A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Deuteronomy 12 (Part 3)

Deuteronomy 12:5-12—5 “But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. 6 There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 7 And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the LORD your God has blessed you. 8 You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes—9 for as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which the LORD your God is giving you. 10 But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety, 11 then there will be the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the LORD. 12 And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you 

Let’s look at that little phrase “Every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes”. This is a phrase we find twice in the book of Judges (Judges 17:6, Judges 21:25), and are in fact the last words in that book. When men turn away from God and do what they think is right and forget the One who says what is right and wrong, they set themselves up for all kinds of disaster. This is the theme of the book of Judges, as that was a time after the death of Joshua and the time when God would establish prophets in the land. And instead of looking to God’s Law to see what was right and what was wrong, they took it upon themselves to establish these things. Judges 2:13—They forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. And what happens when the people of God forsake Him? He sends them judgment, and delivers them into the hands of their enemies. Judges 2:14-15—14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. 15 Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for calamity, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were greatly distressed. The people rose up to play, they ate and drank, they played the harlot with other gods, and God had to put them in their place, and remind them that they belonged to Him. God does not play around (as we saw in Numbers 11). When He says that the people were to do or to not do something, He is not speaking just to hear Himself talk. He expects the words e speaks to be listened to and obeyed. And if His words are disobeyed, He will bring judgment. 

But is He a God without pity? Absolutely not! Judges 2:16, 18—16 Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them…18 And when the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them. The word “judges” in the Hebrew is שֹׁפְטִים (shiphtim, plural of the root word שָׁפַט, [shaphat, “to judge, govern, vindicate, punish” ]). God would not allow this infant nation to come to a halt so soon, for it would bring shame to His name, just as Moses had pleaded with Him twice (see Exodus 32:12-13; Numbers 14:13-19). So He showed them mercy, and raised up men (and one woman) whom He would be with and whom He would use to deliver them from the hands of their enemies. Othneil, Shamgar, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, Ehud and Deborah. When the people cast off YHVH, and followed other gods, the true God would allow them to go into captivity to a pagan nation. He would then raise up someone to deliver them, He would give them deliverance…and they would go right back to bowing down to idols. Judges 2:19—And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way. 

Judges chapters 1-2 are basically a summary of the whole book. Beginning in chapter 3 we read the details of the 450-year period of the judges. The first of these judges was Othniel. Judges 3:7-9—7 So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs. 8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years. 9 When the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. Othneil was a nephew of Caleb, and thus saw the conquest of Canaan with his uncle Caleb and Caleb’s friend Joshua. He knew what it meant to have a heart for God, as he had seen it in his family. He had the same fighting spirit as his uncle, who told Joshua “Give me this mountain” (The mountain of Hebron, which were inhabited by the Anakim, in Joshua 14:6-14). He saw the fearlessness of his uncle and his desire to drive out those who opposed the people of God, and that same desire burned within him. And he delivered the people from the oppression of Cushan-Rishathaim. 

So who was Cushan-Rishathaim anyway? Well, we don’t have any information about him outside of the Bible. The ISBE tells us that his name means “Man from Cush, he of the twofold crime”, while Strong’s renders is “Twice-wicked Cushan”. Notice the first part of this man’s name, “Cushan”. (Thomas Constable believed the last part of his name was given to him by the Israelites who suffered under him for eight years.) This comes from “Cush”, a son of Ham (one of Noah’s sons, the one who disgraced him in Genesis 9:22). The Cushites mostly dwelt in Africa, but some settled in the land of Shinar (Mesopotamia, see Genesis 10:10). So this man was a descendant of Ham, and another wicked one (in fact, as his name implies, twice-wicked). Why would God allow this Twice-Wicked man to conquer the people of Israel? They forgot the LORD their God. So (according to one theory found in The Expositor’s Bible) this Mesopotamian king made an alliance with the Hittites (whose land he would have had to traverse to reach Canaan) to attack Israel and conquer them as they had conquered the peoples who were living in the land they now occupied. Because they forgot the LORD their God. So He gave them up to this alliance, let them feel the weight of oppression for eight years, then delivered them by the hand of Othniel. 

