This is the series archive

Why Did Abraham Sacrifice Isaac?

Written by

Why Did Abraham Sacrifice Isaac?

Genesis 22:1-19

Dr. Jim Denison

The current issue of Fortune magazine carries this cover story: “God and business: the surprising quest for spiritual renewal in the American workplace.”

In the article, Andre DelBecq, a management professor, says, “There were two things I thought I’d never see in my life, the fall of the Russian empire and God being spoken about at a business school.” It’s about time.

David Miller, former IBM executive and investment banker who now leads a faith-in-the-workplace group called Avodah (Hebrew for “work” and “worship”) Institute: “People often talk about the sacred-secular divide, but my faith tells me that God is found in earth and rocks and buildings and institutions, and, yes, in the business world.” He’s right.

The Princeton Religious Research Index reports a sharp increase in religious beliefs and practices since the 1990s. When the Gallup Poll asked Americans in 1999 if they felt a need to experience spiritual growth, 78% said yes, up from 20% in 1994, and nearly half said they’d had occasion to talk about their faith in the workplace in the past 24 hours.

Laura Nash, a senior research fellow at Harvard Business School, says, “Spirituality in the workplace is exploding.”

Soul and body, God and daily life are finally coming together for many people in our culture. We all need that intersection to happen for us every day. So I want to answer two questions today: why? and how?

Why trust God with your life?

This week I read James Maas’s book, Power Sleep. His research proves that at least 50 percent of America’s adult population is chronically sleep-deprived. An even greater percentage report trouble sleeping on any given night. And the number who report trouble sleeping has risen 33 percent in the last five years.

Why? Why are we so stressed and anxious?

We’re working more hours than ever before in our history. The technological revolution was supposed to free our time; instead it keeps us working all the time. Cell phones, pagers, and e-mail find us wherever we are in the world. It’s as though we never left the office, because we don’t. If we can just do more, we can have more and we can be more. Or so we think.

As a result, we’re achieving financial success on an unprecedented scale, but we’re discovering that it’s not enough. As one executive in the Fortune article said, “We get to the top of the ladder and find that maybe it’s leaning against the wrong building.”

For many of us, it is.

The problem started a long time ago.

Six centuries before Christ, a poet named Orpheus began teaching ancient Greece that our souls existed separate from our bodies, and were put into them as punishment for crimes they committed in the spiritual world. The point to life, he said, was to get our good souls out of our bad bodies. Keep the spiritual from the secular.

Orpheus influenced Pythagoras, who influenced Plato, who influenced Augustine, who influenced Martin Luther and his Reformation, who influences us today. And so the Western world, from ancient Greece to modern America, has bought into this division of soul and body, spirit and life, for 26 centuries.

In our culture the “spiritual” and the “secular” are segmented. God is for Sunday, but not for Monday. Souls are for saving, but not for living. We are not to talk about our religion in public, or let it affect our public lives. The two are separate.

So while we achieve success financially, vocationally, socially, academically, it’s enough spiritually that we are periodically religious. We trust God to save our souls, while we take care of everything else.

But we can’t. God didn’t make things this way. He created the heavens and the earth, he made our planet, and he is the only one who knows how we are to live on it. When we separate our work and lives from God, we pull the plug on the only power which enables us to live and work with joy, courage, and peace. Life won’t work this way.

And it doesn’t have to. George Gallup recently conducted a poll with results he calls “among the most exciting and significant that we have recorded in more than a half-century of polling.” I’d like to know what has Mr. Gallup so excited.

Here it is. He has discovered a sliver of the American population which he calls “highly spiritually committed.” People who let God run their lives, not just their religion. People who live for God all week, not just on Sunday. People who belong unconditionally to God.

What has he learned about them? “While representing only 13% of the populace, these persons are a ‘breed apart’ from the rest of society. We find that these people, who have what might be described as a ‘transforming faith,’ are more tolerant of others, more inclined to perform charitable acts, more concerned about the betterment of society, and far happier” (emphasis mine).

God is going to ask you to join their ranks today. Here’s how.

How to trust God with your life

Our text opens with a very confusing statement: “Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied” (v. 1).

You need to know that the word “test” here does not mean to tempt to do wrong, but to test so that we can do right. The Hebrew word nawsaw means to test and prove something, to show that it is so. God is going to give Abraham a faith test. And he will pass it with flying colors.

Here it is: “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about” (v. 2).

Abraham had waited 25 years for this son. When he was born God had promised his father, “it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” (Genesis 21:12). And now God tells this elderly man, more than 110 years old, to sacrifice him to God.

“Go the region of Moriah,” to Mt. Moriah. This is the most significant single mountain in the world today. Where Abraham offered Isaac, David later offered sacrifice to God on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (2 Samuel 24:17-19). And so Solomon, David’s son, built his Temple here and made this rock at the top of this mountain his Holy of Holies (2 Chronicles 3:1).

Today this rock is enshrined in the Dome of the Rock, the Muslim structure completed in AD 691. It is the holiest spot on earth to the Jews, and third holiest to the Muslims. They both want it. And the Middle East conflict which rages today all comes down to it.

But long before all of that, a conflict raged here in the heart of an old man. He is to “sacrifice” his son here, to slit his throat and burn his body. To give up his beloved child, his heir and legacy and future, everything that matters to him. To give it all to God.

And he does. He and Isaac get up early the next morning and travel by foot more than 40 miles over three days. He climbs up this mountain with him, and lays his bound son on this altar, knife high in the air. How can he do it?

Because he trusts God. Not just with his religion, but with his life. Not just with what he can spare, but with his best. He knows that whatever he gives to God, God will bless. He trusts God.

Hebrews 11:19 says, “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.” He knew that if God wanted him to sacrifice this son, God could raise him back to life. God could still keep his promises and make him his heir. God could do whatever God wants to do.

You see it in his promise to his servants: “We will worship and then we will come back to you” (v. 5). And they did.

You see it in his promise to Isaac: “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (v. 8). And he did, giving Abraham the ram which replaced his son on the altar of worship.

Abraham trusts God with his best, and God does more with it than Abraham ever could.

He makes this one child the father of the Hebrew people. Through his descendants God brings his own Son, who dies on his own sacrificial wood as our sin offering to God.

And now because of what God did through Isaac, Abraham’s seed, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28-29). Through Abraham’s child we are all God’s children. All because he gave his best to God, and God blessed it and is using it still today.

So, how do we join those people Gallup called “highly spiritually committed?” How do we get beyond the spiritual-secular chasm in our culture, and find God’s power and God’s purpose in all we do? How do we live at peace in this hectic, high stress, burned out, sleep-deprived society?

We do what Abraham did. We let God run our lives—every part of them. We put our families on his altar, ask him how to love them and raise them and help them, and do what he says. We put our friends on his altar, and our finances on his altar, and our futures on his altar. We put our best abilities and our worst failures on his altar. We put ourselves where Abraham put his son. We give our lives to God.

Romans 12 is the New Testament commentary on our text. Hear these familiar words in a new way, through Eugene Peterson’s translation, The Message: “Here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you” (emphasis mine). “Take your everyday, ordinary life—and place it before God as an offering.” Do it today.

Conclusion

Put Isaac on the altar today.

Eric Liddell did. The Scotsman who won the gold medal in the 1924 Olympic Games turned his back on fame and fortune to serve God as a missionary in China. He died in a prison camp there, but the Oscar-winning movie Chariots of Fire told his story to the world. He put Isaac on the altar, and God is using him still.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer did. This German genius was safe teaching theology in New York when he returned to Nazi Germany to fight Hitler and serve God with his life. He was hanged on April 8, 1945, but his theology and his witness are more powerful today than when he was alive on this earth. He put Isaac on the altar, and God is using him still.

Benny Newton did. Latino trucker Fidel Lopez was being beaten by the crowd during the Los Angeles riots of 1992 when Rev. Newton saw the uprising on television and ran to break things up. He threw his body over Lopez’s and yelled to his fellow black neighbors, “If you kill him, you’ll have to kill me, too!” He had a small ministry in the inner city, and died of leukemia the next year. But his story has been told all over the country since. He put Isaac on the altar, and God is using him still.

God will bless anything you let him bless. He will use anything you let him use.

Have you kept him out of your work, or your family, or your friends, or your finances, or your future? Or is Isaac on your altar? Have you surrendered every part of your life to God’s will? Can he send you anywhere? Can he use you in any way?

God doesn’t want Sunday, but all week. Not just what you gave him financially today, but what you kept. Not just your church, but your business, your friends, your life. He wants it all.

This week, before I could preach this message to you I had to hear it myself. I had to say to God, “I don’t care what people think, but only what you think. I belong only and fully to you.” Will you join me? God wants your Isaac, your best, your all. I call you to give it to him.

Last Tuesday afternoon I had the great privilege of preaching as part of E. K. Bailey’s annual conference on expository preaching. Preachers come from all over the world to this event. And I’ll tell you, if you can’t preach to 700 black preachers, you can’t preach.

That very day, God moved me to close the message by quoting a statement of faith which is dear to my heart. It was written by a young pastor in Zambabwe who was later martyred for his faith. You’ve heard it before. Hear it again. And make it your own:

“I am part of the ‘Fellowship of the Unashamed.’ I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I’ve stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

“I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by his presence, lean by faith, love by patience, live by prayer, and labor by power.

