When the Brook Dries Up

I Kings 17:1-7

One of the most dramatic characters in all of Scripture is the prophet Elijah.

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He seems to appear out of nowhere in the Old Testament during a time period when Israel was ruled by the most wicked King that they had known up to that time.

The King's name was Ahab.

The previous chapter tells us something about this wicked king and his reign.

1Kings 16:29 And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.

30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.
31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

This is the setting for our text.

The nation is led by a wicked man who is incessantly driven to erase the religious roots of his country.

Israel's heritage is rooted in the worship of Jehovah, and Ahab serves Baal.

He has succeeded to a great extent in abolishing the heritage of Israel and has killed off most of the prophets and intimidated most of the worshippers of Jehovah God.

This is where we pick up in verse 1
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READ TEXT
1Kings 17:1  And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.PRAY

I would like you to place yourselves in the sandals of Elijah for a moment.

You have been obedient to the command of God.

You have stepped up and spoken the truth when it was needed.

God has provided a place for you to be nourished.

He has miraculously given water and food, and you have followed His direction.

You sit there by the brook perhaps with your feet in the cool water, feasting on a well-balanced meal carried to you by winged waiters.

There you are, comfortable in the service of God, obedient and fed.

It is not a bad place to be.

You are appreciative of God's provision and confident that He has rewarded your faithfulness.

The truth is, you would be correct.

This is how God works.

Have you been there?

Can you think of how God has blessed your faithfulness to Him?

Can you think of the ways that he has provided for you?

Think of the one most visible way that God has provided for you.

I am speaking of the one thing that seems to be what pays the bills, feeds the family, assures you of God's hand of blessing on your life.

For Elijah, it was the Brook Cherith.

The brook provided shelter and sustenance.

ILL - Lytle Creek

It was that constant reminder, gurgling and splashing God's favor for Elijah.

Then, as the rains had stopped, Elijah began to notice that the stream didn't flow with quite the strength that it once did.

One day, he woke up and all was quiet.
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The brook had dried up.

This was a crisis.

Elijah is now faced with a circumstance that might have shattered the hopes of many a minister.

That one thing that is the most visible sign of God's favor in your life, what would you do if it disappeared?

What would you do if your brook dried up?

This brings us to the imperative that want to set before you this morning.
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Every Minister must trust God when the brook dries up.
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I would like to show you a few clear motivations for obeying this command, and then let us see how Elijah serves as our example in this regard.

1.) Because God brought you to the brook. Vs.2,3
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Remember whose idea the brook was?

Did Elijah see the hole in God's plan and solve that problem himself?

No - God brought Elijah to the brook.

This is essential to trusting God, remembering that all that sustains us is His doing.

Remember how Job continued to trust God even while everything was taken from him?

Job 1:21b "...the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."

This story reminds me of another prophet in the Old Testament, one whose trust in God was not exactly a model of faith.

Jonah 4:6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
8 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.

We have such a tendency to become attached to our brook, to let it become our whole world.

That is a dangerous place to be.

God wants to be your whole world.

He brought you to the brook, He can bring you to another.

He brought you to the brook because He knew it was what was right for you.

If it disappears or dries up, it is not a surprise to Him.

It is His brook!

He can dry it up if He wants to!

Another thing to remember, is that the brook wasn't your only blessing or provision in life.

Look at verse 4 and verse 6.

2.) Because God took care of you by means other than the brook. Vs.4,6
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One thing that we must never forget: you have more than one blessing in this life.

God has poured out a multitude of blessing on you.

If you think not, you need to get your thinking straightened out!

The fact is, God loves you dearly and is constantly thinking of ways to show His love to you.

Psalm 139:17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Your brook may dry up, but it was not the only thing sustaining you.

we just have that human tendency to focus on one thing and think that we can't live without it.

The truth is, the only thing we can't live without is God!

Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

When was the last time you counted your blessings?

That song would serve us all well to remind of the multitude of blessings that He pours out on us every day.

"When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done."

Another important truth is that God is not dependant on the brook.
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3.) Because God doesn't need the brook. Vs.8,9
1Kings 17:8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

God doesn't always have to take care of you in the same way as He always has.

God has taken care of me by many means.

He has cared for me at times by giving my family a home with a huge built-in swimming pool and parents with two incomes.

