Sermon and Sovereignty

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most familiar passages in the Bible.  It starts with the Beatitudes - "Blessed are the poor in spirit", etc.  Notice that the blessed ones aren't the rich and powerful, the celebrity or the world leader.  The ones who are blessed are the mourners, the meek, the ones who long after righteousness.  These humble people are pure in heart, and they delight in making peace.  Even when they are persecuted and reviled, they remember to look heavenward, for they know there is a sure reward awaiting.

It struck me this morning that the fifth chapter of Matthew is not a bunch of disconnected admonishments.  Rather, it is all about the Sovereignty of God.  He is the One who chooses His people and ordains their circumstances.  He wants them to walk humbly before Him, letting their light shine to a cursed and shining world, and making a difference.  He wants them to be the salt of the earth.  Salt is used to enhance the taste of food.  Christians are supposed to enhance the lives of others!

Christ came to fulfill the law, and in this passage He makes it clear that the Pharisees' re-interpretation has been wrong.   I imagine Jesus gazing at the Pharisees while He reminds them that they are not quite as holy as they think they are.

God Sees Our Anger

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.  (Matthew 5:21-26 ESV)

The Pharisees were proud that they'd kept the law, but Jesus pointed out their error.  Even anger deserved judgment, and insults deserved the fire of hell.  Jesus was teaching them that it was the internal sins that matter.  The Sovereign God sees the heart, the broken relationships, the pride. He blesses the humble, the meek, the peacemaker, not the arrogant, angry and proud.

God Sees Our Lust

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. (Matthew 5:27-30 ESV)

 Jesus wants us to know how serious it is to look with lustful intent.  It's another mark of pride to think that you can lust, and nobody knows.  God sees.  He knows.  The Sovereign God provides everything we need for life and godliness.  He is able to provide a spouse for you.  Humbly wait for His timing.

God Sees Our Relationships

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

God wants us to remain faithful in our marriages.  The Sovereign God has given you a spouse, and you ought to be faithful.  Yet the Sovereign God also sees when there is abuse and immorality, and He compassionately provides an escape for some.

God Sees our Hearts

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Do not ever be flippant about the things you say, for God is Omniscient and hears it all.  All of our speech should be made as if we were under oath to tell the truth.  The earth is God's footstool and heaven is His throne.  He is Sovereign over all.  Humble yourself before Him.  Watch your mouth!

God Sees our Desire for Vengeance 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

The Old Testament was limiting retaliation for a wrong to what was just and fair, but it was never meant to sanction acts of personal retaliation.  Jesus is asking the hearers to surrender all personal rights.

• Do you believe God is Sovereign?
• Is He able to judge fairly?
• Does He provide, as He promised?
• Can He use our losses to further His Kingdom?

Our Sovereign God is a Righteous Judge, with all the resources of the universe, and all the wisdom.  As we humble ourselves and surrender our rights, He can use our circumstances to accomplish His great will.

God wants us to Love our Enemies

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:31-48 ESV)

God is Sovereign over all, and He is kind and good to all, sending rain on the just and the unjust.  I love how Jesus uses the tax collector as an example - I imagine Matthew was sitting there with a wry smile on his face.  Even the hated tax collectors, like Matthew, love their friends.  Jesus wants us to love our enemies, and to be perfect, just like Him.

God is Sovereign.  Look at all the ways we see God's Sovereignty in this passage.

God chooses the elect and ordains their steps.  He knows which ones will be peacemakers, and which will be reviled.  Great will be their reward in Heaven, and God is the One who will give it.

God works in all of our relationships, in marriages and divorces, in strained relationships and legal battles.  He is Sovereign over all relationships, over our friends and our enemies, our workmates and our relatives. 

God is Sovereign over all that happens in our lives - the things that might puff us up, and the things that might trip us.  We must walk humbly before Him all the days of our life.

God is the Sovereign Judge of all the earth.  There is no need to take vengeance on our enemies, for God will set all things right in the end.

Take comfort in His Sovereignty!

Heavenly Father, Your Sovereignty over all is such a comfort to me.  I know that all things work together for good to those who love You, who are called according to Your purpose.  Even tragedies such as death or a battle with debilitating disease, even trials that break our bones or our hearts or our banks… all things are under Your control. 

