Turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 112.
Psalm 112:1-10 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. 2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. 4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 5 A good man sheweth favor, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. 6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. 9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honor. 10 The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
I was in Ollie’s – a local discount store – with a 15% off coupon. I love coupons! What was great about this coupon is that it was for the entire sale – whatever I had in the shopping cart. Boy, do I love free. I stopped by the “Books” section to check out the Bibles and Bible study books when I saw a book on Psalm 112 written by an “Apostle”. Anytime someone takes the title “Apostle” to themselves, I’m immediately suspicious. The Apostles were appointed by Jesus, and were eyewitnesses of His earthly ministry. The Apostle Paul notes in:
Ephesians 4:11-13 And {Jesus} gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith
The Apostles and Prophets were appointed by God, along with the Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. Some say that this verse teaches there are Apostles today. That would be true if you read no other Scripture. Though there are Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers today, the Bible goes on to say in that same Book of Ephesians:Ephesians 2:19-20 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
The Apostles and Prophets were the FOUNDATION of the Church, and Jesus Christ is the Chief Corner Stone. When Paul was writing Ephesians (as an Apostle appointed by Jesus. See 1 Corinthians 15:8-11; Galatians 1:17, 19; Acts 9:15-16) there were still Apostles who were alive, and writing Scripture as God led them to do. The last living Apostle was John the Revelator, who wrote the Gospel of John, 1-3 John, and Revelation. The Office of Apostle closed with the death of John. God did set some in the Church Apostles and Prophets (1 Corinthians 12:28), but they were the foundation of the body. The Apostles saw Christ (1 Corinthians 9:1), and had the power to perform signs and wonders (Acts 2:43; 2 Corinthians 12:12). As one commentary notes,
“The responsibility of the twelve apostles, laying the foundation of the church, would also argue for their uniqueness. Two thousand years later, we are not still working on the foundation. … There are some today who are seeking to restore the position of apostle. This is a dangerous movement. Frequently, those claiming the office of apostle seek authority equal to, or at least rivaling, the authority of the original twelve apostles. There is absolutely no biblical evidence to support such an understanding of the role of apostle today. This would fit with the New Testament’s warning against false apostles (2 Corinthians 11:13)”
Our foundation is the Scripture, what the Bible says. Why did I take the time to explain to you the Office of Apostle? Because there are people out there who will twist the Scripture for personal wealth and gain. There are no Apostles today – but God DOES want you to be prosperous.
Psalm 112 IS about achieving PROSPERITY, but it is not about having great health nor large amounts of money in the bank. It speaks to a different type of prosperity. Psalm 112 Focuses On SPIRITUAL Prosperity As Opposed To SPIRITUAL BankruptcyPsalm 112:1 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.Psalm 112:10 The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
The “wicked” find their blessings in the things of this world. This is the Hebrew rāšāʿ {pronounced raw-shaw'} which means “the ungodly, the one guilty of sin, the morally wrong (as judged by God)”. Righteous Abraham called the Sodomites “rāšāʿ” (Genesis 18:23). Those who disrespect life and murder others are “rāšāʿ” (Numbers 35:31). We are told in:
Job 18:5 Yea, the light of the wicked {rāšāʿ} shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.To be “wicked” is not to be just immoral, but to approach life without God in view!
We are told in Solomon’s writings:
Proverbs 21:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked {rāšāʿ}, is sin.
When I think of WICKEDNESS, or UNGODLINESS, I do not think about tilling your garden. But God says that very act of tilling the garden for the godless is sinful. The Psalmist said:
Psalm 10:4 the wicked {rāšāʿ}, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
To violate the Ten Commandments is wicked. But to live your life without a thought to God is also wicked. Our Lord Jesus spoke the parable of the wealthy farmer in:
Luke 12:15-21 And {Jesus} said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
The rich farmer had a good season, and made so many crops that they were overflowing. So what did he do with his crops? Did he give the excess to the poor? He ponders. Did he give the excess to God – along with his praise for the great bounty? No! He asks himself, “What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?”. Why, since God is not in all his thoughts, and he has too much to store, he decides:
I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods
Many people say “But what’s wrong with that?” What is wrong is that he has cut out from his life anything to do with God. God made him. God gave him life. God gave him the good seasons that allowed him to have a record bumper crop. Yet he has no thought of God. He has no thought of those less fortunate. His universe is himself.
Then God says, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee”. That word “fool” is used in the Scripture for the unbeliever, such as in:
Psalm 14:1 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.
Those who cut God out of their thoughts are fools. They may have great physical prosperity. They may be:
Beautiful
Rich
Powerful
Famous
But without God they are spiritually bankrupt. Eventually well known stars Elvis Presley, Prince, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Whitney Houston, Steve Jobs, George H.W. Bush, Tom Petty, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Rivers, John McCain, Muhammad Ali … I could go on and on. Eventually you must meet your Maker and your God.
Will you be spiritually prosperous when you meet the Lord? Or will He be a Stranger Who says, “Depart from Me, I never knew you”? (Matthew 7:23)Psalm 112:1 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
Here is the way to true prosperity. “Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord”. What does it mean to “fear the Lord”? The Psalmist tells you. It is to “delight greatly in His commandments”. To love the Word of God. The wicked care nothing at all for God’s Word, for His Bible. But the one who is blessed knows that God’s Word is a treasury. There are great things in this wonderful old Book. The truths taught in this Book are not only the foundation of the Church (as we’ve previously noted), but they are the foundation for living the good life.
So many people think that vast riches and power are the ways to a good life. If that were true, then we wouldn’t see celebrities killing themselves. Marilyn Monroe, Charles Boyer, Kurt Cobain, Robin Williams, Ernest Hemmingway, Brian Keith, are just a few of those who thought the good life could be found outside of God. There is no good life outside of God. When we depart from God’s Word and ignore His commandments, it’s like trying to use a lawn mower in water! It just doesn’t work! Life doesn’t work without God!
When you “delight greatly in God’s commandments”, His Word to you, then God assures you that your legacy will endure. We read:
Psalm 112:2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
When you love the Word of God and teach your children to cherish the Word of God, they will be better equipped to live successful lives on this earth. Jesus loved the children. When the disciples tried to keep the parents from bring the children to Him, He rebuked them, and said:
Matthew 19:14-15 … (ESV) “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them …
Before God sent Israel into the Promised Land, He told them:
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 (ESV) … “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children…
If you love God’s Word, and teach it to your children, your children will grow up to be successful and productive citizens in the Kingdom of God and in the nations of man.
Psalm 112:3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
The “Name it and Claim it Prosperity Preachers” will tell you that this verse is proof that God wants all Christians to be physically wealthy. That’s not true. The Apostle Paul said of himself and the other Apostles:
2 Corinthians 6:4-10 (ESV) … as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
A “servant of God” is often going to be at odds with this world. Jesus warned us that “the world will HATE YOU, because it HATED ME” (John 15:18). If you are serving God, do not expect the world to cheer you on. If you are serving God, do not expect great wealth or fame. Yes, there are people like Adrian Rogers, Billy Graham, Charles Stanley, and others who are famous and well known. But I’ll guarantee you these same men went through hell on earth and the attacks of others.
What do all Christians have that no one else has? Look at the phrase:
his righteousness endureth for everWhen you believed on Christ as Lord and Savior, God imputed His righteousness to your spiritual bank. We are born with NO RIGHTEOUSNESS of our own. The Bible is quite clear 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.Romans 3:23 … all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus corrected our ideas concerning holiness. He said “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). He said “except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Holy Cow! The Pharisees were outwardly SUPER-righteous. They prayed at the right times, they were flawless in dress and decor, they tithed regularly, and were ALWAYS in Church. How can we – how can I hope to be BETTER than a Pharisee? How can we hope to be as perfect as God our Father?
It is only through Christ that we can achieve this excellence. Jesus Christ took OUR SIN on Himself, and paid the penalty of sin for us. The Scripture says:
Romans 5:9 (ESV) … Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
We who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are under the Blood of Christ. Jesus took our penalty, so we can take His righteousness. One of my favorite passages is in:
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 … 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.
God has credited the righteousness of Christ to YOU, to your spiritual bank account. “his righteousness endureth for ever”. The salvation we have in Christ saves us, and keeps on saving us. This is the message the Apostle gave us:
Romans 3:21-25, 28 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 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; … 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
The Christian stands right and righteous before God because of Christ. We have “riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
Saved By Faith, The Righteous Walk With God
Those who are saved by faith in Christ are changed, from inside out. We become very much the “Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26). The Holy Spirit enters our lives in a very real way. Jesus sends the Spirit to His Children.
John 14:16-17 … I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
The Spirit Filled Christian does not walk in darkness, but in the light of God. “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (1 John 1:6).
Psalm 112:4-5 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 5 A good man sheweth favor, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.
Those who are God’s Children walk in the light of Christ no matter how dark the day. God’s Children are grace oriented – the saved are to treat others graciously. They are “full of compassion” for others, but they do not compromise the commands of God. God’s people are not stingy with compassion or sharing. They are imitators of Christ. Jesus was always careful to be “about His Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). Those who are Christ’s “guide {their} affairs with discretion”. Those who are saved by Grace are “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). We represent not ourselves, but our Lord. We are stewards of the life He has given us.
Psalm 112:6-7 Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.
The saved are “OVERCOMERS”. We cling to God. We have no choice! Yes, doubts may come. Yes, we are frail. But those who are saved are bound to God. When John the Revelator wrote to the Churches, he repeatedly said:
1 John 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?Revelation 2:7 … To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.Revelation 2:11 … He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
We do not overcome in our power, but in HIS. Jesus said, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels”. I don’t know about you, but I have no choice but to cling to my Jesus! My heart is fixed. I’m going to trust in God, for this is where my riches are.
Psalm 16:5; Psalm 73:26 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup … My flesh and my heart faileth: but GOD is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever!
What a joy it is to be in Jesus! Let’s finish with these words:
Psalm 112:8-9 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. 9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honor.
The believer in Christ is to make a difference where he or she is. Are you Christ’s? Then live for Him. Shine where you are. Let God be a part of your daily walk. If you consider yourself saved, but never consider the desires of God unless you are in Church or in pain – then perhaps you are NOT saved. Beloved, know that Christ died for you. Give your lives unto Him, believing Him to be both Lord and Savior. “Whosoever calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). Amen and Amen!
Luke 9:57-62 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
No one has ever been as misunderstood as the Lord Jesus is. One of the reasons Jesus is misunderstood is because Satan is battling against His Kingdom message. I was thinking about wars and thought, “What war has cost the greatest number of American lives?” It wasn’t World War I, the war to “end all wars”, or World War II. The war that caused the greatest number of deaths in America was the American Civil War. This war cost us 620,000 soldier’s lives, whereas World War II cost 405,399 military deaths. Those are horrible wars, and tragic deaths.
There is another war waging, a war between the Kingdom of God and the darkness of Satan. This is a war for the minds of people. The darkness redefines words, changes meaning, and does whatever it can do to confuse and enslave us to sin. Five black police officers recently were charged with murder, assault, kidnapping, official misconduct, and oppression in Memphis, beating a black man named Tyre Nichols to death. The officers knew they were wearing body cams, and knew they were being recorded. This is not the first time this has happened. Over and over we see more and more disregard for life – even among the police. The answer is not to defund the police. The answer is not “Pride Month”, or some special program by the Federal Government.
We need to get back to God. We need to get back to what is important. God is the Author of Life. And God establishes what is GOOD and EVIL.
The government can tell you what is “legal” and “illegal”, but the government does not establish good and evil. God does.
Why Did Jesus Come?
Why did God the Father send God the Son to this earth? Did Jesus come to erase the Law of God – that which God has said is good and evil? No, He didn’t. Jesus said:
Matthew 5:17 (ESV) Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
The “Law” and the “Prophets” is what the Jews called the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, God prophesied that the Messiah would come and lead His people to a right way of life. God called this a “New Covenant”. God said,
Hebrews 8:8 … Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah …10 I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people …
When Jesus prepared to go to the Cross, He said of His upcoming Cross “THIS is MY BLOOD OF THE NEW (COVENANT), which is SHED FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS”. Jesus did not come to allow us to sin more and reject God more.
Jesus came to FREE US FROM SIN and to BIND US TO LOVE.
Jesus came to heal us of our sin and confusion. He came to bring us to God. When we become self absorbed, making life about ourselves, we not only violate the Command of God, but we do evil. Jesus said:
Matthew 22:37-40 … Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Jesus said we are to love God with “ALL OUR HEART”. God is to be first in our emotions. We are to love God with “ALL OUR SOUL”. I’m supposed to love Him MORE than I love ME. We are to love God with “ALL OUR MIND”. Regardless as to what MY reason may say, I love God more. Why is this so important? Because the farther you get away from God, the more awful your life gets.
