GETTING UP WHEN YOU’RE DOWN: DEALING WITH DISCOURAGEMENT PART 1

October 4, 2011 at 12:07 PM (Discouragement)

SCRIPTURE TEXT

Numbers 20:14-21 And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: (15) How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers: (16) And when we cried unto the Lord, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border: (17) Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders. (18) And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword. (19) And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet. (20) And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. (21) Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

Numbers 21:4-9 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. (5) And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. (6) And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. (7) Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. (8) And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. (9) And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

THE WAY THAT DISCOURAGES US

Many sermons have been preached on the brazen serpent. And rightly so. But in this series of blogs we want to focus our attention on the circumstances that gave rise to the fiery serpents. What brought on the fiery serpents? As we read in Scripture, the people journeyed from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea in order to compass the land of Edom.

Now the word compass simply means to go around, or bypass; it’s the same thing as taking a detour. Now you know that a detour is seldom, if ever, a short cut. It’s generally the long way around and no one likes it: it’s inconvenient and takes that much more time to get to one’s destination. And this is exactly what happened at Mount Hor.

The shortest way to the promised land was through the land of Edom. Now the Edomites were descendants of Esau. The Israelites were descendants of Jacob, who was Esau’s younger brother. The Israelites and Edomites, then, were relatives. They were family. But the Edomites refused to let their brethren pass through their land.

Consequently, the Israelites had to go around their land. This meant going back down by the Red Sea, towards the Gulf of Akaba, then eastward, and finally back northward around the land of Edom and into the land of Moab. This route, naturally, was a longer one. It involved going through miles and miles of barren desert land, with little food or water. The conditions were right, or ripe, for complaining. And, as you would expect, that’s exactly what the Israelites did.

Now the distressful nature of the journey did not justify or legitimize the people’s complaints. Just because you have something to complain about doesn’t mean you should complain. It doesn’t mean it’s alright for you to complain.

Did you catch what the Israelites said in their confession of repentance to Moses? They said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee (Numbers 21:7). They acknowledged their complaining as sin. Brethren, COMPLAINING IS SIN! And God doesn’t take too kindly to that sin.

DISCOURAGEMENT BRINGS ON COMPLAINTS

COMPLAINTS BRING ON SERPENTS

When the Israelites complained, the Lord sent them fiery serpents. Now these serpents were not serpents of fire. They were not serpents that were somehow mysteriously set on fire. Rather, fiery serpents denote the burning sensation that is felt when one is bitten by such a serpent. The bite would become inflamed with heat and poison. In a very real and felt way, it burned. As a result of these serpentine bites, many of the Israelites died. God punished them for their complaining. Their complaints resulted in their death.

What I would like for you to see from the text of Scripture is, the fiery serpents began with discouragement: And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way (Numbers 21:4). The fiery serpents began with discouragement. And for many of the Israelites, they ended in death. The people were discouraged with the way. And as a result, they died in the way. Discouragement ended in death.

I suppose it comes as no news to you that the same holds true today. Many in the Christian way have become discouraged with the way. The journey has become a matter of complaint. There’s always something to complain about. People are not shy about letting us know what they don’t like about the preacher or the church. And just like the Israelites, the congregation has become a little more sparse as fiery serpents slither their way through the camp, releasing their venom on those who find fault with God and the way. The discouraged among us are dying. Many have already died. They’ve left the Lord and have gone back to the vomit of the world. They’ve forsaken the truth for something easier and more palatable to the flesh. And while many have already died, more are on the way. Are you one of these of whom I speak? Have you found fault with God and the way? Are you ready to give up? Are you ready to leave the Lord, the church, and the Christian life?

MY PLEA TO YOU

My friends, don’t throw in the towel! Don’t be so ready to quit. Sure, the trials are fiery. But so are the serpents! The road to Heaven may not be heavenly. But the easy way to Hell is definitely hellish! You don’t turn away from the Lord and go to Heaven to be with the Lord! When you choose to live without the Lord now, you’ve chosen to live without the Lord for all eternity. When you turn away from God and go back to the world and the sinful life you once knew, you’re going down the road that will lead you to Hell. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. (39) But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul (Hebrews 10:38-39).

Sure, you ‘re discouraged. Who of us doesn’t battle discouragement at some time in the way? You’ve got to remember you’re not the only pickle in the jar. You’re not the only lobster in the pot. You’re not the only catfish in the pan. The way that’s hard for you is the same way that’s hard for the rest of us. We’re all in this journey together. The things that are discouraging you are discouraging us too. We lack the same bread and water that you do. We travel through the same barren desert that you do. You’re not alone.

But some of us have, by God’s grace, managed to get back up, rise from the ashes of discouragement, and press on in the Christian journey. You can too! We looked at the brazen serpent. And so can you! Discouragement doesn’t have to end in death. You may have found fault with God. You may have been bitten by serpents. But it’s not over yet. You’re still here. You’re still alive. Don’t sit there and let the serpents bite! Don’t let the poison take your life! Do something good for yourself and look! Look at the brazen serpent. Look to the Lord. Look to the promises. And look at what God has to say to you in this hour. God has lifted up the brazen serpent for you! And it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived (Numbers 21:9). The brazen serpent was meant to heal and deliver and restore life to all God’s people. And that, my friends, includes you! The brazen serpent is still lifted up. And it’s still lifted up for you.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 2. I look at what discouragement does to you. How it affects you. It’s not anything you don’t already know. But you need a good talking-to to help you see what you’re allowing discouragement to do to you. If you want to wake up from the nightmarish dream that your life is, come by next week for our next wake up call.

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GIVING HEED TO OUR LORD’S REBUKES, PART 2

September 26, 2011 at 9:45 AM (Principles Of Change)

THE NEW JOHN THE APOSTLE OF LOVE

We’re here in Luke 9. I’d like to go fast forward in time. Six years have passed. Jesus has been crucified. He’s ascended to Heaven. The church is growing exponentially by leaps and bounds. But with growth comes persecution. The Christians in Jerusalem are persecuted. So they fan out from Jerusalem and go every which way, preaching the Gospel, and getting more people saved. One of these evangelizing Christians was a man by the name of Philip.

Acts 8:4-8 , Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.  (5)  Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.  (6)  And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.  (7)  For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.  (8)  And there was great joy in that city… Acts 8:12-13,  But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.  (13)  Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans were receiving the Gospel and receiving the very Lord who they once rejected, the apostles decided to send two of their own to oversee this blossoming ministry in Samaria. Guess who the apostles sent to Samaria. You guessed it. John the Beloved, the apostle of love.

Acts 8:14-17,  Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:  (15)  Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:  (16)  (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)  (17)  Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost… Acts 8:25,  And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

John, who once wanted to call down fire from Heaven and fry these Samaritans, was now a changed man. He went to many villages of Samaria, loved those Samaritans, and fulfilled Christ’s ministry there—a ministry not of destroying men’s lives, but rather, saving them. Those who he once sought to destroy he now sought to save.

So how did John make such a drastic change from murder to life? IT BEGAN WITH, IT TOOK, A REBUKE FROM OUR LORD. Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. I’ve not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.

