ResponsiveReiding

Luke 17:11–19 (ESV) On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

1. How easily entreated our Christ is – even from a distance. Even on His way to somewhere else and about other business. He is never too busy,, distracted, uncaring or indifferent. What an impetus to prayer. He was “on His way”, and He “was met” – and instantly responded. What a great Savior He is.

2. How merciful He is to those who call upon Him. He did not deny them their greatest need. He never does. He knows the ravages of sin. He knows how “infected” we are, how inherent, systemic and pervasive our sin problem is – how defiled we are. But He is full of mercy – FULL!

3. How broad His love is – He does not inquire as to whether all are Jews or IF there is a Samaritan or even a Gentile among them. Such things are irrelevant to Him in such an hour. He does not worry about whether or not they are card-carrying Jews, or all complete Gentiles. They are in need of what only He can do. His love stretches past the boundaries we so often point to.

4. How graciously He gives even to those who will fail to give Him His proper honor for His great works. He is not stupid. He knows their hearts – our hearts – as well as He knows His own. He knows full well nine of these men will just walk away – more absorbed by what it meant to them in the moment, than what it MEANT. But He is so full of grace. He gives to the undeserving. This is what the Gospel is all about. And He gives anyway. He knew full well how badly you and I would mess it up after He saved us. And He wasn’t deterred by it one iota. He is a God of grace.

5. How truly touched by Him we may be, and still have no true love or even gratitude toward Him. Our being the recipient of a miracle, does not mean we are necessarily better people for it. Just because He has been merciful to us – says nothing about – us. It says everything about Him. We can put no trust in miracles – only in Him. Miracles don’t change us – only He does.

6. How easy it is to be more content with the healing, than the Healer – with the gifts above the Giver. Father forgive me, for this is so very often my own heart and mind. Cleanse me of such wicked thought patterns. Make me never to rest content with anything you do – above having who you are. Let YOU, be my highest joy, and my most precious treasure.

7. Saving faith leads us beyond the obtaining of mere external blessings however great they may be – to be pronounced “whole” by the Redeemer. When we’ve gone beyond being “touched” – to the point of being “made well” – what a work is truly done. One that survives the grave. One that turns us into Sons and Daughters of God in Christ, and not just externally “blessed” – but unchanged. Make me that 10th leper.

Luke 9:57–62 (ESV) “As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

When I read these words, I am reminded of those of Winston Churchill in his famous address to the British Parliament on the eve of entering the 2nd World War. In part he said: “I say to the House as I said to ministers who have joined this government, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering.

You ask, what is our policy? I say it is to wage war by land, sea, and air. War with all our might and with all the strength God has given us, and to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy.

You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs – Victory in spite of all terrors – Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.

Let that be realized.”

Now look back at Jesus’ words – in a day when being a Christian is to many a simple take-it-or-leave-it preference. His discussions with these three men seem strangely at odds with post-modern Christendom’s views, don’t they?

To the first, He made it clear that there is no PROMISE that in following Christ you will not be homeless. If you are looking to follow Jesus only if it means your earthly security remains intact – you may well be very sadly mistaken. He will make no promises of earthly comforts.

To the second He established that no PRIORITY can take precedence over following Jesus, no matter how personal or culturally pressing. Instead, He guarantees it will alter every normal relationship due to a complete re-prioritization of everything in light of the mission.

And from the last reply we learn that one cannot “try it out” – you commit for life – period. Nothing can be more PRECIOUS to us than following Jesus. We must make a clean break from the old life. If there is something back there that you still long for so much – you will constantly be distracted by what you miss. Trying to keep one eye longingly looking back will make a wreck of what you are doing. Either you follow Him, or you go home – but you cannot do both. Remember Lot’s wife.

Sobering words. But then again, He is leading us in the most glorious of all things. And as such, it does not admit of non-committal, self-indulgent, self-focus.

Heaven – HE – is that worth it.

Joshua 10:12–14 (ESV) “At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.”

The book of Joshua just may be my favorite Old Testament book. It is filled with so much practical wisdom for the Christian life, it is virtually inexhaustible.

