You know, one of the deepest longings in the human heart is for justice.
You may not have thought about one of the deepest longings of your heart is for justice.
But I'm going to say that it is.
And it started when you were a child.
It starts when all of us are children.
When we utter these words, that's not fair.
That's not fair.
How young are we when we first say that?
How young are our children and grandchildren when we first hear from their lips?
But it's not fair.
We've all said these words as children.
The truth is, if we've not said them as adults, we've thought them, haven't we?
Every adult in this room, you have already figured out, no matter how young you are, you've already figured out.
This thing about life being unfair doesn't stop at childhood.
It continues on, doesn't it?
We know from experience that this thing about fairness or unfairness, it only gets worse.
I guess one way to say it is just make it real clear.
Life is not fair.
And you are denying reality if you think life is going to be fair everywhere you turn in this world.
You're in for great disappointment.
But here's the good news.
Life in this world is not all there is.
God is going to bring this world as we know it to an end one day.
And then He is going to create a new heaven and a new earth, the Scripture tells us.
And in this new heaven and new earth, everything will be perfect.
There will only be fairness or justice.
Everything will be right.
And you'll know it's right in eternity.
But before He makes all things new, God is going to bring this world to a point of judgment.
A point of judgment.
We saw last week in the book of Ecclesiastes, the first part of chapter 3, there's a time for everything under heaven.
There's a time to be born, a time to die, a time to do everything under the heavens.
Well, this morning we're going to look specifically, there is a time for judgment at the end of our lives.
Or we could call it a time for justice.
I want you to read with me this morning just three verses.
Chapter 3, verses 16 and 17.
And then chapter 4, verse 1.
Let's read it together.
Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness.
And in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.
I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked.
There is a time for every matter and for every work.
Look now in chapter 4, verse 1.
Again, I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun.
And behold, the tears of the oppressed.
And they had no one to comfort them.
On the side of their oppressors, there was power.
And there was no one to comfort them.
These verses tell us why we need a time of judgment.
First, a time of judgment is needed because of the widespread wickedness in this world.
That's what he's talking about with the word injustice in chapter 3, verse 16.
And the word oppression in chapter 4, verse 1.
Look at, if you would, at how the preacher, as the writer of Ecclesiastes refers to himself.
How he describes this particular form of injustice.
Verse 16.
In the place of justice, before a judge.
In the court system.
That's what he's talking about.
In the place of justice, even there was wickedness.
And in the place of righteousness.
In the place before the judge, before the court.
We expect things to be done rightly.
We expect right to take place.
And in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.
He's talking about an unjust judge.
An unjust court system.
The very place that we expect the right thing to be done.
Fairness to prevail.
The very place we expect and most need to experience justice.
He's telling us, sometimes it turns out to be a place of unfairness.
This is not merely a frustrating experience, although it would be.
He's talking about a demoralizing situation.
Look at how Martin Luther, the reformer, described this.
He said that the preacher is not complaining because there is wickedness in the place of justice,
but because the wickedness in the place of justice cannot be corrected.
I want you to think about it.
If you can't find justice when you go to court.
If you can't find it when you stand before a judge.
You're not going to be able to find it.
It's not going to be a possibility.
The judge who is supposed to be fair and impartial.
If he's not, there's no hope that we'll be treated fairly.
That's the picture he's painting here.
Injustice is everywhere.
He does not imply that every court's that way, every judge is that way,
every person you know is that way.
He's talking about what we all know, generally speaking, life is not fair.
Now the problem with oppression in chapter 4, verse 1, is equally hopeless.
The oppressors, it says, were the people in power.
The people who were suffering, people who were being oppressed,
taken advantage of, mistreated, they had no power.
It's the ones who were oppressing them, mistreating them, taking advantage of them.
They were the power brokers.
And as such, what could people do?
It's hopeless.
You know, we live in a world filled with people in this same kind of situation.
Let's just think for a moment, away from our country, right this very moment.
There are tens of thousands of Christians who live in fear
because they are a minority, a persecuted minority where they live.
There are Christians this morning who have no home to go to
because they've been put out by their family who is of another faith,
and they consider their child, even as an adult,
who has professed faith in Jesus.
They consider that child to have become a pagan.
They consider that they no longer live, even, in some of them's sight.
There are communities today where a person who's become a Christian,
he can't work.
They won't let him have a job.
They won't let him make a living for his family.
There are people right now, in this world, this moment,
breathing the same air we are.
