I came across this great blog post by Mark Batterson today that contains some great thoughts about presentation of sermons series.? Mark talks about the importance of not only what is said but also how it is said.
Archive for April, 2007
Sermon Branding?
Friday, April 27th, 2007Seven “I wills” You can Count On
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007Podcast: Download
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INTRODUCTION
When a man says, “I will” it doesn’t necessarily mean much. I don’t think I’d have to listen long to people responding to the question, “Has anyone ever told you they were going to do something and then didn’t follow through?” before hearing tales of broken promises and unfulfilled intentions. In fact, we very often say “I will” when we don’t even mean to do what we say.But when we come to the places where Jesus Christ said “I will”, He means to do what He says. Everything He promised to do, He is able and willing to accomplish. You can go through all of Scripture and not find any place where He says, “I will” do this or “I will” do that and not trust that what He says He did, is doing or will do. God keeps His promises and what He sets out to do by His will, He does.
Today, I’m going to take a few minutes to share with you seven places in the New Testament where Jesus indicates what He wills.
The “I will” of Salvation
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
John 6:37 (NIV)
Some people say of themselves, “If I had my act together, I would come to Christ. But when I think about all the stuff that’s happened in my life, things that I’ve done myself…I’m just not good enough.”
Then too, some people say of others, “Their life is so messed up, they’ve done such despicable things, there is no way they could ever change – there’s no way they will know Jesus Christ even if they wanted to – they aren’t good enough.”
However, I must emphasize this morning that Jesus Christ came to save not good people, not the upright and just, but sinners like you and me who have gone astray and sinned and come short of the glory of God. In fact, it is often those who think they have it all-together, and who don’t see anything wrong with their life, who think they are basically good people that are in danger of being the farthest from Christ.
When the kings and princes of this world issue invitations, they send for the rich, the mighty, the powerful, the honorable and the wise; but Jesus, when He was on earth, invited the vilest of the vile.
That was the principal fault the people found with Him. Those self-righteous Pharisees were not going to associate with harlots and publicans. The principal charge against Christ was: “This man hangs out with sinners and eats with them!”
Listen to what Jesus is saying here, “…whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” There are no exceptions in that statement. There are no escape clauses to the verbal contract. I don’t care who the man or woman is or what his or her trials, troubles, sorrows or sins are. If that one person will come to Jesus, to the Master, He will not turn them away!
Come then, friends, come as you are and take Jesus at His word.
So compassionate and focused is He in His mission and desire to save sinners that Jesus will take everyone who comes to Him. He will take those who are so full of sin that they are despised by all who know them; who have been rejected by their fathers and mothers; who have been tossed out by their spouse. He will take those who have sunk so low that no one even looks at them with pity. Jesus will take any who come to Him! That is why He left Heaven and came into the world; that is why He left the throne of God – to save sinners.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Luke 19:10 (NIV)
Jesus didn’t come to condemn to the world but to save the world.
For those who are not believers this is a very important message to hear. But it is also a very important message for Christians to hear as well. One of the devils tricks is to try and fill people with doubts that God accepts them completely. The devil tries to convince people that just coming to Jesus isn’t enough. He tries to lure them onto the guilty broken stones of self-righteous works and doubts. Whenever the devil whispers in your ear that you aren’t good enough, that you’ve failed one to many times, that your sin is a permanent stain you speak to Him the “I will” of Christ, “Whoever comes to me, I will never drive away”.
The “I will” of Cleansing
12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Luke 5:12-16 (NIV)
If there is any man or woman here today who is full of the leprosy of sin, if you go to Jesus and present your sin to Him, he will speak to you as He did to that poor leper. “I am willing, be clean!” and the leprosy of your sins will be gone.
The Lord and the Lord alone can forgive sins. If you say to Him, “Lord, I am full of sin; You can make me clean”; “Lord, I have a terrible temper, you can make me clean”; “Lord, I have a deceitful heart, cleanse Me, grant me a new heart.”; “O Lord, give me the power to overcome temptation and the snares of the devil!”; “Lord I am full of unclean habits…” – if you come to Jesus with a sincere spirit, you will hear the voice, “I am willing, Be Clean!” It will be done.
