In this sermon, the speaker uses the example of a suspenseful movie to illustrate the mixed feelings people have when it comes to the holiness of God. He describes how people are drawn to scary movies, even though they may feel uncomfortable or scared while watching them. Similarly, the holiness of God is something that is foreign and mysterious to us, and we may have mixed feelings about it. The speaker emphasizes that the holiness of God is beyond our comprehension and cannot be fully illustrated or understood through human examples.

This tape has been produced by New Frontiers International and is entitled The Holiness of God by Charles Mahaney For me to talk to I feel talk about I feel so inadequate. I really do feel physically weak That's a good that's a good feeling, but I really feel God wants me to talk to you about the holiness of God tonight And I don't feel Adequate at all to speak particularly with the kind of men that are seated behind me in the platform Who are far more qualified and I believe far more effective, but let me just dump on you anyway tonight Because this is a subject that has radically changed my life over the past six months. I've become unraveled by it I realized that in previous years of my life And I think my life would characterize the character the charismatic movement the holiness of God has been neglected to our detriments It's not a popular subject. It's not a subject that we have very much understanding and That that is not something we're benefiting by and so would you just pray with me right now? And then let's dig in and look at some things in the Word of God Father thank you for what a tremendous time we are having and that though we are so many folks here We feel like a family. I thank you for the warmth that we have received Lord when we are talking about your holiness We are moving into territory that couldn't be more foreign to us and Lord I feel so inadequate to impart this, but I know what small glimpses. I've received of your holiness have completely Revolutionized my life and so Holy Spirit you who are outstanding at revealing the holiness of God We invite you tonight through what I'm going to share to reveal to us the Holy One of Israel to whom none can compare and In that revelation to show us the marvelous grace and mercy of God afresh Well, I pray that after a revelation of your holiness a glimpse into your wrath and judgment that each one of us will leave here tonight saying that truly your grace is Amazing and I thank you for helping me in Jesus name Amen The holiness of God as I understand it and again. This is just my opinion from my study I believe that all attributes of God need to be understood in light of the holiness of God's and That the starting point for understanding any attribute of God is the holiness of God So I don't believe we can just isolate mercy or love and faithfulness on their own. I believe it's a holy mercy I believe it's a holy love. I believe it's a holy faithfulness I don't believe we can ever understand who we are apart from the holiness of God And I believe the more we understand God's holiness and the more we understand our sinfulness the more we appreciate The grace and the mercy of God So, please hear what I'm saying tonight because I've seen this not only produce a breakthrough in my own life But I have seen this produce a breakthrough in a number of individuals who it was a mystery to me Why they couldn't grasp the grace of God and become secure in the love of God though They sat under numerous teachings on those subjects and I've now come to see that it can be Premature to introduce the grace and mercy of God until somebody has first had some degree of a glimpse of the holiness of God and With that as a backdrop the grace of God truly does become amazing So, please do not withdraw from me tonight as we talk about the subject of the holiness of God Please also understand. I feel very inadequate and incapable of talking about this subject It's it's not something that I'm in any way putting myself forth as an expert or knowledgeable But what few glimpses I've got have completely changed my life and I believe I can honestly say this before God No other revelation I have received from God has done more for me in such a short time as the holiness of God's and again I regret that the first night I came into the kingdom of God Somebody didn't outline for me the holiness of God Because it would have made a radical difference in the way my Christian life has gone over these past 12 and 13 years Now, I don't know what your reaction was, but when I announced the holiness of God usually we have a mixed reaction We we have mixed feelings about it. It's almost like we are at the same time drawn to it We are drawn away from it. It's a mystery to us. It's a it's a difficult topic It's not something that we tend to emphasize matter of fact. It's something that we tend to neglect we try to ignore Scriptures dealing with the holiness of God the judgment of God are not exactly the ones that are underlined and become our favorites in The Bible it's something that of a mystery to us as a matter of fact, let me just say it straight to you It is the most foreign attribute of God to us Matter of fact, one of the things that makes it difficult to even talk about is there is no human parallel in terms of an illustration That I can give you tonight. That is an example of the holiness of God because there is none holy but the Lord so it seems like in every other topic we go into we can find something of a human illustration of a practical situation that we can All identify with that helps us to see and magnify that attribute of God when we come to the holiness of God We run out of illustrations, so there's mixed feelings. It's foreign It's a mystery to us the best way I know how to illustrate it is if you are how many of you are into scary movies You don't have to identify yourself. You're not being watched by your pastor, but I know growing up horror films were things that as a child we were exposed to did you ever see the movie King Kong? Was that on over here? Do you King Kong? Yes, I King Kong this gigantic gorilla I can still remember as a kid watching King Kong and its effect on me I wanted to watch it, but as I was watching it, I thought I don't believe I need this but yet I wanted to watch it But no, I don't think I should watch it and it did a number on me to say the least the next day I can remember walking down the street looking for King Kong to just suddenly appear You know over the housetops comes King Kong. I had bad dreams about King Kong moving in my life Busting in my house looking through my window trying to find me There was another movie growing up. I saw which really also had a significant effect on me it wait until dark Have you ever seen that movie if you haven't I'm not recommending that you do I won't go into all