Illustrate: I was reading where Actor Paul Newman bragged in a book written about him as to how his year long love affair with Joanne Woodward, “Betraying my marital vows to [my wife] Jackie [and children] seemed insignificant”.
He justified the evil that he did based on the satisfaction he had of his lusts. When we drift away from God, it isn’t long before we become monstrous. When I was reading in the Old Testament the other day about the Battle of Jericho, God promised ONE PERSON – a Harlot named Rahab and her family – that they could live. Why? Because Rahab turned to God in love, and looked after God’s “spies”. But what did God say of the rest of Jericho?
Joshua 6:17, (ESV) … the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live … 21 Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.
When many read those words, they try and “justify” what God did that day. May I say that we do not justify God, nor does God answer to us. I firmly believe the Scripture that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). I believe Jericho got so far away from God that, in the horrible grip of sin, God said “I want that nation gone”.
Jesus came to be the cure for sin.
Luke 9:1-2 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
Disease, devils, and sickness are the side effects of sin. Sin entered the world, and brought death and destruction with it. Jesus came to this earth to show us the love of God. Jesus often said, “he that comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Jesus Christ is the King of His Kingdom, the King of the Kingdom of God. The Father said of the Son,
Hebrews 1:8-9 (ESV) … Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness…
Jesus came to defeat evil, to destroy sin, and to create a Kingdom of right thinking and right behavior.
Jesus sent out His disciples to invite others into His Kingdom – but none were forced into it. Jesus told them:
Luke 9:4-5 And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. 5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
People have a choice. They can hear the call of Christ to His Kingdom and come – or they can refuse to receive Him. Jesus told His people, “Whoever receives YOU, receives ME, and whoever receives ME receives the FATHER WHO SENT ME” (Matthew 10:40). Jesus told His disciples, “If they will not RECEIVE you and the message I have given, then leave there and shake the dust off your feet”. The way of salvation can only be found through Jesus. You must RECEIVE Him as He is. We are told in:
John 1:11-13 {Jesus} came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
When you RECEIVE {lambanō, take what He offers} Jesus, you receive all the benefits that come with Jesus. One commentary put it this way:
“When we “receive” a package, we take it to ourselves. When a running back “receives” the football, he pulls it to himself and clings to it. When we “receive” Jesus, we take Him to ourselves and cling to the truth about Him. To receive Jesus as our Savior means we look to Him and Him alone as the One who forgives our sin, mends our relationship with God, and provides us entrance to heaven. To reject Him as Savior means we either don’t believe we need salvation or are looking to another deliverer. Scripture is plain, however, that “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).”
Did Jesus Come To Make Us Prosperous?
There are several false preachers today who tell us that “Jesus came to make us rich and wealthy”. That’s not true. Jesus Christ came to make us GODLY, more like God and less like the lost. Once Jesus proved Himself to be “The Christ of God” (Luke 9:20), He told His disciples that:
Luke 9:22 … The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
“Son of Man” was Jesus’ favorite nickname for Himself. He is referred to as “Son of Man” 88 times in the New Testament. In Daniel 7:13, the Prophet saw the Messiah, Whom he called the “Son of Man”, come from Heaven to earth. Why did Jesus Christ the “Son of Man” come to this earth?
The Son of Man came to forgive sin (Matthew 9:6). The Son of Man came to be our Sabbath rest (Mark 2:28). The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). The Son of Man came to pay for our sins (Luke 9:22). The Son of Man laid His life down for us, and tells us to do the same for one another.
The Son of Man came calling sons of men to His side. He came to show us the way that God means life to be. Jesus said:
Luke 9:23-25 And {Jesus} said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
Dear friends, do not believe that you can hold on to your old life and be saved. Jesus calls us into a RADICAL RELATIONSHIP with Him. Salvation occurs when we:
DENY ourselves TAKE UP the CROSS DAILY and FOLLOW JESUS
If you’re one of God’s sheep, you belong with the Shepherd. Jesus Christ is the Great Shepherd (John 10:10-11). When Jesus laid His life down for us, He showed us what love looks like. Love is self sacrificial. Love does not embrace sin. It embraces God. The Prosperity that Jesus offers us is not full bank accounts, good health, and the best foods.
The Prosperity that Jesus offers us is peace with God, and union with others in the family of God. We are promised Heaven. We are promised love. We are promised to be like Jesus.
Luke 9:57-58 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. (58) And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
This is a very interesting passage. In this day of mega-Churches and “Seeker Sensitive” Churches where the most important thing is to get “nickles and noses”, what Jesus said sounds strange. “Lord, I’ll follow you”. Will you?
Will you follow Jesus when the world hates you? Will you stand with Jesus, and declare the Scripture true? When they call you”homophobic” or “demon possessed”, will you walk with Him? Or will you sleep soundly in Gethsemane? Or hide in the crowd while He’s being nailed to the Cross?
Jesus gave up EVERYTHING in order to save us and to bring us to God.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: … 17 … if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Before you can be saved, you must be lost. If you come to Jesus lost, He will guide you to where life is – in self sacrifice and love.
ILLUSTRATE A little boy had come forward at the end of a worship service, professing to have been saved. The preacher sat down with the parents and the child to make sure he understood what he was doing. The preacher asked the child, “How do you know that you’re saved?” The little boy replied, “I know because I did my part, and the Lord Jesus did His part”. The preacher said, “Can you explain what you mean by that?” The little boy said, “Sure! I did all the sinning, and the Lord Jesus did all the saving!” That is an excellent description of salvation. We are all sinners, all lost, all unable to fix this terrible condition we’re in. My salvation is not based upon what I did, but on what God must do. The Scripture says “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). Oh how God loves you and I! “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!” (Romans 5:8)”.
I have no choice but to follow Him. Without Him I have no hope. So I will follow Him, though none go with me. Adrian Rogers once said, “Americans are by and large, proud peacocks strutting their way to hell”!
Billy Grahamwrote before his departure from this earth:
“ In every newspaper or magazine that we pick up, and in every newscast that we watch, we see a picture of hate and lust and greed and prejudice and corruption—manifested in a thousand ways. The fact that we have police and jails and military forces indicates that something is radically wrong with human nature. The Bible teaches that the human race is morally sick. This disease has affected every phase of our life in society. The Bible calls this disease by an ugly, three-letter word: sin. The Bible teaches that the only cure for sin is the blood that Christ shed on the cross. Christ became the Lamb of God who bled and died on the cross for our sins.”
This is not a popular truth in the progressive madness of our day. Beloved, if Jesus was hated, we who are His will be hated. He said:
Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head
The Bible doesn’t say whether the man followed or not. Beloved, I MUST follow. Life is tough, but without Jesus life will be unbearable. If you follow Jesus, rarely does it lead to the PENTHOUSE, but usually to the PRISON. If you follow Jesus there will be few CHEERS, but many JEERS. But bear in mind you will never have the CROWN unless you first have the CROSS.
The Saved Must Put The Shepherd First
Luke 9:59-60 And {Jesus} said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
For years I misunderstood this text. It seemed to me that the second man asked a quite reasonable request. You see, Jesus commanded him “Follow Me”, but this man said “I’ll follow You Lord, but let me first go and bury my father”. I was researching this text when I came across a commentary by G. Campbell Morgan, a great Bible Teacher of the nineteenth century. Dr. Morgan said that a friend of his was trying to get a young Arab to come with him to be an interpreter as he preached in Arabia. Dr. Morgan said:
“At last the Arab looked at him, and said, “Suffer me first to go and bury my father,” in the very words of Scripture; and the old man was sitting by his side when he uttered them. What he meant was, “I have a filial obligation that prevents my coming.” (Westminister Pulpit, Volume IV, pg 164) The father wasn’t dead, but the man refused to go with Jesus because – perhaps as the older son – he had an obligation to his father’s house. He wanted to remain with his parents until his father died.”
Jesus expects us to put Him first. This should be no surprise. As the GREAT COMMANDMENT is to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:36), and as Jesus Christ is GOD THE SON, then we are to put Him first. Jesus said:
Luke 14:26-27, 33 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. … 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Your greatest treasure is to be Jesus. We are to put Him first, and everything else second. But here’s the interesting truth: When you put Jesus first, following Him first, then you will become BETTER. You will be a BETTER husband if Jesus is first. You will be a BRAVER man if Jesus is first. Your live will be BOLDER. You will hold others in greater esteem.
There are so many good things that we can and should do. But we must never let a good thing keep us from doing the best thing. The best thing is to follow Christ, preaching by your life the Kingdom of God!
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God must be preached! God’s people must stand with and follow the Lord Jesus. The best thing you can do for your children is to put Christ first, to tell them of Jesus, to call them to salvation. The best thing you can do for your aged parents is to tell them that Jesus Christ died for their justification, and rose again for their sanctification. The best thing you can do for your job is to tell those you work with that you are a Christ follower, not a world compromiser. America has fallen because the Church has fallen, and the Church has fallen because the Christian has fallen.
The Gospel is the flag of the Church, and it flies proudly over the Kingdom of God. We who belong to Jesus must put Jesus first for our own sakes, and for the sakes of those we love. His Kingdom must take precedent, or we will lose America – and all we hold dear!
Do Not Allow The Enemy To Turn Your Attention To The Dark Rear
Luke 9:61-62 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. (62) And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Sherry laughs at me while I watch “scary” movies. You know the kind. The killer is coming, and you know he’s coming because of the eerie music. Then they start running, and as they run, they look backwards … and inevitably FALL DOWN. And the monster gets them.
If you are saved, don’t look back. Look at Jesus. Imitate Jesus. Follow Jesus. He is your Guide in life and into eternity.
Illustrate:A missionary group wanted to go to the Far East, but had never been to the area they wanted to visit. So they made an arrangement with a reputable, well known guide. When they arrived at the train station the guide told them, “Give me everything: Your luggage, your purses, your wallets, your passports. Hold nothing back.” Some of the women in the group wanted to keep their purses. The guide said, “Your possessions are far more secure with me, and you’ll be far safer without these possessions – we will be in some rough territory.” The guide took their possessions, and left them so he could secure their luggage. A train came in, and all the missionaries got on it. The guide came up and said, “Will you please come out of there?” Once out of the train, the guide said “This is the wrong train, headed in the wrong direction. Will you please be kind enough to not go before me, but follow after me?”
We get in trouble when we get ahead of our Guide. Jesus Christ is our Guide. He is our Savior, our Lord. We are to follow Him, and to read His Word daily. What God has said, we will cling to. The devil will call us to compromise, but that is the way of destruction. Don’t look back. Look up. Look to Him Who alone knows the way. Amen and Amen.
Turn with me in your Bibles to Leviticus chapter 1.
Leviticus 1:1-4 And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. 3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord. 4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.Leviticus 1:10 And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.Leviticus 1:14 And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the Lord be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.When Gentiles come across the Book of Leviticus in the Bible, many skip it over. What does Leviticus have to do with Christianity? I think is short sighted, and foolish.
The Bible says in:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
When the Apostle Paul was writing the Book of Timothy, his Bible was the Hebrew Old Testament. Leviticus is part of that “all Scripture” that God has given us, and it is profitable. You cannot be a mature Christian unless you understand the truths in every Book of Scripture.
Leviticus is a book God wrote to the Priests of the faith. In the Old Testament, the Priests were of the Tribe of Levi. In the New Testament, every Christian is a priest before God. The Apostle said:
1 Peter 2:9 … ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light
And again in:
Revelation 1:4-6 John to the seven churches …. 5 from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
I could go on, but I don’t have the time. You as believers in Christ are priests unto God. You will never – as the sons of Levi did – offer an animal sacrifice to God. We are not cleansed from sin by the blood of an animal. It is the “the blood of Jesus Christ {God’s} Son {that} cleanseth us from all sin.” The Bible further tells us of the Old Testament Sacrifices that the Old Testament sacrifices were a SHADOW of things to come. Comparing the Old Testament Law to the New Testament Jesus, the Apostle said that the Levitical priests:
Hebrews 8:5 … serve{d} unto the example and shadow{σκιά skiá, [pronounced skee'-ah], something formed by interception of light} of heavenly things …Hebrews 10:1-4 For the law having a shadow {σκιά skiá, [pronounced skee'-ah], something formed by interception of light} of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. When the Light of God shined in the Old Testament, Jesus stood in front of it and cast a shadow represented by the animal sacrifices. If animal sacrifices could make people right with God, then Jesus would never have had to go to the Cross. But animal sacrifices were done, repeatedly done, from when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden and until that Hill we call “Calvary”.