If God, who created the world out of nothing, who by a breath initiated life in the universe says, “Be clean”, do you think it’s not going to happen?
Today, you can make a wonderful exchange. You can have spiritual health in the place of sin sickness. You can get rid of everything that is vile and hateful in the sight of God. Jesus is here, speaking through scripture, and saying, “I will take away your leprosy and give you health instead. I will take away that terrible sin disease that is ruining your body and soul and give you My righteousness in its stead. I will clothe you with the garments of salvation.”
Now that, friends, is something to get excited about! That’s what He means when He says, “I will!” Are you going to receive His invitation this morning?
The “I will” of identification
Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
Matthew 10:32 (NIV)
It’s one thing to come to Jesus, it’s one thing to be cleansed by Him – to believe in His death and resurrection to believe that He did it for you and that through His sacrifice your sin is dealt with. But it’s another thing to take it the next step further and identify with Christ. In other words, is your life defined by what He did? When you think about who you are, do you consider yourself belonging to Him?
Or, are you ashamed of being a follower of Christ? How do you know? Do you talk about Christ’s love to others?
In our world today, much is made of the achievement of individuals who receive accolades in the form of a medal, a front page article in printed media, or a crown of celebrity status. People fawn over the times their names get mentioned in newspapers, TV, or radio. People will go to great effort to associate with the popular or the well-known in the attempt to have their own name known. In our consumer and self-conscious society our identity is too often tied up in what we wear, who we know, what we eat, and what we do rather than who we are.
The truth is every person who has come to Christ is now a child of God. We are no longer know by our sin, but we are known by His righteousness. This reason alone should give cause for us to be jubilant of our identity in Him and to confess Him wherever and whenever we can! The wonderful truth of scripture is that when we acknowledge Christ before our fellow man, He mentions our name in the kingdom of Heaven! To acknowledge Christ before men is to accept who you are in Him, your identity in Christ, and to not be ashamed of it!
Many Christians go groping about in darkness and never get into the clear light of the Kingdom of God because they are ashamed to confess the Son of God and haven’t truly embraced who they are in Him. One of the worse states for a person to be in is that of being ashamed of who they are. An even worse state is for a person to be ashamed of who they are when their identity is that of greatness. Yet that is exactly how many Christians live today.
Don’t be ashamed! Acknowledge Christ before men in your speech, in your deeds, in your life and rest assured that Christ is speaking your name in the throne room of heaven in the familiar recognition of someone who is one of His! On the other hand, heed the warning of Christ as well,
But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
Matthew 10:32-33 (NIV)
The “I will” of Service
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
Matthew 4:18-20 (NIV)
There are many Christians who come to the place where they declare, “I want do serve Christ in some way”. Jesus is saying to us as He said to His first disciples, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
There is no Christian who cannot help to bring someone to the Saviour. Christ says,
But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”
John 12:32 (NIV)
In the context, he is of course talking about his imminent journey to Calvary and His being lifted up on the cross. But in a prophetic way Jesus was also talking about the reality of what occurs when His followers lift Him up to the world around us. Our business as believers is to lift up Christ.
Jesus said, “Follow me, Peter, and I will make you a fisher of men”; and Peter simply obeyed. On the day of Pentecost we see the result of that obedience. I doubt if Peter ever caught so many fish in one day as he did men on that day. It would have broken every net they had on board if they had to drag up three thousand fish!
I came across a story about a man who took passage in a stagecoach. Now granted, we’re in a day and age where the humble beginnings of the automobile and the transition from horse and buggy to motorized vehicles are being lost to the passage of time. But in those early years these horseless stagecoaches’ worked great on flat roads and gentle inclines but when they came upon a hill they would need assistance getting to the top.
Well this man was in this stagecoach and there were first, second, and third-class passengers. But all the passengers were sitting together without distinction. He could not understand it.
Eventually they came to a hill. The coach stopped. The driver called out, “First-class passengers keep your seats. Second-class passengers get out and walk. Third-class passengers get behind and push.”