the plot But it's about a blind lady that a number of individuals are seeking to attack and steal I forget whether it's money or an important document that her husband had and her husband was away, and she's there She's blind and these three or four dudes are right across the street Starting to move in and she can't see and you're sitting there wanting to shout at the screen To let her know that those guys are just right across the streets, and they slowly build the movie up slowly One time she's at the sink washing dishes and one of the guys is right there in the window Looking in the house, and you're sitting there And this is what it does to you get emotionally involved in the thing you want to say hey Hey, he's at the window See something in you smooth But what happens is this one guy through a series of circumstances breaks into the house and she as a blind woman Prepares by knocking out all the lights and they have this fight in the dark and the theater a peep the emotional Intensity I can still remember it and they're going back and forth and he gets and finally opens up the refrigerator And you're there, and you know she's blind It's just going on and on and on and finally finally in the climax scene She puts a knife in the guy's back And there's this corporate Breathing a sigh of relief and she begins to stumble out of the one room where she put the knife in his back And she begins to walk into the living room, and there's this settled Oh, it's over and emotionally you're just wiped out and all of a sudden like a synthesizer type instrument the guy jumps out from the left into the room and the theater just goes The dude is still alive knife in his back I have a friend at home who went with one of his friends And he said they went to the kind of a movie where at a scene like that the guy left out of his seat And into his lap You see It's tough to look cool when you're in your friend's lap at that particular time Now you've got to ask yourself unfortunately today those kind of films lack class and integrity But there's still something people love to be afraid they they want to go, but they don't want to go so as they're going They're saying yes, let's go, but they're on their way They're saying no, I don't believe we should go and as they're walking up to the theater No, let's not go, but something's compelling them. Okay. We'll go just this time, and they want to get back They sit down in the seat. They say okay. I'm here, but I'll close my eyes throughout the entire movie No, you must open your eyes. Okay. I'll open them. Okay, seeing you there your wife. You say dear. You're drawing blood Are you getting the mixture of feelings you have you're there you're saying oh, this is fascinating, but you're also saying I'm out of here What am I doing here and as you leave somebody touches you and says can I ask you? You wake up at 3 o'clock in the morning strangely how many of you had that happen to you you're there in bed suddenly your eyes open You're wide awake, and you can't believe the amount of sounds that are suddenly clear in your house And you think why did I go to that movie last night because I know that killer is at my window see You say I'm never going again Say but sure enough something else comes around and if you like now There's a few people that even enjoy these things there's a few people that just go to watch people freak out next to them but And you don't want to be friends with those kind of people see So there's something about you. That's fascinating. There's something about you. That's drawn to that There's also something about you that wants to withdraw. That's the best I can do in terms of the holiness of God There's something in us that wants to initiate an exploration of the holiness of God There's also something in us which wants to stay far away from the holiness of God So we do certain things to try to ignore it we overemphasize the love of God Often seen that I want you to know the biblical. God is both holy and Loving and I believe you must start with his holiness to fully Appreciate his love and if I can get that point across to you, I will feel successful tonight This is not a message to condemn you. This is not a message which will bring any torment into your life This is a message which will help you realize the incredible grace of God Which you did not deserve in face of the unbelievable holiness of God Which is foreign to us and so difficult for us to relate to so we don't have to ignore it Some people react to it. They read sections of scripture in the Bible where God is wiping people out Do you know those sections are there and they're not popular sections you don't find those in promise boxes They aren't on Jesus t-shirts. You don't find them on Jesus pencils and some people just don't want to read them all together I think it's Reader's Digest recently. They just decided to cut the Bible up and Leave out certain sections of scripture put something back together Which is more convenient for us So we kind of jump over those chapters where we just don't understand seems like God was in a bad mood God was having kind of a bad day Seems like he was in one long bad mood as we read the Old Testament He kind of loosened up a bit as you get to the new and we're just glad we're in the new because what we read in The old it seems like God really meant business and was looking for a way to to release his wrath I've met people who love Jesus who are afraid of the father They're just glad Jesus stands between them and the father. I can relate to that growing up Did you ever have a friend you like the friend but didn't like his dad? So you went over there when his dad wasn't there if his dad was there Why don't you come on over to my house? You see there's something about is you enjoyed him, but you didn't like his dad and there are people that walk around I thank you Jesus. Just you to keep between me and the father Would you just kind of hold him back if he's in a bad mood today? Because I I've read where he's wasted a few people and I just don't want him to do that to me That's what happens people start to get confused as you read the Old Testament And you move over to the New Testament and back to the Old Testament over the new test back to the Old Testament You say God you reveal yourself as merciful We're reading about you as being loved then we turn back into the Old Testament And we see all of these crimes that are punishable by capital punishment And we go over to the New Testament And Jesus says we ought to be turning our other cheek Then we go back to the Old Testament and we see where you're wiping people out What did you not want to turn it that day? But how do we we go back over to the New Testament it talks about you know You being slow to anger we look back in the Old Testament We say God could we have your definition of slow, please? Kind of a little