“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. Some said, ‘What does this babbler want to say?’ Others said, ‘He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,’ because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.” (Acts 17:16–18)
“And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, ‘May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore, we want to know what these things mean.’ For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.” (Acts 17:19–21)
Before we look at what happened in Athens, consider the journey that brought Paul there. It began in Philippi, where Paul and Silas were thrown into prison. At midnight they prayed and sang praises to God, and God miraculously opened the prison doors. The jailer came in, fearing the prisoners had escaped, and was about to take his own life rather than face the Roman authorities. But Paul called out, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
By the beginning of Acts 17, Paul had traveled to Thessalonica. As was his custom, he first went into the synagogue and preached to the Jewish people. Many believed. Others rejected the message, stirred up the crowd, and recruited troublemakers to form a mob. Paul’s life was in danger; his friends urged him to leave.
From there, Paul traveled to Berea. The Bible says the Bereans were more noble, or fair-minded, than those in Thessalonica. They listened carefully to Paul’s preaching and searched the Scriptures to see whether what he was saying was true. As a result, many believed.
Unfortunately, the opposition from Thessalonica followed Paul to Berea and stirred up another crowd. Once again, Paul’s friends urged him to leave for his own safety. They escorted him to Athens.
That is where we find Paul in this passage.
The Sadness, Idolatry, and Deception
Paul had asked Silas and Timothy to join him as quickly as possible, but they had not arrived yet. While waiting, Paul walked through Athens. The population of Athens was about 10,000 people, yet historians estimate there were around 30,000 idols in the city, three idols for every person.
As Paul walked through Athens and saw that the city was wholly given over to idolatry, it grieved his heart. He came from a very different background, growing up studying the Old Testament under Gamaliel, one of the most respected teachers of the Law in that day. Then everything changed.
Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus.
Before that encounter, Paul had zealously opposed Christianity. These followers of Jesus seemed to contradict everything he had been taught. But after meeting Christ, Paul returned to the Scriptures and discovered this “new way”, he saw that Jesus was the Messiah promised throughout the Old Testament.
The same zeal Paul once used to oppose Christ became the zeal with which he preached that Jesus is Lord and God had proved it by raising Him from the dead.
But, behind the idolatry in the city was the deception of Satan.
The King James Version says, **”**Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.” Other translations say they were “very religious.” But, religion without God is nothing but superstition!
Paul had met the Savior. He knew there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved. None of the names written on those thousands of idols could save anyone. There was only one way to heaven, and that way was Jesus Christ.
There is freedom of religion in the United States. God Himself gives people the freedom to love Him or reject Him. Likewise, our nation gives people the freedom to be Christians, atheists, or followers of other religions.
Sometimes people begin to think it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere. That is a lie from the pit of hell. It does matter what you believe!
The place where Paul spoke was the Areopagus. The Greek god associated with that place was Ares, while the Romans worshiped the same god under the name Mars. That is why it is often called Mars Hill. It was a place where people gathered to debate ideas and discuss philosophy.
Paul warned us to be careful that we are not “cheated through philosophy and empty deceit.” Satan is the father of lies, and one of his greatest tools is deception. He wants people to believe that any path is acceptable or truth doesn’t really matter.
There are many issues in our culture today where people, regardless of political party, fail to line up with God’s Word. This is not a political statement, nor is it an attack on individuals. But when our laws begin to approve what God’s Word says is wrong, we must stand with the Word of God.
Waves of philosophy and empty deceit continue to come against people today. Paul understood that personally because there was a time when he had been deceived, traveling in the wrong direction, sincerely believing he was doing God’s will, until he met Jesus Christ.
The Message That Could Have Brought Salvation
When some certain philosophers heard Paul preaching, they asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be proclaiming foreign gods,“ because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
They invited him to the Areopagus.
In one sense, that’s a good thing. People should be willing to listen and examine ideas honestly. Paul accepted the invitation and began by saying, “I perceive that in every way you are very religious.” As he walked through Athens he saw their many idols and beliefs. They were religious, but they did not know the true God.
Paul did not begin by attacking them. He began where they were and pointed them to the truth. He told them about the God who made the world and everything in it. This God does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is He served by human hands as though He needed anything. He is the One who gives life and breath to all things.
The God they needed to know was not another idol among thousands. He was the Creator of all things. The message Paul preached could have brought salvation to every person who was willing to listen, repent, and believe. But sadly, not everyone was willing to hear the truth.
The Message That Did Bring Salvation to a Few
When Paul spoke of the resurrection of the dead they cut him short. When he spoke of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked him, while others said they would hear him again on the matter.
Yet the message did bring salvation to a few.
“When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, ‘We will hear you again on this matter.’ So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.” (Acts 17:32–34)
Some people might have looked at Paul’s ministry in Athens and thought he had very little success. But God does not measure success the way we do.
The message brought salvation to Dionysius, Damaris, and others who believed. Much depends on the attitude of those who are listening. Will they be like the Bereans, searching the Scriptures to see whether these things are true? Or will they allow prejudice and preconceived ideas to keep them from hearing God’s Word?
For those who believed, the difference was that they listened. They believed the Word of God and came to the one true God through Jesus Christ.
You could have pointed to any of the idols that filled Athens and asked, “Did this god die for you?”
No!
Or ask, “Did this god die and rise again?”
No!
The gospel of Jesus Christ is different.
The good news is that although we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Because He is the Son of God, His sacrifice was sufficient for every person in every generation. His death was the complete payment for sin.
Yet not everyone is saved because not everyone accepts the gift He offers. Jesus offers salvation freely, but if someone rejects Him, there is nowhere else to turn. With Christ, there is hope. Without Christ, there is no hope.
Will You Reject the Deception of Satan and Accept Christ?
Are you fully trusting Him, or are the philosophies of this world, the pressures of society, and the lies of the enemy pulling you away from God?
The world pulls against us. What we hear in the media, what we see on television, and what our culture celebrates can cause people to question God and doubt His truth.
Friend, there is an answer. There is a way.
Will you reject the lies of Satan and simply trust Jesus? Will you trust Him completely for your salvation? Have you truly placed your faith in Him?
If you have, praise God. But if you’re not sure you’ve ever really done that, then there is an invitation from Jesus Himself:
“Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
Introduction
“I can’t get in!” said George Duffield, the new Presbyterian pastor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His friends watched him standing at the locked church door and called, “Come over here!” He followed them to the side of the church, where they opened a window and pushed him in. He then opened the doors for them. Duffield faced opposition to his ministry even before the Revolutionary War. His support for independence later caused him more trouble, but he eventually became accepted and preached for more than 50 years.
One of Rob Morgan’s 100 verses that made America is Micah 6:8. John Winthrop referenced this verse in his famous sermon, A City on a Hill. John Adams frequently mentioned it, and George Washington referenced it in his 1783 Circular Letter to the States.
God’s Instructions to a New Nation | Do Justly
At the beginning of the war, the British put a price on George Duffield’s head! He went into hiding to protect his life. British soldiers took possession of his church, turned it into a hospital, and burned the pews to keep their soldiers warm. Still, Duffield continued to be an active military chaplain.
There is an old saying often attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville: “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” The passage of Scripture we are focused on tells us to do justly. One translation puts it like this: “do what is right.”
An old friend of mine, Stan, owned a carpet company with his brother. One time a church made a large carpet purchase from his company. Unfortunately, the carpet didn’t hold up well, and the threads began pulling out. Stan called the manufacturer to make it right, but they would neither replace the carpet nor compensate him.
Stan knew replacing it from his own inventory would cost him a lot of money. Still, he did what was right and replaced all the carpet the church needed at no charge. It seemed Stan lost a lot of money that day, but word got around that his business had integrity and stood behind its product. Who knows how many sales came over the years because he did what was right?
The world tells us to look out for number one. It would tell Stan the defective carpet wasn’t his fault, so why should he lose money? Let the manufacturer deal with it! But the Bible says to do justly. Do what is right.
