God's Word on The Word

God’s Word on The Word

Matthew 5:17-20

A man in Kansas City was severely injured in an explosion. Robert L. Sumner tells about him in his book 'The Wonders of the Word of God.' The victim's face was badly disfigured, and he lost his eyesight as well as both hands. He was just a new Christian, and one of his greatest disappointments was that he could no longer read the Bible. Then he heard about a lady in England who read braille with her lips. Hoping to do the same, he sent for some books of the Bible in braille. Much to his dismay, however, he discovered that the nerve endings in his lips had been destroyed by the explosion. One day, as he brought one of the braille pages to his lips, his tongue happened to touch a few of the raised characters and he could feel them. Like a flash he thought, I can read the Bible using my tongue. At the time Robert Sumner wrote his book, the man had "read" through the entire Bible four times with his tongue.  How desperate are you to read and ingest that which is contained in this one book?

It was the saintly Whitehead who said once that, "The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the happiness of believers, the way of salvation and the doom of sinners. Every doctrine in the Bible is holy, every precept is binding, and every decision is immutable. You must read it to believe it, believe it to be saved and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's guide, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword and the Christian's charter. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, daily, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment and will be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor and condemn all who trifle with its contents."

And whether you unconventionally use your tongue like the Kansas man in Robert Summer’s book or your own God-given eyes to read it – it’s the book of all books!

It is a book beyond age; for it is the most ancient of all books.  It is a book beyond mere interest; for it is the read by all classes in the world.  It is a book beyond sales; for it the best-seller of any book.  It is a book beyond language and linguistics; although it is largely written by uneducated men, it is superior in literary style and genius.  It is a book beyond conventional unity; for it is a library and collection of sixty-six books, yet one Book.   It is a book beyond preservation; for it is the most hated book of all time, yet it’s still in circulation and it still lives.  And it is a book beyond human limitation; for it is the only book in the world whose Author is still alive. Yes, the Bible itself is the book of all books.

And you don’t have to season it.  Just pour it out and pass it on.  In fact, I would rather be in the Word of God than to be in Heaven – for in Matthew 24:35 it says that, ‘Heaven and earth might pass away; but His Word is going to stand forever.’  And in the text Christ deals with, and presents to His disciples and us the trinity of time and trilogy of time: the reality of retrospection and introspection and prospection.  Here you have the past and the present and the future; and we catch a glimpse of eternity in the words that are couched and tucked away in these four verses.  

1. CHRIST’S BELIEF ABOUT THE LAW

Let me rush to say that, in the opening words of Christ’s great sermonic discourse of the Sermon on the Mount, after discussing the character traits of the Kingdom Citizen through the Beatitudes, and the influence the Citizen of the Kingdom has through being Salt and Light – Jesus reveals clearly and succinctly that He believes the Bible.  Of course, most are aware that the Bible, at the time of the text, consists of the Old Testament books of Genesis to Malachi.  

There are two main truths of Jesus we note regarding His belief about God’s Word:

First, that the Word of God is Inspired.  Again and again, as we examine the words of our Lord in Word, He refers to Himself as the source and the subject of the Scriptures.  Interestingly, in John 5:39, Jesus instructs them to, ‘….search the Scriptures…they testify of me.’  Tragically, the scribes were missing the key to the Scriptures: Christ!  In fact, Jesus says to them in the 46^th verse: ‘Now if you believed Moses, you would have believe me: for he wrote about me.’  In a nutshell, Jesus is the subject of the Bible.  And Jesus Himself believed that the Old Testament Scriptures were inspired—they were the words of God!

Jesus also believed that the Word of God is Eternal.  Jesus says here in the 17^th verse, ‘Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets.”  The word for ‘destroy’ is katalusai, taken from kataluo, and it means to loosen down or quickly dissolve.  The word here for ‘destroy’ is given the picture and illustration of a body being dissolved at death.  Jesus says, ‘Don’t think my arrival equates or results in abolition of the Scripture.’  Now the obvious question that we raise is: why would anyone believe that Jesus came to loosen down or quickly dissolve the law or the Scripture?  This is actually an accurate foretelling of things to come in the ministry of Jesus:

• In Matthew 12, He has many controversies on the Sabbath; and the people suggest He was trying to destroy the law.
• In Mark 7, He breaks the tradition and practices of the church elders.  And they again suggest He was trying to destroy the law.
• In Matthew 21, He cleanses and reclaims the temple.  They suggest He’s trying to quickly dissolve the law of God.
• And in Mark 2, He becomes known as a friend of publicans, sinners, pimps and pushers.  And immediately they tend to accuse Christ of an attempt to hijack the prerogatives of God, hold hostage God’s holiness sand destroy the very law that God had commanded and decreed.

You can believe that Jesus Christ our Lord was revolutionary and maverick in many ways; but He did not come to do away with the Old Testament law.  The discrepancy of the law is not a contradiction on God’s part; but upon a quasi-interpretation of law on man’s part.  

We may understand what Jesus is trying to say if we better understand the definition of ‘law’.  Incidentally, law could have meant several things to Jesus’ hearers:

1. The Ten Commandments—as were given by Yahweh to Moses on the smoking summits of Sinai, as recorded in Exodus 20.
2. The first five books of the Old Testament: referred to as the Pentateuch.
3. The Law and Prophets, often referred to as the whole Bible.
4. The Scribal Law—which were all of the many rules, regulations and commentaries on the Ten Commandments.

And by the time Jesus Christ came to earth the original Ten Commandments of our Lord had been defined in a summary of rules and laws called the Mishna.  This was a book that contained over 800 pages of man-made laws and traditions based on their own commentary of the 10 commandments.  Then there was the Talmud, twelve volumes of commentary to explain the 800 pages of the Mishna.  And in all of these volumes and pages, there were myriads of traditions and commentaries on the Fourth Commandment regarding the Sabbath, which had become in Jewish mind as binding and sacred as the 10 commandments themselves.  Unfortunately, all of these traditions were held over the people and enforced as law.  Somehow, we fail to realize the pervasive nature this demonic and legalistic spirit has infiltrated them then and us now.  For even us today can take the purity of the Gospel and somehow contaminate the good news with our own commentary and interpretations.  And as with the Scribes and Pharisees in that day we often feel like we have to help God out.  This is why Jesus clashed with the Scribes and the Pharisees on more than one occasion; and often why the church seems to clash with Christ today in the 21^st century.  How often have we become judgmental and overcritical over a particular brother or sister regarding what WE felt or thought God is trying to say as if somehow God needed you to cosign or extrapolate on what He has said?  And I am convinced that commentaries may have their place but commentaries can be dangerous.  They are dangerous merely by the fact that while they are resourceful, at the end of the day, they aren’t the SOURCE.  The best commentary on what God said is God Himself.  

As a Chaplain in the Hospital I am often involved in some of the legal procedures and wishes of the patient.  Often a wife or a son or a daughter or whomever is the next of kin can serve as the ‘Power of Attorney’, and execute the wishes of the one who cannot make decisions for themselves, if the patient is incompetent, incapacitated, unresponsive or inept.  And somehow the scribes and Pharisees, who have religion but no relationship, didn’t get the memo that the God of the universe is not incompetent; He’s not incapacitated; He’s not laying on some cosmic gurney somewhere and He can’t speak up for Himself.  He is certainly able and competent; and He would declare, ‘I and the Father are One!’    

And that is why Jesus goes on to affirm His belief that the Word of God is eternal.  In verse 18 Jesus says and stresses that Heaven and Earth (which are the most stable elements one could consider) will not pass away until every “jot” and “tittle” are fulfilled.  The “jot” (jodh) is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet; while a ‘tittle’ represents a brush stroke in the Hebraic form of sentence; Jesus points to the eternality and the timelessness of God’s Word.  

II. We then move from Christ’s Belief regarding the Law, to His Behavior and the Law.

Jesus, our Lord, emphasis in this text that He has not come to alter, destroy or remove the law.  He makes it clear that He has come to ‘fulfill’ the law.  Fulfill, in scripture, is a word plerosai and it has the image of a vessel filled to the top.  We believe the vessel to be the inspired Law and Prophets—the Scriptures would be fulfilled when what the Word records ultimately comes to full fruition and comes to pass.  Christ’s behavior, actions and activity fulfilled the Law and the Prophets.  Not only was God’s eternal word His doctrine, but also His duty.  The Word of God was not only His precept; but also His practice and practicum.  In a real sense, John 1:14 expresses Christ’s behavior: ‘…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’  His life exemplified God’s Word from every standpoint.  Let me give you three aspects in which Christ fulfilled the Word:

1. Christ fulfills His Word through Prefigures

I once heard a comparison of the Old and New Testament.  The New is the Old contained while the Old is in the New explained.  The New is in the Old concealed while the Old is in the New revealed.  The gist of those statements, in and of itself, is that Jesus reveals what the Old Testament conceals in types and shadows.  Kind of like Walter Gisbon’s, ‘Who knows the evil that lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!’  In a real sense, Jesus gives substance to the shadows.

• Jesus is a prefigure in Exodus at the Red Sea.  He’s the manna from heaven, in the water from the rock, in the manna from heaven, in the pillar of cloud by day and the fire by night.
• He’s a prefigure in the Old Testament Tabernacle through the showbread and the brazen altar, the ark and the mercy seat…they all point to Jesus.
• He’s a prefigure in the feasts and holy days of the Old Testament, from the Passover lamb to the firstfruits to the Atonement…they all point to Jesus.  

The Old Testament is replete with pictures and types of Jesus which have been fulfilled by His life, death, and resurrection.  

Somebody said:

- In Genesis, He’s the Creator.

- In Exodus, He’s the Redeemer.

- In Leviticus, He’s the Sanctifier.

- In Numbers, He our Guide.

- In Deuteronomy, He’s the teacher.

- In Joshua, He’s the mighty conqueror.

- In Judges, He’s the Battle Ax.

- In Samuel He’s the root of Jesse and the Son of David

- In Chronicles, He’s the High Priest.

- In Nehemiah, He’s our mighty wall.

- In Job, He is the arbitrator who not only understands our struggles, but has the power to do something about it.

- In Psalms, He’s our song.

- In Proverbs, He’s our wisdom.

- In Ecclesiastes, He’s our purpose.

- In the Song of Solomon, He’s our Lover.

- In Isaiah, He’s our mighty counselor.

- In Jeremiah, He’s our balm in Gilead.

- In Lamentations, He’s the ever-faithful One.

- In Ezekiel, He is our wheel in the middle of a wheel.

- In Daniel, He’s the ancient of days.

- In Joel, He’s our refuge.

- In Amos, He’s our husbandman.

- In Obadiah, He’s Lord.

- In Jonah, He’s salvation.

- In Micah, He’s the righteous judge.

- In Habakkuk, He’s the Holy One.

- In Zephaniah, He’s the witness.

- In Haggai, He’s Protector.

- In Zechariah, He’s Lord of Hosts.

1. Christ fulfills His Word through Prophecies

Not only did Jesus fulfill His Word through prefigures, but also through prophecy itself.  In how He was born, the Word points to Him.  In how He was raised, the Word still points to Him.  And even how He died, the Word can’t help but point to Him.  

1. Christ fulfills His Word through Precepts

The average Bible student and every day Christian has meager knowledge or even interest about Jesus’ fulfillment of the prefigures and prophecies of the Old Testament.  But if you are a believer today, you should be supremely interested in our Lord’s fulfillment of the divine precepts, the  Ten Commandments.  

An evangelist was trying to make a point in his service.  He said, “Do we have anyone here who is perfect?”  There was no movement in the church at all.  He continued, “Does anyone here know of anybody else who is perfect?”  A lady in the crowd raised her hand.  The evangelist recognized the sister and asked, “You know someone who’s perfect?”  The lady nodded and answered, “My husband’s first wife!”