insecure when you talk about being slow to anger Lord as I read you just blitzing somebody right there We look in the New Testament it says you're a father we look in the Old Testament It says you're a judge and what a judge you are You don't take any bribes You can't get off on a technicality. There's no innocent by reason of insanity There's no lawyer that can appeal God knows all the facts. He's a judge boom I say I like the New Testament better believe I'm gonna buy a New Testament, and that's what I'm gonna live with you see and this confusion we go back we go forth We don't understand. How does it all happen can any of you relate to that reading sections of Scripture? That have left you confused or that even the enemy has used to confirm your worst fears about God's The enemy often were in the Bible will try to use sections of Scripture to get us to Misunderstand the nature of God's because there we are looking at the Bible And it seems like this is the God that I'm singing to that I'm serving that I'm dancing I'm being encouraged to love and yet when I read how he wiped this individual out I wiped out all the Canaanites How am I supposed to reconcile that and the enemy loves to tell lies? About the nature and the character of God once you begin to understand the holiness of God You will read your Bible like you never read it before I feel like I've gotten in some ways major parts of my Bible back to where I'm now seeing it with a whole new perspective It's been the result of an understanding of the holiness of God's let me try to define the holiness of God for you The holiness of God speaks of God's otherness We are talking about God's Separateness It's the essence of God's inward character His holiness is absolute He is perfectly holy in all he says and does It's a changeless characteristic of his eternal nature. He's utterly pure in thought and attitude God cannot approve of any evil God has no pleasure in any evil God cannot tolerate or look on evil God hates sin with a perfect hatred and God is utterly incapable of an unholy act Now you can understand why he says in Isaiah 40 verse 25 to whom will you compare me? or who is my equal Says the Holy One of Israel We are talking about God's transcendence God's Exceeding the usual limits. This is the sense in which God is above and beyond us talking about his exalted loftiness As a matter of fact, the more I talk about it every time I talk about the more I feel how lofty how high how exalted Now listen, this does not mean we don't rejoice but in our rejoicing there's a trembling that takes place There's an awe that comes so that our worship is not mere emotion It has content based on a revelation of a lofty God and only in God Can we rejoice with trembling like David says but you can do both this holiness? I'm talking about is beautiful and it will not make you less subdued in worship But when you are released in praise and adoration and dancing there will be a content Because you won't be doing that to feel good as an end in itself You'll be doing that standing in awe that our Holy God is encouraging you to release your praise to him for he is Worthy for there is none like the Holy One of Israel Whom we are worshiping here tonight Now normally when we talk about holiness, we get afraid I do Somebody says holiness. I Don't think about feeling good initially. I think about being a little afraid RC spruill in his outstanding book. It's called the holiness of God This book has had a profound influence on my life and I would commend it to all of you RC spruill says the most threatening experience Anyone can have is an encounter with the Holy God Nothing terrifies us more Now why is that the reason is? Because we're not holy The reason is that there is There isn't anything more foreign to us than the holiness of God. There isn't anything more different from us Than the holiness of God and what we're talking about here folks isn't a movie We're talking about God So it can produce a fear in us So when you go to the Bible you start to look through certain accounts in Scripture where it seems like God is unduly severe in releasing his wrath See when I read my Bible I come across certain sections and I say God I don't believe there's anything wrong in a right spirit asking God a question. I say God this is an interesting section of Scripture here Would You have any explanation for me and at times I'll end up saying I don't understand what you did there Lord And I don't understand why you did it it seems to me as I read this section that innocent people are condemned by you with an undue severity and I struggle Lord with the harshness and the brutality of your judgment And I'm confused when I read about Jesus in the new covenant And I look through these passages in the old covenants, and I don't know how to reconcile those and I need your help Do you struggle when you read in the Bible about places where God kills people? I'm you know the series I'm doing at home. We're going right through the Bible And I'll hit most if not all of the places that God killed people Which is a real shock to those who come new to our church each Sunday I Say welcome. We're going through a series on God killing people One thing we can guarantee you've never been to a meeting like that Sit tight. He's not gonna kill you today, but let's read about it see You must wonder what people think you know I? Said to our church one Sunday. I said now don't freak out some of you are sitting there saying I can't believe it I've tried I've waited for two years to invite this guy He's finally come and CJ starts a series on God killing people on this Sunday Guest leans over and says does your pastor have a full bag of groceries, or is there something wrong with him? I mean What kind of television shows that this guy watched growing up that seems to be obsessed with a series like this Always been taught. God is love. What is this? How many weeks is this going God killing people? Let me help you we're gonna look at one such section of Scripture in just a moment I want to I want to look at it with you I hope I can help you to understand it in such a way that It will release you in ways I don't want to get into so I don't Let you know ahead of time where I'm going I believe one of the problems that we have when we look at the Old Testament back to the new back to the old back To the new back to the back back back that brings us confusion is that we need to start at creation That's where we need to start. I want you to go there with me Genesis chapter 2 would you turn there with me, please? If you don't understand this You don't understand God what God was doing in this particular situation See, I believe the Old Testament is a manifestation of God's immeasurable grace. I believe that But if you don't have this as your starting point, you'll have a hard time believing and agreeing with that statement