Friends, in the church we have no room for first-class passengers – people who think salvation means an easy ride all the way to Heaven. There is little place for second-class passengers – people who are carried most of the time, and who, when they should be showing their faith by their works, go trudging on giving no thought to helping others along. All church members ought to be third-class passengers – ready to dismount and serve willingly.
I came across this neat definition of a church by John Wesley, “All at it and always at it” Every born-again believer is to be a worker. You don’t have to be a preacher, or and evangelist to be useful. You can serve and should serve God wherever He has placed you! A person can be as useful in a business sphere as in another. A person can be as useful in the marketplace as in the church.
20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
1 Corinthians 1:20-25 (NIV)
There is one reason – and a great reason – why so many do not see fruit in Christian service. Good people have asked, “Why is it we don’t see any results? We work hard, we pray hard, we preach hard, yet why are there no results?”
The answer is this, We spend so much time mending nets that no wonder we never catch anything. We must invite and be persistent in inviting people to come to Jesus and thus pull the net in and see if we’ve caught anything. It’s all fine and dandy to cast the net, to plant seeds or whatever analogy you want to use, but at some point we’ve got to pull the net in! If you are always mending and setting the net, you won’t catch many fish! It’s time that we stop worrying about what people might think, and worrying about our reputation, and start inviting people to Jesus – offering people a chance to make a decision about Christ.
God uses the weak things of this world to confound the might. God’s promise is as good as a bank note. And here is one of Christ’s notes: “If you follow Me, I will make you fishers of men.”
Can you not lay a hold of that promise, trust it, and follow Him right now? If a man shares the Gospel faithfully, he ought to expect results then and there. It is the privilege of God’s children to reap the fruit of their labor three hundred sixty-five days in the year.
We must lift Christ up, then seek men out and bring them to Him. This poor world needs a Saviour, and if we are going to be successful in catching men, we must preach Christ crucified – not His life only, but His death. And if we are faithful in doing this, we shall succeed. Why? Because there is His promise: “If you follow Me, I will make you fishers of men.”
The “I will” of presence.
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
John 14:18 (NIV)
It is comforting to know that Christ has not left us alone in this dark wilderness here below. Although He has gone up and taken His seat by the Father’s throne, He has not left us as orphans.
He did not leave Joseph. When they cast Joseph (remember the guy with the coat of many colors) into prison, “God was with him.” When Daniel was cast into the den of lions, they had to put the Almighty in with him. They were so bound together that they could not be separated.
If we have Christ with us, we can do all things. Let us not be thinking how weak we are. Let us lift our eyes to Him and let us see Him as our King, our Lord, who has all power in Heaven and on earth. He says to us as He said to His disciples before ascending to His throne,
…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
Some of our children and friends leave us, and it is a very sad time when that happens. But the believer and Christ shall never be separated! He is with us here, and we shall be with Him in person one day. We shall see Him in His beauty. But not only is He with us, but He has sent us the Holy Spirit. Let us honor the Holy Spirit by acknowledging that He is here in our midst. He has power to give sight to the blind, liberty to the captive, and to open the ears of the deaf that they may hear the glorious words of the Gospel.
The “I will” of Resurrection
For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:40 (NIV)
I’m excited when I think of my Saviour who has power over death. My blessed Master holds the keys of death and Hell. I fell sorry for the poor unbeliever who has no hope in the resurrection. But every child of God can open this chapter in God’s book and read the promise and have their heart leap within him for joy!
When you walk past shop windows you usually find the shop owners putting the best specimens of the items they sell in the window to show us the quality of their stock. When Christ walked the earth, He gave us glimpses of what He could do. He raised three from the dead, that we might know what power He had – Jairus’ daughter, the widow’s son, and Lazarus of Bethany. He raised all three so every doubt might be swept away from our hearts.
Friends, this world would be a dark and gloomy place indeed if we had no hope in the resurrection! But when we Christians lay our loved ones down in the grave, it is not without hope. We have seen them in the terrible struggle with death; but there has been one star to illumine the darkness and gloom – the thought that though the ties of presence with them have been broken on earth – they shall be joined once again in the world of heavenly light.
