Jacob Wrestling with God May 29, 2012
Posted by roberttalley in Faith, Genesis, Jacob, Prayer, Religion, Sermons.add a comment
WRESTLING WITH GOD
Genesis 32:22-32
In the evangelical tradition there has long been an emphasis on a “crisis experience.” Sometimes it has been considered crucial to a true salvation experience and often people have a crisis experience when they get saved. In 1865 a fanatical infidel, who had written a book on infidelity, “…was persuaded to attend an old-fashioned camp-meeting. The preacher challenged the people…to give Jesus Christ a fair trial. When he asked for those to come forward who were willing to make the test, [the infidel] went…While riding home, he got down on his knees in the woods and fought the battle out-and Jesus Christ won. [B. H.] Carroll’s life was transformed, and his great gifts were dedicated to Christ.”
Sometimes this crisis experience comes to someone who is already a believer but is plagued by doubts. “[G. Campbell Morgan] went through an eclipse of his faith. In desperation, he locked all his books in a cupboard, secured a new Bible, and began to read it…The result? ‘That Bible found me!’” (both examples are from Warren Wiersbe’s Walking with the Giants).
It should be noted that not everyone has crisis experiences and certainly not every crisis experience comes at the same time in one’s life or in the same way. In Jacob’s life his crisis experience came in a moment of great fear, his brother Esau was coming to meet him, the same brother from whom he had stolen his father’s blessing, the same Esau who had promised twenty years earlier to kill Jacob as soon as his father was dead. Jacob has now taken a step toward reconciliation (32:3-5). The messengers come back with this message, “We came to your brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him” (verse 6). Jacob fears now for his life. He divides his company into two groups so that at least some of them might survive and he prays to God for help but he still is fearful. He sends presents ahead to Esau, hoping to appease his anger but he still is fearful. That night he has a crisis experience, he wrestles with God.
A. Like Jacob, even though we have faith in Christ, we still might find ourselves wrestling with God. To have a crisis experience, to be fearful or depressed or doubtful, there is no shame in having a crisis experience.
1. Wrestling with God may happen when you know God’s will but do not know what you at that moment should do (32:1-23). Jacob had been walking with God for twenty years. He had been taken advantage of by his uncle Laban. During those twenty years he had been humbled by God. He tries to do what’s right by reconciling to his brother. And now four hundred men are coming, fully capable of destroying Jacob and all with which God had blessed him. Jacob knew in general that he was in God’s will but he did not know at that moment what he should do. Have you ever been there?
2. Wrestling with God happens when you want God’s will in your life no matter what the cost may be (32:24-32). People who don’t want God’s will done, do not wrestle with God. It wasn’t until Jonah was in the whale that he was willing to do God’s will. We find him wrestling with God in chapter 2 not in chapter 1. There he is simply running.
One of the best examples of someone wrestling with God is our Lord Jesus Christ. He knew God’s will. He may have not known every detail of what would happen during the next twenty-four hours but he knew that he was on his way to die. Yet he was willing to pay the price. The cost was great. The cost was terrifying to Jesus. Jesus faced death with the same emotions that many a man before and afterward faced death with but he was willing to pray the price.
Are you willing to pay the price?
B. When we wrestle with others, we must have God’s help to be blessed (32:26-29). God points out; Jacob has not only prevailed in his wrestling with God but also in his wrestling with men, particularly Esau and Laban. One thing is clear. Jacob prevailed with men because of God’s blessing and not because of his ability or wisdom. Why? Because he was part of God’s royal entourage.
1. We have a position as believers in Christ in a royal family (32:28). That’s what makes the cost worth it. Paul writes in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” God’s blessing is based not on me but on my position in Him.
2. We know from where our help must come (32:29). Will we depend on Him?
“In 1929 [W. E. Sangster] moved to Liverpool (England) where… he pastored [and filled] two churches…[He] went through a deep spiritual crisis…After his father’s death, [his son] found a handwritten ‘spiritual analysis’ buried in the bottom drawer of the desk…It was the record of [a] spiritual conflict…It begins, ‘I am a minister of God and yet my private life is a failure in these ways…’ Then he listed eight areas of defeat. He concluded: ‘I have lost peace…I have lost joy…. I have lost taste for my work….I feel a failure.’ What was the answer? ‘Pray. Pray. Pray. Strive after holiness like an athlete prepares for a race. The secret is in prayer’” (Wiersbe’s Walking with the Giants).
Are you wrestling with God today? Do you want to do God’s will and don’t know how? Tell it to Jesus. You don’t have to wrestle alone. Paul wrote to several churches including in Rome and Colosse and asked those people to wrestle with him. Jacob wrestled alone but it doesn’t have to be that way. Let us wrestle with you.
Seeking God’s Favor After Sinning March 12, 2010
Posted by roberttalley in Adultery, Confession, David, Depravity, Faith, Forgiveness, Hope, Mercy, Psalms, Religion, Repentance, Second Samuel, Sermons, Sin.2 comments
Seeking God’s Favor After Sinning
2 Samuel 12 with Psalms 51 and 32
David was entrusted with God’s people. In His disobedience to God, He betrayed God’s people. What we sometimes forget is the awful cost of betrayal. There is an emotional cost. When you read John’s Gospel carefully, it seems that a huge part of the emotional turmoil exhibited in the Garden of Gethsemane had to do with his knowledge of the betrayal of Judas.
Many of you today feel betrayed. Some of you have so often felt betrayed that you have deep scars on your soul. If you have been betrayed, then understand this sermon touches on those events in which you were betrayed.
There is, however, hope and healing. The path to hope and healing, however, is not an easy path. I do not want to mislead you and tell you that this one sermon will answer all your questions and solve all your problems. What I desire is that we begin our path through the valley of the shadow of death together. It will not be easy. In fact, our path begins with the destruction left behind by sin.
I. Sin is destructive (2 Samuel 12). It starves the malnourished and leaves the helpless unprotected. Sin is like a whirlpool pulling all those close by under the water. Sin leaves its victims with no where to turn. Sin, like Satan goes about as a roaring lion, seeking who He may devour. Yes, sin is destructive eternally in the lake of fire but it is also destructive physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually in this life, right now.
a. One of the reasons sin is so destructive is that when I sin, I do not care about others (2 Samuel 12:1-6). You see sin is manipulative, coercive, controlling, and predatory. Look at David’s sin. David in this case did not care who he harmed.
That is the point of Nathan’s parable. Nathan did not even address the lies David told and the murder David ordered. He simply points out that the sinner, in this case, David, did not care about the welfare of others. He did not care about his kingdom, he did not care about his family, and he did not care about his army. All he cared about was self.
Let me at this point say something very important. When I say these things, I know what I am talking about. I am an experienced sinner. I wish that I could tell you that I would never sin against you but my forty-six years have taught me this much. I sin when I am selfish. Sometimes my sin is acceptable to those around me and sometimes it is not but it is always selfish.
Sin destroys trust because sin uses trust as a weapon. When trust is destroyed, it is then that people begin to lose hope. Without trust, how can you hope in friends, family, and church? Without trust, how can you feel safe? Without trust, how can you hope in justice? Would you trust David as your king, your husband, your father, your commander in chief? No. Yet you need those in whom you can trust. What do you do? Perhaps the one damaged by sin withdraws into a world they feel they can control. Maybe they put up an impenetrable front through which no one can break through. Or perhaps they simply walk away when trust is demanded.
But when I sin, I do not care about that.
b. When I sin, I show a lack of contentment with God’s blessings (2 Samuel 12:7-8). This is the second point of the parable of Nathan but this point is so important that Nathan explicitly emphasizes it.
“In Our Daily Bread, Philip Parham tells the story of a rich industrialist who was disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat.
“Why aren’t you out there fishing?” he asked.
“Because I’ve caught enough fish for today,” said the fisherman.
“Why don’t you catch more fish than you need?” the rich man asked.
“What would I do with them?”
“You could earn more money,” came the impatient reply, “and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you’d have a fleet of boats and be rich like me.”
The fisherman asked, “Then what would I do?”
“You could sit down and enjoy life,” said the industrialist.
“What do you think I’m doing now?” the fisherman replied.
Again, I speak from experience. When I sin, it is often because I am not content with what God has given me. I want more. I am not convinced that what I have is enough. I am not convinced that the resources, whether physical or emotional or spiritual, that God has given me are sufficient. It is in that moment that my heart becomes fertile ground for sin.
c. When I sin, I despise the wisdom of God and His Word (2 Samuel 12:9-10). I will refer to this when we celebrate the Lord’s Table. It is important for you and me as believers to realize that when we sin, it is because we despise God’s wisdom. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that He is God and we are not. When I sin as a believer, it is usually because I feel I know better than God does.
