Now that's a Burden!

 

ROMANS 9:1-5 (Vs 14)

SUBJECT: ROMANS/ ISRAEL’S PAST

THEME: the basis of God’s entire economy of redemption rest upon the foundation of his nature and character, therefore we can rest without any prospect of disappointment in his mercy, power, and faithfulness.

INTRODUCTION:

If God is fair in his dealings with Israel, then the rest of humanity can unreservedly entrust their eternal future with him.  However, if he was unfair in his dealings with the nation of Israel, then how can we as gentile Christians even begin to rest in him for our own eternal destiny?

There are several questions I hope to answer from this passage and this chapter in Romans:

1) Is salvation based on our good works or is it based on the calling and compassion of God?     

2) What does it mean when the God of love says he loved Jacob but hated Esau?

3) How can we reconcile God’s sovereignty with human responsibility?    

4) Have the promises of God failed Israel? Will they fail us also?   

5) After looking at his record, can God still be trusted today?

RELEVANCE: Basically, God exercises the prerogatives of a sovereign God and man functions within the orbit of God’s will as a free moral agent. In both instances neither violates the opportunities and choices of the other. It is this understanding that sets the stage as we come into Romans chapter nine.

MESSAGE:

God’s sovereignty and human free will (responsibility) are taught throughout chapters 9 -11 in Romans. Romans 8:29-30 is one of the most difficult passages in all of Scripture because it deals with the subjects of moral responsibility of mankind and sovereign prerogatives of God.  The key to unlocking this blessed passage is some understanding of the words “foreknow,” “predestinate,” “called,” “justified,” and “glorified.”  These words stretch all the way from eternity past through fleeting time and on into eternity future, but they assure the believer of God’s grace, governance, and consistency.  They focus the mind on the difficulty of reconciling divine election with human free will.  For humanity this is challenging but God has never been confused on this issue or any other. To be sure this is a topic of great difficulty, but both concepts are clearly taught throughout the Word of God, and both concepts should be embraced by our faith. 

I.               A Sincere Desire to See the Nation of Israel Saved. Vs 1-4

Paul’ s burden for the salvation of his kinsman, the nation of Israel.    

Rom 9:1, I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

I must admit that the thoughts of Paul cause me to marvel at his Christ-likeness. I am not comfortable placing myself in this company at all; please do not mistake my efforts to treat this passage accurately with some measure of attainment on this level. That would be a gross mistake and miscarriage of the depth and power of this passage.

1. PAUL HAD AN AWARENESS OF HIS FEELINGS FOR ISRAEL

1. He was Motivated to Speak Truthfully in Christ

a.      He made an astonishing and remarkable statement about his feelings towards his fellow Jews who have rejected Christ.

b.     He desired to show the peculiar tragedy of the Jews rejecting their Messiah. As a Jew himself, he understands this tragedy in a unique way.

c.      He was motivated to refute charges brought against him that he has become indifferent or hostile to the Jews. He shows his deep concern for them.

d.     He hoped that by explaining the situation, some Jews may come to understand the truth and believe the gospel. 

2. His Conscience Witnessed on His Behalf

a.      Paul is attesting that his own conscience is a witness that what he is saying is true. Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that a person’s conscience is an independent witness of that person’s declarations. “The extent to which the conscience is saturated with Scripture determines the extent to which one can depend on their conscience.”

b.     The conscience refers to a state of awareness or a sense that one's actions or intentions are either morally right or wrong, along with a feeling of obligation to do the right thing. Our conscience is only as good or as valid as the standard by which it measures and evaluations our thoughts, motives, decisions and actions.

c.      Dr. Sam Horn observed, “The conscience is an inner human faculty corrupted by sin and the Fall. And the Holy Spirit is the divine agent God uses to begin His redemptive work in a believer. The Spirit takes someone who is dead in sin and darkened in their understanding (Eph. 4:18) to someone who has life and the eyes of their heart enlightened (Eph. 1:17-18).”

3. His Conscience was Illuminated by the Holy Ghost

a.      Dr. S. Horn also said, “This transformation and renewal of our conscience is brought about as the Spirit takes residence in our heart and begins to influence our inner man.”

b.     The Spirit reveals God's truth, and God's truth renews our conscience. As the Spirit educates the believer's conscience with the things of God, the personal standard formed by the conscience begins to align with the standard of revealed truth.

c.      His conscience, in fellowship with the Holy Spirit, attests the truth of what he is saying.^[1]

d.     By repetition in positive and negative terms (internally attested by the witness of his own conscience [cf. comments on 2:15] in the presence of the Holy Spirit) Paul affirmed his deep anguish of heart over the rejection of the gospel by the vast majority of Jews. ^[2]

Our consciences must be captivated by the Word of God. As the Spirit of God continually impresses our consciences as yielded believers with the purposes of God, which are revealed through the Word of God, we can boldly live for God, confident that we are pursuing the will of God.

To grow in holiness, two things need to happen. First, our conscience needs to be recalibrated by God's Word so that it becomes a more accurate judge. Second, we need to live each day with a clear conscience, never going against what the inner voice is saying. A clear conscience is a beautiful thing.

