Alston Road Church of Christ Podcast

Series: 1 Peter (Living in Exile)

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Scott Kercheville

The past year has opened our eyes to the darkness in the world around us and as such we have talked about how to think about injustice from a lot of different perspectives. We have talked about how the evil gods of the divine council are the powers behind it all. We have talked about how we ought to hope in God to judge these gods and the powers that be. We have demonstrated through John the Baptizer how we wait until the fullness of Jesus’ kingdom for final justice. We have talked about how we can show love to the downtrodden and use use our voice to promote justice. But I can think of no better capstone to the subject of living in a world of injustice than 1 Peter 2:18-25. Truth be told, I can think of no more shocking a text to end with either. Our text today wraps our focus on justice with a very direct question: how should we think about and respond to injustice against us as individuals? Peter offers an alarming answer. 

Peter is writing to Christians scattered like exiles throughout a variety of territories. They were powerless foreigners and had virtually no ability to change their situation. In our text today, Peter speaks to the person who is the epitome of powerless — the servant. But then he zooms out to apply the situation of a suffering servant to Jesus The Suffering Servant whom we are all called to follow. Let’s start with verses 18-20.

Be Subject to Both Good and Unjust Masters (2:18-20)

Unlike the slavery that took place in our country, slavery then was not racially based. A person could become a servant by being captured in a war, by being kidnapped, born into a slave household, or by selling oneself into slavery to survive economic hardships. Some slaves had very hard labor in fields and mines, others were doctors, teachers, managers, and musicians. As Peter says here, some had kind masters while some suffered brutal mistreatment. Ancient slavery was not more humane than what took place on our own soil. Slaves had no legal rights and masters could do whatever they wanted to them without any legal consequences.

In that light, Peter instructs servants to be subject to their masters — both to the good and to the unjust. Peter shockingly says it is a gracious thing to be mindful of God while suffering under these unjust masters. It is a means of pleasing God and receiving a reward from him. That can be hard to remember. Often we may think unjust suffering is a sign of God’s displeasure with us, not as an opportunity to please him. And to be clear, Peter does tell us that we don’t get any credit with God if we deserved the beating. 

Now, I’d like to clearly explain the situation Peter is speaking into. Slaves couldn’t quit or call the police when they were being verbally, physically, or sexually harassed and abused because they had no legal rights. Peter’s admonition to them to be mindful of God and endure is literally the only thing they could legally do in response to injustice. And, as Peter later says, we don’t revile in return. We don’t take vengeance. We turn the other cheek.

Paul, on the other hand, was a Roman citizen and when he was illegally beaten in Philippi, he demanded what seems to be a public apology for the injustice. Thank God, as of now, we too often have legal protections when we are treated unjustly. Peter doesn’t tell Christian servants to call the authorities because they couldn’t and that kind of situation isn’t his focus. This text speaks to those who have no legal protections against the injustices mounted against them. A lot of people in the world live in those situations. Many Christians live in these situations. We must mentally prepare for the possibility that this may also be the world we live in at some point. I don’t mean that we will be slaves, but that Christians may at some point lose the legal protections we now enjoy in society, in the church, in school, in the home, and on the job. There is the possibility that more we become like even more like foreigners here.

Regardless of our situation or why we suffer unjustly, Peter offers an inspiring message that we can ingest and that we can share with others who suffer unjustly. He offers two things in verse 20. 1) Keep doing good. It is not the same, but employees should do the same with their employers. Whoever is over you, keep honoring them. Keep working hard whether they are just or not. 2) Endure. We could unjustly suffer, but then turn and curse God or the person causing our suffering. We could lose our hope, give up, stop doing good. That’s not endurance. How can we keep doing good and endure? Verses 19-20: be mindful of God and recognize this is a gracious thing in his sight. I almost called this sermon “The Grace of Unjust Suffering.” This is actually a gift. You will get credit in God’s eyes if you endure.

This is where the rubber meets the road. It is a piece of cake to obey gentle masters and employers. It is easy to submit to just governments. Sinners do that. When we endure these sorrows but keep doing good, that is what the world is unwilling to do. There is no benefit to them to “go the extra mile” in suffering. But we? When we are mindful of God, we get credit.

This reminds me of what Peter heard Jesus say in Luke 6. Note that the word charis is translated as “gracious thing” in Peter is translated as “benefit” and “credit” in Luke. Luke 6:32–36 ESV, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

If we really want our lives to be gracious in God’s sight, we keep enduring and doing good when it is hard and when it comes at great cost and difficulty to us. Let that motivate us in this ever-changing world. Our wealth, social standing, and even our lives may be threatened for doing the right thing. This is an opportunity to show God whether we want a good times in this life, or the reward that he gives in the age to come.

Called to Follow Christ: Suffer for Doing Good (2:21-25)

We might argue that up to this point, Peter is talking about a situation that seems completely unrelatable for many of us. Maybe we feel good. But notice verse 21. Did Christ suffer unjustly for you? Did he continue doing good and endure? If so, we have all been called to suffer unjustly. Peter says Christ left us “an example.” When Children in school would trace over their teacher’s writing to learn to write, they used this Greek word (hupogrammós). The idea isn’t that we generally look to Jesus’ general example. The idea is that his life has written down the precise pattern by which we are to live. He suffered unjustly and we follow in his steps.

What does that look like? In verses 22-25, Peter weaves together different themes from the heart of Isaiah’s song about the suffering servant that was read for us earlier (Isaiah 53:4-9). Peter was talking to servants, but now he speaks about Jesus as The Suffering Servant of God whose life we are all to follow when any of us suffer unjustly in any situation.

What do we do when we are beaten unjustly? When we are mocked without cause? When we are persecuted for doing good? When someone in our family or workplace or community hates us and cuts us down without cause? Notice verses 22-23. We might get into arguments and start stretching the truth to make our point, but there was no deceit found in Jesus’ mouth. We might trade insults — trying to come up with something that will get under our attacker’s skin, but Jesus did not revile in return. We might threaten, “Just see what happens!” “You’ll pay for that.” “One day you’ll regret this.” But when Jesus suffered, he did not threaten. How did he do that? “He continued entrusting himself to the one who judges justly.” The only way we can endure such abuse and hostility from sinful people and not repay insult for insult and evil for evil in return is by trusting that God truly judges justly and one day he’ll take care of this.

But lest we think Jesus was on the cross craving immediate justice, Jesus called upon the Father for their forgiveness. Jesus didn’t simply “not hate” his enemies, he loved them. He simultaneously waited for God’s justice and hoped for his enemies’ restoration at the same time.

Jesus is showing us a new way of being human. He is showing us love that completely transcends anything we have ever seen before. If I am reading 1 Kings 1-2 correctly, not even David could go to the grave without wanting a little revenge. Since the beginning of the world people have exchanged tit for tat. Lamech boastfully sung to his wives about how he murdered a young man who hit him. And that’s what can happen with us, right? We suffer — maybe even unjustly — and we concoct new ways of making them pay worse than they ever hurt us.  It grows into this messy world of hurt, bitterness, and hatred. But Jesus takes the worst injustice that has ever been committed and he doesn’t return the evil. He did not sin. He quietly took it. In doing that, he ended the cycle.

