PROPERTY FOR SALE
Isaiah 34-35 / Luke 24:16-24
Proverbs 8:33, “Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.”
Proverbs 13:20, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
I would like you to think about three thoughts this morning:
1 – Your Investments: How are they doing?
2 – Your Interest: What gives you security and satisfaction?
3 – Your Involvement: Are you as committed to Christ as He is to you?
How many of you have ever purchased property? Did you buy it without examining it, or did you first examine the property, to make sure you were not buying swamp land?
When I was a boy a sitcom came on TV called Amos and Andy. Amos and Andy were always looking for a good deal, only to their own detriment. One day Andy bough a beautiful two story house at an absolute steal. He saw a picture of the house, but he never saw the house. He was so excited, he called Amos and said, “I want you to go with me and see the house I bought.” When they got to the property, sure enough, there stood a beautiful two story house. They went to the front door, unlocked the door, and step in and found themselves in the back yard. Andy said, “We walked through the whole house and didn’t even know it.” So they opened the back door to walk in the house again, and when they shut it, they were in the front yard. After thirty minutes of foolishness, the silly men realized, they had been taken by a con artist, they bought a house that only had a front wall.
How many of you have ever rented a house or room for a vacation and when you arrived, it was not what you thought? Some years ago, we rented a penthouse on top of a popular hotel on Myrtle Beech at what we thought, was an absolute steal because it was winter time. It was 25% of the normal price.
When we got to the hotel it was very pretty. We got in the elevator and went to the top floor and with excitement; we wanted to see this luxurious four bedrooms and four bathrooms condo, which overlook the ocean. When we walked in it was very unkempt. The carpet was coming off the floor and the ceiling was caving in, and besides that they were renovating the place. The balcony rails had been removed and replaced with small red tape which read “warning.” We heard the jack hammers going. Needless to say, we did not stay there.
Isaiah has been preaching judgment pretty much for 33 chapters, and now he is about to wrap it all up. He is going to tells us about two pieces of retirement properties that man can invest in for time and eternity.
I – PROPERTY ONE - The first piece of property is found in chapter 34. In this chapter Isaiah describes a few of the sights and sounds of this property, called earth. However, there is a problem; God is renovating this property at this time. It is called the tribulation renovation.
The second piece of property is found in Isaiah 35. Isaiah describes some of the sights and sounds after God finishes His renovation. It is know as the millennial kingdom, when the earth will be more beautiful than ever. Hovering above this fabulous piece of property will be the bridal suite Jesus Christ has prepared for His people.
Now, how is the Church involved in this property? What is the bride of Christ to look forward to?
Christians are not looking forward to the Great Tribulation. Nor, are Christians looking forward to living on this earth during the 1,000 year millennium. Christians are looking for, and longing for the coming of the Savior of the world.
Paul said, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:11-13).
When Christ returns He will return twice, with a seven-year interval. He will come back first, in the clouds, and take His bride to a very special place in the heavens. At this special place, properties, possessions and positions will be awarded to His bride. The bride will be adorned with crowns and jewels and properties for their stay in the new Millennium.
That truth is revealed in Revelation 4 and 5, and in First Thessalonians 4:13-18 and First Corinthians 15:51-58. The bride of Christ will be in heaven with the Lord for seven years. During that time period, Isaiah will describe in chapter 34, how the property value on earth will really crash, as the Lord renovates the earth, by destroying the old foundations.
The second time the Lord returns to earth, He will return at the end of the tribulation and at the beginning of the Millennium. That is what Isaiah describes in Isaiah 35. The earth will be made like unto a utopia, and Christ and His Bride will dwell in the New Jerusalem for 1,000 marvelous years, that will be hovering above the earth, as describe Revelation 21 and 22.
What Isaiah reveals in chapter 34 is a contradiction to the philosophies and belief of the world system today. Governments and many religions today are living for the globalization of this world, and the uniting of religions world wide. The teaching is that everybody, everywhere should be tolerant of sin and evil and wickedness, and this will usher in peace on earth and good will to men.
Today, many have compromised and watered down God’s holy Word in such a way, that most men don’t know the broad road from the narrow road. They don’t know up from down, or right from wrong. The Lord said in the last days men would call “evil good and good evil.”
Today, nearly every nation on the face of the earth has removed the fear of God and the honor of God from their government and education program. Jesus Christ is no longer respected, honored, worshipped or bowed before as the Savior of the world. It seems, whoever lives for Christ is often ridiculed and often scorned in most places in this world. But God’s children can sing as the song writer put it, “Soon and very soon we are going to see the King,” or “This world is not my home I’m just a passing through.”
Not only is the Lord coming soon, but Judgment day is coming upon the earth. Isaiah describes that judgment day in chapter 34. It is closer to transpiring than ever.
Now understand, at this time in history, (Isaiah 34-35) the Assyrians were drawing nearer to destroying Jerusalem. Men and women had to make a decision to trust God, or compromise with the world, by yielding to the Assyrian’s lifestyle and culture. Today, the same decision is at hand to every child of God. God is calling His people to make a ransom for their souls. God says, “Give me your life and I will give you My life.”
God is looking for a few good men to walk with Him. The question, “Will Christ be Lord of all or not Lord at all of our life?” We must decide, “Will we live and invest our lives in the pleasures and joys of this world, which will soon be renovated, or will we live and invest our lives in Jesus Christ, and therefore, invest in His work for time and eternity?
For those who want to invest their lives in the world’s property, Isaiah reveals what it will look like one day in Chapter 34. He begins by giving an open invitation for every nation in the world to come, sit down and hear what will transpire on this earth in that day.
I – The Invitation of the Lord
Isaiah 34:1, “Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.”
This is not an unusual statement that Isaiah made, for in Isaiah, chapter one and verse two, he calls for all the earth to listen and watch the judgment God will put on his own people. And for 33 chapters Isaiah has been telling Israel, Judah and the world of future judgment that will fall on God’s own people. In this chapter God’s eyes are turned towards a world that has rejected and rebelled against Him. So, here is the invitation, “Come, sit down and listen.”
II – The Indignation of the Lord v 2-
2 For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.
The word “indignation” means “righteous anger.” Some would ignorantly ask, “Why is God angry with His creation?” The answers is simple, God is holy. God has patiently, lovingly, graciously and mercifully given man everything in this world for his enjoyment for 6,000 years. He gave mankind all the vegetation and meat to fill his hungry body. He gave mankind emotions of love and joy and sorrow to experience ecstasy. He gave mankind breath and life and health to live for Him and love Him, and man misused what God gave him.
God sent his prophets, priest, pastors and preachers to warn the world that they were walking on thin ice. They were walking near the quick sands of Sodom. They were walking on dangerous ground and judgment would come, if they did not turn around.
Many men laughed at God and others ignored God and His messengers, and generation after generation wandered farther and farther from God. At this time in Isaiah’s writings, after God takes His bride home, His righteous indignation, yea His vengeance and fury will explode upon this earth, and He will completely destroy the world, that man has corrupted with sin. Man’s days will end not only with a destruction and renovation of the earth, but with a terrible slaughter of the rebels of mankind in the Valley of Mediggo.
Many preachers today say, “God loves everybody and everything is wonderful and the world is getting better.” While it is true, God does love everybody, God hates man’s sin and rebellion. Everything is not wonderful and God will soon reveal His righteous indignation.
Today, God sends many warnings through the elements of nature, just as He did in the days of Israel. The famines, draughts and diseases across this earth have nothing to do with Mother Nature. As, God used the elements of His creation to warn man in Old Testament days, He uses those same elements today. When man would not listen to His prophets or obey His word, God thundered from heaven in other ways saying, “Turn back to me.”
After the Lord takes His bride to safety, many will die. There will not just be thousands, or millions that will die, but billions of people will die during the renovation of this world. In Revelation six, alone, a quarter of the population of the world will die, and then one-third of the population will perish and then, another third will die in the tribulation.
One would think that the world would be covered with carcasses and the stench from dead bodies by the end of this time, and it will.
Isaiah 34:3 reads, “Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.” The word, melted means to saturate. The earth will be saturated with the blood of humans and animals.
Isaiah 34:4 reads, “And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.”
Isaiah 34:4 can refer to three things. 1) It can refer to the literal heavens around us, being dissolved as a fervent heat and thus picturing what will transpire at the end of the millennium, when God will make all things new once and for all. 2) Or it can be figurative. It could speak of those men who think themselves high and mighty and God will destroy their works and their world. 3) If the coming of the Lord is a ways off, it could very well refer to the millions of people that may live in satellite stations hovering above the earth in a hundred years or so. 4) So say it pictures the mushroom clouds of the nuclear bombs ascending into the air.
Which ever interpretation it is, the thought is, man can not run and hide from God. And as a leaf and fig that falls from a tree, man will receive no more life from God, so God is through with those who have rebelled against Him.
III – The Intentions of the Lord
Isaiah 34:5 “For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.”
In Genesis, God lets man imagine that His intent was to create a beautiful world, and give it as a gift to mankind and forever after, fellowship with His creation. Then, man sinned and everything changed. God revealed His intent to provide the world with a Savior and to save man from his sins. Again, man rebelled and spurned God’s love. Now, in the last days, God’s intent is different. God is about to unsheathe His sword.
Idumea represents Edom. Edom was the descendants from Esau. Esau rebelled against God and rejected the birthright. Thus, Edom represents all the earth that has rejected God’s only way to heaven and that is Jesus Christ.
The Lord will unsheathe his own sword, and fill the earth with the blood of all those who have rebelled against Him. Why? For 6,000 years the men of Edom have filled the earth with the innocent blood of God’s saints, and God never drew His sword. Now, things are different, God shall unsheathe His sword.
Isaiah 34:6 reveals that truth. “The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.
7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.
8 For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.”
The year of recompense meant payment was due. Man had long neglected paying God the honor due Him. For hundreds and hundreds of years, man slowly stole from God everything God gave man. Man stole the time God gave him, man stole the talents God gave him and man stole the treasures God gave him, and man selfishly spend all that God gave him for his own pleasure.
Now, God calls the payment in, but man finds himself bankrupt of spiritual truth. Man’s response to God’s last cry is rebellion. He rebels and turns to fight against God, and the Lord unsheathes His holy sword and the earth is soaked with the blood of all who have refused God’s love.
Isaiah 34:9-17 reveals God’s judgment on Idumea (Edom). History proves that God’s word is accurate. The mountain where the people and cites of Edom once stood for hundreds of years were destroyed, and have never been rebuilt. God is saying in a prophetic way, once He destroys this world during the tribulation, man will never again rebuild a world government filled with such wickedness.
Now stop and think for a moment. As Isaiah invited all the nations of the world to come and to hear what would happen to them in the future, what if Billy Graham would have one more chance to stand before the TV cameras of this world and have his words transported across the globe via satellite to every nation?
What if he stood and said, “Listen leaders of this world, you that have rejected Jesus Christ, as the only God and Savior of mankind. Now, you shall be rejected by Him. Your land shall be left desolate. Your cities will burn with fire. Your carcasses will rot in your streets, if you do not repent and fall on your face before the Holy God of truth.
I’m afraid he would cease to be a popular as he is today.
The sale advertisement of earth’s property after the tribulation might read this way: For Sale: Thousands of acres of land, no grass, no trees, no vegetation and no life. The ground is saturated with human skeletons and human blood. Bargain prices: Buy now and save.
II - PROPERTY TWO
Isaiah 35 reveals to man the goodness of God. The horrible tribulation is not the end of things for man. The fires of God’s judgment have now burned out. His mighty sword of vengeance has been sheathed. The sorrows of night have ended and joy has come, for it is morning. Tears shall give way to joy, and death shall give way to life.
There shall be no more raging storms of God’s wrath. The storm clouds have cleared and the sun will shine for 1,000 marvelous years. The world will have no war, no famine, no strife, no divorce and no division for Jesus Christ will rule and reign.
Three very important transactions take place in the Millennium:
I – The Material earth will be Restored - v 1-2
Isaiah briefly describes the material earth and how it shall be restored. Isaiah 35:1, “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.”
Deserts of the earth cover one-fifth of the earth, or twenty percent, or one out of every five square miles of land space on the earth today. In some deserts that have a meteorological station as in El Azizia, the temperature has been recorded at 150 degrees. Land is very cheap there. The soil is sand, the vegetation is zilch, and the wild life is composed of a few serpents and scorpions.
The wilderness is defined as a natural area on earth not modified by human activity. Wildernesses cover 45% of the world’s land mass. So at lease 65% of the land mass of the earth today is not inhabited by mankind.
Now think! There are 6.7 billion people in the world today. There are 196,940,400 square miles of land mass, of which 65% we are not using. But, one day it will all be usable.
For every square mile there is 43,560 square feet, or 2,175 acres. If each person lived on one acre of the earth, the earth could easily house 500 billion people.
However, in Portland, Oregon today, there are 3,000 people living per square mile. In Los Angeles there are 5,600 people living per square mile. At that rate the earth cold easily house over one trillion people during the millennia.
But, think about this. In Manhattan their lives 52,000 people per square mile. If, the world in the Millennium is adorn with God’s beauty and majestic cites reaching high into the sky, 52,000 people per square acre will be no problem. If that is the case the world could easily inhabit 10 trillion people during the millennium. And think, nobody will have to have a morning cup of coffee before they can smile in the morning, for Jesus will be the joy of man’s heart.
And the deserts and wilderness will blossom like a rose, and with the song of rejoicing I believe that will be resonating from the Heavenly Jerusalem.
Isaiah 35:2, “It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.”
To grasp the beauty of this verse, a person would have to know the character traits of these lands that made them so desirable. Lebanon was a enchanting land known for its beautiful white mountains, and Carmel was known for its abundance of vegetation and beauty. Finally, Sharon was known for its overflowing vineyards and flowers. Isaiah is attempting to describe for the Hebrew people, with terms they were familiar with, just how beautiful the millennium would be.
If I were to describe the beauty of the millennium with terms you might understand today, I would say to you, “Have you seen the snow capped mountains of Alaska and watched the sun set at 10:00 at night?” Have you ever swam in the oceans of Hawaii and seen the coral reefs?” Have you been to the wheat fields of Kansas or the corn fields of Illinois? Have you driven the Blue Ridge Parkway, or stood on the North Carolina Coast and watched the Sun rise.
Take the most beautiful sites you have ever seen and realize, your eyes have never seen the beauties that await you in God’s millennial kingdom. Your ears have never heard the peaceful and joyful sounds that the millennium will bring.
II – The Men of the earth will be Renewed - v 3-9
Verse three reveals that there will be no weak hands or feeble knees. In other words there will be no deformities in that day, no wheel chairs and no need for hospitals.
Isaiah 35:3 “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.”
Verse four reveals to us, that there will be no fear throughout the earth. The One who saved you will be the one who will take care of you. Verse five tells us there will be no deformities.
Isaiah 35:5-6 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.”
There are estimated 40 million blind people in the world today and 15.2 million deaf and dumb. Verse five admonished the blind to know in that marvelous day, there will be no blindness. Everyone will have 20-20 vision. Neither will there be any deafness on the earth. Every one will hear clearly the sounds of heaven and earth.
Verse seven reminds us again that the wilderness and deserts will be no more, and the most important thought of all is found in verse eight.
“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.”
The highway, or the walk of every man during the millennium will be holiness and righteousness and purity. The song in man hearts, the thoughts in man’s mind, the talk of the town will be Jesus!
There will not be any strangers or unsaved people to God in the land, in that marvelous 1,000 years period. Everyone will know the Lord and the Lord will know every one.
And verse nine tells the world that there will be no types of fearful animals, for they shall all be tamed.
9 “No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:”
If this verse is symbolic, the Lord may be speaking of the lion, Satan, and the ravenous beast refers his demonic creatures. They will be in the pit with the devil at this time
III – The members of God’s family will return to Zion
Isaiah 35:10 “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
Those that shall inhabit the earth during the 1,000 years will be the redeemed of the ages. They will understand what it means to be ransomed. They will sing songs of joy and their lives will be filled with gladness. What a glorious day that shall be.
In conclusion, I admonish you to invest your time, talents and treasures in eternal things so you may enjoy that 1,000 year millennium more than ever.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
HAVE YOU BEEN REDEEMED?
REDEMPTION
“Twenty” is the Biblical number that represents redemption in the Bible. Spiritual Redemption is the purchase God made by the suffering and death of His Son, Jesus Christ. That purchase when reciprocated is the deliverance of sinners from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God’s violated law by the atonement of Christ.
Every person that goes to heaven must be redeemed. Read and learn what God’s word says about redemption.
Outline:
I – The Price Paid
II – The Praise Presented
III – The Proclamation Proclaimed
I – THE PRICE PAID
Let me give you an adolescent example of redemption: A young boy receives as a gift for his birthday a beautiful AKC registered puppy. The little boy’s eyes beam with delight and joy. Day by day as they tumble in the grass and play together the boy and dog become best friends.
One day the dog wanders off and the boy can not find his dog. He puts up posters and asks neighbors if they have seen his dog but nobody has. One neighbor wisely suggests, “Have you checked the dog pound or the pet stores?” The little boy grabs his bike and heads to the dog pound and pet stores. Sure enough his dog is at a privately owned pet shop. He goes up to the owner of the store and says with a tear in his eye, “Mister that is my dog and I want him back.” The man says, “Son, that may be so but a man walked in here the other day and I paid him for that dog. Before you can have him back you have to pay what is owed.
“How much is owed?” the small boy asks. The man says, “$200.00.” “Mister, I don’t have $200.00. I don’t even have $2.00,” the child spoke. “I’m sorry son,” said the man, “but before you can get your dog back you have to pay the price.”
The little boy goes home and with tears in his eyes, he tells his dad the story. The wise dad says, “Son what are you willing to give up for your friend?” Will you sell your bike? Will you sell your video games? Will you sell your baseball cards? The little boy says, “Dad I will give everything I have to get my pup back.”
That Saturday the little boy had a yard sale and everything he owned he put in the yard sale. He sold his bike, his video games and everything he had. He made exactly $200.00.
He took that money and rushed down to the pound with joy in his heart he laid down the money on the counter and gladly paid the ransom for his pup. When the cage was open the little pup saw his master and with his tail wagging and joy in his eyes, he leaped into his master’s arms reciprocating the purchase made.
That is what is called redemption. The boy sacrificed all he had and paid the price for his pup’s freedom. The pup in return revealed his deep appreciation of that freedom even though the pup did not fully understand the complete sacrifice the boy made.
In Isaiah 53, Isaiah tells us the story of redemption. Man ignorantly, proudly or stubbornly ran away from God and become lost in an evil world of sin. He sold his soul to the devil when he chose to sin. But God so loved man that He gave all He had when He sent His son to “seek and to save that which was lost.”
The price for God to purchase back mankind would be expensive. The price would be so high; all the wealth in the world would not be enough to pay God the great price of redemption.
God’s son would have to give his life. His son would be despised and rejected of men. He would be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He would be stricken, beaten and wounded for our transgressions. He would be bruised for our iniquities and beaten with many stripes for our healing.
He would not open his mouth though tortured, but would suffer as a lamb taken to the slaughter. He would have spikes driven through His hands and he would hang on a cruel cross for six hours while the sins of the world were laid on Him.
Jesus Christ would have to die this cruel death, descend in to hell, defeat Satan, break down the prison doors of death and walk out of the grave all by Himself. This Jesus did and Isaiah says in Isaiah 53:10, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him.’
God found joy in sacrificing His son to save you from your sins. Does He see you willingly run and jump in His arms of love. That is redemption.
II – THE PRAISE PRESENTED
Many actions and reactions flood a person’s soul when they realize what transpired in redemption. When they see as some say, “The whole ball of wax.” When they see the awesome price Christ paid. One of those reactions is praise. The reason that Christians sing is their hearts are full of joy over their redemption.
One of the famous songs of the Christian faith is “Redeemed” by Fanny Crosby.
