When The Rubber Hits the Road

How to be a Christian in a Wicked World
Text: Psalm 37: 1-9

Summary
It is possible to live a Christian life by the power of the Holy Spirit in trusting, delighting, committing, and be patient in the Lord in a wicked and evil world.

Text: Psalm 37: 1-9

PS 37:1 Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;

PS 37:2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

PS 37:3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

PS 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

PS 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

PS 37:6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

PS 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

PS 37:8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret--it leads only to evil.

PS 37:9 For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

Introduction
All fans of Formula One racing will know that winning a race is the combination of the driver, the maintenance team and the design of the car. Even though the driver seems to get all the glory, it all goes back to the design of the car. Nowadays car designs are very dependent on computer modeling- the aerodynamics, the cooling system, the capacity of the engine, the air-fuel mix, and the weight of the car. However, no matter how el designed is the car, it will prove itself only when you get it on the road and drive. Hence when the rubber/tire hits the road. This is the same with our Christian life. No matter how much we memorized and study the Bible, how much we pray, and how much fellowship we have with our church, the test of our Christian living is in the world.

Psalm 37 has an acrostic structure. It begins each stanza with the Hebrew alphabet. This helps the students in memorizing the psalm. This psalm is considered part of the wisdom literature, like the book of Proverbs. Its purpose is not so much to teach theology, but rather practical living. It is a psalm about how to live. And this is particularly relevant to us today as we seek to live a Christian life in a world turned upside down.

How do you live in a world where the evil seems to triumph and the good seems insignificant? Is it possible to live a Christian life in a wicked world? When the tire hits the road, can our Christian principles hold?

PS 37:1 Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;

PS 37:2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

There is the natural temptation to be upset and envious at the success of evil people, especially when living a moral life creates hardship. We look around and we see people whom we know to lie, steal, and cheat driving around in luxuries continental cars and live in large mansions. And they seem to get away with it. We know of evil persons who cause untold suffering and death of millions of people like Pol Pot of Cambodia and Mao Ze Dong of China dying of old age! The normal axiom is that the “good die young.” Why should the good die young? Shouldn’t the good live longer? Where is the justice in that?

Prov. 24:19 -20
PR 24:19 Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of the wicked,
PR 24:20 for the evil man has no future hope,
and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

But their success is superficial and not to be envied, for having no deep roots, they shrivel up as soon as testing comes along.

So how do we then live in this unjust world? Do we throw away our principles and jump in the in the murk? And if we want to live a Christian life, is there any way we can do that without failing? I believe that the psalmist had given us the answer in this section of this great wisdom psalm. The audience of this psalm also lives in times like us. Times where evil people are in control, where cheating and stealing are common, where injustices are common, and where it is difficult to live according to Godly principles, especially in the business world.

(1) Trust in the Lord (v.3)
PS 37:3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Evil people tend to trust in their wealth, power, or connections. The righteous shall trust in the Lord.

Prov. 3: 5-6
PR 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
PR 3:6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Trusting in the Lord is very important. That is the basis of our belief. If you do not trust in the Lord, there is no point in talking about living a Christian life. One of the greatest examples of trust is the flying trapeze in a circus act. In the act, they will launch themselves into thin air and trust their friend or partner in the other trapeze will catch them in time. That’s absolute trust. This is especially so when they are doing it without net. There is no room for mistake, or a bad hair day. One mistake and they fall plunging into the hard ground below. I always look at trust in the Lord that way. Are we willing to launch ourselves into the air without a safety net below, trusting God to be there to catch our outstretched hands? That is trust.

(2) Delight in the Lord (v.4)
PS 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Evil people tends to live for themselves and fulfill their basest desire, the righteous shall delight in the presence of the Lord.

Together with trust is joy. Trusting the Lord will give us joy. Joy is different from happiness. If you give me a million dollars or a big house, I will be happy. However that happiness is transient. It disappears when the income tax man come to audit me or the land office demand payment of the quit rent. Joy, however persists in spite of circumstances. We can have joy in the most perverse of situations. This joy comes as a delight in the Lord. What is the purpose of our existence? Why are we here? We are here because God loves us. And we are here because God wants us to be his partners or co-creators for the redemption of this creation.

Prov. 8:30-31
PR 8:30 Then I was the craftsman at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
PR 8:31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.

(3) Commit to the Lord (v.5,6)
PS 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

The act of trust and commitment acts like trigger, releasing God’s capacity to act. Commitment is a conscious decision. Like Peter Parker in Spider-man 2, life is a choice. He has received awesome powers- the strength of ten men, the ability to climb walls, shoot webs from his wrists, and swing from buildings to buildings. However, he has to choose to continue to be Spiderman, or to be a normal person by not using his powers. He wants to live a normal life and marry his sweetheart, Mary Jane. . Aunt May Parker said, "I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble. And finally gets us to die with pride. Even though sometimes we have to be steady and give up the thing we want most, even our dream." Peter decides to become that hero. He has made his choice and commitment.

