Condemnation & Conformity
Notes
Transcript
All throughout history - we’ve seen war become an alto familiar posture for mankind.
And TODAY - war can take on various forms...
And can be fought on a variety of different types of battlefields.
War has been a part of human history for as long as we’ve been around...
And it’s really because of what we discussed last week - PRIDE
Last week we saw 6 characteristics of PRIDE - and each one completely relevant for us today...
SLIDE:
Seeks to Put God in Our Debt
Revealed in the Light of God’s Truth
Comes Before the Fall
Plays Possum (Pretends to be Dead, But is Alive)
Seeks its Own Glory
Will Use God’s Truth to Embolden Itself
WOW - so mix all these together in a pot - and the result will OFTEN be - WAR
OR - another way to say it - or LOOK at it -
PRIDE will always lead to - consequences.
Consequences that ARE NOT - good...
...IF you’re an unbeliever.
IF you’re a BELIEVER...
then God will bring about consequences - that while they may be difficult FOR SURE - ultimately - they will be for the GOOD of the believer.
AND SO - today - we’re going to see - Condemnation and Conformity, and God’s Sovereignty in bringing EACH one - about!
Condemnation and Conformity - EACH of THESE - coming from God Himself!
Let’s go to our text
We’re going to go to Chapter 9 of 2 Kings, but also reference our text from last week as well.
1 Then Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tie up your garments, and take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead.
2 And when you arrive, look there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. And go in and have him rise from among his fellows, and lead him to an inner chamber.
3 Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee; do not linger.”
4 So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead.
5 And when he came, behold, the commanders of the army were in council. And he said, “I have a word for you, O commander.” And Jehu said, “To which of us all?” And he said, “To you, O commander.”
6 So he arose and went into the house. And the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel.
7 And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord.
8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel.
9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah.
10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.
In this passage here today - we see some names that we’ve seen before...
AHAB
Jezebel...
if you remember - AHAB was the King OF whom the Bible says this...
30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him.
Remember?
How about Jezebel?
4 and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.)
Jezebel KILLED the prophets of the Lord...
And so Ahab and Jezebel - his wife - were - basically a POWER COUPLE - of the dark side.
And so - ELISHA here - says to a messenger… v2-3
2 And when you arrive, look there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. And go in and have him rise from among his fellows, and lead him to an inner chamber.
3 Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee; do not linger.”
God wanted to anoint Jehu the next King of Israel...
WHY?
We find out a few verses later...
6 So he arose and went into the house. And the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel.
7 And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord.
8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel.
9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah.
10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.
So pretty straight forward here.
Jehu’s task - as set forth by God - was to strike down the house of AHAB...
NOW - before diving in - what I want us to see - is this...
SLIDE: God’s Sovereign Authority: Brings Condemnation
God’s Sovereign Authority
God’s Sovereign Authority
A BIG picture theme in this section of scripture - is that God - in His sovereignty - will BRING ABOUT condemnation - for unbeliever’s UNRIGHTEOUSNESS...
AND - God will USE - WHOMEVER He wishes - to bring this ABOUT!
In our text today - God used a man named JEHU...
He was the son of Jehoshaphat...
And God ANOINTED him king - for the PURPOSE of bringing His judgment upon the house of AHAB!
A JUDGMENT - that God had ALREADY declared to AHAB himself...
17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession.
19 And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Have you killed and also taken possession?” ’ And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood.” ’ ”
And so God here - in His SOVEREIGNTY - decides that AHAB will perish...
We then see - in our text TODAY - this promise by God - PLAYED OUT - at least the initial aspects of it.
SLIDE: Condemning Judgment: The Judgment of God Toward Unbelievers
Condemning Judgment
Condemning Judgment
We just saw that back in 1 Kings 21 - God tells Ahab of his death.
God here - bringing JUDGMENT against Ahab...
And this JUDGMENT - was condemning.
God’s WORD = is final.
His WORD - stands.
And God’s CONDEMNING hand - has always displayed itself throughout the history of man.
Back in the Garden...
Sin came...
And God’s condemning hand responded!
DEATH came into the world...
And man was SEPARATED from God - removed from the garden!
2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
This verse speaks of CONDEMNATION
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
What came of this?
The FLOOD - or - CONDEMNATION
God destroyed all life on the earth - except for those on the Ark.
And WHO made this decision?
This decision was - God’s ALONE.
God - in His absolute SOVEREIGNTY - decided at the time of the flood - that ALL of MANKIND -
all elderly at the time...
all adults at the time...
All parents at the time...
all teenagers at the time...
all children at the time...
Would be wiped out - some of those people - only given a few years on earth...
SOME only given a few weeks on earth...
SOME- a few days...
And YET - GOD - perfectly HOLY, JUST - and righteous...
