The Heaton File

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. (Matthew 27:27-31)

Mocking Jesus

It seems incredulous the Divine would allow the carnal to strip Him of His clothing, place a crown of thorns upon His head and spend hours mocking and laughing with acid derision and He not invite the hosts of angels from the hand of the Almighty to destroy them all. When the garrison of the Roman army’s elite saw an opportunity to take a puny looking man who claimed to be a king and treat him with vile contempt, mockery and abuse him by spitting in his face, slapping him and beating on him with a stick with great laughter they lavished all the contempt of a seasoned warrior would inflict on his enemy. These were men who were accustomed to the rigors of hardship. Their training was to kill other men and they were very efficient at their murderous task. Whenever a criminal was condemned to crucifixion, the garrison of soldiers was first tasked to scourge the victim to a near-death state before releasing him for the final journey to be crucified. No one would escape the clutches of these ruthless killers. Torture was their weapon of choice as their pitiless victim could do nothing to fight back or to escape. A garrison of soldiers could number as high as six hundred men trained in the art of war. Once condemned, the helpless object would endure harsh torture before the agony of the cross. The garrison of Romans soldiers had Jesus of Nazareth in their clutches and they poured all their fury and wrath upon Him because He claimed to be a king. And Jesus remained silent in the face of His accusers. He could have called twelve legions of the heavenly hosts to His bidding but the call was never made. How anxious the angels must have been to hear the word from the Father to go and save the Son. Jesus suffered at the hands of men and no voice in heaven was heard to stop it.

hen the Romans had Jesus in the Praetorium, they could only see a man who was powerless. Mocking him was an easy thing to do because they had control of the man from Nazareth and could do as they wished. There would be no punishment for their treatment of Jesus because it was allowed under the harsh rule of the Romans. These soldiers represented the power of the Roman government to execute swift judgment on those who would dare oppose them. No one was there to plead the case for the convicted man and no armies would swoop down from heaven to save the Son of God. The power and might of the Roman army did its best as it mocked, scourged, abused and killed the only begotten Son of God. Jesus was crucified and for many in the city of Jerusalem and throughout the Roman Empire was forgotten as another victim of Roman law. Slowly the garrison of men who mocked Jesus began to die. Some may have died in battle, others from circumstances of nature or abuse from other men. Regardless, over a short period of time all those gathered in the Praetorium met their deaths as happens to all men. It was then the shocking truth of what they had done became crystal clear. These men knew what Jesus looked like and to their horror, they now saw the one they mocked in the glow of eternal light. There would be no mocking, no beating, no spitting and no joy in their eyes. The man they beat on and treated with contempt was now the most powerful being they had ever seen in their short lives. And there was no escape. For all their laughter and derision of Jesus on earth, words escaped them for the horror they faced in eternal damnation. A once proud and arrogant warrior stood before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and trembled with every ounce of his being. Jesus would not mock these pitiful men as they stood in the judgment of His grace. His heart was grieved for the tragedy of sin and the consequence that lead most men to deny Him and mock His name who must now face the wrath of the Father. Righteousness demanded a just reward. Judgment is passed. Souls are lost.

Two thousand years ago a garrison of Roman soldiers gathered around a man viewed from their eyes as a pitiful and worthless man. They mocked him with great satisfaction. Tired of their sport, they put His clothes on Him and took Him to Golgotha where they nailed Him to a tree. He was nothing more than a common criminal to these men who regarded Him with little notice. Myriads of souls continue to mock Jesus today as an ineffective, weak and powerless story of a man more of myth and legend than fact. The Son of God is not visible on earth as He was before the garrison of Roman soldiers but in our day His presence is denied by most people, His message ridiculed by the majority of humanity and the acceptance of a righteous judgment laughed at. There is little belief in the reality of Jesus. He is mocked as a superfluous story of man’s imagination created to fill a need for a god-figure. The Bible is discarded as a book of fables and the Creator of the universe is fiercely attacked as useless, worthless and laughable. Mocking Jesus did not end with the Romans soldiers killing Jesus on a cross. His mocking continued throughout the centuries and is in full force in the modern world of hedonism, sensuality, debauchery, humanism and man’s obsession with self-gratification as his own god. Religion has changed the image of the Son of God to fit their pleasures of dogmas, creeds and false doctrines to choose the church of their choice. Mocking Jesus did not end at the cross. It continues today by souls who – like the Roman soldiers – believe they are their own god. Like the soldiers who mocked Jesus, all those who mock Him today will die and stand face to face with the real Jesus. There will be no escape and no quarter given. Judgment will be final and eternal. If there is one reality that is assured it is the knowledge that all those who are cast into the lake of fire will never mock Jesus again.

Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.” Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?” (1 Samuel 17:26-29)

David Fought For A Cause

When the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle against Saul and the men of Israel, a great champion named Goliath went out from the camp of the Philistines calling for a champion from Israel to fight him. Goliath was a giant of a man standing over nine feet tall wearing a coat of mail weighing 125 pounds. He was a terrifying image of battle-hardened killing machine few men if any could fight against. For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army. Dwelling in Bethlehem of Judah was a man named Jesse who had eight sons. Three of his sons were part of King Saul’s army that stood against the Philistines. His youngest son David tended the sheep and took provisions to his brothers. Early one morning, David took the provisions of roasted grain, ten loaves of bread and ten cuts of cheese for his brothers and the captain of the thousand. As he talked with his brothers, Goliath stood before the army of Israel and challenged the fearful men who fled before him. The champion of the Philistines had put great fear in the hearts of the army including Saul. There was a reward offered to any man who would fight the giant including great riches, the hand of King Saul’s daughter and exempt the warrior’s father from taxes in Israel but no one would fight Goliath. None of these things impressed the young shepherd who wanted to know who was going to kill the man who defied the army of God and brought reproach upon the nation of Israel. David had no interest in the carnal rewards of killing a man who stood against the army of Israel. He wanted to know who would stop the uncircumcised from his defiance of the true and living God. No one answered. David’s older brother, Eliab, chastised his younger brother for being prideful and was angry against him. What Eliab could not see and the army of Israel failed to understand was there was a cause standing before larger than the nine-foot giant called Goliath.

David saw immediately the problem and sought to set things in order. For forty days Goliath had defied and defiled that army of Jehovah God and out of fear no man moved near to fight the champion. Saul was struck with dread and fear and became a weak leader. The only one who understood the cause of the Lord was the young shepherd boy who walked into the valley of Elah to stand before the giant. King Saul recognized the youth of David was no match for a hardened warrior like Goliath but the king was looking on the outside. Somewhere along the way Saul had lost his faith in the power of God who delivered Israel from bondage by His mighty hand, brought the people through the Red Sea and conquered all armies that stood before them. Canaan was overrun through the power of God to defeat all enemies and if Saul would have trusted in the will of the Lord, Goliath would have been dead long ago. It took a young boy from Bethlehem to show the army of God there was something to fight for. The reward was not the cause. What David saw was the vindication of righteousness against a force that dared stand against the army of God. No army in the world could defeat the nation of Israel because God was their king, their warrior, and their deliverer. Looking at the giant Goliath brought fear to the hearts of the mighty warriors but David saw Goliath for what he was. The champion of the Philistines was not so huge he was unable to be defeated; David saw the giant for what he really was: an incredibly large target that could not be missed. No matter the size or disposition of Goliath, the Lord God was larger, more powerful and His will would be done. Reassured, David stood before the giant and defeated him with a stone from the brook. God won a great victory that day because David fought for a cause.

The church of Christ stands in the valley of Elah being opposed with the giants of worldliness, sensuality, religious error, false doctrine, apathy and a host of Goliaths that paralyze the hearts of the faithful to do nothing. What made the story of the Philistines and Israel tragic was it made the people of God do nothing and that is where they met their defeat. From its beginning, the church has faced persecution. What defined the New Testament church is they did not stand idly by and shrink back in fear. Luke describes how the people of God were scattered abroad preaching the word during the persecution of Saul of Tarsus. This pattern of courage is necessary for the church to thrive in a world filled with a disregard for Biblical authority, lack of respect for righteousness and a denial of the one true God. Accepting the carnal appetites of the world makes the church more like the Philistines instead of the nation of God’s people. Allowing the entertainment philosophy of modern religion to guide the decisions of the local church will only prevent the purpose of the church. David understood there was a cause and he fought for the cause. The church must awaken to remind itself of its cause and that cause is Christ crucified. Anything less than the gospel of Jesus Christ denies the purpose of the death of God’s Son. Denominationalism must be opposed, rank denial of clear Biblical teachings on adultery, fornication, homosexuality, marriage, and divorce must be defined by truth and the social gospels of immodesty, drinking and carnality must be stood against if the church is to survive. Eliab and others became ineffective through fear and allowed Goliath to oppose the army of God. David had the courage to walk into the valley and defy the enemy of the Lord. Victory can only be found when the church has the courage to remember the cause and to take the actions to purpose the cause in the local work. As soldiers of Christ, the church is a battle-ready army not standing but fighting for the banner of truth and cause of righteousness – no matter the cost.

Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house. (Colossians 4:15)

New Testament House Church

When the New Testament church began on Pentecost, three thousand devout Jews believed Jesus was the Christ and were baptized for the remission of their sins. Luke writes how God added the saved to the church and that later that great fear came upon the church following the sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira. When Saul of Tarsus began his persecution of the followers of Christ, he sought to harass the church which was at Jerusalem making havoc of the church. There are few references to how the church organized itself with three thousand initial members of the saved and whether the multitudes baptized on Pentecost remained in Jerusalem. The church is identified in Jerusalem and then found in Judea, Samaria and as far as Antioch. As the development of the church continued churches were established throughout the Roman Empire through the work of men like Peter and Paul. The canon of scripture began to be formed establishing the organization and structure of the church especially in the writings of the now apostle Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus). From these writings a glimpse of New Testament church work is formed to show that God intended the early disciples to assemble together each first day of the week for fellowship in the communion of remembrance of the Lord’s Supper and to engage in the preaching, teaching, and admonition of the word of God. Paul went through the churches ordaining elders in every church showing a divine pattern of leadership of men who would shepherd the flock among them. The epistles to the Romans, the church of God at Corinth, saints in Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse and the churches of Galatia establish the divine pattern of churches in every place following the pattern of New Testament teaching given through the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised in the gospels that He would build His church, Luke writes about the beginning and propagation of the church purchased with the blood of Christ and men like Paul, Peter, James, and John outline the pattern of the church in their epistles. All came to the same conclusion the church is an organized body that assembled in one place for the purpose of worship and exhortation.