You see, we look at a rebuke as a very bad thing. We think it’s wrong to rebuke anybody. But a rebuke is a manifestation of God’s love for us. He loves us and He’s trying to set us straight and get us right. You do that with your children. And God does it with His too. If He was here in the flesh He’d rebuke us to our face. But since He’s a Spirit and not flesh and bones, God uses people to do the rebuking for Him. He’s given His ministers the right and duty to rebuke His erring people (2 Timothy 4:2). We in ministry have the unenviable task of rebuking people. It’s something we don’t enjoy doing. But we’ve got to do it whenever necessary because God requires us to blow the trumpet, sound the alarm, and warn God’s people about sin. God is serious about getting sin out of our life and out of the church (Ephesians 5:25-27). Why is that? Because sin will take us to Hell. In His love for us, God wants us to get rid of sin so that He can take us to Heaven. And one of the ways God rids us of sin is by rebuking us. No one likes it. But if we’re willing to humble ourself, hear the rebuke, and take it to heart, I guarantee you, like John, we’ll change for the better.

In closing, let me say that THERE’S GREAT DANGER WHEN WE’RE IN THE FLESH AND WE HAVE OUR OWN WAY. Consider this question very carefully. If Jesus had not rebuked and stopped John from calling fire down from Heaven, how many Samaritans would John have killed that day? Years later, how many Samaritans would have received the Gospel of Christ from fire-calling, people-roasting Christians? How many Samaritans are in Heaven today because God stopped an angry, vengeful John, changed him, and made him a minister of life and love?

Brethren, what’s it going to be with us here in church? Is it going to be life or death? How many people are going to get burned, how many people are going to get hurt and be driven away, before we decide we’re going to obey God and do things His way? WE CAN’T MINISTER LIFE TO PEOPLE WHEN WE’RE IN THE FLESH. WHEN WE’RE UNLOVING. We’ll kill, divide, and drive one another away. Is this what we want? Who wants to come to a church where people hurt one another? Who wants to stay in a church where people fight one another? May God stop us. May His rebuke change us and make us ministers of love and life.

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GIVING HEED TO OUR LORD’S REBUKES, PART 1

September 21, 2011 at 10:51 AM (Principles Of Change)

INTRODUCTION

How many of you can honestly say that you are not perfect right now? If you and I are not perfect right now, then it should not shock or offend us to be told that we still have certain blemishes and imperfections that the Lord is not particularly pleased with. God, my friends, is not content to see us live the rest of our lives plagued with the imperfections and sins that displease and disgrace Him. He wants us to change. And if we will not do that on our own—if we will not take the initiative and change what needs to be changed—then the Lord gets involved and He does whatever He has to do to get us to change.

One of the things the Lord does to change us is He rebukes us when we need it. You know what a rebuke is. It’s when someone reprimands or scolds us. Someone tells us to our face we’re wrong. When we do something that’s wrong or displeasing to God, God will oftentimes rebuke us for it.

He rebukes us by His Spirit speaking directly to us and convicting us of wrong. Most of the time, He uses people to rebuke us. Sometimes, it’s our parents. At other times, it’s the minister. Sometimes our teacher or professor corrects us. At other times, our employer or supervisor. Sometimes, the Lord uses our close friends to tell us we’re wrong. And at other times, the Lord even uses our enemies to point out the bad in us.

No matter who the Lord uses, it’s important for us to look beyond the person who’s chewed us out and understand that the Lord is behind the rebuke. It’s God who’s rebuking us. And He’s rebuking us because He wants us to change what’s wrong and get it right. And when God rebukes us we’ve got to humble ourselves, give heed to the rebuke, and let that rebuke change our wayward behavior.

I’d like to show you how our Lord’s rebuke changed the life of one of His disciples named John the Beloved.

THE OLD JOHN AN APOSTLE OF FUROR

Many of us know John as the apostle of love. If you read his First, Second, and Third Epistles, you can’t help but notice that John was bursting full of love. But what you may not have known is, John was not always the loving, compassionate person that he later turned out to be.

The most notorious example of John’s far-from-loving nature is seen in his encounter with some rude Samaritans. The time was drawing near for Jesus to be crucified. So He made His way towards Jerusalem. But He had to go through Samariato get there. Well, it was just about nightfall and the Lord and His disciples needed lodging for the night. So He sent some of His disciples into town to make the reservations. That’s when the trouble began.

Luke 9:51-53,  And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,  (52)  And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.  (53)  And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

Now the thing that you’ve got to understand is this. Jesus was a very popular Man. People from all over the region came to hear Him and get a healing miracle from Him. But the only people who didn’t flock to Him was the Samaritans. You’ll never read about them being in Jesus’ audience because they just weren’t there.  [I am aware of one exception, that being the Samaritan leper who travelled with nine Jewish lepers in Luke 17.] The only time the Samaritans were in Jesus’ audience was whenever Jesus was in Samaria. But outside of Samaria, you won’t find a single instance of Samaritans being in the crowd. They weren’t welcome anywhere in Israel. But the thing of it was, there were sick, diseased, and demon-possessed people in Samaria too. They needed Jesus’ miracles too. They wanted to see Jesus too.

So when these Samaritans heard that Jesus was in the area, they got pumped up with excitement. The Miracle Worker was in town! It was time to call a community-wide healing campaign! Yahooooo!

But when the Samaritans heard that Jesus was just passing through; that He wasn’t going to be giving them time of day; they got riled up and decided right then and there that, if Jesus wasn’t going to stay awhile, He wasn’t going to stay at all. And with that, they promptly put up their “No Vacancy” sign.

Luke 9:54,  And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

Now I fully believe that James and John really, truly, and sincerely believed that they could call down fire from Heaven and wipe out that whole Samaritan village. They’d never done it before. But they knew from Scripture that Elijah did it three times. You can read about it in 1 Kings 18 and 2 Kings 1. Anyways, James and John had been out with the other apostles working miracles on a recent evangelistic mission, Luke 9:1-6. And so, they were starting to get used to the idea of having the power to work miracles and signs.

Now what the Samaritans did to Jesus was just plain rude and inhospitable. It was uncalled for. They were wrong. And James and John, understandably, were upset and offended by the way these Samaritans treated their Lord. They wanted to wipe out that entire Samaritan village because these Samaritans were just plain rude.

Remember what I said earlier about God rebuking you when you do something wrong. Jesus turned to His disciples and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.  (56)  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them, Luke 9:55-56.

Ouch! This was humble pie. Here were these two brothers, rightly offended by these Samaritans’ rudeness. They were trying to protect our Lord from being mistreated. You can imagine their shocked surprise and horror when Jesus put them in their place and took their fire away. I can imagine how hurt, offended, and humiliated they must have felt. It’s a wonder they kept on following Jesus to the very end. If it was us, we’d have likely quit following Jesus right then and there. “If that’s the way You’re going to do us, then good bye and good riddance! We’re out of here!”

But the thing about it is, Jesus was right. James and John were wrong. And because they were wrong, they needed to be set straight. Brethren, YOU CAN’T GET WHAT’S WRONG, RIGHT, UNLESS SOMEBODY HAS THE COURAGE TO TELL YOU YOU’RE WRONG.

Now get this. James and John really believed in their hearts that roasting these Samaritans was the right and appropriate thing to do. Doesn’t sound very Christian or loving does it?

This incident is such a potent warning and a graphic, picturesque reminder that  THERE ARE TIMES IN OUR LIFE WHEN WE THINK WE’RE RIGHT. REALLY, REALLY RIGHT. BUT UNBEKNOWNST TO US, WE’RE AS WRONG AS WRONG COULD BE.

