God's Justice

Scripture: Romans 2:1-12

2 So every single one of you who judge others is without any excuse. You condemn yourself when you judge another person because the one who is judging is doing the same things. ² We know that God’s judgment agrees with the truth, and his judgment is against those who do these kinds of things. ³ If you judge those who do these kinds of things while you do the same things yourself, think about this: Do you believe that you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴ Or do you have contempt for the riches of God’s generosity, tolerance, and patience? Don’t you realize that God’s kindness is supposed to lead you to change your heart and life? ⁵ You are storing up wrath for yourself because of your stubbornness and your heart that refuses to change. God’s just judgment will be revealed on the day of wrath. ⁶ God will repay everyone based on their works. ⁷ On the one hand, he will give eternal life to those who look for glory, honor, and immortality based on their patient good work. ⁸ But on the other hand, there will be wrath and anger for those who obey wickedness instead of the truth because they are acting out of selfishness and disobedience. ⁹ There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. ¹⁰ But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. ¹¹ God does not have favorites.

¹² Those who have sinned outside the Law will also die outside the Law, and those who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law.

          I hope everyone has read these verses in advance.  I would hate to spring any of this on you.  Romans is a very hard chapter to read for some people, and I put myself in that number.  Romans is Paul’s longest and most complex chapter, as he lays out his doctrinal understanding of the gospel, and includes how Christians might live out the ethics of the faith.  It contains things we probably thought we knew about the Almighty God, but no one spells them out the way Paul does.  And he opens our eyes to the reality of God’s judgement.

          By way of introduction, the previous Chapter talks about how false religious systems enslave people both sensually and spiritually.  Paul describes the sensual enslavement when he says, “God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves” (1:24).  Paul then moves on from describing sensual enslavement to describing spiritual enslavement which results from idolatry when he says that God gave up those “who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator” (1:25).  In other words, a man becomes a slave to his idols.  Paul describes the wicked behavior of the heathen (1:26-32) in this way:

          1. They become morally perverted - Widespread Homosexuality (1:26-27). He describes how those who turn away from God give themselves over to shameful and unnatural vices. This was true then, and is still true today as we see this becoming more blatant, more aggressive, and more evident all the time.

          2. They become mentally perverted - Total Moral Depravity (1:28-32). Three times in this chapter we are told that God gives up those who give Him up (1:24, 26, 28). This clearly shows what happens to a man when he leaves God out of his life.

LESSON

In our lesson today we will be discussing God’s judgment, His goodness, His wrath, and His impartiality.

Well, how do we determine our position in life?  We often compare ourselves to others, don’t we?  I’m not doing as well as that one, but I’m doing okay.  I’m surely doing better than that one, he’s going straight to hell!  We just judged a couple of people.  And I want to point out that there is a great difference between judging, and discerning.  If we deal honestly with our own hearts, then we have the responsibility to help others.  Correction is not judgment.  But we have a warning in Matthew 7:6 not to give what is holy to dogs, not to throw your pearls before swine.  How can we know that someone, in their spiritual condition, is incapable of appreciating the truth—apathetic, cold, indifferent, unless you discern their character or their spiritual condition?  And having discerned, help them.

          So into our first verse…..

2:1 So every single one of you who judge others is without any excuse. You condemn yourself when you judge another person because the one who is judging is doing the same things.  This verse begins with the word "So" because the heathen were fully aware of God’s death penalty for the crimes they committed, yet they went right ahead and did them anyway, and even encouraged others to do the same (1:32).  

Paul is saying this now to the self-righteous moralists who would gladly agree and say amen that what was said about the heathen was right. But, now Paul flips this around to say O man (meaning every man), whoever it is that judges, that this is inexcusable (without excuse), because when you judge another, you are really judging and condemning yourself.  The one who judges practices the same thing as the heathen.  These self-righteous or moralists:

1.   They judge others meaning criticize, find fault, or condemn. Anytime we judge another person, we are declaring that we…

· are living by some rule that another person is not living by.

· are better than someone else.

· I am right and he is wrong, therefore, "look at me, but ignore him." Very simply, judging others raises self and lowers others, exalts self and debases others; and in the eyes of God this is wrong, prideful, thereby being a sin.

