1. I want to show you two documents: SCOTUS' Decision on Gay Marriage (which is a redefining of marriage) and the Bible
a. 9 People in a 5-4 decision wrote this Opinion
b. About 40 People wrote the Bible
c. 9 people, under the pressures of a few in our society wrote this opinion
d. About 40 people, under the inspiration of God, wrote this book
e. Which has more credibility?
2. The SCOTUS decision, in essence, is a snubbing of our Creator regarding morality and marriage
a. This decision has the potential to radically change the US culture and we have virtually nothing to say about it
b. "Decision" involves "Choice"
c. Alice in Wonderland and Directions
In Alice in Wonderland, when Alice comes to a junction in the road that leads in different directions, she asks the Cheshire Cat, "Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to go to," said the Cat.
"I don't much care where," replied Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go."
d. Joshua 24.15
e. We can choose the temporary accolades of some people or the permanent respect of God.
* 42 Nevertheless many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. John 12.42-43
* I made my choice -- Bible over SCOTUS
3. We know this is not over -- there is a Higher Court, a MOST Supreme Court that will be the final word
a. What's the Big Deal?
1) The King of the Universe defined marriage even before the giving of Torah of Moses in Genesis 2.24 -- Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
2) Rewriting God's decrees is Sin -- dishonoring God
3) A warning: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5.20
b. God will have the final word -- but in the interim, we have an obligation -- Acts 4.19-20; 5.29
4. Consider our service to God from Luke 9.57-62
I. Will We Follow Jesus Wherever He Leads? Luke 9.57-58
A. Do We Practice "Carte Blanche" Discipleship?
1. The Man Showed Respect -- "Lord"
2. The Man Showed Recognition of His Leadership -- "Follow"
3. The Man Showed the Realm of Possibilities -- "Wherever"
B. Do We Follow If There are No Comforts of Home?
1. We Generally Limit God's Call on Our Lives and Give Him Our Conditions
2. He Showed the Example -- stable; no place to lay his head
3. He reminds us that there is nothing permanent here -- Hebrews 11.13-16
13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
II. Will We Follow Jesus Whatever He Says? Luke 9.59-60
A. We See that Jesus is Approachable
1. The Privilege of a Personal Call -- as the 12 Disciples
2. The man makes excuses -- most likely the man's father was not dead -- or he would be home in mourning as Marry and Martha with Lazarus -- instead, he wants to live in comfort until his father dies -- then he will decide to follow
B. We See that Priority Must be Assessed
1. I will follow -- BUT, I have something else to do first
2. Do we re-order God around our lives or our lives around Him?
III. Will We Follow Jesus Whenever the Opportunity is Present? Luke 9.61-62
A. Action Point -- Follow, No Looking Back
1. Lot's Wife
2. Israel in the Wilderness
[Farmers plowed straight lines by fixing eyes on landmarks
B. Focus on Jesus and Plow Ahead -- Hebrews 12.1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
1. We don't need the SCOTUS to define marriage -- God did
2. We don't need a monument for the 10 Commandments -- we need to keep them and be LIVING STONES with the word of God displayed in our lives
3. We simply need to lovingly do our duty to God
All that the best men can do is to persevere in doing their duty . . . and leave the consequences to Him who made it their duty, being neither elated by success (however great) nor discouraged by disappointment (however frequent and mortifying). John Jay, Original Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court and Author of The Federalist Papers
