The Heaton File

And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified.’” (Leviticus 10:3)

We Do Not Come To Church We Come To Worship

The church of the Lord in Corinth faced many challenges and Paul’s letters to the saints exhorted the brethren to understand the true purpose of worship. There were divisions, carnality, immorality and a chaotic public worship that brought shame upon the church. Worship had become a place of confusion and losing its design for the glory of God. The assembly had turned into whatever people wanted to do allowing the world to creep in destroying the spirit of worship. Lost in the confusion was a façade of reverence and respect for the holiness of the Lord. Imagine the memorial of the death of Jesus Christ as just a common meal. The pride of possessing spiritual gifts created divisions among the church. Prayers were not from the heart, singing was lifeless and the spirit of worship was suppressed. The Lord was not pleased with the worship of Corinth.

Problems face all churches in worship. The world has a great appeal to the heart and often worship services become dull, boring and without life. Sometimes the period of worship becomes a challenge to focus because of the distractions that multiply through the audience. Key to understanding the nature of worship is to remember why we are gathered. Boredom and distractions originate from ourselves. Gathering on the first day of the week is a command and there is no choice about the matter. Failing to assemble on the first day of the week is a sin that can deny one eternal life. Aside from the obvious, failing to worship God in spirit and truth can also bring judgment from the Lord. The problem at Corinth is not isolated. If we fail to remember the purpose of our assemblage is to praise the Lord God then we will easily be distracted. We are not there to sing a few songs, amen a couple of prayers, eat come crackers, drink some juice and listen to a man drone on for thirty minutes. It seems that eternal life is like getting a ticket punched on a train that we ride in mundane silence hoping the ride will end soon so we can go home and eat lunch. Checking my name off a list is about all worship means. Worship has a purpose and must be done with purpose.

It is hard to imagine how blessed it is to come together as God’s people to worship Him – read that again – worship Him. What an honor. What a privilege. What a glorious time. And then it happens. The singing starts and we do not sing because we do not have an operatic voice. A prayer is murmured and we have no idea what the man is saying because our minds are worrying about what we will do for lunch and if it will be better to shop at this store or another. The singing begins again and then the Lord’s Supper is passed around. We laugh and whisper to our neighbors, look around and play with the little folk. Our minds are so far from Calvary we might as well be living on the moon. The contribution is passed around sometime and we throw in our two-cents. Another song. What time is it getting to be? The preacher stands up. Okay. Time to get comfortable. Play with the children. Read a book. Do some homework. Make faces at the kids again. Draw a picture. Eyes close in slumber. Three hours later (at least it seems that long) the invitation hymn is sung and freedom is moments away. The crowd hears the ‘amen’ and the hinges on the door fling open. Worship is done. Checked that day off. Praise the Lord. Can’t wait to be in Heaven where we get to do that in eternity.

In the book of Nehemiah, it tells of a time Ezra opened the book of the Lord and the people stood up. The sons of Korah declared a day of worship as filled with glory and being the doorkeeper in the house of God was an honor. There is a need in the church today to rekindle a proper attitude toward the worship of the Almighty Lord God who dwells in righteousness, holiness and glory. What we do in our worship is an act of holiness toward the Living God who gives us life and breath. It is NOT a time to allow children to play, talk and disrupt the sanctity of the worship. The purpose of the worship is to focus attention on God. School homework needs to be left at home. Reading magazines, books and secular material insults the Lord. Allowing children to play on electronic devices teaches them that worship is a time of play. At what age are you going to tell them they can no longer bring their electronic devices to worship? Parents make a serious mistake when they allow their children to use the worship time to play because they are teaching their children to disrespect God. Children can be taught to sit quietly and participate in the worship by singing, bowing their heads in prayer and taking notes of the sermon. They must be taught to respect the Lord’s Supper in remaining quiet and paying attention to what is going on. Worship to God is worshiping God. Adults who use their smartphones for other purposes than a Bible program disrespect the Lord. If you cannot resist the urge to check Facebook during the service – leave your cell phone in the car. It will be better to go through worship without your smart phone than to lose your soul.

