Chardon church of Christ

Be Ye Angry and Sin Not

Ephesians 4:26-27

INTRO: Good morning church. For our text this morning I invite you to turn to Ephesians 4. In just a moment we'll read verses 26 and 27. There are people that I know who have expressed concern to me about a family member or a close friend who is not listening to their doctor. I suspect many of us have seen this problem. We go to the doctor, the doctor tells us what to do, and then it seems we think we know better and do what we want to. Unfortunately, we sometimes pay the price. There are times when we need help medically. We go to a doctor that we trust, and we want their recommendation. Then, of course, we need to put this recommendation into practice. I wonder, if we don't listen to what the doctor says, then why go to them? We need to follow the doctor's orders.

There's a doctor I want to speak about today that we read of in the Bible. He's called the great physician. His name is Jesus. What good does it do to go to Him for spiritual healing if we don't listen to what He says? That just doesn't make any sense for us to go to the Lord, have Him tell us what He wants us to do so that we can be healed spiritually, and then not pay any regard to what He tells us.

By inspiration, the apostle wrote in Ephesians 4:26-27. “Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” Here the Lord speaks to us through the apostle Paul. Today, we will base our lesson on the opening words of verse 26, “Be angry, and do not sin”[NKJV].
That's the title of our lesson.

These days it seems we are constantly exposed to angry people, and we see the effects of uncontrolled anger all the time. We're concerned about all the violence taking place in our country and throughout the world. We hear about a person with a gun taking innocent lives. Often the root problem is anger. There might be other issues, but sometimes they are a symptom rather than the real problem. The Bible has a lot to say about anger.

We're constantly exposed to outbursts of uncontrolled anger. There have been many appalling instances, but one I recall was reported on February 24th of last year by the MetroWest Daily News. Two ladies, (if you want to call them that), got into a brawl in a store. Someone recorded it with a phone, and I thought, how sad. To make matters worse, there happened to be a little boy there, I would guess, about five or six years old. He was the son of one of the women and his mother encouraged him to get involved, and he started kicking the other woman. I thought, ah, there's my nomination for Mother of the Year. I'm being sarcastic, of course. Just last month there was a video of 2 men fighting outside of a Miami Publix Grocery over a parking spot. One man pulled out a gun and fired a shot fortunately missing the other. What leads to fights like that and other things that are even worse? Uncontrolled anger. We're constantly exposed to outbursts of anger, and if we're not careful, it can rub off on us. What takes place in the world will affect God's people if we're not watchful. We have to guard against that influence.

I. Let God in His word, teach us some things that He wants us to know about being angry and yet not sinning. First, we consider some general principles that relate to anger.

A. We just touched on this, but as you examine the scriptures, you can't help but see that anger leads to irrational behavior. That particular point is made numerous times in the scriptures. Let’s look at three illustrations.

1. In Genesis 4, just a few chapters into the beginning of the Bible, you read about Cain and Abel. In Genesis 4:5 it says “…Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.” [NKJV]. In other words, he was filled with wrath. He was filled with uncontrolled anger. Why? Because God did not respect the offering that he gave. By faith, Abel gave of his flocks. He presented an animal sacrifice unto the Lord, and the Lord was pleased, and He had respect for Abel and his offering.

a. Cain presented an offering of the fruit of the ground, his produce. God was not pleased with that, and He had no respect for Cain and his offering. Consequently, Cain became very angry.
b. What did his uncontrolled anger lead Cain to do? Genesis 4:8 tells us that he killed his brother Abel. At almost the very beginning of the Bible, we see that uncontrolled anger leads to irrational behavior. A man killed his brother.

2. In 2 Kings 5:10-11, we read about a man named Naaman. He was the commander of the army of the king of Syria, a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master. He was also a mighty man of valor, but he had leprosy. He learned that there was a prophet, Elisha, who could cure him. So he went to Samaria to be healed, and he was told what to do.

a. “Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.'' But Naaman became furious,” How did Naaman respond? He was furious, - angry, - mad because of what the prophet told him to do. His irrational behavior was that He refused to do what the prophet told him so that he could be cleansed of his leprosy.
b. Thankfully, that's not the end of the story. After he cooled down, his servant came and reasoned with him and said, “Sir, if that prophet had told you to do some great thing, you would have done it. Why don't you just go wash and be cleansed?”[para] His anger had subsided, he went and washed in that old muddy Jordan River seven times, and he was cleansed of his leprosy. As long as his heart was filled with anger, he refused to do what he needed to do so that he could be cleansed.

3. There's a third illustration I want to mention. It involves the parable found in Luke 15, the parable of the prodigal son. I’m sure you recall it.

a. He had an older brother. After the young son returned home and his father received him so graciously and prepared a great feast, the older brother wanted to know what was going on, and a servant told him, 'Your brother's home and your father has received him safe and sound, and we're going to have a great feast.
b. The Bible says in Luke 15:28 “But he was angry and would not go in…” What did his anger lead him to do? What was his irrational behavior? He refused to go into the feast that his father gave for his younger brother.
c. These are three illustrations in the Bible that show anger leads to irrational behavior. Even if we didn't look any further, that ought to get our attention and help us understand how important it is that we be angry and sin not, as we're taught in Ephesians 4:26.

4. Anger not only causes irrational behavior but there are some other principles that we need to mention.

B. Did you know that anger is habit-forming? Let's look at Proverbs 19:19 which says, and I paraphrase, “A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again.”[para]. That verse has to do with the fate of those who are overcome with anger, but listen to this; if you rescue them, you will have to do it again. In other words, anger becomes a habit. It has to be dealt with. If it isn't, it will continue and will probably get even worse.
C. Did you know that anger is contagious? Let's look at Proverbs 22:24-25, “ Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go,” Why? “lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.” Have you ever heard it said, “It’s easy to be good when you're around good people”? Unfortunately, it's also easy to be bad when you're around bad people. Any parent who has worried about the friends their child has knows this instinctively. It's also easy to be angry when you're around people who are prone to be angry. That's what the writer is teaching us here, Solomon, of course, was a wise man. Anger is contagious.
D. Sounds to me like maybe a visit to the doctor is necessary. Anger leads to irrational behavior. Anger is habit-forming. Anger is contagious. Let's go on. Anger leads to other sins. Look at Proverbs 29:22, “An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression.” Anger leads to other sins. It opens the door to doing things we might not otherwise do.
E. Let's look at Proverbs 30:33. This verse shows us that anger causes strife. “For as churning milk produces butter, and as striking the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”[para] Notice how strife is associated with anger. Anger causes strife. It doesn't reduce strife. It doesn't eliminate it. It causes strife. These are some general principles that relate to anger. Let me mention them again very quickly. Anger leads to irrational behavior. Anger is habit forming. Anger is contagious, anger leads to other sins, and anger causes strife.

II. With those general principles before us, let's go back to our text in Ephesians 4:26-27.

A. As we study these verses we need to look at them in the context. Always study passages in the proper context. That will avoid a lot of misunderstanding.

1. Chapter 4 has to do with the way that God's children are to walk. Notice how it begins in Ephesians 4:1, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,”.

a. Reading on through verse 16, we're shown how we are to walk. We are to walk worthy of our vocation.
b. Notice the change in Ephesians 4:17, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.”[ESV] Continuing through verse 24, we are taught that we're not to walk like people in the world. This chapter begins by showing that we're to walk worthy of the vocation by which we've been called. Then beginning at verse 17 and going down through verse 24, we find that we're not to walk like people in the world. These are general instructions related to our walk. Next Paul gives some specifics.

2. In verse 25, he dealt with lying. Then in verses 26-27, the verses that we're studying, he gives us some instructions that relate to anger. As we strive to understand the meaning of what's written in Ephesians 4:26-27, we need to look at them in the proper context. Christians are being shown how to walk.

B. What do these statements in these two verses mean?

1. I’m using the NKJV here. Verse 26 says, “Be angry” followed by a comma, not a period. If there was a period, then we would be commanded to be angry, but that is not what it says.

a. What is anger? How do we define it? Anger is an emotional response. It's an emotional response we have to something or someone that displeases us. Something happens to us that causes us to be displeased, and the emotional response to that can be anger.
b. Let me point out right here that not all anger is wrong. Mark 3:5 says that Jesus looked at some people with anger. “So when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts,…” Jesus was angry, being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts.

He was in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. There was a man there with a withered hand, the Pharisees were present, and they were watching to see if Jesus was going to heal this man on the Sabbath day so they could accuse him. They were looking to bring an accusation against the Lord. Jesus, remember, knew people's minds. He knew what was inside man. Jesus knew the condition of these people's hearts, and He was filled with anger. He went ahead and healed the man. They left and started a conspiracy to try to bring something against the Lord.

c. There are times when people try to pass off a sinful type of anger as righteous indignation, but there is a difference. The Bible doesn't condemn all anger.

2. There is a particular anger that the Bible does condemn, and that's what we're concerned about today. We all have emotions and some of us are probably better able to control our emotions than others. We also have things that displease us. Some people have more things that displease them than others. Since we all have emotions and we all have things that displease us, we're all subject to being angry. It can happen. It can happen to the best of us. These verses teach us not to sin as a result of being angry. Notice what it says, be angry, and do not sin. What we're being taught is not to sin as a result of being angry.

C. It is the anger that leads us to sin that scripture condemns. We're all subject to it, but the Bible teaches us to have it under control. As we examine the scriptures, we see that often this particular anger is also referred to as wrath. Anger that causes sin is condemned, not justified, not rationalized; it's condemned in the scriptures.

1. Let's look at Ephesians 4:31-32. “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.” Verse 31 is very clear in teaching us that wrath and anger are to be put away. In my Bible, it says, all, all of it. Not some of it, not just a little bit of it, but it says, Let all of it be put away.
2. In Galatians 5: Verses 19-21, the works of the flesh are listed. These are serious matters because they'll keep people from inheriting the Kingdom of God. Verse 20 includes wrath. That's the uncontrolled anger that we're concerned about.
3. Colossians 3:8. “But now you must also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.”
4. I think it's interesting that a long, long time ago, back in the first century, it was necessary for these instructions about wrath to be given to the Lord's people in various areas.

a. Ephesians was written to the Christians living in the city of Ephesus. Galatians was written to the Christians living in the area known as Galatia. Colossians was written to Christians living in Colossi. It was important for them to be taught about the perils of anger.
b. It is important for us as well. We live in the same old world, and the same old things that were present in the first century are still present today.

III. We are being taught in Ephesians 4:26-27 that our anger must be controlled and we must not allow it to result in sin. That being the case, let's turn our attention to some instructions that will help us to control anger.

A. Ephesians 4:26 says, Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath.

1. In other words, let go of your anger the same day it arises. Easier said than done you might say. Yet it can be done and must be done. Otherwise, God wouldn't tell us to do it. The problem is not God and His word. The problem sometimes is our implementation of what He wants us to do.
2. What good is it to go to the doctor and they tell us what to do, but then we don’t do it? The great physician tells us to not let the sun go down upon our wrath. We have already seen from the Book of Proverbs that anger leads to other sins. If it's not turned loose, if we do not let it go, then it leads to things such as malice, hatred, and even a desire for revenge. Don't let the sun go down upon your wrath.

B. Look at Ephesians 4:27. This verse says that we're not to give place to the devil. We must determine in our hearts that we're not going to give Satan the opportunity to lead us into sin.

1. As James said, Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The devil has many tools at his disposal. The Bible teaches that he's crafty. He's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve. He knows our strengths, and he knows our weaknesses. Do you think he's going to attack us where we're strong? No. He'll attack us where we're weak. If he knows that we have a problem with anger, you better believe he's going to attack it with all he's worth.
2. The Bible says, Resist the devil. We have to stand up against him. Anger is a point of temptation. When we're tempted to become angry and fly off the handle, as we sometimes say, we have to resist the devil. If we do that, he will flee from us. That doesn't say he won't come back because he will. He walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, 1 Peter 5:8. If he's resisted though, he will flee.

C. These are some very helpful instructions. Don't let the sun go down upon your wrath and don't give place to the devil. Let’s look at some additional instructions. I’m going now to the Book of Romans, and in chapter 12 there are some very short instructions given to us that are very, very helpful in leading us to live as the Lord wants us to live.

1. Romans 12:19 teaches us to remember that vengeance belongs to God. “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.””[ESV] Often these days we hear about or even find ourselves exposed - to road rage. Do you know what the root problem behind a lot of that is? It’s anger on behalf of the person who started it. Often the other person responds by wanting to take vengeance. It can lead to very serious consequences. We have to remember that vengeance belongs to God. He can enforce it a whole lot more fairly and a lot more forcefully than I can.
2. Vengeance belongs unto the Lord. Let's look at Romans 12:20-21. “Therefore if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”[NKJV] These verses teach us to overcome evil with good. If we respond to evil with evil, that's the wrong way to go. That's going to lead to a conflict. You know that as well as I do. If you respond to evil with good, even though the other person may not change, you just might give them something to think about. You never know how that might lead to a change of life later on for that person.
3. A man was in a public setting, and some various opinions were being batted about. This man let an offender go instead of avenging himself for an insult he had received. His friend Bob criticized him for that, telling him he should have stood up to the man. The man replied, “Tell me Bob, if you were climbing a hill, and a great stone rolled down toward you, would you consider it disgraceful to step aside and allow it to roll past? There is no disgrace in avoiding and giving way to a person aroused by anger until they have had time reflect on their actions.” To overcome evil with good… that's not always easy, but it's still the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do, and the Lord will bless us for it.
4. As we think about instructions that will help us control anger, we have to look at James 1:19-20. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. Notice the order given here. Why do you suppose it is important we follow that order? James says, “for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God”. Man's uncontrolled anger won't lead him to do God's righteousness.

a. Anger will lead us to participate in unrighteousness. We need to follow this order. Develop the habit of being swift to hear. Rather than spout off with something before the other is done speaking, take the time to listen. Rather than be quick to speak, be slow to speak. Don't be hot-headed and quick-tempered. The Bible says, be slow to wrath.
b. If more people would follow those instructions, our world would be a lot better place. The Lord's Brother wrote in the first century to Christians. It was important for them to learn this, and we need to learn the same lesson today.

5. Let’s recap these instructions that will help us to control our anger. Don't let the sun go down on your wrath. Don't give place to the devil. Remember that vengeance belongs unto God. Remember to overcome evil with good. Then we need to follow the instructions of James to be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. If we treat people according to the first promptings of anger, we shall always do them wrong.

CONCLUSION:
Let’s look at Proverbs as we close. It's amazing to me how much the Book of Proverbs has to say on this subject that we're studying. Let's look at Proverbs 15:1. So far, we emphasized the fact that we are to control our anger, but we're also responsible for avoiding things that will cause other people to become angry. Listen to this verse, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” When we respond to someone else's anger, we have to do so in the right way. We have to refrain from doing and saying things that will cause others to become even angrier. This is one of the reasons I will never attend a demonstration. Solomon here is dealing with defusing a serious situation. You've got a volatile situation where an explosion can take place. What has to be done? It's got to be defused. Just like an unexploded bomb. How do you do that? Respond to someone else's anger with a soft answer. Remain in control. That will defuse the situation many times. If we do our part, then it's the other person’s responsibility to not escalate. We, however, are still obligated to follow the Lord's will. A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up even more anger.
We are responsible for controlling our anger, and scripture teaches us to refrain from doing and saying things that will cause others to become angry.