REDEEMED
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
Redeemed thru His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am.
Redeemed and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell:
I know that the light of His presences with me doth continually dwell.
I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent, His love is the theme of my song.
I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whom law I delight,
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps and giveth me songs in the night.
Redeemed, Redeemed, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb,
Redeemed, Redeemed, His child and forever I am.
Redemption is the song of the saints of God. We rejoice because the Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.
Galatians 3:13 reads, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
The word redeemed means to pay the price in order to set another free. It also means to buy or rescue.
So the question comes to mind, “What exactly was the price God paid to redeem mankind?”
The answer is found in First Peter 1: 18 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”
It wasn’t silver and gold. It wasn’t good works and traditional teachings of the church or the family that saves a soul.
Jesus gave His life and shed His blood on Calvary to buy man’s soul from Satan and to deliver man’s eternal state from hell.
In our English language we speak in three tenses when dealing with words or sentence structure; past, present and future. In the Greek there is another tense called the aorist tense. It does not regard these tenses particularly but speaks as if the transaction in the past is still happening today and will happen yet in the future.
The word “redeemed” in this passage is in the aorist tense. So to say, “I am redeemed, I am being redeemed and I shall be redeemed yet in the future,” is a true statement.
Redemption is not only the song of the saints of God on earth today, but redemption will be the song of the saints in heaven for eternity.
The saints of God are pictured in heaven in Revelation 4 and 5. John records what he saw and heard when he was translated to heaven from the Isle of Patmos. He writes, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5: 9).
There are a number of examples of the number twenty in the Bible and its relationship to redemption. Let us look at a few:
III. THE PROCLAMATION PROCLAIMED
Remember that the number twenty in Biblical numerology means redemption. Now examine a few points about redemption.
I – TWENTY WAS THE JEWISH AGE OF REDEMPTION.
Exodus 30:12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
There are four very important principles in this verse:
1) The word ransom in the Hebrew means a “price for a life.” It also means “redeemed from captivity by paying the equivalent.” Do you understand what that means? A child has a difficult time understanding redemption. That is why for those who did not understand it, at the age of twenty, each twenty year old was to make a personal ransom for his soul.
2) It was not until a Jewish young man turned twenty was he considered mature enough to make an understandable and willing ransom for his soul.
3) The amount paid was a half a shekel or twenty gerahs. This was a very small price to pay by man but the price was the same for the rich man or the poor man. The thought is this: For us to give God our lives is really not much but it is what is required by all men and women, rich or poor.
4) The offering that was made was of silver. Silver always represent redemption in the Bible.
Examine two very important thoughts from this passage:
A – The Act of repentance:
Listen to a statement that might shock most Christians and many pastors. As it cost the Son of God His life to redeem you, it will cost you your life to be redeemed. Selah!
Someone said, “But Salvation is a free gift.” It is in the respect that Jesus paid it all, but it is only received when a person is redeemed and reciprocates to God what God has given Him.
Examine the trade: Man gives us his sin for God’s salvation.
Man gives up a fleshly life for a spiritual life.
Man gives up his pride for a Christlike life.
Man gives up hell for heaven.
Man gives up time for eternity. Have you paid your ransom?
After Christ rose from the dead and after Pentecost, Peter preached and said, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).
First look at the word “repent.” Many modernistic preachers and even some who call them selves fundamental, have discredited the truth of the word repent. They have defined it as “a change of mind.” That is like defining marriage as two people who decided to live together.
The word has a far deeper meaning. “It means the sorrow and pain of sin one senses within his very being when he realizes he has violated God’s holy law and dishonored God’s holy character.”
It places within that person the sense of sorrow due to one’s conduct and the fear one feels in recognition of judgment to come.
When redemption takes place in one’s life, there is not just repentance but godly sorrow with that repentance.
Second Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
True repentance takes place when a person experiences godly sorrow which means that person is truly sorry that he or she has sinned against God or hurt God’s reputation by the life he/she lived.
Worldly sorrow is seen in a person that weeps over losing personal or material things in life. Worldly sorrow does not bring a person to true repentance only godly sorrow will do this.
Second, look at the word converted. To be converted means to be changed from one state to another. It pictures a field being changed from being barren to being fruitful. It speaks of an animal being change from being wild to being tamed. It means for a man to change from loving and living for self to loving and living for God.
B – The Act of the Ransom – (Exodus 30:14) Many religions have set an age on a person when they think a child is old enough to be redeemed.
Some have what is called confirmation at the age of twelve or thirteen or another age, but I have said often, the time of salvation to a soul is not an age but a stage.
That stage is when that person truly in his/her own mind, heart and soul understands God’s redemptive work and then he/she willingly and submissively surrenders before Almighty God and receives His Son into his/her life as Lord and Savior.
There are many people that make professions of receiving Christ at young ages.
Of those, many remain faithful to God, His word and His Church. On the other hand, many make professions and they reach the age of about twenty and they go hog-wild mad, living in sin.
When a youth reaches maturity and begins to make his own decisions in life, the direction he choses becomes clear if he has understood redemption by repenting with godly sorrow and being converted and in return paying a ransom for their own soul.
Some may ask, “What do you mean, paying the price a ransom for their soul?” I mean as Christ chose you in Him before the foundations of the world and gave his life for you, you must willingly and unashamedly choose Him and give your love and life for Him.
I believe salvation is like a marriage. It is like a two-way street.
II - TWENTY WAS THE AGE OF THE REDEMPED TO GO TO WAR
Throughout the book of Numbers the number “twenty” was associated with a young man coming of age to make decisions for him self, but particularly to prepare him self for war.
The word “twenty” appears 293 times in the Bible. In the first chapter of Numbers, the word “twenty” appears 33 times. 19 times in chapter one we read, “From twenty years old and upward.” All that were able to go forth to war in Israel were to go and fight for freedom.
The application is two-fold:
1) A person who receives Christ’s redemption must understand there is a great war to fight and every one must prepare for battle.
2) A person who is redeemed is redeemed by “faith.” The phrase “from twenty years old and upward” appears 19 times in this first chapter of Numbers and 19 is the number of “faith.”
We are saved by grace through faith. It is not of good works we have done. Jesus Christ paid for our redemption. By faith we received God’s wonderful Salvation. That salvation comes after godly sorrow brings a person to repentance.
III TWENTY WAS THE AGE FOR THE REDEEMED TO REDEEM
In the book of Ruth we find the story of a family of four that had lived in the world and lost everything. Three die and now the wife, Naomi, returns home after laying her husband and two sons in the ground.
But, one joy among all the sorrow followed her, her daughter-in-law, Ruth went home with her. Naomi had gone out full and returned home empty. She would live in poverty the rest of her life it seemed.
Then a man by the name of Boaz came on the scene. Boaz became Naomi and Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer purchasing them at a great price. He redeemed their property and their lives. They moved from rags to riches.
It is interesting to find that Boaz’s name appears twenty times in the book of Ruth where this story is told. Twenty is the number of redemption.
IV TWENTY WAS THE AGE OF THE REDEEM TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
A young man was to mature and grow up in Israel’s culture by the time he turned twenty. He was totally responsible for his own actions before Almighty God. He could no longer blame anybody for his actions. He was responsible for him self.
We find that truth in Numbers 14:29. When Israel refused to believed God’s word to enter into the Promise Land, God revealed to them the consequences of their lack of faith and at what age they were responsible to Him. Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me (Numbers 14: 29).
It is true that children have the tendency to act like their parents but when a child comes to the age of “redemption” he is accountable to God for all his own actions. If you are old enough to claim to know Christ as your Savior, you are therefore responsible for your actions.
Winston Churchill
A wealthy English family once invited friends to spend some time at their beautiful estate. The happy gathering was almost plunged into a terrible tragedy on the first day. When the children went swimming, one of them got into deep water and was drowning. Fortunately, the gardener heard the others screaming and plunged into the pool to rescue the helpless victim. That young boy who was rescued was Winston Churchill.
His parents were so deeply grateful to the gardener they asked, “What can we do to reward you?” He hesitated, then said, “I wish my son could go to college someday and become a doctor.” “We’ll pay his way,” replied Churchill’s parents.
Years later when Sir Winston was prime minister of England, he was stricken with pneumonia. Greatly concerned, the best physician in England was summons to the bedside of the ailing leader.
That doctor that came to Churchill was Sir Alexander Fleming, the developer of penicillin. He was also the son of that gardener who had saved Winston from drowning as a boy! Later Churchill said, “Rarely has one man owed his life twice to the same person.”
But is that not exactly what God has done for mankind? The Heavenly Father gave us the gift of physical life. We were drowning in our sins and then through His Son, the Great Physician, He has imparted to us eternal life.
May we become fully aware of our indebted love to Christ? He has given us both life and eternal life through the redemption of His Son. Should that not motivate us to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Him?
A.J. GORDON
Some years back when A. J. Gordon was pastor of a church in Boston, he met a young boy in front of the church carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, “Son, where did you get those birds?”
The boy replied, “I trapped them out in the field.”
“What are you going to do with them?”
“I’m going to play with them, and then I guess I’ll just feed them to an old cat we have at home.”
Gordon offered to buy them, and the lad exclaimed, “Mister, you don’t want them, they’re just little old wild birds. They are dirty and they can’t sing very well.”
Gordon replied, “I’ll give you $2 for the cage and the birds.”
“Okay, it’s a deal,” said the lad, “but you’re making a bad bargain.”
The exchange was made and the boy went away whistling, happy with his money. Gordon walked around to the back of the church property, opened the door of the small wire coop, and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue.
The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit and used it to illustrate his sermon about Christ’s coming to seek and to save the lost—paying for them with His own precious blood.
“That boy told me the birds were could sing very well,” said Gordon, “but when I released them and they winged their way heavenward, it seemed to me they were singing, ‘Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!”
You and I have been held captive to sin, but Christ has purchased our pardon and set us at liberty. When a person has this life-changing experience, he will want to sing, “Redeemed, Redeemed, Redeemed!”
Please understand again, most people who claim they were redeemed at an early age, often have no experience at all. The evidence of salvation is clear.
V - TWENTY IS THE NUMBER OF REDEMPTION USED OFTEN IN THE BUILDING OF THE TABERNACLE.
While Israel was traveling to the Promise Land, God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle for worship. The tabernacle when finished would be a place where God met with His people. It would be a place of sacrifice, cleansing, judgment, intercession, and worship. The story of redemption in the Tabernacle is found in Exodus 26-38.
Exodus 26: 18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward.
19 And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
20 And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards:
In the wilderness, right after Israel was delivered from Egyptian bondage, they built a Tabernacle to God. It was 100 cubits long and fifty cubits wide. The building of the Tabernacle was completely a testimony of Salvation, sanctification and service to our Lord.
On the North side of the Tabernacle were twenty boards. Those twenty boards represent our redemption. The twenty boards which are secured in the ground are placed in sockets of brass. Brass represents God’s judgment, thus Jesus Christ came to this earth and took our place by facing the judgment of God on Calvary’s cross.
The twenty boards also are capped with silver. Silver is always a picture or redemption as gold is a picture of one who has gone through the fires and came out pure.
There are also hooks and rings made of silver that connect the beautiful white linen cloth to the twenty boards that circle the Tabernacle. The rings and hooks are made of silver, thus it is not only the redemption of God that saves us but it is His redeeming love that keeps us.
The white linen shows forth the righteous and holy life of the believer. The south side has the exact main dimensions as the north.
On the East and West side there are ten pillars. Ten is the number of testimony. When we have been redeemed through the judgment that was placed on Jesus Christ, we have a testimony for Him also.
This is all on the outside but the true work of redemption takes place on the inside of the Tabernacle. There is one door to enter the tabernacle. That door represents Jesus Christ as the one and only way to heaven.
Four boards capped with gold hold the extra beautiful curtains together which represent this door. The curtains are intricately interwoven with blue and scarlet and purple threads. The scarlet represents the sacrificial blood that was shed for the sins of the world. The blue represented the hope of eternal life for all who receive Christ’s redemptive work and the purple represent royalty. Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords.
After the door, we behold the brazen altar. It is on this alter that the sacrifices are made by the priest. It is here sacrificial animals are offered for man’s sin. The blood is offered here as well as through the inter Tabernacle.
You then come to the brass altar where the priest cleanses himself before going into the holy place. There must be cleansing before any one can enter the holy place.
Inside the holy place are three beautiful pieces of furniture. First you see the incense altar. This is a place of prayer. As Jesus was the one who intercedes for us, we today may come and intercede for others.
To the right in the holy place is the table of showbread. Fresh bread was made and placed here daily. This bread represented Jesus Christ as the bread of life. If we eat of this bread, Jesus, we shall be fully satisfied. But as the bread is made daily, we must feast daily.
To the left of the incense altar is the golden candlesticks. They are made of pure gold which represents the deity of Jesus Christ. They are filled with oil and the wicks are to burn day and night. Thus, Jesus Christ is the light of the world. As Jesus was the light of the world so believers in Christ are to be lights in this dark world. Keep you vessel filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit and your will burn for Him all day.
There is one last place that only one person was allowed to enter a year during Israel’s days in the wilderness. This place was the Holy of holies. It was here where the high priest went once a year to offer the blood of a sacrifice and make atonement for the sins of Israel. This place was the most intimate place of worship. The priest had to have every sin confessed and had to be perfectly clean to go into the presence of God.
Today, we that are redeemed are to be pillars that show forth Christ’s righteousness. But we are what we are because of our inner worship with God. The out side of the believer will be righteous if the inside of the believer has been redeemed.
“Twenty” is the Biblical number that represents redemption in the Bible. Spiritual Redemption is the purchase God made by the suffering and death of His Son, Jesus Christ. That purchase when reciprocated is the deliverance of sinners from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God’s violated law by the atonement of Christ.
Every person that goes to heaven must be redeemed. Read and learn what God’s word says about redemption.
Outline:
I – The Price Paid
II – The Praise Presented
III – The Proclamation Proclaimed
I – THE PRICE PAID
Let me give you an adolescent example of redemption: A young boy receives as a gift for his birthday a beautiful AKC registered puppy. The little boy’s eyes beam with delight and joy. Day by day as they tumble in the grass and play together the boy and dog become best friends.
One day the dog wanders off and the boy can not find his dog. He puts up posters and asks neighbors if they have seen his dog but nobody has. One neighbor wisely suggests, “Have you checked the dog pound or the pet stores?” The little boy grabs his bike and heads to the dog pound and pet stores. Sure enough his dog is at a privately owned pet shop. He goes up to the owner of the store and says with a tear in his eye, “Mister that is my dog and I want him back.” The man says, “Son, that may be so but a man walked in here the other day and I paid him for that dog. Before you can have him back you have to pay what is owed.
“How much is owed?” the small boy asks. The man says, “$200.00.” “Mister, I don’t have $200.00. I don’t even have $2.00,” the child spoke. “I’m sorry son,” said the man, “but before you can get your dog back you have to pay the price.”
The little boy goes home and with tears in his eyes, he tells his dad the story. The wise dad says, “Son what are you willing to give up for your friend?” Will you sell your bike? Will you sell your video games? Will you sell your baseball cards? The little boy says, “Dad I will give everything I have to get my pup back.”
That Saturday the little boy had a yard sale and everything he owned he put in the yard sale. He sold his bike, his video games and everything he had. He made exactly $200.00.
He took that money and rushed down to the pound with joy in his heart he laid down the money on the counter and gladly paid the ransom for his pup. When the cage was open the little pup saw his master and with his tail wagging and joy in his eyes, he leaped into his master’s arms reciprocating the purchase made.
That is what is called redemption. The boy sacrificed all he had and paid the price for his pup’s freedom. The pup in return revealed his deep appreciation of that freedom even though the pup did not fully understand the complete sacrifice the boy made.
In Isaiah 53, Isaiah tells us the story of redemption. Man ignorantly, proudly or stubbornly ran away from God and become lost in an evil world of sin. He sold his soul to the devil when he chose to sin. But God so loved man that He gave all He had when He sent His son to “seek and to save that which was lost.”
The price for God to purchase back mankind would be expensive. The price would be so high; all the wealth in the world would not be enough to pay God the great price of redemption.
God’s son would have to give his life. His son would be despised and rejected of men. He would be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He would be stricken, beaten and wounded for our transgressions. He would be bruised for our iniquities and beaten with many stripes for our healing.
He would not open his mouth though tortured, but would suffer as a lamb taken to the slaughter. He would have spikes driven through His hands and he would hang on a cruel cross for six hours while the sins of the world were laid on Him.
Jesus Christ would have to die this cruel death, descend in to hell, defeat Satan, break down the prison doors of death and walk out of the grave all by Himself. This Jesus did and Isaiah says in Isaiah 53:10, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him.’
God found joy in sacrificing His son to save you from your sins. Does He see you willingly run and jump in His arms of love. That is redemption.
II – THE PRAISE PRESENTED
Many actions and reactions flood a person’s soul when they realize what transpired in redemption. When they see as some say, “The whole ball of wax.” When they see the awesome price Christ paid. One of those reactions is praise. The reason that Christians sing is their hearts are full of joy over their redemption.
One of the famous songs of the Christian faith is “Redeemed” by Fanny Crosby.
REDEEMED
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
Redeemed thru His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am.
Redeemed and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell:
I know that the light of His presences with me doth continually dwell.
I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent, His love is the theme of my song.
I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whom law I delight,
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps and giveth me songs in the night.
Redeemed, Redeemed, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb,
Redeemed, Redeemed, His child and forever I am.
Redemption is the song of the saints of God. We rejoice because the Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.
Galatians 3:13 reads, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
The word redeemed means to pay the price in order to set another free. It also means to buy or rescue.
So the question comes to mind, “What exactly was the price God paid to redeem mankind?”
The answer is found in First Peter 1: 18 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”
It wasn’t silver and gold. It wasn’t good works and traditional teachings of the church or the family that saves a soul.
Jesus gave His life and shed His blood on Calvary to buy man’s soul from Satan and to deliver man’s eternal state from hell.
In our English language we speak in three tenses when dealing with words or sentence structure; past, present and future. In the Greek there is another tense called the aorist tense. It does not regard these tenses particularly but speaks as if the transaction in the past is still happening today and will happen yet in the future.
The word “redeemed” in this passage is in the aorist tense. So to say, “I am redeemed, I am being redeemed and I shall be redeemed yet in the future,” is a true statement.
Redemption is not only the song of the saints of God on earth today, but redemption will be the song of the saints in heaven for eternity.
The saints of God are pictured in heaven in Revelation 4 and 5. John records what he saw and heard when he was translated to heaven from the Isle of Patmos. He writes, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5: 9).
There are a number of examples of the number twenty in the Bible and its relationship to redemption. Let us look at a few:
III. THE PROCLAMATION PROCLAIMED
Remember that the number twenty in Biblical numerology means redemption. Now examine a few points about redemption.
I – TWENTY WAS THE JEWISH AGE OF REDEMPTION.
Exodus 30:12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
There are four very important principles in this verse:
1) The word ransom in the Hebrew means a “price for a life.” It also means “redeemed from captivity by paying the equivalent.” Do you understand what that means? A child has a difficult time understanding redemption. That is why for those who did not understand it, at the age of twenty, each twenty year old was to make a personal ransom for his soul.
2) It was not until a Jewish young man turned twenty was he considered mature enough to make an understandable and willing ransom for his soul.
3) The amount paid was a half a shekel or twenty gerahs. This was a very small price to pay by man but the price was the same for the rich man or the poor man. The thought is this: For us to give God our lives is really not much but it is what is required by all men and women, rich or poor.
4) The offering that was made was of silver. Silver always represent redemption in the Bible.
Examine two very important thoughts from this passage:
A – The Act of repentance:
Listen to a statement that might shock most Christians and many pastors. As it cost the Son of God His life to redeem you, it will cost you your life to be redeemed. Selah!
