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Proverbs 30:5-6

 

5 Every word of God proves true;

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

6 Do not add to his words,

lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

 

                The perfection and sufficiency of Scripture may still be the central issue upon which modern Christianity will either stand or fall. While I have heard many of my Southern Baptist brothers tell me that the battle over the Bible is over, that we conservatives have won, and that now it is time to move on, I cannot agree. With every new challenge to solid theology that arises, the battle for the accuracy and sufficiency of the Scripture again takes center-stage.

 

                Think of some of the most recent controversies that have taken the Internet by storm. Debates over literal, six-day creationism verses theistic evolution truly amount to a question of the authority and accuracy of the Bible. Debates over gender roles in the home or in ministry boil down to the authority of Scripture. Hip controversies over the existence, justice, and eternality of hell are essentially debates over the authority of Scripture.

 

                But God reminds us that his word is true. Every one of his words is sound. We do not need to add to it. IN fact, if we attempt to make the Bible better by adding anything to it, we dishonor God and distort the teaching of our Lord.

 

                Imagine a mountain that a man climb to its peak. He stands on the top-most point. What will happen if he takes a step in any direction? Of course, he will go down. This is true of Scripture. When we stand on Scripture, we stand on the top point of Gods’ perfect revelation. Any step, either to ignore the Scripture or to add something to it, is a step down from the peak to something less than perfect. Let us learn to love and obey the perfect word of God.

 

Ecclesiastes 7:10

 

Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”

For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

 

            This verse hardly needs any extra commentary, but it is a worthy thought for any day. Why do we think to ourselves that former days, former times, were somehow better than the times we are in? God tells us that such thinking does not come from wisdom.

 

            I have recently been reading with my daughter the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. As we read the stories of the Ingalls family during the late 19^th century, it is easy to think that those were the good days. Children had discipline and obeyed their parents. Law seemed to be obeyed. The courtship between Almanzo and Laura was sweet and innocent.

 

            But were those days better? OF course they were not. Sin still reigned in the hearts of men. Sexual immorality still happened in those days, it was simply less public. Drunkenness was still a vice. Racism against blacks and native Americans was prevalent. And the churches showed evidence of poor preaching, bad doctrine, and disregard of rightly-handled Scripture.

 

            In fact, in the chapter leading up to Laura and Almanzo’s wedding in These Happy Golden Years, Laura balks at the use of the word “obey” as part of the wedding vows. Almanzo points out to her that their preacher in their town did not use that word, and in fact, that the preacher argued against Paul on that topic. Regardless of one’s views of gender roles in the home, to hear that the preacher is praised for arguing against Paul on a topic is not the sign of faithful, biblical Christianity.

 

            The point I’m making is that, if we examine the former times, there was as much sin, as much hardship, and as much sorrow as we see today. OF course our sins are different today. Today’s lack of morality seems so much more brazen, so much more callous, than it did in years gone by. But the times were not better. Men were still sinners in need of grace. Men were still rebels against their Creator who needed to repent and turn to Jesus to find salvation.

 

            So, the next time you are tempted to long for the good old days, be they the 1950s, the 1880s, the first century, or just the days of that pastor you like so much more than the one you have now, realize that longing for the good old days is not from wisdom. The good old days were fraught with difficulty as well as beauty. So too are these present days. Instead of longing for days of old, let us obey God’s word and glorify Christ with all that we have in the time we have been given.

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

 

10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

 

            King Solomon had it all. He was rich. He was famous. He had more stuff than any king before him. He had entertainment, wine, women, property, and success on every side.

 

            Interesting, isn’t it, that when he assessed what he had, he declared it all to be vanity. Like a little soap bubble that floats up, pops, and leaves no trace, so Solomon saw his success. If this life is all there is, there is absolutely no reason to think that success or failure matters. If this life is all that there is, Solomon had no reason for joy or hope.

 

            What Solomon found is not unusual for people to see. Watch Hollywood. Read the stories of the rich and powerful whose lives are miserable. Watch stars and politicians who have everything they ever dreamed of getting fall prey to the folly of drugs, affairs, and generally self-destructive behavior. Why? Because they see that all that they have gained is empty.

 

            Ecclesiastes would be a terrible book were it not for the conclusion. At the end of the day, Solomon understands that life’s only true meaning comes in being made by and serving a God who is far greater than you. Our only hope for lasting joy is found in the glory of the eternal God whose we are and to whom we owe all things.

Proverbs 29:9

 

If a wise man has an argument with a fool,

the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.