We see also in the New Testament that when men forsake God—any man, whether or not he is a man of God—he will be given over to his lusts, that God will cause him to forget and forsake God, and He will punish them for it. Romans 1:20-25—20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. The natural man knows there is a God. They may not know Him as YHVH, but they know He is there. This is why we are called to take the Gospel to the world, that they may know the truth about God and Christ—so the ones whom God has not yet delivered over to a debased mind may believe. It may turn out that they will not believe. This is sad but true. It is not until God opens their eyes that they will know the truth. But that is not what we are called to do. We are called to simply take the news to them—it is up to God to open their eyes and their hearts. 

For the ones who have already made up their mind, that they will not believe in God and do not want to believe in God—it may be too late. Romans 1:28—And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting. Once this happens, that door has been shut. Once God has given them over to a mind that wants nothing to do with God, and only wants to fulfill the wants of the flesh, it is too late for that person. They will not hear the truth, they will not believe the truth, and they will not be convinced by Scripture and sound reason of the truth. They will spend the rest of their days storing up wrath for themselves, filling up their measure of sin, their lives filled with nothing but waiting until the final judgment and their eternal fate. “But it is the will of God that all men repent and be saved!” So then man is superior to the will of God? If God wants all men to be saved, why does He give them over to a debased mind? Why doesn’t He give every single man the knowledge of the truth that they may be saved? Would this not be a delightful thing? Yes, to us it would be delightful. That would mean we wouldn’t have to worry about our loved ones or our friends burning in the Lake of Fire for all eternity. But that is not what He does. Some, God gave them over to a debased mind. So how do we reconcile these two ideas? We can, but it would take too long to talk about here and would get us off track. Suffice it to say, He wants all of His people to be saved (2^nd Peter 3:9, notice the apostle says that God is longsuffering to us. That is, believers). Those who do not believe and who do not want to believe, He gives over to their sin, and lets them have all of it they want. It is they who does whatever is right in his own eyes. 

Deuteronomy 12:3-27—13 “Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; 14 but in the place which the LORD chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you. 15 However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike. 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water. 17 You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the heave offering of your hand. 18 But you must eat them before the LORD your God in the place which the LORD your God chooses, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all to which you put your hands. 19 Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land. 20 When the LORD your God enlarges your border as He has promised you, and you say, 'Let me eat meat,' because you long to eat meat, you may eat as much meat as your heart desires. 21 If the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock which the LORD has given you, just as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your gates as much as your heart desires. 22 Just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you may eat them; the unclean and the clean alike may eat them. 23 Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth like water. 25 You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you and your children after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD. 26 Only the holy things which you have, and your vowed offerings, you shall take and go to the place which the LORD chooses. 27 And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the altar of the LORD your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the LORD your God, and you shall eat the meat.” 

Another lengthy section, but again we will break it up into smaller chunks. Also, these verses kinda jump around a bit so I will try to group them together to make them a little more understandable. 

Deuteronomy 12:13-14, 21-13, 26-27—13 “Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; 14 but in the place which the LORD chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you…21 If the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock which the LORD has given you, just as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your gates as much as your heart desires. 22 Just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you may eat them; the unclean and the clean alike may eat them. 23 Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat…26 Only the holy things which you have, and your vowed offerings, you shall take and go to the place which the LORD chooses. 27 And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the altar of the LORD your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the LORD your God, and you shall eat the meat.” God would choose one place to put His name, and it was there—and only there—where the people’s sacrifices were to be taken. They would no longer have the pillar of smoke by day and the fire by night. They would have the Tabernacle of Meeting, which would reside in one city in one of the lands of a tribe. The first place where the Tabernacle rested in Canaan was the city of Gilgal, in the land that would become the land of the western tribe of Manasseh, just north of Jericho (see Joshua 4:19). In Deuteronomy 12:5 it says “But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go.” Eventually, under King David, that city would be Jerusalem, and the place where He would put His name would be the temple there. Even King Darius said as much in Ezra 6:12—“And may the God who causes His name to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it, or to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem.” It was only in the place where God caused His name to dwell, whether Gilgal or Shechem or Jerusalem, where the people were to offer their sacrifices. The pagans, on the other hand, with their many temples and high places, offered up incense to their gods at various places. This was not to be so for Israel. There was to be one place where the people of Israel were to bring their sacrifices in worship of the one God. This was also true of the tithes of the land—they were also to be eaten in the place where God chose for His name to dwell (see Deuteronomy 12:17-18). 

