Merritt Hymn: #476 Burdens are Lifted at Calvary Title: The Treadmill
Scripture: Jeremiah 23:4-6, And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, says the Lord. I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
A man left his cat with his brother while on vacation. When he came back, the man called his brother to see when he could pick up his cat. Brother hesitated, "I'm so sorry, but your cat died."
The man was very upset, "You could’ve broken the news to me better than that! When I called today, you could’ve said he was on the roof and wouldn't come down. When I called next day, you could’ve said he’d fallen off and at the vet. When I called third day, you could’ve said he passed away."
Brother thought about it and apologized. "So how's Dad?" asked the man.
"He's on the roof and won't come down."
If we are looking at what we do and say as basis of our acceptance with God, this is a really big mistake. Our acceptance with God is based on who we are in Jesus. We stand before God in Jesus. The Holy Spirit convicts us when we sin. If we fall, God guides and disciplines us. But when correcting us, God still loves and accepts us fully because we are in Jesus. "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He made us accepted in the Beloved," Ephesians 1:6. This is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. God wants us to live each day in consciousness of being righteous because we are in Jesus. In myself I am not righteous, but God made me perfectly righteous in His sight. How did He do this? For God made Christ to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made righteousness of God IN Him, 2Corinthians 5:21. It can only be done in Him.
The prodigal son said, “I am no longer FIT to be called your son.” Father told his servants, "Bring the best robe and put it on him." Best robe means there is none better! The son can enjoy being with Father because Father made him suitable. He honors Father by wearing it. The best robe made him KNOW he is accepted. My position is the way God sees me. Is position in Jesus perfect? Yes it is. Jesus is perfect, and God always sees me in Jesus. HE is my "best robe." God never takes back His best robe: I’m free to take it off, but this prodigal daughter doesn’t want the pig pen! A PhD was invited to preach in a country church. He used long speech and hard truths in complicated words. At the close he gave an altar call; just one old gentleman in overalls came forward. He said, "Young feller, just because the water's muddy, don't mean it's deep!" God’s righteousness is simple.
Luke 10:39-40, Martha had a sister called Mary, who was listening to the Lord's word, seated at His feet. But Martha was distracted by all preparations; she said to Jesus, “Lord, do You NOT care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Tell her to help me.” Martha blames Jesus for not caring! Did she really know Jesus? Martha did her own right doing, while she blamed Jesus and her sister. Jesus fed 5000 men plus women and children, about 20,000 people with 12 baskets leftover; did Martha REALLY need to feed Him? Martha kept serving, worrying, feeling burdened, lost in her focus, her duties, poor me, the treadmill of always working on her right doing, so she missed God right in front of her!
Martha said her sister had left her alone to do the serving. Mary had been in the kitchen until Jesus started teaching. Then Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. She didn’t sit at John’s feet or Andrew’s feet. Why at Jesus’ feet? Because she recognized HE was God. She saw God worthy of worship and adoration. Mary saw God. In her day, if a woman sat around instead of working, people said she’s lazy. When we seek God’s righteousness instead of our own, people will call us lazy, radical, say we don’t believe in keeping the law, say we preach nothing but love and grace. But Jesus said Mary chose the BETTER part, which shall not be taken away.
SONG: JUST PREACH JESUS
John 12, Six days before Passover, Jesus again came to Bethany, to Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. They made Him supper. Martha served but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. Mary anoints Jesus' feet with costly perfume and wipes it with her hair. Judas protested about the cost of perfume because he was a thief, and as he held the money box, he used to pilfer what was put in it. Jesus said, "Leave Mary alone. She did this in preparation for my burial.” God inspired Mary, a woman with an impure past, to anoint His Son for burial. Mary caught it that Jesus would be her sacrifice of righteousness. Martha didn’t catch it at all; Martha missed the boat because of much serving on the self righteousness treadmill.
Jesus’ righteousness is ours by faith because Jesus gave Himself for us and to us. Matthew 6:33, Seek you first the kingdom of God, and what? His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Seek first whose righteousness? People teach us to seek righteousness. Totally not! Jesus says we are to seek HIS righteousness. Our righteousness is self righteousness and Isaiah calls it filthy rags. Researchers John and Sylvia Ronsvalle report the following in their book “Behind the Stained Glass Windows.” People make major donations to churches in order to control the institution. Many see their offerings as paying for services rendered. Others are buying a religion or good citizen culture. Jesus taught HIS righteousness is ours simply through faith in Him.
Matthew 27: 3-5, Then Judas, who had betrayed Him, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, Judas repented, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself. Judas repented, yes, but repentance doesn’t save anyone! Judas didn’t seek Jesus’ righteousness. Judas punished himself, pronounced himself guilty and hung himself. His self righteousness led to self condemnation and death. That is where self righteousness ultimately leads. It destroys.
Peter betrayed Jesus, but Peter went to the cross. His sense of guilt led him to see Jesus hanging for him, to seek Jesus’ righteousness. Judas hung himself, but Jesus hung for Peter. Did Jesus hang on the cross for YOU? By faith we either accept it or we don’t. There is no way to mix my righteousness with Jesus’ righteousness. It is all His or none of His. If I ever try to add to His, it is no longer His, but my self-righteousness.
John 1:17, For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Grace and truth came by Jesus. Moses was a servant. Jesus is the Son. The Son is far greater. It was always anticipated that by Messiah’s righteousness people would be saved. When Moses led the people, an evil king asked prophet Balaam to curse Israel so he could defeat Israel. Balaam could not curse a people that God looked on as righteous. Numbers 23:21, “He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. For God brings them out of Egypt.” God does NOT see iniquity in His people why? Because JESUS is our righteousness.
