this week's sermon
IN THE TEXT, I am speaking to you these days What True Christians Have In Hard Times. I Kings 19.11b-13a. In today's Sermon, it is my intention to show that in hard times, True Christians know what THE LORD is not in. In this consideration, there are two things. I. How this Truth is seen in the Text. II. How this Truth relates to us.
-----I. How this Truth is seen in the Text. Once the Prophet reached Mount Sinai, while he took time with THE LORD, first, the Presence of THE LORD came to him. The first Words in the Text are: “And, behold, the Lord passed by.” When THE LORD came to the Prophet, the first thing THE LORD showed him was what THE LORD is not in. The Words in the Text read: “A great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord: but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire.” In the Words, through wind, earthquake, and fire, THE LORD showed to the Prophet with Power what THE LORD is not in. To send Home this Truth to the Prophet's heart and to seal it in his conscience, there is a Phrase THE LORD repeated three times. THE LORD said: “The Lord was not in the wind.” “The Lord was not in the earthquake.” “The Lord was not in the fire.” As if this was not just the first thing THE LORD desired to say, but it was a significant part of the Light THE LORD imparted to the Prophet at that time.
-----II. How this Truth relates to us. What THE LORD taught the Prophet in the Text is not restricted to him, but in the Scripture, THE LORD speaks the same things to us. For in the Scripture, THE LORD has made it abundantly clear what He is not in. In the beginning of the world, when THE LORD created Adam and Eve, THE LORD spoke straightway what He is not in. In Genesis 2.16,17, THE LORD said: “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Once years passed along, THE LORD gave the Ten Commandments. Again, THE LORD spoke what He is not in. In Exodus 20, The First Commandment is: “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” The Second Commandment is: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.” The Third Commandment is: “Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.” The Sixth Commandment is: “Thou shalt not kill.” The Seventh Commandment is: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” The Eighth Commandment is: “Thou shalt not steal.” The Ninth Commandment is: “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” The Tenth Commandment is: “Thou shalt not covet.” Which speaks that Eight out of The Ten Commandments speaks what THE LORD is not in. Once more years passed by, when JESUS came into the world, JESUS frequently preached what THE LORD is not in. In Matthew 5, the famous Sermon on the Mount, JESUS quoted, explained, and confirmed the Ten Commandments. The Commandments He specially insisted on were those Commandments in which THE LORD says what He is not in. In Matthew 8.4, when JESUS healed a man, he told him what not to do. He said: “Tell no man.” In Matthew 9.12, JESUS spoke of those He came not to save. When JESUS left this world and the Apostles continued His Work, they, too, spoke what THE LORD is not in. In Romans 12.2, the Apostle Paul said: “Be not conformed to this world.” In I John 2.15, the Apostle John said: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
-----From today's Sermon, there are Four Instructions. 1. The First Instruction is from the beginning and throughout the history of the world, THE LORD has made it known what He is not in. In today's Sermon, I showed that what is going on in the Text is neither strange nor singular. From the beginning and throughout the history of the world, THE LORD has made it known what He is not in. When THE LORD spoke to Adam and Eve at the first, He told them what they were not to do. When THE LORD gave the Ten Commandments, in Eight out of the Ten Commandments, THE LORD spoke to us what we are not to do. When JESUS and the Apostles preached the Word, they did not change. They, too, spoke what is not to be done. 2. The Second Instruction: This goes against a certain strain of common thinking. In the world today, what THE LORD is not in goes straight against a certain strain of common thinking. Some do not mind hearing about what should be done. Yet the moment what should not be done is spoken, this is looked on as a crime. But before the Country goes further down this dark road, consideration ought to be made. For if steadfastness in this matter is maintained and more advancement is taken, then THE LORD Himself will be looked on as the criminal and His Word shall be treated as the crime. 3. The Third Instruction: In THE LORD'S mind, it is important for you to know what you should not do. It is an incontestable Fact that from the beginning and throughout the history of the world, THE LORD made it known what He is not in. It then follows that in THE LORD'S mind, it is important for you to know what you should not do. When THE LORD spoke what should be done, He pointed out the right way. When it pleased THE LORD to add with detail what should not be done, this further confirmed the matter, strengthened it, settled it, put it beyond doubt, added assurance, and all to quicken obedience. 4. The Fourth Instruction: In hard times, it is a comfort to True Christians to know what THE LORD is not in. In the case of the Prophet, when THE LORD first spoke to him what THE LORD is not in, this, surely, must have been a comfort. For in the previous Chapter, the Prophet had set before the Country what THE LORD is not in and how they should turn from false gods. And when True Christians are good and do good, there will be occasions when they will be slandered. If you sit still and sleep, you will not be slandered. But if you are active and doing what the Will of THE LORD is, slander will come. In Psalm 31.13, the Psalmist was slandered. In John 8.48,52, JESUS was slandered. Revelation 12.10 says that Satan is skillful in slander. An example is in Job 2. Slander is one of Satan's strategies to stop souls from obeying THE LORD. Which speaks that True Christians may expect to be slandered. But since THE LORD has spoken in Scripture what He is not in, True Christians may rest here. For Christians are not mean, hateful, or rude, as they are sometimes slandered. Instead, when they take their stands, they stand against certain things because THE LORD has said what He is not in. And shall they then not stand? Ephesians 6.14 says: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with Truth.” II Corinthians 6.17. Amen.