God’s Instructions to a New Nation | Love Mercy
Stan was also a friend I went to high school with, and he showed that same integrity even back then. We had study hall together. If you’re smart, you’ll get your homework done and study. If you’re like a lot of us, you go in there and mess around.
There were only four of us in the class. One of the coaches was our teacher, and he felt there were better things to do than sit with four students. He told us, “Hey guys, I’m not going to be in here,” and gave us freedom to have fun in the gym. I asked if we could go outside. “Sure,” he said, “as long as you don’t go around the other rooms.” It was going to be a great year. We’d just had freedom handed to us.
One day Stan and another friend, Steve, were playing tag. Steve ran into the gym with Stan chasing him, then held the door shut from the other side. Stan got an idea! Holding the doorknob, he put his foot on the door frame. I heard a cracking noise. The crack went up both sides and across the top. Just like that, the door fell open.
We had torn up the gym door, and we knew it. Steve got as far away as possible. Stan and I thought maybe we could fix it quickly, but the ag teacher walked up. Have you ever done something you know is your fault and wondered what the consequences would be? I wondered if I was going to get kicked out of school. Our parents could have been called in. There could have been a school board meeting.
Instead, the ag teacher, who was known for being a Christian man, looked at the damage and told Stan, “The shop is right over here. Let’s get the hammer and nails.” They came back and fixed the door frame. Justice could have come down on us that day, but he showed mercy. Do justly. But also, love mercy.
An old story is told about a soldier under the great general Napoleon who deserted his army. He was caught and brought back, facing a penalty that could have been death. His mother learned he would appear before Napoleon for judgment and somehow made her way around the guards to plead for her son.
Napoleon told her that her son deserved the justice coming to him and that he wanted to make an example of him. She did not argue his innocence. She fell to her knees and said, “Sir, I do not ask for justice. I ask for mercy.” Napoleon was so touched that he granted mercy and allowed her son to live.
The Bible tells us to do justly, to do what is right. Those words of Scripture were applied to this new nation. We were told America is great because she is good. She does justly because she shows mercy. But if America ever ceases to do good, she will no longer be great.
The world says, “Fight back! Take care of number one.” But Jesus said, “Turn the other cheek.” Hanging on the cross, He looked at those crucifying Him and mercifully said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” We can know Christ as our Savior because Jesus is merciful to us. On our behalf He said, “Father, forgive them.”
God’s Instructions to a New Nation | Walk Humbly with Your God
There was a man whose life stretched from the Civil War into WWII. Granny Clampett called the Civil War “the war of northern aggression!” It was a time in America we aren’t proud of, when human slavery was taking place. George Washington Carver was born into slavery during this time. When he grew up, he became an important part of the Tuskegee Institute, one of the early Black colleges in America.
While doing research there, Carver prayed God would give him knowledge of peanut crops. He did all kinds of experiments, and God answered those prayers. He found over 300 uses for peanuts, helping produce a better market for the crop and becoming a well-known man in the United States.
A story is told of Dr. Carver standing in a hotel lobby one day in his everyday clothes. A white traveler walked in, saw him and said, “Hey boy! Get my bags!” Dr. Carver picked up the man’s bags, no questions asked. The hotel proprietor was shocked. “Oh, Dr. Carver! You don’t have to do that. I’ll get someone to take care of it.” The traveler realized his mistake and asked, “Are you Dr. Carver?” Carver simply said, “At your service.”
To walk humbly with our God is our third instruction. The disciples once argued as they walked about which of them would be the greatest. Jesus asked what they were arguing about, and they were ashamed. He used a small child to teach them about greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven and that they must humble themselves and become like children.
In reading the whole passage, we learn what George Washington Carver had learned. Jesus teaches that true greatness is to humbly serve others without thought of reward. Have you ever thought about how Jesus is the Lord of Glory? He was the Lord of Heaven! The Son was in Heaven with the Father and the Spirit, with angels to do His bidding.
Yet He came to earth knowing Judas would betray Him. Jesus was in the garden when Roman soldiers and authorities came to capture Him. When Jesus identified Himself, they drew back and fell to the ground. Still, He willingly allowed them to carry Him off to Pilate.
Here was the Lord of Glory humbling Himself. He became a little lower than the angels, just as the Bible says we all are. He left Heaven’s glory to come to earth and live as humans do. The most powerful being in the universe experienced tiredness and thirst. He was mocked, spit on, and had hairs plucked from His beard. He experienced it all willingly. He came to humbly serve us as a loving Savior.
Conclusion
Jesus is our King. He is The King! He is my King. Oh! He’s such a wonderful King. He is the One who was willing to lay down His power and give His life as a ransom for sin.
You and I owe a debt we cannot pay. He paid that debt in full so that we might be saved. So I ask you, is He your Savior today?
At my house, we have a landing at the top of the stairs overlooking our living room. From the landing, you can see the TV. I often head upstairs only to get distracted by the TV. By the time I’m ready to get back to what I was doing, I think, “Was I going upstairs or was I going downstairs?”
Focus is the key to remembering why you headed upstairs.
I’ll encourage you to focus on five things. To help you remember, we will state them as commands.
Loving God
Matthew 22:34-40: The Great Commandment
When the Pharisees asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. “And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
The first command is to LOVE GOD. That is the great commandment.
The Jewish young men and women, as they grew up, learned from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 that they were to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.
The focus was on loving God.
In the Old Testament, the nation did well when they had a good king who loved God. But when they had a king who did not love God, the nation did not fare as well. Eventually, the kingdom split into two nations: the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.
During this time was King Hezekiah. Scripture says he was a good king. He focused on that first commandment to LOVE GOD, and modeled that to his nation.
When Hezekiah died, his son Manasseh did not follow in his father’s footsteps. Instead, he set up idols throughout the land where pagan and ungodly worship of false gods took place. One of those false gods was called Molech. They had a large statue that they would heat until it turned red from the fire, and they would sacrifice their children by laying them on that statue. These practices were promoted by evil kings, causing the nation to decline. Judgment was coming.
Babylon captured Manasseh, put him in chains, and carried him away. While he was in captivity, he came to his senses. He realized, “I have not been worshiping God. I have not focused on loving God, the true God, the God of my father.”
He cried out to God. He sincerely repented of his sin. God heard his prayers. He was restored as king of Judah and lived the rest of his life with God’s blessing because he returned his focus to God.
So, our first command is to LOVE GOD.
Loving Others
The commandment second to the greatest one is to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus quoted that, and someone asked Him, “Who is my neighbor?” He was looking for a way to avoid loving everybody, perhaps because some people are hard to love.
Jesus answered by telling the story of a man who was attacked by robbers. They robbed him, beat him so badly that he could not move himself, and left him without the means to care for himself. As he lay there, people came by. Some stayed on the other side of the road, some crossed to the opposite side to avoid him. One was a priest, another a Levite.
One was a Samaritan.
The Jews despised the Samaritans, yet Jesus said the Samaritan had compassion on the wounded man. He went to him, cared for his wounds, took him to an inn, and said, “Take care of him, and when I come back, I will settle up with you.”
Then Jesus asked, “Which one was a neighbor to the man who was robbed?”
It was the despised Samaritan.
These are your commands:
LOVE GOD
LOVE OTHERS
Loving the Church
Ephesians 5:18-6:4 teaches us what it looks like to live under the influence of the Spirit. Paul explains the importance of submitting to one another, loving our families, and living according to God’s design. He reminds husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her.
Think of how Jesus demonstrated that love in John 17 when He prayed for the church. He prayed for His disciples, and He prayed for those who would come after them. He was praying for you and me as well.
A man named Brian said, “When my love for the church mirrors Christ’s love for the church, things will go well.”
Brian said Jesus was optimistic because He looked at these disciples and believed these flaky men would change the world. When Jesus was crucified, they all ran away and hid. Yet after He was gone, Jesus was depending on those same disciples to establish the church and care for it. He knew they would.
Remain committed to the gospel. This is the good news of Jesus!
A seminar I attended mentioned that each one of us should be doing whatever we can to share Christ. We were challenged to come up with a fifteen-second testimony. I want to extend this challenge to you.
