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"And it came to pass, after
the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David
sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed
the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed,
and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a
woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And
David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba,
the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers,
and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was
purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. And the
woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child."
(2 Samuel 11:1-5)
We first meet David in I Samuel 16, and for 25 chapters, we read the story
of a man that went from victory to victory. He had some minor setbacks,
but for 28 years he sailed on in his conquests for God. If he was 17 years
old when he slew Goliath, he would probably be about 45 years old when he
met up with Bathsheba. Some would say that he was just about the right age
for a mid-life crisis.
The nation was solidly behind him. The family of King Saul, who were rivals
for the throne, had been discredited and defeated. Many of the enemies of
Israel had been defeated on the field of battle. His wisdom, fairness, and
bravery was well known to his own people and the enemy. The ark of God had
finally been brought up to Jerusalem, where it would remain as the nation's
place of sacrifice and worship. David had manifested a great desire to build
the temple in Jerusalem. Even though God would never enable him to do this,
the promise was made by God that David's son would build this marvelous
structure.
The Lord promised him that his house, kingdom and throne would be established
forever. "And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for
ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever." (2 Samuel
7:16)
The nation was in a state of prosperity. The people were happy. The
future was as bright as the promises of God, but all of that was about to
change. Certain events were about to unfold that would mar his life and
bring disaster to his reign. The kingdom would suffer, and the sword would
never depart from David's house.
In the past he personally led the troops
into battle. It was "the time when kings go forth to battle...."
David did not go, but sent Joab and his servants, "but David tarried
still at Jerusalem." It has been said that power corrupts, and
that absolute power corrupts absolutely. When a great leader finds that
he can loaf whenever he wants to, and there are many people who are willing
to do his bidding, it can be a dangerous thing. With time to have an idle
mind, and many people fawning over him, it is easy to justify the sins of
the flesh.
David had never shirked his duty before. He had protected his father's sheep
from the lions and bears. He volunteered to fight Goliath when none of the
experienced soldiers of Israel would do so. He had led his men faithfully
while being hunted like a wild beast by King Saul. He had shown restraint
in all of this, and refused to harm Saul in any way. He had fought the Philistines
and won, both as a General under Saul, and as King of Israel.
The devil had failed to destroy him on many occasions, but now he is ripe
for destruction. The devil has located his Achilles heel, and though he
cannot destroy the King, he can mar his life forever. He had battled and
won over all of his enemies, but the flesh has not been conquered.
David was not the first ruler to suffer a defeat in this manner, and he
certainly has not been the last one. Modern day political leaders have many
times fallen into the same trap. Some have not been found out until they
left office, but their place in history will forever be marred by their
record.
Pastors who are men of leadership in their churches, are subject to the same disaster. When the Church was small and struggling, the pastor along with his wife may do it all. He may sweep the building, and clean the commodes. He does the office work and puts out the weekly bulletin. He and his wife may hit the streets, going from door to door, seeking prospects and winning the lost. The Church grows and prospers. There is now a janitor to take care of the building, and secretaries to put out the bulletin. Sunday School teachers and staff members do the visitation. Times are better, the offerings are better, and excuses for loafing come easier day by day. This is a dangerous time, and one that may lead to disaster.
Members of the Church have the same
temptations. Prosperity and blessing comes from the Lord. The salary is
better. A good car is obtained and a nicer and larger house becomes home.
Middle age is approaching, or perhaps old age, and there is more leisure
time to think about other things. Temptation comes knocking at the door,
and will there be strength to resist? There may not be if the prayer life,
Bible study, and worship of God has not been properly taken care of.
Beware of forsaking working for a living. Beware of forsaking the Church,
the house of God, and the pillar and ground of the truth. Beware of forsaking
family worship and family duties, for it may lead to total disaster.
He looked where he should not have
looked. He had the opportunity
to turn his head, and thus to "Abstain from all appearance of evil."
(1 Thess. 5:22) Instead, he continued to look upon a beautiful woman
and see what no man had a right to see, except her husband. Lust is promoted
in our day, and many think nothing of it, but we need to remember the words
of the Lord Jesus. "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on
a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his
heart." (Matt. 5:28) A man is susceptible to this sin and should
ever guard against it. It is always appropriate to follow the teaching of
our Lord concerning this sin, or any other sin. "Watch and pray,
that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the
flesh is weak." (Matt. 26:41)
The example of Job, is always a good plan to follow. "I made
a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" (Job
31:1)
The Bible warns us about the lust of the eyes. "For all that
is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." (1 John
2:16) "Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take
thee with her eyelids." (Prov. 6:25)
Hollywood through television and the movies promote the very thing that God condemns. The whole entertainment world is given over to the exalting of near nakedness, which promotes lust and the destruction of precious lives. Debauchery and shame is the result, and a whole generation of our youth have been lost. People sit before television, with their children, and watch the promotion of lust and immorality. A few years ago they would have turned it off, instead they watch and get turned on. Many of these people go to church on Sunday, but sin has hardened them to the truth and to the work of the Holy Spirit. Churches become worldly and powerless, but few seem to care.
David of course cannot be vindicated
by condemning Bathsheba. Nevertheless, she must bear some of the blame for
this immoral disaster. She could have surely found some private place to
bathe, where she would not have been seen from the roof top of another house.
After all, the roof top of a home served as a refuge from the heat in the
evening.
