SERMON: WHAT PHIL SAID

29 December 2013

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NIV)

9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders

10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

            -- the title of today's message is "What Phil Said" -- of course I am referring to the recent controversy resulting from an interview Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the Duck Dynasty clan, gave to GQ Men's Magazine for their January 2014 edition -- Phil's interview set off a firestorm in the media, resulting in the A&E network suspending Robertson from Duck Dynasty because of his comments about homosexuality -- but, if you were to subtitle this message, I guess you would have to call it "Was Phil Right?"

            -- today's topic, of course, deals with homosexuality -- I know this is a controversial topic -- not something you would normally expect in a message given in the Christmas season right before a new year, but I just feel this is something that the church really needs to talk about -- not only because of the controversy with Duck Dynasty but because we need clear biblical insight on this issue and our response to this issue-- and the voice of the church has been somewhat missing from this media firestorm

            -- I have seen only a couple of articles from church leaders about the Duck Dynasty issue -- one from Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and a few others scattered about -- but, by and large, the church has been silent over the past couple of weeks -- the controversy and the arguments about this issue have primarily been bantered about by special interest groups on the left and conservative politicians and grassroots supporters on the right -- Facebook in particular has been lit up with this issue over the past several weeks

            -- but the church has been silent, and this should not be the case -- the church has not responded to this or other controversial topics of our day in years -- I have seen very little from the church leadership on Obamacare or our economic crisis or war in Syria or any other similar divisive topic -- but this should not be

            -- on issues of morality and injustice and righteousness, the church should be at the forefront -- telling others of the good news of Christ and responding with grace and truth in the midst of the controversy

            -- so this morning, we are going to wade into this current controversy because I want you to understand why it started and why it should not have started and what our response as the church of Christ should have been in the midst of this cultural firestorm

            -- before I begin, let me give you some caveats -- first, I am going to address this issue solely from a Biblical perspective -- if you look in the media or on the internet or in books or magazines, you will see the political and biological aspects of homosexuality debated -- that is not our concern as a church -- our concern resides in the social and cultural and religious aspects of this issue -- and our focus and response should be centered on what God's word says about it

            -- secondly, this message is based on my interpretation of scripture -- there are differing interpretations and opinions among the nation's Christians leaders -- on a subject like this, I think it is important that you read God's Word first -- then read the different interpretations and opinions from both sides of the issue so you can come to the place where God is leading you

-- my intent this morning is to relate to you what I feel God has been saying to me about this issue and to challenge you to consider your own position on this subject -- were your opinions on this Duck Dynasty controversy formed because you researched the issue yourself or did you just react because you like Duck Dynasty or because of what you saw on Facebook and Twitter?

-- Sarah Palin jumped into this controversy and spoke out several times in support of Phil Robertson, even drawing an analogy between him and Rosa Parks, when it turns out she never even read what Phil said in his GQ interview

-- our response should always be based on truth and we cannot speak intelligently into a situation until we have researched the facts and looked at both sides and searched God's word for His truth about the situation

            -- so, let's begin there

II.  Exegesis of Homosexuality

            -- first, what did Phil say? -- what started all of this controversy? -- it all began when Phil shared with the GQ interviewer a candid portrait of his life -- Phil was not always a good person and he has been honest about who he was in his testimony -- but Phil's life was changed through an encounter with the risen Christ -- and Phil is not shy to share his experiences and his beliefs about Jesus -- as one person put it this week, "If you don't want to know the thoughts and opinions of a 67-year old redneck from the backwoods of Louisiana, you shouldn't ask, because they're going to tell you"

            -- throughout the interview, Phil constantly talked about our country's drift away from Christian morals and principles and shared the gospel message many times with the interviewer, asking him point-blank if he and his wife were "Bible people" and telling him to put his faith in Jesus -- at one point, Phil said the big problem in our country is that "everything is blurred on what’s right and what’s wrong" -- “Sin becomes fine.”

            -- the interviewer than asked the question: "What, in your mind, is sinful?" -- and Phil responded with the quote that resulted in the media firestorm:

            -- “Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there -- Bestiality -- sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men -- Then he paraphrases Corinthians: “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”¹

            -- so that's what Phil said -- and from that point on it was Katie-bar-the-door

            -- so let me ask you -- was Phil wrong? -- now before we answer, let me say that Phil did get more graphic in the interview about the differences between homosexual and heterosexual relationships -- he was using natural law -- the obvious truths communicated through the design of nature -- to make the point God had designed our bodies in a certain way and that homosexual relationships obviously and clearly are outside that design -- but was he wrong in what he said?

            -- in order to answer that we have to go back to the word of God -- I spent some time going through the Bible looking at the topic of homosexuality -- and, you know, when I began, I expected the Bible to be filled with reference after reference about  homosexuality -- but what I found was surprising

            -- the topic of homosexuality only occurs about 5 times in the entire Bible -- depending on what translation of the Bible you use, the actual word "homosexual" may only occur once or twice -- two of these references to homosexuality are in the book of Leviticus where God was giving the law to the Israelites

            -- Lev. 18:22 -- "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable."

            -- and Lev. 20:13 -- "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable."

            -- now, a lot of Christians will tell you we live under grace and not under law -- and therefore, the legal requirements of the Law of Moses that we see in the Old Testament do not apply to us -- and that is correct, in a sense

            -- no, we do not have to follow the Law to the letter to find salvation -- our sins were forgiven through Christ's atoning work on the cross and our salvation was made sure through His resurrection on the third day

            -- we couldn't keep the law nor find salvation through the law, so Jesus fulfilled the commandments of the Law through His life and death and resurrection -- we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus

            -- so what does the Old Testament law mean to us? -- what do we do with it? -- the Law is a picture of God's heart and of His intent for our lives -- God has called us to be holy as He is holy -- and through the Law we see that holiness defined

            -- so when we look at these two passages in Leviticus, one thing stands out -- in both verses God tells us He views the homosexuality act as "detestable" -- both verses indicate that the act of homosexuality is a sin -- keep that in mind as we look at the other three references I found to homosexuality -- all in the New Testament

            -- hold your place here in 1 Corinthians but turn over to Romans 1 with me -- there is a passage here that I think is most definitive -- Romans 1:26-27

Romans 1:26-27 (NIV)

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.