Nothing is ever a surprise to You.  Your love never fails.  Help us, Lord, to walk humbly before you always.

The Crossing of the Red Sea

In our Bible Study yesterday, we contemplated the Crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites.  Gang reminded us to look for three things: 

1. Details (What details jump out at you as you read Exodus 14?)
2. Similar Patterns (What major themes or patterns do you see?)
3. Christ (The Whole Bible is about Christ.  How is He presented here?)

Verse 8:  And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly.

They'd been slaves in Egypt, and they'd seen astounding things.  They watched as the Lord God Almighty systematically destroyed the false gods of the Egyptians.  When it came time to march out of there, they went out defiantly.  

I can imagine them saying, "Ha!  You got what you deserved, you nasty slave-drivers! "  They took the gold and silver and precious things offered to them by the Egyptians, and left.

Ha!  

They were feeling pretty good.  They had a "high hand".  They were on top of the world.

Until they saw Pharoah pursuing them, that is, with 600 chariots.  Oh, No!  They were going to die in the wilderness.  What was Moses thinking, bringing them out there in the desert to die?  What would they do?  What should they do?

Verse 14 holds the Key:  The Lord will fight for you, and you only have to be silent.

The Lord will fight. 

For you.  For all of you miserable people, who'd only known slavery all of your lives.

And all you have to do is shut up and watch.  

Be still, and know that I am God.

Are you still in the face of your enemies?  Do you know, deep down, that God is the one who fights your battles?  Have you learned to stay silent and watch as the Lord fights for you?

But Moses had something to do.  God gave him an order:

"Stretch out your hand."  

"Moses, I am about to do a marvelous thing here, but I want you to do something, too.  Stretch out your hand over the sea."

Remember, it was God's work.  Moses knew this:

[13] And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. [14] The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

(Exodus 14:13-14 ESV)

God did the work, but He required Moses to stretch out his hand to accomplish His purpose.  Did He need Moses' help?  Of course not!  But He graciously gave him a job to do, and validated his leadership before the people.

Pattern:  God does the work.  He builds the church.  He feeds the family.  He accomplishes His purposes, all of the time.  Nothing can thwart His will.  Yet He has work for us to do.  We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.  

Are you doing the work God has prepared for you to do?  Are you faithfully stretching out your hand?  Do you acknowledge that any good thing you do is because of the Lord's mercy and grace, for it is His work?  

Pattern:  They could do NOTHING to save themselves.  Pharaoh and his armies were pursuing them, and there was nothing they could do.  They were weak, and helpless, and afraid.

Take a quick peek at 2 Chronicles 20.  You'll see another pattern there.  Jehoshophat cries out to God, overwhelmed by his enemies.  God tells him, "Don't be afraid.  The Battle is the Lord's!"  

Notice that in 2 Chronicles 20 and in Exodus 14, the children of Israel saw the evidence of God battling on their behalf.  They saw the dead Egyptians on the shore; they saw the dead enemies lying on the ground.  

God not only fought the battles, He made it clear that the enemy was defeated.

Do you live as one who has victory over sin?  It's defeated!  

Christ tore the veil.  He fought the Battle for us!  The enemy is defeated.  The old nature is dead.  

Christ is the Rock - the Way - the Path through the sea.

The path through the sea for the Israelites meant life.

The path through the sea for the Egyptians meant death. 

Check out 2 Corinthians 2:15, 16. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,  to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

(2 Corinthians 2:15-16 ESV)

Here's a summary of the Chapter:

[30] Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. [31] Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

(Exodus 14:30-31 ESV)

The Lord Saves! (He'll save you, too!)

Israel saw the enemy defeated. (He fights your enemies, too!)

Israel saw the great power of the Lord.  (His great power never changes.)

Israel feared the Lord.  (He is worthy of our praise.  He's a good lion, but never a tame one.)

Israel believed in the Lord, and in His servant Moses.  (Do you believe in Him?  Do you trust Him to fight your battles, to work on your behalf?  Do you pray for your spiritual leaders?)

Remember:  The Lord will fight for you.

You only have to be silent.

God Can Change Your Circumstances - In a Flash!