Why wrong? Because we’re in the flesh. We’re letting our anger and emotions get the best of us. We’re not loving people. We’re hurting them. We’re not manifesting the fruit of the Spirit. We’re not walking or acting in the Spirit. We’re in the flesh. And WHEN WE’RE IN THE FLESH WE’RE WRONG. IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW RIGHT WE THINK WE ARE. IF WE’RE IN THE FLESH WE’RE WRONG. And do you know what it takes for us to see we’re wrong? The Lord’s words of rebuke…Ye know not what spirit ye are of. I’ve not come to kill and destroy, but to save.

Now nobody, including myself, likes being rebuked. No one enjoys it. It’s humbling and humiliating. We hate being rebuked. We regard it as a wrong and reprehensible thing to be rebuked. No one better do that to us! And when someone has the courage to rebuke us, we get mad, we defend ourselves, we maintain our right or our innocence. Then we get ugly and go on the attack, smearing the good name and reputation of those who dared to rebuke us.

But the thing about this kind of response to a rebuke is, it doesn’t help us any. It doesn’t change us. It only makes matters worse.

Here’s what God wants us to do. STEP 1, cool off. Regain your composure. Get back in your right mind. Anger is temporary insanity. You can’t think straight or see clearly if you’re angry. So you’ve got to calm down and get back in the Spirit. Then STEP 2, ask yourself why you were rebuked. Is there any truth, substance, or merit to the rebuke? Was it justified or legitimate? Is the Lord trying to get your attention? Are you really wrong? Once we’ve ascertained that it was the Lord who really rebuked us; then STEP 3 is, it’s up to us to admit the rightness, correctness, and appropriateness of the rebuke, confess our sin and our guilt; learn from our mistake, make things right, and work hard not to repeat that same mistake.

You see, if you don’t correct the mistake now, you’ll continue to make those same mistakes in the future. MISTAKES UNCORRECTED ARE SURE TO BE REPEATED. Brethren, you can break this cycle of needless mistakes by getting things right. YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR FUTURE BY CHANGING THE PRESENT. HOW DO YOU DO THAT? BY NOT REPEATING THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST.

You see, there are times when it takes a rebuke to correct and change us. And when we get rebuked we can’t get mad and take offense. We’ve got to humble ourself, receive the rebuke from the Lord’s mouth, confess our fault, apologize, and change whatever it is we need to change.

You see, as hated or as hurtful as a rebuke may be to us, this rebuke of our Lord was a perfect time for these disciples  to  learn  a  very   valuable  lesson  in public ministry—that lesson being, the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.

In other words, OUR MINISTRY TO PEOPLE–NOT JUST THE PEOPLE OUTSIDE THIS CHURCH, BUT THE PEOPLE IN THIS CHURCH TOO–DOESN’T INVOLVE KILLING OR HURTING THEM. WE DON’T KILL THE PEOPLE WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE MINISTERING TO. WE CAN’T MINISTER LIFE IF WE MINISTER DEATH. I’m talking about being jealous and resentful of people; being cruel,  harsh, critical, condemning, judgmental, short, impatient, prejudicial, and intolerant of people. I’m talking about punishing people and calling fire down from Heaven.

Brethren, IF YOU WANT TO MINISTER LIFE TO PEOPLE YOU’VE GOT TO QUIT BEING ADVERSARIAL AND ANTAGONISTIC TOWARDS PEOPLE. YOU’VE GOT TO QUIT HURTING THEM. QUIT FIGHTING THEM.

You can’t minister life as long as you’ve got the fire. The stones. The guns. The knives. You’ve got to get rid of the instruments of death—the fleshly tongue, wicked thoughts, and sinful emotions—if you’re going to minister life.

What I’m trying to say is, the Lord’s rebuke may be hurtful at first. But if we just settle down and listen, we’ll see that the Lord is trying to teach us a very valuable lesson. He’s trying to change us so that we can be ministers of life and not of death.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 2. The new John. What an awesome transformation! Be sure to drop by and see the change.

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THE INESTIMABLE VALUE OF YOUR TESTIMONY, PART 2

July 25, 2011 at 9:29 PM (Christian Living)

We’ve looked at Naaman. Now I’d like for us to look for a moment at this servant girl.

A. IN ORDER FOR US TO TESTIFY WE’RE GOING TO NEED TO LOVE PEOPLE. Place yourself in the sandals of this captive, Israelite girl. You’ve been forcibly uprooted from your home, maybe even your family. You’ve been taken against your will and you’ve been made a slave. For the rest of your life you’re going to do whatever your master wants you to do. Chances are, you’ve been raped and abused. You’ll not know the joys of being independent and free to do whatever you want to do with your life. You can’t go wherever you want to go. You can’t love and marry whoever you want to love and marry. Your life has all been planned out for you and you have absolutely no say about it. Your master is the enemy who’s responsible for your present and lifelong predicament in slavery. He’s a leper. You can rejoice in his misfortune and hope he dies:  “I hope you die.  Maybe then I can go free, or stand a better chance of running away.” Or you can feel sorry for him, love him, and try to help him. You can tell him about the miracle-working prophet in Israel who can cure him. The girl had a choice. To be bitter and shut up. Or love and speak up.

Brethren, YOU CAN’T BE EVANGELISTIC AND TESTIFY IF YOU DON’T LOVE PEOPLE. IF YOU WANT TO TESTIFY FOR THE LORD AND CHANGE PEOPLE’S LIVES AND DESTINIES FOREVER, YOU’VE GOT TO LOVE AND CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU MEET. THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALL AROUND YOU.

B. IN ORDER FOR US TO TESTIFY WE NEED TO HAVE FAITH. As a servant girl you’ve got to have some measure of confidence and faith that the prophet is going to heal your heathen master. Remember, the Syrians and Israelites are sworn and mortal enemies. Girl, what makes you think the prophet is even going to want to heal this heathen enemy? Sure, Elisha’s done a lot of miracles. But he’s never healed leprosy (Luke 4:27). What makes you think he can heal your master? What if Elisha tries to heal Naaman and can’t? So it boils down to this: Can the prophet heal him? And if he can, would he even want to heal him? You see, it’s going to take faith on your part to speak up and tell your master about the miracle healing prophet in Israel.

C. IN ORDER FOR US TO TESTIFY WE NEED COURAGE. As a slave in Naaman’s house you’ve got to be courageous enough to tell Naaman’s wife that there’s hope and healing for him in Israel. You’ve got a thousand doubts and questions racing through your mind. What if Naaman goes to Israel and it doesn’t work? What if he comes back home a leper still? Wow, he’d be so mad at me, he’ll kill me.

Why don’t we tell people about Jesus? It is because we’re afraid to speak up? Because we don’t really believe they’ll want to get saved? Because we don’t really love and care enough about them to share the Lord with them?

IN CLOSING

As we bring this sermon to a close, what do we do with something truly priceless and valuable? (1) WE SAFEGUARD IT. We protect it and keep it safe so that we don’t lose it, no one steals it from us, no one breaks or ruins it.

