Podcast: BaptistBasics.org

Christian, Beware! 

I Peter 4:12-19 

One of the most famous photographs of the 20^th century is of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlein. 

It is 1938 and he has just returned from Germany. 

A crowd of people met him at the airport in London. 

In the photograph, Chamberlain is waving some papers. 

It is the Munich Agreement, in which the European governments thought they had contained Hitler and Germany from attacking any other nations. 

“Peace for our time!” was the phrase of the day. 

“Peace for our time!” 

How well did that work out? 

Well, 11 months later Germany invaded Poland which ignited the Second World War. 

Chamberlain and the like refused to acknowledge the danger and the evil they were facing. 

They cried “peace”, but it was war that inevitable. 

I am reminded of the prophet Jeremiah. 

He had the burden of proclaiming the coming judgment upon Judah. 

He warned the nation and its leaders that they should repent for their sins before God sent Babylon to conquer them. 

Now, Satan always make sure there are more false prophets that true ones. 

Jerusalem was full of these hirelings, who spouted out whatever their patrons desired. 

They said, “Oh, Jeremiah!  You are too old-fashioned!  God is going to bless us!  We will have peace!” 

Guess who the people flocked to? 

Jeremiah famously write about their actions in Jeremiah 6:14: 

Jer 6:14  They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly,  

That is, they had put a band aid on a cancer – it was no help. 

saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. 

Friends, beware of any preacher, pastor, teacher, or anything that claims the name of Christ who tells you will have peace in this life. 

Oh, we can have peace within our hearts and souls. 

We can have peace in our salvation. 

We can have peace in our destination. 

But there is not a single guarantee in this old black book that says our lives will be at ease. 

It is actually quite the opposite. 

Christ did not tell His disciples that they would be heralded as heroes for bearing the Gospel to the world. 

No, Christ said they would be despised and rejected, just as the world treated Him.  

Jhn 15:18  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 

Jhn 15:19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 

That was not just for the Apostles. 

John warned us: 

1Jn 3:13  Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 

That is practically what Peter says in our text: 

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, 

Marvel not, do not this it is odd, when you face opposition to your faith. 

Peter is talking about being persecuted for Christ’s sake. 

As he continues, there are also two forms of judgment that he mentions. 

We will examine each of these this morning. 

I. Persecution 

This is the primary theme of this section. 

It is suffering as a Christian for Christ’s sake.   

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 

1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 

1Pe 4:14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 

Note that is likened to Christ’s suffering. 

He was targeted, attacked, mocked, ridiculed, beaten, and killed. 

The did not cry, “Crown Him! Crown Him!” 

No, it was “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” 

Friends, there is nothing less tolerated in this world than a committed, faithful Christian. 

You will get ostracized. 

You will lose friends. 

You will be mocked. 

People are not going to comprehend why you live the way you do. 

You are going to stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. 

That is not about you. 

It is about Who you represent. 

It is about Whose light is reflecting off you. 

That is key to understanding this passage. 

This opposition come naturally because you are a Christian. 

You are walking and talking like one. 

You are suffering because you are doing something right. 

1Pe 4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 

This is not because you broke the law or did something stupid. 

This is because you were doing what you were supposed to do. 

Now, how do we endure this persecution? 

First, take it as a sign you are doing something right. 

1Pe 4:14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: 

A Christian that doesn’t make waves or even ripples in this world is not doing it right. 

Second, know that God is glorified in your persecution. 

1Pe 4:14  … on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 

This is counter to man’s wisdom. 

When darkness rejects the light, it only makes the light that much more precious. 

Remember, it is not about us! 

Be like John the Baptist, whose life’s goal is summed up: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” 

Third, find refuge in Christ. 

1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. 

We have the Rock of Ages that we can find safety and peace in. 

We have a Shepherd who will shelter us. 

Do not try to endure this alone – RUN TO CHRIST! 

II.  Correction 

We began with suffering because we are Christians are being faithful. 

Now, we see suffering as Christians for being unfaithful. 

1Pe 4:15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. 

1Pe 4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: … 

Being saved means we will not face the eternal judgment of God for sins, but it does not mean we will not face consequences for our action. 

In a sense, God holds us accountable for the consequence of our actions in this life, not the next. 

If you tell a lie as a believer, it will not send you to hell. 

In that case, our sins are all forgiven and forgotten, paid for by Christ’s blood on Calvary. 

But, if you tell a lie as a believer, you will still face its consequences here. 

Any harm done by it is not lessened because you are a believer. 

You have still wronged both God and man in your actions. 

You do not get a pass from that, even if it does not affect your eternal salvation. 

In a positive sense, this can be seen a means by which God is sanctifying us: 

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

I think of army recruits. 

That drill sergeant is rough on them, but it has a purpose! 

He is training them, ridding them of bad habits, and molding them to be effective war fighters. 

God does similar with us, to make us stronger as Christians. 

However, I don’t think that positive sense is being discussed here. 

Look at verse 15: 

1Pe 4:15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. 

Peter is saying, “Dear believer, you are going to suffer, but don’t let it be because you were stupid and got yourself in trouble.” 

This is the negative sense of the correction of a believer. 

You do not have a license to sin. 

You do not have a “Get out of sin free” card. 

No, God is going to hold you accountable for your sin. 

We have a high responsibility to make sure that if, or shall I say when, we suffer, it is for Christ’s sake and not our own. 

We must guard ourselves, our families, our churches, and the Christian community with all vigilance. 

The saddest thing about the opposition we face today as Christians is not that it is persecution. 

It is correction. 

A person who claimed the name of Christ shamed that Holy name through their actions. 

I am going to say this, but in most of those cases it was because the local church or broader community of believers failed to deal properly with sin in their midst. 

Because we did not deal with it, it leaks out into the world and those natural consequences come calling. 

It is not persecution when a preacher falls, it is correction against the church. 

I know we are all sinners saved by grace, but there are lines you cannot cross. 

A rapist, pedophile, a thief – we cannot let the world be the ones to bring judgment against them and force them out of a church. 

We have responsibility to judge ourselves, lest we be judged by others. 

Get rid of the rattlesnake in your house and you won’t be on the news when it bites someone. 

III.  Judgment 

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 

1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 

Peter’s logic is that if God would judge the sins of His own children, will He not also judge those who reject Him? 

If a believer cannot escape the consequences of sin in this life, then it is sure that the unbeliever will face the consequences of their sin in the life to come. 

Judgment begins at the house of God, but it does not end there. 

I thought of really hard football coach, the kind that would get fired today. 

If I was on the other side watching him torture his own team in practice or warmup, in the back of my mind I would be thinking, “If he does that to his won guys, what’s he gonna do to us?!?”. 

It is a sobering thought that God is righteous and just. 

That phrase from Numbers 32:23 haunts me: “Be Sure your sin will find you out.” 

CONCLUSION 

• If you do not know Christ, you better bow before Him now. 

• There is no escape from what is to come. 

