Sermons From My Heart

One of the interesting aspects of humanity is the fact that all of us are different. These differences make the world interesting to say the least. After all, the world would be a very boring place if everyone was identical. On the other hand, differences can lead to problems if they are not dealt with. In terms of Christianity, these differences can divide people into two groups-those who have weak faith, and those whose faith is strong. Those who have strong faith are to accept and help those who are slipping in their faith. We see an example of how differences in faith can divide people in the passage from Romans 14:1-12.

Many Christians in Rome were converts from pagan religion. Part of pagan religion involved sacrificing animals in honour of a god. Any meat that was not burned in fire or eaten during the ritual could be sold in the market. Converts from pagan religion were afraid to eat meat that was offered to idols, so they usually did not eat any meat that they did not prepare themselves.

Some people in the church who felt free to eat meat passed judgment on those who did not. Those who made the criticisms were weak in their faith. When Paul suggested vegetarians also judged those who ate meat, he was saying that the sin of despising and disgracing brothers and sisters can work both ways. Neither behavior is acceptable to God; both must be avoided in the body of Christ. Paul urged those who were on either side of the issue to show understanding, compassion and tenderness. He urged those who were strong in faith to be considerate in the exercise of their freedom and strengthen the weak. Love and fellowship in Christ should be the basis for Christian acceptance of one another.

The church faces similar issues today. How many churches condemn their members who don’t behave according to that church’s teachings? Every church could be changed if it took these principles to heart:

1. A life of grace begins with mutual acceptance. Accepting another person doesn’t mean that we must agree with him or her. We can respectfully disagree with ideas or opinions without rejecting the person who holds them.
2. An attitude of grace requires releasing others to be who God wants them to be.
3. A commitment to grace forbids one from judging someone else. We don’t know all the facts of the situation. We can’t be objective. We can’t redeem. God is the only person who can fulfill these criteria.

All of us are faced with people who seem different. We have different values and can use those to judge ourselves superior to others, but God has already judged us and found us worthy of love, compassion and salvation. Instead of focusing too much on how our differences stack up against each other, we should turn our focus toward the God who sees us and loves us all the same. All of us are the same in the only way that matters. We are God’s beloved, for whom Christ died so that we may life forever. None of our differences compare to this one, essential similarity.

We belong to God. He will renew our minds. We must give Him the chance to change us and fellow believers. We must not try to control others’ behavior based on what pleases us. The motivation to change behavior must come from a conscience that has been changed by God. God is pleased with the individual Christian because of Christ, not because of his or her views on peripheral matters. Christians are to have the same attitude, striving toward unity, not unnecessary dissension.

We are not to judge others when it comes to non-essential matter of faith. We must ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” Every believer should make sure their conscience does not condemn them and then act on what they believe, being responsible to make judgments about things not specifically covered in Scripture. The centre of Christian life is faithfulness and love toward God-whether in obeying Scripture or seeking to apply scriptural principles .

Paul wants believers to deal with controversial issues on the solid base of commitment to Christ instead of surrendering to pressure. This does not mean that it doesn’t matter what Christians believe or how they believe. In many matters, Christ and the apostles were clear. In many areas of spiritual experience there are no hard and fast rules, so a certain degree of freedom has been granted.

God tells us that there will be a day when each of us will have to give an account of what we did with the gifts He gave us. Why does He do this? It’s because He knows that we don’t want to behave well unless acting badly has consequences. If we judge another person, we assume God’s role. We place ourselves above Him. To play the role of God in another person’s life is dangerous. God is the only person who has the right to judge others. His standards are much higher than ours. If He is not pleased with a person’s conduct, He will deal with the situation as he sees fit. He will use the Holy Spirit to change the offender’s conduct so that it will be more Christ-like, just like the Holy Spirit changes our behavior. Christians will stand one day before Christ’s judgment seat, not to determine their salvation, but to have their works examined before receiving rewards.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1564)
2.  Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on Romans (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2010, pp. 286-294)
3. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 1 Bible software package.
4. Briscoe, D.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 29: Romans (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982, pp. 244-247)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)
7. Joe Gibbs, “Judgment Day.” Retrieved from www.GamePlanForLife.com
8. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Romans 14:1-12.” Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

It’s not hard to tell that we are getting closer to the end of the church year. In fact, three weeks from today we will be celebrating the First Sunday in Advent. The Gospel readings for these last few weeks of the Season of Pentecost talk about what God’s judgement will be like. They talk about the separating of the faithful from the unfaithful. Today’s reading from Matthew 25:1-13, which is known as the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids, emphasizes the important of being prepared for Christ’s return.

Jesus described preparations for a wedding. Weddings provided much needed relief from the humdrum and hard work of daily life. Usually women took care of children and performed household chores. They looked forward to any small distraction, such as their daily visit to the village well where they could visit with other village women.

But, occasionally, their tedium was broken by the great events of village life––weddings, births, and bar mitzvahs––even funerals. Of these, weddings involved the greatest celebration. At a wedding, the couple was the center of village life for days on end. After the marriage ceremony, there was feasting, dancing, and revelry, which could last for several days. For the couple, it was “the gladdest week in all their lives”. It was a glad week for their friends as well––an event not to be missed!

An important part of the wedding ceremony was the procession from the home of the bride’s parents to the couple’s new home. As the bridegroom escorted his bride to their new home, their pathway was lit by wedding guests holding aloft flaming torches, probably sticks wrapped with oily rags.

A wedding was a great joy for all the members of the community, but especially so for the young women invited to serve as the bride’s attendants. It was an honor to be asked to participate, and those who agreed were expected to do so enthusiastically and responsibly. The young women were expected to be ready, because the bridegroom’s coming signaled the beginning of a great and joyous festival––something that promised to be one of the highlights of these young women’s lives.

Many of you know what it is like to be prepared for something. If you lived on a farm, you prepared for the winter months. If you have ever gone on a trip, you had to prepare first. Some of you even prepared for the day when you would be here in this nursing home. The most important thing we can do is to prepare for Christ’s return.

Matthew wrote his Gospel a half-century after the resurrection. He struggled with the issue of the delayed Second Coming. Many first-generation Christians believed that Jesus would return in their lifetimes, but by the time Matthew wrote his Gospel, many years had passed since the Resurrection, and many Christians were beginning to wonder how long it would take for Jesus to return. In this series of parables, Matthew encouraged the church to maintain its vigil, even though the people were weary of maintaining an “alert status.”

In this parable, the oil represents the Holy Spirit. The foolish virgins are those who have not truly been saved. Believers can’t just impart the Holy Spirit (i.e. share the oil) to unbelievers. Each person must receive salvation for himself or herself before it’s too late. God’s judgment is unequivocal and irreversible. We can’t know Christian assurance without the Holy Spirit.

The bride in this parable is the church. In fact, the church is referred to in Scripture as “the bride of Christ.” Just like a bride and groom have to be ready for the wedding, the church as the bride of Christ has to be ready for him when he comes. As Christians we are part of the church, so we have to be ready for his return. We have to keep our lamps fed with the oil of the Holy Spirit. We must see that we are continually growing in the love of God and service to others.

