New Year's Resolutions: NONE

I haven't really even thought much about it. Usually, I do think some about it. I make some goals in particular areas; and I have not doubt that some goals will come about fairly soon. But, here on this New Year's Eve, as I write this blog, with just over 4 hours left in 2009, my total of resolutions for 2010 can be calculated this way: 4-3+6+1 divided by 2-4=
ZERO!

But, the best I can do, for now, is to give you these never changes resolutions, for anytime of year. I might as well use them, as I go into 2010. Perhaps you would like to consider them as well...along with losing those 5 pounds, making that extra money, learning a new skill, etc. etc.

Psalm 19:14 - "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."

Jeremiah 9:23,24 - "Thus says the LORD: Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in those things I delight, declares the LORD."

Acts 20:24 - "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

Philippians 3:7-10,12-14 - "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes form the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith - that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death...Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brother, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

May God be well pleased with our lives in 2010!

Second to: "Your Zipper is down"!

There are certain nightmares that pastors normally have; and the one that usually tops the list is: going up to the platform to speak, only to have your zipper unzipped. I'm sure there are different levels of embarrassment that could come with that one, but I will just leave it at that. It probably tops the list. But, the one that comes next, at least on my list, is what happened to me this past week.

I certainly do think quite a bit about going up to speak only to realize I don't have my notes. Many guys, better than me, don't use notes, so they don't worry about this. But, for me, that would not be good. However, this does not rank second on my list, because although there would be a delay, I could go to my office or get the message off my computer fairly easily.

No, what ranks second for me, and what I experienced this past week, went like this: Because of the holidays and family coming into town, I worked especially hard to finish my message early in the week. I did a great job, doing my study, and then writing my message in good time. I was pleased with it. I finished just before I needed to go home. That would give me the next day to finish some other, secondary things for the week, and then be home for a couple of days with the family, outside of participating in a Christmas Eve service.

However, just as I was getting ready to print my message and send it to the guy who prepares my power point each week, I "lost the message". Only 4 pages were still on the computer, when I had done about 20 pages of work. Don't worry: the message wasn't that long, but once you add in the power point pages, outlines, etc., it gets longer. I panicked.

I searched the computer and could find it no where. I called my friend and computer expert, Dave; and he couldn't find it after hours of trying. And if Dave can't find it, no one can (or at least that is how the saying goes...that I just made up...but I do believe it)! My heart sank. This is the second worst thing I could think of...all that work...gone!

I spent the next day, trying to remember what I had written down; and basically, writing the message all over again. I know...your problems and "nightmares" are worse than mine; but this was simply from this particular pastor's perspective. Poor me.

Have a Happy beginning to your New Year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS

Dear Jesus,
Yes, I do know that you were not born on December 25th; but as you know, us feeble and frail and finite human beings, still feel we need to try and nail these things down. You probably are (of course you are) aware of the battle between "Happy Holidays" and "Merry Christmas". You must laugh at that, or maybe even shed a tear. It seems to me that what is really important to you, if we are going to celebrate your birth at this time of year, is that we focus on the person rather than the product.

Your Word is full of truth about you and how to relate to you; and how you are the only way to God the Father in Heaven. That is the truth we must all wrestle with, accept by faith, and share with others. Many of the other things we spend our time worrying about, arguing about and pursuing on this day, and on every other day of the year, seem so petty, so selfish, so temporal. I'm sorry, Jesus, that I can easily get caught up in the same things.

Happy Birthday. Thank you so much for coming to earth 2,000 plus years ago, to be born of the Virgin Mary, in humble settings, for a very particular purpose. I realize that the people did not understand exactly why you were here; including your closest followers. You were not here, not yet, to set up your Kingdom; but to preach the Kingdom of God; and to do what only you could do, to allow us to be a part of that Kingdom some day. You laid down your life; and by doing so, you broke all barriers between us and God, setting aside the sacrificial system, and completing the work you came here to do.

Thank you! I am sorry, as your follower, that I get so distracted by other things, that I many times lose my focus on you. For this Christmas, and for this new year, I am re-committing myself to following you wholeheartedly, to making everything about you; and living out the purpose you have given me.

I need to go now and blow out the 2,000 candles; and then take a nap.
The herds of children will soon be thundering down...
to celebrate your birth!

A Christmas Book Review

Advent celebrations has not been a part of my family or church background, for a variety of reasons. But, this year, our family had decided to prepare for the celebration of the birth of Christ is a unique way. We were introduced some time ago to a story entitled: Jotham's Journey. The book we are now reading is sort of a sequel to that story. The name of this book is:
Bartholomew's Passage: A Family Story for Advent by Arnold Ytreeide.

It is the fictional story of a young, Jewish boy, who loses his parents to slavery by the Romans, and then in his search for them and his struggle to survive, he meets some new friends along the way. All along, he is also introduced to the non-fictional truth about a Messiah, a baby that would be born in Bethlehem one day. So, the historical setting is back in the days around Jesus' birth.

This is one of those stories that has something for the whole family. We have 8-14 year old children and we all love it. There is humor, drama, adventure, and usually each chapter leaves us wishing we could keep reading on. It is fit with the advent season, so the story begins 3 weeks before Christmas. You read one chapter per night and are encouraging to use the traditional lighting of the candles. We also added the opportunity for our children to light a little candle and go to bed with it after the story.

There is also a devotional thought at the end of each chapter. We use it and then have a brief time of questions and discussion about the chapter and devotional thought. We then have a time of singing and prayer. It has really been a great blessing to our family, each night during this Advent season; and we still have almost 2 weeks to go! I highly recommend this to you and your family.

Find the Nugget of Truth

One day, Jim came to his front door to see cow manure, piled 3 feet high on his front porch. Repulsed by the smell, he wondered who in the world would spread dung just outside his home. While trying to figure this out, and becoming more upset by the second, he heard the phone ring. It was an anonymous caller, asking Jim if he had noticed anything different outside. When Jim tried to find out from the caller why he had done this (making the assumption) and who he was, the caller refused to be named: "Oh, it wasn't me. I just wanted you to know that the pile of manure on your front porch is for your own good." Jim played along: "Oh, yeah? How is that?"

"Well, the man continued, somewhere in that pile of manure, is a nugget of truth, a piece of wisdom, that will help you improve your life. The people who put the pile there did it because they love you." And with that, the man hung up. Jim stood there stunned. "What kind of people, who claim to love me, would pile manure at my front door?" But, even with his feelings of being "dumped on" and feeling far from loved, he decided to hope for the best.

So, he put on some old clothes that he planned on burning after this expedition; and then "dove in". As he dug through the manure, he tried to convince himself that this was going to be worth it. He thought: "Perhaps this is some sort of TV show or friends just playing with me. Maybe, in the middle of this "stuff" is a real gold nugget, or some type of treasure map or a winning lottery ticket." It was the only things Jim could think to keep himself from fainting from the smell, burning with anger at whomever placed this here, or feeling like a complete fool for believing the anonymous caller.

But, Jim stuck with it, and after an hour of searching, he found what seemed to be a piece of paper, about the size of note found inside a fortune cookie. But, this was no fortune cookie! And, although the piece of paper may have contained an incredible nugget of truth, it was no longer readable. Jim spent hours trying to figure out what this nugget of truth was, what it said; but because of the manure, in which this truth was delivered, it lost all of its effectiveness; and in the end, had no positive effect on Jim's life whatsoever.