21 “If the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock which the LORD has given you, just as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your gates as much as your heart desires.”. When they were all of one camp, and the Tabernacle was set up in the center of all the tribes, it was not impossible for the people to bring their animals to the Tabernacle to make sacrifice. When they conquered the land of Canaan, and as God said He enlarged their borders, it would become more difficult, if not almost impossible, to do so. Let’s say a family lived in the land of Dan in the north, or in the land of Simeon to the south, and God placed His name at the other end of the entire land of Israel. This would be a trek of almost 150 miles, give or take—roughly the same distance as it was from Mt. Sinai to the southern edge of Canaan. So it would take 11 days to traverse the full length of Israel if this were the case. So God made provision for the people if this problem arose. He could take the animal to the Levite that lived in his land, and they could slaughter it and offer it to God for their sacrifice. And they could eat as much of it as they wanted to. 

But for their daily food, they could eat it at any place within the gates of their city. Deuteronomy 12:15-16, 20—15 “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike. 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water…20 When the LORD your God enlarges your border as He has promised you, and you say, 'Let me eat meat,' because you long to eat meat, you may eat as much meat as your heart desires.” If a man had been out hunting, and brought home a deer or a gazelle, they could eat of these, assuming they were properly slaughtered and the blood drained out (see the discussion of ingesting blood in our covering of Leviticus 17 here), both he and his family, within the city of his residence. And even if his son or daughter were unclean by reason of touching a dead body or because of some other uncleanness, they could eat of it as well. In Leviticus 17, we saw that any man who slayed an animal did not bring it to the Tabernacle was to be cut off from the people (see Leviticus 17:3-4). They had manna to eat, a daily gift from God, and did not involve the death of an animal. If a man wanted to sacrifice an animal as a Peace Offering, he had to bring it to the Tent of Meeting where it would be processed by the priests, and he could partake of it over the next two days (see here and here). But he could not go out and kill one of his livestock for a meal. But now he can. If he brings home some venison, and slaughters it properly and drains the blood, his family is gonna eat good. He does not need to bring it to the Tabernacle as a Peace Offering. 

Why? Because it is ““The blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.” He was now giving the people meat to eat—meat that they craved so badly in Numbers 11 He was now giving them as a blessing. And if they had flocks or herds, they could eat of them as well. John Gill:

 

They might kill such cattle that were allowed for food, and eat the flesh of them in their own cities and houses in which they dwelt; they were not obliged to bring these to the place God should choose, and kill them there, as they had been wont to bring them to the tabernacle while in the wilderness…whatever they had a mind to, or their appetite craved, and were desirous of, provided it was not anything forbidden, but was allowed to be eaten…[whatever God gave] in the power of their hands to procure for themselves; they might live according to their abilities, and keep a table answerable to what God had blessed them with; from which they were so far from being restrained, that it was rather commendable in them so to do. 

God gives us food. He gives us what we need. We can eat what we want, and it does not defile us (see Matthew 15:11; Mark 7:18). We are not cut off from Christ if we eat a pork chop. We can eat whatever we want, because we know the difference between the clean and the unclean, between the holy and the profane. We are not commended to others by food. 1st Corinthians 8:4-8—4 Concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. 7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. Paul was telling the Corinthians that even if they did eat meat that was once offered to idols, that was not the end of them. They were now in Christ, sheltered from the Law, protected from dietary rules and restrictions which could make no man better or worse in the eyes of God. They were now free to eat what they desired—with one caveat. Don’t let your freedom in Christ become a stumbling block to a new or potential believer. 1^st Corinthians 8:9—But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. Are you witnessing to a Muslim? Then don’t eat pork. Are you witnessing to a Hindu? Don’t eat beef. Are you witnessing to a vegan? Don’t eat meat at all (and don’t show up to their house wearing a real leather jacket). Be free in Christ, live your liberty—but don’t use that liberty in a way that could dampen your witness to the lost.

 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.

