This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Obedience Or Death" Wxodus 19:16-25, 9/25/2022

 OBEDIENCE OR DEATH

Exodus 19:16-25

MEETING GOD

V:16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

A. The very first action of a Christian is death.

The very moment you accept Christ as your Savior, death occurs.

It is death to the old man and the birth of a new man in Christ.

Throughout our Christian experience, it is death to the flesh and life in

the spirit.

1. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has

come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and

us the ministry of reconciliation:

• There is death to the old way of thinking.

• There is death to the old way of living.

• There is death to idol gods.

• There is death to the flesh,

• There is death to selfishness.

• There is death to the life of sin.

Then there is life in Christ Jesus

• There is life in righteousness

• There is life in God’s Love

• There is life in obedience

• There is life in freedom

2. For three months, Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt and headed toward

the promised land.

They were a grumbling, complaining group. Their feeling was hurt because

of all the slavery stuff they left behind in Egypt.

They minimized the pain of slavery and maximized the food and dwellings

of Egypt.

3. Freedom brings pain.

4. Freedom calls for responsible actions.

5. Life in the desert was new to them. It was a new way of living.

6. They couldn’t see the joy of freedom because they kept looking

back at what they left.

GOD IS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS

TRUE LOVE WILL OFTEN HURT YOUR FEELINGS

GOD IS CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR OBEDIENCE

A parent who disciples a child cannot be concerned about his/her

feelings. The parent's concern is to change the child's behavior to do

what is right. It is our unchecked feelings that get us in trouble.

God gave commands of how the nation was to meet Him.

The Israelites were commanded to wash their clothes and consecrate themselves.

They were instructed to come to the base of the mountain, but not touch it.

The mountain was declared holy. Anyone who touched the mountain

would be stoned or shot with arrows to death. God was not concerned about

their feelings, but their obedience.

As a chosen nation, Israel was to be an example to the world. To be that example,

obedience to God’s commands was required.

God presented Israel with a simple ultimatum, stay behind the dividing line

at the base of the mountain and live, breakthrough, touch the mountain and die.

This was a direct test of obedience.

God gives us the same ultimatum today. Come to Christ and live, stay in the world

and die. Unfortunately, most of the world chooses to stay in the world and die.

Mark 16:16

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

To have a relationship with God requires a change from sin to righteousness.

THE AMAZING PRESENCE OF GOD

V:18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord descended on it in the fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, 19 and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

A. God demonstrated His presence, power, and authority using the familiar

in extraordinary ways before the nation of Israelites.

1. We are familiar with smoke, but smoke covering a whole mountain!

2. We are familiar with fire, but fire covering the top of a mountain!

3. We are familiar with thunder causing the ground to tremble, but a whole

mountain trembling violently!

4. We are familiar with the sound of trumpets, but the loud sound of trumpets

with no musicians or instruments!

5. I can imagine the freight with all of this happening at one time.

B. What would be close to this in my experience is being in the middle of a hurricane

with 130-mile-per-hour winds, violent thundering, lighting, rain, and the sound of

trees snapping into all at one time.

1. Add to that the voice of God in the middle of extraordinary events.

2. I have prayed to God doing a storm, but I have never heard His voice

in an audible way.

3. It is good that God puts fear in our hearts from time to time

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

4. God has a way of reminding us that He is in control.

THE CALL TO TEACH

V:20 The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 21 and the Lord said to him, "Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. 22 Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them."

A. God sent Himself in form of His son to meet with us on the mount of Righteousness.

1. God called us out of the world to meet with Jesus.

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to

God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his

wonderful light

2. Once we have met, Jesus we have the continuous job of teaching others God's

commands.

3. People who don’t know God have to be taught how to approach Him.

You can’t go to God in pride or to fulfill your lustful desires.

You should approach God in fear and humility.