What does it mean for us to keep our lamps fed? Being prepared––having oil––means working faithfully for the Lord. It means practicing good stewardship––good ecological practices––careful management of time and money––generosity to those in need––proclamation of the Word––the possibilities go on and on. Being prepared––having oil––means generosity to those in need. Jesus makes it clear that he has expectations regarding our behavior––standards that we must take seriously––obedience to which we must aspire. In this parable, he also makes it clear that there is a time for repentance and a time when repentance will be too late.

We are called to be faithful to God and obey him. Being faithful is the meaning of waiting for the Lord to come. There will be no second chances when Christ returns. The Lord of the household-aka God-is not being rude when he denies entrance to the foolish virgins. He assumes those who really want to join in the festivities will come prepared. We must always be prepared for the Lord to return, because he could return at any time. We do not know the exact date and time when he will return, but we do know that Christ has promised great joy to those who are prepared for his return and grave consequences for those who are not prepared.

Bibliography

 1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

2. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible Software package.

3. Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 23: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

4. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2010)

5. Exegesis for Matthew 25:1-13. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

6. Pastor Dave Risendal, “Five of Them were Foolish, and Five Were Wise.” Retrieved from donotreply@wordpress.com

Most parents have at one time or another jokingly said, “Do as I say, not as I do.” But somehow, children never seem to listen. Why? Because apparently actions speak louder than words. The warning Jesus issued in Matthew 23:1-12 is the same: “Do as they say (for, after all, they sit on Moses’ seat), but not as they do.”

In many synagogues of Jesus’ time, a stone seat at the front of the building provided the first century equivalent of a pulpit. It was the place where the authorized successors of Moses would sit and teach the congregation. Jesus told His listeners that they should heed what these teachers said about the Law of Moses, but not the latter, rabbinic additions to the law. They were not to mimic the actions of these teachers.

Hearing the truth from repulsive people isn’t easy. We must listen to them because the truth is the truth, and Jesus said to heed it. If the messenger turns you off, do not let him or her turn you off from the message. To alter a popular phrase, if you don’t like the messenger, don’t shoot the message.

This passage shows the contrasting styles of leadership of the Pharisees and Christians. The Pharisees wanted to be easily seen. They clothed themselves and acted in a way to be the focal point for the community. They were visible for both the faithful and Roman rulers. In contrast, Christian leaders kept a low profile.

Jesus went on the offensive against the Pharisees, addressing a mixed crowd of His disciples and various members of the public gathered in the temple courts. Jesus spoke harshly to the Pharisees. When love speaks harshly, it does so because no other loving way has a chance of breaking through. He focused on the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes. From this point on, a climatic confrontation was inevitable.

God called the Pharisees to this high position so that they might provide expert counsel on spiritual matters to people who had to work for a living, or who didn’t have an opportunity to study the law, or who were illiterate and would not have access to the scrolls even if they could read. God called the scribes and Pharisees to be servants to such people, but they treated the call as if to privilege rather than to vocation—to honour rather than to servanthood. Teachers of Scripture have a special responsibility to model the behaviours that they teach. Their personal conduct should provide a visible lesson. The lack of integrity undermines the work of the scribes and Pharisees.

Jesus objected to the Pharisees’ style of leadership. They set themselves above the good of their communities. They sought power and approval. They acted and dressed for effect. The Pharisees were quick to distort Scripture and require observant Jews to carry out all kinds of onerous demands, but they were not willing to inconvenience themselves in the least to help struggling people grow spiritually. They did not practice what they preached.

The Pharisees had 613 rules that the people had to follow if they wanted to live lives that were pleasing to God. By focusing on these rules, the Pharisees neglected the important issues of love and justice. They appointed heavy rules and regulations and insisted people obey them, but they refused to help. These rules referred to ceremonies and rites appointed by Moses. The Pharisees were gratified with titles and wanted these titles to denote their superiority. Every time a title was given to them it implied their superiority to the persons who used it.

Jesus forbade His disciples from seeking titles. He was their Master, and they were equal in authority. They could neither covet nor receive a title which implied that one was above the others or which infringes on His right to be their Teacher and Master. The word “father” denotes authority, eminence and superiority. In this sense it belongs to God and not to man. Christians are equal. God has supreme authority. He is the only one with the right to give laws, declare doctrines to bind the conscience and punish disobedience. Christ taught that the source of life and truth was God, and we should not seek or accept a title which properly belongs to God.

Jesus also urged his followers to avoid the trappings of power and self-promotion. He wanted his followers to act as He did and serve others. In that way others would be attracted to join the assembly of the saved. The members of the assembly gathered to await the Lord’s return and celebrate the intimacy of God. Why would anyone want a title that promoted self when the Lord returns?

We must do good works, and some works, such as benevolence or teaching, must be seen to have any impact. To do a good thing is a good thing, but to do good to be seen is a serious offense. It is hypocrisy, and hypocrisy turns people away from God. God has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to hypocrisy.

If we live a life of hypocrisy and like the Pharisees don’t practice what we preach, we become a hindrance of the gospel of Jesus rather than a help. We must practice what we preach. The life we live and how we treat others will either support or undermine the message we are trying to communicate. We must do what we can to lighten the loads that weigh on people, and our leaders must not let the respect and honour they receive go to their heads. Pride tends to derail those whose true calling is to humble service.

Authoritative teachers live according to Christ’s rules. They love God and love people. They do not abuse other people. They don’t promote their own status. They don’t seek promotion or fame. Any title they use refers to servanthood rather than rank or superiority. It’s common in churches to see people who have been placed in leadership positions lose their attitude of servanthood. We are encouraged to shut down inappropriate responses to Jesus in favour of living and serving Him as He did and still does-in us, out through us, or not at all. In every organization there are people who are already serving at the lowest levels of the power hierarchy, those already working in overlooked roles. These people are often unseen, existing only in the shadows. Making unseen people visible within the power hierarchy can be a way to exalt and lift up the humble.

God expects us to care for one another and serve one another. Imagine for a moment how our ministry to others could be if we knew we could count on each other. Our actions matter. We are human and prone to falling short, but we should take care to act in ways that honour our faith as best we can. We must not be discouraged by how we fall short or how we fail to fully live the teachings we profess and pass on to others. Instead, with faith in that Word “at work in you who believe,” we are assured that God is not finished with us yet.

Jesus identified the Pharisees’ root problem: they arranged their world to convince onlookers they were especially holy, devout, or knowledgeable about God’s Word, all to secure control and elevate themselves. What is missing is the space, silence, and vulnerability necessary to receive the radiant love of God. When we approach the Christian life as a constant stream of virtuous activity directed as loudly as possible both at God and at our faith community— “Look at me! Look at all the wonderful things I’m doing!”—the still, small voice of the Spirit is very easily drowned out. Our self-imposed burden of a needy ego, never patient enough to learn the love of God, will sooner or later become the arrogance and self-satisfaction of the scribes and Pharisees.

