1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan– 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. 3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. 4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. 5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:1-7 NIV)

Isaiah describes the Promised Messiah as “the Prince of Peace” and then he elaborates upon his description by saying that the government will be upon His shoulders and there will be no end to the peace that He will bring. When the Messiah initiates His perfect peace it will not be an eye-in-the-hurricane-of-the-calamities-of humanity or a lull-in-the-storm-of-world-strife, but it will be a perfect peace that will never end.

There seems to be a pervasive yearning within the human heart for peace and yet peace seems so elusive. We have “peace conferences” to try and teach us how to establish peace, “meditation gardens” to try and quiet our restless souls, “Visualize World Peace” bumper stickers, and “peace” demonstrations full of angry protestors like the ones that were held in March of this year in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. Yet, with all of our desire to experience peace in our hearts, society, and our world it seems like conflict, chaos, and carnage are far more prevalent.

Many believed that things were looking up at the beginning of the 20th century. The brightest and best felt like we were headed into a new age of enlightenment. They believed that with modern-day advances we would be led to the Utopia we all long for in life. As the century unfolded new advancements were made in science, technology, and education. Midway through the century, in 1945, The United Nations came into existence, but the last sixty-five years haven’t led to much unity among the nations. There were big hopes and lots of optimism at the beginning of the century, but by the end of the 20th century many were saying that it was the bloodiest century in the history of the world. I don’t know how they arrived at their conclusion, but I do know that in the 20th century we had two World Wars, Hitler’s Holocaust, Josef Stalin’s annihilation of well over 20 million of his own people, another 40-70 million who were killed under Chairman Mao in China, and these atrocities don’t include the loss of human life in Eastern Europe, Cambodia, Korea, Vietnam, Africa, India, Iran, Iraq, and Bosnia. Instead of a new age of enlightenment we got a century of slaughter.

When we turn our attention to the search for peace a little closer to home we really don’t find the possibility for the advancement of peace any more promising. There are wars in our neighborhood between rival gangs. There’s animosity and outbursts of anger between husbands and wives, parents and children, co-workers, and classmates. The list goes on and on and on. I think it would be best to conclude that if peace is dependent on us, then any hope of experiencing a lasting peace is out of the question. Maybe that is why Paul qualified his statement in Romans 12:18. Let me read it to you.

18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18 NIV)

“If it is possible…” Is it possible to experience peace? If so, then what do we need to “do” in order to experience peace? Those are great questions and I want us to spend the rest of our time seeking some answers as we search God’s Word.

First of all we need to define the word “peace.” If your definition of peace is the absence of all conflict then I hate to break the news to you, but you are out of luck. If your definition of peace is skipping through the open fields full of daisies, hand-in-hand with the one you love, then I would tell you that you’ve watched too many movies. Well, I’ve told you what peace is not, but we are trying to find out what “peace” means right?

When Jesus is called the Prince of Peace in Isaiah 9, Isaiah uses one of the most well known words in the Hebrew language. You and I don’t live in Israel and I bet you are not Jewish, but I’m sure you’ve heard the word, “shalom.” The Hebrew word, “שָׁלוֹם” (shalom) means, “Completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, safety, prosperity, quiet, and friendship.” The word is found 236 times in the Old Testament. The majority of those times (175) it is translated “peace” in our English Bible. Let me show you just a few of the ways the word “shalom” is used in the Old Testament. In Job 5:24 we find Job’s friend, Eliphaz the Temanite, using the word “shalom” when he was counseling Job about his problems. Eliphaz said,

24 You will know that your tent is secure; you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing. (Job 5:24 NIV)

The word isn’t translated, “shalom,” but I bet you recognized it didn’t you? It is translated, “secure,” in this verse. The book of Esther is one of the most beautiful stories in all the Bible. If you’ve ever read the book then you know that Esther had an older cousin named Mordecai who had taken her in and raised her like his own daughter because she didn’t have a mom or dad. Esther was beautiful and she was chosen to be part of the king’s harem. In Esther 2:11 we read that Mordecai continued to keep an eye on Esther. Read along with me and see if you can spot where the Hebrew word “shalom” is found.

11 Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her. (Esther 2:11 NIV)

Did you find it? Sure you did. Mordecai checked on Esther to see how she was doing. He was checking on her welfare, her well-being.

The last instance I want to show you is found in Isaiah 26:3. This is the one verse I want to show you where “shalom” is translated “peace.” Read along with me.

3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3 NIV)

Now, do you have a better idea of how to define “peace?” I hope so. It is being secure, well, complete, experiencing peace rather than turmoil and strife and anxiety. Isaiah’s declaration is that one day in the future the promised Prince of Peace will usher in an age of unending peace, perfect peace, undisturbed peace. That day is yet to come, but rest assured my friend, it’s on its way.

This morning I want us to focus on the question, “Can we experience peace in this life?” Is it possible to experience peace in this life? If so, then what do we need to do to experience peace as it is defined by God’s Word? The answer to the question, “Can we experience peace in this life?” is, “You bet you can!” My answer is not the result of listening to some Tony Robbins motivational speech or reading Oprah’s current spiritual guru, Eckhart Tolle’s, “Peace In The Present Moment,” but it is a result of taking Jesus at His word when He said,

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27 NIV)

It is easy to conclude from Jesus’ statement that the peace He gives to us is not the peace the world is searching for—it is something different. Yet, we can experience what Jesus has to offer if we will simply receive His peace.

What do we need to do to experience the peace of Jesus? That is a great question. The peace that Jesus offers to us is rooted in obedience, in following God’s Word at all times. Let me show you what I am talking about. In Isaiah 48:17-18, God spoke to the people and said,

17 This is what the LORD says– your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. 18 If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. (Isaiah 48:17-18 NIV)

God says that He “teaches us what is best for us, He directs us in the way we should go.” That is the fact. That statement is the truth of God. The problem was not with God; the problem was with the people. If you go on and read verse 18 you will see that it says, “If only you had paid attention to my commands…” If they had only paid attention to God’s teaching, if they had only paid attention to His leading, then the results would have been far different than what they had been experiencing. Instead of strife, turmoil, anxiety, fear, despair, rebellion, and defeat they would have experienced peace and righteousness.

Rather than following God’s counsel, rather than heeding His Word, and doing what He says, we take matters into our hands. We “work” for peace, strive for peace, and search for peace, but to no avail. If we do not listen to what God says and then put what He says into practice then we will experience chaos and a lack of peace at every turn. On the other hand, if we cherish God’s Word and follow His lead then we will know peace regardless of what the circumstances are going on around us. Psalm 119:165 says,

165 Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. (Psalm 119:165 NIV)

Wow! Did you hear that?! If you love God’s “law,” or love His teachings, then He promises that we will have “great peace.” Nothing will be able to make us stumble. I wonder if nothing means nothing? I wonder if God means that financial hardships will not trip us up? I wonder if God means that even the death of a loved one won’t be able to crumble us? I wonder if God means that the threat of terrorist’s attacks won’t paralyze us? I wonder if God means that a rebellious child, a wayward husband or wife, or an absentee parent won’t be able to destroy us? I wonder if God means that health issues won’t be able to immobilize us? I wonder…

There is an assumption here that I don’t want to assume you are aware of. You would assume that if someone loved God’s “law,” if someone loved God’s teaching, that they would have a right relationship with God right? Sure we would assume that, but I want to state that a right relationship with God precedes a love for God’s Word. We can love God’s teaching when we are in a pinch and not be in right relationship with God. We can love God’s teaching and look for God to bail us out when we are in a jam and not be in right relationship with God. Do you know what I mean?

To be in right relationship with God means that we have been justified by God by confessing our sin and our need for Jesus as Savior of our lives, and then following Him in the way we live the life He has given us. In the Bible, “righteousness,” means, “right relationship.” In Isaiah 32:17 we read,

17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. (Isaiah 32:17 NIV)

When we take a look at a orchard we can easily determine that the fruit of an apple tree is what? Apples, right? And the fruit of a pear tree is…pears. Now, you are catching on. And Isaiah says the fruit of righteousness, or right relationships, first with God, and then with people, is peace. The effect of righteousness, or a right relationship with God and others is quietness and confidence forever. What a powerful statement that is for you and me.

Scripture is clear that we do not have the ability in and of ourselves to establish and maintain peace. In Isaiah 9 we are told that the Prince of Peace will be in charge and that it will be the “zeal of the Lord” that will accomplish all of this.

This morning, on the day after we’ve celebrated the birth of the Prince of Peace, we are a world in conflict and strife, but even more than this—we are people plagued by conflict and strife. Our time is no different than the days in which Isaiah 9 was written. Our world is no different the world into which Jesus was born. The world will never experience peace until the hearts of the people of the world turn to the Prince of Peace. This, my friend, is impossible without the Prince of Peace reigning and ruling in our hearts–not just in what we believe, but in how we live. You may not agree with me. You may be convinced that if we were to put our mind to it then surely we can come up with some kind of personal peace plan that would lead to a world of peace. Scripture teaches that if we neglect the call of God, the invitation of God to walk with Him in obedience, then we are destined to never know peace. In Isaiah 59 we read,

7 Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways. 8 The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace. 9 So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. (Isaiah 59:7-9 NIV)

By the time the New Testament came into being the status of the hearts of people had not changed one bit. Listen to these words by Paul to the Church in Rome.