2.   They are inexcusable; without excuse because they condemn themselves, being guilty of the same. Very simply, he fails just as the man he judges. Paul could not call him a moral man. But he was inwardly living in an identical manner as the heathen was living outwardly. Perhaps he did not commit adultery, but did he lust?  Maybe he did not steal, but did he covet?  Perchance he did not commit murder, but did he hate?  In God’s eyes, sin is the matter of the heart and mind, not just the act!

2:2  We know that God’s judgment agrees with the truth, and His judgment is against those who do these kinds of things.   Paul’s letter continues to express the surety that God’s judgment is according to truth against those who commit such things, meaning they will be punished for such things.  The point is God’s the One who knows truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

2:3  If you judge those who do these kinds of things while you do the same things yourself, think about this: Do you believe that you will escape God’s judgment?   The self-righteous or moralists—

1. They think they will escape. However, he forgets that God sees the inner recesses of the human heart, and that God will judge men not only for their deeds, but for their thoughts: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  In 1^st John 2:15-16, we find a strong warning about the world: “¹⁵ Don’t love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them. ¹⁶ Everything that is in the world—the craving for whatever the body feels, the craving for whatever the eyes see and the arrogant pride in one’s possessions—is not of the Father but is of the world. ¹⁷ And the world and its cravings are passing away, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.”  They fail to see that God’s goodness is not a blank check to sin. He does not condone sin, and He does not overlook sin. And we will not escape the judgment of God!

2:4  Or do you have contempt for the riches of God’s generosity, tolerance, and patience?  Don’t you realize that God’s kindness is supposed to lead you to change your heart and life?  ¾ The self-righteous or moralists:  They think God is too good to punish. They perverted and abused the riches of God’s goodness (His kindness, grace, and love), forbearance (Him holding back punishment), and longsuffering (His patient and slowness in judging sin).  But because God hadn’t come forth in judgment and cut them off, they thought that He didn’t regard them as sinners.  They thought God’s goodness was too good to punish them, not knowing that the goodness of God is to lead one to repentance. They think that man is basically good. They thought that man can be good enough for God to accept…. for instance....

· good works

· good thoughts

· good behavior

· good feelings

What the self-righteous or moralists fail to understand is that God’s goodness is perfect, and God can only accept perfection. No man is perfect in nature, thought, or behavior.  That’s why man has to go through Jesus Christ to receive salvation.  He only looks at His Son Jesus Christ who is the only Perfect One!  So, we need to get any thoughts out of our heads of thinking the good we’ve done or good behavior has made us right with God.  The goodness of God made a way for us to get back to Him through the Grace of His Son Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit who causes us to see the riches of God’s goodness, and forbearance and longsuffering that would lead us to repent.

2:5  You are storing up wrath for yourself because of your stubbornness and your heart that refuses to change. God’s just judgment will be revealed on the day of wrath.   This halts all their thoughts of self-goodness. The self-righteous or moralists:

They will harden their heart against the judgment of God. The reason is because they refused to repent. They cannot accept the fact that (1) they are not good enough for God to accept them and (2) they didn’t think that God’s goodness and love would ever condemn them.

Paul says that their hardness (their rigid stiffness) and their impenitent (unrepentant; unremorseful) heart, is storing up wrath (anger and rage). The man who hardens his heart, and refuses to repent is storing up more and more wrath against himself in the Day of Judgment (Day of Wrath). We’re still talking about the self-righteous or moralists. They failed to understand that there is a righteous judgment of God, which means it is just, fair, impartial, correct, and exact. He will reveal to the sight of men the righteousness of His judgment against their wrath in the Day of Wrath.

2:6  God will repay everyone based on their works:¾ God will render to every man according to his deeds. What are deeds? They are acts or works in which God will pay to every man what his actions deserve. Everyone will be either rewarded or punished according to his works; according to what he has done with and for God.

2:7   On the one hand, He will give eternal life to those who look for glory, honor, and immortality based on their patient good work:¾ There shall be the well-doer’s wonderful reward.  Note how the well doer seeks: by patiently continuing, meaning to be steadfast and constant; to endure, persevere, stick to, and continue. The well-doer is faithful in doing good works.

· He does not just start, he finishes.

