Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Statement Of Faith
In Morality
Sermon Title: Scripture, our authority in all matters of Morality' Sermon Text: Deuteronomy 30:15-20INTRO: Listen to an excerpt from an article I recently read.
'Of all the arguments that fundamentalists resort to in their defense of the Bible, none is more ridiculous than their claim that the Bible is necessary for people to know how to live moral lives. They arrive at this conclusion through a series of assumptions.
Their first assumption is that God exists, and onto this assumption, they pile another one: morality (and they even make it an absolute morality) emanates from the nature of God. Then, of course, they assume that their God, in verbally inspiring the Bible, revealed absolute morality to mankind. Hence, man must rely on the Bible to know what is moral and immoral.
They envision life without the Bible as a moral chaos reminiscent of ancient Israel before the time of its kings when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes".
There assumption is that man is incapable of making moral decisions without divine guidance. In other words, man must have God's help or else he just can't determine for sure what is right and what is wrong.
Were it not for the seriousness of fundamentalist attempts to impose this belief on society in general, it would be too ridiculous to deserve comment.'
EXP: I found that in a magazine titled Skeptical review. Can you tell it is a secular magazine and that it has an axe to grind against Christianity? Well, this article makes some pretty strong statements. But are they true? Most of the world would say yes! The reason being that the world, I believe approaches morality one of 4 ways.
First: Skepticism
This belief holds that there is no rational answer for anything that
exists. Life and existence have no real meaning. Therefor, morality is
irrelevant. There is no such thing as right and wrong.
Second: Naturalism
This belief holds that there was an impersonal beginning to the universe
and to life in general. We are the product of laws of nature plus time and
chance. There is no place for one who sustains the universe. Therefore, the
source of morality is instinct and pragmatism.
Third: Humanism
This belief holds that we should be our own law maker and create our own
set of values and morality. In this case, everyone does what is right in
their own eyes.
Fourth: Pantheism
This belief makes the universe its god. Here man has no morality because
what he calls right or wrong is reducible to a part of the great whole of
the universe. Therefore there is no real difference between love and hate,
good and evil. They are all part of the same whole. Pretty dismal isn't it?
-Does humanity know right from wrong apart from God's existence?
-Is humanity following any kind of all encompassing morality that is evident in our behavior?
The answer is seen in where these 4 approaches to morality has brought us as a people.
MORALITY: The Issues
Premarital Sex Fooling Around
Living Together Cohabitation
Adultery Having an 'Affair'
Homosexuality Alternate Lifestyle Sexual Preference
Pornography Visual , No Victim Stimulation
Illegitimate Child Love Child
Abortion Removal of Unborn Fetus Material
Drug Abuse Recreational Consumption of Narcotics
Cheating in School Assisted Learning
Murder of the Elderly Assisted Suicide, Mercy Killing
Alcoholism Predisposition to Alcohol Dependency
Lie Stretching of the Truth
Prejudice Personal Convictions
Steal Permanently Borrow
To be honest, these actions don't really shock or upset us anymore do they? The reason they don't bother us is that we have softened the effect of sin by changing the names.We've changed the names to protect our innocence. Yea, right. We've changed the names to hide our guilt and shame.This is evidence of a lack of godliness, a departure from the holiness that God requires! And the church is often guilty of this as well.
The only way morality can rise above the subjective dictates of humanity, is to acknowledge that there is an ultimate authority whose eternal character is the essence of all that is good, true and lovely. God is that ultimate authority and He has been revealed to us in His Word, the Bible... and so has the godliness He demands.
But God is also a righteous God who judges mankind. And no matter what the outward man may look like, God sees the heart and mind and judges on that basis.
MORALITY: The Truth
The truth about morality is that mankind is incapable of making moral
decisions and living moral lives apart from the grace of God. As I have
already proven in the overhead, our record speaks for itself. But before we
go any further, let me define what I mean by Morality.
MORALITY: Webster defines morality as 'that which relates to principals of right and wrong behavior'
But didn't we already look at Scripture being the ultimate authority in all matters of conduct? Isn't morality and conduct the same thing by this definition? Not really. Conduct has to do with the right and wrong behavior of an individual.
Morality has more to do with the principals of the inward person. It is related to our mind and heart. Morality is displayed in our conduct, but it is conceived in our mind and grows in our heart.
It has to do with the attitudes that shape our choice of right and wrong behavior.
Read: Matt. 5:22,28
Jesus very clearly taught us that morality is a matter of intent, a matter
of the heart and mind.