12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery mark their ways, 17 and the way of peace they do not know.” (Romans 3:12-17 NIV)

How can we draw up a plan for peace when we don’t have any idea how to leave our bags of strife, division, and contention and move into the land of peace and serenity? Our plans for personal peace, apart from Christ, would have as much of a chance of success as the peace plans of the Israelis and Palestinians.

Peace will only come to a broken world when peace first reigns in the hearts of broken people. It is only when the Prince of Peace comes to reign and rule in the hearts of people that peace will then move from the hearts of individuals into their neighborhoods, towns, cities, states, countries, and world.

During Jesus’ ministry He told His disciples that He was going to leave them His peace. Jesus’ acknowledged that they would have trouble in this world, but in the midst of the troubles of life they would know His peace. Listen to John 16:33.

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

Many of you who are here this morning have just come through a year of hardships, heartaches, hassles, strife, and great anxiety. Let me ask you something: Have you experienced the peace that Jesus spoke about when the troubles came? Do you know His peace that surpasses all understanding even though your world and life have seemed to be unraveling at the seams? Remember this my friends, Jesus said that the peace of God is available “in Him.” You and I must abide in Him if we are going to know the perfect peace of God in troubling times.

I know the trials that many of you have experienced during the past year. I have friends who have experienced divorce during the past year and it has broken your heart. I know others who have faced hard financial situations this past year and it has crushed you in more ways than one. I have other friends who have attended the funeral of a spouse, parent, grandparent, or one of their children and you have wondered if life is really worth living. I know people who have had their sin dragged out of their secret closet for all the world to see and the embarrassment that you have faced has humiliated you beyond anything you could have imagined. Each of these situations have kept you up at night, they’ve stolen your appetite, and left you wondering if there was any hope of a brighter day for you.

I want to speak for God this morning and let you know that the days of darkness are about to dawn with the glorious hope of the Savior who was born on Christmas morning…if, if you will but put your trust in the One who came to save you from the sin that desires to destroy you and me. A new morning is on the horizon if we will put our trust in the One who came to forgive us, cleanse us, and give us a new beginning, a new beginning rooted in Him that leads to peace! He will not only forgive you, but He will surround you and under gird you with His perfect peace. Won’t you accept the Christmas Gift this morning? It is time for you to lay down your Christmas list and receive the Christmas Gift, the one gift that will truly keep giving for the rest of you life. Won’t you invite Him in this morning before you leave this place?

Mike Hays
Britton Christian Church
922 NW 91st
Oklahoma City, OK. 73114
December 26, 2010
bccpreacherman@aol.com

This week I want us to try and answer another question as we continue our study. The question I want us to address this week is “What is our responsibility, first as followers of Jesus, and secondly as citizens of this society?” We know what our governmental leaders are called to do, but what are we, the followers of Jesus, called to do in this community and nation in which God has placed us?

So far, as we have been studying Romans 12-13 we have learned some remarkable lessons about how we are to relate to various groups of people. We have learned how we are to relate to God, to our brothers and sisters in Christ, with non-believers, and even how we are to relate to our enemies, those who oppose us personally or those who oppose the cause of our Savior. The direction and counsel we have received is not based on a public opinion poll or what seems “right,” but it is rooted and grounded in God’s dealings with us. In Romans 12:1-2 we read,

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)

Everything we do, every single thing we do is based on this: “In view of God’s mercy…” If I do not keep in full view the radical mercy of God that has been showered upon my life in ever increasing abundance then I will naturally continue to conform to the ways of this world in regards to my relationship with others. Are you nice to me? Then I will be nice to you. Do I “like” you? Your personality? Your charisma? Do we share common interests? Then we can be friends and I will wish the best for you. If you grate on my nerves, if you do me wrong, or if I think you are a basket-case, a black hole that sucks the life out of me, then I will find every excuse to avoid you. That is the natural way to do relationships right? Paul is showing us a better way, a godly way, and he is calling us to relate to others in the same way that God relates to us.

Now we turn our attention to our relationship with those in authority over us. How do we relate to them? Do we honor those in authority when we disagree with them? Do we have to submit to them when they are not of our same political party? Well, let’s read our Scripture together and we will get started.

1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4 For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (Romans 13:1-7 NIV)

Before we begin looking at our responsibility as followers of Jesus living under the authority of those who serve our nation as governmental leaders let me set the context for Paul’s counsel. The biblical authors did not write in a vacuum, neither did they live in some Utopian society. Paul lived under the authority of the Roman Empire. Nero was ruling as Caesar over the Empire when Paul penned this letter. Paul wrote Romans about 57 A.D. from Corinth. Nero ruled from 54-68 A.D.

During the beginning of Nero’s reign Paul and the followers of Jesus had freedom to live their lives and serve God, but towards the end of his reign Nero began an oppressive persecution that resulted in thousands of Christians being persecuted and killed for their faith. Paul would be one of those who suffered and died under the injustice of Nero. M.G. Easton, in Easton’s Bible Dictionary, writes about Paul’s final appearance before Caesar Nero.

There can be little doubt that he appeared again at Nero’s bar, and this time the charge did not break down. In all history there is not a more startling illustration of the irony of human life than this scene of Paul at the bar of Nero. On the judgment-seat, clad in the imperial purple, sat a man who, in a bad world, had attained the eminence of being the very worst and meanest being in it, a man stained with every crime, a man whose whole being was so steeped in every nameable and unnamable vice, that body and soul of him were, as someone said at the time, nothing but a compound of mud and blood; and in the prisoner’s dock stood the best man the world possessed, his hair whitened with labors for the good of men and the glory of God. The trial ended: Paul was condemned, and delivered over to the executioner. He was led out of the city, with a crowd of the lowest rabble at his heels. The fatal spot was reached; he knelt beside the block; the headsman’s axe gleamed in the sun and fell; and the head of the apostle of the world rolled down in the dust (probably A.D. 66), four years before the fall of Jerusalem. (Easton’s Bible Dictionary www.studylight.org)

So the great apostle met his death at the hands of a deranged despot, an evil emperor. Before Paul was beheaded he penned these words in the very last letter he would ever write,

6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8 NIV)

Nero lived on, for about another year, before the tide turned against him and he was declared a public enemy of the Empire. The great Roman historian, Suetonius, wrote about Nero’s death, a suicide. Listen to these words.

A runner brought him a letter from Phaon. Nero tore it from the man’s hands and read that, having been declared a public enemy by the Senate, he would be punished in ‘ancient style’ when arrested. He asked what ‘ancient style’ meant, and learned that the executioners stripped their victim naked, thrust his head into a wooden fork, and then flogged him to death with sticks. In terror he snatched up the two daggers which he brought along and tried their points; but threw them down again, protesting that the final hour had not yet come. Then he begged Sporus to weep and mourn for him, but also begged one of the other three to set him an example by committing suicide first. He kept moaning about his cowardice, and muttering: ‘How ugly and vulgar my life has become! Then, with the help of his scribe, Epaphroditos, he stabbed himself in the throat and was already half dead when a cavalry officer entered, pretending to have rushed to his rescue, and staunched the wound with his cloak. Nero muttered: ‘Too late! But, ah, what fidelity!’ (Seutonius: Nero, 49, 50)

Two men, two lives, and two deaths, but what a stark contrast. Paul was faithful to the end and looking forward to his great and glorious reward. Nero died a coward. The power hungry Caesar was stripped of everything he cherished. As we turn our attention to our responsibility to God as we relate to those in power over us let us never forget the tale of these two men.

So, just what is our responsibility to those who govern us? That is a great question. If we seek to answer that question from Romans 13:1-7 we will see that there are some very specific things we are called to do. Let me list them for you.
• We are to submit ourselves to those in authority over us out of obedience to God.
• We are to do “right” and avoid what is “wrong.”
• We are to pay our taxes.
• We are to offer them respect and honor.

The key to our relationship to those who govern us is our “submission.” It is important that we understand that important Greek word. The word, “ὑποτάσσω” (hupotasso) means, “to arrange under, to subordinate, to subject one’s self, or to obey.” The word has a background in the military. We are not Generals, but we are to honor and fall into formation under the General’s leadership. Paul was not the only one who wrote of this submission. Peter writes,

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. (1 Peter 2:13-17 NIV)

After Paul’s imprisonment in Rome he wrote a letter to Titus from Ephesus. Titus was on the island of Crete, a rough environment in which to minister, and yet Paul tells Titus, in Titus 3:1-2.

1Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. (Titus 3:1-2 NIV)

We are to honor and respect those in authority over us out of our obedience to God. We do not have to agree with someone to honor them, show them respect, refuse to slander them, and seek to do what is right as a citizen of the society in which we live. John Mac Arthur writes in his commentary on this passage of Scripture.