The result was the most powerful death you can imagine. Notice verses 24-25. He didn’t spit our sins back at us, he took them, bore them in his body. And here was his hope. Whereas there was once hatred, enmity, bitterness, strife, his hope was that we would see his example and want to do likewise. His death on the cross was not simply an atoning sacrifice that took away our sin — that’s not Peter’s key point here. It was the beginning of a new way of living. He showed us how far he was willing to go to not sin so that we too would die to sin and let righteousness live in us. He was so unwilling to sin that when he was lied about, falsely accused, mocked, beaten, crucified, and spat upon he professed his undying love for the people who killed him.

Have his wounds healed us? Have his wounds quenched our bitterness, hatred, and desire for revenge? His wounds have turned away God’s wrath — have they turned away ours? God no longer seeks justice against us. He declares us innocent because of Jesus’ death. And we are called to follow in his steps.

Think about what could happen in this world if all 2 billion of the people who claim to follow Christ followed him to the cross. Imagine what would happen if we could show that kind of love to everyone — even toward the oppressors of this world. Imagine what would happen to the tensions between nations. Imagine what would happen to the weapons industry. Imagine what would happen to political conversations and conversations about justice in this country. Imagine what could happen in our homes, in our marriages, between parents and children, and between brothers and sisters.

This sounds like fairy tale dreaming to some, but if we will have faith and hope, we will see this is God’s vision for the church and this is God’s vision for the world. Isaiah 2:2–5 NLT, “In the last days, the mountain of the LORD’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the LORD’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The LORD will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD!”

As Isaiah heard this message about what God wanted to do for all nations, he looked at Israel and urged them, “Let’s walk in the light of the Lord!” Just as Jesus absorbed our sins and disarmed the great oppressors of this world in doing so, if we will take on the sins of others and point them to Jesus the true sacrificial lamb, it is possible that they might die to sin and live to righteousness too. The oppressors of this world are straying just as we were straying, but a Shepherd and Overseer has died for them and is ready to direct them on a new path and rescue their souls.

Conclusion

Richard Wurmbrand was a Christians who was imprisoned for 14 years by communists for preaching the gospel. He talks of how between beatings, some of the prisoners had agreed that they would preach the gospel to their captors. He tells the story of a woman who did that. Between beatings she spoke kindly to the guard and preached the gospel to him. He mocked her. She told him that she had a boyfriend who had showed so much love to her that it didn’t matter how much this man beat her, she could only love him. He hit her across the head and knocked her out. When she awoke he said, “You stupid girl, who is this boyfriend of yours?” So she told him about Jesus. The man was immediately baptized.

We are called to suffer unjustly whether we are slaves of men or not, for we are slaves of God. We will all suffer, but what good is it when we suffer for our own sin? Like Jesus, let us choose to suffer as much as possible not for our sins but for the sins of others. Jesus has healed us by his wounds, and we never know what could happen in the lives of others if we will follow in Jesus’ footsteps and accept the wounding they give us.

John 14:12 NLT-SE, ““I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.”

Español

El año pasado nos ha abierto los ojos a la oscuridad en el mundo que nos rodea y, como tal, hemos hablado sobre cómo pensar sobre la injusticia desde muchas perspectivas diferentes. Hemos hablado de cómo los dioses malvados del consejo divino son los poderes detrás de todo. Hemos hablado de cómo debemos esperar en Dios para juzgar a estos dioses y los poderes fácticos. Hemos demostrado a través de Juan el Bautista cómo esperamos hasta la plenitud del reino de Jesús para la justicia final. Hemos hablado sobre cómo podemos mostrar amor a los oprimidos y usar nuestra voz para promover la justicia. Pero no puedo pensar en un colofón mejor para el tema de vivir en un mundo de injusticia que 1 Pedro 2: 18-25. La verdad sea dicha, no puedo pensar en un texto más impactante para terminar con ninguno de los dos. Nuestro texto de hoy envuelve nuestro enfoque en la justicia con una pregunta muy directa: ¿cómo debemos pensar y responder a la injusticia contra nosotros como individuos? Peter ofrece una respuesta alarmante.

Pedro está escribiendo a los cristianos dispersos como exiliados por una variedad de territorios. Eran extranjeros impotentes y prácticamente no tenían capacidad para cambiar su situación. En nuestro texto de hoy, Pedro le habla a la persona que es la personificación de los impotentes: el siervo. Pero luego se aleja para aplicar la situación de un siervo sufriente a Jesús, el siervo sufriente, a quien todos estamos llamados a seguir. Comencemos con los versículos 18-20.

Estar sujeto a maestros buenos e injustos (2:18-20)

A diferencia de la esclavitud que tuvo lugar en nuestro país, la esclavitud en ese entonces no tenía una base racial. Una persona podría convertirse en un sirviente al ser capturado en una guerra, al ser secuestrado, al nacer en un hogar de esclavos o al venderse como esclavo para sobrevivir a las dificultades económicas. Algunos esclavos tenían trabajos muy duros en campos y minas, otros eran médicos, maestros, gerentes y músicos. Como dice Peter aquí, algunos tuvieron amos bondadosos mientras que otros sufrieron un maltrato brutal. La esclavitud antigua no fue más humana que la que tuvo lugar en nuestro propio suelo. Los esclavos no tenían derechos legales y los amos podían hacerles lo que quisieran sin consecuencias legales.

En ese sentido, Pedro instruye a los siervos a someterse a sus amos, tanto a los buenos como a los injustos. Pedro sorprendentemente dice que es una gracia tener presente a Dios mientras sufre bajo estos amos injustos. Es un medio de agradar a Dios y recibir una recompensa de él. Eso puede ser difícil de recordar. A menudo podemos pensar que el sufrimiento injusto es una señal del disgusto de Dios con nosotros, no una oportunidad para complacerlo. Y para ser claros, Peter sí nos dice que no recibimos ningún crédito con Dios si merecemos la paliza.

Ahora, me gustaría explicar claramente la situación en la que Peter está hablando. Los esclavos no podían renunciar o llamar a la policía cuando estaban siendo acosados ​​y abusados ​​verbal, física o sexualmente porque no tenían derechos legales. La amonestación de Pedro a ellos de ser conscientes de Dios y perseverar es literalmente lo único que podían hacer legalmente en respuesta a la injusticia. Y, como dice Peter más tarde, no le devolvemos el vituperio. No tomamos venganza. Ponemos la otra mejilla.