SONG: JESUS WILL DO WHAT YOU CAN’T
My weakness does not affect Jesus’ perfection. Nothing can be added to His perfection, nothing can be taken from it. Isabelle may fail, but Jesus is always my righteousness before God, and He is always perfect. My "position" is not based on what I do, but on Jesus. "Walking by faith" means living by God's truth, by what I am in Christ. "Walking by sight" is living in Isabelle’s power. When I am in Christ, JESUS is my righteousness. We are not our righteousness. NOT I am a food addict, I have a bad temper, I am full of fear; instead I am righteous in Jesus. WOW! When we learn this truth, it will set us free. I am righteous in Jesus! It sets us free from our own righteousness, our fear, self focus, a lifetime of baggage, a lifetime of pointless striving on this treadmill! The devil no longer blinds us when we recognize that Jesus, not you or me, but JESUS is our righteousness. Let His Truth burn in our heart!
Jeremiah 23: 4, And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, says the LORD. When God’s shepherds teach Jesus is our righteousness, people will not fear, be in dismay or lacking. What are three of the biggest problems in our day? Fear, dismay and lack! Fear of what tomorrow will bring. Dismay over what happened yesterday. In Jesus, there is no lack! No lack of righteousness. If you want to seek God’s kingdom, then seek HIS righteousness. That’s the only way. Without understanding that, we are confused. Youth Pastor was giving children's sermon. "Now kids, what's green, lives in the pond, sits on a lily pad, and hops?" Children looked at each other with vacant eyes in silence. "Surely, someone has an idea?" Finally, little Susie stood up, “Well, it sounds like a frog, but in church it must be Jesus!”
The prodigal son had a brother who always went to church, never left home, did everything right, was always obedient. “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found,” Luke 15:31-32. Older brother is working in the field when younger son returns, so he doesn’t get home till after the party started. There is something about hard work that wakes a self-righteous attitude, “These many years I served you, and I never disobeyed your command.” He was invested in doing and being right.
King David had a counselor named Ahithophel. 2Samuel 16:23, “Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how David and Absalom regarded his advice.” Ahithophel gave Absalom advice how to defeat his father, but another counselor secretly loyal to King David advised opposite. Absalom chose not to follow Ahithophel’s advice. When Ahithophel heard the king’s son disregarded his advice, he went home, put his household in order, and hanged himself. Would WE rather die if we’re not right?
SONG: DON’T LET WHO YOU ARE KEEP YOU AWAY
The older brother thinks he makes contribution to his father. Many years I served you! We think we can add to God. We can NOT! But I never disobeyed you! The older son’s strong points, his view of himself is being obedient. That’s what we believe when we’re self-righteous. We think we obey! His contempt for his brother, "This son of yours!” Father ends up with all the blame, all his fault. "You never gave ME a calf!”
The world's most deadly sin is self righteousness. Jesus was merciful, gracious, accepting to those in adultery, drunkenness, demon possession, but when He faced the self-righteous, Jesus’ words cut. Sin is deadly when it is disguised as justice. It can be proved by law to be right. Older son justified his attitude. Self-righteousness thinks I’m right! It looks at unwashed, at those in the gutter as worth less than us. A bumper sticker said, "Even Dirty Old Men Need Love."
A priest said solemnly, "Immorality is rampant in our town. It is said there is not one virgin left. This vile lie must be refuted. I ask every virgin in the church to stand." Not a woman stirred. "I understand modesty that would make a young lady hesitate publicly," the priest said. "But it is necessary. I ask those who are truly virgins to rise." Still not a woman stood. Self righteous indignation now moved the priest. "Will you not rise for fear of a small shame? I ask you in the name of virgin Mary herself. Let all virgins stand!" A young lady, far in the rear, with a baby in her arms, rose shyly. The preacher stared in astonishment at her. “Young woman, I asked for virgins to stand.”
"Father," the young lady answered, "do you really expect this six-month-old child to stand?"
We look down on those who look down on sinners! Those who have been set free from legalism look down on the harsh, legalistic, older brother. But the Father came out to meet His angry, judgmental son. Just as He went out to meet the prodigal, so He goes out to seek His pouting son. Jesus loves the self-righteous, smug legalist as much as He loves the rebellious prodigal. As He finds his older son, He does not scold or rebuke harshly. Shakespeare said, "How sharper than a serpent's tooth is the thankless child." This son is actually more lost than the other was! He too is in a far country in spirit, far removed from the father's heart. He doesn’t understand Father; he never learned to share Father’s spirit. God is gracious and merciful, even to His self-righteous son, but the story ends with this son standing OUTSIDE. Will he go in? Jesus leaves the answer up to us.
Father said to the older son, “All I have is yours.” Jesus says, “Righteousness I have is yours.” A King rode an elephant once a year, to scatter gold coins on streets. People would scramble for them. Once the elephant got out of control and the King tipped on the edge. Just then the box of gold coins fell, a shower of gold on the road. Even king’s guards ran after gold, unmindful of the King. But one young man calmed the elephant for the king. The king asked, "How is it when everyone else ran after gold coins, you came to me?" The young man said, "Gold coins are trifle. You who owns them are precious. YOU are our true treasure.” Let’s get off the treadmill of establishing our own righteousness, because that treadmill does not go to God’s kingdom. Only Jesus is our righteousness.
SONG: GREAT IS THE LORD