• If you are a Christian 

• Guard your life 

• Eradicate sin, do not cover it up. 

• Do your part in warning the lost about the coming judgment. 

The Responsibility of Having the Truth 

Mark 4:21-25 

When you think about Cracker Barrel, what do you think of? 

Country-style food, the store, the rocking chairs? 

One of the most iconic parts of going to Cracker Barrel is the famous ‘jump all but one game” 

You have that little triangle of wood with colorful golf tees in it. 

And it mocks you for not being able to solve it! 

It calls you an “eg-no-ra-moos” if you leave four or more pegs. 

It says you are pretty dumb if you leave there. 

If you leave two, it concedes that you are “purty smart”. 

But, if you can somehow get it to leave just one, you are finally acknowledged for the genius you are. 

You think to yourself, “How hard can this be?” 

20 attempts later you are still determined to show that little game who is boss. 

Now, I had one of those as a kid, I think I got it for Christmas. 

I played it for hours, tried many different ways to win, including moving the starting hole to other places. 

I did get to where I could leave one about every time because I had a pattern I would follow. 

We went down to see Billy at college and we were all eating breakfast at Cracker Barrel. 

The boys got started playing that little game and picking at each other for not being able to solve it. 

I said, “let me have a try.” 

I hadn’t touched one in years. 

Know what I did? 

First try I got it. 

They told me to do it again and I told them they need to figure it out first. 

I didn’t want to try my luck twice! 

Sometimes a puzzle or a problem will take hold of your mind, and you just can’t move on until you solve it. 

That happens to me when I am studying the Bible. 

Some verse, phrase, or detail catches my attention and I just have to get it straight in my mind what it means. 

That happened to me going through Mark 4. 

I have taught through the life of Christ a couple of times now, and I feel like I have some pretty decent outlines and notes to go off. 

Doing the daily emails I have discovered some holes in those notes. 

I had our text grouped into a larger section and did not go into any detail about it. 

So, I had to dig in, break it down, and try to figure it out. 

Christ is in the middle of giving what we call the Parables of the Kingdom. 

Matthew chapter 13 has more than Mark or Luke, and each one is a fascinating study. 

Then, in the middle of these, there is this statement about candles, bushels, and beds. 

Most people list it as a parable, and I hesitantly do so. 

Actually, it is more of an illustration. 

It does not stand on its own – it is a continuation of a discussion before. 

The first parable given is the Parable of Sower, which shows the results of spreading the Gospel. 

We must be faithful to sow the seed, but not everyone receives it or runs with it. 

Some reject it, some fall away quickly, some a dragged away with the cares of this world, but others become fruitful believers themselves.   

You will note in vs. 10 that the disciples privately ask Christ to explain this parable. 

It is a valuable discussion to understand the purpose and interpretation of parables.   

Mrk 4:11  And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 

Mrk 4:12  That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. 

A mystery in scripture is not something to be puzzled out: it is something hidden that will be revealed. 

Christ uses parables to reveal truth, that mystery, to His followers. 

They are lessons for His family, not a broad Gospel call to the lost. 

There is a difference, more in style than in substance, in how I instruct my family and how I counsel or teach others. 

I can be far more direct and open if I am talking to my boys than I can any other college kids. 

That is only natural in our relationships. 

Christ then in verses 13-20 gives the explanation of the Parable of the Sower. 

What we have in vs. 21 is picking up where vs. 12 left off. 

He was talking about truth hidden in parables, but here He is talking about truth revealed by parables. 

If Christ did not want us to know these truths, He did not have to say them aloud. 

But He does and He did. 

The light of the truth from these parables is compared to lamp or candle. 

It uses similar language as in the Sermon on the Mount: 

Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 

Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

It is not exactly the same in application, but it is similar. 

Here it is not necessarily the Christian witness, but the light of truth that must shine. 

Look at vs. 22: 

Mrk 4:22  For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. 

This is not talking about your secret diary or your browser history. 

It is not talking about evil schemes or shameful secrets. 

This is talking about the parables. 

Parables give us light and understanding to the truth, a truth which God wants us to know and spread. 

He even presses the importance of it: 

Mrk 4:23  If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. 

That does not leave deaf people off the hook. 

It is the responsibility of the believer to seek, learn, and apply God’s truth. 

There are two more verses before another parable begins and the subject shifts. 

These describe the our relationship with the truth: 

Mrk 4:24  And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. 

Mrk 4:25  For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. 

Take heed what ye hear! 

He is telling use we need to be diligent in hearing and learning the truth. 

He then uses an idiom – what you give out is what you receive – that is applied a few different ways in the Gospel. 

Matthew 7:2 and Luke 6:38 apply it to judging others, essentially making it the Golden Rule. 

Matthew Poole reworded it this way: “you that hear, so as you attend, understand, believe, hearken, and obey, God will give further knowledge of Divine mysteries.” 

The truth of God in our hearts and minds grows and expands upon itself through the work of His grace. 

The truth of God fades from existence in the hearts of those that reject Him. 

I hope that maybe clears up the meaning of the text and its connection to the previous conversation. 

It is a further discussion of God’s truth communicated to us, received by us, and practiced by us. 

Even if it is hidden behind the veil of a parable, it is still rock-solid truth. 

You do realize God wants us to know the truth, right? 

He spoke to the people of old through prophets. 

He gave us His word. 

Christ Himself came as The Way, The Truth, and the Life. 

One of my pet peeves is the claim that God somehow let truth be lost or hidden away for centuries on end. 

That is what the Charismatics say, that God did not preserve the true way of worship from David until now. 

That is what the Mormons believe, that God forgot to tell us basically anything until Joseph came to straighten us out. 

That is what most Reformed groups say, that God let the true church be corrupted until Luther and the Reformers reclaimed it. 

It is ludicrous to me to think that God went to enough trouble of sending His only begotten Son to earth the die and rise again for the redemption of mankind and then see the Gospel spread throughout the Roman world to simply let it disappear until modern America. 

Truth is eternal, and God goes to great lengths to communicate it to us. 

He wants us to have the truth. 

The question then is, what are we going to do with it? 

Will we reject it and deny Christ? 

Will we take it but bury it in our backyard so no one knows we have it? 

Will we soak it in and share it with others? 

Our text this morning is simply our responsibility with having the truth. 

Quickly, I want to highlight a few things that may prevent us from receiving or sharing the truth as we ought to. 

First, our duties. 

Note in vs. 21 it is a bushel that covers the lamp. 

It is a basket or pot – the word used is modius which is about 2 modern gallons. 

We are talking about something either domestic or commercial. 

Do not let your day-to-day life stop you from getting or sharing the truth. 

In fact, take the light of truth into those place! 

Let your home be a shining example of Christian love and your work of Christian character. 

Second, our downtime. 

Note the use of bed in vs. 21. 

This is the rabbit whole I first went down. 

Common people at this time slept on pallets on the floor, which seems odd to stick a flame under. 