Paul, por otro lado, era ciudadano romano y cuando fue golpeado ilegalmente en Filipos, exigió lo que parece ser una disculpa pública por la injusticia. Gracias a Dios, a partir de ahora, con demasiada frecuencia tenemos protecciones legales cuando se nos trata injustamente. Peter no les dice a los sirvientes cristianos que llamen a las autoridades porque no pueden y ese tipo de situación no es su enfoque. Este texto se dirige a aquellos que no tienen protección legal contra las injusticias que se montan contra ellos. Mucha gente en el mundo vive en esas situaciones. Muchos cristianos viven en estas situaciones. Debemos prepararnos mentalmente para la posibilidad de que este también sea el mundo en el que vivimos en algún momento. No quiero decir que seremos esclavos, sino que los cristianos pueden, en algún momento, perder las protecciones legales de las que disfrutamos ahora en la sociedad, en la iglesia, en la escuela, en el hogar y en el trabajo. Existe la posibilidad de que más nos volvamos más como extranjeros aquí.

Independientemente de nuestra situación o por qué sufrimos injustamente, Peter ofrece un mensaje inspirador que podemos ingerir y que podemos compartir con otros que sufren injustamente. Ofrece dos cosas en el versículo 20. 1) Siga haciendo el bien. No es lo mismo, pero los empleados deberían hacer lo mismo con sus empleadores. Quien sea que esté sobre ti, sigue honrándolo. Siga trabajando duro, ya sea justo o no. 2) Aguantar. Podríamos sufrir injustamente, pero luego volvernos y maldecir a Dios oa la persona que causa nuestro sufrimiento. Podríamos perder la esperanza, rendirnos, dejar de hacer el bien. Eso no es resistencia. ¿Cómo podemos seguir haciendo el bien y resistir? Versículos 19-20: tenga en cuenta a Dios y reconozca que esto es algo de gracia ante sus ojos. Casi llamo a este sermón "La gracia del sufrimiento injusto". En realidad, esto es un regalo. Recibirás crédito a los ojos de Dios si perseveras.

Aquí es donde las ruedas encuentran el camino. Es pan comido obedecer a maestros y empleadores amables. Es fácil someterse a gobiernos justos. Los pecadores hacen eso. Cuando soportamos estos dolores pero seguimos haciendo el bien, eso es lo que el mundo no está dispuesto a hacer. No hay ningún beneficio para ellos en "hacer un esfuerzo adicional" en el sufrimiento. ¿Pero nosotros? Cuando somos conscientes de Dios, obtenemos crédito.

Esto me recuerda lo que Pedro escuchó a Jesús decir en Lucas 6. Note que la palabra charis se traduce como “cosa de gracia” en Pedro se traduce como “beneficio” y “crédito” en Lucas. Lucas 6: 32–36 NVI, “¿Qué mérito tienen ustedes al amar a quienes los aman? Aun los pecadores lo hacen así. ¿Y qué mérito tienen ustedes al hacer bien a quienes les hacen bien? Aun los pecadores actúan así. ¿Y qué mérito tienen ustedes al dar prestado a quienes pueden corresponderles? Aun los pecadores se prestan entre sí, esperando recibir el mismo trato. Ustedes, por el contrario, amen a sus enemigos, háganles bien y denles prestado sin esperar nada a cambio. Así tendrán una gran recompensa y serán hijos del Altísimo, porque él es bondadoso con los ingratos y malvados. Sean compasivos, así como su Padre es compasivo.”

Si realmente queremos que nuestras vidas sean agradables a los ojos de Dios, seguimos soportando y haciendo el bien cuando es difícil y cuando se trata de un gran costo y dificultad para nosotros. Dejemos que eso nos motive en este mundo en constante cambio. Nuestra riqueza, posición social e incluso nuestras vidas pueden verse amenazadas por hacer lo correcto. Esta es una oportunidad para mostrarle a Dios si queremos pasar buenos momentos en esta vida o la recompensa que él da en la era venidera.

Llamados a seguir a Cristo: Sufrir por hacer el bien (2: 21-25)

Podríamos argumentar que hasta este punto, Peter está hablando de una situación que parece completamente imposible de relacionar para muchos de nosotros. Quizás nos sintamos bien. Pero observe el versículo 21. ¿Sufrió Cristo injustamente por usted? ¿Continuó haciendo el bien y aguantó? Si es así, todos hemos sido llamados a sufrir injustamente. Pedro dice que Cristo nos dejó "un ejemplo". Cuando los niños en la escuela rastreaban la escritura de su maestro para aprender a escribir, usaban esta palabra griega (hupogrammós). La idea no es que generalmente miremos el ejemplo general de Jesús. La idea es que su vida ha escrito el patrón preciso por el que debemos vivir. Sufrió injustamente y seguimos sus pasos.

¿Cómo se ve eso? En los versículos 22-25, Pedro entrelaza diferentes temas del corazón de la canción de Isaías sobre el siervo sufriente que se nos leyó anteriormente (Isaías 53: 4-9). Pedro estaba hablando con los sirvientes, pero ahora habla de Jesús como el Siervo de Dios sufriente, cuya vida todos debemos seguir cuando cualquiera de nosotros sufra injustamente en cualquier situación.

¿Qué hacemos cuando nos golpean injustamente? ¿Cuando se burlan de nosotros sin motivo? ¿Cuando somos perseguidos por hacer el bien? ¿Cuando alguien en nuestra familia, lugar de trabajo o comunidad nos odia y nos corta sin causa? Note los versículos 22-23. Podríamos entrar en discusiones y comenzar a estirar la verdad para hacer nuestro punto, pero no se encontró ningún engaño en la boca de Jesús. Podríamos intercambiar insultos, tratando de pensar en algo que se ponga debajo de la piel de nuestro atacante, pero Jesús no respondió con insultos. Podríamos amenazar: "¡Mira qué pasa!" "Pagarás por eso". "Algún día te arrepentirás de esto". Pero cuando Jesús sufrió, no amenazó. ¿Como el hizo eso? "Continuó confiando en el que juzga con justicia". La única forma en que podemos soportar tal abuso y hostilidad por parte de personas pecadoras y no pagar insulto por insulto y mal por mal a cambio es confiando en que Dios verdaderamente juzga con justicia y un día se encargará de esto.

Pero para que no pensemos que Jesús estaba en la cruz deseando justicia inmediata, Jesús pidió al Padre su perdón. Jesús no simplemente "no odiaba" a sus enemigos, los amaba. Simultáneamente esperó la justicia de Dios y, al mismo tiempo, esperó la restauración de sus enemigos.

Jesús nos muestra una nueva forma de ser humano. Nos muestra un amor que trasciende por completo todo lo que hayamos visto antes. Si leo 1 Reyes 1-2 correctamente, ni siquiera David podría ir a la tumba sin querer un poco de venganza. Desde el principio del mundo, la gente ha intercambiado ojo por ojo. Lamec cantó jactanciosamente a sus esposas sobre cómo asesinó a un joven que lo golpeó. Y eso es lo que nos puede pasar, ¿no? Sufrimos, tal vez incluso injustamente, y inventamos nuevas formas de hacer que paguen peor de lo que nunca nos lastimaron. Crece en este mundo desordenado de dolor, amargura y odio. Pero Jesús toma la peor injusticia que jamás se haya cometido y no devuelve el mal. Él no pecó. Lo tomó en silencio. Al hacer eso, terminó el ciclo.

