right mind would oppose such an idea?

You have all watched and listened during recent months and even years as the mainstream media networks have provided positive coverage of those in our society who have been agitating for cultural, economic and legal changes in order to make us a “more fair and equitable society.” The demand for such revolutionary changes has been intensified most recently by the violent protests and riots that have taken place in dozens of cities around the country.

I acknowledge that I purposely avoided speaking from the pulpit about those events for awhile for this reason: I assumed that most of us had been seeing and/or hearing about the unrest all week long, and looked forward to coming to church in order to get away from it and focus our minds on eternal truths that remain constant in spite of the upheaval and unrest all around us. I still believe that focusing on eternal truths in the midst of chaos is crucial for our own mental health and spiritual health. It is important for us to remember that God is not shaken, confused or frustrated by all the unrest and chaos. However, I also believe that God wants His church/people to impact our culture with truth, so that our “rush to justice” isn’t void of truth and facts.

Kris and I had the opportunity to attend a conference a few weeks ago in KY where one of the topics addressed was “social justice.” Since then I felt the Lord leading me to speak on the issue from a biblical perspective in order to help us all have a better grasp on what is happening and how we should respond.

Today, I want to focus on some biblical foundations for the concept of justice, then I want to follow up next Sunday by evaluating what is often meant by “social justice” in contemporary public discourse. Before we get started, I want us to understand that the concept of “justice” in the Bible is truly about being righteous. It involves right conduct, and right treatment of others. In regard to judicial matters, it is the punishment of evil as well as the reward for the good.

I.             God cares about justice.

A. Justice is rooted in the character of God.

Psalm 72:1 (NKJV) Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king's Son.

Amos 5:24 (NKJV)  But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.

This text follows verses that describes God’s disdain for religious rituals while righteous conduct has been forsaken.

When God established a covenant with the people of Israel (The Ten Commandments), He outlined how the people were expected to act toward Him and how they were to act toward each other. He revealed the fact He was not only a God who wanted to be revered and obeyed in regard to worship, but He also cares deeply about people and it matters how His covenant people treat one another.

Ezek. 18: The passage of Scripture that was read earlier this morning provides an example of the kinds of behavior that God expects. This passage describes hypothetical behavior of a father, his son, and the grandson. The first one follows specific expectations of righteous conduct. The son does not follow in the father’s footsteps, but violates all of the principles of righteous behavior, while the grandson returns to the conduct of the grandfather and lives a righteous life as well. God declares through the prophet that the father should not die for the sins of the son and the son should not be spared judgment because of the righteous life of the father. Finally, the grandson should not die for the sins of his father. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

B. Two lessons we can take from the passage in Ezekiel.

1. Obvious one - Everyone will be held accountable for his own life and not what others have done.

2. It provides us with an example of the kinds of conduct that God considers to be righteous and unrighteous and shows that God cares about right behavior toward others.

Righteous conduct involves right behavior towards our fellow human beings. We have the positive examples and the negative examples. There are numerous other examples in the Bible where God’s people in the OT and in the NT are expected to act righteously toward their fellow human beings.

For example: Job 29:12-17 (NKJV) ¹²  Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper. ¹³  The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. ¹⁴  I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban. ¹⁵  I was eyes to the blind, And I was feet to the lame. ¹⁶  I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know. ¹⁷  I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth.

Leviticus 19:35-36 (NKJV) ³⁵  'You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. ³⁶  You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

God cares about justice and He reveals it in His word through the law and the gospel.

II.           Christians are expected to act righteously.

Micah 6:8 (NKJV)  He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

Sermon on the Mount contains many directives for personal righteous behavior that reaches the core motives and attitudes of the heart, not just outward actions. e.g. murder/hatred; adultery/lust

James 2:1 (NKJV)  My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.

In the same chapter he illustrates the absurdity of only saying words but not following up with action, and the illustration involves feeding and clothing the poor.

1 Samuel 8:3 (NKJV)  But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

We could provide dozens of Scriptures that teach Christians and children of God to not only live morally pure lives and be devoted to the Lord, but to also demonstrate their love for God by caring for others. All of our actions and business dealings are to be done with honesty and integrity.

III.          Christians should influence national righteousness.

Righteous conduct on the part of individual Christians includes doing whatever we can to influence just, good and righteous policies in the society.