Believers are to be model citizens, known as law abiding not rabble-rousing, obedient rather than rebellious, respectful of government rather than demeaning of it. We must speak against sin, against injustice, against immorality and ungodliness with fearless dedication, but we must do it within the framework of civil law and with respect for civil authorities. We are to be a godly society, doing good and living peaceably within an ungodly society, manifesting our transformed lives so that the saving power of God is seen clearly. (John MacArthur, Mac Arthur’s New Testament Commentary: Romans 9-16.)

We are to submit, show honor and respect, do what is right, abide by the laws of the land, and pay our taxes. That last phrase, “pay our taxes,” has caused the hair to stand up on the neck of many of Jesus’ followers throughout the years. Today, there are folks who refuse to pay their taxes to the government because the government uses some of their money for ungodly things like funding abortions. What they fail to recognize is that the “government” Jesus was under, the Roman Empire, practiced all kinds of ungodly things in Jesus’ day and yet, when Jesus was questioned about paying taxes in Matthew 22:17-21, He had this to say.

17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” 21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Matthew 22:17-21 NIV)

What you owe to Caesar, or to the government, pay them. There is not a qualifier, a loop hole, in there my friends. Those Christians who seek to find a loop hole because of the immorality of our government’s use of tax payer’s money to justify their failure to pay taxes need to study the history of the Roman Empire in which Jesus lived.

Did you know that infanticide and abortion were practiced in the Roman Empire? Roman law held that the fetus is not a person. Eusebius, the great historian, tells us in his writing, Church History, about a man named Tertullian. Tertullian was raised in Carthage, was the son of a Roman centurion, a trained lawyer, and an ordained priest. Tertullian lived from 160-220 A.D. In Tertullian’s work, Apology, he writes to non-believers in the Roman Empire. He says,

To hinder a birth is merely a speedier man-killing; nor does it matter whether you take away a life that is born, or destroy one that is coming to the birth. That is a man which is going to be one; you have the fruit already in the seed. (Tertullian, Apology)

So we can see that the followers of Jesus cherished life, from the womb to the tomb, from the earliest days. The Romans also practiced infanticide. The Twelve Tables of Roman Law stated: “An obviously deformed child must be put to death.” There was legalese in Roman law just as there is in our day and that led to various interpretations of the phrase, “obviously deformed.”
The Romans also practiced “exposure.” Exposure was simply abandoning your children. A chilling letter from a pagan husband to his wife captures the casual nature of this practice among the pagans. The husband writes, “Know that I am still in Alexandria. I ask and beg you to take good care of our baby son, and as soon as I receive payment I shall send it up to you. If you are delivered before I come home, if it is a boy, keep it, if a girl, discard it.” (Naphtali Lewis, Life in Egypt Under Roman Rule. http://tinyurl.com/yf7448q)

These practices were not condoned or condemned by Jesus in Scripture because Jesus sought to change hearts and not governments. We don’t have to quote chapter and verse to know that Jesus valued life, that He didn’t condone the mistreatment, destruction, or oppression of any people. Jesus recognized that governments don’t change people—the Gospel changes people and people are the ones who make a nation what it is.

God’s people have always lived under oppressive, ungodly governments, yet God calls us to be a blessing to those who rule over us. We are called by God to bless the leaders of our community, state, and nation. We are also called to speak out against the injustice and ungodly ways of our society, but we are to do so with respect and honor. We will take a look at this in great detail next week. Let me give you an example of how God calls His people to interact with a pagan society. In Jeremiah 29:4-7 we read about God’s people living in Babylon, a pagan nation with a pagan king. Listen to these words.

4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:4-7 NIV)

Did you catch that last verse? “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” This should be the focus of our prayers—“Lord, use me to be a blessing to those in my community. Use me as an instrument of your peace in a strife-filled nation. Bless the works of my hands so that I will be of benefit to the community and even the nation.”

You may be a staunch Democrat or Republican, but you are first and foremost a follower of Jesus. You and I are to walk in His ways and not theirs. The way of politics is not the way of God. Democrats and Republicans are failing, miserably failing to be the leaders that God has called them to be. I’ve been to Washington D.C. and I’ve seen the monuments and Scriptures on buildings that remind our leaders of their calling.

Did you know that John Adams, the second president of our nation, was the first president to occupy what is today called the White House? He moved in during the final months of his presidency on November 1, 1800 before it was even completed. President Adams wrote a prayer soon after he arrived and the prayer was later etched in marble on the mantel of the fireplace in the State Dining Room of the White House by President Roosevelt. The prayer goes like this:

I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house, and on all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof.

All of you have seen the tall Washington Monument which sits on the mall in Washington. Inside of the monument is a staircase which has 190 carved tributes donated by states, cities, individuals, and foreign governments. Among the carved tributes are these quotations from Scripture: “Holiness to the Lord” (Exodus 28), “Search the Scriptures” (John 5:39), “The memory of the just is blessed” (Proverbs 10:7) — and such invocations as, “May Heaven to this Union continue its Benefice.”

There is a statue of Moses with the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of the Library of Congress. At The Daughters of the American Revolution building there is an inscription with Proverbs 22:28 that reads, “Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set.” I could go on and on and tell you stories about the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Supreme Court Building, and much more. I share these illustrations with you to let you know that our leaders are surrounded with reminders that they answer to a higher Authority, that they are to lead under God, and yet they are failing. They are miserably failing. Democrats and Republicans are failing. We need to pray for our leaders—all of our leaders.

We are to be the best citizens in the land. If that is to be true of you and me then we don’t need to enroll in a “civics” class—we need to spend time with God. The best instruction manual for a nation, in the teaching and training of its citizens, is the Word of God. If we spend time in God’s Word and seek to be the men, women, boys, and girls that God has called to be then we will be the best citizens in the land without question. That ought to cause you and me to stop and ponder the question, “If America is a Christian nation, full of more Christians than any other nation on the planet, then why do we not see that reality lived out in day-to-day living?” Is it the governments fault? Hardly, we are failing to fulfill God’s call on our lives to be salt and light in this land. It is my prayer that this morning we will hear God calling us to Himself. Before we can ever submit to those who rule over us we must first submit to God. Won’t you acknowledge your need this morning and ask Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Master?

Mike Hays
Britton Christian Church
922 NW 91st
OKC, OK. 73114
bccpreacherman@aol.com
January 31, 2010

5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, 8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.” 9 And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. 10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.” (Romans 11:5-10 NIV)

If you will remember our study from last week then you will remember that we closed out our study by taking a look at the �remnant chosen by grace.� No matter how bad things get, no matter how many harden their hearts and turn away from God, God will always preserve a remnant, a small number of faithful followers who refuse to give in to the waywardness and ungodliness of the masses. Paul makes it clear for us that those �chosen by grace� are not chosen because of �works,� but by God�s grace.

In verse 7, Paul turns his attention to Israel. He says, �What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did.� This reminds us of something we have already studied in Romans 9:30-32 where Paul wrote,

30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. (Romans 9:30-32 NIV)

In Romans 11, Paul says that what Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. What was it they pursued? In Romans 9, Paul made it clear�they were pursuing �righteousness,� or a right relationship with God. I want to point something out for you that is very important for understanding our own day. The word Paul uses for �sought so earnestly� is the Greek word, �???????? (epizeteo), and it means, �to enquire for, seek for, search for, seek diligently, to wish for, or crave.� Let me show you just a couple of places where the word is used so that we can gain a better understanding of the eagerness of the word.

In Matthew 6, Jesus told the people that you can�t serve two masters�you can�t serve both God and money. Then He expounded upon that simple statement by telling them not to worry about what they would wear or what they would eat or drink. Jesus said that the pagans live like that�not God�s people. Jesus closes out His lesson by saying,

31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:31-33 NIV)

Don�t be concerned with the material �stuff� of life, but seek, earnestly seek, with all of your heart and soul seek His Kingdom and He will take care of you. What a profound statement!

There is a second Scripture I want us to take a look at and it is found in Matthew 12:38-39. Read along with me.

38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” 39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. (Matthew 12:38-39 NIV)

Remember, we are talking about the drive behind our seeking. The Pharisees and teachers of the law wanted to see a sign, a miraculous sign. We are not to seek miraculous signs, we are to seek Jesus. We are to seek Jesus with all our heart.

Well, now that we understand the �how� of the Israelites search and the �what� of their search, they were searching for a right relationship with God, how could they have gone wrong? I mean isn�t it our effort that matters most? That is sure the consensus of the majority of people of our society. It really doesn�t matter what you believe as long as you really believe it. You can be a Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Moslem, or Jew. You can be an environmentalist who believes in the worship of Mother Earth, or �Gaia.� You can be a Fruitarian who refuses to eat anything other than fruit that falls from the plant because you don�t want to kill any plants. You can be a Scientologist who believes that we lived on other planets before we were reincarnated here on earth. You can even be an �Isis Minister� who is working for World Peace by Mother�s Day, May 2013. You probably haven�t heard of this one. Let me read you a press release they just put out this week.

World Peace is something that we as humans have only dreamed about. Peace starts from within and works its way out into the community and the world when you yourself are peaceful and centered in who you really are, your own true nature. We are all Divine Spiritual Beings made in the image and likeness of God. Whether you call that Divine source the Mother, Earth, Buddha, Amma, Allah, Jehova, Krishna or by any other name, it is still the energy behind the name that gives it POWER. (http://alturl.com/dqia)

Now, before you laugh and mock these folks just remember�it�s not �what� you believe, but it how passionately you believe it. You can believe anything you want to believe just as long as you really believe it.

