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All About the Judgment

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All About the Judgment

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

Dr. Jim Denison

A dear elderly saint was near death, and gave her pastor a strange request: “When my casket is opened at the funeral, and all my friends come by for a last look, I want them to see me ready to be buried with a table fork in my right hand.” She explained to her puzzled pastor, “I want you to tell the congregation, you know what it means when they clear the dishes from a big meal and someone says, ‘keep your fork.’ You know that something good is coming—maybe a piece of apple pie or chocolate cake. ‘Keep your fork’ means something good is coming. Pastor, I want to be buried with a dessert fork in my hand. It will be my way of saying, ‘the best is yet to come.'”

And so it was. Everyone who saw her body in the casket saw her final witness. For her, death and judgment were not a disaster, but dessert.

How can that be true for you and me, when we stand before God in judgment one day?

Will your building last?

Here are the facts of our text, centered in the metaphor of life as a house we build. First, the house is the gift of God (10). Paul’s abilities and opportunities to be an “expert builder” were given to him by God. His relationship with Jesus Christ is God’s grace gift to him. All we have and are comes by his grace.

The doctrine of judgment does not teach a works righteousness. We cannot earn God’s love or favor. Judgment means that we are to be faithful stewards of the grace gifts and opportunities of God, and are accountable for them. But no one deserves the rewards given at the judgment—they come by his grace.

Second, the house must be founded on Jesus (11). He is the unchanging, stable rock upon which to build your life. Not just your religion, or your Sunday mornings, but every priority, commitment, and ambition. Your life must be bolted to him.

Third, we are responsible for what we build (12). The foundation is determined. What we build on it is not.

Some of us use “gold, silver or costly stones” (marble and granite). We give God our best. We invest in that which is permanent and eternal. We put souls before success, family before finances, God before gold. When the “fire” of judgment comes, gold, silver, and marble stand the test. You’ve seen ancient marble ruins, standing for thousands of years, ready to stand for thousands more. So with some of us.

Some of us use “wood, hay or straw.” We give God what is cheap, convenient, easy. He gets the leftovers. And when we are judged, our disobedience will be obvious to all.

Fourth, God will judge our lives (13-15).

One day the judgment will come—the “Day” (13). Lives lived for God will be rewarded, as we’ll see in a moment (14). Lives lived for ourselves, for this fallen world, for that which is temporary and inferior, will “suffer loss” (15a). God cannot reward disobedience.

If we have made Jesus our Savior, we will be saved. Our eternal salvation is not in question. But our eternal rewards are, and if our house has been built out of wood, hay or straw, we will “be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” (15b). How do people run out of a burning house? With nothing.

You’ve perhaps heard about the crooked building contractor who built a house for a wealthy friend, cutting corners wherever he could. Inferior products and workmanship throughout. When the house was finished, the wealthy friend gave the man the keys and said, “It’s yours.”

There’s a story about a business tycoon who made a fortune in money and fame, but gave little of himself or his wealth to God. When he died, Peter showed him his home in heaven—a small shack. He protested loudly, and Peter shrugged his shoulders and explained, “I did the best I could with what you sent me.”

You and I are responsible for what we do with the lives God has given us by his grace. They are to be founded on Jesus as Lord, built of our best commitment to him. One day the Building Inspector will visit our house. And his judgment will be eternal.

These are the facts of God’s word. Now let’s ask some questions.

Will you be judged?

First, will you be judged? Would a loving Father of grace and mercy judge his children?

Hebrews 9:27 is clear: “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” All of us—no exceptions. Paul said, “Each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).

A man in the congregation laughed when the pastor said, “Members of this church, you will all die one day and face the judgment of God.” The pastor asked him why he laughed, and he said, “I’m not a member of this church.” But he is. So are we all.

By whom will we be judged? By Jesus: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

The “judgment seat” was a raised platform where the ruler sat and judged those brought before him. At this “bema seat” Pilate once judged Jesus; now Jesus judges Pilate.

Jesus was very clear on this: “The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22).

Peter said, “[Jesus] is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42). Paul agreed: “God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ” (Romans 2:16).

When? At his return. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him,” and he will judge them (Matthew 25:31-32.

Jesus will judge us all, at his return. We cannot escape. But if we’re prepared, this will not be terror but triumph; not a curse but a crown. Let’s see how to be ready today.

How will we be judged?

How will this judgment happen? God’s word describes two books of judgment: “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done….If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-13, 15).

First, there is the book of works. Here God has recorded your deeds and mine. Now he will judge them. What will he find?

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God….The wages [judgment] for sin is death” (Romans 3:23, 6:32). No one can get to heaven on the basis of the book of works. None of us is good enough.

And so there is a second book, the book of life, and it’s the key. What is it?

I believe that when your life begins, you are recorded in this “book of life.” Moses said to God: “Please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.” The Lord replied, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book” (Exodus 32:32-33).

God has your name in his book, and must “blot it out” if you choose to reject his free salvation in Christ. When you die without Christ, God is forced to remove your name from his book of life, and you’ll be “thrown into the lake of fire.”

Scripture is very clear: “Nothing impure will ever enter [heaven], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).

But if you have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, your name will be there forever. Jesus said to his disciples, “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke10:20). Paul addressed the Philippian Christians as “my fellow laborers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:3).

But heaven is not the only question at the judgment. Heavenly rewards or loss of rewards is at issue as well: “If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss” (1 Corinthians 3:14-15). For what will we suffer “loss” of reward?

Secret, unconfessed sins will be judged: “God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Jesus confirms it: “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs” (Luke 12:2-3).

Our words will be judged: “I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36-37).

After listing all sorts of sin, Peter declared that those who do such things “will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5).

Ungodly, unconfessed sins, thoughts, or words will be revealed at the judgment and burned away. Because heaven is perfect, these things cannot enter in; they must be burned off, destroyed. Sin is forgiven, but reward is lost.

On the other hand, “gold, silver, costly stones” are rewarded. What kind of rewards?

There is the “crown of life”: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). Jesus said, “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

There is the “soul-winner’s crown”: “What is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20).

There is the “crown of righteousness”: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

For Christian leaders, there is the “crown of glory”: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Peter 5:2-4).

Gold, silver, costly stones will be rewarded with everlasting crowns. For what? Enduring temptation, winning souls, staying faithful to God’s purpose, serving God’s people in love. This is the building which lasts forever.

Conclusion

Let’s summarize:

You and I will stand one day before Jesus Christ in judgment. If you have rejected him as Savior and Lord, your name will not be in his book of life, and you’ve chosen hell over heaven, forever. If you’ve accepted him, heaven is already yours. Your name is in his book, forever.

But the book of works will determine your rewards or loss of rewards. Ungodly words, secret sins, immorality will be burned away and suffer loss. Holiness, soul-winning, faithfulness, and loving service will be rewarded with eternal crowns.

You need to be ready, today.

C. S. Lewis once said that there are two kinds of people. Some say to God, “Your will be done.” For them the judgment will be reward and victory. To the others God must finally say, “Your will be done.” They have rejected heaven, or rewards in heaven.

Is it his will or yours? You have only today to decide.

All Good Things Come to Him Who Hustles While He Waits

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All Good Things Come to Him

Who Hustles While He Waits

Luke 15

Dr. Jim Denison

It’s not always easy to help someone in need.

Years ago, when I was pastor of First Baptist Church in Midland, Jeff Byrd and I were returning to the office after lunch. An old Chevy Impala was broken down on the side of the road; a short, grey-haired lady, her cane in the back seat, was trying to get it started.

We stopped to help—I pulled off the air cleaner and held the choke open while Jeff cranked the engine, and finally we got the car started again. She thanked us sweetly, and we stood watching in pride as she drove off, turned left, then drove into the parking lot of Pinkie’s Liquor Store. She got out her cane and shuffled in. We had helped her get to the liquor store.

It’s sometimes hard to help people in need, isn’t it? Nowhere is this more true than with evangelism. We know that people need Jesus, and that we are responsible for sharing him with them. But it’s not always easy.

And so we have the Seed Initiative—a strategy which will help us engage in relationships with lost people, invite them to events specifically designed to help them with their faith, and connect them with care ministries.

Where do we begin? What is our first step in helping people we know, know Jesus? Is there something every one of us can do, whatever our ability, training, or experience? Let’s see.

Why we pray for our lost friends

Jesus and his disciples are at the Last Supper. Later this night Peter will deny him and all the others will forsake him. And they don’t even realize their spiritual danger.

So Jesus says, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.” He repeats this very personal family name twice, showing the urgency of the moment.

Now we see the real nature of the upcoming conflict. This is not a battle with the Jews, or the Romans, but with the enemy himself. Satan means “adversary,” the sworn, mortal enemy of all that is of God.

And he is not just attacking Jesus, but Peter and the other disciples as well. “You” is in the Greek plural—he’s coming after all of you.

A friend of mine in Atlanta sometimes prays, “Paint the dragon red.” In other words, show me when the enemy is at work here, and what to do about it. This is just what Jesus is doing for Peter.

Note that the leader of the apostles, the first preacher of the Christian church, the author of two books of Holy Scripture, did not know that he was under spiritual attack. How much less do we. And how much less do the lost people we know.

C. S. Lewis was right: Satan has two main strategies—to convince us he has more power than he has, or to get us to ignore him; either way, he can do as he likes. Today he gets us to ignore him. His attacks are like carbon monoxide poisoning—silent, but deadly. That’s what’s happening to Peter here.

“Asked” in the Greek means “to beg earnestly.” Satan knows that our souls are eternal, and the most important priority. But with Christians, he must ask for permission to attack us, as he did with Job.

Unfortunately, this is not true with our lost friends; they are already on his side, whether they know it or not.

I once heard a story about a Christian and his lost friend, walking down the street together. They see the devil walking towards them, and the lost man hides behind the Christian. “Save me,” he pleads. The Christian says, “It’s me he’s after—he’s already got you.”

To sift you as wheat: Wheat is made into bread when it is crushed. This is what the enemy wants to do to us.

He is a liar and a murderer (John 8.44). Every time you see a cross, you see what Satan wants to do to us. In fact, Peter himself died on a cross, upside down. Satan is no comic book figure in red tights, but a malicious, wicked murderer.

And our lost friends already belong to him, as it were. They are headed for eternity with him, in his presence and power, subject to his tortures and hatred.

But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail: The “I” here is emphatic in the Greek syntax: “Satan has prayed for your destruction, but I have prayed for your protection.”

“You” here is in the Greek singular–Jesus has prayed specifically for Peter. He knows that when Peter returns to him, he will be strategic in helping the other disciples return to him as well. And he was–the leader of the early church, their first preacher, the first to evangelize the Gentiles, the writer of two books of Holy Scripture. He did indeed “strengthen his brothers.”

So Jesus prays that his “faith”–his trust in Jesus as his Savior–may not fail. Jesus knows that the attack is spiritual in nature, so he prays for a spiritual result. And Peter’s faith did not fail. Peter’s courage failed him, but he did not reject Christ as his Savior. Eventually he came back to him.

So here we find Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, his last night before his crucifixion, taking time to pray specifically for Peter and his coming assault by the enemy. If he had time to pray, don’t we?

