THE FEAR OF THE RISE OF EVIL
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:1-5
Evil Is All around us. In a Peanuts cartoon, it is raining. Lucy is complaining to Linus. She is afraid that it will rain so much that there will be a terrible flood and everyone will drown. "It can't happen", Linus assures Lucy. In Genesis 9 God promised that he would never flood the earth again and placed the rainbow in the sky as a sign of that promise. Lucy says, I'm relieved. Linus responds, "Sound theology has a way of doing that."
That 's what this lesson is all about. We all listen to the news, and it's like watching storm clouds form, Murder, mayhem, ethnic cleansing, and threats of war, drug abuse.
In the schools there is a great fear of evil. Could what happened at Columbine happen here? Why are the kids so angry? Will I be able to get home without being beat up? What will my child learn about sex education from the health teacher? Will the teacher teach moral values or will it just be more situation ethics? From what perspective will such education come?
Parents have to think about so many things today that my parents never had to give a thought. The rising tide of evil threatens our welfare, our families, our church, our community, our nation, and our whole world.
Evil Isn't New.
In his book, "America, To Pray or Not To Pray," David Barton graphs changes in America. "Prior to 1962 such things as crime, sexually transmitted diseases, alcohol consumption were stable or declining. But, in 1963 something happened. The Supreme Court ruled that we could no longer pray in public schools. Since the time that prayer was removed from the schools, Barton gives some sobering statistics. He says violent crime went up over 500%, sexually transmitted diseases 200%. Per capita alcohol consumption went up 35%. Evil seems to be in control. Because there is no clear vision of God and His Word people are running wild in their search for evil. (Romans 1: 28-30)
(Psalm 12:5-8)What Should We Do? What can we do? People are doing many things to bring righteousness to our nation. However, The first thing we need is a sound theological foundation. Like Linus said, good theology has a way of putting our minds at ease. God's answer to the rising tide of evil may surprise you. It doesn't focus so much what we do as what we believe and the resulting moral character.
The Foundation of Truth.
If we don't have a solid doctrinal foundation we will be shaken when evil runs its course. These truths can anchor us in times of peril and rising evil. If we grasp them firmly, evil won't go away but fear will definitely decline. At this point we are in grave danger.
In their book, "Seduction of Christianity," Hunt & McMahon tell us Christianity may be facing the greatest challenge in its history. A series of powerful and growing seductions is subtly changing biblical interpretations and undermining the faith of millions of people. Most Christians are scarcely aware of what is happening, and much less do they understand the issues involved.
The seduction is surprisingly easy. It does not take place as an obvious frontal assault from rival religious beliefs. That would be vigorously resisted. Instead, it comes to some Christians in the guise of faith-producing techniques for gaining spiritual power and experiencing miracles. To others it comes as self-improvement psychology for fully realizing human potential seen as scientific aids to successful Christian living. They explain the danger of going to self-help aids that give an unbiblical psychology for successful Christian living rather than going to the Word of God, itself.
Another thing I see is a growing impatience with doctrinal teaching and preaching. I see this happening in our church. Many of us do not like doctrine and we are impatient when we are called upon to study the Word of God in depth. Yet, Paul instructs pastors to teach sound doctrine. Read through his letters to Timothy and Titus. See how many times Paul tells them to preach and teach doctrine. It is a divine mandate. To do any thing less or anything else would be direct disobedience to the Lord. Paul warned this would happen in the last days. "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (2 Tim. 4:3,4)
Bill Hybels, senior pastor of the Willow Creek Church said, "You don't get a well-fed church from serving fast food. See the practice of the Old Testament prophets: " For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel." (Ezra 7:10)
God has a plan. Hear the Word of the Lord. (1 Peter 1:1-5)
"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,"God's people are "Strangers in the world." God's plan is people. (1 Pet 2:11)
God's people are strangers in the world. Peter repeats this theme again in chapter two. "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." (1 Peter 2:10,11: Heb 11:9 -10)God's people are scattered. (Acts 8:1)
On the day that Stephen was martyred, a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. (Acts 11:19) These people were foreigners, strangers, scattered everywhere because of Persecution. They were considered the scum of the earth to be consigned to death. However, God saw them as those Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.God's people are sanctified by the Spirit. (Acts 8:2b)
The Holy Spirit has set us apart for holy use by the blood of Christ for obedience to Christ. When the Lord saved us from our sins we possessed a new standing in the world and a new standing in Christ Jesus. The world considers us as strangers, but the Lord sees us as those who are born from above, scattered in the world. We were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world so we might be obedient to Him as we live out the Christian life in the world.Christ has given us gifts of Grace.(I Peter 1:3)
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Peter calls this a new birth into a living hope. It is a hope for now and for the eternity.We are living in a day where everything is disposable. I don't stay up to watch Jay Leno but I read, that he reported the founder of the Bic Pen, the Bic razor, and the Bic lighter, MR Bic, king of the disposable product died. Leno said, that Mr Bic typified the movement toward disposable products, so it was appropriate that his family didn't give him a funeral, they just threw him out. I can't verify the source on that but it is just typical of the mentality of our world. However, our inheritance is not like that.
Paul tells that we have "...an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you," We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. (See Romans 8: 16,17.)
God's people have the Shield of Faith. "(We) through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." Faith is not just something we have, namely the truth of Christ within us. It is far more than that. The word Peter uses here for a shield is a military word that gives the picture of a king garrisoned by soldiers much like our President is surrounded by Secret Service protection.
A recent story was told on Focus On The Family. In one native tribe, when a boy becomes a man, he is required to go alone into the forest and spend the night. Now, most of us are somewhat afraid in the dark, but in a giant forest where there are wild creatures of may kinds, predators, the darkness of the forest could be a frightening in terror. So the boy finds a tree, climbs it with his bow and spear ready throughout the night he is in a state of readiness. Every sound is magnified. With the first rays of light he looks about anxiously to see what has crept upon him. Then his eyes catch a figure nearby with a spear at the ready, poised to strike. It is his father who has been there all night, shielding his son. This is the faith that shields us. It is like a silent sentinel standing in the darkness of the night. It is faith as God practices it.
God's people have Eternal Hope - Our coming salvation. Our hope is kept in heaven for us. This verse assures us about our eternal security in Christ. No matter what happens, nothing will rob us of that hope. If we have these things in our lives, we will not only find relief from our fear of the rise of evil; we will also find God's victory over evil.
So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun? When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. (Isaiah 59:19)
*************