Repost of Pastor Todd Boxely Sermon of from Try Jesus Website (tj.com)
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to “Try Jesus!” If this is your first time joining us, it’s great to have you with us. I would like to thank all the new members for joining “Try Jesus.” Also welcome those in New Hampshire, Maryland, Arizona, New Jersey, Oregon, and Iowa this week.
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6 KJV). God loves to make his people new (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ezekiel 36:26,26; Revelation 21:5).
Have times for you changed for the better or the worse? Many people are wondering, “What’s happening to society?” “Do you believe we are headed in the right direction?” “Have parents lost their children to worldly manipulation?”
Just as a ship can change course to avoid damaging tumultuous waves, people can change course of sinful destructive behaviors. It’s just a matter of being sick and tired of the pain that it brings.
Let’s pray, “Heavenly Father, we thank you for another day of your undeniable love towards us. We thank you for being faithful to provide all our need, even when we fail to recognize it.
This morning, Lord, we take notice of your grace and mercy, and thank you for wanting to draw us closer to your love. Please impact those lives who have the invitation to “TRY JESUS.”
Open our lives and purpose with your truth. Open our eyes today to see the opportunities around us to live for you and to grow in your blessings and favor.
Bless and unite hearts for your Kingdom. May your living anointed word draw broken hearts to be free, in Jesus, name, amen.”
I believe today’s message will speak to every heart. Why? Because in some ways, everyone has had to involve themselves in this situation. What do I mean?
Well, whether you live by yourself or whether you live in a large family, you have had one of those round table discussions to get to the bottom of the truth.
Notice, I said, “Get to the bottom of the truth.” Does truth live at the bottom of your family disagreement? Sometimes family members have to be like professional detectives to uncover family hardships that divide the home.
Truth can always rise to the surface if you’re willing to press and dig to bring it to the light. Getting to the bottom of something means you’re just trying to discover the truth about a situation. You want the true reason for all the chaos in the home.
Every home in this nation has had some since of discussion that involved undercovering facts about what exactly happened. Because you know the facts can only be revealed through an investigation.
Sometimes, to find out the truth relating to marriage, children, finances, education, employment, and even our pets, those words can be heard throughout the whole house, “What happened here!?” I find it fascinating to find out how couples will survive after playing “Sherlock Holmes” against each other.
Sometimes, digging up more dirt, leaves you with, well, “more dirt.” Sometimes you have to discard the old dirt, you never should have in the first place, to get to the new dirt.
Sometimes two people who say they love each never get to experience it because they have all this dirt between each other, and they keep throwing it in each other’s face.
Archeologist will dig things out of the bottom to find out the truth about the way of life and make estimates about how advanced a culture was. But sometimes individuals can dig past key facts that might add a valuable piece to the truth they are looking for.
Many families will leave no stone uncovered to find out the crazy situations that have unfolded in their homes. Some will play the role of Law and Order, Columbo, Perry Mason, CSI, etc. Some family members will even play the role of Police Squad with disastrous unsolved results.
But (in my opinion) the worst thing family members can do when trying to keep the house from being divided is to bring in a biased investigator, like Uncle Bob, or Grandma Lucy. Why? Because family members can sometimes bring a slight slant to the investigation into the truth.
And if you’re not careful, your whole household might end up sliding over the cliff of marital or relationship failure. That’s why nepotism can be harmful in figuring out family squabbles.
Yes, there can be times when wisdom can come from a family outsider, but that sound advice must be covered in neutrality to bring about peace, not favoritism.
Did you know that there are families that have actually taken their unresolved heated disagreements to the court system? Some of the most brutal, most bitter cases in our court system can come from the family court system.
Whether it involves alimony, child support, property disputes, and other family issues, the emotions can bring out the worst in everyone involved. Some of you have experienced this heartache.
Many people just want corrective justice. Meaning, they want someone to take up their case because they feel they have not been heard and they do not know how to get justice from things they consider unfair.
Many people feel we have the best judicial system in the world. Others feel there are major flaws in our system. But if we look at God’s system of justice, we see it is far superior to the worldly system we have today.
In God’s system of justice, your voice matters to him above all earthly endeavors. With our justice system focused on all manner of laws and programs that do very little to help the whole of a person, God’s system always involves righteousness and the heart.
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If you have a Bible nearby, let’s look at a few ways how God’s system of justice and fairness work from his Kingdom. When Moses brought the people out of Egypt to Mount Sinai, his father-in-law Jethro came out to visit him.
This meeting ended up helping Moses because Moses’ life was like that old phrase “all work and no play made Jack a dull boy.” This old proverb perfectly fit Moses because without time off from judging the people, Moses became both bored and boring (Exodus 18:13-16).