And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five shekels of silver.
(2 Kings 6:25 ESV)

I've never lived through a famine, but I can imagine how terrible it must be.  I can imagine the anguish of a mother who has NOTHING to feed her children, who are so weak they don't even bother to cry, or to wipe away the flies that are pestering their eyes.


The famine in Samaria was so bad that a donkey's head, with little meat and very little worth, sold for 80 shekels of silver, and a small bit of dove pooh sold for 5.  It was horrendous.  It was so bad that women were agreeing to eat their sons in turn.  I cannot imagine that.


Elisha knew it was bad; but he trusted the living God.  Elisha knew that the king was blaming him for the famine - but he also listened to God and spoke His words of truth.


This is what he said:

Elisha Promises Food

But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” (2 Kings 7:1-2 ESV)

Imagine the nerve of the prophet! He declares that this time tomorrow, food will be cheap, and plentiful, and economic recovery will be complete.  They'd just been through a siege so terrible that everyone in the city was starving, and mothers were eating their own children.  Yet Elisha declared, Tomorrow about this time, it'll all change.


The captain didn't believe it.  He scoffed.  


So Elisha declared, you'll see it with your own eyes, but you'll not eat any of it.




  To mock the prophetic word is to mock the Lord himself, however, so he shall see it … but … not eat.


Go to 2 Kings 7 and read what happened.


In a nutshell, there were four lepers at the gate of the city who were in a desperate situation.  They figured they were going to die anyway, so why not go into the city.  But they knew that the people in Jerusalem would likely stone them if they entered, so they decided to take their chances in the enemy's camp.


Imagine their surprise when they crept into the massive Syrian camp to find NOBODY there. Oh, there were animals and tents and riches and food - lots of food.  But not a single soul.  


God had moved on behalf of His people.  He'd sent the sound of a rushing army into the Syrian camp, and the soldiers, seasoned soldiers, panicked and fled.  They left behind everything, even their weapons... and RAN.


The lepers rushed into tent after tent, finding goodies and hiding them for themselves.  Suddenly, they thought, what are we doing?  Why not go and tell the leaders of the city?


When the people found out what had happened, they rushed to the Syrian camp and plundered it.  In their haste, they trampled the captain who had scoffed at Elisha's prophetic word.  

. . .the captain had answered the man of God, “If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he had said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate and he died.
(2 Kings 7:19-20 ESV)

Lessons Learned


God can change your circumstances in a flash.   Are you in a bind?  Are you desperate for change?  Are you crying out to God for the salvation of a loved one?  DON'T GIVE UP!  Keep on trusting.  Keep on believing!  God knows your every need, and He can change your circumstances in a flash!


God is never to be mocked.   The captain knew that Elisha was a prophet of God, and he knew exactly what he was saying.  


God is to be praised and exalted.  Speak up boldly when you are among those who do not believe.  Don't hold back, don't be afraid.  If you love God, do not deny Him. 


  

The God We Want and the God Who Is

Each Sunday we drive over an hour to go to church. It's becoming tradition to listen to Christian music to pass the time and get our hearts ready to worship the living God in fellowship with others. More often than not we listen to Casting Crowns.

There's one line in the song, "Somewhere In the Middle" that has been continually in my mind for the past few days. The song is talking about being caught in the middle between who I am (a born-again Christian with a brand new life) and who I used to be (lost and undone, without God and without hope in this world). When we become Christians, we are given a new life, but even though our citizenship is in heaven, we are tied to this earth and we struggle against the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Part of this reality is that we live in a sinful place. It's a place where fathers or mothers kill their children - unborn ones that are inconvenient, little ones that make too much noise or get in the way of boyfriends, older ones that shame them and break the family rules. It's a place where contracts are broken and people are cheated out of businesses or savings. It's a place where babies are born with heart defects or houses burn down, or we're told we have cancer or some other dreaded disease.

For the Christian who knows that God is sovereign and in control of all things, the reality of living in a sinful place can shake our faith. Why would God ordain that a father would strangle his own daughter, for instance? Why would God use the brutal murders of a beloved wife and two vibrant sons to bring blessing to His people?

Because He's the God Who is.

Sometimes, He's not the God we want.