II. But repentance is possible (Psalm 51). The consequences of David’s sin were long-lasting. A daughter abused. A son murdered. Another son, Absalom leads a rebellion against his father in which not only is he killed but thousands of others die in a civil war. Those were some of the special consequences God visited on David and Israel. Yet there was repentance on David’s part and this repentance resulted in God’s blessing on God’s people.
a. No excuses are allowed (Psalm 51:1-6). David made it clear where his sin came from. He was born a sinner. Environmental factors played no role. He was the source of his own sin. That is why he begged for mercy. He could not wipe away the consequences. Neither could he eliminate an already done deed. He needed God to intervene. For God to intervene, David realized that there could be no excuses.
It is essential that we be honest with ourselves. We must acknowledge the destructiveness of our sin. It is only when we are honest with ourselves that we can truly repent.
b. A return to dependence on God’s mercy is demanded (Psalm 51:7-12). There used to be a saying, “The Devil is no friend of grace.” We forget so easily that healing is only to be found in God’s grace and mercy. We, each of us, are in the midst of spiritual warfare. We are defenseless against Satan, against the world, and most of all, against our own evil flesh unless we depend on God’s grace.
c. Repentance unlike penance focuses on loving God and others (Psalm 51:13-17).
One of the big dangers is that one admits to guilt but there is not change. Repentance demands a change. David repentance drives him away from his selfishness. John the Baptist tried to explain this when he preached on repentance in Luke 3:7-14. Penance simply says I am guilty and I will start doing good works. Repentance says, there is no excuse, I am sinful to the core but I will throw myself own God’s mercy and begin to live as He commands, “To love the Lord my God with all my heart and my neighbor as myself.”
d. Repentance of the individual brings healing to the congregation (Psalm 51:18-19). You see, each one of us is negatively affected by the sin of the other. That is clear. First Corinthians 12:26 says, “…if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it…” This psalm also makes it clear that true repentance in one of us, positively affects each one of us. Last week, Dale preached on forgiveness from Matthew 18:21-35. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus warns against the consequences of sin in verses 1-10. Yet there is hope in verses 11-14. Jesus wants to save the lost, protect the weak, revive those without hope, and nourish the starving. He does that regardless of whether the offender repents or not.
But what about the sinner? Not every sinner repents and Jesus threatens that one with punishment. But if he repents, Jesus will not cast him out and according to Matthew 18:15, we have gained a brother. It is of profit to each of you when I repent of my sin. How? Because then we are viewed as acceptable before God.
What is your sin? It is destructive to yourself and to all those around you. You need to quit making excuses and repent. You may need help being honest with yourself. You may need help on the road of repentance. God’s mercy is available and we extend our hand to help you.
I have spoken primarily to believers who have already trusted Christ. If you have not trusted Christ, you need to recognize that He paid the penalty for your sin on the cross. He died for you. You need to be honest also. You need to admit that you are a sinner and that you cannot save yourself. You need the mercy available through faith in Christ. Will you trust him today?
Isaiah 9: What the New King Brings (A Christmas Sermon) December 20, 2009
Posted by roberttalley in Christ, Christmas, Day of the Lord, Eschatology, Faith, Gospel, Incarnation, Isaiah, Jesus, Joy, Light, Matthew, Millenial Kingdom, Peace, Religion, Sermons, World Peace.add a comment
This week:
Tuesday: Links concerning the Manhattan Compact
Wednesday: Thoughts concerning the Manhattan Compact
Sunday: Beginning a new series on the Holy Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles.
WHAT THE NEW KING BRINGS
Isaiah 9:1-7
INTRODUCTION: This week when we celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we will be celebrating the birthday of a king. The past three weeks we have looked at the prophecies of Isaiah about His coming to the earth as the baby in Bethlehem as well as His future coming to rule and reign on the earth. Today I want to again look at Isaiah and again look at what Jesus brought with Him at the first Christmas and what He will bring to this earth in the future.
A. The New King Brings Light to Those in Darkness (9:1-2).
1. There is hope in Jesus, the Light of the World (John 8:12; 9:5). Matthew 4:12-25 records the fulfillment of this prophecy that Christ would begin His ministry in Galilee. The King brings light to those in darkness beginning – not in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish life; nor in Rome, the political capital of the Roman Empire; neither in Alexandria, the intellectual giant of Egypt; and not even in Athens, the home of Greek philosophy. It is in Galilee, specifically the city of Capernaum and the surrounding area in which the King brings light to men in darkness. It is not a center of importance. Does He ignore the others? No, but in Galilee is where He begins and He expands His light throughout a dark world.
Jesus being the Light of the World and bringing light to humankind is a very important part of the Christmas story. In Luke 1:76-79, Zacharias sang at the birth of his son, John the Baptist. He ended his song with, “You, my son are going to be the prophet of the Highest and you are going to prepare the way for the Messiah, the one who is going to rise like the sun in the east and bring mercy to the Jewish people, the one who is going “…(t)o give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
I am glad that light is not limited to the Jews. Repeatedly in Isaiah we have seen that He brings light to all humankind. Simeon, when Jesus was just eight days old in Luke 2:32, identifies Jesus as “(a) light to bring revelation to the Gentiles.” The Gentiles, because they did not know the God of Israel, lived in the land of the shadow of death. They lived there because they rejected the truth of God (Romans 1). They lived there because they have spiritually, even when going through tough times, shaken their fist in God’s face. They were in total darkness.
That was my situation and that was the situation of every person born, Jew and Gentile. There is, however, hope. The reality of eternal death, although certain, is not yet accomplished for you hearing this message this morning. Someone has already been executed for our sin. It is Jesus, the King and the Bringer of Light. It is through faith (John 1:4-8) in His death and resurrection that He proclaims light to the human race which is sitting in the shadow of death (Acts 26:22-23).
B. The New King Also Brings Joy to Those Oppressed (9:3-4). It is in these verses that we see not only the first coming of Christ as a man but also His second, future coming as the Prince of Peace. They are melded so closely to each other that one can hardly recognize where one begins and the other ends. That is so, even though there are at least 2000 years between the two comings.
1. What kind of joy does the King bring (9:3)?
The King brings multiplied and increased joy, exceeding joy. That is what Mary sang as she carried her Savior in her womb, “My spirit rejoices exceedingly in God my Savior.” Even before He was born, the King brought exceeding joy. The angels proclaimed to the shepherds tidings of great joy. The wise men saw the star and had exceedingly great joy.
This joy is multiplied and increased because it has been a long time coming. It is the joy of the harvest. The farmer plants in the spring. He works and waters the field through all kinds of weather. Heat and cold, sunshine and rain, all through the spring and summer and fall he works and waits and then the harvest comes. That is the type of rejoicing in this passage. Since Adam, humankind had been waiting for Jesus to be born. That is one reason why He was received with great joy. It has been two thousand years since Jesus returned to His Father’s throne. When He returns to earth again, it will again be a time of great joy for those who trust in Him.
This joy is also multiplied and increased because it is the joy that comes with victory. When the King comes He brings victory over His enemies and over the enemies of His oppressed people. In that there is great joy.
2. What kind of oppression does the King relieve (9:4)? This fourth verse refers to Gideon in the book of Judges. The Midianites were a great host of raiders, who would come and destroy the crops and plunder the Israelites and murder and wreak havoc. That is the type of oppression the Israelites were suffering. They labored, they worked hard, and they planted. As soon as they planted the Midianites came and destroyed the crops. The people started hiding food. One of those hiding food was a young man named Gideon. God told Gideon, “I want you to take an army.” Gideon did. God told Gideon, “Reduce your army to 300 men.” Gideon did. God told Gideon to attack at night with three companies surrounding the camp, to blow their trumpets in their right hand, to break the pitchers concealing torches in their left hands, and to cry out, “The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!” The Midianites woke up to the sound, saw the lights, panicked, and began to kill each other in the confusion. It was the largest case of friendly fire in history and God is the one who caused it. He is the one who delivered Israel from the oppression of the enemy. The resulting joy is the joy that only the victorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords can bring.
C. Finally, The New King not only Brings Light and Joy but He brings Eternal Peace (9:5-7). Verse 5 describes for us how complete this peace will be. The market for army boots and uniforms will be depleted. There will be no use for them because through His victory the King brings peace.
1. This King’s Name is Wonderful Counselor — Isaiah clarifies what he means in 25:1 and 29:14. Isaiah 29:14a says, “Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder…” This King does things that no other can do. His works are past finding out. They are too great for us. When I think that the ruler of the universe came to die for me so that I might have light and joy and peace, it is too marvelous, too wonderful for me to understand. This King, Jesus Christ, is Wonderful.
