bibleteacher.org

Amos 1:2 ^(KJV) … The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.

Why are we in the Book of Amos? Why are we in the Old Testament at all?

Because the Old Testament is the foundation of our New Testament. The Apostles and our Lord Jesus Christ quoted extensively from the Old Testament. Before there was a written “New Testament” the Bible was the Old Testament. The Old Testament is important – and very rarely read.

I heard a preacher once tell his congregation to “Turn to the Book of Hezekiah”. After listening to the pages rustle for a few minutes the preacher told the congregation that there is no Book of Hezekiah – Hezekiah was a King of Israel mentioned in 2 Kings which IS a book of the Scripture. Dr. Adrian Rogers once told His Church “If I asked you to turn to Phillips 66 some of you would try to go there!”

There is a Book of Amos. Go to the Psalms, the center of your Bible. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentation, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. If you hit Obadiah you have gone too far.

What is the Main Point of Amos?

1 God’s Word Is To Be HEARD and OBEYED, Or God’s Roar Will Come.

Amos 1:2 ^(KJV) … The LORD will roar from Zion…

God made us, created us in His image, and God knows what is best for us. God loves His creation. He loves every person. The Bible says:

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

God offers His creation blessing – but blessing comes only through heeding and living by His Word. God is not asleep in the Heavens. He is aware of what we are doing, and God WILL JUDGE sin. Those who love and walk with God will be protected – but those who DO NOT will be judged.

I believe that America is headed toward judgment. I believe that a large part of the so called Church in America is headed toward judgment. But I believe that those who love the Lord and hear and obey His Word will be blessed while others shall be judged.

When you read the Old Testament you see nations who were destroyed because they turned away from the Word of God and to their own desires.

• You see Adam and Eve cast out of Paradise because Adam received the word of the world over the Word of God.

• You see Cain murdering his brother Abel because Abel followed the Word of God in worship, but Cain thought that his own feelings and desires were best.

• You see God destroying a world by water, saving only Noah and his family, a few people who believed God’s Word.

• You see Israel being denied the Promised Land because they rejected God’s Word to advance, whereas Caleb and Joshua entered the land and were blessed.

• You see the shepherd David trusting in the Word of God, slaying Goliath, and eventually being advanced by God to become King in place of Saul – whereas Saul lost the Kingdom because he would not heed to Word of the King of Kings and Lord of Lord.

• You see Lot leaving Sodom with his daughters while his wife becomes a pillar of salt, looking back, turning from God’s Word to the World’s woo.

I could go on and on for an hour, but you get the point. When we read the Old Testament we see when a people follow God’s Word they are blessed, but when they reject God’s Word they are cursed. To reject God’s Word is to bring God’s Judgment on us. But if we heed and live by His Word then we shall be blessed.

On Monday April 4^th 2016 the Tennessee State Senate voted 19-8 in favor of a bill to make the Bible the “Official Book of Tennessee”. Whether the Governor Bill Haslam will approve or veto the bill is yet to be determined. I admire our State Senate for attempting such a thing. Yet whether the Bill passes or not, the Bible is forever the Word of God. To heed and do God’s Word is to be blessed. To reject His Word is to be cursed. As Jesus said:

Matthew 7:24-27 (HCSB) Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!

Again, I admire our Senate for what it is trying to do.

Until each person regards the Bible as THE Word of God and acts appropriately there will be no widespread blessing, no light, no safety from the storm.

a The LORD Will Roar From Zion …. And Amos Heard Him And Was Not Afraid.

When God speaks to us, He speaks to us in a language we can understand. When He spoke to Amos, God spoke to Amos in a language he could understand. Amos was a HERDSMAN.

Amos 1:1 ^(KJV) The words of Amos, who was among the HERDSMEN of Tekoa …

A HERDSMAN is someone who farms SHEEP or CATTLE for a living. God called this simple but honest man out to stand up for Him and speak His Word. God calls each and every one of us to stand with Him, to hear His Word and be blessed. If you hear and apply the Word of God then you will be blessed. God uses the willing. The Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 1:28-29 ^(HCSB) … God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world — what is viewed as nothing — to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 so that no one can boast in His presence.

Anne Graham Lotz wrote in her book And We Are Changed:

“You may think you are ill equipped, but that is irrelevant. We are all ill equipped! He doesn’t need our equipment to take care of His business! We need His equipment, and the Bible declares emphatically that He has ‘given us everything we need for life and godliness’ (2 Peter 1:3).”

As a Shepherd Amos was acquainted with LIONS. When a LION roared it was a warning. The first words God tells Amos to utter is …

Amos 1:2 ^(KJV) … The LORD WILL roar from Zion …

When the LION roars the prey is frightened, but the lion cub is comforted. When the LORD roars the godless are disturbed, but those who love Him and walk with Him are at peace!

Hosea 11:10 ^(HCSB) They WILL follow the LORD; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west.

The Lord roars from Zion to call His children to Him, to call the faithful to walk with Him. But He also roars to warn the disobedient that He is coming to execute judgment against those who will not hear Him.

Adrian Rogers said “Hope” means certainty, but not just any certainty. When the Bible says “hope,” it means a rock-ribbed assurance with anticipation, based on the Word of God. When I was a little boy, my dad would take us out for a ride on Sunday afternoon. We kids would be in the back seat, getting into squabbles. If things got too heated, my dad would turn around and say, “When you boys get home, I’m going to whip you.” With my dad, I knew this was a rock-ribbed truth! We could anticipate it, but not with gladness!

Hebrews 10:31 ^(HCSB) It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

Amos didn’t have to worry about the Lion of Judah attacking him – he was walking with the Lord! If you’re a shepherd a lion is no threat if it is on your side.

The Lion of Judah was on Amos’ side because Amos was on the Lord’s side. Though many nations will fall in Amos’ time, he will be preserved.

Psalms 37:34-39 ^(HCSB) Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land. You will watch when the wicked are destroyed. 35 I have seen a wicked, violent man well-rooted like a flourishing native tree. 36 Then I passed by and noticed he was gone; I searched for him, but he could not be found. 37 Watch the blameless and observe the upright, for the man of peace will have a future. 38 But transgressors will all be eliminated; the future of the wicked will be destroyed. 39 THE SALVATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS FROM THE LORD, THEIR REFUGE IN A TIME OF DISTRESS.

2 What Does This Text Tell Us About The Roar Of God?

a It Is An Eternal Roar. “The LORD Will Roar From Zion”. Notice that the word LORD is all UPPER CASE. When you come across this in the King James Version this is the YHWH – Yahweh – the Eternal Name of God. When Moses asked God “Who shall I say has sent me?” the Lord replied:

Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Our God is the Eternal God, and His Word is the Eternal Word. What He has said is right is right yesterday, today, and forever. God’s Word does not fluctuate, but it endures. God calls people everywhere to salvation by faith in His Word.

1 Peter 1:23-25 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. [24] For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: [25] But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

b This Roar Is NOT Against Those Who Love The Lord. We read again:

Amos 1:2 ^(KJV) … The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem

Notice that God roars FROM Zion to the world – but “UTTERS HIS VOICE” – He speaks – FROM Jerusalem. God loves His children saved by faith. Jerusalem is an Old Testament picture of God’s Church, those Who love Him and who are loved by Him.

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins.

Isaiah 53:5 But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Those who love the Lord need not be fearful of His roar. His roar is against those who have rejected His Word. His roar is against those who have rejected His Grace.

c At The Roar Of The Lord “The Habitations Of The Shepherds Shall Mourn”. The false shepherds – those who twist the Word of God rather than speak the Word of God – shall be exposed. The Lord will roar from Zion. His Word will be heard!

There are false prophets who have not presented the Word of God but instead used His Word for their gain. The Pharisees and Sadducees in Jesus’ day were of this sort. But there are many more besides who blaspheme God by twisting His Word.

I heard a “Television Preacher” say at a funeral “no matter what this good man believed, I know that he is united with his wife in Heaven”. Is that true? No. For Jesus has said:

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

I heard another preacher say “When we come together, we do not need to always speak about Jesus”. That is rot! I have to speak about Jesus. I have to hear about Jesus. A good Shepherd will always point to the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

d When The LORDs Roar Comes, Prosperity Will Cease.

Amos 1:2 ^(KJV) … The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.

Economic ruin comes to the nation that hardens its conscience against God and His Word. With moral failure comes eventual financial collapse.

and the top of Carmel shall wither

The nations had been enjoying prosperity – they were on the golden mountaintop of Carmel – but now this would wither. God roars against six very powerful nations because of their crimes against humanity. What did they do?

• Damascus (Modern day Syria 1:3) and Edom (1:11) had little regard for human life. They were merciless and cruel when they killed.

• Gaza (1:6) and Tyre (1:9) treated people as property. They loved to trade slaves for profit, robbing others of their God given freedom.

• Ammon (1:13) was guilty of not only aborting babies, but killing pregnant mothers.

• Moab (2:1) burned the bones of the King of Edom and mixed them with lime. They mocked and dishonored the dead.

Each of these nations were guilty of crimes against humanity. They were no longer doing what God created nations to do!

God created nations and governments to protect those within its border so that every person can have the opportunity to be saved by faith in Him.

God destroyed the nations in Noah’s day because …

Genesis 6:5 ^(HCSB) … the LORD saw that man’s wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought of was nothing but evil all the time ..

these nations no longer existed to protect its citizens so they could freely consider God’s Grace. Because of that God wiped out all but eight souls. When Noah and his family got off the Ark God warned them – and warns us today –

Genesis 9:5-6 ^(HCSB) I will require the life of every animal and every man for your life and your blood. I will require the life of each man’s brother for a man’s life. 6 Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in His image.

God said “I made man in My image”. Man did not descend from a monkey. He was not an evolutionary quirk. We did not crawl from goo to good to the image of God.

We were made in God’s image by the God Who loves us.