The Ten Commandments reveal God’s ultimate standard and ultimate holiness.  It is a description of God’s ultimate ideal for His people.  The problem is that every man, woman, boy or girl who ever lived has yet to keep the law in perfect form, save Jesus Christ.  At birth, we are law-breakers in some way, shape or form; and that’s what makes us sinners at birth by default and guilty by associational connection.

There are sins of commission—where by choice we do something wrong.

There are sins of omission—where by choice we fail to do anything right.

And then there are sins of disposition—those innermost attitudes and feelings of the heart (such as pride, lust, envy, hatred, jealousy and deceit.)

And while WE have fallen short, Jesus never broke a commandment, in act or attitude.  Hebrews 4:15 says that He was “in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”  Three times Pilate said, “I find no fault in Him.”  

The efficacy of Jesus’ death on the cross depends on His fulfillment of the precepts, in and of itself.  I reiterate the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”  And the reason you can shout today is because all the millions of lambs that died on the sacrificial altar over the centuries prefigured the coming of ONE who “offered himself without spot before a holy God.”  Jesus fulfilled the perfect precepts of God.

And that should be good news.

In Him I have new life: that’s regeneration.

I have a key to the house: that’s adoption.

I can now be called forgiven: that’s justification.

I don’t have to worry about how I’m going to foot the bill for breaking the law: that’s redemption.

I will see my Savior in paradise: that’s glorification.

II. CHRIST’S BURDEN FOR THE LAW

Basically and simply, in the text, Jesus lets us know that now, through His coming, He fills the Old Testament with meaning and accomplishment.  Jesus not only loved the Word of God, believed it and embodied it; but Jesus, then and now, has a burden for the Word of God; and His burden is threefold:

1. He wants us to practice it (Verse 19a)

Notice in the last part of Matthew 19 that “do” comes before “teach.”  In a real and practical sense, Jesus is saying to us that ‘doo-ya-loo-yah’ ought never be dispatched from your ‘hallelujah’.  The Christian disciple should model the law in our daily lives.  James advises us in 1:22 to ‘be ye doers of the word.’  Even now, we have a large percentage of people who actually HEAR this word today and will go out and do something else.  Of course, Jesus recognized how trifling we would be from time to time.  And let’s be honest, the law is too strong, too extensive, and too holy for mortal man to keep, even by the letter.  For that reason, Jesus says that He came to ‘fulfill’ the law.  I love the words of Romans 10:4 that reminds us that ‘Christ (not us) is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes.’

In a real sense it is the WILL of God to have the SPIRIT of God use the WORD of God to make the CHILD of God look like the SON of God.

1. He wants us to proclaim it (Verse 19b)

In verse 19 Jesus says, ‘Whoso ever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom.’  First, we practice—then we preach.  I don’t know if you know it or not, but in a general sense, you’re a preacher!  Your life is your pulpit.  Question: How was your sermon last week?  What did you preach about last night?  What text are you planning to preach in the morning?  No me; I’m asking YOU! 

The word is in desperate need to hear the Word of God proclaimed.  Mark it down, loved ones: the Word still WORKS!  However, the Bible is like soap—it must be applied.  

- In a world of sin, how are you preaching forgiveness?

- In this world of financial upheaval, how are you proclaiming God will provide?

- In this society of impurity and lust, how are you preaching holiness?

- In this world of hate, how are you preaching love?

Do you want to become “great” in the kingdom?  Jesus says you have to practice and teach the Word!

1. He wants us to perfect it (Verse 20)

Verse 20 may be the pivotal verse in Matthew 5.  Jesus’ desire for His disciples is that their life-style ‘exceed’ in righteousness the life-styles of the scribes and Pharisees.  The word exceed means to be over and above a certain number or amount.  It portrays a river overflowing its banks.  Jesus wants His disciples to go above and beyond the ‘righteousness” of the accepted standards of that day.  

The customer in the bakery shop asked the little girl who was helping, “Young lady, do you ever eat the cakes?”  The child replied, “Oh, no sir…that would be stealing.  I just lick ‘em.”

The religious leaders of that day were only touching the surface of obedience.  They majored on actions on the outside, but were far removed from God’s heart on the inside.  And I would hate to come to church and carry out the rituals but never worship.  It would be tragic if I can come to church to dot every I and cross every T but never meet Jesus.  Because when I worship Him I’ll walk right.  When I meet Jesus, He’ll make me talk right.  When Jesus comes in my heart, He’ll make me love my enemies and pray for those who mistreat me.  

A woman was married to a most demanding and abusive husband.  This man, a severe perfectionist, placed a heavy burden on his wife through his expectations.  She was given a list of chores and duties each week and was expected to accomplish each item.  Her life was miserable under this taskmaster of a husband.  Years passed and her husband died.  The widow thought she would never marry again, but, in a few years she met a wonderfully kind man.  They were married, and she sincerely enjoyed pleasing her husband.  One day she discovered an old list at the back of a drawer, a list made out by her former husband for a certain week’s duties.  Upon study, she realized that she was still doing this entire list each week for her new husband.  The difference was, however, that she was doing the chores out of love rather than demand.  

And when you get to know Jesus; and He really comes into your heart…you’ll begin to realize that every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.  You’ll start smiling when you should be crying; you’ll find yourself running and nobody is chasing you.  You’ll declare, in the words of the hymnist Rufus McDaniel….

What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought

I have light in my soul for which long I had sought,

I have ceased from my wandering and going astray,

And my sins, which were many, are all washed away

I’m possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure,

And no dark clouds of doubt now my pathway obscure,

Sine Jesus came into my heart.

Heart Corruptions

O God,

May thy Spirit speak in me that I may speak to thee.

I have no merit, let the merit of Jesus stand for me.

I am undeserving, but I look to thy tender mercy.

I am full of infirmities, wants, sin;

thou art full of grace.

I confess my sin, my frequent sin, my wilful sin;

All my powers of body and soul are defiled:

A fountain of pollution is deep within my nature.

There are chambers of foul images within my being;

I have gone from one odious room to another,

walked in a no-man’s-land of dangerous

imaginations, pried into the secrets of my fallen nature.