The Bible teaches that a woman is to be modest and discreet, and Bathsheba
was neither of these. It is sad to see women display their bodies in a way
that promotes the lust of man. There is such a thing as the attire of a
harlot. "And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an
harlot, and subtil of heart." (Prov. 7:10) There are both men and
women that walk about with wanton eyes. "Moreover the LORD saith,
Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth
necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling
with their feet." (Isa. 3:16)
The Bible admonishes women that they are "to be discreet and
chaste...." (Titus 2:5) "Chaste" means pure from carnality,
chaste, and modest. Modest apparel should be the rule rather than the exception
as it is today. "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves
in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair,
or gold, or pearls, or costly array." (1 Tim. 2:9)
One of the most difficult tasks that
a pastor faces, is to be able to persuade women to dress modestly. Even among Independent Fundamental Baptist
churches, immodesty is a real problem. Many preachers say little about it
any more. Women listen to the low life immoral clothes designers rather
than listen to the pastor and the Word of God. The top clothing designers
are either homosexuals, or people with no morals. (If anyone has any different
information, please let me know). They design clothing that makes women
look sexy, which causes men to lust after them. These are the people that
design the clothing that Christian women wear, and yes, even to church.
When you go into a Baptist Church and the women are wearing short skirts,
low necked dresses, sleeveless dresses, and pants, you know that something
is drastically wrong. There are plenty of so-called Baptist churches where
women and girls come to various activities dressed in shorts. I shudder
to think what it will be like a few years from now.
Honest men will admit that this promotes
lust. They know what men think when they see women dressed in this
manner. Yet, they allow their wives and their daughters to dress in this
manner. If men would be men, and take a stand, something could be done about
all this. If they would be willing to take their wives shopping to buy a
decent wardrobe, they just might be able to persuade them to get rid of
their immodest apparel.
When men are dressing like women, and women are dressing like men, there
is real confusion in the land. No wonder there are so many homosexuals
and lesbians today. When a daddy has longer hair than mommy, and is wearing
an earring, no wonder the little boys are confused about what they are supposed
to be. Many men seem to want to have the feminine look. When a mother is
dressed in pants, and is doing her best to look like a man, she does not
present a feminine image for her little girls to follow. The children start
wearing immodest and sexy clothing while they are young. They become enticers
of the ungodly child molesters. Children who grow up in immodest clothing,
will most likely continue this manner of dress all the days of their lives.
Just today in a cafeteria, I noticed a grouchy looking man, walking along
in his long hair. Behind him walked a woman in dirty tight jeans. Behind
them trudged a miserable looking little girl (?) dressed in the same manner.
How sad that our society has promoted a grungy look in the way they dress
and act. Yes, I know I am old fashioned and I am going to stay that way.
My convictions are based on the Bible, what are your convictions based on?
At the risk of being repetitious, I
must return to what Jesus said. "But I say unto you, That whosoever
looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already
in his heart." (Matt. 5:28) David's first mistake was that he
loafed. His second mistake was that he looked. His third mistake
was that he lusted. Joseph was an overcomer, because he refused to
give in to letting lust take root in his heart and mind.
"And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast
her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused,
and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with
me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There
is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing
from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great
wickedness, and sin against God? And it came to pass, as she spake to
Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to
be with her. And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into
the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house
there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and
he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out."
(Gen. 39:7-12)
Most people would call Joseph a fool for turning down such an offer,
but he was a real man. It cost him his job, and it sent him to prison; but
God brought him out of the prison to be the Prime Minister of this great
nation. Thus God used him to save Jacob and his sons from starvation. Many
national leaders and many spiritual leaders are sacrificing their future
on the altar of lust. This will cause their lives to come to a sorry end.
It would be much better to enjoy the favor of God, rather than to enjoy
the pleasures of sin for a season.
The Bible still says, "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
(Exodus 20:14) God meant it when He said, "...thou shalt
not covet thy neighbour's wife...." (Exodus 20:17) You can
be sure that this will never change, for God does not change.
Lust when it is harbored and secretly contemplated, will lead to the ruin
of any man or women. Lust leads to sin, and sin leads to death. "But
every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and
enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and
sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James 1:14-15)
"And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child." (2 Sam. 11:5) David knew that his adultery was wrong, and he should not have waited to repent and get his heart right with God. Instead, he lingered in his sin. He never counted on her being found with child.
Disaster struck with an awful thud.
God's man is now a law breaker and is now going
to disgrace his nation. Most people give little thought to the consequences
of sin, they are busy thinking about the pleasures of sin. Our nation is
submerged in a sea of adultery, and fornication, with little thought of
the consequences of sin. We have, as a nation, celebrated the 25th Anniversary
of the awful Roe vs. Wade decision of the Supreme Court. The lawyer that
argued the case before the Supreme Court, was Sarah Weddington, and she
is from Lubbock, Texas. The unnamed Roe in this case has now repented of
her stand for abortion, and is now an advocate for the right to life movement.
As far as I know, Weddington is proud of her role in this national debacle.
In the mean time more than 30 million babies have been aborted, and it
is legalized murder. Births out of wedlock continue to increase, and teen
pregnancy is the shame of America. Many women live with the emotional trauma
of knowing that they have murdered their babies. Our nation has been robbed
of 30 or 40 million people who may have contributed much to the future of
this nation, if they had not been sacrificed on the altar of lust. Venereal
disease flourishes, AIDS is rampant, and our nation goes gleefully on its
sinful way. Just remember though, there is a God in heaven, and He has not
changed.
Now we have a President that the majority of people think has lived an immoral lifestyle. A number of women have come forward over the years, who have testified of having committed adultery with him. Others say that he has propositioned them. At the same time his approval rating is high. Not because, they think he is moral and innocent, but because the economy is good. Just remember, there is a God in heaven, and payday has not yet come.