27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

            -- in these verses, Paul uses words like "shameful lusts," "unnatural relations," "indecent acts," and "perversion" to describe the homosexual act -- it's obvious from Paul's use of those words that God views this act as offensive -- as a sin

            -- let's look at Jude 7 -- the next to the last book in the Bible -- right before the Book of Revelation

Jude 1:7 (NIV)

7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

-- if you know the story of Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah, then you know that the "sexual immorality and perversion" that Jude is referring to here includes homosexuality along with other acts

            -- finally, turn back to the passage we opened with -- 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NIV)

9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders

10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

            -- this is the same passage Phil Robertson was paraphrasing in his interview with GQ -- this is what got him in hot water with the media and the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered communities -- it wasn't really Phil's words -- it was God's word

            -- and I think, if you honestly look at what we just read in context, you will have to agree the Bible is very clear and very consistent in condemning the homosexuality act as a sin -- and while it is true Jesus never directly mentioned anything about homosexuality, He did make it clear in His teachings throughout the gospel that it was God's intent for marriage and for sexual relations to be between one man and one woman

            -- one important thing I want you to understand in all of this, though, and this will tie in with where I want to go next -- these verses show that God condemns the act of homosexuality -- He does not condemn the person who commits the sin -- this is an important point -- God hates sin -- not the sinner -- we cannot get these two confused

-- we all know John 3:16

John 3:16 (NIV)

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

-- but most of the time we leave off the next verse -- John 3:17 reads, "For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

-- we see the same thing in the story in the Bible about the adulterous woman brought before Jesus -- Jesus refused to pass judgment on the woman and said to the men who were gathered there, "If any one of you is without sin, then let him cast the first stone" -- one by one all the men left, and when Jesus was left alone with the woman, he turned to her and said, "Where are they?  Has no one condemned you?" -- then she says "no one, sir." -- and Jesus responded by saying, "Then neither do I condemn you -- Go now and leave your life of sin."

-- God condemns the sin -- not the sinner

III.  Was Phil Right?

-- which brings up the question I said was the subtitle of this message -- "Was Phil Right?"

            -- let's look back at 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 again

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NIV)

9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders

10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

-- that's what Phil said -- but was he right?

            -- well, the answer is yes -- and no

            -- yes, the Bible seems to be clear in calling the homosexual act a sin -- yes, God does condemn homosexuality and call it detestable -- yes, Phil was right on that account

            -- but he was wrong on two others

            -- first, he was wrong because he focused solely on homosexuality in his interview -- look at what Paul wrote here under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit -- who does Paul say will not inherit the kingdom of God? -- just homosexuals? -- No!

            -- Paul says no sinners can inherit the kingdom of God -- not just homosexuals -- but also the sexually immoral -- idolaters -- adulterers -- thieves -- the greedy -- drunkards -- slanderers -- nor swindlers -- all of these are detestable in the sight of God -- all of these are equally offensive to God -- all of these are sinners

            -- homosexuality is no more wrong that being greedy -- it is no more wrong than being drunk -- it is no more wrong than being a thief or a liar or an adulterer -- and that's where Phil missed it

            -- he applied his own personal bias -- his own sliding scale of sin -- to these verses -- we do that, don't we? -- we look at some sin as being worse than others

-- but let me ask you this:  who is the worst sinner? -- someone who tells a white lie now and then or someone who commits murder?  -- the answer is NEITHER -- there are no "worse" sinners or "better" sinners -- in the eyes of God, there are just sinners and sinners and more sinners

-- but we still think that way, don't we? -- we rank sin -- we treat people differently -- if Bill is having an extramarital affair, the church doesn't go over to his house and protest with banners that say "adulterers are going to hell" even though that's what it says here

            -- if Jane was to go out and covet Tom's car, we don't send mail to her telling her she will "burn in hell" even though the Bible says it's a sin to covet

            -- but the church does that with homosexuals -- we treat this sin differently than we do most others -- and that's exactly what Phil did in his interview and that's exactly why the Duck Dynasty story blew up over the past couple of weeks

            -- in God's eyes, sin is sin is sin -- it doesn't matter what you do, if you transgress against Him in any area, you are just as guilty as someone involved in homosexuality or murder or any other sin we rank as horrendous

            -- we all have sinned and when we sin, we appear no different to God than any other sinner -- God doesn't rank sin and neither should we

            -- so what else was Phil wrong about? -- let me remind you of the question the interviewer asked that started this whole controversy -- he asked, "What, in your mind, is sinful?"

            -- did you catch what he said? -- What -- IN YOUR MIND -- is sinful? -- not "what is a sin?" -- but what, IN YOUR MIND, is sinful?

            -- that phrase makes it clear -- the interviewer was not a Christian -- he did not look to God's word for his standard of right and wrong -- and although Phil was right in condemning homosexuality and the other sins listed in these verses -- he was wrong because he left something out that this man needed -- grace

            -- look at 1 Corinthians 6:11

1 Corinthians 6:11 (NIV)

11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

            -- Phil was wrong because he focused on the sin and erected barriers with this man and the readers of this magazine who obviously are not Christians -- rather than speaking the truth in love and offering grace to the interviewer, Phil Robertson came across as a bigoted, hateful man -- and even though he did share the gospel message later in his interview, the damage was already done -- the message was not received because of the messenger

            -- but, we can't put all the blame on Phil Robertson because those who sided with him on Facebook and Twitter and in the media over the past couple of weeks were just as condemning and judgmental as he was portrayed to be in that interview

            -- missing in the midst of all the response on the Duck Dynasty controversy was grace and truth and love

            -- the way we respond to sin and sinners shows what we truly believe about God and what we truly believe about ourselves and can literally make the difference between a person accepting Christ or not

            -- let me ask you a question, after all this controversy -- after all the media uproar and A&E finally caving in to ratings and money and the political right "winning" this case -- what do you think the non-Christians in this country think about us? -- Do you think they would be encouraged to turn to Christ based on the response of the Christian community in this controversy?