You how have lost a loved one, rejoice as you read this “I will!” Those who have died in Christ shall be made alive again! The darkness will flee away, and the morning light of the resurrection shall dawn upon us. It is only a little while, and the voice of Him who has said it shall come, shall be heard most powerfully in the grave – “I will raise him up at the last day”
This is the blessed hope and joy of every believer!
The “I will” of Glory
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
John 17:24 (NIV)
This was Jesus, last prayer in the guest room on the last night before He was crucified on Calvary. Many believer’s faces light up at the thought that he shall see the King in all of his majesty and beauty one day.
Yes, there is a glorious day before us in the future. Some think that on the first day we come to Christ that we have everything. To be sure, we receive salvation and peace – but there is a glory for the future yet to come. That’s what kept Paul rejoicing. He said,
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Philippians 3:7-8 (NIV)
And so, when things go against you, cheer up! Remember that the night will soon be done, and the morning will appear quickly. Death never comes there. It is banished from that beautiful land. Sickness, pain and sorrow come not there to mar that grand and glorious Home where we shall live with the Master. God’s family will be all together there!
What an incredible future friends! And it may be a great deal nearer than many of us think. During these few days we are here on earth, let us stand steadfast and firm, and eventually we shall be in that place of eternal light and joy in the midst of the King!
CONCLUSION
Remember the “I wills” of Christ – and be encouraged!
- “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” – Jesus says, “I will save you”
- “I am willing, Be Clean!” – Jesus says, “I will cleanse you”
- “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.” – Jesus says, “I will identify you as one of my own”
- “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” – Jesus says, “I will work through you to reach others who are lost”
- “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” – Jesus says, “I will always be with you”
- “I will raise him up at the last day” – Jesus says, “I will be your life”
- “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory…” — Jesus says, “I will show you my glory”
To be trusted with the gift…
Wednesday, April 18th, 2007Joseph was given something that he could be trusted with because it didn’t mean that much to him. [R.T. Kendall, A Treasury of Wisdom Journal (Uhrichsville, Ohio: Barbour and Company, 1996), January 16 day reading, email books
DNA, Just by chance?
Wednesday, April 18th, 2007Think about the huge number of software programmers and engineers required to write and maintain the information code that runs our computers today. It’s incredible to think of the trillions of dollars and billions of hours at the foundation of the binary code the – “1″s and “0″s – that underlie today’s computer operations.
In our technology age, it’s easy to jump from the example of software code to the awesome code and complexity underlying the makeup and operation of all living things. DNA — the storehouse of genetics that creates the physical makeup of each organism – is really digital code. Similar to computer software binary code, DNA is a 4-digit code comprised of base chemical pairs laid out in a microscopic spiraling staircase.
For the human, these stairs are arranged in approximately 3 billion precise sequences, acting as the “letters” in our genetic alphabet. These letters combine into complex sequences that form the words, sentences and paragraphs that act as instructions to guide the formation and functioning of each host cell in our body – and there are about 30 trillion of those!
Through the discovery, mapping and sequencing of the DNA molecule, we now understand that organic life is based on vastly complex information code, and, like today’s most complex software codes, such information cannot be created or interpreted without some kind of “intelligence.” When Microsoft? needs to code more information, it adds thousands of smart people to its payroll, and they spend millions of hours writing and debugging code.
However, it is tragic that school textbooks falsely teach that the 4-digit code that makes up the human body – enough information to fill the Grand Canyon 50 times if printed in books – was created by random chance. Something to really think about… Like software to a computer, the DNA code is a genetic language that communicates information to the organic cell. Amazingly, the DNA molecule is a micro, digital, redundant, error-correcting, self-duplicating, information storage & retrieval system!
(Adapted from a Think Blast article by Randal Niles, Volume 5:22, 9/06)
Talking Back
Sunday, April 15th, 2007Podcast: Download
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INTRODUCTION
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14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 19 One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
Romans 9:14-21 (NIV)
Today’s message is taken from 11 words found at the beginning of verse 20 from this passage. I want you to notice particularly two words at the middle and the one word at the end. “O man” and “God.” “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?” Here, man and God are contrasted deliberately, God in His infinite greatness and wisdom and man in his limited smallness and ignorance. There is also a strong emphasis placed on the “you”. “Who are YOU, O man, to talk back to GOD?” My hope is today that God will brand those words upon our memories so that we shall never be able to forget them nor get away from them. “Who are you, O man, to talk back to God?”