Prov. 16:3
PR 16:3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.
PR 16:4 The LORD works out everything for his own ends--
even the wicked for a day of disaster.

PS 37:6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

The conviction in v.6 is that the setbacks are only temporary, like clouds obscuring the sun. Eventually God will move the clouds away and true light will appear.

(4) Be Still before the Lord (v.7-9)
PS 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

PS 37:8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret--it leads only to evil.
PS 37:9 For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

This verse advocate patience, not achieved by observing the instant-success schemes of this world, but by learning to wait on God’s appropriate timing.

The type of anger highlighted here is ‘anger against God’. This anger arises from the experience of trouble in the world where the evil people are evidently trouble-free, and the consequences of human experiences seem grossly unfair. Again, patience is encouraged because this type of anger is futile, because it will only bring grief to them. And also the evil will eventually cut off (as the Canaanites before them) and the faithful shall inherit the land (as their predecessor did).

Prov.16:32
PR 16:32 Better a patient man than a warrior,
a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.

Can we learn to look at the world through the Lord’s eyes? Can we look at the world through the Lord’s timing. Even though evil flourish, it will be only for a while. In God’s own timing (which may be different from ours), justice will be done.

Conclusion: How to be Christian in a Wicked World
We can be Christians in a wicked world by
• Trusting the Lord
• Delighting in the Lord
• Commitment to the Lord
• Be patient in the Lord
This is not easy but can be done. That is because we have the Holy Spirit to help us.

Today is Pentecost Sunday (27 May 2007). About two thousand years ago, on a day like today, the Holy Spirit came like flames of fire and fill all Christians, empowering them to be witnesses and to live as Christians in wicked world.
Acts 2:1-4
AC 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

It is possible to live a Christian life by the power of the Holy Spirit in trusting, delighting, committing, and be patient in the Lord in a wicked and evil world.

soli deo gloria

A New Form of Worship

Text: Hebrews 9: 1-14

Summary
Jesus Christ is the new High Priest who by His blood leads us to a new form of worship: Presence and Power.

Text (Hebrew 9:1-14)
HEB 9:1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

HEB 9:6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings--external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

HEB 9:11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Introduction
In the last sermon, we studied Jesus Christ as the High Priest of a New Covenant. This covenant replaces the covenant of the Law of Moses. The new covenant can be summarised in Heb. 8:10.
HEB 8:10 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.

No longer are we ruled by an external law but from an internal law-our conscience. This week, we shall look at how God has made it possible for the new covenant to come into being.

As a reminder, the writer of Hebrews was addressing Jewish Christians who came from a background of Temple cultic worship. Hence they are familiar with the tabernacle, which later was built as Solomon’s temple (First Temple) when Israel settled into the Promised Land. They had been worshipping in Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem before they became Christians. Now, because of persecutions and hardships, they were thinking of reverting back to Judaism. The writer of Hebrews was reminding them that Jesus is a superior High Priest that superseded all human high priests in the tabernacle or temple worship.

(1) Sanctuary
In Hebrews 9:1-10, he reminded them of the tabernacle worship and the makeup of the tabernacle.
HEB 9:1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

HEB 9:6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance

Then he made a comment that the Holy Spirit used this arrangement as an illustration.
8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings--external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

Worship in its true sense is not a matter of food and drinks. It is not a matter of what we do, or what the priests did on our behalf. There are two points he made:
(1) The access into the Most Holy Place is still not known as long as the tabernacle was still standing.
(2) The sacrifice is not able to clear the conscience of the worshippers.
Therefore it is an incomplete system of worship.
· It did not bring people into the presence of God.
· It did not clear the conscience of the worshippers.
· It did not bring full forgiveness of their sins.

(2) Access
Jesus Christ, however as the great High Priest, brought a complete system of worship. He brought the worshippers into the Most Holy Place itself.
Heb. 9:11-12
HEB 9:11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.

In the tabernacle/temple worship, only the priests are allowed into the Holy Place every day. The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once a year for the Day of Atonement. Before the high priest enters, he has first to sacrifice a bull for his sins and the sins of his family, then another bull for the sins of the people of Israel. Then he enters the Most Holy Place to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat. The people can only be in the outer courts where the laver and the braze altar were. They will never see the inside of the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. All their lives, they will be limited to worship in the courts of the tabernacle.

This is like going to watch Spiderman 3 at the Cathay Cineplex at City Square, Johor Bahru. You went there and bought your ticket. However you are only allowed to stnad outside the cinema, where they sell the popcorns and tickets. Only your elders were allowed to enter and stand outside cinema where they are able to hear the sounds of the movie but they are not allowed to enter into the cinema itself. They are not allowed even to peep inside. Only the senior pastor is allowed into the cinema to watch the whole movie!

The Jewish people had been taught that the Holy Place represent earth and the Most Holy Place, heaven. They know that it is a representation. They also knew that God Himself come down from heaven to the Most Holy Place. Jesus Christ brought us all to the real tabernacle. This tabernacle was not made by human hands but by God. Jesus Christ brought us into the heavenly tabernacle- the Throne room in heaven as described by John in Rev.4:2-11.
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

"Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come."