I have repeatedly referred to Matthew 5:13-16 where Jesus teaches His disciples that we are the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” There are all kinds of ways this principle can and should be applied to daily life, but the simple truth is that we must be a positive influence for righteousness in our world.

e.g. Slavery – Before there ever was a civil war over the issue of slavery, there were countless individuals who were exerting every possible influence to change the minds and hearts of those making laws.

There are different ways we can influence our world for a more just society, not by attempting to set up a theocracy, but by being righteous, being salt and light in our own personal lives. There are all kinds of ways for Christians to work together to help those who are in need. We can write letters to the editor or to elected officials to express views that are consistent with biblical truth. 

We can influence righteousness on a state or national scale by electing righteous individuals to positions of authority where they will govern with righteous values. We believe in the “separation of church and state” only in the original meaning of our founders – there will not be a state sponsored religion forced upon our citizens. However, the phrase did not mean elected citizens must divorce themselves from their faith values and govern like pagans. A Christian was never expected to stop thinking and acting like a Christian just because they had a government position. Now it seems that Christians are expected to act and govern like pagans whenever they get elected.

Conclusion:

Today I have tried to show from the Scriptures that God cares about how people are treated. I’ve tried to show that God cares about how we personally conduct ourselves and live out our faith in care and concern for others. I’ve tried to give a biblical basis for having a positive influence in our culture and our society. However, there are many people who have completely twisted the truth of Scripture to promote policies and actions that go against the righteousness of God.

The Lord willing, I will continue our topic next week by sharing how modern efforts for “social justice” go contrary to God’s standard of righteousness. I want to encourage everyone to pray for true righteousness and justice that is approved by God to prevail in our communities, all across our nation, and around the world.

Come to the Table

 This is a sermon that was given at Wayside Community Church near Mercer PA for the Sunday morning worship service in which the sacrament of communion was shared. The sermon is based on some of Paul's words in First Corinthians 10 and shares some comparisons between coming to the table at a family dinner and coming to the Lord's Table. Those who wish to view a video recording of the worship service in which this sermon was preached may click here.

Written Excerpts:

1 Corinthians 10:21 ^(NKJV) You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons.

Introduction:

When the Apostle Paul speaks about the sacrament of communion, he sometimes referred to it as “The Lord’s Table.” Because of his use of the phrase, many preachers and authors have likewise used it when they are speaking about the Lord’s Supper or Communion. I don’t know what thoughts or images may come to your mind when you hear the title of today’s sermon, but the phrase brought a few memories for me.

During my childhood there were times when my mother would finish preparing a meal for our family, and she would signal that fact by saying, “Come to the table.” Mom wasn’t a gourmet cook, but she sure could prepare a feast for her family that included 3 hungry sons. The announcement, “Come to the table,” was not only the signal that the time to eat had arrived, but it was the signal that something delicious was waiting. I don’t know about your house, but the dinner table was also a place where many enjoyable and meaningful conversations took place. – Something that doesn’t happen too much in many homes today.

When Paul talks about the “Lord’s table,” he certainly isn’t referring to a great feast in the literal sense, even though there is evidence that the NT Christians did share a common meal at their celebrations. When he speaks of the “Lord’s table,” he is referring to the bread and the cup which represented the body and blood of Jesus. Today, as we share the sacrament of communion, I want to share a couple of observations about the “Table of the Lord” that I hope will be an encouragement to each one of us.

1. At the table there is provision for all.

I don’t know how it was at your house, or how it was at your grandma’s house, but in my mind, whenever it was time to “come to the table,” I always knew there was going to be enough for everyone in the house. We had some pretty hard times when I was growing up, as I imagine most of us can say. So, there were times when the table wasn’t covered with a huge Thanksgiving-style feast, but whatever the menu included, there was always enough for everyone in the house.

At the table of the Lord, there is room for everyone.

1 John 2:2 ^(NKJV) And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

John 1:29 ^(NKJV) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John 6:51 ^(NKJV) I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

Matthew 26:28 ^(NKJV) For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

All of these references emphasize the truth that Jesus gave himself for the whole world – everyone who has/will ever live. We believe the atonement of Christ is universal. There is provision for everyone. No one needs to be left out.

