On August 10, 1948, Allen Funt debuted a hidden-camera reality TV show called Candid Camera, which became wildly popular for many years. The genius of the show is that it caught people in the act of being themselves. It produced lots of laughs, but it also offered a fascinating look into human behavior.
In one episode titled "Face the Rear," unsuspecting people board an elevator and naturally turn to face the front of the elevator. Three actors then enter the elevator and face the rear. Take a look (Show Candid Camera Face the Rear video).
In every case, the unsuspecting person turns around to face the rear with the others. Sometimes, they are hesitant, which makes it even more comical, but they cannot resist the peer pressure. One gentleman had a hat when he entered the elevator, so the actors entered with hats. They faced the rear; he faced the rear. They faced the side; he faced the side. They faced the front; he faced the front. They took off their hats; he took off his hat. It was hilarious! (Mark Batterson, Play the Man, Thomas Nelson, 2017, pages 144-145; www. PreachingToday.com)
People are easily influenced. That’s why you have to be careful who you allow into your life, especially in times of trouble, because that’s when you’re most vulnerable to bad actors.
If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Judges 3, Judges 3, where some bad actors influenced God’s very own people.
Judges 3:5-6 So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods. (ESV)
Israel compromised their residence – They allowed these bad actors to live with them. Then Israel compromised their relationships – They intermarried with these bad actors. And finally, Israel compromised their religion – They served the Canaanite gods, which involved temple prostitution and child sacrifice.
The very evil they once abhorred became normal in their culture. But it all started with one compromise, which led to another and another and another. Israel compromised on God’s clear command to drive out the Canaanites, and it led to moral ruin.
That’s what happened to Lot years before. Genesis 13 says he moved His tent “NEAR Sodom” (Genesis 13:12). Then He lived IN Sodom; and eventually, he became one of its leaders. His daughters were engaged to Sodomite men, and he was willing to let them be violated in order to save his own reputation. The abhorrent became normal, and it all started with one little compromise: he pitched His tent towards Sodom.
The same thing happened to King Solomon years later. The Bible says, he was the wisest man who ever lived, but his love for foreign women led him to moral ruin. 1 Kings 11 says, “King Solomon loved many foreign women... And his wives turned away his heart... after other gods” (1 Kings 11:1-4). The abhorrent became normal even though Solomon had served the Lord faithfully for many years. God even used Solomon to write parts of the Bible – the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. Even so, Solomon ends his life “doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord,” 1 Kings 11:6 says. He prostituted himself with the goddess of fertility and burned children alive on the molten idol of Moloch. The abhorrent became normal, and it all started with one little compromise: He lusted after foreign women.
That’s what’s happening to Israel here in Judges 3. One little compromise led to moral ruin.
But not only that, one little compromise led to material ruin, as well. A ruthless, evil tyrant dominates them for eight years!
Judges 3:7-8 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. (ESV)
God sold them like slaves to Cushan-rishathaim. He was a Mesopotamian King, whose name means the doubly wicked Cushan. It was probably a nickname to describe the tyranny of his rule. He tyrannized Israel for eight long years!
But that’s what happens when you compromise on God’s clear commands. It leads you to moral and material ruin. So in times of trouble, obey God completely. Stay true to His Word, and...
DON’T COMPROMISE in your commitment to Him.
Don’t disregard even His smallest commands.
In the first season of the popular TV show 24, Jack Bauer is a federal agent charged with protecting a presidential candidate from an assassination plot. That’s because, in the uncertain world of espionage, he possesses a rare character trait – integrity.
In the very first episode, Jack’s integrity is put to the test, because he turned in other federal agents for bribery. As a result, some of his own co-workers have turned against him. His immediate boss, as well, comes down hard on him, urging Jack not to be so honest in his job. Jack has an explosive confrontation with his boss and will not budge on this point. Then, just after the confrontation, Jack explains his actions to his closest partner. Take a look (show Jack Bauer Compromise Once Quote video).
“You can look the other way once, and it’s no big deal, except it makes it easier for you to compromise the next time. And pretty soon, that’s all you’re doing – compromising – because that’s how you think things are done. You know those guys I blew the whistle on? You think they were the bad guys? They weren’t the bad guys. They were just like you and me, except they compromised once.” (24, Fox Entertainment, 2001, created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, 00:31:45 to 00:32:30, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGvYpnhj1gE; www. PreachingToday.com)
That’s all it takes – one compromise; and before you know it, there’s another compromise and another until the abhorrent becomes normal, and your life is morally and materially ruined.
