======================================================================== WRITINGS OF EDGAR DR PIERCE by Edgar Dr Pierce ======================================================================== A collection of theological writings, sermons, and essays by Edgar Dr Pierce, compiled for study and devotional reading. Chapters: 119 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TABLE OF CONTENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. 00.00. Pierce, Edgar, Dr. - Library 2. 01.00. At the Master's Side 3. 01.01. The Parable of the Soils 4. 01.02. Miracles, Windows of Faith 5. 01.03. Your Invitation to the Wedding Feast, RSVP 6. 01.04. He's Walking On the Water 7. 01.05. Which Son Are You? 8. 01.06. Creating Wine from Water 9. 01.07. Bread for the Oven Fodder for the Fire 10. 01.08. Bringing our Friends to Jesus 11. 01.09. God's Lost and Found Department 12. 01.10. In Spite of the Evidence 13. 01.11. The Midnight Cry: Chill or Thrill 14. 01.12. Upon the Rock, Christ Jesus 15. 01.13. Withered Fig Tree: Miracle, Parable, Prophecy 16. 01.14. Hog Wild and Pig Crazy 17. 01.15. What's In It for Me? 18. 01.16. Be Opened 19. 01.17. A Pound of the Gospel 20. 01.18. There Ain't No Dead Sea 21. 01.19. God's Fishy Bank 22. 01.20. When the Net is Cast 23. 01.21. The Healing of the Outcast 24. 01.22. Something Old, Something New 25. 01.23. Hope Beyond Hope 26. 01.24. As Time Marches On 27. 01.25. Fresh Water for a Dry Soul 28. 01.26. Miracle of Another Kind 29. 01.27. Pray on Brother, Pray On! 30. 02.00. Calibrating the Compass 31. 02.01. Hooking Up to Calibrate 32. 02.02. The Results of Calibrating with the Word 33. 02.03. When the Needle on the Compass is Stuck 34. 02.04. North Means North 35. 02.05. When the Needle Spins out of Control 36. 02.06. Jerking Apart the Connection- Anger 37. 02.07. Someone Broke my Compass 38. 02.08. What if Somebody Steals my Compass 39. 02.09. The Compass is Reading Wrong 40. 03.00. Cristmas Characters 41. 03.01. Treasuers of the Heart- Mary 42. 03.02. Believing the Miracle of Virgin Birth- Joseph 43. 03.03. Come to Worship- Shepherds and Wise Men 44. 03.04. Recognizing the Messiah- Simeon and Anna 45. 04.0.1. Finding Christ in the Shadows 46. 04.0.2 Index and PDF Links 47. 04.01. Finding Christ in the Shadows 48. 04.02. SHADOW: Adam a Type of Christ 49. 04.03. SHADOW: Scapegoat- Starting Fresh 50. 04.04. SHADOW: From Manna to Messiah 51. 04.05. SHADOW: The Shadow of the Tree of Life 52. 04.06. SHADOW: Samson- "A Picture of Rejection" 53. 04.07. SHADOW: Red Heifer- The Sacrifice That Looked 54. 04.08. SHADOW: Christ In the Feasts of Israel 55. 04.09. SHADOW: Joseph, the Favorite Son of the Fathr 56. 04.10. SHADOW: Joseph, the Silent Suffering Servant 57. 04.11. SHADOW: Joseph, the Sovereign Ruler over the 58. 04.12. SHADOW: Joseph, the Savior of the Nations 59. 04.13. SHADOW: The Vail of the Temple the Door to Go 60. 04.14. SHADOW: The Covering of Skin- Thank God for th 61. 04.15. SHADOW: The Rock of Gods Provision 62. 04.16. SHADOW: Jacob's Ladder- Touching Heaven From E 63. 04.17. SHADOW: Isaac- The Promise of a Son 64. 04.18. SHADOW: The Passover Lamb is Slain… 65. 04.19. SHADOW: Cornerstone- Foundation for the future 66. 04.20. SHADOW: The Serpent Lifted Up- Moving Past th 67. 04.21. SHADOW: In Christ- The Shadow of the Ark 68. 04.22. SHADOW: Jonah- Death, Burial, and Resurrectio 69. 04.23. Finding Christ in the Shadows, the Shadows of 70. 05.00. Heroes of the Faith 71. 05.01. Looking for a Hero- Joseph 72. 05.02. Failure Doesn't Mean Forever- David 73. 05.03. Being Ready for God to Use- Daniel 74. 05.04. Preparing for Providence- Esther 75. 05.05. Living By Faith- Abraham 76. 05.06. Who's Gonna Get the Glory- Paul 77. 05.07. Quitting is not an Option- Jeremaih 78. 05.08. Choosing to Believe- Ruth 79. 05.09. For Such is the Kingdom of God- A Lad 80. 05.10. Overcoming our Fears- Gideon 81. 05.11. Finding the Will of God- Gideon 82. 05.12. Returning to Give Thanks- Unnamed Leper 83. 06.0.1. Rock Solid- "Anchors of the Faith" 84. 06.0.2. Table of Contents 85. 06.01. Anchored in the Rock 86. 06.02. The Foundation of the Anchor 87. 06.03. The Most Remarkable Book Ever Written 88. 06.04. Reasons the Word of God is Settled 89. 06.05. We Call Him God 90. 06.06. Abba Father 91. 06.07. Looking Toward the Son 92. 06.08. Fresh Wind of Comfort and Conviction 93. 06.09. Man O Man 94. 06.10. God Chose Life 95. 06.11. When, How and Why of Creation 96. 06.12. Celebration of Creation 97. 06.13. Sin Should Have Four Letters 98. 06.14. Who Are You Going To Believe? Creation Versus Evolution 99. 06.15. From the Fall to the Father 100. 06.16. The Language of the Sword 101. 06.17. Everybody Want to Go to Heaven 102. 06.18. Up, Up and Away 103. 06.19. Nobody Wants to Go to Hell 104. 06.20. Signed, Sealed, Delivered, 'm His 105. 06.21. The Church Marches On 106. 06.22. Yes, Virginia There is a Devil 107. 06.23. Giving the Church a Bath 108. 06.24. Angels Among Us 109. 07.00. The Origins 110. 07.01. The God Before Time 111. 07.02. The Origin of All 112. 07.03. Let Us Make Man 113. 07.04. The Origin of the Species 114. 07.05. The Origin of Evil 115. 07.06. The Origin of the Gospel 116. 07.07. The Origin of Redemption 117. 07.08. He said, she said; The Origin of Language 118. 07.09. The Origin of Marriage and Family 119. 07.10. The Origin of Worship; Men Called Upon Jehovah ======================================================================== CHAPTER 1: 00.00. PIERCE, EDGAR, DR. - LIBRARY ======================================================================== Pierce, Edgar, Dr. - Library Pierce, Edgar, Dr. - At the Master’s Side Pierce, Edgar, Dr. - Calibrating the Compass Pierce, Edgar, Dr. - Christmas Characters Pierce, Edgar, Dr. - Finding Christ in the Shadows Pierce, Edgar, Dr. - Heroes of the Faith Pierce, Edgar, Dr. - Rock Solid- Anchors of the Faith Pierce, Edgar, Dr. - The Origins ======================================================================== CHAPTER 2: 01.00. AT THE MASTER'S SIDE ======================================================================== "At the Master’s Side" A Study of the Miracles and Parables of Christ by Dr. Edgar Pierce www.exposingtheword.com At the Master’s Side is a non exhaustive study of the Miracle and Parables of our Lord Jesus. It was a series of sermons delivered in the Pulpit Ministry of Dr. Edgar Pierce. In the intro to the first sermon it says: To get to know our friends we must spend time with them and listen to them talk about life and love. We must spend time with them and see what they do and how they act and try to understand them for what they are not just by what we hear about them. There is an old saying, "To know me is to love me." Our world is filled with hate and fighting and most of it because we do not know each other. Most conflicts can be resolved with an understanding of others. The way that we can get to know Jesus better is to sit at His feet and listen to what he says and walk with Him and see what He does. We will begin a series of messages today that I trust will be real and practical for all of us. We will sit at the Master’s side as we hear Him teach in parables, walk with Him and see Him perform the miracles of His ministry. As we study the life of Christ this way I trust it will help us to learn to love Him more. May you and I learn to love the Master more as we study the Parables He gave us and see the Miracles He wroth to show us He was Messiah... May God richly bless your study of the Word of God. Edgar ======================================================================== CHAPTER 3: 01.01. THE PARABLE OF THE SOILS ======================================================================== The Parables of the Soils Matthew 13:1-23, Matthew 13:34-35 To get to know our friends we must spend time with them and listen to them talk about life and love. We must spend time with them and see what they do and how they act and try to understand them for what they are not just by what we hear about them. There is an old saying, "To know me is to love me." Our world is filled with hate and fighting and most of it because we do not know each other. Most conflicts can be resolved with an understanding of others. The way that we can get to know Jesus better is to sit at His feet and listen to what he says and walk with Him and see what He does. We will begin a series of messages today that I trust will be real and practical for all of us. We will sit at the Master’s side as we hear Him teach in parables, walk with Him and see Him perform the miracles of His ministry. As we study the life of Christ this way I trust it will help us to learn to love Him more. Purpose of the Parables: Matthew 13:1-3 a; Matthew 13:13-15 ; Matthew 13:34-35 Matthew 13:1-3 a When we mention the word parable we immediately think of some simple story born of real life that touches our soul with a deep truth. They have been called, "An earthly story with a heavenly meaning." The word parable is transliterated from the Greek word parabole (para-bow-LAY) which means "To place beside, to cast alongside", or "laying by the side of." Many of the parables of Jesus begin with "The Kingdom of heaven is like…" The word parabole is translated in the KJV "comparison, figure, parable, proverb." It is translated parable 48 times in the first 3 gospels and only two more times in the NT (Hebrews 9:9 ; Hebrews 11:19 it is translated figure.) Matthew 13:13-15 We might ask why Jesus taught in parables. Jesus did not use the method of teaching by parables first. The OT contains many parables. The Rabbis throughout history have used parables to teach. Jesus did however raise the level of teaching that was done in parables. Jesus quoted Genesis 6:9-10 here as His reason. He used parables because of the spiritual condition of the nation of Israel. These verses in Isaiah are important and are quoted a total of five times in the New Testament. (Matthew 13:14-15 ; Mark 4:12 ; Luke 8:10 ; John 12:39-40 ; Acts 28:26-27 ). The results of poor hearing and seeing for Israel would be judgment. Matthew 13:34-35 There was also another reason that Jesus spoke in parables and that was to fulfill prophecy. This is a quote of Psalms 78:2 . Jesus used parables to reveal hidden truth that had not been revealed before. Parable of the Soils: This parable is known by various names among Bible students. It is the parable of the sower, who went out to sow. It is also called the parable of the hearer because of the implications of hearing. Some call it the parable of the seed because the seed is sown. In addition it is referred to as the parable of the soils because of the four different types of soil the seed feel into. There are some basic symbols that we need to understand in this parabolic teaching of Christ. The Seed it the word of God. Seed when it is planted in the right environment produces fruit. The word of God produces fruit and that fruit has in it the potential for more fruit. The seed must be living to produce but it must also be planted. The word "hear" is used seven times in the parable. The sower is someone who shares the word of God. This was initially the Lord Jesus Christ but now is any Christian witness. We sow the seed of the gospel of Christ now out of concern for the spiritual condition of the world. Psalms 126:5-6 . The tears show concern. We also do it in partnership with other Christians. 1 Corinthians 3:6 God gave the increase. The soil represents the human heart. Our garden was left unattended one summer and it grew up in weeds. We are going to look at the human heart here represented by the four different types of soil. Man must have the right seeds planted and the right conditions to be present for fruit to come forth out of the soil. The Parable Told: Matthew 13:3-9 Jesus teaches that the sower went out to sow and as he scattered his seed some fell by the wayside and fowls devoured it. Some fell on stony ground and died from lack of root structure. The third type of ground the sower scattered the see don was among the thorns and the good seed was choked out. The fourth type of soil was good ground. These types of soil could have been found readily in the land that Jesus walked. A very simple story with deep meaning. The Parable Explained: Matthew 13:18-23 Have you ever noticed that the first thing that we blame when we plant a garden that doesn’t come up or comes up partly is the seed. My friend we must realize that the seed here is the gospel and the seed is not to blame. The next thing in our garden we blame is something that we did. I must of covered it too deep or not deep enough. I probably put clods and rocks on the seed. In much the same way we sometimes blame the messenger or the preachers preaching for us not getting anything out of the sermon. The last thing we blame in our garden is the soil that we have placed the seed in. Jesus plainly teaches us that hearing is as important as the sower. The greatest message preached without the proper hearing fails. We hearers blame the seed and the sower. Lets look at the four types of soil quickly to see its importance. I have attempted to give each a descriptive title for us to identify them today. The unchurched, the church joiner, the unsaved church member and the fruitful church member. The Unchurched, Hard Heart: Matthew 13:19 1 Kings 13:4 this is the seed that feel by the wayside and the birds ate it. The paths thought the fields were hard and not ready to receive any seed for planting. This is a picture of the people who have grown hard in heart to the gospel and when someone tries to witness to them they are short and do not want to hear. These people have allowed the cares of life to choke out any seed that was ever sown their way. Only some breaking up of the hard ground by tragedy or trouble can change this heart. The Church Joiner, Shallow Heart: Matthew 13:20-21 The soil of Palestine is over a thick rock of limestone. Some of the soil is very shallow and will not support life under any adverse conditions. The roots cannot go deep enough to become strong. This is someone who hears with their emotions and not with their heart. This is a man or woman who joins the church on Sunday and is baptized and you never see them again. They go into the world on Monday and all is forgotten that did on Sunday. They are shallow in any germ of faith they may have possessed. These people are not as rebellious as the unchurched but they are not earnest in their commitment to Christ. I remind us that trouble and trials strengthen true faith and false faith is repelled by them. They have lip salvation and not heart salvation. They are not saved my friends but only responding emotionally. The Unsaved Church Members, Crowded Heart: Matthew 13:22 The seed here falls among the thorns. Some feel this soil is soil that is not full of thorns at the time of the sowing but full of the seeds that will bring the thorns. This is contaminated soil, unclean soil that is not ready for sowing. Ever notice that our gardens have weeds that are ready to spring forth but seemly the soil is read for sowing but silently lies the weed seeds ready to grow and choke the good seed. For us to have a successful garden we must not only love the fruit and vegetables but hate weeds. We must in the saved respectfully hate sin. If you have noticed there has been an ascending order to the soils or the hearts of the hearers. First the heart untouchable, second the heart shallow and now the hear that seems to be fertile soil ready for bringing forth fruit. The churches of America today are full of these types of hearts. They are interested in the social events and gatherings but not in the spiritual teaching and work of the spiritual nature of the church. They are trying to serve God and mammon, their loyalties are divided. Jesus said they were the ones that the, "care of the world, and deceifulness of riches, choke the word…."and they become unfruitful. They cannot give up the world and its lure for the spiritual. They never truly repent but keep on foot in the world and one in the church. This is the Laodiceans church in the Revelation. They are lukewarm and not hot for the Lord. Paul said that in the later days they would be church members like this, "…in the last days….Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof…" 2 Timothy 3:1 ; 2 Timothy 3:5 The Christian, Fruitful Heart: Matthew 13:23 But there was, "good ground." This is the heart that every one of us looks for. Notice that the sower continues to sow and realized that much of the seed will not take fruit and grow into a salvation experience. This heart is the one that hears the word and fastens onto the words of life and regardless of what comes into their life will not renounce their faith. The seed brings forth fruit in their life many times over what was planted. They receive the word unlike the hard heart, they understand it unlike the shallow heart, they hold fast to it unlike the crowded heart. They are saved, beloved. We must never loose faith that the human heart can change. Some of those who will not hear will in time become good soil. Some of those who are shallow may return and become deep believers. Some of the lost church members will realize this and become believers. We must continue to sow and must also not neglect the admonition of Christ, "who hath ear to hear, let him hear." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 4: 01.02. MIRACLES, WINDOWS OF FAITH ======================================================================== Miracles, Windows of Faith Luke 7:11-23 The words of Christ are very important but would only be words if not for the fact of who He was and is to back up the words. Even the critics and those who crucified Him had to trump up false witness and charges to condemn Him to die. If all Jesus had done was to say and not do, few would have believed in Him. John said in John 21:25, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." Today we look at the miracles in general as we continue to introduce the series of "At the Master’s Side." The scripture is full of places where Jesus did the miraculous from a human viewpoint. A: Are Miracles Possible?: There are many that simply claim that all miracles are nothing more than illusion or disillusion. Are miracles simply something that we should be able to explain in a scientific way or is it possible for supernatural events that go beyond explanation? To answer this question we must ask what are miracles? There are two Greek words in the New Testament that are translated miracle(s) in the KJV. First, dunamis (doo’-nam-is); meaning "force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself): " It is translated in the KJV-- ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, virtue, violence, mighty (wonderful) work. The second word is semeion (say-mi’-on); meaning, "an indication, especially ceremonially or supernaturally" It is translated in the KJV-- miracle, sign, token, wonder. To believe in miracles one must begin first with a belief in the supernatural. Without a supernatural there is no room for miracles to be possible. We must believe that God can and has performed miracles. Some say that the laws of nature are broken during a miracle. Might I say that God is the cause and effect of our laws of nature and when God does a supernatural miracle it is a higher law being exercises. Archbishop Trench said, "We should term the miracle not the infraction of law, but behold in it the lower law neutralized, and for the time put out of working by a higher…" (Richard C. Trench, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord, Fleming H. Revell Company, p. 63) So we quickly say that miracles are not only possible but also expected because we know there is a God who is supernatural. Miracles are windows of our faith. B: History of Miracles: Jesus was not the first to perform miracles when He walked upon the earth. We find miracles performed only rarely except for a few clusters on the time line of biblical history. We find the first miracles recorded performed by Moses. This was when God was going to redeem His people from Egypt. These miracles continued into the wilderness. I count a total of 19 miracles during the time of Moses and Aaron. God used miracles to authenticate the ministry of Moses. Next came three miracles during the time of Joshua. God here wanted to show the Joshua was the successor of Moses. We move next to a period in time when the office of the prophet was being instituted. Elijah and Elisha were both miracle-performing prophets. I count seven by Elijah and 13 by Elisha. Of special notice is that most of the prophets of Israel DID NOT perform miracles. The next miracles did not come until the time of Christ and the early church. This begs the question, do miracles prove undeniably that it is of God? NO! NO! NO! Notice with me what happened during the time of Moses to show this. Exodus 7:8-12 "And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. 10And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods." We also know that in the future the Anti-Christ will perform sign and wonders to deceive men. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish…" Notice the second beast in Revelation has miracle working powers that is used to decieve. Revelation 13:13-15 "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." So how do we keep from being deceived? Do miracles happen today? How can we know something is of God? Notice the miracles of the bible occurred when God wanted to show something was of God. Today the miracles are a baby crying, a new birth, a healing of someone by God. Miracles still happen today but if you hear someone is walking on Boone Lake you can doubt it is of God. C: The Miracle of Incarnation: The context of all the miracles of Jesus Christ begins with the miracle of the incarnation. The God of Heaven chooses to come down and dwell among men. Certainly the virgin birth and conception is a miracle. The circumstance of fulfilled prophecy of the city of the birth is a miracle. But the greatest miracle is the fact that God Himself came to earth as a human. The only begotten son, the only one that God fathered by the Holy Spirit. There will never be a repeat of Bethlehem, nor is it necessary. The Only Begotten is enough. D: The Widow of Nain’s Son Raised: Jesus is traveling past the city of Nain and when He nears the gate of the city He encounters a funeral procession. The sadness of the scene, not that death is not always sad, is made clear by the words, "the only son of his mother, and she was a widow…" There were many of the people with her but we can see she was also all alone in the family now. Jesus sees her and says, "Weep not." Jesus had the authority and the compassion to interrupt the funeral procession. He walks up and touches the casket, (bier) and says, "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise." We will not get into the fact that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, this will keep for another time. I want us to notice a couple of things here however. First, this miracle of Christ took place in the regular routine of life. Second, the One who is the giver of life never passed by a funeral without a resurrection. We cannot stop the tide of death but we can rest in the giver of life. Third, our miracle with Christ begins with the new birth. With our own personal resurrection from the dead we begin to see the miracles around us. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 5: 01.03. YOUR INVITATION TO THE WEDDING FEAST, RSVP ======================================================================== Your Invitation to the Wedding Feast, RSVP Matthew 22:1-14 Few things seem to cause as much fuss and worry as a wedding. They dresses must be made or bought, the tux rented, wedding rehearsals set, rehearsal dinner planned, still in comparison to many cultures in the world our weddings are a one day event or two days at most. Many cultures in the world have feasts that last a week or two. It is even more of a gala event when the king or prince of a nation is wed. Remember the hoopla that surrounded the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana? In the parable set before us today, a king is having a wedding for his son. I- Background: Jesus uses a wedding setting for two parables. This parable is given in the temple near the end of His ministry. This parable combines the two favorite images that the prophets used to show us about the new covenant, a wedding feast and a wedding. An example of a feast promised is Isaiah 25:6 "And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined." The wedding is typified by Isaiah 61:10 "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." We have additional background in the minor prophet Zephaniah 1:7-8 "Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel." Christ is the bridegroom and the church is the bride. Notice the following scriptures. John 3:29 "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 11:2 "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." II- Symbols In the Parable: As we unfold the parable allow me to give us the who’s who and what’s what of it up front. The King is God the Father, the Son is the Lord Jesus the son of the Father, the servants of Matthew 22:3 are the apostle before the death of Jesus, the city of Matthew 22:7 can be none other than Jerusalem destroyed in AD 70. The second group sent out is the apostles and disciples who were martyred. The third group sent out; Paul, Barnabas, Timothy, etc.; were sent to the good and the bad which are the gentiles that God turned to with the gospel. The wedding garment is the white robe of righteousness given us at salvation, the man without a wedding garment is a lost man. The outer darkness is hell. III- Your Invitation, RSVP: I find in the parable a total of three invitations that are given to come to the feast. Matthew 22:2 tells us the king made a wedding. It was common in this time to send out announcements that a wedding would take place soon and to be prepared to come. Matthew 22:3 records that when the time was ready that the King sent forth his servants to bid those who were invited to come. They rejected the Kings offer. God in the fullness of time sent forth Christ to the nation of Israel but they rejected the invitation. The threat of this parable is that the kingdom of God would be taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles. The second invitation is in Matthew 22:4 . The rejection is in Matthew 22:5-6 . Those bidden not only rejected the son but also the father. They made excuses and took the invitation lightly. Notice the consequences found in Matthew 22:7 . The people were killed and the city destroyed. The third invitation is in Matthew 22:8-10 a. The servant was to go into the highways and bring in the outcast. The good and the bad were brought in and the wedding feast was furnished with guest. IV- The Wedding Garment: We could speculate that many who were bidden from the highways of life would have said, "I don’t have a thing that I could wear" and it have been so. However it was a common practice for a king to have a vast supply of garments in which his guest could be clothed. Notice the following scripture pertaining to the garment of the saints. Revelation 6:9, Revelation 6:11 "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held…11 And white robes were given unto every one of them…" Revelation 7:9 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands…" Revelation 7:13-14 "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." We are told by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 3:27 "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." We moan and groan in this body waiting to be clothed. Notice what 2 Corinthians 5:2-4 says, "For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life." But what about the man who came to the wedding who rejected the wedding clothes. He was removed and cast into hell. He was invited and only responded in his own righteousness. He wanted to go to the feast, heaven, by his own merit. This shows us that we should personally respond to the invitation that is sent out RSVP. We must however not believe that simply getting invited, conviction of the Holy Spirit, is enough to get us in. We must be clothed in His righteousness. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 6: 01.04. HE'S WALKING ON THE WATER ======================================================================== He’s Walking On the Water Matthew 14:22-33 By my count I find 10 miracles that Jesus performed recorded in all of the three synopsis gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. There are only two miracles recorded by John that the other gospels record. This one and the feeding of the five thousand, which was, recorded by all four gospels writers. Matthew, Mark and John record the miracle of Jesus walking on the water. Luke is the only gospel that does not record it. John records it as the fifth sign miracle. Background: Jesus had just feed the 5000 and he sends his disciples over the sea to the other side. He goes up on the mountain to pray. The mountains are high surrounding the Sea of Galilee. According to the NIV they were 3 or 3 ½ miles away from shore. This would put them in the middle of the sea. The liberal theologians have come up with what we could call their "Exit Strategy" of explaining away or getting out of this miracle. Some dismiss this miracle by insisting that instead of walking on the sea it should be translated walking by the sea. My question is how did he reach down and pull Peter up. Some even claim that it is the result of a wild night of partying by sailors. It’s it amazing what some will believe when they don’t want to admit in a miracle working God. We must exercise an act of faith to believe it happened just as it is recorded. We believe God could, would and did. Matthew 14:22 Obedience sometimes puts us in the middle of a storm. The disciples were obedient and were in the middle of God’s will and God’s storm. Paul’s testimony was compelling to say the least. Notice it in 2 Corinthians 11:25-28 "Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches." Matthew 14:24 He know when we are in trouble. Have you ever wondered how Jesus knew they were in a storm. Are you battling a head wind? When we flew to Israel the wind was blowing from here to there and it only took us about 10 hours. Coming back we were flying into the wind and it took two hours longer. Notice they had rowed all night. If they left the shore at about dark and the storm arose shortly there after it is during the "fourth watch" or between 3 and 6 AM when Jesus appears out of the blackness of a raging angry sea. Does it feel like the storm is dark and the waves high in your trouble? Do you think He don’t know the storm is going on. Notice a few moments ago I said they were in God’s` will in God’s storm. Friends the storms belong to God as well. Remember the storm that Jonah found himself in, it was God’s. The storms we find ourselves in are God’s storms. He is sovereign. Psalms 107:29 "He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still." Nahum 1:3-4 " The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry…" Picture of mans inadequacies. They had toiled without Jesus help. All the work we do as someone said will have to be redone if we don’t do it in God’s power. Matthew 14:25-26 Spooks in the dark. There is little doubt that it was a dark night. After all it was storming and the waves were breaking upon the little boat. These fishermen, who had been in storms before, though He was a ghost. The one who could calm the storm came and they didn’t recognize him. They were expecting the worst and found it hare to believe the best. Remember Eli knew the noise Samuel heard was God. Notice Jesus never explained how He walked on the water. It is not important that we understand the how but accept that He did by faith. Matthew 14:28-29 Dare to be like Peter. Sometimes in industry an engineer has to override a computer or a sensor that is sensing something is wrong to fix a problem. He knows what is needed better than the sensor. Remember the robot from "Lost in space" saying, "Danger, Danger, Danger." On the last shuttle mission the computer said there was a problem when in fact there was not and NASA engineers had to override the computer. Sometimes we must make an intentionally choice to trust God. We have to override our senses. We must by pass the obvious to trust in the Creator. Peter was in a boat, thinking he was seeing a ghost, but he chose to step out onto the water, which didn’t make sense except to Peter, and walk to Jesus. Matthew 14:30-32 Get Jesus in our Boat. It has been said many times that Peter was fine until he took his eyes off of Jesus. This is true but I want to emphasize what happen next. Most of us have lost sight of Jesus in the storms. We have all looked down at the waves at our feet. However notice that Jesus was standing by. He reaches out and picks Peter up. Might I say that He is reaching out to us today? Notice when Jesus got in the boat the storm ceased. We just need to let Jesus pick us up sometimes and put us in the boat so the storm will cease. Matthew 14:33 A defining moment of faith. Remember that this miracle is the fifth of the seven sign miracles of John. Jesus did not simply go around doing good to do good. He had a purpose. His purpose was that men might believe on Him. Notice what I call a defining moment of faith for those in the boat. They fell down and worshipped. Only Matthew gives us this detail. They next said, "Of a truth thou art the Son of God." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 7: 01.05. WHICH SON ARE YOU? ======================================================================== Which Son Are You? Matthew 21:28-32 When my wife and I were childless many couples who had two children often told us how totally different their children were. It is hard to imagine this being true when the children have the same mother, father and home situation to grow in. We found it to be true as well. We as God’s children are not the same either. God didn’t make us His "cookie cutter kids." In the parable set before us we will see this. This parable is known as the Parable of the two sons. It is only found in the Gospel of Matthew. I- Characters: There are three characters in this parable. "A certain man," the father and his two sons. The father can be no other than God the Father. The first son pictures for us the world that lays no claim to being religious. The publicans and the harlots according to Matthew 21:31 The second of the two sons give us a picture of the Pharisees, scribes, and priest of the day. II- Setting: The time period of His ministry that Jesus spoke this parable is during His last week before the crucifixion. This is known as the Passion Week. He is in the temple (Matthew 21:23) where He is teaching and the Pharisees want to know by what authority He did the things He did. He ask them a question, as He did so many times, that turned the table. He asked them by what authority John the Baptist baptized. They could not tell Him without condemning themselves. Therefore, He refused to tell them by what authority He did what He did. Instead He tells them a parable; a parable that holds a mirror up so they could see themselves. Matthew 21:45 gives us evidence of this where it says, "when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them." III- The Parable: The parable Jesus told was of a man who had two sons. The first when he was told to go work in the family vineyard openly refused to go. The second son, in a deceptive way, when he was asked to go immediately said, "Yes, Sir I will go," but it was only words and he did not go at all. Jesus then asked them which son did the will of the father. The answer was obvious. He them tells them that the outcast of the society would make heaven before they would because they repented and believed. (Matthew 21:31-32 ) IV- The Questions: There is another application to this parable that I found by Dr. Herbert Lockyer the author of All the Parables of the Bible. Allow me to quote him to set the stage for this thought. "Some expositors say that God, as the Father, is the principle figure in the parable, and that his sons may be divided into the obedient and the disobedient. Perhaps, in a creative sense, God is the Father of all, just as Job speaks of Him as the Father of the "rain." Son, however, is a term implying a birth-relationship—a relationship which regeneration alone can bring about. Unless we have received the spirit of adoption we have no right to call God, Father (Galatians 4:5 ) Further, God does not ask service from those who are not His. Saved, we serve, and the "wineyard" is the sphere in which we serve Him." (Herbert Lockyer, All the Parables of the Bible, p 223.) The application that Lockyer makes is that the parable could be interpreted as a secondary interpretation as two of God’s children relating to the God the Father. This application can be applied to any given church congregation on any given Sunday morning. There are some who are in open refusal in their heart about servicing God and letting Christ be Lord of their life while others are talking the talk but are not putting it into practice. They have a form of religion but deny the power of it. Which Son are we most like, the first or the second? Do we say, "I’ll go and never get around to it? Or do we decide that we need to go after we have refused and go. Which did the will of the Father? Which of us are doing the fathers will? Those who will cry out God I have failed you but I repent and want to do better. Or those who will sit and pretend to be walking close to God when they are lying to themselves. Which was most guilty of disobedience? The first son was initially but he repented. The second son was not initially but was in the long run in worse rebellion that the first. Which was most honest? The first son was honest in the fact that he openly refused to go. The second was dishonest and deceptive in the fact that he leads the father to believe he would go but did not. V- The Application: We can make a decision anytime to follow God. It is never to late. Our God is a God of the second chance, third chance, forth chance, etc. We must make a decision to obey for no decision is a decision to rebel. The purpose of this message is not so you will say you enjoyed it but to bring us face to face with a decision to recommit our lives to God. Righteousness must exceed the Pharisees and scribes. Matthew 5:20 Jesus said, "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Not mouth but heart motive. Does our actions live up to our worship? Obedience comes from a change of heart. Which son are you? You will notice that both sons heard the request of the father. It was not a matter of not knowing but a matter of not being will to do. Will you be like the first who repented and went to work in the vineyard? Will you get busy tending your vine? "For every "son" there is a vine to care for, and if he neglects it, no one else will for it." (Herbert Lockyer, All the Parables of the Bible, p 223.) ======================================================================== CHAPTER 8: 01.06. CREATING WINE FROM WATER ======================================================================== Creating Wine from Water John 2:1-11 I- The Background: Our story begins in John in the beginning before creation. John 1:1-3 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." Jesus as we know was born in Bethlehem, but we have to get this from another gospel, John did not tell us about his birth. He does not tell us about the instance of Jesus staying behind in the temple but goes directly to the ministry of John the Baptist. John does not record the actual event of the baptism and skips past the forty days in the wilderness for the temptation. John instead begins his telling of the events of Christ life with the calling of the first disciples and in a matter of a few days the first miracle. This is the period of introduction of Jesus to the world as Messiah. Merrill Tenney called it, "The period of consideration." Jesus is presented for the world to consider who He is. John 1:19 The first day we find the Jewish priest sending to John and asking if he is the Messiah. John says he is not. John 1:29 The next day as John sees Jesus and testifies that Jesus was the one who God revealed to him was the Lamb by the descent of the Spirit. John 1:34 The next day again they looked upon Jesus and tow of Johns disciples hear John’s testimony and follow Jesus. One of these was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. Andrew goes and gets his brother and they both become followers of Jesus. John 1:43 Jesus heads toward Galilee and finds Phillip who was from Bethsaida the same city as Andrew and Peter. Phillip finds Nathanael and they both become followers of Christ. John 1:45 Now we get to the connection of all this to the wedding that Jesus is at in our text. Jesus travels north into Galilee to the north side of the Sea of Galilee to a city of Cana for a wedding. The reason He was even in the area may have been Nathanael. John 21:2 says, "There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, …" Nathanael was from Cana. II- The Wedding: John 2:1-2 Jesus has an occasion to be at a wedding some 3 days later. This is about a week after the testimony of John the Baptist and the first men who followed Jesus. By this time there were five men, not twelve that would come later, who were following Jesus. These five were Andrew, Simeon, Phillip, Nathanael and another unnamed disciple of John the Baptist. Jesus mother was at the wedding. Some think she may have even been one of the hostesses for it due to the way the servants responded to her request concerning the water pots. Most think Jesus is probably invited due to Mary and his disciples come because of Jesus. This may have even had a connection to Nathanael. The ironic thing is that the bride and groom is not the central character at this wedding. There is no mention of the bride’s dress or the bridesmaids. The center figure for eternity is Jesus the Messiah. John 2:3 "They had no wine." The host of the wedding had not made adequate plans for the wedding guest. This might have been due to them not having the resources. Historians say the people living north of the Sea of Galilee were the poorest. It could also have been due to the fact that Jesus and his five friends showed up, invited but only after preparations were made. Never the less the reason they were out of wine. This was a potential major embarrassment to the family. John 2:4 Jesus addresses his mother as, "Woman." Before we read into this that Jesus was being disrespectful we must remember that He addressed her this same way from the cross where He certainly was looking after His mother with love. Luke 2:51 tells us that Jesus was respectful of His parents. This scene however is the breaking away from parental control so that He could do the will of God and not man. Jesus said mine hour is not yet come. Does this mean that Jesus should not have performed this miracle? No, certainly not. Jesus was saying that the hour was not yet come that He would be subject to the will of men again when He would submit to the cross. John 2:5-6 Mary says to them, "follow His instruction." There were some water pots sitting nearby. Water pots of clay. The combined capacity of these would have been about 150 gallons which would have yielded 2400 ½ pint servings. This was not only one pitcher of water into wine. John 2:7 Jesus commands them to, "fill the waterpots with water." The instructions were complied with and all was ready. John 2:8 He tells the now to draw and take to the governor of the feast. Notice Jesus did not say, "look at me I’m going to do a miracle." He did not draw attention to what was happening at all. He simply turned the water into wine and then told them to take it to the governor of the feast. John 2:9-10 This new wine was better than anything that they had drank before. The good was usually served first and then the poorer quality was served later. John 2:11 John records that this was the first miracle Jesus performed. The purposes of the miracle was for manifesting " forth his glory" and so that the disciples, "believed on him." III- Application of the Miracle: There are several application that we need to draw from this miracle. This does not teach that social drinking is OK. This teaches us that marriage is a sacred thing to God. In this live together era, same sex marriages uproar, isn’t it refreshing to again see that Jesus counted marriage sacred by His presence. This shows us that Jesus was creator. John had stated this in John 1:3 "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." Someone has said that it is not hard to believe this miracle of water being made into wine, it happens all the time in nature. Jesus simply sped up the process. He, as Creator could do this. Notice something else also if you would in the fact that Jesus created the wine already aged. It was good wine. Wine must age to be good. When God created the universe He created it with age. This miracles in some ways mirrors creation of the universe. Notice the governor says you have kept the best for last. Might I say that this first miracle also looks ahead to the best that is coming? The story is told of a time when Teddy Roosevelt was returning from Africa from a hunting trip by ship. On the same ship was an old couple who had retired as missionaries and was returning home. When the ship docked they rolled out the red carpet for the president while the arrival of the missionaries went unnoticed. No one was there to greet them, no band to play. They went to a cheap hotel to get a good nights rest before starting west to home. This discouraged them and as they prayed to God they said, "we have given our lives to tell the people of Africa about Jesus and lead them to you. Yet when we return home there is no one to greet us while when the president returns home there is a crowd." The old couple said that God then gently reminded them, "You are not home yet." Beloved I am reminded that the best is yet to come. The last will be better than the first. There is coming a wedding feast for the bride of Christ. We will be home someday. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 9: 01.07. BREAD FOR THE OVEN FODDER FOR THE FIRE ======================================================================== Bread for the Oven Fodder for the Fire? Matthew 13:24-30 ; Matthew 13:36-43 Today we focus on one of the best known parable that Jesus spoke. As we sit at His side today we hear Him tell the story we refer to as the parable of the tares and the wheat. Jesus in His own masterfully way sets forth a parable from the every day agricultural community. He tells a story about a man raising wheat that would probably be used to make bread. A part of the story is of tares, which was good only for the fire. The telling of the parable takes place in Matthew 13:24-30 . We are not left to speculate about the meaning of the different components of the parable because in Matthew 13:26-43 Jesus explains it for us. I- While Men Slept: Matthew 13:25 a In the story you will notice the sowing of the destructive tares took place when the owner of the field was not watching. The writers of the New Testament warned to be awake because that Satan would slip in through the front door of the church house. Notice the following scriptures. Jude 1:4 "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 13:11-12 "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." 1 Corinthians 15:34 "Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame." II- An Enemy Came: Matthew 13:25 ; Matthew 13:39 Who is the Enemy? We know that the enemy that came was Satan. Matthew 13:39 . When we sleep we know that Satan will come. Satan is the enemy as we well know. We see he is the enemy in at least three ways. He is the enemy of God: Satan has been the enemy of God since he fell and was cast out of heaven. He has tried to derail the plan of God from the beginning. He induced Adam and Eve into sinning, he tried to destroy the line from which Messiah would come by killing Abel. He tried to destroy the line down thorough the ages but failed. He was behind the uproar of his crowd the cried crucify and lead to Jesus death. Every time however, God has triumphed over him. He is the enemy of the Church: He has tried to cripple the church with sin, strangle it with lies about others parts of the body. He has tried to convince people they can do their own thing concerning religion and that they do not need the church. He will say you don’t even have to go to church. He is the enemy of Men’s Soul: The great contrast to this is when we consider that God is not willing that any should perish but that all me should come to repentance and that Satan is not will that any come to God but all perish. Luke 22:31 "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat" 1 Peter 5:8-9 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." III- Uprooting the Tares can Kill the Wheat: Matthew 13:29 How can we tell a counterfeit? It is said by studying the real thing. Satan however is into counterfeiting. He will try to convince you that you are saved when you are lost and that you are lost when you are saved. Satan has sown tares among the wheat of the church. Are you a grain of wheat or a tare? When we would uproot the tares than we would damage the good wheat. Why, because of the disturbance of the soil. Would you agree or disagree with this statement? Satan has many in the church who are a constant problem who are his tares. The early church had them. Notice 3 John 1:9-10 "I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence am ong them, receiveth us not. 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church." IV- There is coming a time of Harvest: Matthew 13:30 ; Matthew 13:39-43 The picture that is given in this parable is one of strong words. Notice it says, "40 … the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." This gives us a picture of the judgment of the lost man that is to come. He will be cast into the furnace of fire and there wail and gnash his teeth. He will simply become fodder for the fire. When looked at from eternity a life that is not lived for God is simply a wasted life is it not? Revelation 14:15-20 gives us additional insight into the judgment of God. "And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs." God is not playing when it comes to judgment. Notice the scene of the great white throne judgment. Revelation 20:11-15 "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." V- God alone Can Make Wheat from a Tare: Is there any hope? Oh! Yes, beloved there is hope. God is in the business of turning water into wine, and homes, into cars and food for the family. His is in the business of turning drunks into fathers and upright citizens. Turning drug addicts into drug counselors and wheat into tares. He alone can change you in the only way that will last. 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ…" ======================================================================== CHAPTER 10: 01.08. BRINGING OUR FRIENDS TO JESUS ======================================================================== Bringing our Friends To Jesus Luke 5:17-26 Many times we have heard expressed the desire of someone for a friend, family member or coworker be saved. We have seen many tears shed for someone who was going through a physical ailment that required a touch from the hand of God to cure. In our text today, Jesus is in His adopted city, Capernaum. There was a large crowd gathered to hear what He was going to say. The stage was set for a defining moment in His ministry. This event is recorded in Matthew 9:1-38 and Mark 2:1-28 as well. I- Bringing Our Friends to Jesus: Luke 5:18-19 The story is told of four men who had a friend who was sick with palsy. This man was paralyzed and had to be carried to Jesus. He could not bring himself. They carried him on his bed to the house where Jesus was teaching. The indication of the text here is there was healing taking place as well. (Luke 5:17). The problem the friend ran into was that they could not get inside, at least through the doors. Not to be deterred they took the man upon the roof and took up the tiles and lowered him down into the house where Jesus was. We can discern several things from this event. 1- We must see our friends as being in need. These friends did not have trouble recognizing he was cripple because he could not walk. We have trouble seeing the needs of our friends to come to Jesus because we look only at their physical needs. We do not see them paralyzed by sin and needing a Savior. 2- We must see Jesus as their only hope. When God looks at mankind He sees them as helpless and hopeless unless they turn to Him. When we look at men we must learn to see them as God does. How can a man or woman make it to heaven? It is only by the blood of Jesus. Jesus is their only hope. I’m sure these friends had tried other things. Perhaps without any success and now their only hope was Jesus. 3- We must not allow obstacles to stop us. These friends would stop at nothing to bring their friend to Jesus. How easily we are discouraged. Someone says, "boo" and we run away scared. Some cries out that we are judgmental and narrow minded and we start apologizing. We need to take a bold stand but attempt to do it with humility and stop apologizing for knowing the truth. II- Declaring His Deity: Luke 5:20 When Jesus saw the faith of the men He made a statement that He certainly knew would cause a stir. He says to the man, "Man, thy sins are fogiven thee." It has been said that we have here a double miracle. First was a miracle of grace that the sins of this man was forgiven. The next was the physical healing miracle. The greatest thing that we need to recognize here is that the first priority of Jesus is not the physical healing but the spiritual healing of man. Jesus was the master at cutting to the chase and getting to the problem. You will recall the story of Nicodemus where Jesus did not answer his question but simply told him he had to be born again. Which need was greater the sickness of the mans physical body, not being able to walk, or the spiritual of being dead? Certainly it is the spiritual. Why do we focus so much on the physical? Because it is the part that we identify with. Did Jesus know that only God could forgive sin? Certainly He did. He chose this moment to declare that He was God who could forgive the man his sins. The response that He received shows us that the Pharisees and the lawyers understood what He was declaring as well. The reason that the Jews would ultimately kill Him was that He claimed to be God. No other place perhaps in the scriptures does he declare it so unequivocally. III- His Omniscient (all knowing): Luke 5:21-22 One of the great mysteries that we know but cannot comprehend is how Jesus was both God and man. Jesus was God from eternity past and was incarnate into the flesh of men to walk this earth and be our sacrifice. Notice the word of God in Php 2:6-7, "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." The phrase "of no reputation" is one word in Greek, kenoo (ken-o’-o) and means "to make empty" This is the great emptying of Christ when He became a man. Jesus chose to lay aside most of His attributes as God to become one of us. The attribute that is evident that He did not lay aside is His omniscience. John declared in John 2:24-25 "…Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man." You may recall the story of when Nathanael was brought to Him. John 1:47-49 "Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. 49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel." We also see that Jesus knew all things when He told the woman at the well about here five husband and the man she was living with now. Also when He told the disciple to go find a colt tied and bring it to Him, and to find a man carrying a water pot on his head to prepare the upper room for the celebration of Passover. Beloved might I say that Jesus still knows all. He sees our fears and our concerns and He alone can help us to bring our loved one to Him. IV- Proving His Deity: Luke 5:23-26 We have a saying, "The proof is in the pudding." Jesus had declared He was God who could forgive sin what would be the proof. "But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins…" Jesus stated and them He told the man to rise up and walk. Notice that Jesus did not argue but simply told him to rise. The power proved the pardon. You will also notice that it was not a gradual change but an immediate change. Salvation is a one-time event and not a process of growing into it. If you have got the, "I’ve grown into it gradually" salvation you need to check and be sure that Satan has not rocked you to sleep. Might I again state that it is God alone who can forgive sin and heal the deepest need or our friends and loved ones? Let us not be deterred or detoured from bringing them to Jesus. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 11: 01.09. GOD'S LOST AND FOUND DEPARTMENT ======================================================================== God’s Lost and Found Department Luke 15:1-32 If we lose a coat or a hat or our umbrella we usually go to the lost and found department to find the lost item. At KMS they have a coat barrel for misplaced coats. The joke around the office is the preacher has lost his keys, again. We have before us what many see as three distinct parables while others see them as three parts of one parable. Inside these three, is the best known and loved of all parables, namely the Prodigal Son parable. We will need to return to the Prodigal Son parable at another time to explore its meaning and implications deeper. For the most part these are unique to Luke’s gospel. Only Matthew in Matthew 18:12-13 records the lost sheep portion. Some has said there is a mathematical progress of the value. The one sheep was only one of one hundred, or 1 % of the total flock. The lost coin was one of ten or 10% of the treasure and of greater valve than one sheep. The lost son was only one of two or 50% of the father’s children and of greater value still than the sheep or the coin. In addition we can see within these three a clear picture of the trinity, the Son, the Spirit and the Father. I- The Common Threads: The common thread of these three is something or someone is lost. Jesus often referred to the needs of men that He came into contact with. He seldom called them sinners. He referred to them as lost. This sheep was lost because of being weak and not hearing the warnings. This was not calculated nor intention. The coin was lost because of another’s fault or perhaps just the lot of life. The son however was lost due to calculated self will on his part. Another reoccurring thought is of a celebration. In the first two the neighbors are called to rejoice with them and in the third the celebration is seen implicit. II- The Lost Sheep-- the Seeking Shepherd: The portion of our text that deals with the lost sheep gives us a picture of someone who unthinking wanders from God. They never intended to get lost. They know the shepherd cares for them but they are away and it is getting dark and they only then realize they are lost. In the last few months there have been several hikers, skiers and hunters that have become lost due to sudden changes in the weather or other factors. Most of them would never make it home safety if not for the rescuers. This section however speaks louder about the seeking shepherd than it does the sheep. The sheep was lost the shepherd was the seeking. Might I remind us that it was Adam who was lost and God who was seeking. It was you and I who were lost and God doing the seeking. You will notice that the shepherd looked for the sheep until he found it. Christ said He came, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10 He did not come to heal, walk on the water or perform miracles to awe the crowds. His purpose was to be a sacrifice that you and I could live. What is the worth of a man? Oh! Not how much could we get from the material that makes up our bodies but the worth in the eyes of God. Perhaps an atheist would say we are worthless when we look at the heavens and see how small we are in comparison. When we measure our height by the stars we are truly small. We are but specks of dust on a minor planet in a minor galaxy. Leroy Lawson said, "It is true that astronomically speaking, man is insignificant. But it is also true, as someone has wisely countered, ’Astronomically speaking, man is the astronomer.’ The astronomer knows the stars; do the stars know the astronomer?" (The Lord of Parables, Standard Publishers, p19.) Regardless of anything else we see the value of man in the fact of what God was willing to give to redeem us back to Himself. III- The Lost Coin—the Spirit Working through the church. Can you imagine the woman realizing that one of the coins she had been saving was missing. She probably would go into action. The dust would rise from the broom swept floor as she frantically sweeps the corners and under the bed with anxiety rising with each corner sweep and no coin found. The maybe in the very last possible place it could be she finds it. What relief and joy at finding the valuable. She gets on the grapevine and shares her joy with the neighbors. This pictures for us the work of the Holy Spirit as He works through the church to seek out the lost. Jesus says that the celebration pictures the celebration in heaven when someone comes to repentance. The Holy Spirit empowers us to search diligently for the lost coins of the world. They may not even be aware they are lost. They may not be conscious of their peril, as the coin was not. There is an old saying that we must get them lost before we can get them saved. IV- The Lost Son—the anxious Father: The shepherd goes after the sheep the woman searches out the lost coin but the anxious loving father must say at home. He has done all he can for the son but must wait for him to come home. Having done all that is need the father patiently waits for the return of the son. We know this story well. The focus is many times placed on the son who takes his leave or the brother who gets angry because of the party given when his brother comes home. However, the emphasis can also be placed on this anxious waiting father. The son gives us a picture of someone who deliberately and willfully is lost. Someone who has rejected the gospel and thinks the world has more to offer. This is the most tragic picture of the three. Could the father have gone to the son and brought him home against his will? This could have been done. Some men even speculate that the father had his spies watching the son and reporting back to him on his condition and location. Notice it says he ran to meet him as if it didn’t surprise him he was coming home. Luke 15:20 . The father also gives him a kiss of reconciliation. The son who was lost is found and it is time for joy. Are we joyous when someone come to the Lord. Satan tells lost men and women that we will laugh. If it is laughter it is laughter of joy not laughter of ridicule. The key to understanding is found in Luke 15:2 "This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them." Certainly we can see from the lost sheep sought out by the shepherd, the lost coin sought and found by the woman and the wayward son reconciled with the father that God wants all to come home. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 12: 01.10. IN SPITE OF THE EVIDENCE ======================================================================== In Spite of the Evidence Matthew 26:47-56 Jesus has instituted the Lord’s Supper as He shared the Passover with His disciples. He then goes over the brook Cedron (John 18:1 ) to the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36 ) on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26:30 ). This was a familiar place for the disciples and Jesus. Judas knew this place well and knew He would probably be there. (John 18:2 ) Jesus was indeed there in the agony of the garden as He was troubled in soul. He has asked Peter, James and John to watch and pray with Him. They could not even for one hour. Judas had made a deal to betray the Lord for thirty pieces of silver. As we enter the scene Judas is coming to betray Jesus. With Judas is a crowd with sword and staves to arrest Jesus. The crowd would chose not to believe in spite of the miracle that they will witness that night. Israel will choose not to believe in spite of the evidence of the miracle they had witnessed. Men down through the ages have chosen to reject Christ because they didn’t take time to consider the evidence of His claims. I- Kiss of A Traitor: Matthew 26:47-49 Jesus is unarmed and defenseless while the multitude is heavenly armed. Judas will come to Jesus give Him a kiss of betray. This was the kiss of a traitor. One might wonder why the crowd had to have Judas point Him out. After all He had been among them for some time. Jesus says to the multitude in Matthew 26:55 "…I sat daily with you teaching in the temple…" The betray came this way to fulfill prophecy. (Matthew 26:54 ) II- Born To Die: Matthew 26:53 Perhaps the greatest miracle in this event is not what Jesus did but what He did not do. He did not seek to escape. He didn’t call angels to fight for Him. He had already submitted to the cross a few moment earlier in the Garden. Jesus had been born to die for our sins. Before the foundation of the world Christ had been sacrificed in the mind and heart of God for our redemption. III- The Miracle: Matthew 26:51 ; John 18:10-11 ; Luke 14:46-47; Mark 14:46-47 The last miracle of physical healing that takes place prior the Jesus death on the cross will take place in the garden when He is taken into captivity. A- Cutting Off of the Ear: Matthew 26:51 ; John 18:10-11 All four of the gospels give us the account of the cutting off the ear of the high priest servants. We go to John’s gospel to find the name of the man was Malchus. John also tells us the one who pulled the sword and did the cutting off of the ear was Peter. B- Healing of the Ear: Luke, the Physician, is the only gospel writer that gives us the miracle of the healing of the ear of Malchus. He says, "And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him." Luke 22:51 What a picture of grace! Here this man comes to arrest Jesus with trumped up charges and Jesus in an act of grace heals him. He bestowed this on an enemy. Is not this a picture of who Jesus was and is. Romans 5:8 ; Romans 8:10 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us...For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." C- Rebuke of Peter: Matthew 26:52 The disciples only had two swords among them. (Luke 22:38 ) Jesus told them that would be enough. Jesus knew it would be enough because He never intended to fight. IV- In Spite of the Evidence: This miracle of healing leaves us to wonder how the crowd could see the healing of the ear and not believe. I submit that it was a deliberate act of will. It was not that they could not believe but that they intentionally chose not to believe. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 13: 01.11. THE MIDNIGHT CRY: CHILL OR THRILL ======================================================================== The Midnight Cry: Chill or Thrill Matthew 25:1-13 I- The Wedding Culture: Weddings today across the world are made up of various social activities that vary from area to area. For us to understand this parable we must understand the wedding culture of the time. In the culture the New Testament is set in the marriage was a multi-part event. The bride and groom were espoused to one another. This was the first part of the marriage process. This was legally married but the marriage was not consummated. They did not live together at this time. The groom would go to prepare a place for them to live and then return to take his bride. The bride was to wait patiently for the groom to return. The return was usually sudden and could be at any time of the day even the night. When someone saw the bridegroom coming he or she would cry behold the bridegroom cometh. The bride had to be instantly ready to go with him. II- Symbols in the Parable: The Oil gives us a picture of the Holy Spirit, which must be inside a believer for them to be genuinely saved. The Bridegroom is Christ who will be coming for His bride the church. We see in Matthew 25:13 this parable is related to the coming of the Lord Jesus for His church. The Five wise virgins give us a picture of the Church prepared for the return with oil (Holy Spirit) in their lamps. The Five foolish virgins are the lost world. Many who are very familiar with their need of receiving Christ but who have put it off to late. III- The Questions of Wisdom: What made them wise? The thing that made the five virgins wise was the fact that they had prepared for the coming of the bridegroom. The bride who was ready would be thrilled to hear that the bridegroom was coming. What made them foolish? The unprepared virgin was unwise because they were not ready for the coming of the bridegroom. You will notice that they asked the others to share their oil. The answer was no. The reason being is because the Oil remember is the Holy Spirit and each person must have it. We cannot take someone else to heaven by what we have that they lack. The saddest words in the whole story are, "and the door was shut." Can you imagine the chill of not being prepared when the bridegroom comes? IV- The Uncertain Hour: Matthew 25:13 The uncertainty of the time of the coming of Christ should motivate us in several ways. There is not doubt that no man knows the hour of the coming of Christ. We can look around and see that the season is drawing nigh but no man knows. Allow me to off the following the uncertain hour should do for us. Moves us to Holy Living: If you do not know when Jesus is coming would you not make sure you are not in a place you should not be. By His coming being uncertain but at the same time imminent it should keep us on track. Romans 13:11-14 "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." Gives us an urgency to work. Procrastination is not a spiritual gift. It is a failure of the church sometimes. We put off what we should do until to late. Remember Jesus said, "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." Excites us with the possibility of His coming. Can you image the thrill of being alive when Jesus steps out on the clouds and we go toward heaven in the rapture. No greater thrill could be possible. We should be excited about the soon coming of our Lord Jesus for His own. We should be thrilled if we are ready, chilled if we are unprepared. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 14: 01.12. UPON THE ROCK, CHRIST JESUS ======================================================================== Upo­n The Rock, Christ Jesus Matthew 7:24-27 ; Luke 6:46-49 It is said that men in the past would level a house by drinking half of a bottle of liquor and then using the other half as a level. By that time anything looked level and it didn’t matter. The houses needless to say were not exactly solid and level. There is a church that was out the street from a church I pastored in Johnson City that made plans to build. They dug the footers, poured them and lay the blocks. The floor was to be concrete so they put in the plumbing and filled in the dirt to level up so the floor could be poured. Prior to the blocks being laid, in only a few days, there were major cracks in foundation walls. They discovered by core drilling that the foundation was built upon an area that was filled with caves underground. The foundation looked good but its support was flawed. When you go to the beach the next time look at the houses built on post. The biggest story of them is that the posts are sitting on a solid foundation and not the sand. They dig to solid ground and the pour concrete to give the foundation to the houses. The foundation is there but unseen. I- False Professions There are many today that have what we might call false professions. They talk the language of a believer. Jesus said here, "… why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Luke 6:46 Many times we are like the church who put in the foundation but did not check to see if their rock that they were building on was solid. We have many man made ideas of the way things might be but we need to trust God’s word to tell us how it is. 1 Corinthians 3:11-14 says, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward." The apostle Paul went on to state in the Corinthian letter concerning the ways men would devise, "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness." 1 Corinthians 3:19 It is not just important that you believe something, it is important that you believe the right thing. You must have a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus. II- Two Houses in a Hurricane I call these two houses in a hurricane. This parable tells of two houses built, one on solid rock and the other on sand. The word of God says concerning the house on the rock, "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." Matthew 7:25 The other house was on the sand and the word of God says, "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." Matthew 7:27 How sure is your foundation when the storms of life rock your world. I have told you before about my wife turning to me about a minute after here daddy die at 2:00 in the morning at the hospital and say, "What we believe is true." I say to you today, the anchor holds in spite of the storms. The anchor holds in the midst of the storm. III- Upon Christ the Rock We know that the rock of our salvation and our faith is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. In the wilderness journey the people were supplied water from a rock. The first time Moses was told to strike the rock and water came out. The second time he was to only speak to the rock. The reason was the rock represented Christ who was only crucified one time. Moses instead struck the rock and that was the reason he did not enter the promised land. Notice what Paul the Apostle said about this rock, "…they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. " 1 Corinthians 10:4 a- Rock of the church Matthew 16:18 "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God. Christ tells him that upon this rock, the rock of faith in Him, He would build his church. The church is going to stand until the end my friend because of it sure foundation. Rock of Offense 1 Peter 2:6-8 There are many who are offended by the idea of Christ dying for their sins. Notice the word of God. 1 Peter 2:6-8 "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient…" Rock that will crush Daniel 2:34-35 ; Daniel 2:44-45 We see from the word of God that the Rock, Christ Jesus will also be a rock of judgment. He will be the rock that destroys the world of sin and judge it as a rock that crushes. Notice Daniel 2:1-49 where Daniel is telling the king the dream he had in which God revealed the history of the kingdom that would rule the world. Daniel 2:34-35 "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." The four kingdoms that would come were all crushed by the rock cut out without hand, the Lord Jesus, crushed them. My friends our Lord Jesus, who is the rock of our salvation, is the rock that will judge and crush the sins of men. Will you not come to the rock for safety? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 15: 01.13. WITHERED FIG TREE: MIRACLE, PARABLE, PROPHECY ======================================================================== The Withered Fig Tree: Miracle, Parable, and Prophecy Mark 11:12-14, Mark 11:20-21 The setting is when Christ enters Jerusalem. He is greeted with Hosanna as He enters on the colt. Jesus goes across the hill to Bethany to spend to spend the night. The miracle He performs on His way to Jerusalem the next day is the only miracle of destruction recorded in the Bible. Jesus always built up instead of destroyed except this one time. This event stands alone as well in that the miracle also serves as a parabolic teaching and a prophecy as well. The miracle that Jesus performed is that by speaking the words the tree withered. The parable is seen in the tree had only leaves and no fruit and what that represents. The prophecy is the fig trees picture of the nation of Israel. I- Miracle: Cursing of the Fig Tree We see the two natures of the Lord Jesus Christ in this miracle and the circumstance surrounding it. First you will notice that it says He was hungry. Jesus was fully human and experienced all the same pains of hunger and weariness as we do. One of the things we must point out however is the one who fed the 5000 refused to perform a miracle to satisfy His personal hunger. Remember that at the temptation when He had not eaten in 40 days He refused to turn the stones to bread. Jesus’ performance of miracles was not self-serving but with a divine purpose. The very fact that Jesus was coming from Bethany, where perhaps He had not eaten anything prior to leaving, shows us also that He needed to rest physically. Perhaps as He journeyed this gave time for the fact to be realized that He was hungry. He went to the fig tree to satisfy that hunger. The second nature of Christ was that He was fully God. Many speculate if He knew there were not figs. I’m sure that He did. Many times He chose to so things that showed those around Him who He was. When the tree did not have fruit it incurred the divine wraft of the Son of God. In this miracle of destruction we see the God side of His two natures. He was the Judge of this tree. This shows us that Jesus Christ is the judge who will judge all men. John 5:22-23 "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him." This miracle however should not be cause of over alarm for us however if we are in Christ Jesus. The world, in many places, lives in great fear of the spirits and of the gods. They fear that the gods are mad and they need to do something to appease them. This has lead men to do some bizarre things such as sacrifice animals, mutilate their bodies and even sacrifice their children. We must keep in mind that there is coming a time when we as God’s redeemed people will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. However this is a time of rewards and if you stand here it is because you are saved not to see if you will be. Allow me to tie several verses in Romans together to develop this. Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:9 "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Romans 8:33-34 "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Did you notice that there is not condemnation to them in Christ and that the way we are in Christ is if we have His spirit? This happens at the new birth. You will also notice that it says that the one who is judging is the one who is our defender and He cannot condemn us if He is justifying us. II- Parable: The Falsehood of the Tree. The parable of this is found in the symbolic act attached to the fig tree. Jesus during this period of time cast out the money changes from the temple. This fig tree pictures the barrenness of the nation of Israel. They had the entire prom and circumstance of being fruitful but they had not fruit. The fig trees many times were planted beside the road so people passing by could eat of the fruit. The fruit of the trees came before the leaves and a tree with leaves was saying to those passing by that the fruit would be there. The leaves were a silent proclamation of fruit. Mark here says the time of the fruit was not yet. In the period of time that this occurred in March and April these tree would normally have neither leaves nor fruit. This tree however was pretending to be something it was not. Notice the following words of our Lord Jesus and weight them in your heart. Matthew 7:21-23 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Luke 6:43-46 "For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" This tree was boasting of having fruit when it had none and incurred the wraft of God. It is too important to pretend to be a Christian when you know you are not. Many today are like this tree, false professors and not true possessors. III- Prophecy: Israel is set aside for a season. The fig tree in the scriptures is used as a symbol of Israel. Hosea 9:10 says, "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved." The word used here in Mark 11:14 "hereafter for ever" can literally mean, "unitl the age" or "until the dispensation." We see that thought Israel, as represented by this fig tree, has been cast aside it is not for eternity. By careful study Romans 11:1-36 we can see that the setting aside of Israel is but for a period of time. God will again turn to this His chosen people. Romans 11:26 says, "…so all Israel shall be saved…" Conclusion: Jesus Christ will be the judge of all things. We need to make sure that we are not just pretending to be something we are not. And we must be very careful the way we treat Israel. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 16: 01.14. HOG WILD AND PIG CRAZY ======================================================================== Hog Wild and Pig Crazy Luke 8:26-39 (Parallel passages Matthew 8:28-34 ; Mark 5:1-20 ) We live in a time when the activity of the occult and the activity of satanic groups are no longer in the closet. The evidence of this is found in the music and the dress of our young people. It is found in video games we see that are being developed for our, so called, entertainment. We see it on the web, in our literature and if you watch any of the talk shows on TV you will certainly see the evidence of demonic influence in our society. What used to be the abnormal is now becoming the socially accepted and in some circles the socially demanded. It seems like our nation has gone hog wild and pig crazy. I- Background: Luke 8:26 Jesus departs from the ship on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. As he disembarks he is met by two men who live in the tombs (Matthew 8:28 ). The focus of the gospel of Luke and Mark are only on one of these men. Concerning this apparent contradiction Matthew Henry said, "If there were two, there was one." Even today one of the most prominent features of this area is the tombs that dot the cliffs of the region of Gadara. II- There is an enemy! Luke 8:27 This man was certainly under the influence of Satan and his hoards of demons. "…had devils long time.." tells us this was not just a recent occurrence. A composite of the gospel accounts tell us he, "…ware not clothes, neither abode in any house…night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying and cutting himself…had been often bound with fetters and chains (which he promptly broke) …neither could any man tame him." We can certainly see from this text that there is an enemy of men. We know that the enemy of men has always been Satan. Satan has tried to confuse men and bring them captive to himself and sin from the beginning. How does he attack? The enemy attacks men in their minds. Notice the following scriptures concerning the mind and the attack of Satan there. Romans 7:23-25 "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members…25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." We also see that we need to be conscience of the mind being renewed by the thing so God. Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." III- Mental Illness or Demon Possession? Luke 8:28-29 In all three gospels it notes that there was a demonic possession involved in this situation. This leads us to the questions are demons real and if so is demon possession possible today. The answer to these is certainly yes. Many foreign missionaries tell multitudes of stories of numerous possessions by the demons in some people they encounter. Is it possible that some of the mental illnesses today are nothing more than demonic possessions? Let me quickly state however that if someone has a mental problem this does not in any way say that they are unspiritual and certainly not demon possessed. There are many causes of mental problems. Chemical imbalances, traumas and others things that have nothing to do with demons. Having said this lets turn our attention to possession by demons that occur and how to prevent them. First let me state not by my experience but by testimony of those involved in the occult and demon possessions that the first line of defense and the only sure line of defense is that we have the spirit of God living within us. I understand that when someone tries to join one of these cults they are many time ask if they have ever accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. If they have they are indwelled by the Holy Spirit and cannot be possessed by demons. Some of the avenues that Satan uses to get into people are through games such as Dungeons and Dragons, the Oujie Board and many others. However, I am not saying if you play these you are going to possesses. Satan many times can potentially have an avenue into someone life through drugs, sex and other lust of the flesh. IV- Hog Wild and Pig Crazy! Luke 8:30-34 You notice that these demons recognized who Jesus was. In all three gospels they call Him, "Jesus,…Son of God." James 2:19 "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." These demons, which called themselves Legion, ask to be cast into the swine instead of the deep. Jesus did as they had requested. This made the hogs run into the water made from demon possession. They went, if you will, hog wild and pig crazy. The event is reported to the people who dwelled in the country. They ask Jesus to depart. There were probably a several reasons for this. Fear and unwillingness to embrace who Jesus was could have been two. Regardless I see them as more concerned about the hogs than the spiritual condition of themselves and their country. They were will to sell their souls for the almighty dollar so to speak. V- New Man in Christ! Luke 8:35 The miracle part of this is found in this verse. The man was in his right mind setting at the Master feet hearing Him teach. The miracle was the redemption of this man. The new birth is always a miracle. Someone said they do not have as many questions about God sending some men to hell as they do with Him allowing anyone to go to heaven. The word of God says when we accept Christ, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 The birth of a son or daughter into the family of God is something that even though we do not understand it is a miracle. VI- Called to Tell Others! Luke 8:38-39 Notice when this man wanted to go with Jesus he was told by the Master to, "return to his own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee." Do you remember how excited you were when you were saved. John in the Revelation told the church at Ephesus they had "…left thy first love." This man when it is said throughout the whole city telling them. Our call is to tell what Christ had done for us. If you have had a change you have received a call. You to can be involved in a miracle today of the new birth. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 17: 01.15. WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME? ======================================================================== What’s In It For Me? Matthew 20:1-16 I begin with a simple question. Who is more important you or others? There have been a lot of paramount statements made in the history of mankind. John Kennedy said, "Don’t ask what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country." A famous cry from the time of the revolution was, "I regret that I have only one life to give for my country." Today we have a lot of cries that are going out in America that are on a very primitive level. "If you don’t look out for yourself no one else will." "Looking out for number one." We have developed an attitude when we are searching for a church of not, where does God want me to be to serve but what do they offer me. We would probably ask the question, while not out loud, of what’s in it for me when we enter into most situations. I remind us all that Jesus, as recorded two times in Matthew and one time each the other gospels, talked about gaining our life by losing it. Matthew 10:38-39 "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." I- The Setting: Matthew records in Matthew 19:1-30 two important events that we must preface this parable with to understand it. Matthew 19:16-22 records the story of the rich young ruler who comes to Jesus and asks how he can have eternal life. Jesus tells him to give up all he has and follow Him. This rich young man was unwilling to do this. The second preface is found in Matthew 19:27 where Peter states, "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" Christ tells him that the disciples will receive a reward for their service. He also states, "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." Matthew 19:29 Next Jesus makes the statement that He closes the parable He gives in Matthew 20:1-34 with, "But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first." Matthew 19:30 II- The Parable: Jesus tells a parable about a common occurrence of the day. The area was one of agricultural use and especially of vineyards. The local day labors would gather in the market place (Matthew 20:3) and wait on someone to come by and hire him or her for the day. They were not hanging out because they did not want to work but in order to be hired to work. Some one has said that we could not run a business the way this man did and survive. However Jesus is not teaching business principles He is teaching eternal truths. This man comes to the market place early in the morning (sometime after 6:00 AM) and hires some workers and agrees to pay them a penny (NIV says "denarius") which was a days pay for a labour as well as a soldier. The same man goes to the market place on three other occasions on the same day. He goes at the sixth (12:00 noon) and ninth hour (3:00 PM) as well as the eleventh hour (5:00 PM) and hires workers. The last workers had only one hour before quitting time at the twelfth hour (6 PM). The problem arose when the landowner instructs his steward to begin paying them in reverse order of their hiring. He paid all those who had been hired and worked for only a part of the day the same as he did those who had worked all day. We might add quickly that he did not do anything dishonest by this. He had a contract with the first workers to pay this preciously this. He honored the contract. He had only agreed with the others to, "whatsoever is right." Matthew 20:4 ; Matthew 20:7 . He could give them what he wanted after all it was his money and he was not cheating anyone. III- The Implications: We need to see several things that this parable give to us as implications to our lives and the lives of men. Seniority does not necessarily mean honor. These disciples were certainly the first to enter the work of the church. Christ may have been warning them that this did not necessarily make them an exclusive clique. He seems to be saying that when others come into the kingdom don’t claim special honor because you were saved first. Those who have come in later are just as important. Paul was very assertive when he declared in Romans 9:24 "…not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?" Jesus very well could have been speaking as well to the Jews that the not think of themselves as the only ones who were going to be saved by God. The Gentiles who would come later were just as important. Coming into the kingdom makes us immediately secure. There are many that are born the second time and die almost immediately. Does this make them any less secure than someone who has served God for many years? No indeed all are as secure in God’s grace from the time of salvation. God is a Generous God. This penny a day was not much wages. It would only sustain this man and his family for one day. This landowner showed great mercy and compassion when he paid these men a full day’s wages. He gave them what they needed not what they deserved. Does not this picture God’s grace for us. I remind us that, "The wages of sin is death…" Romans 6:23 Mankind is on the street corner without any hope of a payday other than eternal death and Jesus came along and gave us not only a days pay but an inheritance. This shows the generosity of God. There is a payday someday. We need to not lose the point that there is going to be a pay day some day. These men were called and paid by the steward of the master. The word of God says, "as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment…" Hebrews 9:27 Attitude Is Important. What if when we get to heaven we find that someone we know who we thought would be the first in line for great rewards has very few because they got there reward for what they do down here. Notice three things that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 6:1-34, giving, praying, and fasting. In some ways there three represent the Christian walk. "2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward…..5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward……16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." It is very important that we do not serve God only for the rewards. Attitude is important. It is important that we serve to please God and not for the accolades of men. What do we get in exchange? What’s in it for me? As we have stated the reward for discipleship will be given. Notice that the first men who were hired had a contract and knew what they were to receive and the rest of the men only had the promised mercy of the landowner to pay them what was fair. I would rather leave the reward up to God and rely on His mercy rather than have the legalist promise of the law. I leave us with one last verse, "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 18: 01.16. BE OPENED ======================================================================== Be Opened Mark 7:31-37 The Healing Miracle of the Deaf and Dumb Man of Decapolis Jesus had travel through the area of Decapolis on another occasion when He healed the maniac of Gadera. (See Mark 5:1-43) This man had broadcast all that Jesus had done for Him. Decapolis means "ten cities." The cities were located in the region of what is now Jordan. As Jesus comes into this area Matthew (Matthew 15:30 ) records that there were many miracles preformed. Mark however singles out this one. God put a special emphasis on this one man who was deaf and dumb. In some of the other miracles the Jesus preformed the physical aliment was attributed to demonic activity such as the maniac of Gadera. It seems not so in this case. This man had a natural problem not associated with demon possession or sin in the text. I- The Miracle: Of the man in this story it was said that he could not hear and had a, "having an impediment in his speech." This phrase in Greek is only one word, "mogilalos (mog-il-al’-os)." This is the only place in the New Testament this word is used. It means "hardly talking, i.e. dumb (tongue-tied)." Notice it says that he only had an impediment to his speech. He could make noise but it was not recognizable. This is important for the application in a moment. His friends bring him to Jesus and ask that Jesus put His hand on him. Jesus takes the man aside from the multitude. He"…puts his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue…" Notice that He first touched his ears and then his tongue. Many think that his wrong speaking was because of him not being able to hear. Jesus wishing to not call attention to Himself took Him aside. He looks into heaven, so the man would know from where His power came. He says to Him "Ephphatha, Be opened." Notice it says that his ears were immediately opened. He could hear and he could speak. Jesus charges him to tell no man but he immediately told everyone. II- Applications: Pictures Israel: Blind to their Messiah and therefore their message is unclear. Israel as we all well know rejected their Messiah. They are blind because of their unbelief. Paul spends two chapters in Romans talking about Israel being set aside for a small time. Romans 10:18-19 "But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. 19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you." Israel stand in need of a touch of their ears so they can again hear what God is saying and indeed said to them 2000 years ago. Jesus is Messiah. Will this happen? Yes! Notice Genesis 35:1, Genesis 35:5-6 "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose…. 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing…" The time is coming when Israel will hear what they should have heard before. Pictures United States: We need revival of the hearing of God. This great nation that God allowed to be raise up was built on God’s word. The laws of our land are taken from the principles set forth in the Word of God. What happened, you ask. We lost our fear of God. Many in America are crying out about prayer being taken out of school, the courthouse, and the public arena. There is a sense of something very wrong in our land. Poles seem to say things are all right but there is a sense of impending judgment. We have a nation that is polluted with the cesspool coming into our homes each day. Is there any hope? Yes! The very fact that God has allowed this to happen and cause us to reflect on our relationship with Him as a nation shows us He is dealing with us. Personally we need to stop and allow God to open our ears to hear His word and then express our opinion based on what He says not what we feel or hear. Picture Lost Man: deaf to the things of God and unfit tongue. The final picture for us out of this miracle is of a lost man. Acts 28:26-27 records the words of Paul to the Jewish leaders in Rome shortly after he arrived there as a prisoner. He quotes the prophet Elijah and says, "Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." He of course is speaking of Israel but it also shows the condition of the lost men and women of this world. The man in the story of our text was deaf and when he spoke, or tried to, it did not make sense. The world is full of lost men who cannot hear the things of God and they are babbling fools about evolution, morality, and almost any other subject. Mankind fell and stands in need of a touch of the Master to hear and speak. The good news is that Christ died so you may hear and understand and then tell others. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 19: 01.17. A POUND OF THE GOSPEL ======================================================================== A Pound of the Gospel Luke 19:11-28 If you could have a pound of anything in the world what would you ask for? Would it be a pound of gold, silver, health, wisdom or what? Sandwiched between the story of Zacchaeus and the Triumphal entry is what is known as the parable of the pound. The things Jesus spoke to Zacchaeus were the "These things…" of Luke 19:11. Some think this is the same parable as Matthew’s parable of the talent but when they are looked at they seem to certainly be similar but different. Luke 19:11 gives the reason that Jesus spoke this parable. He was nearing Jerusalem on His journey there. Jericho is just a few rugged miles down the road from Jerusalem. In fact it says in Luke 19:28 "And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem." By this time the rumors would certainly be flying. "He will overthrow the Roman’s when he comes to Jerusalem." "We will see the kingdom of God set up when He arrives." The main reason for this parable being spoken is said to be so they would not think His kingdom was immediately to appear. The kingdom they were looking for was a kingdom on earth that would return them to their former days of independence. They looked for Messiah to set up His kingdom and overthrow the Roman rule. These people were willing to proclaim Jesus King when He entered Jerusalem. They, however, wanted Him to rule according to their terms and not His. Jesus tells this parable to teach that His kingdom would not come about this way and not at this time. Background in History: As has been stated many times, Jesus was masterful at taking events of the day and teaching a spiritual application to them. After all this is what a parable is. The background of this parable is a story very familiar with the people He spoke to of the day. Let me give us a background quote to get the historic event. I quote from Warren Wiersbe’s work Windows on the Parable. (p144-45) "The story He told about the nobleman was really not new to the Jewish people, for they had seen this plot enacted years before by one of the sons of Herod the Great, Herod Archelaus (Matthew 2:22 ). Herod the Great left part of his kingdom to Archelaus, but the will had to be ratified by Rome. The people hated Archelaus because, though he had promised to be kinder to them than his father, he had turned to be just as wicked. A delegation of Jewish leaders actually went to Rome to protest the approval, but Augustus ratified the appointment and Archelaus became tetrarch of Judea and Samaria. When the new ruler arrived home, he rewarded his faithful aids and punished those citizens who had opposed him." An additional item of interest that brought this story to life was that Archelaus palace was located at Jericho. With this background in mind to help us understand lets hear Jesus give the parable of the ten pounds. The Parable Unfolded: As we attempt to unfold this parable we need to understand the characters of this parable. As we understand the characters we will understand the parables message to us today. A- The Nobleman: While in the historic setting this nobleman was Herod Archelaus in the parabolic setting it is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He subtly teaches that He is worthy to rule over them. After all He had a right to rule because He was the son of David and the Son of God. After His death He returned to heaven to receive His kingdom. He is sitting at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:3 ) He will return someday soon to establish His rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 17:14 ). B- The Pounds: Unlike the parable of the talents found in Matthew here all the servants received the same amount, one pound. What does this pound represent? We can ask the question, what is the one thing that all believers have to invest equally, to answer this. We all have the Holy Spirit but He is to empower us to use what we have stewardship over. The pound in this parable represents the Gospel. Jude call it, "… the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Jude 1:3 1 Thessalonians 2:4 "But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel…" Paul often referred to the "stewardship of the gospel." The admonishment of this parable was to "occupy till I come." Luke 19:13 We have been given our pound, our pound of the gospel, if you will, to invest and use wisely. C- The Ten Servants: As we enter the exposition of the ten servants we must first remember that all the servants understood their responsibility to do with the pound to he best of their ability. 1- Faithful servants: In the parable there were two of the ten singled out as being faithful servants a- One to ten pounds: Luke 19:16 The first faithful servant took the pound and increased it ten fold. The pound went from one to ten in value. The nobleman said to him, "Well, thou good servant." Luke 19:17 He next gives him ten cities to rule over. b- One to five pounds: Luke 19:18 The second one had increased the pound to five from one. He is given five cities to rule over. Luke 19:19. 2- Unfaithful servant: Luke 19:20-24 This parable shows failure of the servant to do anything. Do you not get the felling this was a lame excuse for his laziness. Perhaps he only put it off and put it off and put it off until time had caught up to him. Many do this today. Perhaps it was truly a fear of failure. Many times today believers have a fear of failure that keeps them from trying. Matthew 5:15-16 says, "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." 3- Rebellious citizens: Luke 19:14, Luke 19:27 gives us the group who rejected the rule of the nobleman. He calls them to be brought and slain before him. This certainly is a picture of the Jews who rejected their Messiah but also all those who have heard the gospel and rejected Him as they reject the message. Jesus would ride into Jerusalem in the next few hours and be rejected. He came as a humble king and not as a warrior Messiah. Hear the words recorded by John, "…Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar." John 19:15 4- The Forgotten Seven: The parable only calls to account three of the servants. What happened to the other seven who we do not have a record of them being called into account? I’m sure they were called into account along with these three. Them seemingly being forgotten I fell was no accident. This speaks to my heart that there is still going to be a time of accountability for our use of our pound, our pound of the gospel. Their judgment is not recorded and at this moment in time neither is ours. Are we investing what God has given us all in equal portions wisely or are we burying in the ground. The time is running out it is time to get busy with our pound of the gospel. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 20: 01.18. THERE AIN'T NO DEAD SEA ======================================================================== There Ain’t No Dead Sea Luke 5:1-7 (Parallel John 21:1-25) I had a friend who used to fish on the Watauga Lake. He often referred to it as the Dead Sea. The reason was he never caught very many fish there, he just fished. The Dead Sea of the Holy Lands is a sea that does not have any life in it. The salt content has killed everything. The Great Salt Lake in Utah has very little life in it due to the same reason. If you were to go fishing you certainly would not dock your boat in either one of these bodies of waters. There is recorded on two occasions that Jesus preformed a miracle of a large catch of fish. Luke records an event that takes place at the very beginning of the calling of the apostles. John records a similar event that occurred after the cross and resurrection during the forty days Jesus walked the earth prior to the ascension. Both are very similar miracles. I- The Call to the Fishermen: It seems that in the chronology of the gospels that there were three separate occasions when Jesus called these men to follow Him. These men were fishermen and worked at this professionally. A- First Call: Matthew 4:18-20 (also Mark 1:16-18 ) seem to be what we could call the first call. It seems as if there is a few days that transpire between this and the event in our text. B- Fishers of Men: Simon and James and John were fishermen who had fished all-night and caught nothing. The sea seemed to be dead, or at least that night it was. Jesus enters the boat of Peter and preaches to the crowd gathered on the shore. He then instruction Peter to launch out from the shore and let down the nets. (v. 4) He tells him to do it and he would catch some fish. Peter says ok I’ll do what you say but with some objection, after all we are fishermen and you are a carpenter. Miraculously there was a school of fish that just happen to jump in the net. The miracle was that these fish came along side the boat of Peter just at the time he let down the net. The fish were in the sea and Jesus just ask them to obey His will, which they did. C- All Are Fishers: All men are fishers of some sort. Sam had recruited many people to a local social organization. A friend of mine asks Sam, how many have you won to the Lord during the time you were winning them to the organization. See most of us fish for men in some ways. It may be a recruitment drive for the PTA or for some other thing. What kind of fishing are you doing, for carp or for men? II- Sidetracked on the Mission: One of the hardest things that we all do is to maintain focus on the job we are to do. Satan will send us good things to do that sidetrack us from the job of fishing. The second miracle of the draught of fish occurs after the disciples have walked with Jesus and then seen Him die and experienced the events of the glorious resurrection from the dead of the Lord. The disciples are again on the sea of Galilee. (Called the Sea of Tiberias in John) I count a total of seven. (John 21:2 ) They are waiting for Jesus to come to them in Galilee as He said He would. (Matthew 28:16 ) Peter says, "I go fishing." They are on the sea when Jesus shows up on the shore. They do not recognize Him on the shore. (John 21:4 ) They had lost the focus of the call to fish for men. John 21:6 Jesus tells them to "Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find." Notice the excitement of the disciples and especially Peter when they recognized the Lord. (John 21:7). They again were called and sent by the Lord to fish for men, expecially Peter. (John 21:15-19 ) III- Peter the Fisher of Men: The sense of call and purpose in Peter’s life was real. Do you sense God’s purpose for you life? He has called us all to fish for men. Did Peter do this? Just a little exploring in the book of Acts reveals that indeed Peter became a fisher of men. Acts 2:14-36 records the great sermon on the day of Pentecost. The preacher was Peter. Acts 3:1-26 records the curing of a lame man. Peter says to him, "Silver and gold have I none: but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." Acts 3:6 In Acts 4:12 Peter utters these simply yet profound and true words, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Peter indeed became a great fisherman of men. The world’s concept of him was, "unlearned and ignorant men." Acts 4:13 . The reason why he was such a good fisherman is also found in the last few words of this verse, "they had been with Jesus." We find Peter rejoicing that he was counted worthy to suffer for the cause of Christ. IV- How to Fish: Lets understand some obvious truths that we can discern from these miracles. Let these teach us how to fish, to fish for men’s souls. A- We fish by pushing off from shore into the deep. The shore is the safe harbor but few fish are ever caught with getting out of our comfort zone. We must push off from the shore of the church pews and front steps into the world. B- We fish by casting the net into the sea. Sea in the Bible it often refers to humanity. We must cast the net in the sea of people who are lost in the sea not in the boat. We fish often time with dry nets. Dry nets have never caught a fish. We hope they will jump in the boat with us like in the cartoons. C- We fish by fishing where Jesus leads us to go. On these two different occasions Jesus told them to cast their nets a certain place. The fish were there, provided by the Master. We must be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit as we fish. D- We fish any time any place if lead. Most of us are looking for perfect condition to fish in. Ever notice that when someone goes to the lake to fish they ask the other fishermen if they are catching any. Peter said Lord it’s the wrong time to fish. After all the nighttime had past without success and Peter knew during the cool of the night was fishing time. Never the less Jesus said to fish at the wrong time. How many times have we been guilty of saying I want invite them to church anymore. I’ve talked till I’m blue in the face and they haven’t come. I won’t cast the net there anymore. E- Obedience is the greatest need. Notice in Luke 5:4 Jesus says let down the "nets." Then in Luke 5:5 we see that Peter let down the "net." Peter was partially obedient. What if he had let down the nets? What if we obeyed totally? We are called to be fishing. He is willing to provide the draught of fish. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 21: 01.19. GOD'S FISHY BANK ======================================================================== God’s Fishy Bank Matthew 17:24-27 Much of the life of Jesus was focused in and around the Sea of Galilee. In our text today we see this again play out. He comes to Capernaum, which is located at the north end of the Sea. This was the hometown of Peter. It is important to note that these events did not take place in Jerusalem at the temple but at Capernaum many miles to the north. It is possible that the one collecting the tribute money knew Peter personally. Many kids have saved money in what we know as a piggy bank. It is called this because it is in the shape of a pig. The money in this story was in what we might call a "fishy bank." I- The Tribute Money: Only Matthew, who had been the tax collector before the call to follow Jesus, records this event. The man asks Peter, "…Doth not your master pay tribute?" Matthew 17:24 . This was not a tax that was hated as the tax exacted by the Romans on the citizens. It was a tax that had a biblical basis and was paid by every male of Israel above the age of 20. Exodus 30:11-16 gives this tribute to be paid. Exodus 30:11-16 "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. 13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD. 14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. 15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls. 16 And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls." The purpose was to support the work of the temple. This tribute was even collected from the Jews in a foreign country and sent to support the work in the temple. The word for tribute in Matthew 17:24 is didrachmon (did’-rakh-mon) and is only used in this verse alone. It is found in no other place in the New Testament. II- The Miracle Before the Miracle: Certainly the miracle of this was that Jesus knew about the coin the mouth of the fish. However the miracle before the miracle catches our attention as well. Peter answers the question of when ask, However the miracle before the miracle catches our attention as well. Peter answers the question when ask, "Yes." He then goes into the house where Jesus was. Jesus had not heard the conversation that Peter had. However, Jesus speaks first concerning the matter. The miracle before the miracle was that Jesus knew the conversation without hearing it. KJV says, "Jesus prevented him" This word, prophthano (prof-than’-o), means, "to get an earlier start of, i.e. anticipate." The ASV says, "Jesus spake first to him." One more of the subtle proofs that Jesus was God. III- Should a King’s Family Pay Tax to the King? Matthew 17:25 Matthew’s gospel was written to show Jesus was King of the Jews. It should not surprise us that this miracle is recorded. Jesus was simply stating to Matthew that the purpose of the tribute was to support the work of "HIS" temple. After all it was in the temple that they worshipped God and He was God. Jesus was saying that He did not have any obligation to pay the tribute to Himself. In fact this tribute was not compulsive but was paid by most devout Jews. Another subtle thing in this conversation with Peter was the fact that Jesus was also teaching that Peter was the son of the King of the temple. Jesus told him to pay for both of them. The question might arise if this was compulsive and Jesus, as God certainly did not have to pay it why did He do what He did. Notice the words of our Lord, "Lest we should offend." Jesus knew His enemies were seeking to find anything they could to accuse Him. Jesus was simply saying that He would not allow this simple matter to be a stumbling block for faith. The ASV says, "But, lest we cause them to stumble…" Paul used this word for "offend" in 1 Corinthians 8:13 concerning him being at liberty to eat meat. "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." Jesus was willing laying aside His right to not pay the tribute in order to not offend and cause them to stumble and not come to faith. Jesus gave us His right to be right. IV- Peter’s Fish: Jesus tells Peter to go get his fishing pole and go fishing. Of special note is that Jesus did not even possess enough money to pay this tribute. It was only a few cents that even the poorest had enough to pay. 2 Corinthians 8:9 "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." This is the only fish recorded that was caught with a hook. It is also the only time a single fish is caught. Peter goes and catches the fish and though it is not stated pays the tribute as instructed by Jesus for himself and Jesus. Grant Jeffrey gives some interesting facts concerning this particular kind of fish that Peter caught in this text. He says that in Tiberias there is a restaurant called St. Peter’s Restaurant whose specialty is St. Peter’s fish. This fish is of the Cichlidae family and is found in only three places in the world, the Nile River of Egypt, Lake Victoria of Uganda and the Sea of Galilee. It is occasionly called the "mouth breeder." Grant says the following concerning this fish: "Dr. Jim Fleming, a professor of archaeology and historical geography at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, has taught about the unusual nature of this fish in connection with Matthew 17:24-27 . The female St. Peter’s fish carries her eggs in her mouth to protect them against predators until they hatch. As the brood of minnows begin to grow, she opens her mouth to let them out to swim around her from time to time. However, the mother fish opens here mouth again and quickly scoops them up whenever danger is present. The mother will fast almost to the point of starvation to avoid the danger of inadvertently swallowing her young offspring. On account of her well-know maternal habit s, the fishermen of Galilee call the female St. Peter’s fish by the Hebrew name, "The Mother-Fish." After the young mature to the point where they can survive independently, they swim away. However, the mother fish often keeps a substitute in her mouth to perpetuate her habit of carrying her young. St. Peter’s fish are sometime caught by fishermen and when they examine their mouths they find pebbles or coke bottle caps inside…This habit of the fish to pick up items from the lake bottom in no way minimizes the miracle of our Lord. Only the Son of God could have known that this particular fish would be carrying a shekel coin in its mouth." (Grant R. Jeffrey, The Handwriting of God, p 217-218.) What a creator we have. First to create such a fish and next for Christ to have known the coin was there. Praise Him!!!!!! V- Lessons for Me! Allow me to give a few simple lessons that God intended for me from this. God many have intended other lessons for you. Lay aside my right to be right. Attempt to not be a stumbling block. Rest in the provision of Christ. Be moved to worship because of the amazing creation. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 22: 01.20. WHEN THE NET IS CAST ======================================================================== When the Net Is Cast Matthew 13:47-50 Again we return to a familiar theme in the everyday lives of the disciples, fishing. It seems as if Jesus is saying that the pictures of heaven are found in the everyday lives that you live if you will just look and see them. The people who lived in the villages around the Sea of Galilee had seen this scene many times. The boat would cast its net and then as the weight would drag the bottom of the sea the net would be draw with whatever kind of fish was captured. They would draw it upon the beach and then keep the fish good for food and cast back those that were of no value. The parable of the net is the last of seven parables that Jesus spoke on this occasion. Jesus was sitting on the seashore teaching the multitude from a boat. He told the multitude the parables of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9 ), of the tares (Matthew 13:24-30 ), of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32 ), and of the leaven (Matthew 13:33 ). In Matthew 13:36 it says, "Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him…" Jesus will explain the parable of the tares to them and then tell them additional parables. He give the parables of the hidden treasure (Matthew 13:44 ), of the goodly pearl (Matthew 13:45 ) and the parable of the net which we will look at today. This collection of parables all begin with, "The kingdom of heaven is like…" with only one except. The collections had "show the kingdom under aspects of favor—it spontaneous growth from vital resource, its expansion from a small seed to a sheltering tree, it leavening health, and exceeding worth." (Buttrick, George W., The Parables of Jesus. p 34). The parable of the net was probably intended to be a capstone of the parables. I- Symbols in the Parable: A- Net: For fishing in this area there were two kinds of nets used. First was a casting net that was thrown from shore as fish were observed. The fisherman would have to react quickly and accurately as he threw the net. You many have observed this type of fishing at the beach occasionally today. The second kind of net that was used was the drag-net. This net was, "a great square net with cords at each corner, and weighted so that, at rest, it hung, as it were, upright in the water. Then when the boat began to move the net was drawn into the shape of a great cone and into the cone all kinds of fish were swept." (Barclay, William, The Daily Study Bible, The Gospel of Matthew, p 99.) We can discern that this net did not discern the good from the bad but simply collected everything in its path. B- Sea: Sea is used in scripture to refer to humanity. We notice this in Isaiah 57:20 "But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt." In the prophecy of Daniel and the Revelation the Anti-christ is said to rise from the sea, or from humanity. Daniel 7:3 "And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another." Revelation 13:1 "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." The sea here refers to humanity, all of humanity. There are some today who consider themselves big fish. But notice the big fish, the small fish and all in between were caught in the net. I am reminded that God is no respecter of persons. C- Fishermen: These fishermen give us a picture of the men who are fishing for men. They are so to speak casting the gospel net. D- Fish: As we have said, there were big fish and small fish caught in the net. There were good fish and bad fish caught as well. The fish give us a picture of all humans that will be called into judgment. You will notice that the fish were of every kind. This reminds us that in the time to come that people of every nation, tongue and religion will be judged. E- Angels: The angels are said in this parable to the ones who will divide the good from the bad at the judgment. Angels today have been given the job of ministering to the saints. In the time to come they will have another role in the judgment. Notice Revelation 14:18-19 "And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God." II- Teachings of the Parable: This parable lays a decision across men’s path to confront them to make a decision for eternity. It has been called a terrible parable. Someone said it should be trembled at rather than expounded upon. The reason for this is that it teaches the reality of judgment to come. Notice a couple of things if you will. 1- There is coming a day of judgment for all. As we have previously stated there will be no big fish when the net is drawn. Notice the words of Revelation 20:12 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." What will be you lot when the net is cast? 2- When the net was full. In the fullness of time judgment will come. The danger of putting off the decision to accept Christ or delaying witnessing to someone is that the net may be cast while we wait. We know not the time when the judgment will come and Christ will come again. While we know that many will be saved during the tribulation period there is a scripture that seems to teach that those who have hear the gospel prior to this will not believe. 2 Thessalonians 2:11 "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie…" So it seems that it is a unwise and even a foolish decision to put off accepting Christ. 3- Judgment will mean separation: "…and sever the wicked from among the just." Matthew 13:49 . While there will literally be millions and millions in hell many feel that there will still be total separation from others. If this is not the case then we can certainly say that there will be no friendships and compassion there. 4- Judgment means eternal punishment: Notice the words of Christ. "As shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 13:50 Jesus preached salvation but the most vivid and fearful accounts of hell and the suffering to come was hear from the mouth of the Savior. The great question that is asked is what will be your lot if the net were cast today. Would you be cast into the fire or find your place in Christ. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 23: 01.21. THE HEALING OF THE OUTCAST ======================================================================== The Healing of the Outcast Luke 5:12-16 Image the following scene. A man comes into the house after working and has a rash on his had. He attempts to treat it with some salve but it only grows worse. He goes to the priest who puts him in isolation for seven days and when he is reexamined the rash is worse. He is declared to have leprosy. He cannot go home to his family but must become an outcast from society. He must cry out when someone comes near, "unclean, unclean" before they touch him. He cannot touch his wife nor wrap his arms around his children again. Society don’t want him, it seems that God has cursed him. We look in on a heart-wrenching scene as his children bring some food to their father who is out in the woods. They set the food down and then walk away. Just as they are almost out of sight the father emerges from the woods. The children look back longingly at their father. Dad stands and watches the disappear feeling so empty because he cannot put his arms around them and hold them on his lap for a story. In the Jewish though of the day of Jesus the curing of a leper was considered to be as difficult as the raising of someone from the dead. Leprosy was a very common disease of the day. The Old Testament records the healing of a leper by the name of Haaman. There are only twelve cases recorded in the New Testament. These twelve were to fit the purpose of God. The root word for leprosy meant stroked and the Jews called Leprosy "the finger of God" thereby indicating that it was a punishment of God. The Leper: this miracle of the healing of the leper is recorded in three gospels. This leper knew that he was violating the custom of the day and would be driven away shortly. Luke 5:12 a says, "a man full of leprosy…" As we have already stated leprosy was a disease that isolated. This was only part of the problem. The killer leprosy would advance slowly eating away the fingers the toes and the facial features. This would produce ugly scabs and running sores. The voice of the leper would break and crack. In odor and appearance leprosy had neither equal nor even a competitor. It was this type of individual, desperate that came to Jesus. Jesus had just given the Sermon on the Mount and has returning to Capernaum. Perhaps this leper had stood afar and heard Jesus speak. Notice he did not ask for healing, only for cleansing. The Law: To understand this request we must look at the law concerning leprosy. Leviticus 13:1-14 covers this topic. As we have stated he was to be isolated for seven days, if the sore had a scab he was declared leprosy Leviticus 13:4-6 . Leviticus 13:45-46 declares he should live alone and cry unclean. The law was very strict concerning this. The greatest thing was that he became ceremonially unclean and could not go to the temple and worship. The law also gave the process whereby a leper could be proclaimed clean. Leviticus 14:2 says he was to again be brought to the priest. He was to offer two living birds, one was to be killed and burned and the other set free. Leviticus 14:5-6 The Faith: Luke 5:12 b The leper comes to Jesus and falls at his feet. He comes and worships Him. He was the only hope of this man. Please notice that the man did not question if Jesus could clean him only if He would. This leper seemed to be willing to accept the fact that Jesus might not want to heal him. This man knew He could but would He? Yes, He would. The Touch: Mark 1:41 says, "Jesus, moved with compassion…" Jesus seeing this mans faith and situation did not pull away and run in disgust but was moved in His heart toward the situation of the man. As we have stated this man probably had not been touched for years. For Jesus to touch him would carry social implications for Jesus. Still the giver of health and wholeness reaches out and touches the man. The untouchable had been touched, the incurable had been healed. The faith of the man met the love of Almighty God. The implication of this healing was tremendous. Herbert Lockyer says, "As this is the first instance of an Israelitish leper cleansed since the instructions given nearly 1,500 years before (Leviticus 13:34 ), the presence of a cleansed leper at the altar with his two birds would testify that God had come to His people and was meeting men’s needs altogether from priestly ministrations and ordinances." (All the Miracles of the Bible, p. 173) The Praise: Beyond a doubt there were many lepers healed during the ministry of Jesus. We know of the ten lepers and of Simon the leper, which prove the divinity of Christ. The request that Jesus give this man is that he tell no one but show himself to the priest. Mark 1:45 says, "But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter." This man wanted the world to know so he told them after Jesus told him not to. The Application: Allow me to offer a few thoughts for our application to life. Reverse Psychology: Jesus told the man not to tell and he did. He told us to tell and we don’t. When we get excited about being made clean we will tell. Justice called and mercy answered: This man was an outcast of society that needed the Master. We treat people as outcast when they have diseases for other colors of skin. Would Jesus. In this story justice called but the mercy of God answered back. He will make us whole: We need not ask if He will make us whole. He came and died to clean us up and make us fit for heaven. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 24: 01.22. SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW ======================================================================== Something Old, Something New Luke 5:27-39 Many times the young are accused of wanting to throw all of the past away and disregard it’s teaching. Many time the old are accused of being unwilling to give one inch from the way they have always done things. This causes conflict when both draw lines in the sand. Jesus gives us what some see as three parables in a series to address the changing from the Law to Grace. If these are not three parables they are at the least two parabolic illustrations and a parable. Parallels of this are also found in Matthew 9:14-17 and Mark 2:18-22 . While He was teaching the contrast between the old law and the new found grace there are many lessons for us today. I- Conversion (Call) of Levi (Matthew) Luke 5:27-28 The setting of this parabolic teaching is the call of the tax collector Levi, who will be known as Matthew after this. Luke 5:27-28 "And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. 28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him." Tax collectors were notorious crooked because the opportunity to do wrong was there because the tax rate was not always clear. The tax collectors many times collected extra for their pockets. Therefore the tax collectors were despised and disdained. However, we have no evidence that Matthew was a crooked tax collector. We can discern this from the comparison of him and Zaccheaus. In Luke 19:2 it says, "…there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich." Then in Luke 19:8 it says, "… Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold." The implication was that he had cheated them. We have no such admission of Matthew. However he was hated just the same because he worked for the Roman government in his profession. I believe what we have is the conversion of Matthew. He had probably heard Jesus preach and teach in the days prior to this. The first thing Matthew does is he throws a party. A birthday party to celebrate his new birth if you will. Luke 5:29 "And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them." There were a great many of those who the religious people of the day treated as outcast at the party. Warren Wiersbe said, "When the Pharisees looked at the guest, they saw sinners and wanted nothing to do with them. It is interesting that the Pharisees always repelled sinners, while Jesus attracted them. II- Parabolic Illustrations: The parabolic teaching of Jesus as we have stated was two illustrations and a parable. The illustrations were in response to two questions posed to Him. 1- The Physician: The Question? Luke 5:30 "But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?" The Pharisees had no message of hope for the sick of sin. They had only condemnation for Jesus. They ask why He was doing what they would never be caught dead doing. Sin is spoken of in various illustrative ways. It is illustrated as darkness, bondage disease and even death. Jesus says, "They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. 32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." The problem was these men thought of themselves as "good" men. They failed to realize they were sinners as well. When dealing with an illness you must first recognize that you are sick and then be willing to accept the cure by the physician. As sinners we must first realize that we are sick then accept the physicians cure. Someone said this physician cures and then pays the bill. False diagnosis by doctors lulls many into a false sense of wellness. Some sicknesses are easier to discover than others are. Many have had cancer or some other disease that was killing them but were told it was only back sprains or something not to worry about. The same is true with sin sickness. There are many today saying mankind is all right but this is a false diagnosis. But my friends there is a doctor in the house, the great physician. 2- The Bridegroom: The Question? Luke 5:33 "And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?" The disciples of John ask the second question. No doubt the Pharisees probably put them up to this. The Pharisees were upset that they were rejoicing at the birthday party of Matthew. Luke 5:34 "And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?" Jesus uses an illustration of the bridegroom. He illustrated Himself as the bridegroom and the joy of having the bridegroom called for celebration not gloom. No one is gloomy at a wedding. The Jewish wedding was a weeklong affair that was a time of great joy. The Christian life is acquainted to the joy of a wedding. Many live like it is a funeral. George Bush when he was running for president said that someone who had said something was like the puritans who are afraid to have a good time and stay awake and worry someone is going to have a good time as well. Within this illustration is a prophecy of His impending death as well. In Luke 5:35 "But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days." As a physician He came to bring healing and as a bridegroom He came to bring joy. This was a radical break from the religion of the day of joyless legalism. III- The Parable of the Patch and the Wineskins Jesus, after He answers their questions, addresses them with a parable. This parable is a two part parable. One concerning a patch on a garment and the second concerning putting wine in some skins. In both of these He is simply stating that it is time to move along from the former law to the new period of grace. 1- The Patch: Luke 5:36 "And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old." In our day we have clothes that are preshrunk but in Jesus day it was not so. If a woman in the day of Jesus patches a hole in a garment with a cloth the next time it was washed the patch would shrink and tear the ripe bigger. The old cloth had already been shrunk. Zephaniah 2:15 "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace." Zephaniah 4:24 "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Colossians 3:10 "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2- Wine skins: In our days of plastic bottle and glass containers we have to imagine how it was then. In His parable He said, "And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. 38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved." Luke 5:37-38 The gospel message that Jesus preached was to great for the law to contain. He literally fulfilled the law with His death. The life that sprang from this seed planted in death burst the condemnation of the law. The gospel that ensured broke slavery and the wrongful discrimination against women as mere property. IV- Tying Up the Teaching: It might seem to some that we could make this teaching contradict itself. However, Jesus did not come to destroy the old but to fulfill it. The physician does not destroy the body when he heals but only makes the changes necessary for the body to be whole. The bridegroom does not destroy the home of the bride nor his family but makes it another whole family out of two. When He patches up our lives, He does not just cosmetically change it but gives us a new garment. Will you come to the physician and get you new garments that will give you the joy of a wedding. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 25: 01.23. HOPE BEYOND HOPE ======================================================================== Hope Beyond Hope Mark 5:21-43 You may have seen the sign that says, "when your are at the end of your rope tie a knot and hang on." Or perhaps the one which states, "When you are at the end of your rope look up." There was a woman, which I think epitomizes the concept of hope. When she met a eligible gentleman she stated, you look just like my fourth husband. He said, "and how many times have you been married." She said, "Three!" Still we must admit that there is only so much hope that we can manage to muster within ourselves. There is a point in our humanity that we have to say we have no hope within us. Perhaps it is when you are told you are dying of cancer and there is no hope, or something equal to this. Proverbs says, "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick…." Proverbs 13:12 a This gives rise to the title I have selected for this portion of our study of the miracles and parable, At the Master’s Side. Paul the Apostle said, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." 