A WORD OF WILLINGNESS (Fifth Word from the Cross)

#247                                                            A WORD OF WILLINGNESS (Fifth Word from the Cross)

This entry includes an attached illustration from Light, Journal of The Christian Life Commission–March/April 1988    

Scripture  Luke 23:40-43 NIV                                                                                            Orig. Date 4-3-1966 (4-1976)

                                                                                                                                                                 Rewr. Dates 3-24-1988

Passage: 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[a]” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Purpose: Continuing a series on Words from the Cross, here given evidence of the example of faith in the life of the thief who believes.

Keywords:           Christ as Saviour               Commitment                     Faith                      Conviction

Timeline/Series:               Words from the Cross

Introduction

                It’s been several years, but when the best foreign film of the year was chosen, it was a spiritual film.  It was a Greek community, featuring the Greek Orthodox Church during the reign of the Turks.  The title, “He Who Must Die,” told the story of the citizens of this community in their efforts to enact the passion of Christ during the Easter celebration.

                A few weeks before the Lenten season, the people would elect the actors who would play the lead roles.  A  young man was chosen for the very first time to portray Christ.  He seemed especially suited to the role.  There was even some resemblance to Jesus, and he was a man completely without guile.  He, and the other chosen speaking roles were given six weeks to prepare themselves for these roles.

                During this time, however, a crisis arose in a neighboring community where people were starving.  The young man, playing the part of Christ, came to feel a burdensome responsibility to do something for these people.  He was convinced that it is what Jesus would have done.  He became so resolved and so adamant in his intent that in an angry confrontation with his townspeople, he was killed, “He Who Must Die.”

                The message of the film seemed to have to do with actions and attitudes found everywhere in every age.  Goodness, the kind that Christ brought to the earth, is subject to confrontation, anger, even death.

                What Jesus brought with him to the earth, to humanity was the concept of willing self-sacrifice.  His was a willingness to die, and to die for others.  This fifth word shows us another man who has been inspired to follow his example, to die with him.  At the very heart of the gospel is a willingness to die.

I.             A Man in the Consternation of Willingness.  V40 “Dost thou not fear God seeing we are in the same condemnation?”  Many times others had come to Jesus expecting a sign.  They had watched with curiosity in the performance of miracle.  The cripple made to walk, the blind to see, the deaf were no longer, even the dead were raised, and His lessons on forgiveness were legion, that too a miracle, preaching deliverance to the captives. 

                They had  had the sign of prophecy, but that seems not to have been enough.  Isaiah 61:1f “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the humble, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, . . . to comfort all who mourn, . . . to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning.”

                They wanted something akin to Moses dividing the Sea  of Reeds.

                It makes us want to ask what the sign is that we are looking for.  Is the text of Easter not enough?  Do we question the legitimacy of Jesus?  Why are we slow to respond?

                As it is now, it was then, even at His cross they demand a sign.  In life they had asked that very question, “show us a sign?”  And He had responded in the only possible way.  “The only sign you will receive is of Jonas."  The sign  of death and burial.  The sign  of submergence, not in water but in God.  So now in death, they wanted a sign.  Give us something that will make the world remember “Golgotha.”  Give us anything but accountability.  Had the woman at the well know what awaited her, she would have stayed home.  We too are guilty of avoiding what is in our spiritual best interest.

II.            He Was a Man Caught Up in the Conviction of Willingness.  Can, should, must.  V41  “We received the due rewards for our deeds:  but this man hath done nothing amiss: And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

                It does us well to remember that others have also been crucified, and for lesser reasons.  I don’t know if there were other crucifixions at Golgotha.  I know there have been other Golgothas.  Men and women have died for causes just and unjust.  But the crucifixion of Jesus is unique in all the earth.  The place where it happened remains contested, but the fact of crucifixion and its meaning is undeniable.

                The source of all wisdom chose to die, and such an ignoble death.  If Hollywood, or Wall Street, or the Louisiana transition team or our church committees had planned Easter, none of us would have planned a lynching for our super star.

                But Easter is precisely what has turned everything around.  It has altered history.  Its impact has been universal in scope.  Other religions have been cultural and/or military.  Christianity has manifested itself as a faith of and for all people.

                We have, regrettably, become so entertainment conscious.  Phineus Barnum was a great showman.  He knew what people would pay to see.  But he isn’t remembered long after the show leaves town.

                And I remind you that Easter was not some kind of divine appeasement.  Parents sometimes find it easier to try to buy their children’s respect, than to earn it through genuine caring.  Others mandate it with threats.  But, what really happened at Calvary is that personal sin had to face up to God’s parental concern.  The parents whose children know they care, will be the ones who don’t lose them in adolescence.  Those who learn this kind of caring on the part of God will stay with their profession.  It is to see sin from God’s point of view.  It is to realize the nature of sin that separates.  But as well, it initiates the step of faith leading back to God.

                I Peter 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the Word of God.”

III.           Finally, He Is Brought to the Commitment/Willingness.  V43 “This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.”

                He concluded, as so must we all, that the one way to God is through Christ.  It is what the world does not wish to do.  The world wishes to find its way intellectually.  Paul Harvey reported (4/4/76) a major Ivy League school (Harvard) had eight punishable crimes per day on the campus.  Security had become a major expense.

                John 6:40 “This is the will of  him that sent me, that everyone that seeth the son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life.”

                This is that essential difference between these two men.  Both were similarly guilty.  They were judged fairly, and sentenced justly.  Forgiveness is assessed to the one because he looks to the son in faith.

                Believers are to come to renewal and revival in the self-same way.  Sin is still the distress of the spirit.  We must continually look to the Son.

                J.S. Whale in his book, “What Is a Living Church,” reminds us “Christendom’s deadliest enemy is not a doctrinaire godlessness but a practical atheism.”  I think what he means by that is that too many run around with a name-tag of Christian, and a lifestyle of worldliness.

Conclusion

                Leonard Griffith (E14p164) writes that the pearls  of the former House of Austria periodically lost their luster through exposure.  They would then be taken back to the ocean and left in their natural state.  Their beauty would always be restored.  The church also, through exposure to the world, loses its luster, and if it does not immerse itself continually in the ocean of God’s redeeming love, it will lose its way.  Holiness can be recovered only in the sanctuary, in the place of prayer.

Illustration from Light, Journal of The Christian Life Commission – March/April 1988

                When teaching phonics to my pre-schooler, we started at the beginning of the alphabet.  “This is the letter A,” I said, “Do you know a word that begins with A?”  The poignant reply came, “A is for AIDS.”

                So it is in our lives—A is for AIDS.  It is the beginning and ending of every facet of our existence.  Those of us who have contracted AIDS are the new untouchables.

                I was infected with the AIDS virus by a blood transfusion while still pregnant with my first child.  As a result, our baby also contracted the virus.  Although I frequently was ill and fatigued, I passed it off as being “the new mother syndrome.”

                Our baby was quite ill as well, requiring weekly trips to the doctor, and I blamed much of my exhaustion on stress.

                Having no idea that I was carrying the AIDS virus, two years after the birth of my first child, I became pregnant again. Our second child was premature and also had multiple medical problems.

                When the baby was five months old, I received a call from the blood bank that had supplied the blood for my transfusion.  They said that the donor who had given the blood for my transfusion had AIDS.

                My world started reeling.  As soon as I heard the words, all of the events of the past three years came into focus with a searing clarity—the children’s inability to stay well; the doctor’s frequent head-shaking and statements: “This is rare”; “The medicine should have worked.”

                Within two months, I had lost most of what had constituted my world.  Our baby was in critical condition with only days or weeks to live.  My husband had lost his job and career when his employer found out that his family had been touched by AIDS.  Our older child had to be removed from day care.  We were asked not to return to our church.  Our confidentiality had been breached, and as word spread throughout our community, we quickly fled and relocated in another town.  We were too terrified to risk harassment and persecution.

                Several months after our move, our baby died, and the second phase of my isolation began.  This isolation was self-imposed by fear.

                The few relationships I have had are superficial and almost totally based on fabrication.  How could I truthfully answer simple questions: “Why did you move here?”  “What  was wrong with your baby?”  I couldn’t talk about the fact that my heart was breaking every time I looked at my little girl.  I couldn’t share the fact that my marriage was fragmenting from the incredible stress in our lives.  I couldn’t “act sick” lest someone get suspicious, so I hid my symptoms and pain.