Middle- and upper-classes had bed frames similar to ours today, so that would work. 

It could also mean something like a couch that you would recline on. 

Either way, too often our desire for ease and comfort hinders our relationship with the truth. 

We do not want to work at acquiring it, nor to declare it to others. 

Third, our desires 

Look at vs. 24-25. 

You need to want to truth. 

You need to give it out to get it back. 

I think of the words from that wonderful song: 

I love to tell the story, 

for those who know it best 

seem hungering and thirsting 

to hear it like the rest. 

Do you love to tell it? 

Do you love to hear it? 

Opening your Bible or going to church ought to be like going to an all-you-can-eat buffet. 

You ought to leave wanting more. 

You can only blame yourself if you eat other things before you come. 

Conclusion 

1. Sometimes you have to work for the truth. 

1. We like easy answers, but sometimes God needs you to work through the process of understanding. 

2. Sometimes the journey to understanding is more satisfying than the truth it leads to. 

2. We have a duty to tell others the truth. 

1. Other believers – discipleship, training, etc. 

2. The lost – the Gospel. 

3. Never stop learning! 

4. Never stop telling! 

3. God wants you to have the truth. 

1. If you are not saved, embrace the truth. 

Go Fish 

Matthew 17:24-27 

Benjamin Franklin famously said, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” 

Like most maxims, it oversimplifies things to make a point. 

There are many other things that are certain. 

Traffic in Dallas. 

Disappointed Aggie fans. 

In our text is another – opposition to God’s work. 

Satan will not sit idly by while the light of Gospel shines to bring the lost to Christ. 

If you study the Life of Christ, you will see that this event is almost certainly in the last year of His earthly ministry.   

That year is marked by rising opposition. 

The Jewish leaders are plotting to silence Christ. 

There are many attempts to discredit Him through trick questions. 

Of course we also know that the plot is taking form that will see Him arrested and crucified. 

For now, the opposition takes the form of a slanderous accusation. 

Kind of feels like the political ads on TV. 

I am so ready to get past the month. 

I am sick of the political ads, and unrelated, the ads for horror movies. 

In our text, Christ’s enemies do not attack Him directly. 

No, they put doubt in the mind of His follower. 

That is standard operating procedure for Satan. 

He rarely attacks head on. 

He sneaks in and gets you where you least expect it. 

“Hey Peter!  Does that Jesus of yours pay His taxes?” 

He says He does, but I do not think that he is sure. 

After spending almost three years with Christ, Peter is wondering here. 

How do we know that? 

Because Christ heads it off in vs. 25. 

He knew what was going on in Peter’s mind and moved to address it. 

Now, let me explain what has sparked this problem. 

This is not a Roman tax that is being collected. 

That actually comes up in Chapter 22. 

No, this is a Jewish custom. 

The root of it is in Exodus 30. 

Exo 30:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 

Exo 30:12  When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. 

Exo 30:13  This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD. 

Exo 30:14  Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. 

Exo 30:15  The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls. 

Exo 30:16  And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls. 

So, this began as a tax collected when there was a census and it was used to support the services of the Tabernacle. 

They were to pay one half shekel of silver. 

That is about 2 tenths of an ounce, and worth about $12 today. 

This was not instituted as something to be done annually, but it developed into that. 

There is evidence for it during Solomon’s Temple. 

We know from history that the Jews of the diaspora, spread all over the world, were sending funds to the Second Temple. 

The Romans even tried to ban the Jews from sending it because they wanted to keep the currency in their local area. 

Here’s a little history tidbit for you. 

After Rome destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D., they converted this Temple Tax into the fiscus Judaicus, or Jewish. 

They forced the Jews to pay that half-shekel to them, which began as a way to rebuild the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus in Rome.   

This was finally abolished in 96 A.D by Emperor Nerva, who even minted coins commemorating the action. 

That’s free and has nothing to do with what we are talking about, other than to reinforce the importance of this tax to the Jews. 

Back to the text. 

Christ asks Peter a question. 

Who do king tax? Their own family or others? 

The answer is of course others. 

You are trying to take the wealth of others and make it your own. 

By this principle, Christ is asserting that He is exempt from the tax. 

Why? 

Because He would be paying for His own house! 

But, He says, lest they offend anyone… 

Note that – there was no reason to press His rights there. 

It would only make things worse – a lesson many could learn today! 

…lest they offend anyone, He would pay it. 

Not only would He pay it, but He would pay for Peter’s, too. 

He sends Peter to go fishing. 

Now, there is in the Sea of Galilean a type of tilapia that is evidently very tasty. 

They are also known to pick up small objects from the late bottom and carry them around in their mouths. 

We do not have the record of what happens after Christ told Peter to go fishing, but I am sure it went just like Christ said. 

Peter put his hook in the water, caught a fish that had a coin in its mouth, and paid the tax. 

If you want to get geeky with the coin here, it is called a stater in Greek. 

This was equal to a shekel, so enough to pay the half-shekel for both Christ and Peter. 

I could go deeper but I would lose you. 

Now that we understand better what is going on, I want to dig into what happened here. 

First, there was a need. 

There was the Temple Tax to be paid. 

Second, there was not an immediate answer to the need. 

Christ did not pull out His wallet and Peter did not get out his debit card. 

I take this to mean that they may not have had the money on hand. 

Third, God already had a plan to supply the need. 

This did not catch God off guard. 

That fish and that coin were already in place for what would happen. 

Fourth, Peter still had to go fish. 

Christ could have turned a pebble into silver. 

He could have pointed to a coin lying on the ground. 

He could have provided that silver in so many different ways. 

However, He wanted to Peter to experience the miracle and know that God can provide. 

I want to make a few quick observations on this. 

I. God knows our needs. 

Christ knew what was troubling Peter’s mind. 

Christ knew of the obligation to pay the tax and need for a coin. 

Listen, God knows how much is in your bank account and how much change is in your couch. 

He knows about the bill you just got and the one that is coming you haven’t received yet. 

He knows your heartaches and your anxiety. 

He knows your fears and your doubts. 

He does not turn a blind eye to these. 

No, He loves us and cares for us. 

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want!” 

We are not bothering Him by taking our needs to Him in prayer. 

He knows and He wants to hear from us. 

II.  God can provide your needs in the most unexpected ways. 

I was praying for some extra money recently. 

I really hoped that I would just open the mailbox and it would be there. 

He had other plans. 

There were a couple of funerals that I ended up doing. 

To be honest, I am a little nervous now. 

The amount I was praying for hasn’t fully come in yet. 

I don’t know what I am going to have to do for the rest of it! 

Just because God does not answer your prayer in the way you expected does not mean He did not answer it. 

Sometimes He likes to remind us just how powerful He is. 

III.  God often leaves something up to us. 

Peter still had to go get a fishing line and a hook, walk down to the lake, bait the hook, throw it in, and wait for the fish to bite. 

I wonder how long God made him wait. 

