Justice for ALL (Be A Blessing to your neighbor)

 Three things you must know to review/interpret scripture

1. Know who’s talking

2. Who are they talking to

3. What brought about the conversation 

You Need a Witness

2 Corinthians 13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

Deuteronomy 19:15

A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

Matthew 18:16

But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'

Jesus uses the power of Witness to establish Truth

John 5:30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

The Fourfold Witness

31 “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true…

How much Justice to you want?

39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

FIGHT FAKE NEWS in the church

FOCAL VERSES: Exodus 23:1-13

1 “You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. 

Notes:

• Ps 125:3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.

• How does one escape the rod or punishment of the wicked?

• My mom used to say …Learn to Keep your hands to yourself

• Romans 1:30–32 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

• Romans 1:30–32 — New Century Version (NCV)

30 and say evil things about each other. They hate God. They are rude and conceited and brag about themselves. They invent ways of doing evil. They do not obey their parents. 31 They are foolish, they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or mercy to others. 32 They know God’s law says that those who live like this should die. But they themselves not only continue to do these evil things, they applaud others who do them.

• Infighting is the number one cause of corporate disruption. Place gets too big and people get too comfortable. 

This is not you saying brother cucumber can’t sing this is you saying brother cucumber is sleeping with sister potato and not having any facts to back it up. It doesn’t matter who told you.  Job supervisor said one thing to make all the employees go against another employee but none of the employees ever asked….Or not going to brother cucumber to ask him? 

• 1 Timothy 5:12–13 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

12 Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. 13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

• Lev 19:11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

• BTW Proverbs 20:19 states “Gossips can’t keep secrets, so avoid people who talk too much.”

• Pro 10:23 It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

2 You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. 

Notes:

Q: Is there a scripture in Romans that would speak to this?

A: Romans 12:1-2

• Proverbs 5:20-21, NIV Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

•  Anyone ever been a companion of a fool?

• 1 Peter 1:14, ESV As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance

  

3 You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute.

Notes:

• James 2:1-9
• Lev 19:15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour

4 “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.

5 If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it.

NOTES:

• Proverbs 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
• Job 31:29 If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him 30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse
• 2 Sam 1:1-19 12*
• See David's heart toward Saul

Amplification: Even when you were enemies of GOD HE died for you. GOD answered your prayers even when you were in your sins....

• Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!
• Romans 8:34 Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God--and He is interceding for us.

6 “You shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his dispute. 7 Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked. 8 And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous.

Notes:

• Proverbs 17:15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous--both are detestable to the LORD.
• Proverbs 18:5 Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice.

9 “Also you shall not oppress a [a]stranger, for you know the heart of a stranger, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Notes:

• Don’t forget where you came out of/what you were delivered from
• Exodus 22:21 You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
• Leviticus 19:33 When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him.

The Law of Sabbaths

10 “Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your [b]olive grove. 

Notes:

Lev 19:10 You must not pick your vineyard bare, and you must not gather up the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You must leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God. 12 Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed. 13 “And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth.