The Fear of God

Christians That Despise God

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Biblical Worldview

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2016-11-16

Synopsis: John Weaver examines Proverbs 14:2 to show that a person's walk reveals whether they fear or despise God. He argues that many professing Christians actually despise God by despising His Word and commandments, using David's sin with Bathsheba and Uriah as a prime example. The sermon warns that despising God's law is inseparable from despising God Himself, and that such contempt brings severe consequences, as illustrated throughout Scripture. Believers are urged to examine their lives and bring them into conformity with God's Word.

[John Weaver] All right, well, let's have prayer tonight, shall we? Father, thank you for your love, your grace, your mercy, your goodness and kindness. We do pray tonight, Lord, that you would teach us. Help us, Lord, to see thy word and thy truth and grant us understanding hearts. Pray for liberty and freedom in preaching and that the word of God would have free course. In thy name we pray, amen.

[John Weaver] I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Proverbs, chapter 14, and verse 2. Proverbs 14, verse 2. It's a very simple verse, but it's going to take a little while to explain this verse, because the title of the message is, Christians Who Despise God. Christians Who Despise God. In Proverbs, chapter 14, and verse 2, the Bible says, He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord.

[John Weaver] But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him." Simple verse, so look at it one more time. He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord. But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him. If you were to ask the average professing Christian, do you despise God? You're going to get a resounding negative. In fact, you may get more than a negative. You may get even looked at in a very hard and incredulous manner. You may even be hollered at, or you may even be cussed out in a Christian manner, of course.

[John Weaver] But most will profess to love Him, and they would certainly never, ever confess to despising Him. However, there's a vast difference between profession and action. Each of us has heard and used the old adage, I can't hear what you're saying for the way that you're acting. And the truth of the matter is, our actions really reveal more than our profession. Our Lord made this exceedingly clear in Matthew chapter 7 and verse 16 when He said, you shall know them by their fruits.

[John Weaver] And then He asked this question, do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? And the answer is obviously no. It doesn't matter what one professes, it's how one actually lives and walks. Again, in Matthew 7, verse 20 said it like this, Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. So, in the strictest sense of the word, It really does not matter what an individual professes. It really does not matter what he says. It is how he lives that counts.

[John Weaver] We need to certainly understand this in the political arena. Because all the politicians claim to be Christians just to get the Christian vote, and then of course, when they get in office, everything they do is absolutely contrary to God and His Word. And so many times we just say, well, he said he was a Christian, and the truth is we just never, ever examine his actions. The truth is that action and conduct and conversation reveal the innermost heart of man. That's why Solomon said in Proverbs 4, verse 23, Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." Now, I want you to look closely at Proverbs 14, verse 2.

[John Weaver] The Bible says,"...he that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord." Stop and think about this. Your walk is your life. It is your conduct. It is how you live. If you look at the latter part of that verse, but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him." Well, again, one's ways is how one lives. It's how he walks. It's how he acts. Thus, the Word of God accurately says, he that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord, but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him. So, let's examine the first part of this verse momentarily. He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord." So when one is walking in uprightness according to the Bible, he's walking in righteousness. He's walking in that which is ethical, moral, and right according to God's law. And when one is walking like that, it is a demonstration in reality that he genuinely fears God. His life demonstrates that he holds the one true living God in reverence and awe, and he regards Him, and therefore he submits to Him and obeys Him.

[John Weaver] But if you notice the latter part of that verse,"...but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him." So on the other hand, when one is perverse in his ways, and that word literally means when one is crooked, devious, froward, disobedient, he is evidencing the fact that he has absolutely no regard or respect for God. Rather, he despises Him. Now the interesting thing about the word despises here, the Hebrew word literally means to hold in contempt.

[John Weaver] to disdain, to scorn, to make contemptible, as well as to treat vile and worthless." So, when you look at the latter part, he that has perversed his ways treats God as vile, worthless, and contemptible.

[John Weaver] Now, we should know and we should understand that the world of unbelievers automatically despise Christ. In fact, if you'll hold Proverbs, but look in your Bibles, if you would, very quickly, to Isaiah chapter 49, and then we'll go to Isaiah 53. But notice in Isaiah 49 and verse 7, notice what the Bible says concerning Christ, the Messiah. Isaiah 49 verse 7, Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and His Holy One, To Him whom men despised, To him whom the nations abhorreth, or hateth, to a servant of rulers king shall arise, and princes also shall worship, because the Lord, that is, faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

[John Weaver] But note, if you would, the first part. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to whom man despiseth, and to whom the nation, that is, the nation of Israel as a whole, abhorreth, they hated Jesus Christ, they despised him. Then if you look in Isaiah 53 and verse 3, here's a passage that practically everyone can quote, or at least you certainly know about it. Isaiah 53 and verse 3, talking about the Messiah Jesus Christ, the Bible says,"...He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

[John Weaver] And we hid as it were our faces from Him. He was despised and we esteemed Him not."

[John Weaver] Now, go back to this verse just for a moment. He is despised and rejected of men. Then He's classified as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And look at the latter part. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him. We didn't really want to acknowledge Him, look at Him. He was despised. Now watch this. And we esteemed Him not. When the Bible says that we esteemed Him not, it means literally we did not even think.

[John Weaver] that He was worth thinking about. He was not worthy of our time. He was not worthy of our consideration. Such was our despisement for the Son of God. So, obviously, the unsaved, according to Isaiah 49 and Isaiah 53, they despised Him. That is very clear. And we also despised Him when we were unsaved, just like the others. But the questions that remain that must be asked are these.

[John Weaver] Is it possible for a real genuine child of God, a true Christian, to hold his heavenly Father in such contempt and to treat Him with scorn, derision and disdain, so much so that we actually are considering Him as vile and worthless? Is it possible for a real, genuine child of God to despise Him? And the answer to those questions, unhappily, is indeed an unqualified yes. In fact, I'm going to show you from Scripture how most Christians really despise God. And they don't only despise Him, they despise Him on a regular basis. In fact, they would despise Him daily. They profess to love Him, but in reality, they despise Him. Our Lord made it clear that we will either love Him or hate Him, or we will either serve Him or deny Him.

[John Weaver] Listen to what He said in Matthew 6 and verse 24. He said, No man can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. And then he said, you cannot serve God and mammon. So our Lord said, you either go love one and hate the other, or serve one and despise the other. Now, I've been talking already tonight about Christians who despise God. I suppose it would probably be helpful, before I go any further, if I could show you from the Bible an illustration of a real, genuine believer who despise God.

[John Weaver] You say, I don't think that's possible. Well, it is possible. I'm going to show you. But first of all, I want you to turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 13 and then get ready to turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel. Look in Acts chapter 13 because I want you to see exactly what God says concerning David. In Acts chapter 13, notice if you would please, verse 22. Acts 13 and verse 22. The Bible says, And when he had removed him, that is Saul. Saul is mentioned in verse 21. Saul was the first king of Israel. And when he removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king. To whom also he gave testimony, and said, I found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will." Now, this is the testimony that God gave concerning David. He said that David was a man after his own heart, and that David was going to fulfill all of his will. So, I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would.

[John Weaver] Turn, first of all, to 2 Samuel, chapter 11. 2 Samuel, chapter 11. And I'm sure that you know the story. In 2 Samuel chapter 11, David has looked out and he has seen a beautiful woman washing herself, and her name of course was Bathsheba. And of course he sent and took her. She was a married woman. And the Bible says in 2 Samuel chapter 11, beginning there with verse 26, And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. And when the morning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord." Now, you know the story, how David had taken Bathsheba. He had not only committed adultery, he also had her husband Uriah the Hittite slain with the sword of the children of Ammon. Of course, he tried to get Uriah drunk and he did get him drunk. And Uriah still would not do what David wanted to do to cover his sin.

[John Weaver] And so finally he wrote this note to Joab and he said, you put Uriah in the foremost front of the battle and then you would retire from him that he may be smitten. And then he said to Joab, let not this thing displease thee because one dieth in battle as well as another. And so David purposefully deliberately had Uriah killed by the children of Ammon. Now the Bible says here in verse 27, but the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. So there was a great deal of displeasure in David's actions, that is for sure.

[John Weaver] And so what did God do? God sent to David the prophet Nathan. And Nathan gave him a little story. He said, here was a rich man who had plenty of sheep. Here was one poor man who had one little ewe lamb, and he nourished that ewe lamb, and that ewe lamb laid in his bosom was like a child to him. And when a man came to visit the rich man, he spared to take of his own flock, and he went and took the poor man's little ewe lamb and killed it and fed his visitor. And David was extremely upset and angry, and he said, The man that hath done this thing shall restore fourfold, and he shall surely die. And Nathan just simply said, Thou art the man. This is what you have done.

[John Weaver] So look in 2 Samuel chapter 12, beginning there with verse 7. Watch carefully now. Because the Bible has said that what David has done is displeased the Lord. And so you have to ask, why did it displease the Lord? Verse 7, 2 Samuel 12, And Nathan said unto David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul. And I gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom. And I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that had been too little, I would more have given unto thee such and such things. Now watch. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with a sword, and thou hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart out of thine house. because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

[John Weaver] Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of the sun. For thou didst it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun."

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to notice, if you would please, what the Bible says in verse 9. God asked David, wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord? Wow! Is it possible for a real, genuine believer to despise God? And the answer is yes, for David most certainly did so. Moreover, there are a multitude today who actually despise him. You say, well, how do they despise him? And the answer is, they despise him exactly the way David despised him. Well, how did David despise him? Well, in verse 9 he says this, Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? The very first thing David did was to despise God's commandment. What were his commandments? Well, let's see. Thou shalt not covet would be one. Thou shalt not commit adultery would be another. Thou shalt not steal would be another.

[John Weaver] For he took a man's wife. And then how about the first one? Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to understand something. It is impossible to violate any of the commandments of God without violating the first commandment to begin with. Because obviously, when you violate any of God's law, you have already in your own mind, in your own life, dethroned God and enthroned yourself. You've just said, God is not God, I am God, I make my own law, I do what I please to do. So, David despised God's commandment. And I could say commandments. It was not just one that he despised. He despised a number of them. In fact, we could say he despised all of them. For James says, when you violate one, then you're guilty of all.

[John Weaver] But, let's not stop at verse 9. Skip down to verse 10. Look what the Bible says.

[John Weaver] Now therefore the sword shall never depart out of thine house, because thou hast despised me. So, David began by despising God's commandment, but now God says, you have despised Me, and you've taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Understand this, when one has no regard for the law of God, he has no regard for God. God and His law cannot be separated. You must remember something extremely simple. Here it is. A king rules by his law. That is true of God. It is true of man. Although we do not have a king in America, Trump, the president-elect, will change things. Not everything. And probably not some things that we won't change.

[John Weaver] But he's going to do it a little differently than Obama. At least I hope so and I pray so. But when Obama came in, he changed things. A king rules by his law. And when God gave his law, he is saying, this is my will for your life. So when one has absolutely no regard for the law of God, it means he has no regard for the God who gave that law, thus to despise The Word of God, to despise the Law of God, means that you despise God who gave that Law.

[John Weaver] That's why David said in Psalm 130, verse 2, I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth. Now listen, for thou hast magnified thy Word above thy name. So God has placed His Word up here, and if His Word ever fails, then God is not God. And so, God has placed such a high regard upon His Word, if you despise that Word, you're despising God.

[John Weaver] So, let me try to break it down for you like this. It is impossible to have one attitude toward God and a different attitude toward His law. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 12. I want you to see how our Lord puts this thing together. Look in John chapter 12. I've heard people say something similar to this in my years of preaching.

[John Weaver] Well, I love Jesus Christ, but I don't care about all the Bible. I don't really love the Bible. Really. Or I've heard people say, well, I love the Bible, but I don't know that I believe in Jesus Christ. That's impossible. You cannot maintain one attitude toward Jesus Christ, or toward God the Father, and a different attitude toward His Word. Because they're one and the same. If you look in John 12 and verse 48, look what our Lord said. Our Lord says this, He that rejecteth Me," remember Jesus Christ is the living Word,"...he that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words," that is the written Word,"...hath one that judgeth him, the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." So Jesus Christ is the living Word, and the Bible is the written Word. And He said, you can't reject Me without rejecting My Word, and you can't reject My Word without rejecting Me. So it's impossible to have one attitude toward the one true and the living God, and a different attitude toward His Word or toward His Law.

[John Weaver] So when a Christian then refuses to obey the Word of God, he's guilty of despising God's Law. And when he's guilty of despising God's Law, he's equally guilty of despising the God who gave that Law.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make a statement. I'm going to show it to you. When we despise God's law, and we end up despising God, we become like Esau. We become a fornicator and a profane person. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12, and look if you would please at verses 16 and 17. Hebrews 12, verses 16 and 17. You know, it is amazing to me how these words are used in regard to what happened. So, in Hebrews 12, verse 16, the Bible says,"...lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau."

[John Weaver] Now, just stop right there for a moment. When you and I think about fornication, we think about sexual sins. But may I remind you that the word fornication is an exceedingly broad word. In fact, the truth of the matter is, when you look at fornication in the Bible, usually it has far more reference to spiritual fornication than physical. And here also, it's going to refer to a spiritual fornication. So look what he says.

