WHAT'S YOUR VERDICT?

For Easter Sunday, I decided to present the resurrection message in a little different way than I normally do. We presented the message as a court trial, with the congregation as the jury, who needed to decide the verdict: Did Jesus Christ rise from the dead? And if so, what difference is that to make in their lives? I hope as you read this, that is will challenge and encourage you concerning the resurrection of our Savior and Lord - Jesus Christ!

WHAT’S YOUR VERDICT?

Judge: Please turn in your Bibles to I Corinthians 15. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 997 or 1022. Let me introduce myself. I am the judge for today’s court proceedings. We are here today because a very important decision needs to be made; and that decision can only be made by you.

You are the jury for today’s court case. There is a sheet of paper in your bulletin that says: “What’s your Verdict” at the top. This is your juror’s note pad. Please feel free to write any notes or thoughts you have on this note pad as the trial proceeds. At the end of today’s trial, you will receive a Verdict card, on which you can write your personal decision – your verdict.

The issue before us today is to determine whether or not what Jesus Christ said 2,000 years ago is true. He claimed the ability that only God had: to forgive sins. He said in:

Luke 5:24 – “…know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

He claimed the ability to raise the dead physically and to give eternal, spiritual life to those who believe on Him. He said:

John 11:25,26 – “…I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die…”

But all of these claims are based on another claim He made, which is the focus of our consideration today:

Matthew 20:17,18 – “And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

As the jury in this case, you have a solemn responsibility. You must determine, in our own heart, whether or not Jesus’ claims are true. And not just true as a mental fact; but whether or not you are willing to commit your life to the truth – whether Jesus Christ is a liar, a lunatic, or your personal Savior and Lord of your life.
You are turned to I Corinthians 15. This passage of Scripture lets you know how important this case is today; and how important your personal decision is concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Look with me at:

I Corinthians 15:3,4 – “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”

Please go down to verse 12:

I Corinthians 15:12-19 – “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

Do you understand the importance of your decision today? If Jesus Christ is a liar or lunatic, and did not rise from the dead, then all those who placed their trust and faith in Jesus Christ for salvation are idiots. It is a waste of time to worship Him; and a much greater waste of a life to live for Him and hope for a future resurrection for us to eternal life. If He did not rise from the dead, all we have is this life. And if that is true, then it is a waste of life to believe in Christ.

Please listen carefully to the evidence given today and be prepared to give your verdict when it is called for. Thank you for serving on today’s jury, and may you be able to discern who is telling the truth and who is lying. It is not a defendant whose life is in jeopardy today, but your eternal destiny. It’s your decision to make. Let’s begin with the opening arguments from the attorneys in this case.

Steve: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Steve, representing the Nations United Together, or N.U.T. for short. No jokes please! Nations United Together fights for you, the normal, average, hard working citizen. We champion the causes of the middle class. And today, we believe we represent all of you by revealing the truth about this case, namely that: Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead.

It is time that the truth be told. So-called Christians have made a mess of our society by preaching the claims of Christ. These are not just annoying claims that we can push aside as lunacy. So many people have swallowed what they are preaching that it has changed countless lives; and because lives have been changed, it has a major affect on our society.

It is true that we have had many victories lately, pushing God and Christianity out of public life. However, we are not done, until we are free to live our lives as we please. We want to pursue life, liberty and happiness, without hearing about a God who created us, and to whom we are responsible. That really messes up our plans for enjoying life to our heart’s desire!

So, this is why today’s case is so important. If Jesus Christ rose from the dead, we would be responsible to respond to His authority as creator and Lord. But, if He did not rise from the dead, and we believe that He did not; then, we are free to follow our own dreams, and live free of Christ and Christianity. What a great and wonderful life that would be: NO RULES, JUST FREEDOM!

Today, I will present evidence to you that Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead. It is undeniable, indisputable, irrefutable evidence. You will hear, today, some testimony that you have not heard in the 2,000 years since the lie of the resurrection of Jesus Christ began.

You will be presented with testimony today from someone who saw what happened to the body of Jesus Christ. He will give you an eyewitness account of what really took place during the time the opposition claims Jesus rose from the dead.

You will also hear testimony today from an expert in the medical field, who will tell you what really happened physically to the body of Christ. And you will hear testimony from a religious scholar, in fact one that knew Jesus Christ, who will tell us why Jesus Christ was indeed a liar and could not be trusted.

Religion is on our side. The scientific and medical community is on our side. And the facts of the case are all on our side. I believe, after you hear this testimony today, that you will conclude that Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead; and therefore, that you can live your life as you please. Thank you.

Greg: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: I am Greg, and I represent the Disciples of Christ. The Disciples of Christ began with the 12 men that Jesus personally chose to follow Him and to preach His good news. But, today, the Disciples of Christ comprise all of those who have placed their complete trust and faith in Jesus Christ, and who are committed to living their lives for His honor and glory.

As the judge instructed you earlier, this is a crucial case for your consideration today. Mental assent to the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not the end goal. It is true that we will present testimony today that Jesus Christ did, in fact, rise from the dead. But, the real evidence of this is changed lives. You will hear from people today whose lives were changed as a result. In fact, people who have truly taken the resurrection of Jesus Christ to heart, over the past 2,000 years, have been changed as well. True belief has caused them to give their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ. I would like for you to consider this for your own life today.

Today, you will hear witnesses give testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. These are the best witnesses imaginable because they were living at the time of Jesus, and they saw Him with their own eyes, heard him with their own ears, and believed on Him with their hearts.

You will hear testimony today of someone who saw Jesus, after He had risen from the dead. He will tell you that He saw Jesus with His own eyes, and that he has no doubts about what He saw. He will tell you that although he followed Christ before, his interaction with Jesus after the resurrection changed the outlook of his future.

You will hear testimony today of someone else who saw Jesus, and was, in fact, one of the first ones to see Him following His resurrection. And you will hear testimony from someone who began as a critic of the resurrection of Christ, but his personal experience turned him into a believer and committed follower once again.

I urge you to listen very carefully to these witnesses, and consider your verdict today. If you choose to believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, you will then need to understand that this belief demands a commitment, a life change, an undeterred purpose. May God give you the grace to know the truth, and allow it to give you true, eternal freedom. Thank you.
Judge: Ok. Nations United Together, you may call your first witness.

Steve: Thank you, your honor. For our first witness, we call: Dr. Phil.

Judge: As Dr. Phil comes forward, let me remind you, jury, of something very important. All of these witnesses were sworn in earlier and claim to be telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. You will need to decide who you believe.

Steve: Dr. Phil, is it true that you have several doctorates in the area of theology?

Dr. Phil: Yes, that is true. I am a Pharisee and have devoted my life to the study the Old Testament and theology.

Steve: How did you know Jesus Christ?

Dr. Phil: I knew Jesus very well. My esteemed colleagues and I had many confrontational encounters with him. But, I do not like to use the term “Christ”. “Christ” means Messiah, and I do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah.

Steve: Why not?

Dr. Phil: There are several reasons. First, the Old Testament promises that a Messiah, a Savior would come to save God’s people from their sins. Jesus was a carpenter from Nazareth, and none of us thought He could be the Messiah. If anyone would have recognized the true Messiah, it would be us. We knew the Scriptures, and this man just did not fit what we were looking for.

Steve: What else, Dr. Phil?

Dr. Phil: Jesus’ claims were unbelievable. Besides claiming to be the Messiah, he committed blasphemy by claiming to be God in the flesh!

Steve: I would like to bring into evidence a passage of Scripture, which Christians hold to, to demonstrate what Dr. Phil is talking about.

John 8:58,59 – “Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.”
Steve: Dr. Phil, please explain what these verses are saying.

Dr. Phil: Certainly. When Jesus called Himself the I Am, He was claiming to be God. Back in Exodus, when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, that is how He introduced Himself, as the I Am, the eternally existent one. So, Jesus was claiming the same, which is blasphemy, since there is only one God. The reason the Jews tried to stone Him was because they knew this was blasphemy and deserving of death. He deserved to die right then and there.

Steve: Anything else Dr. Phil?

Dr. Phil: One more thing: Jesus didn’t even obey God’s laws, so it is impossible to believe that He was God, the Son of God or the Messiah. One of the 10 commandments was to observe the Sabbath Day. This was a day to be set apart for worship, and no work was to be done. And yet, time and time again, Jesus and His disciples would do their work on the Sabbath Day.

Steve: As evidence that what Dr. Phil is saying is true, look at:

John 9:16 – “Some of the Pharisees said, This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

Judge: Greg, you may cross-examine this witness.

Greg: Thank you, your honor. Dr. Phil, Did you see Jesus’ dead body after He claimed to rise from the dead?

Dr. Phil: Well, no; but I certainly did not see Him alive either.

Greg: Isn’t the real reason you opposed Jesus was because He opposed you? He called you hypocrites, and pointed out your sins?

Dr. Phil: NO!

