THE BUCK STOPS HERE
by Mike Kern
Genesis 3:9-13
Introduction
We’ve all heard of the sign on Pres. Harry Truman’s desk, The Buck Stops Here. What a noble sentiment for the leader of country… a willingness to deal with whatever came his way, an acceptance of responsibility for the burdens of the role he had been given by the American people. So unlike the dodging, lying and cover-ups from Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal, or our own Slick Willie through his numerous scandals.
But it’s not just American presidents who need to adopt that slogan, The Buck Stops Here. There is a desperate need for accountability today in the men and women of the church. The bible says that we are sons and daughters of the King, ambassadors for Christ and God’s people need to take responsibility for the position we’ve been entrusted with. Far too often, we look to shove off responsibility for our actions, to push the blame elsewhere for our sin and our failure to live up to the glorious calling on our lives. Instead of The Buck Stops Here, we pass the buck.
Gen 3:9-13
9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." 11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" 12 Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." 13 And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
I. Pass the Responsibility
[illus. – origin of “pass the buck”] From poker. A buck was a marker that indicated whose turn it was to deal. Passing the buck moved the deal onto the next player. The dealer bears responsibility for the hand. Nobody wants to deal!
A. RESPONSIBILITY TO OTHERS
One of the reasons crime has gotten so out of control in this country is found here. In the past, people banded together for safety. This is one of the main reasons, in early cultures, that villages and towns were formed. Even as recently as 100 years ago, people watched out for each other and accepted responsibility for the welfare of others around them. Today, that’s changed. Now, violent crimes take place in broad daylight surrounded by people who don’t want to get involved. Homes and cars are broken into and watching bystanders won’t even dial 911. The reason? It’s not my problem!
The church, too, has its innocent bystanders. God has saved you, clothed you in righteousness, made life bearable. Now, you stand around watching the devastating crime of sin perpetrated over and over in other lives and mumble to yourself, it’s not my problem!
But you miss an important point of Christianity. In Matthew, Jesus is being quizzed by the Pharisees and a lawyer asks him a question. “What is the greatest commandment in the law?” Jesus answers in Matt 22:37-40:
37 Jesus said to him, " ’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
We have no problem with that “love the Lord your God” bit, but that “neighbor” stuff stops us cold. And who’s my neighbor anyway, the people who live on my street? If that was the biblical definition of neighbor here, we’d all fall short of our responsibility, but in reality, Christ is talking about something much bigger. In fact, He answers the question Himself in Luke 10. After discussing the law with another lawyer, the lawyer asks, “but who is my neighbor?” Fair question… Jesus answer?
Luke 10:30-37
30 Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ’Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" 37 And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
See, Christian, it is your problem. You have a responsibility to help those in need. What a shame that so many people today are willing to turn their backs on people in need of help… what an even bigger shame that many of those turning their backs are Christians! You have a responsibility to the lost. You know, sin wasn’t God’s problem. He is a holy and righteous God. But he made it His problem and gave His own son to deal with it.
B. RESPONSIBILITY TO YOURSELF
You also have a responsibility to yourself. Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:10 …give diligence to make your calling and election sure: Do you understand that you have a calling of God on your life? You have responsibilities in the family and kingdom of God!
2 Tim 1:8-9
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
He has a purpose for your life, Christian. Do you know what it is? Have you diligently pursued it? Are you endeavoring to fulfill the detailed plan that God has for you? Eph 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.
It’s no mistake that I’m standing here preaching God’s Word this morning. I didn’t decide one day, I think I’ll be a pastor. God called me… and I obeyed that call. God is calling you to His plans and purposes this morning. That means if you surrender to God’s will, you don’t get to choose your future. That bothers some of you when I say that, but Christianity comes with responsibility. God saved you to use you. You can pass off that responsibility and be a stunted, immature Christian baby for the rest of your life, or you can grow up into maturity and be what God has called you to be.
One of the big problems with our welfare system in this country is the issue of responsibility. People who have been on welfare long enough begin to feel that it’s the government’s responsibility to meet my minds! I’m not preaching against welfare. It has its place when someone is in a hole and needs help digging out, but we have created a bloated system far beyond what it was originally intended to be.
