1 Timothy 3:14-15 The guide to Christian living

1 Timothy 3:14-15

Imagine that you’ve just become a Christian. For some of you, that’s pretty easy – it wasn’t so long ago! Praise the Lord! What now? What do I do? How do I live? How do I behave?

I remember my Dad telling the story about one lady who became a Christian and was so excited that she had to celebrate. So she did. The only way he knew how. And got completely smashed (drunk)!

We laugh, because it’s both so wrong and so very understandable!

But how do we know how to behave?
First: we need to know the truth.
Second: we need to see the truth lived out
Third: we need to live the truth

1. Know the truth

How do we know how to behave as Christians? Well, one of the things we do is to read the Bible. For example, 1 Timothy.

14 I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, 15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

The word truth there at the end of v15 is alethias (a-lay-thi-as), which means “a message that conforms to reality” that is a true message. That truth is the Gospel.

The Bible tells us how to behave. It gives us a truthful way to live – a way to live in accordance with the truth, with reality. Reality is that God is alive – he is the living God – and rules the world. The reality is that this world is under judgement, and so in many areas we see the effects of sin in our lives and in the people, towns and countries around us. War, famine, disease, disaster, murder, theft, rape, fraud, deceit, cheating, tax evasion, sexual immorality, harsh words, violence, cutting remarks, fighting – all these things which God allows, as part of his judgement on us, in order to make us realise that we have a problem. To turn us around to face Jesus.
Oh, he limits the effect of our sin – what we see in this world today is only part of our sin unleashed. Revelation tells us that it’s about a third. The full extent of our sin would be three times worse. And, if we’re honest, when we look into our own hearts and take a good honest look at what lives within us: anger, jealousy, pride, foolishness, debauchery (being wild), violence – all there just bubbling under the surface. Imagine all of that with no restraint. No God keeping it at bay.

So that’s one part of reality.

The other part is, as it says in 1:15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” Reality is that we are sinners. Reality is also that God is full of mercy and came to save sinners. He did not set down a bunch of rules and say “good luck”. No, he gave us those rules, what we call the Old Testament Law (or the Law of Moses) to show us that we can’t keep them. Because as you try to keep them, you fall short, and you realise you need some way to say sorry to God. And that’s why he gave them, at the same time as the Law, the sacrificial system in the Temple. A way to say sorry for breaking His Law, a way to be made right with God. And all that came to fulfilment in Jesus Christ: who both kept the Law fully, perfectly, and then died as a sinner, a Law-breaker in our place – so that he could be our perfect sacrifice.

So we don’t have to pretend that we are good when we are not. Drop the pretence. Turn to God. Cry out for mercy. And accept his forgiveness. Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. 1:16 Paul continues God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 All honour and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

Praise the Lord! Now friends, this is the Gospel, the truth that we have been given. This is what dominates our lives. It guides and steers us through every word, every action. I am a forgiven sinner.

Has anyone here watched a 3D movie – either the new ones with the fancy glasses or the old ones with the blue and red lenses? Have you ever shut one eye, and looked, and then shut the other eye, and looked? What happens? You see two slightly different pictures (or two different colours). Two perspectives on the same scene. That’s what it’s like to live as a Christian. We have two perspectives on reality at the same time – and seeing both gives us the full picture of reality. We are sinners. We are forgiven. We are depraved. We are perfect in Christ. We are unholy law-breakers. We are holy, with lives lived in perfect praise to our Father. That is who we are.

Know the truth.

But how do we work out that truth in practice. What does it look like to live as a sinner made perfect by Christ. Well, that’s why we have each other: the household (or family) of God.

2. See the truth (lived out)

14 I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, 15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

You see, it is important the way we relate to each other in church. Because most of the time we don’t do what people say – but what they do. So the way we interact with each other is important. You’ve all heard my Dad tell the story of how he was drawn to Christ through Gordy and his relationship with his wife and children. Seeing how Gordy behaved said “This is Christ in action” – and my Dad wanted to know more. It matters how we behave. Imagine if Gordy’s wife had been all up in his face with “don’t you be telling me what to do and thinking you’re all that” – or if Gordy had just ignored his children, or spoken harshly to his wife.
Our behaviour matters.

Because we do what other people DO, that’s why chapter 3 is so specific on the CHARACTER of the elders and deacons – the leaders in the church. Because as your leaders go, the church goes. Did you notice last week that there was only one “skill” required: “Able to teach”. All the rest concern character.
The most important thing for a leader of a church is not dynamic up front, ability manage a team well, fantastic people skills, and so on. It is their character. Because what they do, we do. No pressure!
I feel it. If I mess up, it affects us all. I hope you are praying for the leaders in this church. Without Christ, we are lost. Pray for us.

It’s a lot like being a parent. You can say “don’t swear” or “put your shows away” as much as you want – but if YOU swear, or don’t put your shows away… what will your children do?
Your children will do what you DO not what you SAY.
By the way, if you haven’t heard last week’s sermon on chapter 3, get it from our website when you get home, sit down, and listen to it. It isn’t a boring sermon on “church leadership” but it is a great sermon on the power of the Gospel in the church – in our lives as ordinary Christians.

Because what did we see last week? Elders, deacons, and Christians. The requirements of leaders in the church is that they must be Christians and that their lives must show it. There was nothing required of church leaders that doesn’t apply to every Christian. You must be a faithful husband, self-controlled, living wisely in a respectable way (basically a good citizen), and have a good reputation. Is any of that not required of all of us? Being hospitable (having guests in our home) – our homes should be open, generous, we should always be welcoming people. Not a drunkard, or greedy or miserly (the opposite of generous with money and things). Gentle, not argumentative, not violent, with a family, children, who respect him, as well as generally a good reputation amongst non-Christians.

A whole bunch of people, living like that – now that’s attractive. That gets people asking “what is with these people”? And it helps each of us when we see our brothers and sisters acting in this way. Before I had kids I watched how Christian men brought up their kids. When I sat at the dinner table I learnt a huge amount just seeing them interact. Oh, that’s what Ephesians 6:1-2 “bring up your children. When you hear guys praying you think “wow, that’s what 1 Timothy 2 was talking about: lifting up holy hands in prayer. That’s how you do it”. You see the women in the church – the way they act, the way they dress, the way they are with their family, and you think “wow, that’s what it means to be a godly women, like in chapter 2”
We see the truth lived out.

But, if we’re not spending time together, we can’t learn from each other, influence each other, encourage each other. The church is our lifeline.

But v15 “how people must conduct themselves in the household of God” doesn’t just mean how we behave on a Sunday in this room. It’s how we are, with each other, out in the world. Because it says God’s household not God’s house. There is no such building which is the “house of the Lord” or “God’s house”. So please don’t call the church building the Lord’s house or the sanctuary – as if it is somehow holy. No. God teaches us that we are in fact the house of the Lord – since He through His Spirit, lives in us. We saw that when we read Ephesians. Here in Timothy, the picture is us as God’s household.
My household consists of myself, Debby, Kristin, Kaleb, and now Eowyn. It is those people or animals who live in my house. My family. I am the head of the house: the provider, the guardian.

It is the same with God’s household. We are his householders – those who live under his protection and his provision. We are his family. Isn’t that amazing?

Isn’t it a fantastic picture? All joined together, united, a holy family, with God as our Father. We join together for the big family meal on Sunday’s and Wednesday’s (or Monday’s if you’re a Mom with a baby!) – and the rest of the week we’re out in the world – but we’re still family, Still connected. We don’t stop being family when we walk out of the door! When my son waves goodbye and opens the gate on the way to school he doesn’t suddenly stop being my son.

We see each other, we learn from each other as we’re in each others’ homes, as we serve each other at work or at the shops, as we meet each others needs, as we pray for each other, as we meet together each week.

But this brilliant picture doesn’t work so well if we’re all half-hearted with our commitment to each other – to the church – does it? If I’m half-hearted with my commitment to church, what is the truth that others, my brothers and sisters, are seeing? Come if I feel like it. Not too important. I don’t really care about you. That’s not truth – that’s a lie.

You see, being part of a family is both a privilege and a responsibility! If I’m never at home, if I’m never spending time with my family, I would be a terrible Dad. If I didn’t care about my Mom and Dad, I would be a terrible son. Being part of God’s family comes with responsibilities.
And that can be annoying. We’ve got to love each other. We find ourselves caring about each other. Being involved in each other’s lives. We have noisy kids ruining our quiet services. We have people moaning about our noisy kids ruining our coming to church! You know, sometimes it would a lot easier just to check out. Lock ourselves away. Not care about each other.
But that’s not the Gospel is it? That’s not how God treats us so how can we treat each other like that. We have his Spirit, and He gives us the strength to bear with one another in love. To carry each others’ burdens. To rejoice with each other and go through suffering together. We are a family.

We need to see the truth – and others need to see the truth in us.

