“Jesus and others did It
Anyway” #2
Pastor Mike Barnett ~ September 24, 2006
SCRIPTURE: 1 Samuel 17:1-53
THEME: IF YOU DO GOOD, PEOPLE WILL ACCUSE YOU OF
SELFISH ULTERIOR MOTIVES – DO GOOD ANYWAY!
·
Almost everyday, we hear friends, family, co-workers,
radio programs or a news reporter on television casting suspicion on the
motives of someone doing good.
·
They imply that others who seem to be doing good are
only pretending to do good when in fact they have their own selfish ulterior
motives.
·
It seems lately that Christians are the worse.
·
Almost everyday you can here one Christian Pastor
condemn another – no wonder the world is turned off by going to church these
days.
·
I have allot of respect for the Reverend Billy Graham
because through the years when his methods of mass evangelism were heavily
criticized by other pastors and theologians he made it his practice not to lash
out in anger nor say anything
condescending in return. He simply smiled and walked away.
·
When Pastor Rick Warren is criticized for his methods
of reaching the lost he simply replies: “I refuse to criticize what God
blesses” and that is the end of the conversation.
·
Such an attitude is pleasing to God who repeatedly in
the scriptures exhorts Christians to not be divisive or squabble about methodology
and personal preferences.
·
IT ANGERS GOD WHEN CHRISTIANS JUDGE, CRITICIZE OR
CONDEMN OTHER BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST.
Matthew 7:1-6 says:
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. 6"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
·
It is one thing to expose heresy – it is another
thing to call the opposite of our own personal preferences and theology, heretical
teaching when in actuality it is not.
·
Today however, teachers of God’s Law are condemning
pastor’s who preach God’s Grace and Grace teachers are condemning preachers of
the Law – how this must grieve God’s heart.
·
Instead all preachers of the Word should preach the
whole council of God’s Word and not just the portion of it they want to preach.
·
The fact is, from the beginning of time, people
interpret the words and actions of others in terms of selfish ulterior motives.
·
This critical, judgmental attitude has existed from
the beginning of time and the Bible calls it sin.
·
In the Bible we see multiple examples where a person
with pure motives is criticized by others, but chooses to do good
for the glory of God anyway.
·
One such example is when David chose to fight
Goliath.
1 Samuel 17:17-53 says:
17 Now Jesse said to his son David, "Take this
ephah [d] of roasted grain and these ten loaves of
bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. 18 Take
along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. [e] See how your brothers are and bring back
some assurance [f] from them. 19 They
are with Saul and all the men of
20 Early in the morning David left the flock
with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the
camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. 21
25 Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do
you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy
26 David asked the men standing near him,
"What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this
disgrace from
28 When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard
him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why
have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the
desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down
only to watch the battle."
29 "Now what have I done?" said
David. "Can't I even speak?" 30 He then turned
away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him
as before. 31 What David said was overheard and reported
to Saul, and Saul sent for him. 32 David said to Saul,
"Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go
and fight him." 33 Saul replied,
"You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are
only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."
34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."
38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield
bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42
He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he
despised him. 43 He said to David, "Am I a dog,
that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by
his gods. 44 "Come here," he said, "and
I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"
45 David said to the Philistine, "You come
against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name
of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of
48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold
of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him,
he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero
was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the men of
·
David knew what it was like to be accused of selfish
ulterior motives.
·
When the Philistine and Israelite armies were drawn
up for a confrontation and Goliath was taunting the Israelites, David’s father
sent him to the Israelite camp with food for his brothers and commander.
·
When David arrived and started asking questions about
Goliath, his oldest brother, Eliab, became angry and said to him: “Why have you
come down here? And with whom did you
leave those few sheep in the desert?...I know how conceited you are and how
wicked your heart is; you came only to watch the battle”.
·
David did what his father had asked him to do, but
his brother accused him of being conceited and wicked, shirking his work to see
the battle.
·
David was accused of selfish and ulterior motives,
but it didn’t deter him from doing what God wanted him to do.
·
David kept asking questions until he understood the
situation, then he went on to do good anyway.