 · He does not live an inconsistent, up and down life. He continues and keeps on doing good deeds.

· He does not give in to hardships, difficulties, or opposition. He endures and perseveres always doing good.  Notice that he seeks for glory and honor and immortality.

· Glory means to possess and to be full of perfect light.

· Honor means to be acknowledged, recognized, approved, accepted, esteemed, and exalted by God.

· Immortality means living forever with God. His reward is Eternal Life!

2:8  But on the other hand, there will be wrath and anger for those who obey wickedness instead of the truth because they are acting out of selfishness and disobedience.  There shall be the evil-doer’s terrible and severe judgment. The reasons¾

a. They are contentious against God; doesn’t like what God says, therefore, he strives against it.

b. They do not obey the truth; sees and hears and knows the truth is to be done, but he refuses to do it. He simply goes about his own life, running and controlling it as he wills.

c. They obey unrighteousness, (wickedness) indignation, (resentment), and wrath (fury).

2:9  There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, for the Jew first and also for the Greek;¾ Just as the Jews were given the first opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel, they will be the first to receive God’s judgment if they refuse.  Israel will receive severe punishment because she was given greater light and blessing. Suffering and affliction will be upon every soul who works and persists on the side of doing evil—of the Jew first, and also of the Greek (Gentile).

2:10  But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, for the Jew first and also for the Greek:¾ The emphasis is heavily on "But!" To the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Gentile) that work and do good, glory, honor, and peace comes.  Eternal life is said to be the inheritance of a world of glory, honor, and peace.

2:11 But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.   God treats everyone the same.  God does not prefer one person or nation to another. He judges everyone in the same way.  This verse is often used as an encouragement for good, but in this context it replies to the great Day of Judgment where all will be judged by the same rule and by the same principle.

2:12   Those who have sinned outside the Law will also die outside the Law, and those who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law.

Verse 12 wraps it all up.  There will be no excuses, no exceptions.

a. The man who sins without law (without knowing what you’re doing) will also perish without law.

b. The man who sins in the law (knowing full well what you’re doing) will be judged by the law. The man who sins without the law will perish, and the man who sins in the law will both be judged.  Whether you didn’t have the law and tried to obey, or whether you had the law and didn’t obey it, both came short of the glory of God.  God’s judgment is impartial (fail) to both.

SUMMARY: It is inexcusable (without excuse), for the man who judges another, for he is really judging and condemning himself. The one who judges practices the same thing as the heathen. The surety is that God’s judgment is according to truth against those who commit such things, meaning they will be punished for such things. Therefore, the question comes to the self-righteous: "So do you think you will escape?" for those who judge, commit such things and are guilty themselves. Very simply, he fails just as the man he judges.  God is the only judge! (2:1-3). The self-righteous or moralists fail to understand God’s goodness. Paul asks them if they are despising the riches of God’s goodness, misinterpreting God’s generosity, seeing God’s patient mercy toward them as weakness on His part; and are they not realizing that His kindness is meant to lead them to repentance?  God’s goodness should attract us and lead us to repent (2:4). Those hearts that are hardened and unremorseful, storing up anger, against themselves in the Day of Judgment. They failed to understand that there is a righteous judgment of God, which means it is just, fair, impartial, correct, and exact.  God will render to every man according to his deeds. To them who continue patiently in well doing, seek for glory and honor and immortality. He rewards Eternal Life. But those that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath will receive God’s wrath (2:5-8).  Suffering and affliction will be upon every soul who works and persists on the side of doing evil.  But, on the other hand, glory, honor, and peace will be to every man who does the work of good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.  God treats everyone the same.  God does not prefer one person or nation to another.  He judges everyone in the same way. The man who sins without the law will perish, and the man who sins in the law will be judged (2:9-12).

          You will remember that the purpose of this lesson was to commit to leading a nonjudgmental and repentant life.

          So with that thought in mind, I’ll share with you the following story:

          This story comes from a David Letterman show about prejudice from about 20 years ago:

          One weekend in Atlantic City, a woman won a bucketful of quarters at a slot machine.  As she was about to enter the elevator to take her winnings to her room, she noticed two men already aboard.  One of them was a tall, intimidating figure.  The woman froze.  Her first thought was, “These two are going to rob me.”  Then, she decided that they might be perfectly nice men, so she chided herself, although she was still anxious.