B. The Israelites had witnessed the power of God and did not fear Him or reverence Him.

1. God knows our desire to sin before we sin.

2. There are times when God protects us from our sins.

The Israelites made up their minds to ignore God’s command and rush up

the mountain to see Him.

God sent Moses back down the mountain to prevent the Israelites from destroying

themselves.

C. We need preachers who know the Word and are committed to God’s commands.

1. The priest who had the responsibility of making sacrifices to God failed to

encourage the elders to follow God’s command not to rush up the mountain.

2. Even though leaders don’t follow God’s commands, it is up to each individual

to follow God. Your salvation is in your hands, not the leaders'.

DON’T ASSUME, KNOW

V:23 Moses said to the Lord, "The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you warned us, 'Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.'"

24 The Lord replied, "Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out against them."

A. You cannot assume that just because people know the Word of God, they

will be obedient.

1. Moses had given the people God’s command and assumed the people would

follow them.

Not everyone who hears the Word understands the importance of following

the Word.

2. There are some who believe that God loves us enough not to punish

us for our sins.

3. There are some who ignore the Word regarding the consequences of sin.

Some people know the Word, but do not apply it to their lives

B. The God we serve loves us enough to remind us of His Word.

1. It is the grace of God to close doors to keep us from harming ourselves.

2. We are blessed to have dedicated preachers and teachers.

TEACH THE WORD ACCORDING TO THE WORD

V:25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.

A. Leaders must be ready to act on God’s Word regardless of their beliefs.

1. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but God does.

2. We don’t know what people will do, but God does.

B. It is important that we follow the directions that God gives.

1. You don’t want to look back and say if I had followed God’s

command this situation would not have happened.

OBEY GOD’S COMMANDS AND LIVE

Rev. M. Mitchell

Bible Study Series: Living A Christian Life, Colossians 3:1-18

 LIVING A CHRISTIAN LIFE

Colossians 3:1-18

 

IDENTIFYING YOURSELF

V:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

YOU ARE A HEAVENLY CREATURE

Question   How do you see yourself?

If you see yourself existing on earth, you will never see yourself existing in heaven

The phrase has been raised with Christ in Greek is aorist passive which means it

Has already happened. In simple terms. You are already in Heaven with Christ.

 

To understand this, you must understand the concept of time. God does not exist in time.

He exists outside of time.  Time is for you and me. When God created the heavens and the Earth, He did it in time frames of days.

 

To God, time is irrelevant. The Word says, to God a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is a day.

 

We have already been raised with Christ.  He said, where I AM there you will be also.

Therefore, we must view ourselves in the present as being in Heaven.

 

How can this be?

 

There is another concept to understand, position and experience.

Positional every believer is in Christ at this very moment in Heaven

I am not heavenly bound, spiritually, I am already there.

 

Experientially you are on earth.

You are in heaven because God has placed you there with Jesus

You are on earth because God has more work for you to do under the

Guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 

Since we are in heaven, our hearts ought to be on the things of Heaven.

Everything we do must be done from a view of heaven.

We cannot neglect the responsibility God has given us on earth. The work

We do is to please God and draw others to Him (Matthew 28:19)

 

LIVE BY FAITH

When we deal with our daily experiences and problems, we must deal with

Them from a heavenly basis.  Since you are a new person in Christ, put the

New person on the scene.

 

For example, on the job, the new person in Christ works to please God, not man

God gave us earthly supervisors. But He is in control of everyone.

 

 

Titus 3:1-2

3 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

NIV

 

When an argument arises enter to listen and learn.

Allow God to guide your response

 

How do you deal with a difficult person?

You have to take yourself out of the flesh and put yourself in the calmness of Christ

The Geneva College gives this advice

Put Faith in action

1.     Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede.

2.     Pray for self-control.

3. Diffuse the situation by depersonalizing it

Ask yourself: “Is this conflict really about me?” It could be that the other person has just experienced a horrible loss or is enduring a painful physical challenge. Try to become spacious and generous with your attention instead of contracted and self-focused. Put yourself in the other person’s situation, and be open to the idea that this may have nothing at all to do with you. If you can bring some humor and levity into the situation, all the better!