They're suffering all because of their faith in Jesus,
and they're suffering unjustly at the hands of their family members,
their community, their government.
Some of them are in prison right now.
Here's what's so sad.
There's not one thing they can do about it.
There's nowhere on earth for them to turn.
There's no one who can really help them, make things right for them.
Let's look closer to home now.
In this country, think about how many women suffer abuse
at the hands of wicked and cowardly men
who threaten to kill them if they tell anyone
or if they call the police.
They're afraid because of the power being exerted over them,
they're afraid to do anything.
Children are horribly abused by their own wicked parents
or by a wicked parent's boyfriend or girlfriend.
We read about it all the time.
Whether you get your news from the newspaper,
online, on TV,
mugshots every day, new ones nearly every day,
of people in upstate South Carolina
who are beating, some even killing their spouse or girlfriend.
Parents not just beating but torturing their children.
That is happening here in the upstate,
here in Pickens County.
And many of these children are either too young to know what to do,
too young to tell,
or they're too afraid to say anything.
But when an abused woman or child does tell,
when they do muster up the courage,
they take the risk,
it doesn't automatically mean they're going to be rescued.
The courts and social agencies,
they have more cases than they have people to work.
There's a backlog.
And then sometimes,
some of those severe cases,
when they do get dealt with,
there are situations where the abuser's dealt with too leniently.
And the court does nothing.
The social agency won't remove the child.
And so the abuser continues.
And there's no protection for the victim.
There's no hope.
One of the most frustrating examples of injustice in this country
is the way our United States Supreme Court
allows the execution of innocent babies
in their mother's womb by abortion.
Now the Supreme Court justifies themselves.
They say it is a mother's choice,
and that's the end of it.
But the voice of truth and justice clearly said,
it's a baby's life.
Now you think about it.
In this country,
one of the greatest examples of wickedness in power
is the United States Supreme Court's rulings like this.
It's all about the woman's choice.
And that little baby with a heart beating,
fully human, living individual
has no one to speak for them.
And so at the whim of a mother,
at the scalpel of a doctor,
their lives are taken, destroyed.
The world is filled with people
who oppress the weak,
care nothing about people being treated fairly or justly.
But the Bible is clear that God takes a strong stand
against such people.
I want you to hear me.
God takes a strong stand against all abusers,
whether they break the law or not.
God hates a lack of justice.
He hates those who oppress,
take advantage of people because they can.
God opposes all who abuse their power and privilege
by mistreating people.
The Old Testament prophets are filled
with all kinds of warnings about such.
The book of Zechariah lists the kinds of people
who are most likely to be oppressed.
I want you to look at the list here.
Widows, orphans, foreigners,
actually aliens living in the land,
and the poor.
You need to understand,
God has a special place in His heart
for the widow, for the orphan,
for the alien living in His land,
and for the poor.
And if God has a special place in His heart for them,
so should we as God's children.
Look back in chapter 3, verses 16 and 17.
The preacher wants us to know
that while we live in a world
of much injustice and oppression,
it's not always going to be that way.
The day of judgment will come.
Look at verse 17 again.
God will judge the righteous and the wicked,
for there is a time for every matter
and for every work.
We need to take comfort in that statement
if we're believers.
That should encourage us.
God will one day make everything right.
We can trust Him to do that.
He said He would and He will.
That does not mean that we should give up on the idea
of trying to do what we can
to make things just,
to try to help people become treated fairly.
We need to do whatever we can
to oppose oppression and injustice
in this world, in this community.
Everywhere.
You know, we ought to do more
as people of the community,
voters,
people who are able to run for office,
we ought to do more
to try to create situations
where the court has to act quicker than they do.
Where social agencies are forced
to get involved in these crisis situations
where children and women's lives
are on the line.
We need to support Christian organizations
that are trying to help victims of abuse,
women who've been abused,
children and the poor.
We need to help these agencies.
We need to be a part of them.
And we can and must take responsibility
to make sure our home
and our church are safe places
where injustice and abuse are not tolerated.
You know, we're trying to do what we can
here at the church,
making every effort on this church campus
to provide a safe environment.
A lot of things are taking place.
Not just physically,
but emotionally.
You know, if you ever want to work
with children or youth,
or you're a part of that,
you're asked to do background checks.
And we're being asked to do that
every year now,
I believe the situation is.
And you think,
that's a pain.
It sure is.
It's just plain aggravating.
And it costs us money
to do a background check
on everybody every year.