The rest of II Samuel 11, gives the
sad record of the wretched story of lies, deceit and murder, just to cover
up adultery. He used every scheme he could think of, to make Uriah, the
husband of Bathsheba, think that the baby was his. None of that worked,
and finally he arranged for the murder of Uriah, in order to cover up for
his sin. II Samuel 11 contains the blackest chapter in the life of David.
I am sure that a Gallup poll would have revealed that David was popular
with the people. His approval rating would have been high, and the news
media would have been fawning over him. His approval rating with God
was very low, and this is where it really counts.
Where was God while all this adultery,
lies, deceit and murder was going on? I assure you that God was not asleep.
Judgment was on its way, but David went on with his plan to make Bathsheba
his wife. "And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched
her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the
thing that David had done displeased the LORD." (2 Samuel 11:27)
"And the LORD sent Nathan unto David...." (2 Samuel 12:1) Nathan
told David the story of a poor man that had only one little ewe lamb. A
rich and powerful man, who had many sheep, took that ewe lamb from its rightful
owner, and killed it and made a feast for a guest at his house. The story
raised the anger of David, because he saw the injustice toward the poor
man. "And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and
he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing
shall surely die." (2 Samuel 12:5)
I can just see Nathan, as he pointed his finger at David and said,
"...Thou art the man...." (2 Samuel 12:7) Now the
mighty King David is in God's court, and as a common criminal he is forced
to listen to the judgment of God, as it flowed from the mouth of Nathan.
Oh, that we had some Nathan's around today, who would dare tell our national
leaders of God's disapproval of their sins. Billy Graham has been the spiritual
adviser of a number of our presidents, but I have never heard of him denouncing
their sin. He often was in the White House, and holding services there,
while the corrupt Richard Nixon was in office. When did he ever show himself
to be God's messenger, preaching judgment upon sin?
President Clinton regularly speaks with Robert Schuller, Bill Hybels, and a number of other well known preachers. When have they ever expressed God's anger against adultery or any other sin to this President? When have they ever fearlessly condemned sin in high places, and lifted up a righteous standard? I fear that the preachers that have the ear of the President, are like the fawning, corrupt, and lying false prophets of King Ahab.
Like a sharp sword the words of God
flowed from the mouth of the fearless Nathan. He was plainly told of
his heinous sins. "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment
of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the
Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife,
and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. (2 Samuel 12:9)
The sword would never depart from his house. "Now therefore
the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised
me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife." (2
Samuel 12:10)
Evil would be raised up against him from his own house. "Thus
saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine
own house...." (2 Samuel 12:11)
The child that was conceived by adultery would die. "...[T]he
child also that is born unto thee shall surely die." (2 Samuel 12:14)
David confessed his sin, but it did stop the judgments. People often think that they can sin, and that God will overlook it, if they only confess. Confession is good if it comes from the heart, but it does not mean that chastisement will always be canceled. God did not take David's life, but all the judgments came to pass, just as Nathan said that they would. "And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." (2 Samuel 12:13)
David's son Amnon, in his fleshly lust,
desired to commit fornication with his own sister. By following the advice
of a "friend," he managed to trap her, and then he raped her.
Tamar the beautiful daughter of David was ruined. The whole tragic story
is told in II Samuel 13:1- 22. Of course David was angry, but the damage
was done. He was reaping what he had sown. The evil had risen out of his
own house, just as Nathan had predicted. (2 Samuel 12:11)
Absalom was determined that Amnon would pay for his sin. He appointed himself
as judge and executioner, and Amnon was murdered. (2 Samuel 13:23-29)
Absalom then fled into exile in another country, where he remained for
three long years. "But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son
of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. (2
Samuel 13:37)
After some time in exile, David permitted Absalom to return, but things
were never right between them. Absalom set out to undermine David's reign,
and he succeeded in stealing the hearts of many of the people. (2 Samuel
15) David is forced to flee from Jerusalem, and civil war erupted. As David
and his army fled from the city, Shimei curses David and throws stones at
him. Think of the humiliation that he suffered, all because of his sin.
David is reaping the bitter harvest, brought about by his sin.
In the battle of Mount Ephraim, Absalom was killed. (2 Samuel 18) This
was the thing that David tried to prevent, but he was powerless to do so.
When the news was brought to David, we see him weeping in great sorrow of
heart. "And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber
over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom,
my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son,
my son!" (2 Samuel 18:33) Who can measure the sorrow of David?
Surely, he remembered the sin he had committed and the words of Nathan the
prophet.
When David was old and very near the end of his reign, another son by the
name of Adonijah, sought to make himself king. "Then Adonijah the
son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared
him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him." (1 Kings
1:5)
When Adonijah's plan failed, then Solomon was anointed King. He was
the son of David and Bathsheba, and the great weakness of David shows up
in his son. Solomon had great potential, but he was also afflicted with
a desire for forbidden women. He acquired more wives and concubines than
any other man recorded in the Bible. This was the ruin of Solomon.
"But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the
daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians,
and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children
of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you:
for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave
unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and
three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came
to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after
other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as
was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the
goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully
after the LORD, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high
place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem,
and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did
he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their
gods. And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was
turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And
had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other
gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. Wherefore the LORD
said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not
kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will
surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant."
(1 Kings 11:1-11)
The sin that was in the life of David was magnified in the life of
Solomon.