Jim wondered why people who claimed to love him, would try to give him truth to help his life, by hiding it in a pile of wretched, smelling, destructive (at least in this context) manure. Jim went to bed that night feeling his day had been wasted; but he did learn one thing. Well, maybe he learned a few things: not to listen to anonymous callers; believing that those who truly loved him would deliver truth, even difficult truth in a more loving way; and the next time someone spread manure all over his property, he should call the authorities.

So, after all of that, perhaps he did gather some "nuggets" of truth.
The end.

Jim Elliot

My favorite quote from Jim Elliot, the missionary, who lost his life, while sharing Christ's love with the Auca Indians back in the 1950's, is this: "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." That is a great one, and has been an inspiration to many Christians over many decades. But, today, a friend of mine sent me another quote from Jim Elliot, and I just had to share it with you. Here it is:

"Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me."

Read it again, and think about it. It connected with me right away. I haven't heard this quote before. This is a great prayer. This is how I have applied it to my own heart. Because my personality tends to be laid back and I don't like to cause waves, most people who meet me don't feel like they have a decision to make. However, I have found that when I do challenge people, to get out of their comfort zones, to think biblically, to do the hard things, that there is quite a bit of opposition. This is my prayer: that I would be a person, who stands on God's Word, who fails, but keeps moving forward in Christ, and who challenges others to grow in their faith.

In doing so, by example and by exhortation, I want to be someone just like Jim Elliot prayed to be. I want to be a person that causes people to make a decision, one way or the other. I want to be used by God to challenge people, either to follow after God and His ways, regardless of the risks or costs; or to decide to remain comfortable, serving themselves, wasting their lives. May God give me the grace needed to be that man - no matter the outcome.

NOTHING to be thankful for

Here, on the day before Thanksgiving, I admit that I have nothing to be thankful for...
EXCEPT:

• for my physical life: I am so grateful to God for the opportunity I have had to live these past 43 years (I am so old!). If my life ended today (not my desire by the way), I would still be grateful for incredible experiences in life that God has given me. I am grateful for each new day.
• for my eternal life: One of the main reasons I would be o.k. with dying today is because I believe God's Word, that tells me that when this life is over, we all enter eternity, either with God in Heaven, or apart from God forever in Hell. And because of God's grace, not my own doing, I became a Christ-follower at a very young age, trusting in Jesus Christ alone for my salvation. According to the Bible, that means that when I die, I will go to Heaven, not because I earned it, but because of God's grace and mercy.
• for my wife: Sorry fellas - regardless of what you might think about your wife or other women, I have the most beautiful, godly, woman in the world as my wife; and I am extremely thankful for her. I don't know how she puts up with such a sinful husband; but I'm so glad she does.
• for my children: The Bible says it is a blessing to have a "quiver full" of children; and for us, 5 is certainly a "quiver full"! All 5 of our awesome children came to us as depraved, sinful human beings; and they still are! Well...they do still have their sinful natures, in tact, and demonstrate them often (just like their parents do!); but as Jesus comes into their lives, He makes an incredible difference. My main prayer for each of my children is that they would become Christ followers; and live for Him the rest of their lives. I am amazed at how God brought each child to us; and I am incredibly grateful for them! They are very special, each one of them, and they are a blessing to me each day.
• for my friends: To my friends, I quote the Apostle Paul, in Philippians 1:3: "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." I am so thankful for my friends. They hold me accountable in different areas of my life. They pray for me. They support me. They encourage me. They remind me of truth. They love me, despite my many faults.
• for my church: I wouldn't want to do anything else but be a pastor. In my opinion, it is the greatest job ever! Even with its many challenges, there is nothing better than being a pastor. I get to help people grow in their spiritual journey, including going through the ups and downs of life. When I see that God has used me, even in a little way, to help someone grow in Him, I couldn't be more satisfied with "work". Thank you God for this great privilege of shepherding your people.

See? What did I tell you? Nothing (almost) to be thankful for!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I guess God knew what He was talking about

I mean no disrespect, as though there would ever be a time when God wouldn't know what He was talking about. I am referring to the fact that God always knows what He is talking about; but many times we live as thought there might be a question about that. For example, in the areas of personal conflict, because it is so personal, and because there are so many emotions involved, it is very easy to forget that God had already figured this all out. It doesn't mean that there would never be conflicts, but that God has made it clear how we are to handle them.

When we are in the midst of conflicts, we don't seem to think all that clearly. We begin to take everything very personally even if everything is not meant to be. We look for allies, who will side with us, and against the "other side". We live in a defensive mindset, and are ready to attack at any moment. In these situations, if we handle them in our own power, it is not too difficult for relationships to be fractured and possibly even ended.

But, recently, I saw a group of people put into action God's plan, which is always right and which is always best; but is not usually very easy. God's plan is of the Spirit but our plans are hard to ignore because they are of our flesh. Some of what I saw, and some of what is a part of God's plan is as follows:

• Be specific as to what the offense is
• Listen to gain a heart of understanding
• Remain calm
• Admit any errors on your part
• Ask forgiveness for causing offense
• Be willing to forgive
• Be humble
• Express concern for the other person and the relationship
• Above all, be scriptural

Does it surprise you to know that when we "play by these rules", that God brings clarity and resolution to conflict? Go figure!

Let's read about SEX

Today, I preached a message on the 7th commandment: Do not commit adultery. I shared, from God's Word, that this includes adultery of the body, but there is also adultery of the heart. This includes having sex outside of marriage, but also includes what happens in our minds and what comes out of our mouths. We live in a society that is immersed in sex and sensuality; and it bombards us on a daily basis. It is difficult, even if we are committed to Jesus Christ and want to live a life of purity, in honor of Him, and for His glory.


At the end of the message this morning, I shared some resources that can be a good start to applying the principle of this message and of God's Word, as it relates to purity, apart from and within marriages. Here is a brief list and a few comments I would like to make about each one:


Addictions:A Banquet in the Grave by Ed Welch
*This is the best book I have ever read on what to do with general addictions. It talks alot about alcoholism and AA, but it gives great biblical principles on how to handle any sin cycle you find yourself in.


And The Bride Wore White by Dannah Gresh
*This is excellent for women who desire to get married in the future; but have a desire to be pure or get pure, before going into marriage.


At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry by Steve Gallagher
*Hands down, this is the best book I have ever read on sexual addition, of any kind. It also has a workbook that goes with it. I highly recommend it.


I Still Do is a message I preached here at Grace a year ago. If you want to hear more about marriage and divorce, more that I was able to share in the message, then do this:
go to http://www.gbcwestlake.org/ , click "online audio", choose Audio Archive, page 4.


Passport2Purity is a set of CD's, to be used by parents who want to talk to their kids about sex and having purity until marriage. This is great to use as a getaway for a parent with a child of the same gender, for an overnight, talking about this important issue, before it becomes a problem. We used it first with our 11 year old daughter and then our 12 year old son. This is put out by an organization called Family Life and is done by Dennis and Barbara Rainey.

Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas
*This might be the best book I have read on marriage, at least in the last few years. I love the subtitle: "What if God's purpose in marriage is to make us holy rather than happy?"

Sheet Music by Dr. Kevin Lehman
*If you want to read and talk about sex, and how to improve it, with your spouse, read this book!

Strengthening Your Marriage by Wayne Mack
*This is a book I recommend a lot in marriage counseling. There are some great basics here, that can be helpful to any marriage. There are also great discussion questions that can be used between couples, or in groups.

