The Ripple Effect of Righteousness Inspired by Divine Love

When the weight of our human imperfections bears down on us, it can feel like a solitary struggle—yet nothing could be further from the truth. As I share in this intimate conversation, we're invited to cast a fresh gaze on the awe-inspiring blend of God's perfect love and His transformative discipline. Through the lens of the Old Testament and personal experiences, we unravel the complexities of a deity whose sovereignty is interwoven with a deep, fatherly care. Join us as we travel a road marked by reflection, where stories of parenting underscore the protective nature of discipline, and where our own flaws become the canvas for divine teachings. 

The journey doesn't end with understanding; it flourishes in our response to God's call for personal holiness. This episode isn't just about recognizing our shortcomings—it's about embracing the growth that comes from God's loving correction. We'll explore how embracing this process doesn't just refine us, but how it equips us to guide others in their spiritual walks. As we consider the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, let's allow the profound impact of God's love to challenge and change us, creating a ripple effect of righteousness that extends beyond ourselves. Tune in for an episode that promises not just insights, but a heartfelt transformation that echoes into eternity.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:03

As we come to you this morning. I thank you for who you are. I thank you for the fact that you love us the way that you do. God, I pray that, as always, you just continue to speak through me. God, it's always your words. Never mind, just empty us out, and let us receive what we need from you this morning. Protect those who are listening, protect those who might listen to it later, but just protect the words they hear. Protect the words that I say. May it be completely and fully you in every way. God, we just love you and we thank you so much for who you are, for everything that you do and the fact that you love us the way that you do. In your son's name, we pray Amen, amen, your son, let me pray Amen.

Speaker 1: 1:57

You know one of the hardest concepts in the world today, and it's something that, if I'm honest, I myself struggle with, and it's because I am a human being who is not perfect, never been perfect, despite what my mom thinks about me or how she portrays me to people, I'm not. I make mistakes, like everyone else. Sometimes I make big mistakes, sometimes I make small mistakes, sometimes I make mistakes that are hidden. Sometimes I make mistakes that are hidden. Sometimes I make mistakes that are public. But the one thing that, because of my mistakes, because of my failure to do the right thing all the time, I struggle with understanding how God, god can be perfect, because my brain cannot process. How is there someone who is above me, beyond me, that is holy and righteous and just in everything that he does? And I think that if you really pay attention to what people talk about, or when they talk about who God is, and they struggle with that, that is, they have a hard time embracing that God is holy, because it doesn't make sense to you and I that there is someone outside of time and space who has never and will never make the wrong choice. We have a hard time when we talk about Jesus and the fact that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, because how did he live as a human being for 33 years and he never sinned, he never messed up, he never did or said the wrong thing. But when we talked about this last week, what comes next and what I'm about to dive into today? It makes sense if you understand that God is holy, if you understand that God is perfect and that God is just.

Speaker 1: 4:09

Ezekiel wrestles with this throughout the scriptures. As we listen to him, talk to Jerusalem or Israel and what they're going through, they start to accuse God of being unjust and unfair. And God's like hold on. That's not how this works. I made you, I created you, I am the one, I am the only one who can make decisions and you cannot question me because I am God.

Speaker 1: 4:42

And so we have to understand, and the scriptures teach us, especially the Old Testament, to understand. And the scriptures teach us, especially the Old Testament, that God is holy and he's perfect and he's set apart. He is the only one in all of creation. He's the only one in the entirety of the world that has the right to tell people how to live, because he's never called us or he's never told us to live in a way that is wrong or evil or unjust. He is the only one who every decision he makes cannot be questioned, because he is God, he is sovereign. But if you don't see that, if you and I don't comprehend that, then God just looks like this really big bully in the sky who's trying to ruin my life, and I think that that's how the world portrays him. But when you understand that, in his perfection and in his holiness and we see this in Jesus there's also love and mercy and grace. You see him not as a bully, but as a father, a father who wants nothing but the best for your life, a father who wants to see strong marriages, strong kids, people broken free from addiction. He wants to see the world return to Eden, and he's the only one who can make that happen if you and I let him. Who can make that happen if you and I let him. And sometimes, in order for us to become the best version of ourselves, in order for you and I to become the men and women God is calling us to be, sometimes it requires some discipline. That word's tough. That's a hard conversation to have with people. As someone who has three kids, I can tell you for a fact the things that my kids hate the most is when they're disciplined. Their brain, their mind, doesn't quite understand that the things I'm trying to tell them are actually for their benefit.