                I didn’t reveal anything about the severity of our daughter’s illness lest my child be totally ostracized from all socialization.  I couldn’t even contact former coworkers to explain why I had suddenly disappeared.  I was in a new city with no friends, no church, no “home,” no job, a struggling marriage, a very sick child and the grief of our baby who had died.  I had never been so alone in my life.

                We reached out to a local church.  The pastor was supportive, but when he asked parents about the possibility of our child attending Sunday School, the parents said “no.”  We do not attend church now.  The rejection runs too deep.

                To Christians, I would say that AIDS cripples not only the body, but the heart.  At a time when the AIDS victim is dealing with death and dying, heavy financial burdens and physical debilitation, they need support, care, and concern—not rejection!  If there was ever a time to reach out and touch the “lepers” of our day, it is now.

                I wear the Scarlet A.  I keep it well hidden.  You may never see me cry or realize from my appearance that I  have been infected by the virus.  Nevertheless, I have been shattered. I need love, compassion, and community to help me make it from day to day.  I have done nothing immoral or illegal to contract this disease, but those who have, hurt just as deeply as I.  Their needs are as great or greater than mine for a compassionate and loving response to AIDS.

                (Reprinted from the Baptist Standard-Texas)

THE WORD OF PROCLAMATION (Seventh Word from the Cross)

#109                                                       THE WORD OF PROCLAMATION (Seventh Word from the Cross)                                                                             

 Scripture  Luke 23:44-46 NIV                                                                                         Orig. Date 4/22/1962 (4/1980)

                                                                                                                                                                 Rewr. Dates 4/13/1987

Passage: 44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[a] When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Purpose: To conclude the seven-part series of Words from the Cross, here signifying Jesus’ willing commitment unto death.

Keywords:            Christ the Redeemer     Will of God         Redemption       Commitment                     Crucifixion

Timeline/Series:               Words from the Cross

Introduction

                We have come to Luke for the final chapter in these Words from the Cross.  It is he also who records two phenomena that accompany the death of Jesus.  These two marvels of divine condescension.

                The first was from the natural world.  Note Luke 23:44 “And it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.”  Nature was in full accord with the events of Calvary.  Authorities on solar activity tell us that an eclipse of the sun may last as much as 7 minutes/40 seconds.  If this was an eclipse at all, it lasted for three hours.  Nature adds its own mute testimony of the blackness of the present stage of man’s evolution to greatness.  In man’s pursuit of excellence, the best of men has come to a wooden cross to die the shameful death of a criminal.

“He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”  II Corinthians 5:21

                Then, in v45, as if in sequence, Luke tells of the second phenomenon: this time from the spiritual world.  The Jewish temple was on temple mount, no more than a few hundred yards from Golgotha.  The priests were performing their sacramental duties, oblivious to Calvary: not caring that Mary’s son was dying.  Suddenly, there came the sound of fabric being torn.  They looked up to see the veil, separating the sacramental area from the Holy of Holies, being torn as if by some unseen hand.  This alone, the “rending” of a huge curtain, 30x60 feet in  size, perhaps 4 inches thick, would have precipitated unmeasured fear.  But more than that, they suddenly found themselves looking straight upon the sacred enclosure of the Holy-of-Holies.  The veil, you remember, was under the severest of scrutinies, and was to be lifted on only one day of the year, that being the day of atonement.  With the death of Christ, that which has before separated man from free access to God’s grace is forever removed.  Two things more compel our attention.

I.             Jesus Unhesitatingly Commits Himself into the Loving Providence of God’s Care.  “Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.”

                There was total confidence in His mission.  It would mean to suffer pain. To die.  Potentially to be separated from the Father.  It meant believing in the Father’s will in the whole, and in all its parts.

                There is reason to believe only that Jesus is in total control.  Some of you will remember Grady Lee (Ruston, FBC) some years ago.  He once shared an illustration from a black preacher friend.  The death angel had robed himself in his blackest garment, had mounted his blackest steed, and was on his way to Golgotha.  Thundering hooves were plummeting toward three men affixed to crosses.  One looked toward Jesus, “Lord, remember me!”  Jesus interrupted the angel with his death saber drawn, “Hold on death.  I’m still in charge here.”

                Remember that this final phrase form the cross is a quotation from scripture.  Initially, it was a word from the Psalmist.  It became, long before Jesus’ day, the first prayer, taught by every Jewish mother to her child against the threatening darkness of night. 

                “Into thy hands I commend my spirit.”

                “Now I lay me down to sleep.  I pray the Lord my soul to keep.  If I should die before I wake, I pray  the Lord my  soul to take.”

                When one  is looking death in the face, there is no hope that does not find succor in God.

                A learned man had a terminal illness.  His days became few.  His former colleagues came from time to time and brought new insight, or some new philosophy. They gave little comfort.  A Christian friend came and took  him for a drive in the country.  The dying man told his friend about the conversations with others, and that this did not any longer satisfy his interests, or his present need.  He then quoted I Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.”  He added, “There is nothing else of any use to me now.”

                Jesus altered the quotation only slightly.  He adds the single word, “Father.”  “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”  A prayer the psalmist could not pray.  God’s grace distant, and detached.  Could not personalize so intimate a relationship, like [an] orphan’s concept of father. 

                Jesus also omits an irrelevant word. “For thou hast redeemed me.”  These present are deeply moved.  Jesus’ death has done what His life could not.  So noble a spirit as He has died to call others to God.  John 12:31 “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.  And I, if I be lifted up, . . . will draw all men unto me.”

II.            Thus Is the Spirit of Jesus Commended into the Hands of the Father.  First, He prioritizes the human spirit.  Even on the cross is fleshly concern.  Third word assigns John care of Mary.  Fifth word (thirst) expresses pain.  Here at the last, He acknowledges the worth of the soul.  “The worth of a soul, and the change that is wrought by the touch of the Master’s hand.” [Myra Brooks Welch, 1921]

                Consider carefully this Easter day this spirit here commended to the Father’s keeping.  It is the spirit of truth.  John 6:53f teaches they would eat his flesh, drink his blood.  Repulsive to Jew.  V61 “Doth this offend you?”  V63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life.”  It is this spirit of Jesus that draws us to the Father.

                Romans 8:9 “. . .now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His.”  V11 “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ . . . shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

                It is this Spirit of Jesus that confirms our oneness with the Father.  Romans 8:16, “The Spirit Itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.”

                The Spirit of Jesus is the true spirit of liberty.  II Corinthians 3:17 “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

                The Spirit of Jesus is the seal of our adoption by the Father as His children.  Galatian 4:4f “God sent forth His son, made of woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons . . . And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts.”

                And, finally, it is the spirit of Jesus giving permanence to our faith.  Ephesians 3:16 “That he would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.”

Conclusion

                The fight of faith is still a living, viable reality.  It must be pursued unconditionally. But the spirit of Jesus is the spirit of victory.

                In East Germany is a place called Wartburg.  It is the place where Martin Luther lived during his years of strongest struggle.  It is where he poured out his soul in obedience to God.  The house where he lived is treated as a shrine by the city fathers.  It is also, to all who believe in freedom of conscience.  Keepers of the shrine will show visitors a black stain on the old wall in Luther’s study.  It marks an occasion when, it is said, that the reformer threw his ink bottle at the devil.  The confrontations with temptation, even sin, will come, but for the believer, the spirit of Jesus is our means of deliverance.

A WORD OF PERFECTION (Sixth Word from the Cross)

#106                                                             A WORD OF PERFECTION (Sixth Word from the Cross)

Scripture  John 19:29-35, NIV                                                                                                          Orig. Date 4/15/1962

                                                                                                                                                  Rewr. Dates 4/1979; 4/8/1987

Passage: 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.

Purpose: Continuing the series of last words, here using the sixth word to show the perfection of Christ’s work in our behalf.

Keywords:                           Christ as Mediator                           Easter                   Salvation

Timeline/Series:               Words from the Cross

Introduction

                All of us are interested in life and the way we are able to live it.  We want to be able to conclude that some good did come out of it.

                The annals of history record for us the signal achievements of many people and of the great things that they accomplished.  Some lived brief lives, and yet they are noted for their success.

                Alexander was a world conqueror by the age of 23.

                Hannibal had become a Carthaginian commander by the time he was 26.

                Christopher Columbus had  finalized all of his plans made and was ready to sail to the new world by the time he was 28.

                Captain John Smith had a colonial empire in this new world carved out and staked by the time he was 27.

