People who rejected the gospel

1. Of the 6 verses just read (Mt. 7:1-6), we want to direct our attention to verse 6.

2. Jesus spoke of giving “holy things to dogs” and “casting pearls before swine.”

3. Did Jesus describe people throwing a Bible into a pig pen or something else?

4. Jesus had in mind people—people who would not be receptive the gospel.

5. The lack of reception would be so bad it is described as “trampled underfoot.”

IF THERE IS ANYTHING DISCOURAGING ABOUT BEING A CHRISTIAN, IT IS PROBABLY THE POINT MADE BY JESUS IN THE 6^TH VERSE OF MATTHEW 7: EITHER PEOPLE HAVE NO RESPECT FOR GOD’S WORD (THEY IGNORE IT) OR THEY TREAT IT WITH CONTEMPT BY OBEYING ONLY PART OF IT.

a) When we find people who behave in these ways we should not be surprised.

b) Jesus warned us about these kinds of things a long time ago.

c) Today we want to look at people who treated the Scriptures with contempt.

d) Our study will involve both general passages and specific examples.

2) We start with the first chapter of Proverbs; this is a general text.

3) God said there were those who “hated knowledge” (Prov. 1:29).

4) There are those who go to school but do not relish the experience.

5) Some can’t wait until they can finally get out of the classroom.

6) Hating school is not the same as hating knowledge.

7) Hating knowledge itself describes a very terrible and even depraved condition.

8) Today we find people who hate any knowledge of God.

a) Others are in the same ballpark, though not quite as vocal.

b) Let’s get the full thought from Prov. 1:29 – READ.

c) In addition to hating God, there are those who “do not choose to fear Jehovah.”

d) From our perspective, people who make this second choice may not be quite as bad.

e) In our day and time people may courteously tell us about the gospel, “I’m not interested.”

f) “I think someone else would like your material, no thank you.”

9) Since we started sending out house to house, at least a dozen people have called.

a) About 12 people have said, “remove us from your mailing list” (sometimes we can’t do that).

b) We still have people just like Jesus described—they don’t want what the Scriptures say.

c) Verse 30 takes the thought a step further – READ.

10) The book of Proverbs picks up with this theme again in Prov. 13:13.

11) The writer spoke of those who “despise” God’s word.

12) This is a choice anyone can make, but it brings “destruction” to the one making the decision.

13) It was not just Jesus and the Proverb writer who knew about rejecting the Word of God.

14) A well known prophet (Isaiah) faced this same problem 700 years before Christ.

15) In Isa. 5 he uses imagery from the physical world to say what Jesus said.

16) Here is Isa. 5:24 – READ.

a) We have seen the recent fires in states like Oklahoma.

b) Fires have ravaged acre after acre of land.

c) When people have contempt for the Scriptures, they are likened to straw in the path of fire.

d) Isaiah said God will “burn” such people (heaven would destroy them).

17) After Isaiah is the book of Jeremiah; Jeremiah had to deal with some difficult people.

18) Jer. 6:10 says people had closed their eyes and refused to hear the Word of God.

a) God’s prophet reminds me of a small children.

b) Children may cover their ears and say, “I can’t hear you.”

c) If we respect someone or something, we listen; we are receptive and open.

d) Not being open to the Scriptures tells us a person is actually guilty of contempt.

e) The contempt may not be open or blatant, but it is contempt.

19) At times just about everyone has heard the expression “contempt of court” used.

20) A contempt citation means someone didn’t respect some part of the court.

21) If contempt for information from an earthly is wrong, what about contempt of the heavenly court?

22) Two chapters later in Jeremiah the prophet spoke about having disdain for God’s word.

23) Disrespecting God’s word was a punishable offense.

24) In Jer. 8 he spoke of people going into “exile.”

a) In ancient times bad people were sent into exile.

b) Wrongdoers were banished to a place such as a deserted island.

c) God said that having contempt for His word was deserving of banishment.

25) If you are following along in the Old Testament, a verse that might interest you is from Hosea.

26) Someone recently said to me they are studying this book and it has some interesting things in it.

27) This is exactly right, and one unusual statement is found in the 8^th chapter which will be read.

a) The nation of Israel had appointed leaders without God’s consent.

b) A time for punishment was coming and the nation was going to be pleading for help.

c) God responded through the prophet that help was not going to be given.

d) Israel would have to take her punishment for showing contempt for the Bible.

e) Here is Hos. 8:12 – READ.

28) This passage is hypothetical and a hyperbole but it makes a great point.

29) God said, “what if I gave Israel 10,000 laws”? That’s a lot of laws.