The book of Malachi describes the modern plight of worship. The people were wearied with worship to the Lord and offered Him their leftovers. He was not pleased and He is not pleased with the kind of worship that allows children to disrupt services, parents allowing children to play instead of pray and adults who are bored out of their minds doing work from their jobs, texting and surfing the internet. What we do in worship is holy. Failure to engage in worship that is with spirit and understanding creates an atmosphere of nonspiritual and ignorant pew sitters. We do not come to church – we come to WORSHIP!

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

My High Priest Knows Me

Central to the Law of Moses were the sacrifices of the priests on behalf of the people. The Levitical priesthood came from the first High Priest, Aaron. Not all Levites were priests; only the sons of Aaron. The need for priests came about when sin separated man from God and priests served as the representative of the sinner in things pertaining to the Lord. Once a year, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and later the Temple, to offer sacrifice for the sins of the nation. This was called the Day of Atonement. He would take a young bull as sacrifice for his own sins and a ram for a burnt offering. Two goats were taken before the tent of meeting and lots would be cast to determine which goat would represent the Lord and which goat would become the scapegoat. The goat chosen for the Lord would be sacrificed and his blood sprinkled upon the mercy seat. Confessing the sins of the people, the High Priest would lay his hands on the scapegoat, which was led far away into the wilderness as a sign of the removal of the sins of the nation.

The writer of Hebrews uses the image of the High Priest to show what a blessing the covenant of Christ should be for the child of God. Under the Law of Moses, sacrifices were made for the High Priest before He was able to make sacrifice for the nation. Aaron was the first High Priest and his sons were the lineage of the succeeding High Priests. This were sinful men. The best of the High Priest were still stained with the curse of sin requiring blood washing to remove their sins before making atonement for the people. When the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies, he was an imperfect man stained with the sacrifices of his own need for atonement. Under Christ, we have a High Priest that has no sin requiring no sacrifice on His part for atonement. He became the Lamb of God by offering His sinless body as atonement for the sins of the world.

What is more significant to the sacrifice of Jesus is the difference between the High Priest under the Law and Jesus as High Priest. When Aaron went into the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the people, he was knowledgeable of his own sin. It was not possible that Aaron could sympathize with all of the weaknesses of the people and their struggles with sin because he was a finite man, limited in presence, knowledge and understanding. He knew his own sin but he did not know the sin of the people. There was nothing Aaron could boast about in his own life of perfection because he did not have a life of perfection. He was as guilty as the people were. Jesus is not such a High Priest. He was tempted in every fashion as we are and yet He did not sin. That is hard to grasp to the majesty of Jesus’ love for man. The High Priest we have today can sympathize with everything we are challenged with because He was in the flesh battling the same disease. The difference is that He was able to overcome without sin.

Having Jesus as a High Priest is further understood by knowing that He knows all about my life. Aaron knew about his life but not the problems of the individual. The High Priest that is Christ knows all about my needs – personally. He died two thousand years ago but he knows my struggle today. There are six billion people in the world but Jesus knows everything there is to know about me. Sin is the plague that afflicts every man and woman on the face of the earth and Jesus sympathizes with my struggles and failures. My High Priest is my High Priest because He died for me and cares for my life. The Son of God takes personal time to know who I am and what I am doing. His Father forgives me of my sins because I am His child. Jesus died to save me and to help me and give me boldness to stand before the throne of His Father and obtain mercy. Me. Personally. My sins. My challenges. My dreams. My hopes. My Savior. I do not need to fear to enter the Holy place of God because Jesus is my High Priest and through His atonement I can come to the throne of grace to help in time of need. And when is there a time that I do not need by Father? I have a High Priest who passed through the heavens and Jesus is His name. I will hold fast the confession of my faith. Thank you God for your sacrifice. I am so blessed to have my High Priest.

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred. (Proverbs 15:16-17)

What Is On Your Dinner Table?

Central to every home is what is found at the dinner table. The hearth of the family spirit is expressed by the unity of the father and mother gathering with their children around a table of wood. One of the most powerful tools for building a family is seldom used in our hectic, hurried and harried world. Technology has replaced conversation. Schedules destroy family time. Relationships are compromised for the pursuit of the American dream. The picture of God is shunned away in a dust covered Bible unopened for lack of time and interest. Placed on the altar of trivial pursuits is the fatted calf of prosperity, pleasure and poverty of spirit. Families are dysfunctional for a reason. Conflicts in marriages and battles with teenagers are the norm. Treasures fill the house and garage but there is no fear of the Lord in the heart of the home.

