Tag: Sermons

The Faith of Bathsheba

Matthew GageLeave a comment

In the fall of 2024 as I was studying for a class I was teaching, I began a deep dive into the life and legacy of Bathsheba. What I found was a profound picture of redemption that is so the polar opposite of the wily temptress that many have understood her to be. Here are two sermons from my book, Portraits of Faith, that I preached about Bathsheba and how her faith in God was rewarded by a wonderful outpouring of God’s grace. – MBG

Wolfgang Krodel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

THE FAITH OF BATHSHEBA
PART I

1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; 3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; – Matthew 1:1-6

Our text is a portion of the genealogy of Christ as recorded by Matthew.  One of the interesting features of this genealogy, especially when compared to the one given in Luke 3, is that it includes four women.  Each of these women has an interesting story to tell. 

First, and I think the most bizarre of any of them, is Tamar.  She had to trick her father-in-law Judah to fulfill the Levirate marriage custom in Genesis 38.

Second is Rahab.  She was the harlot that harbored the Jewish spies in Jericho in Joshua 2 and was spared when that city fell in Joshua 6.

Third is Ruth. She was the Moabite girl that returned home with her mother-in-law Naomi.  We have a whole book in the Bible devoted to her story.

Fourth is Bathsheba. 

Bathsheba’s name is not given here in Matthew’s genealogy, only that she had been the wife of Uriah and had given birth to David’s heir Solomon.  There are theories as to why she is mentioned but not by name.  I think the best one is that it was to not take away from the importance of David.  There are many great men, kings, and princes, in this list, but only David is marked as “the king.”  Another popular theory is that she is not named because of her sin, but she is far from the only sinner in this line.

The story of Bathsheba is a complex one that because of familiarity we often oversimplify.  If I were to ask you what she is famous for, I am certain everyone would say it is because of her affair with David.  It is kind of like how we talk about “Doubting Thomas” because of that one time he refused to believe that Christ had risen.  I am certain Thomas was a great man who did great things for Christ, but sadly all we remember him by is his one lapse of faith.

I want to dig deeper into Bathsheba’s story today.  I think there are some remarkable things about her that are sadly overlooked or forgotten.

But first, let us look at the basic information about who she was.  Her name is Hebrew for “daughter of the oath.”  Her father’s name was Eliam, who, if he is the same Eliam as in II Samuel 23:34, was one of David’s mighty men.  Not only that, but her grandfather, Eliam’s father, was Ahithophel, David’s chief counselor.  I think this relationship explains why Ahithophel sided with Absalom in his rebellion against David.

Bathsheba was married to Uriah the Hittite. He was also one of David’s mighty men, and according to Josephus he is Joab’s armor bearer.  He is a Hittite, which means he was not a Jew by blood but was descended from the people whose empire once covered Asia Minor.  He is certainly a proselyte to the Jewish faith.

I am going to assume you know the infamous story about Bathsheba’s affair with David. He stayed home from the war against the Ammonites and saw her bathing.  He sent for her to come to him, and they committed adultery together.  She found herself expecting David’s child. He failed to cover the sin and ended up murdering Uriah, her husband and his loyal friend and soldier.  David took her as his wife, and it all seemed to have been swept under the rug.  That is, until the day Nathan the prophet walked in and confronted David.  I can imagine the color draining from David’s face when Nathan said, “thou art the man!” 

I want to pause here and address something.  Traditionally, preachers and Bible scholars have focused their attention on David’s sin and repentance.  That is admittedly the primary narrative of Scriptures.  Some go too far in giving David a pass because they claim he was seduced by the wicked seductress Bathsheba.  This is completely wrong and goes against the clear teaching of Scripture.  David himself says in Psalm 51, the great song of repentance and restoration penned after their sin, that he is without excuse:

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:… – Psalm 51:4

More recently. there has been a tendency to make Bathsheba the victim and place all the blame on David.  This is a result of modern feminist movement and especially the “Me Too” movement.  They say David’s position made it impossible for her to refuse his advances. 

But what does the Scripture say in the matter?  According to the Mosaic Law, specifically Deuteronomy 22:22-27, both David and Bathsheba were guilty.  Bathsheba’s guilt is marked because she did not resist or cry out for help.

Both David and Bathsheba were guilty.  Both deserved the death penalty of Leviticus 20:10 for their sins.  That was the law of the land and. more importantly. the law of God.

But I am glad that there is a deeper, more foundational law found throughout Scripture: THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.  I believe David found forgiveness through his faith and repentance.  I also believe, though it may not be as clearly stated, that Bathsheba’s faith made a change in her also as she repented of her sins and trusted in God.

This brings me to my first observation: 

By Her Faith, Bathsheba Received God’s Mercy

Remembering that the narrative focuses on David, I want you to note part of David and Nathan’s conversation.

And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. – II Samuel 12:13

David not only confessed his sin and repented of it, but I also think he was resigned to paying for the consequences of that sin with his own life.  That is why Nathan tells him he will not die, but that his child will.

But what about Bathsheba?  If David was guilty and deserved the death penalty, was she not also guilty?  If he was shown mercy that he did not die, was she not also shown mercy in that she continued to live?  It is obvious that she received the same mercy that David was shown.

Are you glad that God still shows mercy to us today?  You do realize that we are sinners, guilty before God, and thus deserving of an eternity in Hell?  But God shows mercy to those that repent of their sins and turn to Him for forgiveness.  We must cry out like David:

1 Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions:
and my sin is ever before me.
- Psalm 51:1-3

Have you done that?  Do you have the forgiveness of your sins?  David found it and you can too.  I believe Bathsheba found it, and as we go on, I think that will become clearer.  The mercy and grace that God showed them is still available to us today.  These freely flow to all who come to Him, whether it be to find salvation through the new birth or as His child seeking forgiveness for their shortcoming.  Hallelujah, God is merciful! 

By Her Faith, Bathsheba Grew Beyond Her Shame

People of today have no shame, but that was a big deal in the Bible world.  David and Bathsheba’s sin was a public sin. I think it had been the talk of the palace since it happened.

Can you imagine the looks Bathsheba would get?  Can you hear the whispers as she walked by?  She was married to the king, but I doubt she was treated much like a queen in those early days.

She had that public shame to endure.  She also had her own spiritual burden to bear.  On top of all that, she had the grief of losing her child.

I want you to note this wonderful phrase:

And David comforted Bathsheba his wife,… – II Samuel 12:24

He did not mistreat her, blame her for his sin, or take out his anger on her.  No, he helped her overcome her burdens.

Someone may say, “Well, you don’t know what I did. I cannot get past it.”  Friends, if Bathsheba can get past what she went through, I think God can help you get through your burdens too.  If you are breathing, God can still forgive you and use you. 

There are multitudes of people around us that are convinced that God is finished with them because of their failures.  These need someone to come along and comfort them.  We have a lot of wounded soldiers that need help and encouragement to get back in the fight.  Someone said that the Christian army is the only army in the history of the world that shoots its own wounded.  What a shame that such a statement is proven true over and over again! We need to help the wounded and weary to get back on their feet and back in the fight!

By Her Faith, Bathsheba Received a Fresh Start

In our text in Matthew, Bathsheba is described simply as “her that had been the wife of Uriah”.  That is how we are introduced to her in II Samuel:

Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? – II Samuel 11:3

That is what she is called after her husband is killed:

And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. – II Samuel 11:26

David of course married her in a vain attempt to cover their sin.  But after Nathan confronted David, the holy record says:

And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. – II Samuel 12:15

That child died seven days later.  I think it was sick from birth and did not reach eight days of age when it would have been circumcised and officially given a name.

But I want you to note  how Bathsheba is described next:

And David comforted Bathsheba his wife… – II Samuel 12:24

A change has happened.  She is not called Uriah’s wife, but David’s wife.  She is never identified with Uriah again, except in Matthew’s genealogy.

