Rebellious Sacrifices

Text:

Romans 2:12–15 “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)”

Galatians 3:1–3 “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”

Introduction

The first few chapters of Romans deals specifically with “justification” or being in right standing with God. Paul stated that justification comes from the Spirit and not by the works of the Law or the works of the flesh.

Here we can see God’s Word acting as a double edged sword reaching across the isle to both sides of the sermon. One side of the Sword was touching the gentiles, who did not have the Law nor were under it, while the other side of the Sword was touching the Jews who clung unto the Law like it was there gospel.

Today, we like the Galatians have two differing people within the church:

Those who cling onto traditions and legalism, and as a result fail to grasp what Jesus is trying to do today

Those who cling unto the works of the flesh - as they are not being guided by the Spirit.

To the Jew Paul said:

Romans 2:12 “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;”

To the gentile Paul said:

Romans 8:10 “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

Justification came from the Spirit; however, justification came with a desire to please Jesus - the head of the Church.

Today, many people are going around calling themselves Christians, while walking in either their own righteousness or in blatant sin. Those who walk in sin say things like “I’m justified by Jesus”. “I’m going to make it to heaven because Jesus loves me” - all while ignoring the fact that God their flesh is supposed to be dead. They have become living sacrifices that decided to leave the altar.

In a world that is constantly looking for direction, a word from God, and a means to how they should live: as Paul said to the Galatians - there is no other Gospel.

The Word of God is what will guide us; not our flesh or the pride that comes with thinking we’ve achieved some great holiness

Holiness is not a status

It is our standing with God!

It doesn’t come from our own works - it comes from the work done on calvary through Jesus Christ

Living a holy lifestyle comes from a heart that has been transformed by the Spirit of God

Not from a heart that desires to look the part, act the part, or put on a front so that he or she can have their way

Returning to the Altar

Many of us within the church believe we are good, but what would you say if I told you there is only one who is “good”? You would probably agree with me, as Jesus told the rich young ruler in Lk 18:19 that no one is good except for God.

The word used by Luke in this Scripture is Agathos, which means - in this specific usage - to have good moral character. In other words, Jesus was asking the rich young ruler: why do you call me good when you fail to see who I Am? Why do you call me good when you don’t understand that by my flesh I’d be nothing, but by His Spirit I have been made a King?

Today, we may not be rich - but all of us are searching to become morally rich!

Look at the media on the debate today. We’ve got both sides trying to justify their own actions. The left is trying to deny the morality of the right, where the right is denying the morality of the left. In all reality no party is good. The only GOOD thing we have today - is God. If the World wants a party that is GOOD, they should be looking to the church because the church should understand who is good and where true righteousness comes from.

The problem today isn’t God - it is us. We are so focused on being right that we’ve failed to hear the one who is always right!

Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

A living sacrifice has the option to get up off the burning altar. You can chose to be on fire and let your flesh die out or live in the flesh and let your Spirit die out. That’s your choice; however, one choice leads to life and the other leads to death.

In the Old Testament, the Patriarchs built altars to worship God. After the establishment of the temple, however, there was a specific covenantal place in which people were to worship - Jerusalem. Altars were often built elsewhere which resulted in witchcraft or rebellion from God’s commandment. Witchcraft often leads to idolatry and perversion; thus, rendering a once thriving people dead in the flesh. If you don’t believe me, go to 1 Kings 18 and 2 Chronicles 17-21 and compare the life of Jehosphat with Ahab. There’s a big difference in the two kings.

We’ve got to be careful where we build our altars.

2 Chronicles 17:6 “And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah.”

These high places he removed were places were Southern Israel had chose to worship idols. Groves were places that groups of trees had been planted. Pagan practices rendered that sacrifices were made in the high places or groves. Israel’s desire to be like everyone else led to them worshipping everything else. They violated Deut 16:21 because they failed to sacrifice where God had required of them.

The sad thing is Judah had access to Jerusalem

The sad thing with the church today is we have access to God’s altar, but we refuse to sacrifice where He’s called us to sacrifice

We want godliness without sacrifice

We want to be a part of the Body of Christ without being a part of the Body

We want to worship what we want - and the church to be okay with it

God is calling those here today to burn the groves and remove the high places. Return to altar of Christ and allow God to saturate you with the Holy Ghost and fire

Well, my friends will think I’m too radical

Don’t worry about what they think - they’re not important when it comes to your standing with God

Contending to Stay on That Altar

In our opening text, we read Gal 3:1 - let’s read this again:

Galatians 3:1 “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?”

I want to stop here and teach on something for a moment:

Notice that the Galatians were off the altar - they were applying the Jewish Law to gentile believers and putting a yoke of bondage on them that was unnecessary

They were trying to be righteous based on the Law’s account, which was impossible because no one could fulfill the Law, but Jesus Christ

Notice that Paul asked the question: “who bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth?”

What does Paul mean by bewitched?

Bewitched: βασκαίνω - to look at someone with a covetous or envious heart, thought of as casting a magical spell that wreaks various degrees of harm on its object

In other words, there were so-called Christians within Galatia that were operating in witchcraft - they weren’t casting spells blatantly. They weren’t pulling out voodoo dolls and pretending they were Paul. Instead, they were speaking in a rebellious manner toward the Gospel of Christ and thinking wicked thoughts toward one another.

They were causing the people of God to sin

They had bitterness because their brother or sister’s sacrifice was being accepted by God and not their’s

As a result - they had murder in their hearts

If witchcraft and false doctrine can fight within the church then - it most certainly can happen today. I will say this, it’s happening right now and we have the ability to contend for the right altar.

Jehosphat broke up the groves - in other words, he cut of the ways in which people were sinning toward God. If you have a sin problem, God has the remedy - He will require something from you though.

You will have to burn some places within your life; you will have to make some things right with your brother or sister; you will have to move some things around in your schedule to make time for Him.

Recall Burn the Ships from one of our past New Year’s Services

1519 Hernan Cortes

Altar Call

As Sister Kasey comes:

2 Chronicles 7:14–16 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.”

If we want to see revival in Panama City - it has to come from a place of repentance

If you think you’re without sin in this place - you’re wrong and have pride! We all have sinned and need God to forgive us

If we want to get unified, we need to be right with God first.

1 Corinthians 1:10 “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

Have everyone come to the front

Before starting this message, God spoke to me early in the morning to deal with the disunity problem we face in the church:

If you’re more busy talking about someone than praying for them - you’re in sin and need to repent. If you don’t repent, God’s going to bring what you’re speaking seven-fold upon your life

If you feel like you’re not fulfilling the purpose God has put in your life, set up a time to meet with Pastor - ask Him, with a open heart, what you need to do to move forward in what God has laid on your heart

Don’t be surprised if you have to remove some groves and high places in your life