He has cared for me by leading me to the right dumpster where I found food to bring home to that same family.

That is how I grew up, learning that the brook doesn't always look the same.

God doesn't need a brook.

He can use a widow lady in Zarephath or a cattle rancher in Blue Lake.

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

You may be attached to your brook, but God may have other plans.

Don't limit Him to a brook.

How then can we trust God when the brook dries up?

Elijah gives us a great example with three very powerful practical steps:

1.) By speaking God's truth with courage. Vs.1

The first exhibition of faith and trust in the Lord is in Elijah’s willingness to speak God’s truth with courage.

Clearly, Elijah was delivering God’s message to King Ahab, so he was following God’s command.

Ahab was a vindictive and powerful king with a penchant for killing God’s prophets.

Elijah had everything to lose here.

What if Ahab decided that Elijah should serve as an example to those who disrespect the king?

The only thing that drove Elijah into the king’s presence with the courage to speak the truth was his trust in God.

Let me ask you, how much do you trust God?

Trust is built by exercise.

When was the last time you risked your reputation to speak God’s truth?

When was the last time you spoke up about Jesus, about the gospel when the lost needed to hear it?

I am talking about your friends.

Do you trust God enough to tell your friends about Jesus?

Exercise your trust muscles – speak God’s truth with courage.

2.) By submitting to God's provision. Vs.5

The brook Cherith was not the plushest provision for Elijah.

It met his needs and not much else.

What if Elijah had demanded something nicer?

What if he said, “God I am not sure I want to live like that. Could I get something a little more comfortable?”

This was an exercise of faith for Elijah.

He trusted not only that God would meet his needs at Cherith, but that God would teach him to be satisfied with his provision.

Elijah wasn’t concerned with the provision being lacking, because he knew the God who provided the brook and the ravens.

He knew that God had already thought of everything, and if God had put him there it was enough.

Elijah submitted to God’s provision.

3.) By following God's directions. Vs.10

For a man to be asked to sleep by a brook and live off of God’s provision is one thing.

Some people call that a camping trip.

For a man to be asked to find a helpless woman in a needy land and demand sustenance is another thing altogether.

God’s directions many times go against our pride and our natural tendencies.

You trust in God is revealed by how you follow His directions.

This would have been hard for me.

I think I would have made it at least this far, but it is hard to see myself asking the toiling old woman to fetch me some water.

The temptation would be to find some water and take it to the woman.

What if Elijah had mixed it up a little?

Beloved, God’s directions are not open to interpretation.

He has instructed you to do exactly what you must do, and within the construct of His directions is the provision that He has promised.

Do you trust Him?

Will you follow His directions to the letter?

Let me ask you this, have your impulses or desires ever led you astray?

Now think about this, have God’s directions ever led you astray?

They don’t always make human sense, but they always result in the best outcome.

Follow God’s directions.

Minister of God, are you trusting him when the brook runs dry?

Beloved, have you trusted Him for the salvation of your soul?

The Wise Woman

The Wise Woman


We live in a day in which women have been stripped of the power that was rightfully theirs.

Ironically, it has been in the name of empowerment that this has taken place.

Women that once held absolute sway over the next generation now come home to children that are determined to rule their own lives.

Women that once held the respect of every man by virtue of their gender now are relegated to a status of “equality.”

Women who were once powerful to impact the course of the world have relinquished there place of power to join the workforce.

Children like Abraham Lincoln who were once carefully and lovingly taught Biblical principles by their mothers have been under the tutelage of others who are diametrically opposed to Christian philosophy.

Men who used to survive their mundane 9-5 workday by looking forward to the well-ordered and loving home, to which they would return at night, now worry that they are losing touch with their families.

Women have come a long way, but it has been at the expense of their own empowerment and value.

God has a better plan for women today.

He wrote it all down and preserved it so that we might never lose sight of the ideal woman.

It is His desire that the woman that He designed take her rightful place in the world.

That is a special place of honor and power that no man can fill.

It is a place that is characterized by beauty and wisdom.

Today I would like to focus specifically on the latter, as I am ill-equipped to help you with the former.

The Word of God draws a distinctive correlation between the concept of wisdom and the woman.