Let's turn to Proverbs 14:29. Notice the contrast here, “He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly.” There's a contrast made here between someone slow to wrath and someone who is hasty of spirit. These verses teach us that we need to consider ourselves and ask; am I slow to wrath? Or, am I hasty of spirit? Am I able to keep things under control, Or am I prone to fly off the handle? Some people have the mistaken idea that being quick-tempered and quick to say harsh words is a sign of strength. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Proverbs 16:32. “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” I'm amazed at the great illustrations that are presented to us in the Bible. You think about a mighty warrior as someone who's able to take an entire city, a great military leader. We would consider him to be a strong person, wouldn't we? Well, here the Bible is teaching us that someone who has his anger under control is a really strong man or a strong woman. One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, a mighty warrior. And someone who can control his spirit is better or stronger than one who can take an entire city. So while men might have a problem looking at that in that way, we know how the Lord views it. He teaches us that true strength is having our anger under control. And a soft answer turns away wrath. I'm very concerned about things we see happening in our country and our world. One of the reasons why there's so much evil and why there's so much harshness, even to the taking of innocent lives, is because people don't have their anger under control. I want to say this, any religion that teaches people to act on their anger and take the lives of other people didn't come from God.

We know from our study today what God Almighty has said in His word. In our own country, we find a lot of things to blame for irrational behavior. But let's go to the heart of the matter. Uncontrolled anger is what we need to deal with. Unfortunately, we don't find too many people willing to control their anger.

Isn't it interesting that this old book that's been around for a long, long time tells us what we need to know? Yet, so many reject what it says. God help us to open our Bible, study it afresh, learn the Lord's will, and then put it into practice to the very best of our ability. We will be pleasing the Lord. We will have a good influence on others, and we'll be prepared to meet the Lord on that last great day. Let's remember these very important passages and consider them regularly. They can change our lives for the better, and as that happens, other lives will be changed for the better as well.

The lesson is yours. If there is anyone in the assembly today who has the need to be buried with Christ in baptism or anyone who desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage you to come forward while we stand and sing. 

# ??? Reference Sermon by: Raymond Sieg

Using Our Gifts - Part 1

Romans 12:3-8

INTRO:
Good evening. Today we are going to continue to look at Romans 12. Just as a reminder if you hear me say anything that is not according to scripture please let me know and we can look at it together. In general I will be using the New King James or the King James Version for reference. We’ve already talked about presenting ourselves as living sacrifices to God. We talked about not being conformed to this world, but being transformed by the renewing of our minds. We saw that there is no middle ground, if we do not become transformed by the renewing of our minds we will be conformed to the world. This evening I would like to continue in our study of this chapter beginning at verse three and continuing through verse 8. Please turn there with me now.

Romans 12:3-8 – “3. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5. so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7. or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8. he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

It has been said that even the brightest people use only about 11% of their brains capacity. When I think about that particular statistic I realize how many use much less than that! It makes one wonder, what kind of place would this world be if we all used more of our brain? What if we used 100%? Certainly it would be a different world.

I wondered, if we get by as well as we do by using only this small portion, what if we could access all there is to access in the human mind and put it to use? Then I thought about that in terms of God’s word as well. If we do as well as we do using only small portions of the resources that God has placed before us, (what Paul describes here as gifts), what could we do if we used more of what He has given us? What would it be like if we would use, to the full extent, the gifts that God has given us as individuals? I strongly suspect that things would be different.

The purpose of living as sacrifices to God (vs. 1-2) is not mystical or monastic but eminently practical. It’s not simply coming to a thought or an idea. It is the renewal of our mind toward God so that we can put into practice what God has revealed to us and use it in our everyday lives.

It is for the purpose of devotion. Devotion is for the purpose of worship. Worship is to please God. Those two things are very intimately connected. Devotion and worship are connected to our active obedience and ministry to the Lord.

When I think about the particular passages that we’ve looked at already, the aspect of being given over to God and devoted to God and renewing our minds to give ourselves to God, I recognize there is practical application for us. That’s where Paul goes in the remainder of chapter 12. He talks about practical applications. He talks about what it means to be living sacrifices. As a transformed person, God expects us to do something. We are expected to be involved. He expects us to use the gifts He has given us to serve and be involved in service. Isn’t that what he said in verse one?
This is your reasonable service to offer yourselves as sacrifices unto God. Then Paul goes on to explain what he means.

Now keep that in mind as we continue to look at the passages. Verses three through eight will give us an outline of how we are to use the gifts that God provides for us or at least it is encouragement for our usefulness to Him. We need to look at our own lives and ask ourselves whether we are very useful to God. In the whole scheme of things do we play a part? Is that part important or significant? By that I do not mean important in the sense that we see importance, but important in the sense that we actually bear fruit in the efforts that are going on.

Do we play a part? Do we serve? In the next few verses the apostle outlines 3 important elements of our usefulness to God:
1) The proper attitude of serving;
2) The proper relationship of serving;
3) The proper activity of serving

I. The Proper Attitude of Serving: Humility. Let’s begin at: Romans 12:3 – “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Humility in our attitude of using gifts. This is vitally important because sometimes it is the use of gifts, even the active use of gifts that can become a threat to humility in us. If someone has a lot of talent, or has a lot of resources, they can be threatened by pride and arrogance. We have to be careful about that. It should not surprise us that when Paul is talking about our utilizing ourselves in the service of God, that he prefaces it with a remark, and a commandment, concerning attitude. The effectiveness of what we do and the validity of what we do is very much determined by the attitude that goes along with it. This morning let’s look at humility in more detail and see how Paul addresses it.

A. Notice how Paul begins his admonition: “through the grace given to me”. The word for grace is a common New Testament word that is sometimes translated as grace and sometimes translated as gift. I believe the word grace here as Paul uses it refers to Paul’s commission to preach the gospel. We might identify this “grace” as his apostleship. Paul was given something. He was given a gift. Being an apostle was not something that he had earned.

1. Nobody understood that better than Paul. It was given to him as an act of grace. He was one who had previously blasphemed against God and persecuted God and Christ. Now he was given the ability and the power through the Holy Spirit to preach the truth of God through inspiration. It was a gift.
2. Notice that Paul’s admonition to humility is given humbly. He would not be one to stand before others and say you cannot think too highly of yourself if he thought too highly of himself. Paul has to show an example to others in the gifts that God has given to him and the way that God has blessed his life. It didn’t go to his head. He was always humble before God and recognized that what he had was by the grace of God.
3. This also teaches us that humility does not preclude authority or leadership. Paul was admonishing with the authority of an apostle, but he humbly refers to the source of this authority as a grace given to him by God. Paul in this passage is recognizing his position before God. He knew that the thrust of what he said did not come from him, but comes from the One who gave it to him.
4. Paul was able to be humbly authoritative because he recognized his position before God. He was able to be a humble leader because he recognized his position before God. He could never rightfully ask another to be humble if he failed to be humble himself. Paul begins by saying it is through the grace that was given to me, because I have already received a gift, and I recognize this is what I need to say to you.

B. He says “to everyone who is among you”. He addresses these words to every Christian. That’s important for us to recognize. There are some of us who have more difficulty in this area than others. Who among us is not tempted to think of themselves more highly than they should?

1. We are always tempted to put more attention on our needs or what’s going on with us or how things affect us. The aspect of being absorbed in ourselves is part of our human experience. Its part of the world we live in with the propensity of the flesh to conform, and follow Satan rather than to follow God.
2. Renewing our minds is not just a matter of functioning differently or picking out certain activities. It’s a matter of changing the way we think. Paul says that pride is everybody’s problem. Paradoxically, even spiritual growth and knowledge can be a source of human pride. Even when we receive all of the rewards and honors of godly living, those very things may quite easily, and often do, lead to pride, conceit, arrogance, and self-righteousness, which are totally abhorrent to God.

C. Paul continues; “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think...” Human pride is a continuing problem for us and the world reinforces that attitude. When we think we’ve overcome our pride it might be that our pride has overcome us. In the original language, Paul uses a form of ‎phroneo ‎(to think) four times in verse 3. He talks about thinking and thinking highly and thinking soberly. In the first instance he attaches the prefix “hyper” which means to exceed, or go beyond.

1. You might say that part of the problem is sometimes we think too much! Let me explain, it’s not thinking too much about things, not thinking too much about scripture. The subject and object of our thinking is that we think too much about ourselves. We think of it in terms of outright pride but sometimes we think too much of ourselves in the quantity of time we spend on ourselves.
2. A Christian is not to exceed in his estimation of himself, but to think of himself as he really is. We spend our time focused on us because, to us, we’re more important than anything or anybody else. Paul would call us to not exceed our estimation of ourselves. “For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Galatians 6:3). Staying focused on ourselves and thinking we are more than we are, is a form of self deception. It’s not reality. It’s thinking something’s true that’s not really true. That’s where Paul is going to take this discussion. The instruction that he’s giving us is not to be self-absorbed, not to think that which is not real and not to be deceived.
3. Paul’s self estimation in 1 Timothy 1:13ff would not make a very acceptable resume today. He referred to himself as a former blasphemer and persecutor and an insolent man. In his own words he was the chief sinner. Paul spoke badly about himself as he talked about his previous life.

i. Why would Paul say those things about himself? He told the truth. That was reality. He was one who was leading the fight against Christianity at one time.
ii. However talking bad about one’s self is not synonymous with being humble. A lot of people, who are willing to talk about themselves in very low terms, actually do it because they want to—draw attention. That activity itself might be evidence of pride.
iii. Paul was humble because he understood what he was and the work of God in his life. He understood his position before God. He said “God enabled me... putting me in the ministry ...I obtained mercy”[para] (1 Timothy 1:12-16)
iv. We should not think too highly of ourselves, but we need to think highly of God and put God in the proper position in our lives. God is always held above ourselves.

4. God could use Paul because he was willing to be humble. Paul is not alone in teaching this. Peter admonished all elders in the church, young and old, to “clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).
5. It is a sad reality that those who think too highly of themselves often think too poorly of others. This sort of thinking is a natural fruit of pride. We not only think we’re good, but we think others are not as good. We easily dismiss others or seek to put them down. Peter says the opposite is true.

i. True humility requires that I submit to others, allowing them to lead. 1 Peter 5:5 – “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Notice in this passage that he says “all of you be submissive to one another”. We know there are God ordained roles. Children are to be obedient to their parents. Wives are to be submissive to their husbands. Congregations are to submit to the rule of the eldership. Submissiveness is an aspect of our relationship with each other. We can not claim true humility unless we allow others to lead us and submit to what they say and what they do.
ii. True humility keeps me from hypocritically judging my brother – James 4:10-11 – “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. 11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.” James, as he does on a couple of occasions, connects this aspect of faith and activity. If you sit around and complain about other folks you dismiss yourself as a doer of the law and you are a judge of the law.
iii. True humility causes me to treat every brother with the same mind and compassion. He who speaks evil of his brother is judging his brother. He has put himself in a rank over his brother. True humility forbids this because it requires us to treat everyone alike. This is a real challenge for us, and it’s been a challenge for people all along.
iv. In every society there have been social ranks. There have been those who have and those who have not. There have been those who were masters and those who were servants, those who were leaders and those who were followers. There has always been this aspect of social class and rank. The gospel transcends all of that and puts the Christian in the position of equality among all. True humility makes us have the mind and the compassion to make that possible.
v. Later in Romans 12 Paul admonishes them to “15. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.” (Romans 12:15-16)
vi. If we treat each other with equality we must first work on ourselves to make sure that we’re not thinking too highly of ourselves, that we are not arrogant about ourselves. It is just a fact that when we think too highly of ourselves the natural fruit is we will think less of others.
vii. Scripture gives us an example in Diotrephes. God (and John) opposed Diotrephes because he sought preeminence above others. (3 John) How did that bear out in his life? He did not receive the brethren, and talked against the apostles. He put other people out of the church. He threw them out and spoke evil against them because he wanted to be first. This has played out in religion ever since.
viii. True humility means esteeming others better than myself. I am to treat everyone equally whatever their social status, or economic status, or political status. I must treat everyone equally AND at the same time in my mind I must esteem them better than myself. Philippians 2:3 – “ 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” Paul’s ambition was for us to esteem others better than ourselves.

6. Let me pose this question: Don’t we find at times that it’s not too difficult to esteem someone better then us because there are folks that are better than us, even in the eyes of the world? While you are mulling that over; What if we think someone is not better than us, are we to force ourselves to think that maybe they are better than us? That’s not the context of the passage, that is not the mind of Christ. What does Paul think we are to do then?

D. “but to think soberly” – The phrase indicates “clear thinking” or according to reality. The opposite of thinking soberly is thinking too highly of ourselves. What does soberly mean here? The intoxicated person loses their inhibitions, is not the same person they are in reality and they make poor judgments. When they sober up, they return to reality and are able to make good judgments again. Also when they sober up they may realize they acted stupidly. Now they are thinking soberly and see the world as it really is. That analogy helps us understand what Paul is saying here in the spiritual sense.

1. To think too highly is to see things different from reality. We think we’re great, but we’re not. We think we’re something, we’re not. We think we’ve accomplished great things, we haven’t. The reality is that we’re not much.
2. That’s not a very popular message today. Many folks think that’s a destructive message. They think people ought to be told they’re good people and be told that they accomplished much. We are not to suffer from a low self-esteem. To that point, we certainly do have to recognize our worth. After all, Jesus died for us and that in itself tells us that God decided what we are worth by what He sacrificed to save us.
3. Paul warned the Corinthians against making judgments about themselves and others which would promote pride. 1 Corinthians 4:6 – “6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.”
4. We have to think soberly of ourselves and learn not to think above that which is written. We should not make judgments about ourselves and others that would promote pride.

E. Let’s look at the next part “As God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” There are differing views concerning Paul’s meaning here.

1. Some say that the “measure of faith” is a portion of faith that God gives to each Christian. This portion of faith differs from one person to another and is defined by our abilities and responsibilities. In this view the scripture here is seen as mystical and arbitrary.
2. Moses Lard says that this “measure of faith” refers to the miraculous portion of faith that was given to some as an accompaniment to a miraculous spiritual gift (such as prophecy). One who had this gift was not to go beyond the degree of revelation that went along with that gift. They were not meant to think of themselves more highly than what God revealed about that particular gift. Certainly Paul does warn those who have received miraculous gifts to not think one’s gift is more important than another’s. There is another view.
3. R.L. Whiteside disagrees with the view that the portion of faith only has to do with miraculous activity. He states that the term “measure” as it is used in scripture indicates “a measuring instrument” (like a ruler would be called a measure or a scale). It’s used as a measure to measure something else, a standard. In this sense, the objective faith that God has given is the measuring stick by which we measure our thinking.

i. I must, therefore, govern my self evaluation by what I believe concerning God’s revealed will. My self evaluation can not be measured by what others think of me or what I think I’ve accomplished. How do I know who I am? How do I know what I’m worth? How do I know how to estimate myself?
ii. There is a ruler, a measure, given by the revelation of faith that God has provided for me. Scripture. If I spend time in the faith given, if I spend time measuring myself by that standard, I will not think of myself too highly.

4. It is baffling that people who spend a lot of time with the Bible come away thinking they should raise themselves up or that true religion is raising their self-esteem when those who served God before said just the opposite about themselves. I’m fairly certain that modern religionists would have an issue with John the Baptist. I can hear them saying “You should not go around talking about not being worthy to tie a person’s shoe.” “You can’t talk about yourself that way.”

i. In the context of what today some might think of as disparaging speech, there is a Bible concept of who Jesus was. John the Baptist knew who Christ was and held Him up for who He was. In this way John the Baptist was able to serve God because of his humility.
ii. One commentator said; “No one under the influence of the teaching of the scriptures, and thereby regulated and controlled, can ever become egotistical. There is no quality of human behavior more contrary to the spirit of the Master than egotism.”
iii. That’s true, isn’t it? What we recognize in Paul’s words is that humility is a prerequisite to serving.