“My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of compromise, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

“I won’t give up, shut up, let up, or slow up until I’ve preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.

“I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go until he comes, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until he stops.

“And when he comes to get his own, he’ll have no problems recognizing me—my colors will be clear.”

Are yours?

Why Did Jesus Have to Die on the Cross?

Written by

Topical Scripture: Acts 10:38–41

Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks told a capacity crowd at the American Airlines Center last Wednesday night that he is retiring the NBA.

Nowitzki was undoubtedly one of the greatest players in NBA history: a league champion and Finals MVP, league MVP, fourteen-time all-star, and the sixth-leading scorer of all time. He played twenty-one years with the same franchise, which is a record as well.

But the adulation he has received in Dallas and across basketball is about much more than what he did on the court.

While Dirk’s salary was lucrative, he took pay cuts so his team could try to sign other players. He cared about the locker room attendants wherever the Mavericks played. His many unpublicized hospital trips to visit children (who called him “Uncle Dirk”) were just part of his commitment to his community.

At his last home game, five of his basketball heroes came to Dallas to pay him homage. The standing-room-only crowd showered him with ovation after ovation. Owner Mark Cuban promised him a job for life and a huge statue in front of the arena.

For all he has meant to basketball and to our community, we hope he will never wonder if the community loves him in return.

Today is Palm Sunday. We’re one week from Easter. Each week we’ve been asking the “whys” of this season. Why was Jesus born as a baby rather than merely coming to earth as an adult? Why did he have to die for us? Next week we’ll ask, why did he have to be raised from the dead?

Our question today is: Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Of all the ways he could have died for our sins, why the cruelest, most horrible form of torture ever devised?

When we understand the answer, no matter who we are and what we’ve done, we’ll never again need to wonder if God loves us.

Why did Jesus have to die?

Let’s begin by remembering why he had to die at all.

Last week, we learned that because God is holy and heaven is perfect, the debt of our sins must be paid before we can enter his paradise. Since sin removes us from God, the only source of eternal life, the consequence of sin is death. Thus, someone must die to pay our debt.

But since we’re all sinners, we cannot pay each other’s debt. Only a sinless person could do that. And Jesus is the only sinless person who has ever lived (Hebrews 4:15).

Thus, he had to die to pay the debt we owed in order for us to be forgiven and given eternal life with God. As the chorus says, “He paid a debt he did not owe; I owed a debt I could not pay.”

But why did Jesus have to die in the way he did? The Jews executed by stoning, as we see with Stephen; the Romans executed their citizens by beheading, as with Paul.

Why did Jesus have to suffer the cruelest, most horrific form of death ever devised?

Jesus’ death fulfilled prophecy

The word of God predicted the manner of Jesus’ death a thousand years before it happened.

In Psalm 22, David wrote these words: “Dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet” (Psalm 22:16). Note that he made this statement five centuries before the Persians invented crucifixion.

So, Jesus died on the cross to fulfill prophecy. But why did the Spirit author this prophecy?

Why did the Father decide that his Son must die in this way? If he simply needed to die for our sins, the Lord could have predicted his death by stoning, beheading, or any number of other means. Why this?

The nature of crucifixion

Research has revealed much about the manner of Jesus’ death.

We know that he was scourged, a whipping that tore flesh from bones and caused many victims to die.

The victim was then taken to the place of crucifixion. This was intended to shame the victim as he was paraded through the streets, stripped of most of his clothes, and executed in such a public and violent way.

Victims were typically nailed to the cross through their wrists, as nails through the hands could not support the weight of the victim. For instance, in 1968, archaeologists discovered the remains of one Johanan, a victim of Roman crucifixion during the Jewish uprisings of AD 70. A nail seven inches long was still embedded in his heel bones.

If the Romans wanted the person to suffer longer, they could tie the arms to the crossbeam with ropes. They would then nail the hands to the cross, as the ropes would support the body’s weight.

Since Passover was coming, the Jews wanted Jesus to die as quickly as possible. Thus, spikes were driven through his wrists into the cross and through his heels. The body weight of the victim crushed his lungs, forcing him to pull himself up on his crucified wrists to breathe. Eventually, he lost use of his arms and had to push upon his crucified heels.

The Romans would then break the legs of the victim, who would die shortly of suffocation. But Jesus chose to die before the Romans took his life from him.

Crucifixion is so horrific that it has been outlawed in nearly every country on earth. Why did Jesus die in this way? Any death would have paid the debt for our sins. He needed to die publicly so the world would know what he did for us, but stoning or beheading could have been just as public.

If there was an easier, less horrible way to die, don’t you think he would have chosen it? Don’t you think his Father would have chosen it for him?

If you could choose between lethal injection and crucifixion for your child, which would you choose?

Why Jesus chose the cross

I can think of only one reason why the Father and the Son chose the cross: to show us their solidarity with our most horrific, indescribable pain and shame.

There is no physical pain we can feel that is worse than his. No pain from disease or disaster, war or criminal attack or accident. The worst that can happen to us is no worse than what happened to him.

There is no shame we can feel that is worse than his. We know the shame of our individual sins; he took the shame of the entire human race on himself. Then he demonstrated that fact by dying in the most shameful manner possible—paraded through the streets, stripped to all but a loincloth, and executed before his mother, his best friend, and his enemies.

None of this was necessary for Jesus to understand our pain and shame. He was and is omniscient. He did not learn something about us at Calvary that he did not know beforehand.

But we learned something about him at Calvary we did not know beforehand. We now know that the God of the universe is not a Zeus atop Mt. Olympus, impervious to our needs; he is not an Allah, removed from our sufferings; he is not an impersonal force like the Hindu Brahman; he is not simply a judge of right and wrong as some in Judaism picture him.

The Son felt the worst we can feel. His Father watched his Son suffer in such pain and shame, proving that he understands all we feel for those we love.

The bottom line: Jesus chose the cross to show us that he will help us bear our cross, whatever it is.

Conclusion

Name your suffering or shame. Bring it to Calvary. Know that Jesus died to pay your debt, to forgive your sin, to bear your cross. Trust your need to his grace, your pain to his love. On this Palm Sunday, know that he came to the Holy City to die for you. And that he would do it all again, just for you.

One of my favorite stories of the year is about a mother who heard a commotion in her back yard. She rushed outside to find a cougar attacking her son. She started “crying out the Lord,” she says, as she grabbed the wild animal and tried to pry its mouth open.

“Three sentences into me praying, it released and it ran away,” she said later. Her son is expected to make a full recovery.

That mother’s love, as powerful as it is, cannot compare to your Father’s love. He proved it on the cross and is ready to prove it again in this chapel.

Who or what is attacking you today?

Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

Written by

Topical Scripture: Romans 5:6–11

Kyle Froelich needed a kidney. None of his family or close friends was a match. A woman named Chelsea heard about Kyle from a mutual friend and agreed to be tested. They were a match. She donated a kidney to Kyle in 2010.

The two started dating after the transplant was complete. Kyle’s health returned, and they got married three years later.

Now they are back in the news: the kidney Chelsea donated is failing. If Kyle doesn’t get a new one within the next year, he says, he’ll be forced to go on dialysis.

More than 100,000 Americans are in need of kidneys, so the wait time for Kyle is between three and six years—time he doesn’t have. Imagine a scenario by which Chelsea donated her other kidney to him. Now he could live, but she would die.

If she did that, would Kyle ever have reason to doubt her love for him?

The “whys” of Easter

We know the “whats” and the “whos” of Easter. We’re familiar with Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday. We know about Pilate, Caiaphas, Judas, and the rest.

So we’re traveling toward Easter this year by asking the “whys.” Last week: why was Jesus born? Next week: why did he have to die on a cross? On Easter: why did he have to be raised from the dead?

Today, our question is: Why did Jesus have to die? We know he died for our sins, but why did he have to do so? Why couldn’t God simply forgive us the way we can forgive each other? The answer offers a profound message of hope and joy every one of us needs today.

Why did Jesus die?

Think of the last sin you committed. Why should a holy God be so gracious to such a sinner as you?

For this reason: “While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (v. 6). “At the right time” points to the specific moment in history when Jesus came. Everything was ready for his appearance (cf. Galatians 4:4): there was a universal hunger for truth, a universal language (koine or “common” Greek) to communicate God’s answer to that hunger, a universal peace to make possible the global expansion of Christianity, and universal roads to carry the first missionaries across the known world.

But it was “at the right time” in another sense as well. Just before we died, Christ died for us. Just before it was too late, when we had no hope of forgiveness and salvation, “Christ died for the ungodly.”

All the ungodly, with no specifications or conditions. All sinners and all sins are included. You have been “died for.” Jesus went to your cross, taking your punishment, bearing your pain, paying your debt, earning your salvation.

Only rarely will someone die for a good man (v. 7), as when a Secret Service agent dies to protect the president or a soldier dies to save the soldier at his side. But we deserved no such consideration: “God shows us love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8).