In addition, we today must understand the goal is not merely to see the Nation of Israel in their own land or that they should persist as controllers to occupy the Land of Israel. We should be aware of their need for Christ as we seek to reach them with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are not primarily interested in the nation occupying their land or God’s land; instead, we must be focused on seeing them saved through gospel presentations and sharing Christ.

        B.  PAUL HAD A TREMENDOUS CONTINUING BURDEN FOR ISRAEL

Rom 9:2, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

Paul longs in extraordinary love for others to know Christ. In light of the cross of Jesus, we must be filled with compassionate resolve for others to hear the gospel and trust in Christ.

            1.  It Was a Cosmic Burden “Great” (Big, Large, Huge, Mighty, Strong) and “heaviness” (Grief, Sorrow)

            2.  It Was a Continuous Burden “Continual” (Permanent or Without Ceasing) “Sorrow” (A Consuming Grief of Mind that would not go away)

When he thinks first of Israel’s glorious calling, and now of its rejection by God because it rejected the Messiah, his heart is filled with great sorrow and continual grief.^[3]

It is impossible for us to appreciate adequately the anguish of this great apostle for his own nation. His patience in the presence of their persistent persecution is an indication of it. He knew how they felt toward Christ and toward Christianity, for he once felt that way himself. He had been a Pharisee, a leader; he longed for them to come to Christ as he had.^[4]

        C.  PAUL HAD AN ALTRUISTIC COMPASSION FOR ISRAEL

Rom 9:3, For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

When Paul thinks of Israel’s glorious calling and the purpose for with God had chosen them, and now their rejection by God because they had rejected their Messiah, his heart is filled with sorrow and grief.

            1.   His Compassion Reminds us of Moses Regarding Israel's Sinful Condition.

Exod 32:30-32, And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. [31] And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. [32] Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

            2.  His Compassion Reminds Us of Christ Regarding Israel's Sinful Condition.

John 15:13, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

(Matt. 23:37)

That is a level of compassion and love; a selfless love that really is Christ-like. This is what Jesus has done for us as our all-sufficient, sacrificial, atoning substitute. He went to the cross.  He endured the wrath of the Almighty that we in turn might be saved. So that we might not experience God’s wrath. So, the only way we can love people who are unsaved and separated from Christ like this is if Christ produces this kind of love in us.

            3.  Paul’s Compassion Was So Great That He Was Willing to Be Cut off from Christ If His Forfeiture Would Result in the Salvation of His Kinsman Nationally.  I believe this is the highest form of Human love or should I say divine love working in a human heart.  Remember, these are the same people who wanted Paul dead for preaching the Gospel!

Accordingly, then (Romans 9:1-3) Paul had great anguish concerning reaching his Jewish brethren for Christ and he made an incredible, yet true, statement regarding this.  Paul clearly was willing to be accursed from Christ–devoted to perdition–if in exchange it would mean the salvation of the Jewish people.  He was not speaking merely about being excommunicated nor death, but actually being damned to Hell for all eternity if this were possible.  His declaration, the Lord Jesus Christ, his conscience, and the Holy Spirit all testified to the truthfulness of Paul’s statements about the Jewish people. This is a description of his soul-winning passion among his countrymen; he was honestly willing to suffer eternal separation from Christ if by so doing his Jewish brethren would be saved through faith in their Messiah.

        D.  PAUL HAD A NATIONAL FOCUS ON ISRAEL

Rom 9:4, Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, . . ..

Paul declared his great heartbreak that his people by birth, the Jews, have rejected Christ.

As Paul weeps over his people, their glorious privileges pass in review. They are Israelites, members of God’s ancient chosen people.^[5]

APPLICATION: Paul had a burden for all sinners that lead to being completely selfless. His yearning was for a specific ethnic group and there is nothing wrong with such today as long as we realize the world still needs to be reached with the gospel (Matt. 28:19-20). We Christians are called to reach the world with the hope in Christ Jesus. But there is something else here that is noteworthy about Paul’s specific and special burden that all of us can glean.  I believe if we have a burden for someone in particular (an individual) and not only generally for everyone then we will witness to that person. We will also pray for that individual, and perhaps even see them saved. It matters what our primary focus is on. It is not wrong to witness to the masses, but a targeted burden is better for reaching a person with the gospel. If we don’t already have anyone specifically on our hearts to share Christ with, then think about family members, cousins, friends, and work associates, people at the grocery store and such. Go ahead and get out among the lost and ask God to provide opportunities, open your heart and speak to some lost sinner. Everyone can reach one and then move on to the next prospect.

 CONCLUSION:

God’s past dealings with the nation of Israel are based on two things, His grace and government.  His dealings with them in grace involved the privileges of being Israelites, the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the law, promises, the service in the tabernacle, and the fathers.  The most important blessing is Christ, the Messiah.  God’s governmental dealings with Israel involved His wisdom, will, and Word.  God was governed by fixed principles and not capricious whims.

The basis of God’s entire economy of redemption rest upon the foundation of his nature and character, therefore we can be assured without any possibility of disappointment in his mercy, power, and faithfulness.