F. Humility as a Prerequisite to Service. When we read the scriptures can we see the attitude of those who serve?

1. I heard a story about a young man who wrote a letter to the elders of the church, expressing his disappointment that he had not been used for song leading and preaching as often as he thought he should be. He stated confidently, “I have the knowledge and experience that would be an asset to any congregation.”
2. Perhaps he did, but the attitude indicated by those words is different from the attitude of those whom the Lord has always considered an asset among His people. What kind of people can God use? Let’s consider those He did use.

i. First let’s consider Moses. Moses was confident at the age of 40 that he had qualities that would enable him to deliver God’s people from Egyptian bondage, but he failed miserably. After forty years as a shepherd his attitude toward himself changed. When God called him to do the work his response was, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). God never told him he was somebody. Once Moses was humble enough to recognize his own limitations God could use him.
ii. Then there was Gideon. Gideon was totally surprised when the Angel of the Lord addressed him as a “mighty man of valor” (Judges 6:12). He was even more taken aback when the angel said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites.” To this he replied, “0 my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house:” He was already a man accomplished in battle, but he did not view himself as one who could win everything with his own strength. God’s use of this humble man to gain a notable victory is well known.
iii. Think about Saul. Very good example to us all of how pride destroys. Saul’s response when he was called to be king over Israel was, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin. Why then do you speak like this to me?” (1 Samuel 9:21). Saul’s response was: I’m nobody. I’m not the person to do this. Later God made a point of the fact that this was his attitude when he was anointed. “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel?” (1 Samuel 15:17). After Saul started to disobey God he became great in his own eyes, even to the point of substituting his own wisdom for that of God. Then God said through Samuel, “You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel” (1Samuel 15:17, 19, 26).
iv. Then there’s Isaiah. Isaiah felt himself entirely unworthy of the great vision God granted to him in the temple in Isaiah 6:1-4. His reaction: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.”
v. Jeremiah, when called by God to be a prophet replied, “Ah, Lord God! Behold I cannot speak, for I am a youth” (Jeremiah 1:6).
vi. Now for another example, Simon Peter. Simon Peter‘s proclamation, “though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended” (Matthew 26:33). Everybody may leave but not me. I will never leave you. That attitude was not only a profession of faith, but I believe, ultimately a liability for Peter. It was that boastful attitude that gave Satan a cause to come in. It was only after contrition and a repentance that God was able to come back to Peter. Then he was ready to tend the Lord’s sheep (John 21:15-17).
vii. Saul of Tarsus was useless to the Lord when his resume was: “circumcised the eight day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:5-6). His usefulness flourished, however, when he had come to say, “I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am” (I Corinthians 15:9-10).

CONCLUSION:
In Romans 12 the next verses describe active service. Next we’ll talk about actually doing things to encourage the church, as the body of Christ, to accomplish its work through 100% of the members using 100% of the gifts that God has given. That will make a difference.

Can we imagine what a different world this would be if that happened everywhere? Before we get there we must check the attitude. Let us begin by cultivating that attitude behind the service. Let’s humble ourselves before God that we might serve. Nobody, but nobody, ever deserved salvation. Even the fulfillment of conditions upon which God gives salvation cannot merit the gift. It is a gift.

Next week we will begin verse four, the Lord willing, and go through verse eight and talk about the relationship and serving God.

We’re about to be led in the invitation song. If you’re here and you’re not a Christian, it is our sincere desire for you to come to Christ in all humility. We do not invite you to come to a church or a religious organization, or a religious leadership.

The Bible calls people to Jesus Christ. If you want to be saved, He will save you.
If you want to be redeemed, His blood will redeem you. If you profess your faith, you must profess it to Him. We ask you to do that in the way the Bible prescribes and the way Christians here have done it.
Scripture tells us: believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and that He shed His blood for you; repent of sins committed in the past; proclaim that Jesus Christ is the Son of God before men and be baptized for the forgiveness of sin.
If you have done those things and become a child of God but have slipped away you can come back and ask His forgiveness. In either case the blood of Jesus Christ can make you new. We encourage you to come while we stand and sing.

Invitation song: ???

Reference sermon: David Schmidt

Jesus Preached the Kingdom of God

Luke 4:40-44

INTRO: Good morning church. Our text this morning is from the gospel of Luke 4:40-44. “40. Now when the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. 41. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!'' And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ. 42. Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; 43. but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.'' 44. And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.”[NKJV] In these verses we read about the two main activities of Jesus during His ministry.

One activity was healing. - Imagine what it was like when Jesus would be in an area and people would bring their loved ones, relatives and friends to the Lord to be healed. All those people with their various diseases and afflictions coming to Him, and Jesus healed them.

The other activity was preaching. - Jesus indicated in verse 43 that He was compelled to preach the Kingdom of God. The people wanted Him to remain with them but He said, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also…”. Jesus was endeavoring to reach as many people as He possibly could and He says, “… for this purpose I have been sent.”

Earlier in this chapter at verse 16 we find Jesus teaching in the synagogue in Nazareth. There He read from the Book of Isaiah where Isaiah had prophesied about 700 years earlier that the Lord would come to accomplish certain objectives. Two of those were to preach deliverance to the captives and to heal people. (Isaiah 61) Those were the two main activities of Jesus during His ministry.

Preaching the kingdom was very important to the Lord. In Matthew chapter 4 we read of Jesus fasting in the wilderness, His being tempted, His baptism by John and then in verse 17 His beginning to preach. Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.''” That message was not new because John had already been preaching it. The Kingdom was soon to be established. Jesus called upon people to repent, to be ready for the Kingdom.

In Matthew 4:23 it says, “ Now Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.” Jesus preached and healed.
Matthew 9:35 says, “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” In Luke 8:1, “Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him,”
Jesus preached the Kingdom of God throughout His ministry.

I find this interesting in Acts 1:1-3. “1. The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. 2. until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3. to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Following His resurrection, Jesus was with His disciples for a period of 40 days during which He spoke to them of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. Not only did Jesus place great emphasis on preaching the Kingdom of God during His ministry, but after His resurrection He continued to speak to His disciples about God's everlasting Kingdom.

As Jesus preached, He gave His requirements for entering God's kingdom. Today we will take a look at six of the Lord's requirements. It's important for us to be aware of this as we endeavor to enter the kingdom and we also need to keep this information in mind to remain in the kingdom.

I. We must be POOR IN SPIRIT – In Matthew 5 let’s consider several things that Jesus preached in His great sermon. He begins with what we call the Beatitudes and the first one is found in Matthew 5:3. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” One requirement for being in the Kingdom of Heaven is being poor in spirit. Exactly what does that mean?

A. We're fortunate to have a number of passages that explain what it means to be poor in spirit.

1. The first one is Psalm 51:17. David composed this Psalm after it was pointed out to him by Nathan the prophet, that he was guilty of adultery and murder. He had committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then he had her husband put in a position that led to his death.

a. David was filled with remorse for what he had done, and he composed this psalm. Psalm 51:1 “Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.”
b. Now look at verse 17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. These, O God, You will not despise.” That's a good inspired description of what it means to be poor in spirit.

2. Next let's look at Isaiah 57:15. “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Notice that God is associated with those who are poor in spirit. Isaiah uses the word we have as “contrite”, ( dakā'), which means crushed, destroyed to powder, and the word “humble”. Isaiah talks of those who were humble before God, who are contrite, and who want to have their spirit revived and be in good standing with God.
3. In Isaiah 66:2 God is talking of all things in heaven and earth and says, “For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,'' says the Lord. "But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.” This is another passage that helps us understand what it means to be poor in spirit.

B. We find indications of this in requests like David made in Psalm 19 and 139. First Psalm 19:12f “12. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. 13. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” And in Psalm 139:23f “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Statements such as these are made by someone who is poor in spirit, someone who wants their life to be right with God.
C. Let's consider one other illustration found in Luke 18. Jesus used a parable and made a contrast of two people who prayed. One was considered to be a religious man and the other a publican or a tax collector. I’m sure you all recall the parable. As it begins in Luke 18:9 we see who Jesus is telling this parable to. “He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:” Very quickly in the parable we see that one was poor in spirit, one was not.

1. “"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank You that I am not like other men extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. `I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'” The prayer of the Pharisee was a monologue, acknowledging no need, seeking no blessing, confessing no lack, admitting no sin, and beseeching no mercy; it was as cold and formal as an icicle. It enumerated the virtues of the Pharisee and closed with an insult cast in the direction of the publican! It showed that he had a big eye on himself, a bad eye on the publican, and no eye at all upon God! Although God was mentioned, the prayer was actually with himself, presumably rising no higher than where he stood.
2. “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God be merciful to me a sinner!'” The prayer of the tax collector, on the other hand, was short, informal, and warm with the earnestness of a soul burdened with sin. It confessed his sin, besought the Lord for mercy, and was attested by the sorrow and shame that smote his breast.
3. This was one of few prayers Jesus ever commended, verse 14. “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” The prayer of the tax collector resulted in his "justification." This is a big word which shows that God had received him accounting him righteous to the extent this was possible under the law.

D. All of these passages help us understand what it means and does not mean to be poor in spirit.

II. We must EXCEED THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES - Let's look at another requirement for entering God's kingdom. Matthew 5:19-20, “"Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

A. In order to enter the Kingdom, we must exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees who were the religious leaders of the Jewish people.

1. They disobeyed certain commands of God, and they taught others to do the same. These very people had developed a set of traditions over the years that in some cases, they considered to be weightier than the actual laws that God gave through His servant Moses.
2. Jesus rebuked these people because they put so much emphasis on paying tithes even of the least materials in their homes. They were very careful to give a 10th of that unto the Lord, but they overlooked things such as judgment, mercy, and faith.

B. Let me give you one quick example of how they disobeyed the commands of God by their own traditions. I’ll be referring to what is in Mark 7:2-13.

1. These religious leaders were very quick to point out to the Lord that his disciples ate food with what they considered to be unwashed or defiled hands. In other words, the disciples had not gone through this ritual ceremony of cleansing themselves before they ate.
2. They had a tradition from the elders which said, unless you go through that ritual of cleansing yourself, you can’t eat food, can’t eat a meal. This was a binding tradition which said, if people did not go through this ceremony of cleansing themselves, then they could not eat.
3. If they did, then they were violating the tradition of the elders. These leaders came to the Lord and condemned his followers for eating food with what they considered to be defiled hands. They underestimated the wisdom of the Lord.

C. In verse 6f He said, “"Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: `This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.''And He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition”

1. Jesus continues and quotes from the law in the books of Moses that talked about taking care of parents. He said, that’s what the law says.
2. Then He tells them; but you've come up with this tradition of Corbin, which says, if you take a portion of your estate and you call it Corbin, it's dedicated to the service of God, and you if were going to use that amount to take care of your parents when they were aged, then you are no longer bound to take care of your parents.
3. That's the tradition that they had, and Jesus pointed it out to them. It was to those very people, He said, “in vain they do worship Me teaching for doctrines the Commandments of Men.”
4. That's just one illustration of how the Scribes and the Pharisees disobeyed certain commands of God that they did not like, and they taught the people to do the same thing.

III. We Must DO THE FATHER'S WILL – Jesus emphasized the importance of obedience to what He had taught. Matthew 7:21-23. “"Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. "Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” Jesus indicated that in order to enter God's kingdom, we must do the Father's will.

A. Jesus preached the Kingdom of God and as He did so He revealed the requirements for being in the Kingdom. Here Jesus says that many will be lost who claim to have done great things in the name of the Lord.

1. Why are they going to be lost? Because they failed to do the Father's will. The Lord requires us to submit to the will of the Father.
2. That's a part of being poor in spirit. One who is poor in spirit wants to do the will of the Father.

B. In verse 24 Jesus says, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man…” The key to everlasting life is in Jesus’ saying, "these sayings of Mine!" The final, ultimate and exclusive authority in true religion is the word spoken by Christ. Jesus commanded the church to teach "whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:20). He declared that the words He spoke would judge men at the last day (John 12:48). “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God…” (2 John 1:9). "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Colossians 3:16), Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

IV. We Must BE CONVERTED AND BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN – Next look with me at Matthew 18:1-4.

A. The disciples wanted to know who was the greatest in the kingdom. That question seems to have been very much on the minds of the disciples because that issue came up on several occasions. In His teaching of the disciples Jesus dealt with it differently on each occasion. Let's see how He dealt with it here.
B. “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?'' And Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. "Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Before Jesus answered their question in verse 4, He told them how to enter the Kingdom in verse 3.

1. Picture this scene of our Lord and His disciples. They're all grown men and they want to know who is the greatest in the Kingdom.
2. Jesus responds to that by putting a little child in the middle of these grown men. Picture in your imagination the expressions on the faces of those men. I've also thought about the expression on that little child's face and I suspect maybe the child would have been intimidated somewhat to be in the middle of those grown men. That would have been an interesting situation.
3. Before Jesus explained who is great in the Kingdom, He says to enter the Kingdom, you’ve got to be converted, (turn or change), and become as this little child.

C. What does that mean? When we think of a little child we think of humility, freedom from prejudice, teachable, lovable, trustful, faith, lack of anxiety, and innocence.

1. How do we accomplish humbling ourselves as a little child? The Lord makes us innocent when we come to Him on His terms.
2. To enter God's kingdom, we must be converted and become as little children. That is innocent in the sight of God.

V. We Must ELIMINATE THINGS THAT WILL CAUSE US TO STUMBLE - Mark 9:43-48. “43. "And if your hand makes you sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched 44. "where `their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' 45. "And if your foot makes you sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched 46. "where `their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' 47. "And if your eye makes you sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into hellfire 48. "where `their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'” Jesus taught that to enter God's Kingdom, and to remain in God's Kingdom by the way, we must eliminate things that will cause us to stumble.

A. Jesus illustrated His point by referring to important parts of the body that we would not want to lose, including a hand, a foot, and an eye. These would be things that are very special to us.

1. The lesson Jesus was teaching is that anything that will cause us to stumble must be eliminated. Even if it's something as important as a hand, a foot, or an eye.
2. He tells us to pay whatever price is necessary to remain in the Kingdom of Heaven. Get rid of anything that will cause you to stumble, even if it is something we hold dear, something we find so desirable that it will be hard to set aside.
3. We can't help but think about the rich young ruler who came to the Lord and wanted to know about eternal life. Jesus told him the price to pay. Jesus knew the young man's problem when he came to Him. He told him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor and then “come and follow me”. He wasn't willing to pay the price, was he? That was something that caused him to stumble and he wasn't willing to give it up. It's very sad when the Bible says “he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

B. The Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God, is very special. There are sacrifices to be made to enter and to remain in the Kingdom. The Lord wants us to pay the price, but He assures us that He'll bless us in return.

VI. We Must "BE BORN AGAIN," – Now we look at John 3:3-5. “3. Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'' 4. Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?'' 5. Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

A. Jesus was approached by Nicodemus. He acknowledged the Lord's greatness. In verse 2, he said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” It would appear that Nicodemus had some questions in his mind.

1. John 2 ends with these words, “… He knew what was in man.” I believe Jesus knew what was in Nicodemus' mind when Nicodemus came to him. Jesus immediately started talking to him about the new birth.
2. As Jesus preached the Kingdom, He talked about the necessity of being born again to enter the Kingdom. Nicodemus struggled with this and after Jesus talked about the necessity of the new birth, Nicodemus asked some questions in verse 4. He was confused about the nature of this new birth.
3. Jesus explained it in verse 5 “… unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” This is a very important requirement. In order to enter the Kingdom of God, we must be born again.
4. Jesus said this new birth consists of being born of water and of the spirit. It's not possible to be born physically a second time. Jesus wasn't talking about a physical rebirth, but about a spiritual birth.

CONCLUSION:
As Jesus preached the kingdom of God, He gave His requirements for entering that special kingdom. In order to enter the Kingdom, we must be poor in spirit, exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees, do the Father's will, become as little children, eliminate things that would cause us to stumble, and finally, in order to enter God's Kingdom, we must be born again. That is, born of water and of the spirit.