                Martin Luther, of Reformation fame, was only 30 when he nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door in Wittenberg.

                John Calvin was molding the thought that would be the basis for Presbyterian theology by the time he was 21.

                Joan of Arc had finished her work and had been burned at the stake by the time she was 19.

                At 26 Patrick Henry had already determined, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?  Forbid it, Almighty God!  I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”

                Alexander Hamilton was Secretary of Treasury at 32.

                John Newton discovered law of gravity at 26.

                Roger Williams was banished as an heretic at 29—because Jesus meant more than man-made laws.

                Of Jesus only, however, who died on this cross at 33, could it ever be claimed that His work was unconditionally finished.  Only He could say, and be unchallenged, “It is finished!”  Toward a greater understanding of this sixth word we move this morning.

I.             It was a Word Spoken to the Battlements of Heaven.  To the eternal praise of the Father, Jesus said, “It is finished!”

                All of the pronouncements of the WORD have been fulfilled. 

·         That the Saviour would be of David’s line.  Isaiah 11:1 “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall flow out of his roots.”

·         That He would be rejected by those to whom He had come.  Psalm 118:22 “The stone which the builders refuse is become the corner stone.”

·         That all nations and cultures would be drawn to Him.  Daniel 7:14 “And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him:  His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away.”

·         That God’s ultimate purpose in Him had to do with sin, our sin.  Zechariah 13:1 “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.”

·         That this sixth word from the cross means that the power of sin has been disengaged.  Isaiah 53:10f “. . . Thou shalt  make his soul an offering for sin, . . . by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; . . . and he bore the  sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

                This is not all that the Father had to say of the “anointed one.”  Isaiah confirms His mortal birth (Isaiah 7:14).  Micah affirms His birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).  Hosea declares the flight to Egypt (Hosea 11:1).  Isaiah again, in the most beautiful passage of all, describes Calvary (Isaiah 53:4f).

                Make no mistake of it, to the eternal praise of the Father, Jesus proclaims “It is finished!”  The promises of the Godhead stand complete.  The promises and the performance await man’s profession and progression.  Hebrews 10:16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord:  I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.”  I Thessalonians 5:9, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”

II.            It was a Word Spoken to the Engagements of Earth.   To a people more concerned with the sensual, and the sordid, and the sensational, Jesus declares, “It is finished.”   

                Amidst these earthly engagements, all have experienced words every bit as grand as nature’s spectacles: Words of peace after season of conflict; words of joy penetrating even grief’s sad hour; words of forgiveness after the languishing dread of broken relationship; words of hope, when it seemed that there was none.

                This word is unequal in all the earth.  “It is finished!”  In the Greek, only one word “tetelestai.”  Archaeologists have repeatedly found its Latin counterpart, “consummatum est” written across the tax-vouchers of those days.  The meaning is clear: “PAID,” the debt is paid.  Many scholars believe that this is what many at the cross heard Jesus say.

                Only the Lord Christ could declare such completeness in the face of such human limitations surrounding Him.  Pressed into this package of human flesh and blood was a faith without limits.  He had caused the blind to see.  He had caused the lame to walk.  His was a faith with such intensity that it spills over into believing hearts even now.  Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”  Hebrews 5:9 “. . . he became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him.”  II Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God in him are ‘yes’.”

                To all earthly engagements, His and ours, He declares it: “It is finished!”  In His life and His work and His death.  And in every simple act of faith, “consummatum est: the debt is paid.”

III.           And Finally, It was a Word Spoken to the Deep Trenches of Hell.  Satan must now know absolutely, that the redemptive work of Christ forever stands.  “It is finished.”

                Make no mistake, Satan heard this once spoken word.  Everyone, and anyone, can be saved.  John 7:37 “In the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried saying, If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink.”  Luke 2:10f “And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”  I don’t know all that we learn from Acts, but this I know, that the early church had to change their attitude to include Samaritans and gentiles.  There are still a lot of attitudes of Christians needing changes.  It is a salvation contingent upon [a] believing and obedient faith. 

                Revelation 22:14 “Blessed are they that do  his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”

                Thus, this word ultimately means that Satan has no power in our lives that we do not yield to Him.  There are many whom Satan has aspired to entrap in meaningless living.  There are a few who will be able to say “I have done all that I could do.”  The notables mentioned in introduction.  Only Jesus could say “It is finished!”

Conclusion

                Someone tells the story of an elderly lady who had reached her 100th year.  The local newspaper knew of the happening and sent a reporter out to do a story.  “Ma’am, you must have seen a lot in your lifetime?”

                The old lady was said to have rocked for a spell as she contemplated the question, and then replied, “Well, if  you really want to know, seemed to me everything was always over by the time I could find my glasses.”

                Because of Jesus, the spiritual quest is over.  But there are still a lot of people stymied about what to do with Him because they’re having trouble finding their “faith” glasses.

A WORD OF PAIN (Fifth Word from the Cross)

#104                                                                    A WORD OF PAIN (Fifth Word from the Cross)                                                                                            

Scripture  John 19:28 NIV                                                                                                                  Orig. Date 3/30/1980

                                                                                                                                                                 Rewr. Dates 3/30/1987

Passage: 28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”

Purpose: In this message from the fifth word from the cross, to show the agony of intent for Jesus to live in commitment to the will of God

Keywords:           Christ Redeemer              Dedication          Commitment                     Will of God         Suffering

Timeline/Series:               Words from the Cross

Introduction

                It is easy enough to entitle the message “A Word of Pain,” and use it to point directly to the physical suffering of Jesus.  Any person who has experienced thirst knows its intense discomfort.

                Some of you have had to leave a sickroom to announce to others the nearness of death.  It is that feeling now, here at the cross, that capitalizes on the  raw edge of our emotions.  Death is imminent, but there is still no doubt as to who is in charge.

                It is normative, here at Calvary, to sustain this sense of death’s inevitability.  But, then, neither can we remain long in this place without having our sense of dread replaced by a sense of hope.  Those there then felt hope: hope that these religious leaders would become more tolerant; hope that some military authority would declare this to be illegal; hope even, that Jesus would tire of the petulance of these vengeful people, and with a wave of His hand be suddenly transformed from this place; perhaps, hope for the direct intervention of God.

                The people gathered at Golgotha are spectators.  And death is what many of them came to see.  All, but a few, are awaiting this inevitable end.  It is not unlike a suicide scene.  A quietness pervades the atmosphere.  So quiet in fact, that they hear Jesus’ low moan of pain.  It is the normative word to express “yearning” for whatever will quench His thirst.  No doubt, however, the thirst is symbolic of a stronger yearning on the part of Christ.  He “thirsts” for the will of God, for men to be at peace with God.  He “thirsted” that those who were His followers would likewise thirst for God, and for humanity.

I.             So, Consider that Jesus Thirsted to do the Will of God.  Luke 9:51 “He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.”  John 18:11 “The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I  not drink it?”

                Does it raise an eyelid of  surprise anywhere that Jesus could feel thirst?  He had spoken about it:  “He who believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35.)  He had declared it to be inviolate; “. . . but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into . . . life.”  John 4:14.  But there were title rights to that stream, and Jesus was yet to lay claim to it.  Remember the Psalmist’s appeal: “O God, thou art my God; my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is.” Psalm 63:1.  Remember the picture forming in Revelation 5: “. . . I saw a book written on both sides and sealed with seven seals. . . .  Who is worthy?  No man in heaven, or in earth, or under the  earth.” No doubt that thirst is present here, but not thirst for water, rather, thirst of God-forsakenness.”  The confrontation with Satan had to come.  It had to come where man is the most accessible, in the flesh.

                To long for the will of God as Jesus did, disallows questioning His will.  Some conclude that Jesus knew His will perfectly. Scripture teaches Jesus’ life was one of change. Luke 2:52 “And Jesus grew in wisdom, and in stature, and in favor with God and man.”  Mark 13:32 “But of that day . . . knoweth no man . . . neither the Son, but the Father.”  Concluding Jesus KNEW allows us to excuse ourselves when we know we know not.  But learning from Jesus, is learning to choose what brings God glory.  Psalm 137:6 “Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.”

                There is no evidence Jesus had prior understanding of the events being lived out.  No doubt He  had spiritual intuition which we cannot match, cannot even approach.  But He lived by faith just as we are called to do.  So the disciples were taught.  Phillip: “Show us the Father and we will be satisfied.”  Jesus: “The one who has seen me has seen the Father.”  Jesus teaches that those who long to know to the point of agony will know, and will be satisfied.  Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteous, or they shall be filled.”  Luke 12:32 “It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

II.            Consider Also, that Jesus Thirsted to Accomplish Salvation. Matthew 20:28 “The son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom.”                 