There ought to be such a change in our lives.  We should not be tied to our past, our sins, and our failures.  A great change happened with Bathsheba’s identity, and I think that was in no small part connected to her faith and repentance.   Has your faith produced such a change in your life?  I once was a wretched sinner before God, but now I am His child and a joint heir with Christ.  Can you claim such a testimony?

By Her Faith, Bathsheba’s Children Were Blessed

…and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him. – II Samuel 12:24

Yes, her son is that Solomon, future king and heir of David.  We know from the genealogies in I Chronicles that she would have three more sons.  Her children are in both Matthew and Luke’s genealogies.

What a change we see!  Her first son died as judgment from God.  Her second son ruled over the golden age of Israel.  How could this be? 

Should not the firstborn son of David rule? That was Amnon, and he disqualified himself by his incestuous lust and was murdered by his half-brother Absalom. 

Should not the most popular son of David rule?  That was Absalom, and he looked the part physically but lacked David’s heart for God.  He died while attempting to seize the throne by his own power and popularity. 

Should not another wife, not marred by scandal, give birth to the next king?  David’s home life was so messy it would be difficult to find such a wife or their offspring. 

Why was Solomon divinely chosen to succeed David as king above all his siblings?  Here is my theory: it is because his parents, David and Bathsheba, had their hearts right when he was born.

How do we know Bathsheba’s heart?  We get a glimpse of it in Proverbs 31.  Most people associate this chapter with Virtuous Woman, but that really does not start until verse 10.  It is easy to skim over the opening verses and miss some important truths.  Let us look at some of them.  First note:

The words of king Lemuel,… – Proverbs 31:1

Let me ask you, who wrote the Book of Proverbs?  The simple answer is that Solomon did.  Some of it we know was compiled into its present form after his death, but essentially the work is his.

So, who is this king Lemuel?  The name means “consecrated to God.”  I believe, like many conservative Bible scholars, that this is a nickname or a pen name for Solomon.

We continue and note:

…the prophecy that his mother taught him. – Proverbs 31:1 

If Lemuel is Solomon, then his mother would be… BATHSHEBA!  So, what we have in verses 2 through 9 are the lessons she gave her son to prepare him to rule.  I can briefly summarize them as be careful with women, do not be fooled by wine, and make sure to be a faithful and fair judge.  These are not just more of Solomon’s proverbs; they are the lessons that his mother Bathsheba faithfully taught the young crown prince from his youth.

Now, I have another question for you:  who is the Virtuous Woman in the rest of the chapter 31?  Is this also Bathsheba’s advice to her son? Could this perhaps be Solomon’s restructuring of his mother’s teaching into a poem?  Could it be that Solomon is looking at his own mother as an example of an ideal woman?  I cannot say for sure, but I am partial to that last idea.  I think there is a very good chance that the Virtuous Woman is Bathsheba.  If they are not the same, it is certain that Bethsheba’s character or teaching influenced Solomon’s vision of the ideal woman.

Closing Remarks

As we close, I want to note how Proverbs 31 closes describing the Virtuous Woman. I see here reflections of Bathsheba that are a challenge for us today.

30  Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain:
but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
31  Give her of the fruit of her hands;
and let her own works praise her in the gates.
– Proverbs 31:30-31

First, note “a woman that feareth the LORD.”  Do you have a proper view of the greatness of God and the smallness of yourself?  Does you life reflect it?

Second, not “she shall be praised.”  Allow God to raise you up and bless you.  He did so with Bathsheba, raising her from being an adulterer to being a queen.  This was certainly God’s hand at work and not her own schemes or machinations

Third, “let her own works praise her in the gates.”  Bathsheba had a testimony and track record.  What is yours like today?  Are you a person of faith?  Most importantly, do you have saving faith?

Unknown 18th-century artist; photographed by Hermetiker, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Faith of Bathsheba
Part II

I was very interested to see the response from the last sermon before I committed to continuing the topic with a second sermon.  I asked at the end of the previous service if anyone had ever heard a positive message about Bathsheba, and only one person raised their hand.  I am not trying to be controversial nor  am I trying to find something new in Scripture.  I have tried to vet all my conclusions through commentaries and authors I trust.  If I have done anything, I hope that I have at least caused some people to think and check things out for themselves.

Most of what I have said and will say is just compiling different facts into one framework.  Kind of like a mosaic, where you take little rocks or tiles and place them together to create a picture.  There is so much to Bathsheba’s story than just her affair with David.  I am afraid our prejudices have kept us from seeing a beautiful story of faith and redemption in the other pieces of her life.

The points we looked at last time I think are foundational for what we will look at today.  In some ways, I think we see the events in the previous sermon as either her salvation or her repentance that brought righteousness into her heart and life.  It could be that she did not have true faith in God until David helped lead her to it.  It could also be, and I think it is the case, that she had faith but fell in sin and had to be brought back through repentance.

Quickly, let us review her life and our observations last week.  Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah, one of David’s mighty men.  He father was Eliam, another of David’s mighty men.  Her grandfather was Ahithophel, David’s chief advisor.  She and David committed adultery together.  Both sinned and both were guilty before God and man.  David tried to cover the sin and ended up murdering Uriah so that he could himself marry Bathsheba.  Their scheme seems to have worked until Nathan the prophet confronted David.  David confessed his sin and repented.  We have evidence of this repentance in Psalm 51 and Psalm 32.  B.H. Carroll said that “if Psalm 51 is the highest expression of penitence, Psalm 32 is the model expression of the joy of forgiveness.”

By her faith, Bathsheba received God’s mercy  We looked at II Samuel 12:24  and how David comforted Bathsheba, convincing her not only of her place being safe with him, but also with God.

By her faith, Bathsheba grew beyond her shame.  She was no longer called the “wife of Uriah”, but now the “wife of David.”

By faith, Bathsheba received a fresh start. “She bare a son” and named him Solomon.  I am convinced that he was marked as David’s successor from birth.

By faith, Bathsheba’s children were blessed.  We saw how in Proverbs 31, that Bathsheba faithfully instructed and trained Solomon.

We saw in these things that through faith Bathsheba repented, overcame her sin, found forgiveness in God, and changed the course of not only her life and but also those of her children.

We will here examine more examples of her faith bearing fruit.  We will pick back up her story after the birth of Solomon:

By Her Faith, She Refused to Carry a Grudge

For this point, I want to examine Bathsheba’s relationship with the prophet Nathan.  Their first interaction that we know of is when he was confronting David and said that Bathsheba’s child would die.

13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. – II Samuel 12:13-14

A few days later, Bathsheba’s newborn son was dead.  I do not know about you, but I do not think I would invite someone who told me my first baby would die to the baby shower for my second baby.  I doubt I would want to see someone ever again that had proclaimed such a thing. 

But what do we find about a year or so later?  We see:

24…and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him. 25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD. – II Samuel 12:24-25

Here is Nathan again with a message about Bathsheba’s newborn son.  But this message was quite different from the previous.  He blessed this child by giving him the name Jedidiah, meaning “Beloved of Jehovah”.  This is the second interaction between the two, and obviously more positive than the first.

But these are not the only connections between Bathsheba and Nathan.  There is a third interaction almost twenty years later in I Kings 1.  David was sixty-nine years old and in rapidly failing health.  His oldest surviving son, Adonijah, tried to seize the throne by proclaiming himself as David’s successor.  Nathan and Bathsheba had to work together to counter this coup and ensure Solomon inherited the throne as David had planned.

11 Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? 12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. – I Kings 1:11-12

We will come back to that story in just a bit, but for now note that Bathsheba and Nathan see each other as trusted allies.  That is quite a roller coaster ride of a relationship!  Again, I do not think if I had gone through the trauma of losing a child, like Bathsheba did, that I would want anything to do with the man who prophesied of their death.  Yet here they are working and trusting each other in a critical time.

There is one more element to their relationship that I find astounding.  David and Bathsheba would have more children after Solomon.  You find a list of sons  in I Chronicles 3, which you may overlook because Bathsheba’s name is spelled differently in the passage.

