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Earlier this afternoon I stopped to get a cold drink. The temps today are in the 90’s with humidity close to this mark as well. I exited the truck and began to walk across the parking lot int…

Source: Run Over

People do not read their Bibles anymore.

Now I’m not saying this of you. You are here on a Sunday night when you could be home watching Columbo reruns on television (I love Columbo! Does anyone know his name other than Columbo?). God bless you for being here!

But people – in fact many so called practicing Christians do not read their Bibles. Many Churches are formed where few people read their Bibles, where few people practice frequent prayer, where few people meditate on the Scripture and allow the Holy Spirit of God to guide them. This is the biggest problem we have in America today. There was a time when all Christians read their Bibles. I remember when I was saved the first thing I did was go to the local Christian Bookstore and find me a Bible. My first Bible was a Thompson Chain Reference Bible. I went through every one of those Chain References found in the back of that Bible, looking up Scripture after Scripture. Oh what a joy it was to learn the Word of God. My second Bible was a Dakes Annotated Bible, and my third a Scofield Reference Bible. Somebody once asked me why I had so many Bibles. My answer is “Because I love the Bible!”.

In our text tonight we’re going to start in:

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 (KJV) But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

The “natural man” as opposed to the “supernatural man” is unable to receive the things that are of the Spirit of God. The natural man is spiritually dead. The natural man is the Child of Adam. Created in the image of God, the natural man is blinded by the flesh to seeing the things of God. The natural man will not receive the things of God because …

they are foolishness unto him

If you tell a natural man that his morality will not get him into Heaven he will say “that is foolish! What can God have against morality?” The natural man mocks the idea that Christ had to died on the Cross for the sins of the world.

1 Corinthians 1:18 (KJV) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish FOOLISHNESS; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

To the world to hear preaching of the Cross is foolishness:

1 Corinthians 1:21-24 (KJV) For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the FOOLISHNESS of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

The natural man (and woman) cannot receive the things of God. But the Spiritual person can. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 2:10-13 (KJV) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

God gave us the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation so that we can understand the deep things of God. The world has a mind of confusion, but we who are spiritual have the mind of Christ. We have access to His mind. We can know the things of Christ.

1 Corinth Is The Worst Church Mentioned In The Bible Because It Did Not Seek The Mind Of Christ. The Apostle says of the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 1:2 (KJV) Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

Notice what the Apostle says about Corinth:

• It is a Church of God. “Unto the CHURCH OF GOD which is at Corinth”. This was one of Jesus’ Churches. This is one of His congregations.

• This Church is “sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints”. These people were God’s Children just as you and I are. They are a set apart people.

• This Church “called upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord”. They were not worshiping Baal, Baliim, or one of the Gentile gods like Zeus or Jupiter.

They were saved by faith in Christ, and had the promise of God that He would …

1 Corinthians 1:8-9 (KJV) …. confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

But Corinth had a problem. They were not the united Church that God wanted them to be.

a Having The Mind Of Christ Avoids Divisions And Destruction. The House of Christ is not to be divided. The Apostle wrote:

1 Corinthians 1:10-13 (KJV) Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

The Apostle told the Corinthians “I beg you in the Lord Jesus Christ’s name that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you”. A divided Church – just like a divided army – loses power and effectiveness. The believers at Corinth had begun to split up under different leaders.

And this is very dangerous!

I read recently about a man who – on June 9, 2016 – fell into the Norris Geyser Basin at Yellowstone National Park. His body was never found. The 23 year old man ignored the clearly posted signs and wandered 225 yards from the Park’s boardwalk before he fell in the acidic hot spring. “They were able to recover a few personal effects,” park spokeswoman Charissa Reid said. “There were no remains left to recover.” The New York Times quotes Reid as saying there have been 22 recorded deaths involving Yellowstone’s hot springs since 1890, with the last occurring in 2000, when a 20-year-old Washington woman suffered third-degree burns after falling in.

If people paid attention to the signs there would have been no deaths.The Mind of Christ heeds the clearly presented Word of God.

When Jesus was about 12 years old His step parents – Mary and Joseph – accidentally left Him in Jerusalem as they headed back to Nazareth. When they discovered Jesus was missing they immediately headed back to Jerusalem – and found Him in the Temple teaching the Doctors of religion. When questioned about His disappearance our Lord said:

Luke 2:49 “How is it that ye sought me? Did you not know
that I must be about my Father’s business?

The Mind of Christ LOOKS UP and not AROUND. The mind of Christ follows God, doing His business. The Mind of Christ is not FLESH oriented but SPIRIT oriented.

Right after Jesus was baptized the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness to be tested. After 40 days of fasting Jesus became hungry – and the Devil immediately attacked. The devil says:

IF You are the Son of God command that these stones be made bread!

Jesus without hesitation says:

IT IS WRITTEN (quoting Deuteronomy 8:3) man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)

With every attack Jesus defended Himself with “It is written”. In fact, the Lord used the phrase “it is written” all throughout His ministry. His life was so defined by the Scripture that the Apostle John called Him “The Word of God”.

When Jesus affirmed John the Baptist as Messiah’s Messenger

He said “It is written” (Matthew 11:10)

When Jesus chastised the Pharisees as hypocrites

He said “It is written” (Mark 7:6)

When Jesus chased the moneychangers out of the Temple with whips

He said “It is written” (Matthew 21:13)

When Jesus was betrayed by Judas

He said “It is written” (Matthew 26:24)

When Jesus headed to Jerusalem to be crucified

He said “It is written” (Matthew 26:31)

Jesus Christ studied, meditated on, and revered the Word of God. If God’s people do this then they will never be divided. It is written.

b Having The Mind Of Christ Neutralizes Pride And Arrogance. The Apostle said:

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (KJV)1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

The Bible tells us that “God opposes the proud, but shows grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Pride is the chiefest of sins. It was pride that led Adam to partake of the forbidden fruit when he heard “You shall be like God”. Pride destroys what it touches. The Lord says:

Proverbs 8:13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Pride starts fights and ends relationships. The Bible says:

Proverbs 16:5 The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

The Apostle said “I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. The Cross of Christ is the foundation and all of our faith. Christ our Lord deserved to come to this earth and sit a throne. Yet He came through a simple virgin named Mary. He was born in a small town named Bethlehem. He grew up not in the metropolis of Jerusalem but in tiny Nazareth. His acquaintances were fishermen, Samaritans, publicans, and prostitutes. His entire life was lived in humility. He took in lepers when others would have chased them away. He wrapped His arms around children when others saw them as nuisances. He had one good garment – a covering without seams. He died on Calvary between two thieves, His only accusation that He was King of the Jews. Jesus was laid to rest in a borrowed tomb.

He was not proud, but humble. And through His humility He brought many children from the pit of Adam to the Paradise of God.

c Having The Mind Of Christ Leads You To Labor For God And With God. If we have the mind of Christ we are nor pride filled but Spirit filled. We are not ME centered but HE centered. The Apostle said:

1 Corinthians 3:6-8 (KJV) I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

We labor together for God. We labor together with God. We labor together for God’s glory. But we labor knowing that “every man shall receive His own reward according to his own labor”. Every believer will stand before Jesus one day and have his or her works judged. The Apostle said:

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (KJV)11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

For a work to be of value it must have Christ as its foundation. It cannot have Me as the foundation, but Christ. On that great Judgment Day

the Christian’s work will be MANIFESTED
the Christian’s work will be REVEALED
the Christian’s work will be TRIED
the Christian’s work will be REWARDED

Those who pursued the mind of Christ will receive a reward and be blessed.

2 The Mind Of Christ Is God’s Standard For Every Christian. Our lives are stewardships from God. We who are born again are to live as the Children of God. The Bible tells us that:

1 Corinthians 3:18-21 (KJV)18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. 21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

Jesus Christ never lived for the approval of men, but for the approval of God. We who have the mind of Christ are to live for God’s approval, pleasing Him in all things. The world will mock us. Let it mock. “Let no man glory in men FOR ALL THINGS ARE YOURS”. One day we who are Christ’s shall inherit the earth and the Heavens. ALL THINGS are YOURS. One day Christ will come and conquer. ALL THINGS are YOURS.

We who are Christ’s are stewards of what He has given us. We own nothing but our God. We are owned of nothing but our God.

There are three things you can do to build the Mind of Christ in your life.

a Purposely Pursue The Mind Of Christ. The Bible says:

Colossians 3:2 (KJV) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

I heard one of the stupidest statements made the other day when a man was trying to justify incest in his life. He said:

You don’t choose who you love – it just happens

Hogwash! You do choose to love. Love is a commandment from God. We are commanded to love God:

Luke 10:27 … You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ….

and you are commanded to love others as Christ has loved you:

John 13:34 NLT …. I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.

You choose to love. Only in this messed up, confused, sexually crazed America could anyone say with a straight face – and it not be challenged – “You do not choose who you love”. We are not animals – we are created by God. We choose.

Choose to love God. Choose where you “set your affections”. Take yourselves in hand and open the Good Book and …

Colossians 3:1 (KJV) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Seek the mind of Christ. In another place we are told:

Romans 13:14 (KJV) But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Put on Christ – the New Man – and let His Word dwell in your hearts.

b Purposely Reject The Mind Of The Flesh. The Bible says:

Colossians 3:8-10 (KJV) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Put off the wrong and the sinful, the works of the flesh. Put on the NEW man, the Mind of Christ.

c Actively Run The Race With Christ. The Bible says:

1 Peter 1:13-16 (KJV) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Choose to live your lives in step with Jesus regardless as to what anyone else does. Live for Him and in Him. Life for God, because one day you will live with God. Do not let the trials drive you – let the love of God drive you.

Pastor Steve Smith wrote:

“I read one time about how shipbuilders back in the days of sailboats would prepare the masts for their ships. They would go to the forest and find an appropriate tree, then they would clear out all the surrounding trees and leave that one standing, leaving it exposed to the wind and storms. As the tree continued to mature, it would gain strength. The kind of strength it would need to be able to stand up in the storms at sea while holding a large sail. But that tree would never gain that strength if it was just left among the other trees. It developed strength because of the storms. I believe that if we build our lives on the solid rock of Jesus and his words, then when the storms come, we will not only survive, we’ll gain strength.”

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Amos 7:7-8 (KJV) Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumbline in his hand. 8 And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:

The plumb line or plumb bob is one of the most ancient of tools. No one knows who invented the plumb line, but it can be traced back to ancient Egypt where it was used to insure that vertical walls were perpendicular or straight. The plumb line consisted of two parts – a supple line and a weight tied to its end. The plumb line relied on God’s Law of Gravity, as the weight (which later was a lead pointed “bob”) . With God’s Law drawing the weight to the earth, the line would be vertical to the ground. Later on in human history the plumb line was improved on by the spirit level, where an air bubble in a vicious spirit helped find the “vertical” and the “level”.

Without the plumb line or the level you cannot make a straight 90 degree wall.

I found this out several many years ago as a young but foolish man. I tried building a wall in my back yard – I actually wanted the add a room on to our home – and figured I could build that wall straight with just my five senses. When I was done I saw how senseless that was. Building a wall on what we think is right will surely turn out wrong. That’s what’s wrong with our world today. Too many are trying to build their lives on what they think or feel is right – and the wall is crooked.

You’ve got to use a plumb line!

1 The Plumb Line Must Be Used In Construction. We read:

Amos 7:7-8 (KJV) Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand.

“The Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumb line”. I’ve said this before but it bears repeating: Any wall made must be made – if it’s going to be upright – with a plumb line. No builder slaps walls together then stands them up without relying upon measuring tools like the plumb line, the level, and the ruler.

That which makes the plumb line work is the Law of God. If there were no gravity – which is a Law of God – then the plumb line would be absolutely useless. God’s Law is always true. God’s Law is always righteous. God’s plumb line is always right.

