Loving God! Loving People! Loving Life! Message Notes America At The Crossroads Part One Life Church Smyrna Sunday, July 10 2016 10:30am Pastor Shell Osbon Ezekiel 44:23-24 23 They will teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is common, what is ceremonially clean and unclean. 24 They will serve as judges to resolve any disagreements among my people. Their decisions must be based on my regulations. And the priests themselves must obey my instructions and decrees... (NLT) 1. Injustices Must Be Acknowledged Proverbs 6:16-19 16 There are six things the Lord hates - no, seven things He detests: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, 18 a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, 19 a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family. (NLT) Lamentations 3:34-36 34 Don t trample prisoners under your feet 35 or cheat anyone out of what is rightfully theirs. God Most High sees everything, 36 and He knows when you refuse to give someone a fair trial. (CEV) Leviticus 19:15 You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. (ESV) Exodus 23;7...do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. (ESV) Ecclesiastes 5:8a Don t be surprised if the poor of your country are abused, and injustice takes the place of justice. (CEV) Joel 2:17a Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar... (NLT) Ephesians 6:12 We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (NLT) 1 Peter 4:17 The time has come for judgment to begin and God s own people are the first to be judged. If it starts with us, how will it end with those who do not believe the Good News from God? (GNT) 2. Injustices Must Be Addressed Exodus 23:1b-2a 1b You must not cooperate with evil people... 2a You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. (NLT) 2 Chronicles 19:7...the Lord our God does not tolerate perverted justice... (NLT) Proverbs 17:15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent - both are detestable to the Lord. (NLT) Proverbs 31:8-9 8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. 9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. (NLT) 1 Peter 3:9 Don t repay evil for evil. (NLT) Philippians 3:20 We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. (NLT) 2 Chronicles 7:14 If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (NKJV) The big idea: America is at the crossroads and we must help guide her in the right direction.
part one Ezekiel 44:23-24 23 They will teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is common, what is ceremonially clean and unclean. 24 They will serve as judges to resolve any disagreements among my people. Their decisions must be based on my regulations. And the priests themselves must obey my instructions and decrees... (NLT) 1
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Crossroads are where roads intersect; a point at which a vital decision must be made. God said the priests had the duties of: (1) teaching His people the difference between right and wrong (2) settling disagreements among His people (3) living by the same godly standards as everyone else. 3
Perhaps the most well-known phrase from the Declaration of Independence is, We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 1. Injustices Must Be Acknowledged 4
Acknowledge means to admit as being real; to recognize the truth of something which exists. Proverbs 6:16-19 16 There are six things the Lord hates - no, seven things He detests: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, 18 a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, 19 a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family. (NLT) God hates all injustices. Period. 5
Lamentations 3:34-36 34 Don t trample prisoners under your feet 35 or cheat anyone out of what is rightfully theirs. God Most High sees everything, 36 and He knows when you refuse to give someone a fair trial. (CEV) God sees injustices and we should, too. Leviticus 19:15 You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. (ESV) God wants our judicial system to function correctly. 6
Exodus 23;7...do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. (ESV) God will not declare those who are guilty of injustices as being not guilty. Ecclesiastes 5:8a Don t be surprised if the poor of your country are abused, and injustice takes the place of justice. (CEV) Injustices may not surprise us but we cannot allow them the become acceptable, either. 7
Joel 2:17a Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar... (NLT) When the people of God were living ungodly lives, God called on the priests to acknowledge their sinfulness and to weep on their behalf. Ephesians 6:12 We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (NLT) We must remember that there are dark spiritual forces at work whenever injustices occur. 8
1 Peter 4:17 The time has come for judgement to begin and God s own people are the first to be judged. If it starts with us, how will it end with those who do not believe the Good News from God? (GNT) God judges the injustices of His people before He judges the injustices of those who don t follow Him. T.D. Jakes: The tragedy we ignore today will be on our doorstep tomorrow. 9
2. Injustices Must Be Addressed Address means to deal with or discuss. 10
Exodus 23:1b-2a 1b You must not cooperate with evil people... 2a You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. (NLT) God forbids us from collaborating with those who commit injustices no matter the size of the crowd. 2 Chronicles 19:7...the Lord our God does not tolerate perverted justice... (NLT) God doesn t tolerate injustices and we shouldn t, either. 11
Proverbs 17:15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent - both are detestable to the Lord. (NLT) God detests injustices within the judicial system. Proverbs 31:8-9 8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. 9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. (NLT) We must speak for those who cannot speak for themselves and stand for those who cannot stand themselves. 12
1 Peter 3:9 Don t repay evil for evil. (NLT) Injustice is not overcome by more injustice. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. 13
Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. 14
Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that. Philippians 3:20 We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. (NLT) Being citizens of heaven should lead us to being better citizens of this world. 15
2 Chronicles 7:14 If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (NKJV) When we humble ourselves, when we pray, when we seek God s face and when we turn from our sins, God has promised to hear us, forgive us and heal our land. America is at the crossroads and we must help guide her in the right direction. the big idea 16
Loving God! Loving People! Loving Life! we re all about part one 17