In the book of Proverbs, in which you will find the foolish woman and the wise woman in great contrast, Wisdom is personified as a woman.

As a woman, I believe you are endowed with a special capacity for wisdom and also with the unique opportunity to impact the world with wisdom.

As a woman, you should pray for God to give you wisdom.

You must seek after it, hold on to it, and carefully use it to impact your world.

Our text this morning is primarily motivation for you to seek after wisdom.

You desperately need it, because the world desperately needs you.

One of the passages in Proverbs speaks of the characteristics of the wise woman.

Specifically, we see her activities in the home.

READ TEXT

Proverbs 14:1

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

PRAY

Our text reveals the two basic contrasting activities of two types of women.

The first woman is the woman that is characterized by wisdom.

She sees the world from God’s point of view.

She has asked for and has been granted a special insight into the consequences of her actions, and she has determined to act wisely.

She holds the knowledge and thereby the power to impact her world and her home for the better.

What an amazing and succinct observation about the activities of a wise woman!

She is occupied with the building of her household.

Her constructive activity is the standard to which women in our world should aspire.

Our society rose to its peak on the institution of the family.

It is built on the basic foundation of the nuclear household.

The wise woman in our text occupies herself with constructing and strengthening the foundation of her society.

What an important and meaningful existence!

Ladies, you must seek for wisdom so that you might build your household.

In the same text we see a negative contrast.

We see the foolish woman that is using her power and position to tear down instead of build.

The power of a woman’s tongue is seen here in its most negative light as it is wielded by a foolish woman.

Consequently, she plucks down the very structure that would have given her the most power and influence available to her.

That structure that would give her a worldwide impact is none other than her own home.

Ladies you have the power to make a difference in this world by building your home.

How can this be done?

How can you stabilize your household?

Proverbs 24:3 gives us the answer:

Proverbs 24:3
Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

How can a woman infuse value and true wealth into her home?

I am not speaking of financial wealth because that is fleeting and deceptive.

The next verse answers this question:

Proverbs 24:4
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

It all comes back to a desperate need for wisdom.

It all comes back to a wise woman.

It may seem that I am preaching directly to the women this morning, but men your understanding of the value of a woman is essential.

Her wisdom is what you need to be whole.

Her understanding is the secret to a healthy home.

You need her to have this wisdom.

You need her to wield this power.

You should not be threatened by her power to impact the home – you should long for it.

You should relish being a part of her exaltation to this position.

You can help her get there by praying for her, encouraging her and fulfilling your place of leadership so that she can answer her calling to wisdom.

Ladies, Let me petition you this morning to seek God’s wisdom.

James gives us some clear and practical advice to follow when we need wisdom.

James 1:5
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Ask God

This means you realize that you don’t have what you need in and of yourself.

This means you recognize God to be the source of what you need.

Believe in God

This means you know Him to be a loving and generous God.

This means you know Him to be an able and powerful God.

Commit to God

This means you have determined that His way is best.

This means that you have surrendered all selfish or worldly desires.

While this is a formula for getting the wisdom that you need, it is similar to the way we approach God for salvation.

We must believe in Him for salvation

It is with a heart of asking that we approach him for salvation

The repentance that takes place in our hearts indicates an intention to leave our sins behind and turn to him as Saviour.

In a sense, this is a commitment that we make to Him.

The beauty of it is that it is His commitment to us that saves us.

Will you accept Him as your Saviour today?

BEHOLD YOUR KING

BEHOLD YOUR KING

John 19:1-22

Our text this morning picks up where we left off last week, in the Judgment hall of Pilate’s court.

You will remember that it is Passover day and the Jewish temple priests and the Pharisees are waiting outside the court.

They are trying to avoid any unwilling contact with an unclean Gentile that would disqualify them from observing the Passover meal later that evening.

You will also remember that last week we studied the exchange that took place between Jesus and Pilate, in which Jesus witnesses to Pilate of His identity and purpose.

You will recall that Pilate was particularly concerned with the accusation that Jesus claimed to be a king.

Jesus had arrested Pilate’s attention and made the conversation personal before answering Pilate’s question, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world.”

Jesus had then challenged Pilate to accept the truth of His identity, to which challenge Pilate scoffed and stormed from the room lest Jesus see the conviction in his eyes.