Friends, you can lose or ruin your testimony by living a heathen life or by setting a lousy example of what a Christian should be. If you cuss on a regular basis; if you lie, and steal, and cheat people; if you enjoy listening to, and telling, dirty jokes and stories; if you’re a drunkard and hang out in the bars with the guys; if you gamble and fornicate like the rest of your heathen friends; if you’re into porn or sexual abuse; if you seduce women and children; if you flirt with men, or entice young boys; you’re ruining the one thing that you can use to bring your friends and loved ones to the Lord.

WHEN YOU RUIN AND LOSE YOUR TESTIMONY YOU’VE GOT NOTHING TO OFFER PEOPLE. They’re not going to receive your testimony because you’re nothing but a hypocrite, a sinner who calls himself a Christian and a church-goer. You’re no better than the rest of them. God can’t use you to reach others for Him because you’ve lost the only thing that will bring them to Him—you’ve lost your testimony.

So what happens if you’ve lost your testimony? Work hard to get it back. That might take some time. But get it back. And keep it. Quit acting like a heathen. YOU CAN’T BE EVANGELISTIC IF YOU’RE LIVING AND ACTING LIKE A HEATHEN. A TRUE CHRISTIAN WILL BRING PEOPLE TO JESUS. A HYPOCRITE WILL TURN PEOPLE AWAY FROM HIM.

In the second place, what do you do with something truly valuable? When it comes to earthly things, we hide it. We don’t let a whole lot of people know about it because we don’t want our homes to get broken into. But in the spiritual realm, (2) WE DON’T HIDE OR HOG OUR TESTIMONY. WE DON’T KEEP IT TO OURSELF. WE DON’T KEEP QUIET ABOUT IT.  WE SHARE IT!

You can’t take your money or possessions to Heaven. THE ONLY THING YOU CAN TAKE TO HEAVEN WITH YOU ARE THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO YOU’VE IMPACTED AND CHANGED BY YOUR TESTIMONY.

How many of you are saved today because someone told you about the Lord? Someone brought you to church? Your parents? A preacher? A teacher? A Sunday School worker? A friend? A nameless servant girl? Pay it forward and go thou and do likewise. You’ll have a lot of people thanking you in Heaven for the part you played in getting them saved. May God bless you and help you safeguard, and share, your testimony.

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THE INESTIMABLE VALUE OF YOUR TESTIMONY, PART 1

July 22, 2011 at 8:23 PM (Christian Living)

INTRODUCTION

What is the most valuable thing that you possess? Have you ever given any thought to the question? Doubtless, many of us could enumerate a small list of the most valuable things that we possess: a keepsake, a cherished memento, family, salvation, forgiveness, and the like.

I’d like to talk to you about the inestimable value of your testimony. I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about it, but, in truth, your testimony is one of the most valuable things that you possess. Why is that? Because God saved you. And instead of taking you to Heaven right away, He left you here on Earth. Why? Because He has a job for you to do. A big part of that job is He wants you to be a witness for Him. Wherever you go, wherever you live, and work, and play; God wants you to tell people about Him. He wants you to introduce people to Him. And in order for you to do that job, you need your testimony or witness.

DEFINITION

Our testimony consists of two things. (1) First, it consists of our character, conduct, and behavior. Just by being ourselves we’re “telling” people a lot about ourselves. For example, if we’ve got a short fuse, we’re telling people that we’re quick tempered and we get mad easily.  If we refuse to sleep with every Tom, Dick, Jane or Mary, we’re telling people that we’ve got morals; we’re not willing to fornicate or sin for the sake of love, acceptance, or money. Do you see what I mean? WE’RE TELLING PEOPLE A LOT ABOUT OURSELVES JUST BY BEING OURSELVES.

(2) There’s another aspect of our testimony and that is our spoken word. By telling people what Christ means to us, what He’s done for us; we’re introducing Jesus to them and getting them to consider the possibility of having a personal relationship with Jesus. And this relationship with Jesus will profoundly change their life and their destiny. They’ll spend eternity in Heaven, saved from Hell, because you introduced them, you led them, to Christ. THE SALVATION OF SOULS REQUIRES A SPOKEN WORD. IT REQUIRES US TO SPEAK UP AND TELL PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS.

Friends, we have an awesome privilege, opportunity, and responsibility, to change people’s lives by introducing them to the Lord. Think of the many people we can rescue from Hell—think of how happy and grateful they’ll be; that we cared enough about them to tell them about Jesus. Brethren, YOU CAN’T INTRODUCE PEOPLE TO JESUS IF YOU DON’T SAY ANYTHING TO THEM ABOUT HIM. You talk about weather. Work. Current events. Things that really don’t matter in the long run. Why not talk about Jesus who can save them, change them, fill their lives with meaning, purpose, and blessings? And, on top of all this goodness, God will bring them to Heaven where they’ll live happily ever after. Friends, your testimony of God’s love, power, and works in your life can set people on a path of change that will benefit and bless them for the rest of their life.

NAAMAN

We’re all familiar with the story of Naaman. He was a mighty General in the great Syrian Army. And he was very well liked, and favored, by the Syrian King. But the thing of it was, Naaman was a leper. There was no cure for it. And it’d be only a matter of time before the leprosy got really nasty and bad in a gruesome, smelly, and painful way. It would end up killing the great General. So Naaman’s living with a death sentence.

Well, one day he decided to pay the prophet Elisha a visit. And, without even seeing the great General, Elisha sent messengers to him at the door and told him to dip seven times in the Jordan River—after which he would be healed.

Naaman was livid! He was furious! Here was a great Syrian General who came a very long way to see him and the prophet didn’t even have the courtesy to meet with him or speak to him. This was a grievous insult to the General.

But worse than that, the prophet’s prescription for the healing of leprosy just didn’t make any sense at all. Think about it. How can dipping in the River cure leprosy? Naaman got to thinking. Do you know what this is really all about? It’s all about the Israelite prophet—an enemy prophet—humiliating me! He’s trying to make a laughingstock out of me. “Look at that fool Syrian dipping in the Jordan. What’s he thinking? Does he think the Jordan’s going to cure his leprosy? Boy, he’s all wet. He’s sure come a long way to take a bath!” Naaman would be a laughingstock in Israel. And Syria. He’d go back home a leper. No. Strike that. He’d go back home a wet leper. His people would laugh him to scorn and mock him for going all the way to Israel and trying to get healed in an enemy nation, by an enemy prophet, and an enemy God. No, Naaman wasn’t going to fall for Elisha’s trickery. So he turned around, livid and furious, and started his journey home.

Well, one of the General’s attendants turned to him and said, “Sir, we’ve come this long way to get you healed. If the prophet told you to do something big or hard you’d have done it. How much more if he told you do something small. It’s not that big a deal. Dip in the Jordan like the prophet said. It can’t hurt you. It  won’t kill you. And you’ve got nothing to lose, except maybe your pride. And who knows, you might even get healed.”

The General got to thinking about it. He settled down. And for the next twenty miles, as they made their way from Samaria to the Jordan, he saw the wisdom of what his advisor said. Reluctantly, perhaps even grudgingly, Naaman decided to give it a try. So down in the Jordan he went. Once, then twice, then thrice, and still he wasn’t healed. I wonder if he threw his hands up in the air, got all mad again, and said, “This is ridiculous! I can’t do this! It’s not working!”