The Love Dare by Alex and Stephen Kendrick
*This is something that you should do for you spouse, rather than asking him/her to do it or doing it together. This is an opportunity for you to take 40 days and really concentrate on showing love to your spouse, maybe in ways that you are not used to doing. If you can, do it without your spouse knowing your doing the book. See how long it takes before he/she realizes you are doing something out of the ordinary!

The Purity Principle by Randy Alcorn
*I recommend that everybody reads this one; regardless of your marital status or age. It is small and short; but full of great biblical principles about sex.

For those of you reading this, but have some other great resources you know of in this area, please leave a comment so that I and others can benefit!

What's on the radio at 5:15 AM?

To those of you who may be reading this, that are feeling a little lonely, or a little lost right now...to those of you who feel the weight of some burden that is coming down on your shoulders, wtih no relief in sight...to those of you who are experiencing enough deception that you are starting to question the truth...to those of you who woner if you're going to make it...

Let me just share the lyrics of the first 2 songs I heard when I turned on the radio at 5:15 this morning:

Voice of Truth - by Casting Crowns
Oh what I would do to have the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is and He's holding out His hand
But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me time and time again: Boy, you'll never win! You'll never win!

Chorus: But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
The voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Oh what I would do to have the kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling meTime and time again. "Boy you'll never win!""You'll never win!"

But the stone was just the right size to put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high from on top of them lookin' down
I will soar with the wings of eagles when I stop and listen to the sound of JesusSinging over me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Your Grace Is Enough - Chris Tomlin
Great is Your faithfulness oh God You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters and to mercy And nothing can keep us apart
So remember Your people Remember Your children Remember Your promise Oh God
Your grace is enough Your grace is enough Your grace is enough for me

Great is Your love and justice God You use the weak to lead the strong
You lead us in the song of Your salvation And all Your people sing along
So remember Your people Remember Your children Remember Your promise Oh God
Your grace is enough Your grace is enough Your grace is enough for me

So remember Your people Remember Your children Remember Your promise Oh God
Your grace is enough Your grace is enough Your grace is enough for me Your grace is enough Heaven reaching down to us Your grace is enough for me God I see your grace is enough
I'm covered in your love Your grace is enough for me For me

Reflections on Psalm 73

Psalm 73 has been a Psalm on my mind recently. Let me share the most encouraging and challenging verses here:

Psalm 73:24-26,28 - "You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works."

When I don't really know what to do, or where to go, God is there. It is His counsel that gets me through. His counsel is in His Word. His counsel comes through the Comforter, the Counselor, God the Holy Spirit, who dwells within me. And His counsel, many times, comes through other people who love and care for me, who speak God truth to me, and remind me of His ways.

I know I am weak and I fail often. When I concentrate on my failures and the fact that I don't meet other's expectations, I can get discouraged. But instead, what I should do, what I want to do, is find my strength from the one who is truly my refuge: my Lord and Savior. It is His expectations that I want to meet. And it is a great comfort to know that His main expectation of me is: to trust Him. When I feel weak, He wants me to trust that His Word is true: "My Grace is sufficient for you; my power is made perfect in weakness." (II Corinthians 12:9)

And, as the Psalmist closed, so do I: I want to tell you how awesome my God is. He has strengthened me, He has helped me, He has brought just the right people at the right time to encourage me. I am a witness to the fact that He keeps all of His promises, and He is who He said He is: He is God, He is my fortress, He is my refuge, He is truth and life!

Thank God I'm not a politician

I like the title of my blog entry today, but it's probably not a good idea, because I have to begin by making at least 2 disclaimers: First, those of you who read or heard my message on taking God's name in vain a couple weeks ago may be wondering if I just did that in the title. Let me assure you, that I did not take God's name in vain, because I am, indeed, thanking God, for this. I do not write this flippantly. I have thanked and do thank God, in prayer, that I am not a politician. That leads to my second disclaimer: I am not opposed to politicians nor do I think they are opposed to God or by Him. There are many politicians, including Christian ones, that are living faithfully for God, and doing their best to honor Him in politics.

Now, for the explanation of why I am thanking God for this today. As I grow older, I am probably not alone in thinking about how I have used and am using my life. That includes my profession of choice. For any Christian, however, it is important to note that we don't choose a profession for personal benefit, but we choose it because we believe God has called us to it. We are doing it for him, regardless of what we "do" for a job. I do not believe being a pastor is better spiritually or seen as greater by God than anything else that God calls His people to do. Even though I love missionaries and I think we ought to have more, I do not believe they are better because God has called them to that, and He has called others to something else. Whatever job God has called people to, even if it is a different job every year, is blessed by God if they are doing it with the right attitude and with all their heart, for the glory of God.

I have been called, at least for now, to be a pastor. I have sensed that call sense I was 13. I know that this calling has its "downsides" and risks, but I wouldn't want to do anything else, because I do believe God has called me to it. Yes, there are days when I am ready to quit, but that is because I am humanly weak and unless I get my strength to fulfill my calling from God Himself, then I will be ready to quit every week. I am thankful for this calling, this privilege, this responsibility.

I was thinking, this week, about how I am thankful I am not a politician. Maybe it is because it is voting time, in our area, for mayors and for some other positions of local government. It is also time when we see all these signs to "vote no for issue 3" or ",vote yes for issue 6", etc. There have been times when I have enjoyed watching political news, but I have been having a very hard time in the last year or so. And its not because of who has been elected in various positions. I just get sick of political talk. And it makes me wonder how I would fair as a politician. It is true, unfortunately, that church life sometimes seems political, but that is not how God designed it.
If it was about politics, I don't think I could do it. I think I would stink as a politician.

Here is the bottom line for me. Here is why I am forever grateful that God has called me to be a pastor. Let's say that everything political went my way. Let's say that all the people I want in government are elected, abortion is outlawed, and all the other issues that are important to me are passed. Even if all of that happened, what ETERNAL difference would that make? It might make life on earth easier for Christians, but is that God's goal?

As a pastor, I have the awesome privilege of spending most of my time at least attempting, to make an eternal difference in people's lives. I get to study and communicate the Word of God, which promises to be used by God the Holy Spirit, to change lives for eternity. I get to counsel people with God's Word and talk to people constantly about things that make a difference. I get to meet with and serve with people on a regular basis who are voluntarily serving here at Grace, for the glory of God. They have other jobs that God has called them to, and yet they joyfully give of their talents, treasure and time, in serving alongside of me, to make an eternal difference in other's lives. Why would I want to do something else? I don't; even when it gets tough.

I have nothing against politicians or any other profession for that matter; but thank you God, for calling me to be a pastor. May I please you in what you have called me to do.

A few more thoughts on the 4th commandment

Here are some of the quotes I found in my study, but did not have the time to include in the message (on the 4th commandment) itself:

John Murray writes: “God does not change; his moral perfections do not change; his moral law does not change. Times change; conditions change; we change. But under and through all there remains man’s conscience, man’s responsibility; and over all there is the unchanging holiness justice and authority of God, issuing in the commands that bind man’s conscience and , with a divine imperative must regulate his life, in one word, the moral law.”

Michael Horton: “Therefore, in this one chapter of Matthew, we have Jesus Christ proclaiming Himself as the Sabbath rest, demonstrating Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath, and attributing to Himself the fulfillment of the prophecy concerning the Chosen Servant who would care for the broken and weary, unlike the religious leaders who had given themselves to casually breaking off bruised reeds and snuffing out smoldering wicks. To those with weak faith, He would give hope instead of fear; to those with doubts and spiritual insecurity, he would provide a place of rest.”