Good understanding giveth favour:
but the way of transgressors is hard. (Proverbs 13:15) Sin brings
awful havoc into the life of the sinner. Lost wicked rulers may get by in
this life, while they live in wickedness. A Christian cannot do so, for
God will surely chastise him for his sin. This surely shows us why some
professing Christians, among political and religious leaders, are getting
by with their sin. If God does not judge them as He did David, it is good
evidence that they are lost in their sin. They will meet God at the Great
White Throne Judgment, and the experience of being cast into the lake of
fire will not be pleasant. (Revelation 20:11-15)
He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be
destroyed, and that without remedy. (Proverbs 29:1)
This generation seems to be happy with fornication, adultery, and homosexuality.
Be sure that God in heaven is looking down, and He is preparing his judgments.
Sin is promoted by businesses, by governments, by educators, by religious
leaders, and by the entertainment industry. Young people are growing up,
and by word and example they are being taught that lust, adultery, homosexuality
is all right. Unless there is a revival, a turning back to God, I shudder
to think what the next generation will see.
Bible believing pastors need to stand up and speak out against the sin and immorality of our day. They need to forget about their retirement plans, and retirement funds, and shoulder their responsibility of being messengers for God. We need to cease being man pleasers, and determine to be God pleasers. The temptation to sell out must be buried. Stand up and be counted for God and for righteousness. Anything less, will cause you to be ashamed at the judgment seat of Christ.
Evangelist Billy Graham told "Today Show"
viewers Thursday morning that he forgives President Clinton because "I
know the frailty of human nature... He has such a tremendous personality
that I think the ladies just go wild over him."
Several things need to be said about this and other remarks. First in offering
Clinton "forgiveness" Graham is suggesting there is something
to forgive. President Clinton has stated publicly he "never had a sexual
relationship with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky. " He said the same in his
deposition to Paula Jones' attorneys.
So for what exactly is Graham forgiving the president? Is it the sex? Is
it lying under oath? Is it blanket forgiveness that also covers illegal
campaign contributions. purloined FBI files, suborning of perjury and the
orchestrated cover-up of these and other "sins," or is it a limited
immunity? At what point would Graham point his finger and, like the prophet
Nathan say, "Thou art the man?"
On a theological level, surely Graham knows that only God can forgive sins
and that forgiveness does not precede acknowledgment of wrongdoing and repentance.
In the biblical story of the woman taken in adultery. Jesus tells her to
go and sin no more." Clinton could take Graham's forgiveness (which
is really absolution) and see it as permission to go and sin some more.
Furthermore, Clinton's offenses were not committed against Graham. The Jews
have a saying about the Holocaust: Only the dead can forgive. But in a generation
that rarely goes beyond the superficial and focuses on feelings and emotions,
we want to appear noble - so we dispense forgiveness unasked.
Graham, who used to decry cultural decline in sermons that reminded people
of the consequences of sin, said on "Today," "we're living
in a whole different world today and the pressure on anybody today is difficult."
Try this line on your wife, if she catches you in a compromising position
with another woman: "Honey, you know what difficult times we livein.
Even Billy Graham says so." I Cor 10:13. Columnist Cal Thomas (The
heading is mine. - N.P.) From Christian
View of the News 4/98
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Whereas, in this message title, Brother Spurgeon uses the word "Wine," and whereas there has been considerable misunderstanding and a lot of mis-statement, concerning his position on wine, I felt it proper to be sure you know what he means by the use of this word. I know of no better proof than to quote him. The following article is taken, word for word, from page 135, volume IV, of C. H. Spurgeon's Autobiography, His Diary, Letters, and Records.)
A question having been raised, in The Christian Commonwealth, as to the wine used at the communion services at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Mr. Spurgeon wrote to the Editor as follows:
Westwood,
June 20, 1887.
Dear Sir,
We use Frank Wright's unfermented wine at the Tabernacle, and have never used any other unfermented wine. I am given to understand that some of the so-called unfermented wine has in it a considerable amount of alcohol; but Mr. Wright's is the pure juice of the grape. One person advertised his wine as used at the Tabernacle though we had never used it even on one occasion. So far as we are concerned, we use no wine but that produced by Messrs. Frank Wright, Mundy, and Co.
Yours truly,
C. H. SPURGEON.
"I will not drink henceforth of this
fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's
kingdom." (Matthew 26:29)
Such words could hardly have been spoken at such a time by our Lord Jesus
Christ without some deep significance. Let us, then, reverently enquire
into their meaning. What thoughts were those that stirred in his own breast?
What lessons did he convey to his beloved disciples?
And, first, does not our Lord here express--His renunciation from that
moment of all the joys and comforts of life?
Putting aside the cup that was filled with the juice of the vine he said,
"I shall henceforth no more drink of this fruit of the vine."
Here he bids farewell to social cheer. Whatever little comforts he had enjoyed
were now to be quitted. He had never been rich, full often he had not where
to lay his head. His clothing had always been that of a simple peasant;
"a garment without seam" had sufficed for him. Scanty the rest
he had ever known; little luxury he had ever enjoyed; but now he doth, as
it were, solemnly relinquish every creature gratification, "I will
henceforth no more drink of this fruit of the vine." Not as one who
had been satiated with the comforts or surfeited with the pleasures of life
did our Lord and Master speak. It is no uncommon thing for the pleasure-seekers
of the world to feel the strongest aversion to the indulgences for which
they once had the keenest relish. The world's joy cloys, its sweet honey
sickens on the palate; its most fascinating entertainments, by constant
repetition, pall the faculty of enjoying them. Our Saviour had encountered
life in its sterner moods. His main aim was to discharge its duties, not
to divert himself with its amenities. Nor did he put aside that cup out
of any ostentation, as though he affected a stoical indifference.