When a nation turns its back on God--Romans 1:18-32

The message I preached this past Sunday, on the heels of the Episcopal church's continued slide into the spiritual abyss.

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When many people think of the restraining hand of God, they think that by holding them back from fulfilling their every desire, God is simply getting in the way of their good time. When in fact, by restraining them, He is actually doing them a favor. Just like when you parents go running after your child so they don’t run out into the road. You're not trying to keep them from having a good time; you are keeping them from getting killed. And when God holds us back from doing all the things we want to do, He is keeping us from doing something that would bring a far greater punishment. But when the people rebel against such restraint, God pulls back His hand and allow those people to fall as deeply as they want. There are stages—it is a downward spiral; some people call it “circling the drain”—that a nation goes through when they tell God they don’t want any part of Him, they want God to go away and leave them alone—and He says, “OK.”

Romans 1:18-32—18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

C.S. Lewis once said, “The last experience of the sinner is the horrible enslavement of the freedom he desired.” Think about that: people become slaves to freedom. In this country, we think slavery was wiped out after the Civil War. Satan would like you to believe that. But whether you know it or not, we are all slaves. And there are really only two masters we can serve. We can serve Christ. Or we can serve Satan. That’s it. We are either a slave to our own desires and wants. Or we devote our lives to serving the Lord Jesus Christ who bought us with His blood. But it’s not just as individuals that we serve our master, whoever it may be. Even a nation, serves one of those two masters. And right now in this country, there is a war being fought over who we as a nation will serve. The real war is not over in Iraq or Afghanistan. The real war is going on right here inside of each and every person. And it will decide the fate of this country. Because sometimes little by little, sometimes by great leaps, this nation is turning towards serving Satan.

And what happens to that nation that decides they no longer want to be servants of Almighty God? What happens to that nation that wants the freedom to indulge in every sin and every vice they can imagine? They become the objects of God’s wrath. And they experience “the horrible enslavement of the freedom they desire.” But you see, when we think of God’s wrath, we think of things being destroyed. And cities being wiped out.

• Not long after God created man, He was sorry He ever created the lot of us.So He sent a flood, and wiped out the whole human race, except for 8 people.
• Not long after that, men built a tower in the land of Babel, to worship angels and stars.So God destroyed the tower, confused their languages, and scattered them abroad.
• Not long after that, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were filled with homosexual lust, and all other kinds of sexual perversion.So God rained down fire on these cities and destroyed them.
• Not long after that, as Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving the Law that would guide us to Christ, the people at the bottom of the mountain were having a drunken orgy, worshipping their golden calf.So God opened up the earth and swallowed them alive.

I think you get the idea. Time after time, man rebels against God. And time after time, God pours out His wrath and destroys them. If you want to see this pattern displayed over and over again, read the book of Judges. But sometimes, God shows His wrath by giving the people everything they want. In the book of Numbers, in chapter 11, we read about the people of Israel who had been in the desert for forty years. And God had fed them every single day. Every night at sunset, all they had to do was go out, gather up the manna, and they eat for the next day. But, are we humans ever satisfied with what we have? Being the selfish creatures we are, always want more. So the people cried out to Moses, “We miss the onions and the garlic and the melons we enjoyed freely in Egypt!” They had forgotten that in order to “enjoy them freely,” they had to suffer under the yoke of bondage to Pharaoh. So God told Moses to gather the people together; and that day the people gathered. And all of a sudden here come all these quail—all the meat they could want. And in Numbers 11:31-33--And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten bushels…While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck down the people with a very great plague. In other words, while they were still chewing, the meat turned to poison in their mouths, and they died. They got what they wanted. God gave them what they wanted. Be careful what you wish for.

So many times we read about God actively displaying His power and His wrath with fire and destruction and death. But God displays His wrath in an even more severe manner—a manner which brings about consequences that are, eternally speaking, even more devastating and destructive. I'm talking about when a nation turns its back on God…and He turns His back on that nation. In His wrath, God does not always simply wipe people out. Sometimes, He will just let them have what they want. And let IT destroy them. Look at Romans 1:18-20. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. There is nothing living that does not believe there is something greater than they are. There is no living creature that does not believe they were created. But in the foolishness of wisdom, they forget that truth. Isaiah 1:3-4—“The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib; but Israel does not know, My people do not consider…They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.”

