Series: The Judged
Message: Questions
Preacher: Japhet De Oliveira
Reflection: Mark Witas
Live Wonder: Jessyka Albert
Live Adventure: Jessyka Albert
Live Purpose: Kyle Smith
Editor: Becky De Oliveira
Refresh: Begin with prayer. Ask for the Holy Spirit to open your heart to new understanding and for God’s character to be revealed.
Read: Romans 3:1-8 in the New King James Version (NKJV). Note 1–3 insights or questions.
Reflect: In June of 2013, a 16-year-old boy named Ethan Couch was driving a pickup truck in Burleson, Texas. He had been drinking with friends that night and his blood alcohol was three times the legal limit. As he drove in his inebriated state, his truck plowed into four pedestrians on the side of the road. Hollie and Shelby Boyles, Breanna Mitchell, and a young youth pastor named Brian Jennings were killed by the drunk driver.
The prosecution pressed charges and asked for a 20-year sentence for the murders of these four innocent people. It looked a lot like Ethan Couch was going to be in prison until he was 36 years old. And then the trial took a strange twist. A medical professional testified that Couch was a victim of “affluenza”—that he was the product of wealthy, privileged parents who never set limits for him. This meant he shouldn’t be held responsible for the deaths of those four people. The judge gave Ethan Couch no prison time, instead putting him on probation. Many people in the country cried out, “This is not fair! He doesn’t have to pay for his crimes because he was too rich and spoiled to know the difference between good and evil?”
Can you imagine if, at the end of time, Jesus came back and, instead of separating the sheep and the goats with the criteria He uses in Matthew 25, He said, “OK, we are going to separate you according to your tax brackets. You on my right have made enough money to get into heaven. All you middle class and lower class earners, off to the abyss with you.”
In God’s eyes, it doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, black or white, tall or short, stout or skinny, Adventist or Baptist, Jew or Greek, male or female, married or single—or any other social construct we’ve made up to separate or distinguish ourselves. In God’s eyes, you are either with Him or against Him. You either love or hate, are either greedy or generous, spiteful or forgiving. Either you follow the Lamb wherever He leads or you walk away from Him, not wanting anything to do with His way of doing things. God’s judgements are perfect.
Your church affiliation, tithing habits, income bracket, or position in life have nothing to do with your ultimate standing with God. In the end, the question will be this: Do you love God and have you loved His children?
Recalibrate: How can you better use your position in life to honor the Lord and bless others?
Respond: Pray for a humble spirit.
Research: Read this article from the New York Times on fairness.
Remember: “God keeps His word even when the whole world is lying through its teeth” (Romans 3:3, MSG).
Mark Witas is the lead pastor at Pacific Union College Church in Angwin, CA. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Mark has served as a youth pastor, Bible teacher, college and academy chaplain, and lead pastor in the United States and Canada for the last 33 years. He has also authored four books: Born Chosen, Live Out Loud, Portals, and Just Jesus.
Take some time to discuss what your child’s future might hold. Do you think they will be extremely studious in school? Will they like sports? How will they grow in their personality? What kind of job might they like? Pray over or with your child, knowing that God will be true to them as their future unfolds.
What do you think makes someone special? Do you think there are things you could do or be that would make God love you more or less? God loves you because He made you. And because He made you, you are special. Ask your parents what they think is special about you and tell your parents what you think is special about them.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I preached my first-ever sermon. I was so terrified, but I learned quickly that I was made to preach! After that first experience, however, I got myself into a bad mindset. I started to believe that if I really struggled with a sin the week before I was preaching, God would not send the Holy Spirit to help me speak. I was basing God’s faithfulness toward me on my faithfulness toward Him. Have you ever felt that your unfaithfulness to God would ruin your relationship with Him? How do verses 3 and 4 make you feel?