#95 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth

Valley – August 24, 2003 a.m.

TEN RESPONSES EXPECTED TO THE GODS OF THE WORLD SYSTEM -- III

This message continues the Ten Responses that World Moral Religion Is Designed to Bring to Its gods from Human Beings. The first four include: the response of serving a god as a slave, the response of speaking in the name of other gods than Jehovah, the response of worshipping other gods and the response of turning to and focusing attention on other gods. This message addressed the next three points in the outline. As has been emphasized, the world system's religion is designed to take human attention from the natural revelation of the God of the universe and to bring that attention to gods and religion supplied by the system. As a result, the world system provides substitutes for the divine reality that is manifested in creation by replacing that revelation with its own morality. Often there is enough similarity between the two qualities of morality so that an unbelieving person or a carnal believer has great difficulty in distinguishing what is true and what is not.

V. indicates that world religion attempts to cause human beings to find their strength or energy in its gods. 1 Kings 9:9 and 2 Chron. 7:22 are parallel passages that involve Jehovah's commitment to Solomon at the time of the completion of the temple. In the middle of positive promises to Solomon is a promise to Israel concerning divine punishment for her disobedience. The proclamation is rooted in 1 Ki. 9:7. Then will I cause to cut off Israel from upon the land that I have given to them; and this house, which I have set apart for my name, I will proceed to cast from before my face; and Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples. After judgment has been administered, the nations will pass by the pile of ruins that were Jerusalem and they will verbally respond. And they will say, Because they abandoned Jehovah their God, who caused their fathers to go out of the land of Egypt, and have caused to be strong [or taken hold of] in other gods, and have worshipped toward them, and served them as slaves: therefore Jehovah has caused this evil to come upon them (1 Ki. 9:9). Israel will be seen as a people who sought their strength by seizing other gods than Jehovah. They exercised strength to get strength from other gods, bowed down in physical obeisance to them and served them as slaves. The Mosaic Law was clear concerning the direction of the energies of Israel and the source of their strength. Wait on the LORD: be strong, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait on Jehovah (Psa. 27:14). There is a clear link to Jehovah as the source of an individual Israelite's strength as well as the source of national strength. In a totally different way, the grace believer has the privilege of having an endowment of inherent power in his or her position under the Head of the Body. For the rest, my brethren, be empowered with inherent power in the Lord even by the manifest power of His inherent power (Eph. 6:10). Our power is in the Body of Christ as we respond to the Lordship of the Head of the Body.

VI. shows that the religion of the world system motivates people to make or fabricate other gods than the God of the universe. Men made other gods of wood, stone and metal. Ahijah's prophecy to Jeroboam indicates the king's accountability for making or fabricating other gods – molten images – idols. But you are evil to do above all that were before you: for you have gone and made for thee other gods, and molten images, to cause to provoke me to anger, and have thrown me behind your back (1 Ki. 14:9). The Mosaic Law clearly prohibited fabrication of other gods. "Molten gods you will not make for you (Ex. 34:17)." This is repeated many times (as in Lev. 19:4 and Deut. 27:15). The statement is clear for grace believers. "Little born ones, guard yourselves from idols. Amen (1 Jn. 5:21)." In other words, do not live in the work of the flesh called idolatry. Do not serve that which is visible that has been made by man.

VII. the world system is designed to bring people to the point that they are willing to make sacrifices and offerings to its gods. The Mosaic Law clearly stated: He who sacrifices to gods, except to the LORD alone, he shall be exterminated (Exo. 22:20). Numbers 25 clearly describes the events at Baal Peor where Israel married Moabite women from the land and then began to worship and sacrifice to the gods of the peoples of the land. A multitude of Israelites was destroyed until Phinehas took his javelin and killed a man of Israel and a Moabite woman copulating in a tent of the congregation of Israel. Naaman was a Syrian who became a Jewish proselyte. After he was healed of his leprosy, he clearly identified himself as loyal to the God of Israel. Then Naaman proceeded to say, Will there not, I pray you, be given to thy slave two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will not make any longer a burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but unto Jehovah (2 Ki. 5:17). Naaman wanted to take soil from Jerusalem back to Syria with him to provide a place for worship. The sacrifices to the gods of the world system will replace the spiritual sacrifices of the New Testament believer priest with physical sacrifices to human moral religion whether it be Christendom or any other religion. 1 Peter 2:5 teaches us that the grace believer is a priest that is in a spiritual house (the Body of Christ) which is a spiritual priesthood. Even also you, as living stones, are built up into a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, well-pleasing to God through the agency Jesus Christ. The six spiritual sacrifices are identified as the sacrifices of the physical body (Rom. 12:1, 2), of praise (Heb. 13:15), of doing good, of fellowship (Heb. 13:16), of faith (Phil. 2:17) and giving (Phil. 4:18). Physical sacrifices of the world system completely distract from the spiritual sacrifices of the spiritual grace believer priest.

Placed as a son,

DKS

TEN RESPONSES EXPECTED TO THE GODS OF THE WORLD SYSTEM -- III

1 John 2:15

Proposition: To demonstrate how the world system is designed to make human beings respond to the religion in specific ways. This message covers ten of the expected responses presented in the Old Testament in relation to Israel.