Speaker 1: 7:14

I was thinking about this yesterday, miles. We had just got done cooking dinner and we had one of those electric skillets and it had just become unplugged, and if you own one of those, you know that they stay hot for a little while. And so Miles walks in the kitchen, reaches up to grab it and immediately I'm like no. And he turns around. He looks at me, he stomps his feet like a two-and-a-half-year-old does. For some reason stomps his feet. I think he yelled something at me. It was kind of gibberish, but clearly he had an inflection in his voice and then he started to cry and listen.

Speaker 1: 7:57

I believe with everything in me that when God disciplines us, that's our reaction. No, ah, like that's our response, because our inclination is in that moment. I want to touch, I want to do this thing because I've set my mind to do it and as a good parent, my goal is to protect my kid from doing something stupid, because I know and what he doesn't know is, if he touches that skillet he's going to cry, but it's going to be for a different reason and that pain will not go away easily. It could even leave a scar if someone gets burned in them. But my goal as a parent is to help my kids understand that there are things in life that you think are good for you, but I promise you they're not good for you. In life that you think are good for you, but I promise you, they're not good for you. And so when you understand that God is holy and he's righteous and he's sovereign, but he's also loving and merciful and shows grace, we understand that everything God calls us to be and everything God calls us to do is for our benefit.

Speaker 1: 9:15

Israel, ezekiel, chapter 18, so we're going to step back a little bit. Israel had by this time culturally it had been a couple centuries. They had disobeyed the word of God. It allowed other cultures to come in. They were doing practices that were cultures to come in. They were doing practices that were profane. If you read the book of Ezekiel, it talks about how women were prostituting themselves to worship other gods. They were sacrificing their children on the altars of other gods. It had gotten really dark really fast, ark really fast.

Speaker 1: 10:05

And so Ezekiel comes in. And God sends Ezekiel because if something doesn't happen, if Israel is not offered a chance to course correct, their demise is imminent. God knows this, he knows what's coming and he knows that if he doesn't stop it, that it's only going to get worse. And not only that, but he's angry because these are the men and women and the children who are supposed to be representing him to the rest of humanity, and they have failed to do so. And so Ezekiel, or God, speaks to Ezekiel, starting with verse 1. It says the word of the Lord came to me. What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel? The parents eat sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge. God goes on.

Speaker 1: 11:01

Suppose there's a righteous man who does what is just and what is right. He does not need the mountain shrines or look at the idols of Israel. He does not defy his neighbor's wife or have sexual relationships with a woman during her period. He does not oppress anyone but returns what he took and pledged for a loan. He does not commit robbery, but he gives food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. He does not lend to them an interest or take a profit from them. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between two parties. He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous, he will surely live, declares the sovereign Lord.

Speaker 1: 12:00

I suppose he has a violent son who sheds blood or does any of these other things through the father, though his father has done none of them. He eats at the mountain shrines, he defiles his neighbor's wife, he oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took and pledged. He looks to the idols, he does the testable things, he lends an interest and takes a profit. Will such a man live? He will not, because he has done all these detestable things. He is to be put to death and his blood will be on his own head. But suppose his son?

Speaker 1: 12:37

This son has a son who sees all the sins that his father commits. And though he sees them, he does not do such things. He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife. He does not oppress anyone or requires a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. He withholds his hand from his tree and the poor takes no interest or profit from them. He keeps my laws and he follows my decrees. He will not die for his father's sins. He will surely live, but his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.

Speaker 1: 13:23

And yet you ask, why does the son not share the guilt of the father. By the way, this was a common misconception around this time Jesus sees a little bit of it in the New Testament. When someone who has an affliction, they assume the affliction comes upon them because of the sin of a parent. So God's setting the record straight. This is Israel asking the question since the Son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all, or this is God sorry, he says, since the Son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. So the one who sins is the one who will die.