What Can Israel & The Church Learn From The Shadow Sacrifices?1 First of all, we can learn of the holiness and majesty of God. When God made Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Eden, God told Adam:
Genesis 2:16-17 … Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Though God put man and woman on the earth to “dress it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15), God is still very much King over His creation. As King, God established a standard as to what man should do and not do. God gave Adam free will, and Adam was free to obey or disobey God – but if he disobeyed there were consequences. What were they? God said, “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”. God did not make death optional. He said “surely die”. God is holy, righteous, and just. There is no sin in God. God establishes the standards. Not us, but God.
When the Prophet Isaiah was allowed to look into Heaven, he saw the holiness of God revealed. We read:
Isaiah 6:1-3 … I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up… 2 Above {His Throne} stood the {angelic} seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
God is King, and God is Holy. The holiness of God speaks to the truth that He is ABSOLUTELY MORALLY PURE in all that He says and thinks. God gave Adam a very reasonable command. He has access to eating 99% of every fruiting plant in the Garden. Adam knew the consequence – and yet, he still ate of the forbidden. By rights, Adam should have died. But what happened?
Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Adam led Eve into sin. He was now spiritually separate from God. Adam and Eve should have died. But they didn’t. Why? Because:
2 God loves His human creation. God would have been totally justified in destroying Adam and Eve. But God didn’t. The death that Adam and Eve deserved was put on an animal. This is the very first animal sacrifice in the Bible, and God is the One Who made the sacrifice. The animal that died covered Adam and Eve’s nakedness, their sinfulness. The Bible says:
Hebrews 9:22 … almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission {of sins}.
Fast forward through the Bible to the saving of Israel from Egypt. God’s Israel had been held in bondage by a Pharaoh who though he was a “god”. God sent word to Pharaoh through Moses:
Exodus 4:22-23 … Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: 23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
Just as it was in the Garden of Eden with Adam, God gave Pharaoh a choice. You can either “let Israel My son go”, or God said “I will slay thy son”. Because God is LOVE (1 John 4:7-21), He did not IMMEDIATELY bring death on the firstborn in Egypt. God brought 9 plagues to Egypt, each attacking a different aspect of Egyptian life. One source notes:
“Just as the "Ten Commandments" become symbolic of the fullness of the moral law of God, the ten ancient plagues of Egypt represent the fullness of God's expression of justice and judgments, upon those who refuse to repent. Ten times God, through Moses, allows Pharaoh to change his mind, repent, and turn to the one true God, each time increasing the severity of the consequence of the plagues suffered for disobedience to His request. Ten times Pharaoh, because of pride, refuses to be taught by the Lord, and receives "judgments" through the plagues, pronounced upon his head from Moses, the deliverer. ”
Pharaoh ignored the nine plagues, then God told His people to take a lamb without spot or blemish, sacrifice it, and put its blood on the entry of your homes. God said:
Exodus 12:13 ... when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy [you], when I smite the land of Egypt.
If the lamb died, and its blood was placed on the home, then the death that was coming would “Pass Over” that home. Israel did as God said, and on that day the firstborn of every home in Egypt not under the blood of the lamb experienced sure physical death. Israel walked out of Egypt because of the blood of the lamb.
God led His Old Testament people to the base of Mount Sinai, and here God gave the five books of the Law to Moses on that mountain. It was through the Law that God established the animal sacrifice to temporarily cover the sins of His people. When Moses was on the mountain with God, the children of Israel made a golden calf to worship – a bloodless, man made thing. When Moses came down the mountain and entered the camp, he cried out:
Exodus 32:26 … Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.Because the “sons of Levi” or the “Levites” heard Moses and gathered together with Him, God set the Levites apart to be the Priests of Israel.
The Book of “Leviticus” was given as a guidebook for the Levites, to tell them how sinful mankind can approach the Holy God of the universe. Animal sacrifices were temporary, shadows that would be fulfilled in Christ. What can we learn from these shadows?
No One Approaches God Without The Blood Of The UNBLEMISHEDLeviticus 1:1-4 And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord…
The first thing we need to notice is the little word “If”. No one was made to come to God. This was a free choice that each person made. This is true under the Old Covenant or the New. No one was ever forced to worship God. God calls “whosoever will” to come to Him. Salvation has always been a choice to you must enter into willingly. Jesus said:
Matthew 16:25 WHOSOEVER will save his life shall lose it: and WHOSOEVER will lose his life for MY SAKE shall find it.Romans 10:13 For WHOSOEVER shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (also Acts 2:21).
Sin is so terrible in God's sight that it can only be covered with the shedding of Blood. In the Old Testament the animal had no free will to choose, but the person wanting an audience with God chose. Under the Old Covenant:
Leviticus 1:2-3 … ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. 3 IF his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish
The Israelite had a choice as to the type of animal that they brought before God. If “of the cattle”, then the creature chosen was YOUR BEST animal. It was a “male without blemish”. Why a male, and not a female? The Bible tells us that:
Romans 5:12 … by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned
Sin came into the world “by one man”, by Adam. So when an animal sacrifice was to be made, the animal chosen had to be a “male without blemish”. It had to be a perfect specimen of the herd. This is a shadow that looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The Bible says:
Romans 5:17-19 … if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
The creature was “WITHOUT BLEMISH” because the One Who would pay for our sins, the Christ, would be “WITHOUT BLEMISH” of sin. Though the creature sacrificed under the Law was the owner’s creature, when Jesus came, sinless Jesus came of His own free will. Our Lord taught His disciples "how He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day" (Matthew 16:21). The Lamb of God must die in our place. Jesus was without blemish. The Scripture says:
1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
God told His Old Covenant people:
Leviticus 22:20 You must not present anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.
If the creature had a blemish, it could not be accepted as a covering for sin. A sinner cannot pay the penalty for another sinner. The Christ would be completely without sin. Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
When Jesus died, it was the Blood of God’s Son (Acts 20:28) that paid for our sins.
The blood of the unblemished male bullock temporarily covered the Israelis sin. But the Blood of Jesus Christ covers our sin once and for all(1 John 1:7). The Scripture says:
Hebrews 10:4, 9-10, 12 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. … 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 12 … this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; There Is No Atonement If You Do Not Put Your Hand On The HeadLeviticus 1:4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
The Blood of the perfect bullock, lamb, or bird could not make a permanent atonement for our sins because the bullock, lamb, or bird did not cause the sin that brought mankind into its fallen state. Man did this. We have seen before that “By ONE MAN sin entered the world”. But here’s something we can see from the shadow. The sinner must:
PUT HIS HAND UPON THE HEAD OF THE BURNT OFFERING
The person for whom the Atonement would be made would personally touch the creature that was to be sacrificed. If you did not “put your hand upon the head”, there was no Atonement. By putting your hand on the head of the Atonement, you recognized that you are a sinner, and the penalty of your sins are being transferred to the creature for judgment.
This is what happened with Jesus. When Adam sinned, his action not only plunged the world under the fountain of sin's corruption, but his foolishness also cut off any hope of rescue. Because of Adam we are ALL fallen away from God’s holiness. But God rescued us. God must rescue us – if we will be rescued! We know that Jesus came forth from God. We know that in Christ:
1 Timothy 3:16 … God was MANIFEST in the flesh
Jesus Christ – God the Father’s Eternal Son – lowered Himself for us. The Father said of Jesus:
Hebrews 1:8 … Thy Throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of RIGHTEOUSNESS is the scepter of Thy Kingdom …
Jesus is pure. He is holy, He is God. And yet,
Philippians 2:6-8 … being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Jesus Christ became our “BURNT OFFERING”. He died for our sins. Jesus, Who entered this world through a virgin, Who remained untainted by sin, died to redeem us from sin. The Bible says:
Revelation 5:9 … {Jesus was} . slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; Hebrews 9:12-14 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]. {13} For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: {14} How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
The Old Testament Saint followed God through a temporary atonement. But Jesus brought a once and for all atonement. Jesus Christ paid for our sins so we can have access to God. Our works cannot save us. The animal sacrifices proved this over and over again. It is the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus that saves us.
However, once saved, we are saved “to serve the living God”. We are told:
1 Peter 3:18 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:
The Christian has been “BROUGHT TO GOD”. We no longer chase after the false gods of this world, but we serve a Risen Savior.
Jesus Gave Himself So That ANYONE Could Come To GodLeviticus 1:3If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish...Leviticus 1:10 And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.Leviticus 1:14 And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the Lord be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.
Under the Old Covenant, a person could come to God with a creature “without blemish” that was a “male”. But you could bring a bullock, a sheep, a goat, or a bird. What does this speak to? Jesus Christ came to make payment for every person. He is not out of reach of anyone. Do you know the Lord Jesus? If not, today would be a great day to run to His arms. The great Pastor C.H. Spurgeon said:
“An awakened conscience will never be quieted with anything less than the blood of the Lamb: it rests at the sight of the great Sacrifice, but nowhere else.”
It is only by the Blood of the unblemished Lamb, Jesus Christ, that we have peace with God. Once we enter into His Kingdom, we work for Him, for His glory. May God touch your hearts with his Word. Amen and Amen.
Acts 9:36-42 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and alms deeds which she did. 37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. 38 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. 39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all forth, and knelt down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. 42 And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.
How Much Is A Life Worth?
As this is Sanctity of Life Sunday the question I want to address today is, How Much Is A Life Worth? The the wake of the overturning of Roe vs Wade – and the devil screamed about that – the question of abortion went back to the states. Many were FURIOUS over the Supreme Court decision, and many states are now passing laws that even allow for partial birth abortion. What is a life worth? When our Lord Jesus was ministering on this earth, He said every life is valuable.
Matthew 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Luke 12:6-7 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Word Study on Sparrows: When Jesus wanted to show the value of a human life, He turned to the sparrow (Greek στρουθίον strouthíon, [pronounced stroo-thee’-on]. The word “sparrow” is only found six times in the King James text. Jesus said in Matthew that “two sparrows {were}sold for a farthing”, and in Luke “five sparrows {were}sold for two farthings”. So if you bought 4, you got the fifth one free. Sparrows were very cheap. The word “farthing” is the Greek {ἀσσάριον assárion, [pronounced as-sar’-ee-on]}, which Dr Thomas Constablenotes is 1/16th of a laborer’s daily wage. That would be about $3.63 in America for a minimum wage worker ($7.25 per hour) – very little.
Sparrows have little value to the world – but our Father cares for even the sparrow.
King David said in Psalm 84:3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.
Every life is valuable to God. Whether in the womb, or a senior citizen – or anyone in between, God wants us to cherish life. Let’s look at a sparrow named Tabitha.
Tabitha’s Life, Like The Sparrow, Was Important To God
Acts 9:36-37 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and alms deeds which she did. 37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died …
The Scripture declares that the saved by faith in Christ are predestined to be …
Romans 8:29 … CONFORMED to the image of {God’s} Son …
Word Study: Every Christian is a “disciple” (Luke 14:26-33), the Greek μαθητής mathētḗs, [pronounced math-ay-tes’] which means “a student, a learner, a pupil”.
The idea that a person can be saved by Grace through faith in Christ, and then can walk away from any relationship with God, and still be saved is foreign to the Scripture.
Saved people are “born again” (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:23). Born again people work to glorify Jesus. They are changed from lost to found, from darkness to light, from spiritually dead to spiritually alive. Tabitha is a saved believer. She is called a μαθήτρια mathḗtria, [pronounced math-ay’-tree-ah], which is the word used for a FEMALE Disciple. This is the only place in The Greek New Testament where mathḗtria is used. Jesus lowered Himself to die for Tabitha. Now Tabitha is a child of God by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26), and Tabitha is living for her Lord. We are told that Tabitha’s name:
vs 36 which by interpretation is called Dorcas
Word Study: Tabitha has so lived for the Lord that we are given two names for her. Tabitha (Ταβιθά) itself is her Aramaic or Jewish Name, but Dorcas (Δορκάς) is her Greek or common name.
Though the Apostles themselves were majorly focused on winning Jews to Christ at this point (Paul will visit Cornelius, a Gentile soldier in Acts 10), Tabitha was shining for Christ to both Jews and Gentiles. This is why she is given two names!