2. This King’s Name is Counselor — It may be that “wonderful” and “counselor” are intended to be one name. Either way, the point is this. He has the wisdom to make and carry out a perfect plan of peace. If you return to Isaiah 29:14b, you will see why God felt that He had to intervene in His people’s affairs, “…For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” Before the creation of the universe, Christ had a perfect peace plan for this earth. That’s why we can turn to Him. “…Christ is a Counsellor to us and with us, because we can consult with him, and he… counsel(s) and advise(s) us as to the right way and the path of peace.” (Spurgeon)
3. This King’s Name is not only Wonderful Counselor but also the Mighty God — He makes the plans work because He is God. Yes, He became man and was tempted as you and I but as God He also came. If you are weak, go to Him for strength to carry out what He wants you to do. He is the Mighty God.
4. This King’s Name is also the Everlasting Father (or Father of Eternity) — His plans are good because He cares like a father and because they are eternal. Only an eternal God can guarantee eternal peace. If you are scared, depend on Him. If you are worried, turn to Him. He will never leave you holding the bag. In fact, He’ll hold the bag for you and stick around to see what you might be facing.
5. Finally, this King’s Name is the Prince of Peace — His plans are focused on peace. If you are disturbed, He has you in His sights and is unconcerned because He has you and all around you in His grip.
*In the past, His coming made peace with God
*In the present, right now, those who come to Him find peace in their heart when they put their faith in Christ and the Prince of Peace comes to live within them.
*In the future, His second coming will usher in an eternal kingdom of peace.
INVITATION: “The most important part of our verse (9:6) is the first three words….…‘For to us’. The gift of Christ is a personal gift from God to us, (to you). A gift requires a response. If I put a gift under your tree, you may acknowledge it, may admire it, may even thank me for it, but it isn’t yours until you open it and take it for your own.”
“God has a Christmas gift for you……..not wrapped in bright paper and fancy ribbon, but in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger…….It is the gift of His Son. It is for you. The gift is still there. It must be personally received.”
“You can never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look in the Father’s Face and tell Him you have received his Christmas gift. Have you done that?” (Pritchard)
One thing about a gift, you can only give something once. You can only receive a gift once. So it is with the salvation of God. When you turn to Christ in faith and receive the gift of salvation, you never have to ask again. That gift is yours for all eternity. Only Christ, the Eternal Father, the Father of eternity can give an eternal gift. You may not have been enjoying the gift as you should but it is still yours. Perhaps you’ve received the gift of eternal life. That is a Christmas gift that you can never receive again but you can take it off the shelf and enjoy it not only every Christmas but every day for the rest of eternity. Christ wants you to enjoy the light and the joy and the peace that He has provided for you. If you haven’t been living for Him as you should, then tell Him as we pray that you are sorry. He is faithful and just to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Turn to Him and start living for Him today.
The Hope of Christmas (A Sermon for First Advent from Isaiah 8:1-22) November 29, 2009
Posted by roberttalley in Advent, Christmas, Faith, Hope, Incarnation, Isaiah, Jesus, Messiah, Religion, Sermons, Signs and Wonders, Virgin Birth.add a comment
THE HOPE OF CHRISTMAS
Isaiah 8:1-22
INTRODUCTION: This advent season we are looking at “Christmas According to Isaiah”. Chapters 7-11 of the book of Isaiah all come from the same time period of Isaiah’s ministry. It is about 700 years before Jesus Christ would be born. Ahaz, king of Judah is looking to Assyria for help against his two enemies to the north: (1) his relatives, the northern kingdom of Israel and (2) their ally, Syria. Isaiah’s message to Ahaz and to Judah is depend on God not man for help. You will be judged, in fact, God will use your ally, Assyria, to judge you. However, God will not forsake His people. There is hope but only for those of His people who turn to God.
This is the hope of Christmas. These are tough days for many but there is hope for a glorious future for those who turn to Christ.
I. God confirms this hope through a child (vs. 1-4). Now this is not the first sign that is given to Ahaz and the people of Judah. In Isaiah 7:13-17, Isaiah tells Ahaz to ask for a sign and Ahaz refuses. God, however, through Isaiah gives him a sign anyway. It is the sign of a child. We know that this prophecy is referred to in Matthew as the prophecy of the virgin birth of Christ. However, as is not uncommon in Old Testament prophecy, there is a double fulfillment: a near fulfillment and a far off fulfillment. The fulfillment through the virgin born Christ is still at this time 700 years in the future but God also gave another child, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, to be born and the purpose of His birth was to confirm the prophecy and to confirm the hope that would be connected to that prophecy.
a. How the prophecy concerning the child is given is described in verses 1-2. Now there are several important things that we need to notice.
i. First, this prophecy was intended to be public. It was written on a large scroll so that it could be easily and readily read. Witnesses were named who would be able at the fulfillment of the prophecy to confirm that the prophecy had been given before the fulfillment.
It is very important to God that people have good reason to believe His message of hope. When God speaks of hope, He speaks of a certainty, a guarantee. If you purchased something this past Black Friday, you undoubtedly saved your receipts. If you decide to return an item, the receipt tells you whether your hope of getting your money back is a wish or a certainty. In the same way, God gave the sign of this child as a confirmation, an assurance that He would not forsake His people but would save them in the end.
Is this not one reason why the virgin birth of Christ is important? That Christ was born of a virgin confirms for us that we have hope in eternity. If it were to be proven that Jesus was not the far future fulfillment of this prophecy, then our hope in Him would be based on the lies of Matthew and Luke. He was, however, born of a virgin. Both Matthew and Luke point to verifiable eyewitnesses who could verify that Jesus truly was born of a virgin.
Once I spoke with an evangelical pastor who felt that it did not really matter if Jesus was born of a virgin. What was important was that one believes in Jesus. Why then did God give the prophecy? Faith in Christ must be based on the certainty that Jesus alone fits the prophecy of the Scriptures. Anything less is like going to the store without a receipt and wishing for an exchange.
ii. Let’s look now at the prophecy (verses 3-4). Isaiah and his wife, the prophetess, would have a son named Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. His name was actually the prophecy: “hurry to the loot, swift to the prey.” (verses 3-4). According to the prophecy, before this baby would speak his first words, the meaning of his name would come to pass.
b. The prophecy concerning the child is fulfilled. The beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy is found in 2 Kings 16:9, “So the king of Assyria heeded [Ahaz’s call for help]; for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Rezin.” Chapter 17 then describes the fall of Israel to the Assyrians.
II. So what is the message of hope that is found in this prophecy? It is this, “God protects His people even in judgment” (vs. 5-10).
a. This judgment comes because of lack of faith in God (vs. 5-7). The northern kingdom depended on man rather than God as represented by their rejection of the waters of Shiloah and because of their rejection, the Assyrians came like a flood and wiped out their armies and took their people captive.
b. Mercy, however, is available to God’s people (verse 8a). We see this in that the flood of judgment would not overwhelm them but rather come up to their neck. This is exactly what happened. The Assyrians who defeated Syria and Israel were not able to overcome Judah. Judah suffered much because of the Assyrians but God delivered Judah from destruction.
c. Why? Because God is with them (verses 8b-10). Isaiah reminds them in these verses that Immanuel, “God with us,” will deliver them from their enemies. Because God is with His people, they can have hope. Their future, even in the day of judgment, is certain and victorious because “God is with us.”
“No wonder when John Wesley lay dying in 1791, he roused from his sleep long [enough] to open his eyes and exclaim, “The best of all is, God is with us!” Then he closed his eyes and died” (from Ray Pritchard’s sermon “Overcoming Loneliness”).
III. With this message of hope, God warns of the danger of rejecting His confirmed Word (vs. 11-15).
a. He tells Isaiah, “Do not fear those who reject Me” (vs. 11-12).
“Isaiah’s message must have seemed crazy: ‘Don’t fear the mighty army you see arrayed against you. Though they have far more soldiers, you have something they don’t. You have Immanuel on your side.’” (from Ray Pritchard’s sermon “Are You Prepared to Suffer for Christ?“). For that reason, many accused Isaiah and other prophets of the LORD of collusion with the enemy. This is similar to what Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 10:28 when He said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
b. “Do not fear those who reject Me but rather fear the One who is to be hallowed (vs. 13-14a).” To hallow God is to set Him above all others. No one can veto His Word. He is the LORD and there is none else.
c. Destruction is the end of His rejecters (v. 14b-15). It is not just that those who reject God, who reject Christ, will stumble and be offended. The picture in these verses is that they will be destroyed by the very one they stumbled over. The one who they found so offensive will be their judge.
IV. God gives hope only to those who trust His Word (vs. 16-22), that is, believe in His confirming signs. In those days it concerned Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz but today the sign in whom we must believe is the virgin born Son of God, Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God with us. The apostle Paul in Romans 9:33 took part of verse 14 and another portion from Isaiah to make this very point, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”*
a. Our hope is confirmed by His works (vs. 16-18). The signs that God gives confirm His word and give us the ability to wait, to hope. The difficult part of the certain hope of the Christian is the waiting. The first verse of one of the carols we sang today, written by John Wesley’s brother, Charles, describes very well the difficulty of waiting, of hoping.
“Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.”
Isaiah and his two sons (Shear-Jashub is mentioned in Isaiah 7:3 and means “the remnant shall return”) were signs of hope in their day but men had to wait 700 years before Immanuel was born. Immanuel, God with us, Jesus lived and died and rose again and returned to His Father’s side at the right hand of the throne of God 2000 years ago and we wait, we hope, we sing…
“Come, Thou long-expected Jesus…
Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a Child, and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now (can you not hear the longing in this carol?) Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.”
That is the hope of Christmas!
b. Our insight, our ability to see the truth, to wait, to hope is conditioned by faith in His Word (vs. 19-22).
There were those who offered an alternative to God’s Word, God’s law, God’s signs. They said, “Go to those who can speak with the dead and find out what God is doing!”
As in those days, many “In our relativistic age… are offended by any suggestion that there is only one way of salvation. But that is precisely what Jesus meant when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Those words must be taken at face value. We have no right to water them down. Sometimes people speak of Jesus as if he were some kind of great moral teacher. The people who say that generally don’t like John 14:6. It doesn’t fit the concept of a great moral teacher. If Jesus isn’t the way, the truth, and the life–if there really is another way to the Father–then Jesus isn’t a great moral teacher. He’s either the most self-deceived man in all history or he is a liar. In either case, he’s not a great teacher. You can’t pick and choose with Jesus. Either take what he says at face value or reject him altogether. Those are the only two choices you have.” (from Ray Pritchard’s sermon “Stumbling Stone or Cornerstone?“).
That is what Isaiah is saying in this prophecy. Believe God and His Word and you will know the truth. You will not be plunged deeper and deeper into darkness but will be enlightened and will have hope even in a dark world.
CONCLUSION: Our Future is Absolutely Certain.
There are many fulfilled prophecies related to Jesus Christ in Isaiah (that Jesus will be born of a virgin), in Micah (that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem), in the Psalms (that Jesus would suffer, die, and rise from the dead), in Daniel and Hosea and elsewhere. When we look at those prophecies we know that we can expect that our hope for the future will also be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
INVITATION: Would you bow your heads and close your eyes for a few moments? This is good news. Perhaps you have heard this good news before, perhaps many times. Is it not time that you believed it? Is it not time for you to say, I am going to trust Christ alone as my salvation. Would you do that today? Would anyone like to do that at this moment?
Perhaps you are here and you are interested but are not yet ready to make a commitment to Christ but would like me to pray for you today, that God would help you to know the truth. My prayer for you is nothing magical but the God who hears and answers prayer wants to bring you to Himself. If you would like prayer today, would you raise your hand?
If you raised your hand, you need to talk to someone you can trust. I would be glad to speak with you. There are others who would be glad to speak with you. Perhaps you would like to speak to the person you came with and ask them to show you how to trust Christ as Savior. Do it today!
Maybe you have a lot of questions. We can help you to get connected with someone who will take the time to meet with you weekly and answer your questions. Please let us know today, if we can help you in this way.
(Thanks to Ray Pritchard for the quotations from his sermons.)
Sermon for Thanksgiving Sunday (The Key to Thanksgiving) November 22, 2009
Posted by roberttalley in Faith, Leprosy, Luke, Religion, Sermons, Thanksgiving.add a comment
THE KEY TO THANKSGIVING
Luke 17:1-19
INTRODUCTION: What is the key to thanksgiving? Is it comparing yourself to others and realizing how much more you have than they? If it is, then we should be the most thankful country in the world but I am afraid we are not much more thankful, if at all, than the rest of the world.
In this passage we understand through contrast the key to thanksgiving. First, however, I want us to focus on two things in this passage that should have evoked thanksgiving in those who were healed but apparently did not, that is, we want to see from this passage what is not the key to thanksgiving.
I. The key to thanksgiving is not the meeting of a desperate need (verses 12-13).
a. There have always been people with desperate needs (verse 12).
These lepers came, no doubt, from various walks of life. We know that one was a Samaritan. The Samaritans and the Jews were archenemies. They hated everything for which the other stood. These lepers, however, all desperately needed help. Sometimes misery and pain overcome racial and religious prejudice. Not always but sometimes.
In 2 Kings 7:3 we find that the four Israelite lepers who were trapped between the city of Samaria and the Syrian army decided to go over to the enemy. This is what they said, “Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.”
Certainly, to be a leper was a desperate situation. Verse 12 says they stood afar off. This was normal for lepers. They were not allowed to come near other people. Verse 13 says they lifted up their voices. Trench tells us, “All who have studied this terrible disease tell us that an almost total failure of voice is one of the symptoms which accompany it.” Yet they did what they could to get the Master’s attention.
b. A characteristic of desperate people is they often recognize and are ready for a solution to their problem (verse 13).
Of course, there are those who do not recognize that they have a problem. For more than 20 years, it is said, Professor Edwin Keaty of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, used to start his classes by writing on a blackboard two numbers, the numbers 2 and 4. And then he would ask his audience, “What’s the solution?” One student would shout out, “6” and another student would shout out, “2” and another student would shout out, “8” and Professor Keaty would shake his head and he would say, “Gentlemen, unless you know what the problem is, you cannot possibly find the answer.” These lepers recognized their problem and were ready to find the answer.
Notice how they addressed Jesus, “Master,” that is, an overseer or superintendent. This was a term of respect. They recognized He had authority from God but at least for nine of them, that recognition did not result in thanksgiving. “(T)he number of those who pray is greater than the number of those who praise” (Spurgeon).
For years, Martin Luther recognized his need but it drove him to hate God rather than to thanksgiving. Part of the problem was Martin Luther did not understand God’s provision to meet his need. I will never forget visiting Rome and entering the Basilica of St. John Lateran. Our guide explained to us what we were seeing – the Holy Staircase. Supposedly, the mother of Emperor Constantine, Helena, had sent the staircase from Jerusalem to Rome. The steps are said to be the actual steps that Jesus climbed the day of His crucifixion. We watched as pilgrims climbed up the steps. Although the staircase has a different location now than it did in 1510 when Martin Luther climbed the staircase on his knees, the ritual remains today the same. Climb the holy steps on your knees, saying the Lord’s Prayer on each step. With each step and with each prayer comes nine years less time in purgatory. However, when Martin Luther did so, the Holy Spirit already was sowing the seeds of conviction in the young monk’s heart when, according to his later testimony, reaching the top, he stood up, thinking, “Who knows if it’s true?”
Luther knew he had a great spiritual need. He realized eventually from God’s Word that climbing the spiritual steps of works and ritual do nothing for the soul. In his case, instead of becoming thankful he became hateful toward a God who would set up such an impossible standard. But then in God’s Word, he discovered Jesus Christ.
II. The key to thanksgiving is not the recognition of need and it is also not simply doing what you are told, that is, obedience (verses 14, 17-18).
a. Obeying the Lord’s command is commendable and effective (verses 14).
This is illustrated for us in verses 7-10. Obedience in the sense of doing our duty is nothing to brag about. It is, however, commendable and brings about good things. Faithfulness to the task is simply what is expected. It is foundational to effectiveness but in the end, God wants more than our obedience. He wants something that takes us beyond where obedience can take us.
b. Thanksgiving goes beyond obedience to the law (verses 17-18).
I don’t know how many steps they took. I doubt that it could have been too many; otherwise, the one leper might not have been able to find Jesus. Jesus would not necessarily have tarried long at the village. Neither could it have been too few, otherwise the other nine would have found it simple to return and thank the one who had healed them. Just as there are more who pray than praise, “…there are more who receive benefits than ever give praise for them … (and) more (who) obey ritual than ever obey Christ” (Spurgeon). We don’t know why these men who had such a great need met did not turn back to thank Jesus. There could have been various reasons and I’m sure they all justified those reasons in their minds if they ever even thought of turning back to thank Jesus for what He had done…
If the key to thanksgiving is not recognition of need nor obedience, what is it then?
III. The key to thanksgiving is submissive discipleship (verses 15-19).
a. The desire of the submissive disciple is to glorify God (compare verses 15 and 18).
How do you glorify God? In this situation, the man glorified God with a loud voice. Here is a man who because of his disease has possibly not hollered for months. Now he comes back with excitement in his voice. He’s having what they used to call in the Southern camp meetings, a shoutin’ fit. He could have sung a Psalm but he probably didn’t know any. The Samaritans didn’t believe in the Psalms but only in the first five books of Moses. What exactly he shouted out, the Bible does not give specifics, except to say that he glorified God.