1 Corinthians 15:19 So we realize that we have a hope beyond the hope of only this life. Entry Point of our text is that Jesus has just been asked to leave the country side where He cast the demons into the swine. While He was not welcome there as He returns to Capernaum He is welcomed. In our text we have two miracles of hope. I- Jarius Request: Mark 5:21-23 Jarius, who was a leader of the synagogue at Capernaum, comes to Jesus with a desperate request. His daughter is dying and He needs Jesus to come and heal her. This points out the fact that even though Jarius was a religious man religion can not give us hope with the Savior. Jarius comes to Jesus and falls at His feet in worship. For him to approach Jesus at all showed his desperation. After all Jesus was starting to be cast aside by the religious leaders. Still the father instinct overcame the religious bias and in a desperate attempt to help his daughter he turns to Jesus. Luke in his gospel tells us, "For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying." Luke 8:42 II- Interruption on the way: Mark 5:24-34 Jesus leaves to go the house of Jarius but is interrupted on the way. A woman, who was desperate for a cure, touches the hem of His garment. She had an issue of blood that had left her weak and hopeless. All her resources had been exhausted in attempting to find a cure. Still she did not get better but worse. This woman was poor in contrast to Jarius who was probably wealthy. Seeing Jesus going with Jarius she could have withdrawn and went on her way but in her desperation she press through the crowd to just touch the hem of His garment. She touches the hem and the hopelessness she had now turns to healing. She wants to slip away in the crowd but Jesus points turns knowing that the power to heal had gone out from Him. She falls at His feet and confesses what happened. III- Hope Beyond Hope: Mark 5:35-37 Mark 5:35 While Jesus is still speaking to the woman some men from the house of Jarius arrived with bad news. His daughter which was only sick when he left home in search of Jesus is now dead. They in effect said leave Him alone for there is no hope. They had only hope not the hope beyond hope. Mark 5:36 "As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe." Jarius had just witnessed the healing of the woman who, by the way, had been sick the entire time of his daughters’ life of twelve years. This certainly would have given him hope for his daughter if Jesus had arrived in time. The delay had caused her to die because Jesus had not arrived in time. Jesus speaks quickly before despair sets in. What Jesus says in effect is that there is hope beyond the hope you have as a religious man and as a human. You will notice that there was an immediate hope. IV- World Can’t See Hope: Mark 5:38-40 a Mark 5:38 The crowd was not allowed to follow Jesus to the house of Jarius. In fact when they arrive the paid mourners were already in full swing. They were wailing and playing flutes in mourning. Mark 5:39 Jesus speaks to them and ask, "…Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth." Mark 5:40 a "And they laughed him to scorn." The response of those at Jarius house gives us a picture of those who have no hope in Christ not understanding the hope we have. We have hope though the eyes of faith and not though our physical eyes. You will also notice that the unbelievers were not privileged to see the things that those who had faith witnessed. Mark 5:40 b "But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying." V- Hope of Life: Mark 5:40-43 Jesus goes into the girl who is lying dead and with the witness of five people speaks to her the words of life. He would cry later to the son of the widow of Nain, "young man arise" and to Lazarus, "Lazarus come forth." To this girl as He takes her by the hand He says, in Aramaic, "Talitha cumi (Damsel, I say unto thee, arise)." Mark 5:41 Death did not stay in the body but life again returns to the girl. She immediately stood and walked around. There is no power but God’s that can raise the dead. VI- Conclusions: We need to not lose two important insights that beg to come forth out of this. First, it is the hope of the dead in sin that there is hope beyond man’s ability to save himself. As a matter of fact if we only have hope within ourselves we are deceived and really have no hope. Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast." Second, is the fact that Jesus is the hope we have for the resurrection of our body. The body will sleep as the soul returns to God but then in the future because He is the hope beyond hope there will be a resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." What is your hope? Is your hope only now or is your hope beyond the hope of yourself and your goodness? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 26: 01.24. AS TIME MARCHES ON ======================================================================== As Time Marches On Mark 4:26-32 How many have been held hostage by fear of messing up. When faced with a chance to witness sometimes we are like a deer caught in the headlights or like we have just come face to face with a grizzly bear. Is it possible to get the program of God off track? Are we living today in the kingdom of God or is it still to come? Jesus presents the two parables that we will consider at this time when He spoke the parable of the tares and wheat. We have what is known as the parable of the seed growing in secret and the parable of the mustard seed before us. I- The Kingdom of God: The phrase, "kingdom of God" appears 72 times in the JKV. However the idea that it speaks of is referred to many times in the scriptures. John the Baptist announced that the kingdom was at hand in Matthew 3:2 "…saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus announced that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Matthew 4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." He also stated, "… if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you." Matthew 12:28 In the book of Acts the apostles were busy "Speaking…preaching…disputing and persuading… expounding and testifying" concerning the kingdom of God. So we can state that the kingdom of God is a present reality and we are kingdom citizens now. Luke 17:20-21 "And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." The kingdom of God is illustrated by the parables of Jesus when He said it arrived in secret like leaven. In our two parables it is liken to a seed that grows in secret and though it had a small beginning it grew to fill the earth. With the realization that we are living in the kingdom of God, here and now, lets consider these parables. II- The Parable of the Seed Growing in Secret: Mark is the only gospel writer that gives us this parable. It may be seen as a continuation of the thought of the seed sown in good ground in Mark 4:8 ; Mark 4:20 . The seed sown in the ground certainly is the word of God. The man who cast it in the ground is a picture of you and I. A- Sower of Seed Mark 4:26 You will notice that the responsible of the sower was to only cast the seed forth. Might I say that we have a tendency to attempt to do what God has not called us to do. We are the sower He is the one who makes it take root in the ground and grow. B- Mystery of Growth: Mark 4:27 When we sow seeds in the ground we do not really know how it germinates and grows into a plant. We plant and then most of the time go our way and occasionally check to see if the bean are coming up. There has been a lost of things happen prior to it coming up. You may recall the conversation with Jesus and Nicodemus. In this conversation Jesus talks of the mystery of the new birth being as mysterious as the wind. John 3:8 "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." C- Growth Is Natural: Mark 4:28 Jesus said, "the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself." In this parable the seed is seen in it’s stages of growth. First the blade, then the ear then the full ear of corn. This is a very natural illustration of the growth of a seed. While the sower slept and rose and went about his days and nights the plant grew. How many of us have said that the work does not seem to be going forward when in fact it is when looked at over a period of time. It is like a child who you see every day that does not seem to grow. Then we miss a few months or years and they seem to have sprung up suddenly. We also see three seasons of growth in nature, the planting the waiting and the reaping. When we sow the seeds we must be patient to allow it to grow. We must rest in faith of God giving the increase. This in no way relieves us of our responsibility to sow. Yea, if anything it should inspire us to cast the seed increasingly. This also gives us a picture of the growth of a child of God. "…first the blade…" First the seed is planted in good ground and grabs hold of life. This pictures conversion from the word of God finding the good ground. "…then the ear…" The child of God should not just be born again but should grow. The corn grows into a ear. The only time that corn does not grow is when something is wrong. We are seeing very vivid pictures of drought in the news almost everyday. The corn came up in the blade but did not grow into an ear. The reason was it did not have proper watering. The word of God waters the crop of a child of God’s faith to grow it. "… the full corn in the ear…" The pictures for us a mature Christian who has continued to grow and mature in the faith. II- The Parable of the Mustard Seed. Mark 4:30-32 We have a saying that everyone loves a winner. The next parable that Jesus used to illustrate for us the kingdom of God was that of a mustard seed. He says that the kingdom of God might have started small as a mustard seed, which while it is not the smallest of all seeds it was probably the smallest the farmers of the time of Jesus were familiar with. The kingdom might have started small with only eleven believers at first but it certainly has grown. I ask the question at the beginning about fear of messing up. My beloved the kingdom of God is on a march to the finish line. We also know that regardless of what the world would like to admit the tree of the church has given rise to the governments, hospitals, etc. of the world. Also we know that it is the church which is the preserver of the nation today. Simply it is salt of the world. The world has benefited greatly from the kingdom. IV- Thy Kingdom Come: I have intentionally waited to the last until now to look at the harvest of the crop. As part of the parable of the seed growing secretly Jesus said, Mark 4:29 "But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come." You will recall the part of the scripture that is commonly known as the Lord’s prayer Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come." One aspect of the kingdom of God is yet future. It will be complete with the Coming of Christ and the millennial reign. Part of the parable that Jesus gave was that of judgment. This might sound like a reoccurring theme in the parables we have been studying and in fact it is. May I say that we cannot escape the fact there will be a time of judgment. However we see that the kingdom of God will march on in victory till this consummation of the ages. The kingdom of God will march on the question is will you march with it or be overtaken by it. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 27: 01.25. FRESH WATER FOR A DRY SOUL ======================================================================== Fresh Water for a Dry Soul Exodus 17:1-6 Have you ever been thirsty, really thirsty? When I was in the jungles of Panama during jungle operations training several years ago we were given some tablets to put into stagnant water to make it safe to drink. Notice I said safe not good to drink. My do you get thirsty for a good drink of water when all you have is that junk. The one thing that we die the quickest from is not lack of food but lack of water? We know that you can live many days without food but only a few with out water. We are blessed in our nation with safe water to drink. What about the spiritual side of man? Is it possible for a man to be thirsty spiritually? Certainly it is. One of the things that we need to never forget is that Jesus did not begin to exist at Bethlehem. He is eternal and has always been. While most of our focus on the study of the parables and miracles, At the Master’s Side has been on the New Testament recording of Jesus life today we will shift focus and look at a miracle in the Old Testament. The pre-Bethlehem appearances of Jesus are known by theologians as Christophonies. I- Water from the Rock Exodus: Exodus 17:1-6 The children of Israel were on the march in the wilderness. They were in a desert environment. When we stop and realize that there were perhaps over a million people on this journey we quickly realize the vast amount of water that would be need to sustain them. The scripture says they, "…pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink." Exodus 17:1 Face with this it did not take them long to complain. "And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?" Exodus 17:3 Not to worry when they needed fresh water God supplied the need with a miracle. Moses was instructed to strike a rock and water would come out to supply their need. Notice it was not Moses who supplied the miracle but God. "Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock…" Exodus 17:6 II- Speak to the Rock: Numbers 20:1-11 The second event of our story is found in Numbers 20:1-29. They are camped in the Desert of Zin. Again they face a time without water. They voice the same complaint in the same way they had previously. (Numbers 20:3-5) The instructions to Moses were clear. "Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. Numbers 20:8 God told him to only speak to the rock and not strike it. Notice what Moses does however. Numbers 20:10-11 "And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also." III- Christ The Rock in Desert: 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 Now we might ask why is this significant and how does it relate tot he miracles of Christ? Notice with me Paul’s application. 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 "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; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." The application of this is that it was Christ who supplied the water for them in the desert. It was His miracle and not Moses’s. There was not need for Christ to be stuck but one time. There will never be another Calvary. Also the picture of striking the rock and the must "we’ism" pictures for us mans attempt to save himself. Notice Paul says that the application is that we be not idolaters (1 Corinthians 10:6 ) nor fornicators (1 Corinthians 10:7 ). The reason is they do not satisfy. The world tries to tell us that sin will satisfy but it leaves us dry in our souls. IV- Fresh Water for a Dry Soul So what will satisfy? The same thing that quenched the thirst of the children of Israel in the desert physically will quench the thirsty soul of men today, Jesus Christ. Jesus said to the woman at the well, "… If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." John 4:10 By this we see that Jesus is the source of the satisfying water for our soul. He goes on to say to her, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4:14 This is a promise that extents into eternity as well beloved. Notice Revelation 7:16-17 "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters…" So the question is simple. Are you spiritually dry and need freshness in your soul from the Living Water? Do you need to come to Christ for salvation and ask Him to save you for eternity? Notice the closing words of Christ in the Revelation. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17 Yes my beloved there is "FRESH WATER FOR A DRY SOUL!" ======================================================================== CHAPTER 28: 01.26. MIRACLE OF ANOTHER KIND ======================================================================== Miracle of Another Kind John 3:1-8 In our text Jesus explains to a man named Nicodemus about the new birth. John the Apostle will in the rest of his gospel tell us about Jesus sign miracles and state "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." John 21:25 The miracle we look at today might not make the list of the miracles that many would give of Jesus. However, I submit to you that this is the miracle of all miracles. We would like to think that all of heaven takes notice when a child is born or when two lives are joined in marriage. We can speculate that all of heaven takes notice when a child of God comes home from this world or when a child is aborted. We don’t have to wonder or speculate if all of heaven takes notice when someone is born again. Luke 15:7 states, "…joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." Synonymous Terms: John 3:3 Jesus looks at this man who comes to Him at night and states you must be born again. The world does not understand what we are saying sometimes because we talk in religious talk that they do not understand. There are many synonymous terms that we use to describe the new birth. We say born again, saved, and redeemed. We speak of Jesus find the lost sheep or being a child of God as we make reference to our faith. Who Need a New Birth? John 3:5 It is obvious from the fact of who Nicodemus was that religious people need to be born again. Jesus not only includes religious people but He states, "…Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." The world is full of people today who are saying it does not matter what you believe as long as you believe something and believe it with all your heart. This premise goes on the assumption that man can somehow get to heaven by his faith alone regardless of the object of his faith. This fails to take into account the lack of righteousness of mankind. Man is a fallen being that has not redemption within him. Romans 3:10-18 is a picture of whom mankind is. Perhaps the great part of the miracle of the new birth is that God would redeem mankind at all. After all it is man who crucified the one sent to save them. It is mankind that treats God as if He is only a curse word. A man who has not experience the new birth is the enemy of God. Why do we need a new birth? John 3:6 As most of us know it was just this past week that during a youth service at a church in Texas a gunman walked into the church and shot 15 people including himself eight of which died. This simply points out the fact that death can come anywhere anytime at any place. We hear about we need to do more to keep our children safe and I am all for that. However might I state that we need to do more than just keep them safe while they are here on earth we need to teach them about the urgency of being born again and keep them safe for eternity. As I was going out of the church the other day I noticed the children playing in the playground. One boy was swinging on the swings. I realized that when our children go to school they are in danger because the boy was swinging upside down with his hair dragging the ground. I would not take much for him to fall and it be fatal. I am not trying to scare you simply to say that we need to be born again because we are not assured of tomorrow, even our children. The new birth is a birth of the spirit. We all know that birth is essential for life physically but it is also essential spiritually. Sin separates mankind from God. After Adam and Eve sinned notice their response. Genesis 3:8 "And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden." Though we want to we cannot get away from the fact that we are sinners. Isaiah 29:15 "Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?" The fact that man is a sinner makes him reject Jesus. John 3:19-20 "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." Mystery of New Birth: John 3:4, John 3:8 There are many things that cannot be explained apart from God. How does a dog know to care for its young? How does a bird know how to build a nest? In a Reader’s Digest article entitled Secrets of the Fall Bill Bryson stated concerning the changing of the leaves in the fall, "What is all the more remarkable about this is that no one knows quite why it all happens. In autumn, trees prepare for their long winter’s slumber by ceasing to manufacture chlorophyll, the chemical that makes their leaves green. The absence of chlorophyll allows other pigments, called carotenoids and xanthophylls, which have been present in the leaves all along, to show off a bit. These pigments are what accounts for the yellow and gold of birches, hickories, beeches and some oaks, among others." (October 99, p 99) Jesus uses an illustration of the wind, which while we might explain it in scientific terms as we can the turning of the leaves but cannot really explain it, to illustrate the mystery of the new birth. Hidden Force: We cannot see the wind just as we cannot see the Spirit of God at work visually on the heart. We can only see the evidence of it. A changed heart, a life straightened out, a drug addict healed. Touches All: 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." There is not anyone on the earth that cannot be touched by the wind. The wind blows and touches the rich the poor the young and the old. The gospel is likewise for all, the Jews and the Gentiles. The wind is not bound by national lines or race line. It is as free as the wind. Makes A Remarkable Impact: 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Should Make Us Testify of Him: Psalms 107:1-2 "O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy" Jesus said, "For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels." Luke 9:26 1 John 4:13-15 "Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 29: 01.27. PRAY ON BROTHER, PRAY ON! ======================================================================== Pray On Brother, Pray On! Luke 11:1-13 There used to be a custom practiced in many parts of the hills called, "shivering." When someone got married, in the middle of the wedding night, friends of the bride and groom would go the their house and awake them expecting a meal to be served to them. The bride would be rode around in a wheelbarrow and the groom thrown in the creek. The way they escaped the creek and the wheelbarrow was to cook for the gang. Have you ever felt that your prayers were not being heard? Have you ever felt that the windows of heaven were shut? Have you ever been so deep in despair that you did not know even how your were going to pray? Well to day we will see that Jesus would say to us, pray on brother, pray on. There are but a few parables that are devoted to teaching about prayer. The parable here, known as the parable of the friends at midnight, and a parable that has been called its twin, concerning the teaching of the two, if found in Luke 18. The other one is about a woman who is persistent toward a judge until he relents and gives her what she wants. We will focus on the parable of the friends at midnight today. I- The Foundation of the Parable: Luke 11:1-4 This parable that Jesus gives concerning the friends at midnight is prefaced with an event that gives foundation to the parable. The greatest foundation of this parable was in the fact that Jesus was a praying man. Here we are told that, "…it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." Luke 11:1 The disciples had seen Jesus at pray and were taught by His example the importance of prayer. They also were aware that John the Baptist had taught his disciple to pray. They realizing that Jesus had power in His prayers that they did not have, ask Him to teach them to