Furthermore, the Scriptures say that we all are sinners. Unless God, pure and righteous, take our place and suffered the penalty for our sin, we would have to bear that penalty ourselves. The apostle Paul explained this in Romans 3:10–18: As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: [11] There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. [12] They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. [13] Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: [14] Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: [15] Their feet are swift to shed blood: [16] Destruction and misery are in their ways: [17] And the way of peace have they not known: [18] There is no fear of God before their eyes.   

Jesus’ death on the cross for us never needs to be repeated, and neither does anyone else ever have to suffer and die as He did. He is the sacrificial, substitutionary, all-sufficient atonement (Romans 5:20-21; 6:10-11). Yes, Christ died for us. Jesus came so that you and I might transfer our guilt to Him, and accept, by faith, that He is the guiltless One who has received our sin and taken it to Himself.

So, in this light, the only thing you need to do to receive salvation is to literally receive God’s forgiveness. And when you do, you truly have made a choice for life. We cannot simply believe anything about Jesus or be forgiven for any reason though. We must believe the Son of God, Jesus Christ, died for our sins, was buried, and God raised Him up again from among the remaining dead people the third day for our justification before The Father (see 1 Cor. 15:1-4 and Rom 3:21-31). I need you to understand that it is faith in Jesus Christ and His Gospel that is the power of God that saves us…that grant us eternal life through Christ (Rom. 1:14-17). Again, receive God’s salvation even now. You can experience God’s spiritual new birth right now!

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^[1] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1716.

^[2] John A. Witmer, “Romans,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 476.

^[3] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1716.

^[4] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary, electronic ed., vol. 4 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997), 709–710.

^[5] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1716.

The Source of True Happiness

Theme: God alone is the source of true happiness.

After we have admitted that we have a deep longing for happiness—a longing for love and acceptance and security on the one hand, and purpose and meaning and satisfaction on the other—we must choose things of true value and reject things that are false.

Our Deepest Longings are Actually for God

Isaiah 58:11, And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Psalm 42:1, As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

       

When we feel lonely and rejected and yearn for someone to affirm us, it is heaven that we long for; it is God whom we seek. When we are tired and defeated and crave a taste of success, it is heaven that we long for; it is God whom we seek. When we seem hollow and empty inside, struggling for meaning and purpose in life, it is heaven that we long for; it is God whom we seek. Surely, God will give us people and circumstances which help us from time to time to feel accepted and to have meaning in life. (Anders)

1.      But what happens when all fails us? What do we do when life collapses in on top of us?

a.       We have a protection. In the tempest we have safe harbor. In the darkest night, we have a compass. God will see us through if (and it is a big if) we have given ourselves to Him and have learned to take our love and purpose from Him. Life may hurt us, but with God in our hearts, it will not destroy us.

b.      Listen to what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:8–10: We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; [9] Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; [10] Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

2.      God alone can satisfy our deepest longings!

a.       Psalm 63:1, O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

b.      Hiding from his enemies in the barren desert of Judah, David was intensely lonely. He longed for a friend he could trust to ease his loneliness. No wonder he cried out, “O God, . . . my soul thirsteth for thee, . . . in a dry and thirsty land.” If you are lonely or thirsty for something lasting in your life, remember David’s prayer.

3.      Real, lasting satisfaction can only be found in God.

a.       Eccles. 2:24-26, There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. [25] For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? [26] For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

b.      Is Solomon recommending we make life a big, irresponsible party? No, he is encouraging us to take pleasure in what we're doing now and to enjoy life because it comes from God's hand. True enjoyment in life comes only as we follow God's guidelines for living. Without him, satisfaction is a lost search. Those who really know how to enjoy life are the ones who take life each day as a gift from God, thanking him for it and serving him in it. Those without God will have no relief from toil and no direction to guide them through life's complications.

4.      The desire to satisfy God’s requirements ought to be our highest goal.

a.       John 6:28-29, Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? [29] Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

b.      Many sincere seekers for God are puzzled about what he wants them to do. The religions of the world are mankind’s attempts to answer this question. But Jesus’ reply is brief and simple: we must believe on him whom God has sent.Satisfying God does not come from the work we do, but from whom we believe. The first step is accepting that Jesus is who he claims to be. All spiritual development is built on this affirmation. Declare in prayer to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (see Matt 16:16), and embark on a life of belief that is satisfying to your Creator.

c.       Christ’s presence satisfies our deepest desires. People eat bread to satisfy physical hunger and to sustain physical life. We can satisfy spiritual hunger and sustain spiritual life only by a right relationship with Jesus Christ. No wonder he called himself the Bread of Life. But bread must be eaten to sustain life, and Christ must be invited into our daily walk to sustain spiritual life.

We all yearn for love and acceptance, meaning and purpose. It really is not wrong for us to long for these. The truth is you and I were created to long for them. God has created us and planted within us appetites and appreciation for these things. But He also created us so that He, and He alone, can satisfy these longings. Only in Christ can we have these longings gratified. We find ourselves adrift in life, floating on a sea of money, and sex, and ambition, and pleasure. We think that by drinking them, we will quench our thirst for love and acceptance and meaning and purpose. Not so. They are all poison.

