Animal Exploitation Needs Repentance
An all-creatures Bible Message

Animal Exploitation Needs Repentance
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
24 March 2019
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Luke 13:1-9
1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Animal exploitation needs repentance, because without true repentance we, as a society, will never really be able to end animal exploitation and killing, and as a result we cannot have peace on earth as it is in heaven.
 
The whole theme of the Lenten Season is for believers to repent and seek the heavenly will of God here on earth so that there is no longer any human-caused pain or suffering or death inflicted upon any other human being or upon any animals, because when there is suffering and death, which does not exist in heaven, there can be no peace on earth.
 
We also need to remember that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and He calls us all to be peacemaking children of God.
 
Paul also tells us in Romans 8 that it is these children of God who will free creation from its present corruption, and what or who are people going to eat for Easter?
 
They have cooked pigs and turkeys.
 
And how do they celebrate Easter?
 
They celebrate with colored chicken eggs, who are unborn baby chickens.
 
And all of these traditions further corrupt God’s creation.
 
It’s time we wake up to the fact that until we repent and free creation from its present corruption, we will not have peace on earth.
 
Animal exploitation needs repentance.
 
In Luke 13:1-9, Jesus tells us about the need for repentance from a different perspective, but it all ties together, for if we truly have a repentant nature, we will end all forms of corruption here on earth and have real peace.

1. Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

We hope we all see the two ungodly things that were taking place: First, Pilate is a murderer of humans, and second, the Galileans are murderers of animals, both of which are out of the heavenly will of God, and require their repentance, or even better that they didn’t do these things in the first place.

2. And He answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered this fate?

Jesus is asking this question of people who live in the ways of this corrupt world about other people’s corrupt acts.
 
It’s important that we see and understand that what is taking place is not in the heavenly will of God, but then He points them in the correct direction.

3. "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
 
4. "Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 
 
5. "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." 

Jesus is telling all of us, then and now, that as long as we live in this corrupt world, we need to repent because some of the corruption has rubbed off on us no matter how much we desire to live in the heavenly will of God; it’s just like Paul tells us, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
 
And the title of today’s message, animal exploitation needs repentance, is just one aspect of this worldwide problem.
 
Let’s go on and look at the parable that Jesus told, and we hear its message, think about how it reflects back upon our discussion about repentance.

6. And He began telling this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, and did not find any.

Think about this parable from the standpoint that God is the man who planted each of us (fig trees) here on earth and expected us to produce the fruit of heavenly living here on earth as it is in heaven, and that we need to apply this concept to every aspect of our lives.

7. "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?'

This is an example of how God looks upon us when we fail to produce or live in the heavenly will of God here on earth as it is in heaven, and since a lot of this ungodliness involves the raising, killing, and eating of animals, we believe that any form of animal exploitation needs repentance.

8. "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;
 
9. and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.' " 
NASB

However, today, we need to remember that the Holy Spirit has been providing a lot of this nurturing, as have ethical vegans and peacemaking children of God been providing the witness, but relatively few people respond, which leads us to believe that these ungodly people (fig trees) run the real risk of being cut off by God.
 
In 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Paul compares the Exodus story with living in the heavenly will of God, but we wish he had gone further and mentioned our need to eliminate all forms of animal exploitation, and become vegans.

1. For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

This is the cloud of the Lord that led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the Red Sea.

What Paul seems to be expressing is that the people received a type of baptism as they passed through the Red Sea, which should have brought about repentance, but sadly, for the majority of the people, it didn't.

2. and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

But today, we need to be spiritually baptized into the trinity and the heavenly will of God to such an extent that we realize that animal exploitation needs repentance.

3. and all ate the same spiritual food;

In those days the spiritual food was the manna that came down from heaven, which was God’s way of leading the people back to living on the plant foods that the Lord created for us to eat when He created the heavens and the earth and planted in Eden.

4. and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.

Paul sees the rock that provided them with water in the wilderness as the Lord Himself, which should have led the people back to living in the heavenly will of God.

5. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.

This is because they rejected the heavenly will of God and desired to continue to live in the corrupt and evil ways of this world, and because of this many of them died.

6. Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should not crave evil things, as they also craved.

Paul wrote this nearly two thousand years ago, and to this day most people are still following the corrupt and evil ways of this world, which cause millions of humans and billions of animal to suffer and die every year.

7. And do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play."

People make idols out of many things and not just an idol to some sort of god; they make idols of their cars and even some of the food that they eat, such as meat, which the Israelites in the wilderness did and many of them died because of it.

8. Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.

And just remember that what we do to animals is just immoral, but to us it represents an even greater immorality than any of our other immoral behavior.

9. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents.

The Lord’s anger can be kindled by any and all the things we do outside of His heavenly will, and this is why we say that animal exploitation needs repentance.

10. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
 
11. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

We obviously have not learned from these examples, for they and similar things continue to happen to this very day.
 
We need to repent of all our worldly ways and return to the heavenly will of God.

12. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

This is an important message for all of us, for we have all fallen short of the glory of God.

13. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.
NASB

Since we are talking about eating and exploiting animals, just remember that when people say that they cannot live without eating animals, that they have not even tried to enjoy plant-based meals, but are speaking from their worldly point of view.
 
We all can change.
 
All animal exploitation needs repentance.
 
And all of us can do it.
 
Amen?
 
Amen!

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