Someone said, “But Salvation is a free gift.” It is in the respect that Jesus paid it all, but it is only received when a person is redeemed and reciprocates to God what God has given Him.
Examine the trade: Man gives us his sin for God’s salvation.
Man gives up a fleshly life for a spiritual life.
Man gives up his pride for a Christlike life.
Man gives up hell for heaven.
Man gives up time for eternity. Have you paid your ransom?
After Christ rose from the dead and after Pentecost, Peter preached and said, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).
First look at the word “repent.” Many modernistic preachers and even some who call them selves fundamental, have discredited the truth of the word repent. They have defined it as “a change of mind.” That is like defining marriage as two people who decided to live together.
The word has a far deeper meaning. “It means the sorrow and pain of sin one senses within his very being when he realizes he has violated God’s holy law and dishonored God’s holy character.”
It places within that person the sense of sorrow due to one’s conduct and the fear one feels in recognition of judgment to come.
When redemption takes place in one’s life, there is not just repentance but godly sorrow with that repentance.
Second Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
True repentance takes place when a person experiences godly sorrow which means that person is truly sorry that he or she has sinned against God or hurt God’s reputation by the life he/she lived.
Worldly sorrow is seen in a person that weeps over losing personal or material things in life. Worldly sorrow does not bring a person to true repentance only godly sorrow will do this.
Second, look at the word converted. To be converted means to be changed from one state to another. It pictures a field being changed from being barren to being fruitful. It speaks of an animal being change from being wild to being tamed. It means for a man to change from loving and living for self to loving and living for God.
B – The Act of the Ransom – (Exodus 30:14) Many religions have set an age on a person when they think a child is old enough to be redeemed.
Some have what is called confirmation at the age of twelve or thirteen or another age, but I have said often, the time of salvation to a soul is not an age but a stage.
That stage is when that person truly in his/her own mind, heart and soul understands God’s redemptive work and then he/she willingly and submissively surrenders before Almighty God and receives His Son into his/her life as Lord and Savior.
There are many people that make professions of receiving Christ at young ages.
Of those, many remain faithful to God, His word and His Church. On the other hand, many make professions and they reach the age of about twenty and they go hog-wild mad, living in sin.
When a youth reaches maturity and begins to make his own decisions in life, the direction he choses becomes clear if he has understood redemption by repenting with godly sorrow and being converted and in return paying a ransom for their own soul.
Some may ask, “What do you mean, paying the price a ransom for their soul?” I mean as Christ chose you in Him before the foundations of the world and gave his life for you, you must willingly and unashamedly choose Him and give your love and life for Him.
I believe salvation is like a marriage. It is like a two-way street.
II - TWENTY WAS THE AGE OF THE REDEMPED TO GO TO WAR
Throughout the book of Numbers the number “twenty” was associated with a young man coming of age to make decisions for him self, but particularly to prepare him self for war.
The word “twenty” appears 293 times in the Bible. In the first chapter of Numbers, the word “twenty” appears 33 times. 19 times in chapter one we read, “From twenty years old and upward.” All that were able to go forth to war in Israel were to go and fight for freedom.
The application is two-fold:
1) A person who receives Christ’s redemption must understand there is a great war to fight and every one must prepare for battle.
2) A person who is redeemed is redeemed by “faith.” The phrase “from twenty years old and upward” appears 19 times in this first chapter of Numbers and 19 is the number of “faith.”
We are saved by grace through faith. It is not of good works we have done. Jesus Christ paid for our redemption. By faith we received God’s wonderful Salvation. That salvation comes after godly sorrow brings a person to repentance.
III TWENTY WAS THE AGE FOR THE REDEEMED TO REDEEM
In the book of Ruth we find the story of a family of four that had lived in the world and lost everything. Three die and now the wife, Naomi, returns home after laying her husband and two sons in the ground.
But, one joy among all the sorrow followed her, her daughter-in-law, Ruth went home with her. Naomi had gone out full and returned home empty. She would live in poverty the rest of her life it seemed.
Then a man by the name of Boaz came on the scene. Boaz became Naomi and Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer purchasing them at a great price. He redeemed their property and their lives. They moved from rags to riches.
It is interesting to find that Boaz’s name appears twenty times in the book of Ruth where this story is told. Twenty is the number of redemption.
IV TWENTY WAS THE AGE OF THE REDEEM TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
A young man was to mature and grow up in Israel’s culture by the time he turned twenty. He was totally responsible for his own actions before Almighty God. He could no longer blame anybody for his actions. He was responsible for him self.
We find that truth in Numbers 14:29. When Israel refused to believed God’s word to enter into the Promise Land, God revealed to them the consequences of their lack of faith and at what age they were responsible to Him. Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me (Numbers 14: 29).
It is true that children have the tendency to act like their parents but when a child comes to the age of “redemption” he is accountable to God for all his own actions. If you are old enough to claim to know Christ as your Savior, you are therefore responsible for your actions.
Winston Churchill
A wealthy English family once invited friends to spend some time at their beautiful estate. The happy gathering was almost plunged into a terrible tragedy on the first day. When the children went swimming, one of them got into deep water and was drowning. Fortunately, the gardener heard the others screaming and plunged into the pool to rescue the helpless victim. That young boy who was rescued was Winston Churchill.
His parents were so deeply grateful to the gardener they asked, “What can we do to reward you?” He hesitated, then said, “I wish my son could go to college someday and become a doctor.” “We’ll pay his way,” replied Churchill’s parents.
Years later when Sir Winston was prime minister of England, he was stricken with pneumonia. Greatly concerned, the best physician in England was summons to the bedside of the ailing leader.
That doctor that came to Churchill was Sir Alexander Fleming, the developer of penicillin. He was also the son of that gardener who had saved Winston from drowning as a boy! Later Churchill said, “Rarely has one man owed his life twice to the same person.”
But is that not exactly what God has done for mankind? The Heavenly Father gave us the gift of physical life. We were drowning in our sins and then through His Son, the Great Physician, He has imparted to us eternal life.
May we become fully aware of our indebted love to Christ? He has given us both life and eternal life through the redemption of His Son. Should that not motivate us to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Him?
A.J. GORDON
Some years back when A. J. Gordon was pastor of a church in Boston, he met a young boy in front of the church carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, “Son, where did you get those birds?”
The boy replied, “I trapped them out in the field.”
“What are you going to do with them?”
“I’m going to play with them, and then I guess I’ll just feed them to an old cat we have at home.”
Gordon offered to buy them, and the lad exclaimed, “Mister, you don’t want them, they’re just little old wild birds. They are dirty and they can’t sing very well.”
Gordon replied, “I’ll give you $2 for the cage and the birds.”
“Okay, it’s a deal,” said the lad, “but you’re making a bad bargain.”
The exchange was made and the boy went away whistling, happy with his money. Gordon walked around to the back of the church property, opened the door of the small wire coop, and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue.
The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit and used it to illustrate his sermon about Christ’s coming to seek and to save the lost—paying for them with His own precious blood.
“That boy told me the birds were could sing very well,” said Gordon, “but when I released them and they winged their way heavenward, it seemed to me they were singing, ‘Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!”
You and I have been held captive to sin, but Christ has purchased our pardon and set us at liberty. When a person has this life-changing experience, he will want to sing, “Redeemed, Redeemed, Redeemed!”
Please understand again, most people who claim they were redeemed at an early age, often have no experience at all. The evidence of salvation is clear.
V - TWENTY IS THE NUMBER OF REDEMPTION USED OFTEN IN THE BUILDING OF THE TABERNACLE.
While Israel was traveling to the Promise Land, God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle for worship. The tabernacle when finished would be a place where God met with His people. It would be a place of sacrifice, cleansing, judgment, intercession, and worship. The story of redemption in the Tabernacle is found in Exodus 26-38.
Exodus 26: 18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward.
19 And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
20 And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards:
In the wilderness, right after Israel was delivered from Egyptian bondage, they built a Tabernacle to God. It was 100 cubits long and fifty cubits wide. The building of the Tabernacle was completely a testimony of Salvation, sanctification and service to our Lord.
On the North side of the Tabernacle were twenty boards. Those twenty boards represent our redemption. The twenty boards which are secured in the ground are placed in sockets of brass. Brass represents God’s judgment, thus Jesus Christ came to this earth and took our place by facing the judgment of God on Calvary’s cross.
The twenty boards also are capped with silver. Silver is always a picture or redemption as gold is a picture of one who has gone through the fires and came out pure.
There are also hooks and rings made of silver that connect the beautiful white linen cloth to the twenty boards that circle the Tabernacle. The rings and hooks are made of silver, thus it is not only the redemption of God that saves us but it is His redeeming love that keeps us.
The white linen shows forth the righteous and holy life of the believer. The south side has the exact main dimensions as the north.
On the East and West side there are ten pillars. Ten is the number of testimony. When we have been redeemed through the judgment that was placed on Jesus Christ, we have a testimony for Him also.
This is all on the outside but the true work of redemption takes place on the inside of the Tabernacle. There is one door to enter the tabernacle. That door represents Jesus Christ as the one and only way to heaven.
Four boards capped with gold hold the extra beautiful curtains together which represent this door. The curtains are intricately interwoven with blue and scarlet and purple threads. The scarlet represents the sacrificial blood that was shed for the sins of the world. The blue represented the hope of eternal life for all who receive Christ’s redemptive work and the purple represent royalty. Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords.
After the door, we behold the brazen altar. It is on this alter that the sacrifices are made by the priest. It is here sacrificial animals are offered for man’s sin. The blood is offered here as well as through the inter Tabernacle.
You then come to the brass altar where the priest cleanses himself before going into the holy place. There must be cleansing before any one can enter the holy place.
Inside the holy place are three beautiful pieces of furniture. First you see the incense altar. This is a place of prayer. As Jesus was the one who intercedes for us, we today may come and intercede for others.
To the right in the holy place is the table of showbread. Fresh bread was made and placed here daily. This bread represented Jesus Christ as the bread of life. If we eat of this bread, Jesus, we shall be fully satisfied. But as the bread is made daily, we must feast daily.
To the left of the incense altar is the golden candlesticks. They are made of pure gold which represents the deity of Jesus Christ. They are filled with oil and the wicks are to burn day and night. Thus, Jesus Christ is the light of the world. As Jesus was the light of the world so believers in Christ are to be lights in this dark world. Keep you vessel filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit and your will burn for Him all day.
There is one last place that only one person was allowed to enter a year during Israel’s days in the wilderness. This place was the Holy of holies. It was here where the high priest went once a year to offer the blood of a sacrifice and make atonement for the sins of Israel. This place was the most intimate place of worship. The priest had to have every sin confessed and had to be perfectly clean to go into the presence of God.
Today, we that are redeemed are to be pillars that show forth Christ’s righteousness. But we are what we are because of our inner worship with God. The out side of the believer will be righteous if the inside of the believer has been redeemed.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
OUR GODLY HERITAGE
AMERICA’S CHRISTIAN ROOTS
OUTLINE:
I – The Signs of America’s Christianity was found in its Memoirs.
II – The Signs of America’s Christianity was found in its Monuments.
III – The Signs of America’s Christianity was found in its Meetings.
********
In Ephesians two Paul reveals to us many principles or foundational blocks upon which our faith was built.
A - In verse one he speaks of our Salvation: 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins:
“Quickening” in this verse refers to being made alive in Christ. It refers to the dead coming to life. It refers to a resurrection.
In verses two and three Paul reveals that we once walked to the beat of a different drummer.
B - These verses refer to one who Surrenders: 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
C - And in verse four and five we see a willing Security: 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
By God’s mercy and grace, he saves us and secures us. We are quicken together with Christ.
D - Then verse six reminds us of our Seat: 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Our position with Christ is greater than any governor, politician, president or king.
E – Lastly look at our Standing with Christ: Ephesians 2: 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
In Psalms 11:3 we read these words. ‘If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?’
If the Christian heart and home is to be honorable, happy, and healthy it must be built on the foundation or principles of God’s Holy Word.
As most Christians examine the foundations of freedom and liberty and godliness. We find that freedom and liberty is still intact in America, but godliness is far from a character trait of the American culture.
Keep in mind there are force that be which are determined to take those freedoms away which we enjoy today.
Let’s examine many of those great Biblical principles that America was built on and be encouraged to continue the work.
AMERICA WAS BUILT UPON GREAT BIBLICAL TRUTHS
In the beginning of this country the Homes of America, the educational institutions of America and the churches of America were all build upon the righteous truths of the Holy Scriptures.
1) The belief that the Bible was God’s holy inspired word was never questioned by our forefathers in America.
2) The belief that Jesus Christ was the only Savior of the world was never doubted.
3) The belief that God should be the center of our homes, churches, businesses and government was common sense.
I want you to see these truths in this chapter as we clearly see the principles of God’s word mixed throughout America history.
The word “foundations,” in Ephesians 2:20 refer to the groundwork upon which something was or is built.
The successful Christian’s life will be built on God’s word.
The successful Christian’s home will be built on God’s word.
A successful Christian nation will be built on God’s word.
Noah Webster, a founding father and founding educator, who had a brilliant mind, accurately reflected the nation's beliefs when he stated:
"The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitution and laws... All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible."
Let us examine three points in the message:
I – THE SIGNS OF AMERICA’S CHRISTIANITY WAS FOUND IN ITS MEMOIRS.
Look at just a thimble of facts found in America’s memoirs documented in the Library of Congress of the United States in Washington D.C. and you will see some of the foundations principles that made America great.
1. America was a Godly nation, built on Godly principles. Of the first 126 Universities in this land, 123 of them were Christian. They were based on the Bible. Universities such as Yale, Harvard and Princeton were clearly Christian.
Here were some of their rules for entrance into Harvard:
A – Everyone shall make the main end of his life and studies to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life.
B – Everyone shall engage in secret prayer seeking God’s wisdom daily.
C – Every one shall exercise the reading of the Scriptures twice a day.
*Fifty-two-percent of the 17th centuries Harvard graduates became ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Did you know that Northwestern University near Chicago was founded by the Methodist for the purpose of giving a Christian education and training ministers for the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
The Presbyterians, in a day when they were at their strongest spiritually founded the University of California at Berkeley. Yes, Berkeley was a school founded on the Bible for the purpose of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today Berkeley is a hotbed of nearly every evil philosophy of the world.
2. The first 46 Charters that were established had written within its contents, "We establish this colony for the spreading of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."
One example is the Rhode Island Charter of 1683. It began this way: “We submit our persons, lives, and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords and to all those perfect and most absolute laws of His given us in His Holy Word.”
In the present day North Carolina Constitution under Article IX on Education it states in Section 1: Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools, libraries, and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.
3. Political Science professors at the University of Houston wanted to see where our forefathers obtained their material to base the constitution of the Unites States.
They gathered 15,000 writings of the founding Fathers which took ten years of research.
The discovery concluded: "The majority of information came from men named Locke, Blackstone, and Monaskew (all Christians). But 16 times more than these men were quoted, the BIBLE was quoted.
FINAL CONCLUSION: 94% of the Constitution of the United States was based on the Bible.
4. The three branches of government were taken from Isaiah 33:22.
“For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.”
From that one Scripture we developed the judicial, the legislative and the executive branches of our government.
5. The separation of those powers was taken from Jeremiah.
6. Tax exemption for Church was found in Ezra 7:24.
“Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.”
7. In the "Journals of Congress" we find a brilliant Christian man by the name of Roger Sherman. He signed four major documents of America. He signed the Articles of Confederation and the Articles of Association and the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. Needless to say, he was a well-known intelligent leader.
One occasion as he was standing before the Arms Senate committee when the question arose, "What do we do with deserters from the Navy?" One man spoke up and said "Give them 500 lashes as other countries." Of course this constituted the death penalty.
Roger Sherman spoke up and said, "In Deuteronomy 25:3, God says that we should not give more than 39 lashes." Congress said that if that is in the Bible, we will vote for 39 lashes.
Deuteronomy 25:3 “Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.”
8. Many of you may have heard of Charles Finney (1792-1875). Mr. Finney was raised in the back woods of New York State. The only time he heard the name of God was in blasphemy.
While Mr. Finney was studying for his Law degree he noted that in the law books, there were many references to the Bible. He bought one but would hide it so his colleagues would never see it.
He decided to attend the Presbyterian Church near his home and found the congregation praying for revival. The young lawyer scorned and ridiculed the church. But, the youth of the church began to pray for Mr. Finney’s salvation. God’s Spirit began to convict Mr. Finney of sin. He could not sleep or eat. Finally one evening he fled to the woods and poured out his sins to God and accepted Christ as his Savior.
He immediately raced back to town and shouted up and down the streets of New York what God had done for him. It is said that many came to receive Christ as their Savior that night by Finney’s testimony.
Charles Finney gave up his law pursuit and became a Presbyterian preacher. He would go down in Christian history as one of the greatest preachers and evangelist of the nineteenth century.
In 1830 He preached for six months at Rochester, New York and saw 100,000 souls make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ.
One of Mr. Finney’s greatest questions is still one of the most important questions today: “What will you do with Jesus Christ?” What will you do sinner? What will you do Christian? What will you do with Jesus Christ this day?
**Our Forefathers, many who were lawyers, had a system that in order to receive a law degree you first had to have a theology degree. They said, "How can one understand laws of man if he doesn't first understand the laws of God upon which the laws of man are based?" Sadly, after the 1900’s the great law books by William Blackstone, upon which many of the laws within the constitution were founded and every law student studied, were removed from our law schools. The result today are many unethical practices of many lawyers and judges in our society.
9. When our forefathers were writing the constitution of the United States, Ben Franklin said, "Whoever will introduce into public affair the principles of Christianity will change the face of the World." Our forefathers did just that and the rest is recorded in the Library of Congress.
10. **The Compton's Encyclopedia reads, "The most powerful single influence in all history has been Christianity. This influence has shown itself not only in the religious beliefs and spiritual ideals of the human race, but in the march of political events and institutions as well."
11. John Witherspoon was one of our forefathers who was a teacher and the Father of 1/3 of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
He served as President of Princeton. He also served on 100 congressional committees.
He said, "The best friend to American liberty is the person most sincere and active in promoting religion or (Christianity)".
He also said, "Whoever is an avowed enemy of God is an enemy of America." (That would constitute most of our public educational institutions today as well as many who are in official positions in our government.)
12. In 1892, the U.S. Supreme Court made an exhaustive study of the supposed connection between the government of the United States and Christianity.
After viewing hundreds of volumes of historical documents, while dealing with the court case, “The Church of the Holy Trinity V. the United States, the Court asserted,
“Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian.”
In 1896, the Courts of the U.S. said, "By our form of Government, we are a Christian Nation.
Again, in 1931, Supreme Court Justice George Sutherland stated, "Americans are a Christian people."
13. More than 100 years after the signing of the Constitution, the courts said, "Our laws and our institutions must be made and based on the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind."
14. In 1811, there was a court case that said, "Whatever strikes at the root of Christianity, tends to destroy our government because it tends to corrupt the morals of the people and destroy good order."
One Court case was called People vs. Ruggles. Here was the main issue: A man wanted to start his own school and teach morals without religion or the Bible. The courts said that it would be impossible to teach morals without the Bible. The man became angry and he blasphemed and cursed God. He took the Lord’s name in vain in a vicious manner. The man was apprehended for his conduct. He was arrested for contempt of court and tried for his actions and found guilty.
The court said "When you attack Jesus, you attack Christianity. When you attack Christianity, you attack the foundations of the United States of America." They convicted the man of Treason, fined him $500, and placed him in jail for 3 months.
First we saw the signs of America’s Christianity were found In its memoirs.
2 - THE SYMBOLS OF AMERICA CHRISTIANITY WERE FOUND IN ITS MONUMENTS.
1 – First, think about the American Flag. The flag was a symbol of America’s belief and dependence on Almighty God.