“The Lord stood upon a wall made with a plumb line”. What was the plumb line that made that wall? What was it? In our world today we determine “upright” by a variety of weights. For instance,

• We Too Often Rely On The Plumb Line Of “Feeling”. Rather than take a string and a weight and allow it to drop according to God’s Law, we tie “feeling” to the end of the string. We “feel” that this is right or “feel” that that is right. Yet the problem with “feeling” is that this “feeling” can lead us into a spot far away from righteousness and God.

Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

The heart left to itself is self seeking. It is not upright, but deceitful. How did man fall into sin in the first place? Rather than relying on God’s Word the Bible says:

Genesis 3:6 (KJV) …. the woman SAW that the tree was good for food, and that it was PLEASANT TO THE EYES, and a tree to be DESIRED TO MAKE ONE WISE, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Rather than use the Law of God and His Holy Word the weight on the plumb line is tied to the heart of man, a fallen and sinful thing. The Bible says:

Proverbs 28:26 (KJV) He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

Proverbs 14:12 (KJV) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

• Then There Is The Plumb Line Of Popularity And Public Opinion. Man’s opinions and fads change from year to year – but God’s ways are always right. He is the Master Architect, the Master of Space and Time. He never makes mistakes in His calculations. The Sun is where it is in relationship to the earth because God made it so. The moon is where it is because God holds the plumb line in His hands. The gravitational force on the earth is just the right size to keep the right amount of gases in our atmosphere while allowing those that are not beneficial to life to release into space. It is God Who knows what is best. God is the Master Builder.

• And God Stands Upon The Wall Built With A Plumb Line, With A Plumb Line In His Hand. It is God Who determines whether the wall is straight or not. There are some who say “I am upright. I am right with God. I know I will go to God’s Heaven when I die”. They often base this on the plumb line of feeling, or the plumb line of self righteousness, or the plumb line of comparison. They look about and compare the life of another with the plumb line of their hand. They are like the parable that Jesus spoke of:

Luke 18:10-14 (KJV) Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The PHARISEE stood and prayed thus WITH HIMSELF, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house JUSTIFIED rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

The Pharisee stood and prayed WITH HIMSELF. He was a congregation of one – and even God was not listening to him! He measured himself by himself. He measured his uprightness by the plumb line of WORKS and RITUALS and NOT BEING LIKE OVERT SINNERS. He held this plumb line up not reliant upon God’s Word or God’s Law but on his own FEELINGS and SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS. But the Publican, he was a different matter.

The Publican looked at his life, and saw the Lord holding the plumb line in his hand. The Publican realized when he saw the Upright and Holy God of Heaven holding that plumb line that:

Romans 3:10-12 (KJV) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

God stands upon the wall of human justification and – holding the plumb line in His hand – declares it to be untrue. Who is righteous within themselves? NO ONE! Whose wall is true and straight of it’s own accord? NO ONES! The Publican seeing that his wall is bent and twisted would not so much as look up unto Heaven but SMOTE HIS BREAST and cried out “LORD, be merciful to ME – a SINNER!”

Jesus said that this man went down to his house JUSTIFIED rather than the other. Do you know what the word “JUSTIFIED” actually means? It means “to be made UPRIGHT – to be made VERTICAL – to be declared RIGHT with God”

The first work of God is the destruction of the crooked before He builds the upright. God casts out every crooked stone from His works. If a person is to be saved, then human merit and human righteousness must be thrown out. All human pride and self righteousness is thrown out in the salvation of a soul.

The Person and the Church that God works in is torn down in pride …

…. and then the Cornerstone is laid.

The Cornerstone is the principle stone placed when the wall is first built. The Cornerstone is large, true, and solid – and all the wall is attached to it. God said in Isaiah:

Isaiah 28:16-17 (ESV) therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’ 17 And I will make justice the line,

and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.”

What Is The Cornerstone That God Lays In Zion, In His Kingdom?
That Cornerstone Is Christ!

In the Old Testament all men gathered together and sought to build a tower that reached up to Heaven. When God saw this He confused their language, scattering people all over the earth. Our works cannot bring us to a right relationship with God. The Bible says that:

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

My efforts cannot make me saved in the eyes of God. Salvation is all of faith in what Christ did on that Cross of Calvary. Jesus Christ is the Plumb Line in the hand of God. We are told in James (2:10) For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. There is no justification apart from absolute surrender and reliance upon Christ. The Scripture declares that …

Ephesians 2:14-22 (KJV) {Jesus Christ} is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

When a person comes to God with their own plumb line God says “I cannot build My Kingdom with these crooked stones. I stand upon the wall and use My Plumb Line. The Crooked shall not be part of My Kingdom. His Kingdom is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Corner Stone.

There is no entrance into Heaven unless the life pass the Lord’s Test. The Plumb Line is in His Hand. Are you in Christ?

2 The Plumb Line Is Used For Testing The Construction. We cannot judge with our eyes nor use our feeble senses to determine whether the wall is justified or not. There have been many times when I have been traveling down the highway thinking I was doing the right speed when I look down and see the Speedometer and realize – to my dismay – that I am well above the posted speed. I thought I was RIGHT but I was WRONG. I thought I was IN THE LAW but I was a LAWBREAKER. I brake, and measure by the plumb line. Now I am right.

Oh how often we are tempted to get away from the plumb line. We must continually look to the Plumb Line in God’s Hand. We must continually look to God’s Word. The Bible says:

Christ is all (Colossians 3:11)

To me, to live is Christ (Philippians 1:21)

I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me (Galatians 2:20)

Saved by faith in Christ, we continually look to His Word. We are not just HEARERS of his Word, but we are DOERS of His Word. If you hear His Word but do not DO it then your house will not be perpendicular. Your walls will be out of true. Jesus calls every Child to salvation through “Repent” then “Come Follow Me”. Those who are saved are those who follow. Jesus said:

Matthew 7:21-27 (KJV) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

If you are only a hearer and not a doer of His Word then the walls may seem perpendicular and strong but when trials come you will realize that God is not in it because it will not stand. The faith that does not both HEAR and DO what Christ has said is the weak and pitiful faith. The Bible exhorts every professor of Christ to self examination.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

God is the builder of His Church. Do not begin judging one another by our eyes or by our own standards. The Plumb Line is in the Lord’s Hand. We must continually judge ourselves and what we do by the Word of God. The Bible says:

Psalm 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

God holds the Plumb Line in His hand. God stands upon the wall. Christ is the Builder of His Church, and His Word is that by which we measure our accomplishments. It is His Word that saved us, and His Word that keeps us plumb. God holds the plumb line in His hand. C. H. Spurgeon wrote:

“God will use the plumb line at the Last Great Day to test everything. How many of

us could hear, without a tremor, the intimation that God had summoned us to appear before His bar? O my Brothers and Sisters, if the great scales of Divine Justice were swinging from this ceiling right now and the Judge of All said to you, “Step in and let me see what is your weight,” is there one of us who could solemnly and sincerely rise and say, “Lord, I am ready for the weighing”? Yes, I trust that many could say, each one for himself or herself, “There is not anything good in me, but my hope is fixed on Christ alone. And though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I want to be, nor what I shall be, yet ‘by the Grace of God I am what I am.’ ”

To God be the glory! His Word is our plumb line, and we are in His hands. Anything that does not glorify God will eventually decay and rust and rot. Anything not according to the Plumb Line of God will fail. The Plumb Line is IN HIS HAND.

When Christ formed His Church in the Book of Acts there were many RELIGIOUS people who stood against it and many RELIGIOUS PRETENDERS that were hiding amongst the sheep. Ananias and Sapphira were mentioned in Acts chapter 5 as two pretenders who lied unto God. God held the plumb line in His hand. They did not measure up, and died because of it.

The Word of God increased.

Peter and the Apostles were imprisoned, and told not to preach the Word of God. Peter looked to the Plumb Line of God, saying:

Acts 5:29-32 (KJV) …. We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

The Pharisees plotted to kill them – but a Master Teacher of Israel named Gamaliel spoke up. He told them:

Acts 5:35-39 (KJV) …. Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. 36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. 37 After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. 38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: 39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

Any work that is a work in agreement with the Plumb Line in God’s Hand will come to pass. But that which is against God – that which is crooked and worldly – it will fail.

The Church stands if it looks to the plumb line of God.

3 The Plumb Line Is Used In The Work Of Destruction. When God goes to save a repentant sinner He goes with wings on His feet. But when God goes to destroy the unrepentant He goes very slowly. God warns, and warns, and warns again and again. God has said in His Word:

Ezekiel 18:23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

Ezekiel 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

God does not rejoice in the death of the wicked. We often sadly rejoice at the failure of our enemies, but God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son. God’s love is an ocean, and His mercy every sea. God wants no one to die in their sins without Christ.

But God has the Plumb Line in His hand.

Those who reject Christ in this life will find themselves measured by the Plumb Line of God’s righteousness. And every work shall come short. God will judge the sinner who died without Christ according to His standard of righteousness. And the verdict will be:

Revelation 22:10-11 (KJV) … the time is at hand. 11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

Those who stand before God without Christ shall go to hell because they deserve to be there. I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. What is His Plumb Line? What is that in His hand? And the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. Then I see the horrible words.

And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS

You lived justified according to your works. You lived with feelings and rituals and traditions and good works and morality and good citizenship and political correctness and tolerance and many other things as your Plumb Line. You compared yourself to others, and your works to what others did. And measuring yourself by yourself you said “the wall is vertical. The anchor sure. The Plumb Line is right. I will default to Heaven as I go”. So God says “Let’s measure you by the Plumb Line in MY Hand”. And the books of works are opened. And the works are not sufficient.

And they were judged every person according to their works.

And so God looks one more time. He knows the answer before He looks. He is, after all, GOD. He looks in the Book of Life.

And whosoever – WHOSOEVER – WHOSOEVER – WHOSOEVER
was not found written in the Book of Life
was cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15)

And I am sure the angels wept. I am sure that the Church wept. And I am sure that YOU, dear friend, if you have rejected the gospel of Christ, shall weep. You will meet the Devil face to face in that place. You will see the Rich Man who mocked Lazarus. You will see old Herod there who thought himself to be a god but who died corrupted, filled with worms. You will that almost Apostle Judas there who hung himself, his guts spilling out. He was sorry for his sin, but would not repent. You will see Hitler, and many hireling televangelists, and child molesters, and tyrants who murdered people. But if you have rejected Christ no matter how moral you are you will not see Heaven. Oh friends, turn your eyes upon Jesus. He is God’s Plumb Line. He is the Savior of all who believe. Look unto Him, and call on Him. Be the good WHOSOEVER WILL.

1 Samuel 2:30  Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

A woman named Hannah wanted a child. Her husband Elkinah loved her, and she loved him, but for some reason they just could not have any children. So one day Hannah prayed to the Lord and she told Him (1 Samuel 1:11 NLT):

… “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime ….

God heard her prayer and gave her a child. How happy Hannah was! She had promised the Lord to give that child to Him, so Hannah started by naming him “Samuel” which meant in the Hebrew language “God answered my prayer”. Hannah bore Samuel and raised him to be a toddler. But when he was old enough Hannah honored her promise to God. She took Samuel to the Temple and asked the Priest Eli to raise him. When Hannah took her child to the Lord and turned him over to the High Priest Eli she honored God by praising Him. She prayed:

1 Samuel 2:1-10 …. My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn^strength is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.  [2]   There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.  [3]  Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.  [4]  The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.  [5]   They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.  [6]  The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.  [7]  The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.  [8]  He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.  [9]  He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.  [10]  The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

What a wonderful prayer! You may not have understood every word in this prayer, but you must have understood that Hannah honored God. She was not like the Pharisee praying to be heard of men, but she prayed and loved and glorified the Lord her God. So she left little Samuel with the High Priest Eli, trusting that God would raise her son.

