Safety In Numbers

Introduction

How many times did I hear it this week? Maybe you did also. They’re together again. They can now continue their 52-year love story. Ronald and Nancy Reagan. I chose a younger photo of the two. Well, is that the is that the case or isn’t it? I do not presume to be the judge of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, and I don’t mean this as a referendum on politics when I say there were a lot of things about Ronald Reagan’s presidency that are spoken of very positively. He was the great communicator. And he certainly had the support of his wife Nancy. But I remember when Ronald Reagan was the president, my mom telling him, but you know, Ronald Reagan had been married before. And that’s true. He had been married to Jane Wyman for a few years before he eventually would marry Nancy Reagan.

But Jane Wyman had been married before. When she married Ronald Reagan. So I don’t know how all that works. I don’t know all the particulars of whether they actually had a right to be together. Maybe they did. And in regard to his near assassination in the early 1980s, some of you remember that well. Some of us were around then by crazy John Hinckley, who was in love with Jody Foster. I don’t know how all that played into that. But after that, Nancy Reagan, so concerned about safety and security for her husband, consulted an astrologer about the planning of the Reagan presidency, the things they would do, where they would go. But I want to focus on this idea that happens whenever somebody who is popular passes away.

You know, they’re together again. Because everybody that dies, the common mentality is that everybody goes to a better place. Now, I don’t know what the conceptions are. Heaven is a lot of different things in a lot of different people’s minds, but everybody goes to a better place. You never hear or see people wringing their hands very often about somebody who’s lost. Almost every funeral you go to, everybody’s saved, they’re together again, everything’s happy and wonderful in the next world, whatever it is. And people have these conceptions about how that’s going to be. This feel good way to deal with death is how the majority copes with the great unknown. And so it makes people feel better to think this way, but is it right? Is that what we expect in the next world?

And people don’t want to think about their mortality, yet on occasions like this, it’s inescapable. I remember when Nancy Reagan was young, she got older and she died. That’s the expectation of every person. It’s going to happen to us all sooner or later, maybe sooner. So then what? Are we just going to find comfort in the platitudes that people throw the way of mortality? And the next life? So I want to talk to you for a minute this morning about safety and numbers. I couldn’t decide on one of these pictures that would work for the title alone, so I chose all four because I could. A common slogan in which people find security and emotional comfort. Safety and numbers. I particularly like this one in the corner because I often feel like that little penguin who’s left out of the circle.

Spiritually, we often feel like that little guy. And that brings me to the songs that we were singing this morning by Tillot S. Tedley. I remember singing a song as I was a kid that we’re about to sing as an invitation song, Time Enough Yet. Didn’t realize until this week that it was Tillet S. Tedley who wrote that song. And I started doing some more research and realized that he wrote over 130 songs, and we sing some of them regularly, and they’re all very different. Scott chose all Tillet S. Tedley songs, and I appreciate Scott doing that for me because I wanted to emphasize this particular song. And also, I had a good friend who was a song leader in Beaumont, Bailey knew Scott Brown, who was a Tillet S.

Tedley fan. Every time Sherry saw the name Tillet S. Tedley in the psalm book, she thought Teddy Bear. Tillet S. Tedley lived to be 102 years old. He was a preacher as well as a hymn writer. In fact, he was born in Swan, Texas. Don’t know where that is. Somebody tell me. Swan, Texas, and did most of his preaching, I think, in the state of Texas. And I just didn’t get here quick enough. I got here the year that he died in 1987. I would love to have met Till S. Tedley. But in this song. This song stood out to me as a kid as it began, O soul of mine, be not alarmed. And that’s where people are in majority thinking. They’re not alarmed at all.