Think of the words to the pledge. “I Pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
2 – Second, think of our money. The America currency was a symbol of America’s faith. ‘In God We Trust” first appeared on Union coins in 1865. A preacher, Rev. M.R. Watkinson of Ridleyville, Pa., wrote to the Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase and said, “From my heart I have felt our national shame in disowning God.” He then suggested that we recognize God on our coins by printing “In God We Trust.”
This was done on many coins, and then it disappeared. But as late as 1955 the Congress of the United States ordered it placed on all paper money and all coins in the United States.
The Great Seal of the United States was adopted by the continental Congress in 1782. It appears on every one-dollar bill.
The pyramid with the Eye as a cornerstone represents the all seeing eye of God. The Latin words “Annuit Coeptis” means “He (God) hath favored our undertaking.” At the bottom of the pyramid are the Latin words, “Novus Ordo seclorum” or “A New Order of the Ages.”
Our forefathers believed that building this nation on Jesus Christ would usher in the New Millennial Age.
3 – Another symbol on an American monument is found on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia the inscription is taken from the book of Leviticus 25:10. “Proclaim Liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof.”
4 – Our United States National Anthem gives praise to our Lord and Savior.
Francis Scott Key, was a captive on board a British ship. He hoped that Fort McHenry would still be standing ad he watched the barrage of mortar shells that fell upon it during the night of September 20, 1814. The next morning as Francis Scott Key saw the sun rise he also saw victory and he wrote these words:
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
This verse all patriotic Americans sing but a verse few ever read gives great glory to the Lord. It reads…
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Congress proclaimed this song the U.S. National Anthem as late as 1931.
5 – On the Supreme Court Building above the chief Justice’s head appear the Ten Commandments. Till this day each session is opened with the crier’s words: “God save the United States and the Honorable Court.
6 – Engraved on the metal cap on the top of the Washington Monument are these words, “Praise be to God.”
7 – In the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. are many Scripture verses. One such verse is Micah 6:8, “What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and have mercy and walk humbly with thy God.”
Like our nation the Bride of Christ, the Church, was built on a great foundation, God’s Word.
Men from all over the world were invited to freely come and become a citizen of this nation, just as all the world is invited to receive God’s free gift of salvation.
But, to prosper physically and to keep our freedom, it took work and sacrifice and this is true spiritually as well. To prosper spiritually and to keep our freedom, it will take work and sacrifice.
The hope of America is for our political leaders to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
The hope of every Christian home and every Christian Church is for the leaders of both to uphold the teachings of the Holy Bible, and to allow its precepts to govern our homes and hearts.
But, like America’s political system, many churches and homes have neglected, forgotten and ignored that which made it great.
First, we saw the signs of America’s Christianity were found In its memoirs. Second, the symbols of America Christianity were found in its monuments.
3 - THE SPIRITUALITY OF AMERICA CHRISTIANITY WAS FOUND IN ITS MEETINGS.
The greatest meetings that had the greatest impact on communities, states and governments were the amazing revivals our land has experienced.
We spoke earlier about Charles Finney and the great moving of God’s Spirit and the salvation of souls in the 1800’s.
Before the 1800’s America began to grow cold spiritually but God prepared a man by the name of Jonathan Edwards. He entered Yale university at thirteen and graduated valedictorian at seventeen.
His mighty sermon, “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” was in literature books in High School and College across our country through the twentieth century. For over 200 years his sermon was praised and exalted but over the last half of the twentieth century, it was ridiculed and mocked.
God also raised up George Whitefield who came over from England. God gave this man a built in microphone. He was known to preach to 20,000 people and his voice could be heard clearly by all.
Benjamin Franklin said that he went to hear Whitefield preach. He passed off 500 steps. That was the length of five football fields, and could still here Whitefield as clear as a bell.
People prayed and God touched these men and between 1740 and 1742 one out of six people were saved in New England. There was a great revival among the Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterians.
But by the middle of the 1800’s the church had fallen away from the Lord again. One man by the name of Jeremiah Lanphier started a prayer meeting in the upper room of his Dutch Reformed Church in Manhattan. He advertised it and six people out of a population of one million came to pray.
The following week there were 14 and then 23. They then decided to meet every day. Three churches were soon filled up with people praying. Then public buildings in downtown New York started having prayer meetings at noon each day.
HORACE GREELEY
The famous newspaper editor Horace Greeley sent out a reporter to see how many men were praying. The reporter said that he could only get to 12 meetings in one hour but counted 6,100 men.
Church bells throughout New England began to ring at 8, 12, and 6 calling people to prayer. A revival broke out in all the churches. It is said that the Baptist had so many people to baptize they had to cut a big square in the ice and baptized folks in the cold water. History says in one year more than one million were converted in all of New England and the affects were felt over 40 years.
It began with prayer and it was sustained by prayer.
In the Denver Post, January 20, 1905 was this article:
“Entire city pauses for Prayer”
For two hours at midday all Denver was held in a spell… The marts of trade were deserted and all worldly affairs were forgotten and the entire city was given over to meditation of higher things. The Spirit of the Almighty pervaded every nook. Thousand of men and women radiated this Spirit which filled them and the clear Colorado sunshine was made brighter by the reflected glow of the light of God shining from happy faces.
THE WELCH REVIVAL
In 1904 the Welch had experienced a great awakening. It is said that within five months 100,000 were converted to Christ. There was however this criticism, “Of the 100,000 that followed through with baptism and joined the churches after five years only 80,000 remained faithful.”
The judges of Wales were presented with white gloves. That means they had no robberies, murders, burglaries, embezzlements. They had dismissed most of their police force. Drunkenness was cut in half and illegitimate birth rate dropped 44%.
Now, think with me, “What does America need?” We need Christians that will give themselves to individual daily prayer and weekly collective prayer.
Let this be a challenge to all Christians. Pray. If God leads you to open your house to a hour of prayer a week, do so. Invite folks over for just an hour and pray. If you have children, let one family watch the children while the other adults pray.
Think about this. If you live within five miles of other Christians whether they are in this church or not, invite family and friends over one night a week for prayer. What night? That is up to you. Why not gather on Saturday night or Friday night from 6:00 to 6:30 or 6:00 to 7:00.
Get together and just pray. You may want to read some scripture and pray. Give praise to the Lord and offer thanksgiving and pray for your family, your church, your community, your children and your country. Ask God for a revival. And then go home.
Let’s quit expecting the preacher to do something he can not do. He can study and preach but only God can revive hearts and save souls.
OUTLINE:
I – The Signs of America’s Christianity was found in its Memoirs.
II – The Signs of America’s Christianity was found in its Monuments.
III – The Signs of America’s Christianity was found in its Meetings.
********
In Ephesians two Paul reveals to us many principles or foundational blocks upon which our faith was built.
A - In verse one he speaks of our Salvation: 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins:
“Quickening” in this verse refers to being made alive in Christ. It refers to the dead coming to life. It refers to a resurrection.
In verses two and three Paul reveals that we once walked to the beat of a different drummer.
B - These verses refer to one who Surrenders: 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
C - And in verse four and five we see a willing Security: 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
By God’s mercy and grace, he saves us and secures us. We are quicken together with Christ.
D - Then verse six reminds us of our Seat: 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Our position with Christ is greater than any governor, politician, president or king.
E – Lastly look at our Standing with Christ: Ephesians 2: 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
In Psalms 11:3 we read these words. ‘If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?’
If the Christian heart and home is to be honorable, happy, and healthy it must be built on the foundation or principles of God’s Holy Word.
As most Christians examine the foundations of freedom and liberty and godliness. We find that freedom and liberty is still intact in America, but godliness is far from a character trait of the American culture.
Keep in mind there are force that be which are determined to take those freedoms away which we enjoy today.
Let’s examine many of those great Biblical principles that America was built on and be encouraged to continue the work.
AMERICA WAS BUILT UPON GREAT BIBLICAL TRUTHS
In the beginning of this country the Homes of America, the educational institutions of America and the churches of America were all build upon the righteous truths of the Holy Scriptures.
1) The belief that the Bible was God’s holy inspired word was never questioned by our forefathers in America.
2) The belief that Jesus Christ was the only Savior of the world was never doubted.
3) The belief that God should be the center of our homes, churches, businesses and government was common sense.
I want you to see these truths in this chapter as we clearly see the principles of God’s word mixed throughout America history.
The word “foundations,” in Ephesians 2:20 refer to the groundwork upon which something was or is built.
The successful Christian’s life will be built on God’s word.
The successful Christian’s home will be built on God’s word.
A successful Christian nation will be built on God’s word.
Noah Webster, a founding father and founding educator, who had a brilliant mind, accurately reflected the nation's beliefs when he stated:
"The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitution and laws... All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible."
Let us examine three points in the message:
I – THE SIGNS OF AMERICA’S CHRISTIANITY WAS FOUND IN ITS MEMOIRS.
Look at just a thimble of facts found in America’s memoirs documented in the Library of Congress of the United States in Washington D.C. and you will see some of the foundations principles that made America great.
1. America was a Godly nation, built on Godly principles. Of the first 126 Universities in this land, 123 of them were Christian. They were based on the Bible. Universities such as Yale, Harvard and Princeton were clearly Christian.
Here were some of their rules for entrance into Harvard:
A – Everyone shall make the main end of his life and studies to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life.
B – Everyone shall engage in secret prayer seeking God’s wisdom daily.
C – Every one shall exercise the reading of the Scriptures twice a day.
*Fifty-two-percent of the 17th centuries Harvard graduates became ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Did you know that Northwestern University near Chicago was founded by the Methodist for the purpose of giving a Christian education and training ministers for the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
The Presbyterians, in a day when they were at their strongest spiritually founded the University of California at Berkeley. Yes, Berkeley was a school founded on the Bible for the purpose of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today Berkeley is a hotbed of nearly every evil philosophy of the world.
2. The first 46 Charters that were established had written within its contents, "We establish this colony for the spreading of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."
One example is the Rhode Island Charter of 1683. It began this way: “We submit our persons, lives, and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords and to all those perfect and most absolute laws of His given us in His Holy Word.”
In the present day North Carolina Constitution under Article IX on Education it states in Section 1: Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools, libraries, and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.
3. Political Science professors at the University of Houston wanted to see where our forefathers obtained their material to base the constitution of the Unites States.
They gathered 15,000 writings of the founding Fathers which took ten years of research.
The discovery concluded: "The majority of information came from men named Locke, Blackstone, and Monaskew (all Christians). But 16 times more than these men were quoted, the BIBLE was quoted.
FINAL CONCLUSION: 94% of the Constitution of the United States was based on the Bible.
4. The three branches of government were taken from Isaiah 33:22.
“For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.”
From that one Scripture we developed the judicial, the legislative and the executive branches of our government.
5. The separation of those powers was taken from Jeremiah.
6. Tax exemption for Church was found in Ezra 7:24.
“Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.”
7. In the "Journals of Congress" we find a brilliant Christian man by the name of Roger Sherman. He signed four major documents of America. He signed the Articles of Confederation and the Articles of Association and the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. Needless to say, he was a well-known intelligent leader.
One occasion as he was standing before the Arms Senate committee when the question arose, "What do we do with deserters from the Navy?" One man spoke up and said "Give them 500 lashes as other countries." Of course this constituted the death penalty.
Roger Sherman spoke up and said, "In Deuteronomy 25:3, God says that we should not give more than 39 lashes." Congress said that if that is in the Bible, we will vote for 39 lashes.
Deuteronomy 25:3 “Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.”
8. Many of you may have heard of Charles Finney (1792-1875). Mr. Finney was raised in the back woods of New York State. The only time he heard the name of God was in blasphemy.
While Mr. Finney was studying for his Law degree he noted that in the law books, there were many references to the Bible. He bought one but would hide it so his colleagues would never see it.
He decided to attend the Presbyterian Church near his home and found the congregation praying for revival. The young lawyer scorned and ridiculed the church. But, the youth of the church began to pray for Mr. Finney’s salvation. God’s Spirit began to convict Mr. Finney of sin. He could not sleep or eat. Finally one evening he fled to the woods and poured out his sins to God and accepted Christ as his Savior.
He immediately raced back to town and shouted up and down the streets of New York what God had done for him. It is said that many came to receive Christ as their Savior that night by Finney’s testimony.
Charles Finney gave up his law pursuit and became a Presbyterian preacher. He would go down in Christian history as one of the greatest preachers and evangelist of the nineteenth century.
In 1830 He preached for six months at Rochester, New York and saw 100,000 souls make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ.
One of Mr. Finney’s greatest questions is still one of the most important questions today: “What will you do with Jesus Christ?” What will you do sinner? What will you do Christian? What will you do with Jesus Christ this day?
**Our Forefathers, many who were lawyers, had a system that in order to receive a law degree you first had to have a theology degree. They said, "How can one understand laws of man if he doesn't first understand the laws of God upon which the laws of man are based?" Sadly, after the 1900’s the great law books by William Blackstone, upon which many of the laws within the constitution were founded and every law student studied, were removed from our law schools. The result today are many unethical practices of many lawyers and judges in our society.
9. When our forefathers were writing the constitution of the United States, Ben Franklin said, "Whoever will introduce into public affair the principles of Christianity will change the face of the World." Our forefathers did just that and the rest is recorded in the Library of Congress.
10. **The Compton's Encyclopedia reads, "The most powerful single influence in all history has been Christianity. This influence has shown itself not only in the religious beliefs and spiritual ideals of the human race, but in the march of political events and institutions as well."
11. John Witherspoon was one of our forefathers who was a teacher and the Father of 1/3 of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
He served as President of Princeton. He also served on 100 congressional committees.
He said, "The best friend to American liberty is the person most sincere and active in promoting religion or (Christianity)".
He also said, "Whoever is an avowed enemy of God is an enemy of America." (That would constitute most of our public educational institutions today as well as many who are in official positions in our government.)
12. In 1892, the U.S. Supreme Court made an exhaustive study of the supposed connection between the government of the United States and Christianity.
After viewing hundreds of volumes of historical documents, while dealing with the court case, “The Church of the Holy Trinity V. the United States, the Court asserted,
“Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian.”
In 1896, the Courts of the U.S. said, "By our form of Government, we are a Christian Nation.
Again, in 1931, Supreme Court Justice George Sutherland stated, "Americans are a Christian people."
13. More than 100 years after the signing of the Constitution, the courts said, "Our laws and our institutions must be made and based on the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind."
14. In 1811, there was a court case that said, "Whatever strikes at the root of Christianity, tends to destroy our government because it tends to corrupt the morals of the people and destroy good order."
One Court case was called People vs. Ruggles. Here was the main issue: A man wanted to start his own school and teach morals without religion or the Bible. The courts said that it would be impossible to teach morals without the Bible. The man became angry and he blasphemed and cursed God. He took the Lord’s name in vain in a vicious manner. The man was apprehended for his conduct. He was arrested for contempt of court and tried for his actions and found guilty.
The court said "When you attack Jesus, you attack Christianity. When you attack Christianity, you attack the foundations of the United States of America." They convicted the man of Treason, fined him $500, and placed him in jail for 3 months.
First we saw the signs of America’s Christianity were found In its memoirs.
2 - THE SYMBOLS OF AMERICA CHRISTIANITY WERE FOUND IN ITS MONUMENTS.
1 – First, think about the American Flag. The flag was a symbol of America’s belief and dependence on Almighty God.
Think of the words to the pledge. “I Pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
2 – Second, think of our money. The America currency was a symbol of America’s faith. ‘In God We Trust” first appeared on Union coins in 1865. A preacher, Rev. M.R. Watkinson of Ridleyville, Pa., wrote to the Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase and said, “From my heart I have felt our national shame in disowning God.” He then suggested that we recognize God on our coins by printing “In God We Trust.”
This was done on many coins, and then it disappeared. But as late as 1955 the Congress of the United States ordered it placed on all paper money and all coins in the United States.
The Great Seal of the United States was adopted by the continental Congress in 1782. It appears on every one-dollar bill.
The pyramid with the Eye as a cornerstone represents the all seeing eye of God. The Latin words “Annuit Coeptis” means “He (God) hath favored our undertaking.” At the bottom of the pyramid are the Latin words, “Novus Ordo seclorum” or “A New Order of the Ages.”
Our forefathers believed that building this nation on Jesus Christ would usher in the New Millennial Age.
3 – Another symbol on an American monument is found on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia the inscription is taken from the book of Leviticus 25:10. “Proclaim Liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof.”
4 – Our United States National Anthem gives praise to our Lord and Savior.
Francis Scott Key, was a captive on board a British ship. He hoped that Fort McHenry would still be standing ad he watched the barrage of mortar shells that fell upon it during the night of September 20, 1814. The next morning as Francis Scott Key saw the sun rise he also saw victory and he wrote these words:
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
This verse all patriotic Americans sing but a verse few ever read gives great glory to the Lord. It reads…
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Congress proclaimed this song the U.S. National Anthem as late as 1931.
5 – On the Supreme Court Building above the chief Justice’s head appear the Ten Commandments. Till this day each session is opened with the crier’s words: “God save the United States and the Honorable Court.
6 – Engraved on the metal cap on the top of the Washington Monument are these words, “Praise be to God.”
7 – In the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. are many Scripture verses. One such verse is Micah 6:8, “What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and have mercy and walk humbly with thy God.”
Like our nation the Bride of Christ, the Church, was built on a great foundation, God’s Word.
Men from all over the world were invited to freely come and become a citizen of this nation, just as all the world is invited to receive God’s free gift of salvation.
But, to prosper physically and to keep our freedom, it took work and sacrifice and this is true spiritually as well. To prosper spiritually and to keep our freedom, it will take work and sacrifice.
The hope of America is for our political leaders to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
The hope of every Christian home and every Christian Church is for the leaders of both to uphold the teachings of the Holy Bible, and to allow its precepts to govern our homes and hearts.
But, like America’s political system, many churches and homes have neglected, forgotten and ignored that which made it great.
First, we saw the signs of America’s Christianity were found In its memoirs. Second, the symbols of America Christianity were found in its monuments.
3 - THE SPIRITUALITY OF AMERICA CHRISTIANITY WAS FOUND IN ITS MEETINGS.
The greatest meetings that had the greatest impact on communities, states and governments were the amazing revivals our land has experienced.
We spoke earlier about Charles Finney and the great moving of God’s Spirit and the salvation of souls in the 1800’s.
Before the 1800’s America began to grow cold spiritually but God prepared a man by the name of Jonathan Edwards. He entered Yale university at thirteen and graduated valedictorian at seventeen.
His mighty sermon, “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” was in literature books in High School and College across our country through the twentieth century. For over 200 years his sermon was praised and exalted but over the last half of the twentieth century, it was ridiculed and mocked.
God also raised up George Whitefield who came over from England. God gave this man a built in microphone. He was known to preach to 20,000 people and his voice could be heard clearly by all.
Benjamin Franklin said that he went to hear Whitefield preach. He passed off 500 steps. That was the length of five football fields, and could still here Whitefield as clear as a bell.
People prayed and God touched these men and between 1740 and 1742 one out of six people were saved in New England. There was a great revival among the Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterians.
But by the middle of the 1800’s the church had fallen away from the Lord again. One man by the name of Jeremiah Lanphier started a prayer meeting in the upper room of his Dutch Reformed Church in Manhattan. He advertised it and six people out of a population of one million came to pray.
The following week there were 14 and then 23. They then decided to meet every day. Three churches were soon filled up with people praying. Then public buildings in downtown New York started having prayer meetings at noon each day.
HORACE GREELEY
The famous newspaper editor Horace Greeley sent out a reporter to see how many men were praying. The reporter said that he could only get to 12 meetings in one hour but counted 6,100 men.
Church bells throughout New England began to ring at 8, 12, and 6 calling people to prayer. A revival broke out in all the churches. It is said that the Baptist had so many people to baptize they had to cut a big square in the ice and baptized folks in the cold water. History says in one year more than one million were converted in all of New England and the affects were felt over 40 years.