3. Live the truth.

3:15 [The household of God] is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

This letter is written to the church: the leaders and the members, to tell us how to behave in as a church. Why does it matter how we behave? Because it is not our church, but the church of the living God. And because this church, the church, the worldwide body of Christ, including the little part of it meeting here this morning: we are the pillar and foundation of the truth.

We carry this truth: the truth that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”. We are a pillar standing strong. We are a secure foundation - strong and sturdy to build your life on. That’s our job as a church. So why would you preach, teach, live out, anything other than the Word of God? Jesus’ word will never fail – but everything else will. The church must be a solid strong foundation and support.

But the word there “foundation” has another meaning. The sense of a fortification – that is, a supporting wall or defensive structure. Part of our job is to defend the truth. That is by preaching the gospel, by telling those who preach a false gospel to keep quiet, by living such good lives that people see how attractive the gospel is. You know, this church is getting a reputation because of the way we care for each other. Because you guys see when people are in need, and you go and meet their needs. That’s fantastic. People genuinely care about each other. Praise the Lord.

That is defending the truth. It’s not setting up guns to shoot at people from inside our little castle. Ooh, he’s evil. Pow. We do not gather and look inward. The way to defend the truth is to live it – out there. To love each other. To share the gospel with other. Let them see the outworking of Christ in our lives.

We need to know the truth. We need to see the truth. And we need to live the truth,

That’s why we need to be involved in a church – to regularly attend the services and Bible studies so that we HEAR the gospel truth – to be reminded of the reality in which we live.
And to SEE the gospel in action in each others’ lives, at meetings and in daily life. As we are in each others’ homes and see the gospel in action.

And we need to display that, show that to others. For example Hospitality – opening your home to others: that’s a powerful witness. Let people see your lives.

Now I know what you’re thinking. But I’m not good enough. I’m a failure. I get things wrong. Yes, but you’re looking through one eye. In 2D. Open both eyes, see in 3D, and see that God is also working in and through you,. You’d be surprised at how much of Christ people see. Just look at v 15 again, and where it says “this”, put your name : Daniel is part of the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

We part of it! Isn’t that exciting. And even our failures – God uses to show his grace. One final story before I close. It’s from the book “Thank God it’s Monday” and a guy was taking stationery from work – like a lot of people did. Bit of paper, few pens, and so on. One day, the Holy Spirit convicted him that it was wrong, and he felt that he had to confess to his boss. But he thought “what will that do to my witness”. He’d been trying to get his boss along to church, talk about Jesus, but got nowhere. And outing himself as a petty thief wouldn’t exactly make things better! But the Spirit, He does not let us off so easily, and so this man eventually went into his bosses office, confessed that he’d been taking office supplies, and apologised. His bosses’ response shocked him. He said “Oh I’ve known for ages you’ve been doing that – quite a few do. But no-one has ever just come in and confessed and apologised. If that’s the kind of person your Jesus can produce, I want to know more.

The power of saying sorry, of confessing your sins to non-Christians. Don’t underestimate it. We are sinners. We’re forgiven. We can do that. Most non-Christians can’t, because they’re too busy trying to cover up their sin. For us, Christ has dealt with it. We have nothing to fear.

So, know the truth: you are ridiculously sinful, and amazingly loved.

See the truth: be in church, be with your brothers and sisters, see the truth in action. And recognise that you too are showing the truth in how you live.

And live the truth. Get people in your home. Be honest at work, at the sports club, wherever it is – let people see something of the work of Christ in you. Don’t worry that you’re not perfect – Christ will shine out whether you realise it or not.

Ask others. Ask others how you’ve changed.

1 Timothy 1:18-2:7 Don’t shipwreck your faith!

1 Timothy 1:18-2:7

Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. 19 Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. 20 Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.

Fight! Battle! Cling! Violated! Shipwrecked! Thrown to Satan! This is normal, everyday Christian life, Christian ministry. There wasn’t something weird or super spiritual going on down in Ephesus. Some guys were going around twisting the gospel for selfish gain. For money, basically. And Paul is urging Timothy not to fall into the same trap, but stay the true course. Fight the good fight! Stay the course. Don’t be swayed. Because this is a spiritual battle. This is life and death. This is heaven and hell.
This is what we’re going to look at this morning. First, we’ll see how false teachers twist the gospel into a false gospel by corrupting the law. Then we’ll look at what the law is really there for (it’s for showing us our sin). And then we’ll see what we should be doing then, if what the false teachers are telling (follow the law to earn your salvation) is wrong.

1. False teachers twist the gospel

Why would these teachers become false? Why would they, as v19 says “deliberately violate their conscience”?

Well, we find the answer a bit later on in the letter to Timothy. 6:5 These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.
Money and power. Nothing new under the sun, is there. The same old temptations that can cause anyone to stumble. And men are particularly prone to the temptations of money and power. And those in leadership – oh even more so. It is not surprising, therefore, that 2:1 urges us to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

Day after day we read or hear stories of corruption, nepotism, favouritism – people using their power, their leadership positions, not for the good of the people but for their own selfish gain, and their family members’. And the church is not immune! We are a club for sinners, not a holy huddle.... J

We need to be wary of greed, particularly as ministers – and we need to be careful in listening to ministers whose lives seem to be dominated by money and love of money.

Because love of money leads to violating your conscience and corrupting the gospel.

Why? Because, annoyingly, the gospel is free! Christ came to save sinners, and he bore the cost. There is no way to earn money from the gospel, the true gospel. No-one ever got rich by following Christ! So you need to change the gospel, you need to corrupt the gospel so that people are not forgiven unless they come to you and pay you to dispense a blessing. You need a gospel of works, not a gospel of grace. So the first thing you need to do is bring back the law as a way of salvation. Follow the Law, and you will be saved. That has the extra advantage of putting you above everyone else, because, of course, you’re really good at keeping the law. And then, if you’re really smart, you’ll tell people that you can pray for them or bless them, for a small tax-deductible “donation” of course.

The irony is, that using the law like this, is using the law incorrectly! v8 For we know the law is good when used correctly (word there is lawfully). There is a lawful way of using the law. But these false teachers, trying so hard to keep the law to earn their salvation, well they are using the law unlawfully – using the law in a way that breaks the law! So ironic! Trying to keep the law to earn your salvation means that you automatically break the law – whoops!

So beware of the law-preachers. Beware of anyone who offers you blessing linked to money. Beware of anyone who says you need to do this or else you are cursed. Or you need to come through me or this organisation or do this ritual.

What does 2:5 say? 5 For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.

A mediator is someone who stands between us and God. He is the one who represents us – the one who can call on God to declare us righteous. Why would you want anyone or anything other than Christ to be your mediator? Don’t fall into the trap!

The Law is not our mediator. False teachers always want to turn you off Christ, and on to anything else, particularly the law.

So, if that understanding of the law is wrong, what is the Law for?

2. The Law shows us our sin

You see, the law shows us that we are sinners. 9 For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. 10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching 11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.

These false teachers were using the law wrongly – corrupting the gospel by corrupting the law. They were saying the law is for righteous people.
The translation here of v9 is a bit poor because “people who do what is right” can sound like following the law, being good – which is exactly what Paul is arguing against. He writes the law is not for the “dikaio” (righteous or just) but for the lawless, etc. It’s the same word in Romans 3:21 diakosune (the righteousness of God has been given). So v9 says the law is not for the righteous (we who have been made right by Jesus) but it is for the unrighteous.

In what way? Well, the law reveals our unrighteousness. It’s like a thermometer which measures if we have a fever. It diagnoses the problem. But the thermometer is not the cure. Imagine if the doctor said, oh yes, you have a fever – now go home and every day take your temperature with the thermometer. You’d think what an idiot! That can’t help me. I need medicine!

That is what we do when we turn to the law – the diagnostic instrument – and try to turn it into a cure.

The diagnosis is quite frighteningly broad, did you notice that? Our eyes probably fell on the sexual immorality bit – probably on the homosexuality since that’s so politically incorrect. Now it’s quite clear that homosexuality (that is, members of the same sex having sexual intercourse – a man pleasuring a man sexually or a woman pleasuring a woman sexually) that is a sin, is breaking the law, according to God, and since he made us, and He is the standard of moral goodness, we can have no argument against him. So if you disagree with that, then take it up with God, not with me – I’m just the messenger.
But notice, please, what the Word of God says. It does not say “homosexuality is wrong” and only that. It says homosexuality, slavery, lying, sexual immorality, and even breaking your promise is wrong! Oh, and anything else that is contrary to the gospel. Wow. That covers a lot.

So, let’s take sexual immorality – that covers things like watching pornography, one-night stands, bestiality, adultery, even cohabitation “samboer” – basically, God’s standard is this “Am I married to this person?” If yes, have sex with them, and have it often. If no, then don’t have sex with them – and that includes any kind of sexual intercourse!
If you’re living together, move out, propose, get married, and move back in – and while you’re living separately don’t have sex out of honour to God.
Then there are things that we need to be wary of, things like romance novels and films or sexually explicit novels or films – like 50 shades of grey, like Game of Thrones and True blood and other such programs, or even the English Patient or You’ve got mail. You need to decide what will keep your conscience clear, and where we draw the line will be different, since things affect us differently. But you must think about it, and ask God to show you.