America rose from obscurity to become one of the greatest superpowers in the world because – as a nation – we honored God. The American Revolution was fought by Christian men and women who believed that certain truths were self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness (Declaration of Independence). An honorable America fought in World War II to overthrow nations that were guilty of crimes against humanity. A Christian America stood against atheistic Communism and the murderous rule of the United Socialist Republic – the USSR. Only when this evil system toppled did we discover that in Stalin’s reign alone some 70 million people were murdered. From its founding America has led the way in being used of God, and we were blessed as a nation because the Bible says:

Proverbs 11:19 ^(HCSB) Genuine righteousness leads to life, but pursuing evil leads to death.

If God used America to overthrow nations that despised life, what nation will God now use to overthrow US, for do we not despise His Word?

3 Through Amos, God Is Calling His People To Be Light In The Midst Of Darkness. If you read Amos chapter 1 you hear the LORD roar against Damascus (1:3), Gaza (1:6), Tyre (1:9), Edom (1:11), and Ammon (1:13). In chapter 2 God speaks against Moab (2:1). As Amos preached against the six nations I’m sure the congregation was shouting and clapping. When he finished addressing the sixth nation I’m sure than many leaned forward, closed their Bibles, and started gathering up their possessions so they could get to the nearest Kosher Deli before the tables were all taken. But Amos wasn’t done. In Chapter 2:4-16 Amos addresses Judah and Israel, God’s Old Testament divided people. God told His people ….

Amos 2:10 ^(KJV) Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.

God has been good to us. He has been good to His Church. We have the blessings we have because we listen to our Lord, our Father, and the Holy Spirit of God. God said to His Judah:

Amos 2:4-5 ^(KJV) Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked: 5 But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.

We are saved by the Grace of God. But once saved, we are to follow the One Who saved us. Jesus declared:

John 14:14-15 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. [15] If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 15:9-10 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. [10] If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

Matthew 22:37-40 ^(HCSB) … Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.

Please stay on the right side of God’s Word. Hear and obey His Word, or He will roar!

Philippians 1:27-29 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; [28] And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. [29] For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

… let your CONVERSATION be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ …

In modern English the word “conversation” means “an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people : the act of talking in an informal way”. The word “conversation” entered the pulpit years ago when the Seeker Sensitive Movement gained popularity. There was a time when the Pastor got up and preached the authoritative Word of God. But the Seeker Sensitive Church changed “preaching” into a “conversation”. There was less authority and more tolerance. The late great W.A. Criswell, the Pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas once preached in 1963:

“The actual minister of today, usually, as you find him, will be an effete, effeminate, dilettante, standing in the pulpit with his mild manners, speaking to a mild-mannered congregation on how to be more mild-mannered.”

Prayerfully that’s not what you’re going to hear tonight. Though it is the middle of the week I am praying that the Holy Spirit grab us, lift us up, and help us to understand what the Apostle was talking about when he wrote “let your CONVERSATION be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ”.

“Conversation”. The word in the Old English – a word that was understood back in the day that it was written – means “the act of a citizen”. The original Greek word in this text is is πολιτεύομαι politeuomai (pronounced pol-it-yoo’-om-ahee). If you look at the word you can see it looks a little like political. There was a time when being political meant “being a good citizen – expressing allegiance to your country or nation”. Later in this letter the Apostle writes:

Philippians 3:20-21 For our CONVERSATION is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: [21] Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Here he uses the same Greek word – slightly different but the same – here it is πολίτευμα politeuma (pronounced pol-it’-yoo-mah). You can see the similarity.

We who are Christians are citizens of a Heavenly Kingdom. We are first and foremost citizens of the Kingdom of God. Though we live on this earth and should be good citizens of the country we live in, our allegiance is first and foremost to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ our Savior.

1 We Are “Citizens” Of The Kingdom Of God Because Of The Gospel. The Apostle said:

Philippians 1:27 … let your conversation^{(way of life)} be as it becometh the gospel of Christ …

We are not citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom – destined for glory – because of anything we have done. We are saved by the Grace of God! When God saved Israel He warned His people against arrogance, saying:

Deuteronomy 7:7–9 (ESV) It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore …

We who are children of God’s Kingdom need not be puffed up in our salvation. The Bible says that:

Isaiah 64:6 … we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

It is not that we were better than other men or women that we are citizens of His Kingdom. We are all in the same state, for the Scripture says …

Romans 3:23 (ESV)… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

This is the BAD NEWS. But the GOOD NEWS is that

Romans 3:24-26 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: [25] Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; [26] To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

I have heard of people who, in order to escape terrible injustices and horrible treatment, risk their lives in flimsy boats to try and cross the waters from Cuba to the Florida shores … a distance of about 90 miles. They risk everything to trade their citizenship, to get away from the darkness of the dictators and to the hope of America. Many die in the attempt. How horrible it must be to be raised in countries where there is no freedom!

But to enter the Heavenly Kingdom – that New Jerusalem – does not require a dangerous passage over treacherous waters. It is Jesus Christ Who is both the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is the Author. It is His Blood that purchased our redemption.

Ephesians 1:7 7 (in Jesus Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

We have no pride in acquiring our citizenship! We are citizens because Christ paid our passport.

Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin left a crimson stain,
Oh but praise Him!
He washed it white as snow.

Our citizenship should be AS IS BECOMING the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel is received by GRACE.

At the end of the worship service a little boy watched a man go forward and stand at the front of the Church. “What is that man doing, Mommy?” the child asked. “Why honey, he is asking Jesus for something.” The child replied, “Well if he really wants something from Jesus he needs to get down on two knees.. That’s what I do at night before I go to bed”. There is great wisdom in a child. The Bible declares:

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Jesus Christ provided the treasury of Grace, but only those who receive it humbled in His sight shall be blessed. Jesus died for every man – but only to those who receive Him as Lord and Savior.

2 Corinthians 5:15 (NLT) (Christ) died for everyone so that those who RECEIVE his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

The glorious Gospel of Christ declares that all may be saved if they but receive it’s promise. When a person no matter how leprous, no matter how blinded by sin, no matter how lost asks “how may I be a citizen of Heaven?” our answer must be repent and look to Him.

Look to God in the manger, that blessed Baby Virgin born
Look to God hanging, bleeding, the Son dying for you
Look to Christ gone from the tomb, risen, conquering the grave
Look to Him ascending, sitting at the Father’s right hand
Look for Him coming, He is coming again
and one day He will reign, and we will reign with Him

2 We Are Citizens Of Christ’s Kingdom. We Are Citizens TOGETHER. The Apostle wrote:

Philippians 1:27-29 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with ONE MIND STRIVING TOGETHER FOR THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL;

We should be in one mind. Focused. On. Jesus.

The Church of Jesus Christ is to be an earthly reflection of the New Jerusalem. The only revolt that ever occurred in Heaven was when the Devil, called in Revelation the Dragon, with his tail drew out the third part of the angels of Heaven (Revelation 12:4). The Devil and his angels have stood against God from the beginning – and …

Revelation 12:9 …. that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

There is no place in Heaven for the devil and his angels – and there is no place in the Church for the devil and his angels. The Church is a family of faith, a people who love one another because they have been loved.

The One Who saved us by His Blood said:

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. [35] By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

We are to love and encourage and support one another. When we get to Heaven there will be no hospitals, no graves, no sickness, no sadness. When we get to our eternal home, that Heavenly City, there will also be no misunderstandings, no divisions, no arguments, no grudges, no uplifted by pride, no backbiting, no hurt nor pain in all of God’s Holy Mountain. The Bible says of the Christian that we are to be reconcilers.

2 Corinthians 5:19-21 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. [20] Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. [21] For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

When every member is reconciled to God and our eyes are collectively on Christ, glorifying Him, magnifying Him, then we are most like that Heavenly Jerusalem. We stand fast in one Spirit – the Holy Spirit. We are with ONE MIND STRIVING TOGETHER for the faith of the gospel. Nothing harms the cause of Christ more than the Judas Iscariot going out and selling Christ for his own gain. The Iscariot often dies by his or her own hand. But those who live as if a citizen of Heaven will be Christ-like not Judas-like.

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another;

Treat one another as the workmanship of God as Ephesians 2:10 declares.

None of us are perfect – but we are moving toward perfection.
None of us are masterpieces, but we are the Master’s one and all.
All of us struggle, and sometimes fall.
But we are children of the King – if we have received Him on bended knee.

Remember the words of the Apostle:

1 Corinthians 12:13-14 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. [14] For the body is not one member, but many.

1 Corinthians 12:26-27 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. [27] Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

This sense of family is missing from far too many Churches today. The Church is a city – a microcosm of the New Jerusalem. The Church is a body with every member following the Head that is Christ. We are to treasure Christ and treasure our Christian family.

3 We Are Citizens Of An Eternal Heavenly But Hated Kingdom.

Philippians 1:28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

The Apostle does not speak as if we might have adversaries. If you are a Christian you will have adversaries. The world hates the Gospel. The Apostle said:

1 Corinthians 1:23-24 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, 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 Gospel is FOOLISHNESS to the world. The Light cannot ever be palatable to the darkness. Darkness and light are always at war. Good and evil are always at war. There is no peace between Satan and the Son of God. If you belong to Jesus you will be attacked. Jesus said:

Matthew 10:36-39 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. [37] He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. [38] And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. [39] He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Oh, how the world and the worldly hate a sectarian Gospel. But Beloved, it is not the Gospel if it is not the Gospel of Christ.

Jesus clearly said:

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

You cannot win anyone to the Kingdom of God if you are not serious about your faith. You cannot be double minded, with one foot in the fallen world and one foot on the ship of salvation. Choose!

I remember as a little boy going fishing with my dad. We would step off the dock and onto the edge of the boat, then quickly get fully in the boat. One time it was particularly windy, and I kept one foot on the dock as with the other I stepped on the edge of the boat. Daddy told me

“Boy, make up your mind.
Get IN the boat,
Get ON the dock,
or gravity and the tide will make the decision for you!”

Citizens of the Kingdom live for the Kingdom. We are sold out for Jesus! I heard a story once about the Roman Legion who went to conquer, traveling by ship. When they docked, the citizens of that land gathered what weapons they could to defend their homes. Forming into a small army, they headed toward the shore to attack the Roman Legion. But they weren’t prepared for what they saw. When the Legion disembarked they fired flaming arrows into the ships, burning them until they sank. When the citizens saw this they laid down their weapons and surrendered.