Do you have unfulfilled longings in life? It is heaven that you long for. It is God whom you seek. Do not pursue these counterfeits that do not satisfy. Pursue God.

Waiting on God....

  1 JN. 5:14-15; 1PET. 3:7; PROV. 28:9; JS. 1:6-7; MATT. 5:23-25

SUBJECT: HINDRANCES TO PRAYER

                                                           

THEME: God Truly Does Desire to Say “Yes” to Us When We Pray. We must Recognize the “Wait” Answers from the Lord are Opportunities to Grow in our Prayer Relationship.  

When our prayers aren't answered in the way we want—generally speaking, when we receive a wait answer—we sometimes become discouraged, perhaps even resentful. What we fail to recognize is that “wait” answers are tremendous teaching tools. They can reveal to us what actions we should take or how we should grow in our relationship with the Lord.

In this study we will focus on God's wait answers to see what they might tell us. I am assuming that you are in right relationship with God. The person who has not accepted Jesus Christ as Savior or who is in willful rebellion against God is not a person who can expect positive answers from God. God's answer is likely to be a repeated “no” until the person surrenders his or her life fully to Christ.

Being a believer, however, and even desiring to live in right relationship with God does not always ensure that we will have all of our prayers answered with a yes. There are certain practical and specific reasons why God doesn't always say “yes” to Christians.

CONSIDER GOD'S “WAIT” ANSWERS TO OUR PRAYERS....

God desires for us to want Him more than we want any person, position, or object. He wants us to trust Him explicitly and fully. He wants us to be in a deep, personal, and intimate relationship with Him, totally relying upon Him to meet our needs and guide us on a daily basis. Consider these factors as reasons God may say "wait"....

A.  THE FACTOR OF GOD HIMSELF.

Exodus 20:2-3, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. [3] Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  

Exodus 20:5, Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

  1. To Refocus Us on God Himself. 

      A.  Sometimes God answers wait so that we will refocus totally upon Him and not on the object of our desire.

      B.  God wants us to see Him as the source of our supply and know that a relationship with Him is far more valuable than any answered prayer could ever be.

   2. To Deepened Our Trust in God.

Sometimes God answers wait so that we might trust Him more fully.

       A.  We Would Become Arrogant If God Answered Every Prayer Immediately.

If God immediately said “yes” to all of our prayers, we might soon think that His answers were based on our own righteousness, rather than upon His mercy and grace.

        B.  We Would Become Stronger in Faith If God Answers “Wait” to Some Prayers.

               1.  In giving us “wait” answers, God is building into us a stronger foundation of faith, one that will endure all circumstances, challenges, persecutions and trials.  (See “grace” & “patience” Rom. 5:1-5).

               2.  God denied Job an immediate answer to his desire to know what he had done to deserve the awesome trials he was experiencing. 

               3.  Certainly his friends’ assertion that all suffering was the result of sin was not true in Job’s case. 

               4.  In fact God never did directly answer the question of human suffering in the book of Job, but God did finally deepen Job’s trust in Him and vindicate his faith. 

Job 13:15, Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

               5.  Instead of answering the prayer request, God magnified his Power, Majesty, Glory, Wisdom, Providence, and Sovereignty so vividly that it was tantamount to a sight of the great God.  This was enough for Job!  (Job. 42:1-10).

B.  THE FACTOR OF OUR SPIRITUAL STATE.

Psalm 118:8-9, It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.

Sometimes God says “wait;” but why?  It is:

   1.  To Adjust Our Attitudes.

        A.  Sometimes God answers wait so that our attitude will be adjusted and refined to more accurately reflect the attitude of Christ Jesus.

        B.  Wrong attitudes may cause us to turn away from God, once we get what we desire.

              — God evaluates our motives and desires when we request things of him.

              — It may be that our attitude about time, money, possessions, and talents isn’t Christ-like and therefore the Lord waits to mature us in the meantime.

        C.  God may need for us to have a different attitude so that we will know how best to use the blessing He is about to give us.

   2.  To Prepare Us to Receive His Answer.

At other times, we must mature in some way so that we can handle the blessing.

        A.  A young child may want a pocketknife, but a wise parent knows that a pocketknife is not an appropriate gift for a young child.

        B.  The parent waits until the child is older and can use the pocketknife properly without causing injury to himself or others.

        C.  Likewise, God may delay His answer to our prayer until we are better prepared to accept it.

   3.  To Train Us in Patience and Obedience.

        A.  Delays Beyond Our Control Test Our Patience and Obedience.

1 Samuel 13:8-9, And he [Saul] tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. [9] And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

             1.  It Is Difficult to Trust God When You Feel Your Resources Slipping Away.

                   — When Saul felt that time was running out, he became impatient with God's timing.

                   — In thinking that the ritual was all he needed, he substituted the ritual for faith in God.

             2.  When Faced with a Difficult Decision, Don't Allow Impatience to Drive You to Disobey God.

                   — When you know what God wants, follow his plan regardless of the consequences.

                   — God often uses delays to test our obedience and patience.