“In Scripture the idea of providing rest extends beyond a Sabbath day…God adds a Sabbath for the land every seventh year. Similarly, in the seventh month of each year the Day of Atonement is to be observed. Finally, every fiftieth year is to be a major Sabbath, the Year of Jubilee, in which prisoners, slaves, and debtors go free, their debts canceled.”

"The lost generation failed to enter into the promise, not because they failed to do or achieve something, but because they would not stop trying to enter the land by their own efforts and scheming. In the same way, we are barred from God’s seventh day, his eternal rest, unless we cease our striving after God’s favor and trust in Christ alone.”


"In the New Testament, the light has come. With the dawn of Christ’s coming we have the end of the Jewish week and the beginning of the new age and the new creation. The Jews looked for the Messiah at the end of the week, but we look backward to Christ at the beginning of the new week. When the Second Adam came, he fulfilled all obedience due to God and, unlike the first Adam, won for us access to the Tree of Life and entrance into the eternal Seventh Day that God Himself enjoys. The Sabbath is, therefore, eternal life in the presence of God.”


Here are some of the passages of Scripture we did not have time to use in the message, as they relate to the 4th commandment:

Hebrews 10:11 – “And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.”

Hebrews 10:12 – “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.”

Hebrews 10:16-18 – “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds, then he adds, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more. Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”


“Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your evil assemblies…your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them” (Isaiah 1:13-14). God defined sincere Sabbath-keeping in Isaiah 58:13-14: “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’S holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”


Galatians 4:9,10 – “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years!”

Jesus and the Sabbath:
Luke 13:14-16 – “The religious leaders said you have all the other days to heal, not the Sabbath. Jesus pointed out their hypocrisy by saying they cared more for donkeys than the people.”


Psalm 62:1,5 – “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation...For God alone, o my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.”


II Corinthians 3:6 – “Who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”


“This is what the LORD commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’“ So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. You will not find any of it on the ground today. Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.” (Exodus 16:23-26).

Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you reset. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Even more on the 4th commandment

Today, let me just share with you a couple of Sabbath Day jokes that I did not have time to share during my message last Sunday:


A Sunday School teacher was telling her children about the importance of observing the Sabbath Day. "I never go FISHING on a Sunday!" piped up little Johnny. "VERY GOOD, Johnny!" said the teacher. "Won’t you tell the other children why you don’t go fishing on a Sunday?" Johnny replied: "Because my Daddy won’t let me go along!"

A certain minister had a weakness for golf. But he had no time for it. Searching his busy schedule, he found one day in a year’s time when he could play. Unfortunately, that day fell on the Sabbath. The minister apologized to God and traveled some distance to a golf club so that no one who might know him would see him. As he teed up the first ball, an angel looked down from heaven aghast: "A minister playing golf on the Sabbath!" He immediately told the Almighty about it. On the third hole, God sent down a gust of wind that made the minister’s ball sink into the cup. . . a hole in one! The angel watching was puzzled. "You call that punishment?" “Think about it," the Lord replied . . . "Who can he tell?" - [Hopewell Herald, June/July 1997]


And, this is not a joke, but a story that illustrates how the rules and regulations are supposed to help people (like on the Sabbath Day) but if the rules are what is important, they actually take away from the benefit they were intended to give. Here is an example:


On July 15, 2000, Tim Tolton was rushing his wife to the emergency ward of a Hospital. But the entrance to Emergency was blocked, so Tim decided to park in front of another set of doors. He just wanted to get his wife into Emergency as fast as possible. Tim remembered picking up a parking ticket on his windshield and throwing it into his car. He forgot about it until he decided to clean out his car and removing his wife’s belongings after her July 30 death.
Tim then wrote a letter to the municipal court of Pointe Claire to explain the circumstances that led to the ticket. He expected that the ticket would be forgiven. The response was this: a notice that said “pay up by Sept.7 or 30 days in jail.” Tim said: “That was the last thing I needed, I was trying to help my wife, and it seemed they were trying to put me in jail.” The municipal court clerk explained that there was nothing that could be done. Tim paid his ticket and he asked “Where are the people behind the rules and regulations?”

The laws were supposed to be there to protect people and for the benefit of man. But, instead, many laws end up being an obstacle to man, even when it comes to caring for other people. That is why Jesus, when He was confronted with helping people on the Sabbath Day, doing work, that he said:

Mark 2:27 – “And he said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

Another thought about the 4th commandment

In my study of the 4th commandment, for the message I preached this past Sunday, I read some examples of people who made tough decisions because of their application of the 4th commandment.

Do you remember Chariots of Fire? In this movie, Eric Liddell chose not to run in the 1922 Olympic games in Paris. During the summer of 1924, the Olympics were hosted by the city of Paris. Liddell was a committed Christian and refused to run on Sunday (the Christian Sabbath), with the consequence that he was forced to withdraw from the 100 metres race, his best event. The schedule had been published several months earlier, and his decision was made well before the Games began. Liddell spent the intervening months training for the 400 metres, an event in which he had previously excelled. Even so, his success in the 400m was largely unexpected. Eric Liddell, often called the "Flying Scotsman Eric Henry Liddell (16 January 1902 – 21 February 1945), was a Scottish athlete, rugby union international and missionary.
Liddell was the winner of the Men's 400 metres at the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris. He was portrayed in the film Chariots of Fire.

Eric Liddell made his choice, based on his own personal conviction. It was evident that Liddell's life was all about serving God and telling others about Him. He was willing to sacrifice anything for what He believed was honoring to God.

In S. Truett Cathy’s book: Eat More Chikin: Inspire More People, he writes: “Starting the restaurant and pouring all my worldly possessions plus everything Ben and I could borrow into it taught me the full meaning of the word commitment. Everything was at stake. I was totally committed to the task of building a successful business, and I knew I could not fail.

We were not so committed to financial success, however, that we were willing to abandon our principles and priorities. One of the most visible examples of this was our decision to close on Sunday. Ben and I had attended Sunday school and church all our lives, and we were not about to stop just because we owned a restaurant. Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and directing our attention to things more important than our business. If it took seven days a week to make a living with a restaurant, then we needed to be some other line of work. Through the year I have never wavered from that position.”

It is interesting that Chick-fil-a, which could make a lot more money (it seems) if opened on Sunday, does quite well as a business, open just 6 days a week. This was a business owner,who did not make it all about money, but instead it was about principle. He wanted to make sure they could continue to worship God on Sunday, with no concern about working. That is pretty amazing in today's business world.

So, how do these examples fit into the teaching about the Sabbath Day? As we saw in our study and message on the 4th commandment, the regulations of the Sabbath Day no longer apply to Christians. So, what about these decisions by Liddell and Truett? This is where this passage of Scripture comes in, which I shared in the message:

Romans 14:5,6 – “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he give thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.”

Every person has to make decisions based on how they are going to apply the principles of this 4th commandment; and that is o.k. We can appreciate what Eric Liddell did, but not necessarily judge someone who decides to run on Sunday in the Olympics. You got to have respect for the owner of Chick-fil-a and everyone in that organization that closes on Sunday. That was a conviction and it was completely right for them to do that. I personally believe God honors that and has honored them. However, it doesn't mean it is a sin if a business owner has a store open or if someone works on a Sunday.