“Shows” (sunistesin) means “to bring together, to marshal the evidence.” As lawyers used their evidence to prove their case, so God uses the death of his Son to prove his love for us. “While we were still sinners,” this happened. All of us have sinned and come short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). All of us deserved death (Romans 6:23). All of us have instead been granted peace with God through Christ.

We are now “justified” by his blood (v. 9a), declared righteous in his sight as a criminal whose record is wiped clean. If God has done this for us in the past, “how much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” (v. 9b). The rabbis were fond of the “lesser to greater” argument: if A is true, how much more is B the case. Jesus used this teaching technique often, as with the parable of the persistent widow: if an unjust judge would grant her request, how much more will God answer our prayers (Luke 18:1-8).

In the same way, Paul reasons that if Jesus has already saved us from the sins of our past, how much more will he save us from God’s wrath in the future. Before Jesus’ atonement, we were “God’s enemies”; now that we have been reconciled with him, “much more . . . shall we be saved by his life” (v. 10, italics added). And so “we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (v. 11).

Paul’s thesis is simple: we are at peace with God and can be at peace with each other and with ourselves. Why? Because we have been given access to the Father by the Son.

Since Jesus’ death has paid for our past sins, he guarantees our future reward. Now the Spirit redeems our present sufferings by using them to produce persevering character which gives us hope that we will continue to be victorious in the days to come. We can be at peace with our past, our present, and our future.

Why did Jesus have to die?

So, we know that Jesus died to pay for our sins so that we could be made right with God. Here’s the question behind the text: Why did he have to do so? Why couldn’t God simply have declared us forgiven? Why did his Son have to die for us?

If I hit your car while leaving the parking lot after chapel, I assume you can forgive me without someone having to die in my place. I have forgiven people for things they have done to me without requiring someone to die first.

If “God is love” (1 John 4:8), why couldn’t he do the same?

Here’s the problem: God is also “holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:3). As Scripture declares, “There is none holy like the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:2). His heaven is perfect, a place where “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).

For us to be granted entrance into God’s perfect presence, our sins must first be removed. The debt we owe for them must be paid.

However, the punishment for sin is death: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23); “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20). This is because death separates us from the holy God who is the source of life. It’s like cutting off a flower at the roots. It may look healthy, but it is dying and will soon be dead.

The consequence of sin is death. That’s why the payment for sin must be death. That’s why sinners are separated from God for all eternity in hell, a place of living death.

And it’s why we cannot pay this debt for each other. Because I have committed sins, I cannot die for yours. It’s as if I owe the hundred dollars in my pocket to the bank; I cannot use it to pay your debt and mine.

The only person who could pay the debt of our sins would be someone who never committed sins of his own. And only one person in all of human history has lived a sinless life. Not Muhammad, or Confucius, or Buddha, or anyone else. Only Jesus.

That’s why Jesus could die on the cross for our sins. It’s why he had to die on the cross for us to be forgiven for our sins.

Visited by the Prince of Peace

What does his death for us mean for us?

First, it means that we can be forgiven and granted eternal life if we will receive the gift of salvation he offers. A gift must be opened. We must receive by faith the gift he offers by grace.

Second, it means that we should value ourselves as he values us. Our Father decided that we were worth the death of his Son. No greater valuation could be placed on us than that.

Third, it means that we should serve him in gratitude for such grace. Not so he will love us, but because he already does.

We are taking the Lord’s Supper today, a meal first shared by Jesus and his disciples in the upper room. A thousand years ago, the Crusaders constructed a space in the vicinity of the first upper room to commemorate that event. We take our group there whenever we visit Israel.

One reason the Crusaders located the structure where they did is that they found a first-century sculpture in the immediate vicinity. It depicts two baby pelicans eating from their mother’s body. The tradition in the day was that in times of extreme drought and famine, the mother would allow her babies to eat her flesh and drink her blood. This became one of the first symbols for the Lord’s Supper and Jesus’ offer of the bread and cup to symbolize his body and blood given for us.

This sculpture is displayed by the exit of the Upper Room to remind visitors of the significance of the place. As we take the Supper of our Lord today, let’s return to the cross it signifies. Let’s remember his death for us. And let’s receive and share his grace with gratitude for such love.

Where do you need his grace most today?

Why Did Jesus Rise from the Grave?

Written by

Topic Scripture: 28:1-10

Easter last fell on April Fools’ Day in 1956. We’ve waited sixty-two years to see the irony in their alignment.

On this day in 1996, Taco Bell announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell and rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. The company boasted, “Taco Bell’s heritage and imagery have revolved around the symbolism of the bell. Now we’ve got the crown jewel of bells.”

In 1998, Burger King advertised a “Left-Handed Whopper” designed for the 1.4 million left-handed customers that visit their restaurants every day. Scores of customers requested the fake sandwich.

Of all the surprises on April Fools’ Day, none could be greater than the event we will celebrate today: the resurrection of a Galilean carpenter from the grave. Here’s the question we’ll ask today: why Easter?

Why Easter?

This is my thirty-fourth year to preach an Easter sermon. In all those years, I’ve never thought to ask the question: Why did Jesus have to rise from the dead?

We understand why he had to die on the cross—to pay for our sins and purchase our salvation. But why was it important that he rise physically from the grave on the third day? Why couldn’t he go to Heaven like everyone else who has eternal life?

Jesus promised the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), but the thief didn’t have to rise physically to rise eternally. My mother went to Heaven ten years ago, but she didn’t have to rise from the grave physically to rise into God’s presence.

My first answer was: Jesus had to be resurrected because the Bible promised he would be. And that’s true: David predicted that God would not “let your holy one see corruption” (Psalm 16:10). The prophet said of the Suffering Servant, “when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days” (Isaiah 53:10).

Jesus promised repeatedly that he would be raised from the dead. For instance, he told his disciples that “he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Matthew 16:21).

But why were these promises made? The Spirit didn’t have to inspire the Old Testament writers to make them or lead Jesus to affirm them. Why did his physical resurrection matter?

What’s unique about Easter?

Here’s the answer that came to me: everything Jesus did in his public ministry was something others had done before him. Nothing he did proved that he was God.

Jesus was a great teacher, but Moses gave us the Ten Commandments and the first five books of the Bible. Jesus controlled nature, calming stormy seas and walking on water, but Moses parted the Red Sea and Joshua’s people stepped into the flooded Jordan River as it stopped miraculously.

Jesus fed the five thousand, but Moses promised the people manna from heaven and Elijah provided for the widow with oil that was miraculously sustained during a drought (1 Kings 17:8–16). Jesus healed the sick, but Elisha healed the leprous Naaman (2 Kings 5). Jesus raised Lazarus and the widow’s son from the dead, but Elijah and Elisha raised the dead as well (1 Kings 17; 2 Kings 4).

None of Jesus’ miracles by themselves proved that he was God. But his resurrection did.

When the women met the risen Christ on Easter Sunday, “they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him” (Matthew 28:9). When Doubting Thomas met the risen Christ, he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

What about Lazarus and others raised from the dead in Scripture? They all died again. They were resuscitated, not resurrected.

Jesus is the only person in history to die and then be resurrected, never to die again. His resurrection proves that he is God. If he had simply gone from the cross to heaven, we would not know that. We would not have proof that he is who he says he is: our Lord and King.

The problem of the empty tomb

You see, there’s no way around the empty tomb.

If the disciples stole the body, they then convinced five hundred eyewitnesses that a corpse was alive (1 Corinthians 15:6), somehow got it to make breakfast beside the Sea of Galilee (John 21:9–14) and appear through locked doors (John 20:19–20), then threw the corpse into heaven at the ascension (Acts 1:9). Then they died for a lie they kept so well that their secret never got out.

If the women stole the body, they faced the same problems.

If the authorities stole the body, they would have produced it. If the disciples went to the wrong tomb, the authorities and owner would have shown them the right tomb.

The “swoon theory” is my favorite: Jesus “swooned” on the cross but didn’t actually die. He then survived a spear thrust that pierced the pericardial sac around his heart and being wrapped in an air-tight mummified shroud for three days before shoving aside the stone, overpowering the Roman guards, appearing through locked doors, and doing the greatest high jump in history at the ascension.

His empty tomb shows that he was resurrected, and his resurrection shows that he is God.

Four Easter facts

Now, what does the fact of Jesus’ divinity mean for you today?

One: He is present in your pain.

David said to God, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4). God promised his people, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (Isaiah 43:2–3).

God is with us in our greatest pain. Easter proves that Jesus is God. Therefore, Jesus is present in your pain. He suffered the worst torture known to man in his crucifixion. He wept at the grave of Lazarus. He has been tempted in every way we are (Hebrews 4:15).

When you wonder if Jesus is with you in your sufferings, challenges, and temptations, remember Easter.

Two: He hears your every prayer.

Jesus promised, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8). The psalmist testified, “Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice” (Psalm 55:17).

God hears our prayers. Easter proves that Jesus is God. Therefore, Jesus hears your every prayer. The next time you wonder if Jesus is listening to you, remember Easter.

Three: He is more powerful than your greatest problems.

The Bible says of God, “It is you who made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:17). God is omnipotent. Easter proves that Jesus is God. Therefore, Jesus is more powerful than your greatest problems.