But I want to tell you something.
Children are worth it.
Because we want to ferret out
any possible child,
abuser, or molester.
And there'll be no tolerance.
This will be a no tolerance zone
when it comes to the safety
and well-being of our children.
No tolerance zone
here for the welfare of our children.
But there ought to be that in your home.
Think about it.
You need to make sure
that your home
is a safe place emotionally
as well as physically.
And one of the best ways to do that
is for you as parents
and as children
to make sure that Jesus Christ
really is the Lord of your home.
To make sure it is He
who is building your home.
Because the psalmist tells us
if He's not the one building
those who labor,
labor in vain.
We have a responsibility
as individual Christians,
as a church,
as a community,
to do anything that we can
to promote justice.
That which is right
for people
and especially people
who cannot do it for themselves.
But the sad truth is
no matter how hard we try,
as long as we live
in this fallen world,
there is going to be
oppression
and injustice.
Women and children
are going to continue
to be abused.
Police officers
are going to continue
to do their best
to fight crime.
Some of them
are going to be killed
in the line of duty
as they are trying
to enforce the laws
and bring about justice
for everyone.
This is sad to say,
but there is always
going to be corruption
in government and business.
There is always
going to be corruption
where people are.
Because we are sinners
at heart.
Now,
while we don't have
the power or wisdom
to end all injustice
and oppression,
God does.
And He promises
to do so
one day.
Look next.
A time of judgment
is coming
that will confirm
that the universe
God created
is ultimately
just
or fair.
Here in Ecclesiastes,
the preacher makes it clear
throughout his book,
life's going to end
for everybody one day.
Face the reality.
No matter what you do,
no matter what you build,
no matter what you acquire,
you're going to lose it all
one day because you're
going to die
and you can't take it
with you.
And when death comes,
we will all stand
before God
and give an account
of how we've lived.
There's going to be
a day of judgment,
He says,
for the righteous
and the unrighteous.
But it is also
strategically repeated.
This same statement
about judgment
is strategically repeated
as the very last sentence
of the book
of Ecclesiastes.
Look,
in chapter 12,
verse 14,
for God will bring
every deed
into judgment
with every secret thing
for the good or evil.
See,
the writer of Ecclesiastes,
Solomon,
he wants us
to be clear.
In the end,
it matters
how we live
because we're going
to stand before God
and give an account
of how we've lived.
Now,
one of the things
that we need
to understand,
God's judgment
is good.
It has many
good purposes.
One is,
it reveals God,
that God is concerned.
He does care about
justice or fairness
in this world.
When Paul tells,
think for a moment,
God cares
about things
being right,
people being treated
properly.
God's no respecter
of persons.
The apostle Paul
helps us
understand how God
wants things to be,
intends for things
to be,
and will make things
one day.
Look at what Paul said
to slaves
who were being mistreated
by their masters.
They couldn't rebel,
they couldn't do anything.
He tells them
to be submissive
to their masters,
and he assures them
that God will one day
make all things right.
Look at it.
For the wrongdoer
will be paid back
for the wrong
he has done,
and there is
no partiality.
He's saying,
you can't help
what's going on,
and you can't do
anything about it
as a lowly slave
in the Roman Empire.
But God,
he is not partial
to the slave owner.
That person
who's abused you
will be paid back
for the wrong
he has done.
The word of God says.
Paul found comfort
in that idea himself.
He demonstrated
that he was trusting God
to take care
of his own enemies.
Here's a good example.
In his letter to Timothy,
look at what he said.
He's writing to Timothy
for like his son
in the faith,
Alexander the coppersmith
did me great harm.
The Lord will repay him
according to his deeds.
Alexander the coppersmith
did me great harm.
Paul didn't say,
but I'm just going to let it go.
He was concerned
because the great harm
was Alexander
was opposing Paul's ministry,
opposing the gospel,
opposing the word of God.
Look at it,
what he goes on to say.
Now,
beware of him yourself
for he strongly opposed
our message.
One way to say this,
Paul is saying,
he'll reap what he's sown.
He has harmed me,
but the Lord will pay him,
repay him
according to his deeds.
He's going to reap
what he's sown.
God is just.
He's going to make
everything right.
You know,
you may be sitting there
thinking to yourself,
I have suffered unjustly
in the past.
And you're still having
a hard time dealing with it.
In fact,
you may be sitting here
and the truth is
you're plotting your revenge.
You've been plotting
your revenge for years.