Speaker 1: 14:03

The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them and the wickedness of the wicked will be judged against them. But if a wicked person turns away from their sin that they have committed and they keep all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live. They will not die. None of the offenses they have committed were remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. And then God asked the question do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the sovereign Lord. Rather am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live.

Speaker 1: 14:47

And so we'll stop there for a second, because I think it's important that we look at this. God is having this conversation with Ezekiel and, like I said, there was a common misconception that the sins of the fathers, the sins of the parents, will oftentimes carry over, and God is establishing that each person in this account and I believe this applies to all of creation that each person will be responsible for their life, their sin, their decisions. We can't save people, we can't. I can't make my kids follow Jesus. I hope and I pray they do and I hope that I model that for them in a way that they want to, but I can't make them. When I stand before God and I talked about this last week when I stand before God, I will have to stand alone and be judged accordingly for the life that I have lived. When you die, you will stand before God and no one will be there with you. You will have to take into account the life that you have lived. And from this passage and listen, it's a lot, but God is very clear that those who do not follow me, those who do not live up to my decree, those who take advantage, they extort, they steal, they lie, steal, they lie. Those who do things that are sinful and sin is anything apart, like all the bad stuff, apart from God, like everything bad that sin. Those decisions affect us. They separate us from God. God is very clear that those who continue to remain in sin will surely die. They will face judgment. But he also continues on and he says but that's not what I want. I don't take joy in watching men die and watching men die. Instead, I would rather them turn from their ways, turn from their sinful ways, and live. You know, this whole year we've been talking about this idea of transformation and we're going to continue to talk about it.

Speaker 1: 17:37

I remember when I first got into ministry I think I was 16 at the time I was at Crossroads over in Wintersville and I was helping out with the youth group there, and then I eventually went on to school and came back here. I think I was 23. But I remember, when I first got into ministering, my goal and I blame this probably somewhat on arrogance my goal was to be at a church that has like 1,000 or more people, like I wanted to have 1,000 people. I wanted to have tens of thousands of people. I wanted to. And I000 people, I wanted to have tens of thousands of people. I wanted to, and I prayed. I would pray often. God give me.

Speaker 1: 18:13

And man saying that makes me sound so selfish. But God, this is what I want. I want to be a church of 1,000, thousands of people. I want to, and I would hide that a little bit with because I want to see lives changed and I want to see transformation happen and I want to be known as a church in an area that's making an impact. And listen. I believe, and I still believe that to be true. But there was a part of me that really wanted to be in a church where there was thousands of people, because in the world of ministry, that's how we deem someone successful. That's how we determine whether or not we think a minister is successful, which is crazy, by the way. Which is crazy, by the way, but our culture at that time was like be a big church, be a big church, be a big church.

Speaker 1: 19:14

And then, as I've grown through the years and as I would like to think that I've matured, I've realized that the transformation doesn't happen in mass quantities. Transformation happens one person at a time. Transformation is a process. It takes time. It takes resilience. It takes discipline time. It takes resilience, it takes discipline. It takes helping people who find Jesus, let God in, to start to change who they are.

Speaker 1: 20:01

At 37 years old, I'm not worried about the number of people that attend my church. I'm worried about the number of people that I help their lives be transformed. That's what I want, because I want to see people who feel lost and broken in this world understand there's a God who loves them so much that he wants them to have better. I want to see people go through transformation and to overcome things that they never thought they would overcome. I want to see people come into church and who they are now is not who they are 10 years from now. Who they are now is not who they are 30, 40, 50, 60, but they enter into this relationship with God that allows transformation to become a regular part of their life. That allows transformation to become a regular part of their life, because this is what I believe that God wants for every single person who knows him. I think Ezekiel establishes that God says to Israel you're doing this, this and this and all these wrong things. Do you not understand that I want to see men turn from their ways so that they may live, because if they don't, death is what awaits them. God continues on.

Speaker 1: 21:40

Verse 24 says but if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does where they live, none of the righteous things that a person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die. Yet you say the way of the Lord is not just here. You, israelites, is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it. Because of the sin they have committed, they will die. But if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and the things that they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. Because they consider all the that they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turned away from them. That person will surely live, they will not die.