It began with prayer and it was sustained by prayer.
In the Denver Post, January 20, 1905 was this article:
“Entire city pauses for Prayer”
For two hours at midday all Denver was held in a spell… The marts of trade were deserted and all worldly affairs were forgotten and the entire city was given over to meditation of higher things. The Spirit of the Almighty pervaded every nook. Thousand of men and women radiated this Spirit which filled them and the clear Colorado sunshine was made brighter by the reflected glow of the light of God shining from happy faces.
THE WELCH REVIVAL
In 1904 the Welch had experienced a great awakening. It is said that within five months 100,000 were converted to Christ. There was however this criticism, “Of the 100,000 that followed through with baptism and joined the churches after five years only 80,000 remained faithful.”
The judges of Wales were presented with white gloves. That means they had no robberies, murders, burglaries, embezzlements. They had dismissed most of their police force. Drunkenness was cut in half and illegitimate birth rate dropped 44%.
Now, think with me, “What does America need?” We need Christians that will give themselves to individual daily prayer and weekly collective prayer.
Let this be a challenge to all Christians. Pray. If God leads you to open your house to a hour of prayer a week, do so. Invite folks over for just an hour and pray. If you have children, let one family watch the children while the other adults pray.
Think about this. If you live within five miles of other Christians whether they are in this church or not, invite family and friends over one night a week for prayer. What night? That is up to you. Why not gather on Saturday night or Friday night from 6:00 to 6:30 or 6:00 to 7:00.
Get together and just pray. You may want to read some scripture and pray. Give praise to the Lord and offer thanksgiving and pray for your family, your church, your community, your children and your country. Ask God for a revival. And then go home.
Let’s quit expecting the preacher to do something he can not do. He can study and preach but only God can revive hearts and save souls.
Isaiah's Notes
What to do when your shoulders are penned to the mat.
Isaiah 33:1 Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
2 O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble
A great crisis was about to fall on Judah.
Their enemies were becoming quite vicious with their words.
Their threats to every nation had always been back up with actions.
The enemy is Assyria. Their batting average was a thousand. They were undefeated in battle. They were cocky and they were fearless.
What do you do when it seems you are down for the count of 10 and the referee is at 8? It is good to have a prophet of God around. Isaiah was that prophet. He had been alone with the Lord and God had given his prophet a bold and fearless spirit. He stands and gives Israel hope.
We first see a prophecy to Assyria found in verse one.
I - A PROHECY
Before we can understand this chapter completely we must first get a proper understanding when Isaiah gave this prophecy.
Hezekiah had come to the throne of Judah when they were in pretty bad shape spiritually, morally, politically and socially.
Hezekiah believed God’s word and realized he had to do something drastic that would shake up the nation and open the eyes of Judah so they would see the need to turn back to God.
Now I want you to know that what Hezekiah did was not popular with most of the people. But, it was popular with God.
A – REPENTANCE
Look at what King Hezekiah does:
Second Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
High places were places in the mountains people would go to worship. They would say I am worshipping god in nature or they would put an image before them and bow to that image.
The High places were places of comfort and convenience. You hear of people going there today. They say, “I’m going to the mountains or to get alone and rest and I’ll we’ll have devotionals Sunday in the cabin.” Others say, “I’m going to the races but we will have services at the race track. God calls that a high place. It is any place a person goes to worship God and God is second and not first.
You can take a vacation a few times a year and rest but you should never take a vacation from God or the Church Jesus died for.
The groves were trees or poles set near an altar where God’s people were worshipping the Canaanite god, Astarte.
She was the god of fortune and happiness or prosperity.
Does that like any places of worship today?
Nehushtan was the copper serpent Moses made hundreds of years earlier in the wilderness. Israel had griped and complained so bitterly that God sent serpents among them to bite them Many died. As Moses and Aaron sought God, they were led to build this serpent and lift it up before the people and as many as looked to this brass serpent by faith, they were healed or delivered from the serpents. Here, hundreds of years later many in Judah still bowed to and worshipped Nehushtan. Hezekiah didn’t put the serpent in the attic. He destroyed it.
B – REVIVAL
In Isaiah, chapter 32, Isaiah talked of people who tasted of the Lord and those who trusted in the Lord. Second Kings 18:5-6 revealed that Hezekiah was one of those who trusted in the Lord.
Hezekiah brought a renewal or resurgence of godliness to Judah
5 He (Hezekiah) trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. That is a great compliment.
6 For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
Notice four things about Hezekiah that will move God’s heart:
1 - He trusted in the Lord. He fled to the Lord and took shelter in His arms. He just believed God could do anything. Amen.
2 - He clave to the Lord. “Clave” carries the idea of holding on to the things of God with all of ones strength. It also means to pursue closely and Hezekiah never turned away from the Lord. He was faithful.
3 - He also followed the Lord. That means he chased after the Lord all the days of his life. He patterned his life after God’s word.
4 - He kept God’s commandments but God did not prosper him. Hezekiah guarded God’s commandments. He kept them near his heart and obeyed God’s word even in the most difficult times.
C - REBELLION
In II Kings 18 we see what Israel’s rebellion (not Judah’s) brought to them.
In the fourth year of King Hezekiah the Assyrians came against the Northern Kingdom, Israel, and fought against them for three years and finally took them captive into Samaria.
The reason God allowed that to happen is found in II Kings 18:12 “Because they obeyed not the voice of their God.”
D - REGRESSION
Hezekiah regresses. For some reason his strong stand for God is weakened and he begins to wane. Why?
Eight years later Sennacherib who was now the king of Assyria destroyed all the smaller cities around Judah and sent his messengers to Judah to let them know he was going to destroy them next.
Hezekiah’s heart regressed. Sennacherib then demanded gold and silver from Judah. Hezekiah agreed and sent to Sennacherib by today’s standard $48 million in silver and $4.5 million in gold bullion.
But you can’t deal with the devil. Once you paid him once, he will always want more and more and more of your life until he owns you, your family and your business.
Then Hezekiah had to give him all the silver found in God’s house as well as all of his own personal treasures.
More demands came and Hezekiah had to cut off the gold from the doors and pillars of the house of the Lord. Sennacherib owned all of Israel’s wealth.
Would Sennacherib be happy now? Absolutely not! He is a picture of Satan. Satan is never content with controlling just part of your life. He won’t quit till he owns all of your life. Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile. Invite him for breakfast and he’ll stay all day.
A man told me a story about someone in his church that fell on hard times. This man lived alone and so he said, “Well, you can move in with me for a month or two till you find you a place to live.” The man has been living with him 11 years and he doesn’t plan on leaving.
I thank God for the freedom of speech that we have in our country but our forefathers meant that freedom to be used for religious purposes and good purposes and not evil.
Israel had this freedom of speech as well and with that freedom, king Sennacherib’s sent his great orator, Rabshakeh to deliver a speech to the people of Israel and all who would listen.
His speech struck fear in the hearts of the people of Judah as he came to Jerusalem and mocked their king and used propaganda to reveal the king’s weaknesses. He even told Judah that their God had sent him to warn them against the error of their king.
Rahshakeh says, therefore, give pledge to my king and he will take care of you. He will feed you and clothe you and give you goodly houses and land. The economy will be better under the Assyrian flag than under the Israeli flag.
Rahshakeh was offering Judah a change. He was offering them a new king and with that new king, a new god. Selah!
E – REAPING
Now, when we read Isaiah 33:1 we find that Isaiah had an answer to those who would use lying words to try to destroy God’s people.
Here is Isaiah’s prophecy. He says in Isaiah 33:1, “Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.”
Isaiah says two things: 1) Woe or you are as good as dead. Death will come to you that deal violently and deceitfully with God’s people. Thank God for men who will stand against the media and false religions of the world.
Too many people say, “Preacher we don’t want to ruffle any one’s feathers.” Friend, the Church is going to be friend chicken if we don’t ruffle some feathers. The preachers were afraid to ruffle some feathers in Germany and Hitler came to the throne and killed six million Jews and eight million Gentiles.
2) Isaiah’s says to Rahshakeh, “You shall be spoiled.”
In Galatians 6:7-10 Paul writes what Isaiah has just expressed this way.
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
This text carries both a positive and a negative message. Do right and be blessed. Obey God, walk with God, pursue God and be protected by God.
Do evil and be cursed. Live in the world and invite the devil over for a cup of coffee and you will reap the outcome.
GOD’S LAWS
God created many laws. One that is very evident is the law of gravity. If you are a Christian and you jump off the top of a twenty story building you will be eating lunch in heaven. It is caused by the law of gravity.
If on the other hand you don’t know the Lord and you jump off that twenty story building you will be toasting marshmallows in hell and you’ll be the marshmallow.
Another one of God’s law is that of “sowing and reaping.” It is a good law that can bring positive or negative results, depending on you.
For those who follow and obey God’s word great blessings will come. For those who disobey God’s Word judgment will come.
This is Isaiah’s words to the king of Assyria, Sennacherib. God says, “You mess with my people and I’ll mess with you.” That is what the word spoil means. It means to mess up, ruin or destroy.
Christian, can I encourage you to honor God not just in the face of death but in the midst of life. Satan doesn’t’ care if you will say, “I’ll die for the Lord.” He just doesn’t want you to live for the Lord.
His goal is to get you to compromise. His goal is to get you to just live a so-so life. That is what Israel had done and they had been conquered eight years earlier. Now Judah as a whole were living a so-so life for God and judgment was about to hit them.
In the book of Revelation and chapter three God reveals that in His Word. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
The church age in the last days before the Lord comes will as a whole be like Laodicea.
They were called lukewarm. They were a little to good to be thought bad, but a little to bad to be called good.
They were like a good cup of lukewarm coffee on a cold winter morning. But, you say, “Preacher, a cup of lukewarm coffee is sickening.” Yes it is! God told this church, change your ways or I’ll spew you out of my mouth.
Here are God’s words to you and me today:
1) “Stand fast: Stand fast with the liberty wherewith you have been set free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).
“Stand fast” is a military term. It means to dig in and never retreat.
2) “Run the race: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”(Hebrews 12:1-2).
3) Fight a good fight. Paul said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: (II Tim 4: 7).
4) Be faithful. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful (I Cor 4:2).
In modern day terminology Isaiah would say, “Give God all you have. There is a race to run for God. Don’t quit, keep running, don’t quit. Push it, push it, push it.”
When I think of giving my best to God I think of the story of Dick and Rick Hoyt. I think of the love that Dick Hoyt has for his son Rick.
In 1962 Ricky was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. He would never walk. He would never talk. He would never have control of his body. He would be in a wheel chair the rest of his life. He had lost oxygen to his brain and the doctors told his dad, “Put him away. He will only be a vegetable the rest of his life.”
But the love of a father said, ‘No, we will raise Rick just like our other children.” They cried, they took their son home and gave their lives to loving their son. They knew he was smart and they knew he was paying attention to them.
They had a computer built so Rick might be able to communicate with them. At the age of 12 Rick spoke his first words through the computer.
Ricks’ father, Dick, was a military man. He knew what discipline and dedication was all about. He was just a few months removed from a heart attack when his son at the age of 12 heard of a charity run for a paralyze victim in his High School. He asked his dad if they could run in the 5 mile race and his dad said, “Yes” and Rick began to train.
They came in next to last in the race. But they ran again and again. They ran marathons and the Iron-man- six times. Dick runs for his son. His son says, “Dad when I run I don’t realizes I have a physical problem.” Dick has pulled; pushed and carried his son in over 950 races and does it because as he says, “I just love my son,”
Christian, I hope to admonish you to know that we are living in the last days. This world will be less and less a friend of Christ and His true followers every day till He returns.
1) Please, keep walking with the Holy Righteous God of the bible.
2) Do right till the stars fall from the sky.
3) Let God take vengeance on the evil doers.
4) Repent and revitalize your heart. Don’t rebel or regress and you shall reap the blessings of the Lord.
After the prophecy in verse one, Isaiah offers a prayer for God’s people.
B – A PRAYER (2,7)
2 O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble
Isaiah lived long enough to see the spiritual atmosphere in Israel fall to a mere fleshly worship. He lived long enough to see Israel conquered and taken captive by the mighty Assyrians.
Now he hears the same threats from the Assyrians against Judah. Isaiah knows that the answer to freedom is not in just what he preaches but in the right reaction of the people of Judah. Will they repent and seek the Lord?
Will they see and receive his grace? Will they trust in His arm or strength? Will they trust God to now deliver them in a time of trouble? So he prays, “O LORD, be gracious unto us.”
We that are fifty-years old and older have lived long enough in America to see spiritual worship in most churches become mere fleshly worship.
We have seen a nation that was founded on Christ and a nation that used both prayer and Bible study daily in the public school classroom for over 200 years remove both of them from every public school in the 1960’s.
We have lived long enough to see the Ten Commandments taken off the walls of our schools.
We have lived long enough to see Bible truth replaces with humanistic philosophies.
We have seen creation replaced with evolution and morality replaced with immorality.
We have literally seen every one of God’s Ten Commandments broken by our government and our pubic school system.
Let me give you but a few examples:
1 – The first commandment says we should love God with all our hearts. In most schools, God is ignored. His word is and being is questioned. IN some he is denied and in some he is mocked.
2 – The fifth commandment says to honor thy father and thy mother. That is no longer taught.
3 – God said, “Thou shalt not kill.” I know what I am about to say is politically incorrect but abortion is legalized murder.
4 – God said, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Yet, pre-marital sex, homosexuality and any life style one chooses is taught as a choice to students today. Sin is never condemned and evil is never called sin.
We that know God’s Word know what the future holds.
Today, we still have the spiritual freedom to practice both true worship and true prayer. My fear is if we don’t take our spiritual freedom seriously one day the true Christians will suffer in America as they have in Russia, China and maybe even as they have in Muslim nations.
We have lived long enough to see our spiritual heritage placed in the closet and that which was in the closet walk down the streets of America.
We have lived long enough to see a once good government become a godless government and I say that sadly.
So we must ask the question, “What do we do?” That is what Isaiah reveals in verse 2. Plead with and pray to the Lord.
As Hezekiah, repented and revived his own life and then prayed and pleaded with God, so the believers today must do the same.
Will you:
1 - Make correction in your lives by putting God first.
2 - Seek the Lords by spending time in His Word.
3 – Please the Lord by loving your mate and family.
4 - Worship Him in spirit and truth.
5 – Call out to God.
Paul said in First Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing?”
David wrote in Psalms 18:3, “Call upon the Lord?”
Jesus said in Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be open to you.”
Isaiah revealed a prophecy. He revealed a prayer. Now he reveals a promise.
II - In verse 3-6 Isaiah revels a PROMISE.
3 At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.
At the prayers of God’s people, God will take the united, fortified armies of the Assyrians that has never lost a battle and scattered it to the wind.
Most Christians in America don’t pray much because we don’t have heathen nations mightier than us threatening to wipe us off the face of the earth.
But, we do have a united globalization of nations seeking for a one world government.
And we do have a tremendous union of religious organizations that have united together to feed and take care of the world from a social standpoint but they have so watered down the Bible that they have thrown out the truth and teachings of the doctrines of the a Bible and jezebels and devils stand in their pulpits. These religious organization will bring about a one-world religion.
4 And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.
Then God says to the Assyrians I will take all of your destruction and consider what you have done. I will then heap it on your head and it will be like a hundred million locusts coming down on a vineyard. God was saying I will leave you with nothing.
5 The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.
Then the Lord will (v 5) be exalted on high in the hearts of all the people and He will be the righteous judge of all the earth and all the earth will fear the Lord.
Proverbs 29: 2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
Isaiah 32:6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.
Christian you may ask, “How does that apply to me?” You must realize this world is not your home. Many things may go wrong physically, financially and governmentally. But, we have God’s promise that one day we will be with Him and we will dwell on high with our Lord.
Wisdom is knowing according to Biblical history, a people move from poverty or slavery to seeking God. God then blesses them and gives the freedom. They live in freedom a while but after a few generations they forget the price of freedom and the people become spiritual slackers. Oppression sets in. Freedom is lost and a people start all over again in slavery.
Now that you know truth will you be stable? Will you be the steadfast one, the solid rock, the strength, yea the strong one for others?
Most of your friends at work are on roller coaster ride that ends with a head on collision with God.
Most of your family are riding that same roller coaster ride. They are having a blast as they ride.
And you and I are on that ride to. Will be put on the brakes?
Will we prophesize with a warn lovingly heart of where the ride ends?
Will we pray for God’s people to receive his grace and trust the strong arm of the Lord to deliver us?
And will we be the strong one for our mate and children? Will you?
III - In verse 7-9 Isaiah talks about worldly Peace.
Man has tried for thousands of years to have peace by making peace-treaties. There is just one problem. There is war in man’s heart.
Man without God’s grace to make him content and loving and forgiving is by nature, greedy, selfish and proud. And there will be war until the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ reigns in the heart of men (v7).
7 Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
As we read verse eight we, in our minds, think of the streets in many European nations during World War I and II.
8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man. Sadly, the desolation is not that of a physical war but the condition of a people at war with God. Their hearts are desolate for they have broken their spiritual marriage covenant with God. When you got saved, you made a covenant with God.
Your covenant whether you understood it or not was to love God in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth until death you part. You were to keep yourself for only Him. He has kept His part. Have you kept yours.
9 The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.
There is no peace until the Prince of peace saves man’s soul. That is true in a nation as well as in an individual heart. When Jesus Christ moves into a nation or the heart of a person, his life becomes peaceful.
IV - In verse 10 – 24 Isaiah reveals a day of PROSPERITY.
He who gives men breath and life and substances and purpose and protection and provisions and salvation should be lifted up in life.
10 Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.
In verse 11-12, God will first have to bring judgment to those who don’t know Him. This of course pictures the tribulation time.
11 Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.
12 And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.
Then in verse 13 God says, learn how I operate.
13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.
Learn how God operates. If He is approached properly and Biblically, He will bless a person, a nation, if not the judgment will come.
In verses 14-16 Isaiah reveals that judgment will fall on godless government.
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
In verse 15-16 reveals the blessing to those who love righteousness.
15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
- They shall dwell with the Lord.
16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
- They shall behold the beauty of the King and the land.
17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.
-Though God’s people will be confronted with terror and destruction, they will escape that terror because they have chosen righteousness. (18-19).
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.
V - In verse 20-24 we have the Prince. Isaiah finally reveals that there is a great day coming when the Lord Himself shall rule and reign in Zion, the New Jerusalem.
20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.
At that time the earth will flow with the blessings of God.
21 But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.
The Lord will be judge, lawgiver and King.
22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.
The wicked will be no more for 1000 years.
23 Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.
There will be no sickness and no sin.
24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.
Isaiah 33:1 Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
2 O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble
A great crisis was about to fall on Judah.
Their enemies were becoming quite vicious with their words.
Their threats to every nation had always been back up with actions.
The enemy is Assyria. Their batting average was a thousand. They were undefeated in battle. They were cocky and they were fearless.
What do you do when it seems you are down for the count of 10 and the referee is at 8? It is good to have a prophet of God around. Isaiah was that prophet. He had been alone with the Lord and God had given his prophet a bold and fearless spirit. He stands and gives Israel hope.
We first see a prophecy to Assyria found in verse one.
I - A PROHECY
Before we can understand this chapter completely we must first get a proper understanding when Isaiah gave this prophecy.
Hezekiah had come to the throne of Judah when they were in pretty bad shape spiritually, morally, politically and socially.
Hezekiah believed God’s word and realized he had to do something drastic that would shake up the nation and open the eyes of Judah so they would see the need to turn back to God.
Now I want you to know that what Hezekiah did was not popular with most of the people. But, it was popular with God.
A – REPENTANCE
Look at what King Hezekiah does:
Second Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
High places were places in the mountains people would go to worship. They would say I am worshipping god in nature or they would put an image before them and bow to that image.