We all know that refreshment is needed to recruit the energies of the labourer
or the sufferer. Nothing could be less in keeping with our Lord's disposition
than a gloomy asceticism. Yet he willingly now, before his disciples, renounces
all that there was of this world's good. Taking, then, this wine-cup as
a symbol, and understanding it to represent earthly cheer, we observe how
significantly he puts it aside; he will partake of it no more. We ask the
reason why, in the presence of so strong a determination, so clear a prediction.
But before I attempt to answer the question, let me remind you that there
are occasions in the Christian life when a man is bound to give up all his
comforts for Christ's sake. It is by no means impossible or improbable that
honest principle and sterling integrity may demand of you or me a total
surrender of everything which we have been accustomed to hold dear. A sincere
Christian must maintain his conscience, even if he can scarcely maintain
himself. He must come down from the broadcloth to the fustian, from the
mansion to the cottage, from riding in his carriage to trudging on foot.
Our fathers did it, and they did it on principle; they did it for Christ's
sake. The martyrs did more; they laid down their lives upon the altar when
Christ's cause demanded it.
The like times may come back to us again. In the competition of the unscrupulous,
the righteous must suffer. Business is rotten through and through nowadays.
The whole style of conducting your merchandise is so doubly dyed in deceit,
that I should not marvel if a Chris tian man often finds himself a loser
by doing the right thing and maintaining a strict integrity. But we must
sooner be losers in this way than lose our acceptance with God. We must
be willing to sink in the world's esteem, and be counted fools, for Christ's
sake, rather than amass riches and rise to a position of commercial influence
through any equivocal dealings or any sort of duplicity. We must keep our
consciences from being soiled with the wiles and stratagems of those whose
ingenuity is always directed to the promotion of bubble companies, or the
practice of some disingenuous finesse, whereby they lie in wait to
deceive the unwary.
Refrain yourselves from every false way. But do not vaunt your own purity
or be ostentatious of your own virtue, as if you were better than others.
Above all things, do not make a cross for yourselves, and then put it on
your own back, and act the martyr. But when you must take up your cross
for your Master's sake, do it as he did, with fidelity, yet with meekness,
and say, "I will no more drink of this fruit of the vine; I will no
more seek the esteem of my fellows; I will no more cultivate the world's
friendship; I will no more foster the affection of those who once loved
me in my sins; I will give up anything; I will give up every thing; I will
give up life itself, if need be, that I may glorify God, as my Lord and
Master did."
Now why did our Lord thus say, "I will no more drink of this fruit
of the vine"? It was because now he had other work to do; he
must, therefore, forgo all that would stand in the way of his accomplishing
it. He had to sweat the bloody sweat; he had to stand accused before Pilate
and Herod; he had to bear his cross through Jerusalem's malicious crowds;
he had to give his hands to the nails, and his feet to the cruel iron. These
were no times for thinking of comforts. And the cause of the Master may
sometimes make the like demands upon us. The man who will devote himself
to the mission-field must be willing to dispense with much of that personal
and social comfort and gratification which those who stay at home look upon
as the best recompense of their daily toil. The minister of Christ, if he
would serve his Master diligently, must deny himself the rest and ease to
which he would have a right if he were engaged in secular pursuits. For
your Master's work you must be prepared to forsake all, and yield yourself
up to him unreservedly. You are not true to Christ, nor fit to put your
hand to his plough, if you pull that hand back because it involves any sacrifice,
however heavy.
Our Saviour did this, again, because his love to men constrained him.
Giving up the fruit of the vine was not in itself a great act of self-negation,
but as a symbol it was very significant. As I have already observed, it
betokened his putting aside everything that is considered gratifying and
joyous in life. Jesus Christ, out of love to us, gave up all. The heaven
of heavens could not contain him. The adoration of angels fell short of
his glory. He was "God over all, blessed for ever." Yet a manger
held him, and a cross upheld him! What a stoop was thatfrom the highest
throne in glory to be a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief, and this
out of love to those who hated him, and proved their hate by putting him
to death! Most sweetly will this truth refresh us if we remember that it
was out of love to us. We deserved nothing of him. Love to miserable sinners,
nothing but pure love, could have led him to resign his gracious breath.
He loved me ere I had a thought of love to him. He loved you when you were
struggling against his grace and defying all his law. Oh! think of his giving
up everything out of ardent love! How this ought to nerve us for toil or
suffering! How it ought to inflame us with love to him! How willing it should
make us to give up anything out of love to him, and love to our fellow-men!
Alas! that so few of us ever make sacrifices out of love to souls! We can
do a little ordinary service which involves but little fatigue and little
inconvenience, but oh! to have the old spirit of chivalry burning in our
breasts which would make us cast ourselves upon the very teeth of death
out of zeal for the cause of Christ! Oh! that some young men here could
be moved by the love of Jesus to give themselves up from this moment to
live and die for him! Oh! that some holy women would renew their early consecration
vows, and from this very hour be servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
of none beside! The Church wants some few conspicuous specimens of self-denying
holiness, and mayhap those few, like standard-bearers lifting up the ensign,
would attract many others, and the Church might lift herself up from the
low level of our poor, weak, beggarly profession. We might then serve Jesus
a little after the manner that he deserves to be served, and surrender ourselves
to him more after the fashion of his surrendering himself for us.