I would like you to look at the following verse in Luke 14:10. This verse illustrates what it means to glorify someone. “But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.” This leper wanted to put God at the head of the table and He recognized that Jesus as the Messiah was the direct representative from God. Those other fellows looked to the priest or to the temple but this man, a Samaritan, somehow knew that He needed to go to Jesus in order to give God glory, in order to put God at the head of the table.
Do you want to be thankful this thanksgiving? Lift Jesus higher, put Him at the head table in your life. He is trustworthy. Would you trust Him today?
b. The proof of discipleship is a faith that enables the disciple to do the impossible (compare verses 14 and 19 with verses 3-4).
In verses 3-5, Luke discusses the impossibility of forgiving others. It is only possible (verse 6) through faith. Think of the similarly impossible things that this Samaritan leper did because of his faith.
• He obeyed the command to show himself to the high priest. Just to go to Jerusalem to the temple where the priest was, was a renunciation of everything that this man had been brought up to believe. He was taught to worship God on Mount Gerizim which overlooked Shechem, the first place where Abraham had built an altar to God (Genesis 12:6-7). Now, this man by heading to Jerusalem was at least in action acknowledging what Jesus had taught the Samaritan woman in John 4, “Salvation is of the Jews.”
• This leper, however, came back and glorified God. He recognized that Jesus was of God and came back to thank Him, even though Jesus was a Jew and Samaritans had no dealings with the Jews. Like I mentioned earlier, sometimes misery and pain overcome racial and religious prejudice but faith in Christ overcomes the racial and religious prejudices that even misery and pain cannot overcome.
Luke, the writer of this gospel uses this story to emphasize a point that he makes repeatedly in this gospel. This man, even though he was a Samaritan and not a Jew, had a faith that the others did not have. True, the nine had faith. When Jesus commanded them to go to the priest, although they also were not yet healed, they went. This obviously took some type of faith. “…(T)here are more that believe than there are that praise…There faith was about the leprosy and, according to their faith, so it was unto them… (Spurgeon)” but there was a difference in the faith of the tenth man. This phrase “made well” or “saved” can refer to either physical or spiritual healing. This man had a spiritual healing that the others did not experience. His faith made him thankful. True faith goes further than asking for help. True faith results in glorifying God, in thanksgiving to God.
We find this pattern repeated several times in the gospels. Someone asks Jesus for mercy and He recognizes that in their request, faith is active. Faith isn’t active in everyone who prays for help. James 4:1-3 describes a group of people who even when they prayed, received nothing because true faith was not active in their prayers, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” You may ask, “How do you know that these people had an inactive faith?” When you look back at chapter 2:14-18, you can see how we know. These same people are being spoken to in that passage.
14 ¶ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe––and tremble!
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
You see, the first nine had faith but their works were limited to going to the priest in obedience to Christ’s command. The tenth man showed his faith by his works.
You might ask, Robert, what does it mean to have faith in Christ? It is simple, turn away from anything and everything and turn to Jesus Christ, who died for your sin. You are so spiritually sick that you are as good as dead. He died for you. He rose from the dead for you. Trust Him and only Him and learn the true key to thanksgiving.
How would Peter define what a Christian is (2 Peter 1:1-4)? July 19, 2009
Posted by roberttalley in Blood of Christ, Body of Christ, Faith, Jesus, Peter the Apostle, Religion, Second Peter, Sermons.add a comment
What is a Christian Anyway (2 Peter 1:1-4)?
When we were missionaries in Germany, we were brought in contact with a group of asylum seekers from an Islamic country. A few were sincere seekers after the truth but many wanted to convert to Christianity so that they might start a new life in a new country. In order to do this, they needed to convince immigration officials that they were truly Christian. They would come to us with lists of questions concerning the religious holidays of Christianity. Others sought baptism as a way of becoming officially Christians. It did not take long for most of them to realize that we were not going to be much help to them and they fell away. They fell away because they did not understand what it means to be a Christian.
What we are asking today is not how one becomes a Christian, although we will also be looking at that. Nor are we discussing what a Christian looks like and does in his everyday life. We will be looking at that question next week. Asked another way the question is this, “What does it mean to be a Christian?”
A Christian is one who belongs to Christ. When Peter begins this letter, he identifies himself by name and makes it clear that he is a Christian, that is, that he belongs to Christ. How does he do this?
First, he says, “I am a bondslave of Christ.” A Christian is a slave belonging to Christ. We are His slaves (verse 1a). Romans 6 explains how that we were in bondage to sin but that through the death and resurrection of Christ we become slaves of righteousness. This means that we now do what Christ wants us to do. In 1 Peter 2:13-16, Peter explains how that works in a specific situation. There was the temptation for believers to refuse to submit to the government because Jesus was their king. Peter makes it clear that our slavery to Christ’s will compels us to obey the government. In other words, a slave of Jesus Christ is one who does the will of Jesus Christ. Peter states clearly that he does that will of God, not his will and not the will of any man but rather the will of God.
Secondly, Peter claims to be a servant. He uses the word apostle, that is, a sent messenger. The word “bondslave” makes it clear that Peter does the will of Christ. The word “apostle” tells us what Christ’s will actually is, to go with a message from Christ. In the same way, we are Christ’s servants (verse 1a). We do not all hold the office of an apostle but we are all sent messengers.
We have heard this morning from Susan Blodgett about her missionary work on the college campus and her recent missionary trip to the Dominican Republic. We support her financially. We pray for her. We rejoice in the work that God has given her and the part in the work which we have. We are no different than her, however. We are also bondslaves and as bondslaves we are responsible to do the will of God and the will of God is that we witness, that we serve as messengers of the gospel of Christ. That is our commission as servants. That is our task as slaves. In John 20:21, Jesus said to his disciples, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent me, so send I you.” We are indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit, according to the book of Acts, for the purpose of being witnesses throughout the whole earth. In Matthew 28, Jesus said all authority is given to me. For that reason, “therefore” go and teach, that is, make disciples. We are sent out with a message under the authority of our master to follow the model of our master empowered by the Spirit of our master. That is what a Christian is. He or she is a messenger, an apostle.
We are His called ones (verses 1b, 3b). This is referred to in verse 1 through the word “obtain.” It is the word used when they cast lots letting God determine their course of action. Peter says here, “Every Christian is a Christian because of God’s determination.” Peter is an apostle who walked with Jesus Christ who was given the honor of leading the church at Jerusalem but his faith is exactly like our faith. Our faith is equal to his in value and in honor. And He obtained His faith like we obtained ours, by the grace of God.
This faith is also obtained by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Romans 3:24-26 explains what this means, “being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” What both Paul and Peter are saying is this, although one is a Christian by grace, it is a free gift, it was not free. Jesus Christ died, demonstrating the righteousness of God through His execution for sins, making it possible to obtain salvation by faith in Jesus. In other words, if one says he believes in Jesus but refuses to believe that Jesus is the only means of salvation, that person is not a Christian. He may speak of Jesus as His Savior but without faith in His death for my sins, He is not my Savior but rather my judge.
This is the description of the calling that we find in the last part of verse 3. Five times in 1 Peter it is written that believers are called but today I only want to call your attention to one of those passages, 1 Peter 2:9-10. Peter writes that we are called out of darkness into His marvelous light so that we might obtain mercy. Christians are called ones. We are called to faith by mercy and grace through the righteous, the just death of the Son of God. Just and righteous not because He got what He deserved but just and righteous because He got what I deserved.
Since we are called with such a merciful calling, it is no wonder that we should submit ourselves to slavery in the will of God, to service in telling the message of His mercy and righteousness in His death on the cross.
This calling, this slavery, this servant hood is great and marvelous but a Christian is much, oh so much much more, than just belonging to Christ. A Christian belongs to a body, the body of Christ.
We are called to a common faith through knowledge of Jesus Christ (verses 1-3). We have already seen that our faith is the same faith as Peter’s faith both in value and honor. The phrase “with us” may seem small but it underlines that our calling is not just an individual calling but a calling of a people. Look again at 1 Peter 2:9. God does not call Robert Talley to be a Christian. Now He worked in my life as an individual and He saved me individually but He called us to a common faith through Jesus Christ. Perhaps verse 5 can explain this concept better. We are his building. Many individual stones but one building.
We are called by a unique Savior (verses 1b and 3b). The body of Christ is inseparable from its Head. It has no sustainability without its Head. We have already seen that we are called together into one body through His righteous death. We are also called by His glory and virtue.
His glory according to 1 Peter 1:11, 21 is what happened after his death, His glorious, bodily resurrection and His even more glorious ascension to heaven to sit in authority on the right hand of God. There is none like Him. His glory is like that of no other.