The principle involved is that although the Sabbath Day is no longer a rule for us, it is commanded that we are a part of a local church, and meet regularly for corporate worship; which, in most cases, is on Sunday, celebrating the day each week when Jesus rose from the dead. Each of us has to check our priorities, make sure we are not "neglecting the meeting together" for worship (Hebrews 10:25), and then do what we believe God wants us to do.

In our family, even though I work every Sunday, as a pastor, we will not allow our children to work or play if it means missing the main services our church provides on Sunday. We believe, that while they are in our house, we want to instill in them the priority of taking Sunday to worship God in church. In most cases, people do have that option. However, we cannot judge others who may make different decisions. We each are responsible, before God, to worship corporately, but to honor Him, regardless of what we do or don't do on Sunday; or how specifically we worship when we do go to church. More on that issue later.

More thoughts on the 4th commandment

I am writing thoughts this week about the 4th commandment, which I preached about this past Sunday. See yesterday's blog for more information.

One of the things that I noticed in my study of this commandment is what we called biblical theology in seminary. To explain briefly, systematic theology is taking a topic like: The Sabbath Day, and then making points about the Sabbath Day, using various texts of Scripture to "prove" the point. In biblical theology, there is more of an effort to take Genesis through Revelation, and study the entire biblical context of any issue presented by the Scriptures, noting the process and development throughout. Both systems can be helpful in Bible study; but I have a deep appreciation for biblical theology. I feel it causes me to let the theme develop rather than trying to force it and find verses to support my thought.

One theme that came out from my study had to do with the focus of the Sabbath Day. It may seem like the focus is on us (mankind). I mean, didn't God give the 7th day Sabbath rest so that man can rest from His work? Isn't this about us? Didn't Jesus say:

Mark 2:27 - "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

Yes, He did. It was in the context, however, Jesus is explaining how the Sabbath was to help man accomplish the purpose of taking a day of rest (explained elsewhere) and that the rules of the rules and regulations of the Sabbath Day were not to burden them to the point of not being able to do what was needed.

The purpose for the Sabbath is really directed to God, first of all.

Ultimately, this is all about God, not about us. It begins with God praising His own creation, and ends with everyone praising him. The first mention of Sabbath rest was for God and about God. it is important to note the first time something appears in the Bible.

Genesis 2:1-3 – “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

Genesis 1:31 – “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

God created everything, and in a sense, He took a deep breath, looked at it and concluded: IT IS VERY GOOD! And on that note, He rested. God wasn’t tired, like we get tired. He wanted to make a point. He wanted His creation to be remembered. So, when we come to the laws of Exodus, this was originally all about God and giving God His due, not just for man’s selfish benefit.

Then, the commandment tells us that man's rest was to be given to God:

Exodus 20:9,10 – “Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.

Part of giving it to God, was taking time to worship Him on that day:
Leviticus 23:3 – “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.”

Eventually, all the old regulations passed away with the Old Covenant, but once again, this was about what God did through Jesus:

Hebrews 9:12-15 – “He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”

And notice, in those verses, that when we benefit from what Jesus did, we then are to do what is right in order to serve and worship God. It is all about Him.

There is then, a rest that all believers enter when they get saved, but realize when this temporal life is over. But, as a preview of that, it is explained that the people of the Old Covenant, those who disobeyed God in the wilderness, were not allowed into God's rest. Notice, though, that this is about God:

Psalm 95:7-11 – “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your father put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. For forty years I loathed that generation and said, they are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways. Therefore I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter my rest.”

Hebrews 4:8-10– “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.”

This rest is the eternal, Heavenly rest for Christians. God gives us this rest, to spend eternity praising Him. We only have this eternal "rest" because of the gift of God: eternal life; not because of us:

Ephesians 2:8 - "For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works..."

In summary:
When God rested on the 7th day, it was God resting and finding delight and satisfaction in His own creation. There was no command for man to rest.

Remember, when God first rested, it was about glorifying Himself because of His awesome creation. And when He first instituted the Law of the Sabbath for Man, it had to do with resting, yes, a physical rest; but it also had to do with focusing on God in worship.

In the end, the eternal Sabbath rest for Christians will be all about praising God for His salvation and worshipping Him forever!

Thoughts on the 4th Commandment

I told the people of Grace Baptist Church in Westlake, OH yesterday, that I would blog this week about the 4th commandment. I am doing a series of messages on the 10 commandments, and this one was especially challenging to study and communicate. There are so many different ideas that commentators, scholars and pastors have about this 4th commandment and how it applies to our lives today. It took me almost twice as much time to study and prepare for this commandment as it had for the previous 3 commandments. So, I felt that there were many other things I would have like to have said in the message, that there was just not time for. I am assuming that others who heard the message are still thinking their way through it as well. If you are interested in listening to the message, you can go to www.gbcwestlake.org, click on the link to listen to the messages and choose the title: "TAKE A DEEP BREATH".

One of the things that stood out to me as I studied Jesus' treatment of the Sabbath Day, was that relationships were much more important to him than rules. I think this is crucial for us to consider, because it is human nature to create and lean on rules, even to the harm of relationships. Obviously, if it is a lasting rule of God, those are more important than human relationships, because obeying God's rules are all about our relationship with God. But, when it comes to human rules and regulations that are added to God's Word, they can hurt, damage and even destroy our relationships with others.

Jesus set aside their rules on the Sabbath in order to heal people. Keep in mind: Jesus could have done it on Friday or Sunday, couldn't He? He could have kept from offending the religious people by simply doing it when they would allow it: on a different day. So, I think we can conclude that Jesus specifically targeted this special day, over and over again, to do certain things, including healing, that He knew would drive the religious leaders crazy. If we were His advisors, we might have told Jesus: listen Jesus, don't cause waves, don't offend needlessly. If you have to do something on the Sabbath Day, do it in private. But, don't "rub it in the faces" of the religious leaders. That might get you in trouble!

Jesus was not concerned with the religious people who were all about rules and regulations, and expected Jesus to do the same. Jesus loved people, and was willing to reach out to them with the truth (Himself), even if that meant breaking the man made rules and regulations about a special Jewish Day.

This challenges me, personally, in many ways. First, I have to be careful of making my own rules for living, that I then make absolutes for others. I must keep it all about what the Bible says and doesn't say. It is so easy for us to get away from the Scriptures and preach our own philosophy of life. I desire to preach God's Word and help people understand it and apply it.

Another thing I must do, is remember that people who are searching are more important to reach out to and invest time in, then religious people who are criticizing those efforts. That is what happened to Jesus, and any Christian who makes sacrifices to reach out to others has experienced well meaning Christians (perhaps) who spend their time criticizing those who are reaching out rather than encouraging and participating in the outreach efforts (by setting aside their personal rules and preferences).

A third thing I must continue, as a pastor who leads a church. I cannot allow us to become a people that are known more for what they don't do (because of stringent rules) and what they are against, than the love they have for the people in the community. Yes, we will teach and preach the Word of God without compromise, and we won't apologize for it; but we will also be known (that is our prayer) for our love and the grace that we offer (by the power of Christ) to others.

May you grow in the grace and knowledge of God as you study and apply this 4th commandment.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

About 8:45 p.m. last night it hit me: I had not called my mom yet. I had written it in my calendar, I had purchased the card well in advance, I had sent the card, on time, I thought (although it turned out to be a holiday); and I have been thinking about it every day this week. Even yesterday, on my mom's birthday, I kept thinking: I need to call her, I need to call her. And, I almost forgot. What kind of son am I?