2. At the table there is both inclusive and exclusive fellowship.

Some Bible teachers have observed that many of Christ's lessons were taught while sharing a meal with his followers and hearers. There is something about sitting down to a meal with others that just draws you closer together. I have drawn an analogy about the fellowship around the table by suggesting it is both inclusive and exclusive. Those who have been invited to “come to the table” are individuals that belong. In some cases, they “belong” because they’re part of the family. In other cases, they “belong” because they have been invited to join the family, even if for a few hours or some limited time. Everyone who has been invited is included in the fellowship around the table. There is something special and unique about that.

Likewise, in the spiritual sense there are many invitations recorded in Scripture. Not all of them have to do with sharing a meal, but Jesus offers a standing invitation for whosoever will, to come unto Him.

Matthew 11:28 ^(KJV) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Luke 14:17 ^(KJV) And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

Luke 14:23 ^(KJV) And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Revelation 22:17 ^(NKJV) And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

So, the table of the Lord is inclusive. It is for everyone who will respond to the Lord’s invitation and come to Him for salvation. Paul described it as a communion (fellowship) with the Lord. We are all one body, there is communion/fellowship/participation between each member and there is communion/fellowship/ participation with our Lord.

However, the table of the Lord is also exclusive.

Jesus told a parable and said that the kingdom of heaven is like a king who planned a marriage for his son.

Matthew 22:8-11 ^{(NKJV) 8} Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. ⁹  Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.' ¹⁰ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. ¹¹ But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.

In this story, the man who did not have on the wedding garment was cast out of the wedding celebration. Everyone was invited (so it was inclusive), but not everyone was accepted (therefore, it was also exclusive).

The invitation to the Lord’s table is for everyone, but only those who accept His offer of salvation through faith are granted access.

Here is an interesting passage from the book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 65:13 ^(NKJV) Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, My servants shall eat, But you shall be hungry; Behold, My servants shall drink, But you shall be thirsty; Behold, My servants shall rejoice, But you shall be ashamed;

In the context of this verse, the prophet was giving God’s description between those who have deserted Him and resorted to worship of idols and others who have remained faithful to Him. So, the Lord says that He will give food and drink to His servants, but those who have been unfaithful will be turned away.

The Apostle Paul describes another scenario. He addresses the matter of eating food that was offered to an idol. (1 Cor. 10:14-33)

Notice verse 21 ^(NKJV) You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons.

(Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) – [Paul does] not dispute the contention of the Corinthians that an idol is not a god at all. But he will not agree that therefore idols can safely be treated as nothing more than so many blocks of wood and stone. The demons use people’s readiness to worship idols. Thus, when people sacrifice to idols, it cannot be said that they are engaging in some meaningless or neutral activity... Paul has shown from the usage of both Christians and Jews that to share food is to establish fellowship. Idol worshippers are entering into fellowship with demons…

“… The Lord’s table reminds us that the Lord is the host at the sacrament. By parity of reasoning the table of demons indicates that there may be other hosts. But those who accept the Lord’s invitation cannot in good conscience also accept the invitation of demons. If we are really in fellowship with the Lord, we cannot also be in fellowship with demons… All that Paul is saying is that the Holy Communion, in one aspect, is a feeding at the table of the Lord, an enjoyment of fellowship with him. Similarly, participation in an idol feast means having fellowship with demons….

Paul is saying to the Corinthian Christians, “It is one or the other. You can’t have both. You can’t eat at the Lord’s table and at the table with demons.” Why? Because you cannot have fellowship with both the Lord and with demons. You cannot have two loyalties. You cannot have two masters. The table of the Lord is not a place where you can come and receive the benefits of Christ's sacrifice unless you are willing to forsake all you other idols/loyalties and devotions. There is a standing invitation for everyone, but it excludes those who still want to hold on to the other things that steal our love from Christ.

Conclusion:

A little more than a week ago, Kris and I attended a small conference in KY. In the last session of that conference we gathered around a table and shared the sacrament of communion. The speaker had given a message about the kingdom of God and he came to a point when he mentioned the “full meal” that believers will enjoy at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” He stated however, that there is still work to be done before we get to that supper. Then, as he gestured toward the communion tray of emblems, he said, “Until that time comes, let’s enjoy the appetizer.”

Today, I present to you the Lord’s table not only as a reminder of what Christ accomplished for our redemption and the sacrifice He made, but also as a reminder that this is only a small taste of the great meal we will someday get to share with Christ in person.

When Does the Church Need to Repent?