Paul says that the Jews really believed it, but they were wrong. They really believed that by doing good works, living by the Law, you could make yourself right with God, but Paul says they were wrong. We are saved; we are made right with God, not by works, but by God�s grace through faith.

This brings us to the heart of our study for today. The �elect� received a right relationship with God by faith, but�

�The others were hardened, 8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.” 9 And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. 10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.” (Romans 11:7b-10 NIV)

Does God choose some people to be saved and at the same time choose others to be condemned? Is God arbitrary in His decision to choose you and not me? Does God reject some humble, faithful person who is seeking Him with all their heart simply because He chooses for them to go to hell? These and many questions like these have been asked throughout the history of the Church. These are important questions, incredibly important questions. I believe that many well-meaning preachers and teachers of God�s Word have misunderstood Scripture and as a result taught things that simply aren�t true. This is why I want us to take our time examining the �hardening� of those referred to in Romans 11:7. John MacArthur writes,

�Were hardened� is passive, indicating that the hardening was caused by an outside power. That outside power was none other than God, who, just as it is written, � gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day (cf. Deut. 29:4; Isa. 29:10). Deuteronomy represents the law and Isaiah the prophets. Both the law and the prophets testify to God�s sovereign and predetermined hardening of hearts. But that hardening is neither capricious nor unjust. God hardens only those hearts who, in rejecting His gracious offer of righteousness, harden themselves to His grace� One of the great mysteries of Scripture is the coexistence of God�s sovereign preordination and man�s personal accountability. God�s judicial hardening of a man�s heart is never separate from that man�s hardening of his own heart. (John MacArthur, MacArthurs�s New Testament Commentary: Romans 9-16. The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.)

When I read Dr. MacArthur�s commentary I thought about the many examples of �hardening� found in Scripture. These examples show us that there is more to the story than simply God deciding to harden someone�s heart. There are fifteen reference in Scripture that deal with God �hardening� someone�s heart. Nine of those references are in relation to Pharaoh. Outside of Pharaoh, God is said to have hardened the spirit of Sihon, the king of Heshbon. That reference is found in Deuteronomy 2:30. He hardened the hearts of the northern kings of Canaan in Joshua 11:20. In Isaiah 63:17, Isaiah asked God why He hardened the hearts of His people Israel. Finally, we read in Romans 9:18 that God hardens whom He wills to harden.

I mentioned to you that there are more references to God hardening Pharaoh�s heart than any other person in the Bible. I want us to notice something about Pharaoh�s relationship to God and the subsequent hardening of Pharaoh�s heart. If we are like some who will read a verse and draw their conclusions about God and how God acts from that one verse, then we can easily conclude that God does what He will and though we may not like we have to admit that God hardens whom He wants to harden. God just didn�t like Pharaoh so He hardened his heart. I would prefer to take the whole counsel of God, the entire Bible into consideration, before we speak about God. Let�s take a look at Pharaoh for a moment.

When God first came to Moses and told him to go back to Egypt and confront Pharaoh with the message, �Let my people go!� we read in Exodus 4:21.

21 The LORD said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. (Exodus 4:21 NIV)

God says that He will �harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.� This is before Moses ever arrives at Pharaoh�s palace to deliver his message. Then, in Exodus 8-9 we find several occurrences of Pharaoh hardening his own heart. In Exodus 8:32 we read,

32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go. (Exodus 8:32 NIV)

Did you notice? Moses tells us, �this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart�� �Also� tells us what? That Pharaoh had hardened his heart prior to this experience. Please, please do not miss the relationship between our hard hearts and God hardening our hearts. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes,

�it works like this: That light rejected in and of itself produces hardening and hardness. This is the great characteristic of sin. Sin always tends to produce hardening. You may hesitate a long time before you do a thing for the first time. Once you have done it, it is not so difficult the second time. That is a part of the process of hardening looked at from the reverse side. And so it is with resistance to the work of the Spirit, and to the light and the knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans: Chapter 11. The Banner of Truth Trust. 1998. pg. 38-39.)

The �process of hardening� works like this: The more we resist the more God hardens, or the more we become hardened. Maybe this is why Paul wrote in Romans 1.

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. (Romans 1:21-24 NIV)

They knew God, they had knowledge of Him, but they didn�t worship Him. They didn�t serve Him. They didn�t listen to His counsel about the godly expression of human sexuality�they did with their bodies what they wanted to do. After, who-knows-how-long of struggling with them, pleading with them, warning them�God gave them over. And what happened to the beautiful gift of intimacy? They became degraded, shameful.

God knew Pharaoh long before Moses ever went to talk to him. God knew that Pharaoh was hard-hearted. God knew that Pharaoh was an unmerciful leader. God knew that Pharaoh was destroying the Israelites with no remorse whatsoever. God knew all of these things and God simply solidified the hardness of Pharaoh�s already hard heart in accomplishing His purposes in history.

As you search Scripture, you will find no place where someone who wanted to follow God, someone who loved God, was turned away. God says that we must come to Him by faith and not by works. We can�t dream up how we will come to Him, but those who come by humble faith will not be cast away or hardened. Jesus said, �Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.� (John 6:37 NIV)

We can go even further. Not only can you not find anyone in Scripture who comes to God by faith being turned away, but you can find examples of those whom God had already pronounced judgment upon repenting and finding God�s grace. One of the greatest examples of this is King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar became king of Babylon in 604 B.C. When the Babylonians conquered God�s people Nebuchadnezzar brutalized the Israelites. They suffered horribly. Nebuchadnezzar killed many Jews and had the brightest and best brought back to Babylon to serve him. Daniel and his three friends were in that number.

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream one night that terrified him, but none of the wisest in Babylon could interpret the dream. Nebuchadnezzar brought in astrologers, magicians, enchanters, and diviners, but none of them could interpret the dream. Then Nebuchadnezzar heard about Daniel. He had Daniel brought in to interpret his dream. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that he needed to repent of his ways or it was over. Daniel said,

27 Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.” (Daniel 4:27 NIV)

The light had exposed Nebuchadnezzar�s evil ways. He was given an opportunity to acknowledge his ways and do right, but Nebuchadnezzar didn�t heed God�s advice. A little later in Daniel 4 we read,

29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.” 33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. (Daniel 4:29-33 NIV)

How long was Nebuchadnezzar living like an animal? We don�t know, but evidently that horrible degrading experience for the king has its intended affect because we read in the next verse,

34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” 36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. (Daniel 4:34-37 NIV)

God�s judgment had come to Nebuchadnezzar. He was taken from his royal throne and given a field to graze in. He no longer wore a royal robe. He was humbled. In his lowly state he lifted his eyes to heaven and acknowledged that there is only one God�and he praised Him.

All of this could have been avoided if Nebuchadnezzar had only avoided the arrogance and hardening of his own heart to the counsel of God. Daniel tells us in Daniel 5, that Nebuchadnezzar was stripped of his glory, �when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride�� (Daniel 5:20)

Another great example of God�s grace being lavished on those that God had already pronounced His judgment upon is the story of Jonah and the people of Nineveh. When the message of judgment was delivered they repented and God heard their cries for mercy and delivered.

So, you see, this idea of hardening is not quite what some say it is, is it? God hardens, there is no question about that, but God hardens those who harden themselves towards His will and ways. If God�s Word is proclaimed and we do not heed God�s counsel then the hardening begins. You don�t know it at the time, but make no mistake about it�it is happening. You probably don�t believe me because we are naturally inclined not to make too much about spiritual matters. I understand that so I want to give you an illustration that is very much in-line with what I�m talking about so that you will hopefully make a connection.

The �hardening of the arteries,� or Atherosclerosis, is one of the leading killers among Americans today. The hardening of the arteries takes place as plaque builds up in our arteries. One of the main ingredients of plaque is Cholesterol, or tiny pieces of fat, that is found in all of our cells. As the plaque builds up on the lining of our arteries it narrows them and makes it more difficult for the blood to flow freely. This reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients that get to our heart. It is a killer.

We go to the doctor and he or she tells us that our Cholesterol is high and we need to be attentive to it. We need to be more active, we need to lose weight, we need to eat a better diet, and we need to stop smoking� all of these things contribute to the hardening of our arteries. Well, we don�t feel bad. We don�t look any different than we did before we found out about condition, so we go back to doing life like we�ve always done it. We don�t heed the doctor�s advice. We leave the doctor�s office thinking it�s really no big deal, but what we don�t realize is that the process of hardening is taking place right inside of us. Eventually, we experience a heart attack and we learn from firsthand experience that the hardening of the arteries really is �the silent killer.�

What is true in the physical realm is even more true in the spiritual realm. We need to heed God�s advice and we need to heed it the moment it comes to us. How many times does God have to tell us before we finally believe Him? How many times do we have to suffer from our waywardness before we are so broken that we will listen to Him? How many times will we turn away from God�s Word so that we can do what we want? How many times can we turn away before our hearts become so hard that we lose all sensitivity to God�s still small voice? Don�t turn way! The Lord is speaking to us today. Won�t you turn to Him this morning?