There are some pretty crazy things that have been done by different individuals among mankind. Going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Leaping off of a dizzying high bridge with some strands of elastic strapped to his feet. Being strapped inside a rocket filled with enough potential energy to cook a few hundred thousand cows instantaneously and then blasted into the vacuum of space where a chunk of rock the size of a marble could cause enough damage to prevent him getting back!
However the most insanely daring thing that any man can do, the most exceedingly foolish thing any man can do, the most desperately wicked thing that any man can do, is to talk back to God, to have controversy with God, to criticize God, or to condemn God. Yet that the very thing that many people are doing.
How many of you know what I mean when I mention “talking back”. Those of us as parents understand that word perfectly well. When you hear a little child talking back to his father or mother, criticizing or condemning them it will quickly bring a shake of the head and a frown of disproval. It is something that should not be tolerated for one moment. When a small child questions their parents judgment, disobeys their parents instructions, or verbally abuses their parents caring direction a good parent will quickly remind their child of his place!
But why then, should any mere human being, an mere creature of the dust such as all of us are, talk back to, criticize, have controversy with, or try to prove wrong the infinite and eternal God? It is the most foolish and wicked thing a human being can do. I want to share with you four reasons why it is foolish to do so.
The infinite majesty of God.
The text itself contrasts the majesty of God against the smallness of man. It reads, “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?” Yes, who are you anyway? And who is God?
You are one out of over 6.5 billion people living on this world today. And what is this globe that you and I live on? The earth is so small apart of the already known universe that if the sun were hollow, you could pour into it over 1 million earths like ours and still there would be room enough left for them to rattle around in it.
Yet, the sun itself is very, very small in comparison with the some other stars whose diameters have been measured and there are now an estimated 1024 stars in the known universe. That is 10 followed by 24 zeros. God, with whom so many have controversy with and criticize and condemn, made them all.
God made two great lights–the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.
Genesis 1:16 (NIV)
“But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?”
With today’s increasingly amazing technological advances and availability of incredible knowledge – with the ever advancing understanding and exploration of the vast universe and multiple galaxies in the heavens man is sometimes tempted to be puffed up because a few great leaders and scientists and investigators among us are beginning to come up with convincing and fascinating arguments and explanations for the way the universe works. But what about the God who planned it and made it? Our increasing discoveries of the vastness of the physical universe ought to fill us with an increasing sense of our own nothingness in comparison with the infinite greatness and majesty of Him who planned and made the universe! Yet, unfortunately, often these discoveries seem only to puff us up with pride that we are so wise as to understand a small part of the ways and power of almighty God.
The Infinite and absolute holiness of God.
The second reason for the foolishness and desperate wickedness of talking back to God is the infinite and absolute holiness of God.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5 (NIV)
God is the One in whose presence the seraphim themselves, those angelic beings of which the Hebrew word “seraphim means “burning ones”, burning in their own intense holiness, must veil their faces and feet in the infinitely holy Presence of Almighty God and keep continually crying,
And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
Isaiah 6:3 (NIV)
God is the One in whose presence Isaiah, the holy prophet we read about in the Old Testament, covered his face and cried,
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” 6
Isaiah 6:4-6 (NIV)
God is the One in whose presence Job, who is described as a one who is “blameless and upright”, Job, who had stoutly maintained his integrity before the persistent and united accusations of his so-called friends, when he got one glimpse of God face to face, overwhelmed with the sense of his own nothingness and vileness in comparison with the infinitely holy One, cried,
5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
Job 42:5-6 (NIV)
This is God. “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?”
What are we all, even the very best of us? Vile, the best of us is a loathsome sinner. You might not yet realize the fact, but it is true. Our being is riddled with sin. Don’t buy into that deceitful lie of the enemy that would convince you that every human being is inherently good. We have been made in the image of God yes, but the curse of sin has warped, marred, and slashed that image. Sin makes us despicable. Yet you undertake to stand in the presence of this Holy God, in whose presence the seraphim veil their faces and their feet, and talk back to Him, suggest to God what He ought to do, criticize Him for the things that He has seen fit to do, and seek your way above His?