                We have already observed Christ’s concern.  Those who put Him on the cross were forgiven.  A soldier acknowledged He was God’s son, another reached out to quench His thirst.  He insisted this  to be God’s will so that guilt would not overwhelm His followers.  To a convicted felon, He gave the promise of eternal life.  To His mother and close friend, John, He gave words of meaningful concession.

                His challenge, however, is for the lost souls.  The human condition, then as now, was sin.  That problem is a raging torrent that must somehow be bridged.  His death was not to make access to God easy, but rather, to make the way plain.  Matthew 7:13 “. . . wide is the gate . . . broad the way leading to destruction, and many . . . go in . . . .  Strait is the gate and narrow is the way leading to life, and few there be that find it.”

                It is a lostness that must be faced.  Contemporary events compromise hungry hearts.  Present disparity of televangelists.  Man in Colorado Springs picked up little girl by her ankles, dashed her head against pavement saying “Jesus saves.”  (Returned to asylum.)  It is a lostness that destroys: disrupting families, breaking up marriages, enslaving people to drugs, alcohol, sex.  It is the lostness (Psalm 63:1) . . . “of a dry and thirst land where no water is.”  To die in our sins, without Christ, is to die with this eternal thirst upon our souls.  Luke 16:23f “. . . being in torments . . . he cried send Lazarus that he may dip . . . [his finger] in water and cool my tongue.”  Christ has suffered this thirst for us, but to reject Him is to reclaim that awful thirst.

III.           Lastly, He Thirsted as an Example of Compassion to His Friends and Followers.  John 17:25f “O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me . . . that the love wherewith thou has loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

                Yes, there were those at the cross who would  quench His thirst.  One attempted to do so: soldier, temple guard, bystander. Surely, those who loved Him would have done so.  There were also those there who could have helped, but who would not.  Some waited curiously to see if Elijah would come.  Jesus had  not addressed Elijah, however, but the Father.  And this is the Father’s “beloved son.  Hear Him.”

                One thing, brethren, can quench to thirst of Jesus on the cross.  It is the quenching waters of faith when believers reach out to the lost. There are some who would and cannot.  Regrettably, too many, could, and will not. 

                Who are those who can, and will, and must?  And more importantly, are you one of them?  Matthew 25:31f “When the son of man shall come in his glory, . . . then shall he sit upon the throne . . . before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them . . . on his right hand, . . . on (his) left.  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom . . . For I was hungered and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink . . . Then shall the righteous answer . . . When . . . ?  And the King shall answer and say unto them, . . . Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

                The call of Jesus is still the call to quench the thirst of a weary world.

Conclusion

                This Christ still thirsts.  He thirsts for your love, for your service, for your holiness, for your prayer.  Let me quote James Stalker in closing (t20p148) “Whenever the heart of a human being turns to Him with a genuine impulse of penitence, affection or consecration, the Saviour sees of the travail of His soul and is satisfied.”

THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

#582                                                     THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Scripture  John 14:15-31, NIV                                                                                                                     Orig. 9/10/1972

                                                                                                                                                                             Rewr. 5/28/1987

Passage: 15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.

Purpose:  Continuing a Sunday evening series on the Holy Spirit, here sharing scripture relative to His personality.

Keywords:                           Communication                Person of the Holy Spirit

Timeline/Series:               Holy Spirit

Introduction

                August 9th finally rolled around that distant year and I was glad of it.  That day meant that VBS was about over, and vacation was about to begin.  In fact, we were to leave immediately after Parents’ Night, for the first leg of a nearly five thousand mile journey.

                The afternoon was spent with some final VBS details, and visiting some people who needed to know about the extensions of our plans.  It was a busy day.   At 7:15p.m., just before Parents’ Night was to begin, a knock was heard at my door.  It was an alcoholic needing help.  Fortunately, I knew where that help could be found, placed the phone call, found my  A.A. friend at home.

                That busy day passed successfully, in large measure, because I felt God’s presence.  I knew that the Holy Spirit had succeeded, where I, alone, would have failed.  I knew that He was not with me alone.

                Half way around the world, a friend was experiencing another kind of day.  His day was not being spent in happy pastoral experiences and preparation for vacation.  An Indonesian missionary, John Ingouf, spent that same August 9th at the bedside of his 11-year old daughter, who was dying of lymphosarcoma.  In a letter written five days later, John wrote, “Praise the Lord for His grace.  Pray that He will continue to be glorified in Ann’s illness and home-going.  We are convinced already that much good has come from  this experience.

                The same Holy Spirit who undergirded my work that happy day, ministered to my friend in sadness 12,000 miles away.  I can only do one thing at a time, but the Holy Spirit graces our lives in that He is without limitation.  Wherever we are, whatever our need, He reaches out to us through our companionship with Christ

I.             The Holy Spirit as Transmitter of the Voice of God.  V26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

                This is not to say that before Pentecost God had no voice.  He spoke to Israel in the wilderness. They built a tabernacle as outward display of God’s glory and presence.  Exodus 40:34-35, “34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”  It followed specific directions.

                Centuries later a beautiful temple was erected. David disallowed/Solomon instructed.  I Kings 8:10-11, “glory of the Lord filled.”  A common link: Moses’ tabernacle in the wilderness was temporary, Solomon’s temple in the city was temporary.  The promise was of a new, permanent confine for God’s indwelling.

                John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.”  John 2:19, Jesus: “Destroy this temple, and in three days, I will raise it  up.”

                Paul perceived this transition to completion. I Corinthians 6:19, “What? Know ye  not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you?”

                It is thus, in the Holy Spirit, that God’s purpose of direct communication.  There are inherent dangers,  Men are careless with their brand of truth.  It is that of which liberals are made.  It is also the ground of fundamentalism.  But the good that can come of it prescribes it. 

                He is the teacher of the teachable, not molder of organized mind, not maker of instant intellect, not maintainer of structured creed.  Acts 1:8 “. . . Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be [empowered to perform as followers of Jesus].”

                He is likewise the toucher of the untouchable.  Jesus exercised this touch. Leper/Gentile/woman with issue of blood.  The Holy Spirit confirms and exercises through us.  Men make themselves untouchable.  John 3:18, “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light.”

II.            The Holy Spirit is the Amplifier of the Deeds of Christ.  John 15:26, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send to you from the Father, even the  Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of me.  The word “testify” is significant.  It is the word of martyrs’ witness, they who honored the truth by paying with their lives. The Holy Spirit communicates absolutely.

                His singular purpose is to magnify Christ.  John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you to all truth.”  Romans 8:16, “The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”  I Corinthians 12:7, “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”

                As someone correctly observes, the Holy Spirit is not interested in magnifying the Holy Spirit.  Those who do so are manifesting their own spiritual value system.  Their values may not be wrong.  They may be good.  But the Holy Spirit magnifies Christ, not Himself.

                We can likewise be sure of this.  When the  human spirit seeks the spiritual nurture to faith and understanding, then the Holy Spirit and the human spirit are going to get together. 

                History’s most significant event was Calvary.  We are in a time slot to magnify the Constitution.  Called “greatest single accomplishment of the mind of man.”  Seated in Philadelphia in May 1787. No doubt, the source of America’s uniqueness.  What the Constitution is to liberty, to time, and to America, Calvary is to soul liberty, to eternity, and to the world.

                God didn’t love any more because of Calvary.  It did not change God.  It changed our perception of God.  At Calvary, we begin to see what God is really like.  There was an Old Testament Spirit.  But He had an Old Testament man to communicate to.

                John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word” . . . v14 “and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” 

                God is not changed, nor the Holy Spirit, but what happened at Calvary changes us, praise God.  The Holy Spirit is the person and is the instrument of amplification.

III.           The Holy Spirit is Many Things.  We Assess One Thing More.  He is the Receiver of Man’s Spiritual Comprehension.  John 14:16f, “I will pray the Father and He will give you another Comforter that He may abide with you forever.  Even the spirit of truth whom the world can not receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”               John 14:26, “. . . He shall teach you all things, . . . whatsoever I have said unto you.”