Greg: Isn’t it true that Jesus showed every sign of being the Messiah, including the fulfilled prophecies: His birth in Bethlehem, His miracles, His teachings; and the reason you will not accept the resurrection is because you know that it would seal the deal – that if he did indeed rise from the dead, everything else he said would be true as well?
Dr. Phil: He was a liar, an imposter, a blasphemer!

Greg: No more questions your honor.

Judge: You are excused as a witness. Next witness Steve.

Steve: I call to the witness stand Dr. Kourtney Know-it-all.

Judge: While she is coming to the witness stand, let me give another instruction to the jury: Some of what you are hearing today comes from the arguments for both sides on the resurrection, from the following resources: The Case For Easter by Lee Strobel; and The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell. Even after this case is over today, these may be resources you would like to get for yourself.

Steve: Dr. K, you are a scientific and medical expert, with several degrees in the medical field, is that correct?

Dr. K: Yes, it is. I am one of the most brilliant people who ever lived.

Steve: Well, then, you can help us with this question of whether or not Jesus Christ rose from dead, can you not?

Dr. K: I can certainly clear it up for you, if you have an enlightened mind. I agree with the 19th Century doctors, Karl Bahrdt and Karl Venturini and other esteemed colleagues, who argued that Jesus simply fainted from exhaustion on the cross, perhaps even given a drug that made him appear to die, and then was later revived by the cool, damp air of the tomb.

Steve: How could that have happened?

Dr. K: Very simply, really. In the Christian’s Bible, it says:

Mark 15:36 – “And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink…”

That someone could have drugged him. And then, what about Pilate’s surprise that Jesus had already died?

Mark 15:44 – “Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died…”

If he hadn’t been drugged, he probably would not have had the appearance of death so quickly.

Steve: So, what did happen to Jesus then?

Dr. K: Well, he obviously didn’t die. I agree with the Koran on that point. And, I agree with the Ahmadiya Muslims who believe Jesus actually fled to India. In fact, if you visit there, as I have on my many spiritual pilgrimages, you will find a shrine that marks what we believe to be Jesus’ final resting place in Srinagar, Kashmir.

Steve: No more questions your honor.

Judge: Cross-examine Greg?

Greg: Dr. K: What you have described has been known as the “swoon” theory, is that right?

Dr. K: Yes, that is what many have called it.

Greg: And, isn’t is also true that reputable scholars have repudiated this theory, including William D. Edwards, M.D., who said, and I quote: “Clearly, the weight of historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before the wound to His side was inflicted and supports the traditional view that the spear, thrust between His right ribs, probably perforated not only the right lung but also the pericardium and heart and thereby ensured His death. Accordingly, interpretations based on the assumption that Jesus did not die on the cross appear to be at odds with modern medical knowledge.”

Dr. K: Some have disagreed with me -yes. But, it keeps recurring in popular literature: D.H. Lawrence’s story in 1929, Hugh Schonfield’s best-seller The Passover Plot in 1965, Donovan Joyce’s 1972 book The Jesus Scroll and Barbara Thiering’s book Jesus and the Riddle of the Dead Sea Scrolls are just a few examples.

Greg: So, popular literature, perhaps even movies, should be taken into consideration when deciding what we believe about Jesus Christ, His death, burial and resurrection?

Dr. K: If it is reasonable, why not?

Greg: No more questions your honor.

Judge: You may be excused. Next witness Steve?

Steve: I would like to call to the witness stand Soldier Sam.

Judge: Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew 27. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 863 or 880.

Steve: Sam, is it true that you were a soldier, employed by the chief priests, under the authority of Pontius Pilate?

Sam: Yes, that is true. I had served the governor faithfully for over 20 years.

Steve: You were given the duty of guarding the tomb of Jesus Christ after his death, is that right?

Sam: Yes, I was.

Steve: Why were you called into duty for this?

Sam: Let me answer that by reading this passage:

Matthew 27:62-66 - “Next day, that is, after the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, After three days I will rise. Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, he has risen from the dead, and the last fraud will be worse than the first. Pilate said to them, You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can. So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.”

I was one of those soldiers guarding the tomb.
Steve: So, what happened?

Sam: It was unbelievable. We should have been better prepared; and had more soldiers on our crew. But, for various reasons, we did not. And for whatever reason, we really didn’t expect anyone to attack us. They knew they were no match for our training, discipline and brute strength! But, then the unthinkable happened.

Steve: Go on. Describe it for us.

Sam: We were doing our watch in the middle of the night, and all of a sudden, we were all hit on the back of the head at the same time and fell unconscious. The cowards couldn’t even face us like real men, face to face, sword to sword.

Steve: Wait a second. They knocked you unconscious?

Sam: Well, the rest of the guard was; but I was not. But, to keep them from killing me, I pretended to be knocked out.

Steve: What happened next?

Sam: The Disciples rolled away the stone, took the body of Jesus out and walked away.

Steve: Why didn’t you stop them?

Sam: Hey, I’m strong and courageous, but I’m not stupid! The rest of the guard was knocked out, and I would not have been able to do anything. So, I decided to stay alive so that I could report the truth, and show them to be the imposters they were, following the worst imposter of all – Jesus Christ.

Steve: Thank you for your strong, brave and true testimony today Sam!

Judge: Cross examine Greg?

Greg: Yes Please. Sam, you read a passage of Scripture in your testimony, to explain how the soldier guard at the tomb came to be. But, you conveniently left out another passage of Scripture shortly after the one you mentioned. Let me read it for you:

Matthew 28:11-15 – “While they were going, behold, some of the guards went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, Tell people, his disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep. And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.”

How do you answer that?

Sam: All right. Yes, the chief priests did meet with us. And yes, they told us to say that we were sleeping when the soldiers came to steal his body. They thought that was a better story than to admit that we were defeated by the lowly disciples in hand to hand combat. They didn’t think the real story of being knocked out would be believable; so we went with the sleeping tale. And yes, we accepted the money. I needed it for my family vacation that summer. What should I care that the story was a little off?

Greg: Sam, you didn’t see the disciples steal the body of Jesus because they didn’t do it. In fact, here is what really happened isn’t it?

Matthew 28:2-6 – “And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said…He is not here, for he has risen, as he said…”

He did rise from the dead, and you fainted because of the appearance of the angel, isn’t that true?

Sam: That’s garbage. I’ve never been afraid, not one day of my life. Nothing scares me. I have looked death in the face and laughed. I like scary roller coasters and haunted houses. I’m sticking with my story. Jesus did not rise from the dead because I saw his dead body being carried off by his disciples!

Greg: No more questions for this witness your honor.

Steve: The Nations United Together rests your honor.

Judge: Ok, then, Greg, you can call your first witness for the Disciples of Christ.

Greg: Your honor, the first witness I call is one of the disciples, Thomas Didymus

Judge: Please turn in your Bibles to John 20. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 941 or 962.

Greg: Thomas, you are called Didymus, which means Twin. Are you a twin, and how did that affect your life?

Thomas: Yes, I have a twin brother, Tim. When I was growing up, though, people would say to me: Tommy, why can’t you be more like your brother Timmy? How can you be twins when he is so much more talented than you? I heard comparisons like that from my parents, my teachers, my baseball coaches; and even the girls. I grew up doubting myself, doubting everything.

Greg: But you did do something that your brother Timmy did not – you became a disciple of Jesus Christ. Is that right?

Thomas: Yes. But it certainly wasn’t because I was anything special. I was one of the original 12 men that Jesus chose to follow and be trained by Him as disciples. But, all of us were just regular guys, with all kinds of relationship issues, personal issues, sin issues. Jesus chose me to follow Him, and it was the first time in my life that I really believed in something – no- in someone - with no doubts. Jesus Christ changed my life and I came to fully believe in who He was and what He did.

Greg: Thomas, did Jesus Christ rise from the dead?

Thomas: Yes, he did.

Greg: Any doubts?

Thomas: No. I am 100% positive!

Greg: Tell us Thomas: why you are so positive?

Thomas: Because I saw him. He appeared to me and I saw him. He spoke to me: “Peace be with you”, he said. He showed me the wounds he still carried from his crucifixion. We were all shaken by the events that had taken place. He took time to encourage me, to encourage all of us. Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

Greg: Thank you Thomas. Your witness Steve.

Steve: Thomas Didymus, that was a nice touching story about your twin brother and everything. But Twin is not what they called you on the playground was it? Twin is not what the girls whispered behind your back. Twin is not what was written often in your high school yearbook. What was your nickname Thomas?

Thomas: [softly] doubting Thomas

Steve: What was that? We couldn’t hear you very clearly. What was your nickname? In fact, what have you been called by everyone who has read your account in the Bible, for the last 2,000 years? Speak up!

Thomas: Doubting Thomas

Steve: That’s right: Doubting Thomas. Greg tried to explain that away; but the fact is, this is who you were and this is who you are today – doubting Thomas.