There was the tinge of racism among the early Apostles, which is why God raised up Paul the Apostleto carry the Gospel to the Gentiles (see above, Acts 9:15). Yet Tabitha does not need to be told to share the love of Christ with all. Insignificant to the world, she did what she could for Jesus. Tabitha was:
vs 36 … full of good works and almsdeeds which she did
Tabitha did good to those around her. She also did “almsdeeds” {eleēmosynē}, which means she was charitable and merciful toward the poor. The Pharisees did good toward the poor, but they did it to “be seen of men” (Matthew 6:1-4). Not so Tabitha. She did good toward those in need because it is the right thing to do. God says in His Word:
Proverbs 19:17 (ESV) Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and {the Lord} will repay him for his deed.
We are warned as Christians in …
Hebrews 13:16 (ESV) Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
God the Son gave us righteousness when we were bankrupt of Heaven’s good. He gives us life so that we can share our lives with others, with our Church, with our community. While we have life, let us live for the Lord Who saved us. Let us give to Him Who gave for us all. Let us let God work in us, making us like Jesus to a lost and dying world. We are not saved BY our good works, but once saved we are to live FOR good works. One of my favorite passages of Scripture describes this very clearly:
Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
If you read Ephesians 2:8-9 you would think salvation is no more than a ticket to Heaven. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear you are NOT saved by your works, but by faith in the Grace of God by Christ Jesus. HOWEVER once you are saved, you are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works”. You ask, “What is a ‘good work’”? A good work is that which Jesus would do. God has left you on this earth, dear Christian to do “good works and almsdeeds”. Tabitha understood this. And then we read:
Acts 9:37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.
Tabitha is, like all of us, mortal. She died in the flesh. Her body went to sleep. As the Jews did, they washed Tabitha’s body. But then they did something strange. You see, when Jesus died they washed His body, then put 100 pounds of myrrh and aloe, along with linen clothes (John 19:39-40) on His body. Jesus was then put in an new tomb that was donated by Joseph of Arimathaea, and the tomb was sealed. When Tabitha died they “laid her in an upper chamber” of a home. The Bible tells us that when we are:
2 Corinthians 5:8 absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Other translations say “we are out of the body, and at home with the Lord”. Tabitha is no longer in her body. And yet, rather than put her in a tomb, they lay her in a upper chamber of the home. We read:
Acts 9:38 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that {Peter} would not delay to come to them.
The “disciples”, Christians, heard that Peter was at Lydda, about ten miles south of Joppa. Two men went to get Peter with haste, because dead bodies decompose quite quickly. But what can Peter do? Peter can’t do anything! Peter can’t raise the dead.
But God can (Romans 8:11).
What Will They Say About You In Your Obituary?
Illustrate: How will you be remembered? I was serving at Riverside School this past week, talking with one of the teachers about examples we had growing up. She remembered her mamma – and I my grandmother – who were examples of Christ.
How will YOU be remembered? Will it be a tombstone that people RARELY VISIT – or will you leave a testimony of Christ behind?
Acts 9:39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.
Peter had been in Lydda, working for the Lord. God had been working in a mighty way in Peter’s life. He found a man named:
Acts 9:33 … Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
“Aeneas” was in paralytic shock. “palsy” is a word still recognized in the medical community. For instance, Bell’s Palsy is a disorder of the nerve that controls facial muscles, which causes the features to droop. We are all acquainted with Cerebral Palsy, which causes paralysis, problems with coordination, involuntary movements, and so on. Peter couldn’t do anything for “Aeneas”, but Jesus could. Peter had seen Jesus raise the paralyzed. Peter said:
Acts 9:34 … Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed.
Jesus did the exact same thing with a paralyzed man in Matthew 9:6; Mark 2:9-11; and Luke 5:24. Peter has no power, but Jesus does! There is nothing Jesus cannot do.
As Jesus comes into the home – perhaps Tabitha’s home (we do not know), “all the widows stood by Peter weeping”. These widows – people who have lost their husbands, and who were in economic poverty – began to show Peter “the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them”. Tabitha had lived her life well for the Lord. God had given her a talent for sewing. Once she was saved, she took that talent and used it for the poor. The Bible calls her “Dorcas” now and not “TABITHA” for a reason. As I said before, “TABITHA” is her Jewish name, but “Dorcas” is her more common name by which the general populace – including the Gentiles – knew her. The community was mourning, and were clinging to Peter. What will Peter do?
Acts 9:40 But Peter put them all forth, and knelt down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
Peter first of all got rid of all distractions. He can’t do anything for Tabitha – but Jesus can. So Peter:
put them all forth
What is Peter doing? He is imitating the Lord Jesus. In Mark chapter 5 a ruler of the Synagogue at Galilee called Jairus came to Jesus and, falling at His feet (Mark 5:22) begged the Lord to heal his daughter. “Jesus went with him, and many followed” (Mark 5:24). When Jesus got to Jairus’ home, He found a crowd of people all weeping. Jesus told them:
Mark 5:39 (ESV) … “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.”
They all laughed at Jesus. What did Jesus do? Jesus …
Mark 5:40 … put them all out
In her life Tabitha imitated Jesus. Now Peter, confronted with an impossible situation, is imitating Jesus. You never go wrong imitating Jesus!
Jesus spoke to the young girl,
Mark 5:41 … Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
That young girl got up. Peter, James and John, along with the parents of the child, were in the room when Jesus did what He did. Now Peter imitates the Lord. He puts the distractions out, kneels, and prays. We don’t know what prayer Peter made, but we know what happened next.
Acts 9:40-41 … turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.
Jesus said two words to the young girl, “Talitha cumi”, which means “Young girl, arise!”. Peter says two words “Tabitha, arise”! Tabitha stands up, her soul is returned to her body! Peter then calls “the saints and widows”, the Church of God in Joppa, and shows the Church what Jesus can do.
Why Did Jesus Raise Up Tabitha? To Show Us Life Matters.
Tabitha glorified God in her life. She was loved of Christ, and saved so that she might reflect the love of God in a lost and darkened world. Jesus quoted Isaiah 29:13 when the Pharisees and Scribes chastised Him for allowing His followers to eat without washing their hands. Jesus said:
Matthew 15:7-9 (ESV) You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8 This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
The Pharisees and Scribes knew what God said, but never DID what God said. God is glorified when we do what He says. We are to be followers of Christ.
John 21:19 {Jesus said} Follow me
Matthew 16:24-27 …. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
God saved us and left us on this earth to glorify Him. We glorify Him not just by paying lip service, but by actually doing that which He has told us to do. Listen Beloved:
You are not saved by good works, but by knowing Jesus. But once you know Jesus He calls you to work for Him.
There are so many who do not KNOW the Lord Jesus by faith, but think their innate goodness will save them.
Matthew 7:21-23 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.
God is clear that our righteousness is like a filthy rag. There is nothing we can do to measure up to God’s standard. … Once we are saved, however, God expects us—in fact, He commands us—to not be hearers of the Word only, but doers as well. Works, when we are in Christ, are an extension of Christ’s ministry. In fact, works are not ends in themselves, but they demonstrate God’s love toward others so that they will know God loves them, and so that they will desire to learn about God’s provision for every need. … The Bible says a man in a ditch is not helped if we pass by him, wish him well, and tell him of God’s love. No, God’s love is demonstrated by attending to the man’s physical needs and helping him out of the ditch. This is how people learn that the Father has sent the Son. “Fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power” (2 Thessalonians 1:11). … Works must never replace faith and the sharing of the Gospel, but they are a natural extension of faith.
Tabitha is a wonderful example of the Christian way of life. Being saved by faith, Tabitha turned her God given talents and gifts to bringing glory to the Lord Who saved her. Oh, that more in the Church today understood this great truth. If you are saved, you are part of the …
Matthew 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
To those who have never met Jesus, I beg you, give your lives to Him today. Lay your life down at the foot of the Cross, believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins. And for those who have given their life to Jesus, I challenge you. Are you living your life LOUDLY and BRIGHT for Jesus? Jesus expects you to work for Him, to the glory of God, while you are on this earth. I’ll end with this quote from the Book of Revelation:
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, AND the faith of Jesus.
The proof of your salvation is only found in your works for Christ. You are not saved by works – but if you will not work for Him Who saved you, you are probably not saved! Think on this, and repewnt if you are not where you need to be in Christ. For His sake I pray. Amen and Amen!
Judges 15:18 And {Samson} was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
Judges 16:28-30 And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. 30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
These are the only two recorded prayers that Samson prayed.
Several years ago I heard Pastor Adrian Rogers say:
“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”
That is so very true! The Bible warns us that …
Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God gives us life as a gift from Him. Physical life is a precious gift, and spiritual life is a wondrous, miraculous gift. Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins. The Bible says:
2 Corinthians 5:21 {God the Father} made {Jesus Christ} to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Jesus Christ was and will always be within Himself SINLESS. Yet God made Him to be SIN, that we might be made RIGHTEOUS. Sin will kill you! When Jesus taught us to pray, part of that “Lord’s Prayer” says:
Matthew 6:12-13 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Saved by Grace, the Christian is supposed to daily call out to God for “our daily bread”. We are sustained not by the POWER of our hand, but by the PROVISION of our Heavenly Father. We pray for our bread. But we also pray “forgive us our debts”. We daily look at the garden of our lives, and pull out any weeds of sin by prayer. We CONFESS our sins to God. The Apostle John said:
1 John 1:6-10 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
God’s People Are To PRAY And OBEY
Those who fail to PRAY, usually fail to OBEY. When we sin against God we do not hurt God. When we sin against God we hurt OURSELVES. Read with me:
Judges 13:1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
The “wages of sin is death”. Israel is God’s people. God saved Israel. God established Israel in the nation of Canaan. And God told them to follow Him if they wished to be blessed. But Israel decided they wanted to follow the path of sin. So God raised punished Israel by allowing the Philistines to conquer them for 40 years. If you do not do what God tells you to do dear Christian, you will find yourself conquered by the Philistines!
But God is grace filled and merciful. With the punishment God also brings a solution. God raised up a Judge from a woman who was barren. God loves to bring blessing out of brokenness. God sent an angel to this woman who said:
Judges 13:3-5 Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. 4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
God often brought blessings where there was barrenness. Abraham’s wife Sarah (Genesis 16:1) was barren, the Prophet Samuel’s mother Hannah (1 Samuel 1:2) was barren. John the Baptist’s mother Elizabeth (Luke 1:7) was barren. God can bless those who rely on Him. We do not know the name of Sampson’s mother, but we know she was barren. But God was going to bless her. The Angel told her:
vs 4 drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing
This woman was going to bear a child that would be special. The Angel said:
vs 5 the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb
Word Study: The “Nazarites” (which means “consecrated ones”) were men or women who were set apart as special workers for God. The “Law of the Nazarite” is found in Numbers 6:1-21.
Samson along with the Prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1:11) and John the Baptist (Luke 1:15) were Nazarites for life. The Apostle Paul took the Nazarite vow for a short time (Acts 18:18).
One of the key provisions of the Nazarite – whether man or woman – was that their hair not be cut. We are told:
vs 5 no razor shall come on his head
God kept His Word to Samson’s mother. We read in:
Judges 13:24-25 … the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him
God was going to use Samson (his name means “Strength Of The Sun”) to “begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines”. Ellicott’s Commentary notes that:
“The Rabbis say that he was “named after the name of God, who is called Sun and Shield of Israel” (Psalm 84:12).”
Samson would start Israel down the path of freedom from the Philistines, but he would not complete the work. Why? There were two reasons:
It Is Dangerous To Fail To OBEY, And Foolish To Not PRAY
Samson’s HAIR marked him as a Nazarite, set apart to serve God. God wants more than the appearance of righteousness. As God’s people we are to share the Gospel with the lost – but are NEVER to intimately bind together with the lost. The Scripture says:
2 Corinthians 5:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
And again,
1 Corinthians 6:14-18 … Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
Sexual sin – like all other sins – can destroy you. Though Samson kept the Law of the Nazarite (he did not cut his hair, nor did he drink wine or strong drink), he compromised himself sexually. Though Samson was called of God to overthrow the Philistines:
Judges 14:2 … {Samson} came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
In the ancient world marriages were arranged by the parents. When Samson demanded this, his parents tried to talk him out of it. But Samson wouldn’t listen. The Bible says:
Judges 14:7-8 … {Samson} went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 8 And after a time he returned to take her …
The Jewish betrothal could last up to a year. After the betrothal period Samson “returned to take her” back to his home as his wife. Samson didn’t pray about it. He just did it. Samson married the enemy.
After marrying the Philistine woman, Samson posed a riddle to the Philistines. Samson had killed a lion, and later saw that “there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion” (Judges 14:8). Samson told the Philistines a riddle, and gave them seven days to solve it. His riddle was:
Judges 14:14 … Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.