Eli raised and trained Samuel – Hannah’s son – but he had two sons himself who he had NOT raised. While Samuel ministered to the Lord, honoring God the Bible tells us the Eli’s own sons were sons of Belial – sons of the devil – for they knew not the Lord nor honored Him (see 2 Samuel 2:11). These two young men were called Hophni and Phinehas.

Whereas “Samuel” means “God has heard my prayer” the name “Hophni” means “a fighter” and “Phinehas” means “smart mouth”. What did God say about these young men?

1 Samuel 2:17-18  Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.  [18]  But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

So you have a picture here of two young men and a child. The two young men “abhorred or despised the offering of the Lord” but Samuel though a child ministered before the Lord. Two who were older mocked God, but the child Samuel loved God.

When The High Priest Eli heard what his sons were doing he tried talking to them but they would not hear. They kept on dishonoring God – and rather than disown them Eli tried covering up or ignoring their wrong. So one day God sent His Word to Eli. God asked:

1 Samuel 2:29  Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honor your sons above Me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

God told Eli “I made you the High Priest. You were supposed to honor me – but you did not. You honor your sons above Me.” God went on to tell Eli:

1 Samuel 2:30 … I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before Me for ever: BUT NOW THE LORD SAITH, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

God told Eli “I told you I would bless you and your family BUT NOW that is not the case. THOSE THAT HONOR ME I WILL HONOR, but THOSE THAT DESPISE ME SHALL BE LIGHTLY ESTEEMED.” Another version – the New Living Translation – puts it this way:

I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me.

God went on to tell the High Priest:

1 Samuel 2:34-35  And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.  [35]  And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

Just two chapters later we read that the sons of Eli both die in the same day – and Eli also dies that day from a tragic accident. Those who despised the Lord were despised. But Samuel the young child of Hannah loved the Lord, and fulfilled the prophecy God made of him. He became the greatest Priest of God in that era, the priest that anointed the first King of Israel Saul and the Messianic King of Israel the Shepherd David.

Samuel honored God and was blessed. Those who honor God will be blessed.

1 We Honor God By Loving Him Above All Else. The very first commandment of the Scripture is:

Exodus 20:3 You must not have any other god but Me.

We dishonor the God of the Bible when we put any other god before Him. It is God Who made us. Each person is created by God. God made each and every one of us, and made us unique. Your DNA is like no other person’s DNA. Your fingerprint is like no other person’s fingerprint. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 199:3 Know ye that the Lord is God; it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves. …

You did not make yourself – God made you. The Doctor may have delivered you, but “you are fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). We owe the life we have to God. He made us and sustains us. This is why God tells us in ..

Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

And in the New Testament, our Lord Jesus declared:

Matthew 22:37 (NLT) You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.

You are to love God first and foremost, and all others as secondary loves. We are to love and honor our parents, our spouses, our friends – but we are to love God most. We honor Him when we love Him.

a We Love God By Serving Him With Our Hands. The Bible says:

Colossians 3:23-24 (NASB) Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

Ephesians 6:7-8 With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord…

God said “If you will honor Me I will honor you”. We honor God by doing everything for HIS glory, not for ours. Hophni and Phinehas did what they did for themselves – not for God. Eli did what he did for his sons – not for God. In the end they received what God promised. Dishonor God, be dishonored. What you reap you will sow.

b We Serve God By Using Our Tongues To Praise Him. The Third Commandment of the Scripture is:

Exodus 20:7 (NLT) You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

God gave us tongues to praise Him not to curse Him. He gave us tongues so that we could pray to Him and talk with Him and have a relationship with Him. To paraphrase ….

Psalm 91:14-15 … Because {you have} set your love upon Me {says the Lord}, therefore will I deliver {you}; I will set {you}on high because {you have} known My Name. {You} shall call upon Me and I will answer {you}: I will be with {you} in trouble; I will deliver {you} and honor {you}.

We were not given tongues to curse nor to backbite, but to use that tongue in giving glory to God. We are told in:

1 Peter 3:10 (ESV) Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;

God will not bless those who misuse their tongues. Honor God by loving God with all that you have.

2 Honor God By Living With God. Hophni and Phinehas lived in the Temple just as Samuel did, but they did not live with God. They failed to believe God. They refused to try and have a relationship with God. The Bible tells us that we are all broken things – but God loves us all. He calls us to walk with Him.

There’s an interesting story about Samuel’s life. His mother Hannah had turned him over to Eli the High Priest to be raised. The Bible tells us that:

1 Samuel 3:1  And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

Eli had grown old, and he was nearly blind. Samuel laid down to sleep one night and the Bible says:

1 Samuel 3:4  That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

Samuel ran to Eli, thinking it was Eli calling him. He woke Eli up and Eli said “I didn’t call you – go back to sleep!” So Samuel went back to bed. But then God called him again, and Samuel cried out “Here I am!”. But he ran to Eli because he thought it was Eli calling. Eli told him again “It wasn’t me … go back to sleep”. The third time this happened Eli realized it was God calling Samuel. He told the child “If you hear the call again say ‘Speak Lord, for Your servant hears’ “. Sure enough God called again, and the Lord spoke to Samuel.

God calls to people today, but many refuse to hear His Voice. They are so busy listening to their own voice or to the voices of the world aroud them. God calls each and every one of you to come to Him. He says:

Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

God doesn’t say “Come unto Me just in the bad times”. He doesn’t say “Come unto Me like you come unto a Doctor and get a shot or some medicine”. Jesus says “Come unto Me – take My Yoke upon you”. A “Yoke” is something that binds two together. A Yoke was put on a horse or a mule long ago to help control it.

You honor God when you recognize that God is God and we are not. You honor God when you trust Him with your life, and promise to follow Him and hear His Word, the Holy Bible.

Little Samuel followed God and, following Him, was blessed. God called Samuel and Samuel came. I love that Word of God “Come”. I end with the words of a great preacher called C.H. Spurgeon, who said:

“I love that word “Come.” To me it seems full of grace, mercy and encouragement. “Come now,” says the Lord in Isaiah, “and let us reason together: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.”

• Come is the word put in the mouth of the king’s messenger in the parable of the guest-supper: “All is now ready; come unto the marriage.”
• Come is the last word in the Bible to sinners. “The Spirit and the Bride say, Come.”
• Jesus does not say, “Go and get ready.” This is the word of the Pharisee and self-righteous. “Go and work out a righteousness. Do this and that and be saved.” Jesus says, Come.
• Jesus does not say “Send.” This is the poor Roman Catholic’s word. “Put your soul in the hand of the priest. Commit your affairs to saints and angels, and not to Christ.” Jesus says Come.
• Jesus does not say “Wait.” This is the word of the enthusiast and the fanatic. “You can do nothing. You must not ask; you cannot pray; you must sit still.” Cold comfort for troubled souls. Jesus says come.
• Come is a word of merciful invitation. It seems to say, “I want you to escape the wrath to come. I am not willing that any should perish. I have no pleasure in death. I would gladly have all men saved, and I offer all the water of life freely. So come to Me.”
• Come is a word of gracious expectation. It seems to say, “I am here waiting for you. I sit on my mercy-seat expecting you to come. I wait to be gracious. I wait for more sinners to come in before I close the door. I want more names written down in the book of life before it is closed forever. So come to Me.”
• Come is a word of kind encouragement. It seems to say, I have got treasures to bestow if you will only receive them. I have that to give which makes it worth while to come: a free pardon, a robe of righteousness, a new heart, a star of peace. So come to Me.

Brethren, I ask you to hear these words and lay them to heart. I plead for my Master; I stand here an ambassador; I ask you to come and be reconciled to God. I ask you to come with all your sins, however many they may be. If you come to Him they will be taken away. I ask you to come as you are. You feel unfit; you say you are not good enough. The worse you think yourself, the better prepared you are. Christ is not a Savior of those who think they are righteous—but of sinners. I ask you to come now. No other time is your own. The opportunity past, the door will be shut, and yourself dead. Come now. Come to Christ.”

May God touch your hearts with His Word!

Years ago I heard of a method of Bible Reading that I added to my daily devotions. That method was called “Proverb a Day”. There are 31 chapters of Proverbs in the Bible, and no more than 31 days every month. So every day I read one chapter of Proverbs corresponding to that day’s date.

For instance, on June 1 I read Proverb 1.

This morning – June 5 – I read Proverb 5.

Next Saturday – on June 11^th – I will start my day with Proverb 11.

Though we’re not there yet, let’s look at next Saturday’s reading:

Proverbs 11:27 He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.

I like that Proverb. In modern language what it’s saying is “You get what you look for”. If you diligently look for good you will find good and be blessed. But if you seek mischief – it will come to you. Jesus put it this way in Matthew 6:22 ..

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.^HCS

If you’re focused on the GOOD you will find the GOOD and be blessed with the GOOD. But if your focus is on MISCHIEF (trouble making) you’ll find trouble. It will find you out!

Proverbs 11:28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

There’s another good word from God. God doesn’t care if you have riches – but if you trust in your riches you shall fall. Joseph of Arimathaea was a rich man who loved and followed Jesus. He was willing to go to Pilate and get the body of Christ off of the Cross (see John 19:39-40) and helped prepare our Lord for burial. Joseph donated the Tomb that Christ was laid in. There is nothing wrong with riches as long as you do not love them. Jesus counseled the rich to ….

Luke 16:9 (NLT) Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.

Wealth and riches are fleeting – and will not bring the deep blessings that come from following Christ. The righteous shall flourish as a branch. Those who are followers of Christ will be blessed. The Psalmist said …

Psalm 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

There is strength and blessing in righteousness, and righteousness is available to all who trust in Christ.

Proverbs 11:29 He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

Those who bring trouble to their own house – whether family home, business, or Church – will inherit the wind. There is no benefit to the troublemaker. The fool – the godless person – shall be servant to the wise of heart. Those who chase after God’s Wisdom shall one day rule the world.

The fool (the godless) shall be servant to the WISE

This Proverb springboards into the next Proverb:

Proverbs 11:30 (KJV) The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

Those who are righteous produce a fruit. Adam and Eve were allowed to eat from the Tree of Life – but were forbidden to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. When Adam failed God and ate of the wrong tree the Lord cast him out of Eden saying:

Genesis 3:22-24 …. “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”– therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

The Tree of Life is the possession only of the Righteous. Those who hear God and obey have the right to eternal life.

Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.

Heaven and Eternal Life only belong to those who love the Lord, who have called on the Name of Jesus believing and who are saved. The fruit of the righteous is A TREE OF LIFE. Not THE Tree of Life but A Tree of Life. The fruit of our lives, dear Christian, should lead others to the eternal life we possess. He that winneth souls is wise. It is God’s intent that we win others to Jesus, that we share Jesus with others.

He that winneth souls is wise. If you have been won to Christ by the witness of another, then you want to win others to Him. In order to win others you need to be able to explain the Gospel to others. So I want to share something with you. I have given you a sheet with three circles on it. As I discuss these three circles I want you to “fill in the blanks” so that you can do this with others.

1 God’s Design. The first circle I want to talk about is the upper left circle, “God’s Design”. In our world today the idea that “Man is an animal” and “We evolved from lower forms” is a popular thought. Yet it is not true.

Mankind as we stand now has Devolved, not Evolved. Humanity has Devolved from what it was intended to be by our loving God.

The Psalmist asked the question:

Psalms 8:4-6 (KJV) What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

King David – once a Shepherd – asked God “Why do You even care about us? We are lower than the angels, those Heavenly Creatures that stand around Your Throne. Yet Angels have not been placed in dominion over the earth. Only mankind dominates this Good Earth You made.” The Bible answers David’s question this way …

Because You Are Made To Bear The Image Of God

The truth is that God made man in His own image, and after His own likeness (Genesis 1:27). God created Adam in His Image and in His Likeness.