If you’re saved, think of what your life was like before Christ and what it is like after. Try to find a way to tell those two things in 15 seconds.
My 15-second testimony would be: Before I came to Christ, I didn’t think anybody could know for sure they would go to heaven. They couldn’t know it until they died. After I met Christ, I found out you can be sure and I’m on my way to heaven. In fact, the Bible tells us over and over that we can be sure.
Do you have a story like that? As you go through life, there will be opportunities to take the conversation in a spiritual direction. Sometimes all it takes is asking someone, “Could I tell you a short story about my own life?”
Remember, their salvation doesn’t depend on you. You simply share the good news that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin.
That’s the gospel.
Whenever my love for the church mirrors Christ’s love for the church, I actively pursue peace and unity. When my love for the church mirrors Christ’s love for the church, I seek God’s glory and not my own.
These are your commands:
LOVE GOD
LOVE OTHERS
LOVE YOUR CHURCH
Loving Your Family
I know a family that was a great example to others. The husband was a pastor, with a faithful wife, and they were raising their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Both sons eventually accepted the call to preach. To the shock of his family and those who had sat under his ministry, the pastor became involved with another woman, and the marriage ended in divorce.
If you identify with the husband in this story and have come to Christ in repentance, you have been forgiven. You can focus on your family where you are right now.
This story reminds us why we must focus on our families. Our choices do not only affect us. They can have far-reaching effects on those we love and those who look to us for guidance.
These are your commandments:
LOVE GOD
LOVE OTHERS
LOVE YOUR CHURCH
LOVE YOUR FAMILY
Fulfilling Your Mission
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
This is The Great Commission.
As we live out our lives, we are to announce the gospel to every people group in the world.
Some of us cannot physically go out to do that. We can support others who do, however. Our church supports several missionaries on a regular basis. They usually let us know how we can support them.
Sometimes we focus on “going into all the world” as a command to go somewhere, but as we are going through life, we share the gospel with others in our everyday lives.
This is accomplished in these commands:
LOVE GOD
LOVE OTHERS
LOVE YOUR CHURCH
LOVE YOUR FAMIL
FULFILL YOUR MISSION
Keep thinking about that 15-second testimony and share it with someone this week.
Troubles come to each of us. But with Jesus, you can have victory over the trials and tribulations in your life.
Troubles From Without
King David and his men were hiding in a cave when they heard King Saul’s army approaching. Saul was deeply jealous of David. After David won a great victory, the people sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” Saul took that as a slight, grew jealous, and threw spears at David on a couple of occasions, forcing David to flee for his life.
While 600 of David’s men waited silently in the cave, Saul walked inside alone to relieve himself. One of David’s men whispered, “Your enemy is here. You can get him now.” But David replied, “I will not touch the Lord’s anointed.” Instead, he secretly cut off a piece of Saul’s robe.
After Saul left and was a safe distance away, David called out from the entrance, holding up the piece of garment: “Why are you chasing me? Don’t you understand that I don’t want to kill you? I had my chance just a few minutes ago.”
Saul, who struggled with jealousy and periods of mental instability, had a lucid moment. He said, “David, my son, you have been more righteous than I because you spared my life.”
Yet David still faced troubles from without. After returning home, Saul began to dwell on what happened, letting it fester. He thought, “I should have attacked him. I had thousands of men, and he only had 600.” When he heard where David was, Saul set out with his army once again.
That night, David and his man Abishai slipped into Saul’s camp under the cover of darkness. They found the army asleep in a protective ring around King Saul, his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abishai said, “Here’s your chance again. God has delivered your enemy into your hands.” But David answered, “No. I will not do it. He is still the Lord’s anointed.”
David took Saul’s spear and water jug and slipped away. At daybreak, David called out from a nearby hillside, “King Saul! I could have killed you today. Send someone up here to get your spear and your water jug.”
Once again, God delivered David. Knowing Saul would likely try again, David prayed:
“Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion who seek to destroy my life…
Let those who love Your salvation continually say, ‘The Lord be glorified.’”
— Psalm 40:13–15
We can experience trouble from without in our own lives: at work, through jealousy, or when issues aren’t worked through and people become enemies. The hardest trouble to handle comes from people who misunderstand you and believe you’re trying to harm them when you’re not.
Troubles From Within
Then there is the struggle from within:
“For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head…”
— Psalm 40:12
Many times, the problems we face are of our own making. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, and we know that the wages of sin is death. That inner struggle is the pull of sin within our lives, and sin must be forgiven and dealt with.
Paul describes this same struggle in Romans 7. He notes that there are things he knows he ought to do that he doesn’t do, and things he shouldn’t do that he finds himself doing. He asks, “Who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death?” Then he answers, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
David viewed his own iniquities as too many to count, yet earlier in the Psalm he said, “It is written in the book; I have come to do Your will.” He came to the Lord. That’s the answer for us, too.
Mark Twain once said, “There are many things in the Bible that are hard to understand. My problem is not with the things I don’t understand, but with the things I do understand.”
The Serenity Prayer speaks to this as well: “Lord, help me to accept the things I cannot change” (troubles from without), “give me the courage to change the things I can” (struggles from within), and “give me the wisdom to know the difference.”
Victory in Jesus
In the opening verses of Psalm 40, David writes of experiencing joy and salvation:
“I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me, and heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.”
— Psalm 40:1–2
David described being down in a horrible pit of miry clay. That clay is slick and slippery; if you try to move, you’re in danger of falling, or your feet become stuck.
Sometimes we get stuck in our lives, whether in dealing with other people or dealing with ourselves. Other times, we are walking on slippery places where our faith slips and slides. But God brings us up out of that miry clay and sets our feet firmly upon a rock. Through every struggle, we can have victory through Jesus Christ.
Tell Others About That Victory
When God delivers us and gives us victory over troubles without and struggles within, our response should be to praise Him and share it:
“He has put a new song in my mouth:
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.”
— Psalm 40:3
David said, “I have proclaimed Your righteousness in the great congregation.” When we receive that victory, we ought to go out and tell others about the brand-new life we have in Him.
Today, we’re looking at Deuteronomy 4, focusing on verses 4–9. As we consider this passage, I’m reminded of an unusual question asked in the Old Testament: What is the meaning of this bleating of sheep and goats that I hear? This question was posed by the prophet Samuel to King Saul after Saul had disobeyed God’s command regarding the Amalekites.
Three Paths to Victory: Obedience, Prayer, and Remembering
Three Paths to Victory |The Path of Obedience
God had instructed Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites, including their livestock, yet Saul and his people spared King Agag and kept the best of the flocks. When confronted, Saul claimed he had obeyed, but the evidence—the sound of livestock—proved otherwise. He then shifted the blame to the people, excusing their disobedience by saying they intended to sacrifice the animals to God.
Samuel’s response was clear: Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. He went further, stating, Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Obedience is one of the key paths to victory. We cannot substitute religious acts for obedience to God’s commands. As James put it, I will show you my faith by my works. A true faith produces obedience.
Three Paths to Victory | The Path of Prayer
The second path to victory is prayer. Deuteronomy 4:7 says, For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? This verse reminds us of the privilege we have to pray to a living God who hears and answers.
Sometimes God answers quickly, as in the case of a recent prayer request at a meeting when a family member was feared to have had a stroke, but by the end of the meeting, we received news that she was fine. Other times, God tells us to wait because the timing isn’t right. And sometimes, He says no because He knows what’s best for us, even when we don’t understand.
Paul experienced this when he pleaded with God to remove a thorn in his flesh. God’s response was, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. If God’s answer to Paul could be no, we should not be surprised when we don’t always get what we ask for. But He is still near, and He hears us when we call.
I recall another instance when my second oldest daughter was in college at Free Will Baptist Bible College. I overheard her telling a friend on the phone that she needed $500 but felt responsible for it herself this time. She said, I guess I’ll have to pray. Rhonda and I didn’t intervene, and even if we had wanted to, we might not have been able to help. The next week, an envelope arrived in the mail with her name on it. Inside was a check for $500 from a church with which we had no known connection. They had simply felt led to give. That is the power of a living God who hears our prayers and provides in His own way and time.