REV 4:9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

REV 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being."

The people are no longer limited to the outer courts. In the new form of worship, everyone enters into the Holy Place and even the Most Holy Place. Jesus is the High Priest forever. We are all priests.

(3) Blood sacrifice
We are able to enter the heavenly sanctuary because of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Heb.9:13-14
13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

In general, the sacrificial animal for sin offerings depended on the status of the sinner offering the sacrifice;
-for a high priest or an entire community, the sacrifice was to be of a young bullock;
-for a king or a prince the offering had to be a young male goat;
-for other individuals the offering had to be either a young female goat, or a female lamb;
-for poor individuals unable to afford these, a turtle dove sufficed.
Like the other types of sacrifice, the sacrificial animal had to be completely unblemished.

The ritual of the sin offering began with the offerer confessing their sins over the head of the victim; in the case of community offerings the elders performed this function; in the case of the Day of Atonement, the high priest performs this task. The animal would then be killed by the offerer, or the priest if the offerer preferred, and the blood carefully collected by Levites in an earthen vessel. In the case of sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem, some of the blood would be sprinkled in front of the veil covering the entrance to the Most Holy Place, except on the Day of Atonement, when the blood would be sprinkled in front of the mercy seat; this was done seven times. The remainder of the blood was poured out at the base of the altar, and the earthen vessel that had contained it would be smashed, while the fat, liver, kidneys, and intestines, were burnt on the altar.

Lev 17: 11
11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.

By offering his blood from the perfect sacrifice, Jesus gave us a new form of worship that completely cleanses our conscience and earned us complete redemption from God.

Lessons for us
(1) The new covenant brings a new form of worship
(2) Jesus Christ the High Priest has given us direct access to the Most Holy Place by the shedding of His blood
(3) There is power in His blood. His blood has brought completely cleansing of our sins and complete redemption from God
(4) Our worship is now in the Presence of God

The new form of worship in the new covenant can be summarised by two P; Presence and Power.
· Presence of God in our everyday life, easy access, and relational.

Let us never forget what privilege it is to entry the presence of God. Just think of getting an appointment to meet the Menteri Besar. You have to go through his appointment secretary, then political secretary and then many layers of bureaucrats before you can even fix a date. Even then, you can never be sure he will be there for the meeting. How about arranging a meeting with the Sultan of Johor? Or with the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong? Yet, the King of kings, the Lord Creator has allows us instant access to his Most Holy Place, anytime we want. It is sad that we often take such access for granted.

· Power of the blood of Jesus Christ gives us forgiveness of our sins and completes redemption. It is a bondage breaker. It breaks the bondage of sin over our lives and of the power of Satan over our lives.

This account is from Steel in his Soul: The Dick Hillis Story.

“One day as a missionary Dick Hillis preached in a Chinese village, his sermon was interrupted by a piercing cry. Everyone rushed toward the scream, and Dick’s co-worker, Mr. Kong, whispered that an evil spirit had seized a man. Just then, a woman rushed toward them. “I beg you help me!” she cried. “An evil spirit has again possessed the father of my children and is trying to kill him.”

The two evangelists entered the house, stepping over a filthy dog lying in the doorway. “An evil spirit has possessed Farmer Ho,” Kong told the onlookers, “Our God, the ‘Nothing-He-cannot-do One’ is more powerful than any spirit, and he can deliver this man. First, you must promise to burn your idols and believe in Jesus, son of the Supreme Emperor.”

The people nodded. Kong asked Dick to begin singing the hymn, “There is power in the blood.”

“Now,” continued Kong, “in the name of Jesus we will command the evil spirit to leave this man.” Kong continued praying fervently. Suddenly, the old dog in the doorway vaulted into the air, screeching, yelping, whirling in circles snapping wildly at his tail. Kong continued praying and the dog abruptly dropped over dead.

Instantly Dick remembered Luke 8, the demons of the Gadarenes who invisibly flew into the herd of swine. As Kong finished praying, Farmer Ho seemed quiet and relaxed, and soon he was strong enough to burn his idols. At his baptism shortly afterward, he testifies, “I was possessed by an evil spirit who boasted that he had already killed five people and was going to kill me. But God sent Mr. Kong at just the right moment and in Jesus, I am free.” (Robert J. Morgan, Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories, Volume 1, p. 249)

Conclusion
Jesus Christ is the new High Priest who by His blood leads us to a new form of worship.

The hymn, There is Power in the Blood was written by Lewis E. Jones during a camp meeting at Mountain Lake Park, Maryland.
Would you be free from the burden of sin? Would you over evil a victory win?
Would you be free from your passion and pride? Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide
Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow? Sin stains are removed in its life giving flow
Would you do service for Jesus your king? Would you live daily, His praises to sing?

Soli Deo Gloria