Proverbs 23:7a For as he thinks within himself, so he is.
Genesis 6:5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great
on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his
heart was only evil continually.
Psalm 51:10, 17 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a
steadfast spirit within me. The sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O
God, Thou wilt not despise.'
God is intimately concerned about our hearts and minds. And morality is our ability to use our hearts and minds to choose that which is right and good and lovely...that which is holy. Morality is the choice to live a life of holiness. To make daily choices that contribute to holiness. Morality and holiness go hand in hand.
Another definition for morality might be 'that which sustains life.' I
like this because it is all encompassing.
We want life and we want the abundant life God has promised to all those
who believe. So morality can be seen as that which sustains the abundance of
life. And this really is the bottom line for our messages on Scripture being
the ultimate authority in all matters of faith, conduct, order and
morality.For found in faith, conduct, order and morality is God's plan for
living.
TRANS: Turn to Deut. 30:15. Here we will put faith, conduct, order
and morality together and into perspective for daily living.
Read: Deut. 30:15-20
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Background:
The people of God, the emerging nation of Israel stood on the banks of the
Jordan River ready to cross over into the promised Land.
The failures of their past lie behind them. They knew they were sinful, they knew they had failed God, but....... they also knew the grace and deliverance of God.
The challenges of Israel's future lie before them across the river. The place where they would be able to live out their lives as the chosen people of God, forever to enjoy His blessing and protection.
What linked their past and future together was their present and the decisions that each would have to make. Will they choose to go back to their sinful past or choose to go forward in holiness to a relationship with God?
They are faced with the greatest of all choices. Complete faithfulness to God or complete reliance on self. This was a moral dilemma for them...and one we face each day as well. The decisions they and we make will have both temporal and eternal consequences. And that is stressed in our text.
The question is, are the choices being made leading to holiness and life or ungodliness and death?
Trans: The structure of this text is set up in two parallel forms. One leads to life and the other to death. The structure for life is 'benefit, action, benefit'. The structure for death is 'Judgment, action, judgment.'
CHOOSING LIFE
Benefit
Life and Prosperity
Who doesn't want this? Ancient Israel desired it and so do people today. We
want life, abundant and full and we want to prosper to have things go well
for us. This is promised by God as the result of right choices. What are
those choices?
Action
Understand that Deuteronomy is not a book of laws but instructions on how
to INTENTIONALLY live as God's people in response to His love and mercy.
Remember, Jesus told us that intentionality begins in the mind and heart.
The first choice is to Love the Lord Your God
This love is of the heart and mind based on the belief that God is the
Lord. He is Creator and Master and therefore deserves our love and
affection. To love the Lord your God means to make a deliberate decision to
live for God.
Our next choice is to Walk in His Ways
Walk is a metaphor for life in Scripture. It is saying that our lives are
to be consumed by God's will and purpose. We are to live as He so demands in
His Word.
Finally, we choose to Keep His Commands, Statutes, Judgments
Christian obedience demands our imitation of the holiness of God. That is
what is at stake here. That is what God is requiring of Israel...and of you
as well.
Obedience is the exercise of holiness. It is the character of the will that is in step with the will of God. The choices we make are intention ones to be holy in all things.But notice that Love comes first. We do not love God by observing His Commands, we observe His commands and walk in His ways because we love Him. Our heart and mind must first be moved to God then our actions will follow.
Benefit
Multiply
The consequence of choices that lead to holiness will be life, abundant.
The nation of Israel will multiply and live in peace. And we will be
fruitful and prosper.
Blessing
And we will be blessed by God as we commit our lives to making right
choices. Choices for personal and corporate holiness.
BUT!
CHOOSING DEATH
Judgment
Death and adversity
Death is eternal separation from God and eternity in Hell. I like how one
author puts it 'Death is standing naked before God'.
That means we stand before God w/o being clothed in the righteousness of Christ...naked, clothed by our own filthy rags of self righteousness which burn up before our holy God. We don't want to be found naked at the judgment seat of God.
Action
Heart Turns Away from God
Once again we are reminded that the heart and mind control the actions. If
we make the choice to turn our hearts away from God, we make a choice that
leads to death and adversity. Turning our hearts away from God means that
our love for Him has been replaced by the love of something else. Our love
of God is first to go.
Disobedience
When our love goes, so does our obedience. Why do, what you don't want to
do, if you are not emotionally invested? We make intentional choices to
disobey. And disobedience is always a move away from the holiness that God
requires. Once a choice to disobey is made, it gets easier and easier with
each successive choice until disobedience is a way of life. Even to the
point where we no longer feel guilty or remorse over our disobedience.
Drawn Away
Our continued disobedience will lead us to 'other things'. Things that we
perhaps had never thought of doing before, sin we though we would never
commit. Our departure from love and the practice of disobedience will lead
us to further lows of sinfulness.
Worship and Serve of Other Gods
It will eventually lead us to the point where we no longer worship God. So
we start missing church to serve the gods of sailing or camping or fishing
or just sitting at home doing anything but going to the church to worship
God. And the more we choose to stay away, the easier it becomes.
Judgment
Shortening of Days/ Cursing
God sees you slide into sin and lawlessness and He will judge your
lifestyle. You will perish apart from God. You will be found naked before
God at the great judgment. And you will find no peace in life only adversity
and cursing.
CHOOSE LIFE
Vs. 19 is the call to make a particular decision that will effect and
influence every other decision you will ever make. God through Moses pleads
with His people, Choose Life!
Even though Israel had repeatedly forgotten and sinned against God, He still gave them the opportunity to Choose Life! To renounce the past and look to the future with God. Although this can be seen as a call to salvation, I think within the context of Deuteronomy, God is speaking to His chosen nation, chosen to be priests of God to the world. Therefore I believe He is speaking directly to the church today, His chosen vehicle to proclaim the Good news of life in Christ .
He is saying, if your statement of faith says that God's Word is the ultimate authority in all matters of faith, conduct, order and morality, choose to live as though you really believe it.
Choose life means that we make intentional decisions to live as God created us to live; in righteousness and holiness. But if you do not choose life, you will perish. Pastor didn't you say this was written to the chosen people of God, to Israel and that it is written to believers today? No. I said it was written to the church today, God's chosen vehicle to proclaim the gospel to the world. Just as there were those within Israel who were not of the faith, who were not walking in obedience to the commands and will of God, there are those in the church today who are not walking in obedience to God either. Sure they think they are part of the redeemed people of God but their attitudes, actions and lifestyle deceive them.
Perhaps there are some here this morning who are not truly of the household of faith, regardless of how long you have attended or whether or not you are a baptized, voting member,
Search yourself, allow the Holy Spirit to reveal how the choices you are making are not leading to life but to death...
Then, Repent, and turn to God for forgiveness. And CHOOSE LIFE in Christ.
Someone once said, 'What I become tomorrow depends on the choices I make today. I will choose life!'
Then you are required to...
Love the Lord, your God (belief, attitude)
Obey His voice (Practice)
Hold fast to Him (Lifestyle)
For THIS is your life!
There is no greater proclamation of God's grace than the message that a broken and sinful people is loved by God and is offered the choice of life!
For those of you who are secure in their relationship with God thru Christ, consistently choosing life is a sign of true spiritual maturity. And there are 4 steps that will reveal your level of spiritual maturity, your morality and walk with the Lord.
The Steps to Spiritual Maturity and Life!
Belief: your faith as declared to us in God's Word
Attitude: your mind and heart fixed on the holiness of God and intentionally making choices for holy living
Practice: Living out your choices in deliberate acts of holiness.
Lifestyle: Life! It is the blending of belief, attitude and
practice. It is the consistent display of holy living, in all areas of your
lives, seen and unseen.
Conclusion
A vast chasm exists in the church today between Christian doctrine and
Christian practice. Much of it is due to the lack of preaching and teaching
on the importance of knowing and understanding Biblical truth. The
consequence of this has been the decline of Christian morality displayed in
departure from holy living.
The Bible speaks very clearly that external good works can not make up for a lack of personal holiness, which includes obedience in heart and mind.
In order to reach a biblical standard of morality as Christians, it is necessary for the Christian to be like God in holiness and this involves the yieldedness of our will to the will of God.
To do this requires an intimacy with the Holy Spirit who indwells each Believer and empowers them to live holy lives before God. Holy living is possible only by the Holy Spirit living freely in you.
Do you have the Holy Spirit leading and empowering you to holiness? Are you certain...really certain? If not, you can be.
You are standing on the banks of the Jordan River. Your past is full of
sin and failure before God.
Your future has the promise of life and blessing.
But you stand in the present and must make a deliberate choice to
holiness and to faithfully follow Christ in all your life.
Will you choose life or death, prosperity or adversity, forgiveness or
judgment, mercy or wrath?
The choice is yours to make...choose wisely! Choose Life!