“BLESSINGS…GETTING
THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.”
INTRODUCTION:
u THE
AGE OF “ME”
A. Even
the casual observer of our American lifestyle would not have to look very long
until he becomes aware of the “self” focus of the culture.
1. It has
been intensified by the bombardment of media advertising and programming:
a. “You deserve a break today, so get out and
get away to McDonalds.”
b. You
can “Have it your way” at
Burger King.
c. Loreal reminds every woman that she deserves the best with
the words, “I’m worth it!”
d. The
car salesman shouts, “Do we have a deal
for you!”
e. We
hear constantly the results of polls, which many believe are synonymous with
truth:
1) The
“polls” when the ten spies returned with their report were certainly not
true
and clearly did not reflect what was right!
2. The
success motivators bombard us with the message, “You can get everything you want out of life!”
a. And
what they have in mind is (as another commercial wails),“money, money, money, moonneeeyyy!”
v SPIRITUAL
CONSEQUENCE OF SELF FOCUS
A. Religion
is here to satisfy personal wants and expectations!
B. Religion
has often capitulated to culture and focuses on “meeting the felt needs” of people to attract larger and larger numbers!
1. Computer
language is often used: “We try to be a
‘user friendly’ church.”
2. Even though Paul says, Rom
12:1.
C. The
modern cry is, “What do you have to offer
me?” instead of “What does God expect
of me?” and “What must I offer to God?”
1. In
other words, “I want the blessing that costs me nothing!”
2. Isn’t
it ironic that couples marry today and often expect to start
out in the same kind of home, with the same kind
of
automobile and the same lifestyle
that
it took their parents a lifetime to achieve!
Ž What
is the truth? Are the blessings of God CONDITIONAL/UNCONDITIONAL?
A. The
Bible speaks a great deal of promises and blessings:
1. Eph 1:3. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed
us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”
2. II Pet 1:4. “…he granted to us his precious and very great promises that
through them you
may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that
is in the world because of sinful desire.”
B. But
the question is: Do the blessings come first and then the expectations of God
or visa versa?
C. Let’s
examine four O.T. examples that will help us determine whether blessings are
conditional or unconditional.
1. All of
these are quite familiar, but we often forget their message when the world and
modern religion says something different!
DISCUSSION:
THE BRAZEN SERPENT, Num. 21.
A. Sin
& Consequence -
1.
2. Vs 4-6.
B. Repentance
& Deliverance -
1. Vs 7-8
a. Was
their deliverance by God’s grace? Yes!
1) “Make a fiery (bronze) serpent and set it on
a pole…”
b. Was
their deliverance based on their terms or God’s? God’s!
1) “…and everyone who is bitten, when he
sees it shall live…”
c. Was the blessing, according to God’s
promise, given before or after they obeyed
the condi-tion?! After!!
k THE CONQUEST OF
A. V 2. “See, I have given
1. The city was a gift—an act of grace!
B. But
was it given conditionally or unconditionally?
1. V 3-5. “You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the
city once. Thus shall you do for six days. Seven
priests shall bear seven trumpets of ramps horns before the ark. On the seventh
day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the
trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear
the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall shall fall down flat, and
the people shall go up straight everyone straight before him.”
2. What
happened when they marched around the city once each day? Were they
given the city? No!
3. What
happened when they had marched around the city one each day for six days?
Were they given the city? No!
4. What
happened when they had marched around the city one each day for six days,
and seven times on the seventh day? Was the city theirs? No!
5. Only
when the trumpets were sounded and the people shouted with a great shout
did God bless them with
l THE HEALING OF NAAMAN, II Kings 5.
A. Mighty man…given
victory…LEPER!
B. Samaritan
servant girl…”Would that my Lord were with the prophet who is in
C. Naaman’s
journey & the letter to the king…
1. The
king was distraught and tore his clothes saying, “Am I God to kill and to make alive that his man sends word to me to
cure a man of leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with
me.” (V 7)
E. Elisha sent word to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may
know that there is a prophet (OF GOD) in
F. Elisha’s
instruction: 7 times in the Jordon!
1. Pride,
anger and rebellion!
a. Personified
wisdom declares, “Pride and arrogance and
the way of evil and perverted speech I hate…” (Prov
8:13)
b. Prov 16:18. “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty
spirit before a fall.”
c. I Pet 5:5, 6. “’God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” (A direct
quote from the LXX and then Peter’s application of the passage): “Humble yourselves, therefore,
under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper
time he may exalt you.”
2. Naaman’s “I thought…”
3. Naaman’s plan, “Are
not Abana and Pharpar…”
4.
Humble Repentance,
submissive obedience and then Divine blessing!
G. BUT
was Naaman cleansed of his leprosy when he dipped
once…twice…thrice…four times…five…six…? NO!
1. It was
only when he did what God
commanded that he was blessed by God’s message of grace!
m THE APPLICATION
A. Does
God’s grace negate man’s obedient response? NO!
1. In baptism –
a. In Mark
16:16, does salvation come before or after baptism? AFTER!
b. In Acts
2:38, does forgiveness of sins come before or after baptism? AFTER!
c. In I
John 1:6-9, can fellowship with God…cleansing of the blood of
Christ…salvation) without living the Christian life?