The Legion was not going to retreat.
These people were serious about conquering.

Too many local Churches today are trying to live in two worlds. We cannot. We are citizens of God’s Kingdom. Christ is our Savior and King. We will be attacked. We will be hated. But we will NOT be defeated, for Christ is at the helm of this great ship. In NOTHING we are to be terrified of our enemies. NOTHING! Christ has conquered. He has won. The darkness may still be, but God greater than any darkness.

Philippians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

It is a privilege to suffer for Jesus. He suffered for us. He suffered to save us. The darkness of evil will always attack God’s Kingdom and God’s citizens. The Bible says:

Luke 6:26-35 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. [27] But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, [28] Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. [29] And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. [30] Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. [31] And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. [32] For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. [33] And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. [34] And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. [35] But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

When evil is done to you, do not join the darkness but let the light of the Kingdom shine through you. Let others see Christ in your hands, your feet. Let others hear Christ from your lips. Whatever you suffer, suffer it for Christ’s sake. For one day we will join Him in glory. O glorious day!

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

One of my favorite movies is a very old one called Sgt York. Tennessee born, Sgt Alvin York (played by Gary Cooper) was one of the most decorated Army soldiers in World War I. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor for charging a German machine gun nest, and for killing at least 20 German soldiers, and capturing 132 others. Alvin is a Christian. When he was told he had to submit to the draft and go fight the enemy Alvin refused to go. When his Pastor asked him why, and told him that if he didn’t go he would be in trouble, Alvin said “The Book says ‘Thou shalt not kill’, and I ain’t gonna kill!’ “ I like what the Pastor (played by Walter Brennan) said to Alvin. He said:

“Alvin, most people have the Sunday go to meeting kind of faith –
but you have the living kind of faith”

What the Pastor said to Alvin is truer todays than it was back when Alvin York walked this earth. Too many people have the Sunday go to meeting faith – but that’s not the kind of faith God wants us to have. God wants us to have the overcoming kind of faith. Life is tough. Hard things happen in life. But we are not – if we are Christians – to be overcome but to be OVERCOMERS.

How Can I Have OVERCOMING Faith In A Overwhelming World?

1 My Faith Must Be Placed In The Right PERSON. I must first of all do as the Scripture says:

Hebrews 12:2 …. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith ….

Our eyes must be on JESUS. Our focus must be on JESUS. Our ears must be tuned to His Word. Our faith is to be in Him. Do you see that work “LOOKING”? The beginning of salvation is to LOOK at Christ. To FOCUS on Him. Jesus Christ is THE Author of salvation. Salvation is a Book written by the Blood of Christ. When you look at Christ and put all of your focus on Him then this belief will save you. The Bible says:

1 John 5:4-5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. [5] Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

The Bible declares that those who are “born again” are those who are “born again by faith in Christ”. The Bible further states that the “born again” are “born again as overcomers”. That it is the natural state of Christ’s children. We are overcomers – not to be overcome. Salvation is a gift, a free gift, but it is an overcoming gift. Salvation is given to those who acknowledge their inabilities:

Romans 4:5-7 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. [6] Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, [7] Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

It was not the LEPER that stood far off from Christ TRYING HARDER who was healed.

It was not the BLIND MAN who QUIETENED DOWN and who got Jesus attention.

It was not the TEARLESS MOTHER who saw Jesus RAISE HER BABY from the dead.

It was not the CONTENTED CRIPPLE who rest by Siloam to whom Jesus GAVE STRENGTH.

None whom Jesus saved were ever saved to be defeated once more.

2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which ALWAYS CAUSETH US to triumph in Christ…

Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM that loved us.

You cannot be saved apart from LOOKING UNTO JESUS. Salvation is more than just a cursory glance. We are to be LOOKING unto Jesus.

Isaiah 45:22-23 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. [23] I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

a We Look Unto Jesus, Not Unto The Crowd. We are told in our text:

Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus

We are to be LOOKING unto Jesus. But before we come to that part of the text what are we told?

“seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight”

There are a thousand opinions on right and wrong in the crowd. There is a cloud of witnesses – a crowd around us – every day. But we are NOT to be focused on that crowd. If you ask the world an opinion on anything, and particularly on Jesus, the world will give a thousand answers. Things are worst today than in Biblical times. Today there is television and internet and mainstream media and liberality. There is a great crowd of witnesses all about telling us what is right and what is wrong. Put all that away and LOOK UNTO JESUS.

Do not run for the crowd. Do not run for the statue quo. LOOK UNTO JESUS. Run to His arms regardless as to what others may say or think. Don’t let the crowd be your controller. Let Jesus be your Christ.

b We Lay Aside Every Weight. Put away doubt and despair. The devil loves doubt and despair. He loves to convey hopelessness and lostness.

IA young boy recently entered into college stopped by his grandmother’s house. “Grandma, I’m overwhelmed. I don’t know anybody. I feel so alone. My teachers seem to hate me. The whole world seems against me.” His grandmother – a good Christian lady – said “Darling, is God dead? Is Jesus yet in the Tomb? Has He not risen? Is He not sitting on the right hand of God? Look up and reach up to Jesus before the devil drags you down to hell!”

Lay aside the doubts. The fears. The questions. LOOK unto Jesus. See Him Who:

Hebrews 12:2 LOOKING UNTO JESUS the author and finisher of our faith; who for the JOY that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus went TO the Cross and then THROUGH the Cross. He was not defeatist. Jesus knew that God is in control.

Isaiah 55:8-11 ESV For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Jesus laid His life down for you. He did not allow the momentary and temporal trials to defeat Him – praise God. Trust Him. As He laid down His life for you lay your life down for Him. Surrender your broken life to Him. Do not follow the Crowd – follow the Christ.

c Lay Aside The Sin. The Scripture says:

Hebrews 12:1… let us lay aside every weight, AND THE SIN which doth so easily beset us,

Besetting sin must go. Confess yourself a sinner before Christ, and ask Him to forgive and quench that sin from you. Christ must lead your life – not sin. Do not believe that you shall SEE GOD if you are not first LOOKING AT CHRIST and NOT SIN. We are told:

Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and HOLINESS, without which no man shall see the Lord:

That word HOLINESS means “to be focused on being used of God”. To be HOLY is to follow CHRIST and not SELF. Your faith will not be overcoming unless sin is OUT of you and CHRIST IS IN YOU.

Illustrate We are not to be like the little girl who was overheard praying:

“Lord, please make me good, but not TOO GOOD.
Just good enough not to get a whipping.”

If you enter the Family of God by faith in Christ then you are under the loving discipline of the Father. Sin must be laid aside to be saved. Sin must be laid aside to run the race and to prosper. Sin in the unbeliever is understood. It is something that Christ came to save us from.

The Savior will not receive you if you hang on to your sin and your selfishness. The first word in the Gospel is REPENT.

Hebrews 12:15-17 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; [16] Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. [17] For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Esau was a selfish man who sought gratification in every moment of his life. He was supposed to receive the blessing of his father. Instead he chose to sell his birthright for a bowl of lentils, satisfying his temporary hunger. He failed the Grace of God by rejecting it and choosing the temporary. And though he later sought that Grace by tears – he could not receive it. If God speaks to your heart today do not deny Him.

Repent.

Run to His arms.

Mark 8:35-37 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. [36] For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? [37] Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Esau gave his soul away for a bowl of lentils. What are you giving your soul away for? Turn unto Jesus!

d Lay Aside The LAW. Salvation is all of Grace. You cannot “run with patience the race set before you” while you worry about your salvation. We are told:

Hebrews 12:18-24 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 Sion, 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.

In these verses two mountains are compared – Mount SINAI where the Law was given and MOUNT ZION where Grace is given. When the Law was given only Moses went up into the mount. It was a frightening mountain, one from which came smoke and voices and lightening and if you touched it you could die. It was so frightening that Moses said “I exceedingly fear and quake”.

Some so called Christian’s religion is like that. Some who profess Christ do not know which mountain we are on.

We are on Mount Zion.

The Lord Jesus in love for us climbed that Mountain. We belong to the Kingdom of God. We who believe in Christ are one day to enter “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels”. We are part of 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”. We are loved by “Jesus the mediator of the new covenant”.

Sin has no dominion over us. Satan has no dominion over us. We belong to neither sin nor Satan, but to the Savior!

2 My Faith Must Be Actively Follow The Right PERSON.

Hebrews 12:1-2 … let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith …

If you’re running a race your eyes are FRONT not BACK. You’re looking FORWARD. We run the race set before us LOOKING UNTO JESUS. We keep our eyes on Him as we run. The overcoming life runs following Jesus.

1 John 4:4-6 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. [5] They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. [6] We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Jesus said in John 16:33 …. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. The only One who has EVER – in the history of all mankind – overcome the world is Jesus. When Jesus cried out

IT IS FINISHED

from the Cross it was the VICTOR’S CRY. He defeat death. He defeated the grave. He defeated the political powers that be. He defeated the devil.

Any time we get our eyes off of Jesus we will fail.

Abraham failed. He got his eyes off of Jesus and listened to Sarah. “Honey, why don’t you go into Hagar – let’s help God out!” What did he get out of it? Ishmael, and a group of people that hate God’s Israel to this day.

Moses failed. He got his eyes off of Jesus and began to focus on a complaining Israel. He struck the Rock that was Christ and lost the Promised Land because of anger and frustration.

Elijah failed. Standing on the top of Mount Carmel he singularly defeated an overwhelming foe while focused on Jesus. The Prophets of Baal were destroyed. God was vindicated. But the very next day he got his eyes on Jezebel, Satan’s bride, and fell into despair.

David failed. He who defeated Goliath when his eyes were on Jesus became a murderer and an adulterer when he kept looking at Bathsheba. He should have kept on looking at Jesus!