          Her hesitation about joining them in the elevator was obvious.  Her face was flushed.  She couldn’t just stand there, so with a mighty effort of will she stepped forward and boarded the elevator.

          Avoiding eye contact, she turned around stiffly and faced the elevator doors as they closed.  As time passed, her fear increased.  The elevator didn’t move.  Panic ensured, and she thought, “I’m trapped and about to be robbed.”  Then one of the men said, “Hit the floor.”  Instinct told her to do exactly what the man said.  The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out her arms and collapsed on the elevator floor.  A shower of coins rained down on her.  “Take my money and spare,” she prayed.  More seconds passed.

          She heard one of the men say politely, “Ma’am, if you’ll just tell us what floor you’re going to, we’ll push the button.”  The who said it had a little trouble getting the words out.  He was trying mightily to hold in a belly laugh.  The woman lifted her head and looked up at the two men.  They reached down to help her up.

          Confused, she struggled to her feet.  “When I told my friend here to hit the floor,” said the average sized man, “I meant that he should hit the elevator button for our floor.  I didn’t mean for you to hit the floor, ma’am.”  He spoke genially.  He bit his lip.  It was obvious he was having a hard time not laughing.

          The woman was too humiliated to speak.  She wanted to blurt out an apology, but words failed her.  The three of them gathered up the strewn quarters and refilled her bucket. 

          When the elevator arrived at her floor, the men then insisted on walking her to her room.  She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and they were afraid she might not make it down the corridor.  At her door, they bid her a good evening.  As she slipped into her room, she could hear them roaring with laughter as they walked back to the elevator.

          The next morning, a courier delivered flowers to her room, a dozen roses.  Attached to each rose was a crisp one hundred dollar bill.  The card said, “Thanks for the best laugh we’ve had in years.”  It was signed, Eddie Murphy and Michael Jordan.

          Let us pray:

          Holy God, forgive us for living apart from You in our acts.  Claim our hearts once again, and give us the courage and the grace to live as you would have us to live; in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

The Unjust Judge and the Widow Who Wouldn't Accept 'No"

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

And He told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. ² He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. ³ And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to Him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’  ⁴ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’”  ⁶ And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. ⁷ And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?  Will He delay long over them?  ⁸ I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

Once spinach was a delicious green leaf and eating it made Popeye strong.  Now through the wonders of modern science, spinach can be a white leaf and Popeye’s already too fat.

But time teaches us that change is inevitable.

Pastor Charles Swindoll said, “We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

Jimmy Dean said, “I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

From C.S. Lewis, we get “Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.”  He is unchangeable in His love for us. 

Today’s lesson, based on a short parable about a widow and an unjust judge, urges us to persevere before God, for His love for us never changes.  In our difficulties and even in our blessings, perhaps we give up too soon, and God is waiting to hear from us.  The purpose of today’s lesson is to teach that God honors patience, persistence, and persevering prayer.  In this lesson, persistence is both required and rewarded.

18:1 And He told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. ;¾ This means that prayer should be persistent; we should persevere in prayer.  We are not to faint, meaning not to lose heart or give up. Why? Because there are great rewards, for God always answers with the right answer at the right time!

18:2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. ¾ Jesus tells them there was a judge in a city who didn’t fear God, and didn’t care what others thought of him.

18:3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, “Avenge me of mine adversary.”  This widow lady came to him asking for justice with her of her adversary (her enemy).  But he would not for a while. This was the time for persistent prayer to come in.

18:4-5  ⁴ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’”  This widow had become such a trial and trouble to this judge, that for his own reasons he decided to give her what she demanded.

Now, this judge thought he had truly made up his mind before, yet, there was another force at work!  He said, Yet because this widow’s persistence troubled him he would act on her behalf.  This meant that the judge honored her request because she continued to come and come, plead and plead, and would not let him rest. She would not be silent!

18:6  And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says.”  But on the other hand, Jesus calls him an "unjust judge." Why?  Because he had no fear of God, and cared even less of what other men said.  He took bribes and gave favors to persons who held position and authority. He didn’t care for conscience or law, even though he was a judge. Jesus told them to hear what the unjust judge said. Let this sink in of what he said of himself.