When they could not figure out the riddle (the lion killed was meat, and the honey in the lion was the sweet), the Philistines went to Samson’s wife. The Bible says:
Judges 14:15 … it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire …
Samson’s wife begged him to tell her the meaning of the riddle – and he did. Of course, she told the Philistines. Not only did this cause the end of the marriage, but caused the death of many. The Bible tells us:
Judges 15:14-17 … And when {Samson} came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. 15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. 16 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. 17 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.
Samson named the place where he killed so many Philistines “Ramathlehi”, which means “the casting away of the jaw bone”. His Philistine wife betrayed him with her mouth (jawbone), so he used the “jawbone of an ass” to destroy the enemy. Did Samson learn anything from this? No. In his first recorded prayer he said:
Judges 15:18 And {Samson} was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
Samson is almost arrogant in what he prays. He does not confess his sin of intermarrying with a Philistine woman, nor does Samson glorify God for his victory. Thirsty from killing 1000 men with the “jawbone of an ass” he cries out to God. God in Grace blesses Samson. Matthew Henry’s Commentary notes:
“Samson prayed to God in this distress. Those that forget to attend God their praises, may be compelled to attend him with their prayers. Past experiences of God’s power and goodness, are excellent pleas in prayer for further mercy. He pleads his being exposed to God’s enemies; our best pleas are taken from God’s glory. The Lord sent him seasonable relief. The place of this action was, from the jaw-bone, called Lehi. And in the place thus called, God caused a fountain suddenly and seasonably to open, close by Samson.”
Samson Kept Playing With Sin – And It Caught Up With Him
Samson didn’t learn from his past mistakes. We read:
Judges 16:1 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.
“Gaza” is a stronghold of the Philistines. Samson has played with sin, so getting away with it decides to play again. He goes into a well known bawdy house and spends the night. When he does, his enemies the Philistines plot to kill him in the morning. We read:
Judges 16:3 … Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron …
Gaza was a gated city with walls about it. Samson got up at midnight, and went to the barred gates and tore them down with his bare hands. As sentries were normally placed on the gates, he probably killed these sentries. The Philistines couldn’t do anything to stop Samson. But SIN can.
Judges 16:4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
Samson did not marry Delilah, but visited her in sexual sin. The Benson Commentarynotes:
“Here Samson met with Delilah, who, whether she was a Jewess or a Philistine, was probably a harlot …”
This is the THIRD TIME Samson has fallen into sexual sin. We do not know whether Delilah is a Philistine, or if she is just a harlot who worked amongst the Philistines, but she was open to their advances. The Philistines asked Delilah:
Judges 16:5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was sold to the Pharisees for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15). There were five lords of the Philistines, and each promised 1100 pieces of silver or two talents – about 150 pounds of silver. A single talent was equivalent to 20 years of wages, so two talents would be enough wages to give Delilah a comfortable life for at least 40 years.
Delilah agreed to the deal!
She began to ask Samson the secret of his strength. We read:
Judges 16:7 Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
The “seven green withs” literally meansseven bow strings worth of fresh cat gut or animal sinew. The 5 lords of the Philistines brought her the fresh sinew, and she bound him – probably when he was asleep. The Philistines attacked, and he broke the sinew. Delilah asked Samson again to tell her the secret of his strength. He said:
Judges 16:11 … If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
Again, she bound Samson. The Philistines attacked, and “he broke them off his arms like thread” (vs 12). Once more Delilah asked him the secret of his strength. Now Samson says:
Judges 16:13 … If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.
“If my hair, which is all divided into seven locks, be fastened about a weaver’s beam, or interwoven with weavers’ threads, then I shall be weak as another man. It is probable there was some loom or instrument of weaving in the room where Samson now was”
Of course, this does nothing to Samson. When the enemy attack, he ignores the “web” in his hair. But then Samson tells her the truth. If his hair is cut, he will lose his strength. The Philistines take Samson, and gouge out his eyes. Sin has conquered the Nazarite Judge.
As time passes, Samson’s hair grows. He is in captivity, a play thing of the Philistines. One day the Philistines decide to make sport of Samson again, so they bring him into one of their massive Coliseums. Tied between the pillars of his enemy, Samson prays. This is the SECOND and only prayer you see recorded in Samson’s life.
Judges 16:28-30 And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. 30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
What a sad end to what could have been a stellar life for God. Beloved, let us pray. Let us not rely on our strength, but on the strength of God. If you belong to Christ, prayer is so very important to you. Every day while you live on this earth, live for Jesus. Obey the Lord your God. Pray, and confess sin. Keep your eyes on the Lord, and your heart focused on glorifying God your Savior.
May God the Holy Spirit take this and use it for the glory of God and the furtherance of Christ’s Kingdom. Amen and amen.
Turn with me in your Bibles to Jeremiah chapter 10.
Jeremiah 10:23-24 O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 24 O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.When We Reject God And His Glory There Are Consequences
What is the background to Jeremiah 10? God’s Judah had rejected the God Who saved them. In fact, Israel began to walk away from God during the reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam. After the 41 year old Rehoboam took the throne, the Ten Northern Tribes of Israel asked him to lower their tax burden.
Rehoboam glorified himself, not God.
His pride caused civil war in Israel.
The Ten Northern Tribes (also called Ephraim) established their own capital city (Samaria) and their own King (Jeroboam).
Why did this happen? To understand it, you need to go back to Solomon’s reign. Solomon started out as a good King, but in 1 Kings 11:1-13 Solomon disobeyed God by intermarrying with women that did not know God. After Solomon married these women he began to build shrines to the Moabite and Ammonite gods. Solomon robbed God of His glory, and the Lord told him:
1 Kings 11:11-13 (NKJV) Because you have done this, {marrying many wives and worshiping false gods to please these wives} and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.
Because His people would not glorify God (see 1 Kings 12:16), God was the One Who ultimately tore the kingdom in two. This is the mystery of free will and the Sovereign will of God. Man PROPOSES, but God DISPOSES. God foretold Rehoboam’s failure, but Rehoboam is still responsible for what he did.
When we sin, and make ourselves god rather than God be God, we hurt not just ourselves, but others.
The Ten Tribes under King Jeroboam were led to worship golden calves (1 Kings 12:2-33). This is not a new sin within Israel. When Moses went up Sinai to receive the Law from God, Aaron built a golden calf (Exodus 32:5) for the people to worship. Israel learned golden calf worship from Egypt. The Northern Kingdom will begin to fall under an Assyrian attack beginning in 740 BC (see 1 Chronicles 5:26), and would be utterly exiled by 722 BC (see 2 Kings 17:5-6).
Judah and Benjamin have not yet fallen to Babylon & King Nebuchadnezzar (586 BC, 2 Kings 25:9-12). God wants S Israel (Judah) to know that ...
The WAY OF MAN Is Not In HimselfJeremiah 10:23 O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself:
As God reveals the destruction of Judah to Jeremiah, the Prophet is comforted in knowing that God is always in control. You may not believe this. There are many who profess to be Christian who think that God is so small that man controls His ways. Several years ago J.B. Phillips wrote a book called “Your God is Too Small”. In that book, Phillips stated:
“Many men and women today are living, often with inner DISsatisfaction, without any faith in God at all. This is because they have not found with their adult minds a God Who is BIG ENOUGH …”
Some have traded God from the “Golden Calf” called “Evolution”. My Bible says that God created the world, and our entire universe, in six 24 hour days. The “Golden Calf” of Evolution Evolution was first developed and presented to the world through a failed Anglican Minister Charles Darwin. Darwin wrote:
“In my most extreme fluctuations I have never been an atheist … (but) an agnostic”
The Bible begins with the words, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth …” (Genesis 1:1). God created a MATURE universe. Adam and Eve were created as mature, sexually reproductive creatures. “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” is easily answered in the Book of Genesis. The CHICKEN came first, for
Genesis 2:19 … out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.God made a MATURE creation that had the ability to reproduce. The Golden Calf of Evolution says all things are a happy accident.
God asks the skeptic and the scientist:
Job 38:4-5 (ESV) Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?There is no Gospel if there is no Genesis. If there is no Genesis 1, there is no John 1.
No Genesis 3, there is no Romans 3 thru 5.
If Adam and Eve are myths, so is Jesus!
The heart of the Gospel is:
Romans 5:12 … by ONE MAN sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned …
This is what Jeremiah is saying:
Jeremiah 10:23 … O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself
We are hopelessly and helplessly lost. We are broken, and cannot fix what ails us. We need Jesus!
Romans 5:6 … when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.Romans 5:8-15 God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners {because of AdaM’S SIN}, 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. 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: … 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
You cannot cherry pick which parts of the Scripture you believe in. The Apostle Paul preached the Gospel to those who worshiped many gods at Mars Hill:
Acts 17:24, 26 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; … 26 And hath made of one blood {has from one person, Adam} all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth 27 That they should seek the Lord…Jeremiah serve a BIG GOD Who made ALL THINGS.Jeremiah 10:23 O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Word Study: Jeremiah says “I know”, the Qal Perfect of the Hebrew yāḏaʿ means “I rest in this knowledge”. What is Jeremiah resting in? That “the way of man is not in himself”. Our God is an awesome God. He is no figment of the imagination. Man created Evolution out of a failed faith in God. This is where all idols come from.
The Golden Calves Of The Lost Cannot Save UsJeremiah 10:2-5 Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.Word Study: “The way of the heathen” is the Hebrew dereḵ gôy which means “the path of the unbeliever”.
The unbeliever DESIGNS a god that has no power. The Christian follows the God Who DESIGNED all things.Word Study: they go out of their way to create false gods. The Lord says, “the customs of the people are VAIN”. The word “VAIN” is the Hebrew heḇel, which means “like a vapour, a fog, or a breath, a thing that has no substance, that is empty and transitory but without power”. The gods of the lost are manufactured by humans. God says,
one cutteth a tree out of the forestThe unbeliever KILLS A TREE to make a fake god. The Christian follows the God Who designed the trees, and Who died on a tree for us. deck it with silver and with goldThe unbeliever rips rocks from the ground to make a god. The Christian follows the God Who is THE ROCK (Deuteronomy 32:4, 15). they fasten it with nails and with hammers,
that it move not
The false gods of the unbeliever will tip over if not nailed to the floor. But we who believe in Jesus say, “There is none HOLY AS THE LORD: for there is none beside Thee: neither is there any Rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2). You can stand on Jesus! False gods are dead gods. They ...
cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good
The false gods of this world may look beautiful, but they are just made up. Different workmen and merchants work together to create these figments of imagination.
Jeremiah 10:9-12 Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men. 10 But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. 11 Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. 12 He hath made) the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
The God of the Scripture is “the TRUE God” as opposed to the false gods of the world.
The True God is revealed through the witness of nature
& the Holy Bible!John 17:14-17 {O Father} I have given them Thy Word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
The Word of God, the Holy Bible, is true in all it affirms. The idols of this world are false, but God’s Word is true. The God of Scripture is also “The LIVING God”. He is the Source of all life. Jesus said:
Mark 12:26-27 … as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living ...
God is the Source of all life. He is the “God of the living”. But notice that God is also “an EVERLASTING King”. God is in control of all things. God made the earth:
Jeremiah 10:12 He hath made (ʿāśâ, to make something out of nothing )
the earth by his power
Our God is not a manufactured God, but the God Who made all things from nothing. Our God ...
Jeremiah 10:12 established (Hiphil Participle kûn, has firmly fixed) the world by his wisdom
and “stretched out the heavens at His discretion”. The Maker of Heaven and Earth, the Maker of mankind through Adam, is the One Who promises life to those who come to Him.
I Can’t Even Walk Without Him Holding My Hand
If your god is a little “g” god, then the slightest of terrors can easily overthrow you. But if your God is the Big “G” God of Scripture, you need not fear what tomorrow might hold. As Jeremiah was told by God of the impending destruction to come by Nebuchadnezzar, he said:
Jeremiah 10:23 O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
When you give yourselves over to the God of the Scripture, knowing that you have no power in and of yourself, then you can walk without fear. It is HIS promise:
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
Those who “serve the LORD” know that God will protect us and oversee any trial that comes our way. God gives us righteousness through His precious Son Jesus Christ. We are His Children:
Galatians 3:26 … ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.We do not walk in the WAY OF MAN,
but as Christians we walk in the WAY of CHRIST.