Was it instantaneous? 

Was God maybe trying to teach him patience and made him sit there for a while? 

All I know is God gave Him something to do. 

Naaman could have been healed from his leprosy on the spot, but God said to go dip in the Jordan seven times. 

The widow woman could have found money in her house, but the prophet told her to get a bunch of pots and pans and pour her oil into them. 

I fear that we blame God when we ought to be blaming the fellow in the mirror. 

Did we think to pray about the problem? 

Did we seize the opportunities God provided? 

You see, God likes to get us involved in how He provides for our needs. 

IV.  Trust God even when it makes no sense. 

Peter needed money. 

There are plenty of ways to make some extra money. 

He was a fisherman – he knew how to make money at it. 

But Christ said, “Peter, you are gonna catch one fish and it will have coin in its mouth.” 

What are the odds? 

They are 100% when that is what God tells you to do! 

Many times what God is doing is just reminding us that He is in control. 

He has to make it so we can find no excuse to pat ourselves on the back. 

The Renewing of Your Mind 

Romans 12:1-2 

Last June, I preached from this passage, focusing on the first verse – A Living Sacrifice 

Today I want to focus on the second verse. 

My reason for choosing this text is that phrase: the renewing of your mind. 

I’ll be honest with you for a second. 

The last weeks I just haven’t felt right. 

Its not a physical thing, but a mental one. 

I am open and honest about it, but it is part of my nature and personality to struggle with depression. 

I am not complaining at all, I just want you to understand. 

I look around at the church, everything that is going on in our church family and its ministries. 

It is exciting to see things happening. 

Folks, without a doubt, God is moving in our church. 

The hearts and minds of our people are being stirred. 

God is working through our missions and the radio station. 

Satan does not like that. 

I am pretty much convinced now that he’s been after me. 

Not just me, but Ryan too. 

I think my dad also. 

Perhaps your name could be added. 

Its frustrating to feel down when you know things are going so well. 

But that is what Satan does! 

He attacks at the weakest points. 

He plays dirty. 

Now, I am not superstitious but I hate to say this out loud.  

I would rather me be the target of attacks rather than anyone else in our church family. 

But it just goes with the territory when you try to serve God. 

I do not think that it is a coincidence that yesterday I talked with Ryan and dad and both of them said they see their attitudes improving. 

I feel like it too. 

I hope its because somebody’s been praying. 

Listen you can make things like mental health an excuse to do anything. 

They even let you off for murder today because of it. 

We need to realize that our mind and our reasoning are just as broken by sin as our mortal bodies are. 

Remember how Satan attacked Job’s wealth, family, and then finally his body? 

The rest of the book is Job trying to figure out in his own understanding what happened. 

He does not get it right either. 

God has to intervene. 

That pattern is important. 

We need to know that our minds are not perfect. 

We need to know that God offers the help we need. 

Look at our text: 

I beseech you therefore, 

Remember to ask yourself that therefore is there for. 

It is because of the place we have with Christ, as discussed in this book leading up to this point 

brethren, 

This is addressed to believers. 

The hope of the lost is salvation through Christ, but after that we still need Him! 

by the mercies of God,  

Not of our works or goodness 

It is all from God. 

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, 

Christ died for our sins. 

Death is the penalty of sin. 

God wants us to surrender our lives and hearts and minds to Him. 

 holy, acceptable unto God,  

That is the nature of our actions. 

which is your reasonable service. 

That is a difficult phrase to grasp. 

It is reasonable in that it only makes sense. 

But it also speaks to the fact that the change we need starts with the will. 

We must make up our minds to follow God. 

And be not conformed to this world: 

Conformed is to take the shape of. 

It is like using clay our plaster to fill void. 

It is letting outside forces change you, not internal or supernatural. 

Note also it is THIS WORLD. 

Literally that is this age. 

Now that Christ is died, those that believe on Him should be different. 

Salvation should make a change in us. 

but be ye transformed 

That is literally a metamorphosis. 

Think of a tadpole becomes a frog or a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. 

We to be new creatures in Christ. 

How does this happen? 

by the renewing of your mind,  

The mind is not transformed. 

It is restored or remodeled. 

It is the sanctification of our intellect, reason, and passions. 

It is vital. 

We need to understand who we are in Christ. 

We need to understand how that changes us. 

We need to understand how He helps us. 

Note that it is not changing your body or the outside appearance. 

It is not saying that we should act like a Christian. 

No, it says we need as believers to strive to make our mind more Christ-like. 

It is also good to remember that the Spirit is working to that end in our lives. 

that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

That is the end result. 

It is an experiment showing the goodness, greatness, and graciousness of God. 

He is working in us and through us to overcome ourselves and our fallen nature. 

We could continue on. 

The rest of the book develops this theme and tells us how a believer with a renewed mind should behave themselves. 

HOW DO WE RENEW OUR MINDS? 

I. PRAYER 

Psa 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 

Willpower is important but is not enough. 

I have heard so many preachers preach sermons on holy living and the Christian life that were really about basic character. 

You can will yourself to be a better person, but not the point of transformation. 

That needs supernatural help. 

You need God’s help. 

You need His power to do this. 

You need His guidance to know where to apply it. 

Start by calling out to God. 

Give your mind to Him. 

II.  IDENTITY 

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

We need to know who we are in Christ. 

We are sinners, yes, but we are redeemed sinners! 

If you keep thinking about yourself as just a sinner you will keep acting like a sinner. 

If you think about yourself as a child of God, it will change the way you act. 

III.  Clean House 

Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

The old saying is true: Garbage in, garbage out. 

If you eat junk, you will feel like it! 

If you surround yourself with sin, its going to affect you. 

If you constantly feed your mind with darkness and evil, its going to affect you. 

The music you listen to affects you. 

The movies you watch affect you. 

The books you read affect you. 

Get rid of the junk. 

IV.  BIBLE 

Psa_1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

It is not just enough to read the Word or to hear it preached. 

You need to get it into your mind and let it marinate. 

Dwell on the truths. 

Find ways to apply them. 

Look for connections to other doctrines. 

Think of examples. 

It will have a good effect on you. 

V.  BEAUTY AND GOODNESS 

Php_4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 

There is so much beauty and wonder in this world. 

We don’t have to live in a depressing and oppressing world. 

Get out into God’s Creation – it makes a difference! 

I think the closer we get to the pasture and the plow the better we are. 

Good art, good books. Good music – it does not even necessarily need to be “Christian” – it affect you in a positive way. 

CONCLUSION. 