Peter failed. Bold Peter, brave Peter, was questioned by a milk maid. “Aren’t you one of Jesus’ disciples?” No, I am not! “Are you sure?” I am not! “But I saw you …” Then Peter curses, and the rooster crows.

I wonder if that same milk maid saw Peter on the day of Pentecost. “Why, isn’t that the man who said he didn’t know Jesus? Wasn’t he the frightened person huddled in the crow that night, scared of his own shadow. I wonder what happened to him? Now he speaks with POWER and without fear. What happened to him?” I’ll tell you what happened.

He stopped looking at the crowd and started looking at Jesus.

He stopped listening to the politically correct and started listening to the Prince of Peace and Lord of Lords.

Listen Beloved: We LIVE by faith in Christ. We STAND by faith in Christ. We WALK by faith in Christ. We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). We are like old Jacob who commits to Christ, saying:

Genesis 28:20-21 …. If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, [21] So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

Jesus Christ is with His children. Jesus Christ meets the needs of His children. But we are to run with patience the race set before us, following Jesus our Lord.

The great Evangelist D.L. Moody told this story. A very wealthy but stingy farmer met the Lord Jesus one day and was converted, born again, gloriously saved. Soon after his conversion a poor man came to him and asked for help. The man had lost his home and all he had in a fire. The farmer offered some help, then decided to give the poor man a ham from the smokehouse. As he headed toward the house the tempter whispered “Give him the smallest ham you have”. He struggled all the way to the smokehouse trying to decided whether to give a small or a large ham. In order to defeat his selfishness he took down the largest ham and gave it to the poor man. The tempter whispered “you are a fool!” The farmer said “If you don’t keep quiet I will give him every ham I have in that smokehouse!”

Run the race with Jesus. Run the race set before you. If you are selfish, give something. If you are envious, do a good thing for the person you envy. That will kill it! If you are angry at someone, do good toward that person lest your anger be your demise.

Run with patience the race set before you. Run with Jesus. Run for Jesus. Tun knowing that Jesus is running with you.

There are eight “overcomes” in the Book of Revelation. The first is:

“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life” (Revelation 2:7)

Run the race with Jesus. You were saved to run. There is no life to those who do not run! Leap into His arms!

Mark 16:17-18 (KJV) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 

Someone jokingly posted an article to my Facebook timeline about a Kentucky Preacher who died handling snakes. The article can be found at:

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/24738922/snake-handling-kentucky-pastor-dies-from-snake-bite

My friend was just joking, but I want to address this subject. Why don’t we as Christians handle snakes? The Preacher who died was on a reality show put out by National Geographic (yeah, the same people who do not believe in God nor do they believe God created the earth) called “Snake Salvation”. I never saw the show, and never will. The Preacher said that he too what Jesus said in Mark 16:17-18 “at face value”, and then revolved his preaching ministry around this. The Preacher wasn’t the first one to die at his “Church”. In 1995 Melinda Brown died while attending services at Preacher Coots Church. The District Attorney wanted to prosecute the preacher, but the Judge refused to sign off on the criminal complaint. Preacher Coots continued handling serpents until he died doing so. He told the Associated Press:

“We literally believe they want us to take up snakes. We’ve been serpent handling for the past 20 or 21 years.”

Who is the “they” that Coots was referring to? “They want us to take up snakes”. Certainly it wasn’t God. If God wanted him to “take up snakes” then Coots wouldn’t have died, nor would have Brown suffered the same fate. The reason Coots died is that he failed to READ what God said in the Scripture he quoted. This is a common problem among Christians and non-Christians alike. Let’s look at the text for just a moment.

Mark 16:17-18 (KJV) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 

Jesus said that those who believe in Him would be marked by several “signs”:

1. They shall cast out devils.

2. They shall speak with new tongues.

3. They shall take up serpents.

4. If they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.

5. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.

Two of the things in this list are deadly, items 3 & 4. Now, was Jesus telling His people to INTENTIONALLY seek out and handle snakes. No. Jesus said that these five things were SIGNS that would follow those He was talking to. Look at item #4. If Jesus meant His people to intentionally seek out to do item #3, then He would also expect the same thing of when it came to item #4. Ok you “Snake Handling Christians”, let me see you drink a can of Drain O. I’ve seen the effects of someone who drank liquid Drain-O, and what it did to their bodies. “If you drink any deadly thing, it shall not harm you”. Why isn’t National Geographic doing a show about “Drain – O drinking Christians” or “Cyanide Salvation”? Because no one intentionally drinks Drain-O, nor should they. Jesus didn’t mean that those He loves should go out and intentionally handle rattle snakes or drink Drain-O. Read your Bibles, folks. Quit listening to charletains!

Matthew 2:1-3 (KJV) 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

What makes someone WISE, and what makes someone FOOLISH? The Founder of Apple Corporation, Steve Jobs, was visionary. Everytime you see a young person walking around doing this (texting) while bobbing their heads to music you can’t hear – ear phones in place – you have Steve to thank for that. You may not have one, but I’m sure you’ve heard of the I-Phone, the I-Pod, the I-Pad, or the I-Mac. Steve Jobs was a mover and a shaker, a visionary man. But was he a WISE man? I hope he was, and I pray he was.

What makes a WISE man? Is it book smarts? Is it the ability the do things in your own power to change the world? The Bible says that a WISE man or a WISE woman is a person who is open to the Lord. The Scripture says that:

Psalms 14:1 (KJV) The FOOL hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

The Bible defines the FOOL as the person who says in his heart “There is no God”. There is a God. We see the evidence of God clearly in the order and design of nature. From the tiny humming bird to the flower it hovers before, drinking its nectar, to the trees in the fields. Look up and you see thousands of evidences of God in the sky. He is there, and He is not silent. Wisdom comes from God. The Bible says:

James 1:5-6 (KJV) If any of you lack WISDOM, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

The Wise seek God. The Foolish do not. In our text today we are going to see some Wise Men and some Fools. The Fools will do foolish and destructive thiongs, but the Wise will do what they were created to do – they will worship the Lord!

1 The Wise TRAVELED Outside Of Their Comfort Zone, While The Foolish Were TROUBLED And Unresponsive.

Matthew 2:1-3 (KJV) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

The Wise Men traveled “from the east to Jerusalem”. The commentaries tell me that this undetermined number of “Wise Men” would have come from Persia, particularly from ancient Babylon. Babylon is around 800 miles from Jerusalem. Traveling by camel this was a little over a month to travel. Why did these men come that long journey? Because God called them. Three things brought these men from far off to where Jesus was.

a These Wise Men Heeded The Message Of God’s SCRIPTURE. God speaks to the world through His Word, the Holy Bible. These Wise Men asked:

Where is He that IS BORN King of the Jews?

Jesus is born King of the Jews. Herod the Great is king of Israel at this time, yet he has no right to this throne. God established that the ruler of Israel would ALWAYS be from the Tribe of Judah. We are told in:

Genesis 49:10 (KJV) The SCEPTRE shall not depart from Judah, nor a LAWGIVER from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Both the SCEPTER and the LAWGIVER was decreed to be from the tribe of Judah. The tribe of Levi brought forth the priests, but Judah alone was to be where the King came from. King David was of the Tribe of Judah. Before David’s rule ended the Lord God promised him that:

1 Chronicles 17:11-12 (KJV) 11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build me an house, and I WILL STABLISH HIS THRONE FOR EVER.

God promised that King David’s throne would be established FOREVER. God decreed that the King of the Jews would come from the line of Judah FOREVER, that is, until SHILOH or the MESSIAH came. The Messiah would come from the lineage of David. When He came the crown of Israel would not pass down from father to son, but would be on Him forever and ever.

When the wise men got to Jerusalem they were not careful in what they said. “Where is HE Who is BORN King of the Jews?” When Herod found them I want you to note that he didn’t say “But I’m King of the Jews”. He was at that time the recognized King of the Jews. But Herod had absolutely no right to the title ”King of the Jews”. He was not “BORN King of the Jews”. Easton’s Bible Dictionary notes:

“Herod the Great was the son of Antipater an Idumean, and Cypros an Arabian of noble descent. …. Herod was appointed Tetrarch of Judea by {Roman Politician and General} Mark Antony and also King of Judea by the Roman Senate.”

Herod was appointed “King of the Jews” by the powers of man, but he was not by any means the King of the Jews. The King of the Jews must be BORN the King of the Jews. His lineage must be traced back to Judah, and through the line of King David. We see that lineage in the first chapter of Matthew pointing directly to Christ. Most people skip over the genealogies in the Scripture thinking them unimportant. They are important. We read:

Matthew 1:1 (KJV) The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Here is the lineage of Jesus Christ our Lord. Beginning at Abraham, the founder of our faith the lineage of Christ is traced

Matthew 1:6 (KJV) And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Uriah;

through David the King, through Solomon,

Matthew 1:16 (KJV) And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

all the way up to Joseph His stepfather and Mary His Mother. Jesus Christ is Shiloh, the Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When the Wise Men were led into the palace of Herod with all its regal trappings they did not hesitate. This man, this ARAB, this Idumean, he was not descended from King David. He might have been from Ishmael, but he was not of Isaac. He might have the title “King of the Jews” but he was an usurper.

God made Judah the ruling Tribe.

God made David the source of Messiah.

“Where is HE that IS BORN King of the Jews?”

You are not he. The Scripture says so.

The Scripture is the lighthouse of the Christ Follower. The Scripture establishes the Christ. The Scripture points to the Christ. Our power comes from His Word. It is our Lighthouse, our Beacon, that all Wise Men follow.

IA battleship saw another ship’s lights headed toward them. The radioman on the battleship called out. “Light bearing on our north, change your direction.” The reply was immediate. “Light bearing on our south, change YOUR direction.” The radioman called out again, this time irritated. “Light bearing on our north, change your direction. This is a BATTLESHIP!” Again the reply was immediate and sure. “Light bearing on our south, change YOUR direction. We are a LIGHTHOUSE, and we are not moving!”

The wise man or woman is the person who, like these wise men, heed the message of God’s Scripture and correct their course in life to be guided by it. Herod the usurper and his entourage of fools had access to the Scripture, but were unmoved by it.