So, how do we?

How to pray for our lost friends

First, pray passionately. There is truly a spiritual war going on for the souls of the people we know and love. And praying is our best weapon in the battle.

The devil is a “roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5.8).

This battle “is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6.12).

So, we must fight this battle with the right weapons–a spiritual battle with spiritual weapons. We cannot save souls with buildings, budgets, programs or pulpits. None of them are enough.

This is why Jesus prayed for Peter. If he needed to pray, don’t we?

Pray specifically. There was a pastor known for his sermons on love. However, when some neighborhood children wrote their initials in the concrete of his new sidewalk, he ran out of his house and chased them away. His wife accosted him when he returned: “How can you preach so much on love and do that?” He said with a wink, “I do love people in the abstract–just not in the concrete.”

Jesus prayed for Peter by name–“Simon, Simon.” He prayed for his need by name–“that your faith may not fail.” He prayed specifically.

Generic prayers do little good here. We must pray specifically for the lost people we know, and for what they most need to come to faith. Perhaps they have intellectual questions about the faith; perhaps they were hurt by a church; perhaps their friends are keeping them from God. If you don’t know how to pray specifically, ask the Holy Spirit to help you, and he will.

Pray persistently.As soon as Jesus saw this battle coming, he prayed for Peter. And he didn’t give up until he was sure the battle was won–“when you have turned back.” We are to keep praying until the battle is over and victory comes.

I was a speech major in college. In one class we studied nothing but the greatest speeches in the English language. My favorite, not just because it was the shortest but also because it was so effective, was Winston Churchill’s commencement address to the school he’d once attended: “Never give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never. Never. Never.” He was right, and never more than in the battle for eternal souls.

Pray confidently. Jesus believed his Father for Peter’s faith. So can we. Pray with a vision of what will happen when this person comes to faith in Jesus. Pray with excitement and anticipation. Jesus did.

My father had a plaque above his desk I’ve always appreciated. It said, “All good things come to him who hustles while he waits.” While we wait for our friends to come to Christ–while we seek ways to engage, invite, and connect–we first pray. Jesus did.

Conclusion

Mother Teresa was opening a new mission in New York City. Skeptical reporters surrounded her with their cameras and lights. One asked her, “How will you measure your success here?” The tiny nun said into the cameras, “I don’t believe our Lord ever spoke of success. He spoke only of faithfulness in love.” She was right. With Jesus, success is obedience.

Will we be obedient to pray as Jesus prayed? To fight this spiritual battle for the souls of the people we know and love?

When you and I stand before Jesus one day and he asks us, “Who did you bring me?” what will be your answer to him?

All That Matters in Life

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All That Matters in Life

2 Chronicles 7:11-16

Dr. Jim Denison

While you have been listening to great preaching and enjoying wonderful worship services, I’ve been “across the pond” in the land where it rains nearly daily, trying to figure out cricket on the “telle” and enjoying British hospitality immensely.

And I’ve come back to discover that John Bolton is at the United Nations. Rafael Palmeiro, the man who condemned steroid use in baseball, is on suspension for steroid use. Our space shuttle astronauts are repairing their space shuttle so they can come home this week. But while the news changes, human nature does not. We still want our lives to matter–we each want to be successful with our time on earth.

That’s why some of you are caught up in football practices, band camps, cheerleading and drill team drills, finishing (or starting) summer reading.

It’s why others of us are back from summer trips to the pressure of fall performance. It’s why our church is gearing up for fall programs, the garage opening, preparations for the Community Life Center to open in a year, and all that is ahead of us.

None of us wants to fail. All of us want to succeed. Here’s how. Here’s what the Lord has said to my heart during my time away: what God wants is all that matters in life. Not what I want, or what you want, but what he wants.

His word is clear: if we save our lives, we lose them. If we lose our lives to his purposes, we save them (Matthew 16:25). If we try to make our lives matter, they don’t. If we give all that up and seek what God wants, he does far more with us than we can do with ourselves.

Rick Warren, speaking to the Baptist World Alliance in Birmingham, England, said it well: “Stop asking God to bless what you are doing, and ask him to help you do what he is blessing.” If you want to be blessed, to be successful, do what he is blessing.

So, what is he blessing?

Choose to seek God’s face

David wanted to build a temple for the Lord, a permanent place where God would meet with his people, receive their sacrifices, and hear their prayers. But his will was not God’s will. He had shed too much blood, and his son Solomon would build the temple in his place (1 Chronicles 22:7-10). Not the greatest king Israel ever knew, but the son of his adulterous liaison with Bathsheba. A man who would win no battles and accomplish nothing of significance first.

How would such an untested leader accomplish the greatest building project in Israel’s history? Where God leads, he provides.

The king had accumulated 100,000 talents of gold (3,750 tons) and a million talents of silver (37,500 tons; 1 Chr 22:14). I ran the numbers this week: at gold and silver prices as of last Tuesday evening, that’s a total of $60,504,000,000. Solomon would inherit a net worth 25 percent greater than Bill Gates’. And that doesn’t count the “quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone” (v. 14). With this disclaimer: “And you may add to them.”

Who would use all these riches? His father had enlisted tradesmen in every kind of work (vs. 14-15). Who would help him organize this massive effort? David had enlisted “all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon” (v. 17).

So it was that a man who had never won a battle, never built a kingdom, never built anything that we know of, was called to build the most important structure in human history. And succeeded. When God calls, he provides–always.

Now David’s son is finished with his task. It would seem that he has achieved success for the ages. But success in his eyes or that of his nation’s is immaterial. God is clear: only “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways” (2 Chr 7:14a) will he bless this Temple.

“Humble ourselves” means to submit ourselves to his plan, his will, his glory. It’s not about us–it’s all and only about him.

“Pray”–turn to his power and purposes, not our own.

“Seek my face”–no perfunctory prayers, these; honest, heart-felt, intentional, intense, soul-giving prayers. Seek a personal, daily, intimate relationship with him.

When we do, we must “turn from our wicked ways.” The closer we draw to him, the more our sins are exposed by his light. You don’t see the dirt on your hands in the dark.

Only then will he “hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (v. 14b)–the purpose of this Temple. Only then will his eyes be open and his ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place–the purpose of this Temple. Only then will he use the efforts of men for the eternal glory of God. Only then.

Only when nothing matters but what God wants. Not what I want. Not what you want. Only what he wants. Then he gives our lives more joy, power, purpose, abundance than we could ever have imagined or accomplished for ourselves. Here’s the paradox: when nothing matters but what God wants, we get more than we want. Every time. When we seek first the Kingdom of God, all these things are added to us (Matthew 6:33). Every time.

Adopting the motto, “It’s not about us,” is the best thing for us. The best way to redeem your life is to ignore it. To ignore any definition of success but his. And he says the successful people on this planet are the people who humble themselves and pray and seek his face and turn from their wicked ways. The people who decide that what they want doesn’t matter; what the world wants doesn’t matter; what God wants is all that matters in life. I want what God wants–that’s best for God and best for me.

Those are the people who succeed, now and forever. That’s the point today. Does history prove it right?

Do what he is blessing

I have spent the last two weeks in England, attending the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Birmingham and taking part in a Baptist history and heritage tour of the country. There I was reminded of our beginnings, as Protestants and Baptists.

In the mid-16th century, Bloody Mary tried to take England back to the Catholic Church. Protestants by the hundreds were martyred, among them two men named Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer.

On October 16, 1555, Ridley and Latimer were lashed to the stake in the center of Oxford University, and set afire. The flames were so hot that they singed the doors of a nearby Oxford college. The queen had the singed doors removed and thrown into a field; a few years ago, they were discovered and returned to their place.

I saw the very spot where Ridley and Latimer were burned, now marked with a permanent gold cross. I saw the singed doors. And I could almost hear Latimer’s last words. As the flames rose, he shouted to Ridley, “Be of good comfort, Mr. Ridley, and play the man! We shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace, in England, as I trust never shall be put out.”

And they did. Mary was succeeded by her sister Elizabeth, and the Protestant Reformation was made permanent in England. Latimer and Ridley never saw the results of their faithfulness. But last week, I did.

Traveling through England, I remembered our Baptist beginnings in that land nearly 400 years ago.

In 1609, a man named John Smyth and his followers had fled to Amsterdam to escape religious persecution in England. He came to the conclusion that the true church is composed of those who have made Christ their personal Lord, and that the best symbol of that conversion is believer’s baptism. So he baptized himself, and then his tiny flock. In 1611, his associate Thomas Helwys would bring their “Baptist” movement back to England; in 1639, Roger Williams would bring them to America.

Today we are the largest Protestant denomination in the world. The Baptist World Alliance meeting in England welcomed our Baptist sisters and brothers from 120 countries, part of 110 million Baptist Christians around the world. Smyth and Helwys never saw that their tiny movement would create an Alliance which would reach the globe. But last week, I did.

In England we visited the cottage of William Carey and remembered his amazing story. Carey preached his trial sermon for ordination, but his church turned him down–his sermon was too boring. The next year they finally consented to ordain him.

They sent him to a nearby pastorless church. He preached there, but the people voted him down. They had no one else, so he stayed on as a shoe cobbler and interim preacher. Finally they made him their pastor.

There, in his cottage, God gripped his heart for world evangelization. There the modern missions movement was birthed. Carey was its first missionary, spending the rest of his life in India. He never saw Baptist missionaries spread around the world with the good news of God’s love. But last week, I did.

We traveled to the church where John Bunyan was pastor until he was imprisoned for 12 years because he would not stop preaching the gospel. While in prison he wrote an allegory called Pilgrim’s Progress. He never knew it would become the best-selling book of all time next to the Bible, or saw it in 200 translations. But standing in the museum dedicated to him, I did.

At the Baptist World Alliance we heard President Carter speak. The young peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia had no idea that God’s will would take him to the most powerful office in the world, and that he would one day teach the Bible to the entire Baptist World Alliance Global Congress, comprising the largest Sunday school class in Baptist history. But I saw it happen.

Rick Warren spoke to the BWA on Saturday night. He told us his now-familiar story. After graduating from Southwestern Seminary, he felt God’s call to Southern California. He did not know a soul. He arrived in the Los Angeles area at rush hour one afternoon.

He found a real estate office, went inside, and said to the man he met there: “Hi! I’m Rick Warren. I’ve come to start a church. I have no one to sponsor me, no money, and no place to stay. Can you help?” The man said he’d see what he could do. Then Rick asked the man if he attended church anywhere. The surprised man said that he did not. Rick said, “Great! You’re my first member.” And he was, and still is. And Rick’s church now numbers some 84,000 names.

He didn’t know when he followed God to Southern California how the story would turn out. But we do.

Conclusion

Most of my life I have struggled with issues of significance. My father dealt with heart disease all my life, until it took his life when I was a senior in college. Somehow I grew up not trusting the future, not being sure what will come of tomorrow. So I’ve lived my life with an urgency, an intensity, a drivenness to make every day count.

As I’ve told you before, my greatest fear for my life is that I will stand one day before God and hear him say that I missed his purpose for my life. Many of you know that fear.

