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GALACTIC NEWS FROM THREE ANGELS #3

RUNNING FROM THE COPS

Maybe you noticed a controversial news story back some months ago coming out of our United States Supreme Court. The official docket description was kind of sterile: “Illinois vs. Wardlow, 98-1036,” but the essence of the case was actually very colorful. Nine black-robed judges said that police have the right to chase, and stop, and question, and search a person for the simple reason that they had run away from those same police. Even if you haven’t committed a crime, if they cruise by, and the sight of that black-and-white cop car makes you break into a quick jog in the other direction, they can then go after you, pat you down, and see what you’ve got on you. This despite the Fourth Amendment’s guarantee against “unreasonable searches and seizures.”

Back in 1995, a Sam Wardlow, standing in front of a house where drug trafficking admittedly went on, saw four patrol cars come around the corner. Even though he wasn’t trafficking at that moment himself, he instinctively got into high gear in the opposite direction. That was enough for the police; they chased him down, frisked him, and busted him for having a loaded weapon without a permit. State judges first ruled that, hey, a person’s got a right to jog away from police cars just because he doesn’t like police cars. “The Constitution gives people a ‘right to move along,’” they said. But in a 5-4 ruling, Supreme Court chief justice William Rehnquist said no. “A person’s ‘nervous, evasive behavior’ is one factor that might justify a stop. ‘Headlong flight is the consummate act of evasion’ and certainly gives a police officer suspicion that something is wrong,” he said.

Well, you know, this recent story plays right into the hands, or fears, of a person who might look with trepidation at the message we hear coming from the lips of this first angel found in Revelation chapter fourteen. There are three mighty angels here in this mysterious book of prophecy. In my Adventist denomination our Bible study groups sometimes get together and discuss “The Three Angels’ Messages.” And as we’ve explored these past two days now, that first angel is actually US. People like you and me, who accept God’s challenge to us to share the “everlasting gospel” with our friends and neighbors.

But now let’s read verse seven together, and right away shades of “Illinois vs. Wardlow” and scampering away from police paddy wagons come to mind. Here it is:

“He [that first angel, those who proclaim the gospel message] said in a loud voice, ‘FEAR God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

That’s quite a message, isn’t it? “Fear God.” In fact, all through the Bible we kind of find that as a recurring theme: “Thunder-from-Sinai. Fear God.” Especially in the Old Testament, those two words come booming down over and over. “Fear God.” Maybe you remember in the book of Proverbs — in fact, it’s in the very first chapter, right up front — these well-known words:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

Of course here in Revelation 14 — and we have to admit it, even if we’re soldiers in the Lord’s army — these words “Fear God” kind of hit us like a cop car coming around the corner. Especially when the rest of the verse explicitly says:

“ . . . Because the hour of His judgment has come.”

I mean, not only is that police car coming in our direction, but the red light is on, the billy clubs are out, the tear gas is ready, the handcuffs are gleaming in the moonlight, and we even see the judge in the back seat, ready to sentence us to 50 years in solitary. Or, in this case, HELL. So you and I, along with Sam Wardlow, might say, “Fear God indeed. I’m running! I’m going in the other direction. I’m going to duck down a back alley and hide over on Atheist Avenue.”

Well, friend, let’s slow down for a moment. First of all, if you and I, as Christians, are actually, in a sense, helping give this message, we want to analyze what we’re doing. Are we out to scare our neighbors into running away from this almighty God who’s strapping on His sword of vengeance? Is that the message we want to participate in sharing?

We’ve been saying for two days already that this angel — meaning all Christians who share the gospel — are proclaiming to the entire planet . . . what? It says right here: “The everlasting gospel.” And let’s never forget: the gospel is good news! It’s wonderful news! It’s the best news! I like to suggest that it’s basically two words long: JESUS SAVES! And everything else we say about God, about “fear,” and about “the hour of His judgment” has to be linked to this understanding that the everlasting gospel is absolutely the best news in the world. That Jesus is in it. That the salvation He offers is in it.

The other day I mentioned my good broadcasting friend Henry Feyerabend, who inspires hope in the hearts of so many viewers in Canada who enjoy his It Is Written TV programs up there. He’s written a commentary book called Revelation Verse By Verse. And he says this about the good news, or “everlasting gospel”:

“The everlasting gospel never changes. There is only ONE gospel.”

And he cites Romans 1:16, 17 for us. Well, what does that say? The Apostle Paul tells us:
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous [or just] will live by faith.’”

Paul says to us, “Hey, the gospel is good news! I’m not ashamed to tell it.” Let me tell you something, friend. If God were someone to really be afraid of, if the threats of judgment meant that any sane person would run down a dark street, into a dark building, and hide under the bed . . . there’s no way I would want to be on the radio preaching about that kind of God. I would be ashamed to preach a message of “fear,” if fear means terror and fleeing and “Illinois vs. Wardlow.” But Paul says that the gospel is about our salvation. And about God’s power being available to help us, not lock us up. It’s also about a kind of righteousness that comes by faith, or by trusting in Jesus. NOT by striving in our own power to accomplish human perfection. So Paul says: “This is good news. I’m not ashamed of it!” In fact, over in Galatians 1:8, he goes on to say:

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned.”

Henry Feyerabend then continues along this line of “one everlasting gospel”:
“[It] was first announced in Eden.”

And he points us to Genesis 3:15, where God promises Adam and Eve, who just sinned, that He would send a Redeemer. To do what? To save them! By the third chapter of the Bible, here are those two words: JESUS SAVES! Adam and Eve were hiding, cowering in the bushes, ashamed. Just like this Mr. Wardlow. Sure that God would frisk them and reject them and hate them and put handcuffs on them. But what does He tell them? “Jesus saves. My own Son saves; I’ll send Him to save you.”

Henry Feyerabend again:

“[The same gospel was then announced] to the children of Israel.”

And he cites as proof Hebrews 4:2, where Paul, writing about the Hebrew nation, tells us:
“For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did.”

Then Henry’s concluding line about this everlasting gospel:
“ . . . And it is proclaimed anew in every generation. It meets the needs of every crisis in the world’s history.”

So friend, here are two things for us to hold onto. First of all, this gospel, this good news, this two-word proclamation — JESUS SAVES! — is never-changing, from the first Eden to the restored Eden. From Adam down to Lonnie, and from Eve down to you and your kids and grandkids. JESUS SAVES.

But now, what about this “fear”? The Bible does say that; there’s no doubt.

Did you know, though, that in the Greek — and you’ll find this beautiful nuance throughout the Bible — the word is phobeo? And it basically means: “to reverence.” One Bible commentary we looked at made this inspired observation:

“Used here not in the sense of being afraid of God, but in the sense of coming to Him with reverence and awe. It conveys the thought of absolute loyalty to God, of full surrender to His will.”

Friend, you and I are not to be afraid of God. Absolutely not. Angels are always saying to human beings — to the Christmas shepherds in the fields, and the rest of us too — “Fear not!” The arrival of God is good news. Jesus even came to our world as a seven-pound, two-ounce baby . . . just to make sure we wouldn’t be afraid of Him. But we do need to reverence God. We do need to take seriously the announcement of these three angels: “Fear God and give glory to Him.” Because this is a last-day invitation. God, the friendly Judge, wants to rule in our favor, but there aren’t many days left in which to choose Him as our friendly Judge.

And as we always like to say: “Today’s the best day to do that.”