What does it say about us and about our society that sex sells. We are sick. Actually, we’re literally sick. I read that 20 000 Norwegians each year are infected with Chlamydia (a sexually transmitted disease that if untreated can render a woman sterile!) – and of those 10 000 have a strain that is resistant to antibiotics. Sexual freedom? Sounds like sexual entrapment to me.

But sex is the big one Paul uses to get our attention. But there’s also lying. And promise-breaking. How many of us are guilty of that! The point is, we are all guilty! The liar, the practising homosexual, the adulterer, the promise-breaker. There we all stand, diagnosis: sick. Prognosis (result): fatal. We are all sinners and the sin will kill us. And guess who else stands with us? Oh yes, all those who have been KEEPING the law - those who have not lied, or broken a promise, or ever sinned sexually. If they exist, they are also condemned! Why? Because their trust is in their performance, in keeping the law – and that is to use the law wrongly, which in itself is breaking the law.

Praise God for the gospel! Praise God that the gospel isn’t “be good, really, really good” but “admit that you are bad, really, really, bad - and cry out to God for mercy”.

19 Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear.

And as we saw last week, God is able to take the worst of sinners – Paul – and turn him completely around! 15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”... 17 All honour and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

The Law shows us our sin, but is not the way to salvation. The way to salvation is Christ. 2:6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. Freedom. Not enslavement to the law – and certainly not to make us dependent on some false teacher.

3. How should we then respond?

How do we avoid the big, easy error of earning our salvation and so shipwrecking our faith? How do we stop trying to manipulate God? How do we avoid twisting the gospel to give us power over people?

First, we must accept the fact that we are forgiven! 19 Cling to your faith in Christ. We cannot earn our salvation and we do not need to. Christ came to save sinners. At the right time Christ dies. And that wasn’t reluctant, something he didn’t want to do. 2:3 This is good and pleases God our Saviour, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

He wants all of us to come to him. He wants us to depend on him. It pleases him when we come to Him for salvation. That should give us great confidence indeed.

(By the way, if you’re anything like me, you may at this point be going “Hey, if God wants everyone to be saved, then why isn’t everyone saved? Isn’t he sovereign? Or is everyone going to be saved?” That’s the idea of universalism – in the end, no matter what, everyone is saved.
Unfortunately it is wrong, because a whole lot of Scripture contradicts it. You need to let Scripture interpret Scripture.
Why doesn’t God do it that way?
We don’t know.
Why did God allow sin? Why does God not just whip us off to heaven when we believe? Why did he choose to come and die? Why?
Ha. He says “trust me”. Do we have faith in Him? Haven’t we seen enough of his character, his love, his mercy? We see him on the cross, and we see a God of love and mercy. A God of justice and righteousness. Yes there are things we do not understand, and solutions which seem obvious and simple to us (“just save everyone”) are probably not, and so let us let God handle that, and trust him.
I remember a fellow student in a speech at University railing against the government angrily berating them for not simply printing more money to solve the problems of poverty. A simple solution – and completely wrong… no understanding of the complex reality that if you print more money, then the money you have becomes worthless, and you’re back where you started.)

So, how should we respond? Cling to Christ, that is “I am forgiven. I am a beloved child of God, no matter what I have done. Christ is enough”. And then we need to 19 keep our consciences clear. And I think that means confession and repentance – and that’s enough.

When we sin (not if!) we need to confess our sin, repent of our sin, and then nothing more. We do not need to try to make right with God – in Christ we are already made right. That’s the whole point.

Confess our sin: that is say sorry to God for our sin – name your sin “I am sorry that I lied on my insurance form because I was greedy and didn’t trust you to provide for me” or
“I am sorry Lord that I didn’t trust your word about sex and I had sex with my girlfriend” or “had sex with another man” or “had an affair” or “watched pornography” or
“I am sorry Heavenly Father for breaking my promise to my mom that I would help her” or
“I am sorry for being proud and independent and not considering church important and thinking that I’ll be okay without hearing from your word or meeting with your people.” or
“I am sorry for not witnessing about you but keeping silent because I am afraid” or
“I am sorry for being lead by my emotions: doing what I feel is right instead of what I know is right

Confession. It’s something that we must do – but it’s not for God, to tell him something he doesn’t know (ha! He’s already seen you do it, or not do it) – it’s for us. I need to remind myself that I am a sinner. I need to remind myself that I need Christ. I need to remember that I cannot save myself. Confession is good for the soul not because it does anything spiritually but because it stops me from following the lie of “I can earn my salvation”. Paul says “I am the worst of sinners” – he will not listen to the lie.

That’s why unconfessed sin does not send you to hell. God knows it already. God’s forgiven you in Christ. Thinking that unconfessed sin sends you to hell is again thinking that you following the law (confess your sin) will earn your salvation. Our salvation is not dependant on what we do, but on what Christ has done. Praise God!

And then when we have confessed, we repent. Repent is to deliberately turn away from our sin, and turn towards God. Stop doing the evil thing and start doing what is right. Stop having sex with your girlfriend and make plans to marry her, or work out, or have a cold shower, or whatever you need to do. Stop being a coward and start witnessing about Jesus. Stop lying, and tell the truth. And so on.

Why? Because you belong to Christ.

Is this hard? Yes. That’s why we need to pray for each other.

Pray for those in authority – because the temptations are many to abuse power. Pray for Erna and Siv. Pray for those in leadership in the church – the worldwide church and our little church –that we would not corrupt the gospel with law-keeping instead of the free grace of God.
Pray for each other – we are part of the “all people” of v1 - Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Let’s get better at praying for each other, asking God to help us in our struggles against sin, and give thanks for each other. Pray for fellow Christians in the other churches. And pray for our non-Christian friends and neighbours – intercede for them – beg the Lord to save them, to rescue them. Remind him that he wants everyone to be saved and understand the truth. Oh Lord, we beg you here in Notodden and over in Bø, hear our prayer for the lost!

Let us spend some time now in prayer, and in holy confession. Before we celebrate the great grace of the gospel. 5 For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.

1 Timothy 1: true spiritual pedigree

1 Timothy 1: 1-17

What is church?
What is church for?
Who should lead the church and what should they be doing?
How should we as church members behave? What does it mean to be part of the family of God?

Good questions. Important questions. Questions we need to know the answers to. And questions that 1 Timothy answers. It is a challenging, uplifting, uncomfortable and encouraging book! Its key verse is 3:15 I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, 15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

So this letter teaches us how we in the church should behave as members of God’s household, literally God’s family (wow!), and reminds us what church is: the pillar and foundation of the truth.

Kind of lifts up this little gathering doesn’t it? Household of God. Pillar of truth! This is important stuff. We have an important job.

It’s worth pausing for just a moment to think about what we’re reading. Because this isn’t Exodus – a book of theological history (that is history as it happened but showing us God’s role in the events) – this is a letter. Exodus was before Christ, looking forward to Christ, showing us great events that foreshadowed what Jesus would do. This letter is written after Christ – the mystery of how God would save the world – well now revealed: through His death and resurrection. Now everything’s changed. Christ came into this world to save sinners. A trustworthy saying!

We are reading a letter. It’s a personal letter, but one that is designed to be read publically. It’s from Paul, the Apostle, to Timothy who’s been given responsibility for the city of Ephesus.

This morning we’ll start by looking at who Timothy is and who Paul is, and then we’ll spend a bit of time looking at the false teachers’ false teaching. What they were getting wrong. We won’t have time to look in detail at verses 9-11 (the list of sins) this week, but I’ll probably cover it in next week’s sermon. So, come back next Sunday!

Right, let’s get into it, and let’s start by looking at who wrote the letter and who he wrote it to. Since it is a letter. And therefore probably a good idea to understand who they are....

1. A letter from Paul to Timothy

Who is Timothy?

Timothy probably heard the gospel during Paul’s first missionary journey in Lystra and became a believer. You can read about that in Acts 14. Because two years later, during Paul’s second missionary journey, Timothy is mentioned by name in Acts 16:1–3. He had matured so well as a Christian that Paul asked him to come with him - an apprentice to the great apostle! He became one of Paul’s most trusted helpers, so that the apostle could write, “I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare” (Philippians 2:20). So a godly man, who loved the Lord Jesus and loved His people. A great example for us!

It seems that he struggled with ill health, and he certainly had quite a task leading the church at Ephesus! But as Paul writes in v12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. Our strength to serve comes from God.

Timothy was a faithful man, who honoured the Lord with his life, and loved the people under his care. Timothy is the kind of church leader we want to have and want to be ourselves! He did not twist the truth for personal gain, but preached the gospel, taught the Scriptures, the Holy Bible without compromise. Oh that the Lord would grant us many more such leaders!