Jesus is calling us away from the self-seeking life that pulls at us like a giant magnet and toward a highly disciplined discipleship that requires more than what we want to give. This passage demands a lot from us. Not only are we to avoid seeking honours and titles, but we are also required to prevent people from using them of us. Instead of worrying that we can’t do enough, let us do what we can and believe that God will do the rest. As Mother Theresa once said, “God doesn’t call us to be successful (meaning great). God calls us only to be faithful.”

God’s Word is at work in us as believers. That’s the most important thing of all as we seek to carry our own burdens and those of our fellow disciples. No burden we shoulder is ours to carry alone. The Holy Spirit within us is always present and ready to do the heavy lifting. Jesus says it himself in the Gospel of Matthew: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” The burdens of life and community may never go away, but when the love of God pervades them, they are no longer crushing weights. Our burdens become a steadying presence, anchoring and grounding us in the faithful pursuit of grace and truth. For it is when we commit to turning our burdens over to God that we are at last empowered to bear the burdens of one another. And a burden shared becomes a burden halved, as the old saying goes. Perhaps we could modify it for ourselves—a burden shared becomes a burden graced.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1322-1323)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; p.18)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Principles Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)
7. Michael Brooks, “Religion as You Like It.” Retrieved from www.forthrigh.et
8. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Matthew 23:1-12.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
9. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 31^st Sunday in Ordinary Time (A).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
10. Pastor Ken Klaus, “Adiaphora.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhmin.org
11. Alyce McKenzie, “Do as I Say, Not As I Do: Lectionary Reflections on Matthew 23.: Retrieved from www.patheos.com
12. Greg Carey, “Commentary on Matthew 23:1-12.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
13. The Rev. Whitney Rice, “Do You Feel Burdened?” Retrieved from www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com

Have you ever had problems or trials in your lives? We often have times of trial and difficulty in life. Sometimes they are the result of things we have done, and other times they are caused by God. All of us know what it is like to be hurt. It is part of all cultures, and it can only be cured by a powerful potion. In the case of believers, that potion is faith. Christian hope is grounded on the reality of Christ and his resurrection. Christ will protect us from persecution. He will protect our souls while allowing our trials to strengthen our faith. Trials humble us and prove the genuineness of our faith, but we can rejoice in suffering because of our faith.

All of our trials are temporary, because our life on earth is like a snap of our fingers-over in a flash. Our sufferings pale in comparison to the glory we will receive in heaven. We do not have to wait to catch a glimpse of God, because Jesus has told us about God. If we have faith in Jesus, we have faith in God. Faith makes us certain of the realities we can’t see, including God. When all seems hopeless, faith gives us the strength we need to keep going. Faith gives us hope.

God tests our faith so that we can experience his love. God will be with us as we face life’s challenges. We must not let our trials take away our joy. In fact, a good sense of humour can help us cope with life’s challenges. We can receive joy in the midst of our trials because God is with us. The power of God keeps us strong through faith and will continue to do so until the Second Coming. Our faith might be weak, but God is strong. This joy is unspeakable and full of glory because it comes from the Holy Spirit within us. This knowledge comforts us along with the knowledge that our trials are temporary. Our hope is in Christ alone. Hardships can strengthen our faith, and suffering can strengthen our character. Suffering can make us more sensitive to others. All of these refinements cause us to be more like Christ.

No matter how bad things get, we are to keep trusting in God, because God keeps his promises. He promised to be with us always, and he is with us always. We who trust Christ must praise God for keeping his promise of salvation. We must also live out that salvation in our daily lives. Salvation is a gift from God, and he gives believers this gift because of his mercy, grace and sovereignty. The world puts its hope in things that decay but Peter reminds us that our sure, secure hope is in Jesus. This hope allows us to face life’s challenges. Having hope does not mean that we won’t have problems, but it does mean that our sorrow will not last and that joy is central to our hope. Suffering leads to praise, honour and glory.

Peter wrote his first letter at a time when early Christians were being persecuted. The early Jews gave a living testimony to Jesus as the long-promised Messiah. Thousands came to Christ, but the early Jews were under a lot of heat. Christians are still being persecuted today, especially in the developing world. Like the early Jews, they can take hope in the knowledge of Christ’s resurrection. When we are asked why we have hope, we can say that it is because of Christ’s resurrection experience in our lives as we are born again in the Spirit. The rebirth gives us a heavenly inheritance that will never perish, will never be polluted and will always be bright. That living hope is also our shield against the perils of our sin-filled world.

When we face trials, it’s only natural for us to grieve, but we have the best comforter of all-Jesus. He has promised to be our Comforter and Encourager. He will be there so that our faith may be proved genuine. He will be with us so that we can gain praise, honour and glory at the Revelation of Christ. When we turn to Christ, especially in times of trial, we get to know God, we get a new life in Christ and we get a future in heaven.

Bibliography

• Rebecca Barlow Jordan, “Refiner.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

1. Bayless Conley, “Keep Laughing.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
2. Bayless Conley, “Keep Trusting.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
3. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
4. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
5. Cedar, P.A. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 34: James/1&2 Peter/Jude (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984)
6. Bayless Conley, “For Just a Little While.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
7. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Reasons!” Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org
8. Pastor Rick Warren, “Anybody Needs a Fresh Start.” Retrieved from www.purposedriven.com
9. Dr. Keith Wagner, “A Living Hope.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
10. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on James, 1&2 Peter (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2010)

If you knew you were dying, what final words would you say to your loved ones? Final words are important, because they are often the most precious memories our loved ones have of us. They might even contain final instructions or words of wisdom. Death is hard to face because it’s hard to see someone go, especially if they are young. We can comfort the grieving by helping them, listening to them or being there for them, just like Moses was there for the Israelites before he died.

Just before the events in the passage we heard from Deuteronomy occurred, Moses gave his final blessings to the Israelites. He knew he was going to die, and he wanted his final words to be remembered. The deathbed statements of a great person are always of interest to his or her followers. As people get older, they gain a sense of what matters or what is significant. In his last speech, Moses tried to get the Israelites to live right after he died.

He climbed the mountain alone so his ministry could end the same way it began-in God’s presence. He saw the Promised Land-a land he would not enter. Then he died. Moses wasn’t kept from leading the Israelites into the Promised Land because of death by natural causes. It was because of his unfaithfulness to the Lord at Meribah, as described in Numbers 20:12. Moses got to see that his life’s work was not in vain. His faith journey was going to bear fruit. The beauty in his death is not in the physical details but in the fact that he died in God’s presence. The God who called him to lead the Israelites was the same God who called him home.

Not many people have the chance to die a good death, but Moses was given that gift. God oversaw Moses’ death to the point of personally taking care of Moses’ burial. Moses was given a rare and remarkable final tribute in the passage from Deuteronomy. Dying a good death didn’t mean covering over his life or pretending that he was perfect. It meant celebrating his very humanity, leadership, commitment to his community and his intimate relationship with God.

What is important is that he was the one whom God knew face to face, and through God performed such signs and wonders. Moses remains the one through whom God became fully known. Though he appears to be excluded because God didn’t allow him to enter the Promised Land, he is the key to the Israelites’ memory of God’s mighty acts of deliverance, and therefore of their ongoing covenantal relationship with God.