Three Paths to Victory | The Path of Remembering
The third path to victory is to remember. Deuteronomy 4:9 says, Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren.
God’s people were about to enter the Promised Land, and He wanted them to remember all He had done for them. Forgetfulness leads to unfaithfulness. When we fail to recall God’s past faithfulness, we are prone to wander. That’s why it’s crucial to share our testimonies with our children and grandchildren, passing down the stories of God’s provision and power.
G. Campbell Morgan once said there are four things we should remember: the law of God, His deliverances, the close calls where He saved our lives, and His love. We must tell others about the times God has intervened in our lives so that they too can trust in Him.
One of the greatest things we must remember is Christ’s sacrifice. The hymn Lead Me to Calvary reminds us: King of my life, I crown Thee now, Thine shall the glory be. Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow, lead me to Calvary.
Jesus endured suffering beyond comprehension. The crown of thorns was not a mere decoration but a painful mockery, its long thorns driven into His head. Before that, He had prayed in Gethsemane, sweating drops of blood as He submitted to the Father’s will. The Roman scourging ripped His flesh, leaving Him unrecognizable. And on the cross, He bore the sins of the world, experiencing separation from the Father for the first time in eternity. Yet, He willingly laid down His life for us.
But the story doesn’t end there. Mary found the tomb empty, and Jesus appeared to His disciples, then to two travelers on the road to Emmaus, and later to over 500 people. His resurrection is a proven fact, and because He lives, we can claim the gift of eternal life.
Conclusion
Victory in the Christian life comes through obedience, prayer, and remembering God’s faithfulness. When we obey, we show our faith. When we pray, we acknowledge our dependence on God. And when we remember, we build our trust in Him and encourage the next generation to follow Him.
If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, today is the day. If you’ve drifted from Him, now is the time to return. In a moment, we’ll have a song of invitation. If you need salvation, rededication, or simply have a burden to bring before the Lord, I invite you to come. If you go forward in a church service someone will meet you to pray with you if you don’t want to come alone.
Let’s determine to walk these paths to victory every day.
Dr. Randy Carney has been in different types of ministry throughout his career. Today I’m going to tell you about a new and exciting journey that Dr. Carney and his wife have begun.
Interview
JCity Church is a small but vibrant Free Will Baptist Church in the town of Johnston City, Illinois. They are very active in the community.
Dr. Carney’s new ministry: JCity Church, Johnston City, Illinois
For 21 months, the church searched for a new pastor. Finding a pastor who can step in and work with the current ministries and members can be a daunting task.
That’s where Dr. Carney comes in. The church invited him to preach at a couple of services and spend some time with the congregation.
Randy and Rhonda Carney at their 50th-anniversary party.
After a few weeks of sitting under his preaching, the members held a meeting and voted to call Dr. Carney to be their new lead pastor.
Dr. and Mrs. Carney had been in ministry at Ezra Church in West Frankfort, Illinois for around 4 years, and were sad to say goodbye to friends they had made there.
However, after much prayer, they knew that God was calling them to this new ministry at JCity Church.
Dr. Carney jumped right in with both feet, preaching, leading the congregation, and learning about how the church interacts with the local people.
The church provides a community meal each week.
The church provides a community meal once a week, joins the ministerial alliance for gospel music “sings” on fifth Sundays, has provided refuge as a storm shelter (Illinois is in “tornado alley”), feeds school children during the summer months, has provided a community Thanksgiving meal, and many other amazing outreach activities.
Dr. Carney’s experience, education, and knowledge will be a valuable asset to the church and community at large. He’s been raised in church and has been in ministry for over 50 years. For much of that time, he was a lead pastor or associate pastor.
He has also worked in education, having started a Christian school as well as written a curriculum for schools.
The love and compassion that JCity church shows fit right in with Dr. and Mrs. Carney’s views, beliefs, and actions.
In the future, Dr. Carney would like to start a class called “Discipleship Explosion” at the church.
He has pioneered many new ministries in former churches.
Preaching at JCity Church
Dr. Carney is a great listener, and he likes to encourage people to embrace their passion and discover God’s purpose for their lives.
The Carneys are a great fit for this church’s ministry and we all look forward to the great things that they will accomplish together for the Kingdom of God!
For more information, or to attend a service online or in person, you can visit the church’s Facebook page or their website at JCityChurch.com.
Dr. Randy Carney is available to speak at your event. He is knowledgeable about a vast array of topics. You can request him to speak on his website, as well as learn more about him.
Max Lucado wrote a book called “God Came Near.” I haven’t read it but the title always intrigued me, so I will borrow it for today’s post. I’m thinking about the time that God became man to save the world.
I’m sure he must have been surprised At where this road had taken him ‘Cause never in a million lives Would he have dreamed of Bethlehem And standing at the manger He saw with his own eyes The message from the angel come alive And Joseph said Why me, I’m just a simple man of trade Why Him, with all the rulers in the world Why here, inside this stable filled with hay Why her, she’s just an ordinary girl Now I’m not one to second guess What angels have to say But this is such a strange way to save the world To think of how it could have been If Jesus had come as He deserved There would have been no Bethlehem No lowly shepherds at His birth But Joseph knew the reason Love had to reach so far And as he held the Savior in his arms He must have thought Why me, I’m just a simple man of trade Why Him, with all the rulers in the world Why here, inside this stable filled with hay Why her, she’s just an ordinary girl Now I’m not one to second guess What angels have to say But this is such a strange way to save the world
Joseph
In Matthew chapter one, we read that Joseph had learned of Mary’s pregnancy. They were not yet married but were engaged. In those days, that was as good as a marriage contract. He knew that he was not the child’s father. Because he was a just man, he planned to “put her away” (divorce) her privately. Then an angel appeared to him.
Gabriel the angel came to Joseph in a dream.
Matthew 1: 18-25 (MEV)
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way: After His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, had in mind to divorce her privately. 20 But while he thought on these things, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for He who is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this occurred to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, saying, 23 “A virgin shall be with child, and will bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is interpreted, “God with us.” 24 Then Joseph, being awakened from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and remained with his wife, 25 and did not know her until she had given birth to her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.
Why?
God became man. Why? I want to look at some reasons why He did.
The first was to fulfill prophesy. The second was to show what God is like. The third was to communicate with us. The fourth was to identify with us in our struggles. Finally, to be the Lamb of God.
Fulfilling Prophesy
The passage above mentions one of those prophesies. Isaiah 7:14 14 Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel
That is exactly what took place. That’s what Christmas is all about. The baby in the manger, born of a virgin, is that prophecy being fulfilled.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, just as Micah had prophesied.
Micah prophesied that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2)
There are about 300 other prophecies that proclaimed that God was going to become man. They were all fulfilled with the birth of Jesus Christ.
King David was told that his descendants would be on the throne forever. (2 Samuel 7:12-16, Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5-6)
You may wonder who is on the throne today. You can research the genealogy of David down to the time of Jesus. (Matthew 1:2-16, Luke 3:23-38)
Jesus is the king. We don’t need anybody beyond that. He’s still the king and will be forever, sitting at the right hand of God.
Hebrews 1:8-9
8 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, lasts forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness, therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
It was prophesied that King David’s descendants would be on the throne forever. Jesus, through both Mary and Joseph, is the fulfillment of that prophecy.
What God is Like
Jesus was born to show the world what God is like.
Bing Crosby played a character named Hank Martin in a movie made in 1949 called “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” which was based on a book written by Mark Twain.
The main character was somehow transported back in time to the medieval times of King Arthur. He was in trouble because he was dressed in clothing from another century and he thought he needed to do something spectacular to avoid being arrested.
Because people of that time believed in magic and sorcery, the character took his magnifying glass and concentrated the sun’s rays on a piece of paper and burst into flames. The king believed it was magic.
They looked at him differently then, and he was in the king’s good graces for a time.