The next time you wonder if Jesus has the power to help you with your challenges and struggles, remember Easter.

Four: He loves you where you are, as you are.

The Bible says that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Easter proves that Jesus is God. Therefore, Jesus loves you where you are, as you are.

The next time you wonder if Jesus will forgive your sins, if he loves you no matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, remember Easter.

Conclusion

Can the risen Christ change any life? Can he heal any pain, hear anyone’s prayer, address anyone’s problem, and love any soul?

Alice Cooper is one of the most notorious “shock rockers” in America. Known for his heavy metal concerts, he was infamous for stage acts too horrific for me to describe. He was also known for his years of alcoholism and heavy drug use.

This week, Fox News carried a story that caught my eye: “Alice Cooper believes his faith saved him from alcoholism, temptations of rock star lifestyle.” It turns out Cooper is the son and grandson of ministers.

When he nearly died from drugs and alcohol, he says, “I grew up in the church, went as far away as I could from it—almost died—and then came back to the church.” He says that his faith saved his life and is the basis for his marriage of forty-one years.

He’s not the only surprising story of conversion in our day. David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam” murderer and devil worshipper, is a sold-out Christian who ministers to his fellow prisoners every day.

Dr. Francis Collins is director of the National Institutes of Health and arguably the best-known scientist in America today. He was a staunch atheist before C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity helped lead him to faith in Jesus.

Lee Strobel graduated from Yale Law School and worked as a journalist for the Chicago Tribune for fourteen years. A staunch atheist, he was shocked when his wife became a Christian. Investigating her faith, he became a Christian. He has since published bestsellers The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, The Case for a Creator, and The Case for the Real Jesus. His life story has been made into a movie; The Case for Miracles was just published.

Here’s my point: if Jesus could change Alice Cooper and David Berkowitz and Francis Collins and Lee Strobel, what can the risen Christ do in your life today?

Because of Easter, Thomas called Jesus “my Lord and my God.” Now it’s our turn.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to God’s People?

Written by

Why Do Bad Things Happen to God’s People?

1 Peter 1:1-2

James C. Denison

A friend sent me some questions I could not answer. Let’s see how you do:

The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time television? Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

Coca-Cola was originally what color? Green.

The state with the highest percentage of people who walk to work? Alaska.

The percentage of Africa that is wilderness? 28%. The percentage of America that is wilderness? 38%.

The cost of raising a medium-sized dog to the age of eleven? $6,400.

What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common? They were invented by women.

If such trivia represents one end of the relevance spectrum, our question today represents the other. You’ve heard the question, Why do bad things happen to good people? Our question is even tougher: Why do bad things happen to God’s people?

This summer we’ve learned that we are God’s saints, his new creation, the temple of his Holy Spirit. We are branches of his vine, his building, his bride, his body, citizens of his Kingdom, the very people of God. Why, then, are our lives so often so hard?

Being a Christian does not immunize us from a single problem the rest of the world experiences. We get cancer and heart disease just like the rest of the population; the divorce rate is apparently the same for Christians as for the rest of society; our sons and daughters fight and die in Iraq; we lose our jobs and parents and children just like everyone else. If the God of the universe is our Father, why does he treat his children this way?

Where is our question especially pertinent for you this morning? How has stress or struggle or suffering found you today? Why?

Know who you are

Let’s start with the good news. Our text tells us exactly who we are, no matter where we are. It describes in very specific ways precisely how God sees us. No matter how lonely we feel, or abandoned we seem, we’re not. God + 1 = majority, always. Here’s why.

We are “God’s elect,” “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.”

“Elect” translates the Greek word for “chosen, selected.” It was used to describe fruit chosen because it was especially ripe, or clothes chosen because they were especially well-tailored. Once this word applied only to Israel, as the “chosen people of God.” But now it applies to us–all of us.

You read it last week: “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

This happened by “the foreknowledge of God the Father.” God knew before time began that he would choose us, that he would want a personal, intimate, eternal relationship with every one of us. He wants such a relationship with every person he made, for he is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He “wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy. 2:4).

When we accept his invitation to personal relationship with him, we “elect” the One who “elects” us. We join his chosen people from across all the nations and all the centuries. We become part of God’s people forever. This is our identity.

Here is the power to be who we are: “through the sanctifying work of the Spirit.”

The Spirit saved you when he convicted you of your sins and led you to faith in Christ. He is saving you now, “sanctifying” you–making you more and more God’s saint, his holy one. He will save you for eternity.

To partner with the Spirit, we surrender to him every day. We begin the morning by yielding it to his Lordship. We ask his guidance before our decisions, his forgiveness when we sin, his power to defeat temptation, his help for our problems. When we walk in the Spirit, we are sanctified by the Spirit.

Now we discover the purpose for which we are chosen and sanctified: “in obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood.”

To obey and to serve him. As Moses sprinkled blood on the altar of sacrifice, so we are to sprinkle the “blood of Christ” wherever we go. We exist to make disciples of all nations, to be the salt and light of Christ, his witnesses to the ends of the earth.

The church is the only hope of the world. As we obey Jesus and share his saving love with our dying world, we fulfill a purpose more significant than any other. Bodies may be healed, but they will one day die. Finances will belong to someone else or be lost. Cars will rust. Clothes will wear out. Houses will be torn down. Nothing we do in time will count for eternity, except what we do to obey Jesus and share his love with all we can. This is the reason we are here, the purpose of our lives. It is the highest purpose in all of human history.

Know where you are

So you are not what you do, or what you own, or how many friends you have. You are the chosen, sanctified, serving child of God. If all this is so, why do bad things happen to God’s people? If we are chosen, sanctified, and called, why is life so often so hard? The answer lies not in who we are, but in where we are.

We are “strangers in the world.” “Strangers” translates the Greek word for “sojourners,” temporary residents, not permanent settlers in the land. We are immigrants in this world, just here for a while, only passing through.

All the while, we are expected to remember our true home.

We are “scattered”–the word translates diaspora, the official word for the dispersal of the Jewish people across the Gentile world. At various times in their history, many in Israel left Palestine to take up residency abroad. Some were forced out by persecution; others left in search of jobs and prosperity. But they always considered Israel their nation, the Jews their people, the Holy Land their home.

They would return to Jerusalem each year for Passover and Pentecost, which is why so many from these very regions were there when the Spirit fell at Pentecost and the Church was born. Many of Peter’s readers were likely converted during that Pentecost miracle, and have now returned to their homes. He is their pastor; the Jerusalem church is their home church; he is writing to his people as they are away.

Like the Jews scattered around the world, they are strangers where they live, scattered in the world. They are to remember their true home: in heaven with their Lord.

The reason why bad things happen to God’s people is simple: we’re not home yet. We’re scattered strangers. This world is not our home.

When Ryan and Craig head out to college in two weeks, they won’t be home any longer. Janet can’t make sure they’re eating well, or doing their homework; she can’t clean up their dorm room or wash their clothes (not that she’ll miss that part so much). It’s not her fault if their rooms look as bad as mine looked in college, or if they get by on cold pizza and stale French fries. They’re not home.

Why will we allow them to go off and live in places where we can’t take care of them? Because that is what’s best for them. That’s how they’ll grow, and learn, and mature. They’ll learn things they could not learn at home, and grow in ways they could not if they lived with us. And that’s best for the places they will go–the friends they’ll make, the people they’ll help, the vocations they’ll eventually serve.

We could keep them safe and well-fed at home, but that’s not what’s best for them or the world they are called to serve.

Conclusion

So, why did God allow his elect, sanctified, serving people to be scattered strangers across Asia Minor? Because they could take the gospel wherever they went, building the Kingdom across the world.

Why has God allowed you to be where you are today? His holiness requires him to redeem all that he permits or causes. Know that you are in your circumstances this morning because they are the best place for you to serve your Lord and build his Kingdom. When that changes, when you’re no longer where you can be sanctified and serve most fully, you’ll be the first to know.

In the meanwhile, ask him how he intends to redeem your work and your world today. Know that you are his child, elect and chosen.

How can this hard place help the Spirit sanctify you? What can you learn which will grow your faith and build your character? God never wastes a hurt. He works through all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). How could he redeem your scattered life by helping you be more like Jesus?

How can this hard time help you obey Jesus and share his love with your world? How can you help someone who is hurting as you are? Who will see your faith under trial and be drawn to God? Remember that this world is not your home. Ask God to redeem the place and pain where you are living today, and know that he will. Every time.

Last month it was my privilege to spend the week at Thee Camp with Pike and our youth ministry. We arrived on Sunday and returned on Friday. We had rain nearly every night and mud nearly every day. But we also had powerful worship and practical Bible studies. And one of the most anointed speakers I’ve ever heard.

Afshin Ziafat was born in Houston, my hometown. When he was two, his family returned to their native Iran, but left four years later when the Iranian Revolution began. He grew up in an extremely religious Muslim home. As a senior in high school, he read the Bible and came to faith in Christ. His father disowned him; their relationship has been strained ever since.

God has called Afshin to preach in churches, conferences, and camps across the nation and around the world. He is helping get thousands of Bibles back into Iran, and training pastors there for the revival we all pray is coming to that land. If I could interview Afshin this morning and ask him if God has redeemed his sufferings for a greater good, my friend would immediately agree.

