Steely-Eyed Resolve

Introduction

This image...I’ve shared with you before... it's an icon called Christ Pantokrator (meaning ‘ruler of all’ or “god almighty”) shows both the kindness and the intensity of God.

Kindness toward all who love him and forsake the ways of sin and death.

Intensity of judgement and wrath for the things God hates. Does God hate? Yes!

Proverbs 6:16–19 – “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”

Zechariah 8:17 – “Do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord.

Isaiah 61:8 – “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing.”

Summary

The Bible says God hates:

Pride and arrogance

Lying and false witness

Murder and violence

Evil schemes and injustice

Idolatry and false worship

Dishonesty in business

Divorce and unfaithfulness (Mal. 2:16)

Empty religious rituals without justice or righteousness

Yes our God of love...also hates. Modern Christianity, I think, sometimes forgets to “fear the Lord our God.” Why? Because tend to over humanize God instead of understanding that He is holy and Righteous. Nothing false or evil can be in his presence. Our God of Love hates what is evil. God hates evil.

Holy Truth

So as Christians...we are to love what God loves...and we are to hate what God hates. We don’t hate people...but we are to hate...and oppose...the evil people do. We are not intimidated by those who do evil...we are to proclaim God’s truth as supreme over all other claims of truth.

This is not secret knowledge...The Bible makes clear that God reveals Himself and his truth through...

general revelation (creation)

Special revelation (in and through Jesus)

Through scripture, the Holy Spirit; even through our conscience (Romans 2:14-15)

through direct revelation (Moses and the burning bush)

Humanity does not have an excuse. We know what’s right and wrong. God put it in our hearts (Eccl. 3:11). In our modern world, we try to act like that is not true in the name of a different gospel (the gospel of tolerance, except for those deemed intolerant...no tolerance for them). We say “my truth” or that’s “your truth” when we know in our heart of hearts...truth is truth...period. Whether you or I believe it or not. Nothing changes the truth.

One of God’s titles in the Hebrew Bible is “El-Emet”...God of truth (Psalm 31:5; Isaiah 65:16)

Jesus said in John 14:6

John 14:6 NLT

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Just as nothing false can stand against the truth (God); Nothing unholy; impure; or evil can stand in God’s presence.

Acts 13

All that is important to understanding today’s passage. We see how the early church sought God’s guidance in all they did.

Acts 13:1–3 ESV

Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Lesson 1 from today’s passage: To discern God’s will for his church at BPC...we must be engaged in earnest prayer...even fasting to listen and look where God is calling us to go...or to be....or to do.

The church obeyed the Holy Spirit...so they went out and did their thing...preached the good news...then v.6 Acts 13:6

Acts 13:6 ESV

When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.

Back in chapter 8 of Acts we ran into another magician (Simon) who converted to Christianity...but sought the power of the Spirit he saw working through Peter. Here we see Bar-Jesus...another magician who directly opposed the gospel.

Acts 13:7–8 NLT

He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing.

The great colonial evangelist John Wesley (founder of Methodism) once said:

“If I had 300 men who feared nothing but God, hated nothing but sin, and were determined to know nothing among men but Jesus Christ and Him crucified, I would set the world on fire.”

Paul one of those men Mr. Wesley would have recruited. He looked that magician scare in the face...and with steely-eyed resolve said...Acts 13:9-12

Acts 13:9–12 NLT

Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man’s eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him. When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

Closing

Fear nothing but God...hate nothing but sin...and be determined in your relationship with God to know nothing...but Jesus...and him crucified. Sorceorers...withces/warlocks...or many other pagan practices of the ancient world... are alive and well today. Old myths (lies) and ways of thinking and being in this world are on a major comeback in our post-modern / post-Christian society. Some of those things are spooky. All lead us away from God.

The Christian has no business messing around with that stuff. It’s been tried...and been found wanting. It opposes God if it worships creation...if it tries to tap into spiritual powers beyond what God has deemed true and trustworthy. It opposes the gospel of Jesus Christ and everything that makes the good news...good. Remember this. There is nothing to fear of the occult or paganism...it is to be resisted...especially when it lies to people and tries to draw them away from God.

There’s one more quote I want to share with you...that matches Paul’s intensity in this passage. He that fears God, fears nothing else.

That is what the early church was like. That is what you and I as Christians need to be like. That is what Christ’s church should be about. Fear God and nothing else. Evil is alive and well in our world...as evidenced with this past week’s shooting of a Roman Catholic school in MN. Evil on display. A gun didn’t kill anyone...a person with evil intent used a gun to kill people...including himself. It’s awful. It’s evil. The evil intent of the human heart is to be resisted; in ourselves and in our world.

May God grant us the boldness of Paul and the early church...and grant us the faith to believe and share the good news of Jesus the Christ. Thanks be to God. AMEN.