SERMON OF THE WEEK First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu November 4, 2007 The Defense Lawyer We All Want (Life-Long Learner Series) Rev. Dr. Dan Chun I love court trial movies. I love watching the tactics and passions of defense lawyers trying to protect the innocent against all odds. John Grisham s book, A Time to Kill is about a lawyer protecting a man accused of murder. It s my favorite Grisham book, which was also made into a movie. But for me the classic defense lawyer movie is To Kill A Mockingbird, starring Gregory Peck, who won an Oscar for Best Actor as the southern lawyer Atticus Finch who defends an African-American accused of raping a white woman. Finch is not your average defense lawyer. He is willing to get in harm s way. Like in one scene where a lynch mob seeks the accused to try to take the law into their own hands and Finch stands between the angry mob and the accused. He even drives down to the jail to make sure his client does not get hurt. In another poignant scene, as Atticus Finch gets ready to leave the courtroom, the African Americans in the crowd wait for him in respect from the 2 nd floor balcony to which they were relegated. They wait for him to clear his desk and get his brief case before rising to their feet as he walks out. This is their way of showing respect for the man who is their only defense in a society that s against them. We continue our sermon series on 1 John on how to be lifelong learners -- people who are healthy because they humbly seek to constantly learn, seek to constantly better understand life as it is. In this sermon series we will be focusing on an attribute of God that we might not have understood before, which is being the best defense lawyer we could ever want. In fact, the Bible calls Him as such: 1John 2:2 and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 1John 2:3 Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments. 1John 2:4 Whoever says, I have come to know him, but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; 1John 2:5 but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: 1John 2:6 whoever says, I abide in him, ought to walk just as he walked. 1 Let s go back to the first verse: Let s look at the word advocate. In the Greek, the connotation for the word advocate is that Jesus is like a defense lawyer. God is the judge and He appoints Jesus, His son, as our defense attorney. We are the accused for having committed the crime (sins). In terms of the Trinity I know this gets confusing. We believe in God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ (who is also God) and the Holy Spirit, which is also divine. We sin. God is the judge. He s also the jury. But somehow from the judicial bench, He, as Jesus, also steps down to be our defense lawyer to make sure the judgment will be fair. As our defense lawyer, Jesus pleads our case to put us in the best light. He is our advocate or, in the Greek, He is our parakletos. Jesus is our advocate, our parakletos, who takes our side in a lawsuit. He is the one who appears on behalf of another, a mediator, a helper and counselor.
Interestingly the apostle John, who wrote 1 John and the Gospel of John, refers to the HolySpirit also as the paraclete, the comforter sent by God. So John is saying that Jesus was the first paraclete and the Holy Spirit is another paraclete. Sorry for all of this historical kine stuff, but here is one of the practical points we need to take home with us. God loves us. He really does. He created us and cares for us. When we sin, we must get away from the thought that God is out to get us. Many here may have been raised with the thought that when we blow it God is just waiting to punish us; that He is angry with us; like an abusive parent father just waiting to show us how wrong and how bad we are. It s like when you do something wrong your mom says, Good news and bad news: Dad s coming home, but he s mad. For years we may have stayed away from church, stayed away from Bible studies, stayed away from prayer, stayed away from doing ministry because we thought God is mad at us for something we did wrong, for impure thoughts, for being selfish now and then. But nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is, as we said last week, none of us are perfect. All of us have done things we wished we didn t and we have hurt people. We have been selfish. At times we think we are like God and we know what is best for others and us. It is sinful to think we are God and to close the door on Him. It separates us from Him. In the laws of the universe, sin separates us from God for eternity unless the sin is removed. So God says, Yes, sin exists but I love people, and I want them to be with Me. That s why I created them. However, I need to be just and fair. Therefore, this sin has to be taken care of. So God as our heavenly Father says, I must judge their sin but My Son, Jesus, will be their defense lawyer because I trust My Son. He will plead the case better than anyone else. In addition to having Jesus as their defense lawyer and advocate, I am giving them the Holy Spirit, My presence in their day-to-day lives that will empower them to resist sin and instead do good. So because God loves us He ensures that we can be with Him for eternity by carving off the sin baggage that comes between Him and us. God says, I love you so much that I will be the judge to make sure the final judgment is fair. I am also your defense lawyer, your advocate who makes sure all the good things about you are made known, too. On top of that, I give you power in your soul during your days on earth through the Holy Spirit to help you make life-giving decisions by always seeking Me out. Jesus Christ is the defense lawyer, the Advocate. The word advocate comes from the Latin verb advocare, which means to speak or argue in favor of another. 