We like to think of the human mind as a great thing. But in fact it is also a not-so-good thing. Because it allows us to come up with methods of explaining things in such a way that we can leave Almighty God completely out of it. You young folks may be learning in school—or will learn in school—about a little thing called “evolution.” It’s a fairy tale that says that monkeys turned into men, and that lizards turned into birds. That’s one way that people who are too smart for their own good can explain how we got here without having to believe in God, and without having to think that they will one day be accountable to Him.

And because they do not want to stop living a life filled with ungodliness, they suppress the truth, and they toss it under the couch and forget about it. Or they come up with something else to worship, some other “god” that is more to their liking. Romans 1:22-23. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Many people don’t like the image of God they read about in Scripture, so they make up a “god” that suits their liking. They don’t like to think that God would send people to an eternal, fiery Hell. So, they think of God as being like them, with all their faults, and having a human sense of “fairness.” If you drive down Cumberland, go under Alcoa Hwy, just a little ways down Kingston Pike you can find all kinds of places where people come together to worship the “god” they have created in their own mind. Mormons. Christian Science—which is not Christian, nor is it Science. Seventh-Day Adventists. Unitarian-Universalists. All these cults which ignore the truth of Scripture and invent, a “god” that allows them to live however they want to live—without any eternal consequences.

They say something like, “Well, the god I worship would never send anybody to a fiery Hell.” Yeah, probably not. But that’s because they don’t worship the true God. But when they stand before Him, they can tell Him all about what they don’t believe. It may surprise you to learn that it’s not just these cults that believe such rubbish. It may surprise you to learn that the majority of Americans believe that Jesus sinned, that there is no such thing as Hell, and that we can be “good enough” to “deserve” salvation. It may surprise you to hear such things—then again, it may not. And every day in this country—this country where nearly 90% of people claim to be “born-again Christians” simply because they were born in a Christian nation—every day this country slips closer and closer to incurring the wrath of God.

But God won’t necessarily pour out His wrath by raining fire and brimstone on us. He may simply just let us have what we want. Romans 1:24-25. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. The “creature” that we serve in place of the Creator is our own flesh. We don’t want to be told what to do; we don’t want to live by a bunch of commandments; and He says, “OK. Don’t obey My commandments. See where it gets you.” God takes His hand off, just a bit, and gives us a little more freedom. So we get what we saw in the 1960’s, when so many people threw off any kind of restraint and gave up their bodies to the worship of the flesh. They called it “Free Love.” How many of y’all know it ain't free?

And when you have so much sex, what is the natural result of sex? It’s called “a baby.” But what if you don’t want to be tied down with a baby? What if you don’t want to give up the lifestyle and the partying and all the fun you're having? And what if you don’t want to go through the nine months of gaining weight and stretch marks and labor and all that other stuff that goes along with pregnancy. Well, you have to kill that child. So, directly on the heels of the 1960’s and the sexual revolution, the Supreme Court made it legal to kill your child while that child was still in the womb, and they legalized child murder. And called it “abortion.” And then along came disco, with its emphasis on sleeping with as many people as you could. And all the while, the people in this country grow more and more infatuated with more and more sexual gratification.

And especially today, if someone wants to go into the music business, if they want to sell any records, they have to make music videos. And what do they have to have in their music videos? A lot of sex. So this nation, where so many people claim to be “Christians,” and so many people who say they're going to heaven when they die—even while they are living a life that is filled with all kinds of things that are opposed to God—this nation continues to turn more and more away from God. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man…Therefore God gave them up to uncleanness to dishonor their bodies.

But for some people, normal sex won’t do. And so, in Romans 1:26-27—For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. Back around 1981, doctors began to notice a strange condition occurring in some of their patients. A strange new virus was discovered. And this virus was unlike any other that they had ever seen, because this virus reproduced itself using the patient’s own genetic material and weaved itself into the patient’s DNA. Not only that, it also used the body’s own immune system to help it avoid destruction and help it spread. They came up with a name for this virus. They called it the Human Immunodeficiency Virus—HIV for short. And the collection of symptoms that spelled the end for anyone with this virus was being referred to as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome—AIDS.