The report of Moses’ death kept Moses from being magnified beyond what a man should be. Meanwhile, the title “servant of the Lord” maintained the Lord’s high esteem of Moses in the eyes of the people. Moses may have begun tenuously-killing a man in Egypt, fleeing in fear, living 40 years in anonymity in the desert, and arguing with God about doing His will-but he arrived at the end of his life in faithfulness, having accomplished the job God gave him to do.

Moses brought the people to the frontier of the Promised Land, but he would not bring them over it. Similarly, the Law of God can’t bring us into the Land of Promise, even when the Law is honoured and obeyed. We stand on the height of effort and view it from afar in all its fair expanse, but if we never get further than “Do this and live,” we can never pass into the blessed life of rest and victory represented by Canaan. The Law must be perfectly obeyed and fulfilled, first by Jesus and then by the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

At the time of his death, the natural process of aging had not taken its toll on Moses; he was still a strong, vital man. These words are striking. Moses did not die because he had “worn out”-he had been given strength and longevity by God so that he might lead the people into the land of Canaan despite his advanced age. Yet as strong as he was at his death, God still restrained him from leading the people to their destination.

Moses was so esteemed by the people that, had they known where God buried him, they might have turned his grave into a shrine. Death makes us think of eternity. It gives us hope and comfort if we believe we will see our loved ones again. Moses was unique, but he was just a man in service to God. God didn’t want anyone to remember him as anything but a man. That’s why the exact location of his grave is a mystery today.

Deuteronomy 34:10-12 is Moses’ epitaph. He was a spiritual pioneer. He was the first to proclaim God’s attributes. He was the first to give love as the incentive for the people to obey God. He was the first to give God’s Law. He was the first to give a plan of education in the family. Moses’ character points to his greatness. He enjoyed a unique relationship with God. God’s knowledge of Moses is stressed. God sought him out and chose him for a particular task.

Until Christ, no one ever lived who was greater than Moses. The statement in verses 10-12 is quite remarkable in the context of the entire Word of God: there was no one else whom the Lord knew face to face. Moses’ greatness has stood the test of time. It was in the formation of the new covenant that at last “a prophet like Moses” appeared again, but He was more than a prophet. Moses was a servant in God’s household, but the coming Prophet was a Son, Jesus Christ.

There are three lessons we can learn from Moses’ life and death. They are the secrets of living a good life that is right in God’s sight:

1. The secret of fulfillment in life is involvement.
2. The secret of reality in life is humility.
3. The secret of happiness in life is perspective.

Moses died. The Israelites mourned for him. Even if a good, long life can be celebrated and eulogized, the end of that life marks a loss. Even though Moses could see into the land where he faithfully lead the Israelites, his time was at an end, and he couldn’t finish all that he may have hoped. The brief mention of his successor Joshua reminds us that God’s spirit is what remains constant amidst human transitions, and that is a good thing for us to remember when someone we love dies. Though Moses is described as unequalled among all the prophets and leaders in Old Testament times, we can imitate Moses in his intimacy with God and be people who similarly seek after God’s face.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 270-271)
2. Maxwell, J.C. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 5: Deuteronomy (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 19897; pp. 324-328)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. Charles R. Swindoll, “Moses: Three Secrets.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca
6. Karla Suomala, “Commentary on Deuteronomy 34:1-12.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
7. Margaret Odell, “Commentary on Deuteronomy 34:1-12.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
8. Sara Koenig, “Commentary on Deuteronomy 34:1-12.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org

A few years ago, Billy Graham answered a letter in his daily newspaper column from someone who was upset that churches and charities don’t pay a cent in taxes. The writer was upset that he had to “pay until it hurts”. In his reply, Dr. Graham said that if all the food banks, homeless shelters, hospitals, community centers, addiction rehabilitation centres and other organizations were forced to close, millions of lives would be hurt. If they did close, governmental agencies would be forced to fill the gap-at enormous cost to taxpayers. He closed his reply with the following words:

“No system is perfect, but I urge you not to turn a blind eye to the good done by the vast number of churches and other organizations who are sincerely seeking to serve others. Christians take seriously Jesus’ command: “Love your neighbour as yourself”.”

When Jesus was asked which Commandment was the most important, it was a loaded question. The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus, but Jesus turned the trap on them. All of the commandments were equal because they were created by God. Jesus used the opportunity to point out that all of the laws that the Pharisees came up with to make certain that the Jews kept the Commandments were not necessary. All of their laws, and all of the Commandments, were summarized by the two Great Commandments that Jesus gave us and the Pharisees: “Love God, and love people”. Both commandments are related and are of equal importance. They are the basics of Christianity.

The employees of nursing homes are a good example of the fact that loving others comes from the knowledge that each person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. They treat the residents with the dignity and respect that the residents deserve. They show their love by doing their jobs to the best of their ability, and by doing so; they show the love they have for the residents. They try to help their neighbours, and by doing so, they are doing what God wants them to do. This love involves denying themselves for the good of others. People don’t care how much we know, until they know how much we care.

But what if loving our neighbour means that we need to listen to the world and be engaged with it? There was a time when neighbours helped each other out by having building bees where neighbours came together to build barns or houses. Other times they came together to help each other with the harvest or to care for sick neighbours or elderly parents. Those are examples of loving people as God loved us. The way God knows that we love him is by how we treat people. Whenever we demonstrate kindness, patience or gentleness, we see the Lord’s love at work through us, especially when the other person has been unkind and doesn’t deserve such pleasant treatment. Our relationships with others demand priority over things that won’t last or won’t matter in a few years. If we love God and love people, we will naturally obey the rest of the Commandments. That’s only natural. After all, the two Great Commandments are an example of the Golden Rule.

It is our faith that God loves us that makes us able to love ourselves and therefore be grateful for the gift of ourselves. This awareness of life as a gift is what we mean by loving God. When we love ourselves, we are grateful to God, and this gratitude sets us free to love other people. When we truly love people, we value them as gifts of God.

Jesus’ teaching isn’t about how we feel about God and neighbour, but what we will do. We are to love God with all our lives, including our work. Doing so restricts our activity to the straight and narrow path that God has created for us to walk on. It is the basis of our obedience to God. It shows that our love for God is number one in our lives. Love for God and love for all of those who are made in his image form the backbone of everything God says to us in his word. In the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 13:10, “Love is the fulfillment of the law”.