You have to first look at the original rules of the universe To appreciate the vastness of the mercy and the grace of God, which I pray will just come in upon each of us tonight It's hard for me to give this without getting emotional. I guarantee you I will it's nothing I have to work up It's just something that in light of what we're going to read just undoes me in Genesis chapter 2 verse 15 if you'd read with me Says the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it And the Lord God commanded the man you are free to eat from any tree in the garden But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil For when you eat of it, you will surely die Now again, I'd like to just say that the primary emphasis of this section is God's abundant provision and the vision for cultivation And expansion that he gave to Adam God provided every need in every way This is a positive section of Scripture. It was Satan who tried to lie about God and make him look restrictive but in the midst of this section Emphasizing the abundance and the love of God God because he is holy and cannot compromise his holiness Makes it clear to Adam that he if he in any way deviates from the purpose for which he has been created There will be swift judgment. There will be death death in the fullest sense of the words Adam understood that in creation. Those were the rules now Here's why you might read that and say I feel that's pretty harsh. Can't we give Adam a break? Come on God loosen up We're just getting started. Let's take a few chances. Cut him some slack. You might make a few mistakes No, God was not obligated to create Adam. I Believe Adam had some degree of understanding God is not obligated to create us. God is not in debt to us God owes us nothing We owe God Everything and some of these thoughts have got to break into us to be able to be effective in evangelism People have got to understand this. Holy God who is not obligated in any way toward us except the only thing He owes us is judgment He does owe us that Wasn't obligated to create us this life here your life My life was the result of the grace of God Freely and voluntarily given another thing about life is it's under God's authority Adam had a job to do bear God's image Represent God's holiness be God's ambassador live for God's glory Do you believe let me ask you a question I'm asking for hands to be raised but answering your heart Is it too harsh for the God who without being obligated? created Adam Who owed Adam nothing in a very real sense who had authority over Adam his creation? Was it harsh for him to say Adam? If you defy my authority if instead of bearing my image you use As a platform to exalt yourself and defy and oppose me. Let me ask you a question Do you feel it is too harsh? For who the Bible calls the righteous judge of all the earth to say on the day you go your own way Which is the essence of sin sin manifests itself in many ways But the essence of sin is going your own way and instead of living for God's glory taking that glory upon yourself Is it too harsh for a God to say for God to say to Adam when you do that you will surely die I Think before you answer Because if you say yes You are accusing the righteous judge of all the universe Just want to meditate on that a moment before you let an answer come out of your mouth I Don't in any way believe that that was too harsh He was warned God made every provision and I believe it's clear here that when you sin you forfeit any claim you had to human existence Because the purpose of his life and Eve's life and our lives was to represent the holiness of God's I don't believe it's unjust for God to take away the gift of life that he gave Freely if it wasn't used for the purpose for which he gave it because when we sin What we are saying is we're not just making a mistake We're saying no to God's law We're saying your law is not good. We're saying God your law doesn't cut it I'm not under your authority. My judgment is superior to yours I'm defying and opposing you who in reality I owe everything to Don't believe it was too harsh for God to say on the day you do that. You will surely die I don't believe God had any choice. If God didn't say that he wouldn't be holy. He would no longer be God's He gave the just penalty for sin You see one of the things I've seen as I've studied this is how often I don't understand God's perspective Because I'm not holy so when I read I say God I Wouldn't do that and God says that's right. You wouldn't but there is a slight difference CJ between you and I So it becomes a bit difficult for you to appreciate where I'm coming from because you live with sin every day You're used to sin. You've grown up a sinner Sin is norm to you, but it is not and it never will be to me For I am holy and I do not ever adjust to sin I hate it with a holy hatred and I will always hate it with a holy hatred and until you take on my Perspective you will not feel the dilemma now Here's the dilemma the dilemma is not a holy God who is looking to punish creation God is looking for a way to forgive those he created though They are defying him, but he can't do that by compromising his holiness God's got a dilemma that we've got a feel Got to enter into check this quote out now. Listen carefully Again, R.C. Sproul said this This is one that'll hit you next week We have more in common he says morally Hold on. Let me finish the quote. We have more in common morally with Adolf Hitler than we do with God Keep listening the gap in holiness Which differentiates you and me with Adolf Hitler is? Infantessable compared to the gap that separates you and me from God now Hitler is and was detestable, but Hitler was a sinner and So are and were we? God is holy I was watching television one day. They announced different spies that have been caught you've had the same thing go on Something in me rose up. I thought I cannot believe That those individuals would do that would sell out to the Russians and give some of the most significant secrets That this country has for its protection and defense I mean there's a sense of shock that came into my being and As I began to think about the holiness of God at a later date I thought think of how God must feel as Daily the planet that he created populated with multitudes of people made in his image Commits treason. I want you to know something God is so patient No human ruler would put up with the rebellion that God puts up with on a daily basis The amazing thing is not that God has judged people in the Bible the amazing thing is that he has not judged everybody That's what's amazing But if you don't have the holiness of God as your starting point You can't appreciate that if you're offended by the judgments of God What it is is a sign that we don't understand his holiness and that we haven't understood our sin God says here the penalty is the day that you eat of it. You