This is a sermon that was based on portions of Revelation chapters two and three. It answers the question posed in the sermon title by looking at the churches Jesus told to repent in these Scriptures. Five out of the seven churches addressed were commanded to repent. The reasons they needed to repent can be discovered in the description of each church. Those who wish to watch the video recording of the worship service in which this message was presented may click here.

Written Excerpts:

Revelation 3:19 (NKJV)  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

Introduction:

Yesterday our church participated by live stream simulcast in an all-day meeting in Washington DC calling our nation to repentance and prayer. It was a global call to “return to God” so that God will return to us (i.e. the U.S.). The event took place on the National Mall in front of the Washington Monument. At the same time and partially in the same place, Franklin Graham had a prayer march in which people walked from the Lincoln Memorial all the way down past the National Mall to the U.S. Capital building, praying as they walked.

As I began preparing this message, the prayer meeting in Washington hadn’t occurred yet, so I began planning without knowing what the speakers were going to be saying, except in a general sense to call us to repentance and prayer. But as I thought about the prayer events in DC, I felt that God was leading me to preach on a similar topic in order to lead our church into a spirit of repentance and prayer that will help put us in harmony with the call that national leaders have expressed.

We often quote 2 Chron. 7:14, and I just preached on that passage a few weeks ago. It is a passage that reveals a promise from God for His people if they will meet certain conditions. Those conditions are: humility, repentance and prayer. However, it occurred to me that God’s people, the church, may not know what to repent from. Therefore, I felt God leading me to preach on the subject: When Does the Church Need to Repent? Or What does the church need to repent from?

We who are believers and are part of the Church of Jesus, we might be tempted to think and even say, “We’re the ones who are right. It is all those dirty, rotten, sinners out there in our world that need to repent.” Yes, the dirty, rotten, sinners need to repent. So do all of the clean, respectable, sinners! However, I'm confident that there are scores of people sitting in church pews today (or watching a church service online or on TV) who truly think that all the repentance and returning to God has to be done by the wicked people of the world. But even more than all those sinners, the church needs to repent too. It was the people of God, that the Lord was talking to in 2 Chron. 7:14. It is the people of God or the churches of God that were commanded to repent in the book of Revelation.

Today I am going to raise the question, “When does the church need to repent?” I am going to look at Scripture to answer that question in hopes that God will show us if there are any areas our church needs to repent, either corporately or individually.

Before we do that, I want to review the meaning of the term repent or repentance.

Repentance – a change of mind leading to a change of action. (Logos Bible Software); a change of mind: as it appears in one who repents of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done…that change of mind by which we turn from, desist from, etc. (Thayer, Greek Lexicon)

Repentance does not merely mean to be sorry about something. It does include sorrow, but it goes farther than simply being sorry and leads to a change of action, leads to a turning from or desisting from something in order to start a new course of behavior, attitude, etc. The Apostle Paul stated that “godly sorrow leads to repentance.” (2 Cor. 7:10) Practically speaking, repentance means that you do not and cannot go on in the same direction and the same manner you’ve been going.

About 7 years ago, I preached a series of messages from the first three chapters of Revelation, which contain God’s message through the Apostle John to seven churches of Asia. Today, I would like to briefly revisit that passage in our discussion of repentance.

I raised a question in my sermon title, “When does the church need to repent?” I believe that God’s message to these churches gives us some insight into the answer to that question. Out of the 7 churches mentioned, 5 of them were commanded to repent. So, I want to use those examples in Revelation 2-3 in order to help us understand when or why churches need to repent.

1. The church needs to repent when love is abandoned.

Rev. 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Ephesus was a very prominent city. It had experienced great teaching and preaching. This church has received one of the richest letters from the Apostle Paul.

(Leon Morris, Tyndale NT Commentary) The condemnation of this church is expressed in one memorable phrase, You have forsaken your first love. It is not clear whether this is love for Christ (‘you do not love me now as you did at first’, GNB), or for one another (‘you have given up loving one another’, Moffatt), or for mankind at large. It may be that a general attitude is meant which included all three (‘you do not love as you did at first’, Phillips). Forsaken (aphēkes) is a strong term; they had completely abandoned their first fine flush of enthusiastic love. They had yielded to the temptation, ever present to Christians, to put all their emphasis on sound teaching. In the process they lost love, without which all else is nothing.