3.     Turn the pointing finger to you

           Prayerfully search inside and ask yourself:

• How am I contributing to the discord here?
• Is this person reminding me of myself when I’ve done the same thing?
• What are my true motives for my words and actions?

 

How do a Christian deal with mounting bills?

1.     Trust God

2.     Philippians 4:19

    And my God will meet all your needs according to his   

     glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

How do you deal with unanswered prayers?

1, Consider the prayer of faith has already been answered.

Isaiah 38:4-6

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.

 

Verse 2 of Colossians 3 commands us to set our minds on things above.

 What are the things above?

Love, forgiveness, patience, long-suffering, tolerance, gentleness,

Praise and worship, eternal life

 

CLEAN UP YOUR ACT

V:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

A The mind is a terrible thing to waste on the devil.

    1, There is a war going on between the flesh and the spirit.

        Romans 7:22-23

        For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work          

        in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and

        making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

 

          Romans 8:1-3

          Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,     

           because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from

            the law of sin and death.

 

Don’t let the mind that in Christ which is also in you,

Be shared with the devil.

 

WALK LIKE A CHRISTIAN

 V:7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

 

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord

Don’t let feet that will walk the golden streets of heaven, walk in the dirt of life

 

GET RID OF THE OLD SELF

V:9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and is in all.

 

Study the Word of God daily. Meditate on it day and night

When you study the Word, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

You will be set free from the desire to lie.

 

Why do we lie?

 

• People may lie because they believe the lie is critically important, even though it may seem inconsequential.
• People lie to control a situation or to avoid disappointing someone.

      .  People lie when it just doesn’t matter because they do think it     

          matters.

       .  People lie because it’s not a lie to them. 

          When we are under pressure, our thinking about the big picture can be   

           challenged. Our memory of things can be quite unreliable:

 

PUT ON NEW CLOTHES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

V:12. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

 

We have been wearing old clothes for so long that we are comfortable with them.

While the old man in us is dead, his attitude is alive and well.

Becoming a Christian does not automatically eliminate old attitudes. It takes constant work.

 

 

PUT ON THE VIRTUE OF LOVE

V:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF LOVE?

We grew up with idea that love is a feeling. We constantly hear the phrase I don’t feel loved.

Love is not a feeling. It is a quality of God.

There is a difference between the way man defines love and the way God defines love.

Webster's definition of love

a(1)

: strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties

maternal love for a child

(2): attraction based on sexual desire: affection and tenderness felt by lovers

 

YOU MAY HAVE FEELINGS, BUT IT IS NOT LOVE

No one ever told us that love is not a feeling. We have been deceived.

Love is a Godly attitude. God is love.  Love is an action word.

 

Love does not originate in us or with us, It is bestowed upon us.

God's relentless, Royal love arrives in Jesus, and his affection for us drove him to give us the ultimate act of loyal love in his life, death, and resurrection. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his khesed endures forever (Psalms 118:1)

 

God used khesed to describe Himself  in Exodus 34:6,

where God calls himself “compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in khesed and faithfulness.”

 

In the New Testament, the Greek word for Love is agapao found in

Matthew 22:37

Agapao love is high esteem or high regards

 

Love is like oil to the wheels of obedience. It enables us to run the way of God's commandments (Psalms 119:32). Without such love, we are as nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3). Such Spirit-inspired love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8) but always flourishes.

(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

 

The reason we have a problem with God’s love is we keep applying man’s definition of Love to all our situations.

Inside the four walls of the church, we show up together. Outside the

Church, we are largely separated.

We see ourselves as individuals, separate from each other.

The truth is, In Christ, we are all part of the same family.