                   — Often this is the case with our prayer life, because we are most obedient when we really want something from God.

        B.  Even Difficult Circumstances Can Be God's Training Tools.

James 1:2-3, My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

             1.  James Tells Us to Turn Our Hardships into Times of Learning.

Tough times can teach us perseverance and how to pray continually.

             2.  We Can't Really Know the Depth of Our Character until We See How We React under Pressure.

It is easy to be kind to others when everything is going well, but can we still be kind when others are treating us unfairly?

             3.  God Wants to Make Us Mature and Complete, Not to Keep Us from All Pain.

                    A.  Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for growth.

                            — Thank God for promising to be with you in rough times.

                            — Ask him to help you solve your problems prayerfully or give you the strength to endure them.

                    B.  Then be prayerfully patient. God will not leave you alone with your problems; he will stay close and help you grow, but you must maintain a prayerful attitude.

C.  THE FACTOR OF GOD’S PLANS.

Isaiah 2:17-18, And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. [18] And the idols he shall utterly abolish. 

   1.  Unprepared Aspects of His Plan.

Sometimes God answers wait because certain aspects of His desire for us are yet to be put into place.

      A.  Unprepared People.

Another person or group of people may be involved in the blessing. God may need to work in their hearts before He can give us what He desires us to have.

      B.  Unresolved Hindrances.

             1.  He needs to remove the hindrances that keep His will from being enacted.

             2.  To “hinder” literally means to break up, or to place an obstacle in the road, so that our way is impeded.

             3.  God may need to do some “removal work” in the heart of another person before that person can share in our blessing.

             4.  Unresolved Hindrances Will Negatively Affect Personal Revival in Our Lives. 

 

                   A.  Revival can be realized in the individual believers life if they meet God’s conditions for revival.  No one but us can hinder this!

Rev. 3:20, Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

                   B.  But it is quit a different matter when it comes to a church experiencing revival. 

2 Chron. 7:14, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

                            1.  One sour saint can spoil it for everyone collectively.

                            2.  Many prayers for corporate revival go seemingly unanswered because of the rotten attitudes of God’s people.

 

                   C. Still yet, personal revival is renewed by obeying God.

2 Chron. 31:20-21, And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. [21] And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered. 

                            1.  Because Hezekiah did “that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God,” he influenced the people of Judah in spiritual revival, renewal, and reforms.

                            2.  Hezekiah’s actions serve as a model of personal renewal for us: (1) he remembered God's compassion (2 Chron. 30:9); (2) he kept going despite ridicule (2 Chron. 30:10); (3) he aggressively removed evil influences from his life (2 Chron. 30:14; 31:1); (4) he interceded for the people, asking for the Lord's pardon (2 Chron. 30:18-20); (5) he was open to spontaneity in worship (2 Chron. 30:23); (6) he contributed generously to God's work (2 Chron. 31:3).

                            3.  If any of these are lacking in your life, consider how you might apply them and renew your commitment to God. God will say “yes” when these various aspects are in place in our spiritual lives.

   2.  Unrealized Aspects of His Plan.

Isaiah 26:3-4, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. [4] Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:   

Isaiah 64:4, For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

          A.  Finally, God sometimes answers wait because He is preparing for an even greater blessing than the one for which we asked.

          B.  This certainly was true in the case of Lazarus. Jesus knew that Lazarus was ill, and He could have gone to him to heal him before he died. Instead, Jesus waited until Lazarus had died so that He might raise him from the dead as a definitive sign of His authority over death and the assurance of our resurrection in Christ. (See John 11:1–45.)  

C.     Those who craved the Lord’s presence to prevent death were thinking too small!

·The Lord Jesus had a greater miracle in mind for the glory of God.  If he had answered them according to what they were asking, they would only have known God’s power to heal the sick.

·But because the Lord drew out their faith they received assurance that he is able to also raise the dead. 

          D.  Sometimes the Lord delays because of unrealized aspects of his glorious plan.

E.     God greatly desires to magnify his strength in our lives!

·We must learn to dream bigger and expect greater things from him. 

·2 Chron. 16:9, For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him….

·There is no telling what the Lord would do if he had opportunity through our faith in him!

 Receiving a “wait” answer from God does not signal a time to be discouraged, perplexed, or frustrated with prayer. What we fail to recognize is that “wait” answers are tremendous teaching tools. They can reveal to us what actions we should take or how we should grow in our relationship with the Lord. Instead of resenting the Lord for apparently delaying, reinforce your confidence in His wisdom, love, and power. He really does have our best and highest interest in mind! Use the “waiting period” to draw closer to the Lord Himself—seek His face for who He is and not merely for what He will give us. Think about it…why would God give us anything that we would want more than Himself? Prayer is a relationship nurturing tool with the Lord God. Do not miss this great reality. Enjoy Him as you spend time with Him in prayer. He knows your needs and will meet those needs in His perfect timing. Waiting on the Lord is not a bad thing; it is an opportunity to know the Lord better.

Holy Java I

1 Peter 1:13-21

Theme: understanding strong spiritual and theological truths cultivates a desire to live a holy life.