It could be that you're just
unwilling to forgive that person.
It may be that you're just,
you've let it make you bitter.
And vengeful.
You won't even consider
the idea of forgiveness.
It could be that you're just,
you're not going to do
anything yourself,
but you're watching
and waiting
and maybe even praying
that that person
who's hurt you,
that they will suffer
some kind of tragedy
and you'll get to see
them suffer
just as they made you suffer.
Well, as Christians,
we know that such attitudes
are wrong,
but let's be honest,
they're understandable.
Such attitudes
are understandable,
but before God
they are unacceptable.
Scripture is clear.
Look at this
from Romans chapter 12.
Paul says,
do not repay anyone
evil for evil.
Be careful to do
what is right,
just,
in the eyes of everyone.
As we live in this world
as Christians
and people wrong us,
it is not pleasing to God
for us to just wrong them back.
As Christians,
we have a responsibility.
No matter what happens to us,
we need to do what's right.
Now, to do what's right
doesn't mean that you
become a doormat
to the world.
Doesn't mean you have,
you cannot defend yourself
or your family.
But this idea of
always getting revenge,
always giving back
what somebody gave you
or worse,
that's not,
that's not how
God calls us to live.
We are responsible
not for what people
do to us,
but what we do to people.
And just,
that's a good way
to say it.
Be careful to do
what's right.
You do what's right.
You do what's honorable,
the ESV says.
Do what's right
in honorable eyes
of everyone.
The Bible clearly tells us
not to seek revenge,
but
it does not say,
well, just forget about
the injustice
that has
happened to you.
it does not say,
forget about
how you were
mistreated.
No.
It tells us to trust God
to avenge us.
There is going to be
payback
for those who have
wronged us.
There is going to be
payback for the wicked
people in this world
who have abused
and oppressed
people that
they had power over.
But God's going to do it.
Look at chapter 12
of Romans again,
verse 19.
He says,
Beloved,
never avenge yourselves,
but leave it to the
wrath of God,
for it is written,
vengeance is mine,
I will repay,
says the Lord.
God is not
just letting
everything go
in this life
and just sort of,
God's not just
giving up
and said,
the world's unjust,
just forget about it.
God's keeping records.
God settles scores.
I want you to look
at a lengthier statement,
one of the strongest
statements along this line
in the New Testament.
It's found in
2 Thessalonians
chapter 1.
Paul is writing
to Christians
who have experienced
a lot of persecution.
They've suffered
for their faith.
Look at what he says.
God is just.
He will pay back
trouble to those
who trouble you
and give relief
to you who are
troubled
and to us as well.
This will happen
when the Lord Jesus
is revealed
from heaven
in blazing fire
with his powerful angels.
At the second
coming of Christ,
that's when
the Lord's going to
wind everything up
in this world.
That's when there'll be
a day of judgment.
And after that,
there will be
the new heaven
and new earth.
Look at what else
he says.
He will punish
those who do not
know God
and do not obey
the gospel
of our Lord Jesus.
But he will not
punish
those who do
know God
and those who
have believed
the gospel
of the Lord Jesus.
See, as Christians,
when it comes
to our eternal
destiny,
if our faith
and trust
is truly in Jesus,
then the penalty
for our sins
has been paid
by him.
And his
righteous,
perfect life
has been credited
to us
through faith
in him.
We do not
have to worry
about that
kind of judgment,
a punitive judgment.
But let's read on.
those who do not
believe the good
news about Jesus,
those who do not
know God,
look at the next
sentence,
they will be punished
with everlasting
destruction
and shut out
from the presence
of the Lord
and from the glory
of his might
on the day he comes
to be glorified
in his holy people
and to be marveled
at among all
those who have
believed.
This includes you
because you
believed our
testimony to you.
God will make
everything right.
He promises
his people
to wait on him
and to count
on him.
The world we live
in is filled
with injustice
and oppression.
If we can do
something about it,
it's our duty
to act.
If we can do
something,
we should do
something.
We can't right
every wrong.
And we cannot
make life
in this world
fair.
But as God's
people,
we can be
confident
that God
will.
He will
right every wrong.
He will,
as Paul says,
pay back trouble
to those who've
troubled you.
He'll wipe away
every tear.
tear.
He'll wipe away
every tear
that's been
shed as a
result of
abuse,
of oppression,
and injustice.
One day,
God's going to
make everything
right.
He's going to
make everything
peaceful.
He's going to
make everything
and every day
joyful.