Later, Hank challenged the king, saying he didn’t know his subjects as well as he thought. The pair began traveling around the country in disguise.
The people didn’t realize the king was among them.
On their travels, they overheard complaints about the king. Arthur wasn’t used to that and almost stuck the speaker before Hank reminded him that he wasn’t “the king” right then.
Farther along, they heard some positive comments about the king, and that pleased Arthur.
The king was in their midst, but they didn’t know it.
Jesus came to the earth and the King was present but many people didn’t realize it until after the resurrection.
Undercover Boss
You may have seen the show “Undercover Boss.” The owner of the company will go undercover and work as a regular employee and see how the actual employees perform. Sometimes they complain about the owner, but other times they are very diligent and hard-working.
Then near the end of the episode, the employees will hear that the owner is coming for a visit. They’re all sitting in a room and in walks the owner.
Some employees are nervous when they realize the things they said and to whom they were said. Others are just happy to see their coworker again and learn that he or she is the boss.
Sometimes the troublemakers get fired, other times, the boss gives them another chance or more training
Jesus came to show us what God is like.
John 14:8-11
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that is sufficient for us.”9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own authority. But the Father who lives in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me. Or else believe Me on account of the works themselves.
If you’ve seen Jesus, you’ve seen the Father.
Communication with the World
Hebrews 1: 1-2
God, who at various times and in diverse ways spoke long ago to the fathers through the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the world.
In the Old Testament, God spoke through the prophets. In the days of the New Testament, God spoke to them, and us, through Jesus Christ His Son.
Paul Harvey once told the story of a man whose wife and children asked if he was attending church with them since it was Christmas.
The man declined. He usually just left it at a simple no, but he elaborated on his refusal this time.
“All this stuff about God becoming man, I just don’t quite get that.”
His family left to go to church and the man was sitting in his living room looking out the window. As he gazed outside, it began to snow. He saw some birds on the ground that appeared to be shivering from the cold.
They didn’t understand he was trying to help.
He went out to his shed, turned on the heater, and left the door open so the birds could go inside and be warmed.
He waited for the birds to go in, but they didn’t. He attempted to approach them but when he got close, they flitted away.
There was food on the ground so they didn’t go far, but they eluded him.
He tried to get near them again, but they flew away again.
He began talking to them, “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m just trying to help you.” He realized they didn’t understand what he was saying. How can I communicate with them? If only I were a bird.”
Then it hit him.
That’s why God came to this earth: So He could communicate with us.
Identify with the Struggles of the World
Another reason, I believe, that He came, is to identify with our struggles.
Hebrews 4: 14-16
14 Since then we have a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who was in every sense tempted like we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then come with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
He came to this earth to be able to identify with our struggles.
You may feel that God is so distant and doesn’t know what it’s like for you. But Jesus knows. He came and showed us that He knew what it’s like.
The story of the woman at the well shows His humanness. John 4:6 says He was “exhausted.” He knows what it’s like to be tired. He knew what it was like to be thirsty. (John 4:7-8, John 19:28)
Jesus knows the struggles the people of the world face.
He knows what it’s like to be rejected. He knows what it’s like to have physical pain. He knew what it was like to have to restrain His power. He could have called thousands of angels to deliver him in the Garden of Gethsemane, but He chose not to.
Lamb of God to Save the World
John 1:26-29
26 John (the Baptist) answered them, “I baptize with water, but One stands among you, whom you do not know. 27 This is He who comes after me, who is preferred before me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Jesus came to the earth to be the Lamb of God; a sacrifice for our sins.
Jesus became the sacrificial lamb for the world.
The Bible tells us that we have all sinned. (Romans 3:23) We’re all in the same boat. Some of us have what the world would consider “bigger” sins, but they’re all the same in God’s eyes. We have all sinned and come far short of God’s glory.
The Bible also tells us that the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That’s the bad news.
Each time you attend a funeral, you’re dealing with physical death The soul has separated from the body. Life has moved out and left behind is the shell.
There’s another kind of death called spiritual death. That’s when the soul is separated from God.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God and the wages of sin is death.
We all have a death sentence on our heads.
But Jesus came, as John the Baptist pointed out, to be the Lamb of God.
His listeners knew the significance of the lamb because year after year there had been sacrifices of an unblemished lamb to atone for their sins.
God sent His Son to the earth to be the ultimate sacrifice: the Lamb of God.
Revelation 20:14-15
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
While everyone faces physical death, you don’t have to experience the second death.
Jesus came to be the Lamb of God and shed His blood as a sacrifice for our sins. He made it possible for everyone to be saved! That’s why He came.
Bringing Redemption to the World
That’s why God became man.
Why would Jesus leave Heaven, where they would do His bidding, and come to this earth to be rejected (Isaiah 53;3) and crucified?
Jesus was fully God but also fully man.
Many men have died, but none could take our place.
The divine son of God became human and physically died. But because of His deity, His death covers the sins of the world.
Jesus’ death on the cross covered the sin of the world.
That’s why you and I can be saved. He made it possible.
If you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
We strongly, fully believe that Jesus died, rose again, the tomb was empty, and He was seen alive more than once after He was dead. It’s not a fairy tale.
Because He lives, we have the hope that we will live forever.
If you believe in your heart, you are very close. Romans 10:9 also says you need to confess with your mouth that He is Lord.
Have you done that? Do you know that you know that Jesus is your Lord?
If you don’t, today is the day. The Bible says today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2)
John the Baptist said to prepare the way for the Lord. That directive has meaning in our own lives today.
Sermon video
Josh’s Questions
Josh was an older teenager and he was having a problem. He was trying to figure something out about life. He had three questions.
The first was: Who am I? The second was: Why am I here? The final question was: Where am I going?
He began trying to find the answers to those questions and decided he would do it in church. He began attending and was very faithful in the church. Later, he said, “I guess I was going to the wrong church. I went there every time the doors were open and I was 150% committed to the church, but I wasn’t getting my questions answered.”
He continued, “I actually felt worse in church than I did outside of church. I started trying to find the answers somewhere else. I decided I would find my answers through education.”
He graduated high school and went to university. Again, he was looking for the answers to those three questions. He discovered that most of the students at the university were worse off than he was. He then looked to the professors. He found no help there, either.
After a couple of years, he noticed a small group of people who seemed different. They were more confident and seemed to have more hope. Eventually one of them invited Josh to a meeting. The meeting turned out to be a Bible study. There were eight students and two professors in attendance.
Josh wasn’t interested in a Bible study.
Josh began noticing something different in their lives and it had an effect on him.
However, due to his previous experience with the church, he had become hardened in the areas of prayer and Bible study. He was resistant to the idea.
Finally, he told them that he noticed something different about them, and he wanted to know what made the difference.
Although he probably didn’t want to hear the answer, they told him anyway.
Jesus Christ made them different.
The first time he heard Jesus mentioned in the Bible study, he scoffed at it and pushed the notion away. He felt he had already tried to find the answer to life through religion and was unsuccessful.
He was forced to admit, though that something was going on in the lives of the people in the group.
Again he heard, “Jesus Christ is the answer.”
Not the institution of the church, but the person of Jesus.
A Challenge
One of the young ladies in the group challenged Josh. She said, “Why don’t you investigate and see if all of this is true? Was there really a historical person named Jesus? Find out if there were people who testified to unusual things being done. Find out if this man named Jesus really was crucified. Then there’s the claim of the resurrection, that He rose from the grave. Investigate that for yourself.”
Josh thought all those answers would be in the Bible, of course, so he started by checking that. He was very serious about the whole thing. He decided to try religion again. He planned to use the tools for investigating and verifying statements that he had learned.
Josh decided to do some research.
He took time off from his classes He went to some well-known libraries in Europe to investigate the claims in the Bible.
His heart had been hardened and needed to be prepared to get him to the point where he would even consider doing this.
Luke 3:1-6 (MEV)
1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius, Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip was tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Traconitis, and Lysanias was the tetrarch of Abilene. 2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He came into the region surrounding the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight 5 Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”
John the Baptist was quoting from the book of Isaiah, so let’s look at that passage.