Genesis 1:26 …Let us make man in our IMAGE, after our LIKENESS ..

Word Study The Hebrew word “Image” is צֶּלֶם tselem (pronounced tseh’-lem) “a resemblance of, a representative figure”. The word translated “Likeness” is the Hebrew דְּמוּת dmuwth (pronounced dem-ooth’) which means “a model or shape of”.

• Bible Scholar Wayne Grudem wrote that these words “refer to something that is similar but not identical to the thing that it represents or is the “image of” “.
• Theologian Anthony Hoekema wrote that the image of God “describes not just something that man has, but something man is.”

Man was made to be the Image Bearer of God. Jesus said in …

John 4:24 (NASB95) “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

• God is Spiritual – we are Spiritual. We were designed by God to connect to the Spiritual Creator.

Matthew 28:19 (KJV) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

2 Corinthians 13:14 (KJV)14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

• God is Triune – We Are Triune. The Bible says:

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV) …. I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are of three parts. We are personal beings created by a personal God. God made us to be relational, and put in each of us a conscience which – if not hardened, draws us toward morality. God is creative – we are creative.
2 Sin And Brokenness. We were designed to be the image bearers of God. We walk with God and talk with God. This is how we are designed. Until sin entered in. When man chose sin rather than God he brought brokenness into the world. Anytime you see a broken person, a broken family, a broken community, a broken Church, a broken Country … brokenness is brought about by rejection of all or part of God’s design.

Illustration On December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japanese planes, killing more than 2400 people. The Flight Leader of this invasion was Captain Mitsuo Fuchida. After the bombing of our Naval Base Fuchida was hailed as a hero in Japan. But when the war ended with Japan defeated 4 years later Fuchida was angry, disillusioned, and broken. In 1950 he met a former American POW turned Missionary named Jacob DeShazer, and Jacob shared the Gospel of Christ with Mitsuo Fuchida. Mitsuo was not only saved – but later was called by our Lord to become an Evangelist. He wrote “Jesus is the only One Who was powerful enough to change my life”.

Illustration Nicolle Cliffe became an Atheist when she was in college. She thought her Christian friends were suffering a benign delusion that helped them deal with life – a supernatural crutch if you will. One day she was surfing the Internet and came across the obituary of Pastor and Author Dallas Willard. In his obituary was this quote:

“I believe that every human being is sufficiently depraved that when we get to Heaven,
no one will be able to say, ‘I merited this.’ ”

When she read these words she broke into tears. John Stonestreet of the Colson Center wrote:
“Later that day,” she writes, “I burst into tears again. And the next day. While brushing my teeth, while falling asleep, while in the shower, while feeding my kids, I would burst into tears.” Stunned by these sudden, uncontrollable emotions, Nicolle tried to get to the bottom of them. So she bought a book by Willard—and cried again. She read another one, by Lewis Smedes—and wept. Knowing that this couldn’t go on, Nicolle emailed a Christian friend to talk about Jesus, who of course said yes. …. in the hour before the two would talk, she knew that she believed in God, in fact—that she was a Christian. When the call came, Nicolle told her friend what had happened, the two laughed and prayed, and the atheist who was, was no more.

We are all broken without God. Sin breaks us, but brokenness becomes a blessing when it leads us to the foot of that Old Rugged Cross. When brokenness comes, rather than repent people will often adopt a “fix it yourself” mentality. Some theologians call this a “frantic search for happiness”. Solutions are sought through fleshly sins – sex, sensuality, alcohol, drugs.

Illustrate Brokenness is the place where we can meet with the lost and share the love of Christ. In the world we throw broken things away. Just the other day my Internet Router broken and I had to get a new one. The old one went into the garbage. I have thrown away broken stoves, broken tools, broken bulbs, broken furniture, broken cars. We throw away broken things. But God does not throw away broken people. It is through brokenness that God approaches the lost. He says in His Word:

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Brokenness is the opposite of arrogance and pride. Actor Lionel Barrymore once said …

“The greatest disappointment of my career on the stage in the theater is that I could never step beyond the footlights and sit in the audience watching me”. Brokenness comes when pride and arrogance are shattered. It is the broken ground that will take the seed and allow it to grow. The rocky soil – hard and proud – will not bear fruit. Brokenness is God’s blessing on the unrepentant life.

The vain and arrogant person wants to be the center of the universe and the center of the stage. If he goes to a christening, he wants to be the baby. If he goes to a wedding, he wants to be the bride. If he goes to a funeral, he wants to be the corpse. He wants center stage – and God cannot use nor help that person. Until Jacob is crippled he cannot be Israel. Until Peter is mocked by the crowing Rooster he cannot be the Chief Apostle. In order to be used of God a person must repent. That person must turn from self solutions to the Savior and Lord Jesus. God has said:

Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

God does not want to throw away the broken – He wants to restore them. Saul on the Damascus Road cried out to God “Who art Thou?” and “What do You want me to do?”. It is in brokenness that God does His work. When your unbelieving friend in the hospital asks “Why has the God you serve allowed this to happen to me?” tell that dear soul “It is to get your attention. You have run without God for many years. You are running broken. Now in the well of your despair LOOK UP – for there is the Lord Who loves you. Surrender to Him”.

I have long visited broken people at home, in hospitals, and in jails. If they will not hear of Jesus I ask if I can pray with them anyway before I go. In nearly every case that person allows me to pray for them – and in praying I always ask God’s Holy Spirit to touch their lives. I cannot make them repent and turn to Jesus … but their brokenness can.

When daddy came home at the end of his workday his two young boys ran to him. One wrapped his arms around his daddy’s leg. “I’ve got all of daddy” he cried out. The other little boy put out his arms, and his daddy bent down, wrapped his arms around him, and lifted him up above the floor. That little boy said “You may have all of daddy, but daddy has all of me!”^{by Harold Vaughan} .

When God presents you with a broken person this is His way of helping you as believers do what you should do. Share Jesus with the broken. Share Jesus with the blind. If you have a friend crippled with sin, bring that person to Jesus. Quit worrying about being politically correct and personally offended and remember what God expects of you.

Proverbs 11:30 (KJV) The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
We know Christ and are to share Christ with others. He that winneth souls is wise.
3 We Who Believe Are Operating In Our Divine Design When We Tell The Broken To Come To Jesus. Those whom God has saved through Christ are drawn back to the Divine Design. God gives us of His Spirit, just as Jesus promised. The Holy Spirit guides us – through His Word and prayer – to be closer to God’s design every day.

“The fruit of the righteous is a Tree of life”.

The fruit of our lives is to offer life through Christ to others. We are not the Source of Life – but connected to the Source we share our faith with others.

A store manager hear his clerk tell a customer, “No, ma’am, we haven’t had any for a while, and it doesn’t look as if we’ll be getting any soon.” Horrified, the manager came running over to the customer and said, “Of course we’ll have some soon. We placed an order last week.” Then the manager drew the clerk aside. He snarled, “Never, never, never say we’re out of anything–say we’ve got it on order and it’s coming. Now, what was it she wanted?” The clerk replied “Rain” .

You cannot give what you do not have. The reason why many who profess Christ as Savior never share their faith is because they have no faith. Faith means doing the hard things because God said so. In 1924 Missionary and Runner Eric Liddell went to Paris for the Summer Olympics. Eric loved the Lord. He told his sister:

I believe that God made me for a purpose …But he also made me fast.
And when I run I feel his pleasure.

When he was told that the qualifying heats for the 100 meter race was on Sunday he refused to go. When confronted by the Prince of Wales – the future King of England who demanded that he change his mind – he said:

“God made countries, God makes kings and the rules by which they govern. And those rules say that the Sabbath is his. And I for one intend to keep it that way.”

He withdrew from the race. But this wasn’t the whole story. Having withdrawn from the 100 meter race, Liddell trained instead for the 400 meters race. Unfortunately, he consistently turned in sub par times. And so, when the day of the 400 meters finally arrived – July 11, 1924 – he was not expected to win. As he stepped toward the starting blocks, a trainer from the American Olympic Team, inspired by Eric’s faithfulness, handed him a piece of paper with Scripture from 1 Samuel 2:30 …

“It says in the Old Book: He that honors me I will honor”

With paper folded in hand, Eric ran the 400 meters race. His time was 47.6 seconds, a new world record.

Our God is able. We who believe need to trust Him and share His Gospel. We who are to be “A Tree of Life” must be what God has designed us to be.

Read and meditate on His Word. Pray. And look for the broken. God will put them in your path.

Tell them about Jesus. Pray with them. Share what Jesus has done for you. May God touch your hearts with His Word.

I want you to imagine with me walking that wonderful street of gold in Heaven. The Bible says that those of us who will be there … those who have received Christ as both Lord and Savior … will as ! Corinthians 13:12 tells us “know even as also I am known”. There is Moses, the Shepherd God set to lead His people Israel. You read His Books of the Law. There over yonder is David – the Shepherd become King, and now a Child of the King as you are. You read His Psalms. Then you see the Apostles Peter, John, and Paul. Two were fishermen, one a Benjamite, but all used of God to write Scripture. You read their books and heard sermons preached from them. Then you see another Shepherd, and you know right away this is Amos. He’s coming your way. Quick, is there a column you can hide behind? What if he asks you “How did you like my Book, the One the Lord wrote through me”. Well, you won’t have to worry about that. Because today we read Chapter 6 of his Spirit inspired Book.

When it comes to the Old Testament there are books that many Christians never read because they think these books have no application to their lives. But that’s not true. The Bible tells us that:

1 Corinthians 10:11 …. all these things happened unto them (speaking of the Old Testament accounts) AS EXAMPLES; and THEY ARE WRITTEN FOR OUR ADMONITION, upon whom the ends of the world are come …

Every part of the Bible was written by men of God as the Holy Spirit of God moved them (see 2 Peter 1:21). The Bible tells us that …

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) ALL SCRIPTURE is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

This includes the Book of Amos, and particularly includes Amos Chapter 6 which we read this morning. The KEY to understanding and applying Chapter 6 is the very first verse of the text:

Amos 6:1 (KJV) Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

There Are Two Mountains Mentioned In Verse 1
Mount Zion And The Mountain Of Samaria.

1 Let’s Look First At Mount Zion.
a Mount Zion Is The City Of God, The Kingdom of God, The Place Where God Reigns.

“Zion” occurs over 150 times in the Bible, and means “Raised Up” or “Fortification”.

Mount Zion is the high hill in Jerusalem that King David built a citadel on. Zion includes Jerusalem and the Temple. Throughout the Scripture Mount Zion is synonymous with the City of God, the place where God is enthroned. The Jews identified with two mountains:

• Mount Sinai (in Arabia) where they received the Law of God
• Mount Zion (in the Promised Land) where the Grace of God was given

The Law of God convicts of sin – but it is the Grace of God that provides the remedy for sin. The writer of Hebrews wrote of the difference between Mount Sinai and Mount Zion:

Hebrews 12:18-24 (KJV) For ye are NOT COME unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 22 But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Mount Zion is the place of God’s Blessing, the place where the Blood of Christ mediates a New Covenant. Mount Zion is where the Voice of Jesus cries out:

Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Salvation is to come to Christ, to take His Yoke upon you, to receive Him as Lord and Savior. We who are His have entered into rest insofar as our salvation is concerned.

Hebrews 4:3 (KJV) For we which have believed do ENTER INTO REST ….

Our souls REST because we know our eternal destination. Our souls are at ease for we know that Jesus fulfilled the Law for us. We do not stand before God condemned as Law breakers, fearful of Mount Sinai. We are children of Zion, of the City of God because we have rested our faith in Jesus.

Jesus Christ tasted death for all.

Hebrews 2:9, 14-16 (KJV) But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. … 14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

Zion is where our soul shall rest – but not our bodies!