Jesus made things very plain when He preached and when He taught. We can understand these matters if we want to. The Lord wants us to pay the price in order to be members of His kingdom. What each person needs to do is examine them self and determine if they are complying with the Lord's requirements. If we find that we're not, we need to repent and do the Father's will.

The lesson is yours. If anyone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism or anyone that desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage you to come forward while we stand and sing.

# ??? Reference Sermon by: Raymond Sieg

Sometimes We Should Just Sit Still

Mark 1:28-38

Memorial Day is a time each year when we pause to remember those who laid down their lives for family, friends and freedom.

One week after the Pearl Harbor attack President Franklin D. Roosevelt said,
“Those who long enjoy such privileges that we enjoy forget in time that others have died to win them.” Freedom is never really free; it’s almost always bought with the blood of patriots.

And, as Christians we read in John 15:13,13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

If I asked you what your favorite part of the Sunday morning worship is, I would probably get answers like, “I like the song service, I like seeing everyone, I like the prayer time, and so on.

One minister actually asked some of his congregation that question and one person said it was the reflection time at communion that he liked most.

The minister looked at this person and was surprised.
“You mean it is not the sermon?” 😊
”Oh no, preacher. It’s definitely the communion reflection time.”

So, the minister asked what made that time so meaningful. To which the church member said it was because his whole week was so full, and so busy, and so intense. But when it came time for communion and the associated time for reflection, it was the only time all week when he could just sit back, be quiet, and be with God.

We sing song #163 titled, “Near To The Heart Of God”.
There is a place of quiet rest.
near to the heart of God.
A place where sin cannot molest,
near to the heart of God.
There is a place of comfort sweet,
near to the heart of God.
A place where we our Savior meet,
near to the heart of God.
There is a place of full release,
near to the heart of God.
A place where all is joy and peace,
near to the heart of God.

Back when I taught, I remember how much I enjoyed working in my classroom after coaching when all the other teachers had gone home. What a refreshing time it was. The hallways were quiet giving me a peaceful time to reflect on the National Board assignments I was completing.

Today, our text is from Mark 1: 28-38.
28 And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.
29 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue,
they entered the house of Simon and Andrew,
with James and John.
30 But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.
31 So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up,
and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.
32 At evening, when the sun had set,
they brought to Him all who were sick
and those who were demon-possessed.
33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door.
34 Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.
35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
36 And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.
37 When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.”
38 But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”

Most of us are simply just too busy to stop and do nothing for even a few moments each week. Most of us feel like we need to be active every minute of the day. We confuse busy-ness with being productive, successful, effective and meaningful. So, it comes as a BIG surprise to read our New Testament lesson and to find Jesus, not being so busy with life. In fact, in the midst of a very busy time in His life, He sneaks off to a solitary place and prays.

Quiet time – doing nothing but talking to God. Most of us are too busy to do anything like that! Most of us feel like we need to be busy doing something. And for some reason, prayer just doesn’t feel “busy” or “active” enough. We are a people and a society in which being busy makes us feel like we are worthwhile.

If we are not doing something, there is something within us that makes us feel like we are lazy, or that we are wasting our time.

A generation or two ago, the life of the family was going to be revolutionized by the automatic washing machine. Up until then, washing the family’s laundry literally took an entire day. People referred to one day of their weekly routine as wash day.

Then technology came through with the washing machine, and you could throw the clothes into a machine, and then leave it and go do something else. What a time saver. So, what happened?
Did we get more time to relax? No, we filled our time with other duties.

The computer was the same way. It enables us to do more work in a lot less time. But do we get off work early? No. We simply do more work. There is something within us that compels us to fill up every moment of our time. Even if we are not talking about work, our families are stretched to the limit with activities as we go from ballet classes, to soccer, to outings at the beach, to concerts, to this and to that. It is as if we are afraid of what might happen if we would just be still for a moment.

In our Passage today, Jesus is very busy. In fact, Mark’s Gospel is the most compatible Gospel there is to our current society. Because Mark gives the impression that everyone is always in a hurry – always busy. The word “immediately” appears over 50 times in Mark’s Gospel. Mark tells the story of Jesus being baptized and then he says, “And immediately the Holy Spirit sent him into the desert.”

Then Jesus encounters Simon and Andrew fishing and invites them to be disciples and Mark says, “Immediately they left their nets.”

Jesus heals people and casts out demons, and “immediately and quickly the news spread about Jesus.”

And finally, after a fast-paced beginning, Mark says in verse 35 of our text that “very early in the morning, while it was still dark,
Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Even in the fast paced, and very successful and meaningful life of Jesus, there was the need to sometimes retreat to a quiet, lonely place for reflection, meditation, prayer and communion with God.
This is absolutely necessary in our busy lives.

It makes our busy lives worthwhile and bearable. More than bearable – times of being in a solitary and quiet place with God enable us to do the work we are to do. Jesus doesn’t just go to that quiet and solitary place and stay there. He goes there to recharge his spiritual batteries. Being there enables him to then get up and move on to find other places to preach his message.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could, in the midst of work, family pressures, schoolwork, just turn off the television, turn off the cell phones, and just pray.
Being still and quiet from time to time is God’s will for our lives.

ARLINTON CEMETARY – PLACE of SOLITUDE & RESPECT
Rows and rows of white wooden crosses.
Changing of Guard at Tomb of UNKNOWN SOLDIER.
The echoing sound of TAPS.
ALL CAUSES US TO REMEMBER the LIVES
Of ALL the MEN and WOMEN: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
Who are RESPONSIBLE for OUR FREEDOMS!

We all need times in our week when we slow down and become still and quiet because it is vital for our soul. So important is this principle, that God made the command for a day of rest, a Sabbath, part of the Ten Commandments.

There’s a story that occurred in the deep jungles of Africa. A traveler was making a long trip on foot. Natives of the area were hired to carry the loads. The first day they marched rapidly and went far. The traveler had high hopes of a speedy journey.

But the second morning these jungle tribesmen refused to move. For some strange reason they just sat and rested. When asked about the reason for this strange behavior, the traveler was informed that they had gone too fast the first day, and that they were now waiting for their souls to catch up with their bodies.

There are times when our lives move so fast, that we need to slow down and let our souls catch up with us – not literally, but figuratively.

There’s an old legend told of a preacher in biblical days in Ephesus. His hobby was raising pigeons. On one occasion a hunter passed his house as he returned from hunting.

When the hunter saw the guy playing with one of his birds, he gently criticized him for spending his time so frivolously. The preacher looked at his critic’s bow and remarked that the string was loosened.
"Yes," said the hunter, "I always loosen the string of my bow when it’s not in use. If it always stayed tight, it would lose its rebounding quality and fail me in the hunt."
"And I," said the preacher, "am now relaxing the bow of my mind so that I may be better able to shoot the arrows of divine truth."

When we have that time in a solitary place, we need to pray. That’s what Jesus did. He went to his solitary place to pray.
Prayer is not always a matter of talking to God, or giving God a list of things that we need for him to do. It is an interesting insight. Many think that prayer is just talking to God, giving God a list of things we want him to do.

“Heal me from my headache,
make my car last another week,
bring down the gas prices,
do something about these medical problems I am facing,
Help me have more finances.
Help me get a better job. ETC.”

But prayer is spending time with God.
It might involve asking for things.
It might involve thanking God for things.
It might be simply being with God.

Have you ever simply spent time with someone, and you are both just quiet? Not really saying anything. Just quietly being together.
Perhaps with your spouse. Or holding your child. Or at the bedside of your sick parent. We need more of that time spent with God. Quiet time with God. We will rarely find God in the hectic moments in our lives, but we will often find Him in the quiet moments.

The Psalmist tells us in (Ps 37:7),
"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him."

Then in (Ps 46:10) we are told, "Be still, and know that I am God."

There come times when we need to slow down and let our souls catch up with us. The Apostle Paul said in his letter to the Thessalonians, “pray without ceasing.” (1Thes 5:17)

In our passage today, Jesus slips off for prayer in a quiet solitary place. The disciples find Him and at the end of the prayer time, Jesus gets up and gets on with life.

In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples, "Let us go somewhere else-- to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."

At the end of your prayer, when you say AMEN, what ACTION do you do?
Do you pray for the sick and then leave it at that? Or do you pray for the sick, and then pick up the phone and call them to let them know you are thinking about them.
Do you ask if you can do anything for them? A hot meal brought to their home? Medicine they need to have picked up?
Do you pray for the poor and hope God does something about the poor? Or do you pray and ask God to use you?”

That’s the point of today’s message. Our lives are so busy. We need to stop from time to time and go to that solitary place for prayer. And then at the end of the prayer, get up and get busy with the things that are most important – the work of God

Just as Jesus prioritized prayer, we should seek solitude to connect with God and discern His will for our lives. May we follow Him wholeheartedly And trust in His unmatched power!

INVITATION

The Characteristics of A Good Fisherman

Mark 1: 14-20

Gone Fishing
Alex had a terrible day fishing on the lake, sitting in the blazing sun all day without catching a single one. On his way home, he stopped at the fishmonger and ordered four rainbow trout. He told the fishmonger, 'Pick four large ones out and throw them at me, will you?'

'Why do you want me to throw them at you?' Asked the salesman?' So that I am able to tell my wife, in all honesty, that I caught them.' said Alex.

'Okay, but I suggest that you take the salmon.' Why's that? 'Because your wife came in earlier today and said that if you came by, I should tell you to take salmon. That's what she'd like for supper tonight', replied the fishmonger with a grin.

An OLD MINISTER recalled a vacation he took to Israel:
I was walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus called His disciples.
I got up before sunrise and went out with my Bible to watch the same sun rise over the same mountains around the same lake where Jesus walked. After the sunrise, I saw a fishing boat chugging out to spread a net to catch fish.

I was reminded again that the story of Jesus isn’t some religious myth. It’s a real story about real people and how Jesus changed their lives.

TEXT
Mark 1:14-20.
14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
16 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.
20 And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

Jesus didn’t say, “Follow rules.” He said, “Follow me.” When we follow Jesus we want to do what He does. Jesus didn’t come primarily to heal. If that had been his focus,
He would have established a hospital.
He didn’t come primarily to teach or else He would have founded a school.
He came to seek and to save that which is lost.

When we follow Him that will be our passion as well. Fishing for men means bringing people to Jesus.
Do you know why Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John to be fishers of men?
Because they were already fishermen. They knew how to catch fish. When Jesus called Matthew, the tax collector, He didn’t tell him to fish for men. But Matthew went fishing anyway; he hosted a dinner so all of his tax-collector buddies could meet Jesus.

Jesus wants you to use whatever you already know to bring people into a relationship with Him. For instance, here’s what He might say to you according to your profession:

If you’re a banker or investment advisor He might say, “Follow me and you can tell people about the best eternal investment they’ll ever make.”

If you’re an Educator, He might say, “Follow me and you’ll teach eternal truth.”

If you’re a CPA He might say, “Follow me and I’ll show you how to help people balance their lives.”

If you’re a physician, “Follow me and I’ll show you how to practice spiritual healing.”

If you’re in sales, “Follow me and you can sell the world’s greatest product – eternal life.”

If you’re a builder, “Follow me and you’ll show people how to build stable lives.”

If you’re a dentist, “Follow me and you can fill the void in people’s lives.”

Whatever it is that you do, Jesus wants you to use what you know to bring people into a relationship with Him. So, what would He say to you? “Follow me and ... you fill in the blank.”

Jesus talked about fishing for people to four fishermen, so I want to share with you five fishing tips. But you can apply these to whatever field you work in as well.

1. GOOD FISHERMEN GO WHERE THE FISH ARE LOCATED
I saw a funny picture once about a guy fishing in a large pothole in the middle of the road. It had water it, but he picked the wrong place to fish because there weren’t any fish there. You’ll never catch fish until you’re willing to leave your house and go to where the fish are.

People without Christ aren’t knocking down the doors of our church to get in. We have to go out after them. That’s why the Great Commission of Jesus begins with the word, “GO.”

In Luke 14 Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a man who threw a party. All the local VIPs were sent invitations. But they all came up with phony excuses why they couldn’t come. Jesus said, “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.’” (Luke 14:23)

God wants His house to be full. There are thousands of people who aren’t yet in the Family of God, and God wants us to go after them and tell them that He loves them.

2. GOOD FISHERMEN UNDERSTAND HOW FISH BEHAVE
One of my favorite episodes of the “Andy Griffith Show” was about fishing. Opie was little and Aunt Bee came to visit on a trial basis. She was trying desperately to fit in so Opie would like her. She agreed to go fishing with Andy and Opie. She didn’t know much about fishing because she was holding her bait a few feet above the surface of the water.

When Opie pointed it out, Andy was quick to give an answer that saved Aunt Bee any embarrassment. He explained to Opie that Aunt Bee was such a good fisherman that she was “fly fishing.” That satisfied Opie. It was obvious Aunt Bee didn’t understand how fish act.

If we are going to reach people for Christ, we must understand their world. We need to study their culture without buying into it. You don’t have to become a fish to understand how a fish acts.

Jesus was a friend of sinners. He spent time eating and fellowship with the worst of the worst. The Jewish leaders criticized Jesus for eating with sinners. He responded that only sick people need a doctor.

The Jewish leaders were sick too; they just wouldn’t admit it.
In Luke 16 Jesus told one of His strangest parables. He also said to His disciples:
1“There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.
2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’
3 “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.
4 I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’
5 “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’
7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’
8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light."

Notice Jesus divided all the people of the world into two categories. There are “the people of this world” and “people of light.”
The people of this world are those who don’t know Jesus. They have bought into the values and culture of this world—that’s all they have. But we are people of the light; we’ve been shown a different way.

We must never forget Jesus wasn’t really talking about catching fish. He was talking about capturing people who are lost and bringing them into a saving relationship with Him. Jesus Himself said He came to seek and to save those who are lost.

3. GOOD FISHERMEN USE A VARIETY OF STRATEGIES
There are a lot of different ways to catch fish. You can use a net from a boat, a cast net, a trotline, or a rod and reel. When it comes to reaching people for Christ, good fishermen use a variety of methods as well. The first time I ever caught a fish I was using a bamboo pole with a cork and a worm on the hook. No two people are alike so there is no single approach to personal evangelism that will work. Different people need different approaches. The same strategy won’t work for everyone.

That’s exactly what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:22,
“I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.”
He used one approach when he talked to Jews and another approach when he talked to Gentiles.

When he spoke to the wisest philosophers in Athens, Greece, he used an intellectual argument and even quoted one of their own poets.

4. GOOD FISHERMEN EXPECT TO CATCH FISH.
One of the funniest stories about fishing was told by the country comedian, Jerry Clower. He talked about Claude Ledbetter in Mississippi who was catching a boat load of fish when nobody else was bringing any home. A state game warden decided to ride out with Claude to investigate his fishing methods.

After arriving in the middle of the lake, Claude reached under the seat, pulled out a long stick of dynamite, lit it and tossed it into the water. KABOOM! In a few seconds, dead fish floated to the surface all around the boat, and Claude used a dip net to bring them into the boat. The game warden was enraged. He flashed his badge and said, “Bubba, that is illegal, and I’m going to arrest you. You can’t fish with dynamite!”

Old Claude didn’t say a word. He just lit another stick of dynamite and thrust it into the game warden’s hand. While the fuse sizzled Claude said, “Are you gonna’ TALK or are you gonna’ FISH?” I don’t recommend his method, but Bubba was expecting to catch fish!

Good fishermen always EXPECT to catch fish, even if they don’t. There’s a measure of faith involved because you usually can’t see the fish. You suspect they’re there, and you’re hoping that they’ll take the hook. It takes real faith to share your faith with others as well. You’re not putting faith in yourself, or your skill. You aren’t putting your faith in the person who needs Jesus. You put your faith in Jesus. You have to believe Jesus can and will help the person.