·
David volunteered to fight Goliath when nobody else
would.
·
Although David was quite young, believed to be about
15 years of age at the time, He had more confidence in God than anyone else in
the Israelite army.
·
Many years later, when David was king, his son
Absalom raised an army to seize the throne from him.
·
King David fled
·
During his flight, he was accosted by Shimei, a
member of Saul’s clan.
·
Shemei cursed David and pelted him and his officials
with stones and said:
"Get out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel! 8 The LORD has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the
household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The LORD has handed the
kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man
of blood!" 2 Samuel 16:7-8
·
David had been loyal to Saul and his Son Jonathon,
and had assumed the throne only after they had both been killed in battle.
·
Now, after serving many years as a good king, he was
being accused of being a scoundrel with selfish ulterior motives who had shed
blood in Saul’s household.
·
David was not disheartened, and he continued to do
good anyway.
·
David could
have had Shimei killed, but he let him live, saying
in 2 Samuel 16:12:
12 It may be that the LORD will see my distress and
repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today." 2 Samuel
16:12
·
King David later wrote Psalm 109:1-5, 21-31 which
says:
1 O God, whom I praise,
do not remain silent,
2 for wicked and deceitful men
have opened their mouths against me;
they have spoken against me with lying
tongues.
3 With words of hatred they surround me;
they attack me without cause.
4 In return for my friendship they accuse me,
but I am a man of prayer.
5 They repay me evil for good,
and hatred for my friendship.
21 But you, O Sovereign LORD,
deal well with me for your name's sake;
out of the goodness of your love, deliver
me.
22 For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees give way from fasting;
my body is thin and gaunt.
25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, O LORD my God;
save me in accordance with your love.
27 Let them know that it is your hand,
that you, O LORD, have done it.
28 They may curse, but you will bless;
when they attack they will be put to
shame,
but your servant will rejoice.
29 My accusers will be clothed with disgrace
and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.
30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD;
in the great throng I will praise him.
31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy
one,
to save his life from those who condemn
him.
·
David called upon the Lord to help him as he faced
wicked men and false accusations.
·
David knew that the Lord would sustain him.
Proverbs 3:25-26 says: “Do not be afraid when
sudden fear comes nor of the onslaught
of the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence and He will
keep your foot from being caught”.
·
Psalm 109 concludes by praising the Lord, “For He stands at the right
hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him”.
·
Jesus was also accused of selfish ulterior motives.
·
During his ministry, Jesus healed the sick, fed the
hungry, and reached out to comfort the outcast.
·
Jesus consistently helped others and did good, but
when the Jewish leaders took him to Pilate and Herod, he was accused of
subverting the nation, opposing the payment of taxes to Caser, and claiming to
be King.
Luke 23:1-4 says:
1Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to
Pilate. 2And they began to accuse him, saying, "We
have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to
Caesar and claims to be Christ,[a] a king." 3So
Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is
as you say," Jesus replied. 4Then Pilate announced
to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against
this man."
·
The Apostle Peter understood that when we do good, we
may suffer.
1 Peter 2:20-21 says:
20But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
1 Peter 3:13-17 says:
13Who is going to harm you if you are
eager to do good? 14But even if you should suffer for
what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear[a]; do not be frightened."[b] 15But in your hearts
set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who
asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with
gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so
that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be
ashamed of their slander. 17It is better, if it is God's
will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
·
The _____________________(choice) is ours and we
should always choose to do _______________(good) regardless the false
accusations of the ___________________(critics).
Galatians 6:9-10 says:
9Let us not become weary in doing
good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all
people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
·
People may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives –
if they do, do not allow yourself to be ______________________(distracted) by
their ______________________(accusations) – do what God wants you to do anyway!
Psalm 37:1-11, 37-40 says:
1 [a] Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the LORD and do
good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe
pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your
heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like
the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday
sun.
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.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will
inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no
more;
though you look for them, they will not be
found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace. 37
Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
there is a future [b] for the man of peace.
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
the future [c] of the wicked will be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous comes from
the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves
them,
because they take refuge in him.
·
Be the person God wants you to be – a person who does
good anyway even when people judge you, accuse you and condemn you.
