Our Town

1. There are three huge gates that lead into the Cathedral of Milan. Over one gate there is an inscription in marble (under a beautiful flower bouquet) that says, "The things that please are temporary." Over the second gate, there is a cross with this inscription: "The things that disturb us are temporary." However, over the central gate, there is a big inscription saying, "Eternal are the important ones."

2. Deuteronomy 16:18-20

18 “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. 19 You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. 20 Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

3. Judges and Officers were appointed for the well-being of the people – biblical governance (i.e., politics) – Romans 13:1-7 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

4. There were community gates and there are personal gates to explore

I. The Community Gates [PIC

A. City Gates Provided Entrance/Exit

1. Who is coming in – enemy or friend?

2. Who is going out?

3. Information Center – Deuteronomy 6:9 [Mezuzah Reminder]

4. City Gates Were Vulnerable in Conflict

• Focused Attack

• Fortified [Trojan Horse

B. Judges at the town gates

1. Cities had judges and various officers to govern [Yukon City Council

2. Cities had judges for righteous judgments (wisdom needed)

a. Future course of the city

b. Issues between people – 1 Corinthians 6.1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?

3. Cities had other officers like Watchmen – Ezekiel 33:7 7 “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.

a. Alerting the Town

b. Compassion for the people

II. Our “Town” (Personal) Gates

A. Personal Gates are vulnerable entrances and exits of our lives – Deuteronomy 6:9

1. Our Senses (eyes; ears; noses; mouths; hands)

2. Our Actions (Seeing; hearing; speaking; smelling; doing)

3. Our internal – hearts (minds and emotions)

B. Our Consciences are Our Judges

1. Types of Consciences

a. Seared 1 Timothy 4:1-2 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,

b. Good – 1 Timothy 1:19 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith,

2. Our Consciences judge our activities

• Eyes – is this glance in alignment with God’s will?

• Speech – is what I am about to say going to be hurtful or helpful?

• Heart – what do we love and think on?

• Are gates opening only to a one way path of self-gratification at the expense of others?

1. Society has a Police Presence for Law and Order (Romans 13)

a. Don’t have to get tickets or arrested – just a presence

b. Military Chaplains – “Ministry of Presence”

2. Psalm 118:19-20

Open to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the LORD.

20 This is the gate of the LORD;

the righteous shall enter through it.

3. Our gates and officers are for our good – righteousness and justice in our lives and others’.