"Where Judgment Begins" (Part 2)
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A Rock Musician by the name of Marilyn Manson said… “Resistance always will be the first thing to fuel the fire when you're young. That's how I learned about heavy metal music. They would have these seminars in Christian school saying, "This is what you're not supposed to listen to." So I immediately went out and bought it.”
Rebellion is a reality. Rebellion is everywhere. Rebellion is pervasive. Rebellion is at the core of our flesh. It is the thing that arouses all that is sinful in us. It arouses all that is indifferent to the will and ways of the Lord. It just simply being aroused by all that is bad in us.
We watched the Elvis movie a couple days ago and that is the thing we see from the very beginning. A lot of what started the phenomena was the pure rebellion of the singer/actor. The more the rebellion, the more the attention/connection. The more the draw. The more the motivation to run out and buy. This has not changed and now the formula is out. This is why today… even when there is rebellion its not really true rebellion, but what must be done to get noteriety, attention, sales, significance, attention, inclusion, acceptance, attention… did I say attention. Because for many of the rebels out there, what they are rebelling against is not what they would want at their front door. So we rebel why… because rebellion sells. Rebellion causes people to become motivated. Its causes many to rise up and say that that message resonated with me, but what it really did was spark and ignite the rebellion already in you.
So today, if we really think about it… we want rebellion, because rebellion sells, but we don’t want it in our own home. But yet we cannot help to see all that rebellion really does to people. A powerful thing it is. With powerful consequences. Not only do we face the possibility of suffering consequences here and now… we will and I repeat will, suffer the consequences eternally. Wait… come on Shane this is the 21st century… are you still gonna suggest that God will still judge us because of our sin. Isn’t this like a 1st century medieval method for people of power to have control over people. The opiate of the masses… you still gonna preach it? Because the reality of a coming judgement is real and it is a terrible swift sowrd.
For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom:
Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
And we will cry out why will the Lord come to judge? Because of our rebellion. Simple. But this truth is not a new one. We seen it happen before. We saw the Lord bring judgement upon the nations because of their rebellion… He did it once and He will do it again.
And why is this happening?
Because of the rebellion of Israel—
yes, the sins of the whole nation.
Who is to blame for Israel’s rebellion?
Samaria, its capital city!
Where is the center of idolatry in Judah?
In Jerusalem, its capital!
“So I, the Lord, will make the city of Samaria
a heap of ruins.
Her streets will be plowed up
for planting vineyards.
I will roll the stones of her walls into the valley below,
exposing her foundations.
All her carved images will be smashed.
All her sacred treasures will be burned.
These things were bought with the money
earned by her prostitution,
and they will now be carried away
to pay prostitutes elsewhere.”
The grass withers the flower fades but the word of our God stands forever.
The Reason
The Ruin
The Redemption
The first thing we will look at today is the reason why God had to come down to bring judgement on the high places. Second, we will see the reality of the judgement and the extent of how far God will go. Finally, we will see the plan of God to redeem His people from all the fallout through His wonderful immanence as the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world causes us to lose sight of the reality of the judgement of God for our sin, but it is the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of scripture that will cause us to to see the horror of the judgement of God and the salvation we have through Christ and Christ alone.
I. The Reason
- Sin and rebellion brings judgement. Period.
A. The judgement of God is coming. He is leaving His place of transcendance to come down and bring awesome judgement upon the world starting with Israel and Judah. He is the might and immanent God who will tread upon the high places. Our transcendant God is coming to bring a judgement that is described as mountains melting like wax in a fire and water flowing down a hill.
- “as when a violent rainstorm washes all before it down the valley. This is a graphic description of the tremendous forces unleashed when the LORD comes to judge the earth. Nothing escapes the impact of his presence. The awesome reality will be completely realized...”
B. So why the judgement? Micah tells us. Some of your translations will say… “all this” Why should this be? Or Why is this happening? It is because of the Pesha … the transgression or better… the rebellion of Jacob or Israel. The sins of the whole nation. And the nations will be judged… but more specifically something else is pictured.
C. Who is responsible for the rebellion of Israel and who is responsible for the all the despicable Idolatry of Judah? Samaria and Jerusalem the capital cities. But in Hermeneutics we see that it is not the actual capitals that are causing the rebellion and idolatry… it is called a metonymy. Figurative speech that renames something of close relation to the name. The capital of the nation signifies… here we go… leadership. Who is responsible for Israel’s rebellion and Judah’s idolatry? Its leaders. And as we have throughout all of human history… corrupt leadership infects the entire land.
D. Now in Samaria we see the leaders leading the people into rebellion and sin against the Lord. Not leading them in true obedience to the Lord. Instead they are poisoning the land with teaching and methods that caused them and their people to rebel against the law of God in order to achieve their evil desires. And in Jerusalem we see the horrors of Idolatry…
- Dr Mackay writes, “Micah is implying that if you go up to Jerusalem what you will find there is not the true temple of the Lord, but, just as in Samaria, something that has been distorted and debased through the influences of Canaanite worship, and amounts to nothing more than a pagan shrine.”