Jesus said in John 14:6 … I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
We who …
Galatians 5:24-25 they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
We do not walk after the ways of this world. We walk with our Savior, our God. We have His promise:
1 Peter 3:13-15 … And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:
As judgment came to Judah, Jeremiah “sanctified the Lord God in his heart”. He focused upon the God of Scripture, and believed that God is greater than anything in His creation. If you have a little “g” god then you have much to fear. But if your God is the Creator of all things, and the everlasting King of Kings and Lord of Lords, then you have His promise:
Romans 8:28-39 … we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We cannot control our circumstances. We cannot control the people around us. We cannot control our own health. We cannot control whether we live or die. Sometimes we make bad decisions. But above all things if you have given yourself to God through His Son Jesus, then the God Who is and Who cannot cease to be, this God, Jesus’ God, is OUR Father. Hear the Lord’s Word:
Psalm 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 112:6-7 … the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.
If you are following the golden calves of this world, I beg you – turn to Jesus this day. Your hope and your strength is in Him. Do not delay – today is the day of salvation. May God the Holy Spirit draw you to His side while there is time. Amen and amen!
1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
This is not a text that God gives to the lost, but to the saved Church That Belongs To Jesus
The lost care not a bit about glorifying God. The lost need to be saved before they can be taught to glorify God. This is a text for the Children of God. How do you become a Child of God? Do you work hard? Do you try to be better? Do you do religious things? No, you are saved by “calling upon the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26; Romans 10:13). The Scripture says:
Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
It is faith in Jesus Christ that saves you. It is believing that the Blood of Christ, God’s Only Son, was shed on Calvary for your sins and mine. When God convinced you that you were a sinner without hope before His glorious Throne, and you repented and believed on Christ (Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19) then the Holy Spirit of God changed you.
John 6:63 … It is the Spirit that quickeneth (makes alive)
The Holy Spirit made you spiritually alive. Once the Spirit makes you alive, the Spirit adopts you into the Family of God.
Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, ‘Abba! Father!
Oh, how wondrously salvation changes a life. Once we receive Christ by faith, God adopts us into His holy family (Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:23; Luke 10:27). We are part of His Kingdom. He is our King and our Lord, our Father and our Shepherd.
We who are saved are no longer SLAVES unto God, but are SONS & DAUGHTERS unto God. Now Saved, Dear Christian, You Are To “Glorify” God.
Illustrate: Let me see if I can explain it this way. I and my dear wife helped out at Riverside Elementary last Thursday afternoon, my day off. The class I was with – a group of second graders – were learning to read by sounding out their words. Before you can read, you have to know your alphabet. The little boy I was with struggled as we went through three paragraphs of a book about an osprey. When he hit a hard word, I would say “Sound it out. What sound does the letter ___ make?” The sound of each letter is a basic think that each child must learn before they can read. The Christian way of life cannot be effectively lived unless we understand the basic truth, “whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”.
Our Example For Christian Life Is Jesus Christ
We have just come through the Christmas season, and I preached through the traditional Christmas verses. On the night that our Lord Jesus became flesh (incarnate), when God became Man, the Angel of God told the shepherds where they could find Him. The Scripture then says:
Luke 2:13-14 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.
At His incarnation, His lowering into humanity, Christ Jesus glorified God. He did this by lowering Himself down to our level. By “humbling Himself”. Jesus “took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man … and became obedient to God unto the death of the Cross” (Philippians 2:5-8
This humility to the will of God followed Jesus throughout His earthly life. When Jesus was twelve years old (Luke 2:42), He and his earthly parents went to Jerusalem to observe the Passover. Jesus would be crucified some 20 years later on that same festival as “The Lamb of God Who taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). When Mary and Joseph leave Jerusalem, Jesus – unknown to them – stayed behind in the Temple. After three days they found Him in the Temple (Luke 2:46) teaching the “Doctors of Theology” – the Rabbis. Mary asked Jesus why He stayed at the Temple when they had plans to go home. Our Lord said:
Luke 2:49 (ESV) “… Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I MUST BE IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE ..”
This is what distinguishes the CHRISTIAN from the LOST. The CHRISTIAN wants to be near the Father, to be in His House. The LOST care little for God’s glory.
Our Lord Jesus knows the Ten Commandments, because our Lord Jesus is “the Word. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1-3). It was Jesus who dictated the Law unto Moses, Jesus Who gave the fifth commandment:
Exodus 20:12 (ESV) Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you ..
Jesus honored His earthly family – but He honored the Father God more. We who are His children are to put our God ABOVE even our earthly family. This glorifies God. Jesus told us:
Matthew 10:37 (NIV) Anyone who loves their father or mother MORE THAN ME IS NOT WORTHY OF ME; anyone who loves their son or daughter MORE THAN ME IS NOT WORTHY OF ME …
Though we are to honor our parents, love our wives and husbands, and raise our children, our primary duty – as it was with Jesus – is to glorify God first and foremost. This is what Jesus called “The Great Commandment”:
Luke 10:27 … Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.
God is to have your ALL. This is what glorifying God is. You see this through the entire life of Christ. Though the Son of God (John 10:15; Mark 14:61-62; Luke 1:35; Luke 4:41),
Jesus glorified God in all things. When Jesus got ready to start His earthly ministry, He went to John the Baptist to be baptized. John told Jesus, “I need to be baptized by YOU, not YOU by me!” (Matthew 3:14). Our Lord Jesus told John:
Matthew 3:15 (ESV) … Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.
We as Christians “fulfill all righteousness” when we glorify God, putting Him first in all things.
Why did Jesus stay in the Temple? To glorify God. Why did Jesus get baptized? To glorify God. When “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1). After 40 days and 40 nights of testing, the devil came to Jesus, saying:
Matthew 4:3 (ESV) “If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread”.
As God, Jesus could command the stones to be bread. As a perfect but hungry Man, Jesus could be readily excused for following this suggestion from the evil one. But notice how Jesus responds:
Matthew 4:4 (ESV) “It is WRITTEN, man shall not live by bread alone, but BY EVERY WORD THAT COMES FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD”.
Jesus glorified God. With every temptation Jesus told that old devil, “It is WRITTEN”. Jesus never put His needs and wants above giving glory to God.
And Beloved, Jesus expects the SAME BEHAVIOR from you! He said:
Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV) “You {saved people} are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
When we put ourselves second, and let our light shine, we “give glory to” God. How important is it to glorify God? Jesus Christ – the Son of God and God the Son – said:
John 8:50 … I seek not mine own glory …
Jesus gave glory to God by lowering Himself to come to this earth. Jesus glorified God by upholding and cherishing the Scripture, the Word of God. Jesus glorified God by doing His will, no matter how hard it might. As Jesus prepared to go to the Cross of Calvary, He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Bible says that Jesus:
Matthew 26:39 … fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Three times our Lord Jesus prayed (Matthew 26:44) “If it be possible, Father, let this cup pass from Me. NEVERTHELESS not My will, but Thine be done”. Jesus glorified the Father at all times. He upheld the Father’s Word, and lowered Himself. As the Scripture says, Jesus …
Philippians 2:7-10 … made Himself of no reputation, and took upon him (self) the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…
One day we all shall bow at the feet of Jesus, giving glory to God the Son. The Son glorified the Father, and died on Calvary to bring us to God. Since the Son glorified God in His life, and glorifies Him still – why do we not think that WE are to glorify God in our lives. The reason Jesus gave His life for us was to glorify God. Once we are saved by the glorious Cross of Christ, WE are to glorify God.
As Jesus Has Shown Us, We Christians Must Do
1 Corinthians 10:31 … whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Illustrate: When I was in the Air Force, every year I had to “qualify” on the rifle range, firing the M16 Rifle. I received several “Marksmanship” medals for my shooting – all but one year. When we “qualified”, we all had our own targets to shoot at. I remember one of the first times I went shooting, I put several of my rounds in my neighbor’s target. The range instructor pointed out what I had done (it was obvious, because my neighbor had too many holes in his target), and showed me (duh) what my target was. After that I hit my target every time. I was aiming at the right space.
Too many professing Christians never grow in their walk with God because they are aiming at the wrong target. There is no blessing if you’re shooting at the wrong mark!
Robertson’s Word Pictures In The New Testament notes that:
“{Glorifying God} is the ruling motive in the Christian’s life…””
God calls us into His Family by the Blood of Christ and by the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit. God calls us into a Church NOT JUST TO BE A CHURCH, but to glorify God. The Scripture reminds us:
Romans 15:5-7 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
We are called to glorify God with our mouths, and our behavior. The Apostle Paul often emphasized the glory of God. He wrote:
Ephesians 3:20-21 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Philippians 4:20 Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The number one question we should ask before doing ANYTHING is:
Does What I Want To Do GLORIFY GOD?
The goal of the Christian walk is not to get to Heaven – Jesus has already accomplished that for us. The goal is to glorify God. I have spoken repeatedly the last few weeks on the future judgment of the Christian. Every Christian shall have their works judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:9-11; Romans 14:10-12).
Do you know what the basis of your future judgment will be? It will be whether what you did in this life glorified God or not.
Look in our context today. Leading up to this verse, the Apostle gives the Church an example of what not to do in God’s Old Testament Israel.
1 Corinthians 10:1-5 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
The Apostle starts with “Moreover, brethren”. He is addressing the Church. Paul uses God’s Old Covenant people, Israel, to show us what to avoid. “Our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea”. This is Israel. They came out of Egypt, led by God in “pillar of fire and pillar of cloud” (Exodus 13:22). The Bible says, “the LORD went before them in a pillar” (Exodus 13:21). Every day they would get up and follow God. God took them through the Red Sea, and destroyed the armies of Egypt. God looked after His people. We read “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ”. God treated every saved Israelite the same, loving them, and providing for them.
How did Israel repay the love that God gave them? They murmured. They complained. They kept looking with longing eyes back to Egypt. They were addicted to spiritual “selfies”.
Illustrate: You know what a “selfie” is, don’t you? Most senior citizens today have photo albums filled with pictures that tell stories. Back when we took pictures, film went in a roll, and every picture was carefully judged as valuable. What will senior citizens show their grandchildren years from now? Picture after picture of “selfies”. Pictures of food they ate. Nothing deep nor of value. No story behind the picture. Just selfishness on display.
This is what the world does with its life. The world lives for the world, for the “selfie”. The Christian is to live so as to glorify God. What if we as Christians glorified God in our marriages, our families, in how we raised our children, in our businesses?
1 Corinthians 10:6-10 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
You can live to glorify God, or you can murmur. Murmuring leads to “evil things”, to “idolatry”, to “fornication” or sexual sin, to “tempting Christ” or blasphemy against God, and of course to more murmuring. When overwhelmed by life we are to glorify God, believing He is in control. We are to glorify God, and DO the things He says do.
1 Corinthians 10:12-14 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
Verse 13 is often MISquoted with the statement, “God won’t put more on you than you can stand”. That isn’t what the verse says. You have to look at the verse before and the verse after where we see that word “Wherefore”. When I see a “Wherefore”, I always ask myself “what is it THERE FOR?”. The first “Wherefore” tells us …
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall
Christians, we do not stand in our own power. It is God that makes us stand. It is God Who is in control. When you STAND at the Red Sea, call upon to part the Sea. The worst thing you can do is to make a golden calf, as the second “wherefore” notes:
Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry
Listen Beloved:
Christianity is NOT a “selfie”, but a “GOD HELP ME”!
When you run to God, make sure you are not running to a “golden calf”, but to the God of the Scripture. Rely on Him, and Him only.
We are not to be like the world. We are to be like Jesus.
1We glorify God when we, like Christ, put others first for the sake of the Gospel:
1 Corinthians 10:23-24 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. 24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
The Cross of Christ has removed many of the restrictions that Israel went under through the Law. We Christians are allowed to eat things the Israelites were forbidden to eat. When we sin, we do not need to carry an animal to an altar nor to a priest. Jesus Christ is our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus Christ’s Cross is our sacrifice for sin (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2; Romans 5:8; Hebrews 9:12; 1 Timothy 2:5). Do not allow your freedom to hinder the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 10:28 … if any man say unto you, this is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake …
I do not drink alcohol because alcohol is forbidden the Christian. I do not drink alcohol because I don’t want to offend those who cannot drink. If you are witnessing Christ to a Jew, do not eat pork. If you are telling a Mormon how to be saved, do not smoke or chew tobacco.
1 Corinthians 10:32-33 Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
What is Paul talking about? Is he telling us to ignore sin, and turn a blind eye to the evil of the world? No. Paul said in Galatians 1:10, “Am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Jesus made it plain to us that – as Christians – the world will hate us. “If the world hate you, know that it hated Me first” (John 15:18-25). We never compromise the truth for “PR”. We do, however, look for ways to lead others to Christ. Paul put himself in situations that were uncomfortable for himself as an ex-Pharisee and a Jew. Yet Paul did this to lead others to Christ.