In Matthew 9, two blind men came to Jesus asking for help. Jesus said, “‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said,
‘According to your faith it will be done to you.’” (Matthew 9:28-29)

If they hadn’t believed Jesus could heal them, they wouldn’t have experienced sight.
But their faith was rewarded with the power of Jesus. In order to be an effective witness, you have to have absolute confidence that Jesus can make a difference in the lives of the people you know. If you don’t expect people to accept Christ, chances are they won’t.

5. GOOD FISHERMEN ARE PATIENT IF THEY DON’T CATCH FISH IMMEDIATELY
Good fishermen are patient. If they don’t catch fish after the first twenty or thirty casts, they don’t load up and go home. They may move to another spot, or try different bait, but they’re going to keep on fishing.

Sometimes believers feel guilty because they don’t have a great deal of success landing fish. They hear stories of people who have led hundreds of people to Christ, and they feel intimidated. They say, “I even have a hard time starting a conversation with someone about spiritual matters.”

Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will MAKE you fishers of men.” In other words, it’s a process. The longer you follow Jesus, and the more closely you follow Him, the more He will make you into a fisher of men.

The Bible says, “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm.” (James 5:7-8)

When you’re fishing, patience isn’t just a virtue; it’s a necessity. Not too many fish are going to jump into your boat. A fish is easily spooked and will try to get away. A person without Jesus may often resist and even resent your attempt to share Christ with them.
That’s okay. Love them, and keep showing them God’s love. Keep praying for them.

CONCLUSION
I know most of us here have been fishing, but there are probably a few folks who haven’t. Let me ask: If you have never gone fishing, raise your hand.

Now, here’s the next question: how many of you who just raised your hand have ever caught a fish?

You say, “That’s a foolish question. If they haven’t ever gone fishing, of course they haven’t caught a fish.”
That’s my point. I don’t have to ask how many of you have ever led a person to Christ.
Instead, a better question is “How many of you have ever initiated a spiritual conversation with someone?”

If you don’t ever go fishing, for sure, you’ll never catch fish.

Sometimes you go fishing and you don’t catch a thing but it’s still called going fishing because you went to where the fish were, and you wet your hook. You tried. God won’t ask you how many fish you’ve caught.

He’s more interested in how many times you’ve gone fishing. He judges us on our obedience. Our job is to share the gospel, The results are up to God. I saw a sign in front of a church recently that said: “Fishers of men. You catch ‘em; and Jesus will clean them.”

Radio commentator Paul Harvey once said, “Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men, but the keepers of the aquarium.” Based on that comment, I’ve written a short parable I call, “The Fishing Society.”

Once there was a group of people called the Fishing Society. They gathered every week to talk about the importance of fishing, but they never fished. They decided to build a big new aquarium, so they pooled their money (no pun intended) and built a sparkling new meeting hall they named “The Aquarium Center.”

Then they hired an expert who had a Doctor of Fishology to teach them from the Fishing Manual. Each week they gathered in their beautiful building and read portions of the Fishing Manual. The meetings ended with the expert dramatically casting a net in the large tank in the center of the Aquarium Center. The members rushed to the edge and were hopeful some fish would be caught. None were ever caught, of course, because there were no fish in the tank.

This led to disagreement among the members of the Fishing Society. Why weren’t there fish in their beautiful aquarium? Some said, specialization was the answer so they built smaller tanks specially designed for fish of all ages and sizes. But, still, there were no fish.

They bought the newest and most modern fishing equipment on the market. They elected numerous committees to operate the Fishing Society more efficiently. One group regulated the water in the Aquarium. Others worked to keep the glass walls polished; others sorted and arranged the expensive fishing gear.Finally, the Fishing Society decided to send a few brave members to go and live near the lakes and oceans. They called them “fishinaries.” These foreign fishinaries emailed pictures of themselves standing by the water holding their catches of fish.

Over the years, some members of the Fishing Society forgot about fishing altogether. After all, there was plenty to keep them occupied in the aquarium. Some even suggested they change their name from “The Fishing Society” to just “The Society.” After all, they didn’t want to offend the fish.

One day a bearded stranger appeared at their aquarium. This longhaired, sandaled man claimed to be the Master Fisherman. He extended His hands to ask the members
to follow him out and He would teach them how to catch fish with Him. They noticed the man had ugly scars in His palms—probably from fishing. Nobody moved.

As He turned to leave He said, “If you never go fishing, you have no right to call yourself a fisherman. I’m going fishing, and if you aren’t fishing—well, then, you aren’t following me.”
After their initial shock, the members of the Fishing Society resumed their busy activity of maintaining their beautiful hall. They were glad their beautiful hall had not been built in vain. If nothing else, it made them feel good about themselves.

Contributor: David Dykes

Moses as An Example

MOSES AS AN EXAMPLE
Deuteronomy 32:48-52 & Numbers 20:1–12

48 Then the LORD spoke to Moses that very same day, saying: 49 “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession;
50 and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people;
51 because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel.
52 Yet you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel.”

I would like to start my sermon this evening with a puzzle and wonder if you can figure it out:
What is it that is greater than God?
More evil than Satan?
Rich people DON’T have it?
Poor people DO have it?
And if you eat it... you will die?
Answer: NOTHING

Nothing is greater than God
Nothing is more evil than Satan
Rich people don’t have nothing
Poor people do
And if you eat nothing... you’ll die

The puzzle makes sense once you know the answer.
But until you know the answer, it is really confusing.
AND that’s the case with our story this evening.
Moses is taken to the top of Mt. Nebo and told by God: “take a look before you die, because you’re not going to get into the Promised Land. This is all you get to see.
Really? Why?

Deuteronomy 32:51 explains:
“This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites.”
What was this all about?

Well, let’s go back and read the story.
It only shows up in Numbers 20:1-12
“In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.
They quarreled with Moses and said, ‘If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD! Why did you bring the LORD’s community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here?
Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!’

Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. The LORD said to Moses,
‘Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together.
SPEAK to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.’
So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, ‘Listen, you rebels, must WE bring you water out of this rock?’
Then Moses raised his arm and STRUCK THE ROCK twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.’

What had Moses done wrong?
1st – he got angry with the mob of protestors.
2nd – he claimed HE was getting water from the rock... when it was actually God.
And 3rd he’d disobeyed God. God said speak to the rock... Moses struck it with the staff.

For that, Moses was refused entry into the Promised Land and died in the wilderness.
That’s it!
That’s the whole story.
• He got mad
• He claimed credit
• And he disobeyed God

But something about this story just doesn’t make sense.
It’s like a puzzle with a couple of pieces missing.
Moses has been leading the people of Israel in the desert for 40 years, and for most of that 40 years it’s been no picnic.
These people have been extremely difficult.
• They’ve complained, and bickered and they’ve been rebellious.
• They’ve insulted Moses.
• They’ve rejected God’s will.
• And frankly, they’ve basically been a real pain to work with.

But in spite of that, for most of that 40 years Moses has been the ideal leader. He seems to actually care for these folks.
• He’s prayed for them.
• He’s reasoned with them.
• And he’s interceded with God for them.
At one point God got so angry with the Israelites that God says “stand back and let me destroy these wicked people. Then we’ll start over again with just you.” But Moses refuses and intercedes for God to spare them.

On top of that, Moses seems to have been one of the few men in Scripture that God personally praises.
We’re told in Numbers 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)
It’s like God was saying that Moses shined so brightly the rest of the world seemed tarnished.
That’s high praise from God.

So here we have Moses - just months away from crossing the Jordan River and he slips up ONE TIME.
He loses his temper ONE TIME.
And he’s denied access to the Promised Land.

Over the years in Bible Studies, Sermons presented, etc. many individuals have felt that This just didn’t seem fair!
That it just doesn’t seem right!
This shouldn’t happen to someone like Moses!

And if this were the “last chapter” of the story, they’d be right.
It’s not fair.
But this isn’t the last chapter.
There’s more to the story than appears at first glance.
We can often see in our reading of the scriptures how our God loves to paint pictures?
All through the Old Testament God repeatedly gives us images that tell us about Jesus and what He’d be like... and what He’d do.

If you look through the Law you’ll see pictures of Jesus in the sacrifices.
If you examine the instructions on how they were to construct the Tabernacle, you’ll find images of Jesus that show up in all the materials and measurements of every corner of that tent.

And in the Old Testament stories of the heroes and heroines you’ll not just see true stories of those people, but you’ll see how God weaves that truth in such a way that their very lives and stories point to Christ.

For example, Abraham offering his only begotten son Isaac as a sacrifice was a portrait of what God was going to do through Jesus.
And here – with Moses – God’s doing it again.
Let’s look at this thru God’s eyes.

The people of Israel have been in the wilderness for 40 long years and now they are about to be led into the Promised Land. Moses won’t get to lead them there, however.
Who does lead them into the Promised Land?
That’s right – Joshua. Keep that in your mind and we’ll get back to that.

For the Christian - crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land - has always been symbolic for crossing over into Heaven when we die.
The chilly waters of the Jordan = Death.
The glory of the Promised Land = Heaven.
Many of the old hymns reflected that truth.
For example, there’s an old hymn written by Tullius C. O’Kane in the 1800’s titled “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks” which is Number 461 in our song book.

On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand, and cast a wishful eye;
To Canaan’s fair and happy land, Where my possessions lie.
We shall rest in the fair and happy land by and by,
Just across on the evergreen shore, sing the song of Moses and the Lamb
By and by and dwell with Jesus evermore.
But now, how do we get INTO heaven?
Do we get in by doing good works?
Do we get in by obeying the commandments of the OT law?
NO, we get in by following Jesus.
The LAW (Moses) could not lead His people into His Promised Land.
Only JESUS (the Savior) could do that.

Paul wrote in Romans 3:20 “no-one will be declared righteous in (God’s) sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”

Galatians 2:16 says “a man is NOT JUSTIFIED by observing the law, but by FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ
and NOT BY OBSERVING THE LAW, because by observing the law no-one will be justified.”

No matter how good you’ve been, when you stand before God at the judgment, you can’t point to YOUR righteousness and expect God to be impressed.
Your righteousness won’t get you into heaven.
Jesus’ Righteousness will!
Now let’s review:
Why couldn’t Moses get into the Promised Land? (HE SINNED)
How many sins did Moses commit that we know of?
One!
Did you realize that it only takes ONE sin to keep you out of heaven?
That’s what God was teaching us here with Moses... it only takes ONE sin.

James 2:10 says “whoever keeps the whole law and yet STUMBLES AT JUST ONE POINT is GUILTY OF BREAKING ALL OF IT.”

So, we have Moses – one of the greatest men who ever lived.
A man greatly respected by God.
A man who dealt gently with one of the most quarrelsome difficult people on earth.
A man who KNEW the Law... and had his ducks all in a row.
This man commits ONE SIN... and he doesn’t get into the Promised Land.

How many sins have you committed in your life?
Do you think maybe I’ve committed several sins in my life?
You don’t have to be so eager to agree with me on that

If Moses couldn’t get into the Promised Land because he committed one sin... what makes you think you (OR I) can get into heaven committing more than that?
That's it. Game over. We may as well go home.

But one last thought:
Did Moses EVER get into the Promised Land?
Well, let’s look at Matthew 17:1-3:

“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.
Just then there appeared before them MOSES and Elijah, talking with Jesus.”

So did Moses get into the Promised Land.
Yes he did!
But how did he get there?
Only thru Jesus.
Moses didn’t make it because he was a great man, or a man made righteous by the Law. The only way he got in was because Jesus brought him.

But there was more:
“Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for MOSES and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. LISTEN TO HIM!’

When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’ When they looked up, THEY SAW NO-ONE EXCEPT JESUS.” Matthew 17:4-8

Moses was there, and Elijah was there.
These were the two greatest men of the Old Testament.
Moses was the representative of the Law and Elijah the greatest of the prophets.
And Peter was amazed and sought to honor all of them.
But then a cloud came and a voice said:
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. LISTEN TO HIM!”
The disciples fell to their knees and when they looked up... what did they see?
Only Jesus.
Moses and Elijah had disappeared in the mist because God was making a point:
LOOK AT AND LISTEN TO Jesus.

Moses and his Law won’t get you into heaven.
Elijah and the power of miracles won’t get you into heaven.
We need to LOOK AT and LISTEN TO no one except Jesus - because HE is our only hope of salvation.

Peter apparently learned his lesson well.
In Acts 4:12 Peter declares:
“Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

So was it unfair for God not to let Moses lead the Israelites into the Promised Land? Of course not!
God was honoring him by delaying his arrival.
God had given him a gift that made him greater than he ever would have been had he only been known as the giver of the Old Testament Law. That gift? To be allowed to make his life all about pointing to Jesus.

And that’s the same gift you and I are offered.
Moses didn’t deserve to get into the Promised Land. He sinned. Only Jesus could bring him there. And so his hope laid only in Jesus. And that was his testimony.

"Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no-one will fall by following their example of disobedience."
If the "rest" or "Promised Land" was already attained, it would be illogical to urge Christians to "make every effort to enter that rest."
"As God buried Moses in Mt. Nebo and all hell cannot dig up his body, so Christ nailed the law to his cross, taking it out of the way forever, and though Satan constantly seeks to raise it up, Michael the Archangel stands by his finished work and pours out his grace and righteousness in the full forgiveness of sin upon his chosen (Jude 9; Zechariah 3:1-9).

(1 Corinthians 1:30-31) 'But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.'"

INVITATION

Based on a Sermon
By Melvin Newland

The Request

Mark 10:35-45

INTRO:
Good morning church. A British evangelist, Dr. George C. Morgan had 4 sons and they were all preachers. The story is told of someone visiting the whole family one day as they were all gathered in the drawing room. In conversation the visitor turned to Howard, one of the sons, and asked him: "Howard, who is the greatest preacher in your family?" Howard had a great admiration for his father and he looked straight across at him and then without a moment’s hesitation he answered, "Mother."

I’m sure we all enjoyed Mark’s lesson last week. He brought up some good thoughts and as usual he got me thinking. Open your Bibles this morning to the 10th chapter of the gospel of Mark.

First look at Mark 10:33-34 “33. "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and to the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; 34. "and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.''”

That sets the stage and now let’s read our text for today Mark 10:35-37 – “35. Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.'' 36. And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?'' 37. They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.''”[NKJV]

Then skipping down to Mark 10:41 – “And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.”[NKJV]

Human ambition is a fact. We do not all have the same degree of ambition, but in all of us there is to some extent a desire for advancement, and perhaps a desire for recognition. Add to that the fact that the desire for “more” is something that is characteristic from the lowliest to the highest. When ambition exists in any sort of “closed system”, it can become a divisive thing. This can be seen in job situations. It can be seen in sports teams. It can be seen in club settings, and, yes, it can even be found within the Lord’s church. As Mark said last week in his lesson the Bible does not condemn ambition. It encourages us to strive for excellence. But when ambition is uncontrolled, or when it selfishly fuels our ego, it is not good.

Lest I am misunderstood, I want to stress that being ambitious, in and of itself is not wrong or sinful. I’m not saying that, but ambition must always be tempered by other qualities.

When I was working as a manager if I had an employee whose ambition was to do the best possible job, I considered that person very valuable. On the other hand someone whose ambition was to find a job that allowed them to warm a chair all day listening to their favorite music… not so much. Unfortunately for the person with little ambition they probably would not even get in the door.

I have heard it said that ambition in life usually progresses through the following stages: to be like Dad... to be famous... to be a millionaire... to make enough to pay the bills... to hang on long enough to retire.

Our text presents us with a situation fraught with peril for the twelve. Ambition has reared its head and has been discovered by those who are being “left out” of the request that is made. The situation involves a request that is made by two brothers, James and John.