Mike Hays
Britton Christian Church
922 NW 91st
OKC, OK. 73114
September 6, 2009

Today, in our society, there is not much talk about the choices that are before us pertaining to any of the topics I�ve mentioned above other than the last one, our faith. We, as a society, have pretty much opened the door on the notion that all choices are equally valid. Whatever choices you make concerning your family, as long as you aren�t hurting anyone, are none of our business so do as you please. Work, school, church, lifestyles we choose for ourselves, how we use our money and time�all of the decisions that go along with these various aspects of life are open to whatever choice you want to make. When it comes to matters of faith, people have the same approach�whatever.

The discussion, or maybe I should say debate, comes into play when people turn their attention to matters of faith, and the choices that we can make. More specifically, the debate is stirred by the belief that some of us hold about Jesus and the claims that He made in the Bible. Let me give you just a couple of examples. In John 14, Jesus was getting ready to go to the cross. He was speaking with His disciples when He told them that He was going to prepare a place for them and that He would come back for them. He then said, �You know the way to the place where I am going.� Thomas spoke up and said, �Lord, we don�t know where You are going, so how can we know the way?�

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NIV)

Jesus said, �I am the way�No one comes to the Father except through me.� He didn�t say that He was one of the ways to God, or that He was a better way than all of the others�He said He was the only way to the Father. That disturbs many folks in our society today.

In another example, in John 5, Jesus was being questioned by the Jews who were trying to find something to condemn Him for when Jesus said,

37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (John 5:37-40 NIV)

You and I have to remember that the only Scriptures they had at that time were the Hebrew Scriptures, what we call the Old Testament. There was no New Testament at that time. Jesus says that the Scriptures, all 39 books of the Hebrew Bible, were a testimony about Him. He also says that the people who were trying to find something to condemn Him for refused to come to Him so that they might have life. It is not too difficult to conclude that apart from Jesus, there is no life. Not the kind of life that God desires for us anyway. Evidently this was the belief of the early Church because John wrote in 1 John 5:11-12.

11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:11-12 NIV)

Our society reads verses like these, or listens to us quote these verses, and concludes that Christianity is exclusive and that Christians are narrow-minded. These conclusions could not be further from the truth. You want to talk about exclusive then take a look at our society. There are places that some of us here this morning can�t go. We don�t make enough money. We do not have the name recognition. We are not �members.� There are activities that take place in our city each week that are exclusive, only certain people can participate. There are professions that are exclusive; you have to meet certain requirements before you can participate in the profession. Jesus says,

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)

Are you poor? Don�t let that stop you, come! Are you rich? Don�t let your wealth get in the way, come! Are you educated? Come and learn of Jesus� ways! Are you uneducated? He will give you an education like the world cannot offer, come! Are your roots in Africa, Europe, Asia, Latin America, or some other part of the world? Come! Come to Jesus. Are you an outcast, never have fit in, and oftentimes made to feel like you don�t belong? Jesus says, �Come!� In John 6:37, Jesus spoke these words,

37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. (John 6:37 NIV)

The invitation has been offered to everyone who hears my words. You can be a skeptic and come to know Jesus, but you must come. You can have a record longer than your arm and come to know Jesus, but you must come. You can be the most recognized woman in town and come to know Jesus, but you must come. You can be a failure and still come to know Jesus, but you must come. You can be a raging success, the talk of the town, and come to know Jesus, but you must come.

This room is full of oxygen and you can breathe it in if you will. If you choose not to then that is your choice. We would all like for you to breathe. We like having you around. If you choose not to breathe in this life-giving oxygen, if you choose to refuse the gift, then there will be dire consequences. And so it is with those of us who are followers of Jesus who offer the invitation to others to come to know Jesus. We are not narrow-minded, we are overwhelmed by the life-giving person of God�s Son, Jesus Christ. If you choose not to accept what He has done for you then that is your choice. For us not to share with you the Good News of what Jesus has done and what He has to offer, it would only demonstrate our apathy towards you, but we love you so we can�t keep quiet.

Our society is not comfortable with what I�ve just shared with you. They say that Christianity is divisive, exclusive, and too narrow. They believe that each of us has our own �truth� and all truth is valid and equal. Most of those in our society today are convinced that if they simply live a good life then that is enough. Doing what�s right, loving people, caring for others, being a good, productive member of society, and most of all, being tolerant�these are the things that will get you to heaven. It is the age-old delusion that is still with us today. I say �age-old� because it is the same deception that the Apostle Paul was fighting in his day. Let�s take a look at our Scripture for today found in Romans 10:5-13.

5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: “The man who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:5-13 NIV)

Paul begins our section of Scripture for today by saying that Moses describes righteousness that is by the law. We have to understand that God gave the law not to save His people, but to show His people how desperately they needed Him. If you go back to the book of Exodus you will notice that God saved His people from the Egyptians before He ever gave them the law. The quotations from the Hebrew Bible that are found in our Scripture for today are from Leviticus 18:5 and Deuteronomy 30:11-14. Let�s take a look. In Leviticus 18:5 we read,

5 Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD. (Lev 18:5 NIV)

The Hebrew word for �live� does not merely mean to exist in this instance. It also means to prosper, to be quickened, to be made alive. It is a verb. If you live by God�s decrees and law, by His will, then you will truly live. I don�t know of anyone who believes that if you follow God�s Word it will result in ruin and emptiness. Just think with me for a moment. If you keep yourself from worshipping any thing or any one other than God will you not more fully experience life? If you refrain from letting your anger grow to the point where you murder someone, will you not experience a more peaceful life? If you are faithful to your husband or wife throughout your life and refuse to commit adultery, won�t life be better, more stable? If you tell the truth at all times and refuse to lie, won�t life be less cluttered and you less confused? All that God has given us is for our benefit. The problem is not with God�s Word, the problem is with us. When we deviate from living in dependence upon the Lord and following Him then we are headed for trouble.

The next Scripture that Paul quotes from is found in Deuteronomy 30:11-14. In this Scripture, Moses is addressing the people and telling them that when they turn away from God they will be disciplined. When they are disciplined and sent into exile, then God will deliver them and He will circumcise their hearts so that they might love only Him and live. Moses then goes on to say,

11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. (Deuteronomy 30:11-14 NIV)

It�s not work, it�s trust. You don�t have to scale the heights of heaven or traverse the seas, but you must trust God. We must trust God with all of our hearts. Believe that what He says is true. Our being made right with God is not based upon our being better than we are, but upon what God has done for us in the life, death, and glorious resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Being made right with God is not a matter of morality, but of surrender to God and the acceptance that what God says is true.

The law that was given to show God�s people how desperately they needed to trust in God, became the means of being right with God in the minds of many of the Jews. What the law became is never what God had intended. Paul wrote, in Romans 10:1-4,

1Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. (Romans 10:1-4 NIV)

There is a big difference between God�s righteousness and the righteousness that we think we can obtain by �doing� for God. Throughout the ages there has always been those who were convinced that works righteousness is what is most important to God. Some who have traveled this road of works righteousness have discovered that works just don�t work. In The Complete Idiot�s Guide to the Reformation & Protestantism, we can read about one man who gave himself to earning God�s grace. Martin Luther is the founder of what we know today as Protestantism. James Bell and Tracy Sumner write,

Luther spent his time in the monastery not just studying, praying, and practicing the sacraments, but examining how he had lived his life. That was standard practice for a monk, but Luther�s self-examination led him to deep sadness, fear, and hopelessness over his own sinfulness. In later years, he wrote of great sadness in his heart during this time in his life.

Luther was told to repent of his sins and to do penance, and he did both more than regularly. Luther went to his priest for confession often�so often that he probably wore the man out�and engaged in long periods of prayer, fasting, sleepless nights, and a practice called, �flagellation,� in which the monk inflicts beatings to himself as punishment for his sins.

Luther did all of the things that a monk was supposed to do, and he did them almost compulsively. He did all those things because, like most monks, he believed that the practices would bring him closer to God. Later he said, �Could ever a monk have got to heaven by monkhood, I should have attained it.�

But no matter how hard he studied, no matter how many religious activities he took part in, no matter how many penances he did, no matter how much he punished himself for his own sinfulness, Luther couldn�t shake those nagging thoughts and feelings that something was missing inside him. He couldn�t find any kind of inner peace. Luther continued to have doubts about his own standing before God. He began to wonder about his own personal salvation and he began to doubt that life in the monastery was a sure path to God.

Martin Luther�s feelings of fear and insecurity were made worse by an emphasis within the church at the time on the doing of good works in order to attain the favor of God and on the doing of penances as a way to pay for sins committed.