1 Corinthians 3:9 … We are laborers together with God. (the Church is) God’s Garden. (the Church is) God’s building.

b God’s People Are Called To Work Within Their Faith, To Serve The Living God.

Helen Keller was born with sight, but became blind as a young child. She was once asked “Is there anything worst than losing your sight?” She replied, “Yes. It is to have sight, but no vision”.

If you are in Zion you are to labor for Him, you are to serve and love Him. If you are God’s Garden, then the Lord expects FRUIT. If you are God’s BUILDING, then you were made to serve Him.

Amos 6:1 (KJV) Woe to them that are at ease in Zion ….

WOE to them that are AT EASE in Zion.
When God says “W-O-E” then we should “W-H-O-A”.

God is speaking to those who are “in Zion”. They are in the City of God. They are saved by faith in Him. They crossed the Red Sea, they are in the Promised Land. But now they are at ease in Zion. This doesn’t mean they are resting in their faith, but that they are not serving the God Who saved them. If you are saved, you are called to be:

Matthew 5:14-16 (HCSB) You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

We who are His are saved to serve. Jesus said:

John 15:1-2 (HCSB) I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. 2 Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.

Woe unto them that are at ease in Zion

2 Woe Unto Those That Are At Ease In Zion Because They Have Shifted Their Faith To Mount Samaria.

Amos 6:1 (KJV) Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and TRUST in the MOUNTAIN OF SAMARIA, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

The Mountain of Samaria represents the strength of man. Samaria was the most powerful nation on the world at this time in history. Israel – God’s people – made an allegiance with Samaria, a pact with the world. What does God say about His people compromising with the worldly, with the idolatrous?

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (KJV)14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

We who believe in Christ are of Mount Zion. Our hope and strength is in Mount Zion, not in Mountain of Samaria. Oh how foolish to put your trust in man when God is so clearly near. The Bible says that we are not to compromise our faith because of fear. We are to trust in and rely on our God.

Jeremiah 17:5-8 (ESV) Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. 7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

The God that saved you is the God you should serve. Samaria may be the chief nation at this time, but God tells us:

Amos 6:2 (KJV) Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

Calnah was one of the four cities founded by Nimrod (see Genesis 10:10). It was a mighty city that was once a winter residence for the Parthian Kings. Now it is nothing more than a ruined palace and mounds of rubbish.

Hamath the Great was once the capital of one of the kingdoms of Upper Syria. Conquered by Assyrians, the people were exiled to Samaria – and the city was occupied by the enemy.

Gath of the Philistines was one of the 5 Philistine City-States. Today it is no more than an archaeological site – a place of ruins.

These great peoples – once considered unconquerable – turned from following the True God to idolatry and chasing after human power. Today they are nothing, as is anyone who turns from following the Living God. They caused the seat of violence to come near by turning from the Lord Who would have saved them.

a The Darkness Never Takes A Break, But Advances Steadily. How Foolish To Compromise With The Darkness!

Amos 6:3-7 (KJV) Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; 4 That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; 5 That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David; 6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. 7 Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

The picture drawn in this text is of a people – a SAVED people – who rather than laboring for the Lord are at ease in themselves.

They are like many who say:

I am saved. The Lord loves me. My name is in the “Roll Up Yonder”
So my race is over. I will rest, and do nothing.

Listen Beloved, the darkness never stops. The Devil never rests. The Bible tells us that:

Ephesians 6:12-13 (KJV) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood. Our enemy is the forces of darkness, led by Satan, which wants to destroy our America. We must wrestle against these forces in the power of God and with Jesus Christ our Lord. If we do not the darkness will continue to advance. We cannot circle the wagons, and cannot quit in our work.

I know at this time of the year many go on vacation. There is nothing wrong with a vacation for your body – but continue to feed your souls. YOU CANNOT TAKE A VACATION FROM JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. Jesus told us:

Luke 9:23-26 (KJV) …. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? 26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.

We rest our souls in Jesus,but we are not to be at ease in Zion. We follow Jesus. We read and meditate on His Word. We shine. We work for Him, pushing back the darkness by being obedience Children of God. The darkness never rests.

Every day Christina Zavala would make her 7 year old son a lunch, and tuck a encouraging note and Bible verse in his lunch box. When he got to school – Desert Rose Elementary School – his friends would want to see what his mother wrote. In time, the other students asked for copies of these notes during lunch time. When one little girl told her teacher “this is the most beautiful story I’ve ever seen” the teacher scolded the young boy and said that he could only hand out notes at the school gate, and only after the bell rang at the end of the day. The Zavalas family complied with the school gate directive, and soon, as many as 15 fellow students looked forward to the after-school Bible notes. However, on May 9, 2016, Principal Melanie Pagliaro approached Mr. Zavala at that location, and demanded that they only hand out the notes on a public sidewalk, far from the exit, off school property. The family immediately complied. Later that day, however, a Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff knocked at the door of C’s home, demanding that C’s note sharing cease altogether because “someone might be offended.” The Zavala family contacted Liberty Counsel which is demanding a public apology to the family for “Unconstitutional suppression and censorship of student religious speech”.

The Darkness does not rest. It infiltrates. It says:

Amos 6:10 (KJV) …. Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD.

The Darkness fears the Word of God, and will do everything it can to keep this Word from going forth. Yet we as God’s people must not be at ease. We are at war with the darkness. The darkness will consume us if we do not be the Light that we have been called to be.

Amos 6:11 (KJV) For, behold, the LORD commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.

The safest place to be is to be in the Mountain of Zion.

Live for the Audience of One. Let us be like the Apostles who, when warned not to speak of Christ, declared

Live to please the Heavenly Father Who saved you.

Amos 6:1-14 (KJV) Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! 2 Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border? 3 Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; 4 That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; 5 That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David; 6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. 7 Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed. 8 The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein. 9 And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die. 10 And a man’s uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD. 11 For, behold, the LORD commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts. 12 Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock: 13 Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength? 14 But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.

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2 Corinthians 5:20 (KJV) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ …

Proverbs 13:17 (KJV) A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.

America entered into World War 2 because of an grievous act of betrayal. Ambassadors from Japan Saburō Kurusu and Kichisaburō Nomura had been meeting with Secretary of State Cordell Hull. On December 7^th 1941 the Ambassadors ended their last meeting with Secretary Hull saying “The immutable policy of Japan is to promote world peace.” As those words were being said Japanese Squadrons bombed Pearl Harbor, causing the deaths of 2,403 Americans and wounding 1,178. The only greater betrayal of the U.S. life was when 19 hijackers crashed aircraft into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 (2996 died that day).

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor then President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed Congress, saying “Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our secretary of state a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.”

The Ambassadors were blamed by Roosevelt because of the underhanded way they did what they did. Yet they were – dishonest as it was – working in collusion with their Emperor and their government to – they thought – ambush the United States and render us incapable of fighting back. It did not work. In fact, the deceit and dishonorable actions of merely inflamed America, and roused us to come together and defeat the enemies of freedom.

With that introduction I want to talk tonight about Ambassadors. Not about deceitful Ambassadors from Japan, nor ineffective political Ambassadors, but about Ambassadors from Heaven.

Every believer in Jesus Christ is an Ambassador from Heaven.

In our two texts today we read:

2 Corinthians 5:20 (KJV) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ …

Proverbs 13:17 (KJV) A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.

When God saved you through faith in Christ He could have taken you to Heaven. Yet He did not. Why? It was so that we could be His Ambassadors on this earth. We do not belong to this earth. I want to say that again, for this is a great truth.

An Ambassador Is A Person From One Country Sent To Another Country
To Represent His Or Her SENDING Country.

If you are a Christian, saved by the Blood of the Lamb, then you are a new creature. You are not like the Child of Adam, but you are now a Child of God. When Jesus prayed for His Church He prayed … listen to His Words now …

John 17:15-17 (KJV) “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. {16} They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. {17} Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. {18} As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.”

An Ambassador is SENT. Jesus was SENT from Heaven to tell us of the Father’s Will. Jesus came not representing Himself but the Father. He said “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father”. A good Ambassador is SENT to REPRESENT the desires of His Country’s leaders. Jesus said “as You (Father) have sent Me, I send them”. We are Ambassadors of Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

A wicked messenger falleth into mischief, but a faithful Ambassador is health

If God left you on this earth as His Ambassador (and the Scripture seems to teach this) then you will be in health to be an Ambassador as long as you are faithfully being an Ambassador. Do you want long life? Represent Him. Magnify Him. Lift Him up. Be a good Ambassador.

An Ambassador Doesn’t Create His Own Message,
But Carries His Country’s Message To Another Country

What is the message we carry? Our text tells us:

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (KJV) And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

We are CITIZENS TOGETHER of a Heavenly Kingdom because we are reconciled to God. We were reconciled to God by Jesus Christ. What did Jesus do for this fallen world? He died for this world. He died for this world so that this world might live. There is no life in denominations. There is no life in works. There is no life in the keeping of the Law. Wherein is life? It is in Christ alone. The Bible says:

Romans 3:23-24 (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

We are justified – made upright – by the grace of God that is available in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:1-4 (KJV)1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

We are uncondemned by God because we follow after Christ and are in Christ. Salvation is all of faith in Christ. Jesus Christ is the …

1 John 2:2 (KJV) ….. propitiation (covering) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

As good Ambassadors we do not add to nor remove from the message we have been given. God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16). We as Ambassadors represent the Kingdom of God, and we others to come into this Kingdom while there is time. They must come by Christ.

Ambassadors Do Not Appoint Themselves. They Are Appointed By The King.

No person just decides to be an Ambassador. The Ambassador is appointed. We as Ambassadors are appointed by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us:

Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV) “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. {19} Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: {20} Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Before Jesus appointed His Ambassadors He proffered His credentials. “All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth”. Who gave Jesus “all power”? The Father. The Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is the head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:10). Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. (Revelation 5:12). The Father has given all judgment into the Son’s hand (John 5:22).

Jesus Christ is to the Father as Joseph was to the King of Egypt. He is the Possessor of all Authority, and He sends us His Ambassadors into the world with His message. His is a message of Reconciliation. His is a message of Love. His is a word of acceptance – if those we encounter would but hear His Word.

As Ambassadors, We Carry A Message Of Unconditional Surrender

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (KJV)14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

The way of life of the world is dead.

Proverbs 14:12 (KJV) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

The way of the world is the way of selfishness, lovelessness, and death. There is no life in this world, but there is life in Christ. Jesus was very clear when He said:

John 10:8-11  “ALL THAT EVER CAME BEFORE ME ARE THIEVES AND ROBBERS: but the sheep did not hear them. {9} I AM THE DOOR: BY ME IF ANY MAN ENTER IN, HE SHALL BE SAVED, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. {10} The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. {11} I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD: THE GOOD SHEPHERD GIVETH HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP.”

The only way to life is through Christ. This is the message we carry. It is not a popular message. The Apostle Paul asked the Church at Ephesus to PRAY for him, saying:

Ephesians 6:20 (KJV) For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

He was an ambassador in BONDS – in chains – for preaching the Gospel. There is a temptation as Ambassadors to modify the message, to minimize His Word, to hide rather than boldly proclaim. Persecution bothers us all. Yet as good Ambassadors we must NOT bend nor compromise. We do not belong to this world, but to Another. We are not citizens of this country permanently, just temporarily. We are “strangers and pilgrims” (1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:13) on this present earth.

My heav’nly home is bright and fair,
I feel like traveling on;
Nor pain nor death can enter there,
I feel like traveling on.
Yes, I feel like traveling on,
I feel like traveling on;
My heav’nly home is bright and fair,
I feel like traveling on.