I. THE REQUEST OF JAMES AND JOHN - Mark 10:37 clearly sets out their request - “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”

A. Let’s start with what these two men must have believed. They have referred here to - “Your glory”. Matthew in his account of this request says it was made by Salome (sal-uh-may), the mother of James and John. In Matthew 20:21, a parallel passage, we read “… Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” Mark’s gospel is more direct and shorter then Matthew in descriptions, so for me if the request came directly from the Apostles or via their mother it is not an issue. It is still a request to secure for these two a ranking place in the Kingdom that is to come.

1. What is it that these brothers are asking? What these brothers are requesting is that they be given the greatest places within the kingdom.
2. This tells us one shining thing about them—bewildered as they might be at this point, they still believed in Jesus. It is amazing that they could still connect glory with the Galilean carpenter who had incurred the enmity and the bitter opposition of the orthodox religious leaders. There is amazing confidence and loyalty here. James and John might not understand at this point, but their hearts were in the right place. They never doubted Jesus' ultimate triumph.
3. Yet, it is equally evident that they are still concluding that Jesus is soon going to ascend an earthly throne. They think in terms of an earthly kingdom like those with which they were familiar.
4. In Luke 18:34, a passage very closely akin to what we’re reading here. Jesus is teaching them about what will happen in Jerusalem and at verse 34 the writer observes, “But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.” It was not hidden in that Jesus did not want them to understand. It was hidden because of their reluctance to accept it.

B. It is a favor that they ask as the result of a relationship.

1. They do not grasp at this time all the things that are going on and they really do not understand the ramifications of what they are requesting, but they make the request nevertheless, because of a close relationship they have with Jesus.
2. We know that James and John were part of a kind of inner circle among the apostles. In Matthew 17:1 we see that along with Peter, James and John went with Jesus onto the mount of transfiguration. In Matthew 26:37 we find the same three went with Jesus further into the garden in the hour of prayer.
3. Beyond that, there is every indication in scripture that James and John are the first cousins of Jesus.
4. They see themselves as having a very favored earthly relationship. Out of this favored relationship comes this request. It’s almost like children, They’re asking “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” Have you had any of your children do this to you? “I want you to say yes to whatever I ask you.” “We just want you to agree to do what we want you to do.” Of course, Jesus doesn’t do that, does He? He wants to know; “What do you want Me to do for you?”

C. I mentioned this earlier and it is interesting. Was it their mother, or was it they who made the request?

1. In Matthew’s gospel it seems that it is their mother Salome (sal-uh-may), who makes the request. Mathew 20:20.
2. Perhaps Salome is the one who made the actual request. After all, a mother wants the best for her children. It may be the request was made at the behest of her sons, James and John, who perhaps believe that Jesus will give greater weight to their request if it comes from His aunt, their mother, the sister of Mary.
3. This same logic is used today by some religious people to suggest that prayer to others can intercede for us. That is not what is taught in the Bible. Jesus is our intercessor. Hebrews 7:25 – “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them.” and Romans 8:34 – “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
4. Strange as it may seem to us, I want to be sure that I commend again the confidence and the loyalty of James and John. Their loyalty was well placed, perhaps for a misunderstood cause, but we commend them for their loyalty to the Lord.
5. That brings us to what I call a draught line: The Ignorance of James and John.

II. THE IGNORANCE OF JAMES AND JOHN

A. We go on and read in Mark10:38 – “But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Can you drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

1. They asked for this favor in ignorance of the nature of God’s Kingdom. That is very evident.
2. Furthermore, they were ignorant of the events that were going to transpire which would be cataclysmic… overwhelming events.
3. Jesus refers to the cup and the baptism. These are descriptive words for experiences one is going to have which are so serious and so heavy that they overwhelm.
4. I’d like you to turn in your bibles to Matthew 26:37-39. In verse 37 we see that Peter, James and John went with Jesus further into the garden of Gethsemane “and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.”
5. Listen as we read of the weight, the seriousness, the heaviness of this cup that Jesus is about to drink, this baptism with which He is about to be baptized. “38. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.'' 39. He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.''” Descriptive words.
6. We know that in the text of the New Testament baptism usually means an immersion in water, but baptism has a more general meaning than that, something that overwhelms. You hear in the military of “baptism by fire”. Thayer’s first definition is: Baptism is used topically of calamities and afflictions with which one is quite overwhelmed: Mark 10:38; Matthew 20:22f ; Luke 12:50. Indeed, in water when one is immersed, the water overwhelms. Here Jesus refers to something that is going to overwhelm.
7. It’s true that they do not understand what they are asking. Jesus says; “Can you drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” “And they said to Him, "We can.''”
8. They don’t really realize YET what is going to happen.

B. Jesus acknowledged that they would experience the “cup” and “baptism”. “And Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with, you will be baptized;”

1. Now I’d like us to look at what happens to James in Acts 12:1-2 – “1. Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.” James was killed by Herod. I’m not sure how much time passed after Jesus told them that they would drink the cup and be baptized with the baptism with which He was baptized, but this event takes place and James was killed for his faith.
2. In Revelation 1:9 we discover that John, who apparently died a natural death, was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, and he says his exile is for the Word of God. He is in exile. He is drinking the cup. He is being baptized with the baptism which is an overwhelming experience because of his faith, for the testimony which he held.
3. At the time of their request, these two men did not seem to have a concept of, no idea of the cup of which they would later be drinking. We’re confident that we can drink the cup. We can experience the overwhelming experience that you’re going to experience.
4. They didn’t know what they were saying. They didn’t know of what they were speaking. That was something that was out there in the future.

C. We come now in Mark’s gospel to Mark 10:40 where Jesus says, “"but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.''”

1. There is similar language to this is in chapter 20 of Matthew’s gospel, verse 23, (Matthew 20:23) – “So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.''”. In other words what Jesus said is… privilege in the kingdom of God is not based on favor and friendship.
2. James and John are seeing things from the worldly point of view. They see things as if in the manner of political appointments, favors that are handed out by those who are rich and famous to those who are their friends and relatives. Don’t we see a lot of that in our world today?
3. Jesus said that’s not the way it is in the kingdom of God. Our future blessing in the kingdom of God rests upon our relationship with the Father and how we pursue that relationship. He says: It shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.

III. NIPPING THE PROBLEM IN THE BUD

A. Here’s the problem—selfish human ambition—and Jesus has to nip this problem in the bud. Let’s come back to verse 41 in Mark 10: “when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.” The ambition of James & John threatened apostolic unity.

1. The feelings expressed by the ten apostles isn’t all that unnatural! A request has been made of Jesus. Somehow it becomes known to the other ten.
2. Perhaps there’s a lesson in that. It doesn’t matter how secret you believe the confidence you have shared may be, confidences have a way of being known, have a way of getting out and becoming hurtful to people. In this situation that’s what happened. The ten apostles who are not part of this request are hurt.
3. They’re upset, and I think we can understand why. Among the apostles neither explicitly nor implicitly was there a difference in rank. Never was it mentioned anywhere, as far as ranking was concerned. Did they have different responsibilities and roles? Yes, that happened, but as far as rank no one of them was more important than the other.
4. James and John, though they may have been the physical kin of Jesus, were not more important at this time or in the kingdom than Peter and Andrew and Phillip and the others. The situation is a threat to apostolic unity and Jesus must do something about it.

B. Jesus took immediate, appropriate action to defuse the situation.

1. We are now looking at Mark 10:42 – "Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.”" He calls the twelve and begins to solve the problem by describing the situation in the real world. You know what goes on in the world He says. People who are considered to be great have power and authority and they exercise the power and authority over others. You know how that works.
2. Then He says in Mark 10:43-44 – “43. "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44. "And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.” The world has a standard, but Jesus lays down the standard for greatness in the kingdom.

i. He says: Those who are great are those who become servants of all—willing servants.
ii. Those who are going to be considered great are those who serve others. There is no place in His kingdom for power, position and pride!

C. Jesus makes one final argument. Mark 10:45 –

1. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Not only is the world view not to be the view in the kingdom, there’s not to be in the kingdom a desire for position and power growing out of pride. Not only that, even I the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Savior, I did not come to be served. I came, He says, to minister to others.
2. In John’s gospel we read in chapter 13, verse 13 through 15, verses that so clearly illustrate this lesson, the washing of the apostles’ feet. Jesus says: “13. "You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14. "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15. "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”
3. Again, it’s difficult for our modern, western minds to comprehend the significance of some of these things, but we must understand that in that time when one came into a house, servants would come and wash the person’s feet. He was walking in some serious dust and his feet were dirty. It was one of the marks of hospitality for him to have his feet washed by one of the servants of the house.
4. On this occasion the Bible says that Jesus took off His outer robes, girded Himself with a towel, and begins to wash the feet of the apostles. This is the thing that we need to hear: I your Lord and Master did not come to be served. I came to serve. I came to minister. I may be Lord and Master, but I am not too good, I am not too important, to kneel to the most menial task, the washing of the feet of my disciples.
5. He adds in this final argument that He came to give His life a ransom for many. There is in that statement without doubt, His reference to His own death. His subsitiutionary death.
6. In your Bibles you might want to turn to a very familiar passage in the book of First Peter where we are currently studying. 1 Peter 2:24 – Peter writes this of Jesus; “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed.” Then in 1 Peter 3:18 – Peter says; “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,”. He came to give His life a ransom for many.

CONCLUSION:
Our human nature can at times become a problem even within the Lord’s church.
Human ambition has no place among the saints of God. Zeal for the kingdom however does have a place. Repeatedly, over and over again, Jesus teaches what’s real, great and good—to please and serve others. That’s the nature of life within the kingdom.

We’re going to sing the song which was announced a while ago and as we sing if there are those present needing to take this opportunity to publically make known needs in their lives, you may step into the aisle and make your way to the front and let us know that need.

If you need the prayers of brothers and sisters, we would be glad to pray with you.
If you’ve never been baptized into Christ, your life in the kingdom has not yet begun and you need to do that.
Come believing, penitent, confessing the name of Christ, submitting yourself in loving obedience to the commandment of Jesus Christ and be baptized for the forgiveness of sin. You can do that today.
Whatever the need, we invite you to come.

# ???
Reference sermon, Cecil A. Hutson, 06 April 2008

What Does It Mean To Be Content?

Philippians 4:10-13

This is reportedly a true story about George Phillips of Missouri, who was going to bed when his wife told him that he had left the lights on out in his workshop.
George went out to turn off the lights but saw through the window that there were people in there in the process of stealing his tools.
He immediately went back into the house & phoned the police, who asked "Are they inside your house?" George answered, "No, they’re out in my workshop."

The officer replied that all the officers were busy right now, & that he should simply lock his door & a patrol car would be sent out when one was available.

George said, "Okay," hung up, stayed right where he was,
Then he slowly counted to 30, & phoned the police again.
"Hello, I called you a minute ago because there were burglars in my workshop. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I've just shot them all." Then he hung up.

In less than 5 minutes, three squad cars, an armed response unit, & an ambulance showed up. And the police caught the burglars red-handed.
But one of the officers said to George: "I thought you told me that you had shot them!" To which George replied, "And I thought YOU told me that there were NO officers available!"

Now, I would NOT recommend trying this to get the attention of the police; but I did use this story to grab your attention this morning.

Listen to these words of the Apostle Paul written while he was in a Roman prison: “I know what it is to be in need, & I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any & every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:12).
This verse is part of the text I will focus on this morning which is taken from Philippians 4:10–13.

Do you consider yourself a patient and content person?
Are you satisfied with your life?
Are you content with your job?
Do you get along well with others in your life?

When you get up in the morning, do you look in the mirror & say, “Oh God, I thank you for making me the way that I am"?
Or do you look in the mirror & say, “Oh God! I need help!”?

Are you happy with your income?
Do you feel you have been paid what you’re worth?
Are you aware that the average income of a major league baseball player this year is over 4 million dollars?
Of course, some baseball stars are being paid millions more than that. But other ballplayers are struggling along on the minimum salary of only $545,000 a year.

When the Apostle Paul says, “I have learned the secret of being content in any & every situation...” it seems to me that he deserves a hearing.
Paul is getting old. He doesn’t have much - yet once he was rich.

His health is beginning to decline - but once he was strong.
Now he’s in prison - but once he was free.
Yet he says, “I have learned the secret of being content.”

There are 2 major points I want us to consider this morning:
The Enemies of contentment,
& then the Sources of contentment.

I. The ENEMIES OF CONTENTMENT

A. There are several enemies of contentment, & the first is “Unrealistic expectations.”
Many of our grandparents grew up during the great depression & had very little. And when they married they had to work long & hard to get what they needed.

But today, it seems when many young people get married, and they expect to have everything from day one that it took their parents years to accumulate. The level of expectations has changed!

Again, sometimes people get married & then discover their spouse is not perfect.
Or they go to work, & discover that their boss is not perfect,
& their friends aren’t always perfect, either.

Perhaps they become Christians, thinking that Christians are perfect & that they, too, would be perfect once they become a Christian. But they find that’s not the case, either.
They’re still being attacked by temptations, & sometimes Christians do sin.
So, there is disappointment & discontent simply because of “unrealistic expectations.”

B. A 2nd enemy of contentment is “Unfair comparisons.”
When you compare yourself to others, you’re sure to find someone else more attractive, or more gifted & talented than you, someone younger or stronger. And you’ll always be discontented if you're constantly comparing yourself to them.

One of the interesting things about Paul is that you never find him comparing himself to others except once here in Philippians to make a point.
Tradition says that Paul was short. And if Paul compared himself to Simon Peter, he could have felt inferior because tradition says that Peter was big & tall.
Tradition also says that Paul had stooped shoulders, and was rather homely looking.  So, if he had gone around comparing himself to others, he could have had a tremendous inferiority complex. But he didn’t yield to “unfair comparisons.”

C. A 3rd enemy of contentment is “Unnoticed blessings.”
We live in the most affluent nation in the world. We have more possessions, more freedoms, more opportunities than almost anyone else. And yet, Americans are among the most dissatisfied people on earth, & our suicide rate is extremely high.

The problem is that we take so many of our blessings for granted.
Is air-conditioning a necessity or a luxury?
“Well, here in Ohio there have been days that the temperature got pretty hot. So, we close our windows, shut our doors & turn on the air-conditioning. And we expect our homes to be delightfully comfortable. The only time we even think about it is when it breaks down & we have to sweat a bit.

What about automobiles – luxury or necessity?
Well, mom and I would still be out on the road somewhere this morning if we didn’t have a car to get here! 😊

What about television?
Well, many need a big screen, surround-sound, a DVR recorder, & so on. We want all the modern electronic devices.

Yet, Paul writes about himself & the early Christians in 1 Timothy 6:8, “If we have food & clothing, we will be content with that.”

Today we have a lot more than just food & clothing. But we tend to take most of those blessings for granted. Truly, we have many “Unnoticed blessings.”

D. The 4th enemy of contentment is “Uncontrolled ambition.” Now the Bible does not condemn ambition.  It encourages us to strive for excellence. But when ambition is uncontrolled, or when it selfishly fuels our ego, it is not good.  James writes, “For where you have envy & selfish ambition, there you find disorder & every evil practice” (James 3:16).

ILL. A number of years ago Time magazine reported that a mugger held up a woman at gunpoint & demanded her money. But when she only had $12.50 in her purse he became very angry. Then he saw her checkbook & insisted that she write him a check for $1000. The next day he was arrested when he tried to cash that check. That’s pretty stupid, isn’t it?

Yet, "uncontrolled ambition" can sometimes dull our thinking to the point that we aren’t thinking logically.
In Luke 12:18-20, Jesus tells about the rich farmer who had a bountiful harvest.  But instead of thinking about others, he said,
“I will tear down my barns & build bigger ones, & there I will store all my grain & my goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, & be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’”

The Bible never says, “Be content with who you are.”  But it does say, “Be content with what you have.”  We are to be ambitious, but ambitious for the right things.