Isaiah 40:1-8 (MEV)
1 Comfort, O comfort, My people, says your God. 2 Speak kindly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been pardoned, that she has received of the hand of the Lord double for all her sins. 3 The voice of him who cries out, “Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness, make straight in the desert a highway for our God 4 Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low, and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rough places a plain; 5 then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.” 6 The voice said, “Cry out.” And he said, “What shall I cry out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is as the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades because the Spirit of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God shall stand forever.
Prepare the Way
In the past, dignitaries would visit other cities or countries. If they were wealthy enough, the dignitaries would send people ahead of them to see the conditions of the roads. Would the journey be easy? How wide was the road? What type of vehicles would the road accommodate? The visitor may have been in a wagon or chariot or may have been carried on a litter.
The servants would go in advance to prepare the way for the dignitary.
They wanted the road to be smooth and the way to be good.
The Smoky Mountains in Tennessee have steep grades and sharp turns. The interstate that cuts through them has made those places smooth enough that you can safely take a curve at 70 miles per hour.
Some places along that route don’t go over the top of the mountain but around the side. There are guardrails along the edge of the road and signs warning you to watch for falling rocks. The construction crews have made the way easier.
John the Baptist was preparing the way for the Lord to come. Many years before, Isaiah had prophesied the events.
Four things were to take place to prepare the way for the Lord.
Mountain Brought Low
The first of those events was the mountain shall be brought low.
To prepare the way, the mountain must be brought low.
This did not mean that the ground and roads into Bethleham were going to be literally smoothed. I believe the passage means within our hearts. Our hearts are high, lifted up, and prideful.
In order to prepare the way for the Lord, the mountain of pride needs to be brought low and humility needs to be present. You have to be humble enough to be able to consider the Lord. You have to be careful about pride.
When I was in the 4th grade, the high school basketball coach came and got us 4th-grade boys and brought us to the gym. He gave us an orange spherical object and, to my surprise, the other boys knew what to do with it. I actually did know it was a basketball, but that was all I knew about the game. The other boys could dribble and I could not. I didn’t know the rules so I was feeling very self-conscious.
I was standing there with my hands in my pockets when the coach asked if I would like to learn how to play basketball. I said I would.
He responded, “The first thing you need to do is take your hands out of your pockets.”
That was my first basketball lesson.
Because I attended a small school I always made the team, but I was never one of the first 5. I wasn’t much of a star.
I needed to be brought low.
There was one time when my 4-H club was going to play a game against another 4-H club. Not everyone in the club was on the basketball team so there was a mixture of varying skill levels. The other club didn’t have enough people so they took some of our club members who did play basketball and put them on their team. It ended up: I was the star of the team that night!
I was so excited about that. A friend was planning on spending the night at my house that night. All the way home and for probably an hour after we got home, I talked about how excited I was and how great I had done.
He finally got tired of hearing it and he said, “Yeah, Randy, you were great. Just great.” That brought me back to Earth.
Sometimes we get lifted up with pride and it can stand in our way so we need to be brought low.
Filling the Valleys
On the opposite side of that are the valleys. You might not feel like you’re worth anything. You might be on the opposite end of the spectrum and feel like God could never love you or care for you. You feel like no one at all cares for you.
You feel like even your parents don’t care about you. You’re just picked on and bullied. You don’t have any friends.
That can happen sometimes and it can weigh on a person and cause them to be discouraged and feel low
By discovering your value to Christ, your valley can be filled
In order to receive Christ, you need to understand that you need to be lifted up and you are not worthless. How much value do you have?
You are of inestimable worth to God. He sent His Son to redeem you. He thought you were of such worth that He sent His Son from Heaven’s glory to this Earth where He was rejected and despised.
The religious leaders who were lifted up with pride arrested Jesus.
God loves you so much that He allowed that to happen. Jesus loves you so much that He allowed that to happen. Jesus allowed Himself to be arrested. He allowed his beard to be pulled out. He allowed people to spit on him.
He did that because He loves you and me. That’s how much He loves us.
You need to get to the point where you can understand that. When you do, then you’re preparing the way for the Lord to come into your life.
We are Like Flowers that Fade
If a young man wants to impress his young lady, he will sometimes bring her flowers. Usually, she really likes them. She’ll put them on the table. She likes to look at them. She likes to smell them. But after about a week the flowers become wilted and she will toss them in the trash.
Life fades like a flower.
The passage says our lives are like that. It’s here for a while and then it fades away. Like a flower that’s good for a while but it wilts and fades away.
Life is like a vapor. It’s here for a little while, then it vanishes away. (James 4:14) Imagine steam coming out of a tea kettle. You can see it for a bit but then it vanishes.
We need to realize that we are mortal and will not live forever and have time to prepare the way for the Lord within our lives. A lot of people act like they’re going to live forever and push away all thoughts of eternity.
To prepare the way for the Lord, we need to realize that we’re going to spend eternity somewhere.
We’re like the flower that’s here for a while and fades.
Make the Rough Places Smooth
Some places had rocks on the roads. To prepare for the arriving dignitary, the people would clear the rocks out of the way.
Sometimes the roads would be rocky and require clearing.
Depending on their circumstances, the dignitaries may build up the road some, shorten it, or find a different path altogether. They may find the landowner and ask for permission to pass through their property.
Usually, though, they would go on the established path. Their laborers would go ahead of them and clear the rocks to make the path smoother.
Years ago, I worked for Accelerated Christian Education. I was at their headquarters for about 3 years.
About halfway through my time there, the company decided to provide a retreat for any employee who wanted to attend. My family went. We did many different things during the retreat.
The company (ACE) owned property near Durango, Colorado, so that’s where we went for the retreat.
Because we were being paid while on the retreat, we had to be productive while we were there.
There was a dirt road on the property that had a lot of rocks. Many of them were good-sized. There were probably about 100 people working on this road. We went in front, and a wagon went behind us, and our job was to pick up rocks.
It was rough going for the wagon at first, but finally, we got enough picked up that it was able to go down the road pretty easily.
Take the rocks and move them out of the way. The high places are made lower – pride is brought lower to humility. The low places are made higher – worthlessness is brought up to the esteem that God has for us.
The Way Made Straight
The crooked thinking of the world needs to be straightened out. Sometimes we have to do some investigating as Josh did. There is some crooked thinking going on in our world today.
Crooked roads need to be straightened to prepare the way for the Lord.
Things that years ago would have been considered crazy are supposed to be accepted as normal today, and the world says that you’re supposed to say it’s normal whether you think it is or not.
You have to do something to straighten out the crookedness.
We need to come to a point where when God says something, it is so and if He says it’s not so, it’s not.
We need to recognize that and believe it.
Sometimes the rocks get in the way.
Josh’s Discoveries
Josh had thoughts, obstacles, or “rocks”, that were in his way. He was asked to investigate for himself and when he did, one by one, the rocks were removed.
First, he checked out the Bible. He found out that there were 40 different human authors (God is the author of it all {2 Timothy 3:16-17}) over 1400 years and it had an amazing unity to it. Today, you probably couldn’t find 40 different authors to agree on anything. In the Bible, there’s a unity of the message. There’s a scarlet thread of redemption from Genesis to Revelation.
Over and over again, the fact of the sinfulness of mankind and the need for redemption are portrayed.
Then comes the fact that Jesus Christ died and paid the penalty for our sins.
There’s amazing unity throughout the Book.
Josh had to admit that he could see that.
Then he looked at history and historical authors. For example, did Julius Ceasar really exist?
Josh’s research showed that Julius Ceasar did exist.
He found out how many ancient documents talked about Ceasar’s existence.
He found many texts that spoke about the New Testament.
He discovered that there was far more evidence for the truth of the Bible than there was for other books.
A rock was removed.
He found out that Jesus really was a historical person who lived. He learned that there were those who saw Him after He was reported dead, alive. He discovered that there were Roman soldiers who knew about death and said that Jesus definitely was dead. He also found out that the account of the spear being stuck into Jesus’ side and blood and water coming out was the truth, He learned that Jesus did truly die. He could not deny that.