So that was Timothy. Paul, however, had quite a different background.

Who is Paul? Paul is one of the apostles – the twelve chosen by Jesus plus Paul as one “abnormally born” commissioned as an apostle by Jesus on the road to Damascus. You see, Paul used to be a Pharisee, an expert in the Jewish religious law (or so he thought). He had, like the people in v4 “spiritual pedigree”. He was zealous for God – his whole life was dominated by obeying the law. He loved the law. He thought he loved God. And so when Christianity came along he hated it! How dare they blaspheme God! How could they worship this Jesus instead of God Almighty?

And so he made it his mission to stamp out this horrible lie that was spreading out from Jerusalem. When Stephen was stoned to death, Paul was there, holding the coats of those hurling the stones, approving his death. He went from house to house “breathing murderous threats” the Bible tells us, seeking out Christians to arrest and to terrorise. Paul was like Islamic State is today, going from house to house to wipe out “corruption”.

And then Jesus met him.

Turn to Acts 9. Meanwhile, Saul (who was later renamed Paul) was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way (as the Christians were called in those days) he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. 3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” 5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! 8 Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus.
17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. 20 And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!” 21 All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?” 22 Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.

Paul’s story should give us hope that no-one is beyond God’s mercy: not Islamic State, not al-Shabab (who attacked the Kenyan university), not Janjaweed, not the Nazis, not the Klan, not even our neighbours – and not even you and me. God’s mercy is greater than our sinfulness!

You can see why Paul calls himself the “worst of sinners”. Can you imagine attacking and abusing Christians, even murdering them – and then meeting Christ?
What a turnaround! As Jesus said “Saul, why are you persecuting ME”. To attack those who belong to Christ is to attack Christ himself.

And yet what Paul found was not condemnation and judgement, but mercy. Mercy! The opposite of how HE had been treating people. God gives us what we don’t deserve. Not surprising, then, in v12-17 he says 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, 13 even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. 14 Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. 15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. 16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 All honour and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

Don’t you just love the gospel? This Good News that we have. It is the only news that can turn a life completely around. I have seen countless people transformed by this Good News. As Romans 1:16 says – it’s the first thing you read on our website, and is a driving purpose for this church - For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes.

That’s why it can transform, change even a man like Paul. From violence and power to humility and mercy. Because it is the power of God. It is God’s message. God’s power. And we have the privilege of being the messengers, bringing Good News of hope and a bright future.

So why mess it up? Why pollute it? Why make it into the Bad News with rules and law and “you better be good otherwise God won’t like you”. It is dangerous it is wicked and sends people to Hell.
It matters what kind of gospel we preach.

2. The false teachers’ false pedigree and false gospel

The gospel of Jesus Christ can be summed up in one word “done”. It is finished. That’s what Jesus said on the cross. He had met all the requirements of righteousness. He had fulfilled the law. And as he died his body bore the weight of our sin and he became our sin offering – our perfect sacrifice paying for our sins so that we can go free. It is finished It is done. Our salvation, and our continued salvation – rests on the completed work of Jesus the Christ (Messiah).

But man-made religion always says “do”. Why? Because we want to earn our salvation because if we earn our salvation then God will owe us our salvation and then we have power over God. It’s the same old lie, every time. I want to be God. I am my own ruler. I am King. I am the boss. And so on. And we do not want God – the true God – stepping in. Why do Christians so often get rejected by their families? Or killed? Why is the history of Christianity marked with martyrdom (dying for your faith) – and even today thousands are murdered each year simply for professing Christ – in our modern, progressive world.
People hate Jesus, and so they hate us. How annoying it is when the real God shows up. You have to give up your throne!

And that way of thinking keeps creeping back in. Into our thinking, and into the church. And so Timothy has stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. Shut up!

Why? Because, v4 they were wasting their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees.

The word pedigree there is genealogy (slektstavle). A dog has a pedigree – Eowyn, our dog, is a pedigree dog. Her father is a dog show champion, even won Crofts in England earlier this year. Her mother likewise – and they both have a lineage that can be traced back many many steps.

And that’s what these guys were doing. Oh, I’m better than you because I’m descended from so and so. Oh, everyone in my family are believers. Oh, I follow so-and-so because his family are descended from….

That kind of nonsense. Oh, but we do it too. My grandfather was a Christian, I grew up in a Christian home. I follow so-and-so because he has the “anointing”. I’ve been to Israel.
And all of – ALL OF IT – is simply to say “I’m better than yo-ooou”.

But even worse, they were v6-7 But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions. They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently.

They were using the law as a way to promote themselves. To add to their pedigree. They were DOING and were teaching that their DOING made them more acceptable to God. More acceptable than the perfect work of the Son of God? There is only one trustworthy saying, and it’s not “God helps those who help themselves”, or lies like that, Satanic lies. That’s not in the Bible. The Bible says God helps those who are dead in their sins! Christ came into this world to save sinners – now there’s a trustworthy saying!

You see, what was their teaching leading to? Well, v5 shows us what true gospel teaching leads to: love, a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. Why? Because we know we are loved, and so we can pour out love on others. We have a new heart – the heart of Christ. Something has changed within us. We have a clear conscience because when we sin we know our sins are dealt with – not by us doing rituals – but by the finished work of Christ. Amen? Our consciences are clear. We do not fear. And so our faith is genuine –Christ’s joy and love pours out of us and we long to serve him all day long.
What does false teaching lead to? The opposite of v5. Bitterness (because you’ve failed) or pride (because you’re better than everyone else. But never love. People who are good at being religious never love. Certainly not their enemies. There is no new heart – just an angry heart trying to manipulate God. There is no clear conscience – no assurance – because you’re never sure if you’ve worked hard enough to cover your sins. And your faith – well it’s in the wrong place. It’s in you and your efforts – and that’s the road to Hell.

Martin Luther said that as a monk he hated God, hated him. And the more he read the Bible and saw the impossible demands God made of him - he did not love, but hated him. “How could you make this so hard?” He cried. He was terrified of Hell, terrified of God’s anger – and rightly so. Until one day as he was reading Romans he suddenly understood: God’s righteousness is a gift! Not something to be earned. It is given. And that changed his life, and reformed the church.

This is the great gospel we have.

Now Paul – well he used to be just like these guys, didn’t he? Working hard to justify himself before God, instead of, as now, working hard for love because he is already justified by the free gift of grace.

But there’s one big difference between Paul and these false teachers. Did you spot it in v 13? But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief.

It’s an unusual statement, and just by itself, could lead us into all sorts of weird theories and mistakes. But what Paul is doing is warning these guys. You see Paul had no idea about the gospel, no idea what he was doing. But these guys do. They know the gospel, the true gospel – and they are deliberately distorting it for their own gain. It is immensely wicked, and very, very dangerous. At the end of the chapter Paul talks of two of these guys who have been “handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme”. Now that probably means that they’ve been taken out of leadership and put out of the church for a while until they repent – but it is serious words because this is a serious matter.

See v9 For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful

The law is not there for Christians to follow trying to justify themselves before God. The law is there to show us our need for forgiveness. To show us our sin. The law is a powerful searchlight revealing our wickedness. It’s like the bright light in the operating theatre showing the tumors, the disease, that needs to be cut out. But these guys – oh man these guys are using the law like floodlights on a stage. Look at me, look how good I am.
Any good we do is just because of the mercy of God – how dare we take God’s glory and steal it for ourselves. That’s like dancing on the operating theatre table saying “look how healthy I am” instead of letting the doctors cut out the cancer within.

Praise God for the gospel we have! Christ came into this world to save sinners.

O Lord, please let us grasp hold of this trustworthy saying, and never let go. Let us repent of false teaching that creeps in. Examine our hearts Lord, examine our lives and show us where we are preaching, sharing a gospel of do, do, do (wagging finger) and not done (come, come as you are (warm embrace)).
The spirit of the false teachers lives within each one of us – let us repent Lord. Because we want people to see in us and hear from us the gospel which can save Islamic State, Nazis, and even modern, wealthy, secular Norwegians – a gospel which can turn the worst of sinners like Paul around. From Saul the persecutor and blasphemer to Paul the Apostle. From Daniel the arrogant sinner to Daniel the forgiven beloved son of God. Praise God for his mercy! Praise the Lord!

Easter Sunday 2015

We all have a sense of the divine. Of their being something more than just what we see or hear or touch. We can feel a greater purpose, a greater meaning behind life. This life is not all there is. There is more to our lives than just what we see.

Throughout history many have come claiming a revelation from God or a revelation about the spiritual or our greater purpose. Nitsche, Russel, the unknown founders of Hinduism and Shinto, Muhammad, Bhudda Guatama, Zoroast, and so on, to the modern TV evangelist who sees in your future that you will give money to him for his new jet....