There is one part of the early church that is only hinted at but obvious in its conclusion. Where did all the saints meet? Luke does not say where the three thousand on Pentecost gathered together and it is unlikely all stayed in Jerusalem. The church did exist in Jerusalem for many years and a short time after Pentecost the number of men came to be about five thousand. Paul sheds light on the logistics of the early church when he mentions in his letter to Colosse the church found in the house of Nymphas. He also referred to the home of Priscilla and Aquila as the meeting place of the church (letter to Romans and to Corinth) and the church in the home of Philemon. When the church met in the homes of the saints they gathered together as the people of God for the purpose of worship following the divine pattern given by the Holy Spirit. The reason the early church met in homes is the early Christians could not erect public buildings for the sole purpose of assembly. This would especially be true under persecution. Through every century the people of God found ways to gather together as the local church to carry out the work of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. The place of the assembly was expedient to carry out the command and varied from buildings, caves, open fields, under trees and wherever the faithful could gather to fulfill the divine pattern of the New Testament church. Meeting in homes is a pragmatic way if large enough to accommodate the number of the assembly but does not detract from the pattern of gathering together as a local body of believers.

John saw in the Revelation seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. These were churches organized in the pattern of the teachings of New Testament. The church at Ephesus had elders who were exhorted by Paul to feed the flock among them and to serve as overseers of the church. This would be accomplished whether the church met in an assembly hall or in the home of a saint. Wherever they met they gathered together in one place to fulfill the commands of the Lord. Paul reminded the church at Corinth that when they came together to partake of the Lord’s Supper they were to have a proper attitude showing the pattern of coming together. The apostle affirms the command to come together as a local body of saints under the leadership of spiritual leaders. Singing together as the church can only be done when the saints assemble as one. To be exhorted by prayers, teaching and preaching are found in the local assembly. The conclusion is that while the church can meet in many disciplines of location the command to gather as one as the local body of Christ is without question. There can be some confusion by some that local assembly is not necessary and that a modern view of the church at home is a function of the early church. Indeed, worship in the home is necessary but when members forsake the assembly of the saints they fail to follow the divine command of how the early church was organized. Elders cannot shepherd members who refuse to submit themselves to the oversight ordained by the Holy Spirit. The Lord’s Supper is a communal activity of saints that gather together instead of a single act of an individual. Early Christians met in homes out of necessity as many churches today are found in apartments, homes, rented buildings and yes, beneath the canopy of a tree. The place is incidental. Assembly as a body of people is commanded.

A son honors his father and a servant his master. “If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence?” says the Lord of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, “In what way have we despised Your name?” (Malachi 1:6)

Despising The Worship Of The Lord Of Hosts

The prophet Malachi had a formidable task before him as he surveyed the worship of the people of God. Written after the second temple was built following the captivity of Israel, the warning of religious laxity is clearly presented in a time that while worship was restored to the land the heart of the people was anything but respectful toward God. Their offerings were insolent to the character, holiness, and reverence due the Lord of hosts. They went through the motions of worship and brought offerings for sacrifice but not with a whole heart and not with a spirit of reverence for the favor of the Lord. The charge made against Israel was the people had more respect for the fathers and governors than God. When a sacrifice was brought to the temple it was the lame and sick among the animals that were presented and sometimes the sacrifice had been stolen. The evil of Jewish worship was the careless manner of coming before the Creator of the world as if He were a common man to present broken sacrifices from darkened hearts tainted by the false love of their Savior and King. Sacrifice was defiled by their actions and their hearts. Respect was token when worshiping the Lord although this kind of behavior would never be done before kings and governors. Malachi charges the people with gross dishonor by treating the worship as a carnal time for self-importance. The name of God is treated with contempt and He will have none of it. God looks down upon the worship of Israel and pleads with someone to shut the doors so the priests would not put worthless sacrifices on the altar. The Lord is not pleased with the attitudes of those who come before Him in vain and trifled worship. As a result of the indolence of the people, the name of the Lord is being profaned among the nations and viewed as no different as the gods of idolatry.

From the beginning of the world when Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to the Creator, respect and honor have been required for the worship of man to his Lord and Master. Throughout holy writ men have trifled with the worship of God and found His wrath instead. Nadab and Abihu, sons of the High Priest Aaron, met their death when they dishonored the worship of God. Uzzah was struck dead because he failed to keep the word of the Lord. Israel had returned from the captivity by the grace of God and while the second temple restored the worship to the land of Israel, the heart of the people cared very little for devotional worship. They had more respect for other men than God. Their worship was heartless and without meaning. Malachi delivered a message of divine anger to those who did not respect the worship of the Lord of hosts and warns the worshipers in the New Testament church of the same wrath against those who would see church worship as a time of dishonor. The apostle Paul spent a lot of time trying to correct the problems in the church at Corinth for their disrespect for true worship. They had fallen into the same trap of the Jews in Malachi’s day by coming to worship and having a fun time, a place to enjoy frivolity, offering worship that was broken with the attitudes of recreation and play. There was no reverence. Respect was not given to the holy character of God. The services had become a circus of amusement and sideshows. God’s word was not lifted in honor. His name was not lifted in reverence and respect. Worship was anything but worship.