                A major problem for most of us seems that we bore ourselves with simplicity.  The more complicated life is, the better.  A new thing to try, a new toy to entertain.  Drugs and alcohol, are, in reality, an attempt at personality adjustment.  The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to aid in determining what we ought to be, and to bring contentment (peace) in the choice.  John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.”

                We don’t have to be plagued with this dissatisfaction with singleness.  How often have we watched a sporting event, and heard filtered tones of some other event.  We watched Russian gymnasts in New Orleans, and a spectator brought a radio to listen to LSU.  What would happen, do you suppose, if a coach found playoff participant listening to a hockey game?  John 14:16f “. . . He shall give you another Comforter, . . . even the Spirit of truth; whom the world can not receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him.”

                Humanly speaking Solomon sensed the problem.  Ecclesiastes 1:8, “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.”

                Thus, the Holy Spirit may communicate, and likewise close out all peripheral disturbances.  Job 42:5, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee.”

Conclusion

                The name of R.G. LeTourneau was synonymous with oilfield machinery for a  half century.  He who knew machinery so well pointed out often that friction was the chiefest enemy, could rob a machine of half its power.  As a Christian, he would likewise point out the danger of friction to people.  The Holy Spirit is the person of God in the life of the believer to minimize inward, as well as outward, friction.

THE IMMEDIACY OF “NOW”: How Important is “Now”?

#466b                            THE IMMEDIACY OF “NOW”:  How Important is “Now”?

Scripture  John 9:4                                                                                                                     Orig. 2/25/1968; 5/4/1974

                                                                                                                                                                             Rewr. 2/10/1989

Passage: As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

Purpose: To speak to my people about commitment that does not measure up to God’s expectations.

Keywords:           Commitment                     Discernment                      Resolution          Covenant

Timeline/Series:               Before Easter

Introduction

                Unresolved commitment is no new thing.  Our problems are not in knowing what to do, but rather in the stick-to-it-iveness to do what we know what we ought to do.  Unfortunately, irresolution and commitment do fit in the same sentence.  They don’t buck away at each other like the opposing poles of two refrigerator magnets.  They won’t stick to one another, but they will sit there side-by-side.

                You remember the children’s tale of the “little boy who cried ‘wolf.’”  He was supposed to be a shepherd, but he found a game that he could play to be more exciting.

                Occasionally, the father had other work to do and the lad would be sent out into the hills to tend the sheep.  When he became bored, and wanted to see some other human shape, he cried “Wolf”!  When there was some sound that he did not recognize and he wanted companionship, he cried “Wolf”!  If he became afraid of some shadow in the dusk, he cried “Wolf”!

                The bond of the shepherds in the hills was strong.  If anyone needed help, all who heard the cry of alarm went to his aid.  But arriving to the sound of the little shepherd’s plaintive cry, they never found any sign of the wolf.  The shepherds were leaving their own sheep in danger to answer the supposed need of the little shepherd boy who was more interested in games than he was in being a shepherd.

                So one day, the wolf really came..  The lad saw him as big as life.  He knew his sheep were in danger. So he called, and called, and called, but no one came.  Our text this morning is a short one, but it addresses our commitment.  Are we Christians in deed, or just in word?  Are we interested in making our faith easy on ourselves, or do we really want to follow the teachings of Jesus?

I.             Jesus Begins the Lesson Reminding Us that We All have Assigned Tasks.  “It behooves us to work the works of the one who sent me.”  Make sure we read what the verse says. The King James catches the spirit of Jesus’ own commitment.  “I must work.”  The NIV catches the plural:  “As long as it is day, we must do the work.”  The New King James adds a footnote: “We.”  Another [the Living Bible] says “All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned.”

                This helps us in not expecting too little of ourselves, and too much of others.  We really are overly protective of us.  And genuinely judgmental of others.  Proverbs 26:20 “Where no wood is, . . . the fire goeth out.  Where there is no tale bearer, the strife ceases.”  Need I remind you that the last two of the “Ten Commandments” were so directed?  “Thou shalt not bear false witness” [and] “Thou shalt not covet.”-

                Be honest with yourselves, and others.  What it boils down to, is that IF we spend our effort energizing our own commitment we will let others energize their own.  Nehemiah 8:10,”for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

                The joyous task of each of us ought to be in seeking God’s will. We do so in serious Bible study.  We do so in engaging prayer.  To avoid these is to avoid the search.  Unresolved commitment is where we wind up, or,  perhaps, “wind down.”

                It was Becky Thatcher, I believe, telling Tom Sawyer of her plans to be a missionary.  Tom’s interest was the river, and all the exciting places one could go.  So, he asked where.  To China, Africa, other places then discussed.  “I might even go to New Orleans.”  Might our, your, New Orleans be a small part of Union Parish where people need Jesus?

                A small word should be said about the required translation “must,” or “behooved.”  “Dei” in the Greek dictionary means “moral obligation.”  Found in Luke 24:26 “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things?” John 4:4 “And he must needs go through Samaria.”  Revelation 1:1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass.”

                “Ought we not to work the works of the One who sent Jesus?”

II.            The Lesson Continues with a Call for Response.  “You must quickly carry out the tasks assigned.”  Isn’t that what Jesus meant?  Working the work of God while it is day? Get on with the business at hand while we have the wherewithal to do it?

                It is response born of faith.  It is getting ourselves ready for the opportunities with which God will confront us.  If you think the time of opportunity has passed, then you’re dead already.  You’re just occupying a living body.

                Some remember the “Old” days when every Baptist church in the state had a posted copy  of the “Church Covenant.”  To strive for advancement in knowledge, holiness, comfort.”  I don’t know a church anywhere that has not striven for “comfort.”  We had a “flap” in our seminary church because $1M had been spent on a worship center.  More than spent on buildings by Lottie Moon gifts that year.

                Do we strive as well for knowledge?  Parents faithful to school. On third snow day: “WE are going to be there demanding they open.”

                But  how faithful to Sunday School?  I was at College Place.  Darryl W. was  on his way to St. Francis Medical Center to visit a man who, the next Sunday, would miss the first Sunday in 58 years.  First Baptist Church-Bernice must return to that quest for knowledge of God.

                We’ve not yet said a word about striving for  holiness.  Do you have any scars from that kind of battle?  All that most of us can say about “holiness” is that we’ve heard of such people.  Missionaries.  Ancients.  It just isn’t “today,” we conclude. 

                Does not the work of Jesus compel us to response today?

III.           Finally, There is a Lesson on Candidness.  “The night is coming when no one can work,”  It is here that now takes on the burden of immediacy.  In spiritual honesty we are to be ourselves.  You remember the show Candid Camera?  Their byline was “People caught in the act of being themselves.”  The very last threshold for pretense ought to be in the dimension of spirit.  God has promised His Holy Spirit to all who are in Christ.  The key, then, is to be “in Christ.”

                It is through the Holy Spirit that we have a word for the world based on the WORD.  Our Wednesday night study in I Corinthians 14:9 “Except ye utter by the tongue, words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken?”  We rightly presume that [Paul] addressed charismatics.  Intellectual snobbery as well.  And a reluctance to communicate because we  just don’t care.  I Corinthians 14:12 “Since you want distinction, seek the kind that builds up the church.”

                We are too much like ancient Israel.  Deuteronomy 6:10, “When you reach the promised land, you will find cities which you did not build,  houses full which you did not fill, cisterns hewn which  you did not hew, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant; when you  eat and are full, take heed lest you forget the Lord.”

                Assurance for the believer is “doing the work of the one who sent us” in  Jesus’ name.  It means “now.”  Job’s “now mine eye seeth thee,” Job 42:5.  David’s “Now, Lord, what wait I for?” Psalm 39:7.  Isaiah’s “Now, O Lord, thou art our Father, . . . we are . . .  the work of thy hand,” Isaiah 64:8.  Malachi’s “prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven,” Malachi 3:10.

Conclusion

                Metaphor: Years ago a scientific journal was placed in my hands.  It was “Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist.”  The cover carried a picture of a clock.  The caption read, “The Doomsday Clock.”  It was twelve minutes to midnight. Some of [the] twelve have passed.

THE IMMEDIACY OF “NOW”

#466a                                                        THE IMMEDIACY OF “NOW”

Scripture  John 9:4, II Corinthians 5                                                                                                          Orig. 2/25/1968

                                                                                                                                                                                    Rewr. 9/1969

Passage: As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

Purpose: To speak to my people about commitment that does not measure up to God’s expectations.