The militant homosexual crowd blamed the spread of AIDS on the government. It wasn’t the government that caused the spread of AIDS. It was men having unprotected sex with other men they had never met before and knew nothing about that caused the disease to spread. But they didn’t want to hear that. They want to blame somebody else other than themselves. "Oh, it's not our fault we got this disease!! No, that can't be! It has to be somebody else's fault!!" They don’t want to accept the fact that maybe, just maybe, the reason they have such a disease is because it’s their own fault. Nah, can't be. Has to be somebody else’s fault. Because in this country, we have become so numb to sin that we think it’s normal. So we get shows like Will & Grace, Queer Eye For the Straight Guy. All these shows celebrating what God calls an abomination. Even in many so-called “churches,” there is an acceptance of homosexuality as being normal and even celebrated.

I remember Ellen DeGenerate—I mean, DeGeneres—when she “came out,” told the world, “I thank God I'm gay!” God didn’t make her gay. And God certainly is not happy with her being a practicing lesbian. But, in this country, “coming out” as a lesbian is far more acceptable and far more celebrated than “coming out” as a Christian. Just ask Kirk Cameron how many offers he’s gotten since he got saved. A nation’s acceptance and tolerance of homosexuality as being “normal” is one of the hallmarks of a nation that is about to go under. When powerful nations and empires crumbled into dust, one thing they had in common was rampant homosexuality. Jude 7—Sodom and Gomorrah…having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Do you want to know how powerful homosexual lust is? I was listening to a sermon preached by John MacArthur, one of the finest preachers of the last 50 years. He shared the following: “There was a man named Halpern, who was the coroner for the city of New York and he did [between] 26 or 28 thousand autopsies in his day. He said he can look at a corpse that had been murdered and tell you whether a homosexual killed that person by the multiple wounds. [He said] ‘There's something about the passions of that kind of involvement that are not explicable.’” Another example: the night before the city of Sodom was destroyed, the men of Sodom saw two angels, in the shape of men enter into Lot’s house. They called for Lot to bring out the men, “Bring them out so that we may know them!”…sexually. Lot refused, and the men of the city were about to break down the door when the angels grabbed Lot, pulled him into the house, and in Genesis 19:11—they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness…so that they became weary trying to find the door. Even after they were blinded, they were still consumed by their lust to have those men. You might even say they were blinded by their lust.

Bringing that story up to date—even after everybody knows that the number one way that AIDS is spread is by men having sex with men, these men are still driven by their lust to commit what is an abomination. God gave them up to uncleanness to dishonor their bodies. God gave them up to vile passions.

Then verses 28-31. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful... God gives them up to uncleanness. He says, “You want it? There you go! Have at it!” He gives them up to vile passion. He says, “Oh, you want that too? There you go! Have at it!” Finally, He gives them over to a debased mind. The KJV calls it a reprobate mind. The NASB says He gives them over to a depraved mind. It is a mind that is tested and rejected. In the Greek it is a play on words. Even as they tested God and did not approve of Him, God handed them over to a mind which He has tested and rejected. When a nation rejects God, God rejects that nation. When a nation turns its back on God, God turns His back on that nation. Friends, it is truly better to have never known the truth of God, than to know His truth and turn away from it. Because when He turns His back on one nation, He turns His face to another. And He may even cause that second nation to conquer, and rule, and reign over the first.

If you want an example, I give you September 11, 2001. What happened that day was devastatingly tragic. But as tragic as it was, we deserved worse. Because those attacks revealed the true character of this nation. In the weeks following the attacks, you couldn’t find an empty pew anywhere. This nation, that had spent the last 30 or more years indulging their lusts and fulfilling every wickedness they could imagine—and all of a sudden, the cry goes us—“O God, save us!” People started buying American flags and Bibles, and they filled up churches and started taking their kids back to church and doing all these religious things...

But what has happened since then? Romans 1:32. …knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. If anything, this country has gotten even worse. Some people say that 9/11 was a "wake-up call." And it was. Problem is, we hit the snooze button and went back to sleep. The church in America—the church in America—is rapidly rejecting the truth of Scripture. People don’t want to hear truth anymore. So God gives us over to uselessness.