The crowd outside was still intent on crucifying Jesus, so Pilate tried one more tactic, which is where we pick up in Chapter 19 today.

READ TEXT

PRAY

There is a singular theme throughout this account, the idea and the claim that Jesus is a king.

In the previous chapter we found that Jesus had substantiated that claim, but had explained it, in a way, to Pilate that had satisfied the Roman judge that Jesus’ claim was not an illegal claim, nor a threat to the Roman Empire.

It was, however, Pilate’s tool to turn the event around and mock the Jews that had brought Jesus to him.

Pilate also clearly had it in mind that he might satisfy the Jews with something short of crucifixion.

This eventually led to more suffering than either option would normally entail.

We saw in verse 1 that, even though under conviction, Pilate had hardened his heart against the truth of Christ’s identity and showed little concern for human dignity and life as he sentenced Jesus to be scourged.

The scourging to which Jesus is sentenced here is particularly brutal, and the Roman soldiers to which Pilate commend Jesus are cruel and hard.

They took special pleasure in beating this Jewish “king” and made the most of their opportunity to hurt him.

In verse 2 we saw those same soldiers making a crown, laced from the thorns of an unfriendly vine.

They crown him unceremoniously with this homemade wreath and then wrap him in an old soldier’s cape of Roman army issue.

Then, with this rough maroon robe hanging from his torn and mangle back and a wreath of thorns pressed down over his forehead, the soldier mocked him.

In verse 3 we se that they beat and tortured Jesus while mocking his kingship.

This went on until Pilate interrupted their sadistic fun.

It is in verse 4 that we see Pilate present his option to crucifixion:

He calls for the soldiers to bring him their beaten prisoner if he can still walk.

He reminds the Jewish crowd that in this man he has found no fault at all.

In verse 5 Jesus is pushed forward into view of the crowd.

They can see that he has been tortured, beaten and mocked.

He is still wearing the old soldier’s coat and the thorns have been imbedded into his brow.

Pilate encourages the crowd to look closely at the pathetic sight in front of them.

“Behold the Man!”

Having orchestrated this whole presentation, Pilate is now hoping that the crowd will recoil in horror at the suffering that is embodied in Jesus, and lose their thirst for more blood.

He has underestimated the forces that flow through the crowd that day.

Verse 6 rings with the sound of the temple authorities screaming as if possessed, “Crucify him, crucify him.”

Even hardened Pilate is sickened by their brutality and turns away with resignation.

Wanting no part in the crucifixion of Jesus, he tells the crowd to do it themselves, knowing that the Roman law forbade it.

Still the crowd is not satisfied.

They too know of the Roman prohibition and they have temple business to attend to.

The lambs were already lining up at the temple for them to slay this afternoon in preparation for the Passover feast.

In desperation the Chief Priests explain that Jesus must die by their law.

They reveal what it is that has riled them up so violently: Jesus had claimed to be the Son of God.

This last shout from the Chief Priest catches Pilate as he is walking away.

He stops in his tracks.

Verse 8 reveals that this statement put more fear than ever into Pilate’s heart.

It is most likely that Pilate was a loose adherent to Roman polytheism.

He believed in the pagan notion that there were many gods, some of whom procreated regularly and whose progeny would often visit the earth.

He knew the stories of misery that were supposedly because someone had angered the gods.

If this man was a son of one of the gods, he could be getting himself into real trouble.

Pilate rushes into the judgment hall and confronts Jesus again.

In Verse 9, Pilate is asking Jesus where he is from.

Jesus stands silence, perhaps focusing on breathing after such a beating he has undergone.

He knows that Pilate is on the wrong track, and his question is not worthy of an answer.

Verse 10 shows that even when he is scared, Pilate is not used to being ignored.

His anger creeps into his voice as he demands a response from Jesus.

He reminds Jesus that he has the authority to crucify or release Him.

To this Jesus reacts.

Verse 11 is Jesus’ answer to Pilate, a reminder in itself of the authority that He has over Pilate.

Not for an instant will Jesus relinquish His claim to Kingship.

It is His.

It is Who He is.

He may surrender to great suffering and humiliation for love of His subjects, but he will never surrender His Kingship.