Well, the General stayed with it. The prophet said seven times, so he continued dipping. And when he dipped the seventh time, he came up out of the water completely healed of leprosy! The leprosy was all gone, just like what the prophet said. It worked! It really, really worked! It’s a miracle! This was a God-thing. So right then and there, on the spot, Naaman gave his life to the Israelite God and he became a worshipper of the one true God.

2 Kings 5:15-17, And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. (16) But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. (17) And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.

A SERVANT GIRL

Naaman’s life was profoundly changed—not only physically by being healed of leprosy; but also spiritually by becoming a believer and worshipper of God.

Do you know how this change came about? Do you know what made Naaman come to Israel in the first place? It was the testimony of a servant girl. 2 Kings 5:1-5, Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. (2) And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. (3) And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. (4) And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. (5) And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

The testimony of an Israelite servant girl—carried away captive from her home in Israel and providentially placed as a slave in Naaman’s house—was what brought Naaman to Israel in search of healing. THE GIRL’S TESTIMONY, IN A WORD, CHANGED HIS LIFE FOREVER.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 2. I’ll look at some of the things we need in order to be an effective witness for Jesus. You really can’t afford to miss it. Hang tight. It’ll be worth the wait.

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LEARNING FROM JUDAS’ MISTAKES, PART 5

July 5, 2011 at 10:11 AM (Christian Living, Learning From Judas)

5. Judas’ Suicide

 Matthew 27:3-5, Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, {4} Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.  And they said,  What is that to us? see thou to that. {5} And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

MISTAKE. Judas, like the rest of the apostles, never believed or expected that Jesus would die. When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned to die because of his treachery he was remorseful and he went to the chief priests. For what purpose? (1)  To return the money that the chief  priests gave him to deliver Jesus into their hands. The gesture, back then, was the same as saying, “let’s call our deal off. Here’s your money back. Let Jesus go.” (2) He confessed his guilt in bringing Jesus before the Court. And (3) he confessed Jesus’ innocence.

Judas’ confession here is hugely significant because, in the eyes of Hebrew Law, this confession would have reversed the Court’s death penalty and set Jesus free. You see, whenever a witness stepped forward to testify to the innocence of the accused the Court was obliged to hear him. The Court may have already passed sentence against the accused. The accused might already be on his way to execution. But as long as the accused was alive the Court was obliged to halt everything and bring the accused back before the Court. In fact, the law required all the judges to remain in their seats while the accused was being escorted to execution. They were to stay in Court just in case a witness steps forward and presents evidence for the innocence of the accused. The court took every measure to prevent killing an innocent man. If the testimony of the last-minute witness was deemed true or reliable by the Court, the Court would immediately release the accused. So what Judas is doing here is he’s seeking Jesus’ freedom and release. He’s pleading to save Jesus’ life!

What Judas does here is admirable and commendable. He’s trying to undo what he’s done. He’s trying to make amends for his wrong. He’s trying to get things right. That’s all good and right. But THE ONE THING YOU CAN’T DO IS TURN THE CLOCK BACK AND UNDO WHAT YOU’VE ALREADY DONE. WHAT’S DONE IS DONE AND YOU CAN’T UNDO THAT. You can make amends or restitution. You can confess your sin, express your remorse, ask for forgiveness, and get it. You can pay the legal punishments for your crime. But YOU CAN’T UNDO WHAT YOU’VE ALREADY DONE.

How Judas must have wished he had never betrayed the Lord! If only he hadn’t, things would have been so much different for him. He would have had a life and a future if only he didn’t strike his bargain with the priests. But, alas, it was too late. He committed a sin and he couldn’t undo that sin or stop the consequences of that sin from coming to pass.

Brethren, LIVE LIFE WITHOUT REGRETS.How do you do that? Simple! DON’T DO THINGS YOU’LL LATER ON REGRET.

THE LESSON.  Notice that Judas returned the entire sum of money that he got for betraying the Lord. He loved money so much that he betrayed his Lord for it. But the money that he thought would buy him happiness bought him, or  brought  him, no such happiness. What he lusted after, and got, now filled him  with remorse and regret.  He never got  to spend, or enjoy, a single cent!   The money that he wanted so much, and got, now meant nothing to him.

Friends, you could live your life for the sin that you presently harbor and hide. It could be money. Pornography. Illicit sexual relationships and love affairs. An addiction to nicotine,  drugs, alcohol. What is it that you’re hiding? What is it that you’re so much in love with? Listen. SIN WASN’T MEANT TO MAKE YOU HAPPY! IT WAS MEANT TO KILL YOU—just like it ended up killing Judas. THE THINGS YOU LOVE NOW YOU’LL LATER COME TO HATE OR REGRET. IT WON’T GIVE YOU THE HAPPINESS YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD. INSTEAD, THE SIN THAT YOU LOVE WILL FILL YOU WITH SORROW AND REGRET.

The Devil, dear friends, is out to kill and damn as many people as he can. And he does that by making sin look so good, advantageous, fun, pleasurable, innocent, and small.

Brethren, don’t minimize the smallness or seeming innocence of your sin. People justify their sins with the self-deluding notion that it isn’t a big deal, they’re not hurting anyone, they’re not committing a crime, it’s not really a sin. But it is a sin. No matter how small or trivial a sin you think it is, sin is still sin. And SIN UNREPENTED OF WILL KILL YOU. Brethren, JUDAS LOST HIS LIFE AND SOUL OVER ONE SEEMINGLY SMALL AND INNOCENT SIN! JUDAS’ LOVE OF MONEY ENDED UP KILLING HIM.

Whoever imagined that the love of money would lead to murder and suicide? Judas never imagined that his hidden sin would end the way it did—in Jesus’ death and his own.

Sin, as I said, wasn’t meant to make you happy.  It was meant  to  kill  you.  SIN THAT YOU DON’T FORSAKE OR REPENT OF WILL EVENTUALLY AND ULTIMATELY KILL YOU—if not physically, then spiritually. In many instances, as it was in Judas’ case, sin kills you both physically and spiritually.

Every sin, regardless of its size or severity leaves you guilty in the sight of God. Every sin, no matter how small or minor you think it is, carries a price. You will pay the penalty for every sin that you leave undealt with, unconfessed, and unrepented. YOU CAN’T COMMIT A SIN—OR KEEP ON COMMITTING A SIN—WITHOUT PAYING THE PENALTY FOR THAT SIN! AS LONG AS YOU’RE   UNREPENTANT   YOU  CAN’T  GET OUT OF SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES, PENALTY, JUDGMENT, AND PUNISHMENT OF SIN NO MATTER HOW SMALL, INSIGNIFICANT, MINOR, OR TRIVIAL YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE.

In closing, let me say as emphatically as I can, no one–no sin, no love, no lust, no person, no thing–is worth going to Hell over. A single second in Hell will resound this undeniable, unarguable truth. A fleeting moment of sin’s enjoyment is not worth an endless torment of sin’s punishment. Friend, give up the sin and turn to Christ. Don’t let this opportunity to be forgiven and saved escape you today. You may not have tomorrow. May God help you–may He help us all–forsake sin and serve Christ.