Introduction:

Many Americans start their day with a cup of java (coffee). College or the first job is where this habit started for some and they continued thereafter. In fact the total percentage of Americans over the age of 18 that drink coffee every day is 54% (Harvard School of Public Health). Yes, about 100 million Americans drink a cup of java every day! It is the caffeine in coffee that affords consumers mental alertness; this stimulation helps them stay sharp and focused—functioning appropriately to meet the demands of their day. Because we are a busy/insomnia afflicted generation, we require lots of artificial stimulation often. For some folks the stronger the coffee blends, the better the anticipated results! This is why Starbucks and coffee shops are doing so well in the USA with 18 billion dollars spent annually on specialty coffees (Statisticbrain.com). Likewise, Christians can become sluggish and lethargic requiring stimulation of a spiritual sort. However, instead of a cup of java, we need a freshly brewed pot of theological truth. In fact this potent spiritual blend includes a generous dose of the holy character of God, God’s judgment, and the price of our redemption! This rich and robust blend of truths should provide the stimuli we need to overcome our apathy while aiding the cultivation of holy passions.

In an effort to stir and stimulate holy motivations for spiritually muscular living, Peter lays out some of God’s most potent stimuli in the entire universe! It is correct to believe that we have a glorious salvation, but we must embrace the requirement of gracious sanctification also. God took us as we were, but He loves us too much to leave us like He found us. He thus has undertaken a life-long transformation and maturation process in each Believer. Growing Believers need biblical encouragements and appropriate challenges for real growth and to sustain spiritual changes. We need spiritual stimuli from God’s Word and not coffee beans from South America to sustain a passion for holiness. As a result, Peter launches into a series of challenges creating the momentum for these splendid biblical realities with the intention of stirring our appetites for holy devotion. To become deeply impressed by these truths is to discover the stimulation for holy living seven days a week. Like good coffee beans, holy desires must be cultivated!

At this juncture it is vital that I define my key term—“holy.” The general idea of holy is “different.” A holy person is not an odd person, but a different person. Such a life has a Christ-like quality making it quite different from the values and behaviors of society at large. His or her present “lifestyle” is not only different from their past way of life, but it is different from the “life-styles” of the unbelievers he or she may live and work with. A Christian’s life of holiness appears strange to the lost (1 Peter 4:4), but it should not be strange to other genuine Believers (Wiersbe, W.).

However, it is not easy to live in this world and maintain a holy walk. The anti-God atmosphere around us that the Bible calls “the world” is always pressing against us, trying to force us to conform (Rom. 12:2). Therefore, we constantly need to refocus our hearts on substantial and persuasive motivations from God’s Word to avoid becoming polluted by the world around us.  We often require powerful compelling stimulation to sustain a holy lifestyle. We need a large mug of holy java!

Message:

I.                  Spiritual Stimulation Involves Holy Preparation (1 Pet. 1:13-16).

The assurance of Christ’s Return is held out as a compelling motive for endurance through the storms and tribulations of life. “The revelation of Jesus Christ” is another expression for our “lively hope” (1:3) and “the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1:7). Christians live in the future tense; our present actions and decisions are governed by this future hope. Just as an engaged couple makes all their plans in the light of that future wedding, so Christians today live with the expectation of seeing Jesus Christ (Wiersbe, W.). Beloved, this is potent java indeed!

A.     Place the Hope of the Revelation of Jesus Christ before you (13).

1.      Be Strong-minded.  Prepare yourself to be strong-minded to think free of distraction (13).   “Gird up the loins of your mind” is the ancient practice of gathering up one’s robes when needing to move in a hurry; here, it is metaphorically applied to one’s thought process. The meaning is to pull in all the loose ends of one’s thinking, by rejecting the hindrances of the world and focusing on the future grace of God (Eph. 6:14; Col. 3:2). As they went out into a hostile world, believers were to avoid panic and distraction. In times of persecution, there is always the tendency to become rattled and confused. A girded mind is one that is strong, composed, cool, and ready for action. It is unimpeded by the distraction of human fear or persecution.

2.      Be Sober-Minded.  Prepare yourself to be sober-minded, stable and self-controlled (13).  This state of mental solidarity is further encouraged by the words be sober. This means self-control in contrast to hysteria. The sober spirit is poised and stable.  Spiritual sober-mindedness includes the ideas of steadfastness, self-control, clarity of mind, and moral decisiveness. The sober Christian is correctly in charge of his priorities and not intoxicated with the various allurements of the world.

3.      Be Future Minded. Prepare yourself to be future-minded, fix your hope in the grace of Christ’s Revelation (13).

                                                   i.      In light of our great salvation, Christians are urged to have the optimistic, forward-looking mind. The assurance of Christ’s Return is held out as a compelling motive for endurance through the storms and tribulations of life. Christians, especially those undergoing suffering, should unreservedly live for the future, anticipating the consummation of their salvation at the second coming of Christ (see 1:7 and Col. 3:2–4).

                                                 ii.      A believer’s hope is to be set perfectly—completely or unchangeably—and without reserve on the grace (1:10) to be bestowed when Jesus Christ is revealed—the Savior’s return and the accompanying ultimate stage of salvation (1:5, 7, 9, 13).