Matthew 2:4-6 (KJV) And when {Herod} had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Scripture unapplied is Scripture denied. Scripture denied makes a fool!

b These Wise Men Heeded The Miracle Of God’s STAR. The Wise Men said …

Matthew 2:2 (KJV) 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen HIS STAR in the east, and are come to worship him.

As the wise men studied God’s Word the Lord began to interact with them, to show them signs and wonders. When you hear the Word of the Lord and act on it God will interact with you. I have read several articles on this “Christmas Star”. People argue about what this star was. Some say it was a comet, moving through our outer atmosphere. Others think it might have been a shooting star, or even a planet like Jupiter. Can I tell you what I think it was?

It was God doing a miracle, showing them the way. The Scripture tells us that the wise men left the false king Herod and …

Matthew 2:9-10 (KJV) …. lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

If this was a comet then it would have kept on moving. If it was a planet it would not have “come and stood over where the young Child was”. This was a miracle from God.

Why don’t we have miracles today? Because we do not respond to God’s Word like we used to. Faith is to HEAR and OBEY, to SEE and then DO. These wise men were studying the Word of the Lord, then God showed them a moving star to follow. Rather than sit at home and chart its course they went outside their comfort zone. They moved in response to God – and God showed them a miracle.

God wants to show us all a miracle.

These men were not raised in Church nor in the Jewish Temple. They probably came from a background that was steeped in pagan tradition. But God reached out to them – called – and they came toward Him.

When the Shepherd David stepped out in faith against Goliath he had a sling and five smooth stone – but it only took one to kill Goliath. Our God is the God of Miracles.

When General Joshua was battling the forces of evil at Gibeon and the sun started to set, Joshua spoke to the Lord saying “Sun stand still upon Gibeon, and Moon in the valley of Ajalon”. The Lord caused the sun to stand still and the moon to stay until God’s battle was fought (Joshua 10:12-14). Our God is in control.

When the Shepherd Moses stood at the Red Sea and the armies of Egypt thundered in the distance

Exodus 14:13-14 (KJV) 13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

The children of God passed through the sea as if on dry land – but the foolish drowned in their unbelief. Why don’t we see miracles like this anymore? Because we as American Christians are too much like Herod and too little like the wise men. Things TROUBLE us – but we do not move. We hear His Word, but do not act on it. We are waiting for someone else to do something.

If the wise men had waited for someone else to do something, they never would have seen the star move. Herod never saw the star move. The Chief Priests and the Scribes never saw the star move. Only when the wise men moved did they see the star move! Only when you and I in faith move will we see God move.

We must go outside our comfort zone. We must HEAR and DO in order to be blessed. Like the wise men we must go TOWARD Jesus and AWAY from Herod, the Chief Priests, and the Scribes. Jesus told us:

Matthew 7:21-27 (KJV) 21 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.

There is no blessing in sitting still. Faith must move. Faith hears God’s Word, then moves to God’s miracle!

2 Traveling Outside Their Comfort Zone, The Wise Are Blessed. They actually got to see something you and I will never see. They saw the Baby Jesus. We read:

Matthew 2:11 (KJV) And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him…

a The Wise Person Comes Prepared To WORSHIP The Lord. When they came into the house the Bible tells us that they fell down. They humbled themselves before God the Son. Before you can ever worship God you must NOT worship yourself nor anything else. The very first two of the Ten Commandments is:

Exodus 20:2-6 (KJV) I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

God made us for Himself. He loves us. He gave His Son for us. Therefore only God is to be worshiped. Daily we are to remind ourselves that we are not to be like Lucifer, lifting ourselves up in the Presence of God.

1 Peter 5:6-11 (KJV) Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

The devil our adversary like a roaring lion seeks whom he may devour. How does he devour? He invites us to be lifted up with pride as he was. He invites us to death, destruction, and hell with him and his fallen angels. Wise men do not heed him. Wise men fall down, and worship Him. These wise men were prepared to worship Jesus.

b Wise Men Receive Jesus As He Is. We read:

Matthew 2:11 (KJV) …. when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

As an act of worship these wise men presented three presents to Christ. These were treasures, things of great value. Too many people say “I am a Christian” but treasure themselves above Christ. These men were believers indeed for they gave something that cost them something to Christ. They didn’t give the least, but gave the most. They gave time. They gave of their lives. They gave not just a minimal amount in the offering plate, but presented unto Him gifts. And their gifts were so appropriate.

They gave Jesus gold. God is the gift of the King, and a gift suitable to God. The Ark of the Covenant was overlaid with gold. Solomon overlaid the Temple in Jerusalem with gold. The Heavenly City of God is pure gold, and the street of that city is pure gold (Revelation 21:18-21). Gold would certainly be a gift for Him Who is:

1 Timothy 6:15 …. the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

They gave Jesus frankincense. Frankincense is a white resin that is drawn from a tree by cutting the tree – afflicting it. The resin when burned provides a pleasant smell. It was used as an offering before God in the Old Testament.

Exodus 30:34-37 (KJV) 34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these SWEET SPICES WITH PURE FRANKINCENSE: of each shall there be a like weight: 35 And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: 36 And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.

Frankincense was forced from a tree, drawn out through a wound in its bark. Frankincense symbolized the Cross that Christ would some day bear for us all. He would be beaten for us. Wounded for our sins.

Colossians 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; [14] Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Jesus Christ died for us. Just as Frankincense was burned by the priest, Christ died for us. Just as Frankincense was burned as a cleansing and sweet smeall to God, the Bible says that

Hebrews 10:10-12 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. [11] And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: [12] But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

The wise men also gave Jesus myrrh. Myrrh is a product of Arabia, and was obtained from a tree in the same way that Frankincense was. Myrrh was used to embalm the dead. When Jesus was taken from the Cross, the Bible tells us in John 19:38-39 that Jesus was wrapped in cloth and about a hundred pounds of myrrh, and laid in a tomb. Myrrh was mixed in gall to stupefy those being crucified (see Mark 15:23; Matthew 27:34). Though offered to Christ He would not drink it. He suffered for us so that we do not have to suffer damnation.

He gave Himself for us.

Wise men – and women – still seek Jesus today. He is life. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is our Eternal Life. He is the greatest Person in all of history.

I pray that you know Him!

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Luke 2:6-20 (KJV) And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

I love this time of the year. Yes, it is over commercialized. Yes, a lot of people miss the fact that Jesus is the Reason for the Season. Yes, the stores are crowded. But I love Christmas. Christmas is a reminder to us all that God is not an impersonal God sitting in the heavens. God loves us. God cares for us. And God wants the best for us. God made us in His image and after His likeness. God is immense! The Apostle Paul said:

Acts 17:24-31 (ESV) The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. …. 28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’ …. “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

It’s ironic that God does not NEED us, but He WANTS us. God is all sufficient. He has everything He needs. Yet God WANTS us because He LOVES us. Yet sadly throughout this season we call CHRISTmas many people will have time for the parties, time for the presents and the meals and the family – but no room for God.

1 There Was No Room For Them In The Inn. We are told in

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Mary and Joseph made a 70 mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. I don’t know how she made the journey, but God must have been watching over them. Mary was, the Bible says, “Great with child”, and the Child that she carried was the Messiah – God Incarnate come to this earth.

This Baby is the most important Person Who will ever live on this planet. Yet few people know who this Baby is. When Mary and Joseph come to town that night the little town of Bethlehem was packed. The little tyrant who ruled Israel was called Herod, and Herod – a puppet king – did something he shouldn’t have done. He offended the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar. Caesar, in turn, demands a census and a tax on Herod’s people the Jews. Everyone must go to their home of birth, and for Mary and Joseph this is Bethlehem. Here their names must be recorded, and the name of their baby as well. When the Messiah came He was supposed to be of the line of David. What sign would show that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Savior of the world. When the Angel goes to announce His birth to the “shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night” what “sign” does the Angel tell them to look for? The Angel says:

Luke 2:12 And THIS SHALL BE A SIGN unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

““THIS” is the SIGN you shall look for. You’ll not look in the best hotel in town. You will not head to the Governor’s Mansion. You won’t even find Him in a Motel 6. No. You will find Him – the Savior of the world – lying in a manger.”

In our world today we have parking garages in the basements of hospitals, malls, and fancy stores. I have often had to visit Vanderbilt Hospital and park in it’s garages. I would not think of staying there – camping out – in that dark and dank place. In the ancient world many houses and places where people stayed had “parking garages” for their animals. This was a warm and comfortable place for the animals to be kept safe from theft or harm. The “manger” is not a place where you would normally find a baby. The “manger” is where animals rest and feed. Yet this is a perfect place for the Messiah.

His entire life there was “no room at the inn” for Him. Jesus was not received with fanfare. When the British Crown had a baby Americans talked about that child with wonder. When the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to her second child at St. Mary’s hospital in London it was on every news channel and reported in every paper. Yet when Christ was born He was born in a manger.

a Jesus Was Born To Die. He was born in a manger because of what His future held. Jesus was born to be:

John 1:29 Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Jesus came to this earth to give Himself for our sins. Throughout the Old Testament God taught two things to His people. He taught them that they were sinners in need of a Savior. And God taught them that they could not save themselves. To cover their sins, God’s Old Testament people brought a lamb or a goat without spot or blemish to the Temple. The people then laid their hands on that creature, acknowledging that they were sinners. Symbolically transferring their sins to the animal it was then killed, it’s blood collected, and the blood sprinkled on the people.

Salvation came by the shedding of blood. Yet no animal can bring about the salvation of a person. We are sinful creatures – humans created in the image of God. Christ was born to be the Savior, the Lamb of God Who takes away our sins. See Him. The Scripture says of Jesus that He was discounted from the very beginning.

Isaiah 53:2-9 (ESV2011) …. he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 ​He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 ​But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 ​All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Jesus Christ was born to die. The sacrifice of animals could not pay for the sins of man. Christ came to be our Savior. He was laid in that manger as the Lamb of God. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was born in that manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes by His precious mother Mary. 33 years later He would be wrapped in swaddling clothes once more.