El resultado fue la muerte más poderosa que puedas imaginar. Note los versículos 24-25. No nos escupió nuestros pecados, los tomó, los llevó en su cuerpo. Y aquí estaba su esperanza. Mientras que alguna vez hubo odio, enemistad, amargura, contienda, su esperanza era que viéramos su ejemplo y quisiéramos hacer lo mismo. Su muerte en la cruz no fue simplemente un sacrificio expiatorio que quitó nuestro pecado; ese no es el punto clave de Pedro aquí. Fue el comienzo de una nueva forma de vida. Él nos mostró hasta dónde estaba dispuesto a llegar para no pecar para que nosotros también muramos al pecado y permitamos que la justicia viva en nosotros. No estaba tan dispuesto a pecar que cuando le mintieron, lo acusaron falsamente, lo burlaron, lo golpearon, lo crucificaron y lo escupieron, profesó su amor eterno por las personas que lo mataron.

¿Nos han curado sus heridas? ¿Sus heridas han apagado nuestra amargura, odio y deseo de venganza? Sus heridas han apartado la ira de Dios, ¿han apartado las nuestras? Dios ya no busca justicia contra nosotros. Nos declara inocentes por la muerte de Jesús. Y estamos llamados a seguir sus pasos.

Piense en lo que podría suceder en este mundo si los 2 mil millones de personas que afirman seguir a Cristo lo siguieran hasta la cruz. Imagínese lo que sucedería si pudiéramos mostrar ese tipo de amor a todos, incluso a los opresores de este mundo. Imagínese lo que pasaría con las tensiones entre naciones. Imagínese lo que le pasaría a la industria de las armas. Imagínese lo que sucedería con las conversaciones políticas y las conversaciones sobre justicia en este país. Imagínese lo que podría pasar en nuestros hogares, en nuestros matrimonios, entre padres e hijos, y entre hermanos y hermanas.

Esto suena como un cuento de hadas para algunos, pero si tenemos fe y esperanza, veremos que esta es la visión de Dios para la iglesia y esta es la visión de Dios para el mundo. Isaías 2: 2–5 NTV, “En los últimos días, el monte de la casa del Señor será el más alto de todos, el lugar más importante de la tierra. Se elevará por encima de las otras colinas, y gente de todo el mundo acudirá allí para adorar. Gente de muchas naciones vendrá y dirá: "Ven, subamos al monte del SEÑOR, a la casa del Dios de Jacob. Allí nos enseñará sus caminos y caminaremos por sus sendas ”. Porque la enseñanza del SEÑOR saldrá de Sion; su palabra saldrá de Jerusalén. El SEÑOR mediará entre las naciones y resolverá las disputas internacionales. Martillarán sus espadas en rejas de arado y sus lanzas en podaderas. La nación ya no luchará contra la nación, ni se entrenará más para la guerra. ¡Venid, descendientes de Jacob, caminemos a la luz del SEÑOR!

Cuando Isaías escuchó este mensaje sobre lo que Dios quería hacer por todas las naciones, miró a Israel y los instó: "¡Caminemos en la luz del Señor!" Así como Jesús absorbió nuestros pecados y desarmó a los grandes opresores de este mundo al hacerlo, si tomamos los pecados de otros y les señalamos a Jesús, el verdadero cordero del sacrificio, es posible que mueran al pecado y vivan para la justicia. también. Los opresores de este mundo se extravían como nosotros, pero un Pastor y Supervisor ha muerto por ellos y está listo para guiarlos por un nuevo camino y rescatar sus almas.

Conclusión

Richard Wurmbrand era un cristiano que fue encarcelado durante 14 años por los comunistas por predicar el evangelio. Habla de cómo entre palizas, algunos de los prisioneros habían acordado que predicarían el evangelio a sus captores. Cuenta la historia de una mujer que hizo eso. Entre palizas, habló con amabilidad al guardia y le predicó el evangelio. Él se burló de ella. Ella le dijo que tenía un novio que le había mostrado tanto amor que no importaba cuánto la golpeara este hombre, ella solo podía amarlo. La golpeó en la cabeza y la dejó inconsciente. Cuando se despertó, él dijo: "Chica estúpida, ¿quién es este novio tuyo?" Entonces ella le habló de Jesús. El hombre fue bautizado de inmediato.

Estamos llamados a sufrir injustamente, seamos o no esclavos de los hombres, porque somos esclavos de Dios. Todos sufriremos, pero ¿de qué sirve que suframos por nuestro propio pecado? Como Jesús, elijamos sufrir tanto como sea posible no por nuestros pecados, sino por los pecados de los demás. Jesús nos ha sanado con sus heridas, y nunca sabemos lo que podría suceder en la vida de los demás si seguimos los pasos de Jesús y aceptamos las heridas que nos causan.

Juan 14:12 NVI “Ciertamente les aseguro que el que cree en mí las obras que yo hago también él las hará, y aun las hará mayores, porque yo vuelvo al Padre.”

Series: N/A

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Scott Kercheville

Series: N/A

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: John Kilgore

Series: N/A

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Shane Carrington

Series: N/A

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: John Kilgore

Series: N/A

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: John Kilgore

Series: The Gospel and the Kingdom

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Scott Kercheville

The more you read Isaiah the more it becomes apparent that he probably addressed many of his oracles to various leaders in Jerusalem — priests, prophets, princes, kings, judges and rulers. From Isaiah’s perspective, a large part of what is wrong in Jerusalem and in the world is a top down problem. Unjust laws and judgments were cast by judges and rulers (Isaiah 10:1-2). Priest and prophet were full of alcohol (Isaiah 28:7-8). It should be no surprise then that a large portion of the promises Isaiah offers are also top down solutions. God would come in judgment. A king would be full of wisdom and reign in righteousness. The injustice-and-war-torn people would see a great light while the wicked would be trampled down. Listen to some of what these weak, tired and exploited people of Israel heard as they listened to Isaiah and other prophets.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.” (Is. 9:6–7 ESV)   

“The enemy is laying siege to Jerusalem. They will strike Israel’s leader in the face with a rod. But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf. The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the woman in labor gives birth. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land. And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world. And he will be the source of peace.” (Mic. 5:1–5 NLT-SE)

“The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed—roots, branches, and all. But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. On the day when I act, you will tread upon the wicked as if they were dust under your feet.” (Mal. 4:1–3 NLT-SE)

People anticipated the healing, the rule, and the judgment God’s king would bring for hundreds of years. And finally Luke tells us that the angel Gabriel brought the good news to a virgin in Bethlehem. “You will conceive... and bear a son... . And the Lord will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign ... forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33) When Mary and Elizabeth met to share the joy of their conceptions together, Elizabeth’s baby — John — leapt for joy in the womb upon Mary’s arrival. What follows in the next four pages of Luke is the births of John and of Jesus and account after account of people praising God in awe and wonder at what he was doing in their day. Finally, Israel would be consoled. Jerusalem would be redeemed by a ruler who would rescue them from their enemies.