But, I remembered, and as I heard my dad say in the background, while I was talking to my mom: "I guess he's out of the doghouse now", I completed the important call! I came to find out that my sister had called my mom in the morning, my brother in the afternoon, and then me at night. So, see? Leave it to the older, wiser brother to put a nice touch on everything and make it symmetrical! That's enough about me.

As I wished my mom a happy birthday, it made me think of all the years I have enjoyed being her son (my whole life!). My mom, outside of my wife, is the greatest woman I know. She has always been faithful to God and faithful to my dad, along with being loyal to our family. She has always been selfless, putting everyone else's needs and desires in front of her own. She has modeled the love of Christ! She worked as needed, but seemed to always be there for us, as we grew, helping us to learn and grow. I never felt neglected. We knew that my mom was united with my dad, and there was no dividing them - so we didn't even try. I never questioned my mom's faith and her dedication to living for God, along with her desire that we please and honor God with our lives.

She made sure we were able to get to our music practices, sports games and everything that was going on in church. She did what she could to make sure we could participate in life challenging and changing experiences such as summer camps, special programs and service projects through our church, and missions trips - to name a few. Those types of sacrifices can easily go unnoticed.
I don't remember my mom complaining about all the work she did around the house, including all the thankless jobs no one else wanted to do. I always think of mom as a hard worker, with a quiet spirit, a godly woman.

So, here's to you mom. God has used you greatly in my life - not only to bring me into this world; but to help me navigate through it. I love you, more than you can know, and certainly more than I tell you (sorry about that).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Quote for the Day

I'm not really into pithy sayings, or many of the forwarded e-mails I receive, with the note: This is the greatest thing ever written! You must pass this onto your entire e-mail list if you want to be blessed. I usually delete those pretty quickly. But, yesterday morning, a person who attends our church gave me a note that she saw and was encouraged by herself. I share it with you, since it fit for what I needed on that day:

GOOD MORNING, THIS IS GOD
I will be handling all of your problems today.
I will not need your help.
So, relax and have a great day!

I had to take off my theological hat, so that I don't tear down this saying and look for all the problems in it. Instead, I just accepted it from this church member, saw it as God's message for me for that day; and a huge burden lifted off my shoulders. It just so happened that I had been quite burdened; and unbeknownst to me, later in the day, more burdens were to come.

I hope this will be an encouragement to you, for whatever you may face today.

NOW WHAT - Part 2 - a message

This was the second part to the message of the same title. It was still in the passage of Scripture that follows the 10 commandments; and which I found very challenging to prepare and preach. It was a great experience for me to study and apply these laws to my life, before I considered how to communicate it to the rest of the people. In hindsight, I am glad it worked out this way. I feel it gives a good context into which I am now preaching the 10 commandments. This message was preached at Grace Baptist Church in Westlake, Oh on Sunday, August 30, 2009. If you choose to read this message, I pray you will take the time to consider it and pray for the Spirit to help you apply it to your life. This is also available to listen to online at: www.gbcwestlake.org

NOW WHAT – Part 2
Exodus 22:16-24:18

Please turn in your Bible to the 2nd book of the Bible…the book of Exodus, and chapter 22…Exodus 22.

Most people know about the 10 commandments. And most people ignore them, living life their way. And whenever people determine to do that, there is potential danger. Now that it is college football season, you may notice people who will get very excited about the games, and their team. And in some cases, when things do not go the way they desire, they will respond according to their own rules and ways. This article appeared in the USA TODAY last November, during last year’s college football season. The story comes from Evergreen, Alabama.

The headline of the article? Two Dead in argument over Alabama—LSU game
“Authorities say an argument over Saturday’s Alabama-LSU football game led to the shooting deaths of a couple at a home in south Alabama. Prosecutors identified the victims as Dennis and Donna Smith of Brewton. The shooting happened about 7 p.m. Saturday at the home of Michael Williams in the rural community of Owassa. Williams was arrested and charged with two counts of murder. He was being held Monday without bond. Investigators told the Mobile Press-Register that Dennis Smith, an LSU fan, called Williams, an Alabama fan, after Alabama’s 27-21 overtime win and an argument ensued. The Smiths went to Williams’ home. Investigators said 41 year old Dennis Smith had a pistol and the 28 year old Williams had a shotgun and fired.”

This is what can happen when someone receives the commands of God, and then ignores them. Over something like a football game, their lives are put at risk, others lives are at risk, people are living in selfishness; and anything can happen. After God gave His people the 10 commandments, he expected that His people would respond by applying the 10 commandments to real life, and truly living them out in their worship of Him and their daily living with one another.

Last week, we began looking at many of the specific laws that God laid down for Israel, as an application of the 10 commandments in their culture and community. What is interesting, is that many of our laws today, in the United States, come from the foundation laid down thousands of years ago by these laws here in Exodus. Here is what a lawyer here at Grace wrote to me, about last week’s message:

“I was reminded of law school where we would usually talk about the policy and options behind the law, rather than the law itself. It was not always intuitive or a simple decision in how laws should be crafted to deal with certain things. I had always heard that our American law was based on the Bible and I was interested to hear again the discussion in Exodus about God's laws for Israel and relate it to how our current law in America nearly always follows the Biblical view on the law.

For example, in the case of invaders in the home, just as in Exodus, in most states a resident is free to use deadly force on a person that has invaded your home. Another example, is in bailment situations, that is where a person has possession of goods owned by another person, the rights and responsibilities that the bailor (owner) and the bailee track closely with the laws laid down in Exodus. I also thought that the laws in Exodus relating to property and damages are quite similar to our American laws in negligence and how damages are calculated.” [end quote]

No, not all of these laws are the same for us today; but even if a particular law is not still in place in our society…not only do our laws find their bases in Exodus; but we learn principles concerning the character of God, and what our response should be to His character. We pick up where we left off last week in our outline:
It looked like this:
God is invisible: Listen to His Word (20:22-26) [and secondly]
God is just: obey His laws (21:1-23:19)

Nearing the end of the Book of the Covenant (a name for this section of Bible), God, through Moses, gave His people a variety of miscellaneous laws. We are going to read the section, briefly explain how the law would work back then, and summarize the principle for what we can take away from it. This is a continuation of the laws we looked at last week. This morning, let’s look at laws concerning:

· Sexual seduction:
Exodus 22:16,17 – “If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.”

This is an application of the 7th commandment:
Exodus 20:14 – “You shall not commit adultery.”

What does this particular law mean? Back in that day, the daughter was seen as belonging to the father. This probably is the basis for why, even today, in traditional ceremonies, it is the father who walks the bride down the aisle and gives her away. Back then,when a daughter would get married, the father would receive the bride-price, a dowry, money that showed the value of having his daughter. Having a daughter that had never been with a man, a virgin, was very important in that day, and was the expectation of everyone involved in a man and woman getting married. Well, if a man seduced his daughter, so that she was no longer a virgin, money would have to be paid to the family by the man who seduced her.

If the father, however, refuses to give her daughter to this man who seduced her (and some believe this is more than seducing, but possibly even forcing, as in rape). If the father refuses, then the man must still pay the bride-price as a man would for a virgin. The details might not seem to apply here to us, but the principle that is found throughout the Bible is applicable to all of us:

Principle: Protect purity.