[John Weaver] In verse 16,"...lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." So, Esau being called a fornicator and a profane person is in reference to selling his birthright. He says in verse 17,"...for ye know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, For he found no place of repentance, though he sought it, that is, the blessing, carefully with tears." Now, the question you have to ask is this, why did God call Esau, in this instance, a fornicator?

[John Weaver] May I remind you that fornication refers to the unlawful use of the body. The Bible says, that Esau, being the firstborn, was to inherit the birthright. But he despised his birthright. The birthright basically included three things. Number one, that would mean that Esau would have become the patriarch of the family. In other words, he would be the head honcho, so to speak. He would be the man in charge of the family clan.

[John Weaver] Secondly, His birthright would give him a double portion of the inheritance. Because the one who had the birthright received that double portion, which means therefore he would have the responsibility of taking care of his elderly parents when they could not take care of themselves. That's why he got the double portion. And then thirdly, the birthright included the lineage of the Messiah. So, Esau despised the birthright. Esau despised his responsibilities. He despised his duties, his obligations, and his privileges.

[John Weaver] And he said, no, I will not have those things. What I will have is a mess of that pottage. And so what is he doing? He's using his body unlawfully. Let me show you. Hold Hebrews chapter 12, but look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. And let's begin reading there with verse 13. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. And watch verse 13. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 13. Look what the Bible says.

[John Weaver] Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them." Now watch this statement.

[John Weaver] Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. So, God made our bodies for Himself. He did not make them for fornication. Now watch. He says in verse 14, And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise us up by His own power. Know you not, That your bodies are the members of Christ. Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid. What? Know you not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body? For two saith he shall be one flesh? Watch. But he that is joined to the Lord as one spirit flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body. But he that committed fornication sinneth against his own body." What? Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?

[John Weaver] For you are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God's." What did he say? I own you. You are mine. I bought you. I paid for you. Your body belongs to me. You may not use your body in an unlawful manner. And it does not just refer to sexual sins. It refers to anything that would be unlawful. We cannot use our bodies in the way that we please because our bodies are made for the Lord. Thus, when we become disobedient, like Esau, and despise the things of God, we're fornicators. We're using our lives and our bodies in an unlawful manner.

[John Weaver] It doesn't matter what area it is. But now, wait a minute. In Hebrews 12, in verse 16, he said,"...lest there be any fornicator or profane person." Now, why was Esau here called a profane person? I have a message that I preached many years ago entitled, Preaching Profanity. And I demonstrate in that message how most preachers actually preach profanity. You see, what we do is, we think profanity is cussing. And certainly cursing, or cussing as we would call it, could be profane, and especially when you take God's name in vain. I understand that. But profanity is far more than taking God's name in vain. It's far more than cussing. How could Esau now be called a profane person? We get our English word profane from the Latin profanum.

[John Weaver] Pro is a preposition which means before or in front of and fanum refers to the temple. So actually it means someone standing outside of the temple. In other words, someone that is treating something that is holy as unholy. So Esau had a holy duty and responsibility and obligation as the firstborn, and he treated it as if it was nothing. He treated it as if it was common or unclean.

[John Weaver] And he said, I'm willing to trade my birthright for a mess of pottage. So God called him a fornicator and a profane person. So likewise, When we use our bodies in an unlawful manner, we're fornicators. When we treat God and His Word or anything in relationship to God as one that is common or unclean, we're profane individuals. We're treating that which is in the temple as something that is outside of the temple. Interestingly enough, Israel in the Old Testament despised God, despised His Word, and continued to despise Him over and over and over. I want to just show you how God confronted them and warned them time and time again.

[John Weaver] So, turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Leviticus chapter 26. We'll start there. Leviticus 26. And notice, if you would please, verse 14. Leviticus 26 and verse 14. Look what God says in this particular passage, Leviticus 26 verse 14. He says, But if you will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments, so already we can see they're not wanting to listen. He said, If you will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments, and if you shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor, and that's a strong word for hatred, really genuinely hate my judgments, so that you will not do all my commandments, but that you break my covenant,

[John Weaver] I also will do this unto you. I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague that shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart, and you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. But note what he said, if you shall despise my statutes and hate my judgments." Look, if you would, in Leviticus 26 and verse 43. Again, He says it like this in regards to the land. He said,"...the land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lies desolate without them."

[John Weaver] That is when He sends them away into captivity. "...And they shall accept the punishment of their iniquity." Why?"...Because, even because they despised My judgments, and because their soul abhorred or hated My statues." Did you know that Israel went into captivity for hating God and hating His commandments? Look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers chapter 11. Numbers 11 and look in verse 20. Of course, Israel now has complained and whined and belly ached because they're tired of the manna. They want meat. And God says, OK, I'm going to give you meat. Look in verse 19. He said, You shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days, but even a whole month, till it come out of your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you, because that you have despised the Lord, which is among you, and have wept before Him, saying,

[John Weaver] Why came we forth out of Egypt?" I could put it like this. Whining, bellyaching, complaining against God's providence is despising Him. That's exactly what they did here. They were whining and bellyaching. Oh, why did we even get into this? Why did we listen to Moses? Why did we come out here? And God says, it is despising Me. Look in Numbers chapter 14 and verse 31. Numbers 14, verse 31.

[John Weaver] You remember how the people said, well, you brought us out here to kill us and kill our little ones. Well, look in Numbers chapter 14 if you would please. And notice particularly verse 31. Verse 31, God says, but your little ones, which you said should be a prey, Then will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised." Now wait a minute. How did they despise the land? Do you not remember how God commanded them to go in and fight? And they refused to go in and fight. Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report. The other ten brought back an evil report. And they believed the men with the evil report and not Joshua and Caleb. So they were despising God's land. And God said, those little babies that you said were going to be a prey, they're going in. You're going to fall in the wilderness. Look in Numbers chapter 15, beginning there in verse 29. Numbers 15, verse 29. God says, You shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.

[John Weaver] But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land or a stranger, of the same reproach as the Lord, and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off, his iniquity shall be upon him."

[John Weaver] Now let me explain something. Doing something presumptuously, What's that mean? Well, let's see. Let's say that Kevin has a pistol that I really like and I really want it, but he doesn't want to sell it and he doesn't want to give it to me. And I know that the scripture says, I shall not steal, but I want it. And I steal it. That is a presumptuous sin. I know better. I know better. And God said when we sin presumptuously, we are despising His commandment. I want you to look in the book of Isaiah chapter 5. This may really, really surprise you. But look in Isaiah chapter 5. And I want to set the stage by showing you to whom our Lord is speaking and with whom he is dealing. Look at Isaiah chapter 5 in verse 1. Isaiah 5 in verse 1.

[John Weaver] Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard and a very fruitful hill. And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choice of vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein. And he looked, and it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes."

[John Weaver] Now look in verse three. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard."

[John Weaver] Now, he goes on to tell how he's going to destroy this vineyard because it is not producing as he wanted it and as he expected it because he did everything he could for it. If you want to know who is this vineyard, skip down to verse 7. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant.

[John Weaver] And he looked for judgment, but behold, oppression, for righteousness, but behold, a cry." Now, let me show you how perverse they were. Skip down to verse 20. Skip down to verse 20.

[John Weaver] Now remember, we're talking to Israel. We're talking to Judah and Jerusalem. Verse 20. Warned of them, that is those Israelites and Judahites, warned of them that call evil good and good evil, and put darkness for light and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter, warned of them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight, warned of them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink wine, which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him."

[John Weaver] Therefore, as the fire devoured the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up as dust. Why? Because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore, as the anger of the Lord kindled against His people, And he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them, and the hills did tremble, and their carcasses were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." Why did God judge these people so strenuously? Because they despised My Word. Those were His people. They despised His Word.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to two passages. The first one, Romans chapter 15, and the second one, 1 Corinthians chapter 10, because some people, when they hear all of these verses being read, are going to say, but Brother Weaver, all of those verses are in the Old Testament. That is true. Of course, I'm going to show you some in the New Testament as well, but I want you to listen to me. It is true that all of those verses were in the Old Testament, but may I remind you, we have one Bible, not two. And the Old Testament is just as much the Word of God as the New Testament. We have one God, not two. But I want you to see what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 15, verse 4. Watch carefully. He says, for whatsoever things were written aforetime, that's the Old Testament. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now, I said everything in the Old Testament was written for our learning.

[John Weaver] It's there for us. If you will turn right over to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And let's begin reading with verse 1 and read through verse 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And look, if you would please, at verse 1. Watch carefully. Moreover, brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

[John Weaver] We're talking about Israel now. "...And did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ." Look at verse 5,"...But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were thrown into the wilderness." You know, every time I see that verse, I kind of smile. "...But with many of them God was not well pleased." How many of the original men that came out of Egypt got into Canaan land? Two. Joshua and Caleb. The rest were thrown into the wilderness. And yet he says, but with many of them God was not well pleased. Well, with all of them except Joshua and Caleb, for they were thrown into the wilderness. Now watch verse 6.

[John Weaver] I'm going to read a little further. Now these things were our examples. We're talking about Israel. And Paul is writing to the Corinthians. He says, Now these things were our examples to the intent, that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them. As it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day, three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happen to them for examples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."

[John Weaver] So what is he saying? Everything that I just read in the Old Testament was written for us and for our admonition. about despising God's Word, about despising God. There are warnings scattered throughout Scripture. We have Old Testament illustrations. We have New Testament illustrations. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs chapter 1. Proverbs chapter 1. And let me give you just a couple of these warnings. Notice if you would in Proverbs chapter 1. And let's begin reading. with verse 20. Proverbs 1 verse 20. And let's go down, if you would, at least to verse 31. Look in verse 20.

[John Weaver] Wisdom crieth without, she uttered her voice in the streets. Now, wisdom can either be, number one, the Word of God, or number two, the Lord Jesus Christ. For in Proverbs chapter 8, Jesus Christ is wisdom personified. So, verse 20, Wisdom crieth without. She uttered her voice in the streets. She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates, in the city. She uttered her words, saying, How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?

[John Weaver] And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. Look what wisdom says. Turn you at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my Spirit upon you. I will make known my words unto you." Now look what God says,"'Because I have called, and you refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded. But you have said it in awe of all my counsel, and would have none of my reproof.

[John Weaver] I will also laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your fear cometh, when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer. Then shall they seek me early, but they shall not find me. For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.

[John Weaver] They would have none of my counsel. Here it is, they despised all of my reproof. Therefore, they shall eat of the fruit of their own ways and be filled with their own devices." Hmm. Despising the Word of God is despising God. Look in Proverbs 13 and verse 13. Proverbs 13 and verse 13. What the Bible says. Proverbs 13, verse 13.

[John Weaver] Whoso despiseth the Word shall be destroyed, but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded." God says, if you despise My Word, you're going to be destroyed. But if you fear the commandment, that means you obey it, you shall be rewarded. Look in Proverbs 19 and verse 16. Proverbs 19 and verse 16. Here's an interesting verse. He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul, but he that despiseth his ways, that is God's ways, shall die. God said, if you keep my commandments, you're keeping your own soul. But if you despise my ways, then you're going to die.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you what the general principle is. You'll find this in first Samuel chapter two in verse 30. You remember Eli. was basically an unfaithful priest, and he had two sons, Hofne and Finnehans, who were wicked, wicked, wicked boys. And he failed to restrain them. He would not rebuke his sons, even though they were committing fornication, at the door of the tabernacle. And so God says in 1 Samuel 2 and verse 30, Wherefore the Lord God of Israel said, I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me forever. But now the Lord saith, Be it far from me, for them that honour me will I honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. And, of course, you know, Hoffney and Phinehas and Eli all died on the same day. God says, them that honor me will I honor, and those that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

[John Weaver] So let me ask you, is it any wonder that most of our prayers are unanswered? Is it any wonder that we spend most of our lives in an unblessed manner because we hold our Heavenly Father in contempt and treat Him vilely? We despise Him. And according to 1 Samuel chapter 2 and verse 30, if we despise Him, we shall be lightly esteemed as well. So let me ask you, what father wishes to honor a disobedient and rebellious child? What father wants to honor a disobedient and rebellious child?

[John Weaver] I usually tell the story about our two oldest grandkids. They're now 28. Well, they were about two, two and a half. They wanted some cow boots. They couldn't even say cowboy boots. They called them cow boots. So we took them to Walmart. This was 26 years ago. I had 20 bucks in my pocket. That was all. And we needed that for groceries. So we took them and what we were going to do was try those little boots on them, see what size they were and how they fit. And then we were going to come back and get them in a week or so when I had a little more money. And so, we got the boots and we put them on Casey and Renee. And they walked around in them and they kept saying, cow boots, cow boots, you know. So, we took them off and put them back in the box and put them on the shelf. And I picked up Casey to leave and she picked up Renee. And just as we were walking away, Casey in that little pitiful voice said, Bye-bye, cowboots."

[John Weaver] And I looked at Alice. I said, get them. We'll go hungry. And so they got the cowboots. So here's my question. Do you think for one minute if he had started screaming and pitching a fit, hollered, I want those boots! I want those boots! Papa would have never, ever bought him a pair of boots. He'd have done without. No father wishes to honor a dishonorable child. No grandfather.