The juxtaposition of 2 passages I find enormously helpful. In chapter 7, the Israelites face defeat at Ai because Achan had stolen what God had said was to be destroyed. It taught us that prayer is no substitute for action. When Joshua falls in his face before God because of the defeat – God says “Get up!” Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned.” (7:10-11) Conversely, in chapter 9 the Israelites are suckered by the Gibeonites into making a treaty with them because “the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord.” (9:14). This time, the problem was taking action – but without prayer. Great lessons to learn.

It is what grows out of this last, ill-conceived action on the part of Israel, that brings us to our text, and one of the most amazing displays of God’s power (if not THE greatest) in all of Scripture. But if all we see is the miracle, we miss the revelation.

Recap: The inhabitants of Gibeon, a large people group living in Canaan, heard what God had done in destroying Jericho, and then Ai, and decided they would NOT be next. They got a few guys together, put them in worn out clothes, gave the moldy bread, and sent them to the Israelites with the story that they were coming from WAY far away (their bread was hot from the oven when they left) and wanted to enter into a treaty with Israel. Since they weren’t near neighbors who God had said to vanquish – the Israelites (without asking God’s counsel) said “sure!” But shortly after, they found out they were hoodwinked. These guys were from the neighborhood.

Israel to its credit, though with mud on their faces, kept the treaty – even though it was obtained under false pretenses. However, that promise to honor the agreement soon gets put to test. Some of Gibeon’s neighbors weren’t happy about this treaty, and so they ganged up to wage war on Gibeon. Now that Gibeon had a treaty with Israel, what did they do? They got on the hotline and called for help. And Israel, still wanting to retain their integrity – says “we’re on the way.” It is in the ensuing battle that this miracle of the “sun standing still” takes place. While Israel is defending the people they had no business entering into a treaty with in the first place. Now – we know why the account is so important.

Here is the payoff. Think about this entire scene for one moment. Have you ever witnessed a more vivid or expansive vision of God’s unfathomable grace than this? God gives one of His most remarkable deliverances – if not THE most remarkable – while assisting Israel in defeating the foes of those Israel foolishly and sinfully bound themselves to. It is NO endorsement of their sin for sure. But it is, an inexplicable display of how much mercy and grace He extends to us – even in the aftermath of our own sin. WOW!

Deuteronomy 30:6 (ESV) “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

Some parts of our Bibles don’t get read quite as often or as in depth as some others. Deuteronomy usually falls within that category. Its not the first place we run to when looking for comfort, like the Psalms often are. And truth be told, Christians are members of the New Covenant, not the Old. It is fitting that we spend more time looking at things this side of the Cross. Nevertheless, because the realities of the New Covenant in Christ is given to us in the types and shadows of the Old – when the light of the Cross shines back over those passages, it brings to light manifold treasures. Treasures like the one in the passage under consideration today.

As Moses is preparing to depart this world, he is pressing home a series of crucial truths on the people of Israel. Among them comes a warning about deceiving oneself by saying inwardly “I’ve heard and assented to the Covenant, so I am safe, and now can live any way I please!” (Deut. 29:18-21). Moses tells them in no uncertain terms that God will not let that kind of thinking go. In fact, He doesn’t under the New Covenant either – despite what some may think.

Moses then goes on to describe the tragic results of such a mindset in God’s refusal to forgive such thinking, and the destruction it will bring upon both the individual, and the corporate group of God’s people. So drastic is God’s response, that one might even wonder “what will become of the God’s promises in the end?” The answer to which is given in 29:29 – and then later unpacked in detail by Paul in Romans 9-11.

What then is to be done? Should individuals go down this path, should God’s people as a whole suffer greatly as a result – what is the cure? How is it to be turned around? What is needed? And to the shock of many – God’s answer is NOT to be found in a re-commitment to being better law-keepers. No, the answer is found in a heart, circumcised by God – to love. Love. Law is not the answer. It never is. Love is the answer. For the heart and mind governed by an all consuming love of God – will bring us to a life that no law, or number of aggregate laws could ever produce. This, is our text. Love.