And these were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bathshua [alternate spelling of Bathsheba] the daughter of Ammiel: – I Chronicles 3:5 

Did you catch those names?  Shimea, Shobab, Solomon, and Nathan.  Yes, one of David and Bathsheba’s sons was named after the man who publicly rebuked their sin.  That is not something a human being does in their human reasoning, but rather it is evidence of a Divine change of their character.

Have you ever tried to help someone, perhaps to have a difficult conversation with them that needed to take place, and then have them turn on you?  That is human nature.  Often, we fail to understand that someone can act in love and yet it still hurts.  I think Bathsheba and David both came to understand that Nathan was acting out of love when he confronted them about their sins.  This lesson must have been passed down to Solomon, who wrote:

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. – Proverbs 27:6 

If this were the only evidence I had of Bathsheba’s life after her sin with David, it would be enough to satisfy me that her faith in God had truly made a change in her life.  Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7 that you truly know someone by the fruit they bear.  Do we have such beautiful fruit in our actions as we see here in Bathsheba’s?

By Her Faith, She Fought for What was Right.

As we just observed, there was a succession crisis in the final year of David’s reign.  Adonijah tried to claim the throne, but David had already appointed Solomon as his rightful heir.  The prophet Nathan came to Bathsheba to ask for her aid.

What follows reminds me of the Book of Esther.  In both cases a queen had to approach a king to stop great evil.  In both cases the history of Israel hinged on if the queen’s appeal worked.

Bathsheba went before the bedridden David.  She did not approach him as a wife, but as a humble subject:

15 And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king. 16 And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou? – I Kings 1:15-16

She was not there to force her own will on the king, but to make him acknowledge and enforce his own.  She reminded him of his promise that Solomon would be king.  She informed him of Adonijah’s traitorous actions.  She reminded him that if he did not intercede that both she and Solomon would surely be killed.

Nathan entered to give the same report and Bathsheba exited.  In response to Nathan and Bathsheba’s interventions, David was moved to action:

28 Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king. 29 And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, 30 Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day. 31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever. – I Kings 1:28-31

Just in passing, note her response: “Let my lord king David live for ever.”  This is genuine love for her husband and sovereign.  She would rather have David live on than have her son on the throne.  This is further proof to me that she is not being manipulative here.  No, she is standing for what is right.

I am convinced that David, Nathan, and Bathsheba knew that it was God’s will for Solomon to be the heir since his birth or even before.  I am convinced they knew that the great Davidic Covenant of II Samuel 7 would continue through Solomon.  In the moment of crisis, Bathsheba and Nathan stepped in to ensure that right was done.

Is there any greater expression of faith than to take a stand when all seems lost?  Moses proved his faith in God when he was backed up to the Red Sea.  Daniel proved his faith when he was cast in the lion’s den.  What about us?  What are we standing for? What will we lay down our lives for?  I have a short list of things I pray I am strong enough to die for: my faith, my family, my country.  How sad it is to see those who claim to be Christians melt away when adversity comes!

By Her Faith, She was Honored at the End

There is one last story we will look at involving Bathsheba and it is in I Kings 2.  David had died and Solomon reigned alone over Israel.  Adonijah had been forgiven by Solomon for attempting to take the throne before David’s death, but he had not given up on his schemes.

In I Kings 2:13, Adonijah came to Bathsheba with a request to marry David’s wife/caretaker Abishag.  He must have laid some kind of sob story on Bathsheba, who failed to see the machinations behind the request.  This is not the focus of this point, but here I think Bathsheba is being kind to a fault.  If anything, she seems more endearing to me for trusting this man too much.  Bathsheba agreed to relay the request to king Solomon, who of course saw through the ploy and had Adonijah executed along with other conspirators.

What I want us to focus on is the way Solomon honored his mother.  I am going to dissect I Kings 2:19 because there is so much to see in it.

Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her,…

Kings passively accept homage from others, yet here he actively gave honor to his mother.

…and bowed himself unto her,…

He humbled himself and exalted his mother.  The Hebrew word here is shachah which is a root word for worship.

…and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king’s mother;…

He honored her with a throne to sit upon

…and she sat on his right hand.

This is the place of honor.  The right hand of the king is the most exalted place he could offer someone.

I think this event set a precedent for honoring the queen mother.  We see this practice alluded to in I Kings 15:13, II Kings 11:1-3, and 24:15.  We should also note here how the name of the mother is highlighted for all the succeeding kings, whereas there is no record in Scripture of the names of either Saul or David’s mothers.  Solomon certainly started a trend!

I am reminded of these verses:

6 For promotion cometh neither from the east,
nor from the west, nor from the south.
7 But God is the judge:
he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
– Psalm 75:6-7

Bathsheba, the unfaithful wife, forgiven by God, transformed by faith, is now the queen mother.  Remarkable, is it not?  This was accomplished not through her own power or strength.  This was not through her plots or schemes.  Friends, there is only one answer for how Bathsheba grows from II Samuel 11 to I Kings 2.  It is the grace of God.

Did she deserve the honor?  By our human opinion she did not.  I believe God honored her faith and her repentance to exalt her, using her to bring Solomon into this world.

The question I would ask is: do we deserve what we have in our lives?  Do we deserve to be children of God?  Do we deserve such a fine church family?  No, God has surely poured out His grace on us!  What He seeks in us is faith:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. – Hebrews 11:6 

I am convinced that it is faith in God that transformed Bathsheba’s life and that still transformed lives today.

Closing Remarks

I am afraid that we have let our prejudices against Bathsheba and her sin with David rob us of a beautiful story of redemption.  She overcame that sin, was greatly used by God as a mother and queen.  She became a vital part of Jewish history.  If God can do that with her, I guarantee you can do great things with you.

God can surely transform the vilest sinner into the holiest saint.  There is a famous story about a lawyer in the Deep South after the Civil War.  He had a promising career ahead of him but fell victim to the temptations of alcohol.  His fine suits were turned to rags.  His eloquence turned to stammering.  But God had other plans.  He grabbed hold of the heart of that drunken lawyer.  He became a preacher and a Methodist circuit rider.  Doors continued to open for him and his audiences grew in size. New and larger auditoriums had to be built to house the throngs that wanted to hear him, including the famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.  Who was that drunken lawyer turned preacher?  His name was Sam Jones.  While D.L. Moody shook the northern states for Christ, Sam Jones shook the south.  Thousands upon thousands found Christ through his preaching.                                                                       

Have you found forgiveness and redemption in Christ?  I do not care how great a sinner you claim to be.  No one is beyond God’s grace and forgiveness.  Come back to Him today!  He will not turn you away!  He can still use you for His glory!

Sermon – “A Visit to the Spiritual Eye Doctor”

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Sermon - "A Visit to the Spiritual Eye Doctor"
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A Visit to the Spiritual Eye Doctor 

Mark 8:22-26 

I am speaking this morning from a passage that has long baffled me. 

I believe it is a singular example of Christ healing a person, yet not completely healing them at first. 

As for the timing of the event, this is likely the summer, less than a year before the Crucifixion. 

It is between the Passover of John 6:4 and the Feast of Tabernacles in John 7:2. 

It is late in the earthly ministry of Christ. 

Opposition has been growing against him. 

Frustration has set in among His followers, many of whom still expected the Messiah to overthrow Roman rule. 

A short time before this around Passover had come news that John the Baptist has been killed by Herod Antipas. 

Thousands of scared and confused people flocked to Christ. 

In His great care, He fed the 5,000 plus with five barley loaves and two fishes. here on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. 

After this He walked on the stormy sea to join the disciples in their boat and then calmed the storm. 

He retreated for a season to the northwest where Galilee bordered Tyre and Sidon. 

He returned to Galilee and on the western shore feat 4,000 plus. 

He and the disciples sail northeast to Bethsaida, where this miracle is performed. 

As for the location of the event, It is the village of Bethsaida. 