            -- Jesus said that the world would know us by our love -- there wasn't much love shown over the past few weeks -- there wasn't much grace offered

            -- Paul was very upfront and bold in his condemnation of sin -- but he always tempered that condemnation with the good news of Christ -- with the offer of grace -- I didn't really see that here in this situation

            -- so how should we have responded as a Christian community?  -- let me close this message by sharing with you the story of my friend Tommy

            -- Tommy was a pastor friend of mine -- one of my mentors -- he passed away a few years ago -- but I truly respected him and his insights into God's word and God's work in our lives today

            -- he shared with me the story of his son -- after Tommy had been a pastor for quite some time, his son came to him and announced he was gay -- and Tommy reacted just like Phil Robertson -- just like all of us on the Christian right did in this Duck Dynasty situation

            -- he beat his son with the Bible -- verse after verse -- passage after passage -- denouncing his son -- telling him he was a sinner and needed to repent of his sin -- telling him he was condemning himself to Hell -- Tommy said he responded with judgment and hatred of the sin rather than grace and truth and love -- he told his son to get out and not come back

            -- years went by -- Tommy's son continued to live a homosexual lifestyle -- he was in a long-term homosexual relationship in Florida -- and father and son remained estranged

            -- until God spoke to Tommy one day -- he reminded Tommy of the truth I have given you in this message -- we all are sinners who have fallen short of the glory of God -- we all are sinners in need of grace -- we all need someone to love us back home again

            -- in the Emmaus community we have a saying -- "Listen, listen -- Love, Love" -- Tommy realized he had done neither -- and so he reached out to his son and asked him to come home -- as his son sat at their table that day, Tommy didn't speak -- he didn't open the Bible -- he just listened -- and then he responded with love

            -- when Tommy died, he and his son had been reconciled for several years -- no, Tommy's son did not turn from his homosexual lifestyle -- yes, Tommy made it clear where he stood on the issue and what God's word said about the issue -- but he loved him all the same and prayed daily for his son's return to the faith

            -- this is the way Jesus responded to sinners -- this is the way He responded to the adulterous woman -- this is the way He responded to the woman at the well and to Zaccheus and to Matthew and to you and to me

            -- He listened and He loved -- He didn't condemn -- He didn't judge -- He listened -- He loved -- and He offered salvation and freedom from sin -- this is how we, as followers of Christ, should react to all who sin, whether they are homosexuals or adulterers or slanderers, or gossipers

VI.  Closing

            -- in closing, I want to encourage you to remember two things:

            -- the first is to remember the depths from which you were picked up -- remember who you were before you were saved -- remember how filthy your soul was before Christ cleaned you and forgave you -- even if the worst thing you did was tell a white lie, it was still enough to sentence you to hell for eternity

            -- secondly, don't condemn those who are still lost in their sins -- we need to make it clear where we stand on the issue -- we need to make it clear what the word of God says -- but we need to speak the truth in love and offer grace and hope instead of hatred and judgment

            -- as the old saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar -- and we need to learn to respond as Christ did -- through grace and love -- by listening and not judging -- by loving them into the kingdom

            -- sin is sin -- all sin is detestable in the eyes of God -- but the message of the Bible is not that God hates sin, but that God loves us so much He did something about it -- the message of the Bible is that God sent Christ to earth to take away our sin -- to fulfill the Law -- and to justify and sanctify our souls

            -- never forget -- Jesus died on cross for all sinners and for all sin -- liars -- gossips -- thieves -- idolaters -- drunkards -- sexually immoral people -- murderers -- and, yes, even homosexuals -- even you and me

            -- let grace rule your actions -- let love lead your tongue

            -- Let us Pray

¹"What the Duck?" by Drew Magary, GQ Magazine, January 2014 -- http://www.gq.com/entertainment/television/201401/duck-dynasty-phil-robertson#ixzz2orlJzqvF

BEING SPONTANEOUS FOR CHRIST

"Remember: experiences trump possessions, almost every single time." -- Steve Kamb.

I just ran across this quote in an article about being spontaneous, and I couldn't help but think about the guys who wanted to follow Jesus but just couldn't pull the trigger.

The story is in Luke 9:57-62. Jesus (yes, "that" Jesus), passes by three men who appear to have an interest in following Him. The first says he'll come, but doesn't when Jesus points out that the Son of Man doesn't have a place to lay his head (think: I can't follow because I have financial obligations). Jesus tells the second man, "Come, follow Me," but he says I can't because I have to bury my dead father (think: I can't follow because I have family obligations). The third tells Jesus he will follow, but first he has to say goodbye to his family (think: I can't follow until my children are out of the nest)....

You know those guys, right? You remember their names, right? No, because they let life, with a lower-case "L," keep them from Life, with an upper-case "L." No, because they chose things over experience, stability over spontaneity.

Now, think about the names you do know: Peter, James, John, Andrew -- Jesus said, "Come, follow Me," and they dropped their nets and everything else and followed. Matthew -- Jesus said, "Come, follow Me," and he left his tax collector's booth and followed. Why do you know their names? Because they chose Jesus and Life instead of stability and life.

Does this passage from Luke imply that Jesus wants us to shirk our responsibilities to our families? No, of course not. But it does mean that Jesus wants us to trust Him with our future, to trust Him with our uncertainties, to trust Him to be with us if He calls us to step out and follow Him where He leads.

Can we be spontaneous and stop to help someone broken down by the side of the road when the Holy Spirit whispers to us to do something, even though it's dangerous to stop for people now-a-days and it will make us late to work and possibly get us in trouble with the boss?

Can we be spontaneous and say, "No, I don't need that new CD. I'll go ahead and give this money to the missionary who is speaking in our church when the collection plate comes by for a love offering?"

Can we be spontaneous and go up to someone and say, "God wanted me to just tell you He loves you today and wants you to know that" even though they might look at you like you're a fool?

Can we be spontaneous and say, "Yes, I can go to Brazil or Mexico or Uganda with my church, even though I don't have the time or money. I trust God will make it happen."