But 2000 years ago a man came on the scene who did not claim a revelation about God or a revelation from God – he claimed to BE the revelation of God. To know him was to know God. Repent and believe he said, for the Kingdom of God is here. That’s how he started his ministry! What a ridiculous claim! God’s Kingdom is here. Ha. You? The King of the Kingdom? Ha.
But there was power – this man, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth – he had power. Power to heal, power over evil spirits. Power over even creation. Be still he says to a storm – and it was still. Have you tried that? He walked on water, he produced food out of thin air. This was no magic trick, some illusion that fooled the simple backwater peoples – no. The best brains from Jerusalem came down to find him out. Those who could sniff out a faulty argument or a false teaching – those who could spot a law breakers and a blasphemer from a mile away – keen minds, sharpened by years of religious inquisition… and they were stumped, nonplussed, amazed, confused. How can this be? They could not deny his power, but they could not agree with his claims- he saves sinners! He claims to forgive sins! He hangs out with the scum: law-.breakers and sinners, not good people like us. So they decided to kill him.

But that was expected. Jesus said so. Told his disciples that is why he came:- it was planned by the decree of God, as revealed to his prophets hundreds of years before: by his stripes we are healed.

And so he willingly went to his death – this man of power who merely spoke his name and the soldiers fell over, who had power to tall the ground to open up and swallow them – Jesus went willingly to his death. And he died

And it was all over.

The disciples, his followers, were all depressed. They thought he was the Messiah, the rescuer, but he clearly wasn’t. He was dead. Oh, he had said he’d rise again, but who believed that?

And then he rose from the dead. And that changed everything.

He had power... over death! He suddenly was not just a man, but clearly the Living God – the one from outside who had control over what happens here on earth. He had power over creation because he was the Creator. And the amazing message he came with was not that he had come to destroy us, but that he had come to forgive us. He had come to bridge the gap between us and him. He had come to make himself known so that we could KNOW God. And not only know him, but live with him as our God. The resurrection changes everything.

In 1 John 1:1 the Apostle John (apostle means a close friend and follower of Jesus), writes We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He [Jesus] is the Word of life.

But surely it was just a myth? It can’t actually be true. Can it?

Well, let’s examine some of the common objections to the resurrection.

Myth no. 1 “It was made up by Emperor Constantine in 325 at the Council of Nicaea, the first Church Council”. This is very popular – Dan Brown used it in his novels, and if you type it into Google you’ll get a massive amount of websites claiming this to be the SECRET TRUTH NOW REVEALED. The fact that they’re all wrong doesn’t stop them. It makes a great story – but doesn’t fit the facts. This theory was popularised in the early 1900’s and gained some ground because we didn’t have any documents from before the Council of Nicaea. So it could be possible, however unlikely, that Constantine managed to change the beliefs of 318 bishops plus all the Christians of the time who up until that moment had been willing to die for their beliefs (and over 800 000 had already died for their faith – the first 300 years of Christianity was martyrdom and persecution) but these people who had stood strong suddenly caved into the Emperor, claim those who like this theory. So, not very likely. Do you think Obama could call all the Christians in the US together and say “we’re changing Christianity”. How well do you think that would work?
And, anyway, in the last 100 years or so we’ve discovered nearly 100 manuscripts from before 325. And these manuscripts had exactly the same text as the manuscripts after 325, and indeed the same as our Bibles today. Oh dear.

So the theory that Constantine just made Jesus up to unite Rome is just wrong. The evidence points the other way. It is not possible for him to have made it up.

Myth no. 2 “The disciples made it up.”
Okay. Why?

There’s nothing in it for them. They gain nothing by it. All of them were persecuted, tortured, rejected for it. They gained no power, no wealth. In the gospel narratives – which they are supposed to have made up – they look like complete idiots! Would you do that? I’m going to make up a story to give me power, but in the story I will look like an absolute fool, get everything wrong and even abandon my God.
This myth “they just made it up” has no plausibility. There is no motive for the disciples, no upside, no gain.

The other problem is that in their supposedly made up story everything happens publically. Their main character Jesus: his death happens in a major city - Jerusalem – not some deserted cave. And so does his resurrection! What’s more, they claim multiple people seeing Jesus after his resurrection – around 500 at one time! All it takes is going to speak to one of these people and asking “is it true” “no it was made up” -. And the whole thing comes crashing down

“Oh the disciples made it up” sounds good, but as soon as you start to examine it just falls apart. It fails the test of plausibility – where’s their motivation? It fails the literature test – because people didn’t write historical fiction like we do today. That style of writing has developed over hundreds of years – the gospel writers doing it would be astounding – in literary terms like discovering the atom 2000 years ago.
And if they were so clever they would have made it more convincing for their audience: they had huge cultural problems, like women being the eye-witnesses of Jesus’ death and resurrection – women weren’t even considered reliable witnesses in a court of law at the time – so why would you have them as your first eye-witnesses in a story you’re making up – unless, embarrassingly so, it was the truth. I could go on – there are many such details in the gospel narratives that make it highly unlikely that the disciples made it up. They really did see Jesus die, and they really did see Jesus risen from the grave. As I read from John’s letter “We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands”.

Ummm, but maybe they hallucinated, or really, really wanted it to be true that they forced themselves to believe it. Or maybe Jesus just swooned on the cross, not actually died, and then reappeared to them….

Do any of those sound convincing? Sounds like someone desperately looking for a reason to reject Jesus other than the real reason: I want to be God in my life, and so I don’t like it when the real God makes himself known. So I block my ears and make up stories...

Mass hallucinations? Maybe once, for 11 guys in a room, maybe smoking some weed. Yeah, man, I see Jesus…. But Peter’s out fishing and Jesus calls to him. Peter’s given up, you see, as a failure – he betrayed Jesus before his death. So he thinks even if Jesus is risen from the dead, he won’t have me. He wasn’t wanting to see Jesus! So he goes fishing. And then a figure calls to him from the beach. “Peter!” And Peter rows the boat closer. It’s Jesus. And they talk, and have breakfast together. Later 500 people see Jesus. And later still they are all gathered together and Jesus rises up into the sky after telling them to make disciples. For forty days Jesus appeared to different people at different times – once on the road to Emmaus, a village a few hours walk from Jerusalem, and then immediately after that, to the disciples in a home in Jerusalem. How’d he get there so fast?

And his appearances weren’t like a man in the shadows speaking in a muffled voice saying “hey, I’m Jesus”. No, he was amongst them saying touch me, feel the scars in my hands and feet, he was with them in daylight on the beach eating breakfast, and he was with them on the mountaintop in Galilee when he rose up to heaven before their very eyes. He was not a ghost because they could touch him, touch his hands and feet. He was not a twin or some other weird trick – he really had died on the cross because here was the wound in his side where the spear had pierced him. Here were the scars from the nails driven through his hands. It was Jesus. The same Jesus who had died.

But, but maybe Jesus swooned (fainted) on the cross. Yes, and the Roman soldiers didn’t know the difference between a man who has fainted and a man who is dead? Oh, and they stabbed him in the side with a spear to make sure. And then they wrapped him in a burial shroud. So this theory means that you believe that a man beaten to a pulp, crucified, then stabbed and bleeding, regained consciousness two days later in a cold dark tomb, fought his way out of the burial cloths, rolled away the huge stone, overpowered the guards, then broken, bleeding, half dead, appeared to his disciples... and they responded “my Lord and my God”.
Then you must have great faith indeed. And if you then say oh, the disciples made it grander then the question is why? Again, they have no good motivation to tell this story unless it is the truth. The only plausible rational reasonable explanation is that this man Jesus truly was who he said he was: God Himself. Come from the outside to us to reveal God to us and to open the way so that we could know him.

In the gospel of Luke, Luke writes to his sponsor, Theophilus “Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. 2 They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. 3 Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honourable Theophilus, 4 so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.”

Any other questions?

What’s your objection? Because you do have one. You must have one to explain it way because otherwise you are forced to consider the truth. That Jesus really is the revelation of the living God. That he made you. That you belong to him. And that the only rational, logical thing to do it to serve him.

You know when a building is demolished, there’s the moment when the demolitions guy presses the button and you hear whooom and see a bit of smoke – and then nothing happens. There’s a pause. The building’s foundation has been blown away but it’s still standing, just for a moment. And then WHOOOOOMFFF it collapses in a huge pile of rubble and dust.

Well, the cross was that explosion on the foundation of this world. Jesus’ death and resurrection blew out any ideas we might have that there is no God. And we live now in the pause, the pause before the fall – before Jesus returns, this time not as Saviour, but as Judge. We live in the pause before the fall. And in this pause, we have an opportunity to be rescued. To know God, and to serve him living a life of great meaning and purpose.

Two implications, two results of Jesus’ death and resurrection being true:

1. We can know God!

I started off by saying that we all have a sense of the divine – of there being something or someone out there. Something more to life. Well, Jesus confirms that. “Here I am” he says. “You cannot reach me – so I have reached down to you.” And through his death and his resurrection we can know God – personally. Each of us.