[John Weaver] In fact, do you know that God said the same thing in Malachi 1 and verse 6? He said, a son honored his father, and a servant his master. If I be a father, where is my honor? And if I be a master, where is my fear? Saith the Lord of hosts, unto you, O priest, which despise my name. God says, you think I'm going to honor you when you despise My name? We despise God by holding Him in disdain and contempt. We despise God by refusing to serve Him. We despise God by refusing to worship Him. We despise God by refusing to give Him our best. We despise God and we count Him as vile and worthless.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. I want you to see everything that I've been preaching to you from the Old Testament is exactly the same in the New Testament. There is no difference. Look, if you would, what the Apostle Paul said, beginning with verse 1 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Look what he says. Furthermore, then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us how you ought to walk in and please God, so you would abound more and more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

[John Weaver] All right, here it is. Pay attention. For this is the will of God, this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles, or the nations, or the lost individuals, who know not God. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we have also forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God. who has also given us His Holy Spirit. Now, let's see.

[John Weaver] If I remember correctly, David was charged with despising God's commandment. He was charged with despising God because he coveted another man's wife. He committed adultery. He committed murder. He violated the first commandment. He set himself up as God by dishonoring and dethroning God. Okay, let's check this out. Look if you would in verse 3. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication. So we already know this is the will of God. He said, it's my will that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel and sanctification and honor, and that you're not to live in the lust of concupiscence, even as the unsaved who know not God.

[John Weaver] That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any manner, or the matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we've also forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. Now, wait a minute. Let's go back. So, he says, this is the will of God, even your sanctification that you should abstain from fornication. Alright, let's see. If I abstain from fornication, that means I have to obey the tenth commandment, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, thy neighbor's daughter, or anything that is your neighbor's. It also means I have to obey the seventh commandment, thou shalt not commit adultery. It also means that I have to also obey the 8th commandment, thou shalt not steal, because he talks about defrauding. And to defraud someone is stealing. And then if I'm violating the 10th commandment, the 7th commandment, the 8th commandment, I'm already violating the 1st commandment. And look what he said in verse 8, he therefore that despises, That is, if you don't live like this, he therefore that despises, despises not man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

[John Weaver] Do Christians despise God? Oh, yes. How do they despise Him? By despising His Word. They refuse to read it. They refuse to study it. They refuse to apply it. They refuse to obey it. And when you despise the Word of God, you despise God.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you one other thought. Look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles, Chapter 36. 2 Chronicles, Chapter 36.

[John Weaver] And notice, if you would, beginning there in verse 15. 2 Chronicles 36, verse 15, you need to pay close attention to this passage. The Bible says, And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes and sending, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. Now whenever God is going to have compassion on the people, he always sends them his messengers, his preachers. Look what happened in verse 16, But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

[John Weaver] Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with a sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, or old man or him that stooped for age. He gave them all into his hand.

[John Weaver] Now, go back, if you would, Verse 15 says, he had compassion and he sent his messengers. Now look in verse 16, but they mocked the messengers of God. Notice messengers is plural, because God sent more than one. Watch. But they mocked the messengers of God and despised His words. And here's the singular. The messengers were carrying God's Word. When they mocked the messengers, they were not despising the words of the messengers. They were despising God's Word who sent those messengers and gave them His Word. So to despise the men who are bringing the Word of God is to despise the Word and the God who gave that Word and sent those messengers. Now, I can quote it, but I want you to look in Luke chapter 10, and I want you to look at verse 16. Luke chapter 10, verse 16. I want you to see what our Lord said, and I want you to remember 2 Chronicles 36 in Luke chapter 10 and verse 16. Luke 10, verse 16.

[John Weaver] sent out His disciples, He said this, He that heareth you, heareth Me. And he that despiseth you, despiseth Me. And he that despiseth Me, despiseth him that sent Me." Isn't that amazing? Is it possible to despise God? Yes. Even Christians. When we despise His preachers and His Word, we're despising God.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. It is possible for Christians to despise God, the God whom they profess the love, the God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. In order to make sure that we do not despise Him, we have to examine our lives, we have to examine our attitudes, our actions and our conduct. We need to make sure that we bring our lives in conformity to His Word and not against His Word, because acting against His Word is despising Him. I want you to look at one last passage. I want you to turn to Hebrews, chapter 10, and my second application is this. I want you to see the absolute seriousness of despising the Lord and his word. Look in Hebrews, chapter 10 and verse 28.

[John Weaver] He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses." So, in the Old Testament, you had to have a minimum of two witnesses. When someone did something worthy of death, if there were two witnesses, he was immediately put to death. There was no appeals court. He was just put to death. So, he said, He that despised Moses' law, that is the law of God given through Moses, died without mercy under two or three witnesses." Look in verse 29,"...of how much sorer or worse punishment, suppose you shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified unto the holy thing, and hath done despite or despised the Spirit of grace." Do you realize? Despising God means that we're trampling the Son of God under our feet. We're counting Him as worthless and vile. We're counting Him nothing more than an old dirty, filthy foot mat with which we wipe our feet upon. We count the blood of the covenant as nothing.

[John Weaver] And we despise the spirit of grace. Wow. And he said, if you died without mercy. Under the law given through Moses. Of how much worse? Punishment. Shall he be thought worthy who trods under his feet? The son of God. We need to make sure that we examine our lives and live our lives in such a way that we do not treat our Father, our Savior, our Lord with such contempt and treat Him as vile and worthless. We need to determine in our hearts we're going to obey Him and do that which is well pleasing in His sight. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this night.

[John Weaver] We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And Lord, we do confess that we have despised You in so many times, in so many ways. And we ask Thy divine forgiveness. Help us, Lord, to examine our lives, to repent, and to bring our lives in conformity to Your Word. Give us grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

Christians That Despise God

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1118161630360
Subject	Biblical Worldview
Course	The Fear of God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2016-11-16
Dictation Name
Book	Book 067: The Fear of God — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	86

Formatted Transcript

Opening

All right, well, let's have prayer tonight, shall we? Father, thank you for your love, your grace, your mercy, your goodness and kindness. We do pray tonight, Lord, that you would teach us. Help us, Lord, to see thy word and thy truth and grant us understanding hearts. Pray for liberty and freedom in preaching and that the word of God would have free course. In thy name we pray, amen.

Introduction and Text

Reading of Proverbs 14:2, which contrasts walking in uprightness (fearing the Lord) with being perverse in one's ways (despising Him).

I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Proverbs, chapter 14, and verse 2. Proverbs 14, verse 2. It's a very simple verse, but it's going to take a little while to explain this verse, because the title of the message is, Christians Who Despise God. Christians Who Despise God. In Proverbs, chapter 14, and verse 2, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 14:2

"He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord." "But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him."

Simple verse, so look at it one more time.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 14:2

"He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord. But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him."

If you were to ask the average professing Christian, "Do you despise God?" you're going to get a resounding negative. In fact, you may get more than a negative. You may get even looked at in a very hard and incredulous manner. You may even be hollered at, or you may even be cussed out in a Christian manner, of course.

Profession vs. Action

Most professing Christians would deny despising God, but actions reveal the truth more than words, as Jesus taught in Matthew 7:16-20.

But most will profess to love Him, and they would certainly never, ever confess to despising Him. However, there's a vast difference between profession and action. Each of us has heard and used the old adage, "I can't hear what you're saying for the way that you're acting." And the truth of the matter is, our actions really reveal more than our profession. Our Lord made this exceedingly clear in Matthew chapter 7 and verse 16 when He said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:16

"You shall know them by their fruits."

And then He asked this question,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:16

"Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles?"

And the answer is obviously no. It doesn't matter what one professes, it's how one actually lives and walks. Again, in Matthew 7, verse 20, He said it like this,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:16

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

So, in the strictest sense of the word, it really does not matter what an individual professes. It really does not matter what he says. It is how he lives that counts.

We need to certainly understand this in the political arena. Because all the politicians claim to be Christians just to get the Christian vote, and then of course, when they get in office, everything they do is absolutely contrary to God and His Word. And so many times we just say, "Well, he said he was a Christian," and the truth is we just never, ever examine his actions. The truth is that action and conduct and conversation reveal the innermost heart of man. That's why Solomon said in Proverbs 4, verse 23,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 4:23

"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."

Now, I want you to look closely at Proverbs 14, verse 2. The Bible says, "...he that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord." Stop and think about this. Your walk is your life. It is your conduct. It is how you live. If you look at the latter part of that verse, "...but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him." Well, again, one's ways is how one lives. It's how he walks. It's how he acts. Thus, the Word of God accurately says, "He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord, but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him." So, let's examine the first part of this verse momentarily. "He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord." So when one is walking in uprightness according to the Bible, he's walking in righteousness. He's walking in that which is ethical, moral, and right according to God's law. And when one is walking like that, it is a demonstration in reality that he genuinely fears God. His life demonstrates that he holds the one true living God in reverence and awe, and he regards Him, and therefore he submits to Him and obeys Him.

The Meaning of Walking in Uprightness vs. Perverseness

Walking in uprightness demonstrates genuine fear of God; being perverse (crooked, disobedient) shows contempt and disdain for God.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 4:23

"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."

But if you notice the latter part of that verse, "...but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him." So on the other hand, when one is perverse in his ways, and that word literally means when one is crooked, devious, froward, disobedient, he is evidencing the fact that he has absolutely no regard or respect for God. Rather, he despises Him. Now the interesting thing about the word "despises" here, the Hebrew word literally means to hold in contempt. to disdain, to scorn, to make contemptible, as well as to treat vile and worthless." So, when you look at the latter part, he that is perverse in his ways treats God as vile, worthless, and contemptible.

The World's Despising of Christ

Isaiah 49:7 and 53:3 show that the unsaved world despises Christ, but the question is whether true Christians can also despise God.

Now, we should know and we should understand that the world of unbelievers automatically despise Christ. In fact, if you'll hold Proverbs, but look in your Bibles, if you would, very quickly, to Isaiah chapter 49, and then we'll go to Isaiah 53. But notice in Isaiah 49 and verse 7, notice what the Bible says concerning Christ, the Messiah. Isaiah 49 verse 7,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 49:7

"Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and His Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee."

But note, if you would, the first part.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 49:7

"Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, and to him whom the nation abhorreth."

They hated Jesus Christ, they despised him. Then if you look in Isaiah 53 and verse 3, here's a passage that practically everyone can quote, or at least you certainly know about it. Isaiah 53 and verse 3, talking about the Messiah Jesus Christ, the Bible says, "He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from Him. He was despised and we esteemed Him not."

Now, go back to this verse just for a moment.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 53:3

"He is despised and rejected of men."

Then He's classified as

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 53:3

"a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief."

And look at the latter part.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 53:3

"And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him."

We didn't really want to acknowledge Him, look at Him. He was despised. Now watch this.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 53:3

"And we esteemed Him not."

When the Bible says that we esteemed Him not, it means literally we did not even think that He was worth thinking about. He was not worthy of our time. He was not worthy of our consideration. Such was our despisement for the Son of God. So, obviously, the unsaved, according to Isaiah 49 and Isaiah 53, they despised Him. That is very clear. And we also despised Him when we were unsaved, just like the others. But the questions that remain that must be asked are these.

David: A Believer Who Despised God

Using 2 Samuel 11-12, Weaver demonstrates that David, a man after God's own heart, despised God's commandment and God Himself through adultery and murder.

You say, "I don't think that's possible." Well, it is possible. I'm going to show you. But first of all, I want you to turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 13 and then get ready to turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel. Look in Acts chapter 13 because I want you to see exactly what God says concerning David. In Acts chapter 13, notice if you would please, verse 22. Acts 13 and verse 22. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Acts 13:22

"And when he had removed him,"

that is Saul. Saul is mentioned in verse 21. Saul was the first king of Israel.

Scripture Reading — Acts 13:22

"And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will."

Now, this is the testimony that God gave concerning David. He said that David was a man after his own heart, and that David was going to fulfill all of his will. So, I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would.

Turn, first of all, to 2 Samuel, chapter 11. 2 Samuel, chapter 11. And I'm sure that you know the story. In 2 Samuel chapter 11, David has looked out and he has seen a beautiful woman washing herself, and her name of course was Bathsheba. And of course he sent and took her. She was a married woman. And the Bible says in 2 Samuel chapter 11, beginning there with verse 26,

Scripture Reading — 2 Samuel 11:26-27

"And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord."

Now, you know the story, how David had taken Bathsheba. He had not only committed adultery, he also had her husband Uriah the Hittite slain with the sword of the children of Ammon. Of course, he tried to get Uriah drunk and he did get him drunk. And Uriah still would not do what David wanted to do to cover his sin.