Can we start experiencing Life with Jesus rather than just living life in the same old grind day in and day out? Can we start saying "Yes" instead of letting others tell us what we should do? Can we be spontaneous when Jesus says, "Come, follow Me?"

Thankfulness Learned from a Dog's Bowl

As I was feeding the dogs this morning and this verse popped into my head:

"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Every day, our dogs get the same dried dog food. Same brand. Same amount. Same bowl. And every day, they get so excited and they look their bowl and they look up and you can tell they're happy. It's almost like they're saying, "Wow! Dog food..again? This is fantastic!" And then they proceed to eat with gusto.

How I wish I could be like them. How often do we take for granted the every day blessings from our Lord, receiving the miracles of His provision with barely any recognition, much less genuine, heartfelt thanks? How like the Israelites, who were the recipients of the miracle of manna every single day, are we? "Manna? Again? I am so tired of this stinking manna. I want to go back to Egypt."

Lord, make me like my dogs today. Help me to see the blessings You've given me in a new light. To receive them with thankfulness and joy. To truly get excited because today, You've blessed me again, even as undeserving as I am. Help me to get excited about life and to stop murmuring and complaining about what You've given. Amen.

How to Waste a Bible Study

Ran across this quote yesterday in a book I was reading:

"If we do nothing with the knowledge we gain, then we have wasted our study.  Books can store information better than we can -- what we do that books cannot is interpret.  So if one is not going to draw conclusions, then one might as well just leave the information in the texts." -- Brian Sanderson, "The Way of Kings"

This quote makes the same point I have made to our Bible study groups for years.  Going to Bible study, learning about Jesus, and memorizing scripture is of little value if you don't do something with what you have learned.  The point of Bible study is not to gain information, but to act on what Jesus is telling you through the study.

If we fail to act on what we have learned, we are no better than the man James rebukes who looks in a mirror at himself and walks away, promptly forgetting what he looks like.  When God speaks to us, we must act on His command. 

When we gather to study the Bible or to worship God together, our prayer should be, "God, speak to me through your word.  Give me ears to hear your message.  And give me the faith and feet to go forth and do what you tell me to do."

We live in an information age -- an age where we are inundated with information blazing in at us from various sources.  And we live in an age where we have immediate access to more biblical information than ever before, with online commentaries, study helps, multiple Bible translations, and interpretations and sermons from well-known and lesser-known pastors and lay people.  But, what do we do with this information?

I tell people in Bible study there is a difference between knowledge and wisdom.  Knowledge is knowing something.  Wisdom is knowing what to do with your knowledge.  As an illustration of the difference, knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting tomatoes in a fruit salad.

What are we doing with the plethora of information we receive everyday, from instant worldwide news to spiritual insights?  Are we using this information to push the gospel forward in the places where we live? Are we following Christ as He leads us into deeper waters with Him?  Or are we merely obtaining knowledge, gathering information, learning more about Him without really experiencing Him in our lives?

LOVE LIKE JESUS

"It’s interesting to me that Jesus never forced anybody to agree with Him. Instead, He has a quiet confidence. He was responsible to say the truth and to be Himself and he let others take responsibility for their lives.

"He did not use love like money, paying some and withholding from others in an effort to control them. He spoke the truth, He wasn’t offended when people didn’t agree, and He gav...e them their own will to do as they wish.

"But what’s more, He loved them regardless. He loved them whether they followed Him or tried to kill them. He even loved them while they were killing Him." -- Donald Miller

When I read this quote, it really hit home. How often do we find others who only love conditionally, who only love when you have something to give, who only love in an effort to control? How many people are quick to say, "I'm taking my ball and going home," when you refuse to do what they want you to?

Unfortunately, living in a world like this, with people like this, can make you hard-hearted. You begin to question everyone's motives. You begin live in a world of paranoia and distrust. You withhold your love. Oh, that I might be more like Jesus -- that I might be able to love without condition, to love in spite of what others do, to love with true agape.

My prayer for today is to begin living in a world of agape love again -- both in how I love others and in how I perceive and receive love. May my love for others not be selfish or controlling. And may I love others without condition. My prayer for today is to be like Jesus.

SERMON: THE DAY OF THE LORD

Audio Link

25 August 2013

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Luke 17:20-35

Luke 17:20-35 (NIV)

20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation,

21 nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
22 Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
23 Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them.
24 For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.
25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
26 "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
28 "It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.
29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
30 "It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
31 On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.
32 Remember Lot's wife!
33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.
35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.

            -- over the last several weeks, the topic du jour seemed to center on the state of this world, especially the state of the economy and the war drums beating in Syria, Israel, and Iran -- and when I look back over my journal and the sermons I have preached, as well as the social media postings on Facebook and Twitter, it really seems that there is a concern in the air -- a concern over the state of our country and our world -- and a general despair over the future for ourselves and our families

            -- we've talked about this several times -- both in my messages here at Koinonia and in our Bible studies -- and this morning I find myself led back to this topic once again through our daily Bible readings for this week
            -- I had a guy in my office one time call me the "doom and gloom prophet" because I would pass on news of negative issues that could affect our economy and our jobs -- but it's not just me -- others are sensing this mood in our world today

            -- Listen to this description of the times:

            -- "It is a gloomy moment in the history of our country -- Not in the lifetime of most men has there been so much grave and deep apprehension -- never has the future seemed so incalculable as at this time
            -- "The domestic economic situation is in chaos -- Our dollar is weak throughout the world -- Prices are so high as to be utterly impossible -- The political cauldron seethes and bubbles with uncertainty -- Russia hangs, as usual, like a cloud, dark and silent, upon the horizon -- It is a solemn moment -- Of our troubles no man can see the end."
            -- Interestingly, that quote was not from a recent news article -- that quote actually came from an article that appeared in Harper’s Magazine on October 10, 1847¹

            -- what we are going through now, as difficult as it may seem to us, is not unusual -- times have always been tough -- wars and rumors of war have always occurred -- economic crises have always existed -- doom and gloom and despair in regards to the future have always been common complaints -- it is the nature of man