The family is being torn apart and dismantled by the failed belief that more is better. Husbands and wives work tirelessly to live the life of material gain. Parents spend little time with their children because they are trying to keep their heads above the tsunami of financial woes that engulf them with worry. Books are written touting the wisdom of man to find peace and prosperity in harmony and still the elusive dream of contentment fails to materialize in a material driven world. Long ago, the Lord God who made man answered the question of life in a simple proverb that shows the deepest meaning of life known to man. It is better to have a little and be happy than to spend a life of woe to have more.

Contentment is the elusive dream. We have been convinced that happiness will only come if we have more and more, we work all our lives to gain the greatest things in the world, and then we die. We take nothing with us. Great treasure brings its own trouble. One of the first things people do who win the lottery is buy a security system. Why? They did not need one before. Now they worry that someone will come and take away their newfound wealth. Wealth did not bring happiness but pain, worry, anxiousness and fear. Fearing the Lord and enjoy a little is where real joy comes. A dinner of herbs with a loving family is better than building a home of wealth where there is no love.

The dinner table is the barometer of the family. How many families sit down together daily for a meal? This requires everyone present, seated in a chair and no cell phones within 1000 feet or IPads or other devices and the television turned (wait for it) off. No one is allowed to rush out before dinner is over. A magical thing begins to happen. Parents talk (that is a communication term) with their children and children (including teenagers) have a conversation (involves mouth, ears, eyes and brain) with their parents and siblings. The table may be filled with herbs but the family is together and sharing in their love for one another. There is nothing wrong with having a fatted calf on the table – as long as the family is gathered at the dinner table with love for one another. The lesson in the proverb is what the dinner table represents. Be honest and ask how many times the family gathers for a meal during a week. One of the main reasons this seldom happens is because everyone is trying to gain greater treasure and fill the freezers with more fatted, dead calves. What is the conclusion? There is little love and when there is little or no love, there is hatred.

Society is not destroying the home. The home is destroying society. Dinner tables filled with great treasures instead of the fear of the Lord and tables filled with the sacrificed calves of prosperity tear apart the unit of the family. Families who do not sit down at the dinner table together are setting themselves up for failure. The conclusion of the matter is the fear of the Lord and a plate of herbs is more important than a home filled with the trappings of prosperity. What is on your dinner table?

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: (Matthew 1:1)

The Most Influential Man In History

Time Magazine has come out with its 100 most influential people of our time. The list includes pioneers, titans, artists, leaders and icons. There are familiar faces like President Trump and Kim Jong Un who fill the headlines with political intrigue. The list includes the degradation of our moral compass like Bruce Jenner and the transgender movement. There are scientist, researchers, inventors and power brokers in the business world including movie stars, athletes and a host of others who fill the lists. A list of influential people is relative to who is making the lists. If I were to make a list of the most influential people in my life, it would never match the list someone else would make.

Influence is the effect of something on a person, thing, or event whether good or bad. A person can have an influence or power to sway others by their actions. Any lists of influential people will have a number who are cruel despots who force the world to cater to their evil desires. Many change the world quietly working in their fields of expertise giving new hope in science discovery and advances in medicine. It is a confusing list to see how people have changed the world because across the face of the influences are questions about life, death, morality and the failed attempts of man to find the answer to his inner self. This is not a list of moral excellence. Far from it. These people have brought change. And the sad reality is that lacking from this list is the single most influential person in history – from the beginning of time itself: Jesus Christ.

Pundits would immediately disagree with the idea that Jesus Christ is the most influential person of history. They would cry foul and declare a mistrial because it is not possible to accept a man of religious character wearing the title of most significant person of history. The easiest way to prove the point is to ask what the date is. Today is April 24, 2017. That date is significant because two thousand years ago a little baby was born in Bethlehem of Judea that literally changes the course of history for man. His name was Jesus and He was the Son of God. Thirty years later, He began a ministry that would change the world. His message changed the world. The stories of His power changed the world. Those who followed Him changed the world. Our year is determined upon the solitary life of a man who grew up in Nazareth and died outside of Jerusalem. His message of hope is repeated in copy all over the world. Every nation on earth has heard of Jesus Christ. The Bible is in every language. Jesus Christ brought a message of morality unmatched by any philosophy of man. Men will try to transmute their lives into something else but nothing will ever change the creation of God to what it is created to be.