Luther wanted absolute assurance that he was accepted by God, but it would be a matter of years before that would come. (Bell, James S. and Sumner, Tracy Macon. The Complete Idiots Guide to the Reformation & Protestantism. Alpha Books, 2002. pg. 90)

You have to admire Luther�s understanding of the holiness of God. Because of Luther�s grasp of the holiness of God he knew that his sinfulness must be dealt with. As a result, Luther went about trying to do everything he could to rid himself of his sin. He went to confession constantly, he prayed, he fasted, he studied God�s Word, he even punished himself for his sin. Luther would experience fleeting moments of feeling clean and acceptable before God, but as soon as the feelings came they left because Luther would soon discover that he was still a sinner. Luther struggled with his dilemma for years until he discovered, in God�s Word, the righteousness that comes from God and not from his own futile efforts. In Glimpses of Church History we read,

Through his laborious studies of the Scriptures, Luther came to see that the guilt that consumed him could not be lifted by more religion, and the God he dreaded so much was not the God that Christ has revealed. Shooting forth from the book of Romans (1:17), another thunderbolt crossed his path: “Night and day I pondered until I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that ‘the just shall live by his faith.’ Then I grasped that the justice of God is that righteousness by which, through grace and sheer mercy, God justifies us through faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning, and whereas before the ‘justice of God’ had filled me with hate, now it became to me inexpressibly sweet in greater love. This passage of Paul became to me a gate to heaven . . .” (Glimpses of Christian History. Glimpses #15: Martin Luther; Monumental Reformer. http://www.christianhistorytimeline.com)

Luther discovered what I pray some of us will discover this very morning. Our righteousness is found in a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus took upon Himself the punishment of our sins. Jesus fulfilled the law in our place because we could never uphold it. Jesus was not only God�s perfect Gift to accomplish everything God wanted for you and me, but He identified Himself with you and me. Let me show you what I am talking about. First of all, in Matthew 5:17, Jesus said that He did not come to do away with the law, but to fulfill it. Let�s read the verse together.

17 “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. (Matthew 5:17 NIV)

Jesus never sinned. He never broke God�s law. He came to do His Father�s will, and that will was to bring glory and honor to God and to offer Himself in our place so that we might be made right with God.

Secondly, Jesus identified Himself with you and me. That is an astounding statement. We are sinners. Flawed to our core. If people really knew us, not just the things that we have done, but the thoughts that have run through our minds, then we would be mired in shame. Yet, Jesus, sinless and perfect in every aspect, came to take His place among us. Let me show you what I am talking about.

In Matthew 3, Jesus approached John the Baptist to be baptized. Now, John�s baptism was for repentance. It was a sign to the community that a person was turning from their sins and to God. Jesus had never committed any sin so why did He desire for John to baptize Him? In Matthew 3:13-15 we read,

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. (Matthew 3:13-15 NIV)

John�s baptism was specifically for the community of sinners whose eyes had been opened to their sin. It was an act of public declaration that they were turning from their sin and to God. Jesus had no need to be baptized, but He had a great desire to join the community of God�s needy people in order to save them from themselves. Jesus told John that it was proper for Him to be baptized in order to �fulfill all righteousness.� Throughout His life, Jesus lived with intentionality. His purpose was to come and live a sinless life so that He might offer His life for folks like you and me, sinners desperately in need of forgiveness.

We, as people, know how easy it is to become arrogant. I hear it all the time. Because we might not struggle with some of the same sins as someone else we find it easy to look down upon them, to make snide remarks about them, or to dismiss them altogether. How easy would it have been for Jesus to simply condemn us because of our sin? Yet, the writer of Hebrews tells us,

11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. (Hebrews 2:11 NIV)

Jesus is not ashamed of you. Oh, hear it again. Jesus is not ashamed of you. I don�t know about you, but I�ve been ashamed of myself. There are certainly those who know me that have been ashamed of me, even though they are sinners just like me. Yet, Jesus is not ashamed of me. Isn�t that good news?

Before we get out of here today I have to ask you, �Which way will you go?� Will you continue to buy in to the societal idea of trying to live a good life in order to please God or will you raise your eyes to Heaven and praise God for the provision of His Son for your righteousness? Jesus is not ashamed of you. That is why He came to offer Himself for you. He knows what you�ve done. He knows who you are. He knows your failure, the sin in your heart, and the emptiness of your soul, but He is not ashamed of you. He loves you and desires for you to come to Him this very morning. Won�t you come?
Mike Hays
Britton Christian Church
922 NW 91st
OKC, OK. 73114
August 9, 2009
bccpreacherman@aol.com

I was at the Y getting in my morning run earlier today and Carrie Prejean and Donald Trump were making their rounds on the morning shows. You would have to have been locked in a closet not to know what has been going on with Miss Prejean. Miss Prejean shared her beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman and a firestorm was controversy ensued.

At the end of Robin Roberts interview she said to Donald Trump, “You have a young daughter. Is this the image that you want to have for the pageant? With the photographs and such?” What she was really asking is, “Is Carrie Prejean a role model for our young girls?” I have heard that phrase, “role model,” used about Miss Prejean several times in the last few days, but this morning, when I heard Robin Roberts question, I had a thought: “There is only one.” Carrie Prejean is not a role model any more than Michael Phelps is a role model, any more than Carrie Underwood or Oprah Winfrey is a role model, any more than… you fill in the blank. Charles Barkley, several years ago, did a TV ad in which he said, “I am not a role model.” Charles was right. There is only one role model that we can look to and not be disappointed and His name is Jesus. We are to follow Him, and if we do so we will never be disappointed.

I can appreciate Carrie Prejean’s boldness to be honest about her belief that marriage is not between a man and a man or a woman and a woman, but between a man and woman. I applaud her willingness to not compromise her beliefs for a crown. At the same time Carrie Prejean is not a role model for my daughter, your daughter, or anyone else for that matter.

They showed the pictures that are in question this morning while Miss Prejean was being interviewed and they fall far short of 1 Timothy 2:9, “I want women to dress modestly…” Last night, in another interview I saw, Miss Prejean talked about her Christian faith and her dream of being a Victoria’s Secret model almost in the same sentence. I don’t know about you, but that troubles me.

In the day in which we live we cling to anyone who appears to be larger than life. We look to them to be something more than we are, something different than we see in ourselves. We, as people, are “just” people. That goes for the wealthiest person in the world, the most beautiful person in the world, the most gifted athlete, musician, or intellect in the world. We are just people. Flawed at our core, needy in the truest sense of the word, and limited in so many ways. We need to keep this in mind when we feel the urge to make Carrie Prejean, LeBron James, or the next “American Idol” an “idol” we can look up to. There is only one whom we can follow and never be let down and never led astray. His name is Jesus.

In His Steps,
Mike

Thomas had followed Jesus for three years. When he watched Jesus arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Thomas ran for his life. He was no doubt watching from a distance when the Romans nailed Jesus to a cross and put Him on display at Golgotha. As Jesus� life slowly faded, so did Thomas� hope.

The day following Jesus� death Thomas was perplexed. It wasn�t supposed to end the way it did. The rest of the followers of Jesus were together, but Thomas couldn�t bring himself to join them. They were scared to death. They had the door locked because they were afraid that the Jewish leaders might come looking for them. All of a sudden Jesus walked into the home where they had gathered and said, �Peace be with you!� Jesus showed them His hands and the wound in His side, but He was alive. He was really alive! The disciples were overjoyed, but Thomas wasn�t there.

The followers of Jesus found Thomas and told him what had happened, but Thomas wasn�t buying it. I can hear him now. �You saw what you wanted to see. When will you realize that He is dead. Get on with your lives!� Thomas� experience had affected him deeply. I have a hard time believing that we would have reacted any differently. John tells us,

25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” (John 20:25 NIV)

John tells us that one week later the disciples had gathered again. Just to let you know that there was still some hesitation in their hearts, John tells us, �The doors were still locked.� Jesus holds all of the keys and in an instant He was there, right in the middle of the group. He said, �Peace be with you!� and then He walked straight over to Thomas�who was no doubt, still doubting. Then we read in John 20:27-28,

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:27-28 NIV)

Thomas� doubts were swallowed up by the truth of Jesus. Thomas� doubting was put to rest. He was set free from the doubts that had plagued him, paralyzed him, and put him in a straitjacket�the doubts that had kept him from basking in the victory that Jesus had won on his behalf. Jesus told Thomas.

29 �”Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:29-31 NIV)

Thomas had seen the risen Lord and as a result of what he saw, he believed. Jesus said that those of us who were not there and yet believe are blessed. I love John�s last verse in this section. Why are these stories of Jesus� life and His interaction with others recorded in God�s Word? So that �by believing you may have life in his name.�

We have the Word of God at our fingertips and yet doubt still plagues many of us. Doubt about the truth of God�s Word. I�ve met many folks who wonder out loud, �Is all of this really true?� We who do believe also have our doubts from time to time. Does God really love me? If God loves me, then why am I going through these trials, why am I so depressed?� A young woman wrote,

I’m like Thomas some times. I questioned God for things that happened. I questioned God for the suffering I faced. I question God for the difficulties I endured. I doubted God’s presence in my life. I doubted God’s power in making me happy. I doubted God’s love because He let me be in trial of many kinds. I doubted God’s power to heal because of pain I suffered when I was sick.

Doubt. The emotion can be debilitating. The questions can be suffocating. The affects can cripple our perception of God. I know because I�ve been there on more than one occasion. The greatest remedy I have found for my doubts are the assurances of God�s great and glorious love for me. This is the heart of our Scripture for this morning. Let�s read Romans 8:31-39.