2 This is what is so crazy about God s love; this is what should make our hearts tingle; this is what should give us a Holy Spirit shiver: God so much loves us that when Father God hears all that we have done (and all of us have fallen short) Jesus pleads our case. He s there to say, Yes, this person has a sinful nature, but look beyond that to his good inner core. That outer wrapping, that sinful nature will always block us from God. It needs to be removed. Of course, all wrongdoing must have restitution and penalty but this defense lawyer says, Okay, okay, here s the deal. I know My client has a sinful nature that he/she has done wrong hurtful things, and that some kind of restitution or penalty must be paid. But they are unable to make full restitution. They don t have resources to pay the penalty. Therefore, I, Jesus Christ will pay the price. I will go instead of this man, this woman. I will pay the price of death to cover not only this person s sin but that one, too, and that one, all the sin of humankind so that if anyone admits their wrongdoing and their inability to pay the penalty and allows Me to substitute for them, they can have My mark. I have atoned for their sins, and if people truly follow Me and we can see it by the fruit of their lives and on their lips, then they will forever be free. And that is why the Apostle John wrote:
1John 2:2 and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. Jesus, the defense lawyer, comes from His table to the guilty client, and stands before the judge and says, Don t take him. Take Me so that this man is free. Jesus sacrificed for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. But how do we know if someone is just giving lip service to God or He really does acknowledge that Jesus did it and wants to follow Him? The Apostle John makes it clear when he wrote the next verse: 1John 2:3 Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments. 1John 2:4 Whoever says, I have come to know him, but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; 1John 2:5 But whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: 1John 2:6 Whoever says, I abide in him, ought to walk just as he walked. To say we know God in the most intimate sense means we want an unbroken connection with Him that withstands time, distance and circumstances. It means we want to follow Him and abide in Him, staying so close to Him that we live in Him and He lives in us. If someone really has the Holy Spirit in him or her because of following Jesus it should really show. And because Jesus has forgiven our sin and paid the penalty for it, our appreciation for Him should be obvious, overflowing in our love for God and our love and mercy for others. Let me tell you that it is a good thing we have a defense attorney in Jesus Christ whether we have sinned or not. Some of you today may feel like you have not done a horribly wrong thing. Some of you may be faced with a situation. Jesus roots for us. But imagine facing the Almighty God with no defense lawyer. In the Bible there is a story of a man who faced God alone. His name was Job. Job was a man who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless and upright. But then one day Satan attacked his property and his family. Job got a message that the Sabeans stole all of his oxen and donkeys and that all of the servants watching the animals were killed. Another message came that said that fire came down from heaven and killed all of his sheep and the servants who watched them. Then another message came that said the Chaldeans raided their home and took off all of the camels and killed the servants. And yet another message came that said while Job s sons and daughters were eating in their eldest brother s home, a giant wind came and knocked down the house which killed all of his family. Despite all that Job remained faithful to God and did not charge God with wrongdoing. But then Satan attacked Job again and gave him a horrible disease of sores from the sole of his feet to the crown of his head. Still Job did not complain and remained faithful to God. But then three days later after three friends came to visit him, Job complained and said enough is enough. Job 3:3 Cursed be the day of my birth, and cursed be the night when I was conceived. Job 3:4 Let that day be turned to darkness. Let it be lost even to God on high, and let it be shrouded in darkness. And for 37 chapters he and his friends go back and forth on this with Job letting it rip with his complaints against the so-called loving God. Job defends himself about how a good person he is and how he should deserve better treatment. If we were Japanese we might say, Monku, monku, monku (grumble, grumble, grumble). But in all honesty wouldn t we side with Job and ask, What s the deal God? It s the classic story of theodicy, which means, Where is God when there is suffering? Job said: Job 6:2 If my sadness could be weighed and my troubles be put on the scales, Job 6:3 they would be heavier than all the sands of the sea. That is why I spoke so rashly. 3
Job 6:4 For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows. He has sent his poisoned arrows deep within my spirit. All God s terrors are arrayed against me. Job 6:5 Don t I have a right to complain? Wild donkeys bray when they find no green grass, and oxen low when they have no food. Job 6:6 People complain when there is no salt in their food. And how tasteless is the uncooked white of an egg! Job 6:7 My appetite disappears when I look at it; I gag at the thought of eating it! Job 6:8 Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant my hope. Job 6:9 I wish he would crush me. I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me. Job 10:18 Why, then, did you God bring me out of my mother s womb? Why didn t you let me die at birth? Job proclaims his despair, and then God comes out of a whirlwind to finally speak to Job. In the final 3 chapters of Job, God lets Job have it. It is written as if they re in a trial court where God is the judge who questions Job, and Job has no one to defend him. Job 38:1 Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind: Job 38:2 Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Or