In England, through two weeks of returning to the beginnings of our faith, God reminded me that what he wants is all that matters. Not what I want, or what you want. Not any plans or strategies I might devise for myself or for us. Being a man who humbles himself and prays, who seeks God’s face and turns from his wicked ways, who belongs to God every hour of every day–that’s all that matters in life. Then God will do far more with us than we can ever do with ourselves.

One final proof that it’s true, and we’re done. In England we visited a church which John Newton pastored for many years. You remember his story: a slave trader who was converted to faith in Christ, worked to abolish slavery, and wrote the best-known hymn in the England language, Amazing Grace.

Last Tuesday I visited his gravesite. On the back of his raised marble tomb I found inscribed these words:

John Newton–Clerk.

Once an infidel and libertine

a servant of slaves in Africa, was

by the rich mercy of our

Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ

preserved, restored, pardoned

and appointed to preach the faith he

had long labored to destroy.

His life motto said it well: “I am not what I ought to be; I am not what I want to be; I am not what I hope to be; but by the grace of God, I am not what I was.” Amazing grace, indeed.

Now that grace can be yours. You know all that matters in life. The next step is yours.

All’s Well That Starts Well

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All’s Well That Starts Well

Matthew 4:1-11

Dr. Jim Denison

We’re all salespeople in life. We all have something we want others to “buy” or believe.

According to Newsweek, Andrew Fischer is selling his forehead. The 20-year-old Nebraska man decided to auction it as ad space for 30 days, and received more than 100 bids. The winner is a snoring remedy named “SnoreStop,” which will pay him $37,375 to display their logo. He says he’ll use the money to pay for college. With a son in college myself, I’m wondering what a pastor’s forehead goes for.

Last week, two men robbed a pizza delivery woman. Then one of them called the victim on his cell phone to apologize, and asked her for a date. She declined, gave his cell phone number to police, and they arrested the man. What he was selling, she wasn’t buying.

My father sold electronic components to oil companies. I’m a salesman as well, with a specific product to sell you this morning. I’ll show you why you need it, how to use it, and what happens when you do. Then I hope you’ll buy what I’m selling–not for my sake, but for yours.

Why to live by the word of God (vs. 1-4)

As our story opens, we catch up with Jesus after he’s spent 40 days in solitude with his Father. He’s in the wilderness area between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea known to the locals as “the Devastation.” It is desert, full of rocks and sand, parched, cracked, dusty hills and valleys, “Death Valley” in our country. No wonder he’s able to be alone with God.

He has just fasted 40 days, abstaining from everything and everyone but his Father. No one could be closer to God than him, right now. Just then Satan appears out of nowhere with his first of three temptations. The Greek reads, “Since you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread” (v. 3).

The wilderness surrounding Jesus is covered with small, round, sun-bleached rocks which look amazingly like the bread baked in his day. Imagine you have not eaten for 40 days, and you have the ability to turn a tennis ball into an orange or a sandal into a steak. You would have to rely on yourself rather than your Father for your needs, using your powers for your purposes rather than the One you have come to serve. But you would be tempted.

Here’s how Jesus responds. Here’s what to do the next time Satan comes calling: live on “every word that comes from the mouth of God” (v. 4).

Jesus quotes a statement made by Moses to the children of Israel after they learned to trust God for the manna which kept them alive in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:3). The point is simple: we do not live on our ability but God’s provision. Not on our resources and experience and education, but on the word and grace of God. Your next breath is his gift. Your abilities and opportunities come from his hand. You didn’t deserve to vote in America and not Iraq. It all comes from the grace of God.

So before you begin your next day or make your next decision, go first to his word. Go to Scripture before you go anywhere else–to your own education and ability, the advice of friends, the counsel of worldly wisdom. Seek Scripture first. Ask what God says on the subject, and choose to do it. Live by the words of God.

Why trust the Bible with your life?

Because it is literally the “word of God”: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Because it has been accurately transmitted to us. “Textual critics” are scholars who compare ancient manuscripts to produce a copy as close to the original as possible. Whether they are Christians or not, they know that the Old and New Testaments we possess today are virtually identical to the originals. The only questions which remain affect matters of spelling, punctuation, and isolated verses; none relates to essential doctrines or practices of the faith.

Because archaeology confirms the accuracy of Scripture. For instance, the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:2) was once dismissed as non-historical. Now tour guides in Jerusalem point groups to its location in the northeast quarter of the Old City. I’ve seen the ruins myself. We have a stone inscription documenting the life and office of Pontius Pilate; the ossuary (coffin) of Caiaphas, the High Priest of the crucifixion; an inscription found at Delphi which describes the work of Gallio, proconsul at Corinth (Acts 18:12-17); and scores of other artifacts which document the accuracy of biblical history and description.

Because the Bible keeps its promises. A mathematician once investigated the statistical probability of one man’s fulfilling eight of the 61 major Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah, and calculated the odds as one in 10 to the 17th power (one followed by 16 zeroes). That number of silver dollars would cover the state of Texas to a depth of two feet.

Because the Bible changes lives. I once owned a 1965 Ford Mustang, and found myself under its hood as often as I was behind its wheel. Chilton’s Car Repair Manual became my constant companion. I learned to trust its advice because it worked.

In a postmodern world which believes truth is relative, a book must be relevant to be accepted. Try living by the word of God, making its truths the guideposts of your life. Go to Scripture first. See what God says on the subject you’re considering, the decision you’re making. And you’ll learn for yourself that you can rely on “every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

How to live by the word of God (vs. 5-7)

Now Satan, seeing that Jesus is going to fight his temptations with God’s word, uses Scripture himself. Taking him to the highest point of the Temple in Jerusalem, 450 feet above the Kidron Valley, he challenges him to throw himself down since the Bible promises God will protect him (Psalm 91). Then the crowds will see and be amazed, and he can be their Messiah. He can avoid their rejection and the cross it will bring.

But Jesus knows that Satan is misusing the word of God. He left out the condition for the promise: “If you make the Most High your dwelling–even the Lord, who is my refuge” (v. 10). In other words, if you do what God says, following his direction and will, then he will protect you according to that will. The promise Satan quoted is no guarantee that God will protect us whatever we do–it is God’s assurance that he will enable us to fulfill his will in our lives.

In response, Jesus quotes Scripture accurately: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (v. 7, quoting Deut 6:16). Do not make God prove himself to you, for the Creator of the universe has nothing to prove to his creation.

Here’s the point for us: live by God’s word, as you interpret it correctly. Don’t misuse or misquote it as Satan did–know its intended meaning as Jesus did. How?

We’ve reprinted a pamphlet I wrote on that subject a few years ago, and placed copies where you can take one today. The pamphlet is a very short version of a book I published some years ago on biblical interpretation, and the class I taught on the subject at Southwestern Seminary.

Here’s the even shorter version: know the author and setting of the text you are studying. Learn what the words mean, and discover the historical circumstances which affect its meaning. Now restate the text in your own words. Then discover the theological truth the passage intends to teach–what it says about God, humanity, the future, sin and salvation, etc. Apply those principles to your life in practical ways.

Start today, where you are. Buy a study Bible–I recommend the NIV Study Bible, though there are other good options available. Get a notebook. And make an appointment to meet God in his word every morning. Schedule time for Scripture just as you would for any other person or subject. Begin reading the Bible systematically. If you don’t have another place in mind, start with the Gospel of John. Decide how many verses you will read each morning, and keep to your schedule. Ask the questions we just discussed, and write down what you learn. Day by day, God will feed your soul from his word. And you’ll have the tool you need to defeat Satan and live in spiritual victory.

When you live by the word of God (vs. 8-11)

We’ve asked why and how to begin every day in the word of God, and to live by what we learn there. Let’s close with this question: what happens when we do? Here’s the answer.

Satan doesn’t give up on Jesus. He takes our Lord to a “very high mountain” and shows him “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor” (v. 8). He offers all this to our Lord, if he will forsake his call to be Messiah and worship the enemy. One more time, he can avoid the cross and its pain, if he will refuse God’s word and will for his life.

Once more Jesus quotes Scripture in response: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only” (quoting Deuteronomy 6:13). Then Satan left him, and “angels came and attended him” (v. 11). When Jesus stood on Scripture, the enemy could not stand against him. The same will happen for us: though Satan is a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, we are to “resist him, standing firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9). With this command and assurance: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God, and he will come near to you” (James 4:7-8).

Now the decision is yours. You should expect Satan to tempt and attack you, whether you’re a follower of Jesus or not. You should know that your only sure defense is the word of God. If the perfect, sinless, omniscient Son of God did not attempt to defeat temptation in his own wisdom and strength, but spoke only the word of God, should we do anything else?

And you have only today to be ready. Jesus didn’t know when Satan would show up–neither do you. He doesn’t give us a time out to go pray and read and get ready. That’s why we need to begin the day with God, before anything else happens. We put gas in the tank before we start the journey; musicians warm up before they play or sing; athletes lift weights before the season begins, and stretch before the game. Today is the day to decide that you will begin tomorrow with God, in his word.

Conclusion

If you started today with God in his word, let this message encourage you. If you didn’t, let it invite you. As simple as it sounds, there is no more important practice in spiritual growth and victory. No more important tool in winning the battle against temptation and fulfilling the perfect will of God for your life. Don’t expect the enemy to make it easy–you’ll be distracted, scheduled, and busy. But the harder it is to begin the day in God’s word, the more you need to.

In 1990, at the Moscow International Book Fair, religious publishers were allowed for the first time to give away Bibles. In earlier years they could exhibit them, but they could not distribute them. Taking advantage of this new opportunity, publishers passed out more than 10,000 copies of the New Testament in contemporary Russian. Soon the Bible exhibit became the most popular at the fair. Russians stood in long lines to get their copy of a book which most had never owned and many had never seen.

Nearby was the exhibit of the American Atheist Press, headed by Madelyn Murray O’Hare. In a country steeped in atheism for most of a century, we would expect her display to be popular. But we would be wrong. My friend Johnnie Godwin was there, and took a now-famous picture of the scene. In the foreground hundreds of people are standing in line for their Bibles. In the background, Mrs. O’Hare sits in her booth alone.

Tomorrow morning, which line will you choose?

An Ark or an Army?

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An Ark or an Army?

Mark 1:14-20

James C. Denison

It’s a tough world out there.

There was a time when new airlines seemed to start every month, promising lower fares and more flights. Now airline mergers are the wave of the future, though we’ll likely see higher fares, fewer flights, and more crowded airplanes.

JC Penney’s CEO told business analysts this week that he has “personally never seen an environment as unpredictable as this one.” The housing downturn has led to the dollar’s decline which has led to economic unrest across the country. Gas and groceries have never been as expensive as they are today. College tuition continues to rise faster than inflation.

This generation may be the first in our history to be poorer than their parents. Consignment and second-hand clothing stores are a new trend. Smaller cars are coming, as car makers respond to demand for fuel efficiency and lower prices. More and more people are downsizing as they struggle to keep up.

In a chaotic world like ours, there are two primary visions for the church in America, two ways to understand the relationship between the gospel and the church today.