will surely die Now do you know one of the reasons this is difficult to impart? Because I've heard people teach on God's holiness and they almost seem happy that some folks are going to hell I've seen people self-righteous. I don't want to bore you with the examples. I felt that caused me to react God is not delighting in showing judgment to anybody It brings him great pain and he goes to every effort to not have to do that in every situation He's merciful. He sends warning after warning and his judgment is not like our temper which suddenly flares up in a moment Uncontrollable, that's not God. The wrath of God is an attribute that many of us were embarrassed that God even has it We don't want people to know about the wrath of God. We don't know how to relate to it It's like oh man Can you imagine if God loses it and he seems to lose it every now and then who is gonna get his attention is he's gonna Come God calm down, you know who's gonna get in the way of God in that situation And we don't understand his wrath we don't understand how his wrath is a righteous wrath God has never committed an unjust act ever Ever though it may appear to us as we read this word He has never committed an unjust act the penalty here was the just penalty for sin in God's eyes If you don't understand holiness, it might not seem to you to be the right penalty It might seem too severe but the God who created Adam and Eve the God who is holiness has determined that that is the just penalty for Rebellion it will be death The day you eat of it he says you will surely die You know, what's incredible as you read this God was merciful because as soon as that Apple hit Eve's lips and then Adam's lips They should have been wasted immediately But God was merciful What a merciful God He should have wiped him out. And you know what if he had of there would have been no arguing before the throne of God Neither Adam and Eve would have accused God of being unjust They would have bowed their knee and said that was the right thing for a righteous God to do You provided us with abundance and blessing made provision for every need and you warned us if we did that and we are under your Authority and you were not obligated to create us in the first place. That was the right thing for a holy God to do but this holy God is a loving father and Instead of judging them in the full sense Justice was delayed so that grace might enter history Let me read you something again from RC. You don't have to buy the book by the time I'm done I've read the whole thing to you Hear this this is powerful He's quoting here from a controversial. He says a controversial Roman Catholic theologian Writing about the seemingly harsh judgments of sin God makes in the Old Testament says that the most mysterious aspect of the mystery of sin is Not that the sinner deserves to die But that the sinner in the average situation continues to exist Now hear that that is a total mind renewal for many of us The issue is not why does God punish sin? But why does he permit the ongoing rebellion of man? It is customary. It is usual for God to be forbearing He is indeed long-suffering patient and slow to anger In fact, he is so slow to anger that when his anger does erupt we are shocked and offended by it We forget rather quickly that God's patience is designed to lead us to repentance to give us time to be redeemed Instead of taking advantage of this patience by coming humbly to him for forgiveness We use this grace as an opportunity to become more bold in our sin We delude ourselves into thinking that either God doesn't care about it or that he's powerless to punish us The supreme folly is that we think we will get away with our revolt Do you think that describes the nations in which we live tonight? Is there a fear of God I submit to you if there is I don't see it. I Believe that's an accurate understanding The delusion that either God doesn't care or God is powerless to punish sin and the deception that people are going to get away with the revolt in the end as entered into our two nations in a Significant and a serious way and I submit to you that for evangelism to be fully effective There must be some restoration of preaching on the holiness of God's Not in a self-righteous way not in a way with a wrong spirit But in a way which shows the holiness of God so that an individual can be smitten realizing that he's not just going through life making a few mistakes, but he has offended and defied the God who created him and Bringing that individual to a place of amazement That instead of God extinguishing him which God should have God instead wants to forgive him if he will but repent So many it's not good news because they don't have the backdrop of the holiness of God now The death penalty was not completely released all men die Home they often talk about men who are on death row don't believe you have the death penalty here We have it in some states at home when I hear that on television. I think we're all on death row Everybody's just standing in line Death is something our society likes to try to ignore Funerals are places where people are finally taking What my friend Dave Everett calls a reality pill? The lies of the enemy that you shall be as gods are not effective as you sit there before a casket Funerals are very effective places to preach the gospel of the kingdom Human beings become very teachable as they sit in a funeral setting What's so tragic is how many funerals take place where there's an assumption that the individual has gone to be with the Lord whether they have or not and the man who is doing this funeral doesn't have the guts enough to be honest and Share the Word of God's when a teachable moment is passing that might not ever come again in The Bible when men saw the holiness of God often they wanted to die It's amazing isn't it? I'm afraid to die But you know what there's something more fearful than dying that's falling into the hands of the living God You do not have a right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. There is something to be afraid about more than death itself That's meeting the one who created you who's going to have to judge you But who tonight wants to reveal himself as your Holy Father if you about respond to what he has done Would you turn to 1st Chronicles chapter 13 and let's look at a verse Maybe you've seen before Read through quickly skipped over Said oh, I wish that wasn't in the Bible I Don't understand it. I want to give you my this is how I talk to the Lord there are things I don't understand I read them, and I just talked to him. I say that that is not clear to me It doesn't sound like you I Wouldn't have done it that way David's It's been made king over Israel His first priority is to see the ark of God restored To the people of God and brought back to Jerusalem If you'll read in Chronicles 11 12 Talks about his