When the church becomes satisfied and even self-congratulatory with just being orthodox in our beliefs and our normal formalities and routines, but the passion to love God and others along with the action that proves it has long been abandoned. This passage reminds us that mere faithfulness is not enough unless that faithfulness includes the faithful fanning of the flame of love for God. I’m not simply talking about emotional, warm and cozy feelings about Christ, but an ardent, vibrant love for Him that craves His Holy presence, His smile of approval, and His tender voice of guidance. 

2. The church needs to repent when truth is compromised to accommodate public standards.

Rev. 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

While these people were maintaining the right “theology” or the right terminology and were apparently willing to “die” for their faith, yet they were apparently not willing to stand against those in their “congregation” who had adulterated the practice of their faith to include various practices of sensuality and immorality.

(Barclay) [These wayward members] sought to persuade Christians that there was nothing wrong with a prudent conformity with the world’s standards.

Denomination after denomination, church after church and Christian after Christian all across our nation have bought into modernistic philosophy and rejected God’s Word in favor of the approval of the world. For example, the legal definition of obscenity is decided by community standards. God’s truth isn’t judged by community standards. God is the judge. His law is the standard. It really doesn’t matter what the world / community says about it.

3. The church needs to repent when its conduct is as immoral as the world’s.

Rev. 2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

Rev. 2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

Writers describe one of the potential problems in this city was the fact that large numbers of people would feel it necessary to join the trade guilds in order to “avoid commercial suicide.” These guilds no doubt offered common meals that would include meat that had been consecrated to an idol, and they would engage in all kinds of drunken revelry and immorality. (Barclay, ZPBD, et. al)

It is not clear whether the reference to “fornication” should be understood literally as sexual immorality or as spiritual infidelity.

(Barclay) Some believe that the phrase “the depths of Satan” (v.24), could very well be a reference to a common heresy during that era which claimed that Christians should experience every kind of sin… and accommodate themselves to the world.

This week Kris and I attended a two-day conference in Kentucky. In one of the sessions, the presenter mentioned a large mega-church that hired a Christian survey firm to conduct an assessment of its congregation. The conclusion of the survey was that the beliefs and conduct in the church nearly mirrored the beliefs and conduct of the non-churched.

There's little difference in ethical behavior between the churched and the unchurched. There's as much pilferage and dishonesty among the churched as the unchurched. And I'm afraid that applies pretty much across the board: religion, per se, is not really life changing. People cite it as important, for instance, in overcoming depression--but it doesn't have primacy in determining behavior. (George H. Gallup, "Vital Signs," Leadership, Fall 1987, p. 17.)

4. The church needs to repent when it has spiritually died.

Rev. 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

(Barclay) This church was not practicing any heresy, and it was not under attack (persecution) from the outside. It had simply died spiritually.

One dies by simply not doing the things that sustain life. Nourishment; Exercise; Purpose; etc. – these are the things that promote life. Without these, life will ebb away, and death will certainly come.

Signs of death: legalism; formalism; ritualism… Paul said, “The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.”

A change of mind leading to a change of action is necessary in order to revive the dead.

5. The church needs to repent when its passion and mission have cooled.

Rev. 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

They were not cold or hot. This likely is a deliberate reference to the condition of the water supply in that city and the surrounding area.

(Reformation Study Bible) Laodicea's water supply had to be provided from a distant source through pipes. The resulting water was lukewarm and barely drinkable. By contrast, the neighboring town of Hierapolis had medicinal hot springs, and neighboring Colossae was supplied by a cold mountain stream. Christ urges the church to be refreshing (cold) or medicinally healing (hot), rather than like the Laodicean water supply.

(S. Zodhiates) …hot and cold represent beneficial qualities just as hot water soothes the body and cold water slakes one's thirst…. The Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament.

The point seems to be that these people, just like lukewarm water, did not exhibit any passionate qualities that would have a positive effect on their culture or their world. In a literal sense, lukewarm condition can be attained by cooling of something that was hot, or the warming of something that was cold. The same is true spiritually.

How can people get in this condition of blindness? I believe it is through the common habit of comparing ourselves with ourselves. We Christians look at the attitudes and behaviors of the unsaved and unconverted “pagans” around us and, as long as we’re “not as bad as they are,” we are content.