The High places were places of comfort and convenience. You hear of people going there today. They say, “I’m going to the mountains or to get alone and rest and I’ll we’ll have devotionals Sunday in the cabin.” Others say, “I’m going to the races but we will have services at the race track. God calls that a high place. It is any place a person goes to worship God and God is second and not first.
You can take a vacation a few times a year and rest but you should never take a vacation from God or the Church Jesus died for.
The groves were trees or poles set near an altar where God’s people were worshipping the Canaanite god, Astarte.
She was the god of fortune and happiness or prosperity.
Does that like any places of worship today?
Nehushtan was the copper serpent Moses made hundreds of years earlier in the wilderness. Israel had griped and complained so bitterly that God sent serpents among them to bite them Many died. As Moses and Aaron sought God, they were led to build this serpent and lift it up before the people and as many as looked to this brass serpent by faith, they were healed or delivered from the serpents. Here, hundreds of years later many in Judah still bowed to and worshipped Nehushtan. Hezekiah didn’t put the serpent in the attic. He destroyed it.
B – REVIVAL
In Isaiah, chapter 32, Isaiah talked of people who tasted of the Lord and those who trusted in the Lord. Second Kings 18:5-6 revealed that Hezekiah was one of those who trusted in the Lord.
Hezekiah brought a renewal or resurgence of godliness to Judah
5 He (Hezekiah) trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. That is a great compliment.
6 For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
Notice four things about Hezekiah that will move God’s heart:
1 - He trusted in the Lord. He fled to the Lord and took shelter in His arms. He just believed God could do anything. Amen.
2 - He clave to the Lord. “Clave” carries the idea of holding on to the things of God with all of ones strength. It also means to pursue closely and Hezekiah never turned away from the Lord. He was faithful.
3 - He also followed the Lord. That means he chased after the Lord all the days of his life. He patterned his life after God’s word.
4 - He kept God’s commandments but God did not prosper him. Hezekiah guarded God’s commandments. He kept them near his heart and obeyed God’s word even in the most difficult times.
C - REBELLION
In II Kings 18 we see what Israel’s rebellion (not Judah’s) brought to them.
In the fourth year of King Hezekiah the Assyrians came against the Northern Kingdom, Israel, and fought against them for three years and finally took them captive into Samaria.
The reason God allowed that to happen is found in II Kings 18:12 “Because they obeyed not the voice of their God.”
D - REGRESSION
Hezekiah regresses. For some reason his strong stand for God is weakened and he begins to wane. Why?
Eight years later Sennacherib who was now the king of Assyria destroyed all the smaller cities around Judah and sent his messengers to Judah to let them know he was going to destroy them next.
Hezekiah’s heart regressed. Sennacherib then demanded gold and silver from Judah. Hezekiah agreed and sent to Sennacherib by today’s standard $48 million in silver and $4.5 million in gold bullion.
But you can’t deal with the devil. Once you paid him once, he will always want more and more and more of your life until he owns you, your family and your business.
Then Hezekiah had to give him all the silver found in God’s house as well as all of his own personal treasures.
More demands came and Hezekiah had to cut off the gold from the doors and pillars of the house of the Lord. Sennacherib owned all of Israel’s wealth.
Would Sennacherib be happy now? Absolutely not! He is a picture of Satan. Satan is never content with controlling just part of your life. He won’t quit till he owns all of your life. Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile. Invite him for breakfast and he’ll stay all day.
A man told me a story about someone in his church that fell on hard times. This man lived alone and so he said, “Well, you can move in with me for a month or two till you find you a place to live.” The man has been living with him 11 years and he doesn’t plan on leaving.
I thank God for the freedom of speech that we have in our country but our forefathers meant that freedom to be used for religious purposes and good purposes and not evil.
Israel had this freedom of speech as well and with that freedom, king Sennacherib’s sent his great orator, Rabshakeh to deliver a speech to the people of Israel and all who would listen.
His speech struck fear in the hearts of the people of Judah as he came to Jerusalem and mocked their king and used propaganda to reveal the king’s weaknesses. He even told Judah that their God had sent him to warn them against the error of their king.
Rahshakeh says, therefore, give pledge to my king and he will take care of you. He will feed you and clothe you and give you goodly houses and land. The economy will be better under the Assyrian flag than under the Israeli flag.
Rahshakeh was offering Judah a change. He was offering them a new king and with that new king, a new god. Selah!
E – REAPING
Now, when we read Isaiah 33:1 we find that Isaiah had an answer to those who would use lying words to try to destroy God’s people.
Here is Isaiah’s prophecy. He says in Isaiah 33:1, “Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.”
Isaiah says two things: 1) Woe or you are as good as dead. Death will come to you that deal violently and deceitfully with God’s people. Thank God for men who will stand against the media and false religions of the world.
Too many people say, “Preacher we don’t want to ruffle any one’s feathers.” Friend, the Church is going to be friend chicken if we don’t ruffle some feathers. The preachers were afraid to ruffle some feathers in Germany and Hitler came to the throne and killed six million Jews and eight million Gentiles.
2) Isaiah’s says to Rahshakeh, “You shall be spoiled.”
In Galatians 6:7-10 Paul writes what Isaiah has just expressed this way.
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
This text carries both a positive and a negative message. Do right and be blessed. Obey God, walk with God, pursue God and be protected by God.
Do evil and be cursed. Live in the world and invite the devil over for a cup of coffee and you will reap the outcome.
GOD’S LAWS
God created many laws. One that is very evident is the law of gravity. If you are a Christian and you jump off the top of a twenty story building you will be eating lunch in heaven. It is caused by the law of gravity.
If on the other hand you don’t know the Lord and you jump off that twenty story building you will be toasting marshmallows in hell and you’ll be the marshmallow.
Another one of God’s law is that of “sowing and reaping.” It is a good law that can bring positive or negative results, depending on you.
For those who follow and obey God’s word great blessings will come. For those who disobey God’s Word judgment will come.
This is Isaiah’s words to the king of Assyria, Sennacherib. God says, “You mess with my people and I’ll mess with you.” That is what the word spoil means. It means to mess up, ruin or destroy.
Christian, can I encourage you to honor God not just in the face of death but in the midst of life. Satan doesn’t’ care if you will say, “I’ll die for the Lord.” He just doesn’t want you to live for the Lord.
His goal is to get you to compromise. His goal is to get you to just live a so-so life. That is what Israel had done and they had been conquered eight years earlier. Now Judah as a whole were living a so-so life for God and judgment was about to hit them.
In the book of Revelation and chapter three God reveals that in His Word. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
The church age in the last days before the Lord comes will as a whole be like Laodicea.
They were called lukewarm. They were a little to good to be thought bad, but a little to bad to be called good.
They were like a good cup of lukewarm coffee on a cold winter morning. But, you say, “Preacher, a cup of lukewarm coffee is sickening.” Yes it is! God told this church, change your ways or I’ll spew you out of my mouth.
Here are God’s words to you and me today:
1) “Stand fast: Stand fast with the liberty wherewith you have been set free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).
“Stand fast” is a military term. It means to dig in and never retreat.
2) “Run the race: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”(Hebrews 12:1-2).
3) Fight a good fight. Paul said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: (II Tim 4: 7).
4) Be faithful. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful (I Cor 4:2).
In modern day terminology Isaiah would say, “Give God all you have. There is a race to run for God. Don’t quit, keep running, don’t quit. Push it, push it, push it.”
When I think of giving my best to God I think of the story of Dick and Rick Hoyt. I think of the love that Dick Hoyt has for his son Rick.
In 1962 Ricky was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. He would never walk. He would never talk. He would never have control of his body. He would be in a wheel chair the rest of his life. He had lost oxygen to his brain and the doctors told his dad, “Put him away. He will only be a vegetable the rest of his life.”
But the love of a father said, ‘No, we will raise Rick just like our other children.” They cried, they took their son home and gave their lives to loving their son. They knew he was smart and they knew he was paying attention to them.
They had a computer built so Rick might be able to communicate with them. At the age of 12 Rick spoke his first words through the computer.
Ricks’ father, Dick, was a military man. He knew what discipline and dedication was all about. He was just a few months removed from a heart attack when his son at the age of 12 heard of a charity run for a paralyze victim in his High School. He asked his dad if they could run in the 5 mile race and his dad said, “Yes” and Rick began to train.
They came in next to last in the race. But they ran again and again. They ran marathons and the Iron-man- six times. Dick runs for his son. His son says, “Dad when I run I don’t realizes I have a physical problem.” Dick has pulled; pushed and carried his son in over 950 races and does it because as he says, “I just love my son,”
Christian, I hope to admonish you to know that we are living in the last days. This world will be less and less a friend of Christ and His true followers every day till He returns.
1) Please, keep walking with the Holy Righteous God of the bible.
2) Do right till the stars fall from the sky.
3) Let God take vengeance on the evil doers.
4) Repent and revitalize your heart. Don’t rebel or regress and you shall reap the blessings of the Lord.
After the prophecy in verse one, Isaiah offers a prayer for God’s people.
B – A PRAYER (2,7)
2 O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble
Isaiah lived long enough to see the spiritual atmosphere in Israel fall to a mere fleshly worship. He lived long enough to see Israel conquered and taken captive by the mighty Assyrians.
Now he hears the same threats from the Assyrians against Judah. Isaiah knows that the answer to freedom is not in just what he preaches but in the right reaction of the people of Judah. Will they repent and seek the Lord?
Will they see and receive his grace? Will they trust in His arm or strength? Will they trust God to now deliver them in a time of trouble? So he prays, “O LORD, be gracious unto us.”
We that are fifty-years old and older have lived long enough in America to see spiritual worship in most churches become mere fleshly worship.
We have seen a nation that was founded on Christ and a nation that used both prayer and Bible study daily in the public school classroom for over 200 years remove both of them from every public school in the 1960’s.
We have lived long enough to see the Ten Commandments taken off the walls of our schools.
We have lived long enough to see Bible truth replaces with humanistic philosophies.
We have seen creation replaced with evolution and morality replaced with immorality.
We have literally seen every one of God’s Ten Commandments broken by our government and our pubic school system.
Let me give you but a few examples:
1 – The first commandment says we should love God with all our hearts. In most schools, God is ignored. His word is and being is questioned. IN some he is denied and in some he is mocked.
2 – The fifth commandment says to honor thy father and thy mother. That is no longer taught.
3 – God said, “Thou shalt not kill.” I know what I am about to say is politically incorrect but abortion is legalized murder.
4 – God said, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Yet, pre-marital sex, homosexuality and any life style one chooses is taught as a choice to students today. Sin is never condemned and evil is never called sin.
We that know God’s Word know what the future holds.
Today, we still have the spiritual freedom to practice both true worship and true prayer. My fear is if we don’t take our spiritual freedom seriously one day the true Christians will suffer in America as they have in Russia, China and maybe even as they have in Muslim nations.
We have lived long enough to see our spiritual heritage placed in the closet and that which was in the closet walk down the streets of America.
We have lived long enough to see a once good government become a godless government and I say that sadly.
So we must ask the question, “What do we do?” That is what Isaiah reveals in verse 2. Plead with and pray to the Lord.
As Hezekiah, repented and revived his own life and then prayed and pleaded with God, so the believers today must do the same.
Will you:
1 - Make correction in your lives by putting God first.
2 - Seek the Lords by spending time in His Word.
3 – Please the Lord by loving your mate and family.
4 - Worship Him in spirit and truth.
5 – Call out to God.
Paul said in First Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing?”
David wrote in Psalms 18:3, “Call upon the Lord?”
Jesus said in Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be open to you.”
Isaiah revealed a prophecy. He revealed a prayer. Now he reveals a promise.
II - In verse 3-6 Isaiah revels a PROMISE.
3 At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.
At the prayers of God’s people, God will take the united, fortified armies of the Assyrians that has never lost a battle and scattered it to the wind.
Most Christians in America don’t pray much because we don’t have heathen nations mightier than us threatening to wipe us off the face of the earth.
But, we do have a united globalization of nations seeking for a one world government.
And we do have a tremendous union of religious organizations that have united together to feed and take care of the world from a social standpoint but they have so watered down the Bible that they have thrown out the truth and teachings of the doctrines of the a Bible and jezebels and devils stand in their pulpits. These religious organization will bring about a one-world religion.
4 And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.
Then God says to the Assyrians I will take all of your destruction and consider what you have done. I will then heap it on your head and it will be like a hundred million locusts coming down on a vineyard. God was saying I will leave you with nothing.
5 The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.
Then the Lord will (v 5) be exalted on high in the hearts of all the people and He will be the righteous judge of all the earth and all the earth will fear the Lord.
Proverbs 29: 2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
Isaiah 32:6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.
Christian you may ask, “How does that apply to me?” You must realize this world is not your home. Many things may go wrong physically, financially and governmentally. But, we have God’s promise that one day we will be with Him and we will dwell on high with our Lord.
Wisdom is knowing according to Biblical history, a people move from poverty or slavery to seeking God. God then blesses them and gives the freedom. They live in freedom a while but after a few generations they forget the price of freedom and the people become spiritual slackers. Oppression sets in. Freedom is lost and a people start all over again in slavery.
Now that you know truth will you be stable? Will you be the steadfast one, the solid rock, the strength, yea the strong one for others?
Most of your friends at work are on roller coaster ride that ends with a head on collision with God.
Most of your family are riding that same roller coaster ride. They are having a blast as they ride.
And you and I are on that ride to. Will be put on the brakes?
Will we prophesize with a warn lovingly heart of where the ride ends?
Will we pray for God’s people to receive his grace and trust the strong arm of the Lord to deliver us?
And will we be the strong one for our mate and children? Will you?
III - In verse 7-9 Isaiah talks about worldly Peace.
Man has tried for thousands of years to have peace by making peace-treaties. There is just one problem. There is war in man’s heart.
Man without God’s grace to make him content and loving and forgiving is by nature, greedy, selfish and proud. And there will be war until the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ reigns in the heart of men (v7).
7 Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
As we read verse eight we, in our minds, think of the streets in many European nations during World War I and II.
8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man. Sadly, the desolation is not that of a physical war but the condition of a people at war with God. Their hearts are desolate for they have broken their spiritual marriage covenant with God. When you got saved, you made a covenant with God.
Your covenant whether you understood it or not was to love God in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth until death you part. You were to keep yourself for only Him. He has kept His part. Have you kept yours.
9 The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.
There is no peace until the Prince of peace saves man’s soul. That is true in a nation as well as in an individual heart. When Jesus Christ moves into a nation or the heart of a person, his life becomes peaceful.
IV - In verse 10 – 24 Isaiah reveals a day of PROSPERITY.
He who gives men breath and life and substances and purpose and protection and provisions and salvation should be lifted up in life.
10 Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.
In verse 11-12, God will first have to bring judgment to those who don’t know Him. This of course pictures the tribulation time.
11 Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.
12 And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.
Then in verse 13 God says, learn how I operate.
13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.
Learn how God operates. If He is approached properly and Biblically, He will bless a person, a nation, if not the judgment will come.
In verses 14-16 Isaiah reveals that judgment will fall on godless government.
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
In verse 15-16 reveals the blessing to those who love righteousness.
15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
- They shall dwell with the Lord.
16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
- They shall behold the beauty of the King and the land.
17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.
-Though God’s people will be confronted with terror and destruction, they will escape that terror because they have chosen righteousness. (18-19).
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.
V - In verse 20-24 we have the Prince. Isaiah finally reveals that there is a great day coming when the Lord Himself shall rule and reign in Zion, the New Jerusalem.
20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.
At that time the earth will flow with the blessings of God.
21 But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.
The Lord will be judge, lawgiver and King.
22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.
The wicked will be no more for 1000 years.
23 Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.
There will be no sickness and no sin.
24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
THE TRUTH OF SALVATION
THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE IN AMERICA
A man who had many doctorates and had served the Lord for many years was asked, “What is the greatest truth you have discovered over the many years of studying God’s word? His answer was, “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.”
I am far from old I hope, but over the years if there is one great truth that I have discovered in the Bible it is the truth of salvation.
From thirty-five years of studying the Bible, I have discovered that the cultural Christianity in America today is far removed from the teaching of Christianity in the Bible.
One of the greatest sorrows of heart is the doctrine that most churches call salvation and the sermons on salvation preached from most pulpits across America are not true to God’s word.
Today, I want to share my heart with you about the “Truth of Salvation.”
Understand that a preacher is a dying man called of God to preach to dying men and women.
I hope you will listen with an open heart and mind. I hope you will turn to the Scriptures and read what I say for your self. And I hope you will believe God’s Word above what any preacher or person has ever told you.
Listen: The door of Salvation is a hidden door.
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
Please understand that the “way to Heaven will be found at the exit called strait and the road called narrow. It will not be found at the broad gate and on the wide road.
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 7: 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
The greatest concern of my heart is most people in most churches across America today are not saved. They know Jesus died was buried and rose again but that is not salvation.
THREE MISCONCEPTION OF SALVATION:
1) Some have asked this question, “Is belief in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ enough to get a person to heaven?
We find in Acts 26 the story of the apostle Paul standing before King Agrippa. He preached the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ to him. Then Paul invites Agrippa to receive Christ as his own Savior. Paul says in verse 27-28, “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”
Agrippa believed the gospel but died and went to hell. Most people with “America’s form of Christianity” believe the gospel but will die and go to hell because they too, like Agrippa only believe.
The type of Salvation and the type of Christianity that is being portrayed and preached about in most Churches in our country is foreign to the teachings of God Words.
One evangelist named Paul Washer that preaches mainly in South America, Africa and Eastern Europe preaches at times in America and mingles among the churches of this country. He said, “America Christianity is based more on a godless culture than it is on the word of God.”
2) Another fallacy of salvation is the idea that if I pray a prayer and say, “Lord save me” God will take me to heaven?
Many people are deceived into believing that because someone told them if they prayed the sinner’s prayer they would go to heaven. So they prayed it but even in their heart they didn’t believe because they have prayed that prayer a hundred times since then.
3) One more dangerous fault of people who profess Christ is they look around and see other professing Christians just as evil and worldly as they are and they think I am OK because I am as good or a little better than they are, therefore I am going to heaven too.
They don’t look any different then the world. They don’t live any different then the world and they don’t talk any different than the world and they say, “I know I’m saved because when I was 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, I believed the gospel and I prayed a prayer.”
*The greatest heresy in Baptist Churches today is the idea that if I pray a prayer I will get to heaven.
Now, note that bowing and confessing to Christ that you are a sinner and inviting Jesus to take over your life is a very important part of salvation and I emphasis, “It is a part.” But, if you think that the sinner’s prayer alone will save you, you are totally wrong.
You’ll not find that in the Bible, but you will find in Matthew 7:21-23 just the opposite.
You will not find that the teaching of praying a prayer for salvation was ever taught in Christian History or Baptist history till about 50 to 60 years ago. It started in Independent Baptist Churches.
Preachers got so caught up in bragging about the number of people they had “saved” they became salesman rather than prophets and preachers of truth, allowing God’s Holy Spirit to do His work.
Salvation is faith in Jesus Christ. It is a faith that comes from the preaching of God’s Word with the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
In true salvation when the conviction of God’s Spirit falls on you, you will repent and surrender your life to do the will of God.
It is a love relationship that causes you to commit your life to living for Jesus Christ forever. It is not a fire escape from hell. That is Salvation!
At that time you decide that you will love God and hate sin. You will quit living for this world and you’ll begin living for the next world.
Many churches and preachers in America say, “Come as you are. Live like you want, just say, I believe in Jesus and pray this prayer.” That is not Bible doctrine. That is not Christianity.
PROOF: Luke 18: “The Rich Young Ruler”
Proof of that statement is found in Luke 18. A rich ruler came to Jesus. He had heard of the life of Christ. He had heard of Jesus’ power and might and miracles and majesty. He came with awe and excitement and a great desire to be “saved” and asked Jesus in v 18, ’…Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Upon examining his life the man had lived a very good life. He had gone through his Catechism. He had memorizes the Ten Commandments and had kept them. He had a good working knowledge of the Scriptures.
