Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20030518.htm

JESUS CHRIST IN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY
Part XXXVIII: Functioning In Society Now In Line With Christ's Reign
(Micah 4:1-4 with Revelation 12:5)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

As believers, we hope for the future Millennial Kingdom of Christ when there will be world peace, prosperity and righteousness.

However, we live in a world that LACKS these, so we may wonder exactly what God directions would have us take to function with His favor in today's civil, business and church institutions.

This concern is well-based as we consider the following needs:

(1) The ABC Evening News mentioned on Tuesday a gridlock the state legislature in Texas faced. Due to redistricting moves by the republican majority, democratic members of the legislature had left Texas and were holed up a Holiday Inn in Oklahoma where the Texas Police had no jurisdiction to arrest them. The reason? The democrats wanted to keep the republicans from being able to form a quorum to pass pro-republican laws! Thus, the law-making body of the state was paralyzed to the harm of the people of the State of Texas!

Texas need a CIVIL lawmaking body where JUSTICE can be served in their state above such IRRESPONSIBLE gridlock!

(2) The Reuters news service cited the Catholic News on April 9, 2003 that the Archbishop of Singapore "has suspended confessions in Singapore due to the spread of the deadly SARS virus, and priests will instead forgive all churchgoers for their sins." ("News Alert," in the May 2003 issue of The Berean Call) Parishioners may wonder why this change is needed, for the SARS virus can be passed in Church when they gather for mass! Why then cancel the confessional booth because of SARS?

Parishioners of this RELIGIOUS group need leaders that CONSISTENTLY holds to and teaches God's Biblical TRUTHS!

(3) According to a letter I recently received from a charitable agency, 40 percent of the children in low income families in Hartford lack enough healthy food to eat! We're not talking about Appalachia or south central Los Angeles -- we're talking about OUR capital of the highest per capita income state in America -- Hartford, Connecticut!

Certainly our BUSINESS community could meet this need!



So, what DIRECTIONS would GOD have a Christian take to improve his CIVIL, BUSINESS and RELIGIOUS institutions?