I’m kind of homesick for a country
To which I’ve never been before.
No sad goodbyes will there be spoken
For time won’t matter anymore.
Beulah Land (Beulah Land)
I’m longing for you (I’m longing for you)
And some day (And some day)
on thee I’ll stand (Someday we will stand)
There my home (There my home)
hall be eternal (Eternal)
Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land
I’m looking now,
just across the river
To where my faith,
shall end in sight (Shall end in sight)
There’s just a few more days to labor.
Then I will take my heavenly flight.

We are here as long as God needs us here to be His Ambassadors. As Ambassadors we speak for Him and for our only Home. The Bible says:

Philippians 3:20 (KJV) “For our {citizenship} is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”

As Ambassadors We Promote Peace – But
We Cannot Make Anyone Receive The Word We Carry

Jesus Christ offers peace with God to whosoever will receive Him on His terms. In the world “peace” is often viewed as a negative. In other words, “peace” is the absence of war. John MacArthur notes that:

“… the Quechua Indians in Ecuador and Bolivia use a word for peace that literally translates, “to sit down in one’s heart.” For them peace is the opposite of running around in the midst of constant anxieties. The Chol Indians of Mexico define peace as “a quiet heart.” Those may be beautiful ways to put it, but they still seem to leave us with only the negative idea that peace is the absence of trouble.”

When Jesus said in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” He wasn’t saying that we would have trouble free lives, but God controlled lives. God saves His Ambassadors. God sends His Ambassadors. God walks with His Ambassadors. God is not at war with His Children, but at peace. And we are at peace with Him. We may be attacked by the world. The world may reject the message of salvation and peace that we offer. Yet God is in control.

Ambassadors Are Required To Obey The Laws Of The Land They Are Dispatched To, As Long As Those Laws Do Not Conflict With The Laws Of Our King.

The Pharisees came to Jesus one day to try and entrap Him. They asked:

Matthew 22:17-21 (KJV) “Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? {18} But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? {19} Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. {20} And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? {21} They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”

No Christian has the right to break the Law of the land he is in unless the law of the land is contrary to God’s Law. We obey God first. We as Ambassadors represent God first. The Apostle wrote:

Romans 13:1-4 (KJV) Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. {2} Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. {3} For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: {4} For he is the minister of God to thee for good.

The Ambassador Works For The Approval Of The One Who Sent Him

Again in our text we read:

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 (KJV) Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

As Ambassadors we will never stand before that terrible Great White Throne of Revelation 20.

Revelation 20:11 (KJV) And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

The Great White Throne is a place where TERROR will reign. People will run from the Judge on that Throne. Another name for the Great White Throne is “The Terror of the Lord”. We see that in …

2 Corinthians 5:11 (KJV) Knowing therefore the TERROR OF THE LORD, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

The Great White Throne is a place where people go who have rejected the Ambassador’s Message in this life. It is a terrible place. It is a place where JUSTICE and LAW without grace rule. One day we who are Ambassadors will stand before our King at the Judgment Seat of Christ. On that day He will grade us on how well we performed our duties for Him. Were we good Ambassadors? Did we tell others? Did we carry the message we were given. Did we live on this earth as Citizens of the Kingdom of God? If so, we will receive crowns. If not, we will suffer loss, but we will yet be saved.

Praise Him that He is faithful even when we are not!

Ambassadors Eventually Return To Their Sending Nation

In our text we read:

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (KJV) Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

There will come a time when God will call His Ambassadors home. No Ambassador stays forever in the place he is sent. There will come a time when we – each and every one of us who are His – will go into yonder glory. If we live until the Time God will remove all His Ambassadors at once from this earth in an event we call “The Rapture”. When all Ambassadors are removed from a country it is tantamount to a declaration of war. Our removal will start the Great Tribulation, the Great Purging of the earth.

But until that day we honor our God by serving as faithful Ambassadors. We are to always remember the words of our Lord:

John 16:33 (KJV) “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus Christ has and will overcome the world. Be His Ambassador. Live for Him. Let Him live through You. Pray. Read His Word. Do good. Love. Share. His. Gospel.

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Amos 5:4-6 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.  [6]  Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.

The secret to a joyous, full, and blessed life is to seek the Lord. The word “seek” used in this text is דָּרַשׁ dârash (pronounced daw-rash’) which means “to follow after, to pursue, to worship, to seek”. Seek the Lord and LIVE! Do not seek the idols of this world.

“Idols” you say. “What idols do we worship today instead of God”? We worship the idol of SELF. We make ourselves to be gods. As a matter of fact, this is the ORIGINAL SIN. The Devil told Adam and Eve in the Garden “You shall not die if you eat the forbidden” …

Genesis 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

An idol is anything that is worshipped above God … and the idols of today are seen in Facebook and Twitter. We have made idols of ourselves. That is what is wrong with America today – IDOLATRY.

We must turn back to God.

1 The Power Of A People Is In The God Of The Scripture. An idol is no god. God said “Seek ye ME and you SHALL LIVE”.

a Turning From The God Of The Bible We Lose ECONOMIC Prosperity. To set our desire on the I instead of the Great I AM is to eventually lose out. The power of God’s Israel and God’s Church is in it’s seeking of God. God told His people:

Amos 5:2 The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.

It is God Who blesses. It is God Who lifts up a nation. When we cease seeking God and start following what we THINK rather than what GOD HAS SAID then we invite disaster. Israel had fallen and there was NONE TO RAISE HER UP. Why? Because she had turned away from the Almighty God. The great truth of the Scripture is what King David learned:

Psalms 16:5 (HCSB) LORD, You are my portion and my cup of blessing; You hold my future.

A nation can be no greater than it’s reliance upon the God of the Scripture. When Israel turned from following God the Lord told them:

Amos 5:3  For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.

The backsliding and idolatry that has taken this country and many of its churches will eventually cost us in strength. The city that went out by a thousand – a prosperous city that exported much – now leaves a hundred. And that which went forth by a hundred now leaves by ten. Gradually but certainly those who will not seek God lose. They cease to live and just exist. It is sad that the unbeliever runs around asking “What shall we eat?” and “what shall we drink?” and “what shall we wear?”. It is far sadder that the Prodigal Son walk away from the blessings of God’s presence, trading the fatted calf for the slop of the pig pen. As His Children God says ….

Matthew 6:33   But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Seek God and live. We have the promise of Christ that if we cling to Him and forsake the darkness of sin and self that …

Matthew 19:29 … every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

The unrighteous may seem to prevail for a time, but in eternity (where time is but a drop in the ocean) those who seek the Lord will be blessed forever.

b Turning From The God Of The Bible We Lose Our ETHICS – Our Moral Compass – And Our Common Sense. The “Sexual Revolution” of the 60s turned into the “Abortion Industry” of the 70s which has now morphed into a state where we don’t know which restroom to use. How did we get from Mayberry to Mayhem? Because we turned from SEEKING God’s Word to SEEKING our feelings. If I FEEL this way it is right, regardless as to what common sense or medical science might say.

What is the solution to our moral rot? It is to seek God. The Lord said:

Amos 5:7-8  Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,  [8]   Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:

America as a nation is morally confused, because judgment apart from God’s Word leads to wormwood – to bitterness – to dismay, destruction, and death. What has led to the sexual sin in our country? The Apostle Paul said that it begins with not seeking God. He said:

Romans 1:21-32  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  [22]  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,  [23]  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.  [24]  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  [25]  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.  [26]  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  [27]  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.  [28]  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  [29]  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,  [30]  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  [31]  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  [32]  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

It is no trifle to turn from seeking God! It is a slippery slope that – in time – leads to anarchy. We are about there now. And people do not want to hear what God has said. Our text tells us that …

Amos 5:10  They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

The hardest thing that I face as a Pastor is not in sermon preparation, nor even in the counseling sessions that I do during the week. The hardest thing I face is – as Pastor Shane Idleman said – “witnessing the tragic results of spiritual dehydration – people dying spiritually with the living water of God just steps away.

Jesus said:

“Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst” (John 4:14)

You get the water of God by seeking God. Jesus said “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). What you seek, you find. If you seek SIN and PERVERSION then you will find it. But if you seek God you will find Him. And if you find Him, you will be blessed.

c If You Do Not Seek The God Of The Bible Your Heart Will Harden. When Jesus Christ walked this earth, everywhere He went He did good. Eleven of His Apostles saw the heart of Christ, how He was always reaching out to others to lift them up in the Love of God. But one – Judas Iscariot – he was not seeking God. He was greedy. The Bible says that when Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with oil Judas said:

John 12:5-6 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?  [6]  This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

When you seek the Lord the Son of God will melt your hearts and bring them in line with His will. But if you seek self and sin then eventually you become calloused. We read:

Amos 5:11-12  Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.  [12]  For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.

People are not things – they are made in the image of God. Every person – no matter how big or small – was meant to walk with and for God.

I heard a story once I thought I’d share with you. A little boy had heard about God in Sunday School, so he set out to seek God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his an old Walmart sack with a bag of potato chips and a six-pack of cola and started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks he saw an old man sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his cola when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him some chips. The old man thanked him – and then he smiled at the boy. His smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a cola. Again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. The old man gave him his biggest smile ever. When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?” He replied, “I had lunch with God.” But before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what? He’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!” Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked, “Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?” He replied “I ate potato chips in the park with God.” However, before his son responded, he added, “You know, he’s much younger than I expected.”

When you seek God you live as God the Son showed us how to live. We are to love others as He loved us. To reach out to others to uplift, not to strangle nor tear down. Those who seek God know that there is no blessing in living a ME centered life. God’s Children are commanded to love God with all our hearts, and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). We are not loving our neighbor when we see him in pain and do nothing. When we see a brother or a sister hungering, should we not feed them? The Apostle Paul worked hard, giving an example to us, and reminding us that …

Acts 20:35 (KJV) …. laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

It is ALWAYS more blessed to give than to receive. Seeking God you will discover this great truth.

d If You Do Not Seek The God Of The Bible With All Your Heart Even Your WORSHIP Will Be Rejected. On Sundays and Wednesdays I can see what you do on the outside – but God sees what you are doing on the inside. God told wayward Israel:

Amos 5:21-24  I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.  [22]  Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.  [23]  Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.  [24]  BUT let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

The Holy Spirit of God knows our hearts. As we sing, we should be seeking God. As we pray, we should be seeking God. As we give, we should be seeking God. As we serve, we should be seeking God. We should not be half hearted in our seeking of Him.

The Bible says “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3 Adrian Rogers once said “I read about some children in a Sunday School class who wrote letters to a missionary to let him know they were praying for him. The teacher of the class said, ‘Now, children, the missionary is a very busy person, so don’t expect him to write you back.’ One little girl’s letter read, ‘Dear Brother Brown, We’re praying for you. We don’t expect an answer.’”

That’s the way that many of us seek God. We take the time and pray – but expect no answer. When God doesn’t answer then we say “See there – I told you God wouldn’t answer”. But God does answer – but we must seek Him with all our hearts.

2 There Is No Salvation Unless You Seek The God Of The Scripture. The Lord said:

Amos 5:6 Seek the LORD, and ye SHALL LIVE …

This is a promise of God. Seek Me – and YOU SHALL LIVE. Israel sacrificed the blood of bulls and of sheep because God told them to do so. Yet the Bible says:

Hebrews 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

If it is not possible that sacrificing these animals would take away sin, then why did God have them do it? Because He wanted to teach Israel that a Redeemer was coming, an Innocent who would die for their sins and for ours. This Innocent is Jesus Christ our Lord. He is the …

John 1:29 (HCSB) … Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

The Bible declares that

Hebrews 10:10 … we have been set apart (sanctified) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all …

and that

John 1:12-13  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  [13]  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Seek the Lord and He will receive you as you are. Seek Him, and He will bring you into His Family. God has promised:

Proverbs 8:17  I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw nearer to you.