And so this person is reasoning and comforting himself that he can take care of things later. And his present state is I’m strong enough. I need no help. It’s pleasure that I crave. I want to tell you, folks, that’s the way a lot of people in our world think. I don’t need anything God has to offer. I’m strong enough. I need no help. It’s pleasure that I crave. But I always remember the chorus. Because in the last verse, the chorus changes from time enough yet, to this. Lost. Oh, what a cry. From souls along the shore. In darkness to go, in sorrow and woe, and be lost. Lost evermore. I think that’s a great invitation song. So many folks don’t want to consider.

They don’t have much interest in their spiritual condition. They lack a sense of just how temporary we are.

1. Majority Opinion Proves Little

And the proximity of judgment. Or that I could possibly, or that one could possibly, or anybody could possibly be lost, or in an undone condition. So many find comfort in the fact that they’re not alone. But there are people that live like they live. There are people that think like they think. And as I said, the next popular person that dies, you know, everybody’s going to think they went to heaven. That’s the majority opinion. Safety in numbers. What does the Bible have to say about that mantra? About that saying. Is there truly safety in numbers? I don’t want to make a few observations about that this morning. The first of which is majority opinion proves little.

It seems like who I vote for in the general election never gets elected anymore. I am never, I can’t remember the last time. Maybe it was Reagan. The last time I voted for a guy, was I old enough for Reagan? Maybe.

And look where that’s gotten us, folks. But in regard to spiritual things, the Lord’s people have often found themselves, not in the majority, but the minority. And it goes all the way back to the flood story in Genesis, which is mentioned in 1 Peter chapter 3, those eight souls that were brought safe through the water, God already using the vehicle of water for the salvation of the righteous, establishing that principle all the way back in the Old Testament, several times throughout the history of Israel. And so we shouldn’t be surprised that being washed in water, even though it is an outward act, symbolizes and is essential to our spiritual cleansing. And that’s the point Peter makes in 1 Peter 3 and verse 21. Baptism doth also now save us, just like water was involved in the salvation of Noah and his family by the grace and favor of God.

Great illustration in 1 Peter 3, great verse. But then there is the story later of the destruction that is brought upon ungodly people. Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities filled with wickedness, and we’re given just a sense of the kind of homosexuality, for instance, of wickedness that God was going to punish. In that destruction. And there was only, well, there could have been four. Lot and his wife and two daughters, but of course, Lot’s wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. So just three souls. And Abram had pleaded with God, would you spare the city if there were 50 righteous souls? And then went all the way down to ten righteous souls, and here we have just three. And what I would observe about that as we move on from this is the conversation that Lot had with his sons in law.

I’ve always been impressed by the statement that is made of the response of his sons-in-law when it says that to them Lot appeared to be jesting. They didn’t take what he had to say about the coming destruction seriously. And so when we talk about the concept of being lost, oh, what a cry. The majority of people say, well, that’s not going to happen to me. That’s not the nature of my circumstances. Preacher, you’re jesting. You’re not telling me the way it is. I’m here telling you the way it is this morning. And this has been the nature of things throughout time. We see minorities winning with God on their side, like Asa versus the million man army of the Ethiopians. We see Elijah versus the 450 prophets of Baal at Carmel.

Who won that contest? Who lost. And who paid with their lives? 450 prophets unto a false God. And while we look at the massive number of conversions in the book of Acts, as we talked about 3,000 souls who gladly received the word and were baptized, we’ve also talked about how massive the throng of people was that didn’t respond to the invitation that day and didn’t embrace the gospel message. How many people that might have been. So by the time we get to Matthew chapter 7, though Acts 2 follows that, but by the time we get to Matthew chapter 7 in the words of Jesus, we should not see that as a really big surprise statement when he said, there is a broad gate and a broad way that leads to destruction, and many are going in thereat.

And there is a narrow gate and a narrow way that leads to life, and few there be that find it. Those are the words of Jesus. And if I’m not going to believe that, then what else am I going to reject that Jesus had? Can I trust anything that Jesus said? I don’t like it. I wish it were not so. But there is a broad gate and a broad way that leads to destruction, and most people are going to traverse that path, though at the end of their lives and the end of lives of others, they’re going to say, no, everything’s fine. Everything’s great. Everybody goes to heaven. They’re together again. Everything’s happy and well. We cannot undo Matthew 7, verses 13 and 14. You can find the narrow way, and you can walk the narrow way, and you can go to heaven.