Jesus gives Pilate some small consolation, in that, the greater sin is by the mob that has forced Pilate’s hand in this matter.

In Verse 12, Pilate appears before the crowd again seeking to release Jesus from custody and be done with this injustice.

The crowd threatens Pilate to gain their end.

They make it very clear that they will report to Caesar of Pilate’s disloyalty.

This does finally force Pilate’s hand, and he calls for Jesus to be brought out yet again.

Verse 13 opens up on the final scene of the trial, as Pilate steps into the judgment seat and has his prisoner dragged forward for sentencing.

Verse 14 reminds us of the coming events of Passover and the shortness of time to the slaying of the sacrificial lambs at the temple.

It also contains Pilate’s mocking cry, “Behold your King!”

It is this cry to which I would direct your attention this morning.

Pilate was convinced of Jesus innocence, but buckled under the pressure of insurrection to crucify Him.

Throughout the whole trial, Jesus had never given up His claim to be King, and Pilate gives Him that claim in his death.

He presents Him as King at sentencing.

In Verse 15 Pilate refers to Jesus as King again, mocking those Jews who had brought Him.

In Verse 16 the sentencing is over and the prisoner is being drug away to be crucified.

Verse 17 summarizes the scene of Jesus dragging his own cross toward Golgotha.

Verse 18 reminds us of the scene of the three crosses that stood on that hillside, with Jesus in the middle.

Finally, we see Pilate’s parting shot to the Jewish elite:

Verse 19, 20 reveals the claim that was written in three languages for all to see: JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS

Verse 21: The Chief Priests were not happy with this and tried to get Pilate to change the wording.

Verse 22: Our text concludes with Pilate’s statement, “What I have written I have written.”

This morning my challenge to you is to accept the Kingship of Jesus.

We can all picture Jesus suffering on the cross, and we are affected by the great love that motivated Him to suffer and die.

We can all see the silent prisoner in the face of accusations, because it was our sins that were laid on Him, and He was taking our guilt.

We all accept the suffering person of Jesus, but have you ever noticed that Jesus never relinquished His claim to Kingship?

While He has offered Himself as your only Saviour, He will never be satisfied as less than your King.

It is so easy for us to rule our own lives, and to make our own decisions, with the hope pf someday living forever with Him in Heaven.

But have you ever thought that you will be living with the One Whose Kingship you have rejected by not submitting to His rule?

It is time now to submit to His Kingship.

You and I have had enough time on the throne of our lives.

Let Him take His rightful place.

What is it that He is asking of you?

Is it a sin that you have held onto even though you are His subject?

Is it an attitude of rebellion to the authorities that He has placed in your life?

Is it a failure to be faithful to His word or His church?

Perhaps you have never accepted Him as Saviour.

If this is the case, you can submit to His kingship today, and be assured of your place with Him in eternity.

What Is Truth?

What Is Truth?

John 18:28-40

Our text picks up after the arrest of Jesus in the Garden and after Jesus was tried by the Sanhedrin.

In order to understand the setting you must remember that Jesus was not observing the Feast of Passover when He instituted the Lord's Supper.

Rather, Jesus was arrested in the middle of the night before Passover Day which fell on Wednesday of that year.

After His arrest He was tried and harrassed under the darkness of night by the Sanhedrin and the High priests.

As soon as the sun broke on Passover Day, the priests and the Pharisees drug Jesus to the hall of Judgement to be tried by the Roman authorities.

The reason for this was they were intent on Jesus being crucified and shamed as only Rome was allowed to do.

Their limited authority would not allow them to crucify a criminal, so they brought Jesus to Pilate.

READ TEXT

PRAY

The Priests' and Pharisees' aversion to enter the Gentile court sets the stage for this personal dialogue between Jesus and Pilate.

Normally the accusers would stand in the same hall and hurl their accusations.

The formalities of the normal proceedings would have certainly squelched any desire that Pilate may have had to know more about the accused.

However, with the events of Passover looming, the accusers insisted on staying out of the gentile court lest they be defiled and not be able to observe the Passover meal that night.

So Pilate is alone with the prisoner and takes the opportunity to question him more fully.

During this questioning we see Pilate trying to maintain an emotional distance from Jesus.

He has some pride and, as a Roman authority figure, doesn't want to appear too interested in this Jew.

