God Made the Rules

“GOD MADE THE RULES”

PSALM 33:11

INTRO: The old saying is, “Rules were made to be broken.” But can you

imagine what our lives would be like if there were no rules. What if

everyone could do whatever they desired to do without any

consequences whatsoever? This would be a horrible world to live in

and also a dangerous one. Laws appear everywhere. We find them in

the domain of beauty. Theyforbid the architect to put a small column

under a mighty dome, and willnot permit him to sacrifice power to

beauty. They command the painter tocare for Nature, and not to

make wheat ripen in the snow and not to makethe robins sing in the

leafless trees of Christmas. They issue orders toliterature, and tell it

to exclude debasing ideas and to admit the truths ofmost value and

of greatest application. They issue orders to religion, andtell it to

create in humanity the most possible of virtue and hope. Appearing

at all other points of thought and action, laws spring up in the

State to help the public hold what justice and progress it may have

found. These laws our citizens must respect. All damage done to

property,all disregard of American rights, the rights of individuals or

ofcorporations, must be instantly checked, because the law of the

land is theprogress we have made in the ages up to this date. With

that taken away,we fall back into the abyss of barbarism. Our Nation

may or may not haveclimbed very high from its barbaric starting

point, but it must hold what ithas gained. Our laws of property have

been passed by the millions actingin their best hours; they must not

be set at naught by bands of itinerantsacting in their bad hours. —

SWING.(PEARLS FROM MANY SEASby J. B. McClure, editor. The Master Christian

It seems as times change, rules also change to accommodate the

changing times. What was once the rule is now the exception.

Although man-made rules constantly change, the laws of God remain

the same. The psalmist said in our text—“The counsel of the LORD

standeth for ever, the thoughts of hisheart to all generations.”What he

has determined shall bedone. He determined to make a world, and he

made it; to create man, andhe created him. He determined that at a

certain period God should bemanifested in the flesh, and it was so;

that he should taste death for everyman, and he did so; that his

Gospel should be preached in all the world;and behold it has already

nearly overrun the whole earth. All his othercounsels and thoughts,

which refer to the future, shall be accomplished intheir times.

(CLARKE’S COMMENTARY OT, VOLUME 3: JOB - SONG OF SOLOMONby Adam Clarke. The

Friends, this evening I want to speak on the subject, GOD MADE THE

RULES. God’s Word—God’s rules never change. There are four areas

I want to focus your attention tonight concerning God’s rules. First…

(1) REALITY—THE SOUL THAT SINNETH IT SHALL DIE

EZEKIEL 18:4—“Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so

also the soulof the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

*There are a couple sayings we hear quite often today, “Make it real” or “Keep it

real”. But God, in His Word gives us the reality of all mankind:

A. ALL MEN ARE SINNERS. Romans 3:23 tells us—“For all have sinned, and

come short of the glory of God.” 1 John 5:19b says—“… the whole world

lieth inwickedness.” Every person, without exception, is under sin. We are

all sinners by birth and by choice. Even after we receive Christ as our

Saviour we are still sinners—saved sinners. The hymn writer wrote:

“Only a sinner, saved by grace,

Only a sinner saved by grace.

This is my story,

To God by the glory.

I’m only a sinner saved by grace.”

God says in Ezekiel 18:4—“…the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” This

speaks of:

THE ONE THAT MAKES SIN HIS PRACTICE. The Scripture here says—“the soul that sinneth…”. The current popular notion that judging others is in itself a sin leads to such inappropriate maxims as 'I'm okay and you're okay.' It encourages a conspiracy of moral indifference which says, "If you never tell me that anything I'm doing is wrong, I'll never tell you that anything you're doing is wrong." (Elisabeth Elliot Gren, Leadership, Vol. 3, no. 1).
THE OBLIGATION TO MEET SIN’S PENALTY.The consequences of continued sin is that the soul “it shall die.” This means spiritual death. It means facing what the Scripture calls “the second death.” As of us are responsible for our sins. If we have been saved, Christ dealt with our sin problem at the Cross. But daily we must repent and ask forgiveness of sin to keep our relationship with Him a healthy one. But the lost are living under the condemnation of sin already. And the final result of not accepting the forgiveness of sin will be an eternity in hell separated from the Lord and His people.

B. ALL MEN NEED TO BE SAVED. Because all are sinners, all need to be

saved. All souls are in the hand of the great Creator: hewill deal with them

in justice or mercy… We all have sinned, and our souls mustbe lost, if God

deal with us according to his holy law; but we are invited to come to

Christ.(MATTHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY ON THE WHOLE BIBLE CONDENSED VERSIONby

OR). Our Lord Jesus said in John 6:37—“All that the Father giveth me shall

come to me; and him thatcometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” All that are

drawn by the Father, John 6:44, i.e. allthose who are influenced by his

Spirit, and yield to those influences: for asmany as are LED (not driven or

dragged) by the Spirit of God, they are thechildren of God, Romans 8:14…

Those who come at the call of God, he is represented hereas giving to

Christ, because it is through his blood alone that they can besaved.