Purity is found throughout the Scriptures, and as seen in this law, it is our responsibility, not only to remain pure ourselves, but to protect the purity of others. You are responsible to make sure that you are solely committed, in mind and body, reserved for one person in marriage. And, you are responsible to protect the purity of others, not drawing anyone into impurity, and helping others remain pure. Is there something God wants you to do in this area? Next, are laws concerning the:

· Practices of idolatry

Exodus 22:18-20 – “You shall not permit a sorceress to live. Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death. Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the LORD alone, shall be devoted to destruction.”

This goes back to the first commandment:
Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no other gods before me.”

There are 3 sins mentioned here, that were all a part of replacing the worship of God with the practice of worshipping idols. The first dealt with women who used demonic power to tell the future or control others: by sorcery. I realize that in our day, this has been downplayed, and even many Christians are playing around with this area of witchcraft. It has even been popularized in our culture. However, God said that it was so dangerous, that any sorceress was to be put to death. God didn’t play around with those who would lead people to worship something or someone other than God.
Secondly, those who had sex with animals were put to death. This fit into idolatry because bestiality was a key component in that day for Canaanite Baal worship.
Thirdly, anyone who made sacrifices to a different God was to be put to death. God took this idea even further: Look ahead to:

Exodus 23:13 – “Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.”

This was how serious God was that we were created to worship only Him. So, the
Principle: Stay away from any practice that exalts gods other than the true God.
Consider your life and look for any way in which you might entertain ideas of other gods being held in higher regard than the one and only true God. Next…

· The needy
Exodus 22:21-24 – “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.”

God took care of and wanted His people to take care of those who were in need. This included the sojourner, a person not a part of the nation of Israel, and yet they were with them, and were in need. The widow and orphan were to be cared for. We certainly see that in the New Testament, as well, as proof that someone is a follower of Christ – that he would be concerned about caring for those in need:

James 1:27 – “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction…”

However, if God’s people did not respond well to those in need, God would go to the defense of the needy, and bring down harsh judgment on the offenders, possibly even bringing death. How serious do you think God was about taking care of the needy?

Exodus 22:25-27 – “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.”
If someone gave money to another in need, they were not to be like a bank and charge interest for that money. Many times, in that day, the poor person or borrower would give an item that would give his pledge that he would pay the creditor back. In that day, many times it was a person’s coat that they would give to the creditor to hold. But, God made it clear that if the poor person needed the coat to remain warm, then they needed to return the coat to that person so it could be used at night. God was concerned about those in true need.

Principle: Care for those in need.
One way to apply this principle is simply to be sensitive to those God brings into your life that are in need; and when you are able to meet their need, you do it. Is there something God is asking you to do, that will help care for the needs of others? Then, that might be your application for this message today. Next, laws…

· Reverence

Exodus 22:28-31 – “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people. You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eight day you shall give it to me. You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.”

Part of this comes out of the 3rd commandment:
Exodus 20:7 – “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain…”

There are 3 issues of reverence discussed here. The first concerns that of authority. It was important to God that not only His name be honored; but that also the authorities that God placed over others be honored. So, God did not allow for His people to curse leaders He had placed over them. Secondly, they were to show reverence in their worship of God, by remembering to give Him the first part of what He had given to them. This included the dedication of their firstborn sons, and giving in worship of the first part of their harvest from the fields and of their animals. And along with that, their worship was to be pure, which meant that if they ate animals that were killed by other animals, without having the blood properly drained, they were unclean, and not showing correct reverence in worship. Today, there is a principle that the rest of the Bible would back up:

Principle: Honor God by honoring His leaders, and by following His direction in your worship. So, you can evaluate how you are following the various kinds of authorities God has put in your life, and how you talk about those authorities. You can think about the things God has made clear to you, in His Word, of how you should worship Him; and whether or not you are following those things. Is there something God is asking you to do? Now, laws concerning:

· Justice

Exodus 23:1-9 - “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray; you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him. You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”

Part of this comes from the 9th commandment:
Exodus 20:16 – “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

When testifying in a lawsuit, you were not to be influenced by a crowd to give wrongful testimony; and you were not to even be partial to someone who is poor. If you were in a position to help, even your enemy, you were to do it. That was justice in God’s eyes. You were to treat everyone the same, when it came to the law. You were not to condemn the innocent, or God promises to require you (the guilty) to be punished. This includes those who take a bribe that influences their testimony and judgment. God takes this seriously! They were to take care of those who were in need, and not take advantage of them. This was a lesson they should have learned in Egypt. This is supposed to be the expectation, even today:

Principle: Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; even protecting the innocent. We see this in our own courtrooms today, and played out in schools, teams, neighborhoods and in homes. We are tempted to change what we know to be true to get something we want. People pressure us into siding with them, even though we know it is not the best thing, the right thing. What about you? Next…
· Sabbath rest

Exodus 23:10-12 – “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard. Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.”

This all comes from the 4th commandment:
Exodus 20:8 – “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

They were to apply this 2 ways. First, they were let their land rest for a year (every 7th); and during that time, allow the poor to have what they want of their fields. This would also take care of the animals. The same went for their vineyards and orchards. The temptation would be to think that if they worked harder, and did not rest as God commanded, that they could gain more; but God blessed them when they obeyed Him, not when they tried to gain more selfishly by neglecting his laws. And on the 7th day of the week, on Saturday, they were to rest, along with their animals and servants, so that everyone could be refreshed and ready for another week of work. Makes sense doesn’t it?

This is Labor Day weekend. It is time that many take as their final summer vacation, using the extra day on Monday, when many people don’t have to work. Or at least kids don’t have to be in school. From what I could read about Labor Day, it was a holiday created as a tribute to American workers for their contributions to the strength and prosperity of the United States. It was born in the midst of the Industrial Revolution, when the average American worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week! Labor Day was first seen as somewhat of a protest against difficult working situations. So, tomorrow, on Labor Day, schools and government offices will be closed; and many will enjoy an extra day of rest.

God set these laws in place thousands of years ago, so the land, the animals, and yes, all people would have rest from their labor; and time each week to recharge, be refreshed, and focus on their worship of God. So, as a preview to what we will look at when we get to the 4th commandment, here is a:

Principle: Rest for your own benefit and the benefit of others.
You have to evaluate your own life and for your family and those who work for you: Is there something you need to change in this area? Are you giving yourself and others the time to get sufficient rest, the opportunity to be refreshed? Are you using that time of rest to help and encourage others, to focus on your relationship with God. Is there something God is asking you to do? Next, laws concerning:

· Annual celebrations

Exodus 23:14-19 – “Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. You shall keep the feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor, of what you sow in the field. Three times in the year shall your males appear before the Lord God. You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the fat of my feast remain until the morning. The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

God laid out for His people, here, 3 different celebrations, festivals, they were to hold each year: The Feast of Unleavened Bread was where they would not eat anything with leaven for 7 days, remembering how they left so quickly out of Egypt, that they could not take time to use leaven and allow the bread to rise. It was celebrated earlier in the year. The Feast of harvest including a gathering of the firstfruits of the harvest, as an offering to God, thanking Him for the harvest. This took place 50 days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the final one was held near the end of the agricultural year. It was called the Feast of Ingathering, or the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Tabernacles.

The last phrase in verse 19 is somewhat strange to us, probably. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” This was most likely religious practice of the Canaanites, which was a part of their fertility worship; and therefore, was to be forbidden among those who were wholly dedicated to the worship of God. Here is a principle, that comes from these laws about the special celebrations. I left this out of your notes, so you will have to add this into your outline, if you want to write it down. Here is a:

Principle: Regularly celebrate all that God has done for you.