John 19:30 (KJV) (Jesus said) It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

John 19:40-42 (KJV) Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid. 42 There laid they Jesus …

Jesus was born, bathed by His mother, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lay in a borrow cradle, a manger. When Jesus died He was taken from the Cross, bathed by His friends, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lay in a borrowed tomb. Why was this Man born? To save us from our sins. Why did this Man die? To save us from our sins. The Scripture tells us …

Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Hebrews 10:12, 17-18 But {Jesus}, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God. . . . AND THEIR SINS AND INIQUITIES WILL I REMEMBER NO MORE. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Praise be unto God for the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ our Lord!

b Jesus Was Born For All. If Jesus had been born in a palace or in a castle many would have thought He had not come for them. Jesus was born and lay in a manger. C.H. Spurgeon wrote:

“The manger and the cross standing at the two extremes of the Savior’s earthly life seem most fit and appropriate to each other. He is to wear through life the clothes of a peasant; He is to associate with fishermen; the meek are to be His disciples; the cold mountains are often to be His only bed; He is to say, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head;” nothing, therefore, could be more fitting than that in His time of humiliation, when He laid aside His glory, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, that He should be laid in a manger.”

Jesus would not be like that tyrant Herod or the monstrous Caesar. He was born in the lowest of places so that He could reach the lowest of people. The Angel told the shepherds that night:

Luke 2:10-11 Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

“Fear not”! Those of you in want and in pain need not be afraid. God is giving you the Greatest Gift He can give you. God is giving you HIMSELF. This is “good tidings of GREAT joy, which shall be to ALL the people”. Jesus was born for all to die for all. He is a Savior.

No one can save us but God. God tells us in:

Isaiah 43:11 (KJV) I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no Savior.

Hosea 13:4 (KJV) …. I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no Savior beside me.

Jesus Christ is God incarnate, God in the flesh. He saves His people from their sins. The Angel said “Unto YOU is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord”. Jesus gave Himself for you. He came to this earth for you. He lived for you. He died for you. He rose again for you.

2 Make Room For Jesus In The Inn Of Your Hearts. God made room for you in His heart – do you have room for Jesus in YOUR hearts? When the Angel finished announcing the birth of Christ we read:

Luke 2:13-15 (KJV) And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven …

The Christmas Cards and the Children’s Plays often portray the Angels singing at this point. They aren’t singing – they are PRAISING and SAYING. They are glorifying God for this wondrous gift. Do you realize that when Lucifer fell from Heaven and led a third of the angels in revolt against God, that their fate was sealed. The Bible tells us that:

Matthew 25:41 (KJV) …. everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Everlasting Fire is prepared for the devil and his angels. Hell is where fallen angels go. When Lucifer fell and recruited a third of the angels, God never reached out in love to save them. But Jesus was

Hebrews 2:9 (KJV) …. made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

God became man to die for man – but He did not do the same for the angels. When the angels saw this they glorified God, for they who have no second chance realize what a great gift this is that God offers us.

The Angels rejoiced over this miraculous manger. Yet after announcing the birth of Christ the Angels did not go door to door throughout Bethlehem and beyond spreading this good news. They told the Shepherds. Now it is up to them. Will they receive this wonderful gift or not? What will they do? We are told that:

Luke 2:15-16 (KJV) And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste …

Told of the sign of the manger the Shepherds – “who were keeping watch over their flock by night” – immediately dropped everything they were doing. They looked at one another. “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass which the Lord has made known unto us”. They don’t bother gathering up their sheep. They don’t herd their sheep back into a fenced area or into a manger. They came with haste. Everything else took second place, for seeing Jesus was first place.

They made room for Jesus in their hearts.

Luke 2:16-18 (KJV) And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

I was struck by the fact that the Shepherds went with haste, and when they saw the manger they went out and told others about the Child. Yet the world just wondered at those things that was told them. Here we see the two mindsets. Those who are saved will drop everything and run to the Christ. They want to see Him, to worship Him, to be with Him. The world, however, just wonders. Though the shepherds made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child the world just wondered. There is no indication that anyone else got out of their comfort zone that night.

They just wondered.

They did not act.

True saving faith acts. It hears of Christ, and goes to Christ. The things that occupied the heart before are put out of the heart, and room is made for Christ. The Shepherds made room for Christ. Those who make room for Christ will find themselves blessed of God. If you have made room for Christ, God has made room for you. Your sins are paid for. Your eternity is sure.

The world wondered.

Mary pondered.

But the Shepherds celebrated.

Luke 2:19-20 (KJV)19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Charles Stanley wrote:

“Imagine the wonder of the shepherds when an angel of the Lord spoke to them, followed by multitudes of the Heavenly host filling the night sky with otherworldly light and music. … Yet the most life changing experience they had that night was meeting the Messiah face to face. It moved their hearts to worship. …. Likewise when you encounter Jesus and see Him for who He is, the realization of His love and glory will fill your heart with thanksgiving and make you want to know Him better.”

Make room in your hearts for Jesus this Christmas. Come to where He is. He is available for you. He loves you. Receive Him as Lord and Savior this day, and every day will be blessed.

May God touch your hearts with his Word.

“Mary Did You Know”

by Mark Lowry (lyrics) & Buddy Greene (melody)

Mary, did you know – that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know – that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know – that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?

This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know – that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know – that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?

Did you know – that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?

When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

The blind will see. The deaf will hear.

The dead will live again. The lame will leap.

The dumb will speak The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know – your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know – your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?

Did you know – your Baby Boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?

The sleeping Child you’re holding is the Great, I Am.

Luke 1:35-55 (KJV) And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. 39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; 40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. 46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 54 He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

We live in a strange but lost world. On hearing of the recent San Bernardino, California terrorist attack that took 14 lives and wounded 20 one of our Senators said:

“Our prayers are with the victims, their families, and the first responders in San Bernardino who willingly go into harm’s way to save others.”

Under a front page banner that read GOD ISN’T FIXING THIS the New York Daily News wrote:

“Prayers aren’t working. … after yet another mass shooting in America, GOP Presidential contenders were conspicuously silent on the issue of gun control. Instead the Republicans were preaching about prayer.”

How sad that is, and foolish. The problem facing our country today isn’t guns. It is people whose hearts are mired in sin. It is people who aren’t praying, who think that yet another human solution will correct the blackness of the lost human soul. The headlines of the newspapers shouldn’t be “GOD ISN’T FIXING THIS”, but instead may I suggest the headlines should read:

“WE CONTINUE TO REJECT THE LORD,
AND REAP WHAT WE HAVE SOWN”

The Bible tells us that “the human heart is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? I the Lord search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards according to what their actions deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:10 NLT)

As we come into the holiday season we call “Christmas” our misguided leaders continue to reject the Solution to our national problems. People need the Lord. They need Jesus.

In our text today Mary was told of two miraculous births – one was hers, the other birth was with her aged cousin Elisabeth. Mary was a virgin, engaged to a carpenter named Joseph. They had not yet finalized their marriage, but the Angel Gabriel came to her with some startling news.

You might be a virgin, Mary, but you’re also a mom!

The Arch-Angel Gabriel told her:

Luke 1:35 (KJV) … The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

The Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit was going to come to Mary and create in her the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Perfect God was going to come to an imperfect world. “That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called The Son of God”. Notice the King James Translators use “that holy thing”. The Greek here is an ADJECTIVE ἅγιος hagios (hag’-ee-os) which means “holy, sacred, set apart”. This isn’t a NOUN but an ADJECTIVE. The Angel told Mary:

Holy Shall Be Born Of You

This God coming into Humanity is not called a Holy THING – but HOLY. Holy God would become Sinless Man. God would do something utterly unexpected. Man could not fix himself, so God became Holy Man to be the means to fix us all. Poet George MacDonald wrote:

They all were looking for a king

To slay their foes and lift them high:

Thou cam’st, a little baby thing

That made a woman cry.

…

My how or when Thou wilt not heed,

But come down Thine own secret stair,

That Thou mayst answer all my need –

Yes, every bygone prayer.

1 Holy Shall Be Born Of Mary, And His Herald Shall Be Born Of Elisabeth. After telling Mary that the Son of God was coming into humanity through her, Gabriel went on to say that …

Luke 1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

God was going to perform two miraculous births so that man could be born again, which is in itself a supernatural birth. God can fix things. He can change man. But we must submit. As Mary said “Behold the handmaid of the Lord” we must SURRENDER to God to be fixed!

For years mankind had searched to become better, but year after year became worst. Our Associational Missionary Dale Ledbetter recently remarked on the destitute state of our nation, that America has “lost its moral compass”. I agree, it has. When our Senators mock God in the press and blame Him for the quicksand we have put ourselves into then we have fallen far indeed. Yet as Brother Dale said, Christ was born into the same type of world, a world with a broken moral compass.

There is no king in America today, for we as a nation have rejected God our King. There was no king in Rome yesterday, for they as a nation rejected God our King. Every man does what is right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6) then blames God for what we have done.

We need the Holy.

We need the Christ Child!

Mary told the Angel “I am the handmaiden of the Lord – I am willing”. She was available to God. The Angel left and Mary did as any of us would have done. The Angel told her that Elisabeth was in her old age having a child – that she was already 6 months into that pregnancy. So Mary went to see her cousin. Mary wanted to see this miracle child, and share the miracle that she now carried inside.

a Faith Never Sits Still And Vegetates. Faith MOVES! When the Angel Gabriel departed what happened? We read:

Luke 1:39 (KJV) And Mary AROSE in those days, and WENT INTO THE HILL country WITH HASTE, into a city of Juda;

Mary heard a beautiful thing. She heard that Elisabeth was having a child, a forerunner to the Savior within her. She didn’t wait until she started showing in her first trimester. She got up. She took a difficult journey. She wasn’t headed to the flatlands, but to the HILL country. Faith goes where God sends. Faith moves to the mountains, it doesn’t sit on it’s duff and wait for the mountain to move.

Faith stirs.
Faith stretches.
Faith strains.