Because the reason we can’t know God is because we have sinned against him. Like a barrier between us and God, my rebellion, my sin, my pretending to be God and ignoring the real God, means I cannot know him. I am cut off from him. I cannot reach him. Even if I try to be really really good, the Bible says it is no use. He is perfect. I am not. He is holy, I am unholy. Religion is a waste of time. Being good is useless. We cannot know God

Praise God that he then did what we could not. He bridged the gap, broke open the barrier, so that we could know him.

Every other religion or worldview says do! You must do this or do that to achieve a higher consciousness or be a better person or please God or the gods. Christianity does not say “do” it says “done”. Christ said on the cross “It is finished” it is done – and then proved it by rising from the dead.

Because of what Christ has done, we can know God! He has wiped away our sins, covered over our filth (like the donkey on Friday, remember?), paid the penalty for our rebellion of God and our ignoring Him. It is done. We don’t have to do anything to try to win God’s favour – it is done. He did it. It is His gift to us.

We can know God. You can know God.

2. Our life has great meaning and purpose

The fact that there is a God means that our lives are not just lived out here, on this stage, and we die to be eaten by worms and eventually forgotten. Jesus reveals that our lives are lived before Almighty God: before Him. He is raised up, seated on the throne in Heaven. Everything we do reflects back on our relationship – or lack of relationship – with him. We are eternal creatures, created with a spark of the divine – we are created, made to be with God. And so what we do here matters. In the movie Gladiator the main character Maximus utters a great line just before they ride into battle “What we do in life echoes in eternity”
“What we do in life echoes in eternity”
It’s true. What is your life echoing into eternity? Are you bringing glory to God? Is every moment of your life consumed with Him, honouring him, bringing him glory, doing what you were created to do?

Or are you in rebellion against him? Ignoring him? Bringing glory to you and your petty and small ambitions?

Because everything is done. The way to know God is open. But just like getting married or having kids - or even getting a dog - changes your life, knowing God changes things completely. You now live life in a different reality. The reality of heaven and hell. Ter reality of eternity.

Be warned, dear friends. Heaven and hell are real. The resurrection shows that. Jesus went through the pain of death – to rescue us from HELL. He believed in Hell. He knows it. Where is your life leading you? What is your echo in eternity? Heaven? Or Hell? Are you trusting and obeying Christ? Or yourself?

And are we telling others this? This is real, this is urgent! People around us are dying and going to hell! Jesus came to DIE in order to rescue people from Hell and we claim to be his followers yet can’t be bothered to even tell people. Risk inviting our neighbours to church because ooo they might think I’m weird. On that Final Day when we see them condemned to Hell will we still be worried about what they think of us? I say this to myself, to increase the pressure on myself to not be so apathetic, so lazy, to get myself to do what I know I should. This is reality. God forgive us for our laziness and disobedience! Praise Jesus that he came to die for sinners like us, that even our failures are taken care of – but that should drive us to proclaim all the louder!

I heard a story recently of a woman who’d just become a Christian. Overjoyed she said “does this mean I’m forgiven. Completely forgiven?” “yes, Jesus has taken your guilt and shame”. Overjoyed she just was bursting to tell people, and so opened her phone book and starting ringing systematically, every single person in her phone book to tell the joyous news: Jesus is alive, and he has forgiven me, and he can accept you too!

This Easter, let us be gripped by the joy of the good news: Christ really DID rise from the dead, and so we can know God, and live a life filled with meaning and purpose – a life lived in the reality of eternity, a life lived with heaven and hell in mind. Friends, as we go out this door, may God grant that we see this world, see our friends, neighbours work colleagues and family through his eyes – eyes that saw people heading to hell to eternal death – and so he came Himself to die, to rise again, to rescue us. Amen.

Death, the Final Enemy

1 Cor 15

Death. We have a funny relationship with death. It’s a natural part of life. Everybody dies. Nature is based on death. Yet we fear and hate death.

Why?

It will happen to all of us, without fail. Statistically speaking: living is the most dangerous thing you can do: 100% of people who are alive, die! It is the circle of life.

It is natural, it is inevitable, but it feels unnatural, it feels like a curse, and we hate it.

But why do we die? Why do we fear death?

1. We die because we are sinners

God says through His Word, the Bible, that we die because we are sinners. Romans 6:23 : For the wages of sin is death.

Death is our just reward for being sinners. If you are a sinner, you die. Alright then, I’ll just stop being a sinner, I’ll clean up my act, wash my face, brush my teeth, put on my Sunday best, and be nice.

That’s what many of us think, isn’t it, when we come face to face with the reality of death. And the problem of sin. But we have got it totally wrong. “Being a good person” – that’s not Christianity. That’s humanism or Hinduism or even Islam. Humanism: Act well, and then you will live a good life and live on in people’s hearts; Hinduism: act well and then you will be reincarnated higher up the spiritual chain; Islam: act well and follow the Five Pillars and then God will have mercy on you. You see, none of those work because the problem is not sins – what we do; but sin – what we are. We need to be fundamentally changed from the inside out. And that’s what Christianity is about. You see, if you get the problem wrong, you’ll get the solution wrong. So let’s stop here and ask “What is sin?” Because all of us will have very different ideas of what sin is. But what does God say sin is?

Sin is not naughtiness, or like the adverts like to use it “oh, that’s sinful”. Sin is not primarily what we do or say or think, either. Those are sins: wrong behaviour, wrong thought, wrong words – but they themselves are not the root cause. The root cause is sin: the fundamental distance between us and God. It is a broken relationship. It is a rebellion against our creator. We have taken God’s moral laws and broken them into pieces. We have covered ourselves in shame by our thoughts, words and actions.

To illustrate: here we are, here is God, and here is the gulf of sin, cutting us off from him. There is life, eternal life. Here is death, eternal death.

Now you might not think you’re a sinner. You might be a very good person. I know some of you, and I know that you are very good people. Most Norwegians are.

But that’s not sin. Sin is that state of our heart, your inner being, towards God. Jesus Christ summed up all of God’s law like this “love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind”. Oh dear. Sin is not naughtiness. It is our relationship to God. It is our attitude to God.

There were three men who got married. The first man beat his wife, wasted their money, and never gave her anything. The second man tried to give his wife a good home and generally provided what she needed – but he totally ignored her. He never even spoke to her. The third man loved to make grand romantic gestures for his wife. He would do all the right things – but he never once asked her what she wanted or needed – all the romantic gestures were for his sake, not hers. None of the men actually loved their wives. None of the men were good husbands.

And that’s kind of like how we are towards God. None of us want to listen to God. We all want to do things our way. Some of us are the first husband: we rant and rave and trash our lives. We’re the “bad” ones, the ones we see on the news.
Many of us are like the second husband: we kind of muddle along doing the best we can, trying to do what is right and making excuses for ourselves when we get it wrong (I was tired, I had a headache, that person was so annoying) – but we totally ignore God. And some of us are like the third husband: the religious people who try to win God over by their actions, by performing good works.

But none of us are listening to God. We’re all doing things our way. Even the religious people are insulting God because they’re not listening to him. He says you cannot please me with good works, you must humble yourself and come through my Son – and they ignore him and try to impress him with good works.

Outright evil, doing our best, pious religion. All useless.

How do we know that none of these ways of living work? Because we all die. Death shows us that we are sinners. It reveals that none of our little schemes to beat God or please God actually work. And that is why we fear and hate death. We don’t even want to talk about death because it pulls the wool off our eyes and makes us face reality. Nothing I do is good enough. I cannot be right with God. I will die. And I will die forever.

Death is our enemy, and we cannot defeat it. We have tried. And we have failed.

One day I will die. One day you will die. And the verdict stamped on our life is “sinner”. On this side of the canyon.

But that is why it is so important to face up to the reality of death. No one achieved anything by hiding their head in the sand and pretending there is no problem. If you’re standing in the street and the garbage truck comes around the corner, closing your eyes and saying there is no truck, lalala, I won’t think about the truck, lalaaa, let me distract myself with thoughts of pleasure: ah a nice hike in the mountain- urk!

So well done for being brave enough to come this morning. It takes great courage to face up to your fears. And for many of you it took great courage to come to a church in case we were a bunch of wierdos... J

So, the problem we’ve got is death. And death is caused by sin. So if we can deal with sin, we deal with death. Beat sin and we beat death. But we already know that sin is a state of being. We are sinners – we can’t suddenly turn that off. It’s like a cat wanting to become a dog. We are sinners. It is our nature. And so we will die.

So how can we beat death? Well, like every good adventure story we need someone to swoop in at the right time and rescue us. Indiana Jones with his whip. Tarzan swinging in. Your “one true love” appearing in a coffee shop at just the right time. We need a rescuer, and that rescuer is Jesus Christ.