 

THE BENEFITS OF LOVE

Colossians 3:15-18

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 

Love brings peace

Love brings togetherness

Love brings wisdom

Love brings worship

Love brings fellowship

Love brings gratefulness

Love brings service

Love produces good works

Love causes obedience

Love brings unity in purpose

Love brings us together in Christ

 

 

CLASS QUESTIONS

·      DO YOU VIEW YOURSELF AS A RESIDENT OF HEAVEN?

·       ARE YOU LIVING YOUR BEST CHRISTIAN LIFE?

·       WHAT MORE CAN YOU DO TO AS AN EXAMPLE OF CHRIST?

·       DO YOU SEE CONFUSION BETWEEN MAN’S DEFINITION

OF LOVE AND GOD’S DEFINITION?

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Blessing Of A Covenant With God", Exodus 19:1-6, 24,:1-8, 9/18/2022

 

BLESSED BY A COVENANT WITH GOD

Exodus 19:1-6, 24:1-8

THE ROAD TO FREEDOM

V:1 In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt — on the very day — they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

A. With freedom comes responsibility, obligations, and dedication,

1. While the Israelites were enslaved in, Egypt, most decisions were made for them.

2. They were under complete control of the Egyptian Pharaoh.

3. Any complaints they had they kept to themselves or resolved among themselves.

4. They had been in one place for 400 years and were not used to moving around.

B. Now they were free, they were like kids let out of a cage.

1. They challenged Moses with all their complaints

2. In the desert was nothing and in Egypt was everything they were accustomed to.

3. they had witnessed the 10 plagues in Egypt and the parting of the water in the Red

sea and they had no trust in Moses or the living God.

4. At Rephidim having never been in battle before, they were successful against the

Amalekites because of the God that brought them out of Egypt.

5. They had bread and meat to eat provided by the God they had not learned to trust.

C. God brought them to Mount Sinai to establish them as His nation.

1. When Moses met God in the burning bush, he was promised as a sign that

the nation of Israel would worship at this mountain.

Exodus 3:12

12 And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."

2. In Egypt the only government they knew was Pharaoh.

3. As free people In the desert the government was God under the leadership of Moses.

4. Like babies, they complained because they kept craving all they knew and left behind.

5. Freedom was what prayed for in Egypt. Now that they were free, they couldn’t handle

the responsibility of being free.

THE GIVING OF THE COVENANT OF LIFE

V:3 Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."

A. Every nation needs a leader.

1. Every nation needs the rules of the government.

2. God established Himself as leader and governor.

B. Every once in a while we need to review what God has done in our lives.

1. When we start thinking about what God has done to get us where we are we

can get an attitude of thankfulness.

2. The glory of God is all around us. We need to open our minds and eyes to see

His works in our lives and recognize His goodness.

3. Even though the Israelites were in the desert, God was their protection

Even though they were in the desert God was their food.

Even though they were in the desert, God was the water.

4. God performed miracles to get the Pharoah of Egypt to release them from

slavery.

C. God gave Israel His commandments making a covenant with them.

1. He summarized His requirement in the Ten Commandments written on stone tablets.

Exodus 20:6-17, Duo 4:13

2. God brought us out of the darkness into the marvelous light to make us a treasured

possession of Him.

3. We become God’s treasure when we obey His commandments.

4. Every believer is a priest and made holy through Jesus Christ.

5. God owns everything, but He chose us to be His special treasure.

6. God chose us in our sinful rotten state to be holy and to be His

priest.

7. As priests we are examples to the world.

D. As an ambassador for God, our job is to tell the world about the goodness of Him.

1. We are to start at home and spread out preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

2. Our lives are the Church the world sees.

Exodus 24:3-9

AGREEMENT WITH GOD’S COMMANDS

V:3 When Moses went and told the people all the Lord's words and laws, they responded with one voice, "Everything the Lord has said we will do." 4 Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said.

