The Benefit of being a Righteous Man
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 9 viewsNotes
Transcript
Greetings
God
Rev. Dr. Roy Edwards
Greater new Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church
I made it
no guarantee that I would be alive
no guarantee that I would be invited
took a lot of grace, mercy, strengthening, and provision to be here
Theme: When Men come together in unity
“You can’t keep a good man down”
men who act right are called “corny”
Righteous Men Rise
in the Bible
the Apostle Paul wrote, when I would do good, evil is always present
in other words, we have an inclination because of our flesh to do wrong, even we we want to do right
some of you had this battle about coming to church and the good side won, amen
16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.
righteous man
KJV - just
NLT - godly
it doesn’t mean a person who never makes mistakes
it doesn’t mean a person who is perfect
it means a person striving to please God, striving to do right . . . a person committed to living how the Bible says he should live
we who call ourselves Christian mean are supposed to be living to please God . . . and striving to do right . . . committed to living a godly life . . . .it is our goal to do the right thing
on top of that, by the blood that Jesus shed on Calvary, we are declared perfectly righteous by God
So good news for every true Christian man, good news for every born again believer, is that we are righteous in the eyes of God
The world does not care about us being righteous, it even looks down on righteous men . . . he’s corny . . . he’s boring
And sometimes the influence of the wicked even causes righteous men to look down on being righteous
poor me, don’t get to have any fun - not true
poor me, life is boring - not true
poor me, non one else is serving the Lord like me - not true
poor me, the wicked are always winning - only in the short term
This is not new, many of our Bible heroes complained about be righteous
1. Asaph (Psalm 73)
Asaph saw the wicked prosper and questioned the value of living righteously.
“Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure... while the wicked always seem at ease.” (Psalm 73:13, paraphrased) . . . .My foot almost slipped . . . . I almost quit
2. Job
After losing everything, Job questioned God's justice and the benefit of a righteous life
3 What do you gain by oppressing me? Why do you reject me, the work of your own hands, while smiling on the schemes of the wicked?
4. Elijah (1 Kings 19)
After great victories, Elijah ran in fear and felt his service was futile.
Quote: “I have been very zealous for the Lord... and I alone am left.”
5. Jeremiah
he often felt that serving God brought more pain than reward . . .
“O Lord, you deceived me, and I was deceived...” (Jeremiah 20:7)
I would have stopped preaching, but you put a message in me that is like fire shut up in his bone
So my charge is to remind righteous men that there is a benefit to being righteous
For a righteous man falls
righteous people go through problems
righteous people make mistakes
godly people have difficulties
born again believers go through storms
people who try to live right and please God have troubles
in fact the 34 number of the Psalms teaches that “many are the afflictions of the righteous”
sometimes life is just harsh
sometimes the road is rough and the going . . .
sometimes enemies attack us
sometimes foes try to pull us down
sometimes God has to take us down to humble us, teach us, prepare us, strengthen us
sometimes we fall short
sometimes we slip up
for whatever reason, a Christian can go down
for a righteous man falls
and it says “seven times”
this verse is not setting a limit to the number of falls, but it is letting you know that a righteous person can go through multiple problems and face multiple issues and make multiple mistakes and fall down several times
the road that the godly(just/righteous/the Christian) travels has more than one bump
in fact, there are MULTIPLE bumps, potholes, ditches, and hazardous zones
I can guarantee that everyone man here is going through more than one issue
I can also guarantee that even if you know someone well and they have told you what they are going through . . . . there are still more problems they are going through that they haven’t told you about
so don’t be surprised if you see a godly man fall . . . and don’t be shocked if you see a dedicated Christian who sho’ nuff loves the Lord, fall more than once . . . for the verse says, “seven times”
also, seven is considered the number of completion (God completed the work of completion in seven days)
So this proverb is saying that we can completely fall, utterly fall, have a complete disaster, reach the very bottom, it’s not always a soft landing . . . we can go down and go down hard!
we can have a fall that causes us to question our sanity
we can have a fall that can causes our staunchest supporters questions US
we can fall so far and so hard that many will doubt that we will ever get back up
I think of David, God called him a good king, a man after his own heart.
David loved God and wrote many of the beautiful Psalms that we read today
be this godly man fell hard!
he fell completely because of his sin, his bad choices: stole another man’s wife and had him killed . . . that’s a huge mistake . . . he fell
he was kicked off the throne by his own son
that some slept with his concubines
some of his best friends turned on him
his most trusted adviser left him
he got cussed and cursed
ran for his life, went from living in the palace to hiding in the wilderness
David had dedicated his life, even risked his life for his people, and yet they turned on him, just like that . . . all his son had to do what tell people that he would do a better job than his father
David fell and fell completely
For a righteous man falls seven times . . . but the verse doesn’t top there
and rises again
David fell completely and utterly, but he got his throne back!
by the end of the story, people were fighting for the right to lead David’s parade back to the capital city
the man who cussed and cursed him came to him bowing down and apologizing
he fell down, but he got up . . . because that is what God does for righteous people . . .
he gives us the strength to rise again
he gives us he power to rise again
he opens doors so that we can rise again
he defeats our enemies so that we can rise again
it doesn’t say can rise, could rise, may rise, or has a chance at rises again
no, it says and rises again!!!!
if you are trusting in God, you will rise again
if you are living to please God, you will rise again
maybe it is you 5th time being down, but guess what? . . . you will rise again
maybe it’s your 10th time . . . . but you will rise again
maybe you have fallen hard, really hard . . . I’ve got good news, you will rise again!
maybe you have fallen before, but never fallen this far . . . the report of the Lord is the same, you will rise again!