If you look at a map of the Sea of Galilee, you will see where the Jordan River feeds into it at almost due north. 

Just east of this where Bethsaida lay. 

It was not a very large town as far as we can tell, nothing like Capernaum to its west. 

Its name means something like “House of the hunter” or “House of the fisherman”.   

From that you can probably tell that it must have been a fishing village. 

There is some history to this place in the New Testament. 

The Gospel of John tells us that the Apostle Phillip was from there in John 1:44 and John 12:21. 

John 1:44 also says it is the home of Andrew and Peter also, and we know these men were all fishermen. 

We do not know how many times Christ passed through there, the sermons He preached there, or the people He healed there. 

We have only two events linked to this city. 

The first, In Luke 9:10, is that near Bethsaida the 5,000 plus were fed. 

The second is the healing in our text. 

There is only one other mention of this town, found both in Matthew 11:21 and Luke 10:13. 

This last event takes place before the Feast of the Dedication in John 10:22, which would be in late December for us. 

Let me read it from Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 11:20-22 

Mat 11:20  Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:  

Mat 11:21  Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  

Mat 11:22  But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.  

This indictment against Bethsaida tells us that: 

  1. Christ had done much powerful work there. 
  1. The people still largely rejected Him. 

Now, as the details of the event itself. 

Christ comes to Bethsaida, a town that He has a long history with. 

A blind man is brought to Him – this man was unable to seek out Christ on his own. 

I am reminded of blind Bartimaeus, who you find a couple of chapters later in Mark 10. 

He heard that Christ was coming and cried out for help – “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

He did not have friends or relations to bring him to Christ, so when the opportunity came he called out and kept calling out until the Lord responded and healed him. 

Thank God for friends and family that help guide others to the Savior! 

Back to our blind man in Bethsaida… 

Christ leads him out of the city. 

This is curious – why not heal him on the spot? 

I am certain it is to do with the overall unbelief of the city. 

One more miracle would not change their hard hearts. 

Christ then spits on the man’s useless eyes. 

Why?  I do not know. 

Let me share with you the enlightening words from Albert Barnes’ Bible Commentary: 

“Why this was done is not known.” 

We get caught up in these side actions of Christ and forget that these have little, in fact probably nothing to do with the healing that takes place. 

I think the varied methods that Christ used – such as spitting on the ground and making mud, touching, commanding, touching His garment – are there to draw our attention to the fact that CHRIST did something miraculous, and not that He had some secret magical medical ability. 

Christ placed his hands on the blind man and asked if he could see now. 

His response is interesting – “I see men as trees, walking.“ 

If I take my glasses off, that is about what I see too. 

Some speculate there that he was not born blind, but that it was a result of some illness or injury later in life. 

How else would he know the difference? 

Christ then puts His hands on him once more and asks him what he sees now. 

The man says he can see clearly now. 

Christ sends him home and says not to go into town or tell anyone in it. 

This sounds like he did not live in Bethsaida itself. 

The reason for this command again is the overall unbelief of the inhabitants of the Bethsaida. 

Now, I have always been fascinated by this miracle. 

My number one questions has always been – why didn’t Christ heal him the first time? 

Why did it take two times of Christ touching him to completely restore his sight? 

Was this man so blind that Christ could not heal him with one touch? 

That is ridiculous. 

Christ’s power is unlimited. 

No, I think there is a deeper lesson here. 

One that, to be honest, I think I am nowhere near uncovering every aspect of it. 

You see, I do not think this man’s partial healing and full healing has to do with God’s power. 

I think it has to do with the blindness of mankind. 

I am not talking about physical blindness. 

If you study Scripture, there is a far worse blindness than not being about to see with our eyes. 

This is a spiritual blindness. 

This blindness keeps us from truly seeing God and His truth. 

Christ used this idea often in His battles against the Jewish religious leaders of His day. 

In Matthew 15:13 He called them “blind leaders of the blind” 

In Matthew 23:16 and 24 they are “blind guides” 

In Matthew 23:17 and 19, they are “fools and blind” 

In Matthew 23:26 He calls out the “blind Pharisee” 

In John 9:39, Christ talks about He came to show those that thought they could see that they were truly blind: 

Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.  

Romans 11 tells us that the nation of Israel were blinded because of their unbelief. 

II Corinthians 3:14 says the same. 

II Corinthians 4:3-4 says that Satan deceived and blinded the lost: 

2Co 4:3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  

Paul describes the state of the lost as being blind in Ephesians 4:17-19 

Eph 4:17  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,  

Eph 4:18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:  

Eph 4:19  Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.  

II Peter 1:9 says those that lack the virtues of the Gospel are “blind and cannot see afar off” 

I John 2:11 says that a man that hates his brother is blind: 

1Jn 2:11  But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.  

Revelation 3:17-18  Christ tells the church at Laodicea that they are deluded in their opinion of themselves: 

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  

Yes, friends there is a far worse blindness that our mortal eyes not working. 

It is a spiritual blindness. 

Praise God we are not doomed to dwell in this darkness. 

We have a Savior whose specialty is restoring sight, not just mortal sight but spiritual sight too. 

How wonderful is it that we can sing out in John Newton’s timeless hymn: 

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound 
That saved a wretch like me. 
I once was lost, but now am found, 
Was blind but now I see. 

That sight comes at salvation. 

I think a wonderful picture of this is found in the conversion of Paul. 

Paul saw the light – LITERALLY – on the Road to Damascus. 

For three days his mortal eyes were as blind as his spiritual eyes were. 

I think those three days he was in inner turmoil as he tried to figure things out. 

When Ananias came and prayed for Paul – I think this is likely the moment he finally grasped the Gospel and laid hold of it in faith. 

We then read: 

Act 9:18  And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.  

His spiritual blindness and his physical blindness both ended in the same instance. 

Yes, Salvation brings spiritual sight cures spiritual blindness. 

Let’s return to our theme and draw this to a conclusion. 

That blind man had sight restored, but at first only partially. 

Here is the lesson I think we can draw from that. 

Yes, we can be saved and be no longer bound by sin’s blindness. 

But how many are there today that are satisfied with only imperfect sight? 

Christ asked that man after the first touch how his sight was. 

He could have said, “wow, I can see!” and walked away unsure if men were trees or trees were men. 

No, he was honest with the Lord about his blindness and his partial sight. 

He wanted to see clearly. 

Friends, how often do we stumble about half blind in this life? 

We know deep down that we should see better, know better, be better than we do. 

We even know the One that gives sight. 

How often do we settle for less than God’s best for us? 

How much better would we all be if we would just humbly go to the Savior, and confess, “Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief!” 

“Lord, I do not want to settle for partial sight – I want as much of it as you’ll give me!” 

I am convinced those are prayers that God will joyfully answer. 

CONCLUSION. 

  1. To find sight, often times you have to leave behind the fellowship of unbelievers. 
  1. Remember how the blind man was told to leave Bethsaida 
  1. To see clearly we must also leave the world behind and seek Christ. 
  1. Christian maturity is not something that comes in one blast of power. 
  1. Yes we receive all of the Holy Spirit at our salvation, but it takes time for Him to mold and shape us.  
  1. Do not be satisfied with partial sight – seek fulness through Christ. 
  1. Christ still cures spiritual blindness. 

Sermon – “Be Not Afraid”

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Be Not Afraid 

Acts 18:1-17 

I love to study the life of Paul. 

I believe him to be the greatest Christian to ever live. 

We have in Christ a perfect example to follow. 

But we as sinful men will never attain this example. 

But we have in Paul an attainable example to follow. 

He was a man greatly used by God, but he was just a man. 

He made mistakes. 

He got angry. 

He got discouraged. 

We can all relate to Paul, usually when things do not seem to be going well for him. 

But Paul never quit. 

He had an inner drive and an iron resolve to press forward in proclaiming the Gospel. 

Did he ever want to quit? 

Absolutely! 

How do I know that? 

Because there are times God has to intervene and directly encourage him! 