Keywords:           Commitment                     Discernment                      Resolution

Timeline/Series:               Before Easter                     Covenant

Introduction

                Three days ago we celebrated the birthday of George Washington.  At least we acknowledge that it was a different day in many respects. 

                Around our town and every other one large enough to own a calendar the birthday was observed with Hatchet Sales, Cherry Tree Specials, and George Washington’s Day Spectaculars.  I suppose that the reason behind this type of commercialization is to inspire trust.

                In the Halls of Congress on that day every year, Washington’s Farewell Address is read.  In recent years we are told that only a handful of our nation’s spokesmen have aspired to be present for the occasion,

                The second portion of the Church Covenant speaks directly to the urgency of Christian service.  It is pointed toward the immediacy of now  For Washington, the secure establishment of a nation depended upon his dedicated leadership.  Only the future can tell what awaits your dedication and mine.

CHURCH COVENANT We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love;  to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and spread of the gospel through all nations.

                The key words are verbs and the reason for John 9:4. 

I.             Now is the Time for Unity. The love of Christ constrains us (2 Corinthians 5:14) to walk together in Christian love.  It decries judgment attitude toward others.

                How often we hear Christians criticize other churches.  “You hear about so-and-so’s church?  I know that wouldn’t work.”  Bro. Plauché told of his  conversion without berating the Catholic religion.  Jess Moody tells about the man who, when he talks about other people’s sins, his talk is nine part true! 

                Proverbs 26:20 “Where no wood is there, the fire goeth out; where there is no tale bearer, the strife ceases.”  An Eleventh Commandment:  “Thou shalt mind thine own business and no one else’s.”  Nine and Ten mention neighbor—Thou shalt neither lie nor covet. 

II.            Now is the Time for Discernment, to strive for advancement in knowledge, holiness, comfort.

2 Corinthians 5:15 “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”  Be susceptible to changing society.

                Advancement in knowledge.  In this day of heart transplants and space probes, who would doubt the validity of the Kingdom of Heaven?  Our children are learning in 2^nd and 3^rd grade what we learned in 6^th and 7^th. Some we are not happy about.  We know less and less about the Bible.

                Advancement in holiness.  Not a holiness that makes pretenses about itself ((Pharisees (1)shoulder; (2)wait-a-little; (3)bruised)) but a holiness that acknowledges personal unworthiness and God’s charitableness. (ref. G30p191). 

                Advancement in comfort.  We need no covenant to appreciate material and physical comfort.  But there remains the comfort of forgiven sins and dislodged guilt.

III.           Now is the Time for Candidness, to promote prosperity and spirituality—II Corinthians 5:17, “old things are passed away”—determining what is spiritually profitable.

                Being ourselves:  One of the most appealing characteristics of Candid Camera was its honesty.  Quiz shows [were] rigged—We felt duped.  Even so, pretense in religious belief leaves people with a bad taste. I was in school with young men more interested in mimicking Billy Graham than discerning their own potential.  If there seems to be an experience beyond yours then search in prayer and scripture but don’t pretend. 

                Speaking an understandable word to the age in which we live:  John 16:25, “The time cometh when I will use parables no more, but I will speak to you in plain words about the Father.”  Corinthians is classic Bible teaching on tongues: words easy to be understood, [yet] how shall it be known what is spoken?  To the Pentecostal—the unknown tongue; to the Baptist—lofty phrases without meaning.

                Promoting the spiritually profitable: I Corinthians 14:12, “Since you are eager to have the gifts of the spirit, above everything else, you must try to make greater use of those which will build up the church.”

IV.          Now is the Time for Resolution, to sustain worship, ordinances, discipline.  II Corinthians 5:18 “All things are of God.”

                These things are sustained through personal involvement.  Israel’s greatest danger: Deuteronomy 6:10ff “cities you did not build, houses full which you did not fill, cisterns hewn out which you did not hew, vineyards and olive trees you did not plant; when you eat and are full take heed lest you forget the Lord.”

                Someone has wisely noted that in the faith of Jesus there are no grandchildren.  In the Hebrews’ faith great store was  laid in children, grandchildren, and their children.  They were Hebrews regardless. But in Christ there must be a personal experience for each believer.

                The things we sustain:

• Worship—a periodic, communal encounter with God and others
• Ordinances—a continuation of basic expressions of Christ’s death for sin and our death to sin
• Discipline—a standard to hold men to the claims of the gospel
• Doctrine—a statement of belief
• Covenant—a statement of policy

V.            Now is the Time for Scrutiny, to contribute cheerfully and regularly—ministry, church, poor, gospel. II Corinthians 5: 19 “…he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”  To search carefully for a program of outreach for a church. 

                The support of the ministry.  This is a sore spot for some people but usually they are the ones looking for justification not to give as they should.  People should be growing in giving potential. A good message.  You can be sure that this preacher has earned what he has been paid.  Two things of which you can be sure:

• Busy about church matters
• I am available to you

By the way, I am one of the golfing preachers.

                The expenses of the church.  We have learned how important it is to have a budget, and to live within it.

• Utilities—100 years ago wood-burning stoves and kerosene lanterns
• Literature—an aid and incentive to learn
• Insurance—sawmill donate lumber
• Building—not to exceed ¼ of budget.

                The relief of the poor.  Our government has taken over.  But there are still needs.  Help them to sense that the church is an ally.  Help them to help themselves.  There are others who desperately need Peace Corps, US-2 Missions, Agricultural and Industrial Missions.

                The spread of the Gospel was evangelical, now educational and medical, soon technical.

Conclusion

                Why so much stress on now?  The answer is simple.

                On the corner of the January issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist, the clock was set at 12 minutes to midnight. Now it is 7 minutes.

                We don’t need the Bulletin  to verify this.  The Bible warns of a greater doom in God’s judgment on sin.  Now the church must move.

WHAT’S RIGHT WITH FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

#626                                         WHAT’S RIGHT WITH FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

Scripture  John 14:1-12, NIV                                                                                                                        Orig. 3/20/1976

                                                                                                                                                                             Rewr. 2/15/1987

Passage: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus the Way to the Father

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Purpose: To remind my people of the nature of our well-being as a Christian family and our reason to trust our heritage.

Keywords:           Christ the Lord                   Mission                Salvation                              Mission of the Church

Introduction

                Haiti, a small island nation in the Caribbean, has drawn great attention to itself over the past years because of its political struggles.  It was in the news again a few months ago.  National Geographic carried an article some time ago, in which appeared events out of her history.  Christophe, the island’s first  dictator, was mentioned.

                When Christophe came to power, he rallied the people of this poverty stricken land to his cause.  To do so, he convinced them that they faced imminent danger of attack from others.  His plan included a fortress, up in the highlands, a view, and control over the harbor through which the attack would likely come.

                For 15 years, Christophe kept his people laboring for this cause.  Haiti was free. Haiti was independent.  And Christophe intended to keep it that way at any cost.  Finally, the fortress was complete.  It was in every way impregnable.  The best of available artillery was put in place.  No unfriendly vessel would ever dare to enter this  harbor.  So, the dictator convinced these oppressed people.

                The price of such defense was high.  During the years of construction,  of cutting and hauling such stone over these forbidding trails, of struggling against such odds to bring heavy cannon to this place, a terrible life toll was paid.  20,000 people died, building what proved to be only a monument to a dictator.  100,000 suffered all the hardships of privation.  To this day, Christophe’s guns have never been fired.

                What has this to do with us?  The institutional church faces a critical question.  Are we to acknowledge other hardships to be faced, and therefore, turn our energies in upon ourselves?  Or, are we to acknowledge that Christ is Lord, and He has commanded us to direct our energies toward a world beyond, desperately in need?  Perhaps self-examination holds the key that will give us direction.

I.             The First Thing Right about Our Church Is the Right Lord.  Thomas:  “How can we know the way?”  Jesus: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father but by me.”  Phillip: “Show us the Father.”  Jesus: “Have I been so long a time with you, Phillip, and yet ye have not known me?  He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father.”

                Interest here is not at all in suggesting to others that they have the wrong Lord.  Some denominational interests insist that they only are right.  Scriptures such as Acts 2:38 are used not to admonish to truth, but to support position.  Advocates, such as [illegible], win converts to a cause presenting Christ as son of the Father.  Little more than as I am son of my father. 

                Christ is Lord, and He is Lord of our church.  We must honor what this means.  The Baptist, scriptural position, on the Lordship of Christ is correct.  Many others share it with us.