If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t expend so much effort in preaching. I believe you can walk that way. If you want to have a mind devoted to truth and to righteousness. In every nation, he who fears God and does what is right is accepted of him. Peter told Cornelius in Acts chapter 10, verses 34 and 35, I’ve always loved those passages. God is not a respecter of persons. He hasn’t automatically X’s you out because there’s something about you he doesn’t like. I don’t like the way you look. I don’t like the style of your hair. I don’t like your clothes choices. I don’t like your skin color. You’re out. That’s not the way it is with God. He’s not a respecter of persons. But in every nation of the world, those who are willing to submit to his will can walk the narrow way and be saved.

So why is it that people find safety in numbers and join this massive throng that walks toward destruction? People that we come in contact with every day, people that we drive next beside, those thousands of millions of commuters that we ride beside down our freeways. People who believe error religiously. People who speak the profane on a far too regular basis among our associates. People who have no regard for doing right and righteousness and serving the risen Savior. Why are they in that throng? And if perhaps there’s someone in this audience this morning still numbered among that throng. Don’t be comforted because you find yourself in the majority. So why are they? Why are they there?

Because the ways of the world are superior, or because they hold out more promise. Because they do not. But that’s often the way the majority thinks.

Doing things the way I want to do it, going along with the flow, satisfying the lusts of the flesh when I want to cater to them. That’s the superior way to live than this self-restraint, self-control, submit to God, let him be king, way of life. I would rather control my own destiny, think like I want to think, live like I want to live. If I want to drink, I’ll drink. But when people choose that, it is not because it is a superior way. They choose it because it is what they want. They reject knowledge of the Creator and choose not to submit to him. Because that means reigning in of one’s desires. And when Paul talked about such a course in Ephesians chapter 4, the way that the Gentiles walk, he’s not saying all Gentiles were of a certain way, but generally among the Gentiles, this is the way they walk.

He says, Let me tell you what it is. It’s futility of the mind. It’s vanity, it’s emptiness, it doesn’t go anywhere. It’s futility of the mind. And look at this. They’re not really enlightened, he says. They’re darkened in their understanding. And worse yet. Not is it just bad enough that they are futile in the way that they think and darkened in their understanding. He said they’re excluded from the life of God. Lost. Lost. Oh, what a cry. Because of the ignorance that is in them. Because of the hardness of their heart. They get callous. They get scaled over so that they do not perceive or sense what they really need. They’ve given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity and greediness.

2. Finding Comfort That You Are Not Alone Is No Comfort

That’s our culture. That’s the majority of the people that we live among in our world. And he said, but that’s not who you are. You narrow way people are not like that. You did not learn Christ in this way. But you are renewed in the spirit of your mind. In the likeness of Christ in righteousness and holiness of the truth. And so just because you find yourself in the majority, let that not be a security blanket for you. Majority opinion proves little. And secondly, finding comfort that you are not alone. Is ultimately no comfort at all. Look, if you go to hell, you won’t be alone. The devil will be there with you. And his angels. According to Matthew chapter 25, verse 41. But I don’t think you’re going to find a lot of solace in that.

And as I’ve said before, I don’t think the devil’s going to snuggle with you in hell and make it better. You’re not going to say, Wow, there are more people here than are in heaven. This is great. It’s a day at the beach here. I’m loving this. You’re not going to say, wow, hell isn’t so bad. There’s a lot of folks here. There will be no comfort in the majority. And you will not get lost in the crowd either. You will not ride the coattails of someone else into heaven because they’re righteous. We think, wow, in my family, there’s a lot of Christians. I’m just going to ride along with the rest of my family into heaven. It’s going to be about the choices and decisions that you make and how you live.