Bibliography

• Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV
• Exegesis for Matthew 22:34-46. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

• Matthew Barnett, “Purpose Summed Up”. Retrieved from www.christianity.com/moi/2001/004/july/5.5.html

• Mary Southerland, “And I Love Me”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

• MacArthur, John: MacArthur Study Bible NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers: 2006, 2008)

• The Rev. Dr. Billy Graham, “Why Don’t Churches Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com

• Greg Laurie, “The First and Greatest Commandment”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

• Les Lamborn, “A Lover of God”. Retrieved from www.rbc.org

• Pastor Bob Coy, “Prioritize People”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

• Les Lamborn, “Two Rules to Live By”. Retrieved from www.rbc.org

• Charles F. Stanley, “How Can We Love Like Jesus Commands?” Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

• The Very Rev. Dr. Jane Shaw, “Love and Listening”. Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net
• Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions: 30^th Sunday (A)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
• Timothy Gardner, O.P., “The Third Commandment”. Retrieved from www.torch.op.org/preaching_sermon_item.php?sermon=5648  

When we spread the good news of the Gospel, we can expect to face opposition. The apostle Paul was no exception. He boldly preached the Gospel to the Thessalonians in spite of suffering and mistreatment. First Thessalonians 2:1-8 is a model for all Christians to follow, especially when they are called to spread the Good News of the Gospel. In particular, we are to pay attention to the example Paul set for us. His bold preaching was direct and to the point. He did not use words that would please his audience. He did not resort to manipulation. He did not try to “tickle the ears” of his listeners. He did not try to use his ministry for financial gain. Unlike some preachers. Paul was honest, and honesty is refreshingly simple. No ulterior motives or hidden meanings. No need to manipulate people. No matter how much opposition he encountered, he never took his eyes off of his calling to bring people to Jesus.

If we want to build the Christian community, we must proclaim the Gospel boldly. In the words of Dr. Michael Youssef, who is the president of Leading the Way Ministries, we must “passionately proclaim uncompromising truth.” We must be fearless when we speak out against things such as social injustice, lax morals or the abuse of power within the Christian community.

Paul was entrusted by God to speak not to please man, but to please God. Paul was entrusted with the Gospel, just like God entrusts all of his people with the Gospel. The Gospel has been safeguarded throughout the nations. It is the responsibility of each generation to safeguard the Gospel for generations to come.

Paul and his fellow missionaries could have made demands as apostles. In particular, they could have asked to be paid for their preaching, but they didn’t. Paul made his living as a tentmaker everywhere he went to preach. This supported the claim that the motives of Paul and his colleagues were pure. The love of God speaks to the insecurity and the need that is at the centre of greed and as we focus on God’s gift of grace, and we remember that in Jesus we have been given abundant, eternal life, there becomes less and less we have to have, less and less we want.

The Christian church does have some ministers with large egos who have to put their pictures on all their books, parade their degrees after their names, or have the best parking places and the nicest offices. They are no better than the Pharisees in Jesus’ day. True preachers can’t separate their preaching from their daily lives. They must literally “practice what they preach.” If only all preachers-indeed-if only all Christians-served one another as Paul served his fellow Christians. He served his fellow Christians in the following ways:

1. He served with boldness, truth and honesty, seeking to please God and not men.
2. He served without flattery, covetousness, or seeking glory from men.
3. He served with labour night and day, seeking to be devout, just, and blameless.
4. He served with the gentleness and affection of a nursing mother and the guidance and encouragement of a caring father.

Paul was an effective witness because of what he did. He lived out his faith in his relationship with God. The only way we can be effective witnesses is to live our faith in our relationship with God and with each other.

Those of us who provide spiritual leadership have to provide tender loving care to our flocks. We have to provide the spiritual nourishment that people need just like a mother cherishes and nurses her children.

Those of us who preach the Gospel must have courage. Courage is often associated with bravery, but courage can take many different forms. Courage is related to confidence, but in this case confidence is less about being right than it is about being comfortable. It means remaining non-defensive when we are challenged, to listen respectfully to others recognizing that God may be speaking to us through them. While we must have the courage to share the Gospel, we must also be vulnerable. We must share what we know and how we strive to live what we know and how we have failed and doubted along our Christian journey.

Evangelism must always be focused on leading people to Christ because it is a matter of their spiritual life and death. Evangelism must be done with a sense of urgency. We must not allow our daily routines to distract us from our Christian duty. We must preach the truth boldly without using tricks or manipulation. We must please God regardless of whether or not there is any growth in the number of Christian followers.

 Paul was successful because he, like most good ministers, took the time to cultivate relationships with people. He cared for them by getting involved in their lives. As the old saying goes, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. He shared himself with them by getting involved in their lives.

Paul was bold and direct in his preaching, but he was also a warm and gentle man. That is why he used the image of a nursing mother in 1 Thessalonians 2:7. Paul and his colleagues were eager to give themselves to others just like a mother gives herself to her family-and just like Christ gave himself for us. Paul also got involved emotionally in their lives. He loved the people he met, and he treated them as people of value. When we love others, we must also treat them as people of value instead of a means to an end. When we talk to others, we must talk about our affections, and that includes the gestures of love and kindness such as hugs, handshakes (like those we use when we pass the peace.

We must lead lives that are stirring enough to start a movement for God. We must have a burning desire to change the world. That must be our passion in life. We must serve others with the tender loving care that Jesus showed. We must encourage each other in our spiritual journey. Even when things look dark and dismal in our broken, human world, God will prevail. God will triumph over evil. God is at work in the world, and he will work through people of faith. God can’t be limited. Even God’s enemies are used by God to do his work in the world.

God also works through the church. We are his agents of change. We are entrusted with the Good News of unconditional love, never-ending grace and ultimate peace. This means that there is something for each and every one of us to do. There are things we can do in our everyday lives such as being godly parents or children or community members.

We are to be focused on the mission. The only way we can accomplish this mission is to live our lives with integrity. Living a life of integrity means genuinely caring for the people and churches we serve. We must have a passion to make God look good each and every day.

Dr. Haddon Robinson, who is regarded as one of the leading teachers of the art of preaching, once told the story of a writer for a newspaper in Toronto who undertook an investigation into the ethical practices of auto repair shops in his city. He took a spark‑plug wire off of his engine, making the car run unevenly. He took the car in to different shops and asked them to fix it. Time after time people sold him unnecessary repairs or charged him for repairs that were not done.

Finally, he went to a small garage. A fellow named Fred came out, popped open the hood, and said, “Let me listen to that thing.” After a few seconds, he told the reporter, “I think I know what’s wrong.” He reached down and grabbed the wire, announcing, “Your spark‑plug wire came off.” And he put it back on.

The reporter asked, “What do I owe you?”

“I’m not going to charge you anything,” Fred replied. “I didn’t have to fix anything; I just reattached the wire.”

The writer then told Fred what he was doing and that he had been charged all kinds of money by mechanics looking at that same wire. He asked Fred, “Why didn’t you charge me anything?” Fred said, “Are you sure you want to know? I happen to be a Christian and believe that everything we do should be done to glorify God. I’m not a preacher and I’m not a missionary, but I am a mechanic and so I do it honestly. I do it skillfully and I do it to the glory of God.”

The next day in the newspaper was a headline that read, “Christian Mechanic, Honest to the Glory of God.”

Regardless of what we do for God, we must not tone down his message. Even when our message is challenged, we must not back down. We are to be good shepherds, servant leaders whose job description includes leading others to God. God empowers us as leaders and as followers to build up, to influence and to persuade others. We build and strengthen our community of believers so that we may reach out to serve.

Bibliography

• Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.