I am utterly ashamed that I am what I am in myself;

I have no green shoot in me nor fruit, but thorns

and thistles;

I am a fading leaf that the wind drives away;

I live bare and barren as a winter tree,

unprofitable, fit to be hewn down and burnt.

Lord, dost thou have mercy on me?

Thou hast struck a heavy blow at my pride,

at the false god of self, and I lie in pieces before thee.

But thou hast given me another Master and Lord,

thy Son, Jesus, and now my heart is turned towards holiness,

my life speeds as an arrow from a bow towards complete obedience to thee.

Help me in all my doings to put down sin and to humble pride.

Save me from the love of the world and the pride of life, from everything that is natural to fallen man, and let Christ’s nature be seen in me day by day.

Grant me grace to bear thy will without repining, and delight to be not only chiselled, squared, or fashioned, but separated from the old rock where I have been embedded so long, and lifted from the quarry to the upper air, where I may be built in Christ for ever.

- Valley of Vision

Let's Talk

Have you ever found yourself facing the struggles of life and saying to yourself, ‘Hey, I just can’t take it anymore!’? Life can run you down until you just don’t have any more strength.  Just as our bodies need to stay physically fit in order to keep up our resistance, it is also true that we will break down spiritually, mentally and emotionally if we don’t communicate with our Creator.  If you want to increase your intake of nourishment for your soul, you need to PRAY!  In a real sense God says, ‘Let’s Talk!’

Prayer unleashes God's power so that He is able to work in our behalf. Prayer opens the channels of God's blessing. Prayer is how God accomplishes the things that He wants to see happen in our lives, and in the lives of others. Prayer opens new doors of opportunity for God to move in.

How do I pray?

In Philippians 4:6 it says, “Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God.” Basically, prayer is simply talking to God just like you would talk to your very best friend.

 

God cares deeply about each and every one of our problems and is just waiting for us to come to Him with those problems. The Bible tells us over and over to constantly bring our problems to our Heavenly Father. Prayer is not to inform God of something which He may not be aware of or to try to convince Him to love us more. He already knows our needs and He has certainly shown his love.  The purpose of prayer is to assist us in building our relationship with God.

 Why should we pray?

Prayer unleashes God's power so that He is able to work on our behalf. Prayer opens the channels of God's blessing. Prayer is how God accomplishes the things that He wants to see happen in our lives. Prayer opens new doors of opportunity for God to move. In fact, you can view prayer like a door. You are on one side of a closed door and on the other side is God. But standing with God is all this incredible and unimaginable power. When you pray, it is you turning that doorknob and swinging that door wide open. It is at that moment when all that power can step through that doorway and work for God's good, and for your good.

Since He respects our freedom of choice and free will, prayer enables Him to step into our lives. Interestingly, God has limited His power and ability in our lives to the importance that we place on prayer. Prayer gives God the permission (though He is sovereign) to do what He has been longing to do all the time. Even when we do not see anything significant occurring, God is still at work solving the problem. When there are apparently no answers, God is still is waiting for the proper time to give us the solution.

 

Look at these scriptures:

Psalm 55:22 -  Throw every burden upon God.

Psalm 68:19 - Blessed be Our God who daily carries the load for us.

Psalm 56:9 - This I well know, that God is for me.

 

There are four basic steps involved in the proper way to pray.

1--Bring the problem to God's attention. But always keep the problem God- centered and not problem-centered.

2--Supplication. The definition of supplication is—a very honest and clear confession that tells God that you need His help.

3--Focus on God and not on the problem. Keep in mind that our prayers are always to be God-centered.

4--Thanksgiving. You are thankful because you know the following about our great, mighty and glorious God.

 

• That you can come to the Father with your problems anytime
• That He is concerned about you
• That He loves you
• That He said that He would help you
• That He will see you through this problem
• That He has the power to solve this problem
• That you trust Him 100%

God is just waiting for you to talk to Him, waiting just for those few brief moments when you acknowledge Him, think about Him, and show Him some love and respect.  Yes, your God is just waiting for you to talk to Him and He desperately wants to talk to you, not in words, but through your mind and your heart. God is going to bypass the vocal cords and the ear; and instead your heart will feel that gentle tugging, that urging, that pulling. Your heart and mind will know exactly what God is trying to tell you.  Take the time this week to talk to Him.

Sunday in Retrospect

First, let me say its been a good day!  Clearly I've been away from the Blog world for a short while, but I'm glad to return.  At the end of October 2012, my wife and I traveled over a 10 day period to South Africa with my Pastor, Harvey Clemons, Jr., along with a small delegation from my Houston home church, Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.  We had an awesome trip!  While I have traveled before to South Africa, it was the first time D'Ani traveled with me; AND the nation's hosting of the World Cup really yielded a different experience for those of us who had traveled before.

Today, I shared from Joshua 1:1-5.  I entitled the message, "It's Time to Turn the Page."

Here's my outline...
I. Leave the Pain of the Last Chapter '....Moses my servant is dead; leave this place....' Vs. 1
II. Stake Your Claim. Vs. 3
III. Claim Your Promise. Vs. 5

Five people came forward for rededication & prayer.

After church, I had the opportunity to meet with a group of young adults from our church who will make up our Newly-formed praise team, beginning on the 1st Sunday in February, Lord willing.  It's is the beginning of some significant changes taking place at the Mt. Salem Church.  It is quite exciting, in knowing the makeup and history of our congregation; and the challenge of change in our climate.  The excitement of our collective core is really an inspiration to and for me.

I really enjoyed my wife and boys today after church.  My namesake, Karter Lowelle, is growing; and seeing him, at 2, interact more and more each day with our family has been refreshing and enriching.

As I work to finalize our calendar for 2013, I have concluded that the year will be filled with joys and interesting surprises.  I pray now for not only myself; but for every Pastor, staff person and congregation, as they and we move ahead to see the unexpected and planned by God's providence.