1. Don’t trust yourself. 

1. You are not the standard. 

2. God’s truth is the standard. 

2. Be careful what you are feeding your mind. 

1. The greatest danger today is probably the mindless scrolling that fills our mind with vain things. 

3. You need Christ to truly transform you mind. 

Perfect Peace
Isaiah 26:1-6

The Bible you hold this morning is a powerful weapon.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Paul wrote about it as part of the Spiritual armor of a believer:
Eph 6:17 … and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Now you know as well as I do that weapons are tools.
A gun can be used to murder someone, but it also may be used to provide food for your family through hunting or protecting you from a wild animal or evil doer.
Same tool, different purposes.
The Bible is given to us to as a Spiritual weapon.
It is to be used to attack the Devil.
It is to be used to defend against his attacks.
It is to be used to defend the faith against error.
Far too often it is used in the hands of a Christian to attack their fellow believers.
Now, I am not talking about healthy theological debate.
I am not talking about exposing error through the light of God’s Word.
What I am saying is believers sometimes hurl Scripture like throwing knives at one another.
Sadly, they think they are being spiritual when they do so.
In all honesty, I am not sure many of them realize the danger of their actions.
 
Our text today contains one that I have seen a lot of lately.
I saw it this morning on facebook.
We heard someone use it camp this summer.
I want to address it today.
It is vs. 3 –
Isa 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Sometimes vs. 4 is included:
Isa 26:4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
The thought continues into vs. 5, which is rarely acknowledged
Isa 26:5 For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.

Usually vs. 3 is present as a placebo that will cure all your worry, all your cares, all your anxiety, and all your depression.
If you would just trust in God fully, fully rest your mind in Him, then He will provide perfect peace to your heart and mind.
I do love the way that perfect peace is described in Hebrew.
Hebrew intensifies a subject by doubling it.
Literally, it says “peace peace”.
It is like peace pile up.
Everywhere you look is peace.
 
Is this a promise that you will have a settled and secure mind based on your faith?
I want to examine that this morning.
First, let us see the context.
I am big on context if you haven’t realized it.
If you want to understand the word, read the verse.
If you want to understand the verse, read the chapter.
If you want to understand the chapter, read the book.
If you want to understand the book, read the Bible.
Where is this promise of peace found?
Well, what is the chapter?
Look at verse, because it tells us there:
Isa 26:1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah;…
It is a song of celebration because of what happened in “that day”.
That begs the question: “what happened in ‘that day’?”
For that, we need to examine the section of Scripture this chapter occurs in.
To do that, we need to go back to Chapter 24.
Here we see global judgment:
Isa 24:1 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
I won’t go into all the details, but this is a prophecy about the Tribulation period.
 
It closes with the Return of Christ, the battle of Armageddon, and the establishment of Christ’s Millennial Kingdom.
Isa 24:21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
Isa 24:22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
Isa 24:23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
Chapter 25 follows with an outpouring of praise for the blessings of the Millennial Kingdom.
Through all of this are themes of glorious blessings for the people of God and judgment for the enemies of God.
So, in Chapter 26, what is “that day”?
It is that Great and Terrible Day of the Lord that the prophets saw.
It is a day of vengeance against those that reject God.
It is just as Psalm 2 said:
Psa 2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Psa 2:2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Psa 2:3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
Psa 2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Psa 2:5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
 
It is a day of blessing for Israel and those whose hope is in the Lord:
Psa 2:6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
Psa 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Psa 2:8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Psa 2:9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Psa 2:10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
Psa 2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Psa 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Christ is now seated on the throne of David.
The world is reset to an Eden-like state.
It will be a wonderful time!
Israel will be delivered from the Tribulation.
They will be established in the land with Christ ruling from Jerusalem.
It is the fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies and promises made to the Jews.
That is when the song of Isaiah 26 is sung!
Isa 26:1 …We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.
Isa 26:2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
That’s God’s deliverance of Jerusalem

This setting reveals to us the primary meaning of our subject.
Israel has been brought through the Tribulation.
They were persecuted during that time as never before.
Satan tried to wipe them off the face of the earth.
But God intervened.
Christ returned.
All is made right.
What is the message for the Jews during that troubled time?
Trust in God!
Isa 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isa 26:4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
Isa 26:5 For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.
That is the primary application of this verse.
Now, is there something greater here?
Is there a general application?
I think there is.
Vs. 3 is stated as a general principle.
I think it can be seen as a general principle of salvation:
We have peace with God through our faith in Him.
That even plays out in the primary application.
I think it can also be seen as daily promise.
We have peace from God because we trust in Him.
No matter the storms of life, no matter the dark valleys, no matter the towering waves we face – God is leading us through them and working them all to our good and His glory!
So, what about the anxiety and fear we sometimes have?
Does this verse say we should never have those?
That is utter foolishness.
For this, we need to look beyond this verse and its context and see the theme of peace throughout Scripture.
No verse, no chapter, no book can be detached from the rest of the Bible.
It all must fit together as a work by one Divine Author with one Divine theme.
If you want the fullest promises of peace, you need look no further than the words of Christ Himself, after all, He is the Prince of Peace!
Jhn 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Jhn 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Only through Him can we find true peace.
Israel finds it in the End Times when they turn to Him for salvation.
We find it with God when we turn to Christ for salvation.
In every situation, we can find peace in Him.
 
Remember, He is the one that said we should not be anxious for the cares of this life.
Mat 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Mat 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Mat 6:27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
Mat 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
Mat 6:29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Mat 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Mat 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Paul wrote:
Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

So what is my point this morning?
If you make Isaiah 26:3 mean that YOUR faith is the factor that brings peace, you have it all wrong.
The subject of the verb is God, not you.
Thou (God) wilt keep him (the believer) in perfect peace,
God is the source of peace, not our faith.
Faith is only as good as its object.
By the way, your faith is not strong enough to overcome your depravity.
Your faith cannot save you – it is WHO you put your faith in.
You faith cannot provide peace – it is WHO you put your faith in.
Are you going to be anxious sometimes?
Yes because we are imperfect.
Are you going to be fearful sometimes?
Yes, because we are human.
That is why the Bible is full of the promises and commands to continually seek peace with God in Christ:

1Pe_5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

God’s Justice
Ezekiel 18

When I started the Daily Bible Guide emails, I had many purposes in mind.
My primary reason was to help people read through their Bibles and understand what they were reading.
Another reason was that it would force me to study through every book of the Bible in a way I had not done before.
You might say that it was a personal challenge.
I knew there were books that I never had the opportunity to study as much as I would like.
Take Isaiah.
I have wanted to teach through Isaiah for literally YEARS.
I have studied portions of it in depth, but not the whole.
There is a HUGE difference between simply reading Scripture to read it and digging into it to understand it and apply it.
Now, had you asked me a few weeks ago which ago which of the major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel) I was most excited to dig into, I would have said Isaiah.
Isaiah turned out to be one of the toughest studies I have done.
I enjoyed it, but I was ready to move on.
Then I hit Jeremiah.
I am going to be honest, that book gave me the most trouble.
The main reason is because it is arranged thematically and not chronologically.
That is a very Jewish thing to do, but our modern, western minds struggle with it.
 
If you had asked me which major prophet I was least looking forward to studying, I would have said Ezekiel.
Ezekiel has a reputation for being strange – and he does certainly do some strange things!
Many of his prophecies are acted out, I call them object lessons.
The reason for this is because he was trying to reach a difficult crowd.
He was among the earliest captives taken to Babylon.
Jerusalem had not fallen yet, and that judgment is one of his primary messages.
The book opens with a vision of the cherubim that surround God’s throne – and they are strange!
In chapter 3 he eats a scroll – a strange thing to do – representing the message God had given him to proclaim.
Also, in that chapter he is tied up and confined to his house and only allowed to speak his prophecies – a strange thing to do.
In chapter 4 he makes a model of Jerusalem being besieged and lays next to it for over a year – a strange thing to do.
Also, in that chapter 4 he eats starvation rations – a strange thing to do – to show the starvation of the besieged people in Jerusalem.
In chapter 5, he shaves his head – a strange thing to do – and uses it to illustrate the fate of the people of Judah in judgment.
In chapter 12, he knocks a hole in the wall of his home, packs everything up, blindfolds himself, and moves to a new house – a strange thing to do – to illustrate the fate of king Zedekiah.
Odd behavior? Certainly.
Memorable? Well, we are still talking about it today!
Effective? Sadly, the hearts of the people were too far gone and only the coming judgment would work as Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and took the Jews captive.
That coming judgment upon the children of Israel in the kingdom of Judah is the primary theme of the first 24 chapters of the book.
Lying prophets said all would be well, but the faithful witnesses like Ezekiel and Jeremiah bravely proclaim the sobering truth – terrible judgment was coming
We have in chapter 18 a remarkable explanation of God’s actions in judgment.
I want to work through the flow of these verses because I believe they are extremely important.
We not only see why God acted the way He did with ancient Israel, but also how He interacts with every man, woman, and child.

I. The Presumption of Innocence – vs. 1-2
The Jews had a little saying – “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”
The meaning is that the innocent children were being judged for the actions of their parents and forefathers.
In essence, it was denying their guilt before God.
If you read the history of Judah at this time and the messages of the prophets God sent to her, it is abundantly clear that they were guilty!
There would be no hung jury or mistrial here!
This is the biggest hurdle we have in evangelism – people must be convinced they are guilty sinners before God.
I’ll take that a step further – it is one of the biggest problems we have in Christianity – convincing believers that they are faultless just because they are saved.
Friends, step one in seeing God move to our rescue is to admit we need help and that we cannot save ourselves.

 
II. The Pronouncement of God – vs. 3-4
God declares three things here.
First, that we are all responsible to our great Creator – “Behold, all souls are mine”
I think this is why atheists are so scared to be wrong.
If there is an omnipotent Creator then we must be accountable to Him.
Second, that all are guilty before God – “as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine”
God has the same rules for father and son – If one deserved judgment for their sin, so did the other.
Third, that there is a price for our guilt – “the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
Paul put it this way: “The wages of sin is death.”
Also, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
It has been so since before the foundation of the universe.
From Adam and Eve to the ancient Israelites to you and me – we all stand guilty before God and the price of our guilt must be paid.
 
III. The Paths of Men – vs. 5-13
I know I keep doing this, but this point is yet another reiteration of Psalm 1.
There are two ways before us that we may choose.
There is the path of righteous wherein we are blessed by God.
There is the path of wickedness wherein we are cursed by God.
Now these sections are not about our works saving us or gaining merit with God.
The actions displayed are the evidence of who is on the path.
Just because an animal barks and wags its tail does not mean that it is dog.
Seals do, too!
But if it is a dog, it will bark and wag its tail.
If a man is righteous, he will behave in a manner that pleases God.
If a man is wicked, he will behave in a manner that displeases God.
It is because those actions are born of two types of hearts.
One that is transformed and born again through God’s grace.
The other that is dead in sins and trespasses.

 
IV. The Personalization of Justice – vs. 14-20
This section is a refutation of the claim in vs. 2 that the children are being punished for the sins of their fathers.
The case is laid out of a wicked father having a righteous son – exactly what they were claiming was happening.
God declares individual responsibility is in effect – we are judged on our own case, not that of another.
In vs. 17 – the righteous son is exempted from judgment and death.
In vs. 18 – the wicked father is doomed to judgment.
It says that a son doesn’t have to be like their father.
This is summed up in vs. 20 –
Ezk 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

 
V. The Possibility of Salvation – vs. 21-32
Here is the good part.
We may be guilty sinners and doomed to judgment and an eternity in hell, but there is a way out!
Ezk 18:21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Ezk 18:22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
The message to the Jews in Ezekiel’s day was to repent from their idolatry and sin and turn to God for forgiveness.
The message for us today is that we need to repent of our sin and turn to God for forgiveness.
We are not bound to follow the path of the wicked into judgment.
There is exit off the path of wickedness that is bound for judgment.
There is an entrance onto the path or righteousness that is bound for glory.
The exit sign simply says “REPENT”.
We turn our backs on self-righteousness and vain faith in things that cannot deliver or transform us.
We turn to God, embracing His grace in faith, and we find newness of life.
Friends, that is what God desires from all men:
Ezk 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
Peter said it this way:
2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
 
I want to press this on you this morning.
If you are listening to me in this church today, or on the radio or online sometime in the future, you have a choice to make.
Will you continue down a path doomed for hell?
Right now there is an exit sign – EXIT NOW!
I am like that annoying GPS voice on your phone – EXIT NOW!
Turn to God, confess your guilt and your sins, embrace the grace He offers.
Christ died in your place, He bought your salvation, all you need do is take hold of it.
Do not delay!
Do not miss this exit!
You are not guaranteed there will be another.

CONCLUSION
• I have spoken primarily to the lost this morning, but I don’t want to let believers off the hook.
• What can you take from an old fashioned, simple Gospel message?
• It ought to stir joy in your heart and put in a song on your lips.
o “I am redeemed, by loved divine, glory, glory, Christ is mine!”
o “He’s a wonderful Savior to me, I was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in, He’s a wonderful Savior to me!”
• Worship and praise the mighty God who loved us enough to save us.
• If not, better get a checkup and see what sins are clouding your heart.

City on a Hill (2) 

Matthew 5:13-16 

I try very hard to not preach the same message twice. 

I do it occasionally, maybe once a year or less. 

Today, I am going to revisit a message I preached on September 30, 2018. 

I had not quite finished my first full year as pastor here at Faith Baptist. 

I doubt anyone remembers that particular sermon besides me. 

It is one of my favorites I have preached here. 

When you are coming down 380 from Decatur, our church sort of sneaks up on you. 

Over the past few days, I have just tried to look for the radio tower, but sometimes it is hard to see. 

But coming from Bridgeport, about the time you get around Seven Wires, there is a great view of the church. 

We are not on the highest ground in our vicinity, but we are on a hill. 

I love seeing that view because it reminds me of our text. 

“A city on a hill” 

I have seen Decatur referred to as “a city on a hill” at times. 

Honestly, I do not know why it is not used more often. 