One sees the church as an ark, a refuge and retreat in a storm. The church is a place where you come each week to be safe, to be helped, to get your needs met. The gospel is for believing and celebrating and holding. Come to be inspired, encouraged, taught; come for the sake of your family and friends; come to be blessed by God. Come to get inside the ark for a while.

The other sees the church as an army, a movement which assaults the gates of hell, a mighty force bent on the evangelization of all nations and the transformation of the world into the Kingdom of God. The gospel is for sharing and giving to everyone we can.

Have you come today to sit in the ark or to join the army? The answer says everything about whether or not your life will find the purpose and peace and power of God.

Live to give

Our text begins: “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God” (v. 14).

This is the northern region of the Holy Land today, a mixed population of Jews and Gentiles. Arameans, Itureans, Phoenicians and Greeks all lived in the region. Travelers and traders headed from Africa into Asia and Europe came down her roads. Some three million people lived in towns and villages all across this fertile, vibrant region.

One thing they had in common was a dislike of the authorities and legalities which consumed Jerusalem and Judea to the south. If Jesus had established his ministry around the Temple and with its rabbis, waiting for the Galileans to come to him, he would be waiting still. So he went to them.

After he began his public ministry in Capernaum and great crowds flocked to him, he had a difficult decision to make. Would he settle there, teaching in the synagogue and doing his ministry in the city, or would he go to those who would not come to him?

Mark tells us that “very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (v. 35) As a result, he could tell his disciples, “Let us go somewhere else–to the nearby villages–so I can preach there also. That is why I have come” (v. 38). Immediately “he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons” (v. 39).

This missionary impulse to breathe out, to give and share and serve, to go to people who would not come to them, quickly characterized the Christian movement Jesus began. He told them to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), and they took him at his word.

Philip soon went to the Samaritans with the gospel, Peter to Cornelius and the Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas left the confines of Palestine to take the gospel to what they called “Asia,” Turkey today. Paul eventually traveled through Europe and Spain to bring the good news wherever he could. By Acts 17:6 the first Christians had “turned the world upside down” (KJV), sparking the mightiest spiritual movement in human history.

This has always been Christianity at its best and strongest.

William Carey, taking the gospel to the shores of India; Lottie Moon giving her life for the gospel in China; frontier missionaries bringing the good news to the western reaches of American expansion.

I preach each summer at Bloys Campmeeting, a gathering started in 1890 by Presbyterian circuit-riding preacher W. B. Bloys to bring the gospel to ranchers who could not or would not leave their herds to go to church.

Park Cities Baptist Church was started by a group of laypeople who believed there ought to be a Baptist church in what was then the far-north edge of Dallas. Without financial support from anyone, they began this work. Their first act in their first worship service was to take an offering for world missions. That’s the church as an army.

But that’s not your only choice in our culture. This society says that it’s all about you. You’re the consumer, the customer, and the customer is always right.

“Give the people what they want” is the marketing mantra of our day. My job is to help you manage your money or deal with your stress or make your marriage better. Our job is to help you with your problems and meet your needs, whatever they might be. So long as you come, you’ve done your job. So long as you sit in the ark, you’re safe from the storms for a while. If you feel better when you leave, I’ve done my job.

Give to live

If you could sit in an ark, why would you want to join an army? For one simple reason: the ark doesn’t float, at least not for long. Consumer Christianity isn’t Christianity, and it doesn’t really work. It doesn’t change anyone’s life, or heal anyone’s marriage, or defeat anyone’s temptations, or give anyone the purpose and peace and power of God. The simple fact is that God empowers us only when we fulfill his purpose. And his purpose is clear: “go and make disciples.”

The church must get the gospel to the world, or it is not a church.

When David ran at Goliath, sling in hand, he won a great victory. When David stayed in the palace while his army went to battle, he fell into great sin.

Ephesians 6 describes the “spiritual armor” of the Christian: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (vs. 14-17).

Notice this fact: the armor covers and protects only the front of the body. If the soldier retreats, he is doomed.

The typical Baptist church grows until it is five years old, then it plateaus. The reason is simple: when the church begins it must grow or die. So it knocks on doors, invites friends and neighbors, focuses on the needs of those it has not yet reached.

But after five years of doing this, it usually has achieved critical mass. Now it begins thinking about its own members and their needs. It focuses on children and youth and facilities and programs for its people. Others are always welcome to join, but the focus shifts from the community to the congregation. And most churches never grow again.

There is more to life than getting what we can and canning what we get. There is a God-shaped emptiness in every one of us, so that our hearts are restless until they rest in him. We long in our souls to be on purpose, on mission, our lives committed to a cause greater than ourselves.

We resonate with the church in Seville, Spain who put over their doorway the statement, “Let us build here a church so great that people who come after us will think us mad ever to have attempted it.” We are stirred by the call to attempt something so great it is doomed to fail unless God be in it. We are made to want more than we can own and drive and spend, to seek lives of significance and eternal impact. That’s just the way we are.

Gregg Easterbrook, author of the secular bestseller, The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse, makes this spiritual point in a profound way:

“As Alan Wolfe of Boston University has noted, a leading question of our moment in history is: ‘Why capitalism and liberal democracy, both of which justify themselves on the grounds that they produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number, leave so much dissatisfaction in their wake’….

“Perhaps Western society has lost its way, producing material goods in impressive superfluity but also generating so much stress and pressure that people cannot enjoy what they attain. Perhaps men and women must re-examine their priorities–demanding less, caring more about each other, appreciating what they have rather than grousing about what they do not have, giving more than lip service to the wisdom that money cannot buy happiness” (p. xvii).

Consumerism doesn’t really work for the consumer. It certainly doesn’t work for the Christian.

Conclusion

Last week we were called to follow Jesus as he fishes for men, to love Jesus first so we could love others best. Next week we’ll learn how to fish for men ourselves. But before we can learn how to catch fish, we must want to catch fish. We must want out of the boat, the ark of safety which tempts us to be consumers and customers. We must want out on the water, marching against the enemy, joining the army of God.

The decision is vital for our souls. Only when we give can we receive. When we empty our hands, we can fill them. When we live to give, we soon discover that we give to live. We must breathe out to breathe in, or we die.

This morning I am asking you to make a simple decision: will you enlist in the army of God? Will you volunteer for duty? Will you ask God to use you whatever the cost, whatever he asks, wherever he leads? Will you begin every day by surrendering it to Jesus as your Lord? Will you ask the Holy Spirit to fill and empower and control you each morning? Will you spend the day seeking to serve and glorify your Father? Will you fish wherever he sends you? Will you join his army?

One of our days in Israel, part of our tour group hiked through tunnels beneath the Western Wall of the original Temple Mount. Our guide was a young Jewish man who had spent his life in Jerusalem and was now studying for an advanced degree in archaeology. He was brilliant and scholarly, and a privilege to know.

Halfway through the tour, he motioned for us to step aside so a short, stooped-over elderly man could pass. I caught a glimpse of the man’s wrinkled, bearded face, and saw in his eyes a remarkable sense of joy and delight. At the end of the tour, our guide told us the man’s story.

His name is Ben-amin, Benjamin to us. Though he is well past 80 years old, he works every day in the tunnels. He sweeps, takes out trash, helps with tours, does whatever is needed. When he first came to the tunnel area and asked if he could sweep the floors, the custodians were surprised but wanted to honor his age and request, so they consented. Every day, six days a week, from early to late, Ben-amin swept the floors and did the most menial of tasks.

Finally one of them asked him why he gave himself so sacrificially to such demeaning work. The old man sat down and told the custodians his story. When he was a young man, he was taken by the Nazis. He never saw any of his family again. He was sent to one of the Holocaust camps where Jews by the thousands were incinerated.

Because he was young and strong, his life was spared so he could sweep and clean the camp. Every day his camp commander taunted Ben-amin by pointing to the cremation chimneys and their smoke and saying, “That’s the only way you’ll ever see your Holy Land.”

His camp was finally liberated. Many years later, Ben-amin was able to emigrate to Israel. As he had swept the floors of that Holocaust camp, so he wanted to sweep the floors in the Temple tunnels, because that was the place closest to the Jewish Temple and its sacred grounds. God had spared his life, and he had to serve him in response. He had no choice–he had to give to the One who had given everything to him.

Don’t we?

An Honest Approach to the Mystery of Suffering

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Topical Scripture: Psalm 3

It’s been a hard week in the news. From a three-year-old boy attacked with acid to flooding victims on the East Coast to shootings in Canada to wildfires in Greece and bombings in Pakistan, the headlines have been painful.

When we learn of such unfairness, we want to ask how God can be all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving, and yet allow this world to be the way it is. If I were God, infants would never be attacked; shootings and bombings would never occur; fires and floods would not happen. I’m sure you’d say the same thing.

Before we study this week’s psalm, let’s explore the issue we need it to address.

Hard answers to a hard question

I know the traditional theological responses: One, we live in a fallen world. In the Garden of Eden, storms didn’t rage, and wildfires didn’t kill people. Two, Satan is alive and well. As the Bible says, he comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Three, people can misuse their freedom. It’s not God’s fault if people choose to attack children and adults. Four, God suffers as we suffer and promises to give us all we need for the hard days. Five, he redeems for greater good all that he allows.

However, if you’re like me, there’s a “but” in the back of your mind. I understand all of that, but still—if I were God, it wouldn’t be like this. If God can still work miracles, why didn’t he on the East Coast and in Greece? If he’s more powerful than Satan, why does he let the devil steal, kill, and destroy?

I understand the importance of free will, but the Lord sometimes prevents the consequences of misused freedom, as when he freed Peter from Herod’s prison and Paul from his Philippian jail. He will help us through hard days, but we’d rather not face them at all. He will redeem what he allows, but we’d rather he not allow it.

Now consider another factor: It’s illogical for God to make a world in which there is human free will but no evil and suffering. If we don’t have evil as an option, how are we free to choose? If there are no consequences to wrong choices, did we really have a choice?

But that’s just what he will do for us in heaven. We will still be ourselves—even more fully ourselves than on earth. But in heaven, “death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

If there, why not here?

Here’s the bottom line: I don’t know. I don’t know why we can have free will in a perfect paradise in heaven but not on earth. I don’t know why God sometimes intervenes miraculously but not always. I don’t know why three-year-olds get attacked and families die in fires and bystanders get shot.

I can choose to let the mystery of suffering drive me to atheism, concluding that there cannot be a biblical God in a universe like ours. But then I must account for all the good that makes no sense in such a godless world.

I must account for the astounding beauty and complexity of creation that so surpasses supposed evolutionary purposes. I must account for the goodness of people who sacrifice so unselfishly for each other. I must account for the basic human drive for morality that makes no sense apart from a Creator who bestowed this impulse.

And if there is no God, I must account for the overwhelming evidence for the truthfulness of Scripture, the existence of Jesus, his bodily resurrection, and the transformed lives of his followers. I must account for the billions of lives changed by his saving grace.

And I must admit that by definition, my finite, fallen mind cannot comprehend the nature and purposes of an infinite, perfect Deity. Just as a mathematician could not explain calculus to my four-year-old granddaughter (brilliant though she is!), a God as described in the Bible could not fully explain his ways to me.