2 We glorify God when we put our own desires last and God’s desire first. We ask ourselves in every thing we do, “Is what I want glorifying God? Is what I want leading others to Christ?” If not, we need to change our trajectory. The Bible says:
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
God wants us to reach out to others so that they might be saved. Our unity in outreaching others with the Gospel is how we glorify Jesus, and glorify our God. May we as His Church commit to His glory as we enter this New Year. Amen and Amen.
Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight. 2 When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.
Opening: Since the 9-11 terrorist attacks, our government established the TSA. With the body searches and bag inspections you need to get to the airport about 3 hours before your flight. A woman was at the airport, and had gone through all the checkpoints. As she was early for check in she decided to get a little something to eat. Then she saw the Cookie Stand. Five freshly baked cookies for about $5.00. She couldn’t resist. Paying her $5.00, she put her brown bag of cookies in her carry on. At her gate she sat next to a nice looking, well dressed man.
Rummaging through her purse for her phone, she looked up and saw that the nice young man had her bag of cookies in his hand. Unfolding the top of the bag, he opened it, and fished out a cookie as she glared at him. He notice she was watching him, so he put the bag between them and said, “Help yourself”!
“How rude”, she thought. She pulled a cookie out of the bag, and he reached over and grabbed a cookie, too. As she ate her cookie she wondered who had raised this man. What utter gall he had. She reached in the bag, and got the next to the last cookie. The man finished eating a cookie, and reached in the bag. It was the last cookie, so he broke it in half, and gave her half.
She started to chew him out when the airline began boarding. As they got on the plane, she was relieved to see he sat several rows down from her. She certain didn’t want to sit next to that hateful fellow. As she found her seat, she went to slide her carry on bag under the seat when she smelled chocolate chip cookie. Her bad was in her carry on all the time! She felt herself shrink down to just a few inches tall as she realized the rude and ugly person was herself.
A false balance is abomination to the Lord
Every day we make judgments. You can’t live without making judgments. The world loves to quote the passage:
Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
They usually quote this text when they want to do something that God has said is evil, be it
drunkenness and wild partying (Galatians 5:21) sex outside of Biblical marriage (Hebrews 13:4) sex outside of God’s design (Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9) drug use (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) racism and hatred (James 2:8)
and so forth. Anytime people want to walk in darkness they will say, “judge not, that you be not judged”. Yet the Bible does not forbid judging. Jesus said right after He said “Judge not that you be not judged”,
Matthew 7:2-6 … For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. 6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
We are to judge ourselves FIRST, and make sure that we’re not guilty of what we are telling others not to do. Jesus went on to say “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine”. This is, in itself, a judgment. Jesus equated those who were unsaved, who did not believe in Him, as DOGS or SWINE.
We are not to be hypocritical judges, but we must be able to discern swine and dogs from those who are not so. One commentary notes:
“In His sermon, Jesus uses dogs and pigs as representative of those who would ridicule, reject, and blaspheme the gospel once it is presented to them. We are not to expose the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have no other purpose than to trample it and return to their own evil ways. Repeatedly sharing the gospel with someone who continually scoffs and ridicules Christ is like casting pearls before swine. We can identify such people through discernment, which is given in some measure to all Christians (1 Corinthians 2:15–16).”
As Christians, Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26) the Holy Spirit is given to us to “guide us into all truth” (John 16:13). We are furthermore given the Word of God, the Holy Bible, which is always true. Jesus prayed:
John 17:17 Sanctify them through Thy truth {o Father}: Thy Word is truth.
The Psalmist (33:4) said “the WORD OF THE LORD is RIGHT; and all His works are done in truth”.
We who are Christian are to avoid “false balance”. We are not to have one standard for ourselves, and another standard for everyone else.
The Pharisees judged Jesus to be evil because He healed people on the Sabbath Day. The Pharisees openly condemned Jesus (see Mark 3:1–6, Luke 6:6–10; 13:10–17; 14:1–6; John 5:1–18), and said that “he had a devil” or operated “through the power of Satan” because He healed on the Sabbath. The problem was that the Pharisees did not condemn Jesus because He violated the Law of God (which He did not do). They condemned Jesus because He broke their traditions and additions to the Law of God. When they accused Jesus of violating Sabbath by healing people, Jesus told them:
Luke 13:15 (ESV) You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it?
Jesus told these religious hypocrites:
John 7:22-24 (ESV) you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.
We Avoid False Balances When The Bible Is Our Standard
Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is abomination to the Lord
Word Study: God calls a “false balance” or poor judgment an “abomination”, the Hebrew tôʿēḇâ (pronounced to-ay-baw) means “something disgusting, whether ethically or ritually”. God uses this word in the context of:
Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination (tôʿēḇâ) .
Deuteronomy 7:25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination (tôʿēḇâ) to the LORD thy God.
A false balance in a butcher’s shop will rob a client of meat that they rightfully paid for. A false balance in truth will rob a person from God’s best.
God had Israel cast Canaan out of the land because they participated in ABOMINATIONS (see 2 Chronicles 33:2). God wants us to judge righteous judgments. We are to measure all things by the Word of God.
Proverbs 11:1 … but a just weight is his delight.
Word Study: The word translated “just” is the Hebrew šālēm (pronounced shaw-lame’). This word means to be “complete, peaceful, perfect”. What is interesting about this particular word is that when Lot was taken captive by the enemy, Abraham in faith went out with 318 trained servants and defeated the foe. The Bible says:
Genesis 14:16 {Abraham} brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
Abraham was met by Someone special. We read:
Genesis 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
Melchizedek is the King of “Salem” [šālēm (pronounced shaw-lame’)], the King of Peace. Melchizedek ministered to Abraham and his men. Melchizedek is both a King and a Priest. Some believe that Melchizedek is an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ. This is possible. We are told in
Hebrews 6:20 …. Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Melchizedek is a King and a Priest, and
our Lord Jesus Christ is a King (Revelation 19:16)
and a Priest (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:14-16).
Jesus told the Pharisees,
John 8:56 (ESV) Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.
As Abraham met Melchizedek face to face, I believe that this was the event Jesus was referring to. Abraham met Melchizedek, an Old Testament manifestation of Christ, and gave tithes to Him. God delights in a just [šālēm (pronounced shaw-lame’)] judgment. If we practice judgment, let us do it as Jesus did. Let us judge based on what the Word of God has said. Let that be our standard.
Let us judge our lives by the Word of God. Let us judge right and wrong by the Word of God. Let us judge ourselves first, knowing:
1 Corinthians 4:2 … it is required in stewards that a {person} be found faithful.
Let us, like Jesus, live so as to please our God. Let us not have pride in our abilities, but in what God has said. Our lives are borrowed from God. Judge righteous judgments. Judge like Jesus judged, according to the Word of God. Judge as one who will “one day give an account of yourself unto God”.
Acts 9:8-12 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
Opening Illustration: I was reading in the Baptist and Reflector recently the article“Congress Remains Largely Christian Despite Societal Trends”. The article said:
“At least 88 percent of Congress – 469 of the 534 members – identified as Christian in the poll of the current 118th legislative body that is predominantly Protestant, Pew said in its analysis of poll results gathered by Congressional Quarterly’s Roll Call, with only one member identifying as religiously unaffiliated.”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel reassured. If 88% of Congress is “Christian”, then why did both houses affirm same sex marriage in spite of clear Biblical statements against this? If 88% of Congress is “Christian”, why do we see so much behavior that is clearly unChristian. I submit to you that there is a difference between religious person and Christian. A person is not right with God because they say they are Christian. A person is not right with God because they self identify as a Christian.
When John the Baptist saw the Pharisees and Sadducees flocking to his baptism, John didn’t commend them for being there. Instead John said (and we need more preaching like this today):
Matthew 3:7-8 {my paraphrase} … O generation of VIPERS, Who has warned you to flee from the wrath {of God} that is to come? BEAR FRUIT in keeping with repentance…”
What makes a snake a VIPER? It is the MOUTH. If you are a Christian, God will change your MOUTH. The “born again” are MADE by & DRAWN to PRAYER.
A “Viper” cannot “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). A viper has no hands nor feet to do good. God saves us through our mouths, and grows us through our mouths.
How did YOU get saved? You PRAYED! You called on Heaven. You REPENTED, turning away from yourself. You CRIED OUT to God. Prayer is the key to Heaven’s Gate.
Romans 10:9-13 (ESV) if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
You “callED on the name of the Lord”. This is prayer. Like Peter, you cried out, “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30). You prayed. Prayer is the heart cry of the saved. Prayer is the crying of the newly born again. Prayer is the breath of Heaven. You PRAYED to be saved. You PRAYED to Heaven in the name of Jesus Christ. Biblically there is no particular “Sinner’s Prayer” that is the key to salvation. The Spirit of God opened your eyes, and you prayed. You “called upon the Name of the Lord”, and because of that were saved.
Once saved, God changed your heart. Changing your heart, God leads you as Christians to:
Romans 12:9-12 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
I believe one of the key characteristics of the Christian – the mark of genuineness – is that they PRAY. Prayer is not a Sunday morning thing, but a daily thing for the Christian.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
And our Lord said in Luke 18:1 that “we ought ALWAYS TO PRAY and not lose heart”. C.H. Spurgeon on today’s focal text said:
“For behold, he (Saul) prays is a surer witness of a man’s conversion that “Behold, he sings” or, “Behold, he reads the Scripture”, or “Behold, he preaches … when a man really prays we may know for sure he has passed from death to life.”
God Will Only Use Those Who Genuinely Pray
Let’s consider a “certain disciple named Ananias”. Ananias was a praying man.
Acts 9:10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said,
Behold, I am here, Lord.
Prayer is not just giving our demands to God. Yes, we may come to God for our needs. We should …
Hebrews 4:16 … come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
There’s nothing wrong with bringing our needs to God. But the primary part of prayer is to please and glorify our Lord. How did Jesus teach us to pray? Was it …
“Our Father, which art in Heaven …. give US this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts … deliver us from evil .. Amen”
This is how most people pray. We pray without regard to the glory and majesty of God. Jesus taught us to pray thusly:
Matthew 6:9-10 …. Our Father which art in Heaven, {listen to this} HALLOWED BE THY NAME. THY KINGDOM COME, {not mine, but THINE} THY WILL BE DONE, in earth as it is in Heaven …
We pray the GLORY of GOD before we pray for His GIFTS.
Ananias was praying. A big part of prayer is to listen for God’s Voice. And then Jesus called:
“Ananias” (vs 10)
Ananias is not shocked that Jesus is talking to him. Jesus said,
John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me …
God makes His Voice known to His Children. Jesus speaks, and Ananias is listening. Without a hitch he responds:
“Behold, I am here, LORD” (vs 10)
Behold: I love it. There’s that BEHOLD again. You need to pay attention to the BEHOLDS of Scripture. Behold, I am here Lord. I await your direction. What do YOU want ME to DO?
God will use those who pray, but He will never use the person who does not pray. Do you want to be used of God? Then pray. Seek His Presence. Seek His Voice. Seek His Word. Tell God, “I am here LORD. What do YOU want me to do?” God speaks to Ananias:
Acts 9:11 … Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas {not Iscariot. Judas Iscariot NEVER prayed} for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
Here’s another BEHOLD of Scripture. Ananias is praying, “BEHOLD, I am here, LORD”. Now God tells Ananias to go where “Saul, of Tarsus” is praying.
behold, he prayeth
Jesus knows the HOUSE Saul is praying in. He is calling Heaven from the HOUSE OF JUDAS. Jesus knows the STREET that Saul is praying on. Saul is on STRAIGHT Street. Saul hasn’t always been on STRAIGHT Street.
This is the SECOND TIME Saul has prayed. When Jesus knocked him down on the Damascus Road, Saul prayed, saying:
Acts 9:5-6 Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. {you make it hard on yourself when you kick against the ox goad} 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Proper Prayer Gets The Attention Of Heaven
For years Saul had been religious, a Pharisee of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were known for their prayers. They prayed in the Synagogue. They prayed in the Temple. If the Pharisee was crossing the street and it was “Prayer Time”, he would stop and pray in the midst of traffic. Jesus spoke about the Pharisees when He said:
Matthew 6:5 … when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
The hypocrites or the Pharisees like Saul loved to pray being seen of men. They didn’t care if Heaven saw them, but they sure enjoyed the accolade they received. Those who knew Saul of Tarsus might say, “Yes, that Pharisee is a praying man”. But no, he wasn’t.