She went by herself WITH HASTE. She didn’t wait for someone else to get up a crew to go see Elisabeth. She got up and went. Some people say they have faith, but barely come to Church. Some people say they have faith but live as if they are Atheists, as if God is not watching their every action. God hears what you say. James tells us:

James 2:17-24 (KJV) Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

The DEVILS have more faith than many today who PROFESS that they are Christian. If you are CHRISTian then CHRIST is in you. You love. You love God. You love others. You move when God says. Mary went with haste.

b Faith Is Not Asleep In The Pew Or in The Pulpit. Faith WORSHIPS The Lord! The Bible tells us that Mary ….

Luke 1:40-43 (KJV) … entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Jesus Christ could not have been more than a few days conceived at this point. The Holy Ghost overshadowed Mary, and her virgin egg was growing into the Son of God. How big is a baby at this point? How big the fetus? Tiny. The size of a period at the end of a sentence. The fertilized egg begins to divide into groups of cells. There are no distinguishing features to that future child as of yet. The fetal size is not measurable by our standards until after the fourth week of pregnancy. Mary walks into Elisabeth’s home, and as soon as she says “Hello” tiny John the Baptist – six months old still in his mother’s womb – leaps! Elisabeth is filled with the Holy Ghost – the Spirit of God overflows her life. And immediately Elisabeth begins to worship God. How does she worship the Lord?

She starts by showing LOVE to Mary.

Mary is nervous, perhaps a little uncertain. When God came to Moses and told him that he was going to lead Israel out of Egypt, Moses showed his nervousness by making excuses. He was, after all, 80 years old and returning to a Palace that was hostile to him. Mary, I’m sure, was nervous. Virgin pregnancy? If the wrong person heard this she could easily have been brought before the Priests of Israel and stoned to death for alleged adultery (see Leviticus 20:10). She was not in the wrong, but who would believe her? As she entered the home Elisabeth – filled with the Spirit of God – cries out “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” Elisabeth is not worshiping Mary – she is encouraging Mary in her call. We are to encourage one another in our calls. Then Elisabeth says “Why should the mother of my Lord come to me?”.

Elisabeth LOWERS herself. You cannot worship God in a proud and uplifted way. True worship is humble. The worshiper lowers themselves before God. So often today people come to Church, sit down, stick their nose up in the air and wait expectantly, thinking “What’s in it for me?”

The world often revolves around the American and the American Christian – or so we think. Elisabeth humbled herself, and worshiped the Lord her Maker! Elisabeth went on to say:

Luke 1:44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

Even little John the Baptist worshiped when Jesus – still just a few cells in His earth Mother’s belly – came into the room. If a BABY can worship while still in its mother’s womb, then when Christians come together we ought to have a CELEBRATION. Elisabeth confirmed Mary’s call. Notice particularly her words of Mary:

Blessed is she that believed!

How did Elisabeth know that Mary believed? Because Mary moved. She went with haste. She didn’t sit on her faith but rode her faith toward her Lord!

2 Mary’s Song Of Praise Grew Out Of Mary’s Faith. This portion of Scripture is often called “Mary’s Song” or “The Magnificat” (Which means “My Soul Magnifies”). The books The History and Use of Hymns and Hymn Tunes David R. Breed, 2009 & Favorite Hymns Marjorie Reeves, 2006 states that the following Scriptures were one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns. I do not know if Mary was singing as she made her statement – but her heart was filled with joy! She said:

Luke 1:46-47 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

Illustrate The country music singer & song writer Travis Tritt in an interview revealed a little known secret from his early years. When he was first starting out he had to play his music in road houses and other “undesirable” areas. Once when a brawl broke out and the fights started raging Travis said:

“Just when [things] started getting out of hand, when bikers were reaching for their pool cues and rednecks were heading for the gun rack, I’d start playing ‘Silent Night.’ It could be the middle of July; I didn’t care.”

At that point the fights would stop. Travis said “”Sometimes they’d even start crying, standing there watching me sweat and play Christmas carols.”

The reason this worked is because Silent Night speaks of the Christ, that great Love that God has shown to us. After Mary heard Elisabeth and considered what God was doing through her she didn’t BRAG, she WORSHIPED and PRAISED the Lord!

a Mary Praised God With All She Had. Mary was raised in a poor but God fearing home. She didn’t have much to give God, but she gave God what she had.

She gave herself.

Mary honored the Lord with her BODY. Our text says “And MARY SAID”. You ARE what you DO. A lot of people SAY they are Christian, but their actions do not back up their words. MARY SAID. She spoke her faith. She was NOT ASHAMED. When God blesses you, you are NOT ASHAMED of what He has given.

Adam and Eve were NAKED in the Garden of Eden,
and were NOT ASHAMED (Genesis 2:25)

King David was NOT ASHAMED of God’s statutes and laws (Psalm 119:80)

The Apostle Paul was NOT ASHAMED of the Gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16)

The Christian is NOT ASHAMED to proclaim Christ and His Word

Jesus declared Mark 8:38 (KJV) Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Mary was not ashamed of what God was doing in her. She praised God! She said:

Luke 1:46-47 … My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

Body, soul, and spirit she praised the Lord. Mary magnified God, but did not magnify HERSELF. The essence of true Christianity is HUMILITY OF SPIRIT. Mary said:

Luke 1:48-49 For {God} hath regarded the LOW estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

God was glorified in Mary’s words. She took no credit to herself – she was the MOON to God the SUN. She reflected HIS glory, and took no credit to herself. She was blessed because GOD BLESSED HER. She was not better than anyone else. She was available, and God her Benefactor.

Has not God done the same thing to us who are Christians? We do not deserve to be called “Children of the Most High”. We deserve nothing. But because of Jesus, because God became man, then Man could through Christ become a son of God.

Hebrews 2:9-13 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

We did not deserve that Child of Mary’s. We do not deserve the life that God gave for us. But because He came through the Virgin, because He was born to die, because He gave Himself for us … because of Him God is not ashamed of us.

b God Gives Himself To The Humble, Not The Proud. We read:

Luke 1:50-55 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 54 He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

If I were to summarize the last part of this song it would be thus:

God blesses only those who HUMBLE themselves before Him.

Jesus came for whosoever will humble themselves to Him and His Gospel. He “scatters the proud” and “puts down the mighty”. Those who self sufficient, “rich in themselves” God “sends away empty”. But those who humbly follow Him will be blessed.

A husband wanted to give his wife the perfect gift for Christmas, so he bought her the finest diamond ring he could afford. He knew she would guess what the gift was if he just wrapped the jewelry box and put it under the tree, so he put her gift inside a box of cereal and wrapped it up. The Monday before Christmas while her husband was at work she picked up the box that held her gift. Shaking it she heard what sounded like cereal. Quickly tearing the box open she saw “Kellogg’s Corn Flakes” and she went livid. She took it outside, tossed it in the trash, and went inside fuming and thinking what she was going to tell her husband when he got home. Outside she heard the sound of the garbage truck making it’s pickup.

She had no idea what she had done.

Pride has robbed many from the glorious gift of the Christ Child. Mary humbly followed God and was blessed with His mercy and grace. This is the message of Christmas. His story is Christmas. Receive Him and believe Him. Glorify Him with all that God has given you.

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Preached at Riverview Baptist, 798 Santa Fe Pike, Columbia, TN 38401 Sunday morning 8:30 & 11 AM. All are invited – come as you are!

Mark 7:14-23 (KJV)14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. 16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. 17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. 18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; 19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

1 Who Is The Real You? Are YOU Your Body – Or Are YOU Something Else? We just came from a wonderful time of Thanksgiving where we gathered with our families, stuffed our bellies – and moaned. Don’t worry, I’m not going to preach a sermon on the sin of gluttony today.

Gluttony is a sin, by the way. But the word “glutton” or “gluttons” is only in the Bible six times (see Deuteronomy 21:20; Proverbs 23:21; Proverbs 28:7; Titus 1:12 & Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34) – the latter two of those times were when the Pharisees accused Jesus of being “a glutton”. The word “gluttony” is not in the Bible at all!

Furthermore “gluttony” and “being fat” are not the same thing. Some of the thinnest people I know are gluttonous. You don’t have to be a glutton to be fat! Your body produces fat when you do not burn the energy of all the food you have consumed. You can eat normal portions of food, not be as active as you could be, and gain weight. Your metabolism could be low, and you would be fat. Of course, if you’re laying around eating and not working at all that gets to another sin called “sloth” or “laziness”.

Being FAT, By The Way, Is Not A Sin Unless You Are Fat Because Of Gluttony. The Bible promises us that:

Isaiah 58:10-11 (KJV)10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul … the LORD SHALL GUIDE THEE CONTINUALLY … AND MAKE FAT THY BONES…

Proverbs 28:25 (KJV) He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD SHALL BE MADE FAT.

Psalms 92:13-14 (KJV) Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; THEY SHALL BE FAT AND FLOURISHING;

Who is the real you? The real you is NOT what I or others see. The real YOU is the soul inside of what I see.

When the Bible says “You are made in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27) it was not talking about your body. Your body is separate from your soul. When you hit your finger YOU go ouch because that which is YOU is attached to your body. But your BODY is not YOU. Your SOUL is YOU. The Bible says that when man was made:

Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL

God formed man with His hands, and breathed into us life. Man was made to be the “offspring of God” (Acts 17:26-29). When you believe on Him, God the Son remakes us with His nail scarred hands, and breathes into every one of His Faith Children His Holy Spirit. When our bodies die WE DO NOT DIE. The Bible tells us that:

Ecclesiastes 12:7 …. the dust {our bodies} returns to the earth as it was, and THE SPIRIT {OUR SOULS} RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.

We are – the Bible says – “body, soul, and spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:33). God is “Father, Son, and Spirit” and “these three are One”. We do not see Father or Spirit. The Son is the Manifest Member of the Godhead. God is a Trinity – we are a Trinity. We are in His image. We are Outwardly Body, but Inwardly Soul and Spirit. We are in His image.