Now, secondly, I would have you think of our Lord. As taking farewell
of earth. He took the cup, and, making that the symbol of everything
below, he said, "I will no more drink of this fruit of the vine."
He bade farewell to his disciples, and to the earth, upon which he had lived
for three and thirty years, and this he did without any repining. He did
not say, "Why am I taken away in the strength of my days? Why, when
scarce forty years old, must my sun go down at noon? Why, ere I have attained
the full age of man, must I be laid in the grave?" No, not a word of
it, and when your turn and mine shall come to bid farewell to everything
on earth, and to part with all below, may we cheerfully yield to the summons
without one single word repining against God! Oh! Lord, thou hast called
me home to rest; it was but morning, and my work was scarce begun, and I
had fondly mapped it out in the hope of much service to thyself and thy
Church, but if thou biddest me come home, I will thank thee that I have
not to bear the heat and burden of the day. Or if it be in middle life,
just when my work is about me, and I am busy in the vineyard, that my time
of departure should come, may I still be content! There are the plants and
flowers I have so fondly nurtured; yonder is a tree that was about to bud,
and here is what I hoped would be a fruitbearing vine, but, Master, though
I should like to have seen all these reach their maturity, and though my
pride may say, "What will the Church do without me when I am gone?"
yet, Lord, thou didst without me ere I was born, and so here in the strength
of my days thou callest me to leave these things, and I come, I come.
And if the call shall come to you at night, or towards evening--as it will
do I know, to some of you who are getting grey and old in years--I hope
you will feel, "Lord, it is well; our day's work is over; the shadows
have lengthened; it is time to fall asleep; we do not stand so much in the
earth as on it; we are waiting to be taken home, to be gathered into the
garner." Yes, without regret, I say, without any repining against the
will of God, may we heave the anchor and go into port; may we just quietly
shut our eyes on earth, and open them in heaven to behold the beatific vision,
without having made our last word on earth to be an act of rebellion by
lamenting that the voice says, "Rise up, and come away."
Our Lord did not withdraw from the world as an ascetic. He did not dash
the cup to the ground, or denounce its contents. He did not put away life,
saying "It is sour; I will taste no more of it." I think I have
heard some people talk about life with very much of that bitter spirit which
cannot brook its toils and cares. They want to go home, they tell us, when
in truth there is more infirmity than faith in the wish they express. They
are idle. They are not willing to bear the cross. They are weary of suffering
for their Master. Oh! shame on us if we are like lazy workmen, always looking
for Saturday nights! Such fellows are never worth their pay. Shame upon
us if we be courting the grave that we may rest from our labours while there
are yet wanderers to be sought, outcasts to be restored, sinners to be saved!
Are there not kinsfolk and neighbours of ours that can hear the Gospel from
our lips? Are there no children to be taught in our schools? Are there no
little ones to be lifted out from the miry clay? Are there not fresh battles
to be fought for Christ; new enterprises to be carried forward; regions
beyond to be explored? If you have a real interest in the Redeemer's kingdom,
you may well ask a longer life if it be God's will that you may take a larger
share in these labours of love, and have weightier crowns to present to
that dear Saviour who has gone before us to prepare man sions for our rest.
Thus, without repining on the one hand, or even a tinge of asceticism on
the other hand, he puts away the cup with as cheerful an air as he took
it. He sets his face towards death. "I will no more drink."
And then notice how he stops, as it were on the way. His composure
is unruffled, as though death were to him but the goal of his earthly career,
or rather a station on his journey to heaven. He knows he is about to depart,
and yet he deplores it not, for he perceives that it is expedient for his
disciples and desirable for himself that he should go away. Oh! that when
our days below come too close, when we hear the Master's call, and feel
the symptoms of approaching death, we may not be dismayed or affrighted!
God grant that we may take leave of this mortal life with peaceful confidence
and holy calm! Should our exit be slow and painful, may we be steadfast
in faith and full of patience! Or should it be otherwise, sudden and unexpected,
may we be no less prepared and ready! Floods of wrath rose high at our Lord's
death, but there shall be no such tumult about ours. The curse gathered
around his dying head; a blessing shall make a halo around ours. There was
no sort of pallet for him to die upon; the cross was his couch. The sweet
comfort of looking up to God was wanting to him. "Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani,"
was his dying cry. But we have our Lord to meet us, and he has promised
that he will make our bed in our sickness.
Our third reflection shall be this. Our Lord's words contained his dying
anticipation. Saith he not, "I will no more drink of this fruit
of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's
Kingdom"? He knew he should die, but he knew that that was not the
end; he expected happier and brighter days, fairer banquets, fresher wine,
and purer joys. Now did Christ mean heaven? I think he did, though that
was not all. Yet were it heaven which he just then anticipated? Follow out
the prospect. Does he not picture heaven to us as a place of festive enjoyment?
When he says, "I shall drink no more this fruit of the vine now with
you," does he not imply that in heaven is the meeting-place of them
that triumph, and the state-rooms of them that feasts? All the enjoyments
that can be imagined, and more, belong to the beatific state of the glorified.
Whatever could conduce to make an intellectual mind happy, whatever could
tend to make a refined spirit full of bliss, shall be our portion. At God's
right hand there are rivers of joy and pleasures for evermore.