Endnote...another reason for my absence has been a lingering cold/respiratory infection and sickness. It has, Ina real sense, lasted from the time of my return until now.  Fortunately, I am feeling much better....with just the remainder of my cough still lingering.

Two books I am reading are: David Nasaw's biography of the life of Joseph P. Kennedy entitled, 'The Patriarch.'  It is a very good and interesting read.  I am also re-reading Dan Southerland's 'Transitioning.'  I read this book while on staff years ago at Pleasant Hill; but I now want to read it through the eyes and experience of a 34-year old Pastor in quite a unique place of transition with the congregation I now Pastor.

The Cowboys (my team) are out; the Houston Texans are still in, after defeating the Cincinatti Bengals today.  They will play the New England Patriots next week.  In basketball, the Lakers (my team) is not doing well.  However, the Clippers and Thunder (a team I grew to love a few years ago) are looking well!

I look forward to blogging again soon!

Sermon Manuscript: How To Vote for President

How to Vote For President

Kraig Lowell Pullam, M.Div.

Proverbs 11:3; 28:1; 29:2

During World War II, Winston Churchill was forced to make a painful choice. The British secret service had broken the Nazi code and informed Churchill that the Germans were going to bomb Coventry. He had two alternatives: (1) evacuate the citizens and save hundreds of lives at the expense of indicating to the Germans that the code was broken; or (2) take no action, which would kill hundreds but keep the information flowing and possibly same many more lives. Churchill had to choose and followed the second course. As I read of this incident, I thought about the face that the thin line between these two altering and alternative and historical choices was LEADERSHIP.

Many of us will soon be going to the polls and voting in the most important election of our lifetime.  You can be assured that the very future of our Republic is at stake.  And no Christian believer can rightly take this responsibility lightly.

As we examine the words of Solomon, the book of Proverbs is a very practical book with help for daily living.  Proverbs 29:2 says that, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn."  In the scripture it is clear that Godly leadership brings rejoicing, triumph and jubilation to a nation, while ungodly leadership brings sorrow, distress and disappointment to all.  

In the New Testament, it teaches that Christians are citizens of two realms; and that the believer has a responsibility to fulfill and a standard to uphold in each realm.  First, we are a citizen in the country in which we reside.  Respectively, that is the United States of America.  In a real sense, we are not only citizens of the country in which we live; but we are called to be good, honorable, law-abiding citizens.  Second (and most important), we are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, more specifically, the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.  And we are called to be good citizens of Christ’s kingdom in word, precept and deed.  And, mark it down: there is no conflict between the two.  For we are called to be good citizens and exercise our privileges in the kingdom of man and in the kingdom of God.  

Some of you may remember several years ago in 2000 the presidential election how close it was. And you can recall that it took several weeks after the election before we knew who had been elected president of the land in which we live.  And finally it had to be determined by the Supreme Court and the judicial system.  And perhaps if you are present and believe that your vote is irrelevant or inconsequential, just remember that the vote of the faithful people of God is vital if you are striving to be a good citizen of this nation and in the kingdom of almighty God.

Years ago, USA Today posted an article and it said: where would you spend Sunday morning?  Will you go to Home Depot or church?  Would you sing in the choir or play golf?  Voters who said they go to church every Sunday usually voted, according to USA Today, for the conservative candidate; while those who expressed going to church less often, or not at all, tended to vote for the more liberal candidate.  Let me rush to say to you that, contrary to popular belief, Jesus doesn’t belong to any particular party.  When it comes to many of the divisive issues that plague our politics, you can be sure that most every issue has its legitimate argument, but most of them are plagued by some alternative hidden agenda.  

But this much is true: over 5,000,000 evangelical Christians did not vote at all in the last presidential election. In a real sense, one out of four believers voted in the last presidential election; but many complained when their choice didn’t get in.  And Godly candidates are often defeated not by the activists and the radicals, but they are defeated by Christian people who are too lazy and who care too little about their citizenship to go to the polls and vote for the candidate who best represents the values of the Bible and of Christian people; and the heart of God.  

Now Christians needs to carry their spirituality and their hallelujahs into the voting booths.  And we have to choose candidates according to Biblical standards if we want to follow the principles of the Word of God.  I would not presume to tell you who to vote for; but I would assure you that it is never a straight ticket.  I would also assure you that many who suggest that God is moving in a certain direction doesn’t necessarily make it so.  

Here in the book of Proverbs we notice that Godly leadership brings rejoicing, triumph and delight to a nation.  I remember reading about Charles Finney, the great revivalist and evangelist of the Second and Third Great Awakenings in America.  He was one of the well-known evangelists of his time.  And Charles Finney said this: “…the time has come when Christians must vote for honest men.  And take consistent ground in politics.  God cannot sustain this free and blessed country that we love and pray for unless the church will take the right ground.  God will bless or curse this nation according to the course Christians take in politics.”

Now if you think that politics do not belong in the church then you are in the wrong place today because the Word of God teaches otherwise.  Admittedly, I cannot tell you who to vote for.  But I will tell you that Godly leadership brings rejoicing to the nation and, moreover, the Scripture teaches very clearly and succinctly how to recognize Godly leadership.

I want you to notice some characteristics that God's word gives us this morning.  

I. A GODLY LEADER MUST BE A MAN OF FAITH

In April 1988 the evening news reported on a photographer who was a skydiver. He had jumped from a plane along with numerous other skydivers and filmed the group as they fell and opened their parachutes. On the film shown on the telecast, as the final skydiver opened his chute, the picture went berserk. The announcer reported that the cameraman had fallen to his death, having jumped out of the plane without his parachute. It wasn't until he reached for the absent ripcord that he realized he was freefalling without a parachute. Until that point, the jump probably seemed exciting and fun. But tragically, he had acted with thoughtless haste and deadly foolishness. Nothing could save him, for his faith was in a parachute never buckled on. Faith in anything but an all-sufficient God can be just as tragic spiritually. Only with faith in Jesus Christ dare we step into the dangerous excitement of life.