 

            Would you agree with me that the art of civil debate has been lost in our society? It certainly seems that way. Just turn on one of those TV news programs where they maintain they will give both sides of a discussion on an issue, and what do you see? You see yelling, name-calling, interrupting, and cheap sarcasm.

 

            Of course, the Bible has seen these tendencies in the nature of fools for thousands of years. The more foolish you are, the more likely you are to yell, scoff, make fun, and fail to listen in a discussion. Wise people listen, are polite, and treat others with respect.

 

            How are you when you get into a debate or discussion? Are you polite? Can you let the other person finish a point? Must you get in little sarcastic jabs, or can you be kind? Be careful, your style of arguing says as much about you as the argument you are trying to put forward.

Proverbs 27:5

 

Better is open rebuke

than hidden love.

 

            The Proverbs often offer us sweet and simple nuggets of wisdom. That wisdom often challenges us greatly regarding our relationships with others, be they friends or enemies. One such a wisdom nugget is found in the above verse which communicates two things to consider.

 

            Open rebuke is better than hidden love. Open rebuke is actually a very good thing for the life of any wise person. When you or I do wrong, we need people who will, with grace and charity, come to us and let us know. This is far better than someone seeing us ruin our lives and refuse to tell us what they see.

 

            How often have you heard one person complaining about the failings and shortcomings of another? How often has the complainer actually first gone and told the one against whom they are complaining? So often our rebukes are hidden, or worse, they are told as morsels of gossip intended to wound. O how much better we would be as believers if we would talk to one another about our concerns instead of spreading them abroad.

 

            The second half of this proverb, the opposite of good rebuke, is a strange thing to consider an opposite. While open rebuke can be a very good thing, hidden love is not. Think about your own experience in your local church. Do you love your pastor? Do you love your Sunday School teacher? What about other sweet and godly believers in Christ? If so, do they know? It is great that you love your fellow Christians, but if they cannot see that you love them, you need to do what you can to rectify that.

 

            I’m not telling you to go all sappy here and get weepy over everybody. But letting people know that you care for them, that you appreciate them, or that you are praying for them is a very good thing to do. Why not take a moment to examine your life and see where your love of brothers and sisters in Christ might seem hidden.

 

            I can think, in my own life, of times where I have been reminded that I need to show my concern for brothers and sisters in Christ more clearly. That led me to do more pastoral visits, to make more phone calls, and to make it a point, each Sunday, to stop by the senior adult Sunday School classes just to let them know that I’m thinking of them. These are small things, but they can go a long way in helping believers to understand that you actually do care. What can you do that would do the same?

Revelation 7:15-17

 

15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God,

and serve him day and night in his temple;

and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;

the sun shall not strike them,

nor any scorching heat.

17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,

and he will guide them to springs of living water,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

 

        No matter how hard this life gets, there is a home for all of those who have sought shelter in Christ. There is simply nothing to compare to the beauty of what we see before the throne of God.

 

        Those who have been forgiven of their sins in Christ will serve God like priests in the temple. They will find shelter, rest, and peace in the presence of the Almighty. No dangers will ever frighten them. No hardships will ever hurt them again. No hunger or thirst will ever weaken them.

 

        Those who enter heaven will never again feel the harshness of nature—no tornados, no floods, no blizzards, and no heat waves. Never again will they worry about a drought. Never again will they feel discomfort. Never again will a day be too hot or too cold, too humid or too dry.

 

        But verse 17 is most beautiful to me. The Lamb of God, Jesus himself, will be the shepherd of God’s people. Just as you have often read in Psalm 23, Jesus will lead his sheep beside still waters. Jesus will give his followers the true, soul-satisfying, living water that will never fade. Never again will we thirst in any way. We will not desire something that we cannot have. All of our needs will be met in the perfection of the presence of the Lord.

 

        Then we see the glorious promise that the Lord will wipe away every tear from the eyes of his children. There will be no more crying. There will be no more sorrow. There will be no more grief. Finally, for all eternity, there will be perfect joy, perfect peace, perfect rest, perfect satisfaction.

 

        Christians, God wants you to hear these words, and he wants you to long for heaven. He wants you to set your heart on what you see here. He wants you to desire the satisfaction that only he can give. Do not settle for less. Do not settle for the petty pleasures of this life. Hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God, and he will fill your soul with joy.

Revelation 7:1-3 (ESV)

 

1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

 

            John looks and sees four angels holding back the four winds. Remember, this is a vision, and there is much symbolism. When the Bible talks about the winds blowing here, it is referring to the coming judgment, the wrath of God. The angels are not to let that wrath be poured out on the earth until a fifth angel places the seal of God on his servants.