Moses’ heart was in the right place, because he cared about the people, but Moses was one man among a nation of people. He also had a wife and two sons to attend too. Moses was spending so much time and energy hearing the Hebrews’ complaints that he could not get to other important work.
Jethro provided Moses with sound wisdom and advice to alleviate this demanding work. Jethro suggested that Moses delegate most of this work to others and focus his efforts on jobs only he could do.
[Delegation relieved Moses’ stress and improved the quality of governance. It helped prepare the Israelites for the system of government that would later be set up in Canaan.]
Imagine hearing cases all day long. From trivial silly cases to the more complex cases, it can wear you out mentally and physically. Some of you come home to be a judge in your house every day.
From who spilled the paint, to who let the dog out, to who forgot to lock the door, to who scratched the car, there may be cases inside your home and outside your home that need solved so peace can remain in your home.
Jethro told Moses these words of wisdom. 17} “And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
18} Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
19} Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
20} And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.” (Exodus 18:17-20 KJV).
Jethro knew the humongous burdens this placed upon the shoulders of Moses. He suggested Moses incorporate the help of men who could judge the crowd consisting of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and rulers of tens.
These were not just any men picked out of names randomly in a hat. Jethro told Moses God would be with him. So, these men had to qualify under God’s standard of laws, ordinances and justice.
These were men who would commit themselves to God’s righteousness. “Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness… (Exodus 18:21).
Moses would handle the most difficult and serious cases and would delegate the lesser cases to these men. God never wants us to bear burdens that weigh us down mentally and spiritually. (Galatians 6:2).
The body of Christ, the church, functions only when the members work together for the common good of sharing burdens together. We should always be ready to offer ourselves filled with love for one another (John 13:34,35).
In our government systems today it seems we have lost what God has intended for us. Do the laws of God still matter in America? Do we shrug our shoulders at his Commandments and statutes today?
I’ve heard many voices say we have a broken system in many places. But when both sides come to the table, they never come to an agreement on how to fix the issues. Has the word of God been implemented?
Doesn’t the Bible tell us these words, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5 KJV). What has kept leaders from being agreeable to accomplish a goal that benefits its people?
Has so much power blinded both sides that all they do each day is come out swinging, slinging mud at each other? Each day represents another round of their fight against each other. If they would only seek out God instead of votes.
Moses listened and followed all that Jethro had told him because Jethro was giving him sound wisdom from God. Think about every burden in the Bible that affected the people.
Whether it was famine, sickness, laws, land, marriage, or children, when people consulted God, the problem of pain and suffering was alleviated.
Why do you suppose his word tells us this; 33} Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known. 34} Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:33-34 KJV).
Did you know that even criminals that break the law understand that when their own turf (areas) are not even safe they begin to endure hardship. Another area of concern is the affluent and those with an abundance of wealth.
When sin, degradation, and crime come to their walls and locked gates, then the shouting for change will be heard. Without wisdom from God, our leaders will continue to walk in gross darkness. (Look at the rest of James 1:6-8).
The word that best describes leaders today is unstable. The Greek word (akatastatos) simply means inconstant, restless. It’s like having one leg on your dinner table wobbly than the others. All the good, delectable things that sit above that wobbly leg are in danger of falling.
[When leaders agendas are more about power and self, there loyalty to God Almighty may be divided due to blind loyalties. Divided loyalty leaves a person as unsettled as restless waves.
Such a person treats God’s word like a human source (religion) without power from the Holy Spirit. He or she vacillates between allegiance to subjective feelings, the world’s ideas, and God’s commands.]
People should know that God is still living and is in control of the affairs of every nation. Turning to God in times of despair is critical for any nation. The United States must align its desires with his purposes.
The system of governance (God’s Commandments) that Israel had set up in Canaan allowed for them to respect each other. It involved loving one’s neighbor as oneself and is the core pillar of the system of self-governance.
God is setting all this up in order to maximize benefit for his people. The book of Joshua tells that after the people conquered the land, the land was divided among the tribes. God was still the source of all that Israel needed.
The word of God concerning our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is that he is our all in all when we come to him for justice. Humanist will always form some type of fleshly bias when it comes between God and his purpose for our lives (Ephesians 1:22,23; Corinthians 15:27,28).
Jesus is the head of the church. The church runs and functions through the Godhead. Jesus fills the church with his gifts and blessings. The church should be the full expression of Christ and fulfill his mission before he
Christians (true born-again believers) serve a God who has given us instruction on how his church is to be run. The church is his body, of which he is the Savior (Ephesians 5:23). Jesus’ relationship with the church is very close and loving. (Ephesians 5:25).
Because Jesus is the head of the church we can go to him at any time with our prayers, concerns, and all things pertaining to justice. One such cry of wanting justice was told in a parable by Jesus concerning a widow.