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LEARNING FROM JUDAS’ MISTAKES, PART 4

June 29, 2011 at 10:07 AM (Christian Living, Learning From Judas)

4. Judas’ Remorse

 Matthew 27:3-4, Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, {4} Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

THE MISTAKE & THE LESSON. It appears from the written text that Judas didn’t mean for Jesus to die. All he wanted was to get Jesus arrested in exchange for money. But he didn’t expect the chief priests to put Him to death. You see, things didn’t go as Judas had planned. Things didn’t turn out the way Judas thought they would.

Brethren, you may have your life of sin all planned out. This is what you’re going to do. This is how you’re going to live. And after that, you’re going to live happily ever after. Friends, it doesn’t work like this! WHEN YOU GIVE YOURSELF TO SIN THE ONLY THING YOU’RE GIVING YOURSELF IS A FUTURE OF PAIN, SUFFERING, AND REGRET.

Judas didn’t think that Jesus would be killed! He didn’t want to see the Lord condemned and put to death. But that’s exactly what happened! It is both a tragic, and a graphic, lesson to us that SIN HAS CONSEQUENCES AND THESE CONSEQUENCES ARE BEYOND YOUR CONTROL. YOU CAN’T CHOOSE WHAT THESE CONSEQUENCES WILL BE AND YOU CAN’T STOP THESE CONSEQUENCES FROM HAPPENING.

THE ONLY CHOICE YOU HAVE IS TO SIN OR NOT SIN. IF YOU CHOOSE TO SIN, YOU CAN CHOOSE WHAT KIND OF SIN YOU’RE GOING TO COMMIT. BUT ONCE YOU’VE CHOSEN TO SIN, YOU CAN’T CHOOSE WHAT WILL HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF YOUR SIN. Things will happen that you didn’t want to happen, didn’t plan to happen, didn’t expect to happen, or didn’t think would happen.

SIN’S CONSEQUENCES OR RESULTS ARE BEYOND  YOUR  CONTROL!  IF  YOU  DON’T WANT THESE CONSEQUENCES TO HAPPEN, IF YOU DON’T WANT THE UNDESIRABLE AND THE UNTHINKABLE TO HAPPEN, THEN DON’T SIN! YOU WILL NOT REAP SIN’S CONSEQUENCES, YOU WILL NOT SUFFER THE PAINS AND REGRETS OF SIN, IF YOU DON’T SIN!

THE MISTAKE & LESSON.  Notice in the text of Scripture that Judas was remorseful. He now recognized what he did—he betrayed an innocent Man. He confessed his sin. And he was sorry for what he did. He even went so far as to return the thirty pieces of silver. But in his sorrow for sin, Judas didn’t repent! It’s important for you to recognize this fact because the KJV gives us the impression that he repented. But that is not the case.

There are two basic words for repent in the Greek New Testament. The first is metánoia. It means to change one’s mind and go in another direction. This is the repentance that we are most familiar with. It’s the kind of repentance that’s required for salvation and the forgiveness of sin. The other word for repentance is metaméllomai. It speaks of sorrow, regret, and remorse. This is the Greek word that’s used here with respect to Judas.

Now SORROW AND REMORSE ARE A NECESSARY PART OF TRUE REPENTANCE. BUT THEY ARE NOT THE  SAME  THING  AS REPENTANCE. It’s like apple pie. You need dough and apples to make apple pie. But just because you’ve got dough and apples doesn’t mean you’ve got apple pie. You need to roll the dough, put it in a pie pan, then peel and slice your apples, put them in the pie pan, put a crust over it, then bake it before you have your apple pie.

It’s the same way with repentance. Sorrow and remorse are a part of repentance, but they’re not the same thing as actually repenting of sin. You can feel sorry about fornicating without ever changing your mind about fornication. You feel sorry because you know it’s wrong and it’s sin. You feel sorry because you were caught in fornication. But you’ll continue to fornicate because you just haven’t yet changed your mind about fornication! You haven’t given up your love, desire, and intention to fornicate again.

Do you see what I mean?  YOU CAN BE SORRY YOU SINNED AND STILL NOT REPENT FOR THAT  SIN. JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE SORRY DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE REPENTANT!

Judas was genuinely and sincerely sorry for what he did. But his remorse didn’t bring him to the Lord! All he would have had to do to receive the Lord’s forgiveness was go to the Lord, apologize, and ask for His forgiveness. And do you know what? Jesus would have forgiven him! Jesus forgives those who truly repent of their sins.

The thing that I find so tragic here is, instead  of  going  to  the  Lord,  Judas  went  to  the  priests. If he had only apologized to the Lord—instead of to the priests—his end would have been different!

Learn a lesson here, dear friends. SORROW FOR SIN IS A GOOD THING. BUT IT DOESN’T DO YOU ANY GOOD IF IT DOESN’T LEAD YOU TO REPENTANCE. YOU OUGHT TO FEEL SORRY. BUT GOD WANTS MORE THAN JUST YOUR REMORSE: HE WANTS YOUR REPENTANCE! FEEL SORRY ALL YOU WANT. CRY ALL THE TEARS YOU WANT. BUT IF YOU DON’T CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT YOUR SIN, IF YOU DON’T QUIT SINNING; ALL THE TEARS AND SORROW IN THE WORLD WILL NOT GET YOU GOD’S FORGIVENESS!

To bring this lesson home, consider this sobering truth: Judas never made it to Heaven in spite of the fact that he was sorry! Jesus said in Matthew 26:24, The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born. Judas died a grieved, sorrowful man filled with remorse and regret. But he didn’t go to Heaven because he didn’t go to the Lord. His remorse didn’t lead him to repentance. He was remorseful, but not repentant.

Friends, don’t  fool  yourself and play games with God because your soul is on the line. JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE SORRY DOESN’T MEAN THE LORD’S GOING TO FEEL SORRY FOR YOU AND FORGIVE YOU! THE LORD DIDN’T FORGIVE JUDAS IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT JUDAS WAS SORRY! WHY? BECAUSE JUDAS NEVER REPENTED!

YOU’VE GOT TO REPENT IN ORDER TO BE FORGIVEN. BELOVED, DON’T THINK THAT REMORSE IS ENOUGH TO BE FORGIVEN. IT ISN’T! YOU’VE GOT TO GIVE UP THE SIN AND TURN AWAY FROM IT IF YOU WANT THE LORD TO FORGIVE YOU. NO REPENTANCE, NO FORGIVENESS. PERIOD.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, The 5th & Final Installment. Sin will eventually kill you if you don’t give it up. Judas’ sin took his life. It’s such a tragic end to a man who was privileged to spend a few years so close to the Lord. Don’t miss out on these final life-saving lessons!

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LEARNING FROM JUDAS’ MISTAKES, PART 3

June 24, 2011 at 2:29 PM (Christian Living, Learning From Judas)

3. Judas’ Betrayal Of The Lord

 Matthew 26:47-49, And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. {48} Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. {49} And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

THE MISTAKE & LESSON. It was night out, approaching midnight, and the arresting party needed help in identifying Jesus. So the prearranged sign was whoever Judas kissed would be the Lord.

Now when Judas kissed the Lord Matthew uses the intensive form of the verb, which is to say, he kissed the Lord earnestly and fervently. The implication of the text is that Judas didn’t just kiss the Lord once, but rather, kissed Him over and over again. Here was a display of great affection  and  respect.  If you didn’t know what was going on or what was about to happen you would likely conclude that Judas must have really loved the Lord. But behind this façade of affection and love was treachery and betrayal.