I am left with a binary decision. Either choice requires a commitment that transcends the evidence. The universe is not so evil that its depravity proves God does not exist. It is not so good that its virtues prove he does.

So, it seems to me that our decision when facing the mystery of suffering is practical rather than theoretical. We can let suffering drive us further from God, or we can use it to draw us closer to him. Neither decision can be proven before it is chosen. It is as though we’re facing two roads and cannot know their destination until we travel on them.

Here’s why we should choose the road of faith.

Three steps to the grace of God

Psalm 3 is one of fourteen psalms linked to actual events in David’s life. As we will see, the setting of this psalm makes it especially relevant to this message.

Note the presence of three “Selah”s. This is a musical term instructing the worship leader and congregation to pause, reflect on what has just been said, and praise God as a result. We will use them to divide the psalm into three sections.

Tell God about your suffering

David begins: “O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising up against me” (v. 1). The setting explains his suffering.

Psalm 3 was composed by King David after his son Absalom staged a successful revolt against him. This was the greatest crisis of his life. The king was forced to flee Jerusalem, with no guarantee that he would return to his throne or even survive the night.

Things were so bad that Absalom’s armies were taunting David: “Many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God’. Selah” (v. 2). Note the three-fold repetition of “many” in these two verses, emphasizing the danger of his situation.

Rather than allow this crisis to drive David from God, he used it to seek God. He turned to his Lord in honesty, describing the peril and grief of the moment.

Unless your son has rebelled against you and sought to kill you, you have not met circumstances like these. But Psalm 3 is in the Bible for all who face suffering and tragedy of any kind. Its beginning is God’s invitation to turn to him with our suffering in honesty and pain.

Not because we’re telling God what he doesn’t know, but because we’re admitting our need of his provision and power.

Turn to God in faith

In spite of his peril, David did not give up on his Lord: “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head” (v. 3). “But you” is emphatic in the Hebrew.

Note the present tense. Despite all appearances, despite the dangers he faces and the peril of the moment, David chose to believe that God is a “shield about me” who bestows glory on him and lifts his head when it falls in discouragement.

How can this be so? “I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah” (v. 4). “His holy hill” refers to God’s presence prior to the building of the Jerusalem temple. It was from his high and holy presence that God heard his suffering child and answered him.

Our circumstances change nothing about God. Whatever he was before Absalom rebelled, our Lord is after his rebellion. If he was our shield yesterday, he is our shield today.

Because David prayed, God could answer. A doctor cannot serve a patient who will not seek her help.

Act in trust and courage

As a result, David testified, “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me” (v. 5). Sleep was the most dangerous and vulnerable time in war, but after David prayed to God and claimed the fact that the Lord was his shield and protector, he “lay down and slept.” When he woke again the next morning, he discovered that the Lord had sustained him.

His experience of God’s provision in the present encouraged him to trust God with the future: “I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around” (v. 6). Now he could pray specifically, “Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God!” (v. 7a).

He could claim his Lord’s omnipotence: “For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked” (v. 7b). God can do what David cannot do. But he can act only if David will ask.

David concluded: “Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! Selah” (v. 8). Salvation “belongs” to God and thus comes only from him. If we will not turn to him, we cannot have what he alone possesses. But if we will use our suffering as a bridge of faith, we will find his “blessing” on the other side.

Conclusion

Who is your Absalom? What suffering are you facing today? Choose with David to turn to God in honesty and faith, and you will be able to act in faith and courage.

There are some lessons that can be learned only the hard way. One of them is that God provides in the depths of life’s greatest challenges.

And there are some decisions that can only be made in hard times. One of them is the choice to turn to God in honesty and faith. When we do, we discover that we can act in trust and courage.

An anonymous Confederate soldier wrote:

I asked God for strength that I might achieve; I was made weak, that I might learn to serve. I asked for health, that I might do great things; I was given infirmity, that I might do better things. I asked for wealth, that I might be happy; I was given poverty, that I might be wise. I asked for power, that I might earn the praise of men; I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life; I was given life, that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing I asked for, but all I hoped for. Despite myself, my prayers were answered. And I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

So can we be. This is the promise and the invitation of God.

Another Nice Holiday

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Another Nice Holiday

1 Corinthians 15:1-20

Dr. Jim Denison

I have been prepared all week to defend the relevance of Easter theologically. It bothers me that we ask Americans their favorite holiday, and Easter gets 2%. It bothers me that we ask non-Christians why Christians celebrate Easter, and 46% don’t know. And they don’t care.

I was ready to show you why we should care, theologically and biblically; why Easter isn’t just another nice holiday.

Then I realized that would not be the sermon I would need to hear if I were coming to church along with you, if it weren’t my job to preach to you today. What would I want to hear, sitting in the pew beside you today? What do you need me to talk about this morning?

Our text defends and explains the relevance of Easter. Let’s see if these words help us.

The risen Christ gives purpose

The first issue I need to hear about today is stress, burnout. The Northwestern National Life Insurance Company recently did a survey, and discovered that 40% of America’s employees feel either “very” or “extremely” stressed.

I learned recently that there is an American Institute of Stress. What does that say about us? They estimate that between 75% and 90% of our visits to the doctor are caused primarily by stress, with a loss to American industry of $200 to $300 billion annually. We are stressed people.

I need to know that my life matters beyond the day to day struggles and issues we all face, that God can give my life a purpose which makes the daily grind worth it all, that Jesus can use my life to accomplish something beyond myself, something significant. Don’t you?

We’re not the first. Peter gave up after the cross. Jesus had died, and Peter had failed. He had bragged publicly about his courage, then denied three times that he even knew his Lord. The proud fisherman turned out to be a coward. And his life had no more purpose or meaning.

So he went back to what he knew, to fishing. And just there, as Paul says, the risen Christ “appeared to Peter” (v. 5). He forgave him, and restored him. And he called him to “feed his sheep,” to lead his church. He gave his life purpose and significance.

The risen Christ can still do this today. He alone can give purpose and meaning to anyone, no matter our past or even our present. No matter the bad or the good we’ve done. Anyone.

John Grisham’s books have sold more than 40 million copies. He has wealth, fame, and success. But they haven’t been enough. In recent years Jesus has become more real to Grisham than ever before. His salvation, which occurred at the age of eight in a Southern Baptist church in Arkansas, has become more real than ever before. He has donated millions to missions, taught Sunday school, and been part of mission trips sponsored by his church across the world.

In fact, his last book, The Testament, was inspired by a recent church mission trip to Brazil. I read it recently, and recommend it to you. He grapples with faith and life, and presents the life-changing reality of Jesus Christ in a powerful way. And he says that his relationship with Jesus is now “the most important part of my life.”

This morning Jesus reminded me that he is my only purpose. Only he can give my life meaning and significance. Knowing him, and then making him known. Not my work, or schedule, or stress. Knowing the risen Christ personally gives me purpose, meaning, and significance. I needed that.

Do you need “north” on your compass? A reason to be, in the midst of the stress and pressure of life? Only the risen Christ can give you the purpose your heart yearns to find, and only because of Easter. Only because this isn’t another nice holiday. On this Easter morning, why not ask him for the purpose he alone can give?

The risen Christ gives peace

This morning, I need his peace as well. The fighting in Kosovo had us all worried. Where is God when soldiers are captured and civilians are slaughtered? Closer to home, what will the stock market do?

For many of us, fear is much closer to home even that that. Some of you are worried about keeping your marriage together, or your finances; some of you wonder where your children are today, or your parents; some are waiting for the next hospital test or doctor’s visit with great apprehension. Some wonder where you’ll go to college next year; some wonder how you’ll pay for college. We all have fears and worries. We all need peace. We’re not the first.

Consider “doubting Thomas.” After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples, but Thomas was absent. He wouldn’t believe them without proof.

So the next Sunday night after Easter, the risen Christ appeared to “the Twelve” (v. 5). And when Thomas saw him personally, his questions were answered, his doubts disappeared, and peace was his.

Consider the early Christian movement. They are supposed to take the gospel to the entire world, 25 million in the Empire alone, almost none of whom had ever heard of Jesus. How on earth would they do it?

Then on a mountain in Galilee, the risen Christ “appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep” (v. 6). And to them he said, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… And I will be with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:18-20).

He promised them his help, his presence. And the risen Christ gave them his peace.

We have many questions, many doubts, many fears. Psychologists list over 700 phobias in our society today. Everything from “arachnibutrophobia,” the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth, to “phobophobia,” the fear of fear. What do you fear? What causes you anxiety and worry this morning? Where do you need peace?

There’s only one place, or Person, where you can find it.

A few years ago the American Red Cross was seeking donations to help a group of suffering people in Africa. A box came with a note which said, “We have been converted, and as a result we want to help. We won’t ever need these again. Can you use them for something?” Inside were Ku Klux Klan sheets, which the Red Cross tore into strips and used to bandage the wounds of black people. Because the risen Christ gives peace.

Yesterday morning Jesus reminded me that he is my only peace. When I have doubts and questions, I can draw near to him and he will be my peace. When the future looks bleak and discouraging, he is our peace. The world is still in his hands.

Do you need peace today? Peace for your doubts, your fears? Only the risen Christ can give you the peace your heart longs to find, and only because of Easter. Only because this isn’t another nice holiday. On this Easter morning, why not ask him for the peace he alone can give?

The risen Christ gives power

And this morning, I need power, help, strength. It’s been a long week, and I know what is waiting for me tomorrow. The phone calls I didn’t have time to return, the e-mails, the stacks of papers and journals, the office work to organize, the meetings to attend, the sermons to write. Right now, it looks pretty daunting. I need the power to fulfill his purpose for my life, and to live in his peace. Don’t you need his power, his help, this week?

Again, we’re not the first. James was Jesus’ half-brother, and one of his most vocal critics. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, James was convinced he was insane. Once he even tried to get him to come home with him, to save the family further embarrassment.

But then the risen Christ “appeared to James” (v. 7). And the man was never the same. Everything changed. He became the pastor of the church at Jerusalem, the headquarters of the Christian movement; he wrote the book of James, and he was widely considered the holiest man on earth.

His nickname was “camel knees,” since his knees were so callused from hours on them in prayer. He was given Jesus’ purpose, and peace, and power, to serve his brother who was now his Lord.

Consider another example. Saul of Tarsus hated the followers of Jesus. He was the Slobodan Milosovic of his day, bent on an “ethnic cleansing” of Christians everywhere.

But then, Paul says, “he appeared to me also” (v. 8). And the result? “I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect” (vs. 9-10).

And God made this murderer into the greatest apostle, missionary, and theologian the world has ever known. The risen Christ empowered him to fulfill his purpose and to know his peace.

The risen Christ still has the power to change people today. Hyun Hee Kim blew up the Korean Air Lines plane in 1983. In jail she became a Christian, and now tells anyone who will listen how the risen Christ has changed her life.

Manuel Noriega was saved in a Miami prison cell, and has been writing letters back to his former drug cartel partners in Panama, telling them of his salvation and urging them to receive Christ.