We learn, too, that the joys of heaven are social, for Jesus says, "Until
I drink it new with you. I wonder what those make of heaven who think we
shall not recognise one another there! I rather admire the reply of a good
minister to his wife, who, when she asked him whether he should know her
in heaven, said, "Know you in heaven! Of course, I shall; I know you
here, and I shall not be a greater fool there than I am here." We are
to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and they will not have golden
masks or veils that shall cover their faces. Heaven is a place where they
shall eat and drink, and rejoice together, and I take it that much of the
joy of heaven will consist in seeing the bright spirits whom we shall recognise
as being men and women in whom Christ's Spirit dwelt on earth, and in whom
Christ's Spirit shall dwell above. Oh! I reckon on meeting David, whose
Psalms have so often cheered my soul. I long to meet with Martin Luther
and Calvin, and to have the power of seeing such men as Whitfield and Wesley,
and walking and talking with them in the golden streets. Yes, heaven would
scarcely be so full of charms in the prospect if there were not the full
conviction in our minds that we should know the saints, and feast with them
after a spiritual sort.
But still our Lord's description of heaven represents himself as happy,
and happy with his people, "Until I drink it new with you."
Alas! these earthly banquets are too often so vitiated with revelry and
excess, that while using them as emblems of the feast above, I feel as if
I half dishonoured that feast. In many cases the festivities of earth have
become so degraded and wicked that the Christian shrinks from mingling with
them. But we shall drink it newthis wine of heaven. The wine of heaven shall
be nought that can make us sin, or even think of evil. There shall be in
it nothing impure or polluted. And those joys will not be like those of
earthfickle and frothy, volatile and variable, by reason of which we are
often lifted up, only to betray our weakness and presumption. The wine will
be new; it will be holier joy, purer, sweeter. It will be a divine joy,
in which Christ will have his share, and we, his people, shall each one
take our portion.
I have been wondering what will be the exhilarating contents of the wine-cup
that we shall drink with Christ in heaven. I think it will be partly the
joy of hearing that sinners repent on earth. We shall hear about it.
The angels do. "There is joy in heaven among the angels of God over
one sinner that repenteth." Oh! how glad we shall be when we hear that
after we were dead and gone our dear boy was converted, and that in that
place where we were once wont to assemble God's Spirit is still resting
on the ministry. It will be a joy to hear the angels come and tell of tens
of thousands of sinners brought to Jesus weeping, and finding pardon in
his blood. There is a grand cup in store for you that love souls, when you
shall hear these good tidings. It is Christ's cup, I know, but you, too,
shall drink of it.
Another ingredient of the joy will be to see the saints holding on their
way and increasing in their likeness to Christto see the boy growing
up and resisting temptation, and all his spiritual faculties developing.
It is the joy of Christ to see his saints below growing in grace and persevering
under difficulties, and that is the cup of which we shall drink too. We
shall be cheered by seeing our brethren who will be fighting the battle
in this world when we have quitted it. Shall we see them? See them! Why
not? What says the Apostle? "Seeing that we are encompassed about with
so great a cloud of witnesses." Who are the "witnesses" but
those bright and immaculate spirits who, from the battlements of heaven,
look down and rejoice as they see us win the race? And we shall soon take
our place among the spectators, and look down and see the race of the righteous
whom we have left behind, and rejoice as we see them win their crowns.
Another ingredient of that heavenly cup will be to see the saints come
up to heaven. Oh! what bliss it is to Christ as, one by one, they come
up to his bosom, the purchase of his agonies, each one exhibiting the power
of his grace in the change of their nature. If I could get a place hard
by the gate, how I should like to welcome some of the younger ones of this
congregation who may not arrive till long after we have entered into rest!
Yes, Christ is not losing his reward. He does see of his soul's travail,
and how we, too, will clap our hands as we say to one another
"They come, they come; shine exiled
bands,
Where 'er they rest or roam,
Have heard thy voice in distant lands,
And hasten to their home."
Above all, and perhaps best of all, the winecups
of heaven are filled with the brimming, sparkling joy of delight in God's
glory. In the latter days the hymn that now breaks on Christian ears
shall salute the ear of every savage and barbarian. They that go down to
the sea in ships shall sing the name of Christ as they spread the sail.
The ranger in Arabia's deserts shall listen to the name of Jesus, the Saviour
of men. Far off the swarthy inhabitants of Africa's sunny plains, and up
yonder, where the sun scarcely shines on the natives of frosty Labrador,
in every region of the earth, prayer also shall be made for him continually,
and daily shall he be praised. God shall be glorified; the whole world shall
become an altar for God's praise; his saints shall worship him, and sin,
death, and hell shall be overturned, and Christ, if he drinks of this cup
new in his Father's kingdom, will give us who share in his struggle to partake
also in his victory.
But surely this is not all. I think when Christ said, "Until I drink
it new with you in my Father's kingdom," he referred to his second
coming to the establishment of the Kingdom of God; to the millennial
splendour of the Redeemer's reign, and to that which will close it, when
he shall deliver up the Kingdom, the mediatorial Kingdom, to God, even the
Father, and God shall be All in All. I am not going to prophesy. That is
not my line. Those brethren who can prophesy succeed so admirably well in
duping their followers, and also in contradicting one another, that I feel
no inclination to enlist in their ranks; but if I can make anything out
of God's Word, it is clear that a day shall come when the cause of Christ
shall have supremacy, when the Kingdom of God shall be among men, when here
on earth the Jew shall own the Messiah, and the nations of the Gentiles
shall come bending before his throne. There is to be a time when universal
peace shall prevail; when the sword shall be beaten into a ploughshare,
and the spear into a pruning-hook; and there is to be a day when Satan shall
be bound and cast into his infernal den in prison; when death and hell also
are to be cast into the lake of fire. I take that to mean that there will
be a day when good will triumph over evil; when righteous ness will vanquish
iniquity; when God shall have put beneath his feet manifestly before the
sons of men all those rebel bands of demons and men who stood out against
him, and all the consequences of their sin in diminishing the glory of God
shall be for ever put away.