His virtue is also like none other. Again in 1 Peter 1 we have a description of His virtue. Verse 19 describes Him as a lamb without blemish and without spot. There was nothing inappropriate much less sinful about Him. He truly is like no other.
It is the uniqueness of Christ that is our common bond. He lived like no other man, He suffered like no other man, He was glorified as no other man. He is our head. As we saw last Wednesday night from Ephesians 4:1, 4 the knowledge of our calling by this unique Christ is the foundation for part in the body of Christ and to not commit ourselves to other believers is unworthy of our calling in this unique Christ.
We are called based on great promises (verse 4a). These promises have great value. They are precious. These promises make it possible for us to be partakers of the divine nature. You see, belonging to Christ, being a Christian is more than going to heaven, it is more than being forgiven, I along with every other believer become a partaker of God’s divine nature. That is what it means to belong to the body of Christ. We share a common faith based on our knowledge of a unique Savior but we share more. We share much more. We share His nature. Christ being are head is not just getting corporate strength and direction from Him. His nature is our nature. How is that possible? The beginning of verse 3 tells us how. By His divine power. How is it that we have God’s nature? How is it that we can be one body in Christ? By His divine power through the knowledge of Him.
This is why you should integrate yourself fully into the body of Christ as practiced within a local church. If you are a believer in Christ and do not identify with a body of believers, do not integrate yourself fully with them, bear grudges against them, you are denying the common bond that we already have. Could you imagine a building where the stones are constantly pulling away from each other or pushing each other away? You know that such a building would collapse. Yet many believers claim to be Christians but refuse to commit themselves both formally and informally to other believers. As we saw in the book of James this morning in Sunday School, such a refusal to commit to other believers ultimately brings our Christianity into question.
A Christian belongs to a new world order (verse 4b). Being a Christian, belonging to Christ, belonging to His body is radically different. It is described in Scriptures as a separate reality.
Our old nature is corrupt, that is, doomed to destruction. The next chapter of 2 Peter describes this corruption in more detail. It is not a pretty picture (2 Peter 2:12-19). They are like rabid animals hunted down so that they might be destroyed (verse 12). The lust of the human nature is like rabies. It drives the animal to its own destruction. The animal no more fears that which can harm it. It is doomed.
But our new nature is divine. Could you imagine an animal, mad with rabies, doomed to death and dangerous to all with whom it comes in contact and then through the divine power that comes through the knowledge of Christ and through faith in Christ escapes the destructive disease and becomes not just a healthy animal but a partaker in the nature of God? It is beyond my comprehension but that is what a Christian is.
He belongs to Christ now.
He belongs to the body of Christ now.
He belongs to a new world order, a new realm of reality.
Do you belong to Christ? If you do, then you are a Christian. You belong to His body, you belong to a new world order. Do you live like it? There is nothing stranger than person who is not rabid acting as if he was. Do you walk worthy of your calling in Christ? Have you integrated yourself with the body or do you live the spiritual life of a lone wolf?
Perhaps you do not belong to Christ. The knowledge of Christ and the faith in Him produced by that knowledge will immediately make you a member of His body and a partaker of His divine nature. Will you trust Him today? Your choice is between two types of slavery. The slavery of corruption and destruction described in 2 Peter 2:12-17 or the slavery of righteousness through the death of Christ. Trust Him today!
Characters in Esther – Mordecai’s Confidence in God April 20, 2008
Posted by roberttalley in Esther, Faith, Religion, Sermons.2 comments
CHARACTERS IN ESTHER
MORDECAI’S CONFIDENCE IN GOD
Esther 4:13-14
As we look at the various characters of this book, we are looking at the one character who seems to openly express faith in God. As you know, God is not named as a participant in the book of Esther but the verses that we are looking at today make it clear that Mordecai had a faith in God that is consistent with what is taught elsewhere in the Old Testament. Esther, his cousin, who he has raised is now the queen. After she became queen, Mordecai was instrumental in uncovering a plot against King Ahaseurus. Everything seems to be going well but trouble by the name of Haman comes on the scene. Today we want to see how that this man had confidence and faith in God.
MORDECAI’S CONFIDENCE WAS NOT BASED ON AN UNUSUALLY RIGHTEOUS CHARACTER.
He had chosen not to return to Jerusalem as other Jews had. Now we do not want to read more into this than the Bible tells us but let us think about this for a moment. Around 50,000 Jews returned to Jerusalem and the surrounding area under Persian rule. There were many, however who for some reason or another chose not to go back to the land of their fathers. They had permission to go home but many did not, among them Mordecai and Esther. Mordecai may have held a minor office in the government, which would explain why he sat in the king’s gate and would perhaps explain why he did not return to Jerusalem. The trip back to Jerusalem was dangerous and once there, he would have had no guarantee of a living. Whatever the reason, Mordecai chose not to go back to his homeland.
Remember, Mordecai had advised Esther not to be open and honest about her ethnic identity (2:10). Certainly, it might be understandable for Mordecai to not take up his roots and move to a country which, though it was his homeland, he was unfamiliar with. It seems though that Mordecai not only was unwilling to go home with the other Jews but also that he preferred to play down his Jewish heritage. Now it should be noted that he did not keep it a complete secret (Esther 3:1-4). It is ironic that the very thing he told Esther not to do, in order to protect her, he himself did. In fact, it was Mordecai’s admission that he was Jewish that ultimately brought the whole nation into jeopardy.
MORDECAI’S REFUSAL TO BOW DOWN
Although clearly loyal to the king (Esther 2:21-23), Mordecai chose not to show respect to command of the king in honoring Haman (3:1-6). Now the command of the king was not likely a command to worship Haman. If anything the king would have reserved that privilege for himself. Haman had been lifted to an authoritative position and the king had commanded that Haman be respected. One might imagine that Haman himself had requested this honor to be shown him. Mordecai would not have been breaking any laws by bowing down to Haman. In fact, according to the commandment of Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 29:3-7 to honor Haman would have been obedience to the LORD’s command. Mordecai was obviously loyal to the king, otherwise he would not have rescued his life by betraying the conspiracy against Ahasuerus’ life. Apparently, Mordecai just did not like something about Haman. Mordecai never reveals why he reacted this way to Haman. Mordecai appears to be foolhardy. Although on the surface, Mordecai would not be candidate number one for “Most Righteous Jew of the Year;” he was according Esther 4:13-14 confident that God would protect His people.
BIBLICAL CONFIDENCE
Mordecai’s confidence was based on a knowledge of God’s promises (Compare Esther 4:14 with Jeremiah 30). He did not presume to say that he knew how God would deliver the Jews but he was confident that God would.
These promises had been clearly made (Jeremiah 30). Of course, these promises were first made to Abraham (Genesis 12), Isaac, and Jacob. God had confirmed them when he gave the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19-20) and again before Moses died in the book of Deuteronomy. I would like for us to look, though, at Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning God’s promise of protection to His people.
First, he promises to return His people to the promised land (Jeremiah 30:2-3). We will look at this promise a bit closer later on.
Secondly, God promises that no matter how bad things may get, He will save His people (Jeremiah 30:4-11). The description here is of extreme sorrow and pain. Unlike the previous promise, this event, the time of Jacob’s trouble has not yet occurred. This time of Jacob’s trouble is described for us several places in the Bible, most notably in the book of Revelation but it is also described by Joel, Daniel, Isaiah, and many other of the writing prophets, which doubtless Mordecai would have been familiar with and have known that God would never allow His people ultimately to be destroyed.
Because the first set of promises had been clearly kept, Mordecai had every expectation that God would keep the other promises (6:12-13). From his viewpoint, it appeared that the time of Jacob’s trouble had come. From his viewpoint, it was time for the Messiah to deliver his people. Because of this knowledge, he had confidence that if his cousin, who he had raised, deserted him and her people, God would deliver his people.
Notice, Mordecai did not say, I know God will deliver me. He did not know that. God had not made that promise to him individually but God had made that promise to His people and Mordecai believed that promise. He had seen what God had been able to do to move Cyrus to permit the Jews to return to Jerusalem. He knew that God through Isaiah had predicted that a man named Cyrus would do this. He knew that Jeremiah had predicted that it would happen seventy years after the captivity began. He had every reason in the world to believe that God somewhere would use someone from somewhere to somehow deliver His people.
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM MORDECAI…
The story of Mordecai suggests that the purpose of faith in God is more than simply winning God’s favor but rather to give us insight into what God is doing, so that we might act accordingly.
Let me explain. Too many people believe that pleasing God is some type of white magic. “If I do enough good things then God will give me blessings, power to do mighty deeds, a nice home with a two car garage, kid’s who never rebel, physical and mental health, good grades, good jobs, good retirement packages, and death while we sleep with a smile on our face.” This is not Mordecai’s philosophy. He believes that God has already promised that He would rescue His people. Mordecai is convinced that he and Esther should act rather than hide themselves because he knows that God is in control and that His promises endure forever. His responsibility is simply to act accordingly. He does not need to fear that his people would be destroyed. He simply trusts in God’s providence and power and purposes.