He had all the right answers. He had done right from a youth up. Then Jesus said to him in Luke 18:22. “…Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”
Why didn’t Jesus say, “I’m going to die and rise on the third day,” believe that and invite me to save your heart?” Because that isn’t the way to heaven.
Salvation is giving your life to Him. It is making Jesus your Lord and Savior. It is giving Him control of your life 24-7.
Jesus doesn’t ride in the back seat of your car, He drives. He isn’t your co-pilot, he is your pilot. He takes control but only if He is given control. And He definitely doesn’t ride in the trunk. There are many folks that use Jesus Christ like a spare tire. They only take him out when their life goes flat.
Verse 23 reads, “And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.” He did not want to give up his style of living for Christ and sadly, he died and went to hell. Why didn’t Jesus say, “Believe that I will die and I will be buried and I will rise again and pray a prayer.”
Ninety-eight percent of the people in Greensboro believe themselves to be believers. Most everybody will say they are Christians.
And yet sixty percent don’t go to Church. Of those that do, eighty percent don’t read the Scriptures daily and less than fifteen percent go to prayer meeting. Does that sound like a people in love with Jesus?
Look at this passage in Matthew 7:
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
That was all introduction, now write down five points:
1 – THE DOOR IS HIDDEN.
The word gate in this passage means door or entrance way. “Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life. No man cometh to the father but by me” (John 14:6). The only way any human being will ever be saved is through Jesus Christ. He is the door to heaven.
Question: Is that gate or door water baptism? Is that gate church membership? Is that gate praying a prayer? Is the gate being able to give the right answers to a list of questions? No!
When we examine the Greek we discover that the word strait means “difficult to find because of so many obstacles standing near by.” It carries in the Greek language the idea of a gate hidden by many vines. It isn’t clear. It isn’t obvious unless one searches for it.
Could that actually be true? Look at some examples. Judas kissed this door to heaven and died and went to hell. This door to heaven lived among the Jewish people for 33 ½ years and they rejected this door as the way to heaven. The Romans heard of this miracle worker and heard the crowds praise Him and they nailed Jesus to a cross. And Pilate admitted Jesus had no fault but signed His death warrant..
John 3:
Jesus told Nicodemus that entering that door is compared to a woman in labor. In John 3:3 we read, “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
“4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
Jesus says, Nicodemus you must go through the process of a new birth as a woman goes through labor. There will be a battle but there must be a new life birth within you. That new life will introduce by water which is the hearing of the Word of God. And the new life will be supernatural.
When you enter that strait gate, that passage way to eternal life, you must seek the Lord. You must repent of your sins. You must believe in the Gospel. You must surrender to do the will of God. Then as they call out to Christ with a humble and broke heart door of Salvation will swing open.
Do you understand in true salvation you will surrender to Christ. Your life will be different. Your life will be holy. Your life will be Christ-like. Your life will be righteous. Your life will be opposite from the way the world lives.
**God’s Spirit will only let those that are born again enter through the strait gate. Repent! Believe! Commit! Call!
***After Jesus had preached much and the disciples heard his words they realizes that it would be difficult to get to heaven. Look at Luke 13:23.
Luke 13: 23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
24 Strive (struggle, do your best, go all out) to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek (look for, search for, hunt for) to enter in, and shall not be able.
WIDE GATE
Sadly, most people will enter through the wide gate. Anybody and everybody are welcome in the wide gate. You can believe anything you want and live anyway you desire and enter the wide gate.
Every religion, every denomination, every cult, every idea, every philosophy in the world is accepted at the wide gate.
Everything is OK. If you want to be very strict and teach you have to keep the laws of Moses you will be accepted. On the other hand if you want to engage in fornication to cursing to drunkenness to living just like the unsaved world, it is OK.
You can go to the Men Clubs on Saturday night and you can go to church on Sunday.
You can get drunk on Friday night and sing in the choir on Sunday. At the wide gate you may come as you are, live as you please and do what you want because you prayed a prayer.
2 – THE ROAD IS NARROW.
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Not only is the gate strait but the road is narrow. Before a person enters in and becomes a child of God, Jesus says, here is what you need to know. Here is what you need to expect. “The road is narrow.”
The word narrow means troublesome with afflicting. Look at Christ’s life. He was afflicted by the religious crowd all the days of His life. His own family rejected Him and the world crucified Him.
When the disciples lived for Christ, they were run out of cites, placed in jail, beaten and put to death.
The first three hundred years of Christianity three million Christians alone were killed in Rome, Italy not counting what took place in Israel and the rest of the world.
Jesus said the narrow road of the Christian life, as you travel to heaven will be met with difficulty and affliction. It is a narrow road. It is a two-lane highway, not a 12 lane expressway.
Christian, there will even be those in this church that will give you a cold shoulder and mock you if you are determined to live godly.
****If you are looking for the waterhole of sin, you won’t find it on this road. If you are looking to party, it isn’t here either.
If you are looking for a country club religion, you won’t find it on this road. NO! You’ll just find real Christians and believers. You will find worship and praise to the Lord.
If you are looking for an entertaining religion, a relaxed religion, a watered down religion with no repentance and commitment, you’ll have to get on the Broad road.
The road of life for the believer is narrow because the believer’s focus is narrow. His greatest desire or focus is Jesus Christ. Why? Because he has fallen in love with Him.
Do you think someone would repent and give up the pleasures of this world for someone they didn’t love. Only the love of Christ will cause you to give up the sinful pleasures of this old world.
Broad Road – Verse 13 says, broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
The life style on the broad road is wide open. Remember the Wide Gate welcomes everybody. On this road anything goes. On this road are all types of recreation centers and worship centers.
Religion on the broad road allows every thing. There are Strip joints, bars, men’s club, and dance halls to go to during the week. And there are thousands of churches you can attend on Sunday. But, only on Sunday. They don’t like prayer meeting and Sunday evening.
Why would I say there are many churches there?
Statistics show that the morality between the world and the church in America is no different.
Percentage wise abortion, divorce, immorality, youth engaged in sexual activity, drinking and such are basically even in America between those who go to church and those who have nothing to do with church.
Do you think there is something wrong with America’s form of Christianity?
And many say, “But preacher I’m just carnal.” “I’m just backslid.” “I’m bitter at God.” “Somebody hurt me.” Many say, “Oh, I know I’m saved; I’m just not what I ought to be. No friend, you are more than likely lost.
Jesus said in the last days people would have a form of godliness but deny the power there of, but today folks don’t even have a form of godliness.
I thank God that you folks dress up in honor of God on Sunday. Thank you! But it is a slap in the face of God if you dress for worship on Sunday the same way you do for a ballgame on Saturday.
Some folks say, “Well I’m saved, I’m just away from God. I’m a prodigal. No friend, you are lost.
In reality the prodigal son in the Bible is a picture of Israel. They lost their inheritance with God, which the elder son held onto. They will not rule and reign with Christ in the millennium from the New Jerusalem but from the earthly Jerusalem. Jesus never gave that parable so you might justify living in the world. And if you use the Bible to excuse your sinful life that is evident enough you are lost.
When I hear someone say, “I’m saved by grace I can choose to live in sin if I want.” I say, “God help your soul, you have no idea what it means to be saved by grace. You have never understood Salvation.
Well, preacher, I’m really mad now. I’m going to find me a church
that preaches an easy salvation.” Go ahead. You can go to hell from there just easier than from here because they’ll take you in just like you.
Now, stop I want you to know something. If you are saved, you are 100% OK with this message. If it bothers you because you want to defend your experience or one of your children, please listen to the rest of the message.
If you have entered in at the strait gate and you are walking down the narrow road. Then the trees are in full bloom.
3 – THE TREE IS FRUITFUL
Jesus says in Matthew 7 if you are a believer you will bear spiritual fruit.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
A prophet of God was feared and respected and honored but he wasn’t necessarily liked, because he preached truth.
He is your best friend. “Your best friend is the one who tells you the truth.”
Most people have become so thinned skinned that if the preacher tells the truth, people get mad and leave the church. God help us. Our pride is sending us to hell.
The marks of a false prophet is he will not rain on your parade.
He does not want to preach something that will offend you or make your life uncomfortable.
He will present a Christianity that makes the church look like a rock concert or a six flags over Jesus.
The true church and the true preachers of old preached truth.
They preached against sin and they preached righteousness and repentance.
Do you know how Baptist theology and Bible theology revealed that a person was saved for hundreds of years?
The Word of God was preached. People under the conviction of God’s spirit were asked to go to an “enquire room” after the service.
The preacher or evangelist would get alone with them and question the people to why they came forward.
If he sense some came for the wrong reason, he would turn them away and tell them you are not ready yet to be born again. Go home seek God, read His word and come back another time.
Other people the preacher would sense were under the convicting power of God’s spirit. He would again explain to them repentance, surrender, commitment. If they understood they were pray with and told to cry out to God till the spirit of God and peace of God flooded their lives.
Today many say If you would like to join the church come and shake the preachers hand. Membership in the church isn’t membership in heaven. Or Come and pray a prayer.
When a person was truly saved birth into God’s kingdom by God’s Spirit there would be a major difference in their life.
1- His heart would be different.
2- His home would be different.
3- His honor would be different.
1- When your heart is different, you love different things. You love God first. You love your mate. You love your family. You love the children of God. You love God’s Word.
2- Your home will be different. Your marriage becomes stronger, better, more loving and more enjoyable. Your kids become important to you. Your home is different because your heart is different.
3- Your honor is different. People honor people.
Some of you parents have talked with your youth about their life style, their clothes, their music, their friends and it is like pulling eye teeth. What your child needs is a good dose of salvation. That always makes us want to obey God and our parents.
Only Jesus will make kids want to live right, dress right, talk right and act right. Your kids will hang around kids that have a heart just like them.
When Jesus moves in, they will want to hang with folks that love Jesus.
WHAT IS THE FRUIT OF SOMEONE WHO IS SAVED?
1 – You will love being around God’s people. I John 3: 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
2 – You will love the preaching of God’s word.
I Peter 2: 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
3 – You will love fellowship in God’s house.
Psalms 122: I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
David was talking about Jerusalem, but this refers to the heart of a believer loving the house of God.
God’s house is to be a house of prayer and worship and righteousness. It is to be a house of fellowship and the teaching of doctrine and training of His children.
It was never to be a country club or an entertainment center. God’s house was to be Holy.
4 – You will enjoy living a new life. 2 Corinthians 5: 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Some professing Christians say, “Preacher I enjoy hanging out with my worldly friends and getting high and laughing at dirty jokes. A good dose of salvation will cure that.
There is something wrong with people’s concept of true salvation today in this American culture.
Most people in most churches don’t need to get right with the Lord, most people need to get saved.
Look at verse 16 again.
A thistles trees grow on the Broad Road. The fruit of that tree is hate, greed, jealousy, pride, lust, fornicate, bitterness, cursing, drunkenness, worldly parties, anger and strife and more.
The fruit of the Fig trees are love for Jesus, the Bible and the Brethren. Joy of the Lord and peaceful relationship with God and others.
Let me give you an illustration of a person who is real and false.
Let’s say I got to church an hour late this morning and you said, Preacher where were you? I said, Man on my way over here I had a flat tire. I got out too fix the tire and a forty ton logging truck hit me at 60 MPH. It smashing me between my car and the front of the truck but I made it.
You would conclude. The preacher is a liar or he is crazy. Why? You are smart enough to conclude that if I had had been truly hit by this truck I would be dead an since I am at church I told an awfully big lie or I have lost my mind. Because there is no way I could come in contact with this truck and still be the same person.
I conclude, when you come in contact with Jesus Christ, who is far bigger and mightier than a logging truck and you can still act like, walk like and talk like the world, you have accepted a lie of a salvation.
How many times have you gone to the altar over the past ten years and rededicate your life? Or maybe you went so often that you just quit going because you found out nothing changed around the house. You change for about a week then you go back to the same old mode.
Maybe you need to get on your face and weep and cry and beg God to forgive you of a life of hypocrisy and pride. Maybe you need to get born again.
Hey when I got married, my life changed and has been different for 35 years. I have been in love for 35 years.
When I got saved my life changed to and has been different. God’s spirit has worked in my life for thirty five years.
1 - The gate is strait. 2- The way is narrow. 3 – The tree is fruitful.
4 – THE WARNING IS CLEAR
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
In America if we want to emphasis something we raise our voice. In Hebrew literature when they emphasized something they spoke something again and again, such as, truly, truly or verily, verily.
Though Jesus is speaking in Greek, He is speaking to the Hebrew people first. But he speaks over and over again about the fruit.
In verse 16 he says, “Ye shall know them by their fruits.”
In verse 17 he says, “17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
In verse 18 he says, “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”
In verse 19 Jesus says, “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
The person that has walked through the Strait Door call salvation and is traveling down the narrow road of the Christian life. His life is filled with good fruit, good fruit, good fruit.
Things in his life are church, the Bible, prayer, worship, love for the things of God and more.
– Precious friend look at the next verse:
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
That is pretty clear to destroy the idea of America’s water down salvation experience or let’s pray a prayer.
In my life from the age of 7 to 21 I believed every doctrine in the Bible. When I was born I was baptized. At age 12 I could tell you about eschatology, pneumonology, harmotology and soteriology which is the doctrine of Salvation but I was not God’s child.
At age 16 I prayed a prayer and was baptized in a Baptist church. For the next five years I would have told everybody that asked me that I was a Christian. At the age of 21 verse 21 of Matthew 7 became a reality to me.
I had prayed the prayer a hundred times but I had never surrendered to the will of the Father. I never gave Him my life.
I had prayed, “Lord saved me.” But I was going to live as I pleased.
This is the great misunderstanding in fundamental churches today. Because fifty to sixty years ago someone said, “Let’s tell people to believe the Gospel and pray a prayer and they are saved and a heresy filled many churches of America.
Billy Graham said He believed that the great majority of people in Bible believing churches today were lost.
He said he believed that less that 5% of those who make profession of faith in his campaigns actually understood what they were doing.
The prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, in the late 1800’s questioned if half the people in his church fully understood Salvation.
Dr. Lee Robertson, pastor of the Highland Park Baptist Church wondered if even half of his congregation knew the Lord as their Savior.
V 21 – Salvation is when a person comes under the conviction of the Holy Spirit humbles their heart in repentance and says, “I will do the will of God.” “I will surrender my life to Him.”
“I will seek Him. I will serve Him. I will love Him. I will live for Him. I will honor Him. I will be different.”
When Paul got saved in Acts 9, his whole life changed. He did run with the folks he used to run with.
When the Philippian Jailer got saved, He took Jesus home with him and his whole family changed.
Nicodemus came searching for Jesus at night. He was a brilliant man. He had great knowledge of the Scripture but He had to have the Holy Spirit blow over his soul so he could cry out for Salvation.
How do you know your faith is real? Your Father will take care of you.
Let’s say I am coming home from the hospital late one night and I see one of our teenagers on the street corner at 1:00 in the morning. He is hanging out with other guys that are drinking and partying. I stop and say, Joe, get in the car, I’m taking you home.
Now I’m upset, not with the teenager, but with the father. If that father was what he ought to be, he wouldn’t let his son stay out that late at night and with those kids.
Now, let me say this. If God is your father, he won’t let you live in sin week after week. God is no derelict father. NO! God is a good father and the Bible says, He will discipline his own. And the Bible says in Hebrews 12: 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Some folks shake off what I say and you say, “But it is different with me. I know the Lord, it is just I love to party, I love to drink. I love to laugh at dirty jokes. I love the world. I love to bear the thistles.
Remember what happens to the thistles. One day they will be gathered together and all cast into the fire.
1 - The gate is strait. 2- The way is narrow. 3 – The tree is fruitful. 4 – The Warning is clear and lastly,
5 – GOOD WORKS ISN’T ENOUGHT
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
At the great judgment of God men and women will have what they think are good excuses: I went to church. I was a member. I sang in the choir. I was confirmed. My mama told me I was saved.
I taught a Sunday school class. I gave 10% every week of my hard earned money. God I went to church my entire life.
Verse 22 reveals some folks with the power to cast out devils and do wonders and yet they were in the end, lost for eternity.
Understand what verse 23 means. Listen to the Greek interpretation:
“Depart from me, you that profess to know me and yet you live for me as if I never gave you a law to obey.”
You lived with the philosophy that a mere prayer would save you and after that you lived as you choose to live. God says, “Depart from me!”
Moms, dads, teens, it is more than a prayer. It is a surrendering of your will to do the will of Almighty God. It is a submission of your life to God.
Interpretation:
1- Two Gates:
2- Two Roads
3- Two Trees:
4- Two foundations – The saved man is building his life on God’s Word, God’s will, God’s way. He builds his marriage, finances, and worship on God’s Word and not man’s way.
Now folks let me ask you a few questions and we will sing a song and I’ll let you make a decision for Christ or not.
1 - What makes you think you are saved?
2 - Do you compare yourself with your family or friends and then conclude, you are as good as they are? That doesn’t make you saved.
3 - Do you compare yourself with other professing Christians and say I am as good as they? That doesn’t make you saved.
4 – Are you trusting in a belief and prayer?
5 - Youth, do you think you are going to heaven because your parents told you that you are saved? They have no right to tell you that you are saved. Only God through His Spirit can tell your spirit if you are saved or lost.
**Salvation will come when God’s Spirit convicts you and you admit that you are a sinner, lost and your sins nailed Christ to Calvary.
You believe Jesus died, was buried and rose again.
But you must do the will of God. You must surrender to do His will.
You then joyfully, lovingly, and unashambly pour out your heart to Christ and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior with the full intentions of living for Him the rest of your life.
A man who had many doctorates and had served the Lord for many years was asked, “What is the greatest truth you have discovered over the many years of studying God’s word? His answer was, “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.”
I am far from old I hope, but over the years if there is one great truth that I have discovered in the Bible it is the truth of salvation.
From thirty-five years of studying the Bible, I have discovered that the cultural Christianity in America today is far removed from the teaching of Christianity in the Bible.
One of the greatest sorrows of heart is the doctrine that most churches call salvation and the sermons on salvation preached from most pulpits across America are not true to God’s word.
Today, I want to share my heart with you about the “Truth of Salvation.”
Understand that a preacher is a dying man called of God to preach to dying men and women.
I hope you will listen with an open heart and mind. I hope you will turn to the Scriptures and read what I say for your self. And I hope you will believe God’s Word above what any preacher or person has ever told you.
Listen: The door of Salvation is a hidden door.
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
Please understand that the “way to Heaven will be found at the exit called strait and the road called narrow. It will not be found at the broad gate and on the wide road.
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 7: 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
The greatest concern of my heart is most people in most churches across America today are not saved. They know Jesus died was buried and rose again but that is not salvation.
THREE MISCONCEPTION OF SALVATION:
1) Some have asked this question, “Is belief in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ enough to get a person to heaven?
We find in Acts 26 the story of the apostle Paul standing before King Agrippa. He preached the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ to him. Then Paul invites Agrippa to receive Christ as his own Savior. Paul says in verse 27-28, “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”
Agrippa believed the gospel but died and went to hell. Most people with “America’s form of Christianity” believe the gospel but will die and go to hell because they too, like Agrippa only believe.
The type of Salvation and the type of Christianity that is being portrayed and preached about in most Churches in our country is foreign to the teachings of God Words.
One evangelist named Paul Washer that preaches mainly in South America, Africa and Eastern Europe preaches at times in America and mingles among the churches of this country. He said, “America Christianity is based more on a godless culture than it is on the word of God.”
2) Another fallacy of salvation is the idea that if I pray a prayer and say, “Lord save me” God will take me to heaven?