There is a constant danger in the church of Christ to allow a frivolous and profane attitude of worship to prevail in the hearts of God’s people. Church services become a time of weariness by those who are shallow in their understanding of the word of God. Lacking depth for divine perception, worship becomes a time of superficiality where the focus is more on the man than upon the holy character of the Lord of hosts. The reverence due to the Lord is not felt by the masses who assemble to be entertained and have their ears tickled with the fancies of carnality. Worship must be done in spirit and truth according to the Son of God. Anything short of this is vain worship and God abhors vain worship. Sneering at the pattern of divine worship will engage the wrath of the one who sent His Son to die for the sins of men. Without a proper view of acceptable worship, the offerings will become profane and useless. Malachi’s message sought to turn the hearts of the returning Jews to a true pattern of worship. His book is found as the final testimony before the famine of divine revelation begins but must be read as the first book to open up the portals of true worship in the eyes of the Lord of hosts. This day is the first day of the week and a time to respect, honor and revere the name of God. What is done in the assembly of the saints will determine the honor given the Lord of hosts whether His name will be great among the nations or defiled by the disrespect of its worshipers. “For I am a great King,” says the Lord of hosts, “And My name is to be feared among the nations.”

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)

The Tupperware Wife

In many homes, there is a special place that is sacred as a place for prized and valued possessions called the china cabinet. This piece of furniture is often itself a valuable piece of furniture handed down from generation to generation. In general a china cabinet is different from a curio cabinet by its construction and purpose. A china cabinet displays specialty dinnerware and crystal while a curio cabinet can be purposed for many different kinds of displays of things valuable to the owner. The idea behind the cabinets is to allow guarded storage of valuable items and is normally not intended for daily use. In the kitchen cabinets are everyday dishes and glassware that is not as prized as what is found in a china cabinet. Children learn early that breaking one of the regular dishes is met with disappointment but to break something from the china cabinet is an incredible loss with a higher level of distress than any other kind of dish. A distinction is made from the items of the china cabinet and those utensils for common everyday use. In 1942 Earl Tupper introduced the world to an unbreakable plastic bell-shaped container that would become known for generations as Tupperware. It revolutionized the home and would become a staple of modern kitchens. One of the things seldom seen in any home is a Tupperware cabinet and it would be very doubtful that Tupperware would be kept in a china cabinet. China dishware is a very delicate and costly material made various materials that create fine china, bone china, and porcelain. Tupperware is plastic and is nearly unbreakable and does not have the value of fine china.

Whether the apostle Peter had Tupperware in mind when he exhorted the husbands to honor their wives is not clear but the point of his admonition was very clear: husbands are to treat their wives as individuals of great worth. Giving honor unto the wife shows the respect due to her character as created by God when Eve was brought to man. Adam and Eve formed a union of love for one another as the Lord intended for each to show their respect for His divine pattern. Sin destroyed that union as the woman would be subjected to the man but this does not allow the husband to dishonor his wife. As the spiritual leader of the home, the husband must show the path of righteousness to his wife as treating her with the nobility of fine china, not Tupperware. A wife that is viewed as nothing more than a common, undesirable and necessary part of a marriage will not be elevated to be the place expected by God. She is not Tupperware but a prized possession that should be shown love, nourishment, cherishing and the example of Christ as head of the church. Paul wrote to the Ephesians to love their wives as Christ loved the church. It is clear the Lord did not view the church as a piece of common plastic but something so valuable and so highly prized that He gave His life for the church. Husbands are to dwell with their wives with understanding and to present their wives to the world as the beautiful creation of the finest of creations crafted by the hand of God. The woman is the weaker vessel not in mental abilities but the preciousness of her character in the home. Her place in the home should be honored by the man as fitting the delicate nature of her calling by the Lord. Husbands who love their wives as their own bodies will cherish their wives as vessels of honor.

There are too many Tupperware wives who are not honored by their husbands. It may be fair to say there are as many wives who want to be Tupperware wives and demand their rights in the home as leaders but this is not the pattern established by God. There is much for the woman to do in the home in her role of the spiritual fortitude of the husband and the children but her role remains in subjection to the man with chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Her beauty is not the outward adorning of the hair with gold or putting on fine apparel but the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. When God looks down into the home, He wants to see the wife as a person treated like the finest china and not as a common dish of Tupperware. What is precious in the sight of the Lord is a wife who is refined with the godly character of righteousness. When the husband and wife come before the throne of God their prayers are not hindered. The prayers of the husband are tempered by his treatment of the wife as he dwells with her in understanding, giving honor to his wife as to the incredible worth and value she is to him and the godly home she creates. God will bless their home as He blesses their prayers for the wife is not treated like Tupperware but the finest of china.