Beloved, maybe you’ve strayed from the Lord you God. Maybe you’ve been guilty of the very heart and mind Moses warned the Children of Israel about – presuming on God’s grace by refusing to deal with sin because you were “in.” And now, the results have seen your life turned upside down and the weight of your guilt is crushing the very life out of you. The answer is not to “get your act together” – it is to have your “love” restored. It is to go back to the Cross – to see Him there, dying for your sins – and to bathe in the glory of His love, until it washes, revitalizes, cleanses and renews your heart and mind. Until you are so enamored with His love, that you cannot help but love Him back. Go to Calvary again. Learn to love again, by seeking out the depths of His love for you. Nothing else will do.

Deuteronomy 28:47 (ESV) “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things”

Rejoicing in the Lord is serious business. The text above falls nearly in the center of a 2 chapter section that finds the Children of Israel at the end of their wilderness wanderings. Before entering the Promised Land, much time is devoted to rehearsing God’s commands to them. In the process, representatives of the 12 tribes are called up onto opposite mountain tops (Gerizim and Ebal) where God pronounces His “blessing and cursing.” It is a digest of His economy with them. Should they follow the Lord closely in all He has set out for them, they will enjoy great fruitfulness. And should they refuse to follow after Him – they will suffer appropriately as well.

Now as Christians, our inheritance, our chief blessings are not to be found in earthly goods. As with Israel too – the earthly things they are promised, are meant to be symbolic of spiritual realities. Yes, the material things were REAL, but not an end in themselves. Yet how many, even in the Church today have made the mistake of thinking that God’s “blessings” are to be understood in the same material way. We fail to recognize how these are meant to be picture of how our souls are to be blessed in Christ – prospered IN HIM, irrespective of any external circumstances.

The curses contained in these portions are to be understood the same way. When it is all said and done, the Believer’s failure to walk closely with our Lord, results above all in falling victim to the remnants of our own indwelling sin. And it isn’t pretty. To be ruled over by sinful impulses and tendencies cannot be further removed from what we are to enjoy in our salvation. But how often that is exactly the case.

Enter our text today. Smack dab in the middle of this amazingly clarifying passage – comes these words. Not so secret secrets to a life lived in freedom from the dominion of indwelling sin. It is found in “serving the Lord you God with joyfulness and gladness of heart” – and that, not abstractly or in a vacuum, but “because of the abundance of all things.”

The idea dear one is simply this: When we fail to take into account all that God has done for us in Christ, won for us by His blood, promised and sealed to us by His Spirit – it is just there that our sinfulness will rise up and capture us again. Read the balance of chapter 28 and see what that looks like. It is painted in the most abhorrent terms. The depictions are of very kind of grief, woe, opposition, bondage and horror.

Forgetting all He has done and is still doing on our behalf for eternal and spiritual good – we grow insensitive to it all. It takes on the cast of being more mythical than real. We treat Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf as less and less amazing. His gifts to us are taken for granted. We grow forgetful and ungrateful and no longer have hearts filled with joy over what IS ours, but wail and moan over earthly things that aren’t. And it is at this point we are in the most danger. This, is when we will be overcome. This is where our indwelling sin will rise up and throw into its dark prison.

Believer – become as serious about your joy in the Lord as though your life depended upon it. For in some sense – it actually does.

Titus 2:1 (ESV) “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.”

Titus 2 most strikingly deals with “peculiar” sins. Not odd or strange sins, but sins that may be peculiar to particular people groups. Watch how these unfold, and see where they might affect you – and how it is Christ and the Gospel is the answer for them all.

vs. 2 – The peculiar sins of older men:

a. Ceasing to be “sober-minded” – Controlled in their thoughts. This will happen when one is given over to too many hours of TV or useless preoccupation with subjects not tending to still grow the soul in Christ’s image. Because one has reached “maturity” physically, does not mean they can now “retire” from the spiritual battlefield, nor stop pursuing the likeness of Christ.