3. Be Careful of Entrenching Yourself Because Others Agree

And then I want to make this observation, a third observation about this concept of safety and numbers and the danger here. Be careful of entrenching yourself anywhere simply upon the basis that other people whom you like, or maybe even you don’t like, other people agree with you. Just because other people, who are intelligent even, agree with you doesn’t make you right or them right. There’s a lot of intelligent people who reject the Creator. Paul talks about that in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. And so I would make this little sideline observation about that is that a position that is that I hold on anything, an interpretation that I have about some verse in Scripture isn’t right because I believe it and somebody that I respect agrees with it too.

And sometimes we call this in logic the appeal to reverence. Some preacher that I really highly respected, believed it a certain way, that would be, wouldn’t be me, of course. Some preacher that I really highly respected believed it a certain way, and I believe it like that, and so there, and there were some other preachers too who believed it like that. And so it’s automatically right. I’ll tell you, there’s views that I’ve held that other preachers used to hold that I don’t believe anymore. Now, let me make some observations about that. Some people are right about some things, even though they practice error and will likely stand in the danger of the judgment. I read from such people all the time. I have commentators who write some marvelous things about Scripture who are wrong.

I was reading a great commentary this morning by John Stodd in the book of Acts. Notice how he just gave sort of the Passover in Acts 2 and verse 38. Not really going to talk about the implications of baptism in regard to salvation. Skip right over that. That wouldn’t be politically correct in the religious world to say baptism is essential for salvation. So we’re just going to pass right on. I read from people all the time who don’t believe the truth about salvation, who are right about a lot of things, and I learn from them. And then I would say this there’s some people who are wrong about some things. Who have a good and honest heart and just haven’t come to the proper conclusion on some matters.

And being right about that thing isn’t essential to salvation. Part of what’s involved in a statement like 2 Peter 3 and verse 18 to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Just because we are numbered among the Lord’s people, just because we are walking in truth, doesn’t mean that we understand every single verse of Scripture exactly correct. There is process and room for growth. Some people think because we’re in Christ that automatically means we know the truth about every verse. And that doesn’t stand a reason either. And we may come to some conclusions that other people agree with us about, some respected brethren, that may not necessarily be so. And while I want to be right about the conclusions that I draw and sharpen my understanding of Scripture, the key thing is this.

Now get this.

That my relationship with God is solid. Being a Christian is not just about dissecting all of this information properly. It’s important. Truth sets us free. But we may not arrive at the perfect understanding of every single verse and every single topic that may come up. And let me just say something about 2 Timothy 2.15. I wonder if we get that right. Rightly dividing. The word of truth. Handling accurately, the New American Standard says, well, I sort of like that better. Handling accurately the word of truth. Be diligent to show yourself a workman so that you’re able to do that. So that means we have all the right answers on all the verses. You haven’t handled accurately the will of God unless you’re putting it into practice in your life.

And I think sometimes we miss that at 2 Timothy 2 and verse 15. It becomes an academic exercise of dissecting passages. We need to get the right answer to the. That’s only part of it. And the greater part of that we better make sure that we get right is that our lies are in concert with the will of God. And correctness is not measured by how many likes you get on Facebook. Now, the fact that a lot of us are getting likes from other Christians, that’s a good sign, but you can’t necessarily go to the bank with that. And I’ll tell you this. Somebody’s going to agree with you, even if you’re wrong. I see it all the time. And some people say all of us goes, somebody agrees with me.

I don’t care if 15 people hit a like button. You may still be wrong. There’s no comfort merely in numbers themselves. The only place to find comfort is in the will of God. And when David found himself out of step with the will of God, he said, I kept silent about my sin, and my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. But he says, I found forgiveness. He said, I acknowledge my sin to thee, and my iniquity I did not hide. I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin. Acknowledge transgression. Seek his will that your sins can be covered. And bless it. Verse 1. Blessed is he whose sins are forgiven. Whose transgressions are covered.