31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39 NIV)

This passage of Scripture should be tattooed on the heart of every follower of Jesus. At the end of a long chapter of reassurances, Paul writes, 31 �What, then, shall we say in response to this?� What more can be said? In light of all the facts that have emerged, what more can be said? If God is for us, who can be against us? If He has delivered us from the law of sin and death, who can be against us? If He has given us His Spirit to help us put to death the deeds of our sin nature, then who can be against us? If He has given us His Spirit to enable us to cry out to God when we find ourselves in a fix, then who can be against us? If He has given us His Spirit to intercede for us when we don�t even know what to pray, then who can be against us? Who can be against us? What can separate us from the Lord who has demonstrated His overwhelming love for us? John Stott has written,

Our confidence is not in our love for him, which is frail, fickle and faltering, but in his love for us, which is steadfast, faithful and persevering. The doctrine of �the perseverance of the saints” needs to be re-named. It is the doctrine of the perseverance of God with the saints. (John Stott)

Our confidence is not in the strength of our faith, but it is in His strength to accomplish in us what He has set out to do. Paul wrote to the folks in Philippi and reminded them of this truth when he wrote,

6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6 NIV)

The foundational truth that underscores everything else that Paul says in Romans 8 about our confidence in God�s provision is found in verse 32. Take a look at it with me. Paul writes,

32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32 NIV)

Paul points to the cross. If God did not spare His own Son for our sake, then how can we question that He will withhold anything from us that is necessary for us to become the people that God has called us to be? There is a word in this verse that points us to one of the most heart wrenching and heart warming stories found in the Old Testament. The word I want you to notice is the word, �spared.� God did not spare His Son. The word �spare� translates the Greek word, �????????� (pheidomai) and the story I am referring to is found in Genesis 22:10-14. Let me set the scene for you.

Abraham and Sarah had waited twenty-five years to be able to hold the child that God had promised them. They had spent another several years loving Isaac and watching him grow into a young man. Isaac was the promised child, the one through whom God would accomplish all that He had promised Abraham and Sarah. Then, at the beginning of Genesis 22, God told Abraham,

2 �”Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” (Genesis 22:2 NIV)

Can you imagine the thoughts that must have run through Abraham�s mind? How could he do what God was calling him to do? Isaac was more than God�s vehicle to accomplish God�s purposes, he was Abraham�s son. With all of the thoughts that must have bombarded Abraham�s mind, we don�t read about any of them. The next morning Abraham took Isaac and they made their way to Mt. Moriah. Let�s pick up the rest of the story on top of Mt. Moriah as Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaac. Turn to Genesis 22:10-14.

10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” (Genesis 22:10-14 NIV)

The angel of the Lord stopped Abraham before he brought Isaac�s life to an end. The angel said, �I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.� Do you see the word, �withheld?� In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, it is the same word that Paul used in Romans 8 to let us know that God did not withhold His Son for our sake. Think of the irony.

God stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son. God provided a substitute to die in the place of Isaac. There was a ram in the thicket, provided by God, that died in Isaac�s place. Many years later there was another Father who walked up Mt. Moriah with His Son, His only Son, but this Son would not be spared. Abraham was commended because he would not withhold his son from God�God is the one who prevented the death of Isaac. What God was willing to do for Abraham in stopping the death of his son, He was unwilling to do for Himself. God gave His Son on the very mountain where He intervened and spared the life of Abraham�s son.

It is interesting that after everything was said and done, Abraham marked the spot where he had experienced God�s intervention. He called the place “??????? ????????” (Genesis 22:14 WTT). He called the place, �YHWH yireh,� �The LORD will provide.� Abraham learned from his experience that God would provide for his needs, all of his needs. You and I can look back on Abraham�s words as prophetic. �The LORD will provide� was realized, not just in Abraham�s day-to-day challenges, but He has provided for the greatest challenge that humanity has ever faced�our own sin. It was on Mt. Moriah, at a place called Golgotha, that God gave His Son, Jesus our Savior, as the substitute to die in our place for sin that He never committed, but sin that He took upon Himself.

Jesus� death on Mt. Moriah, at Golgotha, was not an after-thought of God nor was it a circumstantial tragedy due to the evil hearts of those who wanted Jesus dead. Isaiah tells us long before Jesus was ever born that God sent His Son to die for sinners like you and me. Turn with me to Isaiah 53:6-10.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:6-10 NIV)

How do you understand the death of Jesus? Isaiah answers the question for us. �It was the Lord�s will.� The Lord laid on Him the iniquity, the sin, of each and every one of us.

I asked the people in our Wednesday night Bible study if they would be willing to offer their child for the worst enemy they have ever had in their life. Not one person raised their hand. I asked, �How many of you have more than one child?� Many people raised their hand. I asked, �Would you be willing to give even one of your children for the worst enemy you�ve ever had in your life?� Not one person. No one. Not even one would be willing to give even one of their children for the worst enemy they have ever had in their life. Yet, we read,

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NIV)

If God was willing to do this for us while we were His enemies, sinners, what will He withhold from us now that we are His sons and daughters? You know the answer to that question. Absolutely nothing!

In verse 31, Paul asks, �Who can be against us?� The question is linked to the affirmation which precedes it��If God is for us, who can be against us.� Paul does not use �if� to place any questions in our head, but to drive home to us that God is for us. We can just as easily read Paul�s question this way, �Since God is for us, who can be against us?�

Make no mistake about it; there are those who are against us. Paul does not mean to convince us that since God is for us so is everyone else. Paul knows better than most that there is much and many against us. Paul wrote to the people of Corinth.

8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NIV)

Hard pressed. Perplexed. Persecuted. Struck down. Those are pretty tough words to describe pretty tough situations that Paul faced in life and yet he was not crushed, they didn�t drive him to despair, he didn�t feel abandoned, and they could not destroy him.

The situations of life can certainly seem like they are against us. Joseph must have felt that way when he found himself sitting in prison for something he didn�t even do. Naomi sure felt that way when she lost her husband and her two sons. The early followers of Jesus had to have felt that way when they lost their jobs and had their property confiscated because of their unwillingness to denounce their faith in Jesus. Our situations will work on our mind to try and convince us that God doesn�t love us.

Our situations are not the only battle we face. We have an enemy who the Bible identifies as the Devil or Satan. You�ve have probably heard, as I have heard, that believing in a �devil� is a backwoods, unsophisticated, uneducated, silly notion. Call it what you will but God�s Word is very clear that we have an enemy. Peter wrote,

8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8 NIV)

He knew firsthand, from his experiences in life, that Satan is an enemy of God�s people. In Luke 22, Jesus told Simon Peter,

31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. (Luke 22:31-32 NIV)

Satan is not all-powerful. He is on a short lease, but his desire is to destroy, to devour, you and me. The key for us is to cling and cleave to the Lord so that we might resist his temptations. James wrote,

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:7-8 NIV)

�Resist the devil.� By the power that indwells you, resist the devil. Through Jesus we are more than conquerors over all of those that would seek to destroy or defeat us. Paul was so convinced of this that he wrote,

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39 NIV)

Can death pry us from God�s gentle grip? Not on your life! Can the hardships of life draw us from His tender arms? Not a chance! Are there any supernatural powers, demons or even Satan himself, that might draw you from under God�s glorious gaze? No way! There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This past week I got a phone call from a friend of mine who was preparing for her father�s funeral. The funeral was going to be held at a different church in town, but she wanted to know if she could bring her family by the church to meet with me before they went to the funeral. I said, �Sure, I would love to meet with you guys. What would you like for me to talk about?� She said, �Would you talk to us about heaven? Would you talk about how our faith makes a difference at a time like this?� I would relish the opportunity!

We need reassurance don�t we? Not just when a loved one dies or when we are told that our time is drawing near, but we need reassurance each and every day. John wrote,

9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10 NIV)

God has demonstrated His love for you and me. Any time you are questioning God�s love all you have to do is stop, take a deep breath, and look to the cross of our Savior. It was there on the cross that God demonstrated His infinite love for you and me.

There will continue to be things that happen in your life and mine that can lead us to questions, even doubting, but our doubts can be swallowed up in faith at the foot of the cross. I want to ask you who do not know Jesus as Lord of your life to do so this very morning. Come to know. He already knows you, He made you, He has kept you alive to this very day, but you need to know Him. Won�t you confess your need for His saving grace?

Mike Hays
Britton Christian Church
922 NW 91st
OKC, OK. 73114
March 1, 2009
bccpreacherman@aol.com

I went shopping with my daughter a few days after Christmas and I noticed something. It was like Christmas had never happened. The lights in the stores were gone, the carols had been silenced, and the ribbons and bows had disappeared. For weeks I had been reminded of the celebration of the birth of our Savior as I walked the aisles in stores all over the city. In some of the most unexpected places I heard�

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Christmas can be unnerving for many people. A friend of mine was with her mother in the hospital on Christmas Eve. Another friend was wondering if her mother would live to see Christmas. Friends I know had lost their jobs. Families were dealing with heartache. On December 23, I gathered at a local cemetery with three families. As they sat before the two urns of the remains of their parents we celebrated what would have been their mom and dad�s 57th anniversary. With all of the sadness and trials in folk�s lives we were reminded not to dismay, never to dismay, as we heard these words.