And herein the scripture says that when the righteous are in authority the people rejoice.  In contrast, when the unrighteous prevail, the people lament. Now the obvious question we must raise is: who is a righteous person?  Conversely, we are not righteous because of the eloquent words we may impart or the good deeds we may render.  The scripture teaches in Isaiah 64:6 that, ‘…all our righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of a holy and righteous God.’  He is not talking about who has given the most to charity or who has done the most or who has gone to church the most; moreover he is talking about being righteous rather than DOING righteousness.  To be sure, DOING righteousness is important; but our DOING does us no good if our HEART is not right.  Titus 3:5 says that, ‘…it is not by works of righteousness which we have DONE but according to His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of God’s Holy Spirit WITHIN us.’  Being a godly leader who is a person of faith is based not on what is on the exterior, but that which resides in the interior.  Proverbs 4:23 declares, ‘…out of the heart flows the issues of life.’  Question: how are we made righteous?  We are made righteous when God declares us righteous according to our faith, and only our faith, in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice, if you will, the words of Paul the Apostle in Romans 4:24b-5: 1, "that we have no righteousness of our own, but to whom God will credit righteousness for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus from the dead.  He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.  Therefore since we have been justified (declared righteous) by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

The Bible teaches us that the only righteousness that exists is the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is given and granted by faith.  And if we depend on our own righteousness we will die and go to hell and spend eternity without God.  But God has provided for us a righteousness that we can receive as a free gift of God.  And it tells us that when we believe God's Word and receive Christ and confess Him as Savior, in that moment God declares us righteous and He looks at us as though we had never sinned.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in saying that a Godly leader is a man of faith, I am saying that he is a man who has received Christ as his Savior.  The definition of a Godly leader is one who has trusted in Christ as His personal Savior and Redeemer.  Now there are some who would suggest that it doesn't matter whether or not the leader of this nation or the mayor of our town or the governor of our state or whatever leaders they may be are Christians or not?  However, this is patently not true.  The prophets said to Jehoshaphat (this godly leader) about his attachment to Ahab (this evil leader):  “Shouldest thou hate the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord?” 

And that captured my attention.  “Shouldest thou love the godly and help those who hate the Lord?”  Take a moment and substitute love for vote:  Should you vote for those who hate righteousness and hate Christ?  Can you be a Christian and really exercise your duty before a righteous God and declare your right to vote in the direction of one who declares that Jesus is not the only way to the Father?  You see a Godly leader is a man of faith.

II. A GODLY LEADER MUST BE A PERSON WHO IS FAULTLESS

You say, “…nobody is faultless.”  Take not that, in Scripture, faultless does not mean without sin.  An anonymous writer has said, ‘If you think you have no faults, that makes another one!’  What, then, does it mean to be faultless?  It is nakah in the Hebrew writing of the Old Testament rendering of the word.  First, it means PURITY OF CHARACTER; a faultless man has purity of character.  Proverbs 11:5 says this, "The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness."  The word blameless is a word also used in the New Testament about the qualification for pastors.  It says that a pastor must be blameless.  That doesn't mean he is perfect or sinless, for Romans 3:23 affirms that ‘all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.’  Pastors sin just as much as anybody else.  But he must be blameless.  To be blameless means that as far as people can see, his character, motives and intentions are pure.  That his outward life has nothing in it that brings reproach on the kingdom of God or an embarrassment to those that he leads.  And the same thing applies to those who lead in government.   

Proverbs 11:20, "The LORD detests men of perverse heart but he delights in those whose ways are blameless."   This is purity of character.  Sometimes people get excited and they let charisma, popularity, crowds, the evangelical consensus, friendship circles and even peer pressure take the place of seeking a man who is faultless.  

See if you can identify this world leader.  Times were never better.  The national economy was strong during his tenure.  Inflation, which had plagued the country for twenty years, was under control.  Peace and prosperity characterized the nation.  Many consider him to be one of the most gifted politicians to come on the national stage.  One journalist wrote of him, although there was uneasiness about his character and the allegations of corruption and immorality swirled around him, none of his political opponents could touch him.  He was too slick for his accusations to stick.  So charming and personable was this leader that the religious leaders overlooked his lack of integrity. 

Do you think you know whom I am talking about?  Well, if you think it is Bill Clinton you are wrong!  It is Adolph Hitler.  These words were written about Adolph Hitler in 1940, just a few centuries before Hitler came to power, Germany was the bastion of spiritual faith.  It was the place where Protestantism was born.  It was the sight of the Great Reformation and Great Revival in Europe.  What was it that brought this nation from being such a great spiritual power to being a nation who committed the Holocaust?   Well, the people began to overlook the flaws in their leader's character and began to overlook the obvious immorality and lack of integrity and instead they were charmed by a fanatic's deceitful words.   And a whole nation bought it, hook, line, and sinker.

So a man who is flless must possess purity of character.  Secondly it means PRINCIPLES OF CONVICTION.  Look at Proverbs 11:3, "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity." Have you ever met a person who says one thing and does another?  Further, have you ever run into a friend who expresses to you a view at one moment that fully contradicts what they said to you at a different time and circumstance?  In the same fashion, there are politicians who say one thing and do another.  As Kingdom Citizens, we are to be people whose word matches our bond; and we are to expect our governmental leaders to do the same.  There are some politicians who, when they are with a church crowd they talk the way the church crowd does and when they are with Hollywood, they talk the way Hollywood does.  There are politicians who speak one way with their own party, but will speak another way when they are looking to appeal for the popular vote.  There are politicians who will run around and suggest one things in public, but another when they are with their friends.  That is what he is talking about in Proverbs 11:3 when he says; the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity, that is hypocrisy.

I heard about a little boy that was in Sunday School.  And the teacher had told the story of the rich man and Lazarus.  You remember the story, how the rich man enjoyed his life and poor old Lazarus was a beggar who was full of sores and sat at his gate.  But the rich man didn't know God.  So when he died he went to hell.  But you know, when Lazarus died, his worries were over and he went to heaven.  So the teacher said, now children who would you rather be, the rich man or Lazarus?  The little boy stuck up his hand and he said, I know.  I would want to be the rich man while I’m alive and Lazarus when I die!  That is the way a lot of people are in this country.  They want it both ways and you can't have it both ways.  