Lee Atwater was the most hated man in politics. Before he died of brain cancer, he met the risen Christ personally. He wrote to all his political enemies, asked their forgiveness, and explained the gospel to them.

Yesterday morning, as I tried to rewrite this sermon, I felt tired, even exhausted. As I thought about the week to come, I felt even more so. But then I realized that the risen Christ gives me all the power I need to fulfill his purpose for my life. And he did, and he will.

Are you suffering from a power outage, a need for strength and help? Only the risen Christ can give you the power you long for, and only because of Easter. On this Easter morning, why not ask him?

Conclusion

And one day we’ll have his purpose, and peace, and power forever. Not just for Easter, but for every day. We need him every day. And we can have him, every day.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who lives and believes in me will never die.” Never. If Jesus is in charge of your life, your future is secure. When you close your eyes for the last time here, you open them for the first time there. You step out of the car, into the house. And we are with God forever. A thousand years from now, you’ll be with him, and ten thousand years, and a billion years. But only because of Easter.

What a day that will be, when every day is Easter day.

R. G. Lee was, in my opinion, the most eloquent preacher Southern Baptists have ever known. In 1965 in Fort Worth, he concluded his sermon with these words:”One day as a young child, I asked my mother, ‘What was the happiest day of your life?’ I thought she might say something about the day one of her children was born, or the day my father asked her to marry him, or perhaps her wedding day. For a long moment she sat there and then looked across the room as if she could see for a great distance. And then she spoke.

“‘It was during the war between the North and South. The men were all away. My mother, your grandmother, had to do the work of a man in the fields. She eked out a living for us from the farm. One day a letter came saying that my father, your grandfather, Bennett, had been killed. That letter contained a great many kind words about his bravery and sacrifice. Mother did not cry much that day, but at night we could hear her sob in the dark of our small house.

“‘About four months later, it was summer, we were all sitting on the porch shelling beans. A man came down the road, and mother watched him for a while and then said, ‘Elizabeth, honey, don’t think me strange, but that man coming yonder walks like your father.’ The man kept coming along the road, but we children thought, ‘It couldn’t be him.’ As he came to the break in the fence where the path ran, he turned in. Mother sprang from her chair scattering beans everywhere. She began to run, and she yelled over her shoulders, ‘Children, it’s your father.’ She ran all the way across the field until they met. She kissed him and cried and held him for the longest time. And that, Robert Lee, was the happiest hour I ever knew.'”

Then Dr. Lee concluded, “And that is but a small joy compared with the resurrection morning when we shall see the face of Jesus, when we shall see loved ones long gone.” He was right.

Now, is Easter just another nice holiday? The choice is yours.

Are Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God?

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Are Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God?

Joshua 6:20-21

Dr. Jim Denison

Arguably the most famous sermon in American history was preached at its infancy. On July 8, 1741, at Enfield, Connecticut, Jonathan Edwards delivered the message for which he is best known, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Imagine yourself seated on a wooden pew in that colonial congregation, hearing these words with which Edwards closed:

“The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; and yet it is nothing but his hand that holds you from falling into the fire this very moment….

“O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder; and you have no interest in any Mediator, and nothing to lay hold of to save yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath, nothing of your own, nothing that you ever have done, nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you one moment.”

Is this true? Are sinners in the hands of an angry God? I assume we each admit that we have committed sin. How does God feel about us now?

The simple fact is that some of us fear God’s judgment too little, while others fear it too much. Today let’s learn what to do when we fail ourselves and God.

Why don’t we fear God more?

Ours is no theoretical problem today.

The Bible is very clear: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23); “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). Each of us—no exceptions.

When I stole a pack of gum at the age of five, I entered for the first time in my memory into the ranks of sinners. I’m just like you. As a child I melted crayons into the teacher’s hair, locked a girl in a coat closet during lunch, and shook eraser dust into the window air conditioner, thus coating the classroom with it. My mother earned every gray hair she owns.

We laugh at such transgressions, but sin is serious. “The wages of sin is death,” the Bible warns us (Romans 6:23). Seven times the Bible commands us to “fear God.” Yet most people don’t. Why not? Several reasons come to mind.

One: scientific progress has made the power of God irrelevant.

Diseases which used to kill us are now cured by medicine without God’s help. How many parents today pray against polio, or tuberculosis, or bubonic plague?

Technology now controls weather which used to destroy and devastate us. We know hurricanes are coming and have remedies for drought. What only God could do, we think we can do.

And this scientific march has removed much of the mystery from life. The solar eclipse of June 21 didn’t frighten us as it used to ancient peoples. We don’t need to ask the gods to give us back the sun. We don’t need Baal to give us rain, or Zeus to explain lightning, or Neptune to understand the tides.

We think we have progressed beyond needing the power of God.

Two: naïve morality has made the fear of God irrelevant. We think we’re good, moral people, and that we’re all going to heaven.

God is a kindly grandfather who loves us all and will bring us all to heaven when we die. We’re better than the “bad” people—the Hitlers and the McVeighs. We all know someone worse than we are. And so only 2% of Americans are afraid of going to hell. We’re good people, we think.

Three: secular materialism has made the punishment of God irrelevant. We believe in what we can see, and we can’t see God.

We are more afraid that our friends will reject us than that God will judge us. We are more afraid of losing that business contract or that boyfriend or girlfriend than we are of displeasing God. After all, we can always confess our sins to God later and he’ll forgive us. It’s that simple, or so we think.

Why do some people fear God too much?

So many of us fear God too little. But some people fear God too much. They cannot believe that God has actually forgiven their sins, pardoned their failures, cleansed their souls.

A psychologist recently said he could dismiss 90% of his clients if they could heal their guilt over the past or fear about failing in the future. Why is this a problem for so many?

Some of us grew up with a God of anger and wrath, more like Zeus throwing thunderbolts than a Father sending his Son to die for us. We picture God with gigantic scales, hoping to send us to hell for our sins. If your father was judgmental and unloving, you’ll especially tend to see God in the same way.

Some of us practice “Baptist penance.” We’re self-made, and cannot accept grace. We must pay it back. If God won’t punish us, we’ll punish ourselves. We’ll hold onto our guilt, our pain, our failure, until we think we’ve paid our debt.

We see the consequences of our sin and failure, the hurt our sin caused others and ourselves, and assume God has not forgiven it. . We cannot forget it, so we assume God has not, either.

So you and I need to know that guilt is not of God. The Holy Spirit convicts the sin, but does not condemn the sinner. Guilt comes from our enemy or from ourselves. But for many of us, it’s very real today. And we fear God’s wrath even more than we should.

Why does God punish our sins?

Wouldn’t things be easier if God didn’t punish sin? Or if he didn’t permit it? But neither is the case. We know that God does in fact judge and punish sin.

1 Corinthians 3 warns us of a final judgment before God, where he will examine our works and our lives. All that is wrong and sinful will be “burned up” and we will suffer loss (v. 15). He judges and punishes sin.

He did so in our text. When the inhabitants of ancient Jericho refused God’s plan for their city and future, their city and future were destroyed.

Archaeologists have long been interested in this ancient city, and think they have identified the layer of remains which belong to those of Joshua’s day. The stones of this wall were not pulled down, as was the custom in ancient warfare, where soldiers tied ropes to the tops of the walls and pulled them over. Instead, these walls are collapsed onto themselves, exactly as the text says they were.

Why did God destroy their walls and their city? If he is all powerful, why does he permit our sins? If he is all loving, why does he punish them?

Because God is grace, sin must be permitted. His love is his grace gift to us, and a gift must be received freely. He will never force his will and purpose upon us. He made us to worship him, and worship requires freedom. And so he must allow us to misuse our free will in sin, because he wants us to use it in salvation. God must permit sin, if he is grace.

Because God is holy, sin must be punished. How else could he be a righteous and just God?

We understand this, except when the sin is ours. We want the Hitlers of human history to pay for their crimes. When someone roars past us on the freeway we lament, “Where is a policeman when you need one?” But when we are the ones speeding and we get caught, we get angry.

God must punish sin if he is holy.

Because God is love, sin must be purified. Since God loves us, he will do whatever he must to keep us from continuing in sin. The doctor who cut the cancer from my mother years ago did not hurt her—he saved her. God is the best parent you know. He will punish his children’s sin so that they will not continue it. God must purify our sin if he is love.

So God must permit, punish, and purify our sins. He does this in many ways.

He permits the consequences of our sins. You can drive a nail into wood and then pull out the nail, but the hole remains. I know people who will live the rest of their lives with the consequences of sins God has forgiven—criminal records, broken marriages, divorced parents, sexually transmitted diseases, lost virginity, broken bodies. God did not cause these consequences, but he permits them. Yes, you can sin and receive the forgiveness of God, but the consequences of your sin will be devastating and they will remain.

He directly punishes our sins. In Scripture God sometimes sends disease, or pestilence, or enemies to punish sin and rehabilitate sinners. He can still do this today.

He refuses to reward our sins. When we stand before Christ in judgment we will receive eternal rewards for our obedience to his word and will. And we will suffer a loss of reward for all eternity wherever we have refused his word and will. God cannot and will not reward our sins.

He allows us the eternal result of our sins. If a person chooses to reject his love and mercy, God must allow him the result of that choice. As Calvin Miller puts it in one of his books, a man asks God: “Could you be loving and merciful and send me to hell?” God replies, “I could never send you to hell. But if you choose to go there, I could never lock you out.”

What do we do with sin?

So what do we do with sin now?

First, refuse it. Listen to Proverbs 4:14-15: “Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.” Hear once again this fact: sin will always take you further than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you wanted to pay. Always.

When you do sin, admit it and turn from it. Repent immediately, before the cancer spreads.

And when you repent, claim the forgiveness of God.

Psalm 103:3 promises that God “forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.” God will separate your sins from you as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12); he will bury them in the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19) and he will remember them no more (Isaiah 43:25). The next time you confess a sin you’ve already confessed, God won’t know what you’re talking about.

Receive his grace, and know that you have received it.

The poet was right:

Lord,There are countless things in my lifeThat are inexcusable.There are things unaccountableAnd things unexplainable.There are things irrefutableAnd things irresponsible.But it comes to me with unutterable reliefThat because of your amazing loveNothing in my life is unforgivable.

Conclusion

Karl Barth was the greatest writing theologian of the twentieth century. His Church Dogmatics occupy 14 volumes on my study shelf. After writing more than 7,000 pages, he comes to this definition of God: “The One who loves.” He’s right.

He will punish our sins through consequences, direct action, and eternal judgment. He does this because he is grace, he is holy, and most of all, because he is love. Now, would you turn to this love? Would you accept this grace? Would you experience this holiness? You can right now, if you will.

My favorite John Claypool story concerns a medieval village and the monastery high above it on a mountain. The humble villagers often wondered what the monks did up in their elevated holy world. Then one day a monk came down into the village for supplies.

One of the peasants ran, fell before him, and asked, “O holy father, what do you and the others do up there so close to God?”

The monk pulled the peasant to his feet, took his hands, smiled into his face and said, “We fall down and we get up. We fall down and we get up. We fall down and we get up.”

Would you like to get up today?

Are There Rewards In Heaven?