On the other hand we see Jesus drawing him into the conversation, controlling the flow of the dialogue.

It struck me for the first time, having read the events of this chapter many hundreds of times, that Jesus is reaching out to Pilate!

He is seeking to reveal Himself to the one who, He knew, would condemn Him to death.

The most striking part of the conversation is when Jesus makes the claim about His relationship to the truth, and Pilate jerks his head up.

He's never felt this before, a burning feeling of conviction in his own heart!

He thought he was just enjoying another of many philosophical conversations about religious beliefs, when suddenly Jesus brought him to the point of deciding whether he would embrace truth if it stood before him.

The feeling was uncomfortable and Pilate reacted the way many do when faced with such a choice... He ran.

He closed the conversation with the first smart-alec comment that came to his mind and exited the judgment hall.

I wonder if, over the next couple of days Pilate concerned himself with how that conversation ended.

He most likely went over it repeatedly, like you and I do when we are involved in a debate or argument.

Should he have waited for an answer to his question?

Did he want an answer?

Was he more comfortable seeking for truth as an elusive and unattainable goal, or was he really seeking for truth?

Jesus brought Pilate to a decisive moment and, in that moment, Pilate failed.

Through the preserved pages of Scripture, Jesus is bringing you and me to the same decisive moment.

Every Person Must Embrace The Truth

1. Because some mean to distract you from the truth. (V33 the question was not Pilate's question)

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Today the doctrine of tolerance pervades our society as the highest attainable goal in philosophical pursuit.

It is a red herring.

Truth is attainable.

Settle for nothing less.

Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

2.) Because there is a penalty for failing to embrace the truth.

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 ¶ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

(Illustration: Noyo Bridge)

3.) Because Truth Exists.

Relativism is self-contradictory, for if all beliefs have merit, and I believe relativism to be utterly false, then either my belief has merit, and relativism is false, or my belief has no merit and relativism is false.

“The Truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”

(Illustration: The earth rotates on its axis as it revolves around the sun.)

HOW THEN CAN WE EMBRACE THE TRUTH?

1.) By Hearing Jesus Christ's Testimony: V33-35

Pilate changed his question to the one he would have asked if he had not been under the influence of the mob outside: "what hast thou done?"

We must be willing to listen to the testimony of Christ if we are to make a decision about truth.

Jesus was always pointing out the unwillingness of people to hear him:

John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

He takes a singularly intolerant position here, but truth does not change for sake of comfort - it is truth, and must be heard.

The testimony of Christ is simple:

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

This brings us to our second practical step towards embracing the truth:

2.) By Believing Jesus Christ's Identity: V36-37

Jesus claimed here to be a King, but not just any king.

He claimed to be a King of a spiritual kingdom.

It was his purpose to set up a spiritual kingdom in the hearts of men.

This is a kingdom that is above all other kingdoms.

As a King in the heart of a man - He has the first say.

He is a King of Kings.

I Timothy 6:13 ¶ I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Believing Jesus Christ's Identity means to be wholly submitted to His Kingship above all other influences or authorities.

Lastly, we come to the unanswered question of Pilate, the key phrase in this dialogue:

Pilate asked the question that came to his mind, because he had been bested in the dialogue with the Son of God.

It was a question that, even as it reach his mouth, scared him to speak it, so he laced it with sarcasm and then left lest Jesus answer it.

What is truth?

I want to challenge you to ask the same question, but do not leave the room before you get an answer.

3.) By Surrendering to Jesus Christ's Answer: V38

The truth is simple in that it is limited to that which Christ affirms, and yet it is complex as it applies to every facet of our lives.

So often we enter the presence of God with a quest for guidance, then, as we suspect what that guidance may be, we hurry away.

In doing so we are no better than Pontius Pilate, who would not surrender to the answer of Christ.

I challenge you to set aside your preconceived ideas and open the Word of God with a surrendered heart.

I am not asking you simply to believe me, but to believe God.

If you have come here today, with a question in your heart about how you might have a relationship with God, let me challenge you to stay around for the answer.

God has said, "there is none righteous, no not one."

God has said, "the wages of sin is death."

We need salvation!

God has said, Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Won't you embrace the truth this morning?