When Jesus preached, he proclaimed that the poor, hungry, weeping, and persecuted would one day laugh and be satisfied. He proclaimed that the rich, full, laughing, and popular would one day be hungry and weeping. He healed the sick and even raised a widow’s only son from the dead. People were being freed from Satan’s oppression in all sorts of ways. People went nuts. Fear seized them all. They glorified God. The report about Jesus spread throughout the whole area.

Now, Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptizer, wasn’t afraid to confront sin in high places. Herod was an Edomite ruling over Israel, and of all things, John called him out for breaking God’s marriage laws: he had married his brother’s wife, Herodias. Herod didn’t like that, so he locked John up in prison. John was the one who proclaimed that Jesus would do what the prophets foretold — gather the righteous into the barn like wheat and burn up the wicked like chaff. And yet, he was poor, hungry, weeping, and persecuted. He wasn’t receiving any of the comfort and rescue Jesus had  promised. Naturally, when John heard the report about everything Jesus was doing, he had some questions. What follows in Luke 7:18-23 is vital as we think about what it looks like to live between the two advents — between the birth of Jesus and the coming of Jesus in the clouds.

Shall We Look for Another? (Luke 7:18-23)

John hears about all these things in prison and he wants to know, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Hold up. John is the one who prepared the way for Jesus. John baptized Jesus. He saw the Spirit descend on Jesus. He told his followers, “Jesus must increase and I must decrease.” And now that he hears Jesus doing all these amazing things, he asks if he is the one to come? But considering what the prophets said, do you understand John’s challenge? If Jesus is really the one who will take away sins, crush the wicked, end oppression, and reign eternally in righteousness, what is John — the first follower Jesus ever had — doing in prison for following Jesus? This makes no sense!

And yet Jesus replies by telling him what he already knew: blind are seeing, lame are walking, lepers are cleansed, dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them. “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” We don’t have time to look at it, but these are all things Isaiah foretold would be blessings of the age to come. These were all signs that God had drawn near to his people.

So why is John in prison? Simply put, the healing and news of God’s kingdom had started to come, but not its justice. Signs of Jesus power to bring the restoration of God’s kingdom were all there, but not the full salvation and restoration itself because that was not the intention of his first coming. Full salvation and justice requires that all enemies be put under Jesus’ feet which means time is up for everyone. Notice the distinction the Hebrew writer draws between the purpose of Jesus’ first appearing (advent) and his second appearing.

“But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Heb. 9:26–28 ESV)

The prophets spoke of a day when God would come, deal with sin, rescue the righteous and crush the enemies. The challenging aspect of reading the prophets is this: we are obsessed with timing, but they rarely were. We know now that there’s a first coming and a second coming and that the purpose of those two comings are vastly different. We know now that in his first coming he was born to die like a lamb and redeem people from sin. We know now that in his second coming in the clouds he will come like a conquering king to save us and crush the wicked. We know now that there is at least 2,000 years or more between his first and second comings. These things are not apparent in the prophets. Language about the first and second comings are all mixed together in the prophets — and that was pretty confusing for John and many others. 

In my opinion, it’s not that they misunderstood the promises of the prophets. They thought the promises were coming now by the sword. They misunderstood the timing — they thought full restoration and salvation of the prophets was coming now, but Peter later says that’s reserved for the day when Jesus comes from heaven (Acts 3:21). They misunderstood the means by which salvation would come — Peter pulled out a sword in the garden, but Jesus told him to put that away. His kingdom is not of this world and it is not coming by the sword in our hand. 

John’s challenge was that he didn’t understand that the fulfillment of all the prophets would require two advents: first, being born in humility to die for sins like a lamb; second, coming in glory to conquer like a king. John didn’t misunderstand the content of Jesus’ promises; rather, John was looking for Jesus’ first coming to fully complete the promises of the second coming. 

So why did Jesus heal some sick if he wasn’t going to heal all sick, raise all dead and cast out all demons? What was his intention? There’s more we could say, but in part, these were signs of something powerful: that God and his rule were with Jesus. Consider Luke 11:14-23 as a blue print. Jesus was casting out demons and some slandered Jesus saying he was using the power of Satan — or Beelzebul, the prince of demons — to cast out demons. Jesus says that’s ludicrous. Why would Satan fight against his own kingdom? No, Jesus explains he is using the power of God. He explains the true significance of what that means in Luke 11:20-22. 

(ESV) “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (NLT-SE) “For when a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe— until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.” 

The world lies under the power of the evil one. The chaos and curses of sin and of Satan’s kingdom are evident. But if it is by the finger of God that Jesus is casting out demons — and even reversing the curses of sin and Satan in his healings — then that means God’s kingdom had come upon them. God’s kingdom has invaded the territory of Satan in the person of Jesus. Satan is the strong man being overpowered. His belongings are being carried off. The world is being taken back for God and his people. Jesus’ miracles were not arbitrary magic tricks to prove his divinity — they were in part signs of his power to overcome Satan and reverse the curse that has devoured the earth. In his signs he wasn’t healing every human, he was giving the world a foretaste of glory divine — a time when all the faithful will be raised to life and all maladies will be healed.

Living Between the Advents

So, until that day, how should we think and live between the advents of Jesus?

1. We will rejoice. The invasion of God’s king and kingdom upon the territory of Satan have begun. Hebrews 10:12-13 puts it really well when it describes where we are at in the story of redemption. Hebrews 10:12–13 NLT-SE, “But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet.” Jesus’ reign has been inaugurated and he’s waiting for all enemies to be put under his feet. In our life we will see evidence of God’s reign. The good news of his kingdom still sounds out. People’s lives are being changed by it. Some enemies are converted, some are crushed. The kingdoms of earth pass away one by one, but we can rejoice because the kingdom of God still remains and one day all enemies will be crushed and we will share in glory.

2. We will weep. Satan and the kingdoms of this world have been put on notice. The times of living in ignorance are up. It is time to kiss the king or perish in his wrath. But Scriptures warn us that the kingdoms of this world and the reign of Satan won’t go quietly. As John sees Satan being overcome and cast from heaven to earth, he issues a fearful warning. Revelation 12:11–12 (ESV), “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” We must call them to kiss Jesus’ feet, but the world isn’t done having its day. If they killed Jesus, what will they do to us? John was the first to rejoice over Jesus’ coming, but he was also the first to die for proclaiming it. After Paul was stoned he got up and encouraged the saints “in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22 NLT-SE) But even while we weep in suffering, we rejoice. Paul tells us we don’t only rejoice in hope of sharing the glory of God, we rejoice in our sufferings because suffering leads to endurance, character and hope. Remember that while you suffer the trials of this age. Weeping now forms a character that will be rescued to laugh in the final day.