                                                iii.      The grace that is to be brought to you. Christ’s future ministry of glorifying Christians and giving them eternal life in His presence will be the final culmination of the grace initiated at salvation (Eph. 2:7). The revelation of Jesus Christ is generally taken to refer to His coming back to earth when He will be revealed in glory. However, it could also refer to the Rapture when Christ will come for His saints.

B.     Practice Holiness in all areas of Life because God is Holy (14-16).

1.      Know that God is Holy (1:15-16).

                                                   i.      The holiness of God is difficult to define. Most definitions are so technical that an average person gets lost in the words. In my attempt to simplify the concept, I’ll exercise caution to avoid distorting the truth. When a basic grasp is gained, more complex and complete explanations may be studied later.

                                                 ii.      In completely reduced form, holiness means “without sin.” To say that God is holy is to say that He is without sin.  He has never nor will he ever sin. 

a.       Another basic meaning of holiness is “set apart” or “separation.” Holiness has an ethical emphasis, indicating “He [God] is separate from moral evil or sin. ‘Holiness’ points to God’s majestic purity, or ethical majesty.’—Wm. G. T. Shedd

b.      Yet we must say more. Not only has God never sinned, He is incapable of sin. That is His character, His very nature.

1.      Holiness has an awe-inspiring emphasis, indicating “He is absolutely distinct from all His creatures and is exalted above them in infinite majesty.” –Berkhof, Systematic Theology

2.      Anything that is like God is not sinful. Anything that is not like God is sinful. It is not that He conforms to some high standard. He is the standard.

c.       In God, holiness is certainly absence of evil, but it must also include a positive righteousness and all of this measured against Himself as an absolute standard.

1.      “…God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).

2.      Holiness means, on one hand, a complete absence of moral evil, but on the other hand it implies moral perfection. All that is good is bound up in God’s character. Anything that departs from God’s character is evil.

3.      An analogy may help in understanding this concept of holiness. What does it mean to be healthy? It means more than not being sick. Likewise, holiness is more than absence of sin; it is a positive, healthy state of being right. This is what John meant when he said that God is light (1 Jn 1:5).

                                                iii.      Holiness is God’s most clearly defining characteristic.  

a.       The one quality which God would have His people remember Him by more than any other is holiness.

b.      In the visions of Himself which God granted men in the Scriptures the thing that stood out most prominent was the divine holiness.

1.      This is clearly seen by referring to the visions of Moses (Ex. 3:1-7), Job (Job 42:1-6), Isaiah, and Peter (Luke 5:4-8).

2.      Some thirty times does the Prophet Isaiah speak of Jehovah as “the Holy One,” thus indicating what feature of those pure visions had most impressed him.

                                               iv.      We see two dramatic statements concerning the holiness of God in Scripture.

a.       One is in the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 6:1-9). From this passage, we learn why holiness is God’s most defining characteristic—holiness has no sin.

1.      This is a vision of the Lord in the temple. God is high and lifted up. Smoke is filling the temple. The whole temple, which was a solid, sturdy building, shook as the angel spoke. This was a terrifying scene. Try to imagine yourself in the picture. What would you do? I would fall to the floor and try to crawl into the nearest crack! It would scare the wits out of me.

2.      Have you ever seen The Wizard of Oz? Do you remember when Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion finally got into the Wizard's inner sanctum? A great, booming voice filled the room. Fire and smoke shot heavenward with mighty whooshing sounds. And the four visitors were terrified. Isaiah’s reaction was “Woe is me!” Why? Because he knew he had sin in his life (I am a man of unclean lips), and the One before him had no sin. He feared that he would die because he was in the presence of the Holy One (Anders, M).

b.      This shows us another characteristic of holiness. Not only does it have no sin, it cannot tolerate sin.

1.      It cannot be in the presence of sin. It is untouched by sin and untouchable by sin. There is a great gulf between man and God created by sin. God is holy. We are not. That is, until God works in us.

2.      When Isaiah repented of his sin God forgave him, which is symbolized in the hot coal touching his lips. When Isaiah repented and had been forgiven, he was accepted into the presence of God. Furthermore, when God asked “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”, Isaiah did not then shrink back from God. His sense of forgiveness took away his fear of being in the presence of this terrifying being. As a result, when Isaiah volunteered, God did not shrink back from Isaiah. Holiness had made the sinner holy and full acceptance followed (Anders, M.).

                                                 v.      Yes, God is holy. His holiness is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). There is no evil in holiness, and holiness will not tolerate the presence of evil.

a.       God, in the end, will therefore destroy all evil, all that is not holy. It is a cause for terror to those who have not been made holy by the work of forgiving grace through faith in Jesus Christ. To those who have, it removes the breach, and therefore the terror. The newly-made holy ones may call the eternal Holy One “Abba,” a term of endearment meaning “Daddy” (Romans 8:15).

b.      Would you like confirmation of this? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” The “old” that has passed away is the old you. Ephesians 4:22 and 24 say, “Put off concerning the former conversation the old man … and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” The new you have been re-created by God. And having been born again (John 3:3), your new person is holy, just as God is holy.

c.       Of course, this “new you” is still housed in an unchanged body, in which the power of sin still dwells (Romans 7:18–19). But the day will come when your new spiritual person will be joined with a redeemed body, and you will serve the Lord unimpeded by sin (Romans 8:23). In that day, in the fullness of all it means to be a holy creature, you will have full fellowship with a holy God.