mighty men, which is an understatement. There are some bad dudes. I would encourage you just to read it for fun I was preparing this a while back I was just reading through one guy on his day off while it was snowing walked by a Hole in the ground the lion had fallen in I guess and he just decided to kill him Be a nice group to have around you wouldn't Sure, David felt very protected with guys like that standing around him. What'd you do today? Well kind of a boring day And killed anybody in a while. I saw this lion And I killed him Those are the kind of guys we're talking about you want to store that thought away because it will come back into play as we read through this story David's mighty men were quite the group of individuals David it says in verse 5 assembled the Israelites From the Shiloh River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jerub Now I I don't know how to pronounce these words, but neither do you and I figure if I act like I do you'll be impressed By the way, that's the strategy of most individuals reading from the Bible in a public setting They don't know what they're talking about either But if you can just make it look like you do and read fast Everybody else says that's better than I could do and you just it's an incredible amount of credibility that you get David and all the Israelites with him went to Balaam Judah Kiriath Jerub Some of you don't understand this To bring up from there the ark of God the Lord to his enthroned between the cherubim the ark that is called by the name They move the ark of God from a bin adabs house on a new cart with what do you guys call him? Uzza Lord help me. I've called him user as a as a as a as a as a as a with as a and his buddy, Ohio Or whatever we don't hear from him again, no problem guiding it Talking strange names these guys had didn't they? David's now listen to this David catch the scene David's and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God's with songs and with harps lyres tambourines cymbals and trumpets We're talking about one mighty celebration Celebrating with all of their might and King David is as involved as anybody. This is a time of natural Celebration there's instruments. There's dancing. I was referring to one two-volume commentary. I have at home by a man named kiddo and he said 30,000 men were participating in this and again We are talking about David's mighty men and David is in the midst of the numerous musicians Playing and they are celebrating with all their might and in verse 9 So pick that up think of last night think of the gracious way you received us last night Capture in your emotions the spirit that was here at the height of that unbelievably gracious Reception you gave us and try to plug that into this passage now They are bringing the ark of God back the people of God are being restored The nation of God is being restored. God is going to be represented as he should have been represented for generations Preceding this is a time of celebration. Not just there was no self-consciousness 30,000 men Masculine men celebrating with all their might noise and celebration taking place such as we saw last night verse 9 when they came to the threshing floor of Kidan Azza Reached out his hand to steady the ark because the oxen stumbled the Lord's anger burned against us and He struck him down Because he had put his hand on the ark So he died there before God's Now at first reading I want to be honest with you. I don't understand this time of national celebration A time of restoration The ark is being pulled along by oxen the oxen Stumble the ark is going to fall into the dirt and the mud Unthinkable in the natural for this beautiful object to be just allowed to fall Into the dirt and into the mud now now as he's just standing there next to the ark And as far as I can see he just gives a reflex action Well, I read that I think I would have done. What would you have done? I certainly wouldn't have gotten out of the way Not with some of David's mighty men hanging around He went that away that that would be I Mean it doesn't seem when you read this scripture that as it was defying. God does it to you I? Don't pick up a bad attitude. I'm picking up. I was just saying I'm going to defy God I'm going to put my hand out and keep the ark from falling to the ground and getting money He's trying to protect the holy object from getting dirty. You think God would have split the heavens and said Thanks Wouldn't you That's what I think This is a good time like with Jesus break open to heaven's father and say this is my beloved son Who is paying attention and kept the ark from getting dirty well done slick. Thank you so much God doesn't do that God kills him God kills us God God wasted and God waste him immediately I was reading how modern theology tries to deal with this modern theorists By saying that what happened was that as I had such respect for the ark That when he touched it he was so overcome with fear that he had a heart attack So what's the conclusion? It wasn't God's fault God didn't kill him now. I understand the struggle But my Bible says very clearly the Lord executed him I Read that and I say, okay Uzza Puts his hand out. I Mean he a reflex, you know the reflexes. I mean, have you ever been a situation? You're eating dinner and somebody knocks your plate and you don't just sit there let it just Do you I mean your wife wouldn't say that's amazing. Do you just nothing moves you know? And Tell the Holy Ghost speaks to me I will remain in this posture. No Somebody drop something you move. That's what I'm not. He's just walking on celebrate Instruments are flying all over the place. That's what's happening folks. You ever been to a Jewish wedding. There is nothing uninhibited happening They're going crazy. It is it is He puts his hand out and he is history No trial no appeal God doesn't say don't do that again or you're gonna be wasted none of that. It's just boom And then I turn in my Bible and I say where it says I am the Lord who is slow to anger Say God, I'd like a little reconciliation between these two passages here You call that slow Looks rather quick to me Does anybody else here desire an explanation on passages like that I do I read it my say hey You know this seems a little harsh a little cruel I don't want to talk too forthrightly to you because I do not desire the same fate, but it No it just seems to me as I glance at the passage that the guy had no choice I mean it might have even fallen on him. Maybe hurt his body I mean, it's just we are talking about a reflex action now You know what I'm comforted by check out David's response in verse 11 David didn't then David was angry Because the Lord's wrath had broken out against us up and to this day the place is called Paris Uh, so which means God's outbreak or the Lord who breaks out that was an appropriate name The Lord definitely did some