Child of God, I know how difficult it is to surrender to the answer of Christ, but there is great comfort in knowing that you have embraced the truth.

m� N s a @ � P� font-size:14.0pt'>Then we all saw the same great Saviour whose gift of eternal life we have accepted.

When we were without strength Christ died for the ungodly.

Now we are family.

We meet together, pray together, weep together, rejoice together and we stand beside each other in the spiritual warfare of this life.

We would be pleased of you would join us.

The Cause For Which We Fight

Nehemiah 4

Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a day that has been set aside to honor those who have died in the service of the American military.

Any time we focus on the brave and heroic actions of our soldiers, we are stricken by the generosity of a man laying down his life for a cause greater than himself.

Many have asked the question, "What would motivate a man to fight and die in battle?"

It may seem that soldiers have given their lives for the idea of American principles.

It may seem that they believe so firmly in the American ideal that they are fighting bravely to defend it.

While this may have had some bearing on their enlistment, it is not why they fight so fiercely on the battlefield, nor why they sacrifice their lives.

Others have posited that soldiers fight so that they might receive a paycheck and are thereby out for their own profit.

Certainly, if this were the case, they would flee at the first sign of danger, but they don't.

They advance, and they work, and they fight, and they sacrifice regardless of the fact that their paycheck is minimal at best.

What is it that keeps them fighting in the midst of the battle?

Numerous studies have been done.

Many books have been written.

Hundreds of interviews have been taken, all with the same answer:

The soldier in the field fights for his fellow soldiers in the field.

They may have entered the forces with motivations of patriotism.

They may have entered the military with the idea that they would get ahead financially, but when the bullets are flying and the bombs are exploding there is only one thing that keeps them from turning around and running.

It is the preservation of the buddies beside them.

This morning I want to challenge you to change the way you think about church.

I want to challenge the way you think about Christianity.

The Word of God frames the definition of the church as a military unit in a spiritual warfare.

We must grow out of the idea that we are going to church to listen to a man preach.

If that is the case, and your sole motivation, you will not think twice about catching the sermon on the internet or staying home and watching some TV preacher instead.

We must remember that our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are there, and they need us beside them.

The battle is raging and I cannot leave my comrades alone.

I will sacrifice my own personal feelings to stand beside my fellow soldiers and encourage them and strengthen them, and together we will march home in victory.

Our text this morning comes from a story in the Old Testament of God's people building the walls of Jerusalem.

It is similar in principle to the task that we have as Christians to win the lost and build the church.

I would direct your special attention to the motive that is given to the people who are building the walls in the face of attack.

READ TEXT

Nehemiah 4:1 ¶ But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.

2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?

3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:

5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.

6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

7 ¶ But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,

8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.

9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.

13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

16 ¶ And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.

18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.

20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.

21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.

23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.

PRAY

Every Christian Must Fight for Their Brothers and Sisters in Christ. V14

Because of those who mock what Christians do. V 1-3

By Praying for Deliverance. V 4-5

II Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

Because of the concentrated efforts to undermine Christian work. V 7,8

By Watching out for each other constantly. V 9

I Peter 5:8 ¶ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Because of the danger of fear and despair. V 10-12

By Joining each other in the work. V 13-15

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

If you are here today and you do not know what it is like to be a part of a church, let me let you in on a little secret.

We are just like you.

We have the same trials, the same burdens, the same struggles as you.

But we have each other.

It is not that we have found our salvation in each other, but rather that we have found our salvation in the same Saviour.

This is what unites us.

We have all reached a point in our lives where we recognized the Bible to be true when it said:

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

We looked with despair upon the penalty of sin:

"The wages of sin is death."

"Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire."

Then we all saw the same great Saviour whose gift of eternal life we have accepted.

When we were without strength Christ died for the ungodly.

Now we are family.

We meet together, pray together, weep together, rejoice together and we stand beside each other in the spiritual warfare of this life.

We would be pleased of you would join us.

The Wise Woman

We live in a day in which women have been stripped of the power that was rightfully theirs.

Ironically, it has been in the name of empowerment that this has taken place.

Women that once held absolute sway over the next generation now come home to children that are determined to rule their own lives.

Women that once held the respect of every man by virtue of their gender now are relegated to a status of “equality.”

Women who were once powerful to impact the course of the world have relinquished there place of power to join the workforce.