Josh learned that the 12 disciples saw Jesus after He had been dead and their lives were changed. Before they had been filled with fear but they became bold after seeing the resurrected Jesus.
The time came when the authorities wanted them arrested, and a couple of times they were. While imprisoned, they sang! They couldn’t be stopped. Their lives were changed.
Josh couldn’t deny that.
Then he saw that throughout history, there were people who were willing to give their lives for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He could not deny that.
One rock after another was being removed.
Josh’s last name is McDowell. Maybe you’ve heard of him or perhaps read some of his books. One such book is called “Evidence that Demands a Verdict.” It’s a collection of evidence so it’s hard to read straight through. However, it is a wonderful reference book. It’s a listing of all the things he discovered and put together. He’s also written a sequel called “More Evidence that Demands a Verdict.” If you’re looking for a good reference book, I would recommend these two.
Josh McDowell
The books contain the evidence that moved the rocks out of the path for Josh McDowell.
Lee Strobel
There is another man, named Lee, who lived in Chicago. He was a journalist. Like many people, he and his wife were enjoying life without any church attendance or background. They had similar ideas and lifestyles. However, their lives weren’t completely full. Lee’s wife, Leslie, had an emptiness inside, similar to what Josh had in his life.
So, she began to study the Bible with some friends. Next, she began attending church. As a result, her life began to change. She didn’t think she should do some of the things they had been doing before. Lee grew more and more frustrated.
He began to suspect that she was seeing another man. He discovered another Man of sorts, but it was difficult to fight against Him because Lee couldn’t see Him. Not to mention, He was a perfect man.
Lee was very angry and resentful.
This went on for a couple of years, and then Lee thought, “I’m an investigative reporter. I’m going to take my skills and use the same techniques and I’m going to refute this ‘Christian stuff’ for my wife.”
Lee and Leslie Strobel
His usual process was to interview experts in whatever field he was investigating. He approached this project the same way.
After each interview, his thought was the same: “I can’t argue against that one. What he said was right.”
Time after time, Lee came to the same conclusion.
The reporter’s name is Lee Strobel and he wrote the books “The Case for Christ,” “The Case for Faith,” and “The Case for Creation” plus many more.
Lee had all that resentment that was standing in the way. One by one, through those interviews, the rocks were removed so the path to the Lord could be clear.
Josh McDowell said after he came to the point where he had all the evidence, he was faced with evidence that demands a verdict. He was going to have to make a decision.
Josh and Lee both came to Christ.
Intellectually, he already knew it was all true but he still would not submit to Christ because of his pride. He would have to admit he had been wrong since he was in high school and those early years in college.
But he finally did, and then his heart was ripe for Christ to come in.
Lee Strobel knew these things were true and his heart was ripe for Christ to come in.
Prepare Your Heart
If you have something in your life that should not be there, I pray that the Lord would remove that obstacle for you. I pray that if there is some type of pride in your life that you would be brought low so you can consider other things. I pray that if you feel worthless, you will be lifted up and understand that God loves you. I pray that if you have a crooked road that something will come and help you see that it’s not right and you’ll be straightened out. As you understand more and more that the Word of God is the truth, it will help straighten out your thinking. Whatever rocks might be in the way, I pray that they would be removed.
Prepare the way for the Lord to enter your heart.
John the Baptist cried out, “Prepare the way of the Lord. Let the high be brought low, the low be brought up, the crooked places made straight, and the rough places made smooth.”
If you’ve never come to Christ, and today you’re at the place where your heart is ready, you can make a decision for Christ today. The way has been prepared and there’s nothing standing in your way. You can come to Him.
The bad news is that the yoke of sin enslaves us all and Satan whispers lies to us. But there’s good news! God offers deliverance.
Beware of Bears
A park ranger was instructing a group that was preparing to go for a hike. He said, “You need to be careful out there because there are sometimes grizzly bears on the trails.” He had some items to help them stay safe.
He first gave them some bells. He said, “Wear these at all times. They’ll make noise when you move and the bears will know that you’re coming and hopefully, the bears will avoid you if they hear you.”
The second item he gave the hikers was a whistle. He said, “Keep this around your neck. If the bells don’t scare the bears, you can blow the whistle. That might keep them away. At least it could alert someone who may be able to help you.”
Finally, the ranger handed them a can of pepper spray. He said, “If all else fails and a grizzly is coming for you, try spraying them in the eyes with this pepper spray.”
Concerned, one of the hikers asked, “How will we know if we’re in an area with grizzly bears?”
Watch out for grizzly bears!
The ranger responded, “It’s simple. Just look for bear droppings.”
“How can we tell the bear droppings from other animal droppings?” they asked.
“Well,” the ranger replied, “the bear droppings will have bells and whistles in them and smell like pepper spray.”
It’s important to heed the warnings that come your way.
Volcanic Warnings
Recently, the news has reported that a volcano in Hawaii is erupting. It’s a famous volcano called the Mauna Loa, part of the Kilauea crater.
In 1985 my wife and I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Hawaii. We were living in the Dallas, Texas area and I was writing the science curriculum for Accelerated Christian Education.
The curriculum was talking about volcanoes and it described a lava tube.
Inside a lava tube
A lava tube is a tunnel of sorts that is formed by flowing lava from a volcanic vent that moves beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow. If lava in the tube empties, it will leave a cave.
I was writing about that kind of thing so when we got to Hawaii, we went to the park that has that crater where the volcano is. We got to walk through one of those lava tubes.
The current eruption is shooting lava as high as 168 feet. The thing that amazes me is the national park is still open for visitors!
There’s one road that is closed.
I think that would be a good warning to heed and not get on that road.
There are some warnings that we need to heed.
History, Parallel, and a Warning from Jeremiah
Jeremiah has some warnings that he put forth to God’s people. I’m not going to put all three chapters in here, but I will give you the summary and enough information that you’ll be able to see what’s going on.
You’ll see the historical happenings that Jeremiah was describing and then I want to look at the parallels between that and the entire story of redemption that’s in the Bible from the beginning to the end. The Bible is a book of redemption.
It’s a book that tells of the need for deliverance and it tells you how to be delivered, which is through Jesus Christ.
As I go through this, you’ll see the yoke of sin, the lies of Satan, and the deliverance of God.
Yoke of Sin
Jeremiah 27:1-8 contains the historical content of this.
Before I continue, I want to give you a little tip that helped me. In these chapters, there are three names mentioned and I got a little confused.
The first is Jehoiakim who was the king of Judah.
The second is his son, Jeconiah, who was also a king of Judah. However, he was taken into captivity.
While he was in captivity in Jerusalem, Zedekiah was king.
Jeremiah 27:1-2 (all scripture is from the MEV)
1 In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 Thus says the Lord to me: Make bonds and yokes and put them on your neck,
Wooden yoke
Yokes were wooden devices that were put on oxen and hooked to carts, plows, or whatever you wanted them to pull. If you had a yoke on your neck, it would be something that was difficult. God told Jeremiah to put one on his neck as an object lesson and then send some to the kings of the surrounding countries.
Jeremiah 27:6
6 Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant. And also I have given to him the beasts of the field to serve him.
God refers to Nebuchadnezzar as His servant Sometimes God will use people who are not very close to Him for His purposes.
Nebuchadnezzar had moments when he worshiped God and instructed others to do so. Other times, he became prideful and turned away from God.
Jeremiah told the kings that they were going to be under the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar and they needed to accept it because they were going to be in captivity.
Now let’s look at the picture of redemption.
We All Bear It
We have the yoke of sin that is put upon us. Since the Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), everyone has to deal with this yoke of sin.
Each one of us bears the yoke of sin.
We should be concerned about the yoke of sin.
It was what caused Adam and Eve to be cast out of the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3)
It was the thing that caused the first murder to take place. (Genesis 4:8)
The yoke of sin destroys lives and it destroys families.