The infinite wisdom of God
The third reason for why it is foolish and wicked of talking back to God is because of His infinite wisdom. God is not only a Being of infinite majesty and holiness. He is also a Being of infinite wisdom. We look up at the starry heavens above our heads, we look at these wonderful specks of light that sprinkle the heavens. We think of the overwhelming things about their immensity and the incredible distances between us and them, we think of the incredible speed and momentum of their light as it rushes through space, and as we look up at them, if we are wise, we say, “O God, what a Being of infinite wisdom as well as majesty You are that You were able to place each star and each heavenly body in it’s place.” Or think about the intricate orbits within our own solar system; The planets that make their way around the sun, the moons around those planets, the asteroids and smaller bodies and comets etc; Think of the speed and interactions involved in all of their orbits and the simple fact that there has not been a earth shattering collision. If we are wise, we say, “O God, what a Being of infinite wisdom as well as majesty You are that everything is placed in such a fashion that the one planet you chose to create life on is safe in the midst of seeming chaos.”
Yet, many of you here today do not hesitate to look up at that Infinitely wise God who made the heavens, who guides the whole universe in its wonderful, stupendous and bewildering course, and attempt to tell Him what you think He ought to do! You fool, are you mad? Nothing could be more insane! “But who are you?” The wisest man on earth is but a child; the wisest philosopher does not know much; the greatest man of science knows but very little. What he knows is almost nothing in comparison with what he does not know.
How much does the wisest scientist know even about this small planet? What does he really know, for example, about earthquakes, or tornadoes, or hurricanes, or volcanoes? Have you ever stopped to think of the fact that what was the most confidently believed science of 300 years ago is considered foolishness today? Or what about what’s happened in the last 150 years. Listen to some of these quotes…
This “telephone” has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a
means of communications. – Western Union Internal memo, 1876Everything that can be invented has been invented. – Charles H. Duell,
Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899But … what is it good for? – An engineer at IBM, commenting on the microchip
in 1968
If we are to judge the future by the past, the most confidently believed science of today will be regarded much differently then. The best scientific knowledge of today and the future and yesterday is but a speck of the infinite wisdom of God.
Suppose some child of eight or nine took a book on philosophy recognized as the greatest writing of the best philosophic thought of today and began to criticize it, page by page. What would you think? Would you stand and look at the boy and say with admiration, “What a bright kid that is?” No, you would say, “What a conceited idiot he is at his age and with his limited knowledge, to criticize the best philosophic thought of today!” But he would not be so conceited an idiot as you or I if we were to attempt to criticize an infinitely wise God. We are far less than children compared to Almighty God.
The most profound philosopher of today is but a little child compared with Almighty God. And yet people today, who do not make any pretensions of being a philosopher at all, take God’s Book, like a little child, like an infant, take this Book which represents the bet wisdom of God, and sit down and turn it, page by page, and try to criticize it, and others stand and look at them and admire and say, “What a scholar!” But the angels look down and say, “What a fool!” And what does God say? “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?”
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.
Psalms 2:4 (NIV)
The infinite goodness and love
This is the fourth reason why it is foolish and wicked to talk back to God. He is not only a Being of infinite majesty, holiness, and wisdom, but also a being of infinite goodness and love. The truth is, you owe everything you have in the world to God. You owe your very existence to Him. You owe to Him your power to see, your power to hear, your power to taste. You owe to Him your power to breathe, to live, to walk, to work, your power to enjoy this wonderful world which He has made, in which He permits and enables us to live.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17 (NIV)
The poorest of us, the most unfortunate of us, has a tremendous number of reasons to be thankful. You who think you have very little have an overabundance in comparison with nothing. Are you blind? Well, you can hear and taste, can you not? Are you deaf, dumb, and blind? Well, you can eat and enjoy your food, can you not? The man who has all five senses would be just as reasonable if he were to complain because he has not six as the man who has four senses would be to complain because he has not five. Thank God for what you have, rather than complain against God for what you don’t have!