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:2-6)

What We Did To Jesus

God sent His only begotten Son to the world they created to give His Son a ransom for the price of redemption. Only through the suffering of Christ would man find hope from the wrath of God. All the blood of animals would not take away the stain of rebellion from sin and reconcile the heart of man with God. The measure of sin demanded the greatest sacrifice in the greatest manner of suffering known to man. It would not be a miracle that would save man or an easy path to cleanse the stain of sin from the world. Jesus would suffer like no other because He was God, sinless, perfect and innocent and death was the final price He had to pay on the cross. It was the will of the Father Jesus die and He fulfilled with word of prophecy to become the slain lamb but it is imperative that all men know the reason Jesus died: personal accountability of every man. Isaiah declares the suffering Savior as one who was despised, rejected, smitten by God and afflicted, wounded, bruised and by stripes carried out the will of God but the reason was because of what I have done to Jesus. The event of His death took place two thousand years ago and all men that now live bear the shame and reproach of the guilt for what was done to the Son of God. He bore my grief from the darkness of my sin. Jesus carried my sorrows because I inflicted the ravaging pain of rejection. The Lord was stricken from the plague of my sin. My transgressions wounded Him, all my iniquities bruised Him and the chastisement of my peace was upon Him. Jesus was scourged by the Romans who served my guilt as if I was the one who held the whip in my hand. It is easy to blame the soldiers long ago for what happened to Jesus and to place all blame upon the Jews for rejecting Jesus until one realizes that every man had a hand in the death of Jesus. I killed Jesus.

Isaiah says that we all turned to our own way. What Adam and Eve did in the garden was to choose their own desires above the will of God. Sin is always an expression of self-worth and pride to be our own gods to determine what is right and wrong. John defined sin as the transgression of the law of God. Jesus died as a sacrifice for my rebellion to the word of God. No man has lived without sin save Jesus Christ making all men accountable for the death of Jesus. What Isaiah describes is what I have done to the Son of God as if I were present at the death of Jesus. I must take responsibility for the actions that I have done that brought about the death of Jesus in a manner that is personally accountable so that I can see how large the gift was given by God. Until I realize what I have done to Jesus that caused His death it will be difficult to understand the unfathomable grace of a loving Father. The early church fulfilled the instructions of Jesus to remember the sacrifice of Jesus each first day of the week as a memorial and reminder of who killed Jesus. Thinking about the Lord’s Supper is a proper time to reflect upon why Jesus died – MY SIN. Partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine is more than eating a little crust and sipping some juice. It becomes personal accountability for the reason the Son of God died on a cross. My sins put Him there and His love kept Jesus on the cross. The Father has laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all. Me and my sins and you and your sins.

Jesus poured out His soul unto death and was numbered with the transgressors. He bore the sin of many but He bore my sins especially and He made intercession for the transgressor: ME. My sins nailed Jesus to the cross. The scourging, mockery and shameful treatment of the Son of God were done by the will of my hand. I stand guilty of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. There is no other person to blame. Satan cannot be blamed for what I have done. Jesus did not die for a few souls but all souls that have rebelled against the will of the eternal God and that includes me at the top of the list. Paul was not the chief of sinners because I am the chief among sinners. The cross has my name written all over it. Under the title placed by the Romans is my name. Jesus knows my name because He knows my name as the reason He suffered and died. I did all those terrible things to Jesus and all because of my sin. Allowing this image of God’s love to forgive me is where the grace of God removes the guilt of sin. We hid our faces from Him and He was despised and we did not esteem Him. Jesus died on the cross for my sin. In the resurrection the Father brought hope to my life in showing me His eternal forgiveness to remove my sin and to lift me up to glory. I was lost but now I am found. Thank you Jesus for your love to save me from my sin. Even in the face of all the reasons Jesus died He is willing to forgive me. I find peace and hope in the forgiveness of Christ’s blood to take away my sin and make me whole again. It is important to know what I have done to Jesus and more important to know what Jesus has done for me. Thank God for His eternal grace.

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes, we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5)

The Five Ours Of Jesus

Without standing at the cross of Jesus and seeing His body scourged, beaten, spat upon and battered by the mocking of Roman soldiers who would nail the hands of the Son of God to a tree along with His feet driven with iron spikes; it is difficult to grasp the incredible love of God to allow unholy man to abuse His only begotten Son. The cross is anything but glorious. It has been fashioned into gold and worn around necks as if a symbol of pride and showmanship when in fact the cross was the depravity of the most heinous manner devised man to slowly kill its victim. Jesus did not take the gall that would have lessened His pain and He born the full impact of the crucifixion with every shooting pain and unbearable torture of His back upon the cross. Enduring those hours of suffering goes beyond the realm of understanding when by the word of His voice seventy-two thousand angels would ascend and destroy all of humanity. Jesus remained silent. He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. His death would give life to all men and through His suffering pave the way for glory to those who would accept the gift of His sacrifice. The cross must be realized for what it really means. It was not because of any sin committed by Jesus that He was on the cross. There were those who came to charge Jesus with blasphemy and charge Him to death but none could be found of credibility. Finally, two false witnesses came forward saying He said He would destroy the temple of God and build it in three days. The Jewish leaders took Jesus to the Romans where He was condemned to die even though Pilate declared Jesus innocent. Because of the pressure of the Jews who cried out for crucifixion, the Son of God was condemned to death. Jesus died an unjust death condemned for a crime He did not commit and had never broken the Law of Moses in any degree. A pure and innocent man died that day and there was a reason His death was required.