Greg: I object! Judge, he’s badgering the witness.

Judge: Do you have a question Steve?

Steve: Yes, your honor. Thomas, Greg conveniently left out some details of your encounter with the so-called resurrected Christ. I want to read that passage of Scripture; and my question is: Is this how it happened?

John 20:24-29 – “Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, we have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe. Eight days later, the disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe. Thomas answered him, My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Is this how it happened Thomas?

Thomas: Yes – exactly how it happened

Steve: uh-huh. Well then, your doubting personality is exposed right here in Scripture for all to read for the rest of eternity. I bet you were cringing when you found out the Apostle John wrote this about you. Isn’t it true, Thomas, that when the disciples told you they had seen the risen Christ, that even though he allegedly had told you often that he would rise from the dead, that you didn’t believe it! You said: unless I touch the nail marks in his hands and the spear mark in his side, I will never believe. Is that what you said?

Thomas: I’m not proud of it; but…yes

Steve: You’re not really sure what you saw, are you Doubting Thomas? Perhaps Jesus didn’t really rise from the dead, but you wanted to believe he did. In fact, it was probably an aberration, a vision, a dream, wasn’t it? Jesus didn’t appear to you. You didn’t touch his scars. If he appeared to you, it was in a dream! Isn’t that right?

Thomas: No. I saw him.

Steve: [sarcastically] sure, doubting Thomas, sure

Greg: Objection!

Steve: Withdrawn. Your honor, I’m done with this witness.

Judge: Greg…your next witness?

Greg: I call to the witness stand…Mary Magdalene

Judge: Please stay turned in your Bibles to John, chapter 20. And let me remind you, as the jury: Keep asking yourself: What do I believe? You are hearing the beliefs of the attorneys, and of these witnesses. You are hearing what the Scriptures have to say. But, the verdict is up to you.
Greg: Mary, how did you know Jesus Christ?

Mary: I first met Him in a confrontational way. I was a very sick woman, physically and spiritually. I was possessed by many demons. My life was out of control. And one day, I came upon Jesus. The demons within me did not respond very well to the presence of God. They reacted violently, sending my body into convulsions.

Greg: Then, what happened?

Mary: Jesus confronted the demons and said: Come out of her. And just like that, I felt this incredible release. All the physical pain, all the emotional distress, all the psychological pressure I had experienced all of my life was gone…all gone!

Greg: Yes, the Scripture says:
Luke 8:2 – “And also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out.”

That must have been incredible. Then what did you do?

Mary: I did what I expect everyone would do when Jesus changes their life forever. I followed Him. In this case, I literally followed Him as he traveled around doing His ministry. I saw Him heal the sick, cast out other demons, confront the religious leaders, love the little children, and teach the truths of God.

Greg: Mary, Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead?

Mary: Yes I do. I know that He did.

Greg: How do you know?

Mary: If I may, I would like to read what happened to me right out of the Scriptures, for it is my testimony today. John, chapter 20, verse 11.

John 20:11-18 – “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you seeking? Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned and said to him in Aramaic, Rabboni! (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples I have seen the Lord – and that he had said these things to her.”

Greg: Is this how it happened?

Mary: Yes – every word, every detail.

Greg: Would it be accurate to say that you know Jesus Christ is risen from the dead because you saw him, in person, 3 days after he died?

Mary: Yes, I did.

Greg: Your witness Steve.

Steve: Mary, how many times, exactly, did you sleep with Jesus Christ?

Greg: Objection!

Judge: Sustained. Counselor, re-word your question:

Steve: Mary Magdalene…there is a rumor that you slept with Jesus Christ on numerous occasions; and even gave birth to His child. Is this true?

Mary: No, there is no truth to those rumors. I was intimate with Jesus Christ; but only as intimate as every woman who has come to know Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior. He is our truth. He is our Savior. He is our friend. I did love Him, but only in this way.

Steve: It has also been said that you were a prostitute. Is that true?

Mary: No. I did many things I am not proud of before Jesus Christ came into my life; but no, I was not a prostitute.
Steve: Just rumors then, huh? Even though these rumors have been spread over centuries, written in books and popular movies, you are denying them all?

Mary: I am. They are not true.

Steve: Well, the jury will have to decide if they are true or not. Let’s review some facts, which are not just rumors, shall we? You admitted to have demons in you; and if we believe the Bible, you had at least 7. Is that true?

Mary: Yes, that is true.

Steve: Is it also true that those demons caused you emotional and psychological trauma?

Mary: Yes, that is true.

Steve: You quoted Scripture as your testimony earlier, but you left out a couple of verses.

John 20:1,2 – “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

Are these true as well? That when you first saw the empty tomb, you thought they moved his body. You did not say: Oh, great, he rose from the dead! Isn’t that true also?

Mary: Yes, unfortunately, that is true. When I first saw the tomb was empty, I thought they moved his body.

Steve: Well, then, it is pretty obvious what happened Mary, during your alleged contact with Jesus 3 days after his death. I have consulted with several psychiatrists, and they have all confirmed the following. You try to tell me if this isn’t true , ok?

You were emotionally distressed, incredibly distressed when Jesus died. That was compounded when you went to the tomb 3 days later and found the tomb empty. And, you cannot deny that you didn’t think He was risen from the dead. Under all of your distress, your mind began playing tricks on you.

You did talk with the gardener; and then your psychological distress took over. You turned that gardener into Jesus in your mind. You really wanted to believe that he rose from the dead. So, you made it up in your mind. And that became your story: Jesus appeared to me. You were looking for attention, Mary, as you always have; and this was the best way for you to get it.

No one can corroborate your story because no one was with you. No one else saw him because he wasn’t there. This is how it really happened isn’t it Mary?

Mary: No – I really saw him.

Steve: Sure you did Mary. Sure you did. I have no questions for this witness your honor.

Judge: Anyone else Greg?

Greg: Yes, one more your honor. I would like to call Simon Peter to the stand.

Judge: Please stay turned in your Bibles here in John 20. Following this last witness’ testimony, we will hear the closing arguments.

Greg: Peter, you were one of the original disciples (followers) of Christ; and were known as an Apostle (a sent out one) right?

Peter: That’s correct.

Greg: Simon Peter, Tell us about when you became a follower of Christ.

Peter: It is written in:
Mark 1:16,17 – “Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

The Lord called me, along with my brother Andrew, and we couldn’t help but follow him. My life has never been the same.

Greg: And isn’t it true, Peter, that you were the one, when many others were confused about whom Jesus Christ was, you were the one who had a clear answer?

Peter: Yes, in fact the Scriptures say:

Matthew 16:13-16 – “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say that the son of Man is? And they said, Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter replied, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Greg: Peter, did Jesus Christ rise from the dead?

Peter: Yes, He most certainly did.

Greg: When did you first realize that he had risen from the dead?

Peter: Well, on Sunday morning, 3 days after Jesus had died, Mary Magdalene came running up to us with some news:

John 20:2-7 – “So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him. So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.”

By the way, I had a pulled hamstring. That is the only reason John was able to outrun me that morning! I saw the empty tomb, the linen cloths, the face cloth. He was gone!

Greg: But, that is not all, is it Peter? It is not just that you saw the empty tomb; but you had more than one personal encounter after that moment. Right?

Peter: Yes, that’s right. Here is what happened:

John 20:19-21 – “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

We didn’t know what was going to happen to us. We were fearful. But, when Jesus appeared to us, we were at peace. I was so excited to see my Lord. It was true…He had risen from the dead.

Greg: Thank you Peter. I’m done your honor.

Judge: Please turn back 2 books to the book of Mark, chapter 14. Steve, you may begin your cross examination.

Steve: Peter, is it true that the phrase: “open mouth, insert foot” was invented because of you? Is it true that Jesus Christ, the one you say you were devoted to, said this to you?

Matthew 16:23 – “But he turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Peter: Yes, He said that to me, because I was suggesting that perhaps my plan was better than His.

Steve: Your attorney read the part of Scripture that had you proclaiming who Jesus was; but he forgot to read the rest of that passage, didn’t he? How convenient! What do you have to say about this part of the passage?

John 13:36-38 – “Simon Peter said to him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus answered him, Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward. Peter said to him, Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you. Jesus answered, Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.”

That is what happened isn’t it Peter?

Peter: Yes.

Steve: Let’s find out what happened, according to your Scriptures:

Mark 14:66-72 – “And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, you also were with the Nazarene, Jesus. But he denied it, saying, I neither know nor understand what you mean. And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, This man is one of them. But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean. But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, I do not know this man of whom you speak. And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. And he broke down and wept.”

You, the supposed vocal leader for Christ, denied that you even knew who he was. You were the one that said you would go die with Him, and you couldn’t even have the courage to say you were a follower of Christ, let alone die with Him. Isn’t that true?

Peter: Yes. I was a coward; and I denied my Lord. I can’t believe I did that.