WHAT PROMISES HAS GOD MADE TO US?
It should be clear that the national promise of protection to Israel has not been made to any other nation or group of people. There are, however, some promises that are specifically made to the Church, the Body of Christ. I will only mention a few. God has promised that if we trust Jesus Christ, His Son, as our sacrifice for our sins, that we would receive eternal life. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life, He that believes in me, though he were died, yet shall he live.” Some of you young people worry about whether you will truly go to heaven when you die. According to the Scriptures, if you have trusted Christ, you are assured of salvation forever.
Titus 3:3-7 tells that it is only in Christ that we have hope of salvation.
3 “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Others of you are worried about all sorts of things. Christ said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” This does not mean if you seek God first you will never worry. What He is saying is that you do not need to worry, you are wasting your time with worrying. God will take care of you. This is not a call to live a life pleasing to God so that you can win God’s favor but rather give priority to the things of God and He will take care of every other priority that you might have or might want to have. When you bow before God in prayer, you can pray, not my will but thy will be done because you are convinced not only that God’s will shall be done but that also His will is best.
Next Week: Haman – The Sin of Pride – Esther 6:1-14
Characters in Esther – The Queen Herself April 6, 2008
Posted by roberttalley in Esther, Faith, Religion, Sermons.1 comment so far
CHARACTERS IN ESTHER
ESTHER – STRENGTH TO DO THE NECESSARY
Esther 4:6-17
As we look at the various characters of this book, we move to the heroine, the woman God uses to protect His people from their enemies. Esther became queen after twelve months of impressing on official of the king after another and finally impressing Ahasuerus himself with her great beauty. Today we want to see how that this woman had the courage and boldness and strength to do what was necessary for her to do, if she was going to be an active participant in God’s plan.
Esther was not living as an orthodox Jew (2:8-12). This is in great contrast to the example of Daniel and his three friends in the first chapter of his prophecy. These men refused to eat the unclean food and drink the wine that was provided by the king. Esther not only becomes fully integrated with the culture of the palace but we find that when she gives a banquet for the king and Haman, it is called a banquet of wine. We do not know what kind of woman Esther was but there is no mention of her godliness. She’s apparently not living faithfully according to the law of God. She is also trying to keep it a secret that she is one of God’s chosen people.
Humanly speaking, she has good reason to keep her ethnic identity a secret. The Jews had a number of enemies in the Persian empire. Daniel, as an old man was hated by his political rivals who set a trap to have him cast into the lion’s den. As also happens in the book of Esther, they trick a foolish king, Darius, into signing a law that should have resulted in Daniel’s death. Instead Daniel’s political rivals and their families were killed. The likelihood of remaining personal animosity against the Jews because of Daniel was great.
The Jews also had political enemies who we read about in Ezra and Nehemiah. These people did not want to see the temple rebuilt nor the walls around Jerusalem rebuilt and they attempted a number of ways to bring the work to a halt and were at times successful. One of these methods was appeal to the Persian king to stop the work. They were painted in the descriptions of one of these letters as a rebellious people who would not remain submissive to the Persian king if allowed to establish themselves in Jerusalem.
Mordecai and Esther are aware of the recent history of the Jews in the Persian Empire. They also knew what type of man that Ahasuerus was and that Esther is going to have to deal with this man as his queen. We find, however, that God controlled and even used Esther’s secret for His purposes. Esther ended up queen because God needed her there.
Esther was put in a position where she was forced to make a decision about doing the will of God (4:10-14).
She needed to face her personal responsibility in this matter. It does not appear that Esther is trying to know God’s will for her life. God does not speak to her or perform some miracle or give some sort of sign. Esther does not go and read her Bible. In fact, she may not have had access to the Scriptures. She is just there in the palace minding her own business and then God works the situation to the point where she is forced to make a decision. Do I do what is right or do I try to find a way to save my hide?
God himself actively works to see that she has the opportunity to do His will. Remember that Esther did not know when she became queen that she would be used of God to deliver the Jewish people. She was not keeping her identity a secret waiting for that special day when its revelation would be salvation of the Jewish nation. All she knew was that she was now the most honored woman in the kingdom. God, however, is working. He is working before she becomes queen and after she becomes queen and even during the night between her two banquets of wine, when he takes Ahasuerus’ sleep away from him and allows him to hear of how that Mordecai rescued his life by revealing a plot against the king’s life and how that Mordecai had not been honored for his good deed and God uses this knowledge to humble Haman.
What God wants more than anything else is a willing, strong, and courageous heart. Now the book of Esther does not say this but the Bible makes it clear that what He wants from us is a willingness to simply to what is right, what is His will. How important is it to do the will of God?
Jesus put it this way in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:21, “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.”
It is the only guarantee of eternal blessing and significance according to 1 John 2:17, “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Esther was willing to do God’s will despite the likely personal cost. The issue is not being in God’s will but rather doing God’s will. That is, by the way, the emphasis in the New Testament. It is not a matter of finding out what you are to be but simply doing what you already know to be the truth. That is the decision that Esther has to make. Am I going to do what is right, what God wants me to or am I going to do something else? Esther did not know whether she would survive the first step but she had faith to act, confident that this was the right thing to do. Faith and confidence are not real if you are assured of a rosy outcome. Faith and confidence show itself to be real even if the outcome appears to be disaster in the making.
Esther was encouraged to put her trust in God and she did (4:16, 5:1-8, 7:1-6). God’s will is revealed to her one step at a time and even at that it is not always clear what it is that she should do.
“If I perish, I perish! (4:16)” That is not the same as “Que sera, sera!” (Whatever will be, will be). Esther is not passive nor is she fatalistic. She is active and convinced that she must act. She did not know if she would survive but she did know that God was in control and that her responsibility was to act accordingly. She did not need to fear when the events of the day were going against her. She needed to trust in God’s providence and power and purposes.
Esther seems in 5:1-8 to be feeling her way. She does not seem to be convinced as to the best time to reveal Haman’s trap. God, however, even uses her hesitancy for His purposes. Just as God is not limited by our lack of character, he is also not limited by our inadequate plan. He will accomplish His purposes, no matter how awful we may bungle to the task we have before us. There were many records that could have been read to Ahasuerus that night but the royal reader selected exactly the portion that included the deeds of Mordecai.
When Esther at the second banquet finally revealed Haman’s plan and her identity (7:1-6), God took things up from there and shaped the situation to accomplish His purposes (7:7-8:8).
He Maketh No Mistake
My Father’s way may twist and turn
My heart may throb and ache.
But in my soul I’m glad I know
He maketh no mistake.
My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away.
But still I’ll trust my Lord to lead
for he doth know the way.
Tho’ night be dark, and it may seem
That day will never break;
I pin my faith, my all in Him,
He maketh no mistake.
There is so much now I cannot see;
My eyesight’s far too dim.
But come what may I’ll simply trust
And leave it all to Him.
But by and by the mist will lift
And plain it all He’ll make.
Through all the way tho’ dark to me
He made not one mistake. (unknown)
You are presented almost everyday with an opportunity to do God’s will. He is giving you that opportunity. It is not easy but it is there for you. You may be no more interested in doing something great for God than Esther was but that does not absolve you from the responsibility to do what is God’s will.
Believer, young and old, where does the strength come? According to 2 Thessalonians 1:11 it comes from God,
“Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,” Turn to Christ for the strength and the power and the courage and the boldness that you need.
Perhaps you have yet to trust Christ. Please consider Hebrews 10:35-39.
35
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
36
For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
37
“For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38
Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
{#Hab 2:3,4}
39
But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
Approaching Palm Sunday (Jesus in Jericho) March 2, 2008
Posted by roberttalley in Faith, Luke, Religion, Sermons.1 comment so far
JESUS IN JERICHO
Luke 18:35-19:10
Faith in God is not confidence in one’s self.
BACKGROUND: Jericho was a prosperous place. By the time of Christ, there were two Jericho’s, the old one which we know from the Old Testament and a newer prosperous Jericho. It was a city of palaces, the current one, a winter palace, was built by Herod the Great and rebuilt by his son to even greater splendor and glory. It was on the main route from Galilee into Jerusalem on the north. That journey was about eighty miles and normally took three-four days. Jericho was also the first crossing point over the Jordan River from the east just north of the Dead Sea. Although the journey to Jerusalem from Jericho was less than a days journey, it was very steep and very dangerous. It was on that road that Jesus set the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Some estimate that 100,000 people lived there and many of the wealthy Jews from Jerusalem had winter residences in Jericho. There was plenty of water for irrigation and there were fruit plantations there. At one time the area had been owned by Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. It was a place of wealth which attracted beggars looking for help. Luke introduces us to one of these beggars.