You see, brethren, you can put on a show of great spirituality. By your conduct you can give people the impression that you’re really a good person. You can sing the loudest and talk knowledgeably of the Scriptures in such a way that people can’t help but conclude that you really have a close walk with the Lord. But, like Judas, YOU CAN ACT LIKE A TRUE CHRISTIAN AND STILL BE DOING THE DEVIL’S BUSINESS!

Here’s something else for you to consider. If you piece the Gospel records together you’ll see that there was a lapse of two days from the time Judas agreed to betray the Lord and the time he actually betrayed Him in the garden. In other words, Judas had two whole days to change his mind about betraying the Lord. Two days to look honestly at himself and ponder the ramifications of what he was about to do. Two days to be convicted and remorseful. Two days to back out of betraying the Lord. But, instead of repenting of his treachery, Judas looked for every opportunity to betray the Lord, Matthew 26:16. Judas was set in his avarice and nothing, or no one, was going to talk him out of betraying the Lord.

Brethren, WHEN YOU’VE GOT YOUR MIND MADE UP THAT YOU’RE GOING TO SIN, LIKE JUDAS, YOU’RE ONLY GIVING YOURSELF THE SADDEST, DARKEST, MOST PAINFUL, MOST REGRETTABLE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE. THE WORST IS YET TO COME! AND, LIKE JUDAS, YOU WILL NOT ENJOY THE LIFE THAT YOU’VE CHOSEN FOR YOURSELF.

Friend, this is your wake-up call from the Lord. Deliver yourself from a dark future and sad life by repenting right now and getting your life right with the Lord! YOU CANNOT SIN AND EXPECT NOT TO SUFFER SIN’S CONSEQUENCES, REGRETS, AND JUDGMENT. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:7.) If you think you can sin and not go to Hell, then you’re already deceived. God’s no fool. He makes no idle threats. And you can never, you will never ever, prove Him wrong. SIN WILL KILL YOU. Stay tuned and I’ll show you how sin killed Judas.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 4. You can be sorry for what you did, but that doesn’t mean you’re repentant. Drop by and I’ll show you the difference.

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LEARNING FROM JUDAS’ MISTAKES PART 2

June 21, 2011 at 8:51 AM (Christian Living, Learning From Judas)

2. JUDAS’ DEAL TO BETRAY THE LORD

 Matthew 26:14-16, Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, {15} And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.  30 silver shekels is the equivalent of 120 denarii or roughly $21.60 today. The exchange rate, however, is not this accurate. As I pointed out earlier, a denarius is the amount of money that a common laborer made for a day’s work.  If we want to bring that denarius up to today’s standards, let’s suppose that a common laborer today makes $8 an hour and works 8 hours a day. A day’s wage, then, would be $64 and this, roughly speaking, is what an ancient denarius would be worth today.  Since 30 silver shekels is 120 denarii, then its real equivalent in today’s wages is $7,680. {16} And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

THE MISTAKE. The Scriptures do not come outright and give us the exact reason why Judas chose to betray the Lord. But judging by what he asked the chief priests, indications are rather strong that greed, or money, was what motivated Judas to betray the Lord.

Judas, as I said, had a sin problem. And this one sin, left undealt with, created more problems for him. One sin led to another. And the more sin is committed the more serious it becomes. The sin of thievery led to the sin of betrayal. The love of money now brought him into league with murderers. Judas’ love affair with money now goes beyond the realm of money: it will cost the Lord His life. The taking of money now involves the taking of a human life.

One sin left undealt with and unrepented of  leads to more sins. This is the problem with committing just one more sin. Just one more time. You don’t stop with just one sin. Just one more time. Sin is addictive. The more you sin the more you’ll continue to sin and the more addicted you become to it. Like any addiction, you can’t stop. And you can’t help yourself.  A sin addiction is, in reality, demonic oppression. You become the Devil’s slave. To do his bidding. To sin as often as he tempts and drives you to sin.

There comes a definite point in time, unknown to you, when your persistence in sin becomes an opened invitation or right-of-way where Satan comes insides you and oppresses, controls, or possesses you. Luke 22:3-5 tells us, Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. {4} And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. {5} And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.

Brethren, IF YOU SIN AND LIVE LIKE THE DEVIL, THE DEVIL WILL OPPRESS YOU AND YOU’LL COME UNDER HIS DEMONIC CONTROL. You’ll become his slave. And you’ll end up doing his bidding. You think you’re free. But you’re serving the Devil, he’s your master, and you’re doing what he wants you to do.

THE LESSON. Brethren, don’t maintain your love affair with sin because you’ll open the door to demonic oppression if you haven’t already done so. And once  that  door  is  open,  you  become  a  slave  to  Satan  and  THE ONLY WAY TO GET FREE FROM HIM IS THROUGH AN ACT OF REPENTANCE AND DELIVERANCE.

BRETHREN, YOU CAN’T ESCAPE THE DEVIL AS LONG AS YOU’RE IN LEAGUE WITH HIM! AS LONG AS YOU LOVE YOUR SIN AND CONTINUE IN SIN, THERE IS NO FREEDOM FOR YOU. FREEDOM WILL COME WHEN YOU TURN FROM YOUR SIN, GIVE IT UP, AND CRY TO THE LORD FOR FORGIVENESS AND DELIVERANCE.

Judas betrayed the Lord for thirty pieces of silver. By today’s standards, that’s about $7,700. Brethren, how much is a sin or a lust worth to you? How much are you willing to pay, and suffer, to enjoy the pleasures of sin? Are you willing to go to Hell for $7,700? Would you spend eternity burning and screaming in Hell’s fire for a measly $7,700?

Jesus asks us in Matthew 16:26, What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? This word exchange is an interesting one. It denotes equivalence. You ransom, trade, or exhange something for something else that’s roughly equal in value. For example, you wouldn’t trade a 2011 Honda for a 2000 Escort because they’re not worth the same; you’ll be losing out on the trade. You wouldn’t trade a $350,000 house for a dilapidated shack at the edge of town. When you trade or exchange, you want to get something of equal, maybe even greater, value than what you’re giving up.

This whole world with all its riches and wealth is not worth as much as the value of your soul! You may not see, understand, or agree with that right now. But, believe me, a moment in Hell will tell the truth: there’s nothing on this Earth that’s worth spending eternity in Hell. A trillion dollars, all the booze and drugs, all the sex and filth that this world has to offer; will mean absolutely nothing to you once you’re in Hell. All you’ll want is out. And if not that, you’ll crave a glass of water to quench your indescribable thirst or a massive dose of morphine to numb the pain you’ll feel every second of every hour of every year for time without time. No, my friends. There’s nothing worth more than the value of your soul.

What are you willing to do to escape eternal judgment and suffering in Hell? Here’s what the Lord wants you to do. (1) Confess your hidden sin or lust. (2) Repent of it. (3) Get delivered so that you’re no longer compelled to sin and no longer enslaved by that demon and lust. And (4) bring forth fruits of repentance and deliverance by living a holy life and abstaining from sin.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 3. Judas was determined to sin. And, unknown to him, he was setting himself up for the biggest regret of his life.