These feasts were to remind God’s people how well He had always provided for them. Think about our time of Thanksgiving. It is supposed to be a special time of celebration for our nation, to thank God for what he has blessed us with. But, how easy is it to forget about the God who has given us everything! So, what about you? Do you need to set aside time, for yourself, your family, your workplace, to celebrate the various ways in which God has touched your life. Is there some act of worship that God is asking you to participate in. What does He want you to do?

After the listing of the laws, here is the next major section that highlights a characteristic of God, as well as what our response to it should be:

God is wise: follow His leading (23:20-33)

The people of Israel would be there at Mount Sinai for about 11 months, and then were on their way to the land God had promised. Unfortunately, they did not do what God is about to ask them to do. They did not follow Him in obedience. But, this was God’s plan for them. [READ PASSAGES FROM NOTES]

Exodus 23:20-22 – “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him. But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.”
Skip ahead to:

Exodus 23:25,26 – “You shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.”

· Follow God’s lead, and obey.

God sent a messenger, an angel, possibly even Jesus Christ Himself, to guide them and lead them into the promised land. If they obeyed, they would have complete victory over every enemy. But, as you can read in the next few books of the Bible, the people of Israel rebelled, and therefore wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years, while a generation of them died off. If they would have obeyed, not only would they have victory, but they would have had no problem with sickness or even with getting pregnant. God was going to richly bless them, in every way… If they obeyed. We may not have the exact same promises from God; but we have the same expectations: to follow God’s lead; and to obey. They were to follow the God that was going to, in a miraculous way, give them the Promised land:

Exodus 23:27-30 – “I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. And will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and Hittites from before you. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land.” Back to:

Exodus 23:23,24“When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces.”

When they were led by God into these other nations, and given their land, they would see their pagan worship and even be tempted to worship idols themselves. Instead, God warned them to get rid of any pagan worship, and to: [in your notes]

· Worship only God

We are also strangers in a foreign land. Spiritually speaking, the Bible tells us that this world, even the United States of America, is not our final home. We are pilgrims, just passing through until we get to the Promised Land of Heaven. Until then, while we are here on this Earth, we are tempted to worship things other than God. We are tempted to worship materialism, pleasure, or even ourselves. We may not live at the same time or in the same culture that the Israelites lived in back then, but we are still tempted to have our worship, the worship of our lives, distracted or divided by what this world has to offer.

Exodus 23:31-33 – “And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare you to you.”

One of the problems that took place once they entered the Promised land, is that the people of Israel did not fully follow through with God’s command to drive out the enemy of God. They may have even had good intentions, but they did not obey. What eventually happened is that God’s people were influenced by the other nations, to the point where their hearts were drawn away from worshipping God alone, and wholeheartedly. This happens in our relationships, of any kind, when we say we want to be wholeheartedly devoted to God, but those we are in relationship with those who influence us away from that singular focus. The final part of these passages focuses on the Book of the Covenant and the promises that were made within. Here, we see another great characteristic of God and the correct response to it:

God is faithful: trust His promises (24:1-18)

Exodus 24:1-4 – “Then he said to Moses, come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. Moses alone shall come near to the LORD, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him. Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do. And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD…” [in your notes]

· God, the Holy One, communicated His Word through His servant

God commanded that the people remain at the foot of the mountain, that 70 leaders of Israel, along with Aaron and his two oldest sons come part way up the mountain, and only Moses was to come all the way up into God’s presence. This was the presence of the LORD, Jehovah, Yahweh, the One who kept all of His promises and wanted a special relationship with His people. God was not able to be approached personally by His people, or even the leaders of the people. Only Moses was allowed to come into His presence. God gave Him the commands He had for His people, and Moses wrote them down, so that He could deliver them to the people of God.

No, we are not in the same place, receiving exactly the same words. But, there is no mistake, that God has communicated in the same way to us today. He has given us His complete Word: the 66 books of the Bible, and he used His servants to write down His words, without error: the Word from a holy God, a faithful God, to His sinful people, so that we would know how to relate to Him:

II Peter 1:20,21 – “Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

That is why we can trust God’s Word. He was faithful to get it to us, through men, and yet unaltered and infallible – definitely the work of God. So, now that the people had God’s Word, now that we have God’s Word, there is a responsibility:

Exodus 24:4-8 – “…He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient. And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

Moses set up an altar and worshiped God through offerings and sacrifices. He made a special point to use blood to commemorate this special covenant, agreement between God and the people. And this covenant was ratified by blood, the sprinkling of blood, not only on the altar, but on the people. Later, a new covenant would be made, and Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, would come to ratify it with His own blood:

Luke 22:20 – “…This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

I Peter 1:18,19 – “Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

This is what we hope in today. Because of the blood of Christ, we have the opportunity to accept the free gift of eternal life, by faith. We don’t have to do anything, but accept the free gift, placing our faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone. Once we have done that, then we are to have the same response that the people of Israel had to God’s Word:

Exodus 24:7 – “…All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” [in your notes]

· The people were to respond through worship and obedience

Here is the heart and desire we are to have, as it relates to reading and obeying God’s Word:

Psalm 119:9-11 – “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Exodus 24:9-11 – “Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.”

Moses, his brother Aaron, and his 2 oldest sons, along with the 70 leaders of Israel, were able to go up the mountain and see the glory of God. Since the Bible is clear that no one can see God and live, they must have seen a vision of God; and because of the glory of God, they could only see under his feet, like on a pavement of sapphire stone. And, as was customary, with the ratification of a new covenant, they ate and drank. It is only by the grace of God that they were able to get that close to His glory and still live.

Exodus 24:12-14 – “The LORD said to Moses, come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction. So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up in to the mountain of God. And he said to the elders, Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.” [in your notes]

· The glory of God keeps man from seeing Him; but the grace of God allows us to worship Him.

No, they could not see God without His covering, so to speak, but they could get close to Him. This was because of His prophet, Moses, and because of His Word. This is all about grace. You and I have the same opportunity. Because of His Word, we can get to see some of the glory of God and come into a close, personal relationship with Him. In fact, because of God coming down, to become flesh, and because He died for us, we, even before Heaven, can freely come into God’s presence, by His grace.

Hebrews 10:10-12, 19,22 “…We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down a the right hand of God…Therefore…since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean…”

If you have not begun your personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, please ask us how you can.

Exodus 24:15-18 – “Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.”

Yes, there are many interesting facts about these passages of Scripture, and probably a ton of questions we have as we read it. But, this morning, my goal is not to answer all of your theological questions. You can do that in personal study. My goal is to encourage you to consider the principles that are found in this section of Exodus; and then to consider how it applies to your life today. Is there one thing you can take away from these passages this morning, that will help you get closer to God? What is the one thing God is asking you to do?

Please stand with me. We are going to close our service in a few moments, but singing 2 more songs together. We will have the opportunity, through song, to voice our commitment to God being our King, the King of our lives today. He died for us, even though we didn’t deserve it…He has forgiven us, if we have repented…He has made the ultimate sacrifice. And now, we in response say: You are my King. You are the one I am living my life for. We echo the words of the people of Israel: Whatever you have said, we will do. We will then close with the song we opened with: Your Grace Is Enough. When thinking about rules and regulations, whether those in Exodus or the ones God expects of us today, it is important to remember the Grace of God. It is enough, not only for our eternal lives, our salvation; but it is more than enough for our daily experience as well.

Let’s pray silently, just between you and God; and then when the music starts, please join us in responding to God’s message through singing.

Prayer