I saw proof of it all week long, as a large number of students came to faith in Jesus for the first time, and dozens made significant new commitments to Christ. The final proof came Thursday evening, as I was invited to pray with the senior men. There were 22 of them, led by Alan Daniels all week. We were planning to pray for 15 or 20 minutes, as it was already 11:30 p.m. We prayed for two hours.

I heard these young men pour out their hearts to God, dedicate themselves to his call on their lives as they go to college, intercede for their families and lost friends, and yield themselves completely to the Spirit. My son was one of them.

I will forever be grateful to God for using an Iranian Muslim who is now a Spirit-led preacher to touch my son and my life and my family. All that it has cost him to be a stranger scattered in the world, God has more than redeemed. As he will with me. As he will with you.

Where is the hard place you need to put in the hand of God today?

Why Do God’s People Suffer?

Written by

Why Do God’s People Suffer?

Matthew 5:10-12

Dr. Jim Denison

Innocent suffering is the greatest single problem confronting the Christian faith. We Christians believe three facts about God:

God is all loving—he would want to end evil and suffering, it would seem.

God is all powerful—he could end evil and suffering.

Evil exists—it is not merely the product of wrong thinking or appearance, but very real and very deadly.

The easy answer to innocent suffering is to minimize one of these three convictions. Some will say that the Fort Worth tragedy happened because God is not all loving, and is somehow punishing them; or it happened because God either doesn’t or can’t get involved in such things; or it isn’t real. We’re past the stage of denial, so we must either question God’s love, his power, or both; or find a better solution.

Let’s find that better solution together today, from the word of God, not just for the victims of the shooting, but for every person who faces suffering today or tomorrow.

Truths for troubled times

Our text makes four statements plain. First, we will be persecuted.

Jesus does not say, “Blessed are you if people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (v. 11). He says, “Blessed are you when people insult you ….”

The Greek grammar actually says, “Blessed are those who have been and are now being persecuted” (v. 10). Suffering is a fact of the faith.

Listen to 1 Peter 4:12: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.” Suffering is a part of the Christian life.

Around the world, 500,000 are killed every year simply because they are Christians. Cassie Bernall and Rachel Scott were murdered at Columbine High School specifically because they stood up for Jesus. Seven people were killed in Fort Worth last Wednesday because they were Christians.

Jesus was clear: “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20). Christians will be persecuted for their faith.

The second truth of our text is that such suffering is not our fault.

Christians die in plane crashes and car accidents like everyone else. We get cancer like the rest of the population. But sometimes we suffer specifically because of our faith. When we do, such suffering is not our fault.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness” (v. 10). He amplified, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (v. 11).

Listen again to Peter: “If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” (1 Peter 4:15-16).

There is a great spiritual battle going on between God and Satan, between good and evil. We are the turf. And the African proverb is right: “When elephants fight, the grass is trampled.”

Those who died in Fort Worth were doing exactly what they should have been doing. After standing up for Jesus on their campus, they stood up for him at their church. Now they’re standing in his presence forever, blessed by his joy. Suffering for Jesus is not our fault.

The third truth of our text is that God will redeem our suffering for him.

We are to “rejoice and be glad” for this reason: “great is your reward in heaven” (v. 12).

Not because suffering is good, for it is not. But because God will redeem our suffering for a greater good one day. God redeemed Joseph’s slavery, using him to save the nation; God redeemed Moses’ years in the wilderness, calling him to shepherd his people; God redeemed John’s suffering on Patmos by giving him the Revelation; God redeemed Jesus’ cross with his crown.

God will redeem this suffering somehow. He will use it for good, as we’ll see in a moment.

And so innocent suffering has always been part of the life of faith.

Listen to Hebrews 11: “Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. They were all commended for their faith” (vs. 36-39).

Remember Jim Elliott, the martyred missionary, and his motto: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Those who died in Fort Worth were not fools—they were faithful. And God will be faithful to them, and to us.

Why do God’s people suffer?

On the basis of this text and the larger word of God, let’s ask our question: Why do God’s people suffer? There is no single answer to the question. Instead, we need to build a “theodicy” together—a theological approach to evil and suffering. There are six facts which make up that approach, and I want us to be very clear about each one of them.

Fact one: God is love. Remember 1 John 4:8: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” God didn’t “do” this. He didn’t cause this. Rather, he grieved it. If a father in that sanctuary watched his child die, how would he feel? God did that at Calvary, and again in Fort Worth last Wednesday. No matter how bad this fallen world becomes, God is love.

Fact two: Satan is real. 1 Peter 5:8 is plain: “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” We have an enemy who wants to destroy us.

Jesus warned us that he “comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). This is just what he did last Wednesday. John 8:44 says that Satan “was a murderer from the beginning.”

And in this fallen, sinful world, he attacks God’s people and God’s creation. He is not behind everything wrong that happens in the world. But what happened last Wednesday night was an attack used by the enemy himself. Satan is real.

Fact three: we have free will. God created us to worship him (Matthew 4:10), and worship requires freedom. So God made us with free will (Genesis 2:15-17), which we have misused.

James 1:13-15 explains what the gunman did and why: “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

When we misuse our free will, evil and suffering result. This fact doesn’t explain why the innocent suffer, but it does explain why the guilty sin.

Fact four: God will use this suffering. Romans 8:28 does not say that all things are good. But it does promise that God works through all things for good. This he will do.

I think of the witness of the faithful Christians at Columbine, and its global impact. I predict the same effect from the faith we’ve seen displayed by Wedgwood Baptist Church, her pastor and people. God will use this suffering.

Fact five: there is great hope. Those who died last Wednesday are with Jesus. He told the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Paul said, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians1:21). Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).

We will grieve the years they did not get to live, but they do not. They are in glory, in joy, in the perfect reward and eternal presence of Jesus himself. They are well. And we will see them again. As they reckon time in heaven, it will only be a moment before they see us again.

We will understand one day what we do not today: “One day I shall know, even as I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Paul was sure: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). There is great hope.

Six: God is with us. Remember God’s assurance: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (Isaiah 43:1-3).

I love this promise: “When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you” (Deuteronomy 20:1).

Peter told his suffering people: “Cast all your anxiety on God because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). God hurts as we hurt; he suffers as we suffer; he is Immanuel, God with us.

Conclusion

So, what do we do about suffering now?

Make sure of your own relationship with Jesus Christ. He will be your strength, shield, hope, and help, but you must allow him to be so. Give your life and soul to him as your Savior and Lord, today.

Minister to those who grieve. Pray for Wedgwood, and those hurt by this. Seek actively to help them. Get involved personally.

And minister to the hurting, lonely people around us. The man who did this needed someone to care about him, to reach him. When Lee Harvey Oswald was a boy, he was sent home by a Baptist church in Dallas because he wasn’t dressed properly for church, and he never went back. Some of us know someone who especially needs our love, attention, and compassion.

Meanwhile, know that those who were killed were not really. They are with God, in his presence, eternally.

Some time ago, a family asked me to read these words at a funeral, and I’ve treasured them every since: “I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

“Then someone at my side says, ‘There, she is gone!’ Gone where?

“Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.

“Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says, ‘There, she is gone!’ there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, ‘Here she comes!'”

They are with God, and God is with us. This is the Father’s promise to us today.

Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People?

Written by

Why Do Good Things Happen

to Bad People?

Jonah 3

James C. Denison

I have many questions I want to ask God someday. Why did he wait so long to bring us Tony Romo? Why won’t he make Ford bring back the 1966 Mustang? Why didn’t he tell me to buy stock in Apple when people thought it was just something you eat? Why can’t I sing? Crucial questions like these.

Here’s an even harder problem for me: why do good things happen to bad people? How can God be fair and let so many sins go unpunished, so many crimes go unsolved, so many criminals go uncaught?

According to the FBI, a crime occurs in America every 22.7 seconds. Only 46.7 percent of crimes are ever solved.

Why were so many thousands of innocent employees hurt by the Enron collapse? The Darfur genocide has killed more than 400,000 and displaced 2.5 million. More than 800,000 people have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11, and Osama bin Laden is still free. If God were fair, none of these things would be true, or so it seems.

Last week we learned that God Almighty is also Love Almighty, the God who is love. In everything he does, everywhere he does it, he is love. This week we will explore the other side of the coin: Love Almighty is Judge Almighty. He is the judge of every sin and sinner, of every person and nation, of every unrepentant Nineveh on earth.

Why does he judge us? How does he judge us? Being ready for the eternal judgment of God is the highest priority of life on this planet. Today we’ll learn why that’s true, and why it matters so much to your soul this morning.

Does God judge us?

What was your earliest picture of God? Mine was of a kind grandfather looking over the banister of heaven at his children while they play. An elderly man with a long flowing beard and a proud smile on his face. Gandolf in the Lord of the Rings movies–kind to those he loves, always ready to ride in on his white horse to save the day.

Is that how the Bible really pictures God? “Forty days and Nineveh will be overturned,” he told Jonah to say (Jonah 3:4). We learned last week why they deserved such a fate. They had executed thousands and enslaved millions. They would soon destroy the nation of Israel. They peeled the skin from the victims to use as wallpaper. They were among the cruelest people known to human history. But they weren’t the first or the last to face the judgment of God.