Not only that, but on top of what the things we have that we can be thankful for, we also must realize that every one of us has trampled God’s law under foot; every one of us has been a sinner justly condemned before God. But God, instead of dealing with us in stern wrath and judgment, as we all deserve, has not only blessed us, but, in addition has given His own son to die on the Cross of Calvary in our place. He has given us His best, His beloved, His dearest, His only Son. But in spit of all that wondrous love that did not stop even at the sacrifice of His own Son, some of you presume to criticize God, who gave His Son to die for you. “But who are you, o man, to talk back to God?”
Oh, the desperate wickedness, the confounding foolishness of talking back to a God of infinite majesty, infinite holiness, infinite wisdom, and above all, infinite love.
Who Talks back to God?
But who is it who talks back to God? Who criticizes him or condemns Him. As I share with you four different groups of people, listen carefully to observe if you should happen to fall into one of these groups.
Those who complain of God’s Sovereign Will.
I’ve heard people say, I’ve read from people who write, “I think God is cruel.” “Why do you think He is cruel?” The reasons are numerous. For some it is God has taken away a loved one, for others it is the fall from financial prosperity to ruin, for others it is simply a tragic disaster that they have read about or seen on the news. In light of these calamities they say, “I think God is cruel”.
You do? You do? You think God is cruel? Who is God? A Being of infinite majesty, a Being of infinite holiness, a Being of infinite wisdom, a Being of infinite love, a Being who gave His own Son to die that you might be saved! “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?”
To be fair, some say that they don’t understand it. Why should you understand it? Who are you? If you were really wise, you would not ask to understand it. If you had really good sense, you would not feel any need of having it explained. You would say, “I know God is infinitely good and infinitely wise. I know He is infinitely loving, too. I know He gave His Son to die for me, and though I cannot understand it, nevertheless I know that God is in control and everything will be okay.
Job writes,
and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”
Job 1:21 (NIV)
This is not blind faith, this is knowing trust. It is impossible for us to understand everything and divine the reason for all things – there comes a point where we must place our trust in the One who does based on what we know about Him – a Being of infinite majesty, a Being of infinite holiness, a Being of infinite wisdom, a Being of infinite love. I am perfectly content to put my trust in Almighty God.
Some of you are passing through trials which, if the rest of us knew, would fill our hearts with sympathy and pain. But you are murmuring against God, and that is wicked, that is incredibly foolish. “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?”. But you say, “I don’t understand it.” Why should you understand it? Why should you ask to understand it? Who are you that God should explain it to you? Oh friends, it is so important that we keep in mind who God is, and who we are; what God is and what we are!
Those who refute God’s Word
This second group of people talking back to God are those who criticize the Bible and try to rip it to pieces. The Bible is God’s written Word. That is thoroughly established. When you criticize the Bible, you criticize its Author, who is God. When you criticize the Bible, you criticize God. But then there are those who say, “I don’t believe it is God’s Word.” That does not alter the truth that it is. It is His Word, there is abundant proof that it is His Word. I have spoken and taught many times about the Bible being the written Word of God. This Book is God’s Word, and whoever ventures to criticize it ventures to criticize God. Never forget that. I repeat it, whoever criticizes the Bible criticizes God, and the one who criticizes God is guilty of abundant foolishness and desperate wickedness. You may say, “I don’t like that” Well, I’m sorry that you don’t, for it is true, and I always feel very sorry for the man or woman who does not like the truth. They are being deceived.
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)
Those who deny the reality of Hell
The third group of people who talk back to God are those who complain of the biblical doctrine of the penalty of sin, the doctrine of spiritual death and everlasting punishment in a place called Hell. Nobody likes to think that Hell is a real place. Even many Christians cover over the reality of hell and its horrifying picture. This is not something I thought up. This is not a man-made creation. Some say that the doctrine of Hell is a medieval thought. No its not. It was not originated in the Middle Ages. It is a teaching of Jesus Christ, taught by Him, not in the Middle Ages but in the first century.