Children like Abraham Lincoln who were once carefully and lovingly taught Biblical principles by their mothers have been under the tutelage of others who are diametrically opposed to Christian philosophy.

Men who used to survive their mundane 9-5 workday by looking forward to the well-ordered and loving home, to which they would return at night, now worry that they are losing touch with their families.

Women have come a long way, but it has been at the expense of their own empowerment and value.

God has a better plan for women today.

He wrote it all down and preserved it so that we might never lose sight of the ideal woman.

It is His desire that the woman that He designed take her rightful place in the world.

That is a special place of honor and power that no man can fill.

It is a place that is characterized by beauty and wisdom.

Today I would like to focus specifically on the latter, as I am ill-equipped to help you with the former.

The Word of God draws a distinctive correlation between the concept of wisdom and the woman.

In the book of Proverbs, in which you will find the foolish woman and the wise woman in great contrast, Wisdom is personified as a woman.

As a woman, I believe you are endowed with a special capacity for wisdom and also with the unique opportunity to impact the world with wisdom.

As a woman, you should pray for God to give you wisdom.

You must seek after it, hold on to it, and carefully use it to impact your world.

Our text this morning is primarily motivation for you to seek after wisdom.

You desperately need it, because the world desperately needs you.

One of the passages in Proverbs speaks of the characteristics of the wise woman.

Specifically, we see her activities in the home.

READ TEXT

Proverbs 14:1

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

PRAY

Our text reveals the two basic contrasting activities of two types of women.

The first woman is the woman that is characterized by wisdom.

She sees the world from God’s point of view.

She has asked for and has been granted a special insight into the consequences of her actions, and she has determined to act wisely.

She holds the knowledge and thereby the power to impact her world and her home for the better.

What an amazing and succinct observation about the activities of a wise woman!

She is occupied with the building of her household.

Her constructive activity is the standard to which women in our world should aspire.

Our society rose to its peak on the institution of the family.

It is built on the basic foundation of the nuclear household.

The wise woman in our text occupies herself with constructing and strengthening the foundation of her society.

What an important and meaningful existence!

Ladies, you must seek for wisdom so that you might build your household.

In the same text we see a negative contrast.

We see the foolish woman that is using her power and position to tear down instead of build.

The power of a woman’s tongue is seen here in its most negative light as it is wielded by a foolish woman.

Consequently, she plucks down the very structure that would have given her the most power and influence available to her.

That structure that would give her a worldwide impact is none other than her own home.

Ladies you have the power to make a difference in this world by building your home.

How can this be done?

How can you stabilize your household?

Proverbs 24:3 gives us the answer:

Proverbs 24:3

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

How can a woman infuse value and true wealth into her home?

I am not speaking of financial wealth because that is fleeting and deceptive.

The next verse answers this question:

Proverbs 24:4

And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

It all comes back to a desperate need for wisdom.

It all comes back to a wise woman.

It may seem that I am preaching directly to the women this morning, but men your understanding of the value of a woman is essential.

Her wisdom is what you need to be whole.

Her understanding is the secret to a healthy home.

You need her to have this wisdom.

You need her to wield this power.

You should not be threatened by her power to impact the home – you should long for it.

You should relish being a part of her exaltation to this position.

You can help her get there by praying for her, encouraging her and fulfilling your place of leadership so that she can answer her calling to wisdom.

Ladies, Let me petition you this morning to seek God’s wisdom.

James gives us some clear and practical advice to follow when we need wisdom.

James 1:5

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Ask God

This means you realize that you don’t have what you need in and of yourself.

This means you recognize God to be the source of what you need.

Believe in God

This means you know Him to be a loving and generous God.

This means you know Him to be an able and powerful God.

Commit to God

This means you have determined that His way is best.

This means that you have surrendered all selfish or worldly desires.

While this is a formula for getting the wisdom that you need, it is similar to the way we approach God for salvation.

We must believe in Him for salvation

It is with a heart of asking that we approach him for salvation

The repentance that takes place in our hearts indicates an intention to leave our sins behind and turn to him as Saviour.

In a sense, this is a commitment that we make to Him.

The beauty of it is that it is His commitment to us that saves us.

Will you accept Him as your Saviour today?