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LEARNING FROM JUDAS’ MISTAKES PART 1

June 14, 2011 at 11:19 AM (Christian Living, Learning From Judas)

INTRODUCTION

One of the things that we parents do is teach and instruct our children. We teach them what’s wrong and what’s right. We teach them to do right. To live right. To believe right. Why do we teach them? Because we love them. We care very deeply about them. And we don’t want them to make wrong decisions that will hurt them or get them into trouble. We don’t want to see them suffer. So we do everything within our power to keep them from getting burned or hurt.

Our Father God is the same way with us. He loves us deeply. So deeply that He sacrificed His Son on the cross so that we can be saved. Since the day we got saved, God’s set Himself to teaching us a lot of things. He’s doing everything He can to make sure we make it to Heaven and stay out of Hell’s fires.

Now God has many ways of teaching us. He uses different methods that are best suited to each person’s style of learning.

  •  Some people learn best by teaching or  instruction. A sermon or Bible study is all they need to learn the lesson and live by it.
  •   Others learn best by example. They look at what other people did and they learn to either do the same thing or else not do it.
  •  And others learn best in the school of hard knocks. No matter how much or how hard you try and tell them, they just won’t listen. They’ll go ahead and make their own decision. Alas, they find out the hard way that their way was the wrong way.

Today we want to learn some very valuable life lessons by example. In the Bible, some people, like Abraham and Moses, set a good example for us to follow or copy. Other people, like Korah or Demas, set a bad example. But even though they set a bad example, their names and deeds are written in Scripture so that we can learn from their mistakes and not duplicate or repeat them.

One person who made big time  wrong decisions is Judas Iscariot. Judas, as you know, was one of the Lord’s twelve apostles. It was he who betrayed the Lord and set in motion the events that ultimately culminated in Jesus’ death. The brief Scriptural record of his life is filled with grief and tragedy, but  it’s also rich in lessons that we must learn.

You see, human nature being what it is, we are not a whole lot unlike Judas Iscariot. You might disagree with me on this point and that’s fine. But I hope to show you the Judas that’s in a lot of us as we go through these blog posts. We all have something to learn from Judas’ mistakes. So let’s begin by looking at five stages in Judas’ demise.

1. Judas’ Objection To Mary’s Use Of Ointment

John 12:1-6, Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. {2} There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. {3} Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. {4} Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, {5} Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

A denarius, or pence, is worth about 18¢ today. Three hundred denarii, then, would amount to $54. That would be expensive ointment even by today’s standards.

But the exchange rate is not as accurate as this. You see, a single denarius was the average wage a common laborer made for a day’s work. If we want to bring that denarius up to today’s standards, let’s suppose that a common laborer today makes $8 an hour and works 8 hours a day. A day’s wage, then, would be $64. This, roughly speaking, is what an ancient denarius would be worth today. Now if we multiply this single denarius by 300, which is what Judas wanted the sell the ointment for, then the ointment that Mary used on our Lord was worth $19,200!

That, dear brethren, is an expensive and extravagant gift of ointment! No wonder why Judas and the rest of the apostles were outraged by what Mary did (Matthew 26:8-9, Mark 14:4-5). If someone here today used over $19,000 worth of ointment or perfume to anoint someone’s feet, wouldn’t you be indignant and critical of this seemingly senseless waste of ointment? I dare say you would! I guess we’re not a whole lot unlike Judas.

{6} This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

THE MISTAKE. The Bible’s first-recorded words of Judas Iscariot were his objection to Mary’s use of a very costly ointment to anoint the feet of our Lord. The ointment could have been sold for over $19,000 in today’s money and the money given to the poor.

Judas’ interest, however, was not in helping the poor, but rather, in helping himself. You see, Judas had the bag. He was the treasurer of the apostolic company. Whenever people donated money to the Lord and the apostles, the money would be put in a single, common, money bag. As treasurer, Judas carried the money bag. He was in charge of the money. Whenever the apostolic company needed to buy things, pay for services, or give money to the poor; Judas was the fellow who made these purchases and forked over the dough (John 13:29).

Unfortunately, Judas was not only the apostolic treasurer, but he was also a thief (John 12:6). Being the thief that he was, Judas regularly stole money out of the bag for his own selfish use or gain.

His objection to Mary’s extravagant use, or waste, of this precious ointment was motivated by the fact that, had this ointment been sold for over $19,000 he could have pocketed quite a bit of this money for himself and still have some money left over to give to the poor. Judas lost an opportunity to enrich himself quite handsomely! And he was mad!

JUDAS HAD A SIN PROBLEM. It was a love, or lust, for money. And this lust caused him to steal money from our Lord. Apparently, Judas hid his sin quite well because no one knew, or even suspected, that Judas was the rotten apple among them. It wasn’t until after Judas’ death that the Lord brought Judas’ sin to light so that by the time John wrote his Gospel account he could look back at what Mary did and understand the real reason for Judas’ vociferous objection: he objected because he lost a golden opportunity to pocket a whole lot of money for himself.

Judas, I am saying, had a sin problem. And INSTEAD OF DEALING WITH HIS AVARICE, INSTEAD OF TURNING AWAY FROM HIS GREED, HE NURTURED AND HID THAT SIN. He hid it so well that none of the other apostles were aware of his sin.

THE LESSON? Brethren, BEWARE OF WHAT SINS, LUSTS, ADDICTIONS, WEAKNESSES, OR HABITS, YOU HARBOR AND HIDE. Numbers 32:23 warns and assures us, be sure your sin will find you out. You can’t hide your sin forever. Sooner or later, you will be caught. You will be exposed. You won’t get away with it. God Himself will see to that. As Judas was consequently exposed as a thief, so you will be too. You can be sure of that!

Sin is like fire: it’ll burn you. Proverbs 6:27 asks us,  Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? When you toy with sin you will be burned! You might enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, but be assured of this one thing: SIN UNREPENTED OF WILL EVENTUALLY KILL YOU—SPIRITUALLY, ETERNALLY, PERHAPS EVEN PHYSICALLY. Brethren, YOU’RE ONLY HURTING YOURSELF—NOT TO MENTION OTHERS—WHEN YOU NURTURE YOUR LOVE OR LUST FOR SIN.

Harboring a hidden sin inside you is like carrying a grenade around. The only thing of it is, the pin has already been pulled and it’s only a matter of time before that grenade goes off and kills you. Your job as a Christian is to get rid of that grenade. For some, the grenade has been ticking away for a number of years and your time is just about up. The grenade is about to go off. And you don’t have a whole lot of time left to make your mind up. You’ve played with sin long enough and the Lord’s giving you what might well be your last chance to save yourself. Be assured of this one thing. If you choose to hold on the grenade of sin, you will be killed.

Brethren, extinguish the fires of your lusts so that you don’t end up in Hell’s fires. THE PROBLEMS IN YOUR LIFE WILL NOT BE RESOLVED OR REMEDIED UNTIL YOU BRING  THEM  OUT IN THE OPEN, ADMIT YOU’VE GOT PROBLEMS, THEN WORK TO GET RID OF THOSE PROBLEMS. You may need help. So get it! THE PROBLEMS IN YOUR LIFE AREN’T GOING TO GO AWAY BY THEMSELVES. THEY’LL GO WHEN YOU PUT THEM AWAY. THEY’LL END WHEN YOU TERMINATE YOUR LOVE AFFAIR WITH SIN.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 2. The problem with committing one sin is you don’t stop with just one. One sin leads to more. Sin is addictive. Drop by for a visit next time and I’ll show you.

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