3. We must endure. Luke 7:23 (ESV), “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” That is the key message of this interaction between John’s messengers and Jesus. Jesus is the one to come. Though he has come, he is still yet to come. And we must not be offended by him while we wait. As an evangelical preacher Tim Keller pointed out in one sermon, John is not like the criminal next to Jesus on the cross. The criminal demanded that if Jesus really was the Christ he would save them and himself. But John asks a question, “Are you the one to come?” He doesn’t demand, “If you really are the one to come, spring me from prison now.” John had to learn to accept that in this age, sometimes you are doomed to suffer. As John warns in Revelation 13:9–10 (NLT-SE), “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.” In this age, sometimes the prayers to rescue Peter from prison are answered in the affirmative and sometimes the prayers to rescue John the Baptist and James are answered with a “not yet.” As one preacher put it, sometimes we need to realize that what we are really praying for is the last day, kingdom come, Jesus in the clouds, the day of justice.

Conclusion

All the promises of God find their yes in Jesus, but we must be sober-minded until the final day — mourning, rejoicing and enduring. Until then, let us read the gospels with hope. Jesus’ first advent prepares us for the last advent. Read about God with us in the Gospels, for it will heighten our anticipation of God with us in the age to come.

Series: 1 Peter (Living in Exile)

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Scott Kercheville

For thousands of years people have lived under the mediocre and often oppressive reigns of the kings of earth. But the prophets have promised for a long time that a trustworthy king will come to truly do justice. And he has finally come — Jesus Christ. When the first Christians gave their worship and allegiance to Jesus and his kingdom, the world quickly realized that the reign of King Jesus rivaled the reign of Caesar. Jesus was building an unstoppable Kingdom, inheriting the nations and instructing all kings to bow before him, but that’s what Caesar was trying to do too. And as Christians began hoping in the justice that King Jesus would bring, they started seeing the insufficiencies and evils of Caesar and his cohorts — as we do today. 

What should they do about that? How should Christians relate to the powers over us in this age while we hope in the government of Jesus? Let’s read 1 Peter 2:13-17 and see four points. (1) Be subject. (2) Use your freedom for slavery. (3) Love, fear and honor. (4) Silence the ignorance.

1. Be Subject and Do Good (vs. 13-15a)

Peter instructs us plainly and simply to be subject to all these human powers over us. It may be a king or a president, a dictator or a governor, a policeman or a tax collector. Regardless, we are to live in subjection to them and do good. Later, he tells us to honor them.

This is easy to say in theory, but this quickly becomes challenging when we don’t feel like governments are doing what they are supposed to do. That can be extra difficult because we can vote and we have the right to free speech. Think about it. We are sojourners, visitors and exiles, and yet our vote and the right to free speech can give us this feeling of power in a way that most Christians haven’t ever had. In theory, this would be great since we can vote for people we think will do justice. But it also means we can be easily manipulated. Furthermore, most Christians have always just prayed for God’s kingdom to come, but it is possible that our vote and free speech could put us in an impatient mindset. We want justice now. Maybe we rise up, rebel, take matters into our own hands.

But Peter focuses us: be subject and do good. I wonder if it was easier for Christians to just be subject, honor their leaders and focus on doing good — doing justice and showing kindness to the people outside their front door — when they had no say in who led them. To be clear, I speak and I vote. But let’s recognize that these rights come with a challenge. These rights can lead us to hope more in the kingdoms of this world than we recognize. These rights can cause us to lose focus on real, tangible ways that people’s lives can be impacted.

Family, it has never been easy for Christians to be subject. Not long before Peter wrote this letter, the Emperor Claudius had ordered that all the Jews leave Rome, probably because he perceived they were the cause of unrest. And they had to go. From an earthly perspective, they lost everything.

But Peter motivates us to be subject in two ways. First, he says the emperor sends governors to punish those who do evil and praise those who do good. I am painfully aware that there is corruption and injustice even in our governments here. But, as one writer put it, “Even the most oppressive governments ... hold evil in check to some extent, preventing society from collapsing into complete anarchy.” No, it’s not the perfection of God’s justice. But it’s something.

Second, Peter says in verse 15 that it is the will of God that we be subject. We might be thinking that if we participating in this riot or revolt that we working for real justice and we are going to make things better for the sake of God’s name. We aren’t. What God wants us to do in his name is to be subject and do good. We don’t have to trust them. But we obey them.

Now, of course, that does have a limit. We may find that limit in our lives. We will not stop praying, singing, preaching, reading God’s word and assembling. We will not stop spreading the good news. We will not change our teaching based on societal norms. But we will be subject.

2. Use Your Freedom for Slavery (vs. 16)

Peter tells us to live as people who are free. This contrasts with Peter’s later conversation about slaves in verse 18. We like our freedom here. We aren’t just in America where we are free from the Brits, we are in Texas where we are free from everyone and everything.

But notice what Peter says. “Not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil…” Isn’t that precisely what the world does? The world claims we are all free so we can do what we want to do. I can say what I want, live where I want, spend my time and money how I want, and sleep with who I want. But just because we have freedoms — just because it is legal — doesn’t mean it isn’t evil.

If we want real freedom, that’s found in doing what Peter says next. “Live as people who are free... as servants [or slaves] of God.” The means of true freedom is actually slavery. God has released us from being slaves to our passions, pleasures and selfish mindsets. But freedom does not mean, “Do whatever I want because this is ‘Merica.” That’s the same as the old slavery — selfishness. We are to use our freedom to become God’s slaves. And by the way, when we promote that people should do, spend, sleep with and worship whomever they want, we promote their slavery.

Do we fully grasp the idea of being God’s slaves? I think we can be so used to always getting a say in things that we can forget that when it comes to God, this isn’t a democracy. He’s the master and we are the slave. Our world has a real problem with accepting anyone’s authority over us — let alone God’s. It blew my mind how much disagreement, disrespect and disobedience people got away with when I worked in the restaurant industry. The world’s problem with authority can effect us. We can start to paint God as someone who has no interest in being our master. Fellow slaves, we don’t have a choice. God doesn’t intend for us to be mindless followers, but if God says jump, we say “How high?”

But take cheer! Slavery to God is not a negative. We are going to be slaves of someone — whether to Satan via our own passions or to God via his eternal purpose. Slavery to God is meant to grant us peace and freedom. In the Law of Moses slaves were supposed to be freed every 7th year. But there was a provision for slaves who loved their masters. They could freely choose of their own will to be a slave of their master forever. The master would take the slave to the door and pierce his ear as a signal that he would stay there forever. 

Let’s be sure we don’t fight our master and long for the wrong kind of freedom. No matter how much freedom the government gives us, freedom and legality give no one an excuse for evil; we use our freedom to become slaves of God. Some ramifications of that are found in verse 17.

