A sermon on agony
1. A few days ago some CNN reporters were telling about their experiences in Iraq during the war.
2. One reporter said he found himself in need of an Iraqi dentist.
3. He found the doctor who worked on Saddam’s mouth but decided not to use him.
4. After more searching he found a team of dentists who left him feeling pretty confident.
5. These men worked on him, for more than a week, to extract his wisdom teeth.
6. There was one day during his ordeal when they didn’t give him any anesthetic.
7. Not using a painkiller allowed them to see whether or not they had overlooked any nerves.
8. If he could feel pain, the operation was not successful.
PAIN AND SUFFERING ARE A COMMON PART OF LIFE,
AND WHEN STUDY THE BIBLE, WE FIND FREQUENT REFERENCES TO THESE AND
SIMILAR SUBJECTS.
1. One of these references is found in Acts 8.
2. Philip was preaching in the city of Samaria and performing miracles.
3. At the end of Mk. 16 Jesus promised that preaching would be “confirmed” with signs.
4. This was what Philip did.
5. Christianity was very new.
6. Because the New Testament had not been written, teachers had to authentic their message.
7. God used supernatural signs like tongues, prophets, and healing miracles.
8. Philip had supernatural abilities and he was healing lots of people.
9. He was also casting out demons.
10. As these demons came out of the people Luke said they “cried with a loud voice,” Acts 8:7.
11. According to Thayer, the word crying expresses pain.
12. They hurt.
13. It seems this hurt was indicated by their screaming and hollering as they came out of people.
14. What Luke recorded expands our understanding of how effective the supernatural gifts were.
15. A few verses later in Acts 8 we come to a statement about conversions.
16. Verse 12 used the imperfect tense to describe the Samaritan conversions.
17. “They were baptized” describes a steady succession of conversions.
18. One of the things that must have helped Philip reach so many people was the demons.
19. Evil spirits came out of people and these creatures were screaming in pain.
20. I think a lot of people would have found that to be a convincing sign.
21. The word used to describe their pain is also applied to the Lord in Mt. 27:46.
22. Jesus was on the cross and it was “about the 9th hour.”
23. Jesus “cried” (same word) with a loud voice, and said words we all know.
24. Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani.
25. It is rather fascinating to find this term for pain being applied in two very different ways.
ONE THE ONE HAND IT IS APPLIED TO THE SINLESS SON OF GOD. ON THE OTHER, IT IS APPLIED TO DEMONIC FORCES.
1. By being familiar with this term we know that the righteous and the unrighteous have both agonized.
2. This is still the case.
3. At one point or another mankind is destined to suffer.
4. The human race has been trying to avoid this experience but it cannot be beaten.
5. Most of us are familiar with the so-called “model prayer” in Mt. 6.
6. In Mt. 6:12 Jesus spoke of people as having a “debt.”
7. This was directed to those who would be citizens in heaven’s kingdom.
8. We might say the Sermon the Mount was directed to the world’s best people.
9. In spite of being very good, even members of the kingdom (church) are in debt.
10. Lk. 11:4 is a parallel text, and it explains this debt as “sin.”
11. One more passage completes the explanation of the Lord’s thought.
12. 1 Jn. 3:4 says sin is the breaking of God’s laws.
13. When we break just one law, we create a debt that must be paid.
14. In our culture we are surrounded with information about debts and payments.
15. In America there are all kinds of payment plans.
16. It is almost always possible to buy an item with cash.
17. If we have enough currency in hand, or in a bank account, we can pay the full balance on the spot.
18. Other options allow us to stretch the payment out for an extended period of time.
19. There are 90 days same as cash or 6 month same as cash deals.
20. Some large ticket items are offered as no payments for a year.
21. Companies may even offer to make the first or the first two payments for us.
22. I remember a man who served in our nation’s military.
23. He had been in the service for several years and had a fairly high rank.
24. One day he said to me, “I am so thankful for credit.”
25. “My family would have nothing if companies didn’t offer payment plans.”