Speaker 1: 22:36

Yet the Israelites say the way of the Lord is not just Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways. Declares the sovereign Lord Repent, turn away from all of your offenses, and sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourself of all the offenses you have committed and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone. Declares the sovereign Lord Repent and live.

Speaker 1: 23:17

There's an element in there that God is helping them, and really you and I, to understand that the choice to repent and live is ours. God's not going to force his hand, he's not going to force us into a relationship. He's not going to force us to be transformed. But if we seek him, if we desire a new heart to be changed, if we desire to have that heart of flesh, then we are inviting discipline into our lives, because through that discipline, god brings about transformation. He allows us to go through things, he challenges us, he brings things to our attention because there are things that we do that are not of him, and God doesn't want that as a holy and perfect God. He cannot exist in the same place that sin does, and so he calls you and I to be holy, to overcome those things, and he often does that through discipline and listen.

Speaker 1: 24:30

That can look many different ways. Maybe it's the rebuke of a brother or sister in Christ who calls to attention your behavior. Maybe it's a conviction the Holy Spirit puts on your heart with an attitude or the way you respond or you've handled a situation. But a loving and holy God offers correction to those that he loves, because that what makes you and I legitimate children of the Most High. If I did not love my kids, I would have let Miles touch that hot skillet. If I do not love my kids, I do not correct them for poor behavior. If I don't love my kids, I don't call them to a higher standard. If I don't love my kids, I leave them in their sin, in their filth, in their flesh, to die, their flesh to die. But if I love them, if I really love them, I offer them the chance to live.

Speaker 1: 25:49

Hebrews 12, 3 through 11 says this consider him who's endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart In your struggle against sin. You have not resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says my son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the ones that he loves and he chastens everyone who accepts as his son Endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you as his children. For what? Children are not disciplined by their father. If you are not disciplined and everyone undergoes discipline, then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the father of spirits and live? They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful Later on. However, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Speaker 1: 27:02

It is one thing to paint God as this overbearing, unloving father, overbearing, unloving Father. The scriptures I read have never painted him like that. Yes, he disciplines. Yes, he's holy and righteous. Yes, he's perfect, but everything he does is for our benefit, to bring his creation, to restore us back to him. The way that he calls us to live is because he knows what's right. As a holy and perfect just God, he knows what's right, and so when he calls us to live in such a way that brings about transformation, that brings about transformation. I say this all the time and I don't think I'll ever stop. Jesus loves you so much that he'll meet you where you are, but he loves you too much to leave you there, because he wants you to be everything that you can be.

Speaker 1: 28:17

So that's the question going into this week is what in your life do you feel like God is disciplining you on? What situations, what things are happening? What things in your life, if you're honest with yourself, that you know are not living up to the standards of holiness that God calls us to? What are those things in your life that you believe that God is disciplining you on? And instead of? I want to challenge you. Instead of stomping your feet and yelling at him, lean into it. Lean into the discipline, seek him and say God, how can you make me who you want me to be? What things do I need to get rid of? What conversations do I have? What do I need so that I can be your son and your daughter and I can be holy like you are holy? And I ask you to lean into that and remind yourself that the reason why God is disciplining you is because you're legitimate, you are a son and daughter of the Most High and His love for you, because he loves you. Sometimes he has to discipline you. If he didn't care, if he didn't find us important enough, he would let sin destroy us. But that's not what he wants. Paul says in Hebrews discipline is not always pleasant at the time, but it produces righteousness.

Speaker 1: 30:12

I want to help people be transformed into who God wants them to be. That's my hope, that's my prayer and I hope that that's yours. Is that you want to be? So? I want to just help people. I want to be everything God wants me to be, so I want to just help people. I want to be everything God wants me to be. I want to embrace discipline so that I can be better, so I can be holy, so I can seek to be everything God is asking me to be, because when I do that, it's easier to help other people do it too. Help other people do it too. But discipline doesn't seem like love if you don't understand that God is holy. It doesn't seem like love if you don't understand how much he sacrificed for you. In Jesus we see how much he loved us, that he was willing to die upon a cross. That kind of love, that kind of love transforms people. That kind of God transforms people, even if of God transforms people, even if we don't like it sometimes. God, I thank you so much.