breaking out that day David's angry. Have you ever been angry with God? Can you relate to that? Oh, I thank God. He's merciful There are times I have taken walks and gone I remember one time in the woods just giving it to God over someone I prayed for who was healed and then died and I Told God I told him off in those woods. I Don't do that stuff anymore, I Wouldn't encourage you to either one read of this I say Lord, I believe I'm just going to be quiet here and But I'm glad David was able to be angry I'm glad at times I'm able to be angry David also was look at verse 12 This is another understood. The Bible is just one big understatement. David was afraid of God I believe that probably accurately describes what was going on How many of you would have been looking around to see if it was not going to be a mass execution? I mean was we were just starting with you sir. I would Check me. What did he do? He just touched the ark. Who's next? I mean what? Now this is incredible look at verse 13. This is this is incredible to me He did not take the ark to be with him in the city of David Instead he took it aside to the house of Obed Edom the Gittite Now somebody explained to me how they were able to drop the ark off At Obed Edom's house. All right, anybody got an explanation. Thank you. Imagine a knock at the door one day Is Obed Edom just hanging around inside Having an afternoon nap and 30,000 guys are out in his front yard. I Mean wouldn't you like to have a tape or the conversation or a video? I Mean, what did David say, you know Obed comes to the door? Davis is hi My name is David and these are a few of my friends I Don't know maybe this is where the mighty men came in Maybe David put that guy who broke the lion into right next to him. And this is one of my mighty men He's gonna ask you a favor He's not in a good mood right now, so I'd respond if I were you I Mean, how did they what did they do? What if David's I said David said well listen, uh, yeah some of us were just walking by and We got this We got this piece of equipment here Some of the guys it was getting a little heavy and Well, what we wondered is we'll come back, but could we leave it? Could we where's your name Obed Edom? Hey big O, could we leave it? Could could we leave it here you see Obed says let me have a look at that No, you don't want to touch that Obed You don't you don't want to do that Why is that well, do you see that guy over there? Yeah He's not asleep That's Azza and he's history and so will you be Obed if you touch that Having known that why did Obed take it? I mean, can you imagine it? Yeah stick in the garage I mean Stick it in the garage. I don't know I get fascinated by sections like this. I think well Maybe he had some neighbors. He didn't like he said hey Do you see that group that went by and they left me a gift? Come on over check it out You got to touch this thing Wow, it looks incredible. Now. You got to touch it to really appreciate it. Don't just look at it. Put your hand right there It's wonderful Maybe that's why his name was Obed eat him if your name was Obed eat him you do strange things like this, too But I I want to meet him. I pictured when I was reading this one day I thought picture the line of people before Jesus Jesus saying who would you like to see and you know? So that we worship to the max somebody saying I'd like to see Paul and the next person I'd like to see Peter and the next person. Yeah, I'd like to meet David and there I am I said did um, is there a dude named Obed eat him anywhere around? Just fascinated by the guy I don't know if anybody's talking to him or not, but I just just a question about how in the world He could take the ark into his house. I'm fascinated by this guy Wouldn't Morton Lloyd-Jones love this kind of exegesis Henry I It's a good thing he's on with the Lord probably Lords probably shielding him from any awareness that somebody is Using the Word of God in this way But anyway those thoughts of me now look verse 14 the ark of God remained with the family of Obed eat him So at least the family survived in his house for three months and the Lord blessed his Household and everything he had and that makes it even more confusing We have no record of this guy being involved in the restoration process He's not a part of the celebration. I Don't know he could probably care less Here's Uzza Giving his life touches the thing gets burnt Here's Obed Eden Sitting in his house on the side of the road Gives it a space in the garage and God blesses him for three months. I mean I wonder how they got it back Sure you can have it pick it up see I mean Obed we want to take it back now fine you'd go take it you touch it you can take it But I mean it doesn't make sense does it If anything he should have been consistent and wasted Obed too and everybody else that got near the ark Just seems like the severity of others fates was too great for the nature of the offense You've heard the phrase the punishment fits the crime And I realized what my problem was is I don't have any idea what the nature of the offensive It's not God who needs to change it's CJ's brain that needs to be renewed Because I'm not offended by this See hear this. Oh, please If you get this it will absolutely change your life The question as you read through this section of scripture is Not why did this happen? to us The question is why are you and I still alive tonight? That's the question Why are you and I still alive? See others sin, and I don't have time to go into this Was that he was clearly instructed not to touch the ark or else he would die You can read about it in Numbers chapter 4 When Israel was to move the ark it was to be carried it had no business being on an ox cart It wasn't supposed to be visibly seen it was to be covered and no one under any Circumstance was supposed to touch the ark What had happened in the absence of the ark it is obvious that though Uzza had been trained thoroughly the people of God had grown familiar with the ark of God Even in its absence God didn't have any problem with that ark falling on the ground because God doesn't have a problem with the ground But there was no way the ark of God the presence of God. There is no way God's throne Was going to be touched by an individual who had rebellion in his heart toward Almighty God The smartest thing as it could have done was move out of the way and allow the ark to get muddy No problem and then gone back to the Word of God and find out that there were rings around it and poles that were to be putting through it and Certain Levites that were to carry it and they could have gone on back to Jerusalem think Think of what must have happened as they approached Jerusalem. Can you see the entire city? Waiting they are there. They are no doubt Decked out in festival array and they see them coming from a distance and they recognize no doubt They left