26. In the world there are all kinds of creative payment plans.
27. If we don’t care for a plan after we become involved in it, the terms can often be changed.
28. When we break God’s laws, as noted from Mt. 6, we create a debt.
29. That debt must be paid. The payment is suffering.
30. In fact, this truth is found in the earliest parts of the Bible.
31. Adam and Eve were formed during what I call “creation week.”
32. Part of the creation involved a tree that contained the “knowledge of good and evil.”
33. God told Adam and Eve they could eat of every tree in the garden but that one.
34. If they ate the fruit on this tree they would “die.”
35. Breaking God’s law would create a debt that had to be satisfied by suffering.
36. Several years later a prophet named Ezekiel made a similar point in Ezek. 18.
37. The 4th verse of this chapter states the matter in this way:
38. If a soul (person) sins, he/she must die.
39. If we create a debt by breaking God’s laws, a payment of suffering must be made.
40. Someone might ask what this payment is.
41. Stated another way, what kind of suffering is involved?
42. Paul answered this question in 1 Cor. 6:9: the “unrighteous” shall “not inherit the kingdom of God.”
43. Those who do not go to heaven have only one other destination, a place of eternal suffering.
FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END OF THE SCRIPTURES WE FIND A FACT WHICH IS REPEATED AGAIN AND AGAIN.
1. Man sins, payment must be made, and the payment requires suffering.
2. The payment can come from us.
3. God spoke about this several times in the Old Testament.
4. Deut. 24:16 says “every man shall be put to death for his own sin.”
5. Jer. 31:30 — everyone shall “die for his own iniquity.”
6. If we create a debt of sin, God insists that we pay.
7. Several of us remember “Let’s Make a Deal”; maybe this show is still on t.v.
8. Participants on this show are often offered choices.
9. If they do not like the current deal, they can opt for something else.
10. God is not like Monty Hall but He does have an offer for us.
11. The offer is somewhat like the civil war.
12. When that war was fought in our country it is said that certain men didn’t fight.
13. These men should have served in war, but they successfully avoided the conflict.
14. The avoidance didn’t come by running off to another country.
15. Rather, these men paid someone to take their place on the battlefield.
16. A similar thing has taken place in the spiritual realm.
17. Jesus uttered that cry of great agony for the benefit of mankind.
18. Rom. 5:1 says we can have peace “through” Jesus Christ.
19. Through Jesus we have “grace,” Rom. 5:2.
20. We are “justified by His blood,” and “saved from God’s wrath through Him,” Rom. 5:9.
21. Because of Jesus’ suffering we are “reconciled” to God, Rom. 5:10.
22. During the civil war some must have paid the money and gone on with their lives.
23. It doesn’t work that way in Christianity.
24. If we want the Lord to suffer for us, there is a price.
25. First, we must be joined with Him.
26. Rom. 6:3 says this is accomplished by baptism.
27. Rom. 6:4 then states we are “united” with the Lord.
28. Once Jesus has released us from condemnation it become necessary to respond to His goodness.
29. The Bible is clear about our obligations.
30. Rom. 6:2 says we can no longer live in sin.
31. Our bodies are to be used in God’s service, Rom. 6:13.
32. Rom. 8:12 says we are “debtors.” As a debtor we are going to pay a price.
33. Rom. 8:18 says we will have “sufferings in this present time.”
34. Suffering must exist because our Lord suffered (Rom. 8:17).
a. Growing up I was around some people who are now in their 50’s and 60’s.
b. I watched these people make some choices that they viewed as fun.
c. Many chose lifestyles that were very involved with sin.
d. From time to time I reflect upon the consequences those people are facing.
e. Consequences in health, their marriages, their children, their jobs…
f. Many of them paid such a high price for sin.
35. We all sin and we must all pay a price of suffering.
36. The question is how much do we want to pay?
37. Do we want the short term plan (this life—the here and now)?
38. Or do we want the eternal plan; suffering without end?
39. Surely those who have come out tonight have opted for the short plan.
40. That is the right plan, and it is a choice we will always be grateful for in eternity.