if God were speaking pidgin, He would say, Eh, who went made your mout, da mout that is even able to complain? God says: Job 38:3 Brace yourself, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. (Oh, boy, here comes da judge and no mo get defense lawyer!) Job 38:4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Job 38:5 Do you know how its dimensions were determined and who did the surveying? Job 38:6 What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone Job 38:7 as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Job 38:8 Who defined the boundaries of the sea as it burst from the womb, Job 38:9 and as I clothed it with clouds and thick darkness? God is saying, Okay, people think they have all knowledge and power to question Me, then think again! Job 38:25 Who created a channel for the torrents of rain? Who laid out the path for the lightning? Job 38:26 Who makes the rain fall on barren land, in a desert where no one lives? Job 38:27 Who sends the rain that satisfies the parched ground and makes the tender grass spring up? Job 38:28 Does the rain have a father? Where does dew come from? 4 Job 40:7 Brace yourself, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. Job 40:8 Are you going to discredit my justice and condemn me so you can say you are right? Job 40:9 Are you as strong as God, and can you thunder with a voice like his? Job must have wilted under that, but it was a good wilting because he realized that even in suffering the lesson of the story is that we must still trust God. Even though God allowed the pain we must still trust Him and go to Him because there is no better option. Job 42:1 Then Job replied to the LORD: Job 42:2 I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. Job 42:3 You ask, Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance? It is I. And I was talking about things I did not understand, things far too wonderful for me. Job 42:4 You said, Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. Job 42:5 I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. Job 42:6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance. Job repents by saying, You re right, God. Even in suffering, You re still God. I don t know better than You. I have to trust Your sovereignty and that You do love us, and here on earth we don t have the full picture.
You have a good purpose for me. And what happens in the end? God, the loving, forgiving Father, even though Job is as guilty as heck for challenging the Almighty God, blesses Job! He restores Job s fortunes and gave him twice as much as before. And God blessed Job with 14,0000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 oxen and 1,000 donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. The Bible also says that Job died old and full of days. Can his be true? Would God do that? Would God, the judge, do that when a man really had no or little defense? Would He be that gracious if we repent? The reality is, we have a God who is a loving judge. And if we see human judges being loving, then surely we can see it in God. Let me tell you a true story about a loving judge and a transformed life. I have a friend who is a judge who lives in Hawaii. His name is Michael Town, a circuit court judge who hears criminal court cases. He is a Christ-follower. He knows that on the cross Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins. Not for your sins but for OUR sins. He believes that at the foot of the cross we are all equal. He believes that in God s eyes there are no black judicial robes, criminals, rich people or poor people. At the foot of the cross, he says, we all come before God as sinners needing His grace and a second chance. Michael Town was for years a family court judge, but is now a criminal court judge. Ten years ago, Judge Town, looked down from his bench and saw a man named Roy Yamamoto who had a serious addiction to crystal methamphetamine, a.k.a. ice. Roy faced a possible 40-year prison term for dealing drugs. He had been in prison before. His chances for a second chance were low. In addition, the prosecuting attorney was one of the most successful in town. Roy asked for a second chance. He asked for leniency. He had just come to Christ prior to the trial. Judge Town listened to the evidence and also listened to his heart. Within the guidelines of law, he ruled NOT to put Roy in prison for life but gave him probation. He would be free but under probation. Roy was so grateful that he said to the judge, I will try not to let you down. To which the judge responded, Don t worry about letting me down. Worry about letting God down and this community down. In essence Judge Town was saying the words in 1 John, which is to abide in Christ and to walk as He walked. Roy was so grateful to God and the judge that he went into fulltime ministry as a pastor with New Hope Christian Fellowship working in their prison ministry. Roy led many others to Jesus who is our defense lawyer. Michael Town was the one who taught me the Celtic phrase, the thin times. There are thin times when God is right there. Judge Town told me that Roy had a thin time where Roy felt God and 5 had to decide if he would step up and change or not. That was about 10 years ago. How did the story end? Well, the story doesn t end but continues, but let me share with you an exciting chapter. On September 16 of this year, 10 years or after that court case, Michael Town had a rebirth of his Episcopalian faith and decided to recommit his life to the Lord. He joined New Hope Diamond Head Church, and by doing he needed to be baptized. When he got to the beach, not only was his pastor, Fernando Castillo, there but also who should come out of the crowd to surprise and baptize him? Pastor Roy Yamamoto! They saw each other, cried together and hugged each other. (DVD OF JUDGE MICHAEL TOWN S BEACH BAPTISM IS PLAYED) Baptism is a big thing for us as well. And in our denomination we only have two sacraments: baptism and Communion, which we are about to do. Let s pray.