Wiped out the race of man...
His CONDEMNATION came… AT HIS appointed - TIME
23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.
24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.
25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
26 But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.
28 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.
Sodom and Gomorrah - Where the condemnation of God RAINED down… and destruction was the result.
Time and time again - we see God’s condemnation come…
BUT - if we go BACK to the garden - it was at THAT time - that God’s CONDEMNATION CAME - and it wasn’t a FLASH IN THE PAN - condemnation...
It CAME - and it TOOK RESIDENCE OVER OUR LIVES!!
SLIDE:
Adam and Eve were the only humans in human history to walk the earth without being under the condemnation of God.
Before SIN entered humanity...
Adam and Eve lived in perfect communion with God.
BUT THEN they sinned…and were separated from God...
How did that IMPACT the REST of humanity that followed?
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.
It says - God’s judgment following the SIN in the garden brought - - Condemnation...
And in the gospel of John - we see it’s IMPACT ACROSS HUMANITY - and ACROSS TIME
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
This verse tells us the WRATH of God doesn’t - COME UPON MAN because of his lack of belief...
But that it - REMAINS on him because of his lack of belief...
WHICH MEANS - we START OUT - by default - with the WRATH of GOD - OVER US!!
We BEGIN life - under the condemnation of God!
NOW - within that - as long as we’re on this earth - living and breathing - WE HAVE a CHANCE to repent and turn to GOD…in faith
But UNLESS we do that - our FATE is already SEALED!
And it’s END is CERTAIN - without faith ALONE - in Christ!
22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
And for those who NEVER turn to Jesus in FAITH… they will HEAR these words!!
DEPART from Me.
And their condemnation - will be FINAL and FOREVER.
BUT - there IS another side to this...
And I wanna close out today - looking at the other side!
Remember the title of this sermon?
SLIDE:
Condemnation and Conformity
For UNBELIEVERS - the condemnation of God - is OVER THEM…
But for those who REPENT - and turn to Christ - IN FAITH??
What happens to that CONDEMNATION?
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
SLIDE:
By faith alone in Christ alone, our condemnation under God becomes peace with God.
Which brings us now too...
SLIDE: Conforming Judgment: The Judgment of God Toward Believers
Conforming Judgment
Conforming Judgment
NOW - we might think - WAIT - you mean - by FAITH ALONE - the eternal condemnation of God OVER MY SIN…is now GONE?
YES… Paul confirms this FOR US....
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
NO condemnation - it’s GONE!
NOW - how do we reconcile this verse here - with this other truth HERE...
5 Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
We see here = there is a DISCIPLINE that God brings upon the ones He - LOVES!!
It said - Just like a father disciplines his son - SO GOD disciplines His children!!
BUT here’s the good news...
SLIDE:
For those in Christ (believers), there is no discipline from God that is a condemning discipline
Remember - ROMANS 8:1
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Not IF - but - WHEN we fail - as believers - God’s DISCIPLINE of us - will be discipline for sure...
BUT He will never CONDEMN us...
See - Paul is the one who spoke this amazing TRUTH - in romans 8:1
But Paul ALSO wrote this…of himself...
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
And it’s HERE where we might begin to scratch our heads...
Does SATAN want to keep us from becoming CONCEITED?
NO - Satan WANTS us to become conceited! (PRIDE)
GOD however - does NOT want that!
And so - we see here - that God used - WHO - to refine the apostle Paul?
God used SATAN - to refine Paul.
a THORN given to him - in the flesh!
And it’s QUITE possible that this is the SAME THORN Paul speaks of in Romans 7...
15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
AS believers - as those of faith - WE will always deal with sin.
The longer I live - when I hear people speak like this...
I’m a warrior of God…
When God chose me - He chose wisely!
I just shake my head…
We all may know people who think they are now FREE from sin in this life because they belong to Jesus.
And when I hear these things - I just - listen… HOW MANY of you FEEL the WEIGHT of your SIN...
LISTEN - EVERY DAY!!??
How many of you are - RIGHT NOW - dealing with a THORN in the flesh...
And it seemingly CAN’T BE PRAYERED AWAY...
Can’t be DIMINISHED...
Can’t be CONQUERED...
It WON’T - subside!
Here’s what I believe - (I THINK) - the further I get down this road of FAITH...
Christians should be the most JOYFUL people - because of the gift they hold - in ETERNAL LIFE...
AND - they should be - ALWAYS feeling the WEIGHT of their MISSTEPS - their sin… In LIGHT of the One who GAVE them that gift of eternal life.
It’s this WEIRD - dichotomy between - PEACE/JOY/ and heartbreak.
NOW - should be STAY in that heartbreak…?
And LIVE there?
NO - we should be able to FEEL the WEIGHT of those things - CONFESS those things...