            -- but this passage points us to a different place -- it provides hope in the midst of hopelessness -- it promises deliverance in the midst of despair as we read the teachings of Jesus on the Kingdom of God and the Day of the Lord
            -- over the past couple of weeks, I've had several discussions about the Day of the Lord --- it came up in Bible study and it came up at our Sunday night services -- so when our daily readings for this week included this passage from Luke on this subject, I thought this would be a good time to take a moment and see what Jesus had to say about the times we live in and the times we long for

            -- more than anything in the world, I do not want to come across as someone who stands on the sideline holding a sign that says, "The End is Near" -- I don't want to be the one who is thought of as nothing but a prophet of doom and gloom -- instead I want to be known as the one who speaks truth into this world and who points out the light to those in darkness -- a shining city on a hill -- a lamp illuminating the path to a better future in Jesus

            -- that is the reason I enjoy teaching prophecy and end times theology -- not so we can just learn more about what is going to happen -- not so we possess knowledge of the future -- that is not the purpose of prophecy -- the prophetic passages in the Bible were not given for us to just learn and retain for ourselves -- they were not given for us to predict the future and sit around and debate over who might be the antichrist
            -- prophecy, such as that found in this passage, was given to spur us to action -- it was given to lead us into wisdom -- so our goal in this passage is not just to learn what will happen in the future, but to know what to do with this knowledge -- to align our lives with the purposes of Christ -- and to share the message of hope and deliverance amidst the prophesied coming wrath and destruction
            -- so with that said, let's turn to this passage in Luke and let's see what Jesus has to say about our day and the promise of the day to come

II.  Scripture Lesson (Luke 17:20-35)

            -- look back with me at verse 20 -21

20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation,

21 nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."

            -- Luke tells us the occasion of the teaching from Jesus in this passage occurred when the Pharisees came to Jesus and asked Him about the coming of the Kingdom of God

            -- from the very beginning, the message of Jesus and John the Baptist before Him was "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand" -- and so we see the Pharisees coming and saying, "You've been saying this for some time -- you've been promising the Kingdom of God is coming -- when will it happen? -- why hasn't it happened yet if you are the Messiah?"
            -- don't misunderstand the question from the Pharisees -- it was not a genuine quest for knowledge, but yet another attack on Jesus' authority and teaching
            -- "If this Kingdom is coming through you, then where is it? -- When is this going to happen?"
            -- interestingly, Jesus answers their question of "when" with the answer of "where" -- the Kingdom of God is already here, He says -- it is not a specific time -- it is not a specific place -- it is within you and among you -- the Kingdom of God is where I am
            -- the term Jesus uses here for kingdom is "reign," not "realm" -- it refers to His rule in the life of a believer instead of a definite place -- Jesus is saying we carry the kingdom within us when we let Him rule in our lives
            -- it's like an aircraft carrier -- when we send an aircraft carrier somewhere in the world, it carries with it the presence and power of the United States -- the aircraft carrier becomes the place where the reign and rule of the United States is present -- the power and presence -- the kingdom, if you will -- of the United States of America exists within the sphere of influence of that aircraft carrier, even though it may be distant from our actual shores
            -- so in other to the question, "when is the Kingdom of God coming," Jesus responds by saying, "The Kingdom of God is located where I rule" -- in other words Jesus is saying, "The Kingdom of God is here now, but it's not within you -- it is only within those who believe in Me and trust in My name"
            -- does that describe you? -- does that describe your life and your behavior and your actions? -- can you say that Jesus rules in your life wherever you go?

            -- verse 22-25

22 Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.

23 Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them.
24 For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.
25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

            -- after Jesus responds to the Pharisees, He turns to His disciples and speaks to them privately about these things -- it is likely they were confused by His answer to the Pharisees because they, like all Jews of their day, were looking for the coming of the Messiah who would usher in a literal Kingdom of God -- someone who would restore the throne of David and lead Israel back to it's previous power and position as a ruling nation

            -- Jesus tells them to not misunderstand what He was saying -- yes, the Kingdom of God was present within them -- yes, the Kingdom of God was with them -- they were living in the kingdom when they were living in a right relationship with Him -- when they believed and trusted in Him and expressed their faith with all their hearts and mind and strength
            -- but, Jesus said, there will come a day -- a specific day -- when the Kingdom of God will be made manifest -- when all that you dream of will come to pass and I will be established on My throne
            -- it won't come in the way you expect it, so don't listen to people who tell you the Kingdom of God has come -- don't chase after false kingdoms or false kings -- until that day -- until the day of My return -- know the Kingdom of God lives within you
            -- and don't worry -- when I return, it will not be hidden -- you will know -- everyone will know -- every eye will see My return -- when I return, I will be as visible as lightning that flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other
            -- Jesus tells them this day is coming, but not yet -- this day will not come until He suffers and dies -- until He is rejected by this generation -- Jesus must first prepare for His coming through His atoning death on the cross -- but at some point in the future, He will return, and they need to be ready

            -- earlier this week, I looked up how to know for sure how far you are from a lightning strike -- with all the thunderstorms that have been going around, I wanted to make sure that everyone in my office knew what to do when lightning was coming on them
            -- as a kid, I had been taught that every second was one mile, but I knew that wasn't right -- so I went to NOAA's page, and looked it up -- you actually count the seconds between when you see a flash of lightning and hear the thunder and divide that by 5 in order to get the distance in miles
            -- NOAA says you are in danger anytime you see lightning or hear thunder -- they tell you to follow the 30-30 rule if you want to be safe during a thunderstorm -- if you can hear thunder within 30 seconds of a flash of lightning, NOAA says to get indoors -- and then to wait 30 minutes after the last flash of lightning to go back outside
            -- that's really what Jesus is saying here -- you're already in danger -- the thunder of the cross is a warning that the day of My return is near -- and if you wait to see the lightning of My return and you're not ready -- if the Kingdom of God is not within you -- if you are not in a right relationship with Me when the lightning of my return flashes, then it is too late
            -- Scripture calls this day of lightning -- the day of Christ's return -- the "Day of the Lord" -- it is also known as the second coming of Christ or the judgment of Christ -- this phrase, or some reference to this phrase, is found in almost every book of prophecy in the Bible -- this is the culmination of the message of Christ and our blessed hope in Him
            -- Paul and Peter and John all talked about preparing for the Day of the Lord -- Zechariah used this term 17 times in his book of prophecy
            -- the Day of the Lord is the day when Jesus returns to separate the wicked from the just -- to judge the sinners -- and to set up His kingdom forever
    
            -- but when will that day be? -- verse 26-35

26 "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.