Nowhere does the Constitution guarantee food and money for all its citizens. It does, however, grant you the freedom to pursue and meet those needs yourself. The history of our country is one of hard-working and ingenious immigrants coming to America with nothing and working their backs and brains to get somewhere in life. Today, however, we are faced with a welfare generation that is quite content to spend the rest of their lives in abject poverty as long as the government sends its check each month. It’s their responsibility to take care of me! The government was never intended to be your momma for life!! But the spirit is what I’m talking about this morning. We want to pass off responsibility.
Exodus 32:21-24
21 And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?" 22 So Aaron said, "Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ’Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 "And I said to them, ’Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out." Aaron didn’t want the responsibility of leadership, so he passed it to the people.
Matt 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it." Pontius Pilate didn’t want the responsibility of making the tough call, so he passed it off on the crowd.
What do you do when you see people in need? When you’re confronted by God’s calling on your life? When you have a tough decision to make? Does the buck stop here, or do you pass it on?
II. Pass the Blame
America’s official motto is E pluribus unum, or, Out of many, one. In our lawsuit-happy society, I think it’s time for a new motto… “It’s not my fault,” because, not only are we adept at shuffling off our responsibilities, but we like to pass off our blame as well.
It seems like people are always telling me why they can’t serve God, why they can’t get victory over their sin, why they have to live in defeat. See, rather than dealing with the problem and changing, it’s much easier to simply blame the problem on someone else!
A. “IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO”
Look at our text… 12 Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." 13 And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." Look how the blame just keeps rolling on!
We want to explain away why we can’t live up to our calling… But, my husband/wife… Why we can’t be faithful… But, my boss… Why we can’t give… But, my kids…
In our sin, we always point to the other party.
* It’s never about your gossiping tongue, it’s about the horrible thing so-and-so did or said to you.
* It’s never about the lie, it’s about how you couldn’t trust that person with the truth.
* People have affairs all the time and blame the other party!
Old saying, “It takes two to tango.” Yes, sometimes others to blame as well… Doesn’t excuse you from your actions! Two kids fighting, “He started it…” both get whooped… In our text, yes, Eve started it, but Adam was standing their when God said, “don’t touch that fruit” and Adam made a personal choice to disobey… Eve assisted that choice, but ultimately Adam’s responsibility… He should have known better! He did know better!
God promised Abram and Sarai a child. Sarai got tired of waiting on God so she gives her servant Hagar to Abram, then she whines about the results and blames Abram!
Gen 16:2-5
2 So Sarai said to Abram, "See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her." And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. 3 Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. 4 So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The LORD judge between you and me."
Remember, this was her idea in the first place, but now it’s all Abram’s fault! Poor Abram can’t win! (Sound familiar, husbands?)
We dabble with sin but it’s never our fault. We fail to live up to God’s call on our lives, but it’s not my failure, it’s somebody else’s fault! Pass the blame!
B. MY SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Maybe you’re not blaming another person… maybe its your special circumstances, or influences, or situation…
We always want to point out why harder for us to do right, avoid certain temptation, whatever.. than the next guy. Well, I have to deal with this, or I have that weakness, or I was raised a certain way, or whatever… No one said righteousness was easy. That’s why we needed the blood of Jesus in the first place and the Holy Spirit to keep going. Just because it’s harder for you doesn’t give you license to sin!
Homosexuals… Well, I’m a man trapped in a woman’s body. New studies trying to show genetic predispositions to homosexuality or chemical imbalances… Doesn’t excuse! It’s interesting to note that they find many of these same imbalances and predispositions in serial killers yet they send them to the electric chair. They expect them to bear the consequences of their actions, but homosexuals are told, you can’t help what you are. Alcoholism, drug addiction… the world wants to label it a disease. The blood of Jesus is the cure!
I can’t help my violent temper… It’s the way I was raised… You can live with the curse as long as you want… or give it to God and see it broken!
III. You Can’t Pass the Price!
Every thing we do, or don’t do in life has consequences…
Gen 3:14-19
14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
16 To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."
17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ’You shall not eat of it’: "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return."
You can shove off responsibility, push the blame on somebody else… you can pass the buck, but you can’t pass the price!
Conclusion
A man bought a painting at a flea market in France after World War II but did not recognize the artist’s signature. He stored it in his attic for decades, then finally had it appraised by a Zurich connoisseur in 1993. It turned out to be a previously unknown still life by Vincent van Gogh, called "Still Life (Vase With Flowers)." It was worth millions; until then, art historians hadn’t even known it existed. And all this time, this valuable painting was gathering dust in the owner’s attic.
