What is "Socially Acceptable" , is Not Always "Acceptable" to GOD !

By: Pastor Mike Stahl

"And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city." (Mark 6:11 )


Brothers and sisters , this sermon is long overdue . We use the term "socially acceptable" today , but in reality what we REALLY mean is being "politically correct."

Every time a country and its people turn away from God , disaster happens . Perfect examples of this are the fall of Babylon and Sodom and Gomorrah .

Judges 17:6 tells us , "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Hence , today , as in Micah's day , everyone seems to put his or her own interests first . Time has not changed human nature . Most people still reject God's right way of living . The people in Micah's time replaced the true worship of God with a homemade version of worship , just as many non-biblical denominations do today ! As a result , justice was soon replaced by revenge and chaos . Ignoring God's direction led to confusion and destruction . Anyone who has not submitted to God will end up doing whatever seems right at the time . This tendency is present in all of us . To know what is really right and to have the strength to do it , we need to draw closer to God and His Word .

Now , despite what the PC crowd says , society's standards are not always right . Genesis 30:4-12 tells us , "And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali. When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son. And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad. And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son."

In these verses Rachel and Leah were locked in a cruel contest . In their race to have more children , they both gave their servant girls to Jacob as concubines . Jacob would have been wise to refuse , even though this WAS an ACCEPTED custom of the day . The fact that a custom is "socially acceptable" (PC) , does not mean it is wise - or RIGHT !! People (society ) needs to realize that it will be spared much heartbreak if they look at the potential consequences , to ourselves and others , of our actions .

As Christians , we need to know what's happening in today's society . If we read 1 Chronicles 12:32 , we see ,"And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment." So , you see , the 200 leaders from the tribe of Issachar understood the temper of the times . As a result , their knowledge and judgment provided needed help in making decisions for the nation . For leaders today , it is equally necessary to know what is happening in society in order to plan the best course of action for the church . Knowledge of current events , trends , and needs helps one understand people's thoughts and attitudes . This helps leaders make wise decisions for the church and make God's message relevant to people's lives.

In Matthew 23:11-12 , Jesus says , "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." We see here that even Jesus challenged society's norms . To Him , greatness comes from serving - giving of ourselves to help God and others . Service keeps us aware of others' needs , and it stops us from focusing on ourselves.  Jesus came as a servant .

Now , if we read verses 13 and 14 we see where Jesus tells the scribes and Pharisees , "But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation."

WOW !! He calls 'em "hypocrites" in BOTH verses ! But being a religious leader in Jerusalem was very different from being a pastor in a secular society today . Israel's history , culture , and daily life centered around its relationship with God . The religious leaders were the best known , most powerful , and most respected of all leaders . Jesus made these stinging accusations because the leaders' hunger for more power , money , and status had made them lose sight of God , and their blindness was spreading to the whole nation .

We see how society is contaminated by sin in Mark 8:15 , "And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod."

Obstinate unbelief will have something to say, though ever so unreasonable. Christ refused to answer their demand. If they will not be convinced, they shall not. Alas ! what cause we have to lament for those around us, who destroy themselves and others by their perverse and obstinate unbelief, and enmity to the gospel ! When we forget the works of God, and distrust Him, we should chide ourselves severely, as Christ here reproves his disciples. How is it that we so often mistake His meaning, disregard His warnings, and distrust His providence ? (cf. Mark 8:22-26) .

Mark mentions the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod , while Matthew talks about the leaven of the Sadducees and Pharisees . Mark's audience , mostly non-Jews , would have known about Herod , but not necessarily about the Jewish religious sect of the Sadducees . Thus Mark quoted the part of Jesus' statement that his readers would understand . This reference to Herod means the Herodians , a group of Jews who supported the king . Many Herodians were also Sadducees . Leaven (yeast) in this passage symbolizes evil . As only a small amount of yeast is needed to make a batch of bread rise , so the hardheartedness of the religious and political leaders could permeate and contaminate the entire society and make it rise up against Jesus .

Now , Jesus Himself says in Matthew 11:21-24 ,"Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee."

So , what was the message He was really trying to convey ?

Well , Tyre , Sidon , and Sodom were ancient cities with a long-standing reputation for wickedness (Gen. 18-19 ; Ezekiel 27-28 ) . Each was destroyed by God for its evil . The people of Bethsaida , Chorazin , and Capernaum saw Jesus firsthand , and yet they stubbornly refused to repent of their sins and believe in Him . Jesus said that if some of the wickedest cities in the world had seen Him , they would have repented . Because Bethsaida , Chorazin , and Capernaum saw Jesus and didn't believe , they would suffer even greater punishment than that of the wicked cities who didn't see Jesus . Similarly ,nations and cities , like OURS , with churches on just about every corner and Bibles in just about every home , will have NO EXCUSE on judgment day if they do not repent and believe !

Lastly , let's look at the next verse (25 ) , where Jesus prays , "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."

Jesus mentions two kinds of people in His prayer above : the "wise" - arrogant in their own knowledge - and the "babes" - humbly open to receive the truth of God's Word .

Are YOU wise in YOUR own knowledge , or do you seek the TRUTH in childlike faith , realizing that ONLY God holds ALL the answers ?

"Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3 )

Until next time , may God bless and keep you ALL -

Yours in Christ ; Pastor Mike