30) Counts differ for the number of Old Testament laws, but there are not 10,000 of them.

31) If this were that many, Israel would have said, “all 10,000 apply to someone else.”

32) “God, there is not one of these laws out of the 10,000 that has any application whatsoever to us.”

33) Can we imagine someone (and especially an entire nation) saying that?

34) Israel as an Old Testament nation is a superb example of contempt.

35) Today this same spirit is still in places (in congregations and the lives of individuals).

36) When people start saying, “This or that passage does not apply to me, they are guilty of contempt).

37) After Hosea we come to the book of Amos.

a) Amos lived in a time when there were other prophets.

b) Here is what is said in Amos 2:12 – READ.

c) God’s prophets were asked to not speak.

d) God’s prophets were told that their message was not wanted. No preaching today, preacher.

e) At least no preaching from the Scripture.

f) “Be quiet” is a simplification of the thought in Amos 2.

g) When anyone says, “we don’t want to hear that” (the Bible), there is contempt.

h) Micah (2:6) dealt with people who had the same spirit.

i) He was asked to say anything because it seemed like he always had bad news.

j) They thought he was harping on the same old things and his teaching was disgraceful.

ALL THESE REFERENCES ARE FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT. WHEN THE NEW TESTAMENT CAME INTO BEING, PEOPLE DID NOT GET MUCH BETTER.

a) Let’s turn our attention to Lk. 16, the story of the rich man and Lazarus.

b) Both men departed this life and entered into the Hadean realm (where the deceased go).

c) The rich man was told that his fate was sealed; nothing could be done for him.

d) Not even the smallest amount of comfort could be extended to him for he had been unrighteous.

i) This man had shown contempt for the Scriptures by outright rejection or simple neglect.

e) When this fellow realized his mistake, he wanted his loved ones to receive help.

f) Lk. 16:27-28 – READ.

g) What did Abraham say? Verse 29 – READ.

h) This man realized something about the Bible and his relatives – verse 30 – READ.

i) A man in the life beyond this one knew his family would show contempt for the Bible.

j) They might not be burning Bibles, but they would not be reading and following them.

k) It may not have been outright contempt, but it was contempt nevertheless.

l) This man knew his family would not turn to the Bible and let it direct their lives.

m) What was the heavenly response to this man’s concern? Verse 31 – READ.

2) If people have contempt for the Bible, we cannot help them. Neither can God help them.

3) God will not help those who have contempt for His word.

4) This is why Jesus said “give not that which is holy unto dogs” in Mt. 7.

5) “Do not cast pearls before swine.”

6) A very serious example of contempt is found in Jn. 8:37.

7) Jews did not care for the Lord’s message so they tried to kill Him.

8) Contempt for the Word of God was so strong people wanted to destroy the Son of God.

9) Then in verse 45 Jesus said He spoke the truth but people would not believe Him.

10) This is another means of showing contempt.

11) We can turn to both testaments to show contempt, but one of the best examples is in the Old Testament.

12) For some time I have been considering preaching through the book of Jeremiah.

a) I’m not yet 100% committed to that task, but it is being strongly considered.

b) One of the great stories in this book comes from Jer. 36.

c) God gave Jeremiah a scroll and said this prophet was to write down a message.

d) The people were to receive this information and thus have an incentive to repent.

13) Eventually the prophet’s message was brought to the king.

14) The time of this event was autumn; it was a cool time of year so the king was warming himself by the fire.

15) This brings us to Jer. 36:23-25:

16) And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe's knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. 24 Yet they were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments, the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words.

17) Here is a man who not only cut up the written Word of God but burned it.

18) At times we see flag burning in the Unites States.

19) Flag burning is normally done to show contempt.

20) If someone wants to burn an old and tattered flag, they don’t toss it in a burn barrel.

a) Some of us saw an interesting e-mail a few days ago.

b) There was a man who was burning some leaves outside his house.

c) While the fire was going, he found a mouse on the inside of his house.

d) The man took that rodent and tossed it into the fire.

e) Rather than being burned to death, the creature leaped from the flames and ran back into the house.

f) The fire on the mouse spread to the house and the homeowner lost his house to a fire.

g) This was a fascinating story that was picked up by a variety of sources but it is false.

h) Suppose it was true – the homeowner had contempt for that mouse.

i) Contempt for that creature would have cost him his house had the story been accurate.

21) A king’s contempt for God’s word also cost him, and cost him dearly.

22) Today, contempt for the Word of God still destroys.

23) Do we have contempt for the Scriptures or respect? If we respect them we obey them.