The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)
We all know about physical death. We’re reminded of it often The body dies. Physical death came in because of sin.
Beyond physical death, however, is spiritual death which causes us to be separated from God.
Jeremiah 27:8
8 It shall come to pass that I will punish the nation and kingdom which will not serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, says the Lord. I will punish that nation with the sword, and with famine, and with pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
God was telling them that Nebuchadnezzar was the world leader. He had warned His people to “straighten up” or go into captivity.
Judah’s brother to the north, Israel, had already been taken into captivity by Assyria.
Babylon was gaining power and was going to take over Assyria. But Babylon was then going to go into Judah and capture the rest of them.
One of the many lies that were put forth during this time is found in Jeremiah 27:14.
14 Therefore do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, “You will not serve the king of Babylon,” because they prophesy a lie to you.
The remainder of chapter 27 discusses those who would lie.
Of course, the people would like to be delivered. Of course, they wanted to rise up and be victorious over their enemies.
But Jeremiah told them that wouldn’t be the case. God was going to use those events to punish them. They had been warned.
The lies continue in chapter 28.
Jeremiah 28:1-4
1 In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year and in the fifth month, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two full years I will bring back into this place all the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. 4 And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went into Babylon, says the Lord, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”5 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the Lord, 6 even the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen. May the Lord do so; may the Lord perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the house of the Lord and all that was carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.
Jeremiah knew what God had told him, but he hoped that Hananiah was correct.
Jeremiah 28:10-17
10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it. 11 Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: Even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within the space of two full years.” Then the prophet Jeremiah went his way. 12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying: 13 Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus says the Lord: You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made instead of them yokes of iron. 14 For thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. And I have given him the beasts of the field also. 15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen now, Hananiah. The Lord has not sent you, and you make this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says the Lord: I am about to cast you from off the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the Lord.” 17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.
Hananiah was a false prophet.
You see the lies of the false prophet, and the consequences of those lies, in this passage.
The Lies of Satan
Satan is a liar. His lies come to us who have sinned. We have the yoke of sin in our lives.
Satan tells us, “You’re ok.”
But we’re not ok. We are all hellbound without God.
Satan’s lies tell us there is no hell, and that there are no consequences of sin. These lies are very subtle.
Some of those lies seem right to us as human beings. There are people who are openly and brazenly disobeying the commands of God but human nature says, “Oh, it’s ok. They’re ok.” That’s one of the lies of Satan.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. (Proverbs 14:12)
The lies of Satan lead to destruction.
Satan’s lies sound good.
But the lies of Satan can sound really good because sometimes he appears as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14)
The lies of Satan provide a false sense of peace.
The yoke of sin is the fault of all mankind because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Everyone needs to be saved. Everyone needs their sin forgiven.
The lie of Satan is, “You don’t need that. It’s all a bunch of hogwash.”
The truth is that one day we’re going to stand before God and it will matter what we have done with Jesus Christ. Whether or not we have believed in Him, whether or not we have accepted Him, and whether or not we have trusted in Him. That’s what’s going to make all the difference when we stand before God and are judged. (Romans 14:10-12, Revelation 20:15)
There’s a yoke of sin that we all carry.
Satan lies to everyone he can.
But there is the promise of deliverance!
The Promise of Deliverance
Hananiah had promised deliverance but he was dead and it had been 2 years and nothing happened.
While they were in captivity, they weren’t severely treated. They were allowed to work and have areas where they could build houses for themselves. Considering they were in captivity, they were treated fairly well.
Jeremiah delivered a message to them
Jeremiah 29:4-14
4 Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, to all who have been carried away captive whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and dwell in them; and plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters; so that you may increase there and not diminish. 7 Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. 8 For thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. 9 For they prophesy falsely to you in My name. I have not sent them, says the Lord. 10 For thus says the Lord: When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. 11 For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you shall call upon Me, and you shall come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You shall seek Me and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will turn away your captivity and gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back into the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.
God provided deliverance. They were to be under the yoke of captivity for 70 years, although the lies of the prophet said it wouldn’t be that long.
Then God gave them a promise.
At the end of the 70 years, they would be released and able to go home.
There are reasons to be excited about the deliverance that God provides.
The Bible speaks of the yoke of sin and of the lies of Satan that tell us that salvation is unnecessary.
But it speaks of real deliverance for those who have had the yoke of sin weighing down on their hearts and minds. There is deliverance for those who have been the enemy of God and realize that they were wrong and turn their life around.
There is freedom through Christ!
This deliverance comes and grabs ahold of someone like the Apostle Paul who had the yoke of sin on his life and was an enemy of the people of God. Then on the road to Damascus, he met the living Christ, got knocked off of his horse, and realized he had been wrong. He acknowledged who Jesus is and gave his life in wholehearted service to the Lord. (Acts 9:1-19)
There are reasons to be excited about that!
One reason is that you are forgiven of your sins. Corrie Ten Boom said, “God buries our sins in the depths of the sea and then puts up a sign that reads, “No fishing.”
He has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12)
As Christians, we have been justified. There’s a little play on words that says justified means “just as if I’d never sinned.”
Justification through Jesus
That’s something to be excited about.
When God comes into your life, although you are born with the yoke of sin, you become just as if you’d never sinned.
Going Home
There is the promise of Heaven. They had been in captivity but they got to go home
One of these days, you (if you’ve accepted Jesus) and I will get to go home.
When you visit people in the hospital, they will sometimes talk about going home. You might wonder what they mean. Sometimes they’re talking about going to their physical earthly home, but sometimes they’re talking about Heaven.
I’m so glad that one day, instead of returning to the building made of wood and rock, I’ll go to a beautiful eternal home.
These three chapters contain the whole picture of redemption: the yoke of sin, the lies of Satan, and the deliverance of God.
Don’t listen to the lies of Satan. Believe the truth of God. Believe in Jesus. Come to Him. Trust in Him. The Bible says that if you seek after Him with your whole heart, you will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:13)
Whosoever
Some know that they have sinned and are on their way to a place that’s not Heaven. They would like to change that but Satan whispers lies to them. He says, “You can’t be saved. What you’ve done is too bad. You are too far gone.”
YOU are a whosoever!
But the truth of God is God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
When I was in 6th grade, I overheard 2 boys talking. They were certain that if they died in a car wreck they would go to Heaven. At the time I thought there was no way they could know that. I thought about that knowing all week. Then I read John 3:16, which I probably had memorized. I realized it was a truth of God that whosoever believed in Him would not perish but have eternal life.
I knelt down and said, “God, Jesus, I do believe in You. I do believe you died on the cross. I don’t know everything about all of this but as much as I know how I give You my life right now.”
The Truth of God comes and brings salvation to your soul.
Had I walked up on those boys’ conversation the next week, I wouldn’t have turned and walked away. I would have walked up and joined them and said, “Yeah, Me too!”
I couldn’t have said it the week before because I was listening to the lies of Satan Then I came to Jesus.
Seek Him with your whole heart and you will find Him. Knock and it will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7-8)
Of course, they weren’t looking forward to going into captivity. It was peaceful where they were living and they liked it there. Jeremiah warned them that it would not be good.
Then they realized that they were suffering the consequences of their sin.
He told them it wouldn’t be as bad as it could be. They would be allowed to build some houses and live life normally, But they would long for home
After 70 years they were going to get to go home.
We have sinned and we have listened to the lies of Satan. We’ve been confronted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ: that He died to pay the penalty for our sins. But if we claim the gift of salvation, we will receive eternal life.
The Time is Now
Have you ever come to Jesus?
Do you know Jesus now?
If you do you have reason to rejoice. Thank God for His promises, but you probably have some friends who need to know about those promises. Maybe it’s up to you to be the one to talk to them.
In closing, I want to tell you to live life as it comes. It may be good or it may be bad, but through it all continue to trust God. Trust Him through it all and He will bless you for doing that.
Let God remove the yoke of sin from your life.
If you don’t know for sure, if you have any doubts, about your salvation, I encourage you to get alone with Jesus and ask Him into your heart. The Bible says whosoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13)
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