Secret Things

9, April 2006

Dakota Community Church

Secret Things

Deuteronomy 29: 29

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.

There are things that are secret that have not yet been revealed. That does not mean it will always be so.

As you know we are a church that is huge into the grace and mercy message.

Do we believe that lifestyle is unimportant to God?

Do we turn a blind eye to sin?

Romans 6:1-2

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

To think that our lifestyle does not need to change is to ignore much scripture.

2 Peter 3:10-14

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

On that day there won’t be a list that has to be read, or memories that have to be jogged.

His presence will reveal it.

Isaiah 6: 1-5

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

Have you ever been close to someone of high standards? Someone who is health and diet conscious maybe? Even without being preachy their lifestyle brings conviction.

So then; there is no Santa Clause like list required.

The mere presence of the Lord reveals all.

He is light; there are no shadows in his presence!

Think about how Peter responded to Jesus when he realized who he was.

Depart from me I am unclean.

Everyone who has a divine encounter with God in scripture is immediately ready to fall down dead.

This is the God we will all stand before.

Romans 14:11-12

It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ’every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’ “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Hebrews 4:13

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Have you been thinking you are getting away with something?

Why do we always want to think of these issues as someone else’s problem?

Three questions we need to ask ourselves before that day:

1. What have I secretly whispered?

Luke 12:2-3

There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

Matthew 12:36

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

I think more than anything else we underestimate the power of our words.

Have you criticized someone’s ministry?

Have you been bold behind someone’s back?

Have you ever been victimized by a “prayer chain”?

Nothing is more hurtful than walking into a room full of people who suddenly stop talking and look ashamed. It is not paranoia.