b. Abandoning “dignity” – Repectable and upright character.

c. Losing self-control – Letting oneself go, losing the need to still be disciplined for Christ’s sake.

d. Becoming unsound in Christianity – letting the mind adopt strange or aberrant views of Scripture and doctrine. It happens when the mind is not held captive to the sound teaching of the Word of God, and is allowed to muse undirected.

e. Abandoning a loving attitude and taking on the grouchiness of old age.

f. Not remaining steadfast – coasting on their past Christian experience.

vss. 3-5 – The peculiar sins of older women:

a. Giving in to silliness and the pursuit of worthless things in “retirement”.

b. Becoming slanderers of others – talking about others negatively rather than employing themselves in ministering to others. Ministering in the sense of growing in Godliness, not just physically.

c. Failing to take responsibility for helping younger women grow in grace.

d. Failing to remain submissive and not self-willed. Many women in older age throw off submissiveness – thinking they’ve “earned” taking a lead role now.

vs. 6 – The #1 issue – the #1 one peculiar sin for young men and young women is: “I’ve just GOT to have”… Learning self-control, is paramount, which must entail:

a. Self-discipline in regard to spiritual matters.

b. Self-denial in regard to temptation and the waste of time in frivolous pursuits.

vss. 7& 8 – The peculiar sins of leaders:

a. Leadership itself – the office – can become a substitute for engaging in actual good works themselves.

b. Integrity in teaching is needed: Teaching as “do as I say, not as I do.”

c. Cultivating a dignified lifestyle – not given over to the garish and trendy or materialistic.

d. Unsound speech – unclear, confusing, unguarded and unedifying speech.

vss. 9 & 10 – The peculiar sins of employees:

a. Self-willed and resentful of authority in the workplace.

b. A poor work ethic, just doing what needs to be done to get by.

c. Unwilling to carry out orders without argument. Failing to defer to authority.

d. Not stealing from the company store – not thinking we have some “right” to company property – however small.

e. Showing trustworthiness to keep up our end of the contract.

God willing – we’ll consider the remedy next time.

1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 (ESV) “For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

I love good preaching. I NEED to hear God’s Word proclaimed. This past Sunday, I had the joy of sitting under the preaching of my good friend Dr. Mike Canham – who teaches at the Cornerstone Seminary in Vallejo, CA.

Mike attempted (and accomplished) preaching through the entire epistle of 1 Thessalonians – noting how each chapter ends with a reference to the 2nd coming of Jesus and how that informs our Christian lives.

As we were in chapter 1, I was struck afresh by the 2 verses above. They contain SO much. An amazing digest of Biblical truth in the most startling economy of words.

First, Paul defines what it means to BE a CHRISTIAN in two foundational concepts. A Christian is one who: a. Has turned TO God, and, b. has turned FROM idols. We have forsaken ultimate devotion to everything and everyone else – for singular and supreme devotion to the true and living God in Jesus Christ.

Second, he describes CHRISTIANITY in two foundational concepts. Christianity is bound up in:

a. SERVING the living and true God, and b. WAITING for His Son from heaven. Living a life immersed in God’s agenda in the world, with a joyful, ever-present expectancy of Christ’s soon return.

Third, he expresses two foundational concepts about this CHRIST we look for. This is the CHRIST we anticipate: a. The One who has RISEN from the dead, verifying the Father’s acceptance of His sacrifice for our sins, and, b. The One who by His death and resurrection has FREED us, from the WRATH of God yet to come upon the entire world.

What a glorious, magnificent and wonderfully easy digest this is for us to use in our evangelism. One need not complicate the issues to take this easily to heart and to be able to reiterate it to others.

Turning TO God FROM idols, to SERVE God in the spirit of EXPECTATION of Christ’s return – this Christ who died for our sins and ROSE for our justification, FREEING us from the judgment to come.

What a glorious salvation this is!

Exodus 24:12–14 (ESV) 12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.”