And so finally he wrote this note to Joab and he said, "You put Uriah in the foremost front of the battle and then you would retire from him that he may be smitten." And then he said to Joab, "Let not this thing displease thee because one dieth in battle as well as another." And so David purposefully deliberately had Uriah killed by the children of Ammon. Now the Bible says here in verse 27, "But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord." So there was a great deal of displeasure in David's actions, that is for sure. And so what did God do? God sent to David the prophet Nathan. And Nathan gave him a little story. He said, "Here was a rich man who had plenty of sheep. Here was one poor man who had one little ewe lamb, and he nourished that ewe lamb, and that ewe lamb laid in his bosom and was like a child to him. And when a man came to visit the rich man, he spared to take of his own flock, and he went and took the poor man's little ewe lamb and killed it and fed his visitor." And David was extremely upset and angry, and he said, "The man that hath done this thing shall restore fourfold, and he shall surely die." And Nathan just simply said, "Thou art the man. This is what you have done."

So look in 2 Samuel chapter 12, beginning there with verse 7. Watch carefully now. Because the Bible has said that what David has done is displeased the Lord. And so you have to ask, why did it displease the Lord? Verse 7, 2 Samuel 12,

Scripture Reading — 2 Samuel 12:7-10

"And Nathan said unto David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul. And I gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom. And I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that had been too little, I would more have given unto thee such and such things. Now watch. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with a sword, and thou hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart out of thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife."

"Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of the sun. For thou didst it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun." Now, I want you to notice, if you would please, what the Bible says in verse 9. God asked David, "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord?" Wow! Is it possible for a real, genuine believer to despise God? And the answer is yes, for David most certainly did so. Moreover, there are a multitude today who actually despise him. You say, "Well, how do they despise him?" And the answer is, they despise him exactly the way David despised him. Well, how did David despise him? Well, in verse 9 he says this, "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight?" The very first thing David did was to despise God's commandment. What were his commandments? Well, let's see. "Thou shalt not covet" would be one. "Thou shalt not commit adultery" would be another. "Thou shalt not steal" would be another.

Despising God's Law Is Despising God

God and His law cannot be separated; to despise His Word is to despise Him. John 12:48 shows that rejecting Christ's words is rejecting Christ.

But, let's not stop at verse 9. Skip down to verse 10. Look what the Bible says. "Now therefore the sword shall never depart out of thine house; because thou hast despised me." So, David began by despising God's commandment, but now God says, "You have despised Me, and you've taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife." Understand this, when one has no regard for the law of God, he has no regard for God. God and His law cannot be separated. You must remember something extremely simple. Here it is. A king rules by his law. That is true of God. It is true of man. Although we do not have a king in America, Trump, the president-elect, will change things. Not everything. And probably not some things that we won't change.

But he's going to do it a little differently than Obama. At least I hope so and I pray so. But when Obama came in, he changed things. A king rules by his law. And when God gave his law, he is saying, "This is my will for your life." So when one has absolutely no regard for the law of God, it means he has no regard for the God who gave that law, thus to despise the Word of God, to despise the Law of God, means that you despise God who gave that Law. That's why David said in Psalm 138, verse 2,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 138:2

"I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."

So God has placed His Word up here, and if His Word ever fails, then God is not God. And so, God has placed such a high regard upon His Word, if you despise that Word, you're despising God.

So, let me try to break it down for you like this. It is impossible to have one attitude toward God and a different attitude toward His law. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 12. I want you to see how our Lord puts this thing together. Look in John chapter 12. I've heard people say something similar to this in my years of preaching. "Well, I love Jesus Christ, but I don't care about all the Bible. I don't really love the Bible." Really. Or I've heard people say, "Well, I love the Bible, but I don't know that I believe in Jesus Christ." That's impossible. You cannot maintain one attitude toward Jesus Christ, or toward God the Father, and a different attitude toward His Word. Because they're one and the same. If you look in John 12 and verse 48, look what our Lord said. Our Lord says this,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"He that rejecteth Me,"

remember Jesus Christ is the living Word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"...he that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words,"

that is the written Word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"...hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

So Jesus Christ is the living Word, and the Bible is the written Word. And He said, you can't reject Me without rejecting My Word, and you can't reject My Word without rejecting Me. So it's impossible to have one attitude toward the one true and the living God, and a different attitude toward His Word or toward His Law.

So when a Christian then refuses to obey the Word of God, he's guilty of despising God's Law. And when he's guilty of despising God's Law, he's equally guilty of despising the God who gave that Law.

Esau as a Fornicator and Profane Person

Esau despised his birthright, using his body unlawfully (fornication) and treating holy things as common (profanity), illustrating how despising God's gifts is despising God.

Now, let me make a statement. I'm going to show it to you. When we despise God's law, and we end up despising God, we become like Esau. We become a fornicator and a profane person. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12, and look if you would please at verses 16 and 17. Hebrews 12, verses 16 and 17. You know, it is amazing to me how these words are used in regard to what happened. So, in Hebrews 12, verse 16, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:16-17

"...lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau."

Now, just stop right there for a moment. When you and I think about fornication, we think about sexual sins. But may I remind you that the word fornication is an exceedingly broad word. In fact, the truth of the matter is, when you look at fornication in the Bible, usually it has far more reference to spiritual fornication than physical. And here also, it's going to refer to a spiritual fornication. So look what he says. In verse 16, "...lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." So, Esau being called a fornicator and a profane person is in reference to selling his birthright. He says in verse 17, "...for ye know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." Now, the question you have to ask is this, why did God call Esau, in this instance, a fornicator?

May I remind you that fornication refers to the unlawful use of the body. The Bible says, that Esau, being the firstborn, was to inherit the birthright. But he despised his birthright. The birthright basically included three things. Number one, that would mean that Esau would have become the patriarch of the family. In other words, he would be the head honcho, so to speak. He would be the man in charge of the family clan.

Secondly, his birthright would give him a double portion of the inheritance. Because the one who had the birthright received that double portion, which means therefore he would have the responsibility of taking care of his elderly parents when they could not take care of themselves. That's why he got the double portion. And then thirdly, the birthright included the lineage of the Messiah. So, Esau despised the birthright. Esau despised his responsibilities. He despised his duties, his obligations, and his privileges.

And he said, "No, I will not have those things. What I will have is a mess of that pottage." And so what is he doing? He's using his body unlawfully. Let me show you. Hold Hebrews chapter 12, but look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. And let's begin reading there with verse 13. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. And watch verse 13. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 13. Look what the Bible says.

"Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them." Now watch this statement. "Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body." So, God made our bodies for Himself. He did not make them for fornication. Now watch. He says in verse 14, "And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by His own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid. What? Know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body? For two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God's." What did he say? "I own you. You are mine. I bought you. I paid for you. Your body belongs to me. You may not use your body in an unlawful manner." And it does not just refer to sexual sins. It refers to anything that would be unlawful. We cannot use our bodies in the way that we please because our bodies are made for the Lord. Thus, when we become disobedient, like Esau, and despise the things of God, we're fornicators. We're using our lives and our bodies in an unlawful manner.

It doesn't matter what area it is. But now, wait a minute. In Hebrews 12, in verse 16, he said, "...lest there be any fornicator or profane person." Now, why was Esau here called a profane person? I have a message that I preached many years ago entitled, "Preaching Profanity." And I demonstrate in that message how most preachers actually preach profanity. You see, what we do is, we think profanity is cussing. And certainly cursing, or cussing as we would call it, could be profane, and especially when you take God's name in vain. I understand that. But profanity is far more than taking God's name in vain. It's far more than cussing. How could Esau now be called a profane person? We get our English word "profane" from the Latin "profanum."

"Pro" is a preposition which means "before" or "in front of" and "fanum" refers to the temple. So actually it means someone standing outside of the temple. In other words, someone that is treating something that is holy as unholy. So Esau had a holy duty and responsibility and obligation as the firstborn, and he treated it as if it was nothing. He treated it as if it was common or unclean. And he said, "I'm willing to trade my birthright for a mess of pottage." So God called him a fornicator and a profane person. So likewise, when we use our bodies in an unlawful manner, we're fornicators. When we treat God and His Word or anything in relationship to God as one that is common or unclean, we're profane individuals. We're treating that which is in the temple as something that is outside of the temple. Interestingly enough, Israel in the Old Testament despised God, despised His Word, and continued to despise Him over and over and over. I want to just show you how God confronted them and warned them time and time again.

Old Testament Warnings Against Despising God

Numerous Old Testament passages (Leviticus 26, Numbers 11, 14, 15, Isaiah 5, Proverbs 1, 13, 19) warn that despising God's statutes and words brings destruction.

So, turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Leviticus chapter 26. We'll start there. Leviticus 26. And notice, if you would please, verse 14. Leviticus 26 and verse 14. Look what God says in this particular passage, Leviticus 26 verse 14. He says,

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 26:14-16, 43

"But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;"

so already we can see they're not wanting to listen. He said,

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 26:14-16, 43

"If ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it."

But note what he said,

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 26:14-16, 43

"if ye shall despise my statutes and hate my judgments."

Look, if you would, in Leviticus 26 and verse 43. Again, He says it like this in regards to the land. He said, "...the land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes." Did you know that Israel went into captivity for hating God and hating His commandments? Look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers chapter 11. Numbers 11 and look in verse 20. Of course, Israel now has complained and whined and bellyached because they're tired of the manna. They want meat. And God says, "OK, I'm going to give you meat." Look in verse 19. He said, "Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; but even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 11:20

Why came we forth out of Egypt?" I could put it like this. Whining, bellyaching, complaining against God's providence is despising Him. That's exactly what they did here. They were whining and bellyaching. "Oh, why did we even get into this? Why did we listen to Moses? Why did we come out here?" And God says, "It is despising Me." Look in Numbers chapter 14 and verse 31. Numbers 14, verse 31.

You remember how the people said, "Well, you brought us out here to kill us and kill our little ones." Well, look in Numbers chapter 14 if you would please. And notice particularly verse 31. Verse 31, God says,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 14:31

"But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised."

Now wait a minute. How did they despise the land? Do you not remember how God commanded them to go in and fight? And they refused to go in and fight. Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report. The other ten brought back an evil report. And they believed the men with the evil report and not Joshua and Caleb. So they were despising God's land. And God said, "Those little babies that you said were going to be a prey, they're going in. You're going to fall in the wilderness." Look in Numbers chapter 15, beginning there in verse 29. Numbers 15, verse 29. God says, "Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.

But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him." Now let me explain something. Doing something presumptuously, what's that mean? Well, let's see. Let's say that Kevin has a pistol that I really like and I really want it, but he doesn't want to sell it and he doesn't want to give it to me. And I know that the scripture says, "Thou shalt not steal," but I want it. And I steal it. That is a presumptuous sin. I know better. I know better. And God said when we sin presumptuously, we are despising His commandment. I want you to look in the book of Isaiah chapter 5. This may really, really surprise you. But look in Isaiah chapter 5. And I want to set the stage by showing you to whom our Lord is speaking and with whom he is dealing. Look at Isaiah chapter 5 in verse 1. Isaiah 5 in verse 1.

"Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes." Now look in verse three. "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard."

Now, he goes on to tell how he's going to destroy this vineyard because it is not producing as he wanted it and as he expected it because he did everything he could for it. If you want to know who is this vineyard, skip down to verse 7. "For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry." Now, let me show you how perverse they were. Skip down to verse 20. Skip down to verse 20.

Now remember, we're talking to Israel. We're talking to Judah and Jerusalem. Verse 20. "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!" "Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." Why did God judge these people so strenuously? Because they despised My Word. Those were His people. They despised His Word.

Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to two passages. The first one, Romans chapter 15, and the second one, 1 Corinthians chapter 10, because some people, when they hear all of these verses being read, are going to say, "But Brother Weaver, all of those verses are in the Old Testament." That is true. Of course, I'm going to show you some in the New Testament as well, but I want you to listen to me. It is true that all of those verses were in the Old Testament, but may I remind you, we have one Bible, not two. And the Old Testament is just as much the Word of God as the New Testament. We have one God, not two. But I want you to see what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 15, verse 4. Watch carefully. He says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:4

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

Now, I said everything in the Old Testament was written for our learning.

It's there for us. If you will turn right over to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And let's begin reading with verse 1 and read through verse 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And look, if you would please, at verse 1. Watch carefully. "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." Look at verse 5, "But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness." You know, every time I see that verse, I kind of smile. "But with many of them God was not well pleased." How many of the original men that came out of Egypt got into Canaan land? Two. Joshua and Caleb. The rest were overthrown in the wilderness. And yet he says, "But with many of them God was not well pleased." Well, with all of them except Joshua and Caleb, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now watch verse 6.

I'm going to read a little further. "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."

So what is he saying? Everything that I just read in the Old Testament was written for us and for our admonition. about despising God's Word, about despising God. There are warnings scattered throughout Scripture. We have Old Testament illustrations. We have New Testament illustrations. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs chapter 1. Proverbs chapter 1. And let me give you just a couple of these warnings. Notice if you would in Proverbs chapter 1. And let's begin reading with verse 20. Proverbs 1 verse 20. And let's go down, if you would, at least to verse 31. Look in verse 20.

"Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:" Now, wisdom can either be, number one, the Word of God, or number two, the Lord Jesus Christ. For in Proverbs chapter 8, Jesus Christ is wisdom personified. So, verse 20, "Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: she crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you." Now look what God says, "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: they would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices." Hmm. Despising the Word of God is despising God. Look in Proverbs 13 and verse 13. Proverbs 13 and verse 13. What the Bible says. Proverbs 13, verse 13.

"Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded." God says, if you despise My Word, you're going to be destroyed. But if you fear the commandment, that means you obey it, you shall be rewarded. Look in Proverbs 19 and verse 16. Proverbs 19 and verse 16. Here's an interesting verse. "He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die." God said, if you keep my commandments, you're keeping your own soul. But if you despise my ways, then you're going to die.

New Testament Confirmation

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 teaches that despising God's commands regarding sanctification is despising God, not man. The principle is the same in both testaments.

I want you to turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. I want you to see everything that I've been preaching to you from the Old Testament is exactly the same in the New Testament. There is no difference. Look, if you would, what the Apostle Paul said, beginning with verse 1 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Look what he says. "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

All right, here it is. Pay attention. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit." Now, let's see. If I remember correctly, David was charged with despising God's commandment. He was charged with despising God because he coveted another man's wife. He committed adultery. He committed murder. He violated the first commandment. He set himself up as God by dishonoring and dethroning God. Okay, let's check this out. Look if you would in verse 3. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." So we already know this is the will of God. He said, "It's my will that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour, and that you're not to live in the lust of concupiscence, even as the unsaved who know not God.

That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we have also forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." Now, wait a minute. Let's go back. So, he says, "This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." Alright, let's see. If I abstain from fornication, that means I have to obey the tenth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, thy neighbour's daughter, or anything that is thy neighbour's." It also means I have to obey the seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." It also means that I have to also obey the eighth commandment, "Thou shalt not steal," because he talks about defrauding. And to defraud someone is stealing. And then if I'm violating the tenth commandment, the seventh commandment, the eighth commandment, I'm already violating the first commandment. And look what he said in verse 8, "He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit."

Do Christians despise God? Oh, yes. How do they despise Him? By despising His Word. They refuse to read it. They refuse to study it. They refuse to apply it. They refuse to obey it. And when you despise the Word of God, you despise God.

Despising God's Messengers

2 Chronicles 36:15-16 and Luke 10:16 show that mocking and despising God's messengers is despising God and His Word.

And notice, if you would, beginning there in verse 15. 2 Chronicles 36, verse 15, you need to pay close attention to this passage. The Bible says, "And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:" Now whenever God is going to have compassion on the people, he always sends them his messengers, his preachers. Look what happened in verse 16, "But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. Now, go back, if you would. Verse 15 says, he had compassion and he sent his messengers. Now look in verse 16, "But they mocked the messengers of God." Notice messengers is plural, because God sent more than one. Watch. "But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words." And here's the singular. The messengers were carrying God's Word. When they mocked the messengers, they were not despising the words of the messengers. They were despising God's Word who sent those messengers and gave them His Word. So to despise the men who are bringing the Word of God is to despise the Word and the God who gave that Word and sent those messengers. Now, I can quote it, but I want you to look in Luke chapter 10, and I want you to look at verse 16. Luke chapter 10, verse 16. I want you to see what our Lord said, and I want you to remember 2 Chronicles 36 in Luke chapter 10 and verse 16. Luke 10, verse 16.

When He sent out His disciples, He said this, "He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me." Isn't that amazing? Is it possible to despise God? Yes. Even Christians. When we despise His preachers and His Word, we're despising God.

Applications and Seriousness

Christians must examine their lives to avoid despising God. Hebrews 10:28-29 warns of a sorer punishment for those who trample the Son of God and despise the Spirit of grace.

Now, let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. It is possible for Christians to despise God, the God whom they profess to love, the God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. In order to make sure that we do not despise Him, we have to examine our lives, we have to examine our attitudes, our actions and our conduct. We need to make sure that we bring our lives in conformity to His Word and not against His Word, because acting against His Word is despising Him. I want you to look at one last passage. I want you to turn to Hebrews, chapter 10, and my second application is this. I want you to see the absolute seriousness of despising the Lord and his word. Look in Hebrews, chapter 10 and verse 28.

"He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses." So, in the Old Testament, you had to have a minimum of two witnesses. When someone did something worthy of death, if there were two witnesses, he was immediately put to death. There was no appeals court. He was just put to death. So, he said, "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses." Look in verse 29, "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" Do you realize? Despising God means that we're trampling the Son of God under our feet. We're counting Him as worthless and vile. We're counting Him nothing more than an old dirty, filthy foot mat with which we wipe our feet upon. We count the blood of the covenant as nothing.

And we despise the spirit of grace. Wow. And he said, if you died without mercy under the law given through Moses, of how much worse punishment shall he be thought worthy who trods under his feet the Son of God. We need to make sure that we examine our lives and live our lives in such a way that we do not treat our Father, our Savior, our Lord with such contempt and treat Him as vile and worthless. We need to determine in our hearts we're going to obey Him and do that which is well pleasing in His sight. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this night.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Actions reveal true regard for God

Summary: Profession of love for God is meaningless if one's walk is perverse; conduct demonstrates whether one fears or despises the Lord.

Evidence: Proverbs 14:2; Matthew 7:16-20; the contrast between profession and action is emphasized throughout.

Inseparability of God and His Word

Summary: One cannot love God and despise His commandments; to reject God's law is to reject God Himself.

Evidence: John 12:48; Psalm 138:2; the argument that a king rules by his law.

Believers can despise God

Summary: David, a man after God's own heart, despised God through his sin, proving that genuine Christians can hold God in contempt.

Evidence: 2 Samuel 12:9-10; Acts 13:22.

Despising God brings severe consequences

Summary: Scripture repeatedly warns that those who despise God and His Word will be destroyed, lightly esteemed, or face sorer punishment.

Evidence: 1 Samuel 2:30; Proverbs 13:13; Hebrews 10:28-29; Isaiah 5:24-25.

Spiritual fornication and profanity

Summary: Using one's body unlawfully by despising God's will is spiritual fornication; treating holy things as common is profanity, as seen in Esau.

Evidence: Hebrews 12:16-17; 1 Corinthians 6:13-20.

Despising God's messengers is despising God

Summary: Mocking or rejecting those who bring God's Word is equivalent to despising God and His Word.

Evidence: 2 Chronicles 36:15-16; Luke 10:16.

Key Arguments

Profession is not proof of fearing God

Summary: Many professing Christians would deny despising God, but their actions often reveal contempt for His commandments.

Evidence: The adage 'I can't hear what you're saying for the way that you're acting' and Matthew 7:16-20.

David's sin was despising God

Summary: God explicitly charged David with despising His commandment and despising Him, showing that a true believer can despise God.

Evidence: 2 Samuel 12:9-10.

Violating any commandment violates the first

Summary: When one disobeys any of God's laws, they have dethroned God and enthroned themselves, breaking the first commandment.

Evidence: David's adultery, murder, and coveting all stemmed from setting himself up as God.

God and His law are inseparable

Summary: A king rules by his law; to have no regard for God's law is to have no regard for God. Jesus said rejecting His words is rejecting Him.

Evidence: John 12:48; Psalm 138:2.

Esau's example of despising holy things

Summary: Esau despised his birthright, which was a holy responsibility, and is called a fornicator and profane person for treating it as worthless.

Evidence: Hebrews 12:16-17; 1 Corinthians 6:13-20.

Old Testament examples are warnings for us

Summary: The Old Testament accounts of Israel despising God were written for our admonition, as stated in Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11.

Evidence: Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:1-11.

New Testament confirms despising God's commands is despising God

Summary: 1 Thessalonians 4:8 states that he who despises God's commands regarding sanctification despises not man but God.

Evidence: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8.

Despising God's messengers is despising God

Summary: When Israel mocked the prophets, they despised God's words and God Himself; Jesus said despising His disciples is despising Him.

Evidence: 2 Chronicles 36:15-16; Luke 10:16.

Scripture References

Proverbs 14:2

Context: The main text: walking in uprightness fears the Lord, but being perverse in one's ways despises Him.

Matthew 7:16

Context: Jesus said you shall know them by their fruits; actions reveal the heart.

Matthew 7:20

Context: By their fruits you shall know them.

Proverbs 4:23

Context: Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

Isaiah 49:7

Context: The Messiah is described as one whom man despises and the nation abhors.

Isaiah 53:3

Context: Christ was despised and rejected of men; we esteemed Him not.

Matthew 6:24

Context: No man can serve two masters; he will hate one and love the other, or hold to one and despise the other.

Acts 13:22

Context: God's testimony that David was a man after His own heart.

2 Samuel 11:26-27

Context: David's adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah displeased the Lord.

2 Samuel 12:7-10

Context: Nathan confronts David: 'Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord... because thou hast despised me.'

Psalm 138:2

Context: God has magnified His Word above all His name.

John 12:48

Context: He that rejects Christ and receives not His words has one that judges him: the word spoken will judge him.

Hebrews 12:16-17

Context: Esau is called a fornicator and profane person for selling his birthright for one morsel of meat.

1 Corinthians 6:13-20

Context: The body is not for fornication but for the Lord; your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost.

Leviticus 26:14-16, 43

Context: If you despise my statutes and abhor my judgments, I will appoint terror over you; they despised my judgments.

Numbers 11:20

Context: Israel despised the Lord by weeping and complaining about leaving Egypt.

Numbers 14:31

Context: The land which they despised by refusing to enter will be given to their little ones.

Numbers 15:30-31

Context: The soul that sins presumptuously despises the word of the Lord and shall be cut off.

Isaiah 5:20-24

Context: Woe to those who call evil good; they have cast away the law of the Lord and despised the word of the Holy One.

Romans 15:4

Context: Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning.

Historical References

David and Bathsheba

Context: David's adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah as the prime example of a believer despising God.

Esau selling his birthright

Context: Esau despised his birthright for a mess of pottage, called a fornicator and profane person.

Israel in the wilderness

Context: Israel's complaining, refusing to enter Canaan, and despising God's land and commandments.

Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas

Context: Eli's sons were wicked; God said those who despise Him shall be lightly esteemed, and they died the same day.

Babylonian captivity

Context: God brought the king of the Chaldees against Israel because they mocked His messengers and despised His words.

Moses' law and capital punishment

Context: Under Moses' law, despising it led to death without mercy under two or three witnesses.

Important Quotes

He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord. But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.

Significance: The foundational text of the sermon, establishing the link between conduct and one's true attitude toward God.

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight?

Significance: God's direct charge against David, showing that disobedience is despising God's commandment.

Now therefore the sword shall never depart out of thine house; because thou hast despised me.

Significance: God equates David's actions with despising Him personally, not just His law.

He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

Significance: New Testament confirmation that despising God's commands is despising God Himself.

But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

Significance: Shows the severe consequence of despising God's messengers and Word.

He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

Significance: Jesus directly links despising His disciples to despising God the Father.

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Significance: The ultimate warning of the seriousness of despising Christ and His sacrifice.

Discussion Questions

In what ways might a professing Christian's actions reveal that they despise God, even if they verbally deny it?

Context: Based on the contrast between profession and action in Proverbs 14:2 and Matthew 7:16-20.

How does David's sin illustrate that a genuine believer can despise God, and what can we learn from his example?

Context: From the account in 2 Samuel 11-12 and God's charge in 2 Samuel 12:9-10.

Why is it impossible to separate one's attitude toward God from one's attitude toward His Word?

Context: Based on John 12:48 and the principle that a king rules by his law.

In what ways might Christians today be guilty of 'spiritual fornication' or 'profanity' like Esau?

Context: From Hebrews 12:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 6:13-20 regarding using our bodies unlawfully and treating holy things as common.

How should the Old Testament warnings about despising God impact our daily walk as New Testament believers?

Context: Considering Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11 that these things were written for our admonition.

What does it mean to 'despise God's messengers' today, and how can we avoid this sin?

Context: From 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 and Luke 10:16.

How does the warning in Hebrews 10:28-29 about a 'sorer punishment' affect your understanding of the seriousness of despising God?

Context: The contrast between the punishment under Moses' law and the punishment for trampling the Son of God.

What practical steps can we take to examine our lives and ensure we are not despising God in our attitudes and actions?

Context: From the application to examine our lives and bring them into conformity to God's Word.

Applications

Examine your life for evidence of despising God

Summary: Christians must examine their attitudes, actions, and conduct to ensure they are not treating God with contempt by disobeying His Word.

Evidence: The call to examine our lives in light of Proverbs 14:2 and the example of David.

Bring your life into conformity with God's Word

Summary: To avoid despising God, believers must align their lives with Scripture, not act contrary to it.

Evidence: The application that acting against God's Word is despising Him.

Recognize the seriousness of despising God

Summary: Understand that despising God's commands is trampling the Son of God underfoot and counting His blood as unholy, leading to severe judgment.

Evidence: Hebrews 10:28-29 and the warning of sorer punishment.