Steve: But, you did do that; and it brings into question your story that you saw Jesus Christ after your resurrection. You are a known, liar, Peter, who will just say the first thing that comes into his head, just to make himself look better. Why should we believe you now?

Peter: I don’t know; except to say it is the truth.

Steve: [sarcastically] Sure Peter. We believe you!
I’m done with this liar, I mean, witness, your honor.

Judge: Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury. It is now time for the closing arguments. Once these arguments are complete, we will ask you to fill in your personal verdict cards. You will not have to turn them in unless you choose to. The Nations United Together will go first.

[hand out verdict cards]
Steve: Thank you your honor. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: In 1963 the body of 14-year-old Addie Mae Collins, one of 4 girls tragically murdered in an infamous church bombing by white racists, was buried in Birmingham, Alabama. For years family members kept returning to the grave to pray and leave flowers. In 1998 they made the decision to disinter the deceased for reburial at another cemetery. When workers were sent to dig up the body, however, they returned with a shocking discovery: The grave was empty. You can understand the family was distraught. Because of poorly kept records, they found the tombstone had been erected in the wrong place. But, no one, I mean no one, suggested that Addie Mae had risen from the dead. The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that an empty grave does not necessarily mean that someone rose from the dead. Jesus’ grave may have been empty, but perhaps some mistakes were made. Please consider that Jesus may still be dead.

You have heard the testimonies of 3 reliable witnesses. First, you heard from a religious expert, who proved to you that Jesus was not who he said he was. The only way they could try to prove that he was God in the flesh, the Savior of mankind, was to convince people that he rose from the dead. He broke the 4th commandment for Pete’s sake, concerning the Sabbath Day.

You also heard testimony from a medical expert who gave you a very credible possibility of what happened to the body of Jesus. And finally, you heard from a reliable eye-witness, a servant of the governor, a soldier, who told you what happened to the body of Jesus.

The Disciples of Christ have produced 3 witnesses who all have questionable character. Doubting Thomas doesn’t know what he believes, but had to make up this story to have something to hope in. Mary Magdalene admitted she was demon-possessed. Who can believe her? And Peter…here is a guy that supposedly preached to thousands but was unwilling to stand up before a little girl and admit that he knew Jesus. He needed to make up the resurrection story to make himself feel better.

Jesus Christ claimed to be the resurrection and the life. Come on…He also claimed to be bread, a door, and a light bulb! Can you really trust this guy to be sensible? Can you really trust what he says?

Ladies and gentlemen…It is clear. Vote False for the resurrection. Live your own life, apart from a God who expects too much. Enjoy your freedom for as long as life lasts. Because we all know that when this life is over, there is nothing else. Live it up and…God bless America!

Greg: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. Let me remind of something very important to consider when writing down your verdict. This is a matter of faith. You will need to accept by faith that Jesus did not rise from the dead, or accept by faith that he did. Do you remember what Jesus said to Thomas?

John 20:29 – “Jesus said to him, have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

You have never seen Jesus Christ in person, but you can put your faith in Him: his death, burial and resurrection; rather than trusting in yourself, religion, or good works. You are blessed if you believe in this God you cannot see. What is your verdict?

I don’t know what you thought of the witnesses for the Nations United Together today. But, they are not unlike the other witnesses we hear every day in our world. We hear the religious voices talk about toleration and diversity; but to the extent that God’s Word is mocked and His ways opposed. We hear the religious voices telling us that as long as we try to live a good, moral life, then we can hope for salvation.

We hear the scientific and medical voices telling us that there is no God. We are told that the world came about by cosmic accident and we have evolved from monkeys. Every day, we hear more reasons why we are not responsible for our actions, and why it makes more sense to trust in human strength and wisdom rather than in a supreme deity.

And we hear lies every day about Jesus Christ, faith, and what life is really all about. You must decide whether you will put your trust in the word of man or the Word of God. Will you trust in your own efforts to get to God; or will you trust in Jesus Christ, who claimed He is the ONLY way to God?

You heard 3 testimonies from witnesses directly out of the Word of God. I admit that Thomas, Mary Magdalene and the Apostle Peter all had times of failure. They were all sinners. They were all, at times, weak in their faith. The fact that they failed often does not dismiss what they personally experienced. I think it makes a strong point, that Jesus Christ changes lives; and he chooses to use even those of us who still fail.

You do not have to be perfect to become a follower of Christ. You do have be willing to admit your sins, your short comings; and be forgiven by God as you trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. You will still sometimes doubt, but God can strengthen your faith and give you assurance.

We did not have the time today, but we could have brought before you over 500 witnesses that saw Jesus Christ with their own eyes after the resurrection, according to I Corinthians 15:6. Eye witnesses are the best ones. These personally saw Jesus Christ after He rose from the dead.

Today, the best witnesses are those whose lives have been changed by Jesus Christ. They know He is risen from the dead because He has come into their lives; and they have accepted the truth of the Bible. For those of you who have truly trusted in Christ, you know the difference He has made. But, I know that many who have trusted in Christ are not living in light of the resurrection. That is: they are not presently walking intimately with Jesus Christ, sharing the love and truth of Jesus’ resurrection with others. That might be the commitment you need to re-make today.

The fact is: the only one who can convince you of the truth is the Holy Spirit. If He has convinced you of that today, then you will make the right decision. May God be with you.

Judge: Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time for you to mark your verdict cards. Please read it through carefully and make your decision. If you would like us to know about your decision, please leave your card on your seat or at the welcome center table following today’s service.

ADOPTION INTERVIEW

A good friend of mine from college, Dan Cruver, works for a Christian adoption agency in South Carolina; and recently interviewed me for his blog. If you would like to read about our adoption experience, please go to:
http://www.carolinahopeadoption.org/blog/archives/392

WHO?

WHO?
Habakkuk 2:18-3:11

False Idols VIDEO

Please turn in your Bible to Habakkuk 2. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 811 or 827.

In our study of Habakkuk, the prophet has asked some questions: WHEN are you , God, going to bring judgment on your people’s sins? WHY, God, are you going to use a people more wicked than us to bring that judgment? WHAT are we supposed to do while we wait for justice? And this morning, I believe this question can be asked for our consideration: WHO is worthy of our worship?

Habakkuk 2:18-19 – “What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver and there is no breath at all in it.”

What good, what profit is an idol? It is a graven image, carved out of wood or hewn from stone. OR what profit is an image? It is a metal that is melted and formed into a shape of a god. The answer is obvious. It is rhetorical. The answer to the question: How profitable is it to worship an idol or an image? Is: NONE; ZERO; ZILCH; NADA; NOTHING. There is no profit to it. Why not? Because they are not living – there is no real life there.

I would like to introduce you to my friend: Oscar the organ. Oscar and I are special friends. He is a little large these days, so it difficult for him to go everywhere with me. If I could, I would be with him all the time. He listens to me. He gives me good advice. He plays soothing music. In fact, I have come to think of Oscar as my most important relationship in life. He is the only one I listen to, really. I think about him all the time. I want to please him. If anything ever happened to him, I don’t know what I would do.

If someone truly talked about an object in that way, what would you think about him? What would you think about me? You would think I was crazy. To talk about a lifeless object as though it were real – it’s cute in children, but adults who do it are seen as insane. This is idol worship – to act as though an object is a person, who can hear, see and communicate. Those involved in idol worship structure their lives around something made of wood or metal. It seems unbelievable; and yet it is exactly what was happening in Hababkkuk’s day. It still happens today.

Question: WHO does not deserve our worship?
According to these verses, there is no profit, no value in worshipping other gods because:
· Man-made idol worship will only bring false teaching
It is called a “teacher of lies” because in making an idol and worshiping it acted as though there was life there and a reason to worship the idol; when in fact there is no reason – it is deceptive to think that they could help you. “Woe to him”, it says (condemnation, judgment) who makes something with his own hands and then worships it. Can this wooden object really teach you something? It may have gold or silver on its outside and look great and valuable; but it has no breath – no life.

· Man-made idols cannot respond
Verse 19 says “woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach?” Can this idol speak? Can it respond? NO!

In I Kings 18, we have an account of the prophet Elijah, who had challenged the followers of the god Baal to see who the true God was. The prophets of Baal had been calling out to their god for hours, but there was no response. Elijah the prophet mocked their god and false worship:

I Kings 18:26,27 – “And they…called upon the name of Baal form morning until noon, saying, O Baal, answer us! But there was no voice, and no one answered…And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”

The fact was in Elijah’s day and in Habakkuk’s day and in our day, man-made idols cannot respond – never have, never will. There is no life there. But, it doesn’t stop people from worshiping them. Here is another fact:

· Man-made idols are worshiped by the Creator rather than the other way around

The thing that is made is worshiped; whereas it should be that the thing that is made worships its creator. Doesn’t that make sense? But, idol worship doesn’t make sense. And, in fact, all of man’s sinful pursuit of fleshly desires comes down to worshiping the creation rather than the creator, doesn’t it?