·
Choose to be a ______________ _________________(God
pleaser) and not a people pleaser.
·
That’s where you will find Jesus – He was the best
God pleaser there ever was.
·
IF YOU DO GOOD, PEOPLE WILL ACUSE YOU OF SELFISH
ULTERIOR MOTIVES – DO GOOD ANYWAY AND BE LIKE JESUS!
STEPS TO DOING GOOD WHEN FALSLY CONDEMNED:
1) REALIZE
THAT IF JESUS WAS A FALSLY ACUSED OF WRONG MOTIVES SO WILL YOU BE AS HIS
________________________(DISCIPLE) – IT COMES WITH THE
______________________(TERRITORY) OF FOLLOWING __________________(JESUS).
John 15:18-25 says:
18"If the world hates you,
keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged
to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the
world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is
greater than his master.'[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute
you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do
not know the One who sent me. 22If I had not come and
spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no
excuse for their sin. 23He who hates me hates my Father
as well. 24If I had not done among them what no one else
did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles,
and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25But
this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without
reason.'[b]
2) CHOOSE NOT
TO TAKE THE FALSE CRITICISM ___________________________(PERSONALLY) - ________________________(SURRENDER)
IT TO GOD.
Matthew 5:10-12 says:
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of
righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11"Blessed are
you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against
you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great
is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who
were before you.
3) STAY IN
TOUCH WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST AND
_____________________(LISTEN) TO MATURE BELIEVERSTO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NOT
GOTTEN OF _________________________(COURSE) IN YOUR ZEAL….MAKE SURE YOU ARE
FOLLOWING CHRIST AND NOT YOUR OWN ____________________(EMOTIONS, PASSIONS AND
DESIRES.
Proverbs 19: 20-21 Says:
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction,
and in the end you will be wise.
21 Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the LORD's purpose that
prevails.
Proverbs 15:21-25 says:
21 Folly delights a man who lacks judgment,
but a man of understanding keeps a straight
course.
22 Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.
23 A man finds joy in giving an apt reply—
and how good is a timely word!
24 The path of life leads upward for the wise
to keep him from going down to the grave. [a]
25 The LORD tears down the proud man's house
but he keeps the widow's boundaries
intact.
·
IN OTHER WORDS, MAKE SURE THIS IS GOD’S WILL AND NOT
OF YOUR OWN DOING….THE FLESH CAN ________________________(DECIEVE)
4) DO NOT ALLOW YOUR
___________________________(PRIDE/EGO) TO BE ENGAGED – MAINTAIN A POSTURE OF
_________________________(HUMILITY) BEFORE GOD AND PEOPLE.
James 4:5-7 says:
1What causes fights and quarrels
among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but
you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because
you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive,
because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your
pleasures. 4You adulterous people, don't you know that
friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a
friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you
think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us
envies intensely?[a] 6But he gives us
more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."[b] 7Submit yourselves,
then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
·
IF YOUR MOTIVES ARE PURE – GOD WILL ___________________________(CONFIRM)
IT IN DUE SEASON – IF YOUR MOTIVES ARE SELFISH, THEY WILL BE
________________________(EXPOSED) EVENTUALLY.
1 Peter 5:4-6 says:
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one
another, because, "God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."[a] 6Humble yourselves,
therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
5) DO NOT
ALLOW FALSE ACCUSATIONS TO _____________________(DISTRACT) OR
_____________________(STOP) YOU FROM DOING THE GOOD THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO DO.
Luke 23:32-46 says:
32Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."[b] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." 36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." 38There was a written notice above him, which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[c]" 43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.
·
While on the cross, Jesus was mocked and ridiculed,
but stayed the course and finished the work on the cross he was sent to do.
·
Likewise stay focused as you deny yourself and carry
your cross and follow Jesus daily.
·
JUST BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DO NOT WANT YOU TO DO GOOD
IS NOT A GOOD ENOUGH ___________________________(REASON) FOR YOU TO STOP – TO
GOOD ANYWAY!
Galatians 6:5-12 says:
7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature[a]will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.