(CLARKE’S COMMENTARY NT, VOLUME 5B: JOHN – ACTSby Adam Clarke. The Master Christian

But friends, the reality remains—“the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Unless

a person comes to Christ in repentance and faith that person will die in

their sins and will spend eternity separated from God and all who are His!

God’s rules deal with REALITY but also with…

(2) REAPING—WHATSOEVER A MAN SOWETH THAT SHALL HE ALSO

REAP

GALATIANS 6:7-8—“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever

a man soweth,that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap lifeeverlasting.”

A. THE FOLLY. How foolish we must be to think that we can sin and God

will be unaware and uncaring about the things we do. Friend, you cannot

deceive God. He will not allow you to mock Him. Hebrews 4:12-13 tells

us—“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any

twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and

spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the

thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not

manifest in his sight: but allthings are naked and opened unto the eyes of

him with whom wehave to do.” Friends, we cannot hide from God! He

knows all and sees all! Proverbs 15:3 says—“The eyes of the LORD are in

every place, beholding the evil andthe good.” And the Lord reminds us in

Jeremiah 23:23-24—“Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God

afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Saith

the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.”

B. THE FRUIT. “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap

corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life

everlasting.” Those who indulge in sensual pleasures and animal appetites

will reap a crop of corruption. Our present time is seed time; in the other

worldwe shall reap as we sow now. As there are two sorts of sowing, one to

the flesh, and theother to the Spirit, so will the reckoning be hereafter.

Those who live a carnal, sensuallife, must expect no other fruit from such a

course than misery and ruin. But those who, under the guidance and

influences of the Holy Spirit, live a life of faith in Christ, andabound in

Christian graces, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.(MATTHEW HENRY’S

COMMENTARY ON THE WHOLE BIBLE CONDENSED VERSIONby Matthew Henry. The Master

man is rich enough to buy back his past.” --Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)(Edythe

Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,

1992). Entry #1735). As Brother Charles Stanley puts it: “We reap what we sow,

how we sow, and later than we sow.”

God’s rules deal with REALITY, REAPING and with…

(3) REQUIREMENT

HEBREWS 9:27—“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after

this the judgment.”

A. OUR APPOINTMENT. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die…”.

Friends, there is no wisdom, learning, virtue, wealth, or power that can

keep one of the human race from their appointment with death. Death is

laid before by divine decree. We are dust and to the dust we shall return.

B. OUR ACCOUNTING. Death is a certainty all of us must face and the

Scripture says “but after this the judgment.” Every person must one day

stand and give an account before Almighty God. Romans 14:11-12 tells

us—“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow tome,

and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give

account of himself to God.”

God’s rules deal with REALITY, REAPING, REQUIREMENT and lastly with…

(4) REPENTANCE—EXCEPT YE REPENT YE SHALL ALL LIKEWISE PERISH

LUKE 13:3—“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise

perish.”

A. REPENTANCE IS COMMANDED. Jesus said here—“except ye repent…”.

Acts 17:30 tells us—“God…commandeth all men every where to repent.”

God “commands, as the sovereign, all men every where…to repent…because

he hath appointed a day in which he willjudge the world in righteousness;

and, as justice will then be done, nosinner, no persevering idolater, shall

escape punishment.”(CLARKE’S COMMENTARY NT, VOLUME 5B: JOHN – ACTSby Adam

B. REPENTANCE IS CRUCIAL. Jesus said—“I tell you…except ye repent, ye

shall all likewise perish.” There is no salvation apart from repentance!

ILLUS: Men are to "repent." Of what? Idolatry. If men set anything above God

as the object of their time, thought, energy, or life, they are worshiping

the work of their hands and are thereby degrading God and

themselves. They must repent because judgment is coming! Mankind

is not moving toward extinction (as the Epicureans thought), nor

toward absorption in the cosmos (as the Stoics supposed). But

mankind is moving toward divine judgment. (Preaching the Word. WORDsearch

CLOSING: Friends, GOD MADE THE RULES concerning REALITY, REAPING,

REQUIREMENT, and REPENTANCE. As the psalmist said, “The

counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of hisheart to all

generations.” In other words, God’s rules do not change.

PREPARED BY BROTHER BRYAN L. BROWNING, PASTOR OF BEECHMONTBAPTISTCHURCH, BEECHMONT, KY FOR SUNDAY EVENING, JULY 13, 2008.