God will help you up!
that means you are down, but not down for the count
that means you are down, but not down and out
it’s just like 2 Corinthians 4 teaches us
pressed, but not crushed
perplexed, but not in despair
persecuted, but not forsaken
cast down, but not destroyed
so for those of us who love God that means that “we are up, or we’re rising up!”
we are either up, or we’re on the come up
if you are going through hard times, and someone ask how you are doing, you can tell them, “I’m rising!”
I’m rising because “if God be for me, who can be against me” (breathe)
“I am more than a conqueror”
many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all”
I am not up right now, but I am getting up!
For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again!
But the wicked
everybody ain’t righteous
everyone is not trying to please the Lord
God is not on everybody’s side
funny how a lot of people want to act wicked, but don’t want to claim it
if you don’t want to give your life to Christ, claim your wickedness
the wicked can expect something too
the wicked face things/issues/problems . . . and things you thought would bring them down, don’t
they seem to escape all of these close calls . . . and lead a charmed life
The son who took David’s throne was Absalom, and he seemed to live a charmed life . . . handsome, known for his long hair, always got his way
killed his brother - and did not get executed, but exiled (that’s the end of him you would think)
no, they brought him back
but he wasn’t allowed to see his father, the king, he couldn’t come to court ( and so you think he will live as a nobody the rest of his life because he is not accepted at court . . . but no)
Absalom wants his cousin to help him get back in good graces so he burns down his cousin’s farm land to get his attention (so you think, “that was stupid” no one will help him now” . . . but no . . .not only does not get in trouble, but the cousin agrees to help him)
And Absalom is accepted back in favor with the king and court . . . then he proceeds to charm everyone at court . . . and turn them against his father
then he takes over the kingdom! . . . it seems he never falls . . . the teflon don! . . . slick rick!
but the our verse says that the wicked. . .
stumble in time of calamity
this is not our type of stumble, where you simply lost your balance, this means to go down and stay down
“but one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked” (NLT)
for the wicked stumble without hope
they fall without the help of God
they might be enjoying good times now
they might be escaping close calls
but calamity is on the way/disaster is on the way
and that’s why the next thing we see, Absalom, Mr. Slick Rick, is trapped: his beautiful hair got entangled in a low tree branch and he is just swinging in the air . . . that same cousin who he burned his farm down, drives three daggers in his heart
when he fell down, he did not get up again
And that is God’s patter for the wicked
close call and close call and close call
and them calamity
the wicked should understand that those close calls are actually warnings
you might call it, “being smarter than everyone else”, but it was actually a warning
you might call it, “I’m always lucky” but it was actually a warning
you might call it “being slick”, but it was actually a warning
a warning that if you don’t straighten up, something is coming that will take you down for good
the writer of Psalms 73, a godly man, admitted that he was envious of the prosperity of the wicked . . . they always seem to have it made . . . even though they had no respect for God
and was being to feel that living right was all in vain. Until God helped him understand that the wicked are on a slippery slope
16 When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight 17 Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end. 18 Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. 19 How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!
the righteous rise again, but the wicked are swept away (famous celebrities and religious leaders too)
ask a wicked person how they are doing, they should answer, “I’m up now, but I am headed to destruction”
More context
let me show you how strong our main verse is, it is preceded by a warning and followed by a warning
the first warning is to the wicked
15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not destroy his resting place;
simply put, “wicked people . . . don’t plot against the righteous, don’t attack the righteous . . . “
and our main verse gives us the why?
16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.
don’t plot against the righteous, don’t attack the righteous because . . .
they can’t be defeated, now matter how many times you come after them, they will just rise again
and you will be defeated, you won’t rise again
and then after our main verse, the righteous are given a warning
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 Or the Lord will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him.
righteous people . . . . when that calamity finally comes to that wicked person (cause it will come), don’t make fun of them, don’t ha-ha, don’t be prideful
If the Lord sees you treating that wicked enemy like you are so much better, he might give them another chance because your attitude about the situation ain’t right
you should have a
“It’s sad that it had to come to this” attitude
“if it wasn’t for the grace of God, that would be me” attitude
“let me take note, and learn a lesson from their life”, attitude
it is such a sure thing that you will rise again and it is such a sure thing that the wicked will be swept away
that Proverbs is teaching you how to act when you do get the victory
(say the main verse)
16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.
Jesus
Jesus is the ultimate reminder that though the righteous may fall but they ultimately rise again
Jesus was truly a righteous man, who fell for us
he fell completely . . . for us . . . even to death on a cross
it should not have been a surprise because Prophecies like Isaiah 53 said he would fall and he warned his disciples that he would fall, but he also told them that he would rise again
for the proverb is true, you can’t keep a righteous man down
and though he yielded his life and fell into the grave itself, on the third day he rose again!
it took a while but he rose
it didn’t happen instantly, but he rose
it didn’t happen overnight, but he rose
it looked like he was done for, but he rose
his disciples were not expecting it, but he rose
he rose again just like he said he would
so look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, and trust that you will rise again
it may take a while
it might not happen overnight
it might look like you are done for
it might look like it’s over for you
it might be so bad that those closest to you don’t expect you to get back up, but you will rise
and one day we will get the ultimate resurrection, never to fall again when Jesus comes back
until then we will get back up every time we fall, for a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again!