2.      Live as Holy Children (1:14-16).

                                                   i.      Bear the Family Likeness as Children. 

a.       The Christian’s new nature and conduct should contradict his pre-salvation lifestyle.

1.      The reason for practicing a holy manner of living is that Christians are associated with the holy God and must treat Him and His Word with respect and reverence.

2.      We therefore glorify Him best by being like Him (1Pet. 1:16, 17; Matt. 5:48; Eph. 5:1; Lev. 11:44, 45; 18:30; 19:2; 20:7; 21:6–8).

b.      When John says that God is “light,” with no darkness in him at all, the image is affirming God’s holy purity!

1.      But this makes fellowship between God and the willfully unholy people impossible.

2.      Further, this requires the pursuit of holiness and righteousness of life as a central concern for every Christian (1 John 1:5–2:1; 2 Cor. 6:14–7:1; Heb. 12:10-17). The summons to us believers, regenerate and forgiven as we are, is to practice a holiness that will match God’s own, and so please him!

3.      This is the constant requirement of the New Testament, as indeed it was the ideal in the Old Testament (Deut. 30:1-10; Eph. 4:17–5:14; 1 Pet. 1:13-22).

4.      “Because God is holy, God’s people must be holy too.” –Packer, J. I.: Concise Theology

                                                 ii.      Refuse to be Disobedient Children.

a.       Not like disobedient children who conform to lustful and ignorant lifestyles (14).  If we conform to the ungodly world, we are denying our heavenly character.

b.      The things we did in the days of our ignorance should be put away now that we have been illuminated by the Holy Spirit. The former lusts means the sins we indulged in while we were still ignorant of God.

c.       The ramification of this is obvious: “Walk in the light,” (Eph. 5:8; 1Jn. 1:7) A proper concept of holiness as a requirement for Christian living would end a lot of discussion about what is permitted to the Christian and what is not.

1.      It seems as though many are trying to see how close they can come to sin without being cut off from their particular Christian friends or clique instead of discerning the correctness of things on the simple basis of “Is it holy?”

2.      “Don’t be tempted to be a leader in or follower of the “let’s skate on as thin ice as possible” group; instead, be a leader in holiness. This will please God because it imitates Him.” –Ryrie, Charles Caldwell: A Survey of Bible Doctrine

                                                iii.      Choose to Be Obedient Children.  But like obedient children called by a Holy God to a holy lifestyle (1Peter 1:15-16).

a.       Obedient children should not indulge in the sins which characterized us in our former life. Now that we are Christians, we should pattern our life after the One whose name we bear. Instead of imitating the ungodly world with its fads and fashions, our lives should reproduce the holy character of the One who called us (1:15). To be godly means to be Godlike. God is holy in all His ways. If we are to be like Him, we must be holy in all of our actions, attitudes, and aspirations. In this life we will never be as holy as He is, but we should be holy because He is.

b.      Peter reaches back into the OT for proof that God expects His people to be like Himself (1Pet. 1:16). In Leviticus 11:44, the Lord said: “Be holy, for I am holy.”

1.      Christians are empowered to live holy lives by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Old Testament saints did not have this help and blessing. But since we are more privileged, we are also more responsible.

2.      The verse Peter quotes from Leviticus acquires a new depth of meaning in the NT. It is the difference between the formal and the vital. Holiness was God’s ideal in the OT. It has assumed a concrete, everyday quality with the coming of the Spirit of truth. –MacDonald: Believer's Bible Commentary

3.      Make Holy Living a Concrete Matter.

                                                   i.      First, seriousness—Approach God with great respect.  We should approach God with “reverence and godly fear” (Heb. 12:28). In the story of Moses’ approach to the burning bush, the smiting of the men at Bethshemesh, the boundary set about Mt. Sinai, we are taught to feel our own unworthiness. There is too much shallow glibness in our approach unto God. Eccl. 5:1–3 counsels us to take great care in our address to God.

                                                 ii.      Secondly, sin—Adopt right views of sin and confess them accordingly.  We will have right views of sin when we get right views of God’s holiness. Isaiah, the holiest man in all Israel, was cast down at the sight of his own sin after he had seen the vision of God’s holiness. The same thing is true of Job (40:3–5; 42:4–5). We confess sin in such easy and familiar terms that it has almost lost its terror for us.

                                              iii.      Thirdly, salvation—Approach God through the Christ and His Sacrifice.  Approach to a holy God must be through the merits of Christ, and on the ground of a righteousness which is Christ’s and which naturally we do not possess. Herein lies the need of the atonement. –Evans, William : The Great Doctrines of the Bible

Part two to this article will appear soon to give the final instructions about this all important matter of personal holiness and the pursuit of authentic devotion to God.