E. The leaders in Jerusalem were leading the people of the land into the horrible practice of Idolatry. And remember the sex, drugs and rock and roll characteristic of Idolatry. Again, we see the constant and irresistible nature of the Canaanite high-places and worship and idolatry. They just cant seem to shake it. They can’t seem to break it. They always seems to take it.
F. And as we look at our culture and society today could we also say that we can be characterized by rebellion and Idolatry. Can we see a continued rejection of the moral laws of God? The rejection of God by the denial of His existence by those who call themselves atheists? The rejection of the way we worship God by the so many false churches who blaspheme the worship of God by offering their own practice of strange fire. The continued false use of the name of God by connecting it with continued fallacy, lies, and presumption … saying God told you when you don’t really know if He did. The so so so many who do not keep the Sabbath Day and keeping it holy. The many in our day who do not honor those who are in authority. The many today who kill. The many today who commit adultery. The many today who steal. The many in our culture today who lie. And the oh so many in our culture who covet and covet and covet coveting.
G. And idolatry is rampant… how can it be, we don’t bow down to statues anymore. It don’t need to be a graven image...
So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
H. Identity, material things, jobs, status, physical appearance, entertainment, social media, sex, comfort, technology, family/children, influence/fame, popularity.
I. Where Do I Spend My Time? Where Do I Spend My Money? Where Do I Get My Joy? What’s Always On My Mind?
Tim Keller writes in his book Counterfeit gods - “An idol is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, and anything that you seek to give you what only God can give.” So if I did not mention it… fill in the blank.
J. And we gotta know and we better know … God will do something about our rebellion and our Idolatry.
II. The Ruin
- The Hand of God will come.
A. God is gonna bring ruin. Is God capable of bringing ruin? Yes He is and not just ruin but ripping you down and exposing nothing but the foundations. Stripped to nothing. All of her idols will be destroyed by God … all of it will be taken away. Any of the treasure you had, all the value, all that you have gained by your rebellion and your idolatry will be consumed. It will be gone.
B. The prostetution mentioned here is probably referring to their idolatrous worship and rebellion which would actually include prostetution and fornication. The precious treasures that adorned the temples, homes and institutions of Samaria had been the gains from those who engaged in false worship there. All that was gained by their false worship and rebellion. When the city is overthrown, these treasures, these gains, these valuables will be carried off and taken by the enemy to adorn the temples, the homes, and institutions of their own gods. The wealth of the righteous is here stored up for the wicked.
C. The wicked, the sinful, the unbelievers will gain from our judgement. When God brings to us judgement, he will tear all that we built down and turn it into nothing. Bring you back to where you started. Will God bring us into ruin… you better believe he will he did it to Israel. Do not think you are somehow special...
“Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either.
D. God took all that they had gained by their rebellion and idolatry and gave it to those who were gonna plunder them… watch what is happening to them. God is taking all that they have gained by their sin and rebellion and is gonna give it to their enemies to bring an increase to their exploits. God will judge us by giving our valuables to to our enemies to add to their fortune and glory. Not just take it away, but will rub our noses in it. Not just robbed but we will be humiliated.
E. But Shane thats just mean… no. And we gotta get this. We are only getting the divine punishment that is deserving of the crime. Destitute, demeaned, stripped, humiliated, ravished, robbed, we all deserve this. Do we not remember who it is that we are fooling with? Do you remember that a crime against the king of England is no ordinary crime. It will be a punishment done to the fullest extent. An unusual punishement… yes for an unusual crime. Now understand this crime is against the living God the king of kings the alpha and the omega. Unusual punishment, but if we understand the transcendant nature of our God, we will understand that any form of punishment, even cruel and unusual punishment is deserved. How huge is that? This is the beauty of the minor prophets… it gives us a clear and sober understanding of what God will and will not do. To get a clear picture of the attributes and nature of our God revealed in the scriptures.
F. Why is this important??? Because this stuff is not a game. It is a serious thing. We are playing christianity when the cost is terrible and eternal. When we sin we are sinning against the living God. Anything false that is attributed to the living God is a serious serious sin. We keep messing with Christ. We keep testing the Father. We keep grieving the Holy Spirit. And we think its all fun and games. Our church leaders think its all fun and games and its making them rich. The punishment will be unusual and we will all be terrified and shaken even for those who are not judged. Its all fun and games until someone is judged in hell for all eternity. We will mess around with the Bible, we will mess around with church leaders, we will mess around with church worship, prayer, praise, community, church relations, church relationships, and judgement comes.
G. Can we be saved from this judgement… yes because salvation is here.
III. The Redemption
- We are saved by grace through faith.
A. Yes it is true that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. It is true that we are all by nature children of wrath. It is true that the wages of sin is death. It is true that there is no one righteous no not one. It is true that there is no one who always does good and never sins.
B. But is is also true that Jesus came into this world to save sinners. He became sin who knew no sin that we might become the righteouness of God in Christ Jesus. Jesus died for oue sins according to the scriptures and he was buried and he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.
For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
C. The promises of God continues to bring us hope and comfort… All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. If you believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God you will be saved.
D. There is a real reality of judgement coming. There is real ruin coming. But there is redemption already here because of the work Christ has done. We can rejoice today. Salvation is here. Restoration is here. It is found in Christ and in Christ alone.