And suddenly, a man like Joel Osteen gains a huge following by preaching a bunch of watered-down nonsense, by not preaching about sin and repentance, by his unwillingness to preach the truth about the cross, and by preaching a name-it-and-claim-it philosophy. We also get someone like Rick Warren, the author of The Purpose-Driven Life, joining his church with Islamic groups, and saying that “Christians and Muslims must work together for the greater good.” I'm sorry. Did I miss something? Is there something greater than the gospel of Jesus Christ? Something greater that requires us to forget what the Bible says about how we are to not be yoked with unbelievers? This same man has also, openly, endorsed a book like “The Shack”—which is one of the most blasphemous books to come out in the last 5 years, but can be found on the shelves of “Christian” bookstores. And now we have elected a president who will do whatever it takes to make sure as many women as possible can kill their child any time during their pregnancy—or even in the days after they give birth. God gave this nation up to uncleanness. He gave this nation up to vile passions. And He has given this nation over to a mind that is useless concerning the things of God.

I shudder to think of the possible consequences. Because when those consequences come, they will make 9/11 look pale in comparison. When lawlessness is the norm; when the police are overwhelmed; when murder and robbery and rape go unpunished and unprosecuted; when the criminal element in this country runs the streets, and there is no one and nothing to protect the innocent—then the people will cry out, “O God, save us!” And He won’t. He won’t even hear their cry. He will have given the people what they want.

So, what can we do to stop this? First, pray. 1st Timothy 2:1-2—Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. Pray that our president would open his eyes and see the truth about abortion. Pray that God would give Him the wisdom and the heart to lead this nation in righteousness. Pray that God would give him the wisdom to see that a nation must be allowed to worship Almighty God without restriction.

Second, respect authority. Romans 13:1-4—Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. One of the most popular shows in the history of cable TV was The Sopranos. The Sopranos. Think about that. A show where the Mafia were the good guys and the police were the bad guys. And as you sat their watching, you were hoping that the Mafia gets away with murder. Of course, in movies, TV shows, music videos, it’s always the police that are the bad guys, and the pimp, the drug dealer, the guy that holds up the bank—they're the good guys. People in this country approve of those who kill and steal and who sell women’s bodies. And they hate those whose job it is to arrest such people. But when somebody does something to them, who do they call first? …knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. Once the people throw off the shackles of the laws of men, it isn't long until they throw off any sense of conscience and restraint, and everyone does what is right in their own eyes as they did at the end of the book of Judges.

I'll close with some more words from Dr. MacArthur: “Your prayer and mine has to be that God would raise up faithful preachers and people who would proclaim His Word across this land. Pray for this generation of young men that God will call and shape and send, pray for pastors everywhere. Pray for us Christians to be bold. There's only one solution and that's the truth...the truth by which God saves, by which God sanctifies, and if this nation will respond and listen to His truth, God will open the flood gates. We might be the greatest recovery story in history. But there's no other way than that people listen to God and walk in His ways.”

"For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions"

This Sunday the fellow that preaches at our little church will be headed for Africa, so I will be filling the pulpit. About the middle of last week, I started to feel drawn to a particular text in Romans. Didn't know why.

Now I know why (From Christian News Wire, via Slice of Laodicea):

In a lopsided vote, deputies to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church have effectively repealed a moratorium on the consecration of further gay bishops.

Following initial votes in the church's House of Deputies on Sunday and House of Bishops on Monday, the House of Deputies gave final passage with 72 percent of the vote to an amended version of resolution D025 on Tuesday afternoon. The resolution affirms "that God has called and may call such individuals, to any ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church."

The newly-adopted resolution essentially counters another resolution passed three years ago, in which dioceses were urged to "exercise restraint" in the consecration of practicing homosexuals as bishops. The effect of that resolution was to tenuously keep the Episcopal Church connected to the broader Anglican Communion for the intervening three years.

The Anglican Communion is divided over hot button issues like homosexuality and scriptural authority, with U.S. Episcopal church leaders being more theologically and politically liberal than their overseas counterparts. IRD supports a conservative perspective that affirms traditional church teachings.

Romans 1:26-27, 32--For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting...knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.