celebrating but as they look from a distance, they're not returning celebrating The instruments are at their sides. Their heads are lowered and as they get closer They realize that one of them is carrying the limp body of somebody that as they get closer They identify as other Can you imagine the kind of shock? Talk about raining on a parade from celebrating with all their might to shock as the Holy God intervenes and Kills other can you imagine the confusion that they must have went through? the offense that they must have felt and If you feel offense tonight, the reason is and I can relate to it I felt the fence as I've read sections of scripture like this But I've understood that the reason is that I don't understand God's holiness. I don't understand God's wrath I don't understand God's judgment I don't understand the effect of sin on this Holy God and I don't understand the marvelous grace of God For as we look at passages like this in reality when our minds are renewed We shouldn't be offended if you want to be offended if you want to be outraged There's only one place for you to be offended and outraged and that's at the foot of the cross But they're the only innocent man who ever lived was judged by Almighty God God has never judged an innocent man except for the Lord Jesus and had Jesus not Volunteered it would have been the most diabolical act possible for God to judge him and yet Jesus Volunteered folks. He wasn't asked he didn't come by request. He was the holy sinless spotless lamb of God and as he was on that cross Let's enter into the pain God must have felt as he took his wrath and in fullness of portion poured it out on the only Innocent person he has ever judged if you want to be outraged look at the cross If you want to be upset and say God How could you do something? Ask him about his son Say God, I don't understand it. He never did anything wrong. Why did you judge him? Because I love you And there isn't anybody in this tent tonight that can explain to me why God loves any of us Because God should have wasted me years ago God should have wiped out my evil influence Years ago I Stand here tonight marveling at the patience of Almighty God Now the question isn't why was he other killed Question is why are we all still alive? Why is God so merciful he shouldn't be He should judge us all He could do it now and there would be no argument before the throne of God All there would be was every individual in history up until now on bowed knee with mouths closed Acknowledging And in light of his holiness It was amazing That God allowed it to go on as long as he did This stuff unravels me There's only going to be one person in heaven with scars in his body and that's Jesus Jesus is going to be there with scars in his body I don't know what to do with that folks. I don't even know how to explain this to you I just emotionally become undone when we even start talking about it. I look forward to the day When I can touch his hand When I can kiss his feet When I can put my hand on the scar on his side because of the spear And when I can say to him face to face Why Why? Why did you take? What justice should have given to me? Why did you do that? And you know what? He's not going to explain it to me any more than he has right now He's just gonna look us in the eye And he's gonna say because I love you Is God patient or what folks His name is blasphemed every day He is not merely ignored every day. He is defied every day He's not merely dealing with individuals who are making mistakes. He's dealing with people who oppose him and hate his guts and yet every day in kindness and Patience he is reaching out in love To reconcile as many to himself as he can for our God does not want anybody to perish, but his heart is that all come to repentus and In his holiness. He has found a way to remain just and yet justify wicked people like us By giving to Jesus what he didn't deserve so that he might give to us What we don't deserve the grace and the love of God And tonight in this tent all over this town. There are individuals who God is reaching out to and saying to you Do you now see the greatness of my majesty? Do you now have a more clear understanding of my incredible love for you There are people here tonight. You may have believed the right things You may have gone to church all your life You may have a knowledge of Scripture there are some here you don't know Jesus Christ and you're honest about that you just came along interested intrigued curious to find out what's happening and Tonight God has revealed himself not as just your buddy God has revealed himself as the Holy One God has revealed to you that you aren't getting away with anything and That your revolt is being taken noted by God in heaven but that God in his mercy instead of judging you wants to forgive you and release you and make you his son and daughter tonight and That is the best news you will ever hear God does not want anybody in here to meet him listen everybody in this attempt has two appointments You will keep you will not miss or be late for these it is appointed unto everyone in this tent once to die you'll all go through that and Secondly the judgment and what you do on nights like tonight Determine what's going to happen when you make that second appointment and the God who is the judge of the universe? Who cannot deny himself has already taken it upon himself to reconcile you to himself by sending his only begotten Son and Taking your sin and your rebellion and pouring it out in a concentrated way on his son So that you might have the love of God poured out upon you We all just bow our heads and close our eyes there are numerous people throughout this tent and Tonight is your night to make a decision Not based upon emotion Not based upon personal blessing Not based upon what you can get out of it, but based on the fact that you recognize that you have been going your own way That you have been rebelling against a holy God Who hasn't just been looking the other way? that you have violated the judge of the universe who created you and Tonight you need to decide That you are going to turn from your sin and Receive his gracious love and For those of you praying and they're all over this tent right now. I want you just to pray with me You don't have to say these words You can follow me or say your own, but you just say Lord Jesus Christ I right now Confess that I have offended you That I have hurt you That I have rebelled against you That I have gone my own way and Lord I say tonight that you would be right to judge me For I have violated your law and you are holy But I thank you that your son Jesus Christ Took the penalty that I deserved and That I now can be forgiven of my sin and become your son and daughter Lord I submit my life to you tonight. I Ask you to forgive me. Holy God cleanse me from all unrighteousness and become my father