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Are there rewards in heaven?

Dr. Jim Denison

The Academy Awards are presented each February. The winners each receive something called an “Oscar,” though no one knows why. One possible answer is that early on, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences librarian said the statuette represented her Uncle Oscar.

An Oscar weighs 8.5 pounds and stands 13.5 inches tall. It depicts a knight holding a crusader’s sword, standing on a reel of film. It takes twelve people twenty hours to make one of the 50 statuettes produced each year. The Oscars are then shipped in unmarked cardboard boxes for security reasons. Security isn’t always effective, however—a few years ago they were stolen and found nine days later next to a dumpster.

Who won last year? Which movie? Which stars? The year before? How long will you remember this year’s winners and losers? Millennia after our culture has disappeared, eternity will only have begun. Jesus promised the thief on the cross, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). What was “paradise” like for that convicted felon? What will it be like for you and me? Why does it all matter today?

What is heaven like?

When Ronald Reagan was running for Governor of California, a woman confronted him by his car one day and berated him severely. Finally she said, “I wouldn’t vote for you if you were St. Peter.” He smiled and replied, “No problem. If I were St. Peter, you wouldn’t be living in my district.”

What do we know about “St. Peter’s district”? We’re all fascinated with the subject of heaven. Every one of us has loved ones there; I assume we all would like to spend eternity there ourselves. So let’s learn from God’s word about his home.

What is heaven?

What does our Father tell us about our eternal destiny? First, he tells us that heaven is real. It is certain—no figment of religious imagination, no superstition, no “opiate of the people” (Karl Marx). He revealed it to John: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1). According to God himself, heaven is real.

Second, heaven is a place (Revelation 21:1-2). John “saw” it. He didn’t feel it, or dream of it, or hear about it. He saw it, and we only see things which are. Heaven is a place. Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2; emphasis mine).

Third, heaven is where God is (Revelation 21:3). John reveals, “Now the dwelling of God is with men.” When we get to heaven, we get to God. Psalm 11:4 is clear: “The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne.” Jesus taught us to pray to “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). Heaven is a real place, where God is. It’s being with God.

Fourth, heaven is a blessed place (Revelation 21:4). Because God is there, all that is perfect is there as well. There will be no death in heaven, thus no mourning or crying or pain. Our greatest enemy will trouble us no more. It’s a place of incredible joy: “You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11). It’s a place of reward: “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). And this reward is eternal: “An inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).

Such a glorious place is celebration, a party: “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God” (Luke 14:15). We reign in heaven: “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21). In heaven, we’re royalty. We’ll have perfect understanding there: “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

To sum up, in heaven God makes all things new (Revelation 21:5). No more Fall, or sin, or death, or disease, or disaster; no more earthquakes or fears or tests or grades. Everything is new. No wonder Jesus called heaven “paradise” (Luke 23:43). It is a place of blessing beyond all description: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what the Lord has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9; cf. Isaiah 64.4).

What will we be like?

First, let’s set aside a popular misconception: in heaven, people are not angels. God created angels before he created us, and we are completely different. When Jesus said that people in heaven are “like the angels” (Luke 20:36), he meant that we never die, as they do not. Not that we have “wings and a halo” (they don’t either, by the way). We are not angels. But we do receive heavenly bodies: “The perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:53).

Will we recognize each other? I think so, for these reasons. Jesus said that in heaven we will take our places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Matthew 8:11), so apparently we will recognize them. On the Mount of Transfiguration the disciples easily recognized Moses and Elijah (Matthew 17:3-4). Paul promised that in heaven we will “know as we are known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). I like what one preacher said: “We won’t really know each other until we get to heaven!”

Why does heaven matter?

I would imagine that the biblical truths we’ve rehearsed so far are good news. But let me ask: how often did you think about heaven this week? Did its existence change anything you did? Why should it? For this simple reason: when we lose heaven we lose the transcendent. We lose our sense that there is something more than this world, and we who live in it. And that is always a bad decision.

If we don’t live for heaven we will live for this world, for it is all there is. And that the Bible says we must not do: “Do not love the world or anything in the world” (1 John 2:15; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3:1-3; Philippians 3:20). Why are we not to love this world? Because it is not enough. The more we have, the more we want. It is not our home.

We live for heaven when we care more for people’s eternal souls than for their temporal approval; when we use our money to build God’s kingdom more than our own; when we ask God to use our suffering more than to solve it; when we remember that this life is the car and not the house, the road and not the destination; when we make sure every day that we’re ready to die.

How will we be rewarded in heaven?

A dear elderly saint was near death, and gave her pastor a strange request: “When my casket is opened at the funeral, and all my friends come by for a last look, I want them to see me ready to be buried with a table fork in my right hand.”

She explained to her puzzled pastor, “I want you to tell the congregation, you know what it means when they clear the dishes from a big meal and someone says, ‘keep your fork.’ You know that something good is coming—maybe a piece of apple pie or chocolate cake. ‘Keep your fork’ means something good is coming. Pastor, I want to be buried with a dessert fork in my hand. It will be my way of saying, ‘the best is yet to come.'”

And so it was. Everyone who saw her body in the casket saw her final witness. For her, death and judgment were not a disaster, but dessert. How can that be true for you and me, when we stand before God in judgment one day?

Living for heaven is in your best interest on earth and in glory, in time and in eternity. The Bible has much to say about our judgment and rewards in heaven. We’ll look briefly at the subject, and relate it to our lives today.

Will your building last?

In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul paints the picture of life as a house we build. His discussion makes four facts clear.

First, your “house” is the gift of God (v. 10). Paul’s abilities and opportunities to be an “expert builder” were given to him by God. His relationship with Jesus Christ is God’s grace gift to him. All we have and are comes by his grace.

The doctrine of judgment does not teach a works righteousness. We cannot earn God’s love or favor. Judgment means that we are to be faithful stewards of the grace gifts and opportunities of God, and are accountable for them. But no one deserves the rewards given at the judgment—they come by his grace.

Second, your house must be founded on Jesus (v. 11). He is the unchanging, stable rock upon which to build your life. Not just your religion, or your Sunday mornings, but every priority, commitment, and ambition. Your life must be bolted to him.

Third, you are responsible for what you build (v. 12). The foundation is determined. What we build on it is not. Some of us use “gold, silver, costly stones” such as marble and granite. We give God our best. We invest in that which is permanent and eternal. We put souls before success, family before finances, God before gold. When the “fire” of judgment comes, gold, silver, and marble stand the test. You’ve seen ancient marble ruins, standing for thousands of years, ready to stand for thousands more. So with some of us.

On the other hand, some of us build our lives out of “wood, hay, or straw.” We give God what is cheap, convenient, easy. He gets the leftovers. And when we are judged, our disobedience will be obvious to all.

Fourth, God will judge our lives (vs. 13-15). One day the judgment will come—the “Day” (v. 13). Those who lived for God will be rewarded, as we’ll see in a moment (v. 14). Those of us who lived for ourselves, for this fallen world, for that which is temporary and inferior, will “suffer loss” (v. 15a). God cannot reward disobedience.

If we have made Jesus our Savior, we will be saved. Our eternal salvation is not in question. But our eternal rewards are, and if our house has been built out of wood, hay, or straw, we will “be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” (v. 15b). How do people run out of a burning house? With nothing.

You’ve perhaps heard about the crooked building contractor who built a house for a wealthy friend, cutting corners wherever he could. Inferior products and workmanship throughout. When the house was finished, the wealthy friend gave the man the keys and said, “It’s yours.”

There’s a story about a business tycoon who made a fortune in money and fame, but gave little of himself or his wealth to God. When he died, Peter showed him to his home in heaven—a small shack. He protested loudly, and Peter shrugged his shoulders and explained, “I did the best I could with what you sent me.”

You and I are responsible for what we do with the lives God has given us by his grace. They are to be founded on Jesus as Lord, built of our best commitment to him. One day the Building Inspector will visit our house. And his judgment will be eternal. These are the facts of God’s word. Now let’s ask some questions.

Will you be judged?

First, will you be judged? Would a loving Father of grace and mercy judge his children? Hebrews 9:27 is clear: “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” All of us—no exceptions. Paul said, “Each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).

A man in the congregation laughed when the pastor said, “Members of this church, you will all die one day and face the judgment of God.” The pastor asked him why he laughed, and he said, “I’m not a member of this church.” But he is. So are we all.

By whom will we be judged? By Jesus: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

The “judgment seat” was a raised platform where the ruler sat and judged those brought before him. At this “bema seat” Pilate once judged Jesus; now Jesus judges Pilate. Jesus was very clear on this: “the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22). Peter said, “[Jesus] is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42). Paul agreed: “God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ” (Romans 2:16).

When? At his return: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him,” and he will judge them (Matthew 25:31-32).

Jesus will judge us all, at his return. We cannot escape. But if we’re prepared, this will not be terror but triumph; not a curse but a crown. Let’s see how to be ready today.

How will we be judged?”

How will this judgment happen? God’s word describes two books of judgment: “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done…If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-13, 15).

First, there is the book of works. Here God has recorded your deeds and mine. Now he will judge them. What will he find? “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. . . The wages [judgment] for sin is death” (Romans 3:23, 6:23). No one can get to heaven on the basis of the book of works. None of us is good enough.

And so there is a second book, the book of life, and it’s the key. What is it? I believe that when your life began, you were recorded in this “book of life.” Moses said to God: “Please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.” The Lord replied, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book” (Exodus 32:32-33).

God has your name in his book, and must “blot it out” if you choose to reject his free salvation in Christ. When you die without Christ, God is forced to remove your name from his book of life, and you’ll be “thrown into the lake of fire.” Scripture is very clear: “Nothing impure will ever enter [heaven], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).

But if you have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, your name will be there forever. Jesus said to his disciples, “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke10:20). Paul addressed the Philippian Christians as “my fellow laborers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:3).

However, heaven is not the only question at the judgment. Heavenly rewards or loss of rewards is at issue as well: “If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss” (1 Corinthians 3:14-15). Why will we suffer “loss” of reward?

• Secret, unconfessed sins will be judged: “God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

• “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs” (Luke 12:2-3).

• Our words will be judged: “I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36-37).

• After listing all sorts of sin, Peter declared that those who do such things “will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5).

Ungodly, unconfessed sins, thoughts, or words will be revealed at the judgment and burned away. Because heaven is perfect, these things cannot enter in; they must be burned off, destroyed. Sin is forgiven, but reward is lost.

On the other hand, “gold, silver, costly stones” are rewarded. What kind of rewards?

• There is the “crown of life”: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). Jesus said, “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

• There is the “soul-winner’s crown:” “What is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20).

• There is the “crown of righteousness:” “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

• For Christian leaders there is the “crown of glory:” “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Peter 5:2-4).

Gold, silver, costly stones will be rewarded with everlasting crowns. For what? Enduring temptation; winning souls; staying faithful to God’s purpose; serving God’s people in love. This is the building which lasts forever.

Conclusion

Let’s summarize. You and I will stand one day before Jesus Christ in judgment. If you have rejected him as Savior and Lord, your name will not be in his book of life, and you’ve chosen hell over heaven forever. If you’ve accepted him, heaven is already yours. Your name is in his book, forever.