27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
28 "It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.
29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
30 "It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
31 On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.
32 Remember Lot's wife!
33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.
35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.

            -- when Dr. Horatius Bonar, the great Scottish hymn writer, would close his curtains at night to prepare for bed, he would proclaim, "Perhaps tonight, Lord!" -- and then in the morning, when he opened those curtains and looked out on a new day, he would proclaim, "Perhaps today, Lord!" -- that's the same attitude we need

            -- Jesus tells us here that the Day of the Lord will come when no one expects it -- He will return as a thief in the night -- people will be going about their daily lives -- eating, drinking, marrying, being given in marriage -- when all of a sudden, the end will come
            -- He says the timing of the Day of the Lord will be just like that of Noah and Lot -- it will be a time of wickedness and moral depravity -- a time when people live their lives with a total disregard of the Lord -- in Noah and Lot's day, most of the people around them were oblivious to the coming of destruction and deliverance -- even when Noah and Lot warned them, they scoffed at the warning
            -- but Noah and Lot were prepared -- they had the Kingdom of God within their hearts -- they had heard the thunder and were aware of the danger and lived with one eye to the heavens -- and while those around them perished in their unbelief, Noah and Lot were saved
            -- Jesus warned His disciples that some would be left -- that some would be taken to judgment while others were saved through their faith -- two people will be in bed -- one taken and one left -- two women will be grinding grain -- one taken and one left
            -- Jesus says don't let it be you -- be ready -- and watch for His coming -- Jesus' message here is don't give up hope and don't lose heart when it seems as if the times are growing worse -- when it seems as if His return is not going to happen -- Jesus says, "Don't look back -- don't return to your old ways -- don't follow the path of the Pharisees -- but trust in Me and My word -- trust that I will return as I say"

III.  Closing

            -- several years ago, National Geographic Magazine had an article that showed the devastation of the explosion of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. -- the article had photographs and drawings that vividly demonstrated how swift the destruction fell on the people in the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum
            -- the explosion of the volcano was so sudden, the residents of those towns were killed while they were going about their normal routines -- men and women were at the market -- the rich in their luxurious baths -- the slaves working in the fields and in their master's homes -- and all of them died in an instant amidst volcanic ash and superheated gasses -- you can just imagine the panic and chaos of that day -- the hopelessness those people felt in the moments before their deaths when they realized it was too late
            -- the saddest part is these people did not have to die -- scientists confirm what the ancient Roman writers recorded -- weeks of rumblings and shakings preceded the actual explosion -- there was an ominous plume of smoke clearly visible from the mountain days before the eruption -- but no one paid any attention
            -- if the people of Pompeii had only heeded the warning signs -- if they had only gotten ready and prepared for the impending disaster, many would not have lost their lives

            -- that is the purpose of prophecy -- God gave us passages such as this in the Book of Luke to make us aware of the impending danger for us and those around us -- we hear the thunder of warning every day -- war and rumors of war -- earthquakes -- floods -- natural disasters -- economic woes -- the breakdown of the family and moral standards -- apostasy in the pews

            -- and while these have been with us since before the time of Christ, the extent and magnitude of these rumblings grow ever and ever more violent and frequent -- we need to be ready -- and we need to pass on the word of God to others to warn them
            -- the Day of the Lord is coming -- it might be today -- it might be tomorrow -- it might be a century from now -- we don't know -- but Jesus tells us to be prepared and to tell others about the danger as well -- God promises an escape from judgment and a life in His kingdom to those who turn to Him for salvation
            -- so as we close, let's take a moment to reflect on our lives and where we are with Christ -- I believe everyone here knows Jesus, but where is your gaze? -- are you looking forward to Him or are you looking back like Lot's wife?
            -- and let's think about those around us who are oblivious to the danger -- even if we come across as prophets of doom and gloom, let's pass the word to them and let's pray for them -- that they  might come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior and be rescued from the impending judgment on the Day of the Lord

            -- let us pray

¹Pastor Steven Cole, "The Present and Future Kingdom," http://www.fcfonline.org/content/1/sermons/102499m.pdf

SERMON: GUARD YOUR HEARTS

Audio Link

18 August 2013

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Proverbs 4:20-27

Proverbs 4:20-27 (NIV)

20 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.
21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.
27 Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

            -- one of the surprise hit TV shows over the past couple of years is the ABC show "Once Upon a Time" -- it is a clever retelling of the fairy tales we all grew up with...with a twist -- in this retelling, all of the fairy tale characters are transported to our world as a result of a curse and live in a town in Maine without knowing who they really are -- the show bounces back and forth between their past lives in Fairy Tale Land and their current life in Storybrooke, Maine, to show how the two are intertwined as the characters seek to break the curse and return to their homes and former lives

            -- the main story revolves around the relationship between Snow White and Prince Charming and Snow's stepmother Regina, the evil queen who used her magical powers to enact the curse on Fairy Tale Land in the first place -- as the show started, the main question was why would Regina curse this land? -- what happened to make her such a spiteful person that she would enact her evil on an entire kingdom? -- well, as the tale has evolved over the past couple of years, we learned that Regina was not always evil, and we watched how the acts of one person actually changed her from a loving, caring person into a revengeful witch
            -- it all begins with Regina's mother -- you see, Regina's mother was the daughter of a miller -- a poor girl who was tired of being hurt by the rich and powerful because she was poor and not up to their standards -- so she made an alliance with evil to gain power and prestige and eventually ended up becoming queen of the land where she lived -- but this was not without a cost
            -- in order to become queen -- in order to reach the point where she could never be hurt again by anyone -- Regina's mother took a drastic step -- she used evil magic to actually remove her heart from her chest -- locking it up and storing it in a safe place where no one could ever find it -- her thought was that by locking up and guarding her heart, she could never be hurt again -- and it worked, but it changed her -- she lost the capacity to love and became the source of hurt and pain in the lives of many others -- eventually infecting her daughter Regina with her hatred and leading to the curse on the entire kingdom -- all because she wanted to guard her heart from hurt

            -- the concept of guarding your heart is a biblical concept -- we see it right here in this proverb from Solomon -- but what does that look like in the life of a Christian? -- are we to lock up our hearts and guard them like Regina? -- or is God referring to something entirely different? -- let's find out as we look at this passage together

II.  Scripture Lesson (Proverbs 4:20-27)

            -- verse 20-22

20 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.