18:7 And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?  Will He delay long over them?  ¾ So if he was an evil, unjust judge who was able to be worn down, "Don’t you think that God will surely give justice to His people who plead with Him day and night?"

The point is: God avenges His own elect which means when an enemy is coming against the elect, and the elect perseveres in prayer, crying out day and night, Jesus wants His disciples to know that if a widow goes and receives justice from a wicked unjust judge, how much the loving heavenly Father is there to avenge her adversary.

God is known for being longsuffering with unbelievers coming to Him for salvation, He also bears long with His elect.

18:8  I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

God will avenge His elect speedily, meaning in His time He will act suddenly, quickly, and without hesitation. But then Jesus asks "will He find faith on the earth" when He returns?  We have building in our society a great tragedy, that few men of faith and prayer will be found when He returns to earth. He’s looking for faith; faithful men and women who persevere in prayer.

Now let’s look at a quick summary here:

You will notice that the Parable starts off with "Men ought always to pray and not faint."  Persistent prayer is required from the saints; we should persevere in prayer. We are not to be faint, meaning not to lose heart or give up.  Why? Because there are great rewards, for God always answers with the right answer at the right time! (18:1).

Jesus goes on to discuss this "judge in a city who didn’t fear God, and neither regarded man" (18:2).

A widow kept coming, wanting justice against her adversary (18:1-3).

The judge didn’t want to.  But even though he didn’t fear God nor man (18:4), yet this judge who thought he had truly made up his mind before, now, there was another force at work!  He said "Yet because this widow troubles me (her persistence troubled him), I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me" (18:5).

This judge honored her request because she continued to come and come; plead and plead, and would not let him rest. She would not be silent! It doesn’t matter how long before the answer. Saints have to be persistent to receive the answer from the One who can give the answer. His reward is great! (18:4-5).

But on the other hand, Jesus calls him an "unjust judge." He had no fear of God, and cared even less of what men said. He took bribes and gave favors to persons who held position and authority. He didn’t care for conscience or law, but even an evil unjust judge was able to be worn down.

Haven’t you run into people like this?  From the context this judge seems to be arrogant, proud and condescending.  Although he probably saw himself as superior to others in every way, there is the chance that others experienced this judge as a kind of knucklehead. 

Right here in Nashville, the past year or so, we’ve had a couple of judges removed from office because they overplayed their hand with their devious ethical behavior.  It became evident that in truth they lacked wisdom.  But we should not be surprised at that, because we read in Proverbs 1:7 that “wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord.”  And again in Job 28:28, “Look, the fear of the Lord is wisdom.”

So if an unjust judge can be turned, Jesus asks, "Don’t you think that God will surely give justice to His people who plead with Him day and night?"  The point is: God avenges His elect who persevere in prayer; crying out day and night when an enemy comes against them (18:7).

His retaliation will be speedily for His elect, meaning in His time He will act suddenly, quickly, and without hesitation. The question Jesus asks "will He find faith on the earth" when He returns? He’s looking for faith, faith that perseveres in prayer (18:8). (18:6-8).

Perhaps another way to put this is that in Christ we are all brothers and sisters, all equal, all deserving of the same love and the same justice.  In Christ, we are all one, so if you mess with one, you mess with us all.  And don’t think the enemy doesn’t understand that.  He does, which is why he is so intent on dividing us, separating us, finding ways to split us up.  But so long as we remain in Christ, he can’t.  We are all one in Jesus Christ, and it is Jesus Christ who tells us that fervent, persistent prayer is important.

          There is a story about former President Ulysses S. Grant, fighting his last campaign with cancer at Mount McGregor, and meeting with General O.O. Howard, who had earned the nickname of “The Christian Soldier”.  Howard spoke for a time with Grant about some of the battles and campaigns of the American Civil War, in which both men had played so well-known a part.

          It is said that Grant listened for a time and then, interrupting him, said, “Howard, tell me what you know about prayer.”  Face to face with death and the mysterious, the question of prayer was of greater interest to the dying former President and General than the reminiscences of his battles.