The most famous example of this is in II Corinthians 12 when Paul prayed that the “thorn in his flesh” be removed. 

Christ’s response was to encourage him – “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” 

Paul found comfort in those words, and so do I. 

God’s grace and strength will never not be enough to get me through the troubles and trials of life. 

Our text this morning is another time that Christ spoke directly to Paul to encourage him. 

He is in the middle of his second missionary journey. 

That started in Asia Minor, but God closed the door there and led him to go to Macedonia. 

He sailed to Philippi, were he saw one of the greatest churches in history established. 

Of course he also was beaten and spent a half a night in jail too. 

He walked to Thessalonica where another church was established. 

He was basically run of town after the Jews caused problems there. 

He walked to Berea and saw many saved there. 

But again he was basically run out of town after Jews from Thessalonica caused problem. 

He sailed down to Athens, where his heart was grieved at the ignorance and idolatry of that legendary city. 

He had the opportunity there to present the Gospel to the philosophers gathered on Mar’s Hill. 

He departs from Athens and came to Corinth. 

Corinth is a fascinating town. 

It is located on an isthmus – a narrow strip of land connecting to larger land masses. 

There were ports on either side where ships would come and unload their cargo to be transported overland to the opposite side. 

It was a vital strategic and economic location. 

But it was also one of the most wicked cities the world has ever known. 

Even the pagan writers of ancient times comment on the debauchery that took place here. 

You had all those sailors coming into port looking to have a good time. 

You had rich elite satisfying ever vile appetite imaginable. 

The Greek religion was there, but it failed to rein in the morals of the masses. 

Paul meets Aquila and Priscilla, a husband and wife team that are among his most capable colaborers.  

They practice the same trade that Paul had been trained in – tentmaking – and Paul works in their business. 

He preaches in the synagogue and proclaims the Gospel to Jew and Greek alike. 

He pushed the Jews to a tipping point, but instead of embracing Christ they violently and vehemently rejected Him. 

Paul ceases working with them and turned his attention to the Gentiles. 

Paul being Paul, he does so by preaching in the house of Justus which was literally next door to the synagogue. 

Paul had a rascally streak to him. 

The work was hard, and, if you have ever read the two letters we have the Paul wrote to the church established here, you will know it was a difficult place and a difficult people. 

We do not know why exactly why Paul became so discouraged, but I am certain from personal experience that the weight of the ministry had grow too heavy for him to bear. 

Someone said once that God will not give us more than we can bear. 

I do not believe that. 

We are not strong enough to do what we need to do as Christians. 

But it is not our strength that we must rely on. 

It is the strength of our Great Shepherd that holds us up. 

Sometimes we need to be reminded of that. 

Sometimes we need a little encouragement to carry on. 

Sometimes we need God to grab us and shake us and say, “WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!!!” to get us back on our feet. 

You ever been there? 

I have, many times! 

Christ tells Paul – “Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:” 

Get busy in the work that God had called him to do. 

I think we can apply the principles here to us. 

We need to not be afraid at the storms and the stony hearts. 

We need to not be afraid of the fears and fainthearted. 

We need to get up and get back to work! 

Now is not the time to give up and quit! 

As Christians, we need to press forward in our own walks with God. 

As a parent, we need to press forward in shepherding our families. 

As a church, we need to press forward in reaching the lost and edifying our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Be not afraid! 

Get busy! 

The devil may have knocked you down this morning. 

Get up, rub some dirt on it, and get back in the fight! 

The weight of our anxiety and cares may be crushing you this morning. 

Get up, cast them on the Lord, and keep pressing on. 

The emptiness of loss and grief might have caused you to stall or falter. 

Get up, cling to the loving arms of our loving Savior, and keep putting one foot in front of another. 

Maybe the weight of past mistakes and the chains of memories have pulled you down. 

Get up, let Christ break those chains and free you as only He can, and press onward! 

Be not afraid this morning. 

Get up and get going this morning. 

I’ve got three reasons right here from this passage why we must. 

I. The Lord’s Presence – For I am with thee 

Is there anything sweeter than knowing that Christ is with us? 

David said it this way in Psalm 23:4 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; 

Isaiah said it this way in Isaiah 43:1-2 

Isa 43:1  But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.  

Isa 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.  

Isaiah is also the one that said that He would be called Immanual – “GOD WITH US” 

Christ Himself promised it to us in Matthew 28:20 

lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.  

We have all seen that little child be hurt or get scared. 

They cry out in despair, but all it takes to make everything right is mommy or daddy to pick them up in their arms and hold them tight. 

Christ is with us, to care and comfort us. 

He is also with us in power. 

Listen, I want nothing to do with the devil or his imps. 

They scare me. 

But as a believer, I have got a big brother that makes them tremble. 

Remember that the One that walks with us is the One that can part seas or calm seas. 

He can speak peace or He can declare victory. 

Be not afraid this morning, for Christ is with us. 

II.  The Lord’s Protection – “no man shall set on thee to hurt thee” 

The child of God is protected by the greatest security system imaginable. 

Isaiah put it this way:  

Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.  

Paul put it this way: 

Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  

Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?  

Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.  

Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.  

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  

Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

Notice in these that the protection of God does not mean an absence of danger. 

There are still weapons and enemies and trials and tribulations. 

Even in our text immediately after this, Paul is hauled before the Roman governor and was in trouble. 

But God brought him through. 

The three Hebrew boys still had to go in the fiery furnace, but God was with them and brought them through. 

Rest assured that anything that happens to us is known by God and approved by God and ultimately is aligned with God’s plan for our lives. 

III.  The Lord’s Purpose – “for I have much people in this city.” 

How can I be afraid when there is so much work that needs to be done? 

How can I give up when I have so much to do? 

I wonder if when Christ said this if Paul might have had a follow up question: 

“Um, Lord, I’ve been here for months now.  The going is hard.  The people aren’t exactly receptive to me.  So, where is the ‘much people’ anyway?” 

You see, I do not think that much people is past or present tense. 

I think it is God’s foreknowledge on display. 

He knows that many people will come to Christ even if they have not yet. 

The was work that was done and there was work to do. 

God needed Paul there and was going to stay by him to see His will accomplished. 

I am reminded here of when Elijah was discouraged and ran from Jezebel. 

God had to encourage His prophet and one of the ways was to let him know that even though he may have felt alone in serving God, he was not truly alone. 

1Ki 19:18  Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.  

One of the greatest lies Satan foists upon us is that we are alone in our service. 

Second to that is that our labors are in vain, that no one cares, and no one listens. 

I do not think I am exaggerating when I say that I struggle with those on daily basis. 

But I know these things to be true: 

The God who calls me and you has a purpose for us. 

His truth – His Gospel – will always be true and will produce fruit when spread. 

We are never alone in the work – Christ and fellow Christians labor beside us. 

We are never wasting our time 

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.  

Conclusion: 

  • Be faithful – do not quit 
  • Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  
  • Walk with Christ – hold to His unchanging hand 
  • Our hearts may fail, our strength may fail, but Jesus never fails. 

1 Once from my poor sin-sick soul 
Christ did ev’ry burden roll, 
Now I walk redeemed and whole, 
Hand in hand with Jesus. 

2 In my night of dark despair, 
Jesus heard and answered prayer, 
Now I’m walking free as air, 
Hand in hand with Jesus. [Chorus] 

3 From the strait and narrow way, 
Praise the Lord, I cannot stray, 
For I’m walking ev’ry day, 
Hand in hand with Jesus. [Chorus] 

4 When the stars are backward rolled, 
And His Home I shall behold, 
I will walk those streets of gold, 
Hand in hand with Jesus. [Chorus] 

Chorus: 
Hand in hand we walk each day, 
Hand in hand along the way; 
Walking thus I cannot stray, 
Hand in hand with Jesus. 