Romans 1:24,25 – “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about god for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

Hideyoshi, a Japanese warlord who ruled over Japan in the late 1500s, commissioned a colossal statue of Buddha for a shrine in Kyoto. It took 50,000 men five years to build, but the work had scarcely been completed when the earthquake of 1596 brought the roof of the shrine crashing down and wrecked the statue. In a rage Hideyoshi shot an arrow at the fallen colossus. “I put you here at great expense,” he shouted, “and you can’t even look after your own temple.”

An idol cannot respond. Next,the prophet gives the incredible contrast between the lifeless idols of worship and the only one who deserves our worship. The prophet Jeremiah, a contemporary of Habakkuk, said:

Jeremiah 10:3-5 – “…A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.” And then, here is the declaration of Jeremiah, and of Habakkuk, and of every believer who gives God their worship:

Jeremiah 10:6 – “There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might.”

In contrast to the gods they worshiped, the true God, the LORD, was living. As Habakkuk stated back in chapter one, this God was self-existent, eternal and holy.

Habakkuk 1:12 – “Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One?..”

Habukkuk 2:20 - “But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”

Instead of yelling Wake up! To the lifeless gods, in this case, people are told: SHHHH! Be quiet. You don’t have to wake Him up. He’s not sleeping and, in fact, He is the holy God, who deserves your awe and reverence. Keep silence means to say hush or be still.

Unlike the dead gods, this one and only true God does hear our prayers, He does know exactly what is happening, and He will act as the sovereign God, in His time and in His way.

The message for Habakkuk, the people of Judah and for us: God is in control. Yes, He chose the wicked Chaldeans to bring judgment on you, His people; but He will not completely abandon you; and you can trust Him to bring true justice to the Chaldeans eventually and to deliver His people when the time is right.

SO WHAT? One of the lessons the people needed to learn, and we need to hear:
· Do not place anything ahead of God

Commentator Craigie notes: “Idolatry is essentially the worship of that which we make, rather than of our Maker. And that which we make may be found in possessions, a home, a career, an ambition, a family, or a multitude of other people or things. We worship them when they become the focal point of our lives, that for which we live. And as the goal and centre of human existence, they are as foolish as any wooden idol or metal image. But what we can perceive so clearly in the words of a prophet from centuries long passed, we cannot always see so clearly in our immediate life and existence. As we reflect on Habakkuk’s words, we should reflect also on the nature and direction of our own lives.”

Introduction to chapter 3:
God had answered Habakkuk’s second complaint, namely that God would use the more wicked Chaldeans to judge His people, without any seeming end or justice for their immoral and unjust acts. God’s answer was that the Chaldeans, in God’s timing and way, will be dealt with. He is the sovereign God who has everything under control, including the day of judgment for the Chaldeans (Babylonians).

We now have Habakkuk’s response, in chapter 3; and it is a response of praise. It seems he has given up his complaints – good move! And now, his prophecy ends with the focus on who God is and the praise that He alone deserves. And this is where all of us must eventually come; even after struggling with God through some difficult issues of life, even questioning Him along the way. But, eventually, we come to understand, to see God for who He is, and it turns into praise.

Habakkuk 3:1 – “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.”

This prayer of Habakkuk is a poem, a hymn, a song of praise. In verses 3,9,13, you see the word Selah, very common in the Psalms, and most likely a sign that this prayer, poem of Habakkuk’s was to be used in public worship. The term “Shigionoth” is somewhat obscure, and there are various suggestions for interpretation. The one I think makes the most sense in context is this: It is some type of musical notation that had significance for their worship in the temple. A form of this term only appears one other time (Psalm 7) and there is no other biblical information that tells us it was anything but a musical help to those using it in worship in those days.

Habakkuk 3:2 – “O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.”

The Question is: Who is the One we are to worship?

· The God who keeps His promises

Habakkuk uses the term LORD, Jehovah, YAHWEH, this was the covenant keeping God of Israel. In the last chapter and complaint, Habakkuk had heard the report of the mighty Chaldeans, all of their destruction, and it brought great fear to the heart of this prophet and God’s people. Now, in this song of praise, Habakkuk says: I have heard the report of you, God, the One who keeps all promises. And although that is a great thing; it is also a terrifying thing! You are going to use the cruel Chaldeans to defeat, take captive and punish your people, and, eventually, you are going to wipe out the Chaldeans – I am afraid. This prophet was frustrated and confused, and now he admits fear as he considers God’s judgment. But, there is no doubt that this God is real – He is no idol made by hands.

Habakkuk has now heard the report of what God would do to Judah and the Chaldeans and he is responding to God’s character through these events that just didn’t make any sense to the prophet. But, he concentrates on who God is and what He is asking God to do, in response to His own character. WHO is the One we are to worship?
· The God who acts

Habakkuk prayed: “in the midst of these years, revive your works, in our day and in our times, do your work in us”. Unlike the dead idols, this God, the true God, responds in real action because He is truly alive.

WHO is the One we are to worship?

· The God of mercy

The prophet asks that while God is bringing His wrath to bear, that He also bring along His characteristic of mercy. That is what was needed most. Judah deserved to be wiped out, but the prayer is based on God’s mercy and Habakkuk wanted to God to act according to it. When He asks God to “remember” His mercy, He is asking Him to give it – act on it.

SO WHAT? Ask for God to act according to His character.

This is a prayer; and it reminds us of some important aspects of our prayer lives. Talking to God is what prayer simply is, and one aspect of that is to recognize who God is and to ask Him to respond according to who He is. Eventually, our prayers need to stop being all about us and start focusing on God, who He is and what He has done. In this prayer, there is adoration as well as asking God to do His work in a powerful way.

Perhaps you have followed the story recently of the Ohio policeman, Bobby Cutts Jr.? A news story read this way a couple weeks ago: A former Canton police officer convicted of killing his pregnant lover and their unborn child took the stand Monday to appeal for his life before a jury that must decide whether to recommend the death sentence.
Bobby Cutts Jr., 30, cried on the stand, as he did when he testified during his trial, and said he couldn't forgive himself for what happened to Jessie Davis and her nearly full-term fetus.
He begged jurors to have mercy and give him life in prison instead of sentencing him to die.
“Ladies and gentleman of the jury, I’m asking you to spare my life,” Cutts said.
This is what mercy is. You are asking God not to give you what you deserve. And because God is merciful, we can ask Him to act according to that characteristic. When we talk to God, as Habakkuk did, we can are encouraged to ask God to act based on His character. We move on, and in verses 3-7, we ask:
WHO is the One we are to worship?
· The God who appears in power and glory

Habakkuk 3:3 – “God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.”

[like a thunderstorm]

Habakkuk talks about God coming from Teman and the mountain Paran to remember His appearance on Mount Sinai, which is included in that district, south of Judah. God had appeared in His holiness, and He made Himself known. Like a thunderstorm that lights up the entire sky, so God came down to appear to man. The earth being full of his praise is not referring to the actual response of the people back then. They responded in fear and criticism and idolatry. But, the earth, created by God, responded in reverent praise at God’s appearance.

Habakkuk 3:4 – “His brightness was like the light; rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power.”

[like a sunrise]

Walvoord and Zuck describe it this way: “The heavens are first tinted with early rays of the hidden sun, then the earth is illuminated as the ball of fire appears over the horizon, and finally everything is flooded with brilliant, glorious light. Just as rays of light streak across the morning sky, so rays flashed from God’s hand.”

When Moses came down from meeting with God on Mount Sinai, he was described like this:

Exodus 34:29,30 – “…Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel…were afraid to come near him.”

“It is easy to forget that the light and warmth which showers the earth with blessing comes from a ball of fire that could consume the globe in a moment. So God’s power is hidden in His glory. His revelation is restrained lest it consume its beholders.”

Habakkuk 3:5 – “Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels.”

[bringing destruction]

This is all a part of the report that Habakkuk has heard about concerning God, His power and glory. This is the One and only true God, who brought disease upon His own people when they disobeyed, refusing to worship Him correctly. This is the God who brought the 10 plagues down on Egypt, when they would not allow God’s people to go worship Him.

SO WHAT? Worship Him through obedience

I believe this was a part of Habakkuk’s prophecy. Judah, God’s own people had stopped worshipping Him through disobedience. The Chaldeans worshipped other gods, who were dead, and they eventually would be judged. God’s people needed to remember that God will harshly judge those who do not worship Him.

So, a practical application, not only for the hearts of Judah for their future captivity; but for us today. Listen to the stories of God’s judgment on those who refuse to worship Him, and don’t allow your heart to grow cold. Worship is not about just singing or saying we believe in God. It is about how we live our lives.

Habakkuk 3:6 – “He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook the nations; then the eternal mountains were scattered; the everlasting hills sank low. His were the everlasting ways.”

[shaking the earth]

Listen to the description of when God came down to Mount Sinai, to give the law to His people:

Exodus 19:16-19 – “On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.”