Such a day shall come, when the great hallelujah shall be sung; when the
marriage banqueting-table shall be spread; when every elect soul shall sit
at it, with Christ at the head; when every soul redeemed by Jesus' blood
from among men, every soul quickened by the Holy Ghost and kept by the power
of God unto salvation, shall, with his body raised from the dead, being
perfect according to the adoption and the promise, stand up, with Christ
at the head, and
"Sing hallelujah to God and the Lamb,
And sing hallelujah for ever, Amen."
Then shall this glorious wine-cup of the New
Jerusalem's best wine be passed from lip to lip. Then shall God be worshipped
by all his redeemed. Then shall tears be wiped away, and sin and grief shall
cease for ever. Then shall be fulfilled the saying of the Master, "I
will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when
I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." Roll on, ye wheels
of time, roll on and bring the glorious day, and may we be there! —Reprinted
from The Baptist Watchman
The blockbuster movie "Titanic" is
a masterpiece of Satanic craftsmanship. Ostensibly about the huge luxury
liner that hit an iceberg and sunk in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic
in April of 1912. it is in fact a subtle assault on the law of God and the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The historical event serves as a backdrop for a totally fictitious story
promoting selfish autonomy and the god of romantic feelings. Early in the
movie the hero is established - a boy barely passed adolescence who very
ingeniously, unselfishly and courageously saves the life of the damsel in
distress who is about to take a suicidal leap into the ocean because she
doesn't want to marry a fiance she doesn't love. This girl eventually survived
the sinking ship, lived to a ripe old age and sentimentally retells the
story how this boy "saved her in every way a girl can be saved. "
His brand of salvation was leading her to ignore, despise and reject her
parents, cast aside all clothes. morals. and sexual inhibitions; lie, cheat
and betray her fiancé, and in general let whatever romantic feeling
she has or yearns for be the sole guide for her life.
This is a mockery of the Fifth Commandment: Honor thy father and thy mother.
The picture drawn of the girl's mother is negative in the extreme. whereas
the boy hero is an orphan who has no parental influence or positive relationship
with any older person. The subtle message to the moviegoer is that parental
authority is tyrannical, parental guidance is unnecessary and this yoke
must be overthrown if one is to find true happiness, freedom and salvation.
The Seventh Commandment along with all sexual boundaries are out - replaced
by the hero's sole moral compass: "Don't think... just feel it."
Shedding one's morals and clothing is a salvation experience according to
the movie.
Also denigrated is the Eighth Commandment with its command against stealing
and its implicit encouragement to honest labor and financial responsibility.
The hero uses gambling to achieve his dreams. Neither he nor the girl he
"saves" has any experience or appreciation for labor. Feeding
the typical theme of class warfare, all who had money were portrayed as
superficial and evil. The hero's preferred occupation was painting nude
models wherever he could find them. In the end the sentimental old woman,
living in luxury, accepts a free helicopter ride from someone who has spent
enormous time, effort and money to find a diamond amidst the wreckage of
the Titanic After telling her story she privately tosses the diamond she
has concealed all along into the ocean, an offering to her savior whose
remains lie in the ocean's depths.
This movie is a three-hour sermon whose theme is sin has no consequences.
There is a totally unrealistic lack of awareness of what happens in real
life to people who have no job, no care about family and no sexual restraint.
Such folks can typically expect to live a life marked by poverty, disease,
squalor, woundedness, lowliness and failure. But Hollywood hides all the
consequences as it lures you into its godless beliefs and value system -
just like Satan. - By Pastor Ronald Stelzer
[W]hen I heard of the Titanic disaster as a child I was told first and foremost
that men had given up their places on lifeboats to women and children and
gone to their deaths in acts of great gallantry. At the opening of the 20th
century there had been talk about the passing of the age of chivalry, but
the figures for survivors of Titanic are still startling. If there are too
many Astors and Guggenheims among the luxury passengers for your taste,
let's take second class.
Some 81 percent of the women and children in second class survived. as opposed
to only ten percent of the men. In steerage, where access to the boat deck
was difficult, 47 percent of the women and children were saved, as opposed
to only 14 percent of the men. In first class, among some of the world's
wealthiest people - exploiters of the poor and weak in Marxist analysis
- 94 percent of the women and children were saved, while their men drowned
in the icy black waters of the North Atlantic.
To this day the most prominent humane characteristic of this great maritime
tragedy is the men stepping back and letting not only their wives and daughters,
but other men's wives and daughters, take their places in the lifeboats.
It's hard to imagine this today....
Two weeks after the Titanic sank. Nellie Taft, the President's wife, gave
the first dollar toward a dollar-per-woman fund honoring the men of Titanic.
The resulting monument is an l8-foot statue of a half-clad male, posed on
a 30-foot pedestal on which is engraved: `To the brave men of Titanic who
gave their lives that women and children might be saved.' It can still be
seen in Washington across from East Potomac Park. These days no one visits
it. -By Richard Grenier in Washington Times 2/13/98. Both of the
above in The Christian News 3/9/98
(Let me interject that I have not attended a Hollywood movie theater
in almost 50 years and I do not recommend that anyone else support this
filth. However, since occasionally one might find a piece of clean bread
in a garbage can or dumpster, let me suggest that, should Hollywood ever
put out anything truly worth watching, just wait a few months and it will
be on TV or in video stores. -N.P.) —Christian
View of The News, 4/98