“…before we go on, you need to know that there is a little difficulty in this passage. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell this story and there is an apparent discrepancy about the number of beggars and about where Jesus actually performed this miracle. Mark and Luke only speak of one man. Mark identifies Him as Bartimaeus. Matthew speaks of two blind beggars. On the other hand, Matthew and Mark say this miracle occurred while Jesus was leaving Jericho. Luke tells us that it occurred when he was entering. Now those who do not believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, those who discount the authority of God’s word, like to pick on little passages like this and say that the Bible has mistakes…There are, however, solutions at hand to these apparent differences.
For instance, remember that Matthew was an eye witness to this account and Matthew had seen two beggars healed by the Lord. And he was interested in us knowing that fact, that the Lord Jesus had, in fact, dealt with both men. Luke and Mark were not eye witnesses of this account. They depended for their account on other eye witnesses and for some reason wanted to zero in on Bartimaeus who may have been very well known amongst the early Christian community.
As to the location, there are various solutions that have been suggested. As I have already mentioned, there were two Jericho’s in existence during that time, the old city which had been destroyed in the Old Testament days, and then about two miles south of it, there was the new city that had been built up. So it would be entirely possible for one to be leaving the old city and entering into the new city simultaneously. (adapted from Ligon Duncan)”
We read that Bartimaeus asked for mercy. We find that he was confident that he would receive mercy because he recognized who Jesus was.
He publicly recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of David (18:37-38). It is interesting that Bartimaeus hears the crowd coming and he begins to ask about what is happening. Now the road through Jericho was well traveled and it must have been a tremendous crowd to get the attention of Bartimaeus as well as of Zaccheus, who we will meet in just a few minutes. When Bartimaeus inquires about the crowd, he is told that Jesus of Nazareth is coming. Immediately he fills with excitement and cries out “Jesus…!” But Jesus was a very common name. Rather than calling out Jesus of Nazareth, Bartimaeus cries out “Jesus, son of David!” Bartimaeus, by the way he addressed Jesus recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. This was an act of faith. We do not know what all he had heard about Jesus but he had heard enough that he made his decision of faith that Jesus was the Christ, the Anointed One of God.
There were in those days many who came forth declaring themselves to be the Christ. Jericho was not some backwater where they would not be known about. Bartimaeus, however, recognized Jesus as the true Messiah. What basis did he have for this recognition.
His confidence likely was based on the Messiah’s ministry itself (18:39-41). Certainly this is the point that Luke is attempting to make in his gospel. It was well known that the ministry of the Messiah was a ministry of mercy. Look at what Jesus Himself proclaimed openly at the beginning of His ministry in Luke 4:16-21.
16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, {NU–Text omits to heal the brokenhearted.} To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” {#Isa 61:1,2}
20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
There are those who claim that Jesus never presented Himself as the Messiah but Luke makes it clear and it was clear to many of those who heard Him and heard of Him that He not only presented Himself as the Messiah but also that He was the Messiah.
His confidence in Christ was rewarded (18:40-43). Jesus, as you would expect, takes the time to have Bartimaeus brought to him. It is obvious that what he needs. It is no doubt just as obvious what his desire is but Jesus asks him, “What can I do for you?” Bartimaeus, not with presumption but with great confidence and faith, “Could I receive my sight?” Then Jesus, rather than saying “Yes, you can!” commands Bartimaeus, “Receive your sight!” There is nothing that Bartimaeus can do to receive his sight but Christ commands him to receive and then makes it possible.
Not every time Jesus healed someone was in response to someone’s faith but this man had confidence that Jesus could do exactly what he needed done. Not because Bartimaeus deserved to be healed but because of who Jesus was, the Messiah, the Son of David, the Chosen One of God.
Jesus goes on and he enters Jericho. The crowd is rejoicing. The blind man is following Jesus glorifying God for the miracle of healing. Zacchaeus hears that Jesus is coming.
Just Bartimaeus physically was in bad shape, Zacchaeus was in bad shape spiritually. He knew that he had given his life to wealth. In fact, he, as was common among the tax collectors, had stolen from others by overcharging taxes so that he could enrich himself. Zacchaeus was aware of his sinfulness and knew that he needed mercy. Like Bartimaeus, he showed his confidence in the Messiah by how he reacted to Jesus Christ.
He also had heard of Jesus and wanted to see him (19:3-4) but the crowds were so great that there was no possibility of even getting a glimpse of Jesus Christ. He was a short man and there was no possibility of seeing over the exuberant crowd. He found a tree and climbed up it. This rich man humbled himself in order to become acquainted with Jesus Christ and Jesus honored Zacchaeus’ effort and not only spoke with him but invited himself to Zacchaeus’ house.
Everyone recognized that he was sinner (19:7-10).
Many in the crowd must have known him. They knew what his job was. They knew that he had aligned himself with the Roman occupiers for the sake of money. Many of them hated him and everything that he stood for and for the dishonesty that they either knew or suspected that he was guilty of.
Zacchaeus did not try to defend himself. He knew his past. He knew His heart. He heard the accusations. He stood up, turned to Jesus and said, “I’m going to make this right. Whatever it takes, I will do.” It is interesting that Jesus did not demand that he give up all his goods. When the rich young ruler came, that was exactly what Jesus demanded. You see, what Jesus is interested in is not how much you have or do not have. Christ wants your heart and if he gets your heart, you will do the right thing with whatever it is that you have.
Jesus himself recognized that Zacchaeus had a great problem. He was lost and had been for a long time. That word “lost” does not mean “misplaced.” That word means “one who has been perishing, one who is doomed to destruction.” Jesus, however, came to seek and to save people just like Zacchaeus.
His response of faith, his confidence in Christ resulted in a transformation (19:8). Just a few days before, perhaps just a few hours before, Jesus stated that it was impossible unless God did the work to bring a wealthy man to God and then we find he does it.
There were two miracles performed in Jericho that day. A blind man was made to see and a lost man was saved from destruction. It was not their power that saved them from their fate but rather their faith in Christ that resulted in a miracle in their lives.
We have looked at the faith of two men. Men whose lives are very different from each other. What do their faith have in common and what should be characteristic of our faith in Christ?
The faith of these two was alike in its confession of unworthiness. These two men stand in stark contrast to the rich young ruler and to the Pharisee mentioned earlier in chapter 18. The more you feel that you are deserving, the weaker your faith will become.
The faith of these two was alike in defying and conquering opposition. The proof of faith is how it reacts when the times are tough, when it is not easy to express and show your faith in Christ.
The faith of these two was alike in being publicly proclaimed. Sometimes people wonder, why do you emphasize baptism so much in this church. Because we recognize that someone who does not want to proclaim their faith through baptism has a weak faith.
How about your faith? Is your confidence in Christ? If it is, it is because you recognize who He is and what you are not. If your confidence is in Christ, you will stand against whatever it is that wants you to hide your faith. there is no such thing as a private faith. Faith in Christ is a public matter. Proclaim your faith today.
Follow-up on sign seeking September 11, 2007
Posted by roberttalley in Bible, Faith, Religion, Signs and Wonders, Will of God.add a comment
Yesterday received this comment,
“Whilst waiting for an answer to prayer, is asking God for a sign as encouragement) in the meantime, a form of unbelief? Will God give the sign or He will regard it as not trusting Him?”
I gave a short answer yesterday in the comments here.
Question: Is it unbelief to ask for a sign while waiting for an answer to prayer?
Answer: It certainly could be. When we pray in God’s will, we assume that He will do what is best but there are a number of situations that can drive one to doubt God on some level and ask for a sign.
- Impatience.
- Desperation for an answer.
- Lack of confidence in His Word.
- Lack of faith that He will answer our prayer exactly as it should be answered.
Certainly we are not commanded as Ahaz was to seek a sign. Ahaz, by the way, refused to seek the sign and he was known for not having faith. So the fact that someone seeks or refuses to seek a sign tells us little about their spiritual condition.
Most often God gave signs without them being sought for. Many signs were not believed anyway. What is the attitude that causes you to seek a sign? If God refused to give you the sign, would you walk away from Him? Many do.
This brings us to the second question. Will God give the sign or will He refuse in regard to our unbelief? I don’t think I should presume to speak for God. It is possible that He sometimes gives signs. He can do what He wants but He has already given us His Word and proclaimed it sufficient. If He gives a sign, it would not be because we need it but because He had a reason to give one. But if I have the Word of God, why would I desire a sign? In other words, we do not need signs but rather God’s Word and God’s church both of which were given to us for encouragement and guidance.