The prophet Isaiah declared hundreds of years earlier the coming Christ would suffer many things from the hands of unjust men. He would be despised and rejected by men, wounded, bruised, chastised and suffer the affliction of stripes as a lamb to the slaughter. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy and became the suffering Savior. Isaiah declares the reason for the Son of God to suffer. It was not for anything He would have done but because of the sins of mankind that would bring about the death of God’s Son. There are five “ours” in the woeful message of Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering Christ and they all point to the putridity of men. Jesus has borne OUR griefs and OUR sorrows. The grief endured by the Son of God was the affliction brought upon Him by OUR sins in the consequence of the physical suffering of the cross. Jesus was a man feeling all the pain of the whip used to scourge Him. He was in incredible pain when He bore the cross. When they nailed His hands to the cross and then lifted Him up His level of pain increased in unbelievable waves of torture. Gathering His feet together and driving those nails through His flesh was an experience of incredible suffering. Jesus bore OUR griefs and carried OUR sorrows because of HIS love for OUR condition. The cross was every part of the physical horror intended by humanity to devise against another. Jesus suffered the worst death created by man because the nature of sin demanded His suffering.

Beyond the physical suffering of the cross, Jesus was wounded for OUR transgression and bruised for OUR iniquities. He was pierced for OUR rebellion and crushed for OUR sins. There was no justification for the Son of God to be sentenced to death because Jesus knew no sin. In the three decades of His short life, the man from Nazareth never sinned. And yet because of OUR sin He willingly and courageously bore the suffering of the cross because of OUR state of depravity, darkness, and rebellion. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging, we are healed. Jesus took the wrath of the Father on Himself so OUR lives would not face the fury of the Divine. He took upon Himself to endure the cross and He laid His life down that He could take it again for the hope of man to live in eternal life. OUR transgressions and OUR iniquities nailed Jesus to the cross and the chastisement of OUR peace was upon Him because Jesus loved OUR lives to the point of death. It is impossible to stand at the cross and not see the five OURS of Jesus as He shed innocent blood for the redemption of all men: OUR griefs, OUR sorrows, OUR transgressions, OUR iniquities, and OUR peace. Jesus died for ME. Thank you Jesus for loving ME.

But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle. And Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women alive? Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately. (Numbers 31:14-18)

The Price Of Influence

There are difficult passages in the Bible to read and the text of Numbers 31 is of no exception. At first glance, there is a shock at the severity of the command given by the Lord to Moses and the nation of Israel. Moses had been told by God to take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Twelve thousand men of war went against the Midianites and they killed all the males, the kings of Midian and Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword. The children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones and all their animals and goods. When Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet the returning army, Moses became angry with the officers of the army. As in times past, the people did not understand the full intent of the purpose of God to destroy the nations that sought to corrupt and defile the hearts of the people of Israel. The Midianites had tried to destroy Israel by seducing them to idolatry through the prophecies of Balaam. When Israel remained in Acacia Grove, the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab and sacrificing to their gods. The Midianites sought to harass Israel with their schemes by which they seduced the people in the matter of Peor and Cozbi, daughter of a leader of Midian. When the Lord told Moses to take vengeance on the Midianites, He demanded a complete cleansing of the plague of wickedness that filled the hearts of the people of Midian. There would be no exceptions. The officers either refused to kill all the captives or failed to understand the complete measure demanded by God. Regardless, Moses commanded the men to kill all the women who were not virgins and to kill all the male children of all ages. They carried out the command and killed all the women save the virgins and every male child among the captives. Thirty-two thousand women were spared with an untold number killed along with the infants.

In the modern voice of reason, this kind of action would be met with horror, disbelief, and condemnation by the world. Critics of holy writ challenge the action of such measures against women and children as severe and undeserving of death. The reason the Holy Spirit preserved the text of the war against the Midianites was to affirm the righteousness of a Holy God against the influence of unrighteousness on His people. God was not relishing the idea of killing women and children but executing divine judgment on a people that sought to corrupt the holy nation of God with the inducements of evil. Idolatry was the height of ungodliness, immorality, debauchery, and depravity. The Midianites did not serve the true and living God. They were people corrupt in the pleasures of the flesh, immoral in heart and mind and lived for the passions of the carnal. The word of the Lord demanded this influence be purged from the people of God because the power of the women who had known men through the idolatrous worship and the male children who would grow up and continue the idolatrous practice must be stopped. It seemed severe but it says more about the view of the Lord against influence than a matter of killing women and children. Idolatry would eventually destroy the holy people of God and without keeping in check the influence of its carnal desires; there would be no hope for the people. That is the insidious power of Satan as he seeks to sway the hearts of the righteous with the appeal of the sexual inducements of idolatry. The only way to stop its power was to destroy it – totally. If killing all the women who were not virgins and the children would help hold back the plague of idolatrous influence then God demanded it.

