Having an Eternal Focus

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 73

 

Psalm 73:27-28

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
    you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
²⁸ But for me it is good to be near God;
    I have made the Lord God my refuge,
    that I may tell of all your works.

(ESV)

 

I support a woke culture but not the one promoted in our modern culture. The woke culture I support is a revival of people waking up to the message of the Gospel and the grace of God saving humanity with Jesus, God in the flesh, offering Himself for the sins of humanity even though He did not sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9). I urge everyone reading this to continue praying for revival in our Church, country, and world.

 

Asaph finds himself in a quandary. While maintaining a belief that God is good to Israel, he is envious of the prosperity of the arrogant and wicked (Psalm 73:1-16). Fortunately, his focus changes after going to the sanctuary of God and discerning the end of the arrogant and wicked (Psalm 73:17). God helps Asaph discern the slippery slope of the arrogant and wicked and their fall to ruin (Psalm 73:18-22). The focus of Asaph changes from envy of the life of the arrogant and wicked to the benefits of remaining near to God and not perishing but having acceptance into the glory of God, vowing to tell of all of God’s works (Psalm 73:23-28).

 

Even though Asaph knows God is good to Israel, he almost stumbles when he sees the life of ease for the arrogant and wicked. Asaph’s problem is he has taken his eyes off the Lord and instead focuses on the world. This is like when Peter walked on the water with Jesus but began to sink when he looked at the storm instead of keeping his eyes on the Lord. Fortunately for Peter, he cried out to the Lord for help and the Lord saved him (Matthew 14:28-31). Fortunately for Asaph, he went to the Temple and returned his focus to the Lord as he discerned the end of the arrogant and wicked (Psalm 73:17). While the life of the arrogant and wicked in this world may seem a life of ease, it is only temporary for they are receiving their reward in this world while God’s people have an eternal reward in heaven (Psalm 73:23-26).

 

The corruption and evil in our world seem to be accelerating at a dangerous pace. Abortion became legal in the United States with the Supreme Court ruling in favor of abortion in the Roe v. Wade decision, claiming a woman’s right to choose to abort an unwanted child was constitutional, ignoring the murder, for convenience, of innocent life. Fortunately, the Supreme Court reversed this decision, but this reversal returned the issue to states, many of which have made abortion legal in their states.

 

Marriage, is biblically between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:24; Mark 10:6-8). The perversion of homosexuality is spoken against in Romans 1:24-32 with those participating in homosexuality having a debased mind full of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, and malice. Individuals and Churches taking a biblical stand against same-sex marriage are viewed as hateful, unloving, and enemies of a woke cultural revolution.

 

Adding to the sexual perversion is the condoning by the world of one believing they were born with the wrong gender, encouraging them to medically change their gender through surgery and hormonal therapy. This is not only a slap in the face of God, claiming he made a mistake in creating them with the gender assigned at birth but medically ignores the potential mental and physical danger of gender reassignment surgery and the injection of hormones at levels God did not create them to have. The culture views individuals and Churches taking a stand against transgenderism as hateful, unloving, and enemies of the woke culture.

 

The culture asks Churches and individual believers to be tolerant of individuals supporting abortion, same-sex marriage, and gender reassignment to avoid being viewed as hateful, unloving, or even a terrorist group. Churches and individual believers can also face legal action for taking a stand against these issues if they do not remain silent in their opposition. Fortunately, the Book of Acts provides a biblical example of how believers and the Church must respond to the temptation to remain silent.

 

1)      Acts 4:1-31 – After the miraculous healing of a lame man at the Temple and Peter's subsequent message giving credit for the miracle to Jesus, the one the Jews handed over to the Romans for crucifixion (Acts 3), Peter and John are arrested and must testify before the council of the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees (Acts 4:1). After charging Peter and John not to speak again in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18), Peter and John respond with only speaking of what they had seen and heard (Acts 4:19-20). Upon returning to their friends, they do not complain about what had happened to them but instead praise God and ask for boldness to continue speaking in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:21-23).

2)      Acts 5:12-42 – Because of the many signs and wonders performed in the name of Jesus by the Apostles, the high priest, and Sadducees come against them, filled with jealousy. They arrest the apostles and put them in prison, but God arranges a divine prison break (Acts 5:12-19). However, instead of running and hiding from their accusers, the apostles return to the temple to preach, in obedience to God (Acts 5:20-21). The Apostles once again appear before the council and are reminded of the council's charge not to speak in the name of Jesus but once again tell them they must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:27-29). The council wanted to deliver the apostles to death but after a word of caution from Gamaliel, they beat the apostles and charge them not to speak in the name of Jesus (Acts 5:33-40). However, instead of cowering in fear, the apostles rejoice at being counted worthy of suffering dishonor for the name of Jesus and continue every day in teaching in the temple and from house to house (Acts 5:41-42).

 

Please join me in praying for boldness to speak out against the non-Biblical woke movement supporting abortion, homosexuality, and transgenderism and the temptation to succumb to pressure to remain silent on these issues. Pray for boldness to fulfill the great commission of Jesus to preach the Gospel (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20) for when we lift up Christ, people are drawn to make Jesus their savior (John 12:32). If you are reading this and have not prayed to accept Jesus as your savior, I invite you to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post and may the Church and individual believers maintain an eternal focus.