  • There is no need to fear death – Christ conquered it.  
  • 1Co 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?  
  • 1Co 15:56  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  
  • 1Co 15:57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Sermon – “The Enemies of Missions”

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Enemies of Missions 

Acts 13:1-12 

Our text this morning is the account of the very beginning of Paul’s missionary travels. 

We have accounts of three missionary journeys in the book of Acts along with his perilous journey to Rome. 

Some Bible scholars think that he may have made another journey or two between the close of the book of Acts and his execution by Nero. 

The story begins in Antioch and that wonderful church there – it must be counted among the greatest churches of the New Testament and history. 

I want to point out a few things about it that make it such a great example for us today. 

First, Jew and Gentile both came together there to worship the risen Christ. 

A strong church should strive to reach all with the Gospel and neglect none. 

Second, they were led by some of the greatest Christian leaders, men like Paul and Barnabas. 

A strong church should be led by not just a single man, but should have a team of leaders. 

Third, they actively ministered, prayed, and fasted. 

In vs. 2 they were not looking to send Barnabas and Paul, it was a natural outgrowth of what they were already doing. 

A strong church should not be great just during a program or an emphasis 

A strong church serves faithfully, consistently,  day-to-day and moment-by-moment. 

Fifth, they were sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. 

A strong church is rooted deeply in the foundation of God’s word by nimble enough to move when directed by God. 

Sixth, God called some of its members to greater service. 

A strong church should see its members called out from their number to further advance the greater Kingdom of God. 

Paul and Barnabas leave Antioch and sail to Barnabas’s home area – the island of Cyprus. 

They land on the east side at Salamis and work their way to the west side at Paphos, all the time proclaiming the Gospel of Christ. 

There at Paphos they encounter the first opposition to their ministry. 

There is a Jewish man there named Elymas Barjesus (son of Joshua). 

He is accounted as something of a sorcerer, which was not uncommon in those days. 

The strangeness of the Jewish religion to the Greek and Roman minds led them to believe they had some secret powers or abilities, such as fortunetelling. 

Some Jews took advantage of that and played the part to make some extra money. 

Our two missionaries have an audience with the Roman governor of the island, Sergius Paulus. 

By the way, archaeologists have discovered inscriptions with his name on them. 

Elymas interjects himself into the conversation to try to sway Sergius from hearing the Gospel. 

Paul – here called that for the first time. 

It is his Roman name that is a mark of his citizenship, his Jewish name is Saul. 

Paul rebukes Elymas and God strikes him with a temporary blindness. 

It is fitting – the blindness of his eyes now matched the blindness of his heart. 

In the wake of this, Sergius believes the Gospel and, in one of my favorite phrases in the Book of Acts, was “astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.” 

It was not just a miracle that swayed him. 

It was a deeper understanding of the truth that he latched his faith onto. 

Again, this is the first missionary journey of Paul. 

It is the first place they visit – Cyprus. 

It is the first time Paul is called that name and the first time he takes the lead from Barnabas. 

But it is also the first time he faced opposition. 

It certainly will not be the last! 

Just look at the list he gives in II Corinthians: 

2Co 11:24  Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.  

2Co 11:25  Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;  

2Co 11:26  In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;  

2Co 11:27  In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.  

2Co 11:28  Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.  

Opposition to the cause of Christ was not just limited to back then. 

Nor is it limited to giants of the faith like Paul. 

Friends, any time you attempt something for Christ there will be opposition. 

I am to the point if I don’t feel opposition I wonder if I am doing anything worthwhile! 

If there is one things I guarantee you that Satan will fight it is the work of Mission. 

Any time you are trying to get the Gospel to a lost and dying soul he will do all that he can to stop you. 

I am so glad to remind you that we do not work in our power in this. 

Truly as John said in I John 4:4 – “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 

What are some of the enemies we face today in the work of missions? 

What keeps someone from surrendering to God’s call and carrying the light to the darkest corners of the world? 

What keeps the average Christian from being involved, whether it be praying, giving, or going? 

I want to discuss a few of the enemies we must overcome if we are to be faithful to our Lord’s command to carry the Gospel to all the world. 

I. Building our own Kingdom instead of the Kingdom of God 

One of the chief reasons why many churches today are not sufficiently invested and active in missions work is because they are too focused on building themselves up. 

One of the chief reasons why many Christians today are not sufficiently invested and active in missions work is because they are too focused on building their own treasures up. 

We can frame it in many ways to make it sound like it is noble or even spiritual. 

But the bottom line is we are too worried about ourselves and our own desires. 

We want bigger and better. 

God never really said to seek after those things. 

You will recall the words of our Lord in the sermon on the mount. 

He did not say, “seek ye first the biggest church in town.” 

He did not say, “Seek ye first a 401K.” 

No, He said, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.” 

His kingdom, not ours. 

I am not being extreme here and saying we shouldn’t take care of or better ourselves. 

But I am saying that to put God first puts things in their proper order. 

Look at the Lord’s prayer – “THY name be hallowed!  THY kingdom come!  THY will be done!” 

It continues – “Give us this day our daily bread.” 

God first, then us! 

Oh, that our lives, our pocketbooks, our calendars – every aspect of ourselves, would have God first and foremost! 

II.   Being discouraged because of failures and frauds 

We read the Old Testament and our hearts are stirred to read of the great prophets of old, like Elijah and Elisha. 

We love their boldness and their stands for truth. 

But have you ever considered that their voices were not alone. 

They were usually outnumbered by false prophets. 

Elijah faced off against 450 prophets of Baal 

Micaiah in I Kings 22 was the lone faithful prophet against 400 false prophets 

Go read about Jeremiah – he was in the minority as he preached the harsh and honest truth. 

Those men had to get discouraged – we now Elijah did! 

We can get discouraged today because there are so many misguided and frankly fraudulent forms of missions. 

You can give money to some organizations and mere pennies on the dollar make it to the field. 

There are also a lot of organizations that do a lot of good in the name of Christ but are not very good at proclaiming the name of Christ. 

I am all for helping people, but the greatest need every of man, woman, and child on this earth is that they are sinners and they need Christ. 

Too many of substituted philanthropy for evangelism. 

Again, I am not against helping others – I am proud that our church supports some fantastic organizations, especially here locally. 

What I am saying is that the commands to help our neighbors, be hospitable, and show kindness are not fulfilling the Great Commission in themselves. 

People need Christ more than they need clean water. 

Now, if clean water opens the door to present Christ, I am all for it. 

If missions work does not present the Gospel and wrestle with lost souls, then it is not truly Missions. 

III.  Missions-less Theology and Preaching 

I think it would be a curious experiment to survey the topics covered this morning in every sermon across every church across every denomination across this nation. 

Some will be continuing a topical series or many an ongoing exposition of a book of the Bible. 

Some will be pastoral, gently encouraging and comforting. 

Some will hellfire and damnation – we could honestly use more of those. 

Some will rehearse political talking points, some right but mostly left. 

I see the clips online 

It is scary how many churches try to align themselves to politics and not the Bible. 

Some will be full of promises that God loves you and wants to bless you and prosper you and please scan the QR code and make a seed offering… 

A very few will be fully evangelistic, laying out the Gospel in order and pressing for sinners to come to Christ. 

It scares me to think of how few times the work of missions will be spoken of in the pulpit this morning. 

My Bible says that God so loved the WORLD. 

My Bible says that Christ said to God and teach all nations. 

My Bible shows examples of missions work and how to do it. 

Paul was sent out by the church at Antioch. 

Many churches cooperated in supporting him and others. 

I think every Christian, every preacher, every church ought to take a good look at themselves sometimes and ask: 

What am I doing to reach the whole world with the whole Gospel of Christ? 

Most of us would need to answer that – “not enough” 

Every one of us could go more, could give more, could pray more, and could encourage more. 

IV.  The Spirit of Felix 

In Acts 24, Paul the prisoner preached the Gospel to Felix the governor. 

Act 24:25  And as he [Paul] reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.  

One of the most dangerous tendencies we have regarding serving God in any manner is procrastination. 