Repent of despising God

Summary: Confess times of despising God and seek His forgiveness, determining to serve Him acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Evidence: The closing prayer confessing that we have despised God and asking for grace to serve Him.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T01:10:03Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T15:17:03Z

Clean Transcript

Christians That Despise God

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

All right, well, let's have prayer tonight, shall we? Father, thank you for your love, your grace, your mercy, your goodness and kindness. We do pray tonight, Lord, that you would teach us. Help us, Lord, to see thy word and thy truth and grant us understanding hearts. Pray for liberty and freedom in preaching and that the word of God would have free course. In thy name we pray, amen.
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I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Proverbs, chapter 14, and verse 2. Proverbs 14, verse 2. It's a very simple verse, but it's going to take a little while to explain this verse, because the title of the message is, Christians Who Despise God. Christians Who Despise God. In Proverbs, chapter 14, and verse 2, the Bible says, "He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord."
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"But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him." Simple verse, so look at it one more time. "He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord. But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him." If you were to ask the average professing Christian, "Do you despise God?" you're going to get a resounding negative. In fact, you may get more than a negative. You may get even looked at in a very hard and incredulous manner. You may even be hollered at, or you may even be cussed out in a Christian manner, of course.
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But most will profess to love Him, and they would certainly never, ever confess to despising Him. However, there's a vast difference between profession and action. Each of us has heard and used the old adage, "I can't hear what you're saying for the way that you're acting." And the truth of the matter is, our actions really reveal more than our profession. Our Lord made this exceedingly clear in Matthew chapter 7 and verse 16 when He said, "You shall know them by their fruits."
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And then He asked this question, "Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles?" And the answer is obviously no. It doesn't matter what one professes, it's how one actually lives and walks. Again, in Matthew 7, verse 20, He said it like this, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." So, in the strictest sense of the word, it really does not matter what an individual professes. It really does not matter what he says. It is how he lives that counts.
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We need to certainly understand this in the political arena. Because all the politicians claim to be Christians just to get the Christian vote, and then of course, when they get in office, everything they do is absolutely contrary to God and His Word. And so many times we just say, "Well, he said he was a Christian," and the truth is we just never, ever examine his actions. The truth is that action and conduct and conversation reveal the innermost heart of man. That's why Solomon said in Proverbs 4, verse 23, "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." Now, I want you to look closely at Proverbs 14, verse 2.
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The Bible says, "...he that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord." Stop and think about this. Your walk is your life. It is your conduct. It is how you live. If you look at the latter part of that verse, "...but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him." Well, again, one's ways is how one lives. It's how he walks. It's how he acts. Thus, the Word of God accurately says, "He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord, but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him." So, let's examine the first part of this verse momentarily. "He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord." So when one is walking in uprightness according to the Bible, he's walking in righteousness. He's walking in that which is ethical, moral, and right according to God's law. And when one is walking like that, it is a demonstration in reality that he genuinely fears God. His life demonstrates that he holds the one true living God in reverence and awe, and he regards Him, and therefore he submits to Him and obeys Him.
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But if you notice the latter part of that verse, "...but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him." So on the other hand, when one is perverse in his ways, and that word literally means when one is crooked, devious, froward, disobedient, he is evidencing the fact that he has absolutely no regard or respect for God. Rather, he despises Him. Now the interesting thing about the word "despises" here, the Hebrew word literally means to hold in contempt.
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to disdain, to scorn, to make contemptible, as well as to treat vile and worthless." So, when you look at the latter part, he that is perverse in his ways treats God as vile, worthless, and contemptible.
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Now, we should know and we should understand that the world of unbelievers automatically despise Christ. In fact, if you'll hold Proverbs, but look in your Bibles, if you would, very quickly, to Isaiah chapter 49, and then we'll go to Isaiah 53. But notice in Isaiah 49 and verse 7, notice what the Bible says concerning Christ, the Messiah. Isaiah 49 verse 7, "Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and His Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee."
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But note, if you would, the first part. "Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, and to him whom the nation abhorreth." They hated Jesus Christ, they despised him. Then if you look in Isaiah 53 and verse 3, here's a passage that practically everyone can quote, or at least you certainly know about it. Isaiah 53 and verse 3, talking about the Messiah Jesus Christ, the Bible says, "He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
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And we hid as it were our faces from Him. He was despised and we esteemed Him not."
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Now, go back to this verse just for a moment. "He is despised and rejected of men." Then He's classified as "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." And look at the latter part. "And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him." We didn't really want to acknowledge Him, look at Him. He was despised. Now watch this. "And we esteemed Him not." When the Bible says that we esteemed Him not, it means literally we did not even think
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that He was worth thinking about. He was not worthy of our time. He was not worthy of our consideration. Such was our despisement for the Son of God. So, obviously, the unsaved, according to Isaiah 49 and Isaiah 53, they despised Him. That is very clear. And we also despised Him when we were unsaved, just like the others. But the questions that remain that must be asked are these.
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Is it possible for a real genuine child of God, a true Christian, to hold his heavenly Father in such contempt and to treat Him with scorn, derision and disdain, so much so that we actually are considering Him as vile and worthless? Is it possible for a real, genuine child of God to despise Him? And the answer to those questions, unhappily, is indeed an unqualified yes. In fact, I'm going to show you from Scripture how most Christians really despise God. And they don't only despise Him, they despise Him on a regular basis. In fact, they would despise Him daily. They profess to love Him, but in reality, they despise Him. Our Lord made it clear that we will either love Him or hate Him, or we will either serve Him or deny Him.
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Listen to what He said in Matthew 6 and verse 24. He said, "No man can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other." And then he said, "You cannot serve God and mammon." So our Lord said, you either go love one and hate the other, or serve one and despise the other. Now, I've been talking already tonight about Christians who despise God. I suppose it would probably be helpful, before I go any further, if I could show you from the Bible an illustration of a real, genuine believer who despised God.
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You say, "I don't think that's possible." Well, it is possible. I'm going to show you. But first of all, I want you to turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 13 and then get ready to turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel. Look in Acts chapter 13 because I want you to see exactly what God says concerning David. In Acts chapter 13, notice if you would please, verse 22. Acts 13 and verse 22. The Bible says, "And when he had removed him," that is Saul. Saul is mentioned in verse 21. Saul was the first king of Israel. "And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will." Now, this is the testimony that God gave concerning David. He said that David was a man after his own heart, and that David was going to fulfill all of his will. So, I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would.
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Turn, first of all, to 2 Samuel, chapter 11. 2 Samuel, chapter 11. And I'm sure that you know the story. In 2 Samuel chapter 11, David has looked out and he has seen a beautiful woman washing herself, and her name of course was Bathsheba. And of course he sent and took her. She was a married woman. And the Bible says in 2 Samuel chapter 11, beginning there with verse 26, "And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord." Now, you know the story, how David had taken Bathsheba. He had not only committed adultery, he also had her husband Uriah the Hittite slain with the sword of the children of Ammon. Of course, he tried to get Uriah drunk and he did get him drunk. And Uriah still would not do what David wanted to do to cover his sin.
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And so finally he wrote this note to Joab and he said, "You put Uriah in the foremost front of the battle and then you would retire from him that he may be smitten." And then he said to Joab, "Let not this thing displease thee because one dieth in battle as well as another." And so David purposefully deliberately had Uriah killed by the children of Ammon. Now the Bible says here in verse 27, "But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord." So there was a great deal of displeasure in David's actions, that is for sure.
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And so what did God do? God sent to David the prophet Nathan. And Nathan gave him a little story. He said, "Here was a rich man who had plenty of sheep. Here was one poor man who had one little ewe lamb, and he nourished that ewe lamb, and that ewe lamb laid in his bosom and was like a child to him. And when a man came to visit the rich man, he spared to take of his own flock, and he went and took the poor man's little ewe lamb and killed it and fed his visitor." And David was extremely upset and angry, and he said, "The man that hath done this thing shall restore fourfold, and he shall surely die." And Nathan just simply said, "Thou art the man. This is what you have done."
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So look in 2 Samuel chapter 12, beginning there with verse 7. Watch carefully now. Because the Bible has said that what David has done is displeased the Lord. And so you have to ask, why did it displease the Lord? Verse 7, 2 Samuel 12, "And Nathan said unto David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul. And I gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom. And I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that had been too little, I would more have given unto thee such and such things. Now watch. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with a sword, and thou hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart out of thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife."
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"Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of the sun. For thou didst it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun."
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Now, I want you to notice, if you would please, what the Bible says in verse 9. God asked David, "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord?" Wow! Is it possible for a real, genuine believer to despise God? And the answer is yes, for David most certainly did so. Moreover, there are a multitude today who actually despise him. You say, "Well, how do they despise him?" And the answer is, they despise him exactly the way David despised him. Well, how did David despise him? Well, in verse 9 he says this, "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight?" The very first thing David did was to despise God's commandment. What were his commandments? Well, let's see. "Thou shalt not covet" would be one. "Thou shalt not commit adultery" would be another. "Thou shalt not steal" would be another.
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For he took a man's wife. And then how about the first one? "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
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Now, I want you to understand something. It is impossible to violate any of the commandments of God without violating the first commandment to begin with. Because obviously, when you violate any of God's law, you have already in your own mind, in your own life, dethroned God and enthroned yourself. You've just said, "God is not God, I am God, I make my own law, I do what I please to do." So, David despised God's commandment. And I could say commandments. It was not just one that he despised. He despised a number of them. In fact, we could say he despised all of them. For James says, when you violate one, then you're guilty of all.
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But, let's not stop at verse 9. Skip down to verse 10. Look what the Bible says.
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"Now therefore the sword shall never depart out of thine house; because thou hast despised me." So, David began by despising God's commandment, but now God says, "You have despised Me, and you've taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife." Understand this, when one has no regard for the law of God, he has no regard for God. God and His law cannot be separated. You must remember something extremely simple. Here it is. A king rules by his law. That is true of God. It is true of man. Although we do not have a king in America, Trump, the president-elect, will change things. Not everything. And probably not some things that we won't change.
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But he's going to do it a little differently than Obama. At least I hope so and I pray so. But when Obama came in, he changed things. A king rules by his law. And when God gave his law, he is saying, "This is my will for your life." So when one has absolutely no regard for the law of God, it means he has no regard for the God who gave that law, thus to despise the Word of God, to despise the Law of God, means that you despise God who gave that Law.
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That's why David said in Psalm 138, verse 2, "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." So God has placed His Word up here, and if His Word ever fails, then God is not God. And so, God has placed such a high regard upon His Word, if you despise that Word, you're despising God.
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So, let me try to break it down for you like this. It is impossible to have one attitude toward God and a different attitude toward His law. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 12. I want you to see how our Lord puts this thing together. Look in John chapter 12. I've heard people say something similar to this in my years of preaching.
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"Well, I love Jesus Christ, but I don't care about all the Bible. I don't really love the Bible." Really. Or I've heard people say, "Well, I love the Bible, but I don't know that I believe in Jesus Christ." That's impossible. You cannot maintain one attitude toward Jesus Christ, or toward God the Father, and a different attitude toward His Word. Because they're one and the same. If you look in John 12 and verse 48, look what our Lord said. Our Lord says this, "He that rejecteth Me," remember Jesus Christ is the living Word, "...he that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words," that is the written Word, "...hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." So Jesus Christ is the living Word, and the Bible is the written Word. And He said, you can't reject Me without rejecting My Word, and you can't reject My Word without rejecting Me. So it's impossible to have one attitude toward the one true and the living God, and a different attitude toward His Word or toward His Law.
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So when a Christian then refuses to obey the Word of God, he's guilty of despising God's Law. And when he's guilty of despising God's Law, he's equally guilty of despising the God who gave that Law.
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Now, let me make a statement. I'm going to show it to you. When we despise God's law, and we end up despising God, we become like Esau. We become a fornicator and a profane person. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12, and look if you would please at verses 16 and 17. Hebrews 12, verses 16 and 17. You know, it is amazing to me how these words are used in regard to what happened. So, in Hebrews 12, verse 16, the Bible says, "...lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau."
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Now, just stop right there for a moment. When you and I think about fornication, we think about sexual sins. But may I remind you that the word fornication is an exceedingly broad word. In fact, the truth of the matter is, when you look at fornication in the Bible, usually it has far more reference to spiritual fornication than physical. And here also, it's going to refer to a spiritual fornication. So look what he says.
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In verse 16, "...lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." So, Esau being called a fornicator and a profane person is in reference to selling his birthright. He says in verse 17, "...for ye know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." Now, the question you have to ask is this, why did God call Esau, in this instance, a fornicator?
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May I remind you that fornication refers to the unlawful use of the body. The Bible says, that Esau, being the firstborn, was to inherit the birthright. But he despised his birthright. The birthright basically included three things. Number one, that would mean that Esau would have become the patriarch of the family. In other words, he would be the head honcho, so to speak. He would be the man in charge of the family clan.
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Secondly, his birthright would give him a double portion of the inheritance. Because the one who had the birthright received that double portion, which means therefore he would have the responsibility of taking care of his elderly parents when they could not take care of themselves. That's why he got the double portion. And then thirdly, the birthright included the lineage of the Messiah. So, Esau despised the birthright. Esau despised his responsibilities. He despised his duties, his obligations, and his privileges.
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And he said, "No, I will not have those things. What I will have is a mess of that pottage." And so what is he doing? He's using his body unlawfully. Let me show you. Hold Hebrews chapter 12, but look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. And let's begin reading there with verse 13. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. And watch verse 13. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 13. Look what the Bible says.
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"Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them." Now watch this statement.
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"Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body." So, God made our bodies for Himself. He did not make them for fornication. Now watch. He says in verse 14, "And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by His own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid. What? Know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body? For two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
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For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God's." What did he say? "I own you. You are mine. I bought you. I paid for you. Your body belongs to me. You may not use your body in an unlawful manner." And it does not just refer to sexual sins. It refers to anything that would be unlawful. We cannot use our bodies in the way that we please because our bodies are made for the Lord. Thus, when we become disobedient, like Esau, and despise the things of God, we're fornicators. We're using our lives and our bodies in an unlawful manner.