Think of more examples. Does God judge people in the Bible? Let’s count the ways.

Noah’s flood, drowning the entire human race except for a single family.

Fire and brimstone destroying Sodom and Gomorrah

Plagues and the death of the first-born sons of Egypt

The complete destruction of Jericho and the Canaanites

Forty years of wilderness wandering for his own people

The Assyrian destruction of the 10 northern tribes of Israel

The Babylonian slavery of the two southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin

Ananias and Sapphira when they lied about giving to God through the early church (Acts 5)

The destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70) as predicted by Jesus

The coming end of the world: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare” (2 Peter 3:9-10).

Why is Love Almighty also Judge Almighty?

One, his holiness requires that sin be punished. God cannot be a righteous King unless he requires righteousness in his realm. The Canaanites, for example, sacrificed their children to their gods and were involved in horrific immorality and witchcraft (Leviticus 18:25).

If Moses’ enemies had not been punished, their rebellion could have destroyed the nation. If Ananias and Sapphira had succeeded in their deception, the integrity of the infant church would have been destroyed.

Two, to discipline his children so we can experience his full power and grace. Hebrews 6 says that “the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son…No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (vs. 6, 11).

The holiness of God requires him to judge sin, as an oncologist removing the cancer before it spreads. The grace of God requires him to redeem sinners, as a Father disciplining his children so they can learn and grow. And so the love of God Almighty requires him to be Judge Almighty.

How does God judge us today?

Our Father deals with us as gently as he can or as harshly as he must. How does God judge his people today?

He sometimes uses circumstances to judge and discipline us. God made a great storm and a great fish to return Jonah to his purpose. He used the wilderness to judge the children of Israel when they would not follow his call into the Promised Land. He used drought and famine to judge his rebellious people.

Are difficult circumstances and financial hardship always the judgment of God? Of course not, as Jesus made clear when he said that he had nowhere to lay his head (Matthew 8:20). But some can be.

God sometimes uses physical suffering to judge and discipline us. He employed leprosy and disease to turn Moses’ enemies back to himself, and Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” to help the apostle trust more in his power.

Is all physical suffering indicative of the judgment of God? Of course not, as Job’s story proves. But some can be.

God sometimes uses spiritual loneliness and discouragement to judge and discipline us. When Elijah was convinced that he alone served God faithfully, the Lord used that to call the prophet back to himself. When John the Baptist was in prison and questioning whether Jesus was really the Messiah, our Lord answered his doubts and proved his divinity through great miracles and signs and wonders.

Is spiritual discouragement always indicative of the judgment of God? Of course not; John was exiled and alone on Patmos not because he was being judged by God but because he was being faithful to him. But discouragement can be God’s tool to bring us to himself.

If you’re not sure if you’re experiencing the judgment of God, ask him. He would be a very poor Father to punish his children without explaining why. If Ryan or Craig came home from college and I demanded their car keys without telling them why, none of you would think I’d done the right thing. Whenever God brings judgment in Scripture, he always tells us why. And he always redeems such suffering by using it to discipline us and return us to himself.

How will God judge us tomorrow?

So Judge Almighty judges his children in life. And he judges us when life is done. 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). He warned the Corinthians that “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). Notice that he included himself both times.

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 confirmed 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, faithfulness is rewarded. What kind of rewards?

There is the “crown of life” to those who persevere in trial (James 1:12). There is the “soul-winner’s crown” given to those who share their faith (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). There is the “crown of righteousness” given to those who are faithful to the very end of their lives (2 Timothy 4:7-8). There is the “crown of glory” given to spiritual leaders who serve God’s people and are examples to them (1 Peter 5:2-4).

Enduring temptation; winning souls; staying faithful to God’s purpose; serving God’s people in love–these bring reward which lasts forever.

Conclusion

Let’s summarize.

God’s holiness requires him to punish sin, while his grace requires him to redeem that punishment as he disciplines and grows his children. He judges us in life, sometimes using circumstances and suffering and loneliness to purify us and to grow us. He judges our unconfessed sins after life and rewards our faithfulness to his word and will.

Why do good things happen to bad people? They don’t, at least not in the long run. God is just and his ways are always righteous and true. When we stay faithful to the last word we heard from God, our Father rewards our obedience now and forever.

“Forty days and Nineveh will be overturned.” Now Jonah has come preaching the judgment of God to you. What business do you have with God Almighty today? What must you confess or decide today before you face God for eternity?

Whatever it is, know that God’s grace is greater than all your sin and that he is ready to use even your failures for his glory and your good. No matter what you have done, the Judge Almighty is Love Almighty.

You probably know the story of John Newton, the slave trader who became a slave himself before his conversion to Christianity in 1748. He became pastor of a church in Olney, England, where he ministered faithfully to the end of his days. His best-known hymn is, of course, “Amazing Grace,” but it is not my favorite of his works.

A few years ago I had the privilege of visiting Newton’s church and gravesite. Here is the epitaph I found, written by John Newton himself:

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.

What epitaph will you choose to write this week?

Why Does God Allow War?

Written by

Why Does God Allow War?

John 20:10-18

Dr. Jim Denison

Why does God allow war? I trust we understand that he does not cause it. Japanese bombers invading Pearl Harbor, or Hitler’s tanks invading Poland, or Saddam Hussein invading Kuwait or harboring weapons of mass destruction—these things cause war. It is a simple fact, regardless of our political views, that we would not be at war in Iraq today if Hussein had disarmed.

But why does God allow it? Our Creator has given us freedom of will, so we have the capacity to choose to love him and live by his word. And so he must allow us the capacity to choose to reject him and refuse his word. The consequences of such misused freedom are not God’s fault but ours.

But still, why does he allow such consequences? Here’s one reason: to use human crisis for spiritual purposes.

If a person escapes adolescence without faith in Christ, he typically does not turn to the Lord unless he needs him. Unless there’s a divorce, or illness, or job loss, or crisis. Unless there’s a war. During the Civil War, for instance, as many as 300,000 soldiers came to faith in Christ.

Already we’re hearing such stories from Iraq. Servicemen and women turning to faith in Jesus, sharing their faith in Jesus, standing for Jesus. In the contemporary service I showed the picture of Pfc. David Kurns, one of eight members of the 3rd Infantry Division who were baptized north of Kuwait City on March 12. They made a hole in the desert, filled it with bottled water, and used it to tell the world they trust in Jesus.

How can we redeem this crisis, this suffering, this tragedy for spiritual and eternal good? As we meet Mary Magdalene, the first to tell the world about Jesus’ resurrection, we must ask: how can we do for Jesus what Mary did for him?

We’re unqualified

So, we have today a message about personal ministry and evangelism. But we aren’t all pleased with the topic.We know the need is great: 100,000 living within three miles of our church who are not in any worship service this morning.

And we know people personally who need Jesus. Think of someone you know who is spiritually lost. Why have you not told that person about Jesus? I bet I know some of the reasons. I face them myself. So did Mary.

First: you’re unqualified. You don’t have the education, the training, the ability, the calling.

You wouldn’t see a heart attack victim in a hospital and think you could perform heart surgery unless you were qualified; you wouldn’t hear that a friend has cancer and administer radiation unless you were trained.

It’s the same with souls as bodies, isn’t it? Spiritual surgery is for spiritual surgeons. They might ask a question you can’t answer, or you might not do this properly. Best to leave evangelism and ministry to the professionals.

Well, meet one such “professional,” the first evangelist for the risen Christ. Here are her qualifications:

She’s a woman, of course. And women had no social status whatever. A female was the possession of her father until she became the possession of her husband. Making things worse, she was from Magdala, a town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, so she’s a Galilean. A backwoods country bumpkin in the eyes of sophisticated society. She fails socially. But things get worse.

Mary sees the same miracle as John: the grave clothes intact and folded. But she doesn’t “see and believe.” She misses the point. She has no formal education or biblical background, and so she doesn’t put the scriptures together. She fails intellectually. But things get worse still.

Luke’s Gospel gives us the only reference to Mary from Magdala before Jesus’ crucifixion when it describes her as one “from whom seven demons had come out” (Luke 8:2). A demoniac when Jesus met her.

Imagine this: a person of inferior social rank and status, with no theological training or educational background, and a former demoniac at that—the first person given responsibility for Easter. No one could be less qualified.

Unless, that is, it’s Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles who slept through Jesus’ Garden temptations, denied him three times to servants, and fled from the cross. Or perhaps Saul of Tarsus, the enraged Pharisee who murdered Christians.

Or perhaps Augustine, the immoral adulterer; or Martin Luther, the confused and troubled monk; or John Smyth and Thomas Helwys, the English outlaws who started the church called Baptist; or William Carey, the shoe cobbler shouted down by the ministerial alliance to whom he appealed for missions support; or Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German prisoner of war “silenced” by the Gestapo.

No one is less qualified than Mary, unless it’s me, a convert to Christ out of a bus ministry in Houston. Or you.

We’re unmotivated

Sometimes we’re afraid to tell the world about the risen Christ, because we don’t feel qualified. And sometimes we’re just not motivated. We don’t want to pay the price.