          Some folks think of prayer as sweet, well-spoken words addressed to God to do our will, a time to present to God our petitions of what we want.  When Jesus spoke of prayer, He suggested what Fred Craddock describes in a sermon titled “Praying Through Clenched Teeth.”

          Prayer is not so much prayer retreats, meditation, or having proper words or posture.  No, according to Jesus, prayer is more like beating on heaven’s door until someone answers.  It is prayer that is so persistent that even the most reluctant finally surrenders because he or she knows the one knocking is certainly not going to give up or give in.  Prayer is the persistent widow!

          Our need with respect to prayer is to see prayer from all angles.  In order for us to understand prayer, we need to remove it from a strictly stained-glass light.  Prayer is us putting on the working clothes of love and mercy in Jesus’ name.

          In the movie “Pat Garrett, Billy the Kid,” Bob Dylan sings the theme song called “Knocking on Heaven’s Door.”  Part of the lyrics go,

“Mama, take this badge off of me

I can’t use it anymore

It’s getting’ dark, too dark to see

I feel I’m knockin’ on heaven’s door.

Knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door.”

          But laying on your deathbed is almost too late to think about knocking on heaven’s door.

          The easiest thing we will ever do is pray, and depending on the context, the hardest thing we will ever do is pray.  Sometimes we just don’t know where to start.  Even one of Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

          Many people simply give up before they try to pursue some worthy goal.  Prayer takes discipline and persistence.  Too many quit before they get started.  But prayer is one of many Christian disciplines, such as worship, Scripture reading, meditation, service, self-denial, reflection, and fasting.  It is prayer that helps condition or train our inner life so that we can best engage the world as disciples of Jesus.       

          It is often prayer that will keep us from being too timid or shy about doing what Jesus has said we must do.  From prayer we get the boldness to reach out and share the love He shares with us from the Father.

          Jesus knows about our human tendency to give up.  When He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, surrender was one of His own temptations.  In Matthew 26:39 we read, “Then He went a short distance farther and fell on His face and prayed, ‘My Father, if it’s possible take this cup of suffering away from Me.  However – not what I want but what You want.’”

          It is when we are ready to quit, when we are ready to give up, when we are ready to surrender, earnest prayer to God takes the focus off of us and our circumstances and places it squarely on God where it belongs.

          Persistence is the key to so many areas of life.  Whether we are learning to play the piano, taking on school as an adult, trying to overcome an addiction, or digging out of a financial quagmire, persistence is the key.

          I was Jesus who “in His anguish He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground”, it says in Luke 22:44.  Jesus knows about prayer, as do many of you, I believe.

           Remember that the point of Jesus’ parable here is not that persistent prayer guarantees you anything you desire, but rather the parable unmistakably teaches that believers’ prayers are to offset timidity and cowardly resignation in the face of life’s hazards.  But remember the persistent widow, she would not take no for an answer.

          I’m going to ask us to consider once again these verses from Luke 18:1-8, in the light of of these questions:

1.    What does this text say about God?

2.    What does this text say about people?

3.    And what does this text say about the relationship between God and people.

          

And He told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 

² He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 

³ And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to Him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 

⁴ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 

⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’”  

⁶ And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 

⁷ And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?  Will He delay long over them?  

⁸ I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

          What are your thoughts God, people, and our relationship?

         

         

          Let us close then by reciting this prayer I’ve passed out.  Our lesson begins with prayer and ends in justice.  So let us close by reciting this prayer from Steven W. Manskar, director of Wesleyan Leadership at Discipleship Ministries, joins these two important concepts.

“God of compassion, You suffer in the grief of Your people, and You are present to heal and forgive.  May the sun of Your justice rise on every night of oppression, and may the warm rays of Your healing love renew each troubled mind; for You are the God of salvation and new life, made known to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.”

Circumcision

Sunday's Sermon: Circumcision

September 10, 2017

Pastor Ed Evans

Prayer:

“Father, we bring You praise for the time and place to come before You with open minds and open hearts for what You have for us this morning. For we would learn what it means to be trustworthy, to be committed to a promise. In the world around us today such social frameworks and business practices such as a man’s word, a woman’s word, seems to have lost the bond it once had. May that not be the case in our commitments to You, O Lord.