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It doesn't matter what area it is. But now, wait a minute. In Hebrews 12, in verse 16, he said, "...lest there be any fornicator or profane person." Now, why was Esau here called a profane person? I have a message that I preached many years ago entitled, "Preaching Profanity." And I demonstrate in that message how most preachers actually preach profanity. You see, what we do is, we think profanity is cussing. And certainly cursing, or cussing as we would call it, could be profane, and especially when you take God's name in vain. I understand that. But profanity is far more than taking God's name in vain. It's far more than cussing. How could Esau now be called a profane person? We get our English word "profane" from the Latin "profanum."
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"Pro" is a preposition which means "before" or "in front of" and "fanum" refers to the temple. So actually it means someone standing outside of the temple. In other words, someone that is treating something that is holy as unholy. So Esau had a holy duty and responsibility and obligation as the firstborn, and he treated it as if it was nothing. He treated it as if it was common or unclean.
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And he said, "I'm willing to trade my birthright for a mess of pottage." So God called him a fornicator and a profane person. So likewise, when we use our bodies in an unlawful manner, we're fornicators. When we treat God and His Word or anything in relationship to God as one that is common or unclean, we're profane individuals. We're treating that which is in the temple as something that is outside of the temple. Interestingly enough, Israel in the Old Testament despised God, despised His Word, and continued to despise Him over and over and over. I want to just show you how God confronted them and warned them time and time again.
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So, turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Leviticus chapter 26. We'll start there. Leviticus 26. And notice, if you would please, verse 14. Leviticus 26 and verse 14. Look what God says in this particular passage, Leviticus 26 verse 14. He says, "But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;" so already we can see they're not wanting to listen. He said, "If ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:
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I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it." But note what he said, "if ye shall despise my statutes and hate my judgments." Look, if you would, in Leviticus 26 and verse 43. Again, He says it like this in regards to the land. He said, "...the land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them:
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and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes." Did you know that Israel went into captivity for hating God and hating His commandments? Look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers chapter 11. Numbers 11 and look in verse 20. Of course, Israel now has complained and whined and bellyached because they're tired of the manna. They want meat. And God says, "OK, I'm going to give you meat." Look in verse 19. He said, "Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; but even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying,
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Why came we forth out of Egypt?" I could put it like this. Whining, bellyaching, complaining against God's providence is despising Him. That's exactly what they did here. They were whining and bellyaching. "Oh, why did we even get into this? Why did we listen to Moses? Why did we come out here?" And God says, "It is despising Me." Look in Numbers chapter 14 and verse 31. Numbers 14, verse 31.
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You remember how the people said, "Well, you brought us out here to kill us and kill our little ones." Well, look in Numbers chapter 14 if you would please. And notice particularly verse 31. Verse 31, God says, "But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised." Now wait a minute. How did they despise the land? Do you not remember how God commanded them to go in and fight? And they refused to go in and fight. Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report. The other ten brought back an evil report. And they believed the men with the evil report and not Joshua and Caleb. So they were despising God's land. And God said, "Those little babies that you said were going to be a prey, they're going in. You're going to fall in the wilderness." Look in Numbers chapter 15, beginning there in verse 29. Numbers 15, verse 29. God says, "Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.
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But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him."
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Now let me explain something. Doing something presumptuously, what's that mean? Well, let's see. Let's say that Kevin has a pistol that I really like and I really want it, but he doesn't want to sell it and he doesn't want to give it to me. And I know that the scripture says, "Thou shalt not steal," but I want it. And I steal it. That is a presumptuous sin. I know better. I know better. And God said when we sin presumptuously, we are despising His commandment. I want you to look in the book of Isaiah chapter 5. This may really, really surprise you. But look in Isaiah chapter 5. And I want to set the stage by showing you to whom our Lord is speaking and with whom he is dealing. Look at Isaiah chapter 5 in verse 1. Isaiah 5 in verse 1.
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"Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes."
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Now look in verse three. "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard."
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Now, he goes on to tell how he's going to destroy this vineyard because it is not producing as he wanted it and as he expected it because he did everything he could for it. If you want to know who is this vineyard, skip down to verse 7. "For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant:
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and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry." Now, let me show you how perverse they were. Skip down to verse 20. Skip down to verse 20.
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Now remember, we're talking to Israel. We're talking to Judah and Jerusalem. Verse 20. "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!"
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"Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." Why did God judge these people so strenuously? Because they despised My Word. Those were His people. They despised His Word.
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Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to two passages. The first one, Romans chapter 15, and the second one, 1 Corinthians chapter 10, because some people, when they hear all of these verses being read, are going to say, "But Brother Weaver, all of those verses are in the Old Testament." That is true. Of course, I'm going to show you some in the New Testament as well, but I want you to listen to me. It is true that all of those verses were in the Old Testament, but may I remind you, we have one Bible, not two. And the Old Testament is just as much the Word of God as the New Testament. We have one God, not two. But I want you to see what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 15, verse 4. Watch carefully. He says, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Now, I said everything in the Old Testament was written for our learning.
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It's there for us. If you will turn right over to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And let's begin reading with verse 1 and read through verse 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And look, if you would please, at verse 1. Watch carefully. "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
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and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." Look at verse 5, "But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness." You know, every time I see that verse, I kind of smile. "But with many of them God was not well pleased." How many of the original men that came out of Egypt got into Canaan land? Two. Joshua and Caleb. The rest were overthrown in the wilderness. And yet he says, "But with many of them God was not well pleased." Well, with all of them except Joshua and Caleb, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now watch verse 6.
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I'm going to read a little further. "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
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So what is he saying? Everything that I just read in the Old Testament was written for us and for our admonition. about despising God's Word, about despising God. There are warnings scattered throughout Scripture. We have Old Testament illustrations. We have New Testament illustrations. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs chapter 1. Proverbs chapter 1. And let me give you just a couple of these warnings. Notice if you would in Proverbs chapter 1. And let's begin reading with verse 20. Proverbs 1 verse 20. And let's go down, if you would, at least to verse 31. Look in verse 20.
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"Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:" Now, wisdom can either be, number one, the Word of God, or number two, the Lord Jesus Christ. For in Proverbs chapter 8, Jesus Christ is wisdom personified. So, verse 20, "Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: she crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?
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and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you." Now look what God says, "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
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I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
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they would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices." Hmm. Despising the Word of God is despising God. Look in Proverbs 13 and verse 13. Proverbs 13 and verse 13. What the Bible says. Proverbs 13, verse 13.
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"Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded." God says, if you despise My Word, you're going to be destroyed. But if you fear the commandment, that means you obey it, you shall be rewarded. Look in Proverbs 19 and verse 16. Proverbs 19 and verse 16. Here's an interesting verse. "He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die." God said, if you keep my commandments, you're keeping your own soul. But if you despise my ways, then you're going to die.
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Now, let me tell you what the general principle is. You'll find this in 1 Samuel chapter 2 in verse 30. You remember Eli was basically an unfaithful priest, and he had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who were wicked, wicked, wicked boys. And he failed to restrain them. He would not rebuke his sons, even though they were committing fornication at the door of the tabernacle. And so God says in 1 Samuel 2 and verse 30, "Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." And, of course, you know, Hophni and Phinehas and Eli all died on the same day. God says, "Them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."
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So let me ask you, is it any wonder that most of our prayers are unanswered? Is it any wonder that we spend most of our lives in an unblessed manner because we hold our Heavenly Father in contempt and treat Him vilely? We despise Him. And according to 1 Samuel chapter 2 and verse 30, if we despise Him, we shall be lightly esteemed as well. So let me ask you, what father wishes to honor a disobedient and rebellious child? What father wants to honor a disobedient and rebellious child?
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I usually tell the story about our two oldest grandkids. They're now 28. Well, they were about two, two and a half. They wanted some cow boots. They couldn't even say cowboy boots. They called them cow boots. So we took them to Walmart. This was 26 years ago. I had 20 bucks in my pocket. That was all. And we needed that for groceries. So we took them and what we were going to do was try those little boots on them, see what size they were and how they fit. And then we were going to come back and get them in a week or so when I had a little more money. And so, we got the boots and we put them on Casey and Renee. And they walked around in them and they kept saying, "Cow boots, cow boots," you know. So, we took them off and put them back in the box and put them on the shelf. And I picked up Casey to leave and she picked up Renee. And just as we were walking away, Casey in that little pitiful voice said, "Bye-bye, cow boots."
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And I looked at Alice. I said, "Get them. We'll go hungry." And so they got the cow boots. So here's my question. Do you think for one minute if he had started screaming and pitching a fit, hollered, "I want those boots! I want those boots!" Papa would have never, ever bought him a pair of boots. He'd have done without. No father wishes to honor a dishonorable child. No grandfather.
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In fact, do you know that God said the same thing in Malachi 1 and verse 6? He said, "A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name." God says, you think I'm going to honor you when you despise My name? We despise God by holding Him in disdain and contempt. We despise God by refusing to serve Him. We despise God by refusing to worship Him. We despise God by refusing to give Him our best. We despise God and we count Him as vile and worthless.
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I want you to turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. I want you to see everything that I've been preaching to you from the Old Testament is exactly the same in the New Testament. There is no difference. Look, if you would, what the Apostle Paul said, beginning with verse 1 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Look what he says. "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
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All right, here it is. Pay attention. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit." Now, let's see.
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If I remember correctly, David was charged with despising God's commandment. He was charged with despising God because he coveted another man's wife. He committed adultery. He committed murder. He violated the first commandment. He set himself up as God by dishonoring and dethroning God. Okay, let's check this out. Look if you would in verse 3. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." So we already know this is the will of God. He said, "It's my will that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour, and that you're not to live in the lust of concupiscence, even as the unsaved who know not God.
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That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we have also forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." Now, wait a minute. Let's go back. So, he says, "This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." Alright, let's see. If I abstain from fornication, that means I have to obey the tenth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, thy neighbour's daughter, or anything that is thy neighbour's." It also means I have to obey the seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." It also means that I have to also obey the eighth commandment, "Thou shalt not steal," because he talks about defrauding. And to defraud someone is stealing. And then if I'm violating the tenth commandment, the seventh commandment, the eighth commandment, I'm already violating the first commandment. And look what he said in verse 8, "He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit."
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Do Christians despise God? Oh, yes. How do they despise Him? By despising His Word. They refuse to read it. They refuse to study it. They refuse to apply it. They refuse to obey it. And when you despise the Word of God, you despise God.
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Now, let me give you one other thought. Look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles, Chapter 36. 2 Chronicles, Chapter 36.
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And notice, if you would, beginning there in verse 15. 2 Chronicles 36, verse 15, you need to pay close attention to this passage. The Bible says, "And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:" Now whenever God is going to have compassion on the people, he always sends them his messengers, his preachers. Look what happened in verse 16, "But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.
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Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.
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Now, go back, if you would. Verse 15 says, he had compassion and he sent his messengers. Now look in verse 16, "But they mocked the messengers of God." Notice messengers is plural, because God sent more than one. Watch. "But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words." And here's the singular. The messengers were carrying God's Word. When they mocked the messengers, they were not despising the words of the messengers. They were despising God's Word who sent those messengers and gave them His Word. So to despise the men who are bringing the Word of God is to despise the Word and the God who gave that Word and sent those messengers. Now, I can quote it, but I want you to look in Luke chapter 10, and I want you to look at verse 16. Luke chapter 10, verse 16. I want you to see what our Lord said, and I want you to remember 2 Chronicles 36 in Luke chapter 10 and verse 16. Luke 10, verse 16.
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When He sent out His disciples, He said this, "He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me." Isn't that amazing? Is it possible to despise God? Yes. Even Christians. When we despise His preachers and His Word, we're despising God.
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Now, let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. It is possible for Christians to despise God, the God whom they profess to love, the God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. In order to make sure that we do not despise Him, we have to examine our lives, we have to examine our attitudes, our actions and our conduct. We need to make sure that we bring our lives in conformity to His Word and not against His Word, because acting against His Word is despising Him. I want you to look at one last passage. I want you to turn to Hebrews, chapter 10, and my second application is this. I want you to see the absolute seriousness of despising the Lord and his word. Look in Hebrews, chapter 10 and verse 28.
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"He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses." So, in the Old Testament, you had to have a minimum of two witnesses. When someone did something worthy of death, if there were two witnesses, he was immediately put to death. There was no appeals court. He was just put to death. So, he said, "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses." Look in verse 29, "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" Do you realize? Despising God means that we're trampling the Son of God under our feet. We're counting Him as worthless and vile. We're counting Him nothing more than an old dirty, filthy foot mat with which we wipe our feet upon. We count the blood of the covenant as nothing.
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And we despise the spirit of grace. Wow. And he said, if you died without mercy under the law given through Moses, of how much worse punishment shall he be thought worthy who trods under his feet the Son of God. We need to make sure that we examine our lives and live our lives in such a way that we do not treat our Father, our Savior, our Lord with such contempt and treat Him as vile and worthless. We need to determine in our hearts we're going to obey Him and do that which is well pleasing in His sight. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this night.
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We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And Lord, we do confess that we have despised You in so many times, in so many ways. And we ask Thy divine forgiveness. Help us, Lord, to examine our lives, to repent, and to bring our lives in conformity to Your Word. Give us grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T01:10:03Z

Christians That Despise God

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver examines Proverbs 14:2 to show that a person's walk reveals whether they fear or despise God. He argues that many professing Christians actually despise God by despising His Word and commandments, using David's sin with Bathsheba and Uriah as a prime example. The sermon warns that despising God's law is inseparable from despising God Himself, and that such contempt brings severe consequences, as illustrated throughout Scripture. Believers are urged to examine their lives and bring them into conformity with God's Word.