Conclusion:

Look at vv. 19-20. God is passionate about saving them from their certain destruction. God is passionate about giving them whatever they need to break out of the lukewarm, half-hearted, self-righteous status quo into which they have settled. The Lord isn’t content to just let them drift along and lose their souls. He is rebuking and chastening and pleading and calling to them. He is urging them to do something about their sad condition.

Again, I remind each of us that the horrible conditions of our society right now are not solely because of the wicked people flaunting their wickedness. If the church had stayed hot instead of lukewarm; if the church had not compromised its standards of truth and conduct instead of following the standards of Hollywood and Washington; if the church had nurtured its love for God and its spiritual life; rather than gradually dying out; then I have no doubt our society and our world would be totally different than it is today.

I want to caution us to point the finger at all of the other denominations and Christians as if they are the problem. We need to ask God to search our own hearts and show us where we need to personally repent and change our thoughts and our conduct to line up with God’s Word.

But… remember that we can’t do any of that without a deeply personal and committed relationship with Jesus.

Closing Song: Give Me Jesus

Worthwhile Pursuits

This is a sermon based on Hebrews 12:14 which commands believers to pursue peace with all men and holiness. This message explores the meaning of the command and how it is achieved. Those who desire to watch the video of the worship service in which this sermon was presented may click here.

Written Excerpts:

Hebrews 12:14 ^(NKJV)  Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

Introduction:

[Many people who] wanted to know how [their] knowledge of random facts stacked up against others, did one thing: [They] cracked open a box of Trivial Pursuit, one of the greatest board games ever invented. Invented in 1981, it's been one of the most successful games of all time, spawning countless editions and niche spin-offs (see: Stars Wars Trivial Pursuit, Book Lovers Trivial Pursuit, World of Harry Potter Ultimate Edition Trivial Pursuit, et cetera, et cetera, ad infinitum).

Trivia questions relating to fun facts, random facts, animal facts, and mind-blowing facts … can be related to each of the six categories: geography, entertainment, history, art and literature, science and nature, and sports and leisure. These questions provide minutes and hours of entertainment as a game, but they are just trivia. They do not provide essential information for much of anything important to daily life.

People pursue a lot of different things in life. Many of them are much more important and valuable than just knowing random facts. People pursue certain kinds of employment they desire, they pursue relationships with that ideal person they desire for a life companion, and some people passionately pursue every possible plan for getting rich. We all make decisions about the kinds of pursuits in life are worthwhile and those that aren’t.

In our Scripture that was read today, verse 14 in the NKJV reads, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Peace and holiness are two things that are very essential for daily life, mainly because God’s Word tells us to pursue them.

With the help of the Lord I want to explore the inspired words found here in verse 14 and try to apply them to our spiritual lives in a way that will benefit our daily walk with the Lord. But, before we do that, I want to briefly remind you of some background information about this letter, which we believe could have been written by the Apostle Paul.

This letter is written to Jewish Christian believers who have been experiencing persecution for their faith. As a result of this, some had returned to Judaism and others were tempted to turn back to their Jewish faith prior to Christian conversion. Throughout the letter, Paul is trying to explain all the reasons why they are far better off now than before and why faith in Jesus is better than the former system of animal sacrifices and offerings. Now, in chapter 12, Paul is addressing the matter of spiritual chastisement – discipline from the Lord to correct us and to shape us.

Notice in the beginning of verse 12, we have the word “therefore,” which is a word that ties it and the following verses with the points he has already stated in the previous verses. “Since God corrects us and disciplines us because we are His children and because He loves us, therefore do these things. These are the commands he delivers: “lift up;” “make straight;” and “pursue.”

I am not going to discuss the first two commands “lift up” and “make straight” today, but I do want to talk about the command to “pursue.” The two specific things he commands his readers to pursue are: peace and holiness.

1.         The meaning of the word “pursue.”

KJV – “Follow”.

It is in imperative form – a command. It is in the present tense – a continuous action, a constant pursuit. It is translated 28 times with the word “persecute;” 10 times with word “follow” or “follow after;” and 3 times to “suffer persecution.” 

Various meanings include: run or flee, put to flight, drive away, run swiftly to catch someone or something, to do any of these actions to harass, trouble or persecute. It can also carry the thought “to seek after eagerly” or “earnestly endeavor to acquire.” This word teaches the idea of constantly pursuing or chasing the goals described.