It fits. 

Just about anywhere you go in the county you can look up and see the courthouse on the horizon. 

Ronald Reagan famously used this theme in his farewell address to the nation in 1989. 

He laid out his hope that the American would be a beacon of hope and freedom. 

Reagan did not acknowledge the phrase is from the Bible, but rather that it was used by John Winthrop. 

Winthrop from our text on March 21, 1630, to the congregation that would soon migrate to the new world and become known as the Pilgrims. 

He laid out a vision that the new community would be watched by the world around them. 

They had a great responsibility to serve God and live exemplary lives because so many eyes were upon them. 

On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, around 3:30 in the afternoon, I received a phone call from Oliver Araiza. 

I met him as a teenager when he was an evangelist working with a youth camp in West Virginia. 

We reconnected shortly before this after he stumbled across my website. 

He told me then I needed to get into the radio ministry, that there was a huge need for the type of material I was putting on my website. 

That day in October, he called to tell me about an opportunity to possibly get a radio station for our church. 

He told me about a program that could help us apply and get started. 

It also would shoulder much of the upfront cost. 

I swallowed it hook, line, and sinker. 

I had some funny looks as I was telling people about it right after that call. 

We moved ahead cautiously optimistic. 

A couple of months later, I put something on my Facebook page about the opportunity. 

In that post, which I think was the first real public mention of what we were trying to do, I said I was thinking about calling the station “The Voice of Wise County”. 

I am so glad I decided to go in a different direction. 

Somewhere along the way I remember that sermon I preached about the city on a hill and it just all seemed to fall into place. 

Why City on a Hill Radio exists today, especially with that name, is because of a desire for our church to be a city on a hill. 

Our text is part of the Sermon on the Mount. 

I like to think of these chapters as Christ the King declaring the Law of His Kingdom. 

He sets the tone with the Beatitudes as an introduction. 

Then Christ looks out at the multitudes and declared His desire for the community of those that would trust and serve Him. 

The first thing illustration He uses is salt, which preserves food and enhances flavor. 

We are to be the preserving factor in a world that is rotting quickly. 

We are to be the savor that helps people taste and see that the Lord is good. 

The second illustration will be our focus. 

A city on a hill. 

In ancient times cities were often built on or around a hill. 

It provided natural protection and defense against invaders. 

It also proclaimed to all around that it was there. 

You could not escape notice of the territory you were in. 

It provided direction, just like around here you can see the courthouse and know where the center of the county is. 

For a few minutes, I want to examine a few elements in Christ’s use of the city on a hill. 

I want these to be a challenge to us and help us chart a course forward. 

I. The Darkness 

The darkness is the need and the cause for the city on a hill. 

I was always amazed while growing up to look from our house to the southeast to see the glow of the cities on the horizon. 

I have always assumed it was Denton and the Metroplex, but it was obvious there were a lot of people in that direction. 

If I turned in the opposite direction, there was no evidence that Forestburg was out there, somewhere. 

How did I know which direction the cities were? 

They could be seen in the dark. 

Not in the daylight, only in the dark. 

I really try to be optimistic about things and search for the positive in our nation. 

However, you would have to be a fool to not see the growing darkness. 

Just look at the headlines: 

Political scandals. 

Economic distress. 

A mother that murdered her three children in cold blood. 

And people are supporting her!!! 

This old world is a mess. 

People are blindly searching for peace and purpose. 

We have an opportunity – no, a responsibility – as individuals and as a church to do something about that darkness. 

We can do something! 

We can save someone! 

We can make a difference! 

II. The Light 

What is it that we need to shine into the darkness? 

A neon sign for a church is not as effective as it once was. 

Too many people have been hurt by churches or discouraged by their misconduct. 

Too many Christians today, I am afraid, think they are shining a light that is actually a spotlight on themselves. 

What this world needs first and foremost is the light of the Gospel. 

From our own backyard to the furthest corners of the globe, people need to know about Christ. 

They need to know they are sinners condemned by God. 

They need to know of His great love for them and the price paid by Christ. 

They need to know it is nothing we do that merits salvation, but simple trust in the Christ who died and rose again. 

They need to know that all that come to Him, He will in no wise cast out! 

I have said this for years: 

I do not necessarily care if I shake your hand in our church. 

I would love to, but that is not the point. 

What I want to do is be able to shake your hand in heaven someday. 

That is what matters. 

The Kingdom of Christ is greater than an individual local church. 

We need to be a part of shining the light into the darkness. 

Pray!  Give!  Go!  Pass out a tract!  Invite someone to church! 

Do something! 

As long as it is Scriptural, moral, legal, and effective. 

Make a difference not only in this world but also in eternity! 

III.  The City 

In vs. 15 and 16, the individual witness of a believer is compared to single source – a candle or lamp. 

This highlights the personal responsibility we have to shine our lights for Christ. 

But what I find most interesting in this passage, and I rarely hear this mentioned, is that vs. 13 and 14 speak about a community of individuals sharing their light. 

In vs. 13 we have salt. 

Now, how many of you get a saltshaker and carefully get one grain of salt out to season your food. 

No, you pour out hundreds, thousands, millions, maybe billions of grains of salt. 

It is the multitude of individual pieces of salt that flavor your food, not just one grain. 

In vs. 14, we see the city. 

What is a city? 

There are a bunch of people living together in close proximity. 

I spoke earlier about seeing the lights of a city at night. 

When you see that glow it is not one big light. 

No, it is hundreds and thousands of individual lights. 

What I am trying to press on you this morning is that, yes we should be witnesses as individuals, but look how much greater that light shines when we gather our lights! 

I can cover up one light, but I could not cover all the lights of a city! 

We have strength in numbers when believers are united in their mission and passion to reach the lost. 

How are we going to make a difference? 

The best chance we have is to work together as a local church. 

God knew we needed a church to belong to. 

It gives us community and direction. 

The Gospel proclaimed by a local church is the most effective method of evangelism in God’s design. 

CONCLUSION 

1. What are we doing to shine the light? 

1. We cannot allow our lights to be contained within these four walls. 

2. Who are we working together with in God’s service? 

1. Christians were never meant to be “lone wolfs”. 

3. Have you seen the light? 

1. You cannot share it unless you have it! 

Wait, There’s More 

Isaiah 41:21-29 

I want to highlight a thought this morning that is repeated a few times in this section of Isaiah. 

The overall theme here is the restoration of Israel, primarily from the Babylonian Captivity. 

There are also many elements where it sees beyond that to the End Times, when Christ returns and the Jews turn to trust in Him. 

Our text this morning is one of my favorite things to read about in the Bible. 

That is when God starts taunting the worthless, powerless, lifeless idols that men so vainly trusted in. 

This chapter deals with the rise of Cyrus the Great of the Medo-Persian empire. 

This is well over a century before he was even born! 

The brutal Assyrians had disrupted that part of the world. 

The mighty Babylonians had defeated them and upset everything again. 