                Time will not allow all that is right about our Lord.  He is right because of submissiveness to the Father.  V13 “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the  Son.”  Hannah Hurnard(1) in Hinds’ Feet on High Places uses the expression “down into Egypt” to suggest adversity.  God spoke to Jacob in such place: Genesis 46:3 “Fear not to go down into Egypt.”  As Jesus expressed such submissiveness, so must we.

                Additionally, what’s right about Jesus is His love.  John 14:21 “I will love him and manifest myself to him.”  John 14:23 “We will come unto him, and make our abode with  him.”  John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, . . . not as the world giveth.

                So are we, then, to give evidence of our love. V23 “If [one] loves me, he will keep my words.”  We sing it: “You can tell that they are Christians by their love.”  Do we mean it?  Celebrate Life:  “He is alive and I love Him.” (Crescendo of conclusion.)  “Jesus is All the World to Me.”

II.            What’s Right about Our Church Is that We Are Saved at the Right Price.  V2f “In my Father’s house are many mansions: . . . I go to prepare a place for you, . . . I will come again . . . (for) you.”

                You see, we are saved at the price of His blood.  Here, the highest expression of sacrifice.  Here, the spiritual equation: "In Christ’s death, I also die; to be reborn for eternity.  Mark 4:26f: Farmer plants a seed. He does not understand the means, only that the seed must itself die if it is to truly live.

                It’s that time again.  We will plant the seed and impatiently wait.  There is the temptation to dig it up to ascertain its co-operation.  Disciples suckled on Malachi 3:1 “Who can endure the day of his coming?”  When does it start?  That happens to us as well.  We want God to prove Himself to us.  By what right?  Our venture is one of faith. 

                Our salvation is at the price of God’s promise.  Matthew 18:20 “Where two or three are gathered” asks not who we are,  or by what name, not even how we are defined doctrinally.  It asks if we agree in seeking the will and the promise of God through His Son.

III.           The Final Right Thing about Our  Church Is the Right Sense of Mission.  V12 “Verily, verily I say  unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father.” 

                We are beginning another in the series of our support programs, the Home Mission emphasis.  Not for First Baptist Church directly, but we do, in accession to will of God.

                Do you know why we Southern Baptists have a Home Missions Board?  To minister to the Aboriginals of these United States; to minister to minority populations; to minister in the strange city of New Orleans.

                It is not ability that is the church’s goal, it is availability.  Old Coliseum Place in New Orleans is in subsidence.  Even First Baptist Church New Orleans to a degree.  Others are rising to prominence.

In Flanders fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses, row on row,
        That mark our place; and in the sky
        The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
        Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
                In Flanders fields. 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
        The torch; be yours to hold it high.
        If ye break faith with those who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow 
               In Flanders fields.          John McCrae, 1915  

                As the church on mission reaches out to its community, it also reaches beyond, to a lost world.

• 15%--to world mission

• 2-1/2 more to association

• Various causes on purpose

• To whatever degree, it is through individual commitment.

                Years ago I listened to the interview when Hank Stram became the New Orleans Saints’ coach.  “What can Saints fans expect in the way of something new?” “You don’t win football games with programs. People win football game.  People with discipline and hard work.”

                No better time to pray  than now.  Pray that the hand of subsidence will be removed.  Pray that His hand of growth will be felt.  Pray that those will be lifted up, young men and women, to take the place of those taken from us.

Conclusion

                The last time we were at Glorieta, I took a walk up the mountain one day.  Somewhere near the top, I came upon a small pool of water.  As I looked into the pool, I saw what appeared to be a large hair, the length of a pencil, but not as thick as the lead.  Suddenly, it began to move.  I looked to see if there was current, but detected none.  A few days later, I asked my veterinarian brother-in-law about such a biological form.  He identified it as a Horse Hair Worm.

                How wonderful it would be if all of us more closely resemble what we claim to be in the Lord.

(1)Hurnard, H. (1979). Hinds Feet on High Places.  Tyndale Momentum.

THE "RELIGION" OF JESUS

#697                                                            THE “RELIGION” OF JESUS

Scripture  John 9:13-41 NIV                                                                                                                             Orig. 2/17/78

                                                                                                                                                                               Rewr. 11/20/86 

Passage:

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”  16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.

17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.” 18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” 20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” 25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” 26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

Spiritual Blindness

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” 38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said,[a] “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

Purpose: To help us to get a better picture of Jesus by better understanding the real religion He believed and practiced.

Keywords:           Christ the Mediator                         Doctrine               Religion                Commitment

Introduction

                People had problems with their religion in Jesus’ day as well.  It revolved simply around the fact that religion had become common-place.  The Hebrews had this heritage of God’s presence and power undergirding them.  That  He knew about them and cared.  Most of them were born into homes where they had parents,  even fathers, interested in sharing this spiritual destiny with the young.  And there were synagogues enough, not one on every corner, but enough.  They also had the Temple in Jerusalem.  So, they were a religious folk, but it was an outward form of religion.  They looked for ways to  minimize any struggle that might be brought on by such a religious outlook.  They wanted a religion that would cost them as little as possible.

                In Pilgrim’s Progress (1), we find the story of a religious pilgrim.  Some think it to have been a parable of Bunyan’s own life and pilgrimage.  He tells of the pilgrim who is called “Christian” on his journey to the “Celestial City.”  He meets other pilgrims who are going the wrong way.  There  was “Timorous” and “Mistrust” who come running down the road shouting “Go back, man! Go back! There are lions in the path!”  Then there was “Mr. Pliable.”  He was the one of enthusiastic beginning.  But one day on the journey, he fell into the “Slough of Despond.”  He climbed out on the side nearest his own house, a pathetic mud-smeared thing, and made tracks for  home, never to be seen again.

                Paul addressed the problems of the early church in the first twelve chapters of I Corinthians.  He wrote the people about worship, Christian character, God’s holiness, marriage, etc.  In the context of spiritual gifts, however, he reminded them, “You may have the best of religions, and unparalleled comprehension of it, but if you do not have love for others, your religion is without purpose.”

                This message is to the end that we may better understand the religion of Jesus, and thereby better adapt it to our own lives.

I.             Jesus’ Religion Establishes an Ethic not Afraid to Speak of Sin.  V39, 41 “And Jesus said, for judgment I am come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.  If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say ‘we see.’  Therefore your sin remains.”

                They, like many today, allowed themselves the prerogative relative to sin.  It did  not matter that there were clear declarations from the law.  Deuteronomy 6:6 “These words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.”  Psalm 19:7 “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”  Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Fear God, and keep His commandments:  This is the whole duty of man.”

                They had therefore achieved a level of sophistication whereby they rationalized God’s place and sovereignty in their lives.  It continues to happen.  Some renounce formal marriage ceremonies, [saying] it’s just a matter of record, or [out of] disdain for God.  Many have simply set moral law aside.

                There has found its way amongst us a movement called “God is dead.”  Not new, but even contemporary theologians are radicalizing it.  They pronounce human words, thinking to discount “unacceptable” words.

                I mentioned a few days ago, S.M. Lockridge, black pastor who will be speaking at our Evangelism Conference in January.  He preached at the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans a few years ago, and he spoke eloquently to this very question.  I quote: “We live in an alienated age, a computerized environment, and a psychedelic society.  Offbeat theologians and their fraternity mates have  plunged themselves into the depths of existential despair.  They have romped around in their sub-surface playpens and have emerged to announce that God is dead.  Now this shouldn’t have been surprising to us for the Bible informs us that the ‘fool has said in his heart, “there is no God.”’  And when I first heard  that absurd statement it made me want to ask some stupid and senseless questions.  Like, ‘Who assassinated Him? What, no one was called? Who signed His death certificate?  Who was so well acquainted with the One pronounced dead, that he could identify the deceased?  In what obituary column did you find His name?’  And, ‘Why  was I not notified?  I’m a member of the family?’”

                Jesus’ “religion” begins with an appropriate evaluation of sin.

II.            Jesus’ Religion Declared a Doctrine Determined to Raise Questions.  V16 “Therefore said some of the Pharisees, this man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath.”

                Jesus is not at odds with those who would question contemporary religious forms.  At issue is truth.  If what is done, though new and different, has truth as its goal, then Christ is in it.  In fact, to accept something just because it is palatable to the religious masses is spiritually inept.  Such statements as (1) Don’t make waves; (2) Don’t muddy the water; (3) Let well enough alone; (4) It was good enough for Grandpa; would have been morally and spiritually unacceptable to Christ.  They should be for us as well.