21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.

            -- as we look at the opening verses in this passage, we are really given a glimpse into the mind and purposes of Solomon as he penned the words, not only of these verses, but of the Book of Proverbs as a whole -- this book was written for instruction -- as a means of sharing words of wisdom with another generation

            -- Solomon wanted to pass on a legacy of the insights he had learned through experience to his children, so they might walk in the path of God and not make the same mistakes he had made in his own life
            -- in fact, that's exactly what the Hebrew view of a father's role was in the Old Testament -- In those days, the father was the head of the house -- he was the dominant family member -- and he and his wife were to be honored and respected by all in their household -- their children -- their servants -- their guests

            -- the father was responsible for the well-being of the family unit and for its discipline -- he provided for them -- he kept them safe -- he protected them

            -- but the primary goal of a father in the Old Testament days was to pass on a legacy -- to bring up children who would choose to follow the holy life that the Israelites were called to by God -- in other words, the father was to be the family priest and the teacher of the faith -- he was to pass on his way of life to the next generation through intentionally sharing his wisdom, his faith, and his understanding of life with his children
            -- as Christians our role has been expanded -- not only are we to pass on our spiritual heritage and legacy to our children, but we are called to pass on our legacy of faith to those around us -- to those we disciple -- we are to train others in the way of life -- to teach them -- to pass on all we have learned about walking with Christ so they may follow our example and grow in grace as they walk with Him, too

            -- verse 23

23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

 

            -- Solomon counsels us here to guard our hearts "above all else" -- in other words, there is nothing more important in our lives than our hearts -- our hearts are who we are
            -- they are the source of our emotions and our actions -- it is the vision of our hearts that directs our path -- it is the state of our heart that determines our eternal destination
            -- Jesus said it is from the heart that either evil or good comes -- it is from the heart that we believe and love and live
            -- as the heart goes, so goes our lives -- so goes our eternity -- and so Solomon cautions us here to guard our hearts above all else -- it is our most valuable possession

            -- Solomon tells his son that the heart is the wellspring of life -- that's a curious phrase, isn't it? -- the wellspring of life -- the KJV sheds a little more light on Solomon's meaning when it translates this passage to read that the "issues of life" come out of the heart

      -- when I read these words and consider what Solomon means about our hearts being a wellspring, I can't help but think about the first backpacking trip I ever took -- we had gone to DeSota Falls in north Georgia -- and it was the first time I had ever seen a clear river -- I grew up down here with our black water rivers and creeks -- but up there, the river flowed clear and you just had a feeling it was pure and clean and good
      -- I remember walking along that river and just gazing into it -- seeing how all the life in that valley was centered around that little stream -- we followed the river up past a large waterfall, and it grew narrower and narrower until it finally stopped at a spring probably no bigger around than a five-gallon bucket -- pure, clear water bubbling up and flowing from a crack in the rocks of that mountain
      -- when you think about it, that mountain's very life -- the trout and birds and insects and everything else in that area that depended on that river were only there because of that spring -- that spring brought life to that mountain because it was pure and clean
      -- but if that spring had been polluted -- if it had been poisoned and contaminated by the world, nothing would have been able to live -- that mountain valley would have been desolate

      -- that's the picture Solomon's bringing to mind here when he talks about our hearts -- our hearts are the source of our lives -- they are our wellsprings because they define who and what we are -- our character -- our being -- our life -- all we are is born from the state of our heart -- for whatever is in our hearts is what our lives consist of

            -- if your heart is good -- if your heart is filled with the life that flows from the spring of God's love -- then your life and your character and your being are good
            -- but if your heart becomes polluted by the things of this world, then our lives and our characters and our being will be polluted as well
      -- that is why Solomon cautions us here to guard our hearts above all else -- to keep our springs of life flowing clear and pure as God intended
            -- but how do we do that?

            -- verse 24-27

24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.
27 Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

            -- when I read these verses, I couldn't help but think of the statue of the three wise monkeys with their hands covering their eyes, their ears, and their mouths -- "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" -- that's the same thing Solomon's telling us here

            -- to guard our hearts means we stay away from evil -- we shield ourselves from the presence of evil and darkness so our thoughts and our actions and our speech might not be corrupted by evil -- we don't allow sin to creep into our vision, our hearing, or our hearts

            -- in Mt 26:41, Jesus told His disciples to "watch and pray" so that they would not fall into temptation -- note that Jesus didn't say to watch and pray so that they would not fall into sin, but temptation -- He said the same thing in the Lord's prayer -- Jesus taught us to pray, "lead us not into temptation"

            -- as Christians -- especially as Christians -- we need to keep our eyes open for temptations that might come our way and pray that we might not be led into temptation

            -- sometimes we get tempted to think that we are above temptation -- sometimes we think that because we're Christians, we don't have to worry about temptation -- we let our guard down and we don't protect our hearts and our lives from temptations that might lead to sin
            -- 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" -- we should never consider ourselves above temptation -- but we should protect and guard our hearts by watching and praying that we don't fall into temptation as Jesus commanded
            -- this may mean making some changes in your life and in the places you go -- there are some places that I just don't go, because I know that temptations lurk there in the shadows -- there are certain movies that I just don't watch -- and there's some music that I just won't listen to -- because I know that there are temptations there