When I read C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia to my children, we were saddened by a scene in The Last Battle, the final book in the series. In the first book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Susan had joined her brothers and sisters in saving Narnia from the White Witch; but in the last book, she is conspicuously absent.
At the end of the book, High King Peter responds to an question about his sister's whereabouts. He answers shortly and gravely: “My sister Susan is no longer a friend of Narnia.”
“Yes,” said Eustace, “and whenever you've tried to get her to come and talk about Narnia or do anything about Narnia, she says, ‘What wonderful memories you have! Fancy your still thinking about all those funny games we used to play when we were children.’”
Susan thought she had become too grown up for thoughts of a great king like Aslan and a blessed land like Narnia. Though she had once experienced it, she left it behind. (Joshua Rogers, "The Overlooked Hope for Narnia's Susan Pevensie," Christianity Today, 3-17-16; www.PreachingToday.com)
Please, don’t let your relationship with Christ grow cold. Don’t let it get to the point where you are no longer a friend of Him and His Kingdom. Don’t compromise in your commitment to the Lord. But if you have, you don’t have stay on the path to moral and material ruin. Just turn around and...
CRY OUT TO THE LORD.
Call out for help from the Lord to save you from your sins. Plead with God to deliver you from the ruin you have brought on yourself. That’s what Israel did.
Judges 3:9 But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them... (ESV)
God responds to the cries of His people. So, if you’re in trouble because of your compromises, do what Israel did and cry out to Him! “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). That’s what the Bible says!
At Amazon’s annual shareholders meeting last May (2019), a customer asked CEO Jeff Bezos for help returning a package. It was a comical moment during a question-and-answer session, but Bezos, the world’s richest person and CEO of one of the world’s largest public companies, was willing to help. He said, “Yeah, sure we’ll help you with that right after the meeting.” Then he apologized to the woman. “My apologies that you had to use this unusual venue to accomplish what should have been a much simpler task,” he said. “We’ll also look into the root cause of why that happened... Anybody else have anything they need to return?” he asked to the laughter of the crowd. (Kathleen Joyce, “Amazon customer asks Jeff Bezos during shareholder meeting for help returning package,” Fox Business, 5-23-19; www.Preaching Today.com)
Will your Heavenly Father, the most powerful CEO in the universe, do no less with your concerns? Of course, he will! So cry out to Him. Then...
COUNT ON THE SOVEREIGN SAVIOR He sends.
Depend on the Rescuing King God provides. Rely on the Liberating Lord Your Heavenly Father gives to you. That’s what Israel did.
Judges 3:9 But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. (ESV)
Othniel means “God is Might,” and he was a proven soldier. He was Caleb’s nephew, who captured the city of Debir and won Caleb’s daughter in marriage in Judges 1 (Judges 1:11-13). Now look at Judges 3:10.
Judges 3:10-11 The Spirit of the LORD was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died. (ESV)
Othniel, a proven soldier, becomes Israel’s prudent sovereign and powerful savior. A judge in those days made the law, interpreted the law, and enforced the law. So Othniel governed Israel with near absolute authority. He also delivered Israel from the doubly wicked Cushan. When Israel cried out to God, God provided a rescuing king, upon whom they relied.
You do the same. Rely on God’s Rescuing King, Jesus Christ.
First, depend on Christ, a Proven Soldier. 2,000 years ago, Jesus fought a great battle and won a tremendous victory on the cross.
Hebrews 2 says that Jesus, the Son of God, took on flesh and blood so “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Hebrews 2:14-15). Our Savior is a Proven Soldier, who rendered Satan powerless on the cross!
Bob Mankoff is the cartoon editor for The New Yorker magazine, which has published more than 80,000 cartoons since its first issue. In an interview on 60 Minutes, Mankoff said that the Grim Reaper has appeared in the magazine's funny pages more than any other character. For example, in one cartoon the Reaper's latest acquisition is saying: “Thank goodness you are here—I can't accomplish anything unless I have a deadline.”
Mankoff told 60 Minutes, “Honestly, if it wasn't for death, I don't think there would be any humor… Grim Reaper's going to get the last laugh. Until then, it's our turn.” (Ron Jones, Mysteries of the Afterlife, Harvest House, 2016, page 37; www.Preaching Today.com)
Bob Mankoff couldn’t be more wrong. The Grim Reaper will NOT get the last laugh, because Jesus already fired the Grim Reaper on the cross. His resurrection proves it, and those who rely on Him have the assurance of eternal life. So depend on Christ, a Proven Soldier.