We would learn from history this morning of Your promises, liberation, of Your God-given power to so love You and others with everything of our heart, mind and soul. We ask these things in the name of Him who loved us first, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen.”

Scripture:

Genesis 17:1-14

When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make My covenant between Me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”

9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall My covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

Now, since we’re dealing with circumcision this morning, I was tempted to suggest to you ladies we wouldn’t be needing your attention for the next half hour, but the Lord in His wisdom corrected that when He brought to my attention certain verses in Colossians. So, you’ll just have to pay attention, after all. Be patient, we’ll get there.

Now, this Old Testament covenant in Genesis is pretty specific, so let’s begin by talking about its impact on Christians today.

Circumcision is the surgical removal of the male foreskin. The word “circumcise” literally means “to cut around.” It was a religious rite, required of all of Abraham’s descendants as a sign of the covenant God made with him. Mosaic Law repeated that requirement, and Jews throughout the centuries have continued to practice circumcision.

But New Testament Christians are no longer under the Old Testament Law, and circumcision is no longer required. We find this in a number of New Testament passages (Acts 15; Galatians 2:1–3; 5:1–11; 6:11–16; 1st Corinthians 7:17–20; Colossians 2:8–12; and Philippians 3:1–3). Our deliverance from sin is the result of faith in Christ; it is Christ’s finished work on the cross that saves, not the observance of an external religious rite. In salvation, Galatians 2:16 tell us the works of the flesh accomplish nothing.

You may often hear it said that Jesus did away with the Old Testament laws of Moses and the prophets. But He didn’t. Jesus came to fulfill the law and what was prophesied. Some will claim our problems with God today are because we don’t keep the old laws, but I don’t see them wearing phylacteries or blue threads in tassels on their garments, nor do they advocate the destruction of a home when mildew is discovered.

It isn’t the old laws that are important. It was never about the laws, but about our commitment to worship the one God.

Hebrews, Chapter 10 is a golden chapter for explaining what is going on here, how, and why. I want to read you here just verses 10 through 14, but I encourage you to go back and read that entire chapter on your own. For some it may be a life-changing chapter.

Hebrews 10:10-14 reads: “For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, He said,

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,

but a body have you prepared for Me;

6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings

You have taken no pleasure.

7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,

as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book.’”

8 When He said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then He added, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until His enemies should be made a footstool for His feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” So ends the reading from Hebrews 10.

When the Israelites came out of captivity, and back to the ruins of Jerusalem, with its broken walls, the old temple where not one stone rested on another, it was necessary to remind them who they were, and whose they were. So Nehemiah had the people listen to the readings from Moses’ Torah, for seven days. On the eighth day, Nehemiah gathered them together, had them stand up and read together the following prayer, from the book of Nehemiah, Chapter 9, verses 5-8:

5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be Your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

6 “You are the LORD, You alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and You preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships You. 7 You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. 8 You found his heart faithful before You, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And You have kept Your promise, for You are righteous.” So ends the reading.

Notice the prayer begins with the admonition, “Stand Up!” The footnote in the Common English Bible says, “Their devotion to God was expressed physically. The people felt so moved that they couldn’t worship God by sitting still.” The reference to Abraham and God’s covenant with him in the prayer recall one of the reasons for their hope and enthusiasm.

This 17th Chapter of Genesis we are studying is organized around five divine speeches. We find those speeches in verses 1-2, 4-8, 9-14, 15-16, and 19-21. This is where God tells Abraham what He, God, is about to do, and what is expected of Abraham.

Haven’t you ever wished God would just get with you and give you a heads-up on what He’s about to do? C’mon, God, let’s huddle-up here, You tell me what’s coming and I can be ready to do what You want me to do. Right?

But it didn’t make any difference with Abraham, did it? Here was a very holy man, in God’s eyes, and yet as time goes by and God acts in Abraham’s behalf – in behalf of mankind, actually – Abraham still steps sideways and messes up what God’s doing. He has a child out of wedlock, embarrassing his wife, Sarah; he goes into foreign lands and claims Sarah is his sister, not his wife, and almost gets his head lopped off when other royalty wants to take Sarah for a wife.