But the book of works will determine your rewards or loss of rewards. Ungodly words, secret sins, immorality will be burned away and suffer loss; holiness, soul-winning, faithfulness, and loving service will be rewarded with eternal crowns. We need to be ready, today.

C. S. Lewis once said that there are two kinds of people. Some say to God, “Your will be done.” For them the judgment will be reward and victory. To the others God must finally say, “Your will be done.” They have rejected heaven, or rewards in heaven. Is it his will or yours? You have only today to decide.

The largest statue ever carved from a single piece of stone weighed more than two million pounds. It was a figure of Ramses I, the Egyptian Pharaoh who died in 1317 B.C. When the children of Israel left Egypt, they passed his enormous statue.

Who would have dreamed that these ragged former slaves, trudging out into the hardships of the unknown desert, would amount to anything? But today Ramses’ statue lies broken in the sands of Egypt. Meanwhile, the movement God began with those children of Israel, men and women willing to live in God’s will and for his glory, have been used by his hand to change our world forever. To touch your soul and mind. To glorify our Maker and King. Such people of faith win the only Oscar that matters. Will you?

Are You Awed by God?

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Are You Awed By God?

Exodus 3:1-6

James C. Denison

It was my first day on the faculty of Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth. I parked my pickup truck outside our church in Mansfield before driving to school. The only parking spot I could find was adjacent to President Russell Dilday’s car.

I happened to see Dr. Dilday come and go two or three times during the day; once it seemed that he looked in the back of my truck, but I thought nothing of it. When I came out at the end of the day, I saw what he might have seen: the empty 12-pack beer carton someone had thrown in the back of my truck when it was parked outside the church that morning. Not the best way to start a new career.

Most of us have been awed by someone we respect or fear. Your first meeting with the president of your college, or the CEO of your new company, or the famous athlete you happen to meet. The first president I ever met was Jimmy Carter. I would see him for five minutes one day at the Carter Center in Atlanta. I worried all week that I would do something to embarrass myself for the rest of my life.

When last were you awed by God? This summer we explored the church, the people of God. Now let’s meet the God of the church. Recent movies have brought us Bruce Almighty and Evan Almighty–now we’ll meet God Almighty. Each week we’ll be introduced by a person who met God and was never the same.

We start with a man who was awed by God. He is ready to show us that we have not experienced all God can do in and through our lives until the same thing happens to us. Where do you need divine power and presence today? What you need even more is to be awed by God.

Let me show you why.

Being awed by God

One of the most pivotal events in human history occurred in one of the most mundane settings imaginable. The region was known as “Horeb,” a Hebrew word meaning “desolation” or “desert.” The traditional site is called Gebel Musa, “Moses’ mountain,” an elevation of 7,467 feet. Here Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law when he heard the voice of God.

From within a burning bush, God called Moses by name (v. 4). It is an astounding thing to realize that the Lord of the universe knows your name and mine. He is watching as you listen to these words. He knows your thoughts and heart. And he loves and accepts you anyway.

He called Moses to venerate his holiness by removing his sandals. Slaves were typically barefoot; here Moses humbled himself to the lowest level of social importance. He bowed before this holy God in the reverence which is his due. And God revealed himself in greater detail than any human had yet known him. But it all started when Moses was awed by God.

Are you awed by God?

“Fear not” is the phrase God says to humans more often than any other in the Bible. He said it to Abram when he first called him: “Fear not, Abram–I am your shield and very great reward” (Genesis 15:1). He said it to Hagar in the desert (Genesis 21:17). He said it to Isaac: “Fear not, for I am with you” (Genesis 26:24). He said it to Jacob: “Fear not to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there” (Genesis 46:3).

He said it to Moses when he was afraid of his enemy (Numbers 21:34). Gabriel said it to Zacharias in announcing the coming of John the Baptist (Luke 1:13); he said it to Mary in announcing the coming of the Messiah (Luke 1:30); the angels said it to the shepherds in announcing the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:10).

Jesus said it to his disciples when he called them to fish for men (Luke 5:10). God said it to Paul before his shipwreck (Acts 27:24). The exalted Christ said it to John on Patmos: “Fear not” (Revelation 1:17).

All through the Old Testament we see the same pattern.

When Isaiah saw the Lord he cried out, “Woe to me! I am ruined!” (Isaiah 6:5). When Jeremiah heard his call he responded, “Ah, Sovereign Lord! I do not know how to speak–I am only a child” (Jeremiah 1:6).

When Ezekiel saw the Lord he fell facedown (Ezekiel 1:28). When Daniel received the vision of God, he says that his face “turned pale” (Daniel 7:28). When Hosea heard the word of the Lord he called the people to repent (Hosea 14:1-2).

Joel called the sinful nation to mourn and grieve in a solemn assembly before Almighty God (Joel 1:13-14). When God spoke to Amos, the prophet recorded, “The Lord roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers” (Amos 1:2). Every prophet had the same message: repent before the God of the universe.

The Old Testament closes with these words from Malachi 4: “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.  He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse” (vs. 5-6).

But this is the God of the Old Testament, a God of law and legalism and judgment, we often hear. The New Testament God of grace is different, some people say. Those people are wrong.

When Jesus first demonstrated his miraculous power to Peter, the burly fisherman pled with him, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8). At the Mount of Transfiguration, where Jesus revealed his heavenly glory to them, his disciples “did not know what to say, they were so frightened” (Mark 9:6).

When the battle-hardened soldiers came to arrest him in Gethsemane, Jesus “went out and asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’ ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied.” To which Jesus responded with the divine name of God, the Great I Am: “I am.” And “when Jesus said, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18:4-6).

When Paul encountered the risen Christ he was thrown from his horse and blinded for three days (Acts 9:1-19). When John saw the glorified Jesus he “fell at his feet as though dead” (Revelation 1:17).

Do you see the pattern? Every time someone sees God as he is, that person responds in awe, fear, and reverence. The Bible says that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). When we “fear” or reverence God, we approach him as he is. When we don’t, we don’t.

How can you be awed by God?

When last were you in awe of God? Why aren’t we awed more by him? If we see him as he is, we cannot help but feel our inadequacy and his superiority, our sin and his holiness, our need and his greatness. Why isn’t this more our experience of God?

Bad theology is one reason. If you see God as a benevolent grandfather watching us play in the yard, “gentle Jesus meek and mild,” a kind and gracious God who loves us all and would never judge our lives, you won’t be awed by God. If you see him as a Creator but nothing more, a kind of apathetic clockmaker who watches his world run down, you won’t be awed by him.

If you approach the God of the universe as someone who must account for his actions, who must explain himself to you before you’ll worship him, you’ll not be awed by him. If he’s a genie in your spiritual bottle, a God who exists to help you with your problems and make you feel better today, you won’t be awed by God.

But if you see him as he is–as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the One who gave you your life and your next breath, the One who rescued your soul from hell for heaven and has given you “every good and perfect gift” in your life (James 1:17), you’ll see him properly. When last did you get on your knees before the Lord? When last did you exalt him in your own heart? When last were you awed by God in worship?

Broken relationships are another reason. Sin blocks our fellowship with God. It keeps us from seeing him in his holiness. When our attitudes, thoughts, words, or actions are disobedient to his word and will, they distance us from the Lord.

And when we’re wrong with each other, it’s hard to be right with God. You cannot hurt my sons and love their father. It’s hard to be awed by someone you can barely see. When last did you spend time in confession and contrition before the holy God of the universe? When last were you awed by God in repentance?

Busy lives are another reason. The truism is true: if the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy. Spend an hour on Sunday morning to check the religion box. Pray over meals and when you have a problem. Read the Bible when you get a moment. None of these are how to see God.

When last did you spend time listening to God? Time walking with God in his creation? Time waiting for his Spirit to speak from his word to your soul? The more time we spend with God, the more we’ll be awed by him. When last were you awed by God in prayer and Scripture?

The bottom line: do you want to be awed by God? Do you want all of God there is in your life today?

Do you want him to be as powerful in his body now and he was in his body 20 centuries ago? Do you want to see him do today what he did then? Do you want him to do in our church and community and lives what he is doing around the world?

He’s looking for another Moses to lead his people out of spiritual slavery to the Promised Land of his joy. He’s looking for someone else willing to throw down his rod and let it become the “rod of God.” He’s looking for someone who will stand up to the Pharaohs of our day and change history for his glory.

God wants people who are so awed by God that they believe he can use them for a greater purpose than they can see; people so awed by God that they trust him with their plans and future and lives; people so awed by God that they will settle for nothing less than being surrendered to him every day; people so awed by God that they want nothing more than to please and serve him with every part of their lives.

Conclusion

Do you want to be awed by God? Will you exalt him as your Lord, and repent of your sins against God and his children, and spend time in his presence, and surrender to his purpose? He can use and bless only the people who are close enough to him to be used and blessed. He cannot give what we will not receive. He cannot lead those who will not follow. But if we will pay the price to be awed by God, we will find in him all that our souls need and more.

Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light has been much in the news recently. The book makes available for the first time some very personal letters she wrote over 50 years of struggling with spiritual darkness and loneliness. Serving in one of the most impoverished, terrible places on earth, her discouragement is understandable.

Dealing with doubts and spiritual depression became part of her ministry to the Lord Jesus and to his people. But through this long “dark night of the soul,” she never lost her love for her Lord or her awe of his majesty.

For instance, she was hospitalized in 1983 after a fall. During her recovery she began to meditate on Jesus’ question we explored last week from Matthew 16: “Who do people say that I am?” She wrote her own answer. Discovering it this week was so moving that I learned it, and share it with you. I hope you’ll chose to be as awed by her God as was she:

“Who is Jesus to me? Jesus is the Word made Flesh. Jesus is the Bread of Life. Jesus is the Victim offered for our sins on the Cross. Jesus is the Word–to be spoken. Jesus is the Truth–to be told. Jesus is the Way–to be walked. Jesus is the Light–to be lit. Jesus is the Life–to be lived. Jesus is the Love–to be loved. Jesus is the Joy–to be shared. Jesus is the Sacrifice–to be offered. Jesus is the Peace–to be given. Jesus is the Hungry–to be fed. Jesus is the Thirsty–to be satiated. Jesus is the Naked–to be clothed. Jesus is the Homeless–to be taken in. Jesus is the Sick–to be healed. Jesus is the Lonely–to be loved. Jesus is the Unwanted–to be wanted. Jesus is the Leper–to wash his wounds. Jesus is the Beggar–to give him a smile. Jesus is the Drunkard–to listen to him. Jesus is the Little One–to embrace him. Jesus is the Blind–to lead him. Jesus is the Dumb–to speak for him. Jesus is the Crippled–to walk with him. Jesus is the Drug Addict–to befriend him. Jesus is the Prostitute–to remove from danger and befriend. Jesus is the Prisoner–to be visited. Jesus is the Old–to be served.

“To me–Jesus is my God. Jesus is my Life. Jesus is my only Love. Jesus is my All in All. Jesus is my Everything. Jesus, I love with my whole heart, with my whole being.”

Amen?