God is “the father of spirits” (Hebrews 12:9). It is God Who:

Zechariah 12:1 (KJV) 1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and FORMETH THE SPIRIT OF MAN WITHIN HIM.

When the body loses it’s ability to sustain physical life it ceases functioning – but the spirit of man – the soul – does not cease to be. Physical death is but a “putting aside of our earthly dwelling” (2 Peter 1:13-14). But your Soul, the real You, will return to the Lord.

2 It Is God Who Made Us, And We Are His. He made us to be His Vessels, To Live In His Presence. He calls all who will come to Him. He made us to be indwelt with Him, to walk with Him, to be blessed by Him. But He made us with Free Will. We read:

Mark 7:14 And when {Jesus} had CALLED ALL THE PEOPLE UNTO HIM, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

Jesus called ALL the people to Him. Not everybody came, but He called them ALL. There was no one that Jesus excluded. Jesus calls all, but we choose to come or not.

• He called first the Fishermen Peter and Andrew. “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men”. They had a choice. They could come, or not come. None were compelled.
• He called Tax Collectors. Matthew could come or no. “Follow Me”. He had a choice.
• He called Zealots, people of a political party that wanted Rome overthrown. Judas Iscariot was not forced to follow, but he chose to do so – for a while, at least.
• He called angry young men, James & John the sons of Thunder. They were called to stop their bickering and come.
• He called prostitutes and publicans. Mary Magdalene and Zacchaeus were called.

He called then told everyone a terrible truth. I have had people ask me “Why does God allow evil people in the world?” Usually this statement is made after something horrible happens. ISIS or ISIL attacks and kills. Someone molests a child, or is involved in human trafficking. A murder is committed. “Why does God allow evil in the world?” The answer is the same every time, but few want to hear it. Jesus called all the people to them and said:

Mark 7:15 (KJV) There is NOTHING from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but THE THINGS WHICH COME OUT OF HIM, THOSE ARE THEY THAT DEFILE THE MAN. 16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

What causes evil in the world? What defiles a person? Is it something exterior. Is evil something we can blame on the fallen angels, or on nature itself? Jesus said “it is NOT that which is without that defiles us, but THE THINGS THAT COME FROM INSIDE US THAT DEFILES US.” Evil comes from within. It comes from inside of every person.

Mark 7:17 (KJV) And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

Jesus called all the people to Him and told all the truth. Sadly, few understood. Later on when they got into the house and the crowd was gone the disciples were burning with questions. “What did you mean by that statement Jesus? Explain that to us.” Jesus told them:

Mark 7:18-19 (KJV) And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; 19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

It is not that which comes from WITHOUT that defiles us. The word “defile” is the Greek κοινόω koinoo (koy-noh’-o) which means “to make (or consider) profane (ceremonially), to pollute or make unclean”. The source of evil is not physical stuff interacting with your physical body.

Medical doctors say the pork is bad for you. I was amused as I read of Susannah Mushatt Jones of Brooklyn, New York. She is now 116 years old and currently the world’s oldest person. When asked “What is your secret to long life? She says “bacon!”. A sign hanging in her kitchen declares “Bacon makes everything better.” According to her niece, “she’ll eat bacon all day long.”

Now is bacon necessarily good for your body? No. But Jesus says “bacon – nor anything you put in your mouth – makes you unacceptable or defiled before God”. What you eat fuels your body, and you can eat some pretty bad fuel. But what you eat does not effect your soul, the real you.

Mark 7:20-23 (KJV) And he said, THAT WHICH COMETH OUT OF THE MAN, THAT DEFILETH THE MAN. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

“That which comes out of a person, that defiles the person”. Sin is not something OUTWARD that works INWARD to defile. Where does sin start? In the heart. Every person carries a terrible thing inside from the moment of birth. When the Scripture says:

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

It means that God made us to walk with Him, to bask in His glory. But we all have a problem, for sin is resident in us.

3 God Made Us To Be His Vessels, To Be Filled With His Glory And Not With Our Own. The Pharisees did not see this, nor did they understand it. The self righteous rarely understand the true things of God. They thought that sin came from without, and defilement was from without.

Mark 7:1-2 (KJV) Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. 2 And when they saw some of his disciples EAT BREAD WITH DEFILED, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

They thought what defiled came from the outside inward. “Look at those disciples of Christ. Don’t they know that to eat with unwashed hands is to become unclean before God?” But Jesus said “No, that’s not where sin comes from”.

Sin comes from within. It comes from the unwashed HEART not the unwashed HAND. It comes from the heart not yielded to the Word of God in Christ.

The Pharisees would not hear the Word of Christ. They directly confronted the Savior, saying:

Mark 7:5 (KJV) Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

“The Elders” (Your Betters, Jesus) made a tradition that to eat with unwashed hands defiles you. Why aren’t You heeding this tradition? But Jesus did not back down. Quoting Isaiah 29:13 Jesus said:

Mark 7:6-9 (KJV)… Well hath Isaiah prophesied of YOU HYPOCRITES, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Turning away from God and what His Word said the self righteous developed religious things that everyone was to do, traditions that, if not done, they condemned others. Yet they rejected the Commandments of God.

The Ten Commandments were given to establish a basic rule of righteousness. I believe that the Ten Commandments ought to be posted in every public place throughout America and every nation. The Pharisees – like many children do today – routinely broke the Fifth Commandment “Honor Your Father and Mother”.

As their parents grew older and needed financial help the Pharisees – who outwardly were religious but inwardly lost – looked for a way not to spend their funds on their widowed mothers or infirm fathers. They created a tradition called “Corban!”. That word “Corban!” means “dedicated to God”. Jesus said:

Mark 7:10-13 (KJV) …. Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

When someone asked the Pharisee “Why aren’t you taking care of your elderly parents” they would say “Corban! My money is earmarked for God’s Temple”. In so saying they excused themselves from loving their aging parents as God called them to love. How did they come up with this scheme? Because “the heart is desperately wicked – Who can know it?” Evil comes from within, not without. We are all capable of sinking to the lowest place possible if we stand in this life apart from God.

People need the Lord. We don’t need more tradition – we need more JESUS! We all need the Lord. Apart from the Lord we can and will do the worst of things!

4 We Cannot Fix Ourselves. We Cannot Wash Nor Purify Our Souls. But God Can, And Jesus Will. Jesus can change the water in the well. He can fix the human heart.

As Jesus spoke to His disciples He held nothing back. Look at those words once more.

Mark 7:21-23 (KJV) For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

From WITHIN, OUT of the HEART OF MANKIND. All are fallen creatures. No self help program will fix us. What is inside of every person, no matter who they are? Jesus lists thirteen things that separate us from God. The first He speaks of is “evil thoughts”. Is there ANYONE in here who has not had evil thoughts? We all have had them.

People make light of THOUGHT but much of action. “Well, you can think it, but as long as you don’t DO it you’re ok”. No, that’s not true. When you think evil thoughts, and dwell on the wrong thing long enough, it is not long before you are doing it. If you stoke the black flames of the heart, dwelling on and thinking of the wrong thing, inappropriate thought turns to godless action.

Jesus said:

Matthew 5:28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Jesus said “out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications”. It starts on the inside. The beautiful woman dresses in an immodest manner and goes to an inappropriate place. The wayward man looks on her, thinks on her, approaches her while hiding his wedding ring. Here is adultery. Here is a father doing what he ought not to do. A family is destroyed. An abortion is considered, and perhaps done. Why? Because out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders. I was listening to a comedian the other day who said:

“Guns don’t kill people. Husbands who come home early kill people.”

and everyone laughed at that which is profane. Why? Because the unregenerate heart, the lost heart, the heart without God is capable of the most atrocious things.

Mark 7:20-23 (KJV) And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Please note that the first seven things in this text are PLURAL not SINGULAR. What Jesus literally said was “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness,”

These evil things come from within and defile the man. What hope do we have? What self help program do we have? Listen Beloved – what is down in the well comes up in the bucket, and if the water is foul in the well it will be foul in the bucket.

This is why God gave Himself for us. Messiah came from Heaven to earth to show what is in our hearts. “There is no room in the inn – but you can have your baby Mary in the stable”. God our Messiah was born in a manger. His midwife was shepherds called from the fields. Heaven held its breath and watched as God became man, but man did not know. The politicians feared Him. Herod killed all the babies in Bethlehem, trying to stop His entrance. Growing up in Nazareth none suspected Who He was. When John the Baptist said (John 1:29)

“Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world”

No one understood. When Jesus walked and talked on this earth foretelling of His death, none understood. When He stood before Pilate and was asked “Why are You here” and Jesus replied:

John 18:37 (KJV) …. Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

What is the truth that Jesus witnessed to? See an innocent Man hanging on that Tree of Calvary. Why is He there? Because of the human heart. Because mankind is fallen, enslaved to sin. Why was Christ nailed to that Tree between two thieves? Because we have all sinned. We are the source of evil. Out of man’s heart evil comes. Our Hideous Discovery is that we were made to walk with God, we were made to be vessels of His glory, but Adam fell and we too are fallen. But God was not satisfied with that fall.

Romans 5:8-11 (KJV) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Many years ago nearly every home had some unique source of water. I talked with a man who had a cistern, an underground storage area for water. When it rained, water ran down into the cistern. Periodically, the man told me, he had to climb down into the cistern to clean it, getting mold and critters out of it. Jesus climbed down into the cistern of death for us. He Jesus died for us. He saved the unsavable. He gave to the ungivable. Sinners all, He died for us. He did not remodel us, but came to REGENERATE us, to make us born again. Once saved, Jesus through His Spirit operates in our hearts, leading us into paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. We are told:

1 Peter 3:18 (KJV) For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (KJV) … 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 Grand Theme of Scripture is that Jesus Christ gave Himself for “Whosoever will”. Will you not give your hearts to Him today? Let Him take the defiled, and take up residence in that soulish room. He will cleanse it. He will cleanse you. He will remake you, and bring you from lost to found, from churl to child of God, from a vessel of dishonor to a vessel that glorifies God in Christ.

Will you come? May God’s Holy Spirit lead you to Him today!