The wisdom of man finds it hard to justify the action against the Midianites but human wisdom is what created the practice of idolatry. It must be understood how corrupt and immoral the people who practiced idolatry were as they murdered their children in human sacrifice, raped innocent women, sexually abused children, killed old people, committed bestiality, homosexuality, and worshiped with violence, debauchery, and unbridled passions. God’s directive against the Midianites was to stem the influence of ungodliness that appealed to the weakness of His people. Satan has not ceased from his impact on the hearts of God’s people as he destroys the hearts of the righteous with the purge of pornography, sensuality, abortion, immodesty, materialism and social gospels appealing to the need for entertainment. God demanded severe action against the influence of the nations around Israel. It may require the Christian to take severe action to lessen or extinguish various forms of temptations that will – if left unchecked – destroy the soul. What will the value of the internet be to the soul that stands condemned before the Lord when the heart of the righteous knew the power of temptation in pornography? When dealing with the influence of pornography, when will the decision be to rid the home of the internet in exchange for the salvation of the soul? Is that so extreme it cannot be considered? Giving children their own smart-phones may show them to be accepted by their peers but at what cost if it creates a world that could damn their soul? If a job keeps a person from serving the Lord as required by the word what value will that job be in hell? Jesus said there are those who will live as eunuchs in the kingdom of God because they value their souls more than the love of an unlawful marriage. It may seem severe to divorce a person who is deeply loved by another but if the marriage is not blessed by the Lord what purpose will it serve in eternity? What may seem severe in this world will be longed for in the world to come. Killing the women and children of the Midianites was commanded by the Lord. He knew the price that would be paid. Do we see the price and the cost of compromise? Can eternal damnation be worth the cost? The power of influence – let the power of God influence your decision for righteousness.

When The Preacher Starts Winding Down

Preaching has a lot of peculiarities to it by its form and nature. A man stands before an audience sharing thoughts gleaned from the word of God as he has studied various points to storm the will of the hearers with the prayer of helping change lives. There is nothing more powerful in the world than the word of God spoken to the hearts and minds of those who would listen to the preaching of the gospel. Lives are changed forever when the seed of the word implants itself in the heart. Souls that were chained to the darkness of depravity will be set free by the purity of the revelation of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Preaching has been around as long as the world has existed. Noah was a preacher of righteousness in a dark and troubled time when the world was filled with wickedness. The Bible is filled with stories of the good news of God’s grace given to all men to show them the way to the Father. Jesus came to the earth to open the gates of eternal life in the message of the risen Savior. The disciples of the first century went everywhere preaching the word. By the grace of God, the Holy Spirit preserved the words of God throughout all generations so the knowledge of the Lord can be fully revealed to all humanity.

Preaching the word is a powerful tool. Nothing matches its grandeur and influence but like many times before in the nation of God’s people, an indolent view of its power can overshadow its effectiveness in the hearts of those who need it most. There is no Biblical pattern for how the sermon must be conducted as to length and manner of finishing the message. In the modern world of church politics, the sermons are framed within an hour of worship and usually must conclude with what is commonly referred to as an invitation with an invitation hymn. This pattern of worship accommodates a broad platform of needs in worship but it must be noted this is more a form of tradition. The first sermon on Pentecost was interrupted by devout men who were pricked in their hearts crying out to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do.” There was no invitation hymn and no aisle where three thousand people came walking down. Peter did not say, “Please stand and sing.” However it came about, Peter and the eleven explained what those gathered in the assembly needed to do and they found a place to baptize three thousand people.

The practice of the modern church service includes an invitation followed by a hymn to exhort and encourage the hearts touched by the gospel to respond.  This is a good pattern to follow but like many things can become so routine the purpose is lost in the translation. The audience can tell when the preacher is winding down his message and can easily forget the impact of what is about to happen. Listening for those keywords or seeing on the sermon notes the end of the sermon is near, the minds begin to prepare to leave. Books are gathered, coats put on, and a host of activity begins while the preacher concludes his thoughts. The impact is the activity becomes a great distraction to the climax of the sermon where hearts are to be challenged to consider eternal questions. There could be someone in the audience that is pricked by the message but because of all the commotion going on about them, they cower back with timidity and take no action. A soul may be lost because of it.

Recently, an article was posted to a blog discussing the impact of the noise when the preacher is preparing to finish his sermon. The writer says, “After shushing my son at the end of a sermon today, a memory popped into my mind, so I’m passing along something important that a preacher said to the congregation I was in many, many years ago: You never know who is sitting in the pew on any particular Sunday. You may think you know everyone, but only God knows the heart. When a preacher has finished his sermon, he usually has a tell-tale sign … whether he walks away from the pulpit and approaches the audience, closes his Bible, says “in conclusion…”, or says “if you’re here today and need…”. That’s the cue. No, it’s NOT the cue to start shuffling papers, zipping Bible cases, waking small children, and packing up their things. NO! That’s the cue that the most important part of the sermon has begun: the invitation. Picture yourself sitting there, knowing you have something heavy on your heart, knowing you need salvation. But all around you, there are people who are in so much a hurry to get to lunch that they can’t even be bothered to listen to the invitation, much less wait for you to prolong their hunger-suffering to bring your needs before them. When the sermon is coming to an end, all attention should be on the speaker. Let the people in the pew know that you’re in no hurry to leave. You’d rather stay as long as needed to help them get right with God. Pack up your stuff after the last prayer has ended. Someone’s soul might depend on it.”