God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas Day;
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy!

And throughout the Christmas season we were reminded again and again to tell somebody, no, tell everybody that Jesus Christ is born. Did you hear this song?

Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born

I miss Christmas already, don�t you? I�m not talking about the mad dash to get all of the shopping done or the endless list of things to do. As much as I enjoy Christmas lights, I sure don�t miss putting up the lights on our house. I�m not a Scrooge, but for some reason, most every year, I manage to overload an electrical outlet or have at least ten light bulbs that refuse to cooperate. That will quench the Christmas spirit in a minute. I am a modern-day Clark Griswold if there ever was one. Have you ever seen the movie Christmas Vacation? Clark almost burned his neighborhood down with his Christmas lights. Clark was a good guy, a well-intentioned guy, but he should have hired someone to put up his Christmas lights.

With all of that said, I miss Christmas. I miss hearing the story of Jesus everywhere I go. I miss being reminded of what God has done in giving us His Son. I miss seeing people gather on Christmas Eve to hear the Christmas story and stop, if only for a few minutes, to consider the Gift of Christmas.

At the same time I am thankful that Christmas is over. I can only imagine what would happen if Wal Mart and the malls carried the torch for you and me throughout the year. I can only imagine what would happen if every genre of radio station decided to herald the message of Christmas year round. I have a sneaking suspicion that we would become even more lazy and sedentary than we already are. Corporations, stores, and media outlets are not the standard-bearers of the faith�you and I have been called, commissioned, and challenged to tell the world that Jesus is born, the Savior has come, and our God reigns.

This morning I want to challenge you to begin the New Year by devoting yourself to tell them the Good News. Who am I referring to when I say, �them?� I�m talking about those that the Lord leads into your life on a daily basis. Let�s turn to Matthew 28:16-20. I want to take you, not to the cradle that held the precious gift of God, nor do I want to take you to the cross that held the One who shouldered our sins, but I want to take you to a day after the resurrection when Jesus appeared to His followers. Read along with me.

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20 NIV)

This passage from Matthew is one of the two last recorded instances where Jesus spoke to His disciples following His resurrection. Let�s take a look at the last instance found in Acts 1:4-8.

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:4-8 NIV)

Did you notice what was on Jesus� mind and heart as He shared His last two meetings with His followers? He didn�t talk about politics, sports, the financial markets, or His favorite restaurants on the boardwalk at the Sea of Galilee did He? Jesus told His followers to get the word out, �Tell them!�

In Matthew, Jesus told His followers to go into every nation and make disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and remind them of everything that they had been taught.

In Acts, Jesus told His followers that the Holy Spirit would empower them to be His witnesses beginning in Jerusalem, but they weren�t to stop there, they were to go into all the world and bear witness. Jesus told His followers that they would receive power to be His witnesses after they had received the Holy Spirit. That�s an interesting bit of information that we need take a look at this morning if we are going to understand this lesson.

Why was it so important for the disciples to wait until they were empowered by the Holy Spirit of God and then began to bear witness to what God had done through Jesus? Would you like the brief answer? Sure you would. They would need, and you and I need, the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses, spokespersons, for the Kingdom of God because the message they carried, and that we carry, is not welcome in this world. Without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit they would abandon the call and you and I will abandon the call as well. Let me give you some examples of the suffering of those who have gone before us. Their rejection and suffering can be traced to one commonality�the message they shared. When Paul wrote to the people of Philippi he was in jail because he would not keep his mouth shut about Jesus. Paul writes in Philippians 1:12-14.

12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. (Philippians 1:12-14 NIV)

Paul wasn�t in jail because he was a criminal, like you and I think of criminals. He hadn�t embezzled any money, he hadn�t burglarized any homes, he hadn�t kidnapped anyone, all he had done was bear witness to what God had done through His Son Jesus.

Suffering for the sake of the Gospel was not an isolated event that only Paul experienced. In 1 Peter 4:12-16 we read.

12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. (1 Peter 4:12-16 NIV)

Being rejected, mocked, or run out of town didn�t deter the early followers of Jesus from continuing to tell everyone they met about what God had done through His Son Jesus. They were reminded of what Jesus had told them while He was still alive. In John 15:18-21, Jesus said,

18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. (John 15:18-21 NIV)

They knew that if they were obedient to God and shared the message of what God had done through His Son Jesus that they would experience tough times. Being rejected, run out of town, jailed, or ridiculed didn�t shock them because they remembered what Jesus had told them.

We live in a different day. Those words that Jesus spoke to His followers in John 15 are still true today, but most of the followers of Jesus view the message differently than those who have gone before us. Most people today do not share their faith. If I were to ask you this morning, �Who has shared the Good News about Jesus with someone in the past month?� The vast majority of us would have to answer �No.� Why is this? Well, the number one reason is �fear of rejection.� See, I told you Jesus� words were still relevant today. Jesus said, �If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first�if they persecuted me, they will persecute you.� Our fear of rejection is greater than our passion for the message of Jesus. There is no other way to explain this is there?

If the message that you and I have been entrusted with is the greatest news that the world has ever known then why wouldn�t we be enthusiastic about sharing it with everyone, even if it meant risking being rejected? I believe it is because we have lost touch with the core of the message, the meaning of the message. Today we look at sharing our faith along the same lines as inviting someone to join the Young Democrats or Republicans, the Rotary Club, or the booster club at our kid�s school. This is not how the early followers of Jesus viewed the Gospel at all. We desperately need a better understanding of the importance of the message we have been entrusted with.

I was sent a link to a video a couple of weeks ago that knocked me off my chair as I watched it. I wrote about the video of Penn Jillette in our newsletter for January. The video shocked me because Penn Jillette is an amazing illusionist, comedian, and a very intelligent man, but he is not a Christian. You may have seen his act, Penn and Teller. His partner, Raymond Teller, hardly ever says a word, but he couldn�t if he wanted to because Penn Jillette is always talking. Penn Jillette is a very talented man, but he is an outspoken atheist. He may be an atheist and an antagonist of the followers of Jesus, but I will tell you this�he understands the importance of our message more than most of us do. Let me show you the video I watched so that you might gain a better insight into how crucial it is for you and me to tell everyone the good news of what God has done through His Son, Jesus.

We can learn much from the words of Penn Jillette. Throughout history God has used all kinds of people to teach His people important truths and I would put this video in that category. Let me read to you the words that pierced my soul.

I�m sure the man knew that I am an atheist. I�ve always said that I don�t respect people who don�t proselytize. If you believe that there is a heaven or hell, and you believe that people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think, �well, it�s not really worth telling them this cause it would make it socially awkward. How much do you have to hate someone to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate someone to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? (Penn Jillette)

Folks, we are not trying to increase the membership of our church, we are sharing the words of life, eternal life, with those who are dying and don�t even know it. If you are a follower of Jesus then you must believe that we are lost and hopeless without trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives. For many of you who went to Vacation Bible School as a child or have been to a Christian Summer Camp, you learned this verse.

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18 NIV)

God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn, but to save. How will they know unless we tell them? How will they know unless you tell them? How will they know unless I tell them? How will they know�

Will they reject us? Most will, but if we believe that our message is their only saving hope then isn�t it worth the risk? Will others, even some who call themselves �Christians,� talk behind our backs, snicker, and call us names? Of course they will, but if we believe that Jesus is the only hope of a lost world, isn�t it worth the ridicule? Penn Jillette said, �I�m sure he knew I was an atheist, but�� The man viewed Penn Jillette�s life as so precious and priceless that he risked being ridiculed and rejected any way.

How about you? As you head back to school tomorrow will you take the risk so that your classmates might have an opportunity to know Jesus? Don�t assume someone else is telling them, you tell them. Tell them what God has done in your life. Tell what Jesus means to you. Back your words up by the way you choose to live your life. As you head back to work tomorrow will you take the risk so that your co-workers might have an opportunity to know Jesus? You don�t have to be obnoxious, but you can share with your co-workers out of sincerity. Will you tell them? As you head back to your neighborhood after church today will you take the risk so that your neighbors might have an opportunity to know Jesus? Will you pray for the Lord to open a door of opportunity for you to share with your neighbors?

Maybe I�m getting ahead of myself. I�m talking like all of us here this morning have already heard and responded to the Good News of what God has done through Jesus. I know better than to assume that. There are some here today who have heard the story over and over again, but you�ve never ask Jesus into your heart, you�ve never surrendered your life to Him as Lord and Master. Won�t you stop putting off what you know in your heart you need to do?

In John 6, Jesus had just given a very difficult teaching. It was so tough for some folks to hear that we read where many who had been following Jesus turned back and didn�t follow Him any longer. In John 6:66-68 we read,

66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (John 6:66-68 NIV)

Simon Peter got it right! He understood like few understand today. Jesus holds the words of eternal life. Jesus gave His life so that we might have life, not only eternal life, but meaningful life right now. Won�t you come forward at this time and ask Jesus to impart His life to you this morning?

Mike Hays
Britton Christian Church
922 NW 91st
OKC, OK. 73114
January 5, 2009