II. SOURCES OF CONTENTMENT
Now let’s look at sources of contentment.
There are at least three.

A. The 1st source of contentment is an “Attitude of Gratitude.”
All the way through Philippians Paul talks about attitude, & he is saying, “If you have an attitude that causes you to be grateful for everything God has given you, you’ll find contentment.”

The story is told of a German preacher of the 14th Century who struck up a conversation with a beggar. "God give you a good day, my friend." the preacher said. The beggar answered, "I thank God I never had a bad one."

Then the preacher said, "God give you a happy life, my friend."
"I thank God," said the beggar, "I am never unhappy." This caused the preacher to ask, "What do you mean?"

"Well," said the beggar,
When the weather is fine, I thank God;
when it rains, I thank God;
when I have plenty, I thank God;
when I am hungry, I thank God.
And since God’s will is my will,
& whatever pleases Him, pleases me,
why should I say I am unhappy when I am not?"
The preacher looked at the man in astonishment.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am a king," said the beggar.
"Where then is your kingdom?" asked the preacher.
And the beggar answered: "In my heart."

Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You."
Now, you can begin each day by saying,
“God, this is going to be a tough day.
I hate my life.
I hate my work.
I hate my family.
I have NO FRIENDS.
I don’t know how in the world I’m going to make it.”

OR you can say,
“God, thank you for this new day you’ve given me.
Help me to do something today that will last for all eternity.
Use this day, Father, to your glory. And use me to your glory, too.”

B. The 2nd source of contentment is to “Seek to please Jesus” & quit worrying about pleasing people.
Jesus said, “But seek first His kingdom & His righteousness, & all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

That is a lesson we’ve never really learned. But if we do, then we’ll discover one of the secrets of being content.
And Paul tells us, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

Bill McCartney retired as the head coach of the Univ. of Colorado football team a number of years ago. His reason for retirement was not because he was unsuccessful as a coach. His teams had won the national championship. They had been in the top 10 many times.
McCartney said that he retired because he wanted to re-evaluate his priorities. And during that year, he rededicated his life & talents to Christ, & threw his efforts into founding the great gatherings of men that came to be known as “Promise Keepers.”

In 1 Thessalonians 2:4 Paul says, “We are not trying to please men but God...” And may that dedication be evident in our lives, too.

C. Here’s the 3rd source of contentment - “Love people, & show your concern for them.”
In today’s text Paul writes, “I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.” (Philippians 4:10)
Then he goes on to write in vs 11 and 14,
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
... “Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.” (Philippians 4:11,14)

Paul thanks the church in Philippi for being so concerned about him, not just for the money they sent, but for the fact that they really cared about him. He was in prison & he was sick. So they wrote to him, & sent Epaphroditus to comfort & help him. And he tells them, “Your love means so much to me.”

Now if you have someone who cares about you,
someone who really loves you,
someone who prays for you,
someone who encourages you,
& if you truly treasure that kind of relationship
you may soon, like Paul, be able to say,
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace.
Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, & he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake.  The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these mountains were rugged & bare. Above them was an angry sky, from which rain fell & in which lightning played.
Down the side of one mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall.
This did not look peaceful at all. But when the king looked closely at the waterfall, he saw behind it a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock.
In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture.
Do you know why? "Because," explained the king, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, no trouble, nor hard work.
Peace means to be in the midst of all those things & still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."
How about you? Do you have peace this morning? Are you content? If you are not, then learn the secrets of contentment from the apostle Paul.

INVITATION: This morning we give you the opportunity to come & confess your faith in Him, following His example & command in baptism, being raised to walk in a new life, a new relationship with Him. If you are ready to make that decision we invite you to come as we stand & sing.

Christians and Politics

Titus 3:1-3

INTRO: Good morning church! I was reviewing a lesson from a few weeks ago and it got me thinking. Scripture often warns God’s people about deception and evil influences. For example, in Luke 21:8, Jesus said, “Take heed that you not be deceived.” Also, in 2nd Thessalonians 2:3, the Bible says, “Let no one deceive you by any means…” In the Old Testament we read about the influence of the surrounding nations and in the New Testament we read where Paul had to warn Christians of outside influence, 1st Corinthians 6:9-11 for example. The congregation in Corinth, which consisted of Jews and Greeks, were constantly challenged by society in two ways: the first was that many of the Christians originated from a heathen background, and second, they were continually exposed to their evil surroundings.

I wondered what particular challenges that we face being a Christian in this culture, as a Christian at this time. I think it's an important question for us to ask ourselves, and it's kind of hard to see sometimes because the culture is what we're used to. That is a broad topic I know, and would take many lessons.

Since this is an election year, I thought we might look at one point. How much should we care about politics? What role does that have in our life? Often we use the term “apolitical”, which is defined as, “having no interest or involvement in political affairs”. When people hear that term some think that we don’t care about the problems people have. There are people in this country with needs, “I guess you just don't care about them because you don't want to help them”, right? No, that's not it. Christians should care about people in a deep and important way. There is a difference.

Christ teaches us to have a better perspective on this life, have a better perspective on the problems that we face. We are to see things like God sees them. God gives us better tools to help people than this world has to offer.

Need for Leadership. People throughout time tend to lean on politics. Our leaders, our officials, our police force, our military, you name it. We tend to lean on our country and those people in power when we have problems. We see there's a problem over here, and say we wish the government would fix that. We see some thing going on in our society, and say that's the government's job. The thinking is we need to encourage the government to do this or that, and that thinking feeds the idea of being political. After all they're the ones that are supposed to be “solving” everything.

Instead of thinking the government's going to solve everything, we need to realize that government may never solve those problems. The government’s action can't be where my hope lies. God gives me better tools than that to be able to help people. It's really a different way of thinking about how to help the people around us. Do we care about people? Absolutely!

Here are the three points we are going to look at this morning.
Number one: The New Testament tells us to submit to the government. That's a clear theme of the teachings of the New Testament.
Number two: An Old Testament emphasis is that God is in control over kings and over nations.
Number three: Americans care too much about the economy.

I. First let’s examine three key passages in the New Testament that speak about Christians’ relationship with the government, and our attitude toward the government. We will start in Titus 3, than look at 1st Peter 2 and finally Romans 13. What we will find is there are a lot of similarities in these passages.

A. Titus 3:1-3 – “Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.” Paul speaks of government as “rulers and authorities”. Be submissive to rulers and authorities, and in that context, the need to be obedient.

1. In his letter to Titus, Paul admonishes Titus to be a pattern of good works, to the young men especially. Here he says “be ready for every good work”.

a. He reminds Titus that we were “once foolish”. We were disobedient, led astray, slaves to our lusts, slaves to just doing what the flesh wants, our pleasures. Hating people and being hated by people.
b. Do we see that in the political world today, hating people, being hated by people, passing our days in malice and envy?

2. We are to “speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing humility to all men.” People feel free to say things about politicians without a lot of evidence, just kind of throwing out things about them or what they suppose their motives are.

a. Speak evil of no one, not being slanderous. Avoid quarreling, bickering and fighting, even on social media.
b. We are to be gentle, kind, compassionate, meek, and humble. We are to show courtesy towards all people. Being respectful, polite, and gracious. How poorly people seem to do that today!

3. When we think about today, do we have politicians and media that sound like they are not being slanderous, not quarreling, not bickering and fighting but are being gentle and showing courtesy towards all people?

a. Does what we hear from them sound like religious people? People who are claiming to be followers of Jesus? People who are claiming to be disciples of Jesus and following God's word?
b. In those religious contexts, do we see people behaving this way on social media, news outlets, and blogs? Not from my observation.

4. I suspect there is a reason. There are Christians and there are Bible believers all over this world that do behave the way Paul tells Titus to. You don't see it though because that doesn't get the “clicks”. It’s not exciting. Who wants to read a humble blog about politics?

a. What gets the “clicks” gets the views, the attention? It's the snarky comments. It's the sarcasm. It's the rudeness. You know, the shove it back at them attitude. That's what's… “newsworthy”. That's not following what God has said, that's disobedient to the gospel call.
b. What if every person who claimed to be a Christian avoided quarreling, bickering and fighting, was gentle, kind, compassionate, meek, and humble? What if they showed courtesy towards all people, were respectful, polite, and gracious in the political scene? Wouldn't things be different?

5. I fear our world is the opposite. We write and say things to slam others because we “know” that they are slamming people. It should not be that way. The world would be so much better if we always behaved the way Christ calls us to.

B. Another principle that we see, is that it's our job to work with the authorities, those rulers, those people who are over us. And working with them, (not against them), speaks of being submissive. Submit yourself to those rulers and authorities; be obedient, following the laws of the land, and doing what we should.

1. In the book of Titus we see that the way we live, the way we conduct ourselves, shows the goodness of the gospel. It demonstrates what the gospel is really all about, and that we're not about being hateful.
2. There were false things being said about Christians 2000 years ago, just like there are false things being said about Christians today.
3. Today Christians are accused of being bigots, unloving, etc., fill in the blank. 2000 years ago they said followers of Christ were atheists, rejecting the wisdom of their forefathers. They said all kinds of crazy things about Christians. That's going to happen today and we are to counter that by the lives we live.
4. Paul tells Titus in Titus 2:9-10 – “Exhort servants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.” “adorn the doctrine of God” What a great phrase. Adorning the doctrine of God, adorning the gospel. We do that by the lives we live, our lives make it look beautiful. To adorn something is to show the beauty of it. When we say make it look good it does not mean its bad so wrap it up in something fake. It means show the goodness of it. Show the goodness of the gospel. Live it out and show what God is really all about.

C. Now let’s consider something from our current Bible study in 1st Peter 2:13-17. “13. Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14. or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 16. as free, yet not using your liberty as a cloak for vice, but as servants of God. 17. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”

1. This should sound familiar, not just because of our study but in comparison to what we see in Titus. The lesson is obedience, submission and not just to the highest figure but to every human institution set up by God.
2. Again, we see this idea of submission coupled with living lives that show the goodness of the gospel. Peter says, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men…” They may say things about Christians, but the Christians they know individually should show that that stereotype isn't true, because they really do live out the love of God towards people.
3. We show respectful behavior and that shows the goodness of the gospel. Honor all. This is the idea of showing courtesy towards all people. I’m sure we have all heard jokes and slanderous things said about people on the other side of the political aisle. That's not honoring everyone. That's not honoring the emperor, the king, the president, the representative, the mayor, the police chief… you name it.

D. Turn to Romans 13:1-7 – “1. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority?” Would anyone want to live their life always looking over their shoulder, about to get arrested, about to get in trouble? I certainly don’t want to live that way. “Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4. For he is God's minister to you for good.” Live a righteous life and you'll receive that governor's approval, for he is God's servant. “But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain;” That is a real threat, that has real potential. “for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake. 6. For because of this you also pay taxes,” We don't like paying taxes. They didn't like paying taxes 2000 years ago when this was written. We pay them because “they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” Respect. Respect to who respect is owed. Honor to who honor is owed.
E. Here are the three things we keep seeing in these passages. Submit to the government. We are to obey them, do what they say, are to be respectful to them, showing honor to whom honor is due. Showing courtesy towards all people and living lives that are doing good, to show them the goodness of the gospel.

1. Are we going to do this? Are we going to submit to the government, even if things don't go our way? We have this idea in our world, I should say, in this country; it's like, well, because it's a democracy and I didn't vote for that guy therefore he's not my president. I'm not going to do what he says. If things don't go my way, I’m going to fight against the government in that.
2. What if they start taking away our “rights”? What if they start persecuting Christians? We put “rights” in quotations because it's only a “right” if the government actually gives it to us. Take freedom of speech for example in the First Amendment “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech…” They say I have a right to free speech but what if they take that away? -- That’s my right! No, it's not if the government says it's not. The government used to allow it, now they don't. It's not your “right”.
3. We submit to the laws of the land, and however the current politicians are going to interpret the constitution, we submit to that. By the way the courts have already modified what Freedom of speech includes and what it does not include 12 times since 1943. Then in the disclaimer about the list of modification it says; “this is created by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts for use in educational activities only. It may not reflect the current state of the law.”

F. What does the Bible say? Peter says in 1st Peter 2:18f, "18. Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer for it, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:”

1. When we talk about submitting to the government, even when they hurt us, or take away our “rights” or push us around—that is not some side issue, some peripheral discussion of Christianity, something that the theologians talk about in dark rooms.
2. Peter says this is what you're called to as a Christian, because that's what Christ did. Christ suffered unjustly. We also may have to suffer unjustly; to this we've been called.
3. It's pretty straightforward. We are to show the glory of God instead of fighting against the government. We will submit as best we can without sinning. Of course, we can't sin if they tell us to sin.
4. We will submit and we will suffer unjustly because we're called to that. In this is the “… strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age…” in Hebrews 5:14. Some don't like to hear this but that's what Christianity is. That's what we've been called to do, follow in the footsteps of Christ.
5. Some think they are smarter than God, they think they know better. “No, here's how I’ll fix it. I'll be really sarcastic and I’ll push the buttons of the authorities.” No, you're not smarter than God. We need to do things God's way.

G. Philippians 2:14f “Do all things without murmuring and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”. We don't grumble. We're not constantly bashing people. We are thankful. We're appreciative. That will shine as a light in this dark place.

II. Second: we will look at the Old Testament but segue back through Romans 13:1f in so doing – “1. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves."

A. Government exists as put there by God. He says it over and over again. There's no authority except from God. Those governments that exist have been instituted by God. Paul was not the first person to say that.
B. The Old Testament emphasized that God is in control over kings and nations.

1. There is no better place to show this than in Daniel. Daniel 4:17b – “to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.” [ESV] God is ruling over the kings of men. He puts in authority those whom He wants to rule.
2. Daniel is explaining to Nebuchadnezzar his dream in Daniel 4:25bf – “… seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules.” [ESV]
3. In Daniel 4:32b – “… They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.''”

C. If God's in control, then we have nothing to do with it, right? Does that mean Christians shouldn't vote? No, that's not what that means.

1. Think about it. In every area of our life we work with God, trusting in Him, but also doing our part.

a. Does God give us our food? Yes. Does that mean we don't have to plant crops and harvest them? Does it mean God's going to provide for my family, so I can just sit around?
b. Here is a good one, God takes care on things so if I become ill I don’t need to go to the doctor, just leave it to God, right? No, that's not how any of this works
c. How about this—God is the one in control of the souls of this world, and so I don't need to evangelize. No, that's not how it works. God is in control, but we need to do our part, whatever that part might be.

2. We live in a democracy and we're blessed to have a voice. You have a vote and you should use it as your conscience leads you. I'm certainly glad when Bible-thinking people go out and vote because I believe that is going to bless our country.
3. Even though we vote, don't think for a second that God is not involved. God's will is going to be accomplished. Trust in God.
4. When it is in our control to do something that is fine. When we do act we will behave differently if we trust in God's guiding hand. We won't have anxiety about it. We won’t feel the need to stay up till three in the morning to find out who won.
5. We trust in God and we do our part. We pray and we trust God with the rest. Most of all we pray for God's will to be done and pray for God's blessing. That is where the power is.

D. 1st Timothy 2:1f – “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Pray for our leaders, for government officials, for the people in this land and for other countries as well.
E. Pray that we are living in a world where people can have Bible studies, where people can have a regular job, where they live their life and can grow spiritually and not in chaos and tumult which are not helpful for people to hear and obey the gospel.

1. Pray that we can lead these quiet lives where we do our work. Pray that we will be a blessing to others around us.
2. Paul says this is good and pleasing in the sight of God.