This was how God would come. In His power and glory, the mountains shake and crumble. God, who existed before the mountains were made, the God who made the mountains, and the God who will destroy the mountains, shows His power and glory in His appearance.

Habakkuk 3:7 – “I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.”

[Bringing fear to His opponents]

Cushan and Midian were nations that were on the either side of the Red Sea. When God demonstrated His power and glory by bringing the plagues on Egypt and His people out of bondage, those who oppose God would hear about it. When God then did an incredible miracle and parted the waters of the Red Sea, for millions of His people to walk across on dry land, the opponents of God would hear about it.

And when they heard about God’s great glory and power, they trembled – they were afraid – they were terrified. If the mountains crumble before God, how well are the canvas tents of the enemies of God going to hold up? Here is how Moses described the nations who heard about what God had done:

Exodus 15:14-16 – “The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O LORD, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased.”

Let me ask you something: If we were to take you right now, fly you over to Iran, drop you by yourself in the middle of the capital city and give you an American flag to wave, would you be afraid? I would imagine that you would be terrified, just as I would. If you were to face a nation that thought you hated them and opposed them. If you were to fly the American flag in their face, and they had all the power. How would you feel?
Habakkuk the prophet says that because of the incredible power of God, displayed in Israel’s history, the opposing nations were terrified. This is the God who would take care of His people, and at any moment, could wipe out a nation that opposed Him. People don’t seem to have that fear today. But, this is a description of the God we are to worship.

In verses 3-7, the One we are to worship is The God who appears in power and glory. Let’s conclude with verse 8-11:

WHO is the One we are to worship?
· The God who controls nature

Habakkuk 3:8 – “Was your wrath against the rivers, O LORD? Was your anger against the rivers, or your indignation against the sea, when you rode on your horses, on your chariot of salvation?”

[the waters]

The questions here have to do with the motivation for God’s appearance in power and glory. Was He angry at nature itself? The implied answer is: NO. However, God controls nature in such a way, that He uses the water, in this case, to make His point.

He struck the Nile river so it turned to blood. He struck the Red Sea so that it parted and then came back in destruction over the Egyptians. He struck the Jordan River and dried it up in part. He would do the same to that nation. He is pictured as a victorious warrior riding in on His horse, bringing deliverance (salvation) to His people. This is in stark contrast to the Chaldeans, the Babylonian horses of military might, which would be stopped with Babylon’s fall in 539 B.C.

Habakkuk 3:9 – “You stripped the sheath from your bow, calling for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers.”

God is seen as the warrior getting ready to bring destruction on his enemies. God promises to bring judgment on them and will use the waters of nature to do it.
There is a parallel between what is happening here and the words of Moses, describing what God will do:

Deuteronomy 32:22-24,42 – “For a fire is kindled by my anger, and it…devours the earth…and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains. And I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend my arrows on them; they shall be wasted with hunger, and devoured by plague and poisonous pestilence…I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh – with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the…heads of the enemy.”

Habakkuk 3:10 – “The mountains saw you and writhed; the raging waters swept on; the deep gave forth its voice; it lifted its hands on high.”

[the mountains]

Have you ever writhed in great pain? Have you seen anyone writhing in pain? They are in such great pain, turning and twisting, and praying for it to go away. The mountains are given a real-life personality here, describing them writhing in pain as they saw God coming in judgment. The waters were testifying that God had moved them harshly. The waters under the earth spoke out about God’s power. And the waters lifted their hands. Nature is given personality to describe God’s power over them in proclaiming His sovereignty and judgment.

Habakkuk 3:11 – “The sun and moon stood still in their place at the light of your arrows as they sped, at the flash of your glittering spear.”

[the sun and moon]

As God is pictured coming in judgment, the sun and moon are said to have stood still, being over powered by the light of His presence, as He brought destruction to His enemies. This certainly takes the reader back to the story told in Joshua 10 – the day the sun and moon stood still. The nation of Israel needed more daylight, in order to defeat their enemies. Listen to what God did:

Joshua 10:12,13 – “At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the valley of Aijalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.”

The sun and moon stand and watch God bring judgment. It was in this same context, one verse earlier, that demonstrates God’s wrath to which the sun and moon are witnesses:

Joshua 10:11 – “And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.”

God often controlled the forces of nature to bring His judgment.

You know you’ve got trouble when…

· you wake up face down on the pavement
· you call 911 and they put you on hold
· you see a 60 Minutes news team waiting in your office
· your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles
· you turn on the news and they are showing emergency routes out of the city
· your twin forgets your birthday

You know you’ve got trouble when…
· You forget about the character of God and live your own life (like the nation of Judah did)
· You put other things ahead of God and oppose His ways (like the Chaldeans did)

SO WHAT?
Praise God for who He is

That is really what Habakkuk is doing here. After all of his complaining and confusion, he begins to concentrate on God’s character. Concentrating on the character of God will bring all of the confusing circumstances of life into the right perspective. It doesn’t mean that you will fully understand them; but it does mean that can understand who is in control; whom you trust; and whom you will worship with your life.

AMAZING GRACE

AMAZING GRACE

Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 6.

The following story appeared in the Boston Globe in June of 1990:
Accompanied by her fiancé, a woman went to the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Boston and ordered the meal for their wedding reception. The two of them pored over the menu, made selections of china and silver, and pointed to pictures of the flower arrangements they liked. They both had expensive taste, and the bill came to thirteen thousand dollars. After leaving a check for half that amount as down payment, the couple went home to flip through books of wedding announcements.

The day the announcements were supposed to hit the mailbox, the potential groom got cold feet. “I’m just not sure,” he said. “It’s a big commitment. Let’s think about this a little longer.” When his angry fiancée returned to the Hyatt to cancel the banquet, the Events Manager could not have been more understanding. “The same thing happened to me, Honey,” she said, and told the story of her own broken engagement. But about the refund, she had bad news. “The contract is binding. You’re only entitled to thirteen hundred dollars back. You have two options: to forfeit the rest of the down payment, or go ahead with the banquet. I’m sorry. Really, I am.”

It seemed crazy, but the more the jilted bride thought about it, the more she liked the idea of going ahead with the party- not a wedding banquet, mind you, but a big blowout. Ten years before, this same woman had been living in a homeless shelter. She had got back on her feet, found a good job, and set aside a sizable nest egg. Now she had the wild notion of using her savings to treat the down-and-outs of Boston to a night on the town.

And so it was that in June of 1990 the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Boston hosted a party such as it had never seen before. The hostess changed the menu to boneless chicken – “in honor of the groom” she said – and sent invitations to rescue missions and homeless shelters. That warm summer night, people who were used to peeling half-gnawed pizza off the cardboard dined instead on chicken cordon bleu. Hyatt waiters in tuxedos served hors d’oeuvres to senior citizens propped up by crutches and aluminum walkers. Bag ladies, vagrants, and addicts took one night off from the hard life on the sidewalks outside and instead sipped champagne, ate chocolate wedding cake, and danced to big-band melodies late into the night.”

That is a story that describes grace: The undeserving receiving favor. Jesus told a story just like that in the book of Matthew. I want to focus our attention this morning on this issue of Grace. Not only is it a part of the name of this church, but it is a major part of our purpose as a church, a local gathering of God’s people. Our purpose statement comes from II Peter 3:18.
Will you please quote this verse with me?

II Peter 3:18- “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

Here is the question at hand: How can we grow in grace? If this is what we are to be doing, if this is a part of our main purpose as a church, then we had better take time to consider it, define it, and live it – don’t you think? A few years ago, I was visiting Fellowship Bible Church in Dallas, Texas. While there, I picked up some material that listed ways in which people can live under the grace of God. The ten ways to grow in grace, which I want to share with you this morning, has been adapted from that list.

The grace we are speaking of today can be traced to a word used to describe joy, kindness or hope. Trace the roots of “grace” or charis in Greek, and you will find a verb that means “I rejoice, I am glad.” But, most of all, when we speak of the term grace in the Bible, we are referring to that undeserved favor given by God, most notably demonstrated in the free gift of salvation. And then, because of that grace given to us, we are asked to respond with grace toward others and actually grow in it.

In its most simple form, a definition of grace is this: To give or receive something that was not earned or deserved. To distinguish it from mercy, again, on a the most simplistic level, is to say that while grace offers something not deserved, mercy refrains from giving the punishment that is deserved.

Gordan MacDonald said: “The world can do almost anything as well as or better than the church”, “You need not be a Christian to build houses, feed the hungry, or heal the sick. There is only one thing the world cannot do. It cannot offer grace.”
So, then, we must consider how to we obey God and GROW IN GRACE:
How to grow in Grace:

1. Serve God for who He is and what He has done, not because you want to gain his acceptance through good works.

Psalm 100:2,3 – “Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his…”

Why do we praise God here together? Why do we serve Him with our lives? If we are growing in grace, it will be because of who He is and what He has done. The other alternative is to serve Him because we believe that will help us be accepted by God. But, the greatest truth of grace reminds us that this cannot be our motive: Please read the words that are bold and underlined.