3. Love, Fear and Honor (vs. 17)

We are to honor everyone. We don’t just honor people we think deserve it. Every single person was created in the image of God, and that demands respect for all: man or a woman, rich or poor,  well-educated or not, red-brown-yellow-black-or-white, Republican, Democrat, Independent, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim. We may not agree with them and often times we shouldn’t. But we should honor them. Be kind. Treat them with respect. May I add — it is especially when we disagree with them that we should be careful to show honor. We are not “more equal” than anyone. By the way, we are to honor waiters, store clerks and customer service agents.

But we love the brotherhood. Here, there is to be an even deeper affection that we are building for one another. In a year when we have been driven apart by the pandemic, I hope we will see so clearly that God has purposed that we be united together in a bond of love. I know we all feel it: love isn’t virtual. As we start moving towards normalcy, let us take these words seriously, put our differences aside and love the brotherhood. Love the brothers and sisters here and elsewhere. Let’s get in one another’s lives and enjoy community together, serve one another, counsel and encourage one another. Let’s weep and rejoice with one another.

Finally, we are to fear God and honor the emperor. Sometimes Caesar does and says things that may make us afraid, but God is the one we are to fear. But Peter specifies that we are to honor the emperor out of all people because there can be such a temptation to dishonor and disrespect authorities. We don’t agree with them. We didn’t vote for them. They said something foolish the other day. Their policies are poor. But we honor them. We don’t slander them. We may disagree with them, but brothers and sisters, can’t we disagree nicely? Disagree, but don’t be disrespectful!  If we resist or even dishonor governing authorities, Paul tells us in Romans 13 that we ought to remember we are resisting what God has appointed. 

4. Silence the Ignorance (vs. 15)

The center of this passage in verse 15 offers us one reason why all this is so important. We are exiles, foreigners, sojourners. We aren’t like everyone else. People who are different stick out and are often misunderstood, made fun of and even falsely accused. The world is going to say foolish stuff about Christians and we ought not give them a good reason to do it.

But we are Christians! How could people get the wrong idea about us? It’s easy. We profess to worship the man who will one day be king of everything. We profess that one day we will no longer be underdogs, but victors reigning alongside the king. We profess that there is a coming judgment. People might think we hate our leaders, that we think they are illegitimate, that we don’t appreciate anything they do. They might think we would prefer completely disconnecting from society and that we would prefer anarchy. But that’s not what we want. We hope in the government of God, but we recognize that God has put these powers here in this age for a reason.

If we don’t want people to get the wrong idea about us, that means we should be careful how we talk. The gospel is shocking, radical and offensive enough, we don’t need to add extra offense to it. Let’s speak boldly and clearly about what Christians believe, but carefully, respectfully and lovingly so people don’t misunderstand us and think we are something we are not. Don’t try to be so clever that we forget to be kind.

When our Lord Jesus was before Pilate and Herod he was almost silent. He didn’t respond to most of their questions because responding would have meant he agreed to the terms of the game they were playing in the first place. He was so bold in other situations to speak the truth, but when he was on trial, he let the power of a quiet, respectful attitude do the talking.

But let’s hear Peter’s words: if we will focus on being subject and doing good, the foolish talk with be silenced in the long run. That’s the challenge of these votes and this free speech. I imagine it could be a blessing, but more and more I’m struggling to see that. It can cause us to pick and wholly identify with a dog in a fight that is only one by laying your life down. It can distract us from real, tangible action. What if we put all that energy we lost into political conversations into conversations about our hope in King Jesus and actions that show his love to the people around us. Let’s not see it as our life’s aim to get a particular president in power, but to show the power and love of King Jesus in our lives by helping our actual neighbors.

Conclusion

We are foreigners living under powers that are completely foreign to our way of thinking. But God has called us to live in subjection to them and to honor them along with all people. The day may come where they may try to make us fear them, but we will fear God alone. But while we still live as free people, let us faithfully live as God’s slaves. For then, we will be free. For then, Caesar and the powers he has sent will not see us as evil, but they may actually even praise us as those who do good. I offer this reminder from Jeremiah. “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jer. 29:7 ESV). Be subject. Honor everyone. Do good. Silence the foolishness.

Series: N/A

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: John Kilgore

Series: N/A

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Scott Kercheville

Notice Acts 24:24-25. Paul was on trial before the governor Felix. Felix was not a follower of Jesus,  but he knew plenty about this Jesus following. Despite this, notice what happens when he visited with Paul one day. “After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, ‘Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.’” (Acts 24:24–25 ESV) Felix knows quite a bit about “The Way,” but when Paul speaks to him about righteousness, self-control and the coming judgment, he’s alarmed. And he quickly sends Paul away. 

Isn’t that about how many can react today? “I’m great knowing you exist and even talking to you about your faith, until you talk about righteousness and the coming judgment.” But how would we respond if someone came to speak to us about this? That God has anointed Jesus as the king of everything and one day he will take his place and issue judgments? That everyone will be living carefree lives, but Jesus will suddenly come? That in view of that day it is vital to live now under God’s righteous decrees, turn from sinful passions and live with self-control? I dare say that even today that conversation would make some Christians unsettled. Even in the church we can become angry if someone dares talk to us about the possibility of sin in our life. After ten seconds many will deflect and talk about mercy. “Go away for the present.”

The idea of an objective standard of righteousness that one day the world will be judged by is a pretty unsettling and uncomfortable conversation to have today. We prefer an effeminate Jesus to the historical Jesus who, as Jude says, destroyed the unbelieving Israelites in the desert as a sign of what will happen to all who rebel. We receive salvation as a grace through faith, but no one can live a life of real faith without grappling with the fear falling into the hands of an angry God. We have to understand there is an objective righteous standard and one day every single person we know will stand before God’s throne, books will be opened and what we have done — how we are living and making decisions today — will be revealed and judgment of those deeds will be cast.

We get a really clear picture of God’s judgment against sin in Romans 1:18-32. Here Paul is laying out how it has come to be that everyone — Jews and Gentiles both — is under God’s wrath. We are going to study this so we can see the mindset of the world and be reminded of God’s judgment against sin. Let’s read Romans 1:18-32 and consider three themes that run through the text. (1) Exchanging the greater for the lesser, (2) God’s decision to give them up and spend his wrath on them, (3) how all this happens — deliberate suppression of the truth.

1. Exchanging the Greater for the Lesser

One theme that runs through this text is that people exchange what is great and good for something lesser. Verse 23, “[They] exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.” Verse 25, “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator...” Verses 26-27, “Their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another...”

There is a way things are supposed to be. The created worships the Creator. Adam and Eve get married and have natural sexual relations. But suppressing the truth about God causes us to undo the natural order from the bottom up. And when we undo it, we give up what is glorious for what is not glorious and the natural for the unnatural.

Though this is especially true of idolatry, fornication and homosexuality, there is a sense in which this is true of any sin. God’s law lays out how to live and interact with his world, anything else is inglorious and unnatural. We are like any tool - meant to be used as it was created. We are record players meant to play beautiful music. No matter how much Satan may warp our mind and make us think this record player should become a hammer, it doesn’t work. All temples have images of their gods and we are images meant to display God’s glory. If we worship the creation, give into sexual lust, leave natural sexual relations, we will be denying what we were created for. We will image the debased gods of this age into the world. We are breathing water instead of air. We will end up confused, empty, lost.

