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     Welcome to the Berean Break.  I hope your day is going well.  Thanks for tuning into our program.  As always I want to encourage you to take out your Bible, follow along with us, and profit from our study together.  As we begin let’s go to God in prayer:

Great God in heaven, Thank You for this day in our lives and for this another opportunity to study Your will.  As we study Your word today may we be honest with ourselves and truly take responsibility for the things that we do in our lives.  We thank You now for Jesus and for the sacrifice that He made for us.  May we obey Your will so that His sacrifice was not in vain.  And it’s in Jesus’ name we pray  AMEN!!

     A common but dangerous practice today is that of refusing to accept responsibility for our own mistakes.  The sin of “passing the buck” is as old as shortly after the creation.  Many people today pass the blame on others for their own shortcomings.  The violent blame those who were violent to them.  The abusive claim they were abused and therefore it is not their fault.  Homosexuals will sometimes blame their choice of sin on their upbringing.  And the list could go on and on.

     The problem of blaming others started in the garden of Eden when Adam blamed Eve for his sin.  When confronted, Eve blamed Satan and they both indirectly blamed God.  In Genesis 3:12-13, we read, ‘And the man said, “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”’
     Another example of someone blaming someone else for their sinful behavior is found in Exodus 32:22-23.  Aaron, the brother of Moses blamed the people for his allowing them to practice idolatry when Moses delayed in coming down off of Mt. Sinai.  He said that the people made him take gold, melt it down, and fashion a golden calf for the people to worship.  The actions of Aaron almost caused the children of Israel to be destroyed by Almighty God.  Read how he passed the blame in Exodus 32:22-23, ‘And Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil.  For they said to me, ‘Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’”’
     Another notable example is King Saul in 1 Samuel 15:20-23, ‘Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of the Lord, and went on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.  But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.”’

     The practice of blaming others for our sins continues today.  Husbands and wives blame each other for their troubles.  A husband might say, “I know I have done wrong, but she is just as much to blame as I am!”  Wives might say the same thing about their husbands!  Instead of talking to each other about their problems – they talk to everyone else and blame their spouse for their difficulties.  Unfaithful church members blame their disinterest on other members.  Some say, “I was sick – no one came to visit me – I’ll just not go back to that church” or “that preacher preaches right at me.”  Those who are unchurched blame the “hypocrites” in the church for their continued disobedience.  They often claim to be just as good as those within the church!  Friend, it is far better to be with a few hypocrites in the church – than to go to hell for all eternity!

     Some people blame a busy life for their spiritual failures.  Some are too busy to study God’s word.  2 Timothy 2:15 tells us, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.”
     We must be diligent in our Bible study - be diligent to present ourselves approved to God as workmen who do not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.  Some are too busy to attend worship services regularly.  Friends, if you claim to be a Christian, you must realize the responsibility of attending church services.  Hebrews 10:25 speaks to those who habitually do not attend the assembling of God’s people, “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.”
     A busy life can keep parents from becoming involved in their children’s life and activities, but more seriously from guiding them spiritually.  Parents need to work on helping their children become godly.  Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:4, “And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
     I believe his instructions here are just as applicable to mothers – but the brunt of the responsibility does fall upon the fathers.  We must learn how to better manage our time and make sure our children and their spiritual development are a priority in our lives.  Jesus has said that the kingdom of God must come first in our lives.  In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said:  “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”

     Many people today pass the blame when it comes to religion.  They try to blame Adam, just as he tried to blame Eve, for their lost spiritual condition.  Perhaps you have heard of a doctrine called “Original Sin” or as it is sometimes called “Total Hereditary Depravity.”  This false doctrine says that we are lost because of Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden and we inherit the guilt of that sin.  This is nothing more than shirking our responsibility for our lost condition because we have personally sinned.  For those who trust and believe God, He dealt with this false doctrine very clearly in Ezekiel 18:1-4, ‘Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, “What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel saying, ‘The fathers eat the sour grapes, But the children’s teeth are set on edge’?  As I live,” declares the Lord God, “you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore.  Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine.  The soul who sins will die.”’

     There are consequences for not accepting responsibility for our mistakes.  One consequence is that we become nothing more than liars – and are no better off than the worst of sinners.  In Revelation 21:8 we read:  “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
     We must be willing to place the blame where it belongs – even if it falls directly upon our shoulders!
     Another consequence of refusing to accept responsibility for our actions is that we allow the innocent to be blamed for our wrongs!  How terrible!  This is cowardly behavior!  Such is displeasing to God!
     A third consequence is we become blind to our own mistakes and think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think.  Romans 12:3 says:  “For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”
     Paul encourages us to think so as to have sound judgment.  Sound judgment is a judgment that is based on the will of God.

     Instead of making excuses for ourselves and passing the responsibility for our failures on others – we must have the integrity and courage to recognize, admit, and repent of our wrongdoings.  Remember our reading concerning King Saul.  Let’s go back there and read that again.  1 Samuel 15:20-23, ‘Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of the Lord, and went on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.  But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”  And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.”’
     When confronted by Samuel, Saul accepts the responsibility as we read in 1 Samuel 15:24, ‘Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have
indeed transgressed the command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.”’
     There were still consequences that Saul suffered but at least he faced the facts.

     If you have never come to Christ according to His will – no excuse or passing the buck will take the place of obedience in God’s eyes!  Jesus wants you to hear His word and have faith, based on that word.  Then based on that faith you must repent of your sins, confess Jesus, and be immersed in water for the forgiveness of your sins.  There will be no excuses accepted at the judgment.  In 2 Corinthians 5:10 we read:  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

     Are you ready to stand before God when Judgment Day comes?  If you would like our help to assist you in becoming a Christian – please do not hesitate to give us a call.  We’d love to get to know you and help you become God’s kind of person.

     This Berean Break is brought to you, here in East River South Dakota, by the pre-denominational church of Christ that meets at 1600 East First Avenue in Mitchell SD.  You are welcome to meet with us at 10:00 Sunday mornings for our assembly followed by a time of Bible Study, also on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 for an additional time to study God’s Word.  If you have a comment or a sincere Bible question, please call or text me at 605-770-5555.  The Berean Break is brought to you in West River by the Prairie City church of Christ.  They also meet at 10:00 on Sunday morning.  You can contact them at 605-593-7045.  This is George A. Sinkie for the Lord’s church, good-bye for now, and remember to check out what I have taught with God’s Word.

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