Doesn’t really do us much good to know what God’s up to, then, does it? Maybe that’s why God and His angels keep their own council.

I was always puzzled as to why God changed Abram’s name from Abram to Abraham, until I learned that Abram means “exalted father”, and he was, and Abraham means “father of many” or “of multitudes”, which he was about to become; a patriarch of millions.

The name “Sarah” means “princess”, already appropriate as the future mother of royalty. But the Bible notes many other name changes: Jacob was renamed Israel; Simon became Cephas; Saul became better known as Paul (which was both a Latin and Greek variation of the Hebrew Saul); and of course, Jesus of Nazareth became known as Jesus Christ.

What about some of your names? Were you named for a favorite family member? Does your name have a linguistic significance? In my case, I’m of English, Irish, Scot and Welsh ancestry, and the name Edward means “Guardian”. I’m told I was named after a rich uncle who left us nothing.

Here in the south it’s a tradition to use your middle name instead of your first name. Mine is “Marshall”. As a child we moved a lot so at one school I decided to use Marshall instead of Edward. I heard every Marshall joke there was: Marshall, where’s your horse; Marshall, where’s your badge; Marshall, where’s your gun. And then from the girls, “Marshall, are you going to arrest me?” But I was just too young for that nonsense. At the next school I was Edward again. Nobody knew me and that was fine with me.

But as with Abram and Abraham, do you see how your name can be a reflection of who you are? What about you? Does your name reflect who you see yourself to be? [Are you really a Mavis? You are definitely a Kay, I think. I think Oscar fits. Are you sure you are Dorothy? Donna?]

God’s covenant with Abraham involved not only a name change, but it bound Abraham and his descendants to God in an intimate way; that they were chosen could never be forgotten.

The name change also suggested that Abraham would have the responsibility not only of reproduction and physical molding, but also the responsibility of transmitting to his descendants that faith was the sacred obligation that undergirded everything in God’s covenant. It was about faith.

And were we to make a personal application here, it would be to ask the question, what is the spiritual legacy you are leaving to your children, or to the grandchildren or others who you influence? Do they see Christ in you? In your actions? In your words?

The intentions and applications of God’s covenant with Abraham are pretty clear to us. That covenant covered all of Abraham’s extended family and all of his household servants and slaves. But what about those outside that covenant. The intent of that covenant has guided Jews, and today continues to guide the Jewish nation, down through the ages. On the eighth day after birth, a Jewish boy child is both circumcised and named.

But unlike Adam and Noah, Abraham was not the sole patriarch on the earth at that time. And there are millions today outside the requirements of that covenant. Does it have any impact on them?

Just as circumcision signified initiation into God’s covenant with Abraham, his household, and his descendants, in the same way baptism in the Christian tradition represents the Christian’s initiation into the church. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, Chapter 2, verses 9-11, he used the concept of circumcision to explain how the Christian is united with Christ in baptism.

Let’s take a look at the Colossians verses: “9 For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ…”

“Made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh…” Isn’t that interesting? And at this point I rush to dip just my toe into one of my favorite verses of scripture, Galatians 5:28, which reminds us, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

I just want to do a little dance down the street like King David did, when I read that verse, for it rises Christ up into the heavens far above any other religion or belief!

I know I don’t need to tell you, for you already know it, but the followers of Jesus Christ are the ONLY ONES guided by the love and forgiveness of their sacrificing savior, Jesus Christ, who loved us even before we knew Him.

He paid our debt on that cross for every sin we have ever committed, or have yet to commit, long before we ever knew who He was.

The covenant of circumcision reminded Abraham and his heirs that they had been drawn into a covenant relationship with God Almighty. The sign of the rainbow reminded God of God’s promise to the earth. The sabbath reminded the people of Israel that God had made them holy. And their history reminds you and I of the commitment, the love, the forgiveness of our God, El Shaddai, God Almighty; Adonai, Master and Lord.

Let us close by reading in unison the prayer found on page 607 of the United Methodist Hymnal, “A Covenant Prayer in the Weslyan Tradition.”

“I am no longer my own, but Thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom Thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed by Thee or laid aside for Thee,

exalted for Thee or brought low for Thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things to Thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O Glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Thou art mine, and I am Thine.

So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth,

Let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.”