• Demarest, G. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 32: 1,2 Thessalonians/1,2 Timothy/Titus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984)

• MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2006)

• Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2010)

• Dennis Fisher, “Tender Loving Care.” Retrieved from www.rbc.org

• Charles R. Swindoll, “Absolute Honesty.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca

• T.M. Moore, “Look at Me.” Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

• Holly Hearon, “Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org

• Richard Ascough, “Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org

• Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Sermons We See.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

• King Duncan, “A Victory for the Angels.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
• Mary S. Lautensleger, “Leaders Worthy of Imitation.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
• King Duncan, “Living to Please God.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
• Richard Brand, “The Cloak.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
• King Duncan, “What Would Bill Do (New)?” Retrieved from www.esermons.comPreaching Magazine (Nashville, TN: Salem Publishing, July/August 2014, p. 48)

Things were going well for Moses as he led the people out of Egypt. God called him to Mount Horeb to receive the Ten Commandments. While he was there, the people fell away from God by returning to the ways of Egypt by building and worshiping a golden calf under Aaron’s watch. This revealed that the spiritual foundation of the people and the leadership of Aaron had not been grounded enough for the leader to have an extended absence. God’s presence had left the people.

When Moses came back and saw what had happened, he recognized the solution as well. Having God’s presence return was the only way they could proceed and have success. Moses also realized a weakness in his own ability to lead. He wanted God to mentor him. Is the presence of God in our current activities? Are the people we lead mature enough in their faith for us to be off site?

The first part of the passage we heard from Exodus was Moses’ third intercession on behalf of the Israelites. The people had repented, expressed their sorrow and remorse, and divested themselves of the Golden Calf. But God has told them that He won’t go with them because He might consume them with His wrath. God’s holiness can’t abide with sin. Because the Israelites were sinful, God’s holiness would consume them on the way. God would be present with them in an indirect way through an angel.

Moses was, understandably concerned about the future of the people, and his leadership, if God decided not to accompany them into the land of Promise. What would the neighbors think? While he can be thankful that God will fulfill the promise to get them to the land, how would they survive in this new land?

Moses went into his tent and prayed to God, hoping to change His mind. Moses reminded God of the covenant He made with Abraham. Moses also appealed because of his own relationship with God. God relented and told Moses that He would go with the people, and He would give them rest.

God’s presence does give us rest, but at times His presence disturbs us instead. For example, God’s vivid presence once appeared to the prophet Isaiah. It caused Isaiah to tremble and shake and confess. God’s presence does that; it reveals our sinfulness.

As children of God, we have received His unmerited and unending favour. As we get to know Him better through prayer, fasting and studying His word, He extends us even more favour. He promises to grant our requests, and He knows us personally. He always reveals Himself as a God of grace and compassion, and that gives us great comfort when we face life’s trials, and when we sin or make errors in judgment.

The trials of life may give us the impression that God is angry or vindictive on one hand; and unknowing and uncaring on the other. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus came to reveal God as a merciful, gracious, loving Heavenly Father-a Father who loves the world so much that He gave His only begotten son.

When we reflect on God, we better reflect God. We must personally engage with Him. We must go to Him in prayer and interlock our hearts, motivations, ambitions and wills to His revealed will and word. This is where our faith fits together with our actions, and where our lives go from being our own to being His.

Moses preferred to go nowhere with God than anywhere without Him. We must do likewise. We must make God’s presence our passion by being more like a sponge and less like a rock. When we place a rock in the ocean, its surface gets wet. The exterior may change colour, but the interior remains untouched. If we place a sponge in the ocean, it absorbs the water. The ocean penetrates every pore and alters the essence of the sponge.

If we are to be effective in anything we do for the Lord, He must be in the midst of it. Unless His power is seen among us, we will be just another person who has religion. Unless we show His life to others, they will see only good behaviour that is easily counterfeited by moral people.

Moses’ fourth intercession was a request to see God’s glory. All along he was willing to proceed in the promise that God gave him at the burning bush. Something happened since then. The people’s falling into sin, God’s anger against them, and God’s refusal to allow Moses to make atonement brought a whole new situation. Moses felt he needed to know more of what God was like if he was going to continue to lead the Israelites. Moses wanted a deep, personal, intimate connection to God.

Moses saw God’s astounding acts during the Exodus, but now he wanted to see more-God’s glory. God granted this bold request, passing His goodness before Moses and proclaiming His own name-the expression of His character. The Lord speaks of His manner as being gracious and showing compassion, words Paul used in Romans 9:15-18.

We are very dependent on what we can see or perceive. We make judgment calls and assessments through our own eyes. When something impairs our ability to see, we compensate by using other senses, and in those times, most of us spend a lot more time praying for wisdom. We depend on our sight more than we depend on how God sees things. It can’t be about how we see things, but what God sees in us. Like Moses, we know that we have found grace in God’s sight, but are we living to be pleasing in His sight every day with every decision?

Eventually everyone leaves churches where God isn’t obviously present and working. Churches don’t die. God’s voice in them dies, and then the people’s response of adoration goes cold too. Getting people back to church is pointless unless God comes back first in His glory. The church is called to make manifest to the senses the presence of God. The entire world is bathed in Him. God is the water we swim in and we, like fishes, don’t even know we’re in it. The church’s job is to make God’s presence felt so that when we leave this place, we know we’re swimming in water and the water is God’s presence, love and goodness.

Glory can’t be faked. It can’t be manufactured, manipulated, or manifested at will. Only God can bring glory into a church, but when He does, communities get shaken and lives get changed. Jesus’ fame curls up on the shore of human hearts like a wave.

There was a limit to what Moses would see, for no one can look upon the Lord and live. God is Spirit-with no physical features whatsoever-so the use of the terms “my back” and “my face” was a means for humans to understand what cannot be understood otherwise. Moses’ passing view of the Lord’s back was still more than ever had been seen-until Jesus, in whom the transcendent God was revealed in human flesh.

God’s decision to abide with humans is astonishing. The fact that God chooses to be in relationship with human beings makes Him vulnerable to the pain that results when that relationship is betrayed. It also means that authentic communication is made possible, and Moses is the model for us of that divine-human communication.

God isn’t limited, but we are. No one, not even Moses, could know all about God. Even though He has revealed Himself fully in Jesus Christ, there is a sense in which He remains hidden. Similarly, God has hidden some things from us. God is far beyond our ability to understand. What is revealed in the Bible is only a portion of what God is like. We will learn more about Him when we get to heaven, but even then, there will be a lot that we won’t learn. Whenever some fresh insight and meaning comes to us, hopefully we will bow our heads in humility, awe and worship.

At stake, then, is our understanding of God as transcendent, untouchable, and unviewable, versus God’s willingness to intervene on behalf of even the most stiff-necked of folks. The theophany that occurs in this story beautifully bears witness to both. In Jeremiah 23:23, God stated: “Am I a God nearby… and not a God far off?”. In our prayer lives, when do we know that “enough is enough” and one should let go of a prayer? When is it more important to keep pushing?