                This malady beset the elder brother in Jesus’ parable.  He had not gone against the “traditions” of family honor.  Even if tempted, he had overcome.  He had protected the “status quo.”  But he is ready to turn his own brother over to the ravages of a decadent society without so much as a camel knuckle to chew on.  How like many people’s religion he really is.

                There were questions needing a Voice, and Jesus would voice them.  There are ample examples.  In the Sermon on the Mount: “You have heard, . . . but I. . . .”  More than fifteen times this conjunction of alternate thesis is used.  According to Jesus, then, what is true spirituality?  Is it keeping our bills paid, working regularly, going to church usually? Or are these nothing more than things we ought to do anyway? 

                Listen to Mark 8:34 “Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”  Taking “cross” may be just the ordinary.  Following Jesus is the extraordinary.

                Whatever the question is, after it is asked, and answered, are we closer to Him?

                While in New Iberia, I was asked one year to serve as a judge for the Louisiana High School Speech Rally.  One session I was to judge “extemporaneous speech.”  I walked in the room to discover what the choices of topics included.  I don’t recall the others. One I won’t forget: “Good Old Plastic Jesus.”  These high school students were asked to make up a speech about a Jesus who could be manipulated, bent around the finger.

                But that’s not Jesus.  What some would want to make of Him.

                John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”  Jesus said, Ask all the questions you like so long as you end up with this simple doctrine.

III.           Jesus’ Religion Sought a Standard that Substantiated a Changed Lifestyle.  V35f “Jesus heard that they had cast him (blind man) out; and when he had found him, he said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ . . . then he said, ‘Lord, I believe!’ and he worshiped him.”

                It is no easy matter to always be what others want us to be.  Whether parents, children, employers, neighbors, church friends, etc.  National Geographic report of danger to gorilla handler was more likely if jealousy involved.

                He likewise understands lack of fulfillment when working only to please ourselves.  Ecclesiastes 2:4, “I made me great works; I builded me houses; . . . and, behold, all was vanity.”

                The only viable choice remaining is that of a life standard based on the Word of God.  The family of the man in our text turned from their own son from fear of a religious tribunal.  The people who knew him best reject what they do not understand rather than to abuse their own ego needs.  Much of the world’s intolerance is in the name of religion.  At times, the sincerest believers suffer the greatest abuse.  But those who walk with God are therein comforted not by religion, but by a personal walk of faith.

Closing

                Gertrude, Mabel and Judy were offered a ride from Emmanuel Church in New Orleans.  “I don’t drive on Bourbon Street.”  Gertrude: “And there we were living on Bourbon Street.”

(1) Bunyan, J. and Vermilye, A. (2020). The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Brown Chair Books.

BEARING FALSE WITNESS

#292                                                             BEARING FALSE WITNESS

Scripture  Exodus 20:16; John 8:32 NIV                                                                                 Orig. 7/24/1966; 3/1976

                                                                                                                                                                             Rewr. 8/17/1989

Passage:  

Exodus 20:16     You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

John 8:32             “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Purpose: Continuing a series on the Ten Commandments, here calling attention to the ninth and its urgings as to the importance of truthfulness  in all things.

Keywords:           Falsehood                           Truth                     Witness

Timeline/Series:               Ten Commandments

Introduction

                If one is writing on stone tablets, brevity and conciseness are essential.   It is necessary to say the very most in the very fewest possible words.  We must remember, then, that the value of these words springs not from their mass, but from their measure.

                John, the gospel writer, will not be content until the full measure of this meaning is stated.  He determines to define and personalize both truth and falsehood.

                “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. . . .  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”  John 1:14,17.

                Satan was called “a liar and the father of lies.”  John 8:44

                Pilate wanted to know if Jesus was a king:  “You say that I am a king.  For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37f).  “Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.”

                “Jesus said to him, (Thomas) ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’”  John 14:6.

                There is His most earnest expectation for us:  “I will pray the Father, and He will give you . . . the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”  John 14:16f

                John 8:32 “If you continue in my word, you are . . . my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

                I shall seek to go in two directions this morning: (1)To define what “being a false witness” means,” and, (2)understanding religious experience as the fullest expression of truth.

I.             Bearing False Witness is the Passing of Any Judgment that is not Factually True. 

                We live in an age of compromised values.  Integrity and truthfulness are often sacrificed for personal advantage.  People in “high” and “low” places speak in the lingo of the Saturday matinee, “with forked tongue.”  What emerges is a bland mixture of truth, half-truth, and no-truth-at-all:  The fairest flower is poisoned; the tallest sequoia has root rot; the finest furrows of our fertile fields are awash with weeds.

                A man was asked: “What in your lifetime has given you the greatest satisfaction?”  He answered without hesitation:  “A child that went down the road singing, after asking me the way.”

                How willing are you this morning to perceive of yourself as the witness in question?  Anonymous:  “There is no fit search after truth which does not, first of all, begin to live the truth it knows.”

                To begin at the beginning is to define false witness as the giving of false evidence in a court of law.  This was at the heart of the Old Testament meaning: Perjury is a crime; it is false testimony; it is withholding truth.  The law court is a device, ordained of God, through which justice is mediated.  Romans 13:1 “Let every soul be subject to the higher powers.  For there is no power of God:  The powers that be are ordained of God.”  For the which there is judge, jury, witness, plaintiff, defender, accused: One lie irreparably breaks down the system.

                Out of the law court, the false witness is the peddler of malicious gossip.  Do not ask if true or false, it is gossip either way.  Claim not to be condemning sin.  That being the case, to the sinner you must go.  Psalm 1:1 “Blessed is the man/woman that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”  Doubt not that the one receiving such trash is as guilty as the purveyor.  We take garbage to a proper receptacle. So the gossip, with his load of filth, seeks out the willing ear.  If such people gravitate toward you, find out why.

                One who wishes to slander another can do so also by inference.  This is the realm of the half-truth.  When the real juicy stuff is in decline, this will do very well.  Proverbs 11:9, “An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor.”  Proverbs 12:18, “Gossip can be as sharp as a sword. But the tongue of the wise heals.” NEB. 

                Someone has  noted, “Beware of half-truths.  You may get hold of the wrong half.”  Shakespeare writes of Julius Caesar’s death at the hand of Brutus, but he thought justly.  Mark Antony delivers the funeral oration intent  on declaring his feelings to the populace.  Speaking then that “Brutus is an honorable man,” until the people begin to doubt.  After planting this doubt, Shakespeare has Antony to say, “Mischief, thou art afoot.  Take thou what course thou wilt.” 

                Likewise in need of consideration is standing in defense when it is in our power to do so.  In defense of a friend when their character is assailed:  Mainly, nothing counteracts slander at its roots like upbeat, positive reply.  Job 42:10 “The Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends.”  John 13:34 “that ye love one another.”  Romans 12:20 “If thine enemy hunger, feed  him.”

II.            The Second Consideration from this Passage is a Valid Declaration of Religious Experience.  “Thou shalt bear false witness.”

                We are, in fact, to communicate the truth of relationship.  There are people in the local church and out, who deny Jesus is Lord.  Those out are the object of some  ministry of prayer or concern.  Those within are a contradiction of gospel declaration.  Mark 16:16 “He that believeth not shall be damned.”  These are the words of Jesus.  To what degree do we believe them?  Are we willing to live by them?

                Laws in natural world, fire, water, storm, are deadly.  Even the liberal media warn of dangers of drugs.

                Whether we take Jesus’ words (above) to be temporal or eternal, we are to live in the context of truth, reality.

                We, occasionally, need to reconsider our own spiritual experience.  In light of all the New Testament says about repentance, are we up-to-date?  Can we recall the time when, by actual expression of faith, Christ became Lord of my life?  “Ye must be born again.”  Let me rephrase an earlier statement. “There is no fit search after Jesus (truth), which does not, first of all, begin to live the Jesus (truth) it knows.”  Go, and live that experience, or be what you are, a false witness.

Conclusion

                Martin Luther had theological values we would not want.  He thought the earth stationary. (Eclipse.)  He thought demons caused thunderstorms.  National Geographic [has a] picture of black wall stain where he threw his ink pot at the devil.  But it was he, standing before Emperor Charles, surrounded by the royal court, knowing that he was bringing the combined wrath of empire and church down on his own head who declared his witness.  “. . . My conscience is captive to the word of God . . . .  Here I stand!  I can do no other!  God help me!”