Time has nothing on making a list of influential people. By their own title, they declare they are temporary. Time has a beginning and has an end. Born in Bethlehem is the meaning of eternal. Time meet Eternity; Time meet the Word; Time – your list is flawed; God’s list of One is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Now that is influence.

Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. (Acts 14:15-17)

Rain Filled Prayers

Paul and Barnabas had entered the city of Lystra when a cripple attracted the attention of the apostles. Paul cried out to him to be healed and he immediately leaped up and began walking. The people of the city saw what Paul had done and began worshipping the two missionaries as gods calling them Zeus and Hermes. They began making preparations to sacrifice oxen and offer garlands in response to the healing before Paul and Barnabas stopped them. The apostles declared they were only men and they should worship the true God who was alive and maker of the heaven, the earth, the sea and all things that are in them. One of the witnesses he left for men is the evidence of the cycle of earth including rain from heaven and fruitful seasons. From this men rejoice as food comes from the abundance of the green earth.

Science has brought man to a Nebuchadnezzar-like pride that diminishes dependence on God. Long ago when the king of Babylon stood on the ramparts of his mighty kingdom, he bragged about all the things he had done and how proud he was of his own might and power. The Lord God had warned the king through Daniel and brought him low when his heart lifted him up so that he could learn there was only one God who was to be worshipped. Everything is in the hand of the Lord God. The world exists because of the word of the Lord. It will remain intact until the will of God brings to a close the existence of man. With all of the technology of man creating a utopian world of dependence on himself, man is not as anxious to rely on the power of God to live. For the most part (in America) families no longer farm for food. There is a ready supply in large warehouses and stores that require cash money to buy. Gone are the days of gardens and large tracts of land needing the hard work of toiling the fertile earth. Many enjoy small gardens but the family does not rely on working the ground to survive. If the garden fails they go to the store and buy the food.

The plight of man can best be described by how often he prays for rain. There is nothing more basic to the need of man than nourishing the ground with water. We are not (for the most part) a praying people for rain. Sometimes we get frustrated because it is raining. It messes our hair up, soils our clothes, and makes travel difficult. We complain because it rains. Can you imagine how serious this can become if we had our way. We want perfect weather so that we can do what we do without trouble. It is a good thing we do not control the weather because we would all be dead in a year. Rain is a part of God’s reproductive pattern of nurturing the earth and we do not pray for it as often as we should. One reason is because we live comfortably without it. Our grass may turn brown but we still eat. If we lived as our forefathers lived – depending on rain to survive – we would be a lot more religious when it comes to prayer. We usually leave out of our prayers what we do not need.

Rain is a beautiful reminder of the love and mercy of God. Paul told the people of Lystra that God gives us rain from heaven to give us fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. We should be thankful every day it rains because without this rain there would be nothing to be glad and joyful about. Thank you God for the amazing creation of water falling from the heavens. Bless us as you see fit and bless us with a gentle reminder that you are the Creator and Sustainer of all thing. Thank you for rain.

Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you. (Romans 16:16)

Churches Of The New Testament

The city of Jerusalem would never be the same. Events unfolding in Jerusalem two thousand years ago, would change the world. Untold numbers of Jews came to the city of David to celebrate the Day of Pentecost and this day was no different than it had been in years past. Devout Jews from all over the world gathered to celebrate a great feast to the Lord God. Centerpiece of this immense crowd of people was the Temple and worshippers flocked to celebrate one of three important pilgrimage feasts: the Passover, Pentecost and the feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost was named from the fifty days from the first Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the end of harvest. What happened on that day would bring an end to this feast and all other celebrations contained under the Law of Moses. This Pentecost would be the beginning of the New Testament church.

Strange events took place in Jerusalem that brought the people together. Twelve men stood before them speaking in the tongues of different nations. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, began explaining the significance of the events and declared to all the Jews gathered the man called Jesus – who had been executed just fifty days prior – was the long-awaited Messiah, the Christ. In a stirring indictment of guilt, Peter unfolded the culpability of the Jews responsible for killing the Son of God. Many did not argue and realized what they had done knowing the judgment of the Lord would come upon them. Obeying the words of Peter and the apostles, three thousand souls were baptized into Christ. What happens next is the remarkable story of the Day of Pentecost in the city of Jerusalem. The Lord added to the church those who were being saved. The church had its beginning.