Please read the following verses aloud to yourself, or with the group you have gathered with.
1} “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
2} Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
3} And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
4} And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
5} Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” (Luke 18:1-5 KJV).
Let’s look at these 5 verses a little closer. Jesus used the analogy of the feeble court system with the perfect justice that comes from God through prayer. Of course, God is the judge of all the earth. (Genesis 18:25; Isaiah 33:22; Psalm 96:13).
Verse one points out the fact that if you want your case heard, you must go to the judge. It says that “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Always praying means being consistent and persistent in prayer.
To persist in prayer and not give up does not mean to subject oneself to endless repetition. Many of you have heard the phrase, “they’re just talking to hear themselves talk.”
Some religious people think the longer they pray, the more they’ll be heard. I used to tell people in church, “If you’re not praying, your fainting, and if your praying, you’re not fainting.”
The key is to make sure you bring your heart with you when you go to pray. Prayer and faith go together. They are like a hand in a glove. If you don’t bring your heart with you to pray, you’ll just be making noise. (1 Corinthians 13:1; James 1:6-8; Hebrews 11:6).
The Greek word faint (ekkakeō) means to be weak. To fail in the heart. To be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted. The Bible says the Antichrist spirit is coming to wear out the saints. (Daniel 7:25).
Many people in this nation continue to say, “Enough with prayer!” They say it without understanding the cause of all the crime and shootings. They think it’s the object, but it’s the heart and mind connected to the object that needs love, prayer, and help.
Not praying only makes things worse. Praying with effectual prayer always avails much (James 5:13-17). So, when someone tells you prayer doesn’t work, they are blind and deaf spiritually.
I’m living proof prayer works. Christians must continue to keep their requests continually before God as they live for him day by day.
Verse 2 of Luke 18 says there was a judge. We have all kinds of judges in our country in different judicial positions. This particular judge had a personality of not fearing God nor cared about people. Do you think we still have judges with this demeanor today?
In 2023, we still have corrupt judges that disregard truth and facts. Some will degrade the profession, causing people to lose hope in the system. In OT times, the prophets pronounced God’s judgments on such people for unjust practices (Isaiah 28:7,8;14,15).
Judges should look back at the old black and white television days when you would hear a judge say, “Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
Verse 3 and 4 of Luke 18 points out this judge had a specific case involving a woman. Let’s take a little pause just to highlight this picture.
Better still, how many woman out there have ever had to prove your intellectual intelligence to a car mechanic who thought he could take advantage of you just because you were a woman?
[In biblical days widows and orphans were among the most vulnerable of all God’s people. Both Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles insisted that these people be properly cared for.
The Hebrew law code is noted for its fairness and social responsibility toward the poor. God insisted that the poor and powerless be well treated. When we help those who need support, we are reflecting the love and care God has shown to each of us.]
This judge probably cared even less for this woman based solely on her being female. If he disrespected men, how much more would he treat her.
Of course, our creator, the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had already given instructions on how widows should be treated. (Exodus 22:22-24; Isaiah 1:17; 1 Timothy 5:3; James 1:27).
So, all this woman wants, is to be heard and receive justice against her adversary. Have you ever been tuned out by a spouse, child, or close friends? It can be extremely disrespectful to close your ears or ignore someone who’s just trying to make their case.
Verse 5 of Luke 18 shows what can happen when persistence and perseverance stay in the face of someone and say “Please, just hear me out!”
The Greek word troubleth (parechō, verb) means to hold, as to be in possession. To have hold in necessity. To have (hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing. To have (hold) possession of the mind. To grab agitating emotions.
It kind of reminds me of how a teenager might feel when the mom or dad has one of those sit down talks about bringing home a bad report card. The teen sees it as troublesome speech, and really doesn’t want to hear it.
Verse 5 also reminds me of a five-year-old who continues to scream, cry, and whine about his mom not giving him the candy in the aisle way at the checkout counter. I have actually witnessed this embarrassing moment.
I can still hear those shrieking words of the mom saying, “Hear, take it!” The mom who gave into this situation will probably regret losing what authority she had left. Wait until that child takes the car keys for the first time (Smile).
This judge didn’t want to hear anymore, so he decided to vindicate her just to get her out of his office. Verse 5 uses the word weary. Here, the Greek word (hupōpiazō) meaning to tease or annoy.
To subdue one’s passions. It can be viewed as beating one’s ears to the point of beating them black and blue. like a boxer who buffets his opponent in the ear.
Once the verbal pressing is over, and demanding justice is awarded, you feel warn out from voicing your facts in our secular court system. Many families have struggled with tears and suffering.