Many say “I’ve tried God, and it just didn’t work out”. God doesn’t say “Try Me”, He says “Seek Me”. God isn’t a deodorant that you try on to see if the stink is covered. God isn’t a clothes detergent that you try to see if it gets your clothes clean. God is the Creator of the Universe, the One that you will one day stand before and give an account. He is not a temporal product but the Lord of Hosts, the Great I AM. When you seek God He will change you. The Bible says:

Hosea 10:12  Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Psalm 119:2 Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.

Life is too short to live miserable. Seeking God produces a joy that is indescribable as well as sustainable every day of your life. Seek Him in prayer. Seek Him in His Word. Seek Him through good devotionals. Seek Him in His Church. Seek Him and you will live. Seek Him and you will live forever!

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Numbers 32:23 (KJV) But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

In the Old Testament Israel is a beautiful picture of the life of faith.

When Israel in faith followed God, she walked through the Red Sea as if on dry land. Her enemy – the Egypt that enslaved her – arrogant and sure of itself drowned in that same sea. I heard once of a teacher of History who sneered at the crossing of the Red Sea. In her words she said “everyone knows that the Red Sea was only inches deep at that time of the year, so it took no God to lead Israel across such a pitiful little puddle”. One Christian child – devoted to God as Lord and Savior – cried out “Praise the Lord!”. The teacher, atheistic, foolish, and arrogant, said to the Child of God “Didn’t you hear what I said? The Red Sea was only inches deep.” The Child replied, “Then My Mighty God and Father drowned the entire Egyptian Army in just a few inches of water!” The Bible says:

Exodus 14:28-29 (KJV) And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. 29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

God is in control!

In the Old Testament Israel is a beautiful picture of the life of faith.
Faith sows faith. Faith works. Faith follows God.

• Israel crossed the Red Sea because Israel followed God. The Egyptian Armies died in the Red Sea because they followed false gods. Faith follows God.
• Moses went up into Sinai to receive the Law of God. Israel had Aaron make a Golden Calf to follow. This is not faith, but sin. Faith follows God. When Moses came down the Mountain 3000 people died. The Wages of Sin is DEATH. The way to life is to follow God, for faith follows God.
• The First Generation of Israel was told to cross the Jordan and take the Promised Land. God would go before them. Ten spies from Israel said “we saw giants in the land, and we were like grasshoppers in their sight” (Numbers 13:33). God said “Go”, the spies said “Stay”, and Israel listened to man rather than God. Faith follows God. Faith moves. Faith speaks. Faith does. Refusing to move, God told that generation:

Numbers 14:32-35 (KJV) But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. 33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. 34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. 35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

Faith follows God. Now in our text today Israel stands at the Jordan River once more. Forty years have passed. The first generation of Israel has died in the wilderness. Now Israel stands at the Jordan once more, ready to go in and possess the land. But two tribes – Gad and Reuben …

Numbers 32:1 … had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;

Godf has told His Israel “cross the Jordan”. But Gad and Reuben come to Moses and Eleazar the Priest and to the Elders of Israel and say that they want to stay on this side of the Jordan. They said …

Numbers 32:4-5   Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:  [5]  Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.

We’ll take THIS land. You and the other ten tribes can go over the Jordan, but THIS is a comfortable place. This meets our needs. We want to stay right here.

1 God Calls Every One Of His Children To Walk With Him, To Glorify Him. The biggest
problem the people of God always face is the people of God.

There is nothing wrong with Reuben and Gad wanting to stay in a place that best suits them – yet God calls His people to work TOGETHER in conquering the land – to be unified in following the Lord.

Moses said to these tribes:

Numbers 32:6-9  And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?  [7]  And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?  [8]  THUS DID YOUR FATHERS, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.  [9]  For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.

The children of the first generation are trying to repeat the error of the first generation. Thus did your fathers. Those who died in the wilderness set a bad example, and had Israel looking at the size of the giants in the land rather than looking at the size of God. Faith follows God. Faith follows God and walks in step with other Children of Faith. Here’s some good quotes:

“Those who walk with God, always reach their destination.” Automaker Henry Ford

“If I walk with the world, I can’t walk with God.” Evangelist Dwight L. Moody

“God’s mighty power comes when God’s people learn to walk with God.” Pastor Jack Hyles

When Jesus prayed for His Church just prior to His Crucifixion He prayed:

John 17:20-26 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I IN THEM, AND YOU IN ME, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.

When God’s people focus on their Lord and Savior and determine that they will walk TOGETHER then and only then will the Power of God be released. God will not bless the “I” but He will bless the unified “We”. The Apostle Paul said:

Romans 12:4-6,9-10 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. … 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Vs 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

God’s People are to work together as they follow God. “Kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love”. Not like CAIN was to ABEL, but like CHRIST was to us. As we have been blessed, so do we bless. “In honor giving preference to one another”.

We live in a day of SELFIES and in a day of SIN. We who are His are to go into the land TOGETHER, doing as God has commanded we do.

2 Sins Of Omission Are As Great As Sins Of Commission. We read:

Numbers 32:10-12  And the LORD’S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,  [11]  Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:  [12]  Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.

“Kindling” is tiny pieces of trash that are placed under a log to get it burning brightly. What caused the “Lord’s anger to be kindled”? Did they commit one of the works of the flesh? Did they commit …

Galatians 5:19-21 …. Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,  [20]  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,  [21]  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings…..

Those who follow after these things “shall not inherit the kingdom of God”, the Scripture declares. We sin when we do what God tells us NOT to do. But we also sin when we DO NOT DO what God has given us to do. God’s anger was kindled “because they have not WHOLLY FOLLOWED ME – except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite and Joshua the Son of Nun”. Think about that phrase for a minute:

Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite and Joshua the son of Nun

Caleb was a Kenezite. I’ve read that phrase a dozen times and never noticed that Caleb was a Kenezite. Who were the Kenezites? The Holman Bible Dictionary tells us that:

Clan name of uncertain meaning. Clan God promised Abraham the Israelites would dispossess {in}(Genesis 15:19).

Genesis 15:18-19  In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:  [19] …. the Kenizzites ….

“The Kenizzites lived in the Negev, the southern desert region of Judah, before the conquest of the land by Joshua. The tribe of Judah absorbed some of the Kenizzites while Edom absorbed others. The Kenizzites were probably related to the Kenites from whom they would have learned the craft of metal-working (1 Chronicles 4:13-14 ). They probably derived their name from Kenaz—a descendant of Esau (Genesis 36:11, 36:15 )—who is listed among the Edomite chieftains (Genesis 36:42 ). Jephunneh the Kenizzite may have married a woman of the tribe of Judah. Their son was Caleb (Numbers 32:12; Joshua 14:6; 14:14;15:13).”

What are we being told here? The Kenizzites were part of the Canaanites, a people that the Children of Israel were supposed to dispossess from the land of Canaan.

The Kenizzites were supposed to be chased out of the land along with the Kenites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaims, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. Caleb was a Kenizzite by birth, and was often referred to as Caleb the Kenizzite. And yet, Caleb was not being chased out of the land. Caleb was being GRANTED the land, GIVEN the land, because Caleb followed the Lord.

The Lord blesses those who follow Him. Do not believe you can do NOTHING and be blessed of God. To do nothing, to say nothing, is to be like the light bulb that will not light or the door that will not open. That which will do nothing for God will receive nothing of God. The Scripture says:

James 4:17  Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

When God sets an open door before us and says “Go” we are to go. Canaan was an open door. God told His people to “go” into Canaan. Yet they would not go, and so God cursed them. Faith goes when God says go, and stays when God says stay. The first part of the Great Commission:

Matthew 28:19   GO ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

is the word GO. I have heard people debate about the word, arguing that it more appropriately ought to be translated as you are going. Ok, fine. As you are going. But nonetheless Jesus expected every disciple to GO AND TELL SOMEBODY His Gospel. It does not mean to sit on the couch eating potato chips and watching reruns of old televisions shows. GO MEANS GO. It is an action verb. Because we have not been telling and the devil has continued working the darkness is every growing. GO. TEACH. BAPTIZE. DO. Moses told

Numbers 32:14-15  And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers’ stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.  [15]  For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.

YOU shall destroy ALL THIS PEOPLE

The sin of omission is a destructive sin for it – like rot – creeps through an entire organization. Jesus said in John 14:27   Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

A Christian says “I have not felt this peace of God in a long time. Why is God so unfaithful?” God is not unfaithful –

1 Corinthians 1:9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

But have YOU been faithful?

• Are you faithfully confessing your sins to God as soon as they manifest – or are you yet unwashed? I must take a bath daily if I do not expect to be offensive to others. A Christian must bathe daily in the Blood of Christ through confession.

  1 John 1:8-9  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  [9]  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The sin of Achan (Joshua 7) was to take something that God said do not take (sin of commission) then to hide that sin (sin of omission). This sin cost Achan his life, and the lives of his family. Root out the sins in your life. Confess them before God.

Cleanse yourselves daily before you stink up the camp!
A little sin unconfessed becomes a big sin unforgiven.

• Are you walking in the Light of God in one accord with your Christian Family? Have you forgiven the trespasses of those who have trespassed against you? Or are you carrying a grudge?

When you carry a grudge, after a while that grudge will carry YOU.
If you expect forgiveness from God you must give forgiveness to others.

Corrie Ten Boom wrote in her devotional I Stand At The Door And Knock:

“But now, to be at peace with my fellow human beings – that is often a problem for me. Usually people are so good and friendly towards me, but sometimes … and then having to forgive! To forgive just as we expect the Lord to forgive us. Jesus said that if we don’t do it, w won’t receive forgiveness ourselves, so we have to. If you don’t forgive, you break the bridge – the same bridge that you need as well.”

When I have seen congregations dying, they are usually dying because of disharmony amongst it’s members. Grudges and anger are like cancers in the body of Christ. They must be expunged – or the offenders must be cut off!

• Are you feeding daily on the Word of God, prayerfully seeking His face? It is good to come to Church and hear the Word, but you must meditate on His Word daily. The Bible tells us that …

  2 Timothy 3:16-17  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  [17]  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

There are countries so poor and persecuted that Christians are not allowed to have Bibles. I have known Pastors who have been given the Bible who tore it up and distributed it among the saints. We in America have no such excuse. Most homes have more than one Bible – and most are on the shelf gathering dust.

We cannot be furnished to do the good work of God unless we read and meditate on the Great Word of God. His Word must be in our hearts daily. We must read and meditate on this precious Asset.

3 The Way To Blessing Is To DO What God Says. After Moses rebuke to Gad and Reuben the tribal representatives told him:

Numbers 32:16-18 … We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:  [17]  But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.  [18]  We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.