Jerusalem was the birthplace of the eternal plan of God. The church was born on the foundation Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. From this ancient city, the word of the gospel of Jesus Christ spread throughout the world in power, glory and number. Soon devotees to the message of the Christ left the walled city of Jerusalem and spread the message of hope to Judea, Galilee and Samaria. But the church would not stop there. It began to move into areas like Antioch of Syria where disciples took the gospel to the world. Men like Paul, Barnabas and Silas began to make plans to carry the good news of Christ to places like Cyprus, Perga, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. Later journeys would send them to Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens and Corinth. Philip would change the life of an Ethiopian treasurer who would take the message of Christ to the deep recesses of Africa. Saints would be found in Lydda, Joppa, Cenchrea, Achaia, Caesarea and Antioch of Pisidia. Preserved in scripture are letters written to brethren in Galatia, Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse, Thessalonica and to Crete. The church would be found in the homes of people like Priscilla and Aquila, Aristobulus and incredible as it may seem: Caesar’s household!

What is remarkable about the New Testament church is the unnamed churches of Christ spread throughout the world who followed the simple plan of salvation, worshipping as they had been instructed and saving souls. These are not inscribed upon the pages of ink and paper but their lampstands were evident to the eyes of God. Paul would tell the saints of Colosse the gospel was preached to every creature under heaven. The church of Christ began in the city of Jerusalem and today fills the earth. There is a sad part of this story. Looking at the New Testament church and the vibrancy of the gospel during the early days is found lacking today. The main story of the church in the New Testament is found in the modern nations of Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Ethiopia. Churches of Christ can be found in some of these countries but very few. The church has suffered loss in many nations that have rejected God and His Son, Jesus Christ. America has been blessed with many churches but sadly, many are closing their doors for lack of faith on the part of brethren to fight the good fight. Who is to say the church cannot die in America and break out in Central and South America, China, Vietnam or even as remote a place as North Korea with a passion not seen in generations? The church in Jerusalem began in the center of Judaism against all odds but it spread to the whole earth. God’s Kingdom will never cease to exist. His power and glory is found in the germ of redemption proclaimed by the people of God who are added to the church daily by the grace of the Lord – wherever they may be.

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:17-24)

Growing As A New Person

Change is what makes the Christian the unique person he or she will become. Life is described as a walk or a manner of acting. The attitude of heart will determine the way we speak, dress, react and carry ourselves in life. Everyone has a character that defines who they are and what they are. Paul describes a life that is filled with a futile approach of living regarding only the pleasures of the flesh as important. The world is filled with ungodliness as the hearts of men alienate themselves from a relationship with the Creator. Ignorance fuels their desires blinding them from the truth of righteousness. Living for the moment and lusting after the lewdness of fleshly pleasures is all the world can think about and live for. This describes the mind of the person who is not in Jesus Christ.

The Christian does not live like the world if he or she is committed to a relationship with God. Knowledge has brought the individual to see the path of righteousness as the only means of hope and happiness. Learning about Christ opens the heart to a world of forgiveness, compassion and purity. The sad reality of the world’s view is that it can only see the present. For the Christian, life is not confined to the here and now but the hope of a world that is beyond the grave. Everything in this life will grow old, corrupt and fade away. The deceitful nature of lusts is it only satisfies for a moment. Learning about Christ takes the heart of the Christian to a renewed spirit that lives for righteousness and holiness. A new man emerges from the dross of earthly despair rising to a change in character as a child of God.

Growing as a new person is a metamorphosis of the heart from darkness to light. A new man evolves from the darkened world of emptiness to an eternal hope of the presence of God. This growth is a process of daily change. It takes time in the word of God learning the wonderful blessings of His grace to bring about this change. One of the keys to a new man is to see a change take place. If a person obeys the gospel of Christ and years later is still the same person, they have not become the new man. There is a noticeable change that will take place in the life of the one who removes the cloak of worldliness and clothes themselves with the garments of truth and holiness. The former conduct is gone. The new person is created in accordance with the image of God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Change can be hard. It will take great determination to mold the character into a new man. Attitudes that were a part of life like lying, stealing, filthy language and immorality are renewed into a spirit of gentle speech, forgiveness, benevolence and kindness. Learning about Christ changes the heart to become better husbands and wives and knowing the importance of teaching children about God. The new man is a person who works more faithful in their job, presents a better character in the community and leads by example the life of a Christian. They are changed people. A new man comes from an old man. The Christian works daily removing the image of the old man that grows corrupt with the image of the new man that walks in love, in the light of Christ and walks in the wisdom of God’s word. Change. It is what makes the Christian become what he or she must be.

