Living Heavenly Perfection
An all-creatures Bible Message

Living Heavenly Perfection
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
4 August 2019
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Psalm 107:1-16
Hosea 11:1-12
Matthew 5:48
Romans 3:23

Living heavenly perfection is another way of saying living in the heavenly will of God here on earth as it is in heaven, and it complies with the commandment that Jesus gave us in Matthew 5:48…

48. "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
NASB

This is a real challenge even for people who are not knowingly causing any pain or suffering or death here on earth and doing their utmost to live in God’s heavenly will.
 
Even as a born again Christian vegan who truly wants to live every moment of every day in the heavenly will of God, I struggle with doing this all the time, which is like what Paul tells us in Romans 3:23…

23. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
NASB

So, I am left with the struggle of knowing that I am living in this corrupt and evil world while trying to bring our Father’s heavenly will to earth as it is in heaven and it doesn’t always work out the way I want it to, which I believe is the same situation that others must find themselves in.
 
Nevertheless, I strongly believe that we are to keep doing everything in our power to bring God’s heavenly will to earth as it is in heaven, and help to free creation from its present corruption as a witness to the world around us.
 
So, as we look at Psalm 107:1-16, let’s bring the psalm up to date by applying its message to our everyday lives of trying to always be an example of living heavenly perfection, without trying to glorify ourselves, for the glory always belongs to the Lord.

1. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
 
2. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary,

This is referring to the Israelites, but as we look around the world today, we see that it is full of oppressed and unredeemed people, so God has not acted for them as He did with the Israelites that the psalmist is writing about.
 
And we cannot forget the billions of animals who have suffered and died every year at the hands of our fellow human beings, who are supported by most of the people in the world, and God has not redeemed them from the hands of their adversaries.
 
The problem is that most human beings are not protecting God’s creation as the Lord charged us to do all the way back in Eden, and it is these human being who are the animals’ adversaries.

3. And gathered from the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.
 
4. They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region;
They did not find a way to an inhabited city.
 
5. They were hungry and thirsty;
Their soul fainted within them.
 
6. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble;
He delivered them out of their distresses.
 
7. He led them also by a straight way,
To go to an inhabited city.
 
8. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonders to the sons of men!

Even the psalmist is leaving out the animals.
 
The major problem in the world today is that relatively few human beings are extending the Lord’s lovingkindness to the whole of His creation; they selfishly take what they can get and forget about other living beings.
 
This is very far from living heavenly perfection; in fact, to us it seems closer to living in the imperfection of the devil.

9. For He has satisfied the thirsty soul,
And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.

Yes, God has done this, but for the most part, these people have failed to pass this lovingkindness along to the other living beings who are also part of God’s creation.
 
And because of their lack of empathy, the earth is running red with the blood of the millions of human being and billions of animals every year for they have not been permitted to share in what is good.
 
The vast majority of our fellow human beings are not living heavenly perfection, because they seem to want to live in the corrupt and evil ways of this world.

10. There were those who dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death,
Prisoners in misery and chains,
 
11. Because they had rebelled against the words of God,
And spurned the counsel of the Most High.

We believe that because some human beings have forced animals to dwell in darkness and death that God will bring this kind of punishment upon them and those who support them with their money and lifestyles.

12. Therefore He humbled their heart with labor;
They stumbled and there was none to help.
 
13. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble;
He saved them out of their distresses.

This hasn’t happened with the animals, and they are innocent; and we wonder what kind of crying out the guilty humans have to do for God to save them out of their distress, but the only escape the animals seem to have is death.
 
God called upon us to care for and protect His creation, and we have failed miserably, and the innocent animals are suffering for it; when are we going to wake up as a society and start doing what the Lord wants us to do?

14. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
And broke their bands apart.
 
15. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonders to the sons of men!
 
16. For He has shattered gates of bronze,
And cut bars of iron asunder.
NASB

God can do anything, anytime, but it is high time we do something in His heavenly will sometimes, if not always as we should.
 
Let’s close today’s discussion by looking at Hosea 11:1-12 and see how we can apply living heavenly perfection…

1. When Israel was a youth I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called My son.

Doesn’t this sound like Israel rebelled against God’s lovingkindness after being saved, instead of living heavenly perfection as the Lord was hoping for?
 
But Israel thought they knew better and followed the corrupted and evil ways of this world.

2. The more they called them,
The more they went from them;
They kept sacrificing to the Baals
And burning incense to idols.

Most people today may not be sacrificing to the Baals and burning incense to idols, but they are most certainly sacrificing innocent animals to the blood lusts of the devil.

3. Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them in My arms;
But they did not know that I healed them.

We believe it is more of not wanting to walk in the ways of the Lord, but in the corrupt ways of this world with all its violence, bloodshed, pain, suffering, and death.
 
Quite often when we try to tell people the truth about what is happening to so called “farmed animals,” they say, “Don’t tell me, I don’t want to know.”
 
We believe that they are really saying that they do know the truth, but just don’t want to face it, because they know that they are not living heavenly perfection, and are trying to play ignorant of the truth before God, but He sees the intent of their heart.
 
We cannot hide the truth from God.

4. I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love,
And I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws;
And I bent down and fed them.

All God wanted to do was be a loving Father to them and give them the good things in life, but in their hearts and souls they rejected Him and His lovingkindness.
 
They just wanted what the world had to offer.
 
So, God rejected them…

5. They will not return to the land of Egypt;
But Assyria —  he will be their king,
Because they refused to return to Me.
 
6. And the sword will whirl against their cities,
And will demolish their gate bars
And consume them because of their counsels.

God is allowing their own evil to return upon their heads; they acted according to the corrupt world, and this corrupt world came upon them.

7. So My people are bent on turning from Me.
Though they call them to the One on high,
None at all exalts Him.

Anyone can say “praise the Lord,” but only the people who live in His heavenly will actually praise Him in their everyday lives; they are the only ones who seem to be living heavenly perfection, or at least trying to live that way.

8. How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I surrender you, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart is turned over within Me,
All My compassions are kindled.

God really wants to help us all, but most people turn to the devil instead of God, but He still cares.

9. I will not execute My fierce anger;
I will not destroy Ephraim again.
For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst,
And I will not come in wrath.

But that doesn’t mean that we will all be in heaven; we still will have His judgement.

10. They will walk after the LORD,
He will roar like a lion; Indeed He will roar,
And His sons will come trembling from the west.

We truly hope this happens soon, for it is what we need to happen in order to free the animals from the exploitation that kills billions of them every year.

11. They will come trembling like birds from Egypt,
And like doves from the land of Assyria;
And I will settle them in their houses, declares the LORD.

We believe that this means that they will come with repentant hearts and souls, and not just with words.

12. Ephraim surrounds Me with lies,
And the house of Israel with deceit;
Judah is also unruly against God,
Even against the Holy One who is faithful.
NASB

Nevertheless, God knows that most people will still want to live in this violent world, and follow their corrupt ways, and we are not to be like them.
 
We are to be the peacemaking children of God who are living heavenly perfection.
 
Amen?
 
Amen.

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