Felix ultimately chose ignorance over knowledge of the truth. When he did that, he exchanged the love, joy and peace that comes with knowing the true God for a life of doing what is right in his own eyes. No matter how natural it felt, it was an exchange for the worse.

2. Giving Them Up

Because of this, another theme that runs through the text is that God eventually gives them up and pours out his wrath on them. Verse 18, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men...” Verse 24, “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity...” Verse 26, “God gave them up to dishonorable passions...” Verse 28, “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” God has a point where he lets people set the stage for final judgment by destroying themselves. Do we want to believe we are fine living in the lusts of our heart? God will give us up. Do we want to dishonor our bodies in same-sex relations and claim we are wise? God will give us up. Do we want to do what ought not be done? God will give us up to a debased mind.

God sends people to hell, but he’s only honoring the decision they have made. People can do what they want now, but he’s fixed a day when everyone’s decision will be final. Jesus will judge everyone in righteousness. 

Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but he will by no means clear the guilty. He eventually visits the sin of those who hate him. 

Felix was perfectly fine with the existence of people who followed Jesus, up to the point where Paul showed him it was not just a way of looking at the world but a righteousness to adopt or else you’ll perish. But how did it get to this? Why do people choose a self destructive path? Why would God pour his wrath out on his own creation?

3. Deliberately Suppressing the Truth

The pre-eminent theme of this text is this: people make a deliberate choice to suppress the truth. Verse 18, “Who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Verse 19, “What can be known about God is plain to them...” Verse 20, “His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived... So they are without excuse.” Verse 21, “Although the knew God they did not honor him as God.” Verse 28, “They did not see fit to acknowledge God...” Verse 32, “They know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die...”

We can sum that up in two words: deliberate ignorance. Everyone already knows and has clearly perceived God’s power. Everyone knows sin equals death. But many try to suppress this knowledge. We can silence our minds through unrighteousness — by doing whatever we please (vs. 18). We can suppress knowledge that the Creator should be honored by using our energy to honor what is created (vs. 21). The end of verse 20 gives the “so what”: “So they are without excuse.” 

This theme flies in the face of the narrative the world tells us. It ought to challenge how we think and talk in a host of ways.

1. People are ignorant, but that’s because they deliberately suppress the truth in their minds.
2. Everyone we talk to has clearly perceived God’s eternal power and divine nature in the things that have been created, but they don’t want to admit it to anyone — least of all themselves.
3. Everyone who continues in this life has willfully chosen to not acknowledge and honor God.
4. Everyone knows that people who practice these things deserve to die, but they do these things and give approval to others too.

This leads us to a crucial conclusion: when someone is not living in obedience to God’s will, they are “futile in our thinking” and their “foolish hearts are darkened.” They may externally look confident, they may claim to be wise, but they are fools who have a part of them deep down that is unsettled. They block it out reality by plunging into all manner of sin. They block out that the Almighty, immortal God made all this, that he in his wisdom ordered it in particular ways for good reason and he has a claim on how they live. They block out that he will kill those who do not live in obedience to him. The world’s narrative is that Christians believe a fairy tale. Paul rebuts: It’s the opposite and deep down everyone knows it.

How else can you say there was no beginning? How else can you say everything came from black holes colliding, but no one created that black hole? How else can you treat truth as if it is relative and simultaneously be outraged when anyone disagrees with you about anything? How else can you say Adam and Steve’s love for each other is beautiful? How else can you say abortion is simply a matter of a woman’s choice? Family — in our compassion for sinners let us not forget God’s simultaneous love for them and wrath against them. Let us not forget that just as we were once denying the truth, they are all wretched fools believing lies because it helps them sleep at night. This means we ought to be confident in our proclamation of the truth because, in a sense, they already know the most foundational truths deep down. We can snatch them from the fire.

But that ought not lead us to arrogance, “For such were some of you.” Notice Romans 2:1-11. Just because we judge others of suppressing the truth about God, the world, and righteousness doesn’t mean we aren’t doing the same thing and condemning ourselves.

Is it really honest to say we would read and pray and serve more if we just had more time? Is it really fair to say our anger, porn, laziness or whatever problem will go away if we aren’t willing to engage in serious prayer, fasting and accountability? Can we honestly say our constant adding to carts isn’t covetousness and idolatry? Is it accurate to say our hair, jewelry and clothing obsession isn’t vanity? See, we are all in danger of suppressing the truth to protect not just our self-image, but the way of life we have chosen. How else can we do these things? How else can someone say we love God’s word, but not come to Bible class? How else can we say we love God’s people, but hardly lift a finger to encourage or serve them?  How else can we say all our hope is in the life to come, and yet make decisions that cling so tightly to this life?

Proverbs explains why we are all in danger of suppressing the truth about God and righteousness.  “All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD.” (Prov. 16:2 NIV11) Real, objective self-examination is very hard and very rare. Our natural fleshly bent is to suppress the truth about God, righteousness and how it ultimately relates to my heart, behaviors and decisions day by day.  

Felix could only have an accurate knowledge of the way and yet be alarmed by Paul’s words because, he didn’t want to face the fact that these truths held a serious claim over his life. Will we recognize that we are in danger of the same thing?

Conclusion

Christmas season can be a good reminder of this. People anticipated the coming of the Lord for thousands of years. After returning to the land the Jews lived under oppression. Year after year they waited. Most became like the Greek world around them. Others sat in the temple day after day imploring God to return. They were downtrodden, waiting. And then their waiting suddenly ended when Mary received the news that Jesus would be born. I bet her ears rang for days and decades as she processed this news. He actually finally came.

One writer said Jesus’ first coming should force us to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is not like Santa Claus. One day in real history he will come a second time just as he really came the first time. And in that day all the fantasy depictions of God and his Son will be meaningless. All the inconsistencies we knew but suppressed. We won’t be able to say, “Oh, well, you know, I was just thinking that God would be like this.” It is time to wake up. The wrath of God will be revealed from heaven. All the ways God has been exchanged for a lie will be made evident.

But the good news shines brightly in the face of Jesus to snap us back to reality. Sin has been judged in the body of Jesus and those still hopelessly clinging to sin and false versions of reality when he comes will experience sin’s final destruction. But to those who will humbly cling to Jesus for all hope, salvation will be revealed from heaven. He will not forget those who embraced the coming of his wrath and chose to act in light of it. 

May God help us to fear him and his wrath. We live in a dangerous world that can easily compromise our faith. May God help us to stand firm for truth in this world that keeps suppressing plain truth, or we will be destroyed with the world.

This week we all gathered around our tables and gave thanks to God for the many blessings he has given us. Never stop genuinely giving thanks to the Creator for what he has created day by day. The whole downward spiral started in the beginning - how? “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him...”