For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?” But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them. (Deuteronomy 30:11-20)

The Law Was A Matter Of The Heart

It is easy to view the Law of Moses as solely a physical law of animal sacrifices and keeping of ordinances. There were many parts of the Law requiring precise understanding of how to make sacrifices, burn incense, length of days, clean versus unclean, penalties for disobedience, keeping of festivals and Sabbaths among a hosts of meticulous requirements imposed by God. The foundation of the covenant between God and Israel was circumcision. Without this sign there would be no salvation for the Jew. Reading the text of the Law can be overwhelming with its handwriting of requirements.

The Law of God did not begin with Israel. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, God gave them a law to live by. It was basic in its presentation as they had a choice of eating from all of the trees of the garden but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they were forbidden. They chose to disobey God and were cast out of the Garden. Man became so rebellious it required the Lord destroying all life on earth save eight souls. Abraham lived under the law of God requiring obedience. His sins were made public in the story of Genesis as he struggled with law keeping. Apart from the Law of Moses, the Gentile city of Nineveh received the grace of God to hear a prophet proclaim the joy of salvation. The whole city repented and the Lord spared them. For the last two thousand years, the gospel of Jesus Christ has been given to the world to save man. There are commands that must be kept. Without the keeping of the law of Christ there will be no salvation. What is common in all the generations who have striven to keep the Law of God? Obedience from the heart.

God’s will is not hard to understand. He has not made His will so difficult that man can complain it is too mysterious. The word of God has always been very near to man as the Lord has revealed Himself in various times and various ways. Keeping the commandments of God are rather simple in their nature: we have the choice of life and good, death and evil! It does not matter which time period we examine the law of God the choice has always remained the same. Adam and Eve had the choice of life or death and they chose the latter. Israel keeping the Law of Moses had a choice of good or evil and they chose evil. Keeping the Law (whichever law that is) is loving the Lord with all the heart, soul, mind and body. It requires walking in His ways, keeping His commandments, statutes and judgments; and having a heart of love to serve the Lord obeying His voice. The faithful who are blessed are those who cling to the Lord with all their hearts. Under the Law of Moses, the Lord gave Israel a choice to serve Him with their spirit more than their sacrifices. What good would a burnt offering have upon the Lord God if the heart were full of sin? The Law of Moses required a faithful heart.

There is a great lesson for the church today that can offer worship in a pattern of law-keeping and yet the heart can be far from serving the Lord. The Christian has a choice of serving the Lord from keeping rituals week in and week out or pleasing the Lord with a daily walk of heart felt, deep and abiding love for the God who saved them. The choice remains the same: choose life or choose death.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.’” (Leviticus 19:1-3)

Holiness, Parents And The Sabbath

The Law of Moses was very specific about keeping the Sabbath as a holy day. Moses delivered to the children of Israel the Law of God that contained the requirements and penalties of the will of the Lord. The Ten Commandments were not the whole law and reading the books of Exodus – Deuteronomy a full explanation of the law was given to the people. There is little doubt how the Lord felt about the Sabbath day. A story in Numbers 15 illustrates the severity of God when a man is found picking up sticks on the Sabbath day and stoned to death for the offense. Clearly, the Lord God demands the people obey His will. To disobey Him would bring severe punishment. Repeatedly, the Lord reminds His people that He is holy and He expects them to be consecrated to the service of His will. Separating themselves to God is the foundation of the relationship between the Jews and their Lord. Nothing is more basic than purifying the heart to serve only the Lord God with all their heart, soul, mind and body.

Understanding the value of keeping the Sabbath day and being a holy people consecrated to the Lord was clearly defined by the Law. Included in this law was the respect given to parents. Sandwiched between the adherence of being holy and keeping the Sabbath was the command to respect mothers and fathers and refusing to do so brought about the same penalties. “I am the Lord Your God” is the heavenly affirmation that you must obey my word or suffer the consequences. The Law of Moses made provisions that if a child was rebellious they would be brought before the people and if found guilty, taken outside the city and stoned to death. This was God’s law. Disrespecting the father or mother was as serious a crime as being unholy and profaning the Sabbath.