Jesus Christ says very clearly in Matthew 25:41 that at the judgment of the nations living on the earth when He comes again He will say to those on His left hand,
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Matthew 25:41 (NIV)
And, five verses farther down, He says,
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Matthew 25:46 (NIV)
Now, I did not invent that. That was in the bible before I was born! Jesus said it nineteen centuries before I was born. I simply read it in the Bible and preach it because it is there.
There are some that don’t like the doctrine of Hell and would rather it not be taught because it makes God a “monster”. Whoever says that this doctrine makes God a monster is himself one who is far from God, for it is God’s doctrine. Some say, “I have trouble thinking that a God of love should leave anybody to everlasting punishment.” The reply is, why would you be able to understand how a God of love should leave anybody to everlasting punishment. It seems to have never entered your mind that anything you cannot understand could be easily understood by someone who knew more than you. If a person has even a small amount of common sense, such person would realize that even though with our very limited intelligence we might not be able to understand it, an infinitely wise God might have a thousand reasons for doing it, even though we might not see one.
It has never dawned on some people that God could quite possibly know more than they know – that an infinitely wise God might possibly have more knowledge and understanding than them. If you ever get that though, that an infinitely wise God may possibly know more than even you do, and that God in His infinite wisdom might have a thousand good reasons for doing a thing when you cannot see even one, you will have learned one of the greatest theological truths of life – one that will solve many of your perplexing problems in the Bible.
Men try to lay hold of infinite wisdom and think that they can squeeze it down into the capacity of their 3lb minds. But because they cannot squeeze infinite wisdom into their three pound minds, they say, “I don’t believe that the Bible is the Word of God, because it has something in it that I cannot understand.” Why should you understand everything in the Bible? Who are you anyhow? How much of a mind do you have anyway? How long have you had it? How long are you going to keep it? Who gave it to you?
It is not our business to understand everything, It is not our business to have a reason for everything. It is our business to hear what God has to say, and when He says it, believe it, whether you can understand it fully or not. Now I am not saying it is wrong to seek understanding, and to pursue reason, or to thirst after wisdom. But please, please, oh please, in the face of the mystery of God and the wonder of His majesty – don’t discard everything you do know about Him simply because you encounter something you don’t understand!
As my children grow I’m learning that when they are small and ignorant, there are a lot of things that I tell them that I can not explain to them because of the limitations of their minds. There are a great many things that even God cannot explain to you or to me because we do not know enough yet to have it explained to us. God is too wise, I say it reverently, to try to explain some things to a person who does not know more than you do.
Those who make excuses and deny Christ.
The final group of people talking back to God that I want to refer to today are those who instead of accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior and surrendering to Him as their Lord and Master and openly confessing Him as such before the world, are making excuses for not doing it.
Jesus says,
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
John 6:37 (NIV)
God says,
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
Revelation 22:17 (NIV)
Anybody can come to Christ, and anybody who does come will be received and saved. Yet many people, instead of coming, are making excuses for not coming. By every excuse you make you are talking back to God, you are criticizing Him, to are arguing against Him, and you are condemning the one who invites you to come. You cannot frame an excuse for not coming and accepting Christ that does not reject God. Every excuse that any mortal makes for not accepting Christ, in its ultimate analysis, rejects God.
For example, some say, “I am too great a sinner to come. I am just to bad of a person for God to want me.” But God says through His follower, Paul,
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…
1 Timothy 1:15 (NIV)
And when you say, “I cannot come because I am too great a sinner,” you contradict God. He says you can.
Others say, “I cannot come because I am too weak to live the Christian life.” But God says via Jude that He is,
…is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy–
Jude 1:24 (NIV)
You say, “I cannot live for God” He says He can live through you. When you say He cannot, you make God a liar and condemn God.
Others say, “I cannot come because I don’t feel right about it” But God says, “whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life” God says, “You can come,” and you say, “I cannot” and that excuse rejects God.
Every conceivable excuse a sinner makes for not coming to Christ at once ultimately rejects God, and every man and woman who, instead of coming right to the Lord Jesus and accepting Him, surrendering to Him, confessing Him as Master and going forth to serve Him – everyone who is making an excuse of any kind instead of accepting Christ is talking back to God.
Who are you, O man, to talk back to God?