Introduction

A. The First Four Responses World System Religion Is Designed to Stimulate

1. To Make Human Beings Slaves to the Religion

2. To Make Human Beings Speak in the Names of Other Gods

3. To Make Human Beings Worship Gods Other Than the God of Creation

4. To Make Human Beings Turn from the God of Creation

B. The Relationship to "Other Gods"

1. The Provision of Optional gods

2. The Promises from Other Gods

C. The Respect for the Powers of Other Gods

D. The Responsibilities Accepted to Other Gods

E. The Rejection of the God of Creation

TRANS: The religion of the world systems attempts to get human beings to be firm and strong

in their belief in other gods with total disregard for the god of the Universe.

V. BEING STRONG IN OTHER GODS – DELEGATION TO OTHER GODS FOR RESOURCES FOR LIFE – APPROPRIATION OF OTHER GODS FOR FAITH AND PRACTICE – 1 Kings 9:9; 2 Chron. 7:22

A. The Forsaking of Jehovah God – 1 Ki. 9:9

B. The Seizing of Other Gods – 2 Chron. 7:22

a. Strong for Them

b. Worshipping Them

c. Serving Them

C. The Expectation of the Mosaic Law – Deut. 31:6, 7; Psa. 27:14

D. The Source of Power Under Grace – Eph. 6:10

TRANS: The religion of the world system has room for more gods and so it encourages the

making of more gods in addition to the Creator of the universe.

VI. MAKING OTHER GODS – FABRICATION OF OTHER GODS THAN THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE – ACQUIRING FABRICATED GODS INSTEAD OF JEHOVAH – 1 Ki. 14:9

A. The Representation of Other Gods

B. The Production of Physical Gods

C. The Prohibition of the Law – Ex. 34:17; Lev. 19:4; Deut. 27:15

D. The Problem for Grace Believers – 1 Jn. 5:21

TRANS: The natural response to religion is the reaction of the soul that makes sacrifices and offerings to appease the gods.

VII.MAKING SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS TO OTHER GODS – PARTICIPATION IN RELIGIOUS RITUAL TO OTHER GODS – ANTICIPATING FAVOR FROM OTHER GODS THROUGH SACRIFICES OFFERED TO THEM – 2 Ki. 5:17

A. The Guidelines of the Law – Ex. 22:20; Num. 25:2, 7, 8

B. The Attitude of Naaman a Proselyte – 2 Ki. 5:17

C. The Appropriateness of Proper Sacrifices

1. Old Testament

2. New Testament – 1 Pe. 2:5; Heb. 13:15, 16

TRANS: A key to the Mosaic Law was that Israel was expected to fear Jehovah and not to fear the gods of the nations in the land.

VIII. FEARING OTHER GODS – TREPIDATION TOWARD OTHER GODS – ACQUIRING RESPECT FOR OTHER GODS THROUGH FEAR – 2 Ki. 17:7, 35, 37, 38, Judg. 6:10 – arey" (yahree)

A. The Core Requirement Concerning Jehovah – Lev. 19:14, 32; Deut. 31:12

[Josh. 24:14; 1 Sam. 12:24; Psa. 34:9]

B. The Respect for Other Gods by Fear

1. The View of the Capabilities of the Gods

2. The Comparison to Jehovah

3. The Denigration of Jehovah

C. The Resulting Progression – 17:35-38

TRANS: The ongoing practice expected of Israel was that of burning incense to Jehovah. There was a very special formula for the temple incense that was a sweet smelling savor to Jehovah. Israel came to burn incense to other gods instead of Jehovah in response to the manipulation of the world system religions.

IX. BURNING INCENSE TO OTHER GODS – GENERATION OF A GOOD ODOR TO OTHER GODS BY ISRAEL – THE APPEASEMENT OF THE GODS BY THE BURNING OF INCENSE – 2 Ki. 22:17; 2 Chron. 28:25; 34:25; Jer. 1:16; 19:4; 44:5, 8, 15 – rj;q' (qahtar)

A. The Proper Person to Which to Burn Incense – Ex. 30:7, 8; Num. 16:40

B. The Forsaking of Jehovah – 2 Ki. 22:17; 2 Chron. 34:25

C. The Burning of Incense – 2 Ki. 22:17; 2 Chron. 34:25

D. The Provoking of Jehovah – 2 Ki. 22:17; 2 Chron. 34:25

E. The Provision of a Sweet Savor by Grace Believers – 2 Cor. 2:15; Eph. 5:2; Phil. 4:18

TRANS: The last of my list of ten involves the pouring out of drink offerings to other gods. These offerings were an important accompanying sacrifice in the sacrificial system of Israel.

X. POURING OUT OF DRINK OFFERINGS TO OTHER GODS – PARTICIPATION IN VOLUNTARY OFFERING OF DRINK OFFERINGS TO APPEASE OTHER GODS – THE ANTICIPATION OF FAVOR FROM OTHER GODS BY POURING OUT DRINK OFFERINGS TO THEM – Jer. 7:18; 19:13; 32:29 – %s;n" (nahsak)

A. The Law of Drink Offerings

1. Accompanied the Continual Burnt Offering – Ex. 29:40, 41

2. Accompanied Sacrifices in Feasts – Lev. 23:13, 18, 37

B. The Misdirection of Drink Offerings to Other Gods – Jer. 7:18; 19:13; 32:29

C. The Provocation of Jehovah

TRANS: This list of ten responses that the religion of the world system is the major part of the responses that are revealed in the negatives of the OT. These responses accomplish Satan's purposes for religion in the world system.

Valley Baptist Church

P. O. Box 99, Gaston, OR 97119