III. Third: Here I’ll pose a question. Do we, as Americans, care too much about the economy?

A. I was looking at a Gallop poll chart about the percent of Americans who believe economic issues are the nation’s most important problems. The poll covered from 2001 through March of this year.

1. There was a spike in 2008, 2009 where 86% of people answering the poll said the economy was the biggest issue.
2. This was in the worst economic downturn in the U.S. since the Great Depression. Domestic product declined 4.3%, the unemployment rate doubled to more than 10%, home prices fell roughly 30% and at its worst point, the S&P 500 was down 57% from its highs.

B. Let me say that a different way. Of all the problems around us, the biggest one was we didn’t have enough money. It was not education, the things they're teaching in schools, the moral decline we see in areas of our world, and the acceptance of immorality around us. No, those were not the biggest problems facing us. The biggest problem was we didn’t have enough money.

1. I wondered if we were thinking money could solve all the other problems. I suspect that thinking was involved.
2. During the pandemic the percent of people thinking the economy was the most important thing dropped to 10% at the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021, a dramatic change. Suddenly there was something more important.
3. Much more recently, this year, those saying that economy issues are the most important problems, hovers around 30-34%. Literally a third of the poll respondents say the biggest problem in our country is that our economy isn't good enough or the direction of our economy is wrong. As Christians, do we see how ridiculous that is?

C. As rich as we are, people still think the top problem is we don't have enough money. There are people in this room who have seen the growth of our nation in the years since the great depression and many of us had parents who lived through that time. We know how rich a people we are. It seems to me a little ridiculous to think that the biggest problem in our country is that our economy isn't strong enough.

1. Christians should not be thinking that our biggest problem is the economy. Do we see how worldly that is? How rich do we need to be as a nation before we stop making money our priority?
2. Remember what Ecclesiastes 5:10 said? “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.” It seems that it doesn't matter how much money we have, we just want more of it.

D. When it comes to voting we have likely all heard the phrase “it’s the economy stupid”. I think that phrase is what is stupid. Why do we still care so much about it? Elijah prayed it would not rain so that the people would turn back to God. It didn't rain in Israel for three and a half years. Would we be willing to say those kinds of prayers instead of praying for the economy?
E. We pray that God's will be done. Christians should not grasp and cling to our economic situation; so much that we're not willing to let it go for the sake of people's souls.

CONCLUSION:
What are we going to do in this election year? Care more about souls. Care less about politics, and the headlines, he/she said that and he/she responded this way. Care less about “this or that” person winning and pray for God's blessings. Pray for God's will to be done in this country, and then trust in Him. Be content with the life that God has given to us. Be content with what we have.

We understand there may be people in this room who are having a hard time paying their bills. We understand there may be people in this room that have a hard time getting the food they need. Of course not every person in America is sitting fat and sassy. There may be ways we need to help others financially, even people here, but we can also be content with what we have and look to God to provide for us those needful things. When we do this we'll be a light in a dark world and we'll just be different. God will be glorified.

Psalm 146:3 – “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.”[para] That's not who we're going to trust. That's not who we're going to look to. We're going to look to God and do His will. Pray for God's Will to be done, and look to Him. Care about souls, care about the kingdom, care about the things that are to come when Christ returns.

The lesson is yours. Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

# ??? Reference Sermon by: Jady Copeland, Lakeview church of Christ

The Heroines Of God

Judges 4:1-9

I overheard the following conversation between a young lady and her friend:
“I tried to find out what my boyfriend would get me for our anniversary and he finally told me that it was something round that I’ve wanted for a long time. I was happy because I thought it was a ring, I wanted to marry him. I come home and I see A BASKETBALL HOOP WRAPPED IN RIBBONS!!!”

Then I came across this poem:

A WOMAN'S POEM
Before I lay me down to sleep,
I pray for a man, who's not a creep,
One who's handsome, smart and strong.
One who loves to listen long,
One who thinks before he speaks,
One who'll call, not wait for weeks.
I pray he's gainfully employed,
When I spend his cash, won't be annoyed.
Pulls out my chair and opens my door.
Massages my back and begs to do more.
I pray that this man will love me to no end,
And always be my very best friend.

Someone once said that “It is important for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"
To that person's mind the term “she-roes” was a unique and eye-catching way to talk about heroines.
And I like that word.

In the Bible there are many heroes, but there aren't that many “she-roes”. But of those “she-roes” that are in Scripture, one of the most impressive is the woman mentioned in Judges 4:1-9, which is our text for today’s lesson… her name is Deborah.

4 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.

2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.

8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Now Deborah’s only mentioned in these two chapters (Judges 4 and 5) but hers is a powerful story. In these two chapters we’re actually told quite a bit about her. And amongst the things we’re told is that she’s:
• vs 4 A prophetess
• vs 5 A judge who “used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.”
• vs 6 A woman who was used by God
• then in Judges 5:7 She described herself as “a mother in Israel”
• And the entire chapter of Judges 5 is dedicated to a song of praise she sang to honor the power of God in conquering Israel’s enemy.

Now, Deborah was an extremely unique judge.  She was different than any of the other judges mentioned in this book about “Judges.”

For example, unlike several of the other judges in the book of judges, there’s not a single word of condemnation about Deborah. The Bible speaks nothing but praise for her faith and actions in her service of her God.

2ndly, unlike several of the other judges in the book of judges she isn't called by God to go to war as a military commander. I mean, she does go to battle beside Barak, but she wasn't called to lead the army to war. She went as an encouragement to Barak.

And 3rd - she’s the only judge in the book of Judges that behaves even close to what we’d call a judge. All the other judges seem to be called to go to war… but not her. She’s called a judge because she acts like what we’d think of as a judge. People come to her to have her arbitrate their disagreements with one another.

ILLUS: Now, when you think of a judge, what images come to mind?

A court room.

A judge dressed in black robes.  And there’s usually a bailiff or a deputy, who’s armed with a gun or Taser, and is charged with keeping order in the court.

Judges in our culture are those who can pass judgment, and have the power to impose penalties, and even to punish people by sending them to prison.

But that’s not quite how things worked back then.

In the days of the Old Testament, “judges” were more like “arbitrators”. There were no police or prisons to enforce their rulings. Often times the leading men of the city would serve as these arbitrators. And you wouldn't find them in a beautiful court room. Instead, you'd find them down at the city gates. That’s where they “held court”.

People who needed their disagreements settled would go to the city gates because that was where they’d most likely find the wise men of the community.

Now, by contrast Deborah didn't need to go the gate of the city.  She sat under her own palm tree.

Judges 4:5 tells us “She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.” (ESV)

Deborah was one of the most famous of the judges of her day.

In our culture, many of us couldn't begin to give the name of a judge in their city, but we could give the name of an advice counselor in the local newspaper. In my day it was Ann Landers, and her sister who’s by-line was “Dear Abby.”

Just as people would flock to Deborah for her advice, people in our day flock to send their letters to the “Dear Abby’s” of our culture to have them arbitrate disagreements between them. They serve the same function as the “judges” of the Old Testament.

So Deborah was a judge in Israel.

But she wasn't only a judge… she was also a prophetess.

When you think of a prophet in the Old Testament who do you think of?

Isaiah or Jeremiah or Daniel?

These Old Testament prophets were well-known because of books of prophecy they wrote. Or they were known because they would make declarations of a future event (like Isaiah, who’s known as the “Messianic” prophet because of the many futuristic descriptions of the coming of Jesus). Or these prophets were well known because they would give long sermons in which they would declare the judgment of God upon the people of Israel.

She doesn't write a book.

She make no statements about the future.

And she doesn't seem to be into giving long speeches.

So if Deborah didn't do any of those things, what is it that would have qualified her as a “prophetess”?’

What did she do that MADE her a prophetess?

Well, there was one thing that she did that was common to some prophets in the Old Testament. We don’t commonly think of this as part of a prophet’s role because it doesn't get much press in the Bible. But the Jews of Deborah’s day would have understood this action as being something prophets and prophetesses did.

She sang.

The entire 5th chapter of Judges is dedicated to Deborah’s song of praise to God.

God often used singing as a way to declare His majesty.

In fact, that’s what God did through Miriam (the sister of Moses/Aaron) in Exodus 15:21
21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea

Miriam’s song of prophecy was exactly like Deborah’s song in its declaration of God’s power and in its declaration that it was God who triumphed over the enemies of Israel.

So Deborah was a judge and she was a prophetess.

And the Bible wants us to clearly understand that she was a very WISE woman.

But that wasn't why she was a SHE-RO of the Old Testament.

Her being a judge and a prophetess and her being wise were not the reasons Deborah was listed in the book of Judges. Deborah is listed in Judges because she allowed God to use her for something special. She’s in the book of Judges because there was a CRISIS and she was used by God to help solve that crisis.

Vs 2 of our Text in Judges 4 tells us:

Israel has fallen back into their old ways of worshiping false gods and their idolatry and rebellion had angered God much that we’re told “the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera...”

Now, Israel had an army of 10,000 men under the leadership of a man named Barak but they were no match of Sisera and the army of Canaan. The reason? Sisera had 900 iron chariots… and Israel didn't. Pitting Israel’s army of 10,000 against Canaan’s 900 chariots would have been like sending an army of riflemen against 900 armored tanks. They’d have been massacred.

But God has Deborah tell Barak it was time to go war and she went with Barak as he led his army into what seemed like a hopeless battle with a superior enemy.

But the story in Judges tells us that Barak had an edge in this fight.

God had promised His people that if they obeyed Him: “You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.” Leviticus 26:7-8

With God on his side, Barak couldn't lose.

But there is an odd thing about what we’re told here.

How many soldiers does Barak have to go to war with? 10,000.

That’s a pretty good sized army.

But a few Sundays back we read about Gideon and we’re told that he had 10,000 soldiers too. But what did God tell Gideon do with his 10,000 men?  God told Gideon to send most of them home. God explained: “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’” Judges 7:2 (ESV)

So, why were 10,000 soldiers too many for Gideon and just enough for Barak and Deborah? Well, in this case, God was using Barak’s army as “bait.” In fact, that’s what God said was His intention in vs 7 of the text “I will LURE Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’"

I’m convinced that God intended to use Barak’s 10,000 soldiers as a way to lure Sisera chariots into the field of battle. Sisera wouldn't have committed his heavy armament for only 300 men in the field (as Gideon had under his command). Israel's army had to be force big enough for Sisera to feel it worth his trouble. But once ALL Sisera’s chariots were committed and in the field… God destroyed them.

When Deborah sang her song of praise in Judges 5:4-5 she declared “O LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel."

You know what happened?

When Sisera was committed, God brought a storm out of the south and… it began to rain. And it rained and it rained and it rained.

ILLUS: I enjoy watching war documentaries on YouTube. And I was particularly intrigued by one of the common explanations of why Nazi Germany lost in their battle for Russia. You see, the power of the German war machine was wrapped up primarily in its tanks. These tanks were the best military machines of their time.
They had the been the key to Hitler's annihilation of the Allied forces in France. But these tanks were designed for war in on the Eastern front… not the Western one.

What defeated Hitler’s tanks was not so much the military might of Russia… it was Russia’s land. When that land got wet it got really muddy and the German tanks often bogged down in that mud and were unable to move. When that happened the German panzers became little more than huge pieces of metal that were at the mercy of the Russian forces.

And that’s essentially what happened to Sisera’s forces. The rain came down… and the IRON chariots got stuck in the mud. They could still move, but they had limited mobility.

Then, in addition to the mud, God threw in an earthquake.

Faced with the obvious reality that Israel’s God had entered the battle - and Barak’s forces weren't far behind - Sisera’s forces panicked and began to run away.
And so did Sisera.

Sisera ran away to the north into the mountains and hid in what he thought was the tent of friends. The woman there fed him and gave him milk and made him comfortable. But after he fell asleep (this is kinda gory) she took a mallet and drove a tent peg through his forehead.

And he died.

A friend of mine observed that “this is why I never sleep in a tent with a woman who has a mallet and a tent peg... just in case”

There was no mistaking the fact that God had won the victory over Sisera that day, and Judges chapter 5 is totally dedicated to singing God’s praises and it was written down a Psalm of Thanksgiving to God.

But now… there’s odd twist to this story.

Before any of this fighting happens.

Before Barak leads his men out to battle.

Before the army is even assembled to fight - God has Deborah tell Barak he needs to go to battle. But Barak isn't excited about the concept.
Vs 8-9 of the text “Barak said to her, ‘If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.’
‘Very well,’ Deborah said, ‘I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman.’”

What’s THIS all about?

Well, what this is all about is – men and women.

It’s all about the difference between men and women.

You do realize that there’s a difference between men and women don’t you?

How many of you realize there’s a difference between men and women?

• Men are bigger and stronger and more aggressive.

• Women tend to be more spiritual and religious.

• Men want to fix problems.

• Women want to listen to people and sympathize with their problems.

• And men, because they are bigger/stronger/aggressive, tend to dominate and mistreat women.

• And women, because they are generally smaller/ weaker than men strive for security and protection.

This all creates a conflict between the sexes.

And often, men – because they are bigger and stronger than women – win that conflict. And when that happens in a society, we call that a “male dominated” society

That’s not healthy. And it’s not Biblical.

When men DOMINATE women it proves they've taken God’s place.

Such men view themselves as being “in charge”… not God.

And thus women become their servants.

In that kind of atmosphere women are abused, misused and mistreated.

Men who create that kind environment have no place in their lives for SHE-ROS. There is no room for women to shine.

But in Matthew 20:25-28 Jesus said “the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

God hates it when His people dominate and enslave others to their will.

God hates a male DOMINATED society.

And the Bible does not teach it.

But because so many men (including supposedly “Christian” men) do dominate women, godly people react badly to what the Bible actually does teach… which is male-LED society.

The Bible consistently teaches that men were created to lead and have a position of responsibility.

That’s why the Bible says that women should not teach or have authority of adult men. Teaching and having the responsibility of making decisions for the church is the job God designed men to do. When MEN do that job, the church is stronger and better protected. When they don’t step up and do their job… the church suffers.

And wise women in the church won’t let that happen.

Wise women will always challenge their men to step up and lead.  And that’s kind of what’s happening here with Barak.

Deborah understands that going to war to protect the nation is a man’s responsibility. That’s Barak’s job. It’s his job to lead men into battle. But he doesn't really want to do it. He wants to lean on Deborah/ he wants her to help him lead the army.

He’s ducking out on his job… and Deborah won’t let him do it.

She’ll go with him, but I suspect she kept challenging him to MAN UP and LEAD.

CLOSE: And that’s kind of the way Godly women have always been. Godly women (and Godly men) have always been more concerned with being servants of God and of others than they ever have of having positions of authority and influence. When Jesus said the greatest among you will be those who are the servants of all I think He may have been thinking about women like Deborah.

Someone once pointed out that women were instrumental in much of Jesus’ ministry.

• It was a woman (His mother Mary) who prompted Jesus to perform His first miracle

• It was women (Mary & Martha) who ministered to Christ during His public ministry.

• It was woman (Mary) who anointed the body of Jesus before He was crucified.

• It was the women (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome) who stayed with Jesus throughout his trial and crucifixion.

• It was women (Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and others) who were the first witnesses to the resurrected Savior.

• And in today’s churches - it is women who make up the majority of the population of most congregations.

In our congregation there are many Deborah’s who are known for their wisdom and insight

In our church there are many great women of God

In our midst there are many She-ros of faith.

And we would be much weaker and poorer without them.

Do I hear an “amen?”

INVITATION… but you can’t be a woman of faith (or a man of faith) until you FIRST belong to Jesus.
1. You have to be willing to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
2. You need to be willing to repent and turn from your sins.
3. You need to confess that Jesus will now be the Lord and Master of your life.
4. You need to submit to being buried in the waters of Christian baptism, and rise up from those waters to live a life for Jesus.

Sermon Contributor: Jeff Strite