Sermon Tone Analysis

An Uncomfortable Subject

The nature of God is perhaps the most difficult and uncomfortable topic in Scripture.

We do not like to think of God as a deity who is bent on condemning the human population to a fiery eternity of punishment.

Although I have a few politicians that I would make exceptions for.

We all have seen too many caricatures of fire breathing preachers who denounce the congregation for their thirst for whiskey, their enjoyment of dancing and their general laxness in holy living.

Sometimes I wonder if these preachers might even find satisfaction if they were to discover that one of two of their congregates who were more flagrant sinners did in fact receive his/her just due.

Then the preacher could say with a righteous smug, “I warned you!”

These preachers do not in any way represent the God that I have come to know through the pages of Scripture.

However, I do find in Scripture the consistent mention that one day God will judge all of humanity, past, present and future.

Today’s passage is one of those instances.

Thomas makes an innocent comment about the marvelous engineering of the Temple prompting Jesus to not only predicting its demise but the destruction of the entire city.

A few theologians refuse to believe that Jesus actually made this prediction.

They deny the possibility of foretelling future events.

Regardless of whether it was a prediction or an editor’s insertion, the cause of the Temple’s and city’s destruction is attributed to an God.

In his now classic book entitled Knowing God J.I. Packer states that their are few things stressed more strongly in the Bible than God acting as judge.

He cities 6 references in which God is referred as judge and 22 acts of judgments in the OT.

He also includes 6 references were God judges someone for an act of disobedience.

This is just a small sample of the many times God is referred as judge or exercises judgement.

A topical Bible could easily increase that number.

The nature of God does not change with the NT.

This surprises many people.

They assume that the theme of judgement fades into the background of Jesus’ message of love.

Jesus does talk a lot about love but, a shadow of judgement is cast upon the entire NT.

I chuckle under my breath when a person tells me that Jesus never judged anyone.

His dinning habits and forgiving the woman caught in adultery are usually cited as examples.

Both do display very loving and compassionate traits.

But in several passages, the writers describe Jesus as a judge.

I Pt

2tim

He also told the Romans that Jesus Christ will participate with God in judging the secrets of men.

ro 2:1

Even though references to God’s character as judge and acts of judgement are plentiful, the subject remains difficult and uncomfortable.

Comedy shows use the topic to mock the Christian faith.

Our temptation is to gloss over the ugly parts of Scripture.

Public opinion surveys indicate that secular people would rather have a Muslim move in next door than a strong conservative Christian.

Even though references to God’s character as judge and acts of judgement are plentiful, the subject remains difficult and uncomfortable.

Our temptation is to gloss over the ugly parts of Scripture.

We prefer to imagine God as all accepting, all forgiving, all loving God.

Packer has a definition on the nature of God’s love that is more pleasing.

He writes “[God’s love is] an exercise of his goodness toward individual sinners whereby he identifies himself with their welfare, He has given his Son to be their Savior, and now brings them to know and enjoy him in a covenant relation.”

That is the God we prefer to think about.

In our embarrassment we react by over emphasizing God as all accepting, all forgiving, all loving God.

Packer has a definition on the nature of God’s love that is more pleasing.

He writes “[God’s love is] an exercise of his goodness toward individual sinners whereby he identifies himself with their welfare, He has given his Son to be their Savior, and now brings them to know and enjoy him in a covenant relation.”

That is the God we prefer to think about.

Why would God choose Israel to be his people, yet destroy the city by the hand of pagan soldiers?

Human logic cannot explain this.

The two natures, Judge and Love, seem diametrically opposites.

It just does not make sense.

But here in our Scripture passage this morning we are confronted with a very difficult and disturbing prediction of future events for the city of Jerusalem.

The sins of Jerusalem do not seem more severe than the sins of other cultures.

What about those cultures that sacrificed virgins to the Sun God or feasted on the body of their defeated foes?

The hypocrisy of Judah pales in comparison.

Aren’t these pagan societies more deserving of God’s judgement than the people of Jerusalem?

Probably, but God choose the nation of Israel to be his chosen people and so held them to a higher standard.

He sent his Son to invite them to return to the covenant but his own people did not receive him.

disturbing

The author of the gospel of John writes:

Paul says that people who stubbornly remain unrepentant will suffer under the judgement of God.

rom 2:5

The Good News

Someone may rightfully ask how can this sync with what we know about God’s love and grace?

Once again I turn to Packard.

He writes that the gift of justification by faith shields believers from God’s condemnation and judgement.

This is affirmed by Paul to the Romans:

This is the verse that transformed Martin Luther’s thinking and began the Reformation.

Since we have been saved by grace we had nothing to worry about.

Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on the cross.

However, it is too easy to assume that we are entitled to this gift.

We forget that knowing what God has done for us in his Son, we should be compelled to live each and ever day with greater diligence.

Jesus also warns us that we have a responsibility that in the midst of crises, disease, famine and wars to stand firm in our faith.

Only by standing firm will we gain life.

Secondly, Packard warns believers not to assume that they are shielded from a stringent assessment on the day of judgement.

Secondly, Packard warns believers not to assume that they are shielded from a stringent assessment on the day of judgement.

The Apostle to the Gentiles promises believers that what we build in this life will be tested.

rev

And if a person has built his life on values that are nothing more than wood hay and straw it will be burned up.

The believer will survive and enter glory but he will have nothing to show for from his life.

i cor 3:12-13

I Cor 3:14-15

Rewards and loss represent an enriched or impoverished relationship with God, in how that is actually worked out is beyond our powers to even speculate.

So what of people who have never heard the gospel?

Will they also be condemned because they have not believed?

Where there innocent Jews in the city who did not know anything about Jesus?

Maybe they were not locked into the rumor mill or were too busy working to pay attention.

So what of people who have never heard the gospel?

Will they also be condemned because they have not believed?

Where there innocent Jews in the city who did not know anything about Jesus?

Maybe they were not locked into the rumor mill or were too busy working to pay attention.

So what of people who have never heard the gospel?

Will they also be condemned because they have not believed?

Where there innocent Jews in the city who did not know anything about Jesus?

Maybe they were not locked into the rumor mill or were too busy working to pay attention.

Paul says everyone knows something about God and every person stands guilty before God since they fail to live up to their own standards.

But I believe that each person will be judged by what they did with what they knew and what they had available.

A person who lived in poverty will not be judged for their lack of philanthropic works in the same way someone who inherited a fortune from his rich aunt.

Nor will a powerless widow be judged by the same standard as the ruler of a vast domain.

I believe that the Jesus announce the guiding principle when he said whom much is given, much will be expected will be the guiding principle.

lk

rev20:11-15