It must have been an amazing day. God calls Moses up into the mountain to receive the commandments. There is lightening and thundering going on all around – the earth is shaking. Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and 70 of the elders of Israel had just drawn close to eat and drink in God’s presence, and had seen a glorious vision. There had been sacrifices, charges to the people, and the congregation sprinkled with blood. The air must have crackled with electricity.

Then, the voice comes. “Come up to me” Moses. “Wait there” Moses. I want to give you the “tablets of stone.” So Moses went up. And then he does something that to me seems exceedingly strange. He turns to the elders and says: “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.” Its the last sentence that gets me. How mundane. How – how, normal. With all of this going on, you mean to tell me that the people down below are going to get into disputes with one another? Disputes that it will take a 3rd party to help resolve? Really? With God thundering nearby, and all the other terrifying manifestations? Really? Yep.

Even in the highest moments of Divine drama, the ordinary goes on. This is both a blessing, and a curse.

In seasons of revival or when the Spirit is moving on a congregation in extraordinary ways, people still squabble; there are still petty arguments. The windows still need washed, the carpet swept and the bathrooms cleaned.

In the holy moment of an aged saint’s passing into their eternal rest, somewhere, babies are being born, muggers are taking new victims, drug addicts are coming to Christ, kids are watching cartoons, prostitutes are selling their bodies, new converts are being baptized, and septic tanks are being pumped out.

We so often want the world to stop and pay at least silent homage to our moment – whether it be grave or glorious. But it isn’t so. The soldiers rolled dice for a poor man’s garment while the Son of God was murdered right in front of their eyes. Priests went home smug and self-satisfied while Mary crumbled and the Disciples despaired.

On the final day, some will be sleeping, others grinding and still others in the field. They will be eating and drinking and marrying at the moment when eternity fully eclipses time once and for all.

And God will still be speaking. Will we be listening?

Judges 20:4–7 (ESV) 4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. 5 And the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead. 6 So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and outrage in Israel. 7 Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here.”

Last time, we looked at seven signs that a culture is crumbling under its own corruption. Rewarding evil, especially in the home headed the list. And second, was the personalizing of religion – so that it becomes completely subjective. And it is in considering that second element that I want to return today to consider the aftermath of the conditions outlined in Judges 17 & 18. It shows itself in all of its grizzly detail in chapter 19, summarized above in chapter 20.

A Levite, not living in one of the appointed Levitical cities, in a questionable relationship with a concubine, went to bring her home after she ran away from him. Acting on religious bigotry, he seeks shelter in a town of professing but non-practicing Jews, instead of staying among the pagans. When he is attacked in his host’s house by a band of men reminiscent of the events at Sodom and Gomorrah, he tosses his concubine out to the rabble, who rape her all night. She crawls back just before dawn, and passes out on the door step. The spineless, twisted Levite prods her to get up so they can go – and in her unresponsive state, transports her back home, where he either finishes the job of killing her himself (the text isn’t clear) or simply dismembering her into 12 pieces – sending the mutilated remains throughout the 12 tribes to get them to act on how he sees HE’S been abused. In his account (above) – he never mentions his own complicity – just the “abomination and outrage” it all is.

Now 4 things stand out in all of this.

1. (Chap. 17) Personalized “designer” religion which is built around the celebration of human goodness, without reference to mankind’s fallen condition and need for redemption – cannot help but eventually feed into the basest features of mankind eventually ruling the day. How desperately we need to address this very issue in American “Christianity”.

2. (18:1 & 19:1) Rejection of God as king in the heart and mind of the individual, in favor of a mere “helper-Deity” whose purpose is to make me happy – will always unravel the person, the home and society. This will be magnified in 1 Samuel when the people cry out for a king like the nations around them – only to be 1 Samuel 8:7 (ESV) “And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.” Jesus cannot merely be our Savior – He MUST be our Lord. Or it isn’t Christianity.

3. (18:1) Abandonment of God’s goal and purposes for something easier and more desirable is ultimately cosmic treason.

4. Look at the unimaginable patience and grace of God to endure all of this from His own people – without utterly destroying them.

What a God we serve. What a Christ is ours. What a salvation is brought to us by His blood.