The Law of Moses has been abolished but the principles of how God feels about respecting parents has not. Nothing in the New Testament suggests the Lord is pleased with children who disobey and disrespect their parents. One of the problems in every society that begins to crumble toward destruction is the breakdown of the family. Children who scream at parents, curse mothers and rebel against fathers are destroying the foundation of what God designed for the home. Parents are to be respected and the Lord God declares His will be followed. When children fail to respect the parent, they begin to destroy the fabric of society. Denigrating parents leads to disrespecting all authority and chaos ensues. God is not pleased.

Parents must instill in the heart of the child a love for God so they can learn what respect for parents is. It is imperative the family be built upon the word of God as a pattern of respect and reverence. As God is the heavenly Father, children learn to love and respect Him when they have learned to love and respect their godly parents. The word of God is sure and steadfast. It teaches the heart of the child a need to respect authority. This will serve them well in this life but most importantly will save their soul in eternity. The Lord demands respect through holiness and keeping His word. Respect for parents is evidence of a heart that loves and obeys the word of God.

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king–Jesus.” (Acts 17:1-7)

Turning The World Upside Down

Preaching Jesus is a radical message. No man in history has changed the course of man than the life of the carpenter’s son from Nazareth. Paul spent three weeks reasoning in the Synagogue about the Jesus of Old Testament scripture. He used the word of God to prove Jesus was the Messiah of scripture that spoke about His suffering, His death and the power of His resurrection. The foundation of the gospel is the teaching Jesus is the Anointed of God who came from the Father and died for the sins of all men. No man could take the mantle of righteousness as Jesus bore upon Himself as the Savior of the world. The crucifixion of the man from Nazareth was not an ordinary event but world changing. His burial was carefully documented so the proof of the empty tomb would echo through the centuries as declaring the resurrection. Many followed after Paul and Silas because they believed the testimony of the risen Jesus.

Jews in Thessalonica were not happy with the teachings of Paul and Silas. They caused an uproar pressing on the house of Jason dragging them before the rulers of the city. The only charge they could establish was the companions of Jason were turning the world upside down by their teachings that Jesus was the Christ. Ironically, many of the Greeks believed while many of the Jews refused to accept the teaching of Paul. The Jews were the ones who knew the Law and the Prophets but they would not accept the teachings of Paul. The old Law proved that Jesus was the Christ and He was King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In a strange twist of hypocrisy, the agitated Jews appealed to the Roman rulers and allegiance to Caesar as their argument to rebuke Jason and his friends. Paul and Silas declared Jesus was king but this did not sit well with the Jews as they used the hated Roman power as their power to destroy the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ is showing the testimony of scripture to the character and work of the Lord. Souls were saved in the New Testament by preaching a radical doctrine of allegiance to one King and one Lord. Without the story of the suffering servant and the power of the resurrection, salvation cannot come. Jesus is the center of teaching bringing people to the Father. The core of the message must be the story of Jesus from the Old Testament to the New Testament. It is remarkable how the early disciples used only the Old Testament to prove that Jesus was the Son of God and Savior of the world. Nothing can replace the pattern of teaching than showing the simple plan of the resurrection of Jesus.

The world cannot be turned upside down by the social, crowd pleasing, tickling ear philosophy of modern day religion. Jesus can only be King when He is declared Lord from the scriptures. The center of teaching by Paul and Silas was the word of God. They reasoned with the people from the Scriptures. Core to the teaching of Jesus is the word of God and without the teaching of the word, there can be no salvation. Churches who no longer emphasize the word of God are not turning the world upside down but inside out. They are teaching a doctrine that is not centered on the words of God. Jesus is not being exalted when we fail to teach the suffering of Christ and His resurrection.

There is great power in opening the word of God and showing from scripture the nature of Jesus Christ as Lord. The power is in the word and we should allow its power to work on the heart of man to convince, rebuke and exhort to salvation. Turning the world upside down comes from opening the word of God. Preaching and teaching that does not involve an open Bible is an open invitation to apostasy. Let the world see the power of the gospel and feel the presence of the resurrected Savior by the word of God.