We die because we are sinners - but

2. Christ died for our sins and so defeated death

Ok. V3 says I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.

Hooray. All done. Right, give your life to Christ, and then let’s have tea and cake.

Woah, woah, woah, you might say – not so fast. I’m not just going to leap in and change my whole life to follow this Jesus fellow! What if it’s a pile of nonsense? I mean, even the guy who wrote this thing here says in v17 “And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”

And that’s absolutely right. There is no room for blind faith when we are dealing with matters of life and death. There is no room for blind faith in “science” just as there is no room to have blind faith in “God” or “Jesus”. To live for Jesus, to obey Jesus, to give your whole life over to him if he did not rise from the dead – well that’s foolishness indeed. Because if he did not rise from the dead then nothing he said was true and then we’re a bunch of idiots wasting our time here in church! That’s why I really cannot understand people who don’t believe in the resurrection but still want to call themselves Christians. Why would you do that? Your life is based on what you believe to be a lie. It’s utterly bizarre. Worse still are those who are ministers yet do not believe. Why would you give your whole career over to something you don’t believe in? As it says here in v19 if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world!

And pity them I do. Because they do not know Jesus, and therefore they are still dead in their sins, and all their religion counts for nothing. Because they’re depending on themselves, on their own performance – instead of what Christ has done. You see – back to this illustration: only Christ and his death on the cross can deal with sins and therefore bridge the gap. Only Christ. Nothing else. All other religions, all our good works, fall short. And what happens when the rope is too short to get to the other side? You fall.

I pity them because they are building a bridge that will fall, trusting themselves instead of the completed, secure, perfect work of Christ. I mean why try and rebuild the bridge when he’s already done it?

For if they looked into the evidence for the resurrection, their lives would be transformed from dead religion to a living relationship.

Evidence. Particularly 2 sources of evidence, and you can see them there in v3-8: the scriptures and eyewitnesses. 3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him

The Scriptures he’s talking about are the prophets who prophesied what the Christ would do (just by the way, Christ isn’t Jesus’ surname, but his title. It means rescuer, anointed one, or King and is the same word as Messiah).
There are many prophecies, between 100 and 300, depending on how you count them, and some are extremely specific. Psalm 22, for example, has by itself 11 specific prophecies that were fulfilled when Jesus was crucified. The Psalm was written by King David of Israel about 1000 years before Jesus was born. He wrote it because he was under such extreme pressure from his enemies that he felt like he was going to die – but the way he described what he was going through was so strange. People thought nothing of it until Jesus’ death on the cross - and they realised that this Psalm written 1000 years previously described exactly what happened to Jesus on the cross. 11 different events which happened exactly as written. And that’s just one of many prophecies. Too many to just be coincidence or someone trying to twist the facts to make them fit. But don’t just take my word for it, go read it yourself. Investigate. People have battered away at the resurrection since the day it happened – and after two thousand years of battering the evidence still holds up. So fulfilment of prophecies is one huge body of evidence.

The other big piece of evidence is the eyewitnesses – those people who saw Jesus die, then saw him raised to life again. Many of them literally did not believe their eyes. I mean, would you? Just like you and I, they were not gullible people, and they knew that when someone dies they stay dead. But there was Jesus standing in front of them. He was not a ghost – he was flesh and blood. He ate with them, talked with them, touched them. It was Jesus since he bore the wounds of his crucifixion: scars on his hands and feet where the nails were driven in, a gash in his side where the sword pierced him through to his heart. They could not find any other way to explain it away. It really was true. Jesus has defeated death. Our great enemy has been conquered. He really was dead. And now he really is alive again.

And we, too, have the same evidence. We can examine the prophecies and compare them to the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We can read the eye-witness accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of what Jesus did and said and how he rose from the dead. And we can see how his follower’s lives were changed, and see how they gave their lives to tell others about the good news: death is defeated. Christ has won!

But what if they were lying – making up this story? Well, that could be a possibility except there was no upside, no advantage for them. I mean, we lie only if it is for our own good. We never tell a lie to put ourselves in a worse position. And proclaiming the gospel got them nothing except hardship, suffering, persecution and a brutal death. There was no reason for them to tell this story – no power, no riches, no fame, no glory – except for the fact that it was true. Jesus defeated death. And so the way they lived their lives after the resurrection showed they believed it to be true. They were totally unafraid, even willing to die brutal deaths in order to get the truth out. Our sins are dealt with. Death is defeated. Christ has won.

We die because we are sinners – but Christ has dealt with our sins and so defeated death. And so

3. If we belong to Jesus, we do not fear death!

51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. 54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

When we die we sleep until we are raised to life again on the last day, judgement day. And our bodies will be made new, ready for the new creation, the perfect world – no sin, no pain, no mourning, no death – only life. So through Christ we can say “Where O death, is your victory”. Death is defeated. Death has lost. We have been given the victory over death because on the cross Jesus took our sins upon himself. There he swapped places with us – he took our sin, and gave us his perfection.

Let me illustrate: if this Bible was my sin, this is me, and the light is God – sin blocks my relationship with him. I cannot get to God. This is what Jesus does – he takes my sin upon himself – and now I am in the light while he goes through the darkness of death for me.

In Christ, death is defeated. And we do not fear death!
But be warned: that is only for those who belong to Jesus. If you are His, if you follow Him, if He is your Lord and Saviour and all of your life belongs to Him – then do not fear death. You have eternal life, won for you by Him on the cross, your sins have been wiped away, He has swapped places with you.

But if you do not belong to Jesus, if you have never come before him and said please save me, please let me follow you, please take all of me, all my sin, and give me eternal life, not because I deserve it but because of your great mercy. If you have not done that.... then fear death. Fear it! For death is a terrible thing, and you will face it alone.

There are only two ways to live. Fear death, or come to Christ.

Skype names for Bible study:

Skype names for Bible study:
rocknotodden.menn
RockChurchLadies1

Exodus 1-20 overview: The God who rescues

Exodus 1-20

An Australian preacher called David Cook tells the story of the time he invited a friend of his who was very legalistic, very religious - thought you could earn salvation by obeying God and by being good – he invited him to a talk on the ten commandments. The next day David asked his friend what he thought and his friend said “you know what really struck me: you said 2 comes before 3” “What?” thought David “that’s what he got out of it? 2 comes before 3? What a useless....” But he’s right and it’s a deep insight. Look at chapter 20. 2 comes before 3

2 “I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

3 “You must not have any other god but me.

Rescue before law. Salvation before obedience.

God does not save the Israelites because they were good obedient religious people. He saved them while they were disobedient slaves – and then called them to obedience. Obedience is the result of salvation, not the cause.

And if we get that the wrong way round we do not believe the gospel, but man-made or Satanic religion. You cannot please God through obedience but only through his sovereign grace. 2 comes before 3.

That is why Jesus came to seek and to save the lost – as we’ve been reading in Luke’s gospel. He came for sinners, not religious performing monkeys. Praise the Lord.

We’ve learned a lot from Exodus these past few months, but this morning I want to zero in on the central themes of Exodus and particularly what they reveal about the God whom we serve.
God’s sovereign power to save.
God’s sovereign power to judge.
God’s sovereign demand over our lives.

And we see illustrated in the great works and miraculous signs of Exodus the greater work, the greater miracle, the greater rescue in Jesus.

1. God’s sovereign power to save

Exodus opens with the Israelites very quickly in trouble. A new king comes to power, sees the Israelites as a threat, and decides to enslave them and to kill all the baby boys.

The Israelites are in trouble. And so in 2:23–25 [T]he Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.

And we go yay! It’s kind of like the moment in Die Hard when Bruce Willis’ character, John McClane, now has a machine gun. Ho.Ho.Ho. The turning point. The advantage has swung to the hero. Or in the recent men’s 50km at the World Cup in Sweden when Petter Northug was in fourth place – and then suddenly starts his sprint.

Something’s going to happen. Something magnificent. God knew it was time to act.

Actually, we lose a little bit in the translation. Because the original Hebrew just says “God saw the people of Israel... and God knew”

God saw. And God knew. And it’s just another indication of the character of God. He does not watch from a distance. Like in Genesis 16 when the Lord “sees” Hagar, whom Abraham and Sarah had just terribly abused. In her suffering – the Lord sees her, and knows her situation and meets her. He is the God who sees. The God who knows.

It is one of the great mysteries of our faith that we find revealed in the Bible a God who knows us. A God who shares our pain and suffering. A God who became human in order to save us.

John 1:14 So the Word became human and made his home among us.

Luke 1:35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.

Our Lord Jesus laid aside his majesty, was born as a baby, in order to live as one of us, to be the Son of Man as well as God’s Son, so that he could rescue us. He heard our cries as we groaned under our slavery to sin, with our king, Satan, the devil, seeking to kill us and destroy us. And he saw. And he knew.