A. As God's priest, our job is to lead those around us in Bible Study.

1. As God leaders, our job is to lead discussions that encourage questions.

2. We gain understanding through questions and answers.

3. We should ensure that Holy Spirit is our guide and our teacher.

4. Our objective is to get each member to believe in the Word of God as a direction

for their lives.

B. We are to teach the whole Bible.

1. We can't choose what we agree with and teach that only.

2. It is not our job to judge what is good and what is not good. The whole Bible

was written for our good.

3. Every word in the Bible is inspired by God and written for obedience and successful

living.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

NIV

THE FIRST WORSHIP SERVICE

V:4b. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey."

A. Notice the order of worship

1. An Altar before God

2. Assemble the 12 tribes of Israel

3. A bull sacrificed

4. A burnt offerings

5. Fellowship offerings

6. The blood sprinkled on the altar ratified the covenant God made with the people.

7. The reading of the covenant, the Word of God.

B. The whole nation agreed to obey the covenant.

1. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior we agreed to the covenant of God.

2. The Israelites agreed to obey the law given by Moses.

3. Today the law has been replaced by grace.

The law is still our tutor.

THE BLOOD COVENANT OF REDEMPTION

V:8. Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you following all these words."

1. The blood sprinkled on the people symbolized a legal transaction between God and the nation

of Israelites.

2. The blood set Israel apart from the rest of the world.

3. It is the blood of Jesus that sets Christians apart from every other religion.

4. It is the Blood that gives us overpowering qualities.

5. It is the blood that redeems.

6. It is the blood that atones for our sins

7. It is the blood that forgives

8. It is the blood that loves all men

Rev. M. Mitchell

Bible Study Series: Honesty Is The Best Policy, Leviticus 19:35

 HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY

Leviticus 19:35-37

35 "'Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. 36 Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.

37 "'Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the Lord.'"

NIV

There is an old saying that Honest Is The Best Policy

I believe that if you live a life of honesty, you can sleep well at night.

Every day we have to make a decision to be honest.

Every day we have to be aware that world is not about honesty.

There is always a new scam. Somebody is trying

to get to your money.

Everyday we are we are faced with products that have an evaluation

We never know what scale they used to come up with the price

If you buy a 5 pound bag of sugar, is it 5 pounds?

At the service station, are you really getting a gallon of gas?

Weights, scales, and measures are to be according to God’s standard of justice. No Christian need to be reminded of this in his/her daily life.

The world for the most part it, is void of righteousness.

In the hearts of believers, righteousness finds its value.

In the Word of God, there are balances which weigh moral and spiritual things.

We need examine ourselves by God’s scales of justice.

The scales of righteousness weigh our own and other men's characters, and they are accurate. We have a tendency to see ourselves in a brighter light than we see others.

Often times we are blind to our own faults. Jesus illustrates this

Matthew 7:3-6

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? 4 How 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? 5 You 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.

We measure others by own elevated standards which we do not live by

We see our own ounce of goodness as monumental, and other persons' barrel of excellence as a tablespoon. We don’t use the same weights and scales

for others as we use for ourselves.

By the same token, How do we weight our trials and tribulation

Jesus is the weight and the scale

His sacrificial death on the cross paid for our sins.

How do our troubles measure up against His scale.

Daniel 5:25

You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

We are found wanting because we complain at the slightest

interruption in our lives.

If it rains too long, we which it would stop.

If there is the slightest hint of a drought, we pray for rain.

No praise in troubled times.

Proverbs 16:11-12

11 Honest scales and balances are from the Lord;

all the weights in the bag are of his making.

Scales and balances are set by the Lord

There can only be one standard.

IF God left standards to men there would be no standard because

every person would have his own standards.

The weight belong to the Lord

The Lord owns everything. We are just users of God resources.

He made the standards known to every human being.

Every human being was made in His image and His likeness.

The United States started with honest scales. But changed to

dishonesty

Franklin D Roosevelt was president in 1933.