If the invitation is to be a vital part of the worship and a time to exhort souls to respond to the gospel, the action of the audience may very well determine the outcome. Another practice of many that ruin the moment of invitation is when someone or a family decides to walk out during the invitation song. It seems they have somewhere to go and to beat the rush will pack up everything and make their way to the doors during the invitation hymn. This is incredibly rude and will tell those who may want to respond to the gospel of how little importance the  invitation can be. Waiting for ten minutes has never been a life-changing decision. It must be remembered the invitation, corresponding hymn and closing prayer is still WORSHIP before the Lord and not to be taken lightly. The response of the audience can make or break an invitation. “What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:15).

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). If the noise is too loud some may not hear Him call or if there is so much activity going on they may not realize Jesus said anything. Let our lights shine in the worship assembly so that all can see our faith and love for the preaching of the gospel and the prayer that a lost soul will find salvation in the obedience of the gospel. Let’s stand and sing.

This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. (1 Timothy 1:18-20)

Shipwrecked

The earth is covered with an incredible blanket of water that displaces seventy-one percent of the volume of the earth’s mass. From ancient days travel on the highways of seas was a dangerous and perilous journey yet many braved the unknown sailing to far parts of the globe. It took great faith to leave sight of land. Trusting in the guidance of stars and knowledge of navigational skills honed from generations of previous generations, nations explored the edges of the world around them. Many lost their lives perishing in storms, failed navigational information and as many lost at sea. The shipwreck was a real danger and feared by the boldest of sailors. To be stranded without means of returning home became a constant fear on the high seas. There was finality to being shipwrecked. When a ship was destroyed in a storm and the crew stranded, death was almost certain with little hope of rescue. Even those who did not sail the oceans knew the dread of a shipwreck. Paul uses this vivid fear to describe the condition of those disciples of Jesus who had faith in the resurrection of the Lord and had tasted the heavenly gift but had cast aside their faith. Rejecting the faith of God and deliberately violating their consciences, Hymenaeus and Alexander turned away from the love and grace of God to their serve their fleshly and carnal desires. It is not known the specific reason for the lost faith of these two saints of God but the end was devastating. Turning away from the only hope is to shipwreck the faith one had in the saving blood of Jesus Christ.

Faith is the assurance of things not seen and the reality of what can be hoped for in Christ. This faith must be constantly cultivated in the image of Christ. Rejecting faith will bring ruin to the eternal nature of man. There is nothing more tragic and sad than to see a ship that once sailed the oceans lie rusting at the bottom of the ocean or being torn apart on the shore. Peering closely to the rusting hull one can see how the vessel held a place of honor as a clean, powerful machine that served its purpose with glory but no longer. It lies destroyed and useless. For most ships there is no rescue. The decay has taken away any hope of return. When Paul wrote of Hymenaeus and Alexander it must have grieved his heart deeply to know of these men who once sailed the ocean of God’s grace as useful and purpose-filled children of God but now have scuttled their faith for the trappings of the world. He knew the end would be worse than the beginning for these men. This story is repeated in every generation and sadly among the people of God, many shipwrecks occur with regularity. Reading through religious papers of days gone by it breaks the heart to see names of men who once boldly proclaimed the gospel of Christ now lying shipwrecked in their faith to the Lord. Adultery took one man and criticism of the traditional perceptions of the church took another man down a rabbit hole of religious confusion seeking something unattainable. God is a merciful and just judge who knows the hearts of all men and declares who among the faithful have shipwrecked their faith. As the oceans of the world are filled with the wrecks of sea-going vessels of long ago, the spiritual ocean of God’s kingdom is littered with lives destroyed by the deceitfulness of sin.

The warning of Paul to Timothy was clear to charge the preacher to commit his life to the Lord without reservation. It will take waging a constant conflict of war to keep the soul safe from the shoals of Satan’s devising. Many rocks fill the waters of life that if not heeded will damage and bring destruction to the ship of faith. See the names of these once honored preachers of the gospel remind the timid soul that the wiles of the devil can destroy anyone. While little is known of the two men Paul mentions in his letter, it should serve as a warning that because Paul names them, they were men of note who lost their faith. Any ship can suffer shipwreck as the Titanic became a symbol of the great tragedy of pride. Sailing requires constant watch and careful sailing in dangerous waters until the day comes when the harbor of eternal rest is found. Do not give up the ship or take your eyes off the horizon of God’s love through the blood of Jesus Christ. As sailors used the North Star as their guiding point for travel, so must the child of God constantly keep his eyes on Jesus to find his way through the oceans of life. Above all, do not allow your life to be shipwrecked on the shores of carnality, desire, and pride. For some, there is no return.