You see, Exodus, for all its displays of power: plagues, pillars of fire, the sea rising up and parting – all of that is just a shadow, a mere shadow, of the reality of Jesus Christ and his saving work. That is where we really see God’s power to save. The Exodus is just a picture of that.
Want to know if Jesus can save? Look at what he does in Exodus, as he leads his people out – the angel of the Lord in the pillar of fire.
Want to know if Jesus can sustain us, provide for us? Look at how he provides for his people in the wilderness. Manna from heaven – every day for forty years, without fail. Water from the Rock, miraculously given at the right time.
Want to know if Jesus can protect us? Look at the waves crashing down on the Egyptian army as His people go through the same waters safely. Look at the ring of fire protecting the people from their enemy. See them arrive safely at Mount Sinai, just as He promised Moses.

God has sovereign power to save!

But wait there’s more. Because his salvation plan starts before we are even aware that we need saving. That’s how in control he is! The people cry out to God at the end of chapter 2 “Please save us”. But look at the beginning of chapter 2, and what do we see? Ex 2:1 About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. 2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months.
Before the people even cry out to God their saviour has already been born. Moses was the chosen saviour, kept miraculously safe through, ironically, Pharaoh’s own daughter. The plan to save was already in motion even before the people cried out to God. 2 Ti 1:9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.
Rom 5:8 (NIV) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God saw our helpless situation. God knew us. And he set his plan in motion planned from before time even began: to save sinners like you and me. He himself would be the miraculous saviour. He himself would take the judgement we deserve upon his shoulders. He would face darkness and death and go through it.

The first thing we see in Exodus is God’s sovereign power to save. He decided out of his own great love, to rescue us. He is our saviour.

But the second thing we see in Exodus is God’s sovereign power to judge.

2. God’s sovereign power to judge

Ex 7:4-5 [The Lord says:] ...Pharaoh will refuse to listen to [me]. So I will bring down my fist on Egypt. Then I will rescue my forces—my people, the Israelites—from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment. 5 When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.”

Ex 7:17 So this is what the LORD says: “I will show you that I am the LORD.” Look! I will strike the water of the Nile with this staff in my hand, and the river will turn to blood.

Ex 8:22 But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the LORD and that I am present even in the heart of your land.

God is the judge of the world. He made us. He owns us. And his judgement on our sin is therefore right. His judgement, however, is not without a purpose: then you will know that I am the Lord. I am Yahweh.

We are made to glorify God. That is our purpose. All of creation calls out “glory to God, glory to God”. Look up at the stars on a clear night and you can almost hear the Milky Way, millions of stars crying out “glory to God”. You drive through Telemark and see the beauty around you crying out “glory to God”.

But we? We rebel against God. We ignore God. We don’t want to give God glory but to glorify ourselves. I am the great I am. I am number one in my life. I am all that matters.

Ex 10:1–2 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Return to Pharaoh and make your demands again. I have made him and his officials stubborn so I can display my miraculous signs among them. 2 I’ve also done it so you can tell your children and grandchildren about how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and about the signs I displayed among them—and so you will know that I am the LORD.”

Ex 12:12 On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD!

Ex 14:18 When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the LORD!”

Ex 20:2 “I am the LORD your God...You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.

To set ourselves up in opposition to God is foolishness indeed. Pharaoh did – and the Lord took his rebellion seriously. Time had run out for him: the Lord, horrifyingly, said you will now not repent, you will be stubborn and you will face my judgement. There is no way out. And what a judgement he faced!

Opposing God = FAIL! But that’s what I do every time I disobey his commands. Every time I look at his word and think, naah, I disagree. Every time I ignore him and dishonour him. Our attitude is like that of Boromir of Gondor in the Lord of the Rings. When Boromir finds out that the King is in front of him, the heir to the throne of Gondor, he says “Gondor has no King. Gondor needs no King”.
Is that not the attitude of so many around us? Is that not the default attitude of our own hearts? Oh what fools we are when we, like Pharaoh, fancy ourselves as equals to the Almighty God.

For one day all of us will know that HE is the Lord, and not me. A pastor in the US called Mark Driscoll said that we need to understand 2 things: 1. There is a God. 2. You are not Him.

Funny, but very very true. 20:3 I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.

You see, the Lord God will be glorified whether we like it or not. He will either be glorified in salvation and joyful obedience – or he will be glorified as he destroys those who rebel against him. Israel – saved, brought out by His mighty arm – glory to God. Egypt – in rebellion, refusing to acknowledge God – who is this God – instead turning to other gods, worthless idols which cannot speak and have no power. Judged. Destruction, darkness, and finally death covered the whole land of Egypt.

It is a stark picture and a sober warning to us here in Norway, thousands of years later. Learn from the Egyptians. Their voices cry out to us across the ages – do not rebel like we did. For one day, suddenly, God’s judgement will fall and there will be no chance of repentance. Suddenly you will stand before the Holy God whether through your death or the return of Jesus, and he will open up the book of your life and what will it say? Perfect obedience to God? Honoured him with every breath? No. It will say “sinner”. Rebel. Imperfect. Unholy. And you will be cast out into the outer darkness where, Jesus says, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Yes, it is meant to be scary! It is meant to make us afraid. It is meant to make us act! To seek God. To cry out for mercy. Yes God is sovereign to judge, but he is also sovereign to save, and if he can save people like the Israelites, if he can save a failure like Moses – a murderer, a coward, running away and hiding in the desert – well, there is hope that he can save you and me is there not? So if you haven’t asked him, fall to your knees and plead with him to have mercy on you. And so on that Final Day when the judgement falls “sinner, OUT!” – suddenly Jesus will step forward and say wait, not thi one, his sins are covered by my blood, the price has bdeen paid, I have taken his life and he gets my life. And the gates will open to Eternal Life. Will Jesus step forward for you? Do you know him? If not, ask him now. If you need help to pray Christian will be at the back of the room. Go to him and he will help you pray and ask Jesus to save you.

I’m now going to spend some time talking to the Christians. Those of us who have been saved – 2 comes before 3, salvation before obedience. But, 3 does follow 2 – obedience follows salvation, and so I want to end off by challenging us with

3. God’s sovereign demand over our lives

20:1 Then God gave the people all these instructions (commands).

In chapter 3 God calls Moses to be the rescuer of his people. Moses says no. God says oh yes you will. Moses belongs to God. Ex 3:14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”

6:6 “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the LORD. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. 7 I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God.

Now there is a great comfort in belonging to God, in being saved by him – but there is also a great demand there. To belong to God means that you belong. To God. All of me, all that I am, my thoughts, my actions, my reputation, my future, my money, my family, my time – belong to you O Lord. Of course, everyone belongs to him anyway – we’ve just stopped pretending that we don’t. We know that we belong to him.

So, if you belong to him, then live like it. Make decisions in the light of the fact that you belong to him. The Israelites have been a crushing disappointment haven’t they? Moaning and groaning, longing to go back to slavery in Egypt – what is wrong with them? And so they pierced themselves with many unnecessary sorrows. Why?

Brothers how often do we do the same thing – deliberately do what is wrong when we know it is wrong and suffer the consequences. Or take so long to do what is right. Even simple things like find a church, find a place to live near the church, then find a job near where you live – so simple. Priorities right: spiritual food, a place to serve God’s people, people who will encourage you to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. That’s what we NEED. But no we panic and we seek a job first, yes I’ve got that, then we find a nice house because we need that and then we thing Oh, oh dear, I need to find a church. Oh that one will do. And we suffer the consequences because we’re not thinking Christianly about these things. Who do you think provides “your” job, provides “your” salary? Is it not the Lord? Of course it is. He is sovereign over us. He is our Father. So trust him. Risk obeying him. It is glorious when you do and dull when you don’t.

What does Jesus say “seek first the Kingdom, and all these other things will be added”.

Oh Lord, expand my vision of you to fill my mind. I am so stupid when I make decisions, so blind, so hard-hearted. Lord, be my wisdom, be my faith, because I just can’t seem to trust you. I need to pray that kind of prayer more, and, I’m sure, so do you.

The Israelites were in the desert for goodness sake. There is nothing there but rocks and dust. You are in serious trouble if you’re there with no food or water (or a car to get you out of there. The desert can KILL you. And they were about two million people, plus herds etc. Panic, panic. But the Lord knew. The Lord saw. The Lord is sovereign. And so for forty years the Lord provided food and water sustained the people. Shouldn’t this be a lesson to us. Oh, that was then we say, as if that excuses our lack of faith now. Same God. Same ability to provide. And Jesus said “don’t worry about what you will eat or wear but seek first the Kingdom” and “your Heavenly Father knows you need these things”

Time to wrestle yousrself to the ground and say “Time to repent, time to change. Confess your sins, plead with the Lord to help, and then trust that his Spirit is at work in you – and He is – and then make deliberate decisions to change the way you live.”

And remember as you do this that you do this as a beloved child of God because 2 salvation, comes before 3 obedience. Praise God that he is sovereign to save, sovereign to judge, and sovereign over us.