Opening

Introduction and Text

Reading of Proverbs 14:2, which contrasts walking in uprightness (fearing the Lord) with being perverse in one's ways (despising Him).

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 14:2

"He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord." "But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him."

Simple verse, so look at it one more time.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 14:2

"He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord. But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him."

Profession vs. Action

Most professing Christians would deny despising God, but actions reveal the truth more than words, as Jesus taught in Matthew 7:16-20.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:16

"You shall know them by their fruits."

And then He asked this question,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:16

"Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles?"

And the answer is obviously no. It doesn't matter what one professes, it's how one actually lives and walks. Again, in Matthew 7, verse 20, He said it like this,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:16

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

So, in the strictest sense of the word, it really does not matter what an individual professes. It really does not matter what he says. It is how he lives that counts.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 4:23

"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."

The Meaning of Walking in Uprightness vs. Perverseness

Walking in uprightness demonstrates genuine fear of God; being perverse (crooked, disobedient) shows contempt and disdain for God.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 4:23

"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."

The World's Despising of Christ

Isaiah 49:7 and 53:3 show that the unsaved world despises Christ, but the question is whether true Christians can also despise God.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 49:7

"Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and His Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee."

But note, if you would, the first part.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 49:7

"Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, and to him whom the nation abhorreth."

Now, go back to this verse just for a moment.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 53:3

"He is despised and rejected of men."

Then He's classified as

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 53:3

"a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief."

And look at the latter part.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 53:3

"And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him."

We didn't really want to acknowledge Him, look at Him. He was despised. Now watch this.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 53:3

"And we esteemed Him not."

David: A Believer Who Despised God

Using 2 Samuel 11-12, Weaver demonstrates that David, a man after God's own heart, despised God's commandment and God Himself through adultery and murder.

Scripture Reading — Acts 13:22

"And when he had removed him,"

that is Saul. Saul is mentioned in verse 21. Saul was the first king of Israel.

Scripture Reading — Acts 13:22

"And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will."

Scripture Reading — 2 Samuel 11:26-27

"And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord."

Scripture Reading — 2 Samuel 12:7-10

"And Nathan said unto David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul. And I gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom. And I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that had been too little, I would more have given unto thee such and such things. Now watch. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with a sword, and thou hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart out of thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife."

Despising God's Law Is Despising God

God and His law cannot be separated; to despise His Word is to despise Him. John 12:48 shows that rejecting Christ's words is rejecting Christ.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 138:2

"I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."

So God has placed His Word up here, and if His Word ever fails, then God is not God. And so, God has placed such a high regard upon His Word, if you despise that Word, you're despising God.

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"He that rejecteth Me,"

remember Jesus Christ is the living Word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"...he that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words,"

that is the written Word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"...hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

So when a Christian then refuses to obey the Word of God, he's guilty of despising God's Law. And when he's guilty of despising God's Law, he's equally guilty of despising the God who gave that Law.

Esau as a Fornicator and Profane Person

Esau despised his birthright, using his body unlawfully (fornication) and treating holy things as common (profanity), illustrating how despising God's gifts is despising God.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:16-17

"...lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau."

Old Testament Warnings Against Despising God

Numerous Old Testament passages (Leviticus 26, Numbers 11, 14, 15, Isaiah 5, Proverbs 1, 13, 19) warn that despising God's statutes and words brings destruction.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 26:14-16, 43

"But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;"

so already we can see they're not wanting to listen. He said,

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 26:14-16, 43

"If ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it."

But note what he said,

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 26:14-16, 43

"if ye shall despise my statutes and hate my judgments."

Scripture Reading — Numbers 11:20

Why came we forth out of Egypt?" I could put it like this. Whining, bellyaching, complaining against God's providence is despising Him. That's exactly what they did here. They were whining and bellyaching. "Oh, why did we even get into this? Why did we listen to Moses? Why did we come out here?" And God says, "It is despising Me." Look in Numbers chapter 14 and verse 31. Numbers 14, verse 31.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 14:31

"But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised."

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:4

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

Now, I said everything in the Old Testament was written for our learning.

New Testament Confirmation

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 teaches that despising God's commands regarding sanctification is despising God, not man. The principle is the same in both testaments.

Despising God's Messengers

2 Chronicles 36:15-16 and Luke 10:16 show that mocking and despising God's messengers is despising God and His Word.

Applications and Seriousness

Christians must examine their lives to avoid despising God. Hebrews 10:28-29 warns of a sorer punishment for those who trample the Son of God and despise the Spirit of grace.

Christians That Despise God

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1118161630360
Subject	Biblical Worldview
Course	The Fear of God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2016-11-16
Dictation Name
Book	Book 067: The Fear of God — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	86

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Text: Reading of Proverbs 14:2, which contrasts walking in uprightness (fearing the Lord) with being perverse in one's ways (despising Him).
Profession vs. Action: Most professing Christians would deny despising God, but actions reveal the truth more than words, as Jesus taught in Matthew 7:16-20.
The Meaning of Walking in Uprightness vs. Perverseness: Walking in uprightness demonstrates genuine fear of God; being perverse (crooked, disobedient) shows contempt and disdain for God.
The World's Despising of Christ: Isaiah 49:7 and 53:3 show that the unsaved world despises Christ, but the question is whether true Christians can also despise God.
David: A Believer Who Despised God: Using 2 Samuel 11-12, Weaver demonstrates that David, a man after God's own heart, despised God's commandment and God Himself through adultery and murder.
Despising God's Law Is Despising God: God and His law cannot be separated; to despise His Word is to despise Him. John 12:48 shows that rejecting Christ's words is rejecting Christ.
Esau as a Fornicator and Profane Person: Esau despised his birthright, using his body unlawfully (fornication) and treating holy things as common (profanity), illustrating how despising God's gifts is despising God.
Old Testament Warnings Against Despising God: Numerous Old Testament passages (Leviticus 26, Numbers 11, 14, 15, Isaiah 5, Proverbs 1, 13, 19) warn that despising God's statutes and words brings destruction.
New Testament Confirmation: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 teaches that despising God's commands regarding sanctification is despising God, not man. The principle is the same in both testaments.
Despising God's Messengers: 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 and Luke 10:16 show that mocking and despising God's messengers is despising God and His Word.
Applications and Seriousness: Christians must examine their lives to avoid despising God. Hebrews 10:28-29 warns of a sorer punishment for those who trample the Son of God and despise the Spirit of grace.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Profession is not proof of fearing God

Many professing Christians would deny despising God, but their actions often reveal contempt for His commandments.

The adage 'I can't hear what you're saying for the way that you're acting' and Matthew 7:16-20.

David's sin was despising God

God explicitly charged David with despising His commandment and despising Him, showing that a true believer can despise God.

2 Samuel 12:9-10.

Violating any commandment violates the first

When one disobeys any of God's laws, they have dethroned God and enthroned themselves, breaking the first commandment.

David's adultery, murder, and coveting all stemmed from setting himself up as God.

God and His law are inseparable

A king rules by his law; to have no regard for God's law is to have no regard for God. Jesus said rejecting His words is rejecting Him.

John 12:48; Psalm 138:2.

Esau's example of despising holy things

Esau despised his birthright, which was a holy responsibility, and is called a fornicator and profane person for treating it as worthless.

Hebrews 12:16-17; 1 Corinthians 6:13-20.

Old Testament examples are warnings for us

The Old Testament accounts of Israel despising God were written for our admonition, as stated in Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11.

Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:1-11.

New Testament confirms despising God's commands is despising God

1 Thessalonians 4:8 states that he who despises God's commands regarding sanctification despises not man but God.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8.

Despising God's messengers is despising God

When Israel mocked the prophets, they despised God's words and God Himself; Jesus said despising His disciples is despising Him.

2 Chronicles 36:15-16; Luke 10:16.

Scripture References

Proverbs 14:2: The main text: walking in uprightness fears the Lord, but being perverse in one's ways despises Him.
Matthew 7:16: Jesus said you shall know them by their fruits; actions reveal the heart.
Matthew 7:20: By their fruits you shall know them.
Proverbs 4:23: Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.
Isaiah 49:7: The Messiah is described as one whom man despises and the nation abhors.
Isaiah 53:3: Christ was despised and rejected of men; we esteemed Him not.
Matthew 6:24: No man can serve two masters; he will hate one and love the other, or hold to one and despise the other.
Acts 13:22: God's testimony that David was a man after His own heart.
2 Samuel 11:26-27: David's adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah displeased the Lord.
2 Samuel 12:7-10: Nathan confronts David: 'Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord... because thou hast despised me.'
Psalm 138:2: God has magnified His Word above all His name.
John 12:48: He that rejects Christ and receives not His words has one that judges him: the word spoken will judge him.
Hebrews 12:16-17: Esau is called a fornicator and profane person for selling his birthright for one morsel of meat.
1 Corinthians 6:13-20: The body is not for fornication but for the Lord; your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost.
Leviticus 26:14-16, 43: If you despise my statutes and abhor my judgments, I will appoint terror over you; they despised my judgments.
Numbers 11:20: Israel despised the Lord by weeping and complaining about leaving Egypt.
Numbers 14:31: The land which they despised by refusing to enter will be given to their little ones.
Numbers 15:30-31: The soul that sins presumptuously despises the word of the Lord and shall be cut off.
Isaiah 5:20-24: Woe to those who call evil good; they have cast away the law of the Lord and despised the word of the Holy One.
Romans 15:4: Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning.

Historical References

David and Bathsheba: David's adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah as the prime example of a believer despising God.
Esau selling his birthright: Esau despised his birthright for a mess of pottage, called a fornicator and profane person.
Israel in the wilderness: Israel's complaining, refusing to enter Canaan, and despising God's land and commandments.
Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas: Eli's sons were wicked; God said those who despise Him shall be lightly esteemed, and they died the same day.
Babylonian captivity: God brought the king of the Chaldees against Israel because they mocked His messengers and despised His words.
Moses' law and capital punishment: Under Moses' law, despising it led to death without mercy under two or three witnesses.

Important Quotes

He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord. But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.

The foundational text of the sermon, establishing the link between conduct and one's true attitude toward God.

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight?

God's direct charge against David, showing that disobedience is despising God's commandment.

Now therefore the sword shall never depart out of thine house; because thou hast despised me.

God equates David's actions with despising Him personally, not just His law.

He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

New Testament confirmation that despising God's commands is despising God Himself.

But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

Shows the severe consequence of despising God's messengers and Word.

He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

Jesus directly links despising His disciples to despising God the Father.

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

The ultimate warning of the seriousness of despising Christ and His sacrifice.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways might a professing Christian's actions reveal that they despise God, even if they verbally deny it?

[Context]

Based on the contrast between profession and action in Proverbs 14:2 and Matthew 7:16-20.

[Question]

How does David's sin illustrate that a genuine believer can despise God, and what can we learn from his example?

[Context]

From the account in 2 Samuel 11-12 and God's charge in 2 Samuel 12:9-10.

[Question]

Why is it impossible to separate one's attitude toward God from one's attitude toward His Word?

[Context]

Based on John 12:48 and the principle that a king rules by his law.

[Question]

In what ways might Christians today be guilty of 'spiritual fornication' or 'profanity' like Esau?

[Context]

From Hebrews 12:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 6:13-20 regarding using our bodies unlawfully and treating holy things as common.

[Question]

How should the Old Testament warnings about despising God impact our daily walk as New Testament believers?

[Context]

Considering Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11 that these things were written for our admonition.

[Question]

What does it mean to 'despise God's messengers' today, and how can we avoid this sin?

[Context]

From 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 and Luke 10:16.

[Question]

How does the warning in Hebrews 10:28-29 about a 'sorer punishment' affect your understanding of the seriousness of despising God?

[Context]

The contrast between the punishment under Moses' law and the punishment for trampling the Son of God.

[Question]

What practical steps can we take to examine our lives and ensure we are not despising God in our attitudes and actions?

[Context]

From the application to examine our lives and bring them into conformity to God's Word.

Applications

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