Ephesians 2:8 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

The reason we have salvation is because we have accepted by faith this gift from God. We could not do enough good works through service to earn acceptance. It is by grace: underserved favor.

2. Live for God out of love and thankfulness, rather than guilt and duty.

I love the illustration John Piper gives in his book: Desiring God. I will paraphrase it. He gives this scenario: He walks up to the door of his home and rings the doorbell. His wife comes to the door and wonders why he rang the doorbell of his own home. From behind his back, he reveals a dozen roses and gives them to her. He then asks if she would go on a date with him that night.

She gets excited, and says oh, they are so beautiful. And a date would be great. Why did you? And then, he responds: Because it was my duty. The Bible says I am to love you and one way to show love is to give roses, so here they are. And I suppose a date is expected when married, and so I am fulfilling my duty by asking you out. You can imagine the response that would bring. Some believers do that with God. Why am I in church? Why do I give? Why do I serve? Because I have to. Because the Bible says I am supposed to. Because it is my duty. And it is void of feeling and love.
But, Piper said, what if I responded this way. I ring the doorbell, she is surprised to see me ring it, and even more surprised when I give her flowers. She is excited about going on a date and then asks: Why did you? He then responds: Because I love you. Because I cannot think of anything else I would rather do or anyone else I would rather be with than you. Now that will bring a different response. That is what a spouse wants, not “I did it because of duty.” That is what God wants. He doesn’t want us to serve Him out of guilt and duty. He wants our service, our giving, our praise, our lives, because it is our thankful response to who He is and what He has done. That is acceptable and pleasing to Him.

Romans 6:13,14 – “Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”

Because we have been brought from death to life, we respond out of gratefulness by giving ourselves to right living. It is a very dangerous thing if we take God’s grace for granted or seek to abuse it. Look at:

Romans 6:1 – “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may about? By no means!...”

Please turn over to chapter 14.

Let’s look at this from the other side, from the perspective of one who is given the responsibility of teaching and training others, in particular children. How do we keep from giving our children the idea that it is all about guilt and duty, and yet still give them loving discipline?

Sir Edward C. Burne-Jones, the prominent nineteenth-century English artist, went to tea at the home of his daughter. As a special treat his young granddaughter was allowed to come to the table; she misbehaved, and her mother made her stand in the corner with her face to the wall. Sir Edward did not interfere with his grandchild’s training, but the next morning he arrived at his daughter’s home with his paints and brushes. He went to the wall where the little girl had been forced to stand, and there he painted pictures – a kitten chasing its tail, lambs in a field, goldfish swimming. He decorated the wall on both sides of that corner with paintings for his granddaughter’s delight. If she had to stand in the corner again, at least she would have something to look at.”

The punishment the girl received was deserved, and grace does not mean that there is no punishment. Grace arrived with the paintings in the corner, so that while the girl might receive punishment deserved, she also received a gift of grace – the paintings to admire that she certainly did not deserve.

I think if we see God’s grace even in the midst of our sin, we can see His love and be thankful for it. We can also offer grace to others, despite their sin. That then leads us live in light of God’s grace, rather than spend all of our time trying to erase our guilt for sin or just fulfill a duty expected of us. That is why grace is tied to joy. That is how joy can be had even though our world and our own hearts are full of corruption.

3. Believe in biblical absolutes, but reject attempts to legislate the Christian life through human rules.

In his book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace”, Philip Yancey gives this personal testimony: “I grew up in a church that drew sharp lines between “the age of Law” and “the age of Grace.” While ignoring most moral prohibitions from the Old Testament, we had our own pecking order rivaling the Orthodox Jews’. At the top were smoking and drinking (this being the South, however, with its tobacco-dependent economy, some allowances were made for smoking). Movies ranked just below these vices, with many church members refusing even to attend The Sound of Music. Rock music, then in its infancy, was likewise regarded as an abomination, quite possibly demonic in origin.

Other proscriptions – wearing makeup and jewelry, reading the Sunday paper, playing or watching sports on Sunday, mixed swimming (curiously termed “mixed bathing”), skirt length for girls, hair length for boys – were heeded or not heeded depending on a person’s level of spirituality. I grew up with the strong impression that a person became spiritual by attending to these gray-area rules… You gain the church’s , and presumably God’s, approval by following the prescribed pattern.”

What Mr. Yancey experienced is, unfortunately, not uncommon: believers focusing on the externals as though they were still trying to earn something:
Galatians 3:2,3 – “Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

Here is question for you to consider carefully:
Are you willing to accept someone who has a different opinion on any of the following:
· Going to the movie theater or live theater
· Wearing makeup
· Having cosmetic surgery
· Watching television
· Going to the beach
· Having a quiet time every day
· Going to a restaurant or working in one that sells alcohol
· Wearing certain clothing
· Wearing certain jewelry
· Tattoos
· Listening to certain music
· Dancing
· Holding a certain job
· Wearing your hair in a certain way
· Having a big home and nice possessions
· Drinking certain things
· Eating certain foods

If you evaluate your own heart on these issues of opinion, you may be able to see if you are growing in grace or not. Related to this is:

4. Accept people at their current level of spiritual development and encourage them to grow in an atmosphere of grace.

Daniel Taylor, in his book The Myth of Certainty, talks about those who try to control people’s spirituality levels:
“The great weapon of authoritarianism, secular or religious, is legalism: the manufacturing and manipulation of rules for the purpose of illegitimate control. Perhaps the most damaging of all the perversions of God’s will and Christ’s work, legalism clings to law at the expense of grace, to the letter in place of the spirit.

Legalism is one more expression of the human compulsion for security. If we can vigorously enforce an exhaustive list of dos and don’ts (with an emphasis on external behavior), we not only can control unpredictable human beings but have God’s favor as well…”

That is the tendency of human nature, but it is not in line with God’s grace.
Paul said of himself:

I Corinthians 15:10 – “But by the grace of God I am what I am…”

That could be said about all of us. At whatever stage of our Christian walk, at whatever level of spiritual maturity, we are there by the grace of God at work in our lives. Therefore, it goes to reason that we must accept others wherever they are in their journey as well. Some will be more spiritually mature than you and others will be much less. How you treat those who are at a lower lever says a lot about whether or not you understand God’s grace.

Paul also reminds us that not every believer sees things the same way or chooses to live the same way:

Romans 14:6,7 – “The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.”

In other words: One Christian may choose to not do anything else on Sunday except go to church and rest – and that is o.k. – it is between him and God. Another Christian may choose to go to church, play football, and do laundry on Sunday – and that is o.k. – it is between him and God. Once Christian did not eat meat, back then, that was offered to idols; but another believer knew nothing was wrong with it, gave thanks for it, and did eat. Neither believer sinned, as long as their heart was right before God.

We have to be able to separate what is a biblical mark of maturity and what is simply personal, Christian liberty. In fact, one of the points of Romans 14 is that the person who is truly spiritually mature is the one is knows his liberties and enjoys them. The weaker brother, or less spiritually mature is the one who sets all kinds of limitations. However, both of them can co-exist and must, if they are willing to set aside their own personal preferences for the good of others who are weak.

Please turn back to the book of Matthew, chapter 23. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 856 or 873.

5. Commit to honesty and transparency, which models love and acceptance.

It is important to talk about our weaknesses just as much as we are willing to talk about our commitment to do right. When we are open about our failures, others feel more loved and accepted.

In the mid-1960’s Bill Russell was the center for the world-champion Boston Celtics. He was a great rebounder, and seemed to take charge of the game with relative ease. The team revolved around his presence. In a radio interview, people identified more with this great basketball star because of what he admitted.

The sports reporter asked the all-pro basketball star if he ever got nervous. Russell surprising answered: Before every game, I vomit. Shocked, the sportscaster asked what he did if they played two games the same day. He replied immediately: I vomit twice.

It is refreshing to hear an athlete admit weakness. But, more importantly, grace begins to be understood when believers are willing to admit that they still struggle with temptation and still sin. Once we stop pretending to have it all together, others feel accepted.

How we speak to others reveals our view of grace. The Bible says:
Colossians 4:6 – “Let your conversation be always full of grace…”

Donald Barnhouse, the late pastor and Bible scholar said: “Love that goes upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoops is grace.”

How we treat others in need reveals our view of grace.
During his days as president, Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions were traveling across the country on horseback. They came to a river that had left its banks because of a recent downpour. The swollen river had washed the bridge away. Each rider was forced to ford the river on horseback, fighting for his life against the rapid currents. Each rider was threatened with the very real possibility of death, which caused a traveler, who was not part of their group, to step aside and watch. After several had plunged in and made it to the other side, the stranger asked President Jefferson if he would carry him across the river. The president agreed without hesitation. The man climbed on, and shortly thereafter the two of them mad it safely to the other side. As the stranger slid off the back of the horse onto dry ground, one in the group asked him, Tell me, why did you select the president to ask this favor of? The man was shocked, admitting he had no idea it was the president who had helped him. All I know, he said, is that on some of your faces was written the answer No, and on some of them was the answer Yes. His was a Yes face.”