I will call it “the Spirit of Felix” 

We convince ourselves that  “mean to” is as good as “to do”. 

“I’ll give to missions when I am financial stable” 

No, you won’t.  You will find another excuse. 

“I will go myself once I get some things settled here” 

No, you won’t.  You will find another excuse. 

“I will pray for missionaries when I get more time” 

No, you won’t.  You will find another excuse. 

Do not delay entering fray and be a part of missions today! 

Do not delay in coming to Christ! 

Sermon – “The Savior’s Lament”

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Our Savior’s Lament 

Matthew 23:37-39 

Our text this morning takes place in the final days of His earthly ministry leading to His death and resurrection. 

Any honest reading of the Gospels will tell you that Christ was not aloof or otherworldly in His interactions with people. 

No, He deeply cared for each individual. 

I think you can take use the words of Matthew 9:35-38 to summarize His ministry: 

Mat 9:35  And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.  

Mat 9:36  But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.  

Mat 9:37  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;  

Mat 9:38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.  

Our Lord saw the greatness and the severity of the need of mankind. 

It was not their politics that moved Him to tears. 

It was not their economic circumstances. 

It was not their lack of education. 

It was the grip that sin had in their hearts. 

It was that poison injected into man’s veins back in the Garden of Eden and which broke the perfection of God’s creation. 

It was that abomination, that wickedness, that evil, that offense, that iniquity, that transgression, that guilt, that rebellion, that deviance, that erring, that affront to the holiness of our Creator. 

We are stand not only guilty of being sinners before God, but also in grossly misvaluing the how horrendous and how vile our sin is in His eyes. 

Our very best, according to the prophet Isaiah (64:6), all piled up – “righteousnesses” – are account as “filthy rags” – putrid garbage – in God’s eyes.  

You can take a thesaurus and list every adjective, adverb, verb, or noun that relates to the awfulness of sin and still fail miserably at correctly describing it. 

Our sins – personal and corporate – and their effects were so great that it took the blood of God Himself to even offer a chance at escape. 

No amount of money could do it. 

No amount of sacrifice could do it. 

No amount to penance could do it. 

Christ, the spotless lamb of God, had to suffer in our place, bearing our sins, and conquering death. 

Yet that did not instantly cleanse this world and all mankind from our sin. 

No, it only provided a door for those willing to trust in Christ. 

Before our text, Christ is denouncing those that taught a corrupted form of God’s grace. 

The Pharisees said you had to earn your way to forgiveness by keeping the Law. 

That is an impossible task. 

Somone counted and said there are 613 individual commandments. 

No mortal man has kept those – we cannot because we are born as a sinner who will sin. 

Christ came to mankind, to the Jew first, to be that one who would fulfill the law in our place, doing what we could not do, providing righteousness we could never merit on our own. 

Some saw it and trusted in Him. 

Most did not. 

In our text, Christ is in the Temple at Jerusalem. 

He is in one of the outer courts and many gathered to hear His words. 

The series of events leading up to our text begin in Matthew 21:23. 

His enemies had tried to trick Him and discredit Him. 

They were desperate and plotting to kill Him. 

I do not know how many that day truly believed that He was the Messiah and the hope for our salvation. 

It is probably the same crowd that cried “Hosanna!” at the Triumphal entry in the opening of chapter 21. 

Many of these same voices might just be the same that will shortly cry, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” 

It is with profound sadness that Christ looks on the multitude before Him. 

In His infinite knowledge He knew their hearts and the hearts of all mankind. 

For almost four years He had preached and taught. 

He had healed their sick and raised their dead. 

He proved time and time again Who He was and clearly stated what His mission was. 

Can you just imagine the eyes of our Savior in this moment? 

Can you see the tears begin to form? 

Can you hear His voice quaver as He speaks? 

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!” 

What more could He say? 

What more could He do? 

The hardness of men’s fallen and sinful hearts refused to embrace the grace offered them. 

Like Jeremiah and Nehemiah weeping over the ruins of Jerusalem, our Savior laments their rejection and its consequences. 

Now, you may be wondering why I am speaking from this passage on this topic in the middle of our Missions month emphasis. 

It is not traditionally linked to the idea of Missions, but if you will only look again, I think you will find it is full of missionary emphasis. 

It grieves the heart of the Almighty God that mankind does not embrace His only begotten Son that He gave to be the ransom for our sins. 

II Peter 3:9 says that God is “…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 

I Timothy 2:4 says that God “…will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” 

I could go on and point out other proof texts, but I will let the broken heart of Christ speak for itself. 

how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 

I ask you this morning, have you ever surveyed the state of this old world and been so moved as Christ was? 

Does the fact that billions need the Gospel move you? 

Statistics say that every minute 107 people pass into eternity – just shy of 2 every second. 

Do you ever consider their standing with God? 

Does that move you?  

Statistics say that every minute 260 babies are born – a little more than 4 per second. 

Do you think about who will tell them about Christ? 

Does that move you? 

Oh, if only we could see this world as Christ does! 

If only we were moved with compassion like Him! 

If only we were driven to tears like Him! 

If only we would be moved to action like Him! 

I ask you this morning, when was the last time you were moved like our Savior was? 

We have downplayed the importance of the broken heart. 

I remind you that our Savior Himself wept many times. 

Most famously He wept at the grave at Lazarus. 

Yet we hide our tears away. 

We are told we must be strong. 

We are told we must show strength, but I remind you of the words Paul wrote: 

2Co_12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

The Bible promises that God takes note of our tears: 

Psa 56:8  Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?  

Two verses from Psalms show us that God not only aids those with broken hearts, but actually expects it from us! 

Psa_51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 

Psa_34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 

We have numerous promises that our tears are temporary, that ultimately we will rejoice in the goodness of God! 

Psa_30:5  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. 

Do you have a burden this morning? 

That is a foolish question – we all do. 

Some of those burdens we are not called to carry. 

If you are burdened by your sins, we have a Savior that already bore them to Calvary. 

Perhaps you have heartaches this morning. 

Can I tell you, I think we’ve had a tremendous missions month. 

I think our church is poised on the see great things. 

Why do I think that? 

Because the devil has been working overtime on . 

Right now I feel like a boxer who is getting pounded by a flurry of punches, unable to block the incoming blows as they come so quickly and from unexpected directions. 

Oh, the burdens we carry! 

Oh, the tears we shed! 

But, oh, how wonderful is our Savior who said 

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.  

Remember the promise of God: 

Psa 55:22  Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.  

I will close this morning by jumping over to Psalm 126. 

It is a cry of Israel when they had been defeated and exiled from their homes. 

They are far from home enduring the correction of God. 

It begins as a prayer for them to be reconciled to God and return to the Promised Land. 

Psa 126:1  A Song of degrees. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.  

Psa 126:2  Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.  

Psa 126:3  The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.  

Psa 126:4  Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.  

Note vs. 4 

It alludes to what are called wadis in the deserts of southern Israel. 

These are seasonal streams that are dry much of the year but when the rains come in the highlands they can be filled with rushing water. 

Note it is a FLOOD. 

Now look at the closing verses. 

Psa 126:5  They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.  

Psa 126:6  He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.  

We quote these verses often as a comfort. 

Yes we may shed tears now, but those are seeds for a future harvest of joy. 

It is a promise of a sure and bountiful harvest. 

But those verses are not isolated from the rest of the chapter. 

No, they part and parcel of it. 

I think there is a link between the flood of vs. 4 and the tears of vs. 5. 

oMy friends, we may sow in tears but God  

Sermon – “Biblical Forgiveness”

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NOTES

Biblical Forgiveness

Matthew 18:15-35 

I want to speak this morning on a vital subject that is often misrepresented. 

I want to remind you that Satan is a great counterfeiter. 

Yes, he deals in lies, but the best and most effective lies have a ring of truth to them. 

I think his game with most Christians is not to make them reject Biblical truth, but rather to corrupt that truth or replace it with a counterfeit truth. 