            -- one good way to avoid temptation and sin is to remind yourself daily of the damaging consequences of moral failure -- all you have to do is pick up your morning paper or watch the news to see examples of homes ripped apart -- of families broken and destroyed -- of lives being shattered -- all because someone didn't guard their heart and opened the door for temptation and sin

            -- your heart and your life and your family are too valuable to not watch for and avoid temptation every single day -- remember what Paul told Timothy, "Flee the evil desires of youth -- flee the temptations of life"
       
            -- but it's not enough to just flee temptation -- we have to know where we're going -- Solomon counsels us to look straight ahead -- to gaze at the path before us -- to walk the path we are on without veering to either side -- in other words, Solomon is telling us to fix our eyes of Jesus -- to walk the straight and narrow and to not be diverted by anything else
            -- to guard our hearts we must not only flee the temptations and pollutions of this world, but we must fill our hearts with good -- we must immerse ourselves in the presence of Jesus through His word and His ways -- we have to spend time with Him -- getting to know Him -- so our lives and our hearts reflect His character and not our own
           -- so the key to guarding our heart is two-fold:  avoid evil and darkness and embrace the light of Christ

            -- now more than likely, you have heard this command to guard your hearts given in the context of relationships -- we like to use this verse when we counsel our children about romantic relationships -- "Guard your heart," we say. "Don't just give it away to the first person that comes along -- if you do so, you might get hurt."
            -- have you ever heard that teaching? -- sure you have -- but as you can see from the context, that is not what Solomon is saying here -- that is not the intent of this passage
            -- the command to guard your heart refers to guarding yourself from the presence of evil and darkness -- it is given to protect us from temptation and sin -- these words were not given to keep us from getting hurt when we love
            -- think about the overall message of the Bible -- we tell people it is a love letter from God -- that the story of the Bible is the story of a God who loves us so much He never gives up on us, even to the point of dying on a cross to pay for our sins and transgressions against Him
            -- if anything, the message of the Bible is to love extravagantly -- to love with our whole hearts -- regardless of the cost

            -- the one real victim of the Fall in the Garden of Eden was love -- for when Adam and Eve gave into temptation and disobeyed God and ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they corrupted love and responded to God's perfect love with betrayal and hurt

            -- we see that pattern played out throughout Scripture, as God's chosen people -- beloved by the Father -- time and time again rejected His love and hurt His heart as they turned away from Him and chased after their own paths and after idols of their own making
            -- we see the heartache of Eden following relationships from the Old Testament to the New, as we see Jesus betrayed by one of His chosen disciples -- as we see Paul hurt by a trusted follower who turned against him and slandered him before Rome
            -- because of Eden, the risk of hurt and heartache follows the capacity to love -- and we know this -- there's no one in this room who hasn't experienced the ache of a broken heart
            -- and our tendency is to apply Solomon's command to "guard our hearts" in these situations in order to protect ourselves from being hurt again -- that's exactly what Regina's mother tried in my opening illustration from the TV show, "Once Upon a Time" -- and by locking up and guarding her heart from others, she ended up filling that void with hatred and distrust and evil

            -- C.S. Lewis recognized the danger of guarding one's heart in this way -- in his book, "The Four Loves," Lewis wrote:

"To love at all is to be vulnerable -- Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken -- If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal.

"Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. -- Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness -- But in that casket -- safe -- dark -- motionless -- airless -- it will change.

 "It will not be broken -- it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. -- To love is to be vulnerable -- The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell."

            -- I know exactly what C.S. Lewis is talking about -- I know what a heart guarded like this looks like -- I live with it daily -- this is not what Solomon was counseling us to do in this passage -- this is not who we are to be as Christians

            -- as Alex Harmening writes, "Being afraid of wounds from other people might cause us to forfeit the capacity to love -- The enemy would like nothing better than to carry Christians to the extreme of isolating ourselves from the world and chaining us with the fears of pain and exposure -- Too often, we cling to the “Guard your heart” message because it becomes a means of defending ourselves from the possibility of hurt or mistakes -- [but] this behavior may make us stingy with our empathy and love.   [Alex Harmening, "What Guard Your Heart Really Means", Relevant Magazine, http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/what-guarding-your-heart-actually-means]
            -- to guard our heart does not mean to not love -- to guard our heart means to protect ourselves from evil and sin while still loving extravagantly and allowing God's peace and love and presence to guard us and heal us when our hearts are broken

III.  Closing

            -- In 1848 London was stricken with a devastating cholera epidemic -- people were literally dying in the streets, and no one knew why -- doctors in that time could not determine the cause of the disease and panic was widespread
            -- people would try to lock themselves away in their homes and avoid others, but still they would get sick -- still they would die
            -- Dr. John Snow studied the deaths of 89 people in one week in a certain district of the city in an attempt to figure out the cause of the disease -- he realized that all but two of these people drank from a well on Broad Street -- during an emergency meeting of concerned leaders in London, Dr. Snow was asked what might be done to stop the epidemic -- he told them, "Take the handle off the Broad Street pump."  -- it was done and the epidemic in that quarter of the city ceased.
            -- But removing the pump handle didn't solve the fundamental problem -- sewage was seeping into the well, poisoning it -- although removing the pump handle removed the immediate danger, it didn't correct the problem -- the only solution to the problem was to stop the sewage from getting into the well so it might run clean and pure once again

             -- this is what Solomon counsels us to do in this passage -- "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." -- sewage in the heart of a person poisons the whole life -- it affects our speech, our thoughts, our actions, our lives

            -- all of us have a heart problem like this to some extent -- all of us have hearts that have been polluted just because we have walked through this world -- but the Bible shows us how to do more than just remove the pump handle -- it shows us how to cleanse our heart once and for all through the blood of Christ and the forgiveness of our sins
            -- and once it is clean, Solomon tells us to guard it and protect it -- to keep ourselves holy by avoiding evil and sin and fixing our gaze on the light of Christ -- and as we follow His path and His example -- as we listen to Him and let Him guide our paths -- our wellspring of life flows pure and clean

            -- let us pray