Ask yourself the question as you vote: what are his or her convictions?  Where do they stand with regard to the issue of abortion prior to birth?  But take note that that is only half the battle.  If murder is wrong prior to birth then it must be wrong after birth.  There are duplicitous Christians who have become one-sided and exercise partiality and prejudice.  Not only what are their convictions regarding abortion prior to birth, but what are their convictions regarding war and putting our innocent children who are already born in harm’s way to promote an unjust war?  Where do they stand on traditional marriage?  Where do they stand on faith in the public discourse?  How does he or she stand with regard to woman’s rights; and the rights of those who are less fortunate and them who are disenfranchised?  The Godly Leader who is faultless has principles of conviction.  Let it be clear that conviction doesn’t cower in an effort to gain political ground.  You can always sense conviction, for conviction often stands when it would be in their best interest to bow.  

Abraham Lincoln stood for the abolition of slavery, though it was unpopular.  He was a man of conviction.

Martin Luther stood up against the Catholic church and the belief that one must confess Christ to be saved and baptized, though it would cost him his life.  He was a man of conviction.

Rosa Parks stood up against prejudice and segregation, though she ran the risk of being beaten and even murdered.  She was a woman of conviction.

And, even today, there are leaders (political and spiritual) who stand against injustices toward those who are disadvantaged and need to be lifted up.  These are men and women of conviction.

Number three he has PURPOSE OF COMPASSION.  Look at Proverbs 29:7; 14, "The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure."  To be sure compassion for the poor doesn't mean giving everyone a handout.  It is the unrighteous who are a territorial and tyrannical mentality that goes to the extreme of suggesting nobody deserves any help.    To be sure, God never intended for people who are healthy and can work to live on the backs of those of us who do work and pay taxes.  But there is a segment within the political stream who fail to realize that some won’t work but there are many who can’t work.  I am afraid that there is a certain group cut from a so-called Christian, evangelical cloth that may be theological but it not biblical.  For the Bible I read says in Proverbs 17:5 that, ‘Whosoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; and he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.’  The Bible also says that, when Jesus arrives on the scene, He does not come looking out the interests of wall street, the wealthy or the well-to-do; but He comes speaking the words of Isaiah which state: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed…”  

Interestingly, I think of the words of John C. Maxwell, who writes in his book, ‘Winning with People’: When I was a kid growing up in Ohio, I didn’t know much about the world.  And that led me to have a rather narrow view of life when I was a young man.  I remember thinking that anyone, regardless of circumstances, could get ahead through hard work.  Then I took a trip to a developing country, and I saw people who worked much harder than I did but were unable to escape poverty.  My thinking began to change as my world enlarged.

Maxwell went on to say that in order to change focus, people need to get out of their own little world.  And there are leaders and politicians who are stuck in their own little world.  Godly leaders are concerned about 100% of those who live in a world that is filled with sin, heartache, pain and disappointment, injustices for the poor, lack of adequate healthcare for seniors, discrimination against others because of race, gender or beliefs.  

One of the greatest things I have ever seen is people in government, from our previous president to current president, is in admitting that the church can do more to rehabilitate the alcoholic, the drug addict, the economically disinherited recognizing that the church can do more for individuals than any other kind of group within modern society.  

Ask yourself as you vote, does he or she have a purpose of compassion?  This is truly the character of Christ.  The Scripture teaches that we serve a God who has a purpose of compassion.  On many occasions, we see Jesus in scripture on His way to perform an assignment; but we often see how Jesus would stop in the rush of the moment out of compassion for others.  Mark 6:34 says, ‘He had compassion…for He saw sheep without a shepherd.’  Matthew 14:14 says, ‘He had compassion…and began to heal the sick and give sight to the blind.’  Matthew 9:36 says, ‘He had compassion…because they were harassed and helpless.’  Luke 10:33 says that he saw and a Samaritan and, ‘He had compassion.’  

Compassion cares for the haves and the have-nots; not just the haves and the have-mores.  Compassion will roll up its sleeves and fight for healthcare for everybody when you already have it for yourself.  Compassion is not just concerned about getting all it can, canning all it gets and sitting on the can and to hell with those who can’t.  

But compassion says even if your parents can’t afford to send you off to school, in this land of opportunity, that opportunity doesn’t just exist for those whose family can afford to send them off to the ivory towers of higher learning.

This is purpose of compassion!

III. A GODLY LEADER IS ONE WHO IS FEARLESS

I happen upon a story told about 5-year old Johnny, who was in the kitchen as his mother made supper on one particular afternoon. She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of tomato soup, but he didn't want to go in alone. "It's dark in there and I'm scared." She asked again, and he persisted. Finally she said, "It's OK--Jesus will be in there with you." Johnny walked hesitantly to the door and slowly opened it. He peeked inside, saw it was dark, and started to leave when all at once an idea came, and he said: "Jesus, if you're in there, would you hand me that can of tomato soup?"

Proverbs 28:1 says, "The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion."  I want to tell you that in the shape we are in as a nation and world, with where we’ve been over the past decade, we don't need a weak kneed, watery-eyed, candy legged character leading the nation in these days.  We need what the writer terms, ‘…the boldness of a lion.’  In many ways, our country is in greater danger than we were in in the Cold War because now people have access to nuclear weapons that do not care when and where they use it, who do not negotiate at anybody's table.  And they may use it anywhere, any time; they are a nameless, faceless enemy who work under no flag, who wear no uniform.  And we are facing a crisis in this world.  And at the same time, we are fighting a culture war in the United States as we speak.  And it is going to take leaders and people as bold as a lion.  

I love lions; admittedly, it (along with the Tiger) is my favorite animal.  I can give you many character traits of the lion.  But at the top of my list, the lion has no fear.  