 

            What is the point of the seal? An official seal might do many things. In this instance, the seal marks ownership. It says that those who bear this seal belong to God and may not be harmed by the outpouring of his wrath. It parallels something we see in the Old Testament, in Ezekiel 9:1-7. There God had plans to destroy Jerusalem for the sin of the people. However, God would not pour out his anger on those who were his, those who bemoaned the sin of the people. So God sent out someone to place his mark on the foreheads of his people in order to protect or preserve them from the wrath to come.

 

            The same concept is in view in Revelation 7, and it should give you great encouragement. God will not pour out his anger, his fury, his wrath on his people. No, if someone belongs to God, they will bear his seal. If someone belongs to God, they will be protected by God from the fury that he will unleash on the lost world. Praise God for preserving his people. If you are one of God’s people, rejoice that God protects you from his fury. If you have not given your life to Jesus, do so to be under his protection before it is too late.

Revelation 6:12-14 (ESV)

12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

 

            The scene that John saw when the sixth seal on the scroll of God was opened was utterly terrifying. The entire created order shook. The earth quaked. The sun went black. The moon shone blood red. The stars fell from the sky. Even the sky itself rolled up like a scroll. The mountains trembled and fled. The islands were displaced.

 

            I can’t describe this. Mankind has never imagined the horror of a scene like this. It does not matter how many movies Hollywood produces, they will never come close to depicting this kind of heart-stopping horror and world-crumbling destruction. This is the Day of the Lord, and nobody has ever seen anything like it.

 

            How will a lost world, a world that has rejected God, respond on this day? How will the strong ruler and the weak peasant react when God finally decides enough is enough and that his justice will be done forever?

 

Revelation 6:15-17 (ESV)

15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

 

            How will the world react? When the world sees the coming of our Lord to his earth, they will cry out in terror. Rich or poor, small or great, it really does not matter. They will beg for boulders to fall on them and crush them. They will beg for the seas to swallow them up. They would rather be buried alive under a mountain than to see the dreadful face of the Lord God returning to earth in justice and wrath.

 

            The question that the lost ask in the final verse of this chapter is the question that we should seriously consider: “Who can stand?” Who can stand before the Lord? Who can stand when he decides to do justice? Can you stand? Do you think, in the light of a blood red moon and falling stars and trembling mountains that you can boldly stand before God and challenge him? Do you think you can make excuses to him on that day for why you ignored his commands, treated people with cruelty, lived for your lusts, and found entertainment in the things he says he hates?

 

            Let me share with you very simply that nobody who stands on their own will be able to stand on that day. All people have sinned before God. All of us deserve his judgment. If you face God on the day we just read about, and if you do not have an advocate to shield you from God’s wrath, you will be doomed forever. You will go to hell and never finish paying the price for your sins against the holy God whose wrath we see here.

 

            But there is hope. Who can stand? The person who has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus can stand. The child of God can stand. The one who has been forgiven can stand. The one who knows that Jesus was punished in his place can stand. The one who turned from her sins and asked Jesus to save her soul can stand.

 

            None of us is good in ourselves. Certainly none of us is good enough to stand before God on our own. He is holy. We cannot be holy alone. But Jesus, God’s Son, came to earth to make the only way for anybody to be right with God. Jesus died for the sins of all who will ever trust in him. He rose from the grave, proving that anybody who comes to him in faith will truly be able to stand before God. If you will confess your sins and turn from them, if you will trust in Jesus and ask him to save your soul, he will clothe you in his righteousness, forgive you of your sins, and make you able to stand before the Lord.

1 Chronicles 29-6-ff

 

6 Then the leaders of fathers’ houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officers over the king’s work… 9 Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

 

10 Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “… 14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

 

            Giving can be such a sticky subject. Christians can get a little funny when the topic of finances comes up. This is especially true if they have something they don’t like about the local church or a project that the ministry is undertaking.

 

            But look at the scene in 1 Chronicles 29. David and the people of Israel gave to provide for the building of the temple. Notice, especially, that when they gave, they then praised God, thanking him for allowing them the privilege of giving. David and the rest of the people knew what it would do us well to remember. God does not need us or our financial assistance. For God to allow us to financially give for the growth of his kingdom is him being kind to us, not the other way round.

 

            When you give, do you begrudge the gift? Do you wish you didn’t “have to” give? If so, there is a problem in your heart. We do not give because we have to. Instead, we give because God has honored us by allowing us to join him in his kingdom work.