More than that, depend on Christ, a Powerful Savior. He left heaven to die on a cross for your sins, so He could deliver you from those sins.
Earlier this year (January 2020), Kris Rotonda packed rice cakes, protein bars, pre-packaged meals, an ample supply of water, a pillow, blanket, and three lanterns, and barricaded himself in a cage with different dogs at the Humane Society of Pasco County, Florida, for 10 nights. His girlfriend, family, and friends tried to talk him out of it, but Kris wanted to bring attention to the horrible conditions at the shelter with a lack of funding and a limited number of volunteers. He hoped that people would rescue and adopt the abandoned animals housed there.
Rotonda said, “(Shelters) are often overlooked. I kind of wanted to wake up... the community a little more and put myself in the position of these animals to understand how solitude gets to you and how to deal with it. It's very difficult, and it gives you a different perspective.”
Staff employees treated him like a dog, (as he asked them to), taking him outside only for an hour and a half to play and use the bathroom. He said, “I told the shelter, ‘Don't give me any special treatment. Treat me like a German Shepherd.’” It was hot. He couldn't shower. There were bugs. The smell of urine filled his nostrils. And the loud barking of up to 50 dogs kept him up at night. (Monique Welch, “Man stays at Pasco animal shelter for 10 nights to help pets get adopted,” Tampa Bay Times, 1-8-20; www.PreachingToday.com)
Imagine what it must have been like for Jesus to leave heaven for this dirty, smelly world, to put Himself in your position. It had to be far worse for Jesus than it was for Kris Rotonda, because Jesus did it not for 10 days, but for 33 years! Yet He did it to rescue and adopt you out of your dreadful condition.
Oh, my dear friends, put your trust in Jesus, a Powerful Savior! Hebrews 7 says, “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
When Othniel died, Israel was plunged into ruin again. Not so with Jesus, because He lives! He rose again to keep and protect you forever! So depend on Christ, a Proven Soldier. Depend on Christ, a Powerful Savior.
And depend on Christ, a Prudent Sovereign. Rely on Jesus, a Wise King.
Israel’s ruling council in the First Century had ordered Jesus’ disciples not to teach in His name. They defied the order, telling the council, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Then Peter declared, “God exalted [Jesus] at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:31).
Jesus has the place of highest authority, to which every other authority must submit, including you and me. He doesn’t change His ways to suit us. We change our ways (i.e., we repent) to suit Him. He wears the crown, not you or me!
In a recent blog, Dr. Timothy Tennent, the President of Asbury Theological Seminary, wrote, “The term ‘corona’ in ‘coronavirus’ is a word meaning ‘crown.’ It is because the virus, under extreme magnification, actually looks like a thorny crown; therefore, it is—quite literally—the thorny crown virus.” Tennet says, “It reminds us of sacrifice and self-denial. It is a symbol of the cost Jesus paid.” (Dr. Timothy Tennent, “The ‘Crown’ in the Coronavirus: A Theological Reflection on the COVID-19 Pandemic,” TimothyTennent.Com, 3-18-20)
You see, Jesus wore the thorny crown, the corona, to identify with us, to embrace our brokenness so He could make us whole again. And that crown gives Him the right to rule the world!
The heavenly beings sing to Jesus, “Worthy are you to take the scroll (i.e., the title deed to the earth) and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10).
Jesus wore the thorny crown to give people from every nation a glorious crown and the opportunity to rule and reign with Him. If you submit to His rule, He will not tyrannize you. On the contrary, He will empower you to be all that He has called you to be, to be kings and priests to our God, and to reign on the earth with Him.
So, my dear friends, in a time of trouble, don’t compromise in your commitment to the Lord. But if you have, cry out to the Lord, and count on your Sovereign Savior.
When somebody asked the Bible scholar N.T. Wright what he would tell his children on his deathbed, he said, “Look at Jesus.” Then he explained why:
“The [Person] who walks out of [the pages of the Gospels] to meet us is just central and irreplaceable. He is always a surprise. We never have Jesus in our pockets. He is always coming at us from different angles… If you want to know who God is, look at Jesus. If you want to know what it means to be human, look at Jesus. If you want to know what love is, look at Jesus. And go on looking until you're not just a spectator, but part of the drama that has him as the central character.” (Marlin Whatling, The Marriage of Heaven and Earth, CreateSpace, 2016, page 129; www.PreachingToday.com)
My dear friends, in these troubling times, look to Jesus, who wore the corona for you!