This reminds me of something I have noticed in the automotive world. 

There has been a push, a misguided one I believe, to get people to drive electric cars. 

I have no issue with electric cars at all – I think the technology is fascinating and if I were independently wealthy, I’d love to have a Tesla to play with all the geeky stuff in it. 

But this political push behind the electric vehicles is questionable at best. 

I am not convinced at all that they are better for the environment, they just move the pollution from your car to a power plant. 

Anyway, I have noticed that many car companies in attempt to market these new vehicles are using classic names – The Ford Bronco is a good example of this. 

The electric Ford Bronco and OJ’s Ford Bronco are two totally different things! 

But their marketing appeals to your nostalgia and you associate the new with the old, even to the point of replacing it. 

Today’s subject – FORGIVENESS – is one that I am convinced Satan has influenced in modern Christianity. 

He has taken a very good thing and twisted and stretched and manipulated into something resembling its former self but is in essence something different entirely. 

This is similar to what he did the “Judge Not”. 

That is not a Biblical command at all. 

The Bible teaches us to not be judgmental but it also tells us that you can judge a tree by its fruit – just keep reading Matthew 6 beyond the first verse. 

What I often hear today is that Christians are commanded to forgive no matter what. 

Along with that we are told that we must forgive and forget. 

Now on the surface, those sound righteous and noble. 

The problem is that these ideas do not necessarily align with Scripture. 

They are also quite dangerous – many abusers use these lines to keep their prey in check 

My goal this morning is to lay out a Biblical understanding of what forgiveness between two humans truly is. 

I believe the greatest passage of Scripture on human forgiveness is our text in Matthew 18. 

We did not read the entire chapter, but it is important to note for context and the development of thought. 

The chapter begins with the disciples arguing about who was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

A lot of pride is found in that discussion. 

Christ calls a little child over and uses him as an object lesson. 

Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  

Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  

He continues in vs. 7 by addressing the temptation to offend – not in the modern sense of hurt someone feelings, rather to lay traps for and attack others to cause them to stumble and fall. 

We have a bad enough time stumbling over our own sinfulness in our daily lives that it is a high crime before God to make it harder for others to live the Christian life. 

In vs. 10 Christ addresses the value of the child of God. 

He came to this world to save us. 

He is the Good Shepherd that will leave the ninety and nine in search of the one. 

Peter nails this idea when he wrote: 

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. 

What we have seen from vs. 1 to 14 primarily deals with relationship of the individual believer with God – the nature and value that we have to Christ. 

Because of that value, we must be careful not to hurt or harm or otherwise discourage others in their own Christian walks. 

But a question naturally arises here. 

We understand that we should not offend another believer, but what if another believer offends us? 

It is no longer a question about being the perpetrator of harm, but rather the target of it. 

How are we supposed to react? 

Do we turn the other cheek?  

Do we pray for fire and brimstone to rain down on our attack? 

Christ lays out first a practical method to deal with redress against harm. 

Then He gives us the spiritual foundation for forgiveness. 

I want to examine these in turn and also bring in some other relevant Scriptures on these matters. 

I believe when we are done with our examination of this passage we will all be challenged in what it truly means to forgive. 

I. Restoration Is the Goal of Forgiveness 

I have one very important observation about his passage that is often neglected when analyzing the subject of forgiveness. 

Both of these sections, practical and spiritual, are founded on cases of brother-on-brother wrongdoing and forgiving. 

Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee… 

Mat 18:21  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me…. 

The question is not about what to do when an unbeliever attacks a believer – this is conflict management inside the body of Christ. 

I will deal with that situation later… 

In the first section of our text we have the practical plan for restoration. 

If a brother offends you, go try to make it right. 

If they refuse, take a third party along. 

I do not think this means to bring along someone to just back you up. 

Practically speaking having an unbiased third party to facilitate restoration is extremely important. 

If that does not resolve the matter, then got to the church body itself. 

If the wrongdoer still does not repent of their evil, they should be treated like the outsider that they are acting like. 

The ultimate goal of this procedure is to bring the wrongdoer to repentance and restore them. 

It is not to punish them or make them perform some sort of penance for their actions. 

It is to bring sheep #100 back into the fold. 

Too often we treat the idea of forgiveness as righting wrongs against us, but Biblically speaking forgiveness should be a catalyst to bring an error child back to God. 

II.  Repentance is the Basis for Forgiveness 

The modern, counterfeit forgiveness preaches that we should people forgive no matter what. 

If that were true, there would be no need for the three-step restoration process we just looked at because you would just forgive and forget somewhere along step one and go along your way. 

You will hear an appeal to a Scripture such as: 

Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. 

You will hear someone say, “Well, God forgave you so you must forgive others.” 

This misses a key ingredient to the process of forgiveness. 

Look again at what Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:32 –  forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. 

This begs the question – How did God forgive you? 

First, God forgives THROUGH CHRIST and THROUGH CHRIST ALONE. 

God’s holiness and righteousness does not allow Him to simply dismiss our sins and our shortcomings. 

It is only through the sacrifice of Christ God can even consider forgiving our sins! 

Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;  

Second, God forgives on the condition of repentance. 

Such was the cry of the Old Testament prophets to wayward Israel. 

Such was the cry of John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, and the Apostles. 

Such is the cry of Matthew 18. 

It is God’s prescribed plan that to seek forgiveness or to grant forgiveness the wrongdoer must repent of their actions as a condition for restoration. 

I will be so bold as to say that to guarantee forgiveness without repentance is to make a mockery of the Gospel – Forgiveness is not Benevolence. 

III.   Redundancy is the Beauty of Forgiveness. 

Note Peter’s question and Christ’s response beginning in vs. 21 of our text: 

Mat 18:21  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?  

Mat 18:22  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.  

Evidently some of the Jewish rabbis taught that after forgiving someone seven times you were off the hook for forgiving them and could then hold a grudge and hate them. 

Christ responds with hyperbole – a number so exaggerated as to be impractical. 

I mean, who has time to wrong you and repent and seek forgiveness 490 times? 

We see here one of the most remarkable elements of Biblical forgiveness. 

It is limitless in its application when properly executed. 

I add that qualify because of the parable that closes the chapter. 

A scoundrel begs forgiveness (to the tune of around $500 million) by feigning repentance. 

We know his repentance is not true because he does not carry on the same spirit of forgiveness to the one that owed him about $500.  

We who truly have repented our sins before God and have found His forgiveness should so graciously model that same forgiveness to our fellow man. 

We are forgiven by God so we repeat forgiveness to others. 

We offer not only once, but continually as God’s forgiveness is granted to us. 

IV.  Representation is the Witness of Forgiveness 

The passage in Matthew that we looked at primarily applies to the handling of offenses and forgiveness between believers. 

It addresses the need and character of Biblical forgiveness that we are to show. 

But what about when it is someone from outside the faith that has harmed you? 

The three step plan we looked at earlier fails because you cannot take them to the church! 

I am going to leave you this morning with a few quick observations about forgiving those outside the faith. 

First, we should model Biblical forgiveness to all. 

Luk 6:28  Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.  

Christ prayed for forgiveness to those that crucified Him. 

By modeling God’s forgiveness we are acting out an object lesson on the Gospel. 

Second, we should not bear ill-will to those that have wronged us. 

Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  

This does not mean that we should not seek for justice. 

I have to remind myself often that God said that vengeance is His, and not mine. 

Our goal with interacting with unbelievers is to bring them to see the Light of the Gospel. 

Third, we should not allow ourselves to be abused or cheated in the name of forgiveness. 

Let no man or woman or institution convince you that you must forgive their wrongdoing and harm just because you are a Christian. 

We are called to stand for the truth and the right, not to be taken advantage of by unbelievers. 

Fourth, let goodness draw people to forgiveness, not retribution. 

Romans 2:4 – the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?  

If we err, let us err on the side of kindness and goodness and gentleness and meekness. 

We should seek reasons to forgive and not excuses to withhold forgiveness.