He's going to
make everything
perfect for his
faithful people.
and he's going
to do this
for all
eternity.
We can
count on it.
This is how
we'll live
forever.
You know,
we can't,
we can't
often see how.
And it may
never make sense
to us,
but God can
and does use
sin and evil
and failure
and futility
and suffering
for his
eternal good
purpose.
Like I say,
we can't see
how sometimes.
You may be
going through
something right
now or have
gone through
something and
you think,
I don't see
how any good
can ever come
from it.
That's a fact.
But in the
big scheme of
things,
God is working
everything
according to
his good
purpose and
in the end,
he's going to
make everything
right.
And the
ultimate example
of this is
the crucifixion
of Jesus.
The greatest
evil that has
ever taken
place in this
world was the
execution of
the Son of
God on the
cross.
Jesus was a
perfect man,
but he was
killed,
crucified as a
criminal.
That great
act of evil
became the
greatest act
of love and
goodness because
it resulted in
the salvation of
sinners.
Our salvation if
we're trusting in
Jesus.
This helps us
see that God
really is working
out his good
plan in this
evil world.
We just have to
trust him.
And I want to
ask you as a
Christian, living
in this unfair
world, experiencing
various kinds of
injustice, are you
trusting God?
Are you doing what
you know to do?
Are you doing what's
right for yourself
and trusting God
to take care of
your enemies?
Trusting God to do
whatever needs to be
done to make things
right?
Are you just seeking
to be with his
help, with his
spirit's power who
lives in you, are you
seeking to do what
you can do and be
faithful to do what's
right because you're
trusting God to take
care of all that's
wrong, that you have
no power or ability to
do anything about?
Or could it be this
morning that you
need to begin a
relationship with God?
It could be all the
things we're talking
about this morning.
The problem is you
know that you're an
oppressor of some
people.
You may know that you
are an abuser, maybe
not in the way of
breaking the law, but
in other ways of some
other people.
Maybe this morning
what God has done is
shown you that you're
the one who needs to
fear judgment because
you're living for
yourself.
You're living opposed to
God.
And that should scare
you.
Hopefully that will
wake you up.
And the good news is
Jesus Christ came into
this world to save
sinners.
And if you'll admit your
need and humble yourself
and turn from your sin
and trust Jesus, call
upon him to save you
now, he will do that.
He will do that now.
Scripture tells us that
whoever calls on the
name of the Lord will be
saved.
But I want to close with
a word to Christians.
We, we can be guilty.
Maybe at home, maybe at
work, maybe among certain
group of friends or
acquaintances, we can be
oppressors at times.
We can be abusers.
Verbally, emotionally,
psychologically, as well as
physically.
And I want you to hear
that if you're feeling
guilt because that word
abuser, that word
unfairness, that applies
to you a lot of times.
Oppression, taking advantage
of people.
You need to understand
you're not pleasing to
God that way.
You're never going to have
a right relationship with
him or to people.
That's how you're living.
And so it could be that
as a Christian, you know
it's wrong.
And on a good day, when
all is calm, you have no
problems.
But when you get under
stress, things don't go
your way, you just explode
and this stuff comes out of
your mouth.
It's seen in your face.
It's felt by your actions
and attitudes by people
that you really do love
and don't want to hurt.
But if that's the case,
you need to confess your
sin to God.
You need to humble yourself
and seek his forgiveness
and you need to humble
yourself and beg the
forgiveness of those you've
abused or oppressed or
mistreated.
They know it and you know
it and God knows it.
God wants us to right all
the wrongs that we can and
we can be confident that
those we have no power over,
he'll right them one day on
the day of judgment.
Let's pray together.
Dear God, help us to see how
we should respond right now.
Each one of us is an
individual.
It's part of this church,
part of this community.
Father, help us to hate
injustice, oppression,
wherever it's found.
Help us to confess our sin
if it's found in our lives.
Help us to intervene if it's
taking place somewhere where
we know it and we can do
something about it.
But Lord, help us in
situations where we are
powerless.
Help us, dear God, to trust
you and to be confident
that one day, the day of
judgment, if not before,
you will avenge your people.
You will make things right.
Give us that faith and help us
to do what we know to be right
regardless of how people treat us.
In an attitude of prayer,
listen to the Lord and obey him.
Do what he's calling you to do.
He's calling you to trust
Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Do that now.
If I could pray with you,
I'll be here at the front and
would love to do that during
this time.
Just listen to the Lord and
obey him.