The government held the $35 per ounce price until August 15, 1971, when President Richard Nixon announced that the United States would no longer convert dollars to gold at a fixed value, thus completely abandoning the gold standard.

After 1971 the scale and weight was ended for Us currency. The Treasure could print more money without gold backing it up.

MAN IS WITHOUT EXCUSE FOR BEING DISHONEST

Romans 1:18-21

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

The worst criminal in the world, who never stepped inside a church and never

picked up a Bible has knowledge of God and His righteousness.

No one has an excuse for doing wrong.

Dr Martin Luther King quoted:

There is some good in the worst of us and some bad in the best of us.

This follows, all have sinned and fall short of the of God’s glory.

Every human being was made in the likeness and the image of God

Any good in the best and any good in the worst of us comes from God.

When we talk about weights and scales we are talking about honesty.

HONESTY IS THE BUSINESS OF GOD

Honesty should cover every aspect of our lives

Listen to what the Queen of Sheba said to King Solomon

1 Chronicles 29:17-18

17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.

(side note: How did knowledge of God get to Africa? Matthew 12:42)

1600 miles away

HONEST WITH GOD

We should be honest in how we deal with God.

Proverbs 16:13-14

13 Kings take pleasure in honest lips;

they value a man who speaks the truth.

From the beginning of the church, God demanded honesty.

Acts 5:1-5

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.

3 Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."

5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died

HONEST IN THE CHURCH

Before the church was formed, God demanded honest.

Malachi 3:8

Will a man rode God?

God commands us to give 10% of our income.

Do we give as He commands or do we make excuses why we can’t give

Lets say you make 50 thousands dollars a year. God commands 5000 dollars

The average christian gives 3 percent which is 1500 dollars.

5000 minus 1500 equals 3500 dollars robed from God.

God promises to return of 10 to 100 fold. Therefore you rod yourself a minimum of

50,000 dollars

HONESTY IN BUSINESS

2 Kings 12:15-16

They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.

In Business today are you a robber?

You agreed with your boss to work 8 hours a day at a certain wage

Let’s say you work only 7 hours a day for your reasons

1 hour per day at 20 dollars an hour times 5 days times 52 weeks equals

5200 dollars you took from the company.

Put the shoe on the other foot. Would you want you boss to pay your for 7 hours

when you worked 8? That would be 5200 dollars out of your pocket.

HONESTY WITH EACH OTHER

We should be honest in how we deal with each other

Genesis 30:32-33

They will be my wages. 33 And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen."

When dealing with each other do we all ways speak what we know is the

truth? Or do we speak what we think is the truth.

Either way we can injure the other party.

Proverbs 12:25-26

An anxious heart weighs a man down,

but a kind word cheers him up.

A righteous man is cautious in friendship.

Friendship is worth more than gossip.

HONESTY WITH OURSELVES

When dealing with ourselves do we always speak the truth or

do we disregard the truth to make ourselves fell good? Are we

honest with ourselves?

You will know the truth and the truth will set you free

We should be honest in how we deal with ourselves

Job 31:6-7

let God weigh me in honest scales

and he will know that I am blameless—

Proverbs 24:26-27

26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

SUMMARY

Let’s consider three points

1. HONESTY IS THE BUSINESS OF GOD

We can only be honest with God if we follow His commands.

Anything less is dishonesty.

Deuteronomy 25:14-16

Do not have two differing measures in your house — one large, one small. 15 You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

NIV

2. DISHONESTY IS OFFENSIVE TO GOD

Proverbs 11:1, 20:10

3. HONESTY IS ACCEPTABLE TO GOD

Colossians 3:23-25

23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

4 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

CLASS QUESTIONS

1. What are some ways we can be dishonest at work?

2. What are some ways we can be dishonest with others?

3. What are some ways we can be dishonest with ourselves?

4. What are some ways we can be dishonest in the church?