And I’ll tell you, when you pass from this life, that’s all that’s going to matter. It’s not going to matter to the other people saying, Boy, they were great people. They’re together again. They’re in heaven. What other people are saying, that’s not going to be relevant to you. You’re not going to care. All you’re going to care about then is this. Blessed is he whose sins are forgiven. Whose transgressions are covered. And that person who is godly, who prays to the Lord in a time when he might be found. That’s thou, while you’re alive and living. Thou art my hiding place. Thou dost preserve me from trouble. Thou dost surround me with songs of deliverance. Safety. True safety and security only in the will of God.

Conclusion

And I want to show you this in 1 Peter chapter 3 as we come to a conclusion this morning. 1 Peter 3 and verse 12. Look at this. Safest place in all the world. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. Those who are pursuing right in their lives, the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayers. But the face of the Lord, and you do not want this against you, the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. That’s not just an old testament concept, folks. That’s quoted in the New Testament. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. And then this. I had to include this. Let’s talk about true safety in numbers.

And who is there to harm you? If you prove zealous for what is good. You may not be in the majority of the way the world thinks. You’re going to be in a minority according to Matthew 7 and verse 14. But if you’re submitting to the will of God, if you find yourself in concert with the will of God and in fellowship with him, you’re in the only majority that you need.

And we song that in singing. We sung that in singing the redemption song. Join with the throng. That’s the throng you need to. That’s the majority that you need to be a part of, the majority that’s in the presence of God in heaven. Who is there to harm you? If you’re in the will of God, who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? Even if you suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. Don’t fear their intimidation and do not be troubled. And the reason why is this those in the will of God, like Elisha. Elisha, my master. They surrounded us. They surrounded us. An army’s out there. We don’t have an army here. It’s just me and you.

And Elisha says, Those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Well, we might be in a minority here, but when we’ve got God on our side, that’s the majority that we need. And he prayed that the eyes of his servants might be enlightened, and I love the text that lucky servant. His eyes were opened, and he saw chariots of horses and fire all around the life. That’s the way it is in the spiritual realm. Among the throng you need to be most concerned about. And what did Jesus say? This thing that’s happening in the garden, it’s only happening because I’m allowing it. I laid down my life willingly for the sheep, Jesus says. I’m laying it down. You’re not taking my life from you.

I’m surrendering it to you. He said during his ministry. And he told his disciples, put up your swords. This is the way it’s going to be. I could call twelve legions of angels. And I’ll tell you, that garden could have gotten crowded in a hurry. If Jesus had wanted. And then this. You, Christians, have come to Mount Zion. You’re a part of the great spiritual city, the city of the living God. The Hebrew writer says in Hebrews chapter 12, and then don’t overlook this. You have come to myriads of angels. There’s a throng that we’ve come to. Ministering spirits sent out to serve the elect. Angels on our side. And there was war in heaven. But the devil and his forces were thrown out and thrown down.

And Michael and the spiritual forces of righteousness prevailed. And that’s all summarized in this very familiar statement in Romans, is it not? If God be for us. Who then could be against us? Don’t worry about fitting in with the world and its thinking. Fit in instead with the will of God and his superior thoughts.

In 2 Timothy chapter 2, verses 11 and 12. I love this. If we died with him, we shall live with him. If we endure, we shall also reign with him. And that’s a trustworthy statement. And that’s the hard part. We must endure. Endure we must, as the sway of the world is strong and the allure of the world is compelling us to embrace that which will destroy us. We must endure in the pursuit of righteousness. Do not sit in this audience this morning if you find yourself outside the will of God thinking, oh, not today. Not today. I’ve got other things that are important to do today. Right now it’s pleasures that I crave, and I’ll maybe get more interested in this later when I have more time.

Time enough yet. What if this is your last opportunity? Lost. Lost. Oh, what a cry. That’s how serious these things are. You’re subject to the invitation. If you need to come and submit yourself to the will of God, may we assist you with stand and sing.