And then STAND UP - and take another step toward loving obedience.
But we JUST FAIL - all the time don’t we?
We actually DO - whether we’re realizing it or not - but we do!
Sin is ALWAYS at our doorstep - and SCARIER than that...
SIN IS ALWAYS - STILL IN US.
15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
Sin that dwells - WITHIN me.
SIN is within all of us believers -
And GOD - wants to CHANGE us...
HOW?
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
God is - RIGHT NOW - if you have surrendered in FAITH to Him - He is - RIGHT NOW...
CONFORMING YOU - to the image of His Son - Jesus.
He is - SHAPING you…He wants you to CHANGE!
And God BEING God - - He will use whatever means He desires - to get us there.
Jobs family was taken from him...
How did that happen?
8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”
9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason?
10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”
12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
God here - ALLOWS satan to TEST Job...
God used the WICKED - to refine Job.
God can use the UNRIGHTEOUS - to refine the Righteous…those who believe.
God used the Assyrians to JUDGE - Israel.
And of course - in the biggest example of them all...
God used MANKIND (fallen man) - to carry out God’s purposes in crushing Jesus on the cross.
27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
In the crucifixion of Christ - God used MAN - to accomplish God’s purpose of redemption.
And so when it comes to - CONFORMITY...
God will bring us - INTO situations - that will CAUSE us to change.
CAUSE us to THINK differently - than before...
CAUSE us to even CHANGE our minds on once held beliefs...
GOD will SHAPE us - to be MORE into the image of His Son.
AND SO -
SLIDE:
Unlike the judgment of God toward unbelievers, which is a condemning judgment, the judgment of God toward His children, even due to our failures, is ultimately there to conform us more into the image of Christ.
When Peter denied Jesus - the night of His arrest...
With a look in the EYE - from Christ - judgment came to Peter...
TO CONDEMN?
NO - to MOLD him..
to CONFORM him...
Was that judgment from Christ - painful?
Of course!
But what did it lead to?
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
Remember - this is the same guy that publically denied Jesus - 3 TIMES...
13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?
14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
The JUDGMENT that came to Peter - the LOOK from Jesus...
The CONVICTION that came...
It REFINED Peter...
to the point where he wrote these words!
The God of the Universe…is right now - CONFORMING you into the image of Christ!
Some of us - need more...
patience (and so you’re feeling the weight of your schedule right now - feeling RUSHED…huried)
Love toward others (and so you’re feeling like - you can’t stand anyone right now - God is shaping you)
DRIVE - energy to walk in His ways (and so you’re feeling DRAINED)
JOY in GOD as opposed to LUST of the flesh (and so you’re feeling the PULL of LUST on your heart - it’s calling you) - we need more TRUST
We need more TRUST in God (and so we’re feeling UNSURE about tomorrow)
Life is HARD yes?
Man - we’re pretty good at faking this right?
We’re pretty good at putting on a face - when in reality - we feel like we’re drowning
KNOW THIS - if you belong to Jesus - and you are STRUGGLING with sin...
Feeling the WEIGHT of your sin...
Know that God is still - FOR YOU.
Maybe you need to hear this...
SLIDE:
God’s love for you is not predicated on your obedience to Him.
I think we can fall into this trap right here...
THINKING that AS LONG as I’m GOOD - God will LIKE ME.
And we begin living this - SIN MANAGEMENT LIFE...
Where I feel that MY STANDING BEFORE GOD rests on WORKS.
And I forget...
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
NOTHING - can separate us from His LOVE IN CHRIST!
And if I’m IN CHRIST - by faith...
Then I will never TASTE the condemning hand of God in my life...
His WORK in my life,
whether thru discipline...
or just thru the ups and downs of life..
His work - will be used to CONFORM me to be more like Jesus.
SUMMARY...
SLIDE: Condemning Judgment: The Judgment of God Toward Unbelievers
Condemning Judgment
Condemning Judgment
If you guys remember our text from last week...
We saw a pretty crazy PLOT twist...
King Ben-hadad was ill...
He inquired of Elisha if he would recover...
Hazael (Ben-hadad’s luitenant) came to Elisha...
Was told that he would end up being king and that he would slaughter the people of Israel..
Hazael goes back and murders king Ben-hadad.
In that case - God used the WICKED - Hazael - to bring judgment on Israel.
Hazael was accountable for it...
And yet God USED him for His own purposes.
God brings CONDEMNING judgment - and yet - God also BRINGS CONFORMING judgment upon His followers...
SLIDE: Conforming Judgment: The Judgment of God Toward Believers
Conforming Judgment
Conforming Judgment
See once we’re believers - The condemnation of God - is removed.
No LONGER - over us.
And so God will work to CONFORM us to be more like Him.
May we trust Him through that...
For His Glory - and For our Joy - AMEN.