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "Though we CHRISTIANS may hope for Christ's FUTURE RIGHTEOUS kingdom, we must NOW live in IMPERFECT secular civil and business institutions! HOW, then, would GOD want us to INFLUENCE these institutions to be as UPRIGHT as is possible?"
  1. The RISEN Jesus told His disciples on the road to Emmaus how He fulfilled Old Testament Messianic prophecies, Luke 24:25-27.
  2. As these men were edified by Christ's teaching of those passages (Luke 24:32), we also view them, following the list of prophecies named in the Ryrie Study Bible, KJV , s. v. "Messianic Prophecies."
  3. As CIVIL, BUSINESS and RELIGIOUS FUNCTIONS of Christ's reign are seen in Micah 4:1-4, showing PATTERNS God will use in them, we can promote these PATTERNS in our PRESENT civil, business and church institutions via New Testament guidance:
    1. Micah 4:1-4 predicts details about Christ's coming reign, a reign mentioned in Rev. 12:5, Ibid., Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, ftn. to Mic. 4:1-3.
    2. As such, this passage reveals patterns for the functions that Christ will use in His reign for civil, religious AND business institutions:
      1. Mount Zion where God will be worshipped will be the highest mount in contrast to ancient idolatrous "high places," and many nations will visit Christ's presence in Jerusalem as opposed to frequenting errant idol shrines, and there He will teach them God's true Word, (Mic. 4:1-2 with 1 Kings 11:6-9; Deut. 12:1-8).
      2. Thus, justice will be the goal in all legal matters, Micah 4:3a.
      3. War and oppression will end so all will live safely at home, 4:3b.
      4. As the phrase," . . . they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree" occurs in Micah 4:4a and also pictures blessing in Solomon's reign amidst great construction (cf. 1 Kings 4:25; 5:1-7:51), these patterns in business and civil life will be used:
        1. All men will enjoy personal property ownership, Micah 4:4a.
        2. Rural life will not be lost to urban growth, and local efforts will not be lost to expanding centralized conglomerates, Micah 4:4a.
        3. Homelessness will give place to responsible employment and adequate cover from the elements on one's own land, Mic. 4:4a.
        4. Instead of men losing their properties due to financial burdens and their resulting slavery, taxation oppression and property foreclosures will cease due to agricultural bounty, Micah 4:3-4a.
        5. As the economy will focus on agricultural pursuits, agriculture will not be encroached upon by industrial expansion, Mic. 4:4a.
        6. Where the vine and fig tree (fruits, esp. grapes) are sources of anti-carcinogens, natural foods that promote health will not be lost to processed foods that often tend to harm man's health.
        7. Where every man will sit under such plants, meaning there will be an abundance of them, the environmental benefits of forestation will not give way to depleting "concrete jungles."
    3. Following these patterns in light of New Testament Church era writings, we Christians TODAY can discern how God would want us to function and DIRECT civil, business and church life today:
      1. 1 John 2:6 shows all who fellowship with Christ live like He did.
      2. Then, as we know how Christ will direct civil, business and religious institutions in His reign from Micah 4:1-4, we can mimic them as the New Testament guides us in our era's institutions.
Lesson Application: (1) We NOW please God by trusting in Christ for salvation from sin, Acts 17:30; John 3:16. (2) Then, we (a) HOPE for Christ's future kingdom, but (3) also align with HIS institutional PATTERNS in that kingdom as the New Testament guides us (as follows): (a) as men will one day exalt God in Zion above all gods, we should trust in Christ and no other "idol" for blessing, Mic. 4:1a,b; 1 Jn. 5:21; (b) as men will then seek God's Word at Zion, we should faithfully meet at Biblical local churches for fellowship and learning God's true Word, Mic. 4:1c-2b with Heb. 10:25; 1 Tim. 3:15; (c) we should seek justice in all legal cases, Mic. 4:3a; 1 Cor. 6:1-5 and (d) seek relief from war and peace for all men, cf. Mic. 4:3b with Phil. 2:4. (e) Then, as every man will sit under his own vine and fig tree (Micah 4:4), (+) we should favor private land ownership (cf. Mic. 4:3b-4; Eph. 4:28 and (+) local and rural enterprises over oppressive or encroaching, centralized ones (cf. Mic. 4:4a; Rom. 12:16b). Then, to combat homelessness and crime, (+) we can exalt a good work ethic (2 Thess. 3:10) while seeking less government welfare and its tax burden, and (+) call for the shrinking of legally allowed and oppressive debt ceilings, Mic. 4:3-4; Tit. 2:1-5; 1 Tim. 5:8-15; 1 Tim. 6:6-9. (+) We can counter the abusive over development of land that cuts into food production (1 Jn. 3:17-18), (+) support the production of healthy natural foods (1 Cor. 3:17) and (+) stand for the responsible use of natural resources for the sake of human health (1 Cor. 3:17).

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 When the children of our forefathers were sent to one-room schoolhouses on the American frontier to learn "readin' an' writin'" with chalk on slate boards like Abraham Lincoln did, the ten-year-olds were assigned readings in the McGuffey Fifth Reader.

This book has the following quotation in it (which is cited in Dave Hunt's May 2003 newsletter under his "Quotable" section):

"Erase all thought and fear of God from a community, and selfishness and sensuality would absorb the whole man. Appetite, knowing no restraint, and suffering, having no solace or hope, would trample in scorn on the restraints of human laws. Virtue, duty, principle, would be mocked as unmeaning sounds. A sordid self-interest would supplant every feeling; and man would become, in fact, what the theory of atheism declares him to be -- a companion for brutes."

No wonder our nation then had a society with a deep-seated respect for God, for authority and for law and order! No wonder this view led to a strong work ethic, responsible statesmanship, a desire for justice in our legal system and a high value on truth in our land!



Our current public educational system may not tolerate today's school teachers assigning the McGuffy Fifth Reader for American ten-year-olds, but WE CAN influence our government, business and church institutions in ways that will bring GOD'S approval, and retard the growth of evil in our communities while leaving a better society and testimony for the Gospel of Christ.



(1) May we then believe in Christ as Savior from sin to become citizens of Christ's coming Kingdom, and then, (2) in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-23), (3) heed the PATTERNS of civil and religious institutional life outlined for us in Christ's coming Kingdom in Micah 4:1-4, and which are verified for us in our dispensation in the New Testament itself.