Oh, but those were nothing compared to what the Persians would do. 

They would rule a greater territory than the empires that came before until Alexander the Great defeated them. 

None of this was an accident. 

God was working through it all. 

God set up the Assyrians to defeat the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 721 B.C. 

God set up the Babylonians to defeat the Assyrians and to defeat the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 586 B.C. 

God set up the Persians to defeat the Babylonians and all the Jews to return home and rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. 

How big is God? 

Big enough that the most powerful empires this world has ever seen are nothing by pawns He moves at His will. 

In our text, God is taunting the worthless idols of the nations. 

They could not stop what was coming. 

In vs. 21 God issues a challenge, sort of like we talked about last week. 

He says, “Present your case, you deaf and dumb idols!” 

He challenges them to do two things in vs. 22: 

First, display their record. 

What great things have they ever done? 

Second, reveal the future. 

What prophecy have they made that was actually true? 

You know what they could present as evidence of their power? 

Nothing. 

Now look in chapter 42. 

God says, “Here, I will present my own case:  Here is my record and here are my prophecies.” 

Isa 42:8  I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. 

Isa 42:9  Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. 

Now look at chapter 43. 

God calls us to judge the records that are presented: 

Isa 43:9  Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. 

God appeals specifically to Israel, calling them to testify: 

Isa 43:10  Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 

Now God starts presenting His case: 

Isa 43:11  I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. 

Isa 43:12  I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. 

Isa 43:13  Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? 

Isa 43:14  Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. 

Isa 43:15  I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. 

Now pay attention starting in vs. 16. 

Here God enters into evidence His track record – the former things that keep getting mentioned. 

Isa 43:16  Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; 

Isa 43:17  Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. [wick] 

That is the Red Sea Crossing: the way in the sea, the path in the mighty waters, the snuffing out of the Egyptian army. 

Now look at this: 

Isa 43:18  Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 

Isa 43:19  Behold, I will do a new thing; … 

He says, “Did you like what I did back in Exodus?  Just wait, there’s more coming:” 

…now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 

Isa 43:20  The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. 

I must stop there for brevity’s sake. 

What God is saying is that the future deliverance of Israel would be greater than the Exodus. 

He is speaking of two things here, I think both are in view: 

Restoration of the Jews to the Promised Land after the Babylonian Captivity. 

A future restoration of the Jews in the Millennial Kingdom. 

There are a handful more references I could use, but I think by now I have laid a sufficient foundation for what I want to say this morning. 

I want to speak to our church family this morning. 

I want to call you to testify, so to speak. 

Let’s stop and look at the works of our mighty God. 

First, I want us to see the past and future of God’s work in our salvation. 

I mention it from time to time, and it is worth putting to memory 

The three tenses of salvation. 

I was saved from the penalty of sin. 

I am being saved from the power of sin. 

I will be saved from the presence of sin. 

Salvation may be a one-time for all-time transaction, but its effects continue on. 

God has saved me through the redemption of Christ’s blood. 

I was doomed to an eternity in hell, now I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

I will never face condemnation before God for my sins. 

They are cleansed and forgotten. 

They will not come up again. 

A million years into living in Heaven, God will not say, “I just remember that time…” 

Friends, there is no greater work of God than in saving a soul. 

If you need more than that to get excited or to be thankful, you need to check your heart. 

The fact God has saved and will forever keep me saved is the ultimate work of God and we will praise Him forever because of it. 

Second, let’s look at the past and future of what God is doing in our lives. 

We all have things in our past that we regret or that wish we could purge from our histories. 

Praise God, those do not have to be my future, too! 

God has brought me through a lot, and I know you can say the same, too. 

Sometimes I look at some of these young preachers coming along and think to myself, “They would never make it if they had to go through what I did!” 

You know what I have learned through all of that? 

I have learned to trust in God rather than man. 

I have seen practices and plans be tested and found wanting. 

I learned to love because God so graciously loved me. 

Do you know how many times I wanted to quit the ministry? 

I am ashamed how many times I had convinced myself that I needed to resign from this church. 

That’s all in the past and I needed to go through it. 

I hate to bring the Bible into this, but that is what Romans 8:28 is there for. 

I feel like in many areas I have come a long way from what I was, or at least through I was, when I graduated Bible college. 

You would not like that Matthew Gage, I am afraid. 

He could not preach or pastor like I do now. 

Unless you are sitting there thinking, “It can’t get any worse than this!” 

I promise you, it can. 

How about you? 

I hope we all can look back and see the great things God has done. 

We may not understand it all, but by faith we can see His unseen hand guiding and molding us. 

Third, I want to look at the past and present of our church. 

As I was studying these passages in Isaiah, this is where it really hit home for me. 

This October will make nine years that I have been here. 

I cannot speak much about things before then, but I have talked to those who were here and have seen evidence that God was working then. 

It is hard to believe looking back at all that has happened. 

I think of those who God saw fit to take home. 

I miss them dearly. 

Sometimes that will get you down, looking back like that. 

Then I have to tell myself to look ahead. 

I don’t know who will be sitting these pews a month from now or a year from now. 

But for every person the Lord has removed from our church, He seems to send two or three more. 

We could go on and on about the memories and the victories we have seen. 

But as I reminiscence and survey all that God has done in this church family, I also get to feeling like our best days are ahead of us.  

It’s like God is saying, “Just wait, there’s more coming.” 

Or to put that in language everyone can understand: “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” 

Adoniram Judson, that great pioneer missionary, said this: “The future is as bright as the promises of God.” 

I would say we as a church have a lot to look forward to. 

I think I have told you this before, but I have said such things in the past and may not have really felt it. 

I think you call it vision casting – I wanted to people to start having hope so then we could see the hope. 

Folks, I am convinced the best days of Faith Baptist Church are ahead. 

We have sown a lot of seed in the past and there will be a harvest in the future. 

I do not believe we will have until wait to heaven to see that. 

God takes notice of churches that give generously to mission. 

He takes notice of churches that try to encourage others. 

He takes notice of churches that try to help their communities. 

He takes notice of churches that try to do things above board. 

He takes notice of churches that encourage Bible reading and prayer. 

He takes notice of churches that love one another as Christ loved us. 

He takes notice of churches that are willing to jump out and try something big. 

Another great missionary of the past, William Carey, said, “Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God.” 

I am excited about what is around the corner for us. 

I am not foolish enough to think it will all be smooth sailing. 

The devil hates churches that make a difference. 

But this I know, with our Captain the Lord Jesus Christ at the wheel our journey and our destination will be a grand adventure. 

CONCLUSION 

• Like I said last week, put God to the test. 

• There is no peace, joy, hope, or victory but in Him. 

• Look at His track record and look at His promises – nothing can compare! 

• Do not just rest on yesterday’s victories, keep pressing on! 

• Listening to Civil War audio books, there are so many cases where if the victorious army had just pressed their advantage they might could have ended the war. 

• Do you know God’s forgiveness.