Great Peace

“God never pursues his glory at the expense of the good of his people, nor does he ever seek our good at the expense of his glory.  He has designed His eternal purpose so that His glory and our good are inextricably bound together.” — Gerry Bridges

INTRODUCTION:  We live in a dangerous world.  Read the papers or listen to the news and you will be reminded of just how evil and unpredictable it is.  Consequently, many people are gripped with fear.  They plan their days in order to avoid any circumstance that might be dangerous.  However, all their schemes will not insulate them from the threats of this life.  Jesus said it like this:  “In this world you will have tribulations …”  No matter how hard you try to protect yourself, you will not escape the dangers of life.  It is this way in all places and at all times.  Here is how Augustine expressed it in the 4th century: 

“What disasters are suffered by those who travel by land and sea!  What man can go out of his own house without being exposed on all hands to unforeseen accidents?  Returning home sound in limb, he slips on his own doorstep, breaks his leg, and never recovers.  What can seem safer than a man sitting in his chair?  Eli the priest fell from his, and broke his neck.”

The Poison of Profession without Practice

“Open sin, and avowed unbelief, no doubt slay their thousands.  But profession without practice slays its ten thousands.” — J. C. Ryle

INTRODUCTION:  Religious ritual can be so deadly.  It is like a sugar coated poison.  It tastes sweet and good going down.  It isn’t until later, after many doses, that we discover its deadly consequences.  We maintain a form of religion but it is without power.  We still participate in the ritual but the joy is gone.  Growth is stymied.  We may become so deluded that we become like Samson.  Our power is cut off long before we are ever aware of it.
On the day before the Babylonians would overcome the city of Jerusalem, God came to Ezekiel to explain why this tragedy was happening. 

“As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.’  My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice.  With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.  Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice” Ezekiel 33:30-32.

A Battle Cry

“The Bible was not given to make us comfortable, but to shake us up with radical life changing truth.” — J. I. Packer

INTRODUCTION:  God has one great purpose.  His purpose is to manifest His glory through a people He would create and redeem by His grace.  His people, chosen in eternity past, would bring Him glory by the way they live for Him on earth (Ephesians 1:11-12).  His plan cannot be thwarted.  Even sin is used to bring glory to His name through mercy and grace.  Joseph is one example:  “You meant it for evil but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). 

The cross is the greatest example:  “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.  But God raised him from the dead” (Acts 2:23-24).

Tried and Proven

“Even today I live every moment with the Bible.  It is my constant companion.  As a believer for fifty-six years, I have tested God’s Word and found it true.  In more than five decades I have not encountered one situation on which I have not been able to turn to God’s Word for comfort, wisdom, guidance, joy and blessing.  At eighty-one years of age, I would rather have the Bible on my shelf and in my heart than any other book written in history because it contains the message of God.  It is a love letter to me and to all other human beings, who are created in His image.  Not only have I been transformed and enriched through reading the Bible, but I have also seen it change the lives of multitudes of people.” — Dr. Bill Bright (Quoted from the book he was writing when he went to be with the Lord.)

INTRODUCTION:

It seems strange to hear someone delight in commands.  We love our freedom.  Freedom is often seen as doing anything you want.  But that is not the psalmist’s view.  He knew that in the law of God were blessings, not burdens.  It is even more astonishing to attach love to obedience of commands.  But that is exactly what John’s epistle affirms.  “This is love for God:  to obey his commands” (1 John 5:2-3).  However, when we do obey our Lord we also find that “his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:4).  They are wisdom which enables us to overcome the forces in the world that seek to rob us of our joy.  Our faith in the goodness and greatness of Jesus and our obedience to His commands enables us to be victorious in any situation.  May God speak to us again and reveal His awesome glory to us as we meditate upon God’s precious Word.