During World War II, a military governor met with General George Patton in Sicily. When he praised Patton highly for his courage and bravery, the general replied, "Sir, I am not a brave man. . . The truth is, I am an utter craven coward. I have never been within the sound of gunshot or in sight of battle in my whole life that I wasn't so scared that I had sweat in the palms of my hands." Years later, when Patton's autobiography was published, it contained this significant statement by the general: "I learned very early in my life never to take counsel of my fears."

And that is what you and I need in leadership.  You need a pastor who isn’t afraid to stand up and declare the unsearchable mysteries of the Word of God, at the risk of losing his job.  You need elected officials who are more concerned about the convictions of their heart than they are the popular consensus of the crowd.  

One example of fearless leadership was President Ronald Reagan at the Berlin Wall.  All of his advisors told him not to go to Germany.  They said the political situation is too tense; don't go to East Germany the communists are upset with your policies.  Russia may escalate the arms race if you go there.  All of his advisors advised against it.  And then he was asked to speak at the Berlin Wall, The Iron Curtain, all of his advisors said, Mr. President, don't speak, don't do it.  You don't have to do it.   They will just use it against you.  Play it safe.  Then his speechwriter said, after he read his speech, don't say these words that you have planned to say.  But Mr. Reagan ignored them all because he had a fearlessness and a conviction that now was the time to give the Cold War a death blow.  So he stood at the Berlin Wall and he courageously thundered forth those words, Mr. Gorbachov, if you want peace, if you want the United States to be your friend, and then point your missiles away from Western Europe.  Mr. Gorbachov, if you want peace, tear down this WALL! 

And hear me today, loved ones.  This is the kind of leadership we continually need in this day.  We need leaders who will be fearless.  

IV. A GODLY LEADER IS A PERSON WHO REMAINS FAITHFUL

Mark Hatfield tells of touring Calcutta with Mother Teresa and visiting the so-called "House of Dying," where sick children are cared for in their last days, and the dispensary, where the poor line up by the hundreds to receive medical attention. Watching Mother Teresa minister to these people, feeding and nursing those left by others to die, Hatfield was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the suffering she and her co-workers face daily. "How can you bear the load without being crushed by it?" he asked. Mother Teresa replied, "My dear Senator, I am not called to be successful, I am called to be faithful." 

The Bible says in Proverbs 11:3, "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity."  The word ‘integrity’ in the Hebrew tongues is nawkoach, and it means ‘straigthforward, equitable, correct and undefiled.’  We need to know that when a man puts his hand on the Bible and he swears to uphold and defend the law of the Constitution of the United States of America, that he will faithfully carry out that promise.  We believe, that while he is called to be our president, not the chief Bible Scholar, theologian or Sunday School teacher, we need to know that when he puts his hand on the Bible that he believes in the Bible on which his hand rests and resides.  And he knows that it is the Word of God and believes it IS the Word of God; and that there is NO OTHER WORD!  And he looks to it for guidance. Let me ask you: What Bible does he or she read? What Bible does he or she practice?  What Bible does he or she believe in?

There are Bible studies all over the White House every day.  Even Congress, even the Senate and the House, there are Bible studies everyday by Godly leaders.  We have Godly leaders in this land.  We are blessed with men who have given up so much to serve.  They have given up their privacy, they have given up their fortunes, they have given up their businesses, they have given up time with their families in order to be a leader in our land and we ought to thank God for them.  We ought to thank them and be grateful for them.

But we need a leader who will be faithful because he must persevere at all costs.  He must persevere under the stress and tremendous demands of the office that he holds.  

Calvin Coolidge is noted to have said:

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

Mark it down: God outlines in His Word what will happen to a nation under the Godly leader.  

Benjamin Rush, a member of the Continental Congress, had the attitude we should be looking for in our legislators: "I have alternately been called an aristocrat and a democrat. I am neither. I am a Christocrat." That is what we need to be is Christocrats.  We need to vote for those who represent the values that we cherish and uphold the principles that we hold dear; and the things that we know to be the true and the faithful Word of God.

We need a leader like Moses who is determined to obey God no matter what.  

We need generals like Joshua who knew God and could pray and shout down walls. 

We need politicians like Joseph who walked with God and fashioned policy after His will.  

We need preachers like Peter who had the courage to look people in the eye and say repent or perish. 

We need mothers like Hannah who will pray for their children and when God gives them children they will give them back to God.  

We need children like Samuel who will talk to God in the hours of the night and honor their parents in the hours of the day.  

We need physicians like Luke who not only cared for the physical needs but also cared for the spiritual needs of his patients and introduced them to the Lord Jesus Christ.  

We need a God like Israel's God, not the man upstairs but the thrice-Holy God of Israel.  

We need a Savior like Jesus who can save anyone at anytime, anywhere that people will call upon Him.

One stormy night an elderly couple entered the lobby of a small hotel and asked for a room. The clerk said they were filled, as were all the hotels in town. "But I can't send a fine couple like you out in the rain," he said. "Would you be willing to sleep in my room?" The couple hesitated, but the clerk insisted. The next morning when the man paid his bill, he said, "You're the kind of man who should be managing the best hotel in the United States. Someday I'll build you one." The clerk smiled politely. A few years later the clerk received a letter from the elderly man, recalling that stormy night and asking him to come to New York. A round-trip ticket was enclosed. When the clerk arrived, his host took him to the corner of 5th Avenue and 34th Street, where stood a magnificent new building. "That," explained the man, "is the hotel I have built for you to manage." The man was William Waldorf Astor, and the hotel was the original Waldorf-Astoria. The young clerk, George C. Boldt, became its first manager.

And that is what I want; and that is what I need – leaders like Jesus, who care about the left out, the least, the last and the lost.  Those who exemplify how Jesus lived.  Philippians 1 says Jesus Christ humbled Himself….that I may know Him….

I don't know why Jesus loved me

I don't know why He cared

I don't know why He sacrificed His life

Oh, but I'm glad, so glad He did

He left His mighty throne in glory

To bring to us redemption's story

Then He died but He rose again

Oh, but I'm glad, so glad He did.