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 118)
2. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 2: Exodus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987; pp. 338-347)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. Reverend Wayne Palmer, “Looking Upon God.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
6. “In Your Sight.” Retrieved from www.dailydisciples.org
7. Gwen Smith, “The Solution to Restlessness, Part Two.” Retrieved from www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/girlfriends
8. Max Lucado, “Be More Sponge and Less Rock.” Retrieved from BibleGateway@e.BibleGateway.com
9. Bobby Schuller, “Truth, Goodness and Beauty.” Retrieved from www.hourofpower.org
10. Os Hillman, “When His Work Exceeds His Presence.” Retrieved from Christainity.com@crosswalkmail.com
11. Os Hillman, “Unless the Lord Goes with Us.” Retrieved from tgif@marketplaceleaders.org
12. Karla Suomala, “Commentary on Exodus 33:12-23.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
13. Kathryn M. Schifferdecker, “Commentary on Exodus 33:12-32.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
14. Charles Cowherd, “Bible Study, 20th Sunday after Pentecost (A) – October 22, 2017.” Retrieved from www.epsicopaldigitalnetwork.com
15. “Face to Face with God – A Lectionary Reflection for Pentecost 20A (Exodus 33)”. Retrieved from noreply+feedproxy@google.com

How many of you have to take pills every day? I’m certainly no exception. I have to take 4 medications and an iron supplement every day because of health conditions. If I don’t take my pills, my health will eventually get worse. In the same way, if we don’t read our Bible and pray every day, our spiritual health will get worse. In fact, the apostle Paul talks about spiritual health in the passage we heard from Romans.

Paul describes the gospel not as a message or a set of doctrines, but as “the power of God” effecting salvation. This salvation has universal reach, in that it extends to both Jews and Gentiles. The good news of salvation reveals “the righteousness of God,” which is expressed through God’s faithfulness toward humanity, a faithfulness that enables humanity to express faith through God’s faithfulness toward humanity, a faithfulness that itself enables humanity to express faith in Christ.

All that Paul has said to this point in the Letter to the Romans is painfully true: man has earned the condemnation of God. Paul’s first words in verses 21-22 signal the beginning of a new section of his letter-and a new day in the world of faith: before Jesus Christ, the Jews were self-righteous and the Gentiles were unrighteous. Now the righteousness of God is revealed through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe.

 Sin is an overstepping of the divine boundary between good and evil, a failure to meet the divine standard, the intrusion of self-will into the place of divine authority, spiritual anarchy and an insult to the divine veracity. God has installed a warning system called guilt into our souls. We experience it when we do something wrong. Just as pain tells us there is a physical problem that must be dealt with or the body will suffer, guilt tells us something is wrong spiritually and needs to be confronted and cleansed. Guilt is the symptom of the real problem of sin.

In New Testament times, a slave market was a common sight. Slaves were displayed before potential buyers who would examine them and would buy the slave. Those days are long gone, but we are living in a time where similar tactics are used for a variety of reasons. We are familiar with hijackings, kidnappings and hostage-takings, which are often resolved only when innocent people pay huge ransoms to free innocent people. Paul sees humanity as being in a similar situation. Christ is portrayed as the one who, when He came into the place of our bondage and seeing that we were hostages to sin, freely paid our ransom.

The subjects of redemption are sold under sin but are under sentence of death. The purchase price is the blood of Christ who died in their place. The redeemed are never again exposed to sale. Christ paid the price, the Holy Spirit makes deliverance actual in experience. Christ endured the righteous sentence God imposed on humanity. His righteousness is His consistency with His own law and holiness in freely justifying a sinner who believes in Christ.

There’s no question about human sin, guilt, divine judgment and condemnation. There is also evidence of God’s love for sinners and His commitment to their redemption. People who want to be reconciled to God have two choices: live a life that will be so pleasing to God that they will be rewarded by reconciliation, or trust God to give them a chance, even though it is neither earned nor deserved. 

Salvation by grace through faith doesn’t mean that the Law is useless. On the contrary, it is still important. Salvation by grace underscores the true importance of the Law:

1. 1. By providing a payment for the penalty of death, which the Law required for failing to keep it.
   2. By fulfilling the Law’s original purpose, which is to teach us that we can’t obey God’s righteous demands and to drive people to Christ.
   3. By giving believers the capacity to obey the Law.

The righteousness of God is neither an attribute of God, nor the change of character of the believer, but Christ Himself, who fully met every demand of the Law, and who is righteous. No one is outside the scope of God’s righteousness; there is also no distinction among those who are saved-or among those who are lost: all fall short. Divine righteousness excludes all boasting. It eliminates all human pride, prejudice and presumption.

Grace is one of God’s expressions of love for us. It is the gift unsought, unmerited, unlimited that overrules whatever a person has done, no matter the depth of transgression or the darkness of heart. He has made His righteousness available to us, and we don’t even have to obey the Law perfectly to receive it. He has shown this to be the case in His dealings with His people through the Law and the prophets.

 It’s because of God’s grace that there is a gospel to proclaim and a Saviour to praise. He doesn’t get tired of us. Instead, He chooses to deal graciously with us. When we understand grace, we no longer resist and resent God. We long to draw near to Him.

 We won’t find God’s grace until we acknowledge that what we bring to the table is only our sin and guilt. We need God’s grace. What God brings to the table is everything. Our welcome into God’s family is zero because of what we’ve done and 100% because of what God has done for us in Jesus’ death on the cross.

 Because many years passed during which God continued to atone “temporarily” by covering over sin, it might have appeared that God did not take sin seriously. The cross of Christ removed all doubt: The cross is the public declaration that God is righteous in the way He has handled human sin. It is no longer merely covered, but removed!

How do we deal with sin? Some of us deny it, but a better way is through faith in Jesus. He shows us that God loves all of us, regardless of our sins. Christ came to pay the price for our sins. He covers our sins. He is the sunglasses that we wear so that we can see other people through God’s eyes.

How do we show our faith in Jesus? Some people think that going to church once a week is enough to keep sin away and show our faith, but it isn’t. In addition to a weekly dose of Bible study and prayer, we need a daily dose too. We need to read our Bible and pray each day to keep sin away, just like many of us have to take pills every day to keep illness away.

Bibliography

1. 1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1548)2
   2. The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.3
   3. Briscoe, D.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 29: Romans (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 85-94)
   4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
   5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King JamesVersion (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
   6. Pastor Greg Laurie, “The Good in Guilt.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
   7. Pastor Ken Klaus, “What You’ve Got.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
   8. Dr. Charles Stanley, “Justice and Mercy.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
   9. “A Shot in the Arm.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com
   10. Pastor Ed Markquart, “Me and My Shadow.” Retrieved from www.sermonsfromseattle.com
   11. Matt Skinner, “Commentary on Romans 1:16-17; 3:22-28(29-31).” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org

It’s tough to be God, just like it’s tough to be a parent-and God is our heavenly Father. He laid His life on the line for us and rescued us from slavery and death. He saved the Israelites from slavery and death in Egypt. He delivered them, guided them, fed them and gave them water. Despite all He did for them, they were often rebellious, just like we are often rebellious and children are sometimes rebellious. It’s not surprising that God was ready to destroy them.

The longer Moses stayed on the mountain, the more restless the people became. Did they believe that something had happened to Moses? Were they growing tired of his leadership? Without him present to keep reminding them of God’s presence, did doubt begin to overcome them? Was it a struggle with their faith? Had the message not penetrated their hearts? Were they not convinced?