The God I want is the smiling Father who gives me good gifts that I like. The God I want answers my prayers and blesses me with good health, with lots of friends and a growing family, with work that satisfies, with deep relationships, with opportunities that abound. I know He is able to do all things, and I love it when He does the things I want.

But I am stunned when I read the story of Job, and realize that the God Who Is doesn't deign to explain His actions to this man who has lost everything. I am brought to tears when I read in Terror By Night that the God Who Is not only took Terry Caffey's wife and boys, but he lost his home and all its memories to a blazing fire set by the murderers.

As I sat there reading the book, my tears became tears of joy when I realized that this God, the God Who Is, ordained that a small piece of paper from a book would not only survive the fire, but would lie up against a tree, in plain sight, for Terry to find.

At 3:00 a.m. on March 1, 2008, Terry Caffey awoke to find his daughter’s boyfriend standing in his bedroom with a gun. An instant later the teen opened fire, killing Terry’s wife, his two sons, and wounding him 12 times, before setting the house ablaze. Terry fell into deep depression and planned to kill himself, but God intervened. Upon visiting his burned-out property, Terry noticed a scorched scrap of paper from one of his wife’s books leaning against a tree trunk. The page read: “[God,] I couldn’t understand why You would take my family and leave me behind to struggle along without them. And I guess I still don’t totally understand that part of it. But I do believe that You’re sovereign; You’re in control.” That page was like a direct message from God, and it turned Terry’s life around.

I must admit that I've been caught in the middle the past few days, struggling against the unwanted thoughts that seep into my mind, making me question why a loving God would do what He does.

Because I know this God, this God Who Is, and because He has led me down dark paths fraught with danger and despair and NEVER ONCE LEFT MY SIDE, I know that the God I want IS the God Who Is. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Are you in the middle? Or have you come to the place of peace, the place of full surrender?

"Somewhere In The Middle"

Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle
Are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle

Plans that prosper

When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord. ~Pr. 19:3

I was thinking about that a lot today. Notice that the verse makes it clear that it's the man's folly that is the cause of the ruin he experiences. Notice, too, that he rages in his heart against the Lord.

Have you ever done that? Have you ever thought, "Why doesn't the Lord answer my prayers? Why is my baby sick? Why did my husband lose his job?" It's easy to rage against the Lord and blame Him when we experience trials. It's easy, but it's also very foolish.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

We can plan all we want. We can do the math, save the cash, execute the plan... but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

We watched the story of Amelia Earhart this evening. She was determined to fly around the world, even though she was not qualified to re-fuel her plane in mid-air. She planned her route. She employed the best air navigator in the world. She contacted the ship near the island at which she was supposed to land. But all of her plans were to no avail; the purpose of the Lord came about.

Sometimes the things to pass just don't make sense. Why would God choose Saul to be king over Israel, knowing that his heart would turn from God, and that he'd end up falling on his own sword rather than being taken and tortured by the enemy? What a terrible end for the first king of Israel!

Why would God choose Judas to walk with Jesus for three years? He supped with Him, listened to Him preach, watched His miracles, and still chose to betray the Lord of lords with a kiss.

Why would God allow lying priests to assure His people during Jeremiah's day that nothing would happen to them, even though God planned to punish them with famine and the sword?

Jeremiah 14:11 The Lord said to me: “Do not pray for the welfare of this people.12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”

Because God is God! His ways are not our ways. Yet at every moment of every day, He is executing His plan - His perfect, omniscient, omnipotent plan. He will bring it to pass.

Don't worry if there's a Judas in your life - a betrayer and swindler, greedy for gain, without compassion for the downtrodden. God will take care of him.

Don't worry if there's a Saul in your life - a leader without courage, eager for accolades and jealous of anyone who does better than he. God will take care of him.

Don't worry if someone has lied to you, trying to placate you and promise you nothing but health and wealth and joy and travels to exotic places. God will close the mouth of the liar.

Like Amelia Earhart, we do need to plan our trip, the next step on the journey. We need to count the cost and do the work, to persevere and proceed with courage. Yet, if the Lord chooses to stop us in our tracks, to give us a delay of four years (as He did with Paul, allowing him to be falsely accused and languish in prison) we need to bow to His will.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Don't bother raging against the Lord when your plans come to naught. His purpose WILL stand. Trust Him to give you a future and a hope.