They have spent time, treasure, heartache and sleepless nights on an emotional roller-coaster to find justice for their spouse, child, or grandparents. It seems like vindication is out of your reach.
But God! Oh, my friends, But God! He is greater than any judge on this earth. He is forever tuned in to the cries of his children. Those whose names are written in the book of life, constantly have God’s ear when they cry out “Abba Father!”
You can read it aloud to yourself, if you like. “14} For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15} For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:14,15; Galatians 4:6 KJV).
Please keep in mind, that only a true child of God can receive this from his standing Savior, judge, and advocate. (Romans 8:9-11). When someone is your dad or guardian, you can refer to them as “daddy.”
To the body of Christ, God is our daddy. He tells us to knock, seek, and we will find (Matthew 7:7-11). What do you need from your heavenly Father? What do you hope for? Do you need peace, rest, assurance, joy, healing, help for a family member on drugs? encouragement, real love, fulfillment?
[Jesus tells us to persist in prayer. The Bible instructs us to pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). People often give up after a few halfhearted efforts to pray and then conclude that God doesn’t listen. But communicating with God in prayer takes faith, focus, and follow-through.]
Don’t give up in your efforts to seek God. Continue to ask him for more knowledge, patience, wisdom, love, and understanding. He will give these things to you.
The more you talk to him, the more you will be able to recognize his voice when he speaks to you. Regular times of prayer and Bible reading will lead to God’s transforming power in your life.
🗣📢 Last words: When you go to God, remember, he is your supreme Judge. His having omnipotence and omniscience about you help in you surrendering your life’s case to him. Just as an earthly person has their attorney-client privilege, you have Jesus as your advocate (1Timothy 2:3-6; John 1:12).
Today, you can count on God to fill you with wisdom. He will literally bathe you in sound judgement (James 1:5). Peace is established on top of wisdom. Your home can have these virtues today. Put these in practice.
A) It is practical. It’s that simple. God’s wisdom relates to your life even during the most trying times. It is not isolated from suffering and trials, but it gives us resources to overcome them.
An intelligent person may have profound ideas, but a wise person puts profound ideas to use in order to choose the best course of action (Proverbs 1:5; 4:7; 9:9).
B) It is divine. God’s wisdom goes beyond common sense. Common sense does not help us react joyfully in the middle of adversity. God’s wisdom begins with respect for him.
It leads us to follow his direction and increases our ability to tell right from wrong. If you’re searching for peace, hang around people who are peaceful. True wisdom can be found through integrity and character (James 3:13-18).
C) It is Christlike. When we ask for wisdom, we are ultimately asking to be more like Jesus. The Bible identifies Christ as the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24,25; 2:1-7).
Whenever we need wisdom, we can pray to God, and he will generously supply what we need. Christians don’t have to grope around in the dark, hoping to stumble upon answers (Psalm 32:8,9; Isaiah 30:21).
Have you ever grown tired of praying for something or someone? Paul said that believers should never stop praying. God always hears us and always answers. He is sovereign and has a plan. Sometimes he answers us with a yes or no, but often he tells us to wait.
But God commands us to never stop praying. Such an attitude is built upon acknowledging our dependence on God, realizing his presence within us, and determining to obey him fully.
God is waiting for the heart of this nation to turn back to him.
📕 Here’s some more spiritual muscle to keep you from giving up. Keep going to the JUDGE of all judges. (Philippians 3:14; 4:13; 1 John 5:4; Joshua 1:8,9; Deuteronomy 31:6; Ephesians 6:18; Galatians 6:8,9; Romans 8:25-28; Isaiah 41:10; Hebrews 11:6; Proverbs 3:5,6; Matthew 11:28-30).
🛐 Here’s a prayer you can pray to stay strong in the Lord’s presence and persistent during chaos. “Heavenly Father, thank you for showing me today that I can bring all my frustration, pain, anger, sadness, and disappointments to you.
Your word tells me your court is the highest in the earth. I know that I can cast all my burdens on you because you’ve told me my soul can have rest in you.
Lord, as I continue to pray strengthen me to wait and see your spiritual fruit take place around me. I know I can do nothing apart from you. My home is filled with tears and suffering.
I will continue to pray because I know you will fill the empty void with peace that passes all understanding. Thank you for being my advocate and mediator. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
❤ “If you would like to know Jesus as your Savior, please read the drop-down page entitled “How to know Jesus.”
*Just a reminder: The message of the cross (the gospel, the good news) sounds foolish to those who don’t believe it. His resurrection demonstrated his power over death. This sounds so simple that many people won’t accept it.
They try other ways to obtain eternal life. The people who may seem foolish for simply accepting Jesus’ offer are actually the wisest of all because they alone will live eternally with God.
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
Pastor Todd Boxley
Worship Center Ministry