We’re afraid of failing, or of being rejected. We’re afraid of offending the person with whom we share our faith.

Or we’re not convinced that this is really necessary. After all, our friends believe in God. They live moral lives. A loving Father wouldn’t send his children to hell—that’s just a tactic to scare people into the church. It doesn’t really matter what they believe, so long as they’re sincere. Actor Adrien Brody said it well at the Oscars: whether you believe in God or Allah, may he watch over you.

Or we’re not convinced that Christianity is really true. It’s true for us but it may not be for everyone. After all, there are lots of unanswered questions about this faith. What about contradictions in the Bible? What about science and faith issues? And what about evil and suffering—why would an all-good, all-powerful allow such evil as 9-11? Why would he allow my father’s heart disease, or your child’s cancer?

Good questions, all. Problems for anyone who is thinking of sharing Christ with someone they know. But let’s watch Mary Magdalene.

She is weeping at the empty tomb, because her Master is dead and now his body is stolen. The angels see her tears, as does the risen Lord. When she hears him call her name, she knows instantly who he is.

She clings to his crucified feet, so that he must say to her, “Do not hold on to me.” He has not yet returned to the Father—they have more time together. Instead, “Go to my brothers and tell them….” (v. 17). And she did.

When Mary encountered her living Lord, really met Jesus, heard his voice and saw his face and felt his touch, every objection melted away. Every roadblock, every hindrance is gone: “Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!'” (v. 18a).

She knows she cannot fail. No matter what they will say to her, no matter how they will reject or ridicule her, she’s no longer afraid. Success is obedience.

She knows they really need to know. If Jesus is truly resurrected, he’s different from Mohammad, or Buddha, or Confucius. He is the only Lord and God. Jesus is alive, and the world must know.

And she knows that Christianity is really true. There are intellectual, rational, speculative questions of logic, to be sure. Christianity is a relationship, and no relationship can be understood, much less proven, on rational grounds. Prove that your wife or husband loves you. Prove that your friends are really your friends. It’s not that seeing is believing—believing is seeing. She has seen Jesus, and her intellectual issues take second place to her personal experience.

Mary has met the risen Christ for herself, and knows Easter to be real. John Updike captures the moment:

Make no mistake: if He rose at all

it was as His body;

if the cells’ dissolution did not reverse, the molecules reknit,

the amino acids rekindle,

the Church will fall.

Let us not mock God with metaphor,

analogy, sidestepping transcendence;

making of the event a parable,

a sign painted in the faded credulity of earlier ages:

let us walk through the door.

She did. And she found the risen, living Lord Jesus. So can we.

Here’s the bottom line: when we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, we must love our neighbor as ourselves. When we’re in love, we must tell the news. When we’re engaged, or married, or have a child, everyone we know hears the story. We can’t help it.

Tillie Burgin is the founder of Mission Arlington and one of my heroes in the faith. This retired missionary to Korea began a ministry some 20 years ago to reach Arlington by meeting its needs with Jesus’ love. More than 3,000 worship every Sunday in hundreds of apartment churches and have their needs met through medical clinics, furniture and benevolence centers, and dozens of ministries. Tillie works from 4 a.m. until 10 p.m. every day. Her son once asked her why. Tears filled her eyes as she said simply, “I just love him so much.”

We’re unprepared

We’re not qualified, but God makes us so. If we love Jesus, we will want to tell others about him. But what do we say? Don’t we feel unprepared for ministry and evangelism?

Jesus says to Mary: “Go instead to my brothers.” Go—don’t wait for them to find you. Go to “my brothers”—this is the first time Jesus calls them that. They failed and abandoned him, but he still loves them as brothers. Tell them that Jesus loves them.

Tell them that the Father loves them as well: his Father is their Father, his God their God. Tell them about his grace and mercy, his unconditional love. Tell them.

And she did. And after she gave them the word of the Lord, the Lord of the word appeared (vs. 19ff.). He validated all she said with his own presence and power. From Mary Magdalene to this small band of disciples the news of Easter has gone to every land, bringing billions of souls to Christ. And every one of us can trace our spiritual life back to her.

Conclusion

Now, who will trace theirs to you? The “Impact” card we are using during this Easter season gives each of us opportunity to do for someone else what someone did for us. To be Mary, as someone was Mary to us. They receive eternal life with God in his paradise. And we experience the joy, satisfaction, significance and fulfillment which God can only give to those who will share such love with another.

We have the best news there is. Better than peace in Iraq, glorious as that would be; better than a cure for Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome, needed as that is; better than a solution to AIDS and cancer and heart disease, crime and violence and war, vital as they are. We have the cure for death itself. We have the security of eternal life to offer, if only we will.

Said the poet:

Now is the shining fabric of our day

Torn open, flung apart, rent wide by love.

Never again the tight, enclosing sky,

The blue bowl or the star-illumined tent.

We are laid open to infinity,

For Easter love has burst His tomb and ours.

Now nothing shelters us from God’s desire—

Not flesh, not sky, not stars, not even sin.

Now glory waits so He can enter in.

Now does the dance begin.

Why Gambling Is So Dangerous

Written by

Topical Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13

The Supreme Court recently struck down a federal law that prohibits sports gambling. The landmark decision gives states the right to legalize betting on sports. New Jersey plans to be the first state to offer legal wagering on the results of a game. Delaware, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia are expected to follow suit.

My purpose today is not to debate the legalities of sports gambling. Rather, it is to focus on gambling in the context of biblical truth and God’s best for us.

Understand the promise and power of gambling

According to the American Gaming Association, gambling in the US is a $240 billion industry employing 1.7 million people in forty states. Why is gambling so popular?

The former Director of Gaming Enforcement for the state of New Jersey told a conference that the success of Atlantic City was tied to how well it sold its “only products.” He explained: “That product is not entertainment or recreation or leisure. It’s really adrenaline: a biological substance capable of producing excitement—highs generated usually by anticipation or expectation of a future event, especially when the outcome of that event is in doubt.”

According to a chief regulator of the industry, gambling is not only a drug, but a mind-altering drug. One author calls it a “controlled substance.”

Psychologists offer several reasons for the popularity of gambling in our culture:

  • It provides a sense of partial reinforcement we crave. “I’ll get lucky next time” is a powerful lure.
  • Some fall for the “gambler’s fallacy” of believing that a string of losses makes a win more likely.
  • The illusion of control causes many gamblers to believe that they have some power over the outcome, whether picking numbers in a lottery or blowing on dice before throwing them.
  • Loss aversion is a major motivator: we feel more pain over losing $100 than joy over winning $100. When a gambler loses money, he or she is motivated to keep gambling to recover what has been lost.

Solomon observed, “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty” (Proverbs 28:19 NIV). He added, “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 5:10 NIV).

Paul warned that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Timothy 6:10).

Beware the plague of addictive gambling

As many as 750,000 young people have a gambling addiction. People between the ages of twenty and thirty have the highest rates of problem gambling (defined as “an urge to gamble continuously despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop”).

People who abuse alcohol are twenty-three times more likely to develop a gambling addiction. An estimated 50 percent of those with gambling problems commit crimes to support their addiction.

According to the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, there is evidence that pathological gambling is an addiction similar to chemical addiction. Winning at gambling has been compared neurologically to a cocaine addict receiving an infusion of the drug.

Those who are pathological gamblers are highly likely to exhibit other psychiatric problems, including substance abuse, mood and anxiety disorders, or personality disorders.

Problem gambling has also been linked to increased suicide attempts. A report in the United States by the National Council on Problem Gambling showed that approximately one in five pathological gamblers attempts suicide. The council also reported that suicide rates among pathological gamblers were higher than for any other addictive disorder.

Step-based treatment programs now exist for problem gamblers. Anti-addiction drugs are being tested on gambling addicts as well.

Does the possibility of gambling addiction mean that all gambling is wrong?

Many substances and activities can become addictive. The fact that some people are addicted to their cell phones does not mean that cell phones should be illegal.

But it does mean that you should absolutely know your limits and be aware of any inclination toward gambling addiction. This online test is one way to determine whether you have a problem or not.

Scripture teaches, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 NIV). This text does not mean that no one should ever drink alcohol. But it does mean that no one should ever get drunk. Then alcohol becomes the primary determiner of our actions rather than the Holy Spirit.

The same principle applies to any substance or activity, gambling included. If gambling rather than the Spirit is controlling your life, stop and get help now.

Trust God’s power over temptation

Now to our text. Scripture promises, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

From this remarkable text we find four crucial imperatives.

One: Expect to be tempted.

You will never face a unique temptation. Human nature doesn’t change, so Satan’s strategies don’t change. What worked against our ancestors works against us. We should expect to be tempted, because this fact is common to the entire human race.

Two: Respond to temptation in the power of God.

While we should expect to face temptation, we should also expect to defeat temptation: “He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” Notice the definite article: “the way of escape.” There is always a way out, no matter what temptation we are facing.

In classical Greek, this phrase referred to a way out of the sea. One commentator pictured God’s promise this way: a ship is approaching a rocky shore and facing inevitable shipwreck. Suddenly it slips through a gap in the coast and sails into security and peace.