The people were afraid because they thought they had lost their human leader. This exposes what happens when God’s people fall prey to the temptation to confuse human leaders such as parents, bishops, teachers and mentors with God. When that leader disappears, humans can lose sight of God and lose faith in their direction.

Whenever anyone or anything takes the place that God should have in our lives, it is rebellion and sin. The human heart loves anything that can be seen-that which meets and gratifies the senses. We need to remember Moses’ example, especially as it is described in Hebrews 11:27: “By faith…he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible.”

When Moses was experiencing a spiritual peak, the people of God hit rock bottom. Fearful that Moses would not return, and wanting something tangible to follow, they asked for substitute gods that would go before them. Within weeks of experiencing the presence of God at Mount Sinai, they were involved in an orgy of idolatry.

The Israelites were caught up in their own impatience, which led to their folly. Have you ever felt impatient with God? What can you do to make yourself more patient? The idol the Israelites asked for was meant to replace Moses, but they challenged God’s sovereignty as well.

It’s also easy for us to get lost. All we have to do is take our eyes off the Shepherd. Stop going to church. Stop studying God’s Word. Bury ourselves in our jobs. Surround ourselves with people who don’t care about God.

Aaron still had parts of Egypt in him. He did not have a complete conversion from the pagan worship of Egypt to God’s ways. His leadership wasn’t strong enough to stop the rebellion. He encouraged the people to make the golden idol. He tried to justify his actions by saying the idol was a god of Israel.

All of us have experienced something like this in our lives. We’re in a position where people want us to do something that deep down we know isn’t right. The pressure mounts, the demands increase and we reach a place of just wanting to make them happy. We become people pleasers instead of God pleasers.

Aaron got it slightly right and mostly wrong. He knew that it was God, not Moses, who led the people out of Egypt. He proclaimed a festival to God. To give the people something to follow, Aaron made a false image of the true God, which God had forbidden in Exodus 20:1-4.

Our idols are often false things we worship in place of God-things such as money, power, fame, career, self and so on. Idols can be our false images of the true God. They are things that we associate so much with God that we worship them instead of God-the church building, the liturgy, a former minister, the stained glass window behind the altar, a doctrine to which we cling too tightly. This form of idol can be more dangerous to faith than outright idols. No finite image can fully capture the infinite God.

For us as Christians, the Golden Calf has become a Golden Cross. Not just the shiny ones we wear around our necks but the ones that perch atop our churches, adorn our windows and beautify our godly standing in society. We build a substitute leadership on bishops and elders while waiting for Jesus to return. We build a powerful empire lasting a thousand years, and build countless cathedrals. We revel in our own religion so well that we splintered it into a thousand pieces. Our Golden Calf or Cross is wound tightly into the fabric of our religion; in new and better interpretations of our Bibles, in our church leadership which we claim speaks for God, in our local church buildings which witness to our self-absorbed worship habits, in our bland mission statements, in our fund-raising guilt trips, in our evident godliness because we are concerned with social justice, in our insurance policies and our golden parachutes, in our picture-perfect lives and picture-perfect children, etc.

Eventually God forgave Aaron and Israel, but it came at a cost. Even now, when we hear Aaron’s name mentioned, it’s usually about this episode. It’s always a mistake to please people instead of pleasing God. If there’s a situation or scenario that requires us to do one of the other, no matter how difficult it may seem at the time, pleasing God is always the right thing to do. Otherwise, we’ll end up paying a price in the end.

Aaron might have intended a partial obedience-he would give the people what they asked for, and then he would use it to worship God. But by calling it a feast to God, he broke the third commandment. The people’s behavior was not like a picnic. The verb “play” comes from the same root as the name “Isaac,” which refers to laughter, especially in Genesis 21:1-7. Here, it means sexual acts done in the worship of pagan gods. Immorality often accompanies idolatry, even today.

Trying to reconcile idol worship and the worship of God is futile. It can’t be done because God has forbidden idols and graven images. We worship idols today. They are everything from celebrities, star athletes, gold, money or prestige products such as Rolex watches or luxury cars.

The words “corrupted” and “stiff-necked” mean unresponsive and stubborn. God wanted to destroy the people and create a new nation of Moses. Moses appealed to three things:

1. God’s responsibility, asserting that these are “your people.”
2. God’s reputation (the Egyptians would make false conclusions)
3. God’s reliability, citing His solemn oath to Israel’s forefathers.

God couldn’t overlook the insult of the golden calf. Thankfully for the Israelites, Moses knew God’s heart and intervened on behalf of the people. Moses knew God is a god of mercy, forgiveness and grace. When we base our prayers on what God has promised to do, we stand on unshakeable ground.

The stage was set for the defining moment in Moses’ life and career. Should he choose God’s side and become the founder of a new and improved nation, or should he side with the Israelites? Moses asked God to change His mind and not bring disaster on the people. God was angered by the Israelites’ actions, but He responded to their underlying fears without compromising His vision for an alternative society.

The reason for God’s anger was clear to Moses. The people worshipped idols and turned their back on God. Moses made the point that the Israelites were not Moses’ people but God’s people. God led them out of Egypt. Moses did not let God shove His chosen people aside the first time they got into trouble.

God never intended to destroy the Israelites. He was testing Moses to see whether he would learn what it meant to pray for other people. Would Moses stand in the gap, or would he allow God to destroy His people? This was a test for Moses, and he passed it. He prayed. He interceded. That is what we need to be doing as believers. We need to pray for people, and we need to care about people.

God is still looking for intercessors today. Sometimes we will pray for something and we won’t get an answer right away. We think that God is obviously saying no. Maybe God wants us to step up our game. Maybe He wants us to pray a little bit more. Maybe He doesn’t want us to give up so easily.

This passage teaches us two lessons:

1. Doing our own thing leads to trouble.
2. There are expectations that come with the invitation to be the people of God. God expected the Israelites to remain faithful during the time Moses was receiving the Law, but they weren’t faithful.

God can never be bought, but He can relate to us and He can love us more than we would dream possible. This is the God who was revealed not just in part, in the framework of the thinking of primitive humanity in Old Testament times, but who was revealed in all His full splendor and glory through Jesus Christ.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 115-117)
2. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 2: Exodus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 322-328)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. Pastor Bob Coy, “Aaron.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
5. Pastor Greg Laurie, “God is Looking for Intercessors.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
6. Os Hillman, “Beware of Mixture.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
7. Bruce T. Martin, “Golden Cross, Bloody Cross.” Retrieved from Sabbatheology@Crossings.org
8. Jordan Trumble, “Bible Study, 18 Pentecost, Proper 23(A).” Retrieved from www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com
9. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Exodus 32:12-14.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.
10. Pastor Greg Laurie, “Will You Stand in the Gap?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
11. Amy Erickson, “Commentary of Exodus 32:1-14.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
12. Karla Suomala, “Commentary on Exodus 32:1-14.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
13. Rolf Jacobson, “Commentary on Exodus 32:7-14.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org