2.         The first thing we are to pursue is peace with all men.

“peace” – The ancient Greek meaning was the absence of war or hostility as a state or condition rather than attitude or relationship. The main meaning in the NT is not the Gk meaning, but salvation in a deeper sense, thus the absence of hostility with/against God and the condition of harmony, tranquility. When Paul in Rom. 14:17 says that God’s kingdom is peace, he is stating that the rule of God is one in which there is no evil or discord; he can thus exhort us to pursue what makes for peace (v. 19), i.e., to avoid squabbling about meats or days. (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume)

Romans 14:17 ^(NKJV)  for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:19 ^(NKJV)  Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

1 Peter 3:11 ^(NKJV)  Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 ^(NKJV)  See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

(A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament) Give peace a chase as if in a hunt.

Romans 12:18 ^(KJV)  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Sometimes it isn’t possible. We still need to seek for it as much as is productive. (Sometimes, further efforts at peace cause more strife, especially if the other person is committed to never reconciling.)

(R.T. France, Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) To “pursue peace with everyone” (an echo of Ps 34:14) is a more active goal than merely avoiding conflict; it echoes Jesus’ saying, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Why should we chase after peace with all people? Because everyone is made in the image of God and worthy of respect and kindness. Also because peace is necessary in order to win them to the Lord.

(Donald Guthrie, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) But that this does not mean peace at any price is clear from its close link with the pursuit of holiness. Peace with all men is possible only within the limits of what is right. There are in fact times when standing for just causes brings intense antagonism and peace is inevitably shattered.

It doesn’t mean “peace at any cost” or “peace over truth.” Jesus himself made enemies, not intentionally or maliciously, but only because He told the truth even when people didn’t like it or want it.

3.         The second thing we are to pursue is holiness.

“holiness” – trans. 5 times with word “holiness” and another 5 times with the word “sanctification.” Synonyms – purity; cleansing.

We’ve talked about sanctification and holiness many times. In the OT, it represented the quality of conforming to God’s commands in order to reflect God’s nature. The Lord tells the Israelites that if they obey His commands and follow His statutes, they will be a holy people unto Him or devoted to Him.

Dr. John Oswalt believed that the Ten Commandments were God’s requirements for the people to share His character. Those commands demonstrated the issues that were of supreme importance to God – right worship; right conduct toward others.

I’ve often pointed out that sanctification includes two themes: washing/cleansing from all impurities and separation or set apart for a specific purpose. That purpose is for God’s use and God’s glory. In the NT especially, holiness is only possible through the presence and fullness of the Holy Spirit whose primary ministry is to make us holy.

Romans 6:19 ^(NKJV)  I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 ^(NKJV)  For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.

1 Thess. 5:23 ^(NKJV)  Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely…. (Not on the screen)

The reason we must chase after or pursue holiness is so we can “see the Lord.”

Matthew 5:8 ^(NKJV)  Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

(Donald Guthrie, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) The 'seeing' of God could be understood in a spiritual sense of communicating with him, but there is the further sense in which a fuller prospect is in mind than is now possible (cf. 1 John 3:2 which points to the coming again of Christ). The future tense (opsetai) looks forward to an event as yet unfulfilled.

(R.T. France, Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) Holiness is God’s own character, and it is only those who share it (v.10) who can “see” him. God is, of course, literally invisible (11:27), which gives the greater force to the biblical use of “seeing” God as a metaphor for enjoying personal fellowship with him ….

Conclusion:

The worthwhile pursuits we have been talking about today – chasing after peace with all men and chasing after holiness – are nothing more or less than striving to be like Jesus. The record we have of Jesus and the life He demonstrated while He was on earth provides the example for us to follow. Through the author of this biblical letter, God has provided a challenge for us to establish and maintain godly relationships “horizontally” with our fellowman, and to establish and maintain a “vertical” relationship with Him.

Thomas Chisholm was born in 1866 in Kentucky. He attended a one-room school and at the age of 16 became the teacher of that same school. After 4 years, he was hired to work for the newspaper of Franklin, KY.

Several years later, at the age of 27, Thomas was converted in a revival meeting under the preaching of Dr. H.C. Morrison, the founder and president of Asbury College. Shortly after his conversion, Thomas wrote a poem to express his desire to be more like Christ in his life.

That hymn is our closing song for today:

O to Be Like Thee       #551

If we live our lives to be like Jesus, it will lead us to seek peace with people and seek to live holy lives before God.