Many people are deceived into believing that because someone told them if they prayed the sinner’s prayer they would go to heaven. So they prayed it but even in their heart they didn’t believe because they have prayed that prayer a hundred times since then.
3) One more dangerous fault of people who profess Christ is they look around and see other professing Christians just as evil and worldly as they are and they think I am OK because I am as good or a little better than they are, therefore I am going to heaven too.
They don’t look any different then the world. They don’t live any different then the world and they don’t talk any different than the world and they say, “I know I’m saved because when I was 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, I believed the gospel and I prayed a prayer.”
*The greatest heresy in Baptist Churches today is the idea that if I pray a prayer I will get to heaven.
Now, note that bowing and confessing to Christ that you are a sinner and inviting Jesus to take over your life is a very important part of salvation and I emphasis, “It is a part.” But, if you think that the sinner’s prayer alone will save you, you are totally wrong.
You’ll not find that in the Bible, but you will find in Matthew 7:21-23 just the opposite.
You will not find that the teaching of praying a prayer for salvation was ever taught in Christian History or Baptist history till about 50 to 60 years ago. It started in Independent Baptist Churches.
Preachers got so caught up in bragging about the number of people they had “saved” they became salesman rather than prophets and preachers of truth, allowing God’s Holy Spirit to do His work.
Salvation is faith in Jesus Christ. It is a faith that comes from the preaching of God’s Word with the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
In true salvation when the conviction of God’s Spirit falls on you, you will repent and surrender your life to do the will of God.
It is a love relationship that causes you to commit your life to living for Jesus Christ forever. It is not a fire escape from hell. That is Salvation!
At that time you decide that you will love God and hate sin. You will quit living for this world and you’ll begin living for the next world.
Many churches and preachers in America say, “Come as you are. Live like you want, just say, I believe in Jesus and pray this prayer.” That is not Bible doctrine. That is not Christianity.
PROOF: Luke 18: “The Rich Young Ruler”
Proof of that statement is found in Luke 18. A rich ruler came to Jesus. He had heard of the life of Christ. He had heard of Jesus’ power and might and miracles and majesty. He came with awe and excitement and a great desire to be “saved” and asked Jesus in v 18, ’…Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Upon examining his life the man had lived a very good life. He had gone through his Catechism. He had memorizes the Ten Commandments and had kept them. He had a good working knowledge of the Scriptures.
He had all the right answers. He had done right from a youth up. Then Jesus said to him in Luke 18:22. “…Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”
Why didn’t Jesus say, “I’m going to die and rise on the third day,” believe that and invite me to save your heart?” Because that isn’t the way to heaven.
Salvation is giving your life to Him. It is making Jesus your Lord and Savior. It is giving Him control of your life 24-7.
Jesus doesn’t ride in the back seat of your car, He drives. He isn’t your co-pilot, he is your pilot. He takes control but only if He is given control. And He definitely doesn’t ride in the trunk. There are many folks that use Jesus Christ like a spare tire. They only take him out when their life goes flat.
Verse 23 reads, “And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.” He did not want to give up his style of living for Christ and sadly, he died and went to hell. Why didn’t Jesus say, “Believe that I will die and I will be buried and I will rise again and pray a prayer.”
Ninety-eight percent of the people in Greensboro believe themselves to be believers. Most everybody will say they are Christians.
And yet sixty percent don’t go to Church. Of those that do, eighty percent don’t read the Scriptures daily and less than fifteen percent go to prayer meeting. Does that sound like a people in love with Jesus?
Look at this passage in Matthew 7:
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
That was all introduction, now write down five points:
1 – THE DOOR IS HIDDEN.
The word gate in this passage means door or entrance way. “Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life. No man cometh to the father but by me” (John 14:6). The only way any human being will ever be saved is through Jesus Christ. He is the door to heaven.
Question: Is that gate or door water baptism? Is that gate church membership? Is that gate praying a prayer? Is the gate being able to give the right answers to a list of questions? No!
When we examine the Greek we discover that the word strait means “difficult to find because of so many obstacles standing near by.” It carries in the Greek language the idea of a gate hidden by many vines. It isn’t clear. It isn’t obvious unless one searches for it.
Could that actually be true? Look at some examples. Judas kissed this door to heaven and died and went to hell. This door to heaven lived among the Jewish people for 33 ½ years and they rejected this door as the way to heaven. The Romans heard of this miracle worker and heard the crowds praise Him and they nailed Jesus to a cross. And Pilate admitted Jesus had no fault but signed His death warrant..
John 3:
Jesus told Nicodemus that entering that door is compared to a woman in labor. In John 3:3 we read, “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
“4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
Jesus says, Nicodemus you must go through the process of a new birth as a woman goes through labor. There will be a battle but there must be a new life birth within you. That new life will introduce by water which is the hearing of the Word of God. And the new life will be supernatural.
When you enter that strait gate, that passage way to eternal life, you must seek the Lord. You must repent of your sins. You must believe in the Gospel. You must surrender to do the will of God. Then as they call out to Christ with a humble and broke heart door of Salvation will swing open.
Do you understand in true salvation you will surrender to Christ. Your life will be different. Your life will be holy. Your life will be Christ-like. Your life will be righteous. Your life will be opposite from the way the world lives.
**God’s Spirit will only let those that are born again enter through the strait gate. Repent! Believe! Commit! Call!
***After Jesus had preached much and the disciples heard his words they realizes that it would be difficult to get to heaven. Look at Luke 13:23.
Luke 13: 23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
24 Strive (struggle, do your best, go all out) to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek (look for, search for, hunt for) to enter in, and shall not be able.
WIDE GATE
Sadly, most people will enter through the wide gate. Anybody and everybody are welcome in the wide gate. You can believe anything you want and live anyway you desire and enter the wide gate.
Every religion, every denomination, every cult, every idea, every philosophy in the world is accepted at the wide gate.
Everything is OK. If you want to be very strict and teach you have to keep the laws of Moses you will be accepted. On the other hand if you want to engage in fornication to cursing to drunkenness to living just like the unsaved world, it is OK.
You can go to the Men Clubs on Saturday night and you can go to church on Sunday.
You can get drunk on Friday night and sing in the choir on Sunday. At the wide gate you may come as you are, live as you please and do what you want because you prayed a prayer.
2 – THE ROAD IS NARROW.
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Not only is the gate strait but the road is narrow. Before a person enters in and becomes a child of God, Jesus says, here is what you need to know. Here is what you need to expect. “The road is narrow.”
The word narrow means troublesome with afflicting. Look at Christ’s life. He was afflicted by the religious crowd all the days of His life. His own family rejected Him and the world crucified Him.
When the disciples lived for Christ, they were run out of cites, placed in jail, beaten and put to death.
The first three hundred years of Christianity three million Christians alone were killed in Rome, Italy not counting what took place in Israel and the rest of the world.
Jesus said the narrow road of the Christian life, as you travel to heaven will be met with difficulty and affliction. It is a narrow road. It is a two-lane highway, not a 12 lane expressway.
Christian, there will even be those in this church that will give you a cold shoulder and mock you if you are determined to live godly.
****If you are looking for the waterhole of sin, you won’t find it on this road. If you are looking to party, it isn’t here either.
If you are looking for a country club religion, you won’t find it on this road. NO! You’ll just find real Christians and believers. You will find worship and praise to the Lord.
If you are looking for an entertaining religion, a relaxed religion, a watered down religion with no repentance and commitment, you’ll have to get on the Broad road.
The road of life for the believer is narrow because the believer’s focus is narrow. His greatest desire or focus is Jesus Christ. Why? Because he has fallen in love with Him.
Do you think someone would repent and give up the pleasures of this world for someone they didn’t love. Only the love of Christ will cause you to give up the sinful pleasures of this old world.
Broad Road – Verse 13 says, broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
The life style on the broad road is wide open. Remember the Wide Gate welcomes everybody. On this road anything goes. On this road are all types of recreation centers and worship centers.
Religion on the broad road allows every thing. There are Strip joints, bars, men’s club, and dance halls to go to during the week. And there are thousands of churches you can attend on Sunday. But, only on Sunday. They don’t like prayer meeting and Sunday evening.
Why would I say there are many churches there?
Statistics show that the morality between the world and the church in America is no different.
Percentage wise abortion, divorce, immorality, youth engaged in sexual activity, drinking and such are basically even in America between those who go to church and those who have nothing to do with church.
Do you think there is something wrong with America’s form of Christianity?
And many say, “But preacher I’m just carnal.” “I’m just backslid.” “I’m bitter at God.” “Somebody hurt me.” Many say, “Oh, I know I’m saved; I’m just not what I ought to be. No friend, you are more than likely lost.
Jesus said in the last days people would have a form of godliness but deny the power there of, but today folks don’t even have a form of godliness.
I thank God that you folks dress up in honor of God on Sunday. Thank you! But it is a slap in the face of God if you dress for worship on Sunday the same way you do for a ballgame on Saturday.
Some folks say, “Well I’m saved, I’m just away from God. I’m a prodigal. No friend, you are lost.
In reality the prodigal son in the Bible is a picture of Israel. They lost their inheritance with God, which the elder son held onto. They will not rule and reign with Christ in the millennium from the New Jerusalem but from the earthly Jerusalem. Jesus never gave that parable so you might justify living in the world. And if you use the Bible to excuse your sinful life that is evident enough you are lost.
When I hear someone say, “I’m saved by grace I can choose to live in sin if I want.” I say, “God help your soul, you have no idea what it means to be saved by grace. You have never understood Salvation.
Well, preacher, I’m really mad now. I’m going to find me a church
that preaches an easy salvation.” Go ahead. You can go to hell from there just easier than from here because they’ll take you in just like you.
Now, stop I want you to know something. If you are saved, you are 100% OK with this message. If it bothers you because you want to defend your experience or one of your children, please listen to the rest of the message.
If you have entered in at the strait gate and you are walking down the narrow road. Then the trees are in full bloom.
3 – THE TREE IS FRUITFUL
Jesus says in Matthew 7 if you are a believer you will bear spiritual fruit.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
A prophet of God was feared and respected and honored but he wasn’t necessarily liked, because he preached truth.
He is your best friend. “Your best friend is the one who tells you the truth.”
Most people have become so thinned skinned that if the preacher tells the truth, people get mad and leave the church. God help us. Our pride is sending us to hell.
The marks of a false prophet is he will not rain on your parade.
He does not want to preach something that will offend you or make your life uncomfortable.
He will present a Christianity that makes the church look like a rock concert or a six flags over Jesus.
The true church and the true preachers of old preached truth.
They preached against sin and they preached righteousness and repentance.
Do you know how Baptist theology and Bible theology revealed that a person was saved for hundreds of years?
The Word of God was preached. People under the conviction of God’s spirit were asked to go to an “enquire room” after the service.
The preacher or evangelist would get alone with them and question the people to why they came forward.
If he sense some came for the wrong reason, he would turn them away and tell them you are not ready yet to be born again. Go home seek God, read His word and come back another time.
Other people the preacher would sense were under the convicting power of God’s spirit. He would again explain to them repentance, surrender, commitment. If they understood they were pray with and told to cry out to God till the spirit of God and peace of God flooded their lives.
Today many say If you would like to join the church come and shake the preachers hand. Membership in the church isn’t membership in heaven. Or Come and pray a prayer.
When a person was truly saved birth into God’s kingdom by God’s Spirit there would be a major difference in their life.
1- His heart would be different.
2- His home would be different.
3- His honor would be different.
1- When your heart is different, you love different things. You love God first. You love your mate. You love your family. You love the children of God. You love God’s Word.
2- Your home will be different. Your marriage becomes stronger, better, more loving and more enjoyable. Your kids become important to you. Your home is different because your heart is different.
3- Your honor is different. People honor people.
Some of you parents have talked with your youth about their life style, their clothes, their music, their friends and it is like pulling eye teeth. What your child needs is a good dose of salvation. That always makes us want to obey God and our parents.
Only Jesus will make kids want to live right, dress right, talk right and act right. Your kids will hang around kids that have a heart just like them.
When Jesus moves in, they will want to hang with folks that love Jesus.
WHAT IS THE FRUIT OF SOMEONE WHO IS SAVED?
1 – You will love being around God’s people. I John 3: 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
2 – You will love the preaching of God’s word.
I Peter 2: 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
3 – You will love fellowship in God’s house.
Psalms 122: I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
David was talking about Jerusalem, but this refers to the heart of a believer loving the house of God.
God’s house is to be a house of prayer and worship and righteousness. It is to be a house of fellowship and the teaching of doctrine and training of His children.
It was never to be a country club or an entertainment center. God’s house was to be Holy.
4 – You will enjoy living a new life. 2 Corinthians 5: 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Some professing Christians say, “Preacher I enjoy hanging out with my worldly friends and getting high and laughing at dirty jokes. A good dose of salvation will cure that.
There is something wrong with people’s concept of true salvation today in this American culture.
Most people in most churches don’t need to get right with the Lord, most people need to get saved.
Look at verse 16 again.
A thistles trees grow on the Broad Road. The fruit of that tree is hate, greed, jealousy, pride, lust, fornicate, bitterness, cursing, drunkenness, worldly parties, anger and strife and more.
The fruit of the Fig trees are love for Jesus, the Bible and the Brethren. Joy of the Lord and peaceful relationship with God and others.
Let me give you an illustration of a person who is real and false.
Let’s say I got to church an hour late this morning and you said, Preacher where were you? I said, Man on my way over here I had a flat tire. I got out too fix the tire and a forty ton logging truck hit me at 60 MPH. It smashing me between my car and the front of the truck but I made it.
You would conclude. The preacher is a liar or he is crazy. Why? You are smart enough to conclude that if I had had been truly hit by this truck I would be dead an since I am at church I told an awfully big lie or I have lost my mind. Because there is no way I could come in contact with this truck and still be the same person.
I conclude, when you come in contact with Jesus Christ, who is far bigger and mightier than a logging truck and you can still act like, walk like and talk like the world, you have accepted a lie of a salvation.
How many times have you gone to the altar over the past ten years and rededicate your life? Or maybe you went so often that you just quit going because you found out nothing changed around the house. You change for about a week then you go back to the same old mode.
Maybe you need to get on your face and weep and cry and beg God to forgive you of a life of hypocrisy and pride. Maybe you need to get born again.
Hey when I got married, my life changed and has been different for 35 years. I have been in love for 35 years.
When I got saved my life changed to and has been different. God’s spirit has worked in my life for thirty five years.
1 - The gate is strait. 2- The way is narrow. 3 – The tree is fruitful.
4 – THE WARNING IS CLEAR
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
In America if we want to emphasis something we raise our voice. In Hebrew literature when they emphasized something they spoke something again and again, such as, truly, truly or verily, verily.
Though Jesus is speaking in Greek, He is speaking to the Hebrew people first. But he speaks over and over again about the fruit.
In verse 16 he says, “Ye shall know them by their fruits.”
In verse 17 he says, “17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
In verse 18 he says, “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”
In verse 19 Jesus says, “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
The person that has walked through the Strait Door call salvation and is traveling down the narrow road of the Christian life. His life is filled with good fruit, good fruit, good fruit.
Things in his life are church, the Bible, prayer, worship, love for the things of God and more.
– Precious friend look at the next verse:
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
That is pretty clear to destroy the idea of America’s water down salvation experience or let’s pray a prayer.
In my life from the age of 7 to 21 I believed every doctrine in the Bible. When I was born I was baptized. At age 12 I could tell you about eschatology, pneumonology, harmotology and soteriology which is the doctrine of Salvation but I was not God’s child.
At age 16 I prayed a prayer and was baptized in a Baptist church. For the next five years I would have told everybody that asked me that I was a Christian. At the age of 21 verse 21 of Matthew 7 became a reality to me.
I had prayed the prayer a hundred times but I had never surrendered to the will of the Father. I never gave Him my life.
I had prayed, “Lord saved me.” But I was going to live as I pleased.
This is the great misunderstanding in fundamental churches today. Because fifty to sixty years ago someone said, “Let’s tell people to believe the Gospel and pray a prayer and they are saved and a heresy filled many churches of America.
Billy Graham said He believed that the great majority of people in Bible believing churches today were lost.
He said he believed that less that 5% of those who make profession of faith in his campaigns actually understood what they were doing.
The prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, in the late 1800’s questioned if half the people in his church fully understood Salvation.
Dr. Lee Robertson, pastor of the Highland Park Baptist Church wondered if even half of his congregation knew the Lord as their Savior.
V 21 – Salvation is when a person comes under the conviction of the Holy Spirit humbles their heart in repentance and says, “I will do the will of God.” “I will surrender my life to Him.”
“I will seek Him. I will serve Him. I will love Him. I will live for Him. I will honor Him. I will be different.”
When Paul got saved in Acts 9, his whole life changed. He did run with the folks he used to run with.
When the Philippian Jailer got saved, He took Jesus home with him and his whole family changed.
Nicodemus came searching for Jesus at night. He was a brilliant man. He had great knowledge of the Scripture but He had to have the Holy Spirit blow over his soul so he could cry out for Salvation.
How do you know your faith is real? Your Father will take care of you.
Let’s say I am coming home from the hospital late one night and I see one of our teenagers on the street corner at 1:00 in the morning. He is hanging out with other guys that are drinking and partying. I stop and say, Joe, get in the car, I’m taking you home.
Now I’m upset, not with the teenager, but with the father. If that father was what he ought to be, he wouldn’t let his son stay out that late at night and with those kids.
Now, let me say this. If God is your father, he won’t let you live in sin week after week. God is no derelict father. NO! God is a good father and the Bible says, He will discipline his own. And the Bible says in Hebrews 12: 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Some folks shake off what I say and you say, “But it is different with me. I know the Lord, it is just I love to party, I love to drink. I love to laugh at dirty jokes. I love the world. I love to bear the thistles.
Remember what happens to the thistles. One day they will be gathered together and all cast into the fire.
1 - The gate is strait. 2- The way is narrow. 3 – The tree is fruitful. 4 – The Warning is clear and lastly,
5 – GOOD WORKS ISN’T ENOUGHT
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
At the great judgment of God men and women will have what they think are good excuses: I went to church. I was a member. I sang in the choir. I was confirmed. My mama told me I was saved.
I taught a Sunday school class. I gave 10% every week of my hard earned money. God I went to church my entire life.
Verse 22 reveals some folks with the power to cast out devils and do wonders and yet they were in the end, lost for eternity.
Understand what verse 23 means. Listen to the Greek interpretation:
“Depart from me, you that profess to know me and yet you live for me as if I never gave you a law to obey.”
You lived with the philosophy that a mere prayer would save you and after that you lived as you choose to live. God says, “Depart from me!”
Moms, dads, teens, it is more than a prayer. It is a surrendering of your will to do the will of Almighty God. It is a submission of your life to God.
Interpretation:
1- Two Gates:
2- Two Roads
3- Two Trees:
4- Two foundations – The saved man is building his life on God’s Word, God’s will, God’s way. He builds his marriage, finances, and worship on God’s Word and not man’s way.
Now folks let me ask you a few questions and we will sing a song and I’ll let you make a decision for Christ or not.
1 - What makes you think you are saved?
2 - Do you compare yourself with your family or friends and then conclude, you are as good as they are? That doesn’t make you saved.
3 - Do you compare yourself with other professing Christians and say I am as good as they? That doesn’t make you saved.
4 – Are you trusting in a belief and prayer?
5 - Youth, do you think you are going to heaven because your parents told you that you are saved? They have no right to tell you that you are saved. Only God through His Spirit can tell your spirit if you are saved or lost.
**Salvation will come when God’s Spirit convicts you and you admit that you are a sinner, lost and your sins nailed Christ to Calvary.
You believe Jesus died, was buried and rose again.
But you must do the will of God. You must surrender to do His will.
You then joyfully, lovingly, and unashambly pour out your heart to Christ and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior with the full intentions of living for Him the rest of your life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