“Endure it” means “bear up under it.” The temptation will not go away, but we will be able to withstand it. This was true even for Jesus: after he defeated the enemy’s temptations in the wilderness, the devil “departed from him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13).

Three: Ask for the help you need.

Our text promises that “God is faithful” in every moment and need we face. “Faithful” translates the Greek word for “trustworthy, dependable, reliable.” We can always count on our Father to be all he promises to be:

  • “The Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9).
  • “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
  • “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).
  • “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness” (Revelation 1:5).

Because he is faithful to us, he will always give us what we need to obey his word and will. In this case, “he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.” If there is a temptation you cannot defeat in his strength, you will not face it. This means that every temptation you face is one you can defeat in his strength.

However, you must ask for what you need. Jesus counseled his followers to “watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). He promised us, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). But we must ask, seek, and knock. God honors the freedom he gives us and will not force his help upon us.

F. B. Meyer noted that “the greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.” What temptations do you need to seek God’s help in defeating today?

Four: Go to God the moment temptation strikes.

When we expect to face and defeat temptation by seeking the help of God and his people, we position ourselves to receive all that we need for spiritual victory. But we’re not done. We must then take “the way of escape” our Father offers us. We must choose to “endure” the temptations we face.

In other words, we must choose to obey God as he works in and through our lives:

  • Scripture teaches us to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). But we must choose to flee.
  • We are told to “resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). But we must choose to resist.
  • We are warned that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Timothy 6:10). But we must choose not to love money.

Billy Sunday: “Temptation is the devil looking through the keyhole. Yielding is opening the door and inviting him in.” Rick Warren noted that “every temptation is an opportunity to do good.” But we must want to do good.

If you don’t have the strength to choose to obey God, you can ask for that strength. If you don’t have the faith to believe that his will is best, you can ask for such faith. Whatever you need, you can ask God to provide. But then you must choose to use his help.

As we work, God works.

Conclusion

Gambling, whether legalized betting on sports or any other form of wagering, can become a powerful drug. It can easily become addictive and lead to other destructive behaviors. And it can deceive us into believing the lie that we are in charge of our circumstances and our lives.

Only the gambler knows if he or she is wagering for fun or from an insidious motive. Thomas Watson was right: “Sin has the devil for its father, shame for its companion, and death for its wages.”

Every time.

Why Give Thanks

Written by

Topical Scripture: John 6:1-14

There are only thirty-seven shopping days left until Christmas. If you’re wanting to get started, you might consider a giant infrared healing clam at a cost of $14,000. Or twenty-four-carat gold shoelaces for $19,000 (the silver version is “only” $3,000). Or a glass pool table for $73,000. Batman fans might spring for the Bat Golf Cart at $28,500; I’m sure that would look good tooling around the lake.

If someone you love is looking for a new car, you might consider the McLaren Elva. Only 399 are planned, so you’ll need to order one now. It has no roof, windscreen or side windows and goes for a mere $1.8 million.

In a world of such prosperity, where we have so much that we have earned and purchased and produced, why give thanks to God?

A familiar story

Our story begins: “After this Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.” (v. 1). There was a “mountainside” in the area (v. 3), but also “much grass in the place” (v. 10), indicating one of the hillside areas bordering the Sea of Galilee.

Luke tells us that they “withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida” (Luke 9:10). This town was situated on the northernmost tip of the Sea of Galilee, just east of center, where the river from Lake Semochonitis empties into the Sea of Galilee.

Meanwhile, “a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick” (v. 2). “Large” translates mega, demonstrating the size of this gathering. In response, “Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples” (v. 3).

It was springtime, for “the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand” (v. 4). Then, Jesus looked up and saw “that a large crowd was coming toward him” (v. 5a). Our Lord had already spent the day with them, teaching them many things (Mark 6:34). In the course of the day, he “welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing” (Luke 9:11).

Then “Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?'” (v. 5b). Philip was from Bethsaida (John 1:44), the nearby town. The disciples had already urged Jesus to send the crowd away so the people could find food (Mark 6:35-36; Luke 9:12). But Jesus wanted to meet their need and to teach Philip a lesson as well; John tells us that “he said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do” (v. 6).

Mark quotes the disciples’ concern: “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late” (Mark 6:35). Even if bread were available, it would be extremely expensive to purchase for such a large crowd. Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite (John 6:7). This would be two hundred denarii (the literal Greek); the denarius was a Roman coin worth about eighteen cents, the usual pay for a day’s labor. As a result, we can calculate that between 5,000 and 10,000 were in the crowd.

At this point, Andrew stepped in: “One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish'” (vv. 8–9a). He had “barley loaves,” a kind of inferior bread used mainly by the very poor (cf. Ezekiel 13:19). “Loaves” were not like ours, but were flat, round sheets of bread which could be carried easily. A fried tortilla might be the closest example in our culture.

His “two fish” were small dried fish, applied to the bread as a kind of dressing. They were similar to sardines. Andrew’s question is understandable: “what are they for so many?” (v. 9b). It was all the boy had, but he gave it all to Jesus.

Our Lord responded: “Have the people sit down” (v. 10a). They sat “in groups, by hundreds and by fifties” (Mark 6:40). This was an act of faith on the part of the giant crowd as daylight faded and they had no food in sight. It was also an act of faith by the disciples, as they sat the people down for a feast which the disciples did not have to give. They reclined in the posture taken at a feast, not a fast meal on the go.

The people could do so because “there was much grass in the place” (v. 10b). As a result, “the men sat down, about five thousand in number” (v. 10c). Mark tells us that “and those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children” (Matthew 14:21). This was an astounding crowd, as the neighboring towns of Capernaum and Bethsaida probably had a population of only two to three thousand each.

An unfamiliar prayer

Then “Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted (v. 11). He would have used the typical Jewish invocation, “Blessed are You, O Lord, our God, who causes to come forth bread from the earth.”

The other gospels say that Jesus “blessed” the food (Mark 6:41; Luke 9:16; Matthew 14:19). Here we find the origin of the Christian custom of “returning thanks” or “saying the blessing.” Actually, we “ask the blessing”—we do not “bless the food,” something only God can do.

Such an attitude of gratitude is appropriate whenever we eat: “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:4–5). Paul taught us: “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).

After Jesus returned thanks, he “distributed them to those who were seated.” Apparently, the miracle occurred as the food was distributed, so that the disciples kept giving but did not run out until the people had “as much as they wanted.” This was a rare privilege for impoverished people who often had only enough food to survive, not enough for a feast. But Jesus met their need and more.

And all of this happened after Jesus gave thanks to God for the food he then provided.

Three life lessons

From this familiar story and unfamiliar prayer, we find these life principles:

All we have comes from the One who made all that is. The lunch was provided by the boy to the disciples, but by God to the boy. All that we have comes from the one who made everything from nothing. You and I did not earn the right to live in America rather than North Korea, or to have avoided physical handicaps others must face. Our ability to work and produce comes from the God who enables all work and production. Every breath we take is his gift.

A skeptic told God he could make a better world than the Lord could. The Lord accepted his challenge. The skeptic stooped down and scooped up some dirt to get started. God said, “Get your own dirt.”

Giving thanks for what we do not have positions us to receive what God will provide. Jesus gave thanks for this feast before it became a feast. He thanked God in advance for what God would provide. When we face challenges, we should do the same. As we thank God for what he will do, we position ourselves to receive his best.

C. S. Lewis solved a mystery for me regarding prayer. It seemed illogical that we should pray about what has already happened or has not yet happened. But Lewis points out that God is not bound by time. Thus, a prayer you offer today was known to him three years ago and may have been part of what he did then. The same with prayers today and events in the future.

When we thank God for what he will do, our prayers become part of what he does. Public gratitude leads others to faith in the God we thank. Jesus’ prayer of gratitude was heard by the disciples and all who were present. When they saw the miracle that followed, “they began to say, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world'” (v. 14).

Five thousand families saw him give thanks to God for what God had not yet done, then receive all that God would do. His attitude of gratitude would mark their lives for the rest of their lives.

If people see you giving thanks for what God has done or for what he has not yet done, they will be marked by your attitude of gratitude. Some you may never know will know your faith, and they may make it their own.

Conclusion

Why should you develop a greater attitude of gratitude? Why give thanks to God for what you have, when you worked hard for it? Why thank him ahead of time for what he has not yet done?

Because all we have comes from the God who made it; giving thanks positions us to receive God’s best; and others will see our faith and may come to our Lord.

For what are you thankful today? For what should you be thankful today?

Will you make time each day across this thanksgiving season to experience the power of gratitude?

I am reminded of A. O. Collins, my major professor in college and one of the most gracious and grateful souls I have ever known. No matter what he was going through, from his wife’s Parkinson’s disease to his various physical challenges, he lived every day with smiling grace. I never saw him have a “bad” day.

One time, he was traveling back to Houston late at night and stopped at a rest area. He was attacked by a knife-wielding robber who cut his face and hands. He came to school the next day wearing bandages placed by the emergency room where he spent much of the night.

We were all shocked and grieved, but Dr. Collins had his usual smile. “Well,” he explained, “I’m glad he only took my wallet and not my life.” He was grateful for what he had rather than angry for what he lost.

Let’s join him.