Saul had seen praying men. As Stephen was stoned to death, he heard that dear saint say …
Acts 7:56 … BEHOLD, I see the Heavens opened, and the Son of Man {Jesus} standing on the right hand of God …
As Stephen was beaten to death with rock after rock, his blood spattering like a red shower on their clothing, Stephen did not curse them. Saul heard Stephen pray:
Acts 7:60 Lord, lay not this sin to their charge …
Saul’s prayers were Pharisee prayers. They were like the Pharisee who stood in the Temple praying:
Luke 18:11 … God I thank thee I am not as other men are …
Heaven does not hear self righteous, pride filled prayers. Prayer is a conversation between an adopted child and a Heavenly Father. Prayer is the heart-cry of the clay to the Potter. Prayer is the bleat of the sheep to the Shepherd.
The prayer that God hears comes from the living, not the spiritually dead. “God is the God of the living, not of the dead” (Mark 12:27). God does not hear the prayers that are rote. What prayer does God hear? God hears the HUMBLE prayer. He hears the salvation cry of the Publican, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).
How will Ananias know Saul? How do Christians know one another? The answer is in:
Behold, he prayeth, (vs 11)
Saul’s prayers as a Pharisee were self righteous. Now as he prays he is God focused.
Acts 9:9 …. {Saul} was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
The center of Saul’s prayers are no longer Saul, nor the accolade of others. Saul’s prayers are now God focused, Christ centered.
1God hears prayers that glorify Him:
John 14:13-14 whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Prayer is in the name of Jesus, for the glory of God, and in the power of the Spirit of God. Saul rejected the name of Jesus, and his prayers were never prayers in the eyes of God.
2God hears prayers that are humble, not self righteous:
1 Peter 5:5-6 … be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
James 4:6 …. God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Prayer is not where we tell God what to do. Prayer is where we cry out to God as children saved by Grace. In what other ways had Saul never prayed?
Acts 8:3 Saul made havock of the Church, entering into every house, and {binding} men and women, committed them to prison …
3God hears prayers that come from love and lift up others, not hateful prayers:
Matthew 5:43-48 … Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Saul never prayed for his enemies, these Christians, but sought to capture and commit as many as he could. When Saul had captured as many Christians as he could in Jerusalem, he went back to the High Priest and sought warrants to destroy the Church in Damascus.
When Jesus taught us the “Lord’s Prayer”, He told us:
Matthew 6:14-15 … if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
You Partner With God Through Prayer
Jesus tells Ananias:
Acts 9:11-12 … Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
Saul will not receive his sight until Ananias goes to him. God told Ananias, “behold, he prayeth”. He is not as he was, but has been changed by his encounter with Jesus. Ananias – though not disobedient – shares his fear with God.
Does anyone here get scared besides me? Has anyone here been frightened and lost as to what to do? So often I cry out, God help me. So often I plead the Blood over my broken life.
Ananias prays:
Acts 9:13-14 … Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
God listens to Ananias, and then comforts his fears. He says:
Acts 9:15-16 … Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My name’s sake.
Had Ananias not done as Jesus decreed, I am sure that the Lord would have chosen another. But what if no one would go to Saul? What if every Christian said, “He’s just TOO BAD to be saved”? There is no one too bad that Christ will not save them. If we would pray, and seek His face, He will save.
As I read this text it occurred to me that Jesus includes us in His glorious plan of salvation as we pray. Because Ananias was a praying man, Jesus used him to reach out to Saul. Saved by Grace, Saul became truly a praying man. Once Ananias came to Saul, we read that he put his hands on Saul and said:
Acts 9:17 … Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
God used prayer and obedience to reach Saul. The enemy of Christianity “preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God” (vs 20). God can use those who pray. I want to end with these words from C.H. Spurgeon:
“Urge the people to more prayer. Have a prayer meeting, even if you have it all to yourself. And if you are asked how many were present, you can say, “Four.” “Four! how so?” “Why, there was myself, and God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, and we have had a rich and real communion together.” We must have an outpouring of real devotion or else what is to become of many of our churches? Oh! may God awaken us all and stir us up to pray, for when we pray, we shall be victorious. I should like to take you, this morning, as Samson did the foxes, tie the firebrands of prayer to you, and send you in among the shocks of corn till you burn the whole up. I should like to make a conflagration by my words and set all the churches on fire till the whole has smoked like a sacrifice to God’s throne. If you pray, you have proof that you are a Christian. The less you pray, the less reason have you to believe your Christianity. And if you have neglected to pray altogether, then you have ceased to breathe and you may be afraid that you never did breathe at all.”
If the Church will continue in America, we must come away from cultural Christianity and return to prayer. Mere motion will no longer suffice. We need the power of God if we are going to lead souls to Christ. My prayer is that God will draw us as His Church into His plan fore His glory.
Please turn with me in your Bibles to Ecclesiastes chapter 12.
No matter how old you get to be before you pass from this life, this life always seems too short a time. The Apostle Paul said in:
Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, {outside of God’s Kingdom}redeeming the time.
Life is so very short. We think it to be long, but the older I get, the faster the years seem to go. The Apostle realized – as James said:
James 4:14 … what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
In the Book of Ecclesiastes we read the words of the wisest man who ever lived outside of Jesus Christ, a man named Solomon.
Solomon asked God to give him “wisdom” so that he might rule Israel. God told Solomon (1 Kings 3:12):
“I have given you a wise and understanding heart. There was never anyone like you before, nor shall there be anyone like you after you are gone”.
That’s a fantastic promise! We think people like the late Steve Jobs were genius’, or the current Bill Gates. They are nothing compared to Solomon. Solomon was given divine wisdom and divine knowledge. If we should listen to anybody, we should listen to Solomon. Solomon looked back over his life, and offers words of wisdom to those who will hear. But having wisdom doesn’t mean you will act wisely. As Solomon writes, he tells us something that he wished someone had told him when he was younger.
Every Soul Will Be Judged By Its Owner
I said we’d start in Ecclesiastes 12, but the chapter divisions in our Bibles is a man made thing. The original scripture has no chapters or verses. The first Bibles to include verse numbers were printed in 1555 AD. We’ll start our context at :
Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. 10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.
Young people often wander off into foolishness. If you live to be an old person (like myself), you will look back over your life and wish there were certain things you had done, and certain things that you did not do. Life is a gift from God. The life you have – right now – is God’s gift.
In our world today people say, “It’s MY body, and I’ll do what I want to do”. It may be your body, but YOU belong to God. God said:
Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
It is human arrogance that makes us think that we “own” ourselves. I have heard tell of people who “sold their souls to the devil”. That is but a figment of the imagination.
Illustrate: If I were to walk outside and put a “for sale” sign on your car, would YOU let me get away with it? No, you would not. I don’t own your car, and I can’t legally sell your car. Only YOU can as the owner. God is the Author of life. God is the OWNER of every soul. 1God owns the CHRISTIAN’S Soul:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
God bought your salvation with the Blood of His dear Son. You were REDEEMED from damnation and darkness to walk in the light of Christ. Peter said:
1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain {way of life} received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Christian, God paid for your salvation. He purchased you out of hell – a place you richly deserved and still deserve – by putting YOUR punishment on HIS Son. Because God has done this for you, and you have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the Scripture says:
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that YOU are God’s Temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
You, dear Christian, are God’s Church. You are “members of Christ” (1 Corinthians 6:15-16). God saved us so that He could:
Titus 2:14 … redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
The Christian is saved, not so that we can live for ourselves, but that we can live for Christ. Again,
2 Corinthians 5:15 {Jesus} died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Your life is a stewardship from God, dear Christian.
When our Lord Jesus died on the Cross of Calvary, what did the God-Man, our Messiah, say? Did His soul return to the dust, to the grave? No, but Jesus said:
Luke 23:46 (ESV) … Father, into YOUR hands I commit MY Spirit …
And Stephen, that precious Martyr Stephen we spoke of this morning, as he died he cried out:
Acts 7:59 (ESV) … Lord Jesus, receive my spirit
2 God owns the UNBELIEVER’S Soul:
But what of the unbeliever? Our God is the One Who …
Isaiah 42:5 … created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein
God is the Giver of Life. When a Christian receives Christ as Lord and Savior, possession of their soul does not transfer from Satan to God. If that were true, there would be NO HELL – and the Bible makes it plain that THERE IS A HELL.
If Satan owns a soul, then God has NO RIGHT to throw that soul into hell. God would be stealing from Satan if He took what Satan owned. All souls – even the atheist – belong to God.
When an unbeliever or a believer dies, the soul returns to God Who gave it. Solomon says this in a very poetic way:
Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
And the Prophet Zechariah says:
Zechariah 12:1 (ESV) … Thus declares the Lord, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him:
The reason that God made unlawfully taking a human life a CAPITAL OFFENSE (Genesis 9:6; Numbers 35:30-34) is because all life belongs to God. No one has a right to destroy that which God has created BUT God. God will judge all souls. God will judge His Children, those saved by faith in Christ.
God Will Judge His Born Again CHILDREN
Solomon said – let’s read it again:
Ecclesiastes 11:10-12:1 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and PUT AWAY EVIL from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. 1 REMEMBER NOW THY CREATOR in the days of thy youth…
God will judge ALL souls. The Apostle said:
Romans 2:6-8 (ESV) … {God} will render to each one according to his works:
to those {Saved} who by patience in well-doing seek for glory
and honor and immortality, {God} will give eternal life;
BUT for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth,
but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
Let’s talk of the SAVED first. God saved you and left you on this earth for a purpose. Work for God!
The saved will have their works examined at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Our souls are saved from hell, because we honored God by receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. We shine for Jesus as lights in this present darkness. If you are saved, God has changed your heart. He has changed your WANT TO. The Bible says:
1 Corinthians 3:23 And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.
The Judgment Seat of Christ is a judgment where God examines how we have used our stewardship, our lives. Our lives belong to Him. Did we honor Him? The Apostle said:
1 Corinthians 3:8-15 every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
The “fire” at the Judgment Seat of Christ will test the works we did for the Lord. When Paul explained this to the Corinthian Church, they refused to process it. So God caused him to write to them a second time saying:
2 Corinthians 5:9-11 Wherefore we labor., that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
You, dear Christian, belong to God. Your life is a stewardship from God. One day we shall stand in front of Him and have our stewardship judged. Did you act as the
Matthew 5:14 … light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
Did you …
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
God will reward that. Solomon reminds us to serve God while we can.
I love the way that Solomon talks of advancing age.
Ecclesiastes 12:1-2 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; 2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
This is so amusing! As we get older, “evil days”, the Hebrew raʿ, “grievous” or “sad” days come. No one lives forever. Our bodies are designed to return to dust, and our souls to the Lord Who made us. Inside of me right now is a sixteen year old boy stuck in the body of a 600 year old man! We can’t do what we used to do. As we we get older, our EYES get weaker. The “the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars” become “darkened” to us. What else happens as we age.
Ecclesiastes 12:3-5 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, {your ARMS get weak} and the strong men shall bow themselves, {your LEGS, the STRONG MEN get weak} and the grinders cease because they are few, {your teeth fall out} and those that look out of the windows be darkened, {your EYES go dim} 4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; {you can’t stand LOUD noises. A bird tweet wakes you up} 5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, {you don’t want to stand on a ladder} and fears shall be in the way, {and you get more and more worried and fearful} and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, {you used to be able to lift much, but now a grasshopper is too much} and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
We who are saved should take care to serve the Lord while we can. There will come a day when our strength will wear out, and we will not be able to serve the Lord. Serve Him while you can, for your works will be judged.
But what of the LOST?
God Will ALSO Judge His Salvation Rejecting CREATION
My time is running out. Let’s look at the last two verses:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
To those who have rejected the Messiah, who will not honor God nor acknowledge His great gift of life, to these another judgment comes. This is a Great White Throne Judgment, a place where God will judge all Christ rejecting souls.
The person who has rejected Christ and lived without regard to their Creator, is a person who has robbed the Almighty. This Throne does not judge WORKS, but judges SOULS.
Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
There is no redemption, no hope for those who leave this life without Christ. You may rob God of His rightful possession while you walk this earth. You may march, and scream “My Body, My Life” as you shed the blood of the innocent. You may reject God’s design in creation. You may be hateful. You might even get away with murder, the taking of innocent life, while you are on this earth.
But Judgment Day is coming.
The soul will return to God. If you have not given yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ, if you have not received Him by faith, then you have no hope. Your next stop is judgment, and fire that will not destroy but trap. God is holy, and He will bring every work into judgment. What should you do to “work the works of God”? You should do as Jesus said:
John 6:29 … This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
May God lead you to Christ’s side this very day. Amen and Amen!
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