We will work together with our brothers and sisters to do as God has called. What a beautiful spirit there is when God’s people work together for His glory! The Bible tells us to …

Galatians 6:9-10  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  [10]  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

I close with this wonderful story that I heard the other day. John Stonestreet of the Colson Center wrote:

In 9th grade …. I didn’t really have much of a faith that I could call my own. That all began to change on the last day of classes before Christmas break in December of 1990. Now we all know what’s supposed to happen on the last day of classes before Christmas break: not much. Well, that day, my Bible teacher announced that our boys Bible class was being sent out two by two to visit the elderly “shut-ins” of our church. I suppose the intention was to bring Christmas cheer, but as you might imagine, that’s not what happened. The only thing we wanted to do less than school work on the last day of classes before Christmas break was visit old people we’d never met. My only consolation was that I was paired with my friend Brian. He shared my disdain for the assignment we’d been given. “What are we going to do?” I asked. “I don’t want to go see any old people.” “I’ve got an idea,” Brian replied. “We’ll go visit one person, but say that we couldn’t find the other person’s house. That way, we’ll be done fast and can go to the mall.” And that’s how I met Ms. Buckner. She lived down a windy, rural Virginia road in a small little apartment her grandson had built for her on the end of his farmhouse. She invited us inside, and there we were: an 11th grader, a ninth grader, and an 89-year-old widow. We didn’t have a lot in common. Just when we thought it couldn’t possibly get any more awkward, Ms. Buckner said, “Let’s sing Christmas carols together.” We stumbled our way through Silent Night, and then she decided one carol was enough. “Well, Ms. Buckner,” Brian said, “we’d best be on our way.” “Yes,” I lied, “we still have one more person to visit before heading back to school.” And then she asked, “Can we pray together before you go?” So I prayed, and Brian prayed—that took about 45 seconds. But then Ms. Buckner prayed. At that point, I’d been in the church my whole life. I’d heard thousands of prayers. But I had never heard anything like this. I remember looking up just make sure that Jesus wasn’t sitting next to her, because it sure sounded like He was. She spoke to God as if she knew Him, with a simultaneous confidence and humility that only comes when you’re certain you’re being heard. We left her house and headed to the mall, distracted by our plan to meet some girls. … Two years later, I woke up with the strangest feeling. Typically, I’d wake up thinking about basketball or my girlfriend, but I woke up this particular morning thinking of Ms. Buckner. And to this day, I have no idea why. But I ended up going back down that windy road to her house. “Ms. Buckner,” I said, “you probably don’t remember me, but two years ago I came here with my friend Brian. My name is John.” “John,” she smiled. “I prayed for you this morning.” From that point on, Ms. Buckner became a close personal friend. In fact, she prayed for me every day for the rest of her life. …

God answers prayers – but prayers must be prayed. God blessed faith, but faith must be lived. Rouse yourselves. Get up and follow Christ. Go. Tell. Read. Pray. Do. There is no blessing in doig nothing and grumbling. Do. Be a part, or be apart. It is your choice.

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Psalms 117:1-2 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. [2] For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

Several years ago when I was pastor at Rock Hill Baptist Church in West Tennessee we had a revival. I invited one of my dear friends and a fellow Pastor to preach that revival, and God really blessed us during that time. One night he preached a message called “The Middle Verse Of The Bible”. He said:

There are 594 chapters before Psalm 118
There are 594 chapters after Psalm 118
If you add 594 + 594 you will get 1188
and the exact middle verse of the Bible is Psalm 118:8

What is Psalm 118:8? We read

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”

My friend then went on to preach a wonderful message on trusting God and not trusting man. When I heard that sermon I said to myself “I just have to preach that sermon! That is fantastic!” The sermon was great, and it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. I wanted to preach that sermon, but when I researched and studied the text I found out:

Psalm 118:8 is NOT the center verse of the Bible
There are NOT 594 chapters before Psalm 118. There are 595
There ARE 1189 NOT 1188 chapters in the Bible

Though my friend preached a good text, he erred because he put his trust in man.

He got his information from MY favorite preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Spurgeon wrote in his book Treasury of David in his commentary on Psalm 118:8

“this 8th verse of this Psalm is the middle verse of the Bible.
There are, I believe, 31,174 verses in all, and this is the 15,587th.”

Spurgeon was wrong.

Of course, we are all wrong at times, even when we try our best. There is no exact center verse of the Bible. The Bible has 31,102 verses, and if you have an even number of verses there can be no middle verse. The TWO middle verses of the Bible are actually …

Psalms 103:1-2 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. [2] Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

To BLESS the Lord.
To PRAISE the Lord for all that He has done.
The Middle Verses tell us to PRAISE GOD.
The MIDDLE and SHORTEST CHAPTER of the Bible is our text for today,

Psalms 117:1-2 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. [2] For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

The Middle of the Bible – whether verses or chapter – tells us to PRAISE THE LORD.
You are in the center of God’s Will when you are PRAISING HIM.
This is not optional – but a command!

The Scripture tells us repeatedly …

Psalms 7:17 I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

Psalms 22:26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

Psalms 107:8, 15, 21, 31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psalms 111:1 Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.

Psalms 115:18 But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD.

Psalms 135:3 Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

Psalms 146:2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

1 We Praise The Lord Because He Offers Salvation To All. Jesus Died In The Middle – To Tear Down The Middle Wall Of Sin For Whosoever Will. Our text states:

Psalms 117:1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. 

The Bible commands that we praise the Lord. The Psalmist said “praise the Lord”. But the last part of this text:

Praise the Lord, all ye NATIONS
Praise Him, all ye PEOPLE

is not redundant. The People of God in the Old Testament were the Jews, the Israelites by birth.

The word translated “Nations” is the Hebrew word גּוֹי gôy (pronounced go’ee), which is a reference to GENTILE Nations. The GENTILE Nations were the FIRST to be commanded to praise the Lord, and then command was followed by ISRAEL.

Praise the Lord you Gentiles – Praise the Lord Israel!

The Israelite reading this Psalm from the Hebrew hymn book would ask the question:

Why should the GENTILES praise the Lord?
Are not WE the Chosen People of God?
Are not we “His people and the sheep of His pasture?”
Are not we the Children of Abraham?

The Bible does tell us that to the ….

Romans 9:4-5 …. Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; [5] Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

God promised unto Abraham a people that would be blessed, a people that would one day be called Israel. When God made His Covenant with Abraham there were two promises made for blessing: one for Israel, and one for all the nations.

Genesis 18:17-18 …. Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; {18} Seeing that Abraham shall SURELY BECOME A GREAT AND MIGHTY NATION, AND ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED IN HIM?

The Covenant that God made with Abraham our mutual father (for He is the father of faith to all that believe. See Romans 4:16) was that:

• Abraham shall become a great and mighty nation (this is Israel), and

• all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him (this is the Gentile nations).

God would have His Israel, but He would also have His Church. He would save the believing Jew, but He would also save the believing Gentile.

This was prophesied – not only in Psalm 117:1, but also in

Hosea 2:23 … I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

God’s salvation would be “of the Jews” but it would not be just “to the Jews”. It was God’s intent from the very beginning to bring salvation to whosoever would believe in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Though the Old Testament Jews would forget this, God would not. Every sacrifice made in the Temple would point to the Blood Atonement that would be offered to all in Christ one day.

The Gentiles were to praise God because they would be alongside Israel in the middle of His Plan of Salvation.

There are TWO BEAUTIFUL THREADS that run through Scripture: the Red Thread of Redemption, and the Golden Thread of praise to our God.

Israel forgot that God is no respecter of persons so stopped sharing the Gospel, stopped telling the Gentiles of the Messiah. Yet when Jesus Christ came He said:

John 10:16 And OTHER SHEEP I HAVE, WHICH ARE NOT OF THIS FOLD: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

This was not a new idea. God from the beginning wanted to save whosoever will through His Son. Israel considered us who are Gentiles:

Ephesians 2:12 “…. aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world..”

But God said NO. The Bible says:

Ephesians 2:13-15 But now in Christ Jesus ye who .. were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. [14] For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; [15] Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 

Jesus Christ broke down the barrier of sin that stood between us and God.
Jesus Christ is the God-Man in the Middle of Calvary,
Paving The Way To Heaven with His Blood

By faith in Him there is nothing keeping us from a daily and eternal relationship with God as our Father, the Son as our Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit as our Guide. Jesus Christ covered our sins so that we CAN be right with God. Praise God for the words of Scripture:

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: {2} And HE IS THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS: AND NOT FOR OURS ONLY, BUT ALSO FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD.

And again:

John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Jesus Christ is that Man in the Middle of Calvary. To His right and left are thieves that deserve death. At His feet are people casting lots for His clothing – gambling for the only earthly possession He had. There is John, and Peter, and the others who denied Him as we have all so often done. Yet Jesus God became the Man in the Middle, dying for us, so that the sin that stood between us and God could be covered.

We are saved by Him, by His Blood. We must praise Him for all that He has done for us.

2 Focus On God’s Mercy And You Will Be Driven To Praise. It Is Our Praise That Draws God Close To Us. We choose our walk. Walk with God and see the impossible become possible – or walk apart from God and stay in the mundane and mediocre. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalms 117:1-2 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. [2] FOR his merciful kindness is great toward us:

We do not earn or deserve what God has done for us. What He has given us in Christ is a FREE GIFT. The Bible says:

Romans 5:15-18 But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. [16] And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. [17] For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) [18] Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

The Offense – that Old Sin Nature that separates us from God and that is upon us all – was a “Free Gift” that we received from Adam. Adam’s free gift brought death on us all. But to those who have believed on Christ we have received a BETTER FREE GIFT. The Free Gift we have from Christ does not bring condemnation, but eternal life. We are saved by faith in the Christ.

We did not earn nor deserve Adam’s gift – it is thrust upon us by birth.
We do not earn nor deserve Christ’s gift.
It is offered freely, and bestowed on us at NEW birth.

Our praise to God reminds us that we are His, and the sheep of His pasture. Our praise to God also keeps us away from MURMURING and PRIDE. Theologian and Scholar Dr Harry Ironside said …

“We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” (Harry Ironside)

You can MAGNIFY God or you can MURMUR.
You can PRAISE or be consumed of PRIDE.
Focus on SELF and you will SUFFER.
Focus on the SAVIOR and you will SHINE for Him.

Magnify God you will focus on Him, and be sustained by His Presence as you go through your trials. If you murmur you will focus on your misery, and will succumb and eventually drown in your trials. Glorify God and gain the Promised Land!

Why did Israel lose the Promised Land?
Because they stopped MAGNIFYING God and started MURMURING.

Moses warned Israel:

Exodus 16:8 …. the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, BUT AGAINST THE LORD.

They would not heed Moses’ warning. So eventually the Lord told His people:

Numbers 14:27-30 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. [28] Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: [29] Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, [30] Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

God hears our murmuring – and hears our praise.

The Scripture tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). When we praise the Lord He hears, and draws near to us. He walks with a people that praise Him – but stands apart from those people who murmur and find fault.

If you are born again, a believer and a Son of God by faith in Christ, then it is your eternal destiny to praise God. Heaven is a place where we will praise Him for His merciful kindness.

Revelation 19:5-6 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. {6} And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Please note that Psalm 117 begins and ends with praise the LORD.

• Begin your day by praising the Lord and thanking Him for loving us.

• End your day not falling asleep in front of the television, but in praising Him.

• Whatever your hand sees to do, do it for the Lord as the Apostle said:

Colossians 3:23-24 (NKJV) And whatever you do, do it HEARTILY, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

• Our lives should be focused on glorifying our Savior and Lord. Jesus said:

Luke 11:34-36 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. [35] TAKE HEED THEREFORE that the light which is in thee be not darkness. [36] If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

If David the Shepherd had focused on the size of Goliath and not the size of His God he would have never went out to do battle. But looking solely at God and hearing His Word David went to Goliath with a sling and a stone and defeated him. Our God is able!

• If Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego focused on the anger of the King or the heat of the fiery furnace they would have bowed their knees along with all of Babylon, worshiping the golden idol. Yet their focus was on the Great I AM, the God of all the Universe. When commanded to kneel they replied without hesitation …

Daniel 3:17 … our God whom WE SERVE is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

Praising God as they went into the fiery furnace, they came out of that flame triumphant in Christ. The Bible says …

Daniel 3:27 … the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

• If Paul and Silas had focused on the crowd they would have given up and the Word of God would not have spread throughout Asia. But beaten and cast in jail neither Paul nor Silas focused on the bleeding welt on their backs nor on the darkness of the prison. Their eyes were on Jesus. The Bible says:

Acts 16:25-26 And at midnight Paul and Silas PRAYED, and SANG PRAISES UNTO God: and the prisoners heard them. {26} And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

Praise God in your trials. Start your day with prayer and by reading and meditating on His Word. Praise God in your work. Praise God without ceasing. Praise Him on the Mountain and in the Valley.

Then you will be in the Middle – the Center – of God’s Will. Then you will be blessed.

May God touch your hearts with His Word.