So, when someone who is not dressed how you would like them to be, not using the words you approve of, not living the way you are living, comes into your life, do they see a no face, filled with disgust and rejection, or do they see a yes face, communicating the kind of love that can only be given from a heart full of grace?

6. Place the emphasis on inner motivations rather than outward behaviors.

This is what the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, the Pharisees, struggled with. Jesus said to them:

Matthew 23:25,27 – “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence…Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.”

What they were doing outwardly was not the problem, it was an issue of the heart, of their inner motivations for why they did what they did.

Please turn to Psalm 69. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 502 or 516.

Benjamin Warfield said, “Grace is free sovereign favor to the ill-deserving.”
We are not to be looking to give grace just when someone behaves the way we desire. We are to be looking at the heart. And when we instruct others, teach others and live our own lives, we can emphasize heart issues over the outward appearance.
Teresa and I have talked about this in rearing our children. We are much more concerned with their spirit and attitude than we are in them doing what is outwardly acceptable to us so they won’t get in trouble. I think God is more interested in that for us as well.

7. Refuse to deny or minimize the pain that comes into your life as a result of your sin or the sins of others. Allow the pain to draw you to God.

Job experienced pain like no other – loss of health, loss of all 10 children through tragic accidents, loss of wealth, loss of friends and his wife’s support. Job was not denying or minimizing the pain. If you have read Job, you know that he was feeling it and admitted how hard it was. And yet, in the midst of it all, he was able to speak these words:

Job 1:21 – “…The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

That allows a person to go toward God even when there is intense pain.
On the other side of the coin could be some of the things we read in the Psalms. David gets in situations of pain where he even wonders where God is and he admits it. For example:

Psalm 69:17,20 – “Hide not your face from your servant; for I am in distress; make haste to answer me…Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.”

David sometimes felt that God was absent and yet he allowed his pain and discouragement to take him toward God, not away from Him. Have you noticed that people who struggle tend to go away from God and away from church, the very place where they need to be for prayer and love and encouragement? We must decide, that in the midst of pain, we will go toward others and toward God, for our spiritual good.

It is o.k. to say: Here is how I have sinned and here have been the consequences. But don’t allow that to keep you from going to God in confession and then accepting forgiveness. It is good to tell someone: Here is how you have deeply hurt me (and to be specific about it). But don’t allow that to keep you from offering forgiveness God has given you and going to God for comfort.
8. Learn to forgive others as Jesus did, and point people, who do not know Him, to the God of grace.

In John 8, the religious leaders brought to Jesus an adulterous woman and reminded Him that the law said they should stone her to death. Jesus, instead, said that those without sin should cast the first stone and they all walked away. He gave the gift of forgiveness that she did not deserve – and protection from her executors. Actually, we are all like that adulterous woman. Wait Greg, I have not committed adultery. Yes you have – atleast spiritually. You have been unfaithful to God. And before you were saved, you were a natural person, an enemy of God according to the Bible. He gives you forgiveness even though, like that adulterous woman, you deserved death and Hell. So, based on that forgiveness, you must forgive – yes – even those who don’t deserve it – that’s the point!

Ephesians 4:32 – “…forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Most of us are always dealing with some person who has hurt us, is presently hurting us or will hurt us in the future. And we must constantly decide whether or not we are going to live with a heart of bitterness and unforgiveness, or whether we are going to give it to God and forgive. If you think for just a second, I bet you could think of someone you need to forgive. The only question is: are you willing to? Because, based on God’s forgiveness of you, you have no excuse. It doesn’t matter the nature of their offense against you; and it doesn’t matter how often they have done it; and it doesn’t matter whether they are repentant or not. Forgiveness is a messy, tough, “unfair” proposition. The question is: Will you forgive?

9. Understand the biblical commands as describing the life befitting a Christian already accepted by God, not as laws that bring you more merit with God.

Have you ever heard or used the phrase: “God helps those who help themselves”? It can sound good, even spiritual. Some think its in the Bible. But, the truth of grace would say that phrase is heresy. In fact, it is a grace-killer. The fact is, God helps the helpless, the undeserving, those who don’t measure up, those who fail to achieve His standard.

I think it is natural for us to struggle with this because, even though we know God has saved us, and that we were not able to earn it through works, we tend to think we have to work to keep it and hope to be accepted by God. The truth of the Scripture is that we are already accepted, if we have trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. And then, if we are willing to believe the truths about who we are in Christ, then we can see the commands of Scripture as descriptive of who we are not as a means to earn our salvation.

So, let’s review some of the truths in Scripture about who we are in Him, shall we? The phrase will appear on the screen along with one of the Bible verses from which it comes. When it appears, please say it out loud with me.

In Christ (as a headline above):
I am God’s child (John 1:12)
I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15)
I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am united with the Lord and one with Him in spirit (I Corinthians 6:17)
I have been bought with a price – I belong to God (I Corinthians 12:27)
I am a saint (Ephesians 1:1)
I have been adopted as God’s child (Ephesians 1:5)
I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18)
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins (Colossians 1:14)
I am complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10)

And those are just some of the truths, that if you truly believe them, can turn into living based on who we already are in Christ, not on what we hope to earn.

Shelby Foote, in his 3-volume work The Civil War speaks of something surprising that took place when slavery was abolished. It was on New Year’s Day 1863 when the Emancipation Proclamation was publicly stated, but it was not until December 18, 1865, that the Constitution made those convictions official. I am quoting now:

“Headlines on newspapers in virtually every state trumpeted the same message: Slavery Legally Abolished. And yet something happened that many would have never expected. The vast majority of the slaves in the South who were legally freed continued to live as slaves. Most of them went right on living as though nothing had happened. Though free, the Blacks lived virtually unchanged lives throughout the Reconstruction Period.”

Isn’t that sad? A war had been fought. A president had been assassinated. An amendment to the Constitution had now been signed into law. And yet, many of the slaves didn’t know they had been freed or chose to remain as slaves. As believers in Christ, we have been freed from bondage to the law; and yet some believers still remained enslaved and try to keep others there as well. That is a tragedy.

10. View your pain, in any form or area of life as a way for God’s power to be shown in your life and for you to grow.

Our perspective must be that of the Apostle Paul’s. Sometimes the pain we experience cannot be easily attributed to my sin or someone’s sin against me. When that type of pain comes, we need to respond to how Paul responds to God here. Paul had some physical pain that God would not take away:

II Corinthians 12:9 – “But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

You probably have pain, physical or otherwise in your life. If you are growing in grace, than you can see it the way Paul saw his. God’s grace is sufficient for you as well. Do you believe that? He wants to show His power through your weakness.

Bill Moyers’ documentary film on the hymn “Amazing Grace” includes a scene filmed in Wembley Stadium in London. Various musical groups, mostly rock bands, had gathered together in celebration of the changes in South Africa, and for some reason the promoters scheduled an opera singer, Jessye Norman, as the closing act. For twelve hours groups like Guns’n’Roses have blasted the crowd through banks of speakers, riling up fans already high on booze and dope. The film cuts back and forth between those scenes of the crowd and a discussion Moyer was having with the singer Jessye Norman about the hymn “Amazing Grace.”

The hymn was written by John Newton, who was once a cruel slave trader. He first called out to God in the midst of a storm that nearly threw him overboard. Newton came to see the truth gradually, continuing to ply his trade even after his conversion. He wrote the song “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” while waiting in an African harbor for a shipment of slaves. Later, thought, he renounced his profession, became a minister, and joined William Wilberforce in the fight against slavery. John Newton never lost sight of the depths from which he had been lifted. He never lost sight of grace. When he wrote “…that saved a wretch like me,” he meant those words with all his heart.

In the film, Jessye Norman tells Bill Moyers that Newton may have borrowed an old tune sung by the slaves themselves, redeeming the song, just as he had been redeemed. Finally, the time comes for her to sing. A single circle of light follows Norman, an African American woman wearing a flowing African dress, as she strolls onstage. No backup band, no musical instruments, just Jessye. The crowd stirs, restless. Few recognize the opera diva. A voice yells for more Guns’n’Roses. Other take up the cry. The scene is getting ugly.

Alone, a capella, Jessye Norman begins to sing, very slowly:
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found – Was blind, but now I see.

A remarkable thin happens in Wembley Stadium that night. Seventy thousand raucous fans fall silent before her demonstration of grace. By the time she reaches the third verse, Tis grace has brought me safe this far, And grace will lead me home, several thousand fans are singing along, digging far back in nearly lost memories for words they heard long ago.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, Than when we first begun.

Jessye Norman later confessed she had no idea what power descended on Wembley Stadium that night. The world thirsts for grace. When grace descends, the world falls silent before it.