pray. The first thing we must realize is that Jesus taught us to pray by example and that He made it a priority as well we should also. Jesus had spent the night praying before He called the disciples. Luke 6:12-13 "And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles…" He will spend other night entirely in prayer to the Father. The human strength of Jesus was derived from time in prayer with the Father. In response to the request to teach them to pray Jesus gives us what has been long called the Lord’s Prayer of the Model Prayer. We will leave the dissecting of this for a later time. II- The Parable: Luke 11:5-8 In this parable there are three characters. The friend who comes to visit, the friend he comes to visit and the friend next door. A- The friend who comes to visit: The friend who comes to visit had taken his journey and arrived at his friend’s house well after dark around midnight. We can speculate that he was traveling late to avoid the midday heat but we are not told. The custom of the day was to entertain people who were in need such as this. We hear a lot about southern hospitality being so marvelous. When was the last time you lodged a friend passing through? We might not have such customs in our land today but some still do. When I was in Brazil I had been told that many of the homes we went into would offer us the opportunity to take a shower. We were there in the winter and the temperature was in the 80’s. However in the summer it reaches into the 100 plus range. It is perfectly acceptable to take a shower in a stranger’s home. As a matter of fact our interpreter, Nellie, would do this almost every day in a home she had never been in before. B- The friend he comes to visit: Please do not think that this second man was not prepared. It is after all midnight and the bread that he had provided for his family that day had been eaten. Tomorrow morning another days supply would be provided. He had been prepared for the normal needs of his family. However there was a great social structure that would cause embarrassment to the host if he did not provide for the guest who arrived late. What we have is one big crisis brewing and the friend probably knowing he did not have prepared to feed the friend searches his mind as to what to do. Then he remembers his friend who was close by perhaps next door and he excuses himself and goes to his door. C- The friend next door: I call this man the friend next door on the basis that the man knew him well enough to wake him at midnight with a need. I recall when my next door neighbor awoke me Matthew 3:00 one morning when her nut brother was trying to leave her house to go home in a snowstorm. Sheila, our next door neighbor said, "go knock on the door he is awake." I went but with less joy than the man did even here. The friend next door is awakened. This is not a most opportune time for a request. He tells him, "Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee." Luke 11:7 . He would not get up and answer the door. However the friend was persistent in his demand for the bread. Finally the friend has to rise and give him the bread to just shut him up before he awakes not only his house but the neighborhood. "Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth." The word importunity is only used here and no place else in the Bible. The NIV translates it, "because of the mans boldness" but in the Greek is means shamelessness. III- The Implications: Luke 11:9-13 Jesus gives us the implications of the parable seamlessly in the narrative. He says that it concerning persistence in praying. There is a three fold promise in these verses. "… Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Luke 11:9-10 How many prayers has God answered that we failed to return to Him with thanksgiving. Prayers take many forms. We have prayers of confession for our wrong, intercession on behalf of others, cries of despair when we have no where else to turn. All prayers are really cries out of our human frailty to God almighty. Jesus teaches us to pray on brother, pray on. We need to realize that a delayed answer may be for our good not for our detriment. After all this is the same lie that Satan told Eve when he convinced her that God was holding out on her. IV- Conclusions and Applications: First, note the contrast between God who never slumbers nor sleeps and the friend who was asleep and didn’t want to rise. I feel the one knocking at the door of the friend is a greater picture of God wanting to give to us than the one who is locked in asleep. After all the word of God says, "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." Psalms 121:4 The friend gave grudgingly to get rid of the man at his door. In contrast God wants His children to have what they need. God is not holding out on us but is supplying our needs according to his riches in glory. Jesus uses the concern of our natural fathers to illustrate this truth. "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" We might ask why God is interested in our persisting in prayer. Might I suggest a few reasons in conclusion? First, when we persist, it shows our sincerity. How many times have we prayed about something that we were not really concerned about enough to pray again? Second it helps us to see our dependence on God. After all when it come down to it, He is all we have. Finally it helps us exercise our faith. When we pray on brother we are working our spiritual muscles. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 30: 02.00. CALIBRATING THE COMPASS ======================================================================== "Calibrating the Compass" "Aligning our lives with the Word of God" A Series by Dr. Edgar Pierce www.exposingtheword.com Calibrating the Compass "Aligning our lives with the Word of God" is a series that will challenge our faith and practices. It will encourage us to get our lives in line with the precious Word of God. It is a series I preached from the pulpit of Paris First Baptist Church. There are a total of nine messages in this series. These are my notes that I took to the pulpit. INDEX: Hooking Up to Calibrate Psalms 119:89 The Results of Calibrating with the Word Psalms 119:11 When the Needle on the Compass is Stuck 1 Kings 19:1-10; 1 Kings 19:15-18 North Means North- Walking in Obedience to the Word Deuteronomy 17:14-19 When the Needle Spins out of Control- Making Sense of the Un-sensible Genesis 3:17-24 Jerking Apart the Connection- Anger 1 Samuel 18:5-16; 1 Samuel 20:30-34 Someone Broke My Compass- Letting Go of the Hurt Genesis 50:20 What If Somebody Steals My Compass 2 Timothy 1:7 The Compass is Reading Wrong- Excuses God Didn’t Buy the First Time Genesis 3:12-13 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 31: 02.01. HOOKING UP TO CALIBRATE ======================================================================== "Hooking Up to Calibrate" Psalms 119:89 I- Why Do We Need To Be Calibrated? From Barna Research What do Baptist’s Believe?- 6,038 adults Baptist’s surveyed gave the following answers? Question 1-Do you believe that "works" plays apart in salvation? Yes 57% No43% Question 2-Do you believe that Jesus lived a sinless life while here on earth? Yes 45% No 55% Question 3- Do you believe that Satan is a real being? Yes 34% No 66% Question 4- Do you think Christians have a responsibility to witness to others? Yes 51% No 49% Question 5- Do you think the Bible is totally accurate? Yes 66% No 34% Question 6- Is your religious faith important to you? Yes 81% No 19% Question 7- Do you believe that God is the all-powerful creator of the universe?Yes85% No 15% A few of these caused me great alarm. Today we begin a journey that will hopefully settle things as we go back and calibrate our thinking to come in line with God. If 85% think He is all-powerful and Creator then we have hope. So we go back to the question of the Bible being totally accurate. In a recent survey of our youth the answer to Do you think the Bible is totally accurate was 56% no. What if we gave that to the whole church? I wonder what it would be. So we are going back and hooking up to the Bible. But first we must look to see if the Bible is God’s infallible Word. II- Why We Know the Bible is the Word of God The Bible has been called the best selling book of all time. In sheer volume of sales the Bible is the greatest book of all times. Still should be only look at the Bible as a best seller, or is it more. Psalms 119:89 says, "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." Other verses given in the Bible declare it will endure for ever as well. Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." Matthew 5:18-35 "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." In our world today we have many claims that they have the revelation of God to man. I submit to you that more than one truth cannot exist. If their claim is true then the Bible’s claim is a lie because the Bible claims one God and salvation through Christ alone. So can we know for sure the Bible is the Word of God? I submit to you we can and do know it not just by faith but by reason, research, science, experience, and many other ways. A- Prophetic Accuracy have verified and vindicated it as the Word of God. No other religious book in the world is accurate when it come to predicting the future. May I say the soothsayers get something right but they accept a failure rate of 1 in 100 being right? The Bible accepts no such thing. One study reported that the top ten psychics who published their prediction (I refuse to call them prophecies) for 1976-1979 found that they were wrong 98% of the time. Only 2 percent were right and 6 out of 10 were wrong all the time. (Grant Jeffrey,The Signature of God, p 196) God delares through the Prophet Isaiah, "Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them." Isaiah 42:9 And again in Isaiah 46:9-10 "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." Notice the prophet Ezekiel words and the amazing fulfillment of them on May 15, 1948. Shortly after the vision of the valley of dry bones Ezekiel is given another vision from God. Ezekiel 37:15-22 " The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: 17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. 18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? 19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. 20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. 21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: 22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all." Beloved when Israel went into captivity they went as TWO nations. Israel, the Northern Kingdom was taken into captivity over 100 years before Judah, the Southern Kingdom was taken into captivity. In fact two different nations, Babylon and Assyria took them into captivity. But when this amazing prophecy was fulfilled it was only one Israel that came back. Another amazing prophecy that has been fulfilled in part during our lives is the restoration of the Hebrew language. No language of the world has ever been revived after it died except Hebrew. Zephaniah 3:9 "For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent." The part that is left to be fulfilled is they will use this language to call upon the Lord as a nation. In my mind the one of the most amazing Biblical prophecies concerned the one given by Isaiah concerning Cyrus king of Persia. Notice Isaiah 44:28 "That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid." This was some 700 years before the time of the rebuilding of the temple recorded by Ezra. "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia…the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah." Ezra 1:1-2 Jeffrey says, "Explorers in Iraq in the last century found the ancient inscribed clay cylinder bearing the actual decree of King Cyrus of Persia allowing the various captured natives of many different nations to return freely to their ancient homelands." He goes on to say, "In this incredible discovery we find the confirmation of one of the most astonishing events in the pages of Scripture." (Grant Jeffrey, The Signature of God, p 86) This brings us to another reason we know the Bible is the Word of God. B- Archeology has verified and vindicated it as the Word of God. There are many things in the Bible that skeptics have scoffed at and ridiculed that later with new discoveries were proven to be accurate. The Bible has been verified as accurate in even the smallest details. Its message has been vindicated by archeology discoveries. Grant Jeffrey says, "…for the past one hundred and fifty years, many brilliant scholars have conducted detailed archaeological examinations at thousands of sites throughout the Middle East. The results of their discoveries have proven that the Bible is reliable and accurate in every single area were its statements could be tested." (Grant Jeffrey, The Signature of God, p 73) Jesus when He was told to rebuke His disciples when He entered Jerusalem said according to Luke 19:40 "And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." While he was not talking about archeology I wish to state that the stones are crying out that the Bible is the Word of God. "Dr. Nelson Glueck, the most outstanding Jewish archeologist of this century, wrote in his book, Rivers in the Desert, this fascinating statement. "It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference…." (The Signature of God, p 75) In addition to the one concerning King Cyrus above lets look at some of at least hundreds of examples of archeology. First there are many that claim the David never existed and never was king of Israel. This seems absurd to us. Jefrey said, "…many scholars contemptuously reject the Bible’s statement about King David." (Grant Jeffrey, The Signature of God, p 77) Beloved this is not just so called secular people but many liberal so called biblical scholars as well. Jeffrey reports, "In 1993, archeologist digging at Tel Dan in the Galilee in northern Israel found a fragment of a stone inscription the clearly refers to the "house of David" and identifies David as the "king of Israel."" (Grant Jeffrey, The Signature of God, p 78) There has also been a stone uncovered created by King Mesha of Moab that referred to the house of David. Another amazing discovery and perhaps the most amazing is known ad the Dead Sea Scrolls. In the spring of 1947 an Arab shepherd boy while searching for a missing goat threw a rock into a cave and heard what sounded like breaking pottery. They contained parts of what would become known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. All told there were some 500 manuscripts, or large portions of manuscripts and thousands of fragments were found in some 11 caves. "More than one-third of these are books of the Old Testament, which are older by at least 1000 years than the hitherto earliest known Old Testament manuscripts…. There are manuscripts or fragments of every book of the Old Testament, except Esther." (The Thompson Chain Reference Bible, Archeological Supplement, #4356, p 327, 329) These scriptures that predated any for 1000 agreed almost letter for letter with those produced later. God’s Word lives on as it was given. C- Scientific Accuracy and Discoveries have verified and vindicated it as the Word of God. The Bible is not a book of science but for it to be the truth every statement it makes concerning science must be true. For a contrast the Bible teaches us God created man from the dust of the ground and we know our body is made up of elements that are in the dirt. The Koran on the other hand claims Allah created man from a blood clot. Which is true based on scientific accuracy? Beloved it can be no other that the Bible. I have a couple of favorite scientific statements in the Bible. Let us explore these quickly. First is the statement in the book of Genesis that the life is in the blood. Genesis 9:4 "But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat." Genesis 9:4 in the New King James says, "But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. " Beloved we know your blood carries all the things throughout the body that are essential for life. Many people die not from wounds necessarily but from the loss of blood through the wounds. The life is in the blood but man did not know this until a few years ago. Second is the statement in the book of Jonah where we are told that there are mountains in the ocean. Jonah 2:6 "I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God." While this may seem small to us I remind us that not all things have always been the way they are not. No one would argue that there are not mountains in the ocean. No one today would say that the ocean goes down in a gradual slope and then rises again gradually on the other side of the ocean. However until recently this was the teaching. The tallest mountain from the bottom of the ocean up is known as the Hawaiian Islands. Just the tip sticks out but from the bottom of the ocean to the tip that is sticking out of the volcano it is taller than Mount Everest. D- Hidden Bible Codes have verified and vindicated it as the Word of God. "Several years ago computer scientist in Israel discovered a staggering phenomenon - encoded words hidden within the test of the Bible. Within the Hebrew text of the Old Testament they found hidden codes that revealed an astonishing knowledge of future events and personalities. The existence of these codes can only be explained if God inspired the writers of record His precise words." (Grant Jeffrey, The Handwriting of God, p 107) These Bible Codes are known as "Equidistant-Letter Sequence." Grant Jeffrey explains how these codes work. "A researcher…will ask the program to search the text of the Hebrew Bible to find a target word, such as "Hitler." The computer then begins with first letter of the Hebrew word "Hitler. Then the program will search forward by skipping 2 letter, 3 letters, 4 letters, et cetera, (skipping up to 500 letters forward, for example) searching for the second letter in Hitler’s name, the letter yud.When the computer find the second letterin the target word "Hitler," after skipping, for example, 22 letters, the program will automatically skip forward an equal number of letters (22), looking for the third, fourth, and fifth letters. When the program fails to find the next letter in the target word at an equal spaced interval, it abandons that search and examines the next occurrence of the letter heh h in the text and begins the process again." (Grant Jeffrey, The Handwriting of God, p 125) These Bible Codes have been published in secular scientific journals and found to be totally true. This same process has been done on other writing such as Shakespeare and they find none of the hidden codes. You may wonder why he mentioned Hitler. In a section of Scripture in Deuteronomy there are some 15 hidden codes concerning the holocaust. Words such as Hitler (2 times), The Fuhrer, Germany, Auschwitz (2 times) etc. In Genesis 48:1-22 the words, Yitzchak Rabin as well as the month day and year of his birth and the day he was killed as well as his assassin are encoded. In Deuteronomy 8:1-20 and Deuteronomy 9:1-29 they find Israel, Arafat, PLO, Shimon, Peres, Peace Treaty, etc. Also encoded is a group of codes known and the Gulf War Codes where Saddam, America, George Bush, Schwarzkopf, Scud-B, Russian etc are found in Genesis 8:1-22, Genesis 19:1-38, Genesis 20:1-18, Genesis 29:1-35, Genesis 33:1-20. They also find CNN and Peter Arnet encoded in a section of Numbers 33:1-56 and Numbers 36:1-13. The Oklahoma City Bombing is found as well as many other events that have transpired. (for additional information on this subject see Grant Jeffrey The Handwriting of God) Grant Jeffrey said, "…we have witnessed an unrelenting assault on the authority of the Bible by the intellectual elite, the academic community, liberal theologians, and the media during the last hundred years. Most people in our culture have been exposed to countless attacks on the authority and accuracy of the Scriptures throughout high school, university, and from the mass media. I believe the God has provided this extraordinary new evidence in the form of the Bible Codes to prove to this generation of skeptics that the Bible is truly the Word of God." (Grant Jeffrey, The Handwriting of God, p 116-117) Beloved today is the only time in History that this type of research was possible. It can only be done with the aid of computers. For instance to find Hitler Jeffery says took 45 million calculations. This was impossible before computers. III- Calibration Time: Because the Bible has been verified and vindicated as being God’s Word it has exclusive claim on our lives. The Bible reveals that a time is coming in the future that all men will die. The past teaches us this is not just an idle claim. Death is certain and beloved so is judgment. Notice Hebrews 9:27-28 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." The scripture is plain that we must look to Him if we are to be saved. Are you saved and ready for death if it came today. If not will you prepare today for eternity? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 32: 02.02. THE RESULTS OF CALIBRATING WITH THE WORD ======================================================================== The Results of Calibrating with the Word Psalms 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." "When the preacher’s car broke down on a country road, he walked to a nearby roadhouse to use the phone. After calling for a tow truck, he spotted his old friend, Frank, drunk and shabbily dressed at the bar. "What happened to you, Frank?" asked the good reverend. "You used to be rich." Frank told a sad tale of bad investments that had led to his downfall. "Go home," the preacher said. "Open your Bible at random, stick your finger on the page and there will be God’s answer." Some time later, the preacher bumped into Frank, who was wearing a Gucci suit, sporting a Rolex watch and had just stepped our of a Mercedes. "Frank." said the preacher, "I am glad to see things really turned around for you." "Yes, preacher, and I owe it all to you," said Frank. "I opened my Bible, put my finger down on the page and there was the answer-Chapter 11." (Reader’s Digest, March, 1993, p. 71) Over the years there have been some errors that occurred while printers printed Bible. CAMELS BIBLE In 1832 an edition had Rebekah leaving her tent to meet Isaac with a group of - not damsels - but camels. WIFE-HATER BIBLE An 1810 version read, "If any man come to me, and hate not … his own wife (instead of "life"), he cannot be my disciple." "SIN ON" BIBLE. The first English-language Bible to be printed in Ireland, in 1716, encouraged its readers to "sin on more" rather than "sin no more." A similar error in 1653 had declared: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the kingdom of God?" THE WICKED BIBLE of 1631 reported the Seventh Commandment as "Thou shalt commit adultery," a mistake that infuriated King Charles. He ordered all copies destroyed and fined all printers whose hands had touched the edition. MURDERER’S BIBLE. This 19th-century faux pas had Mark 7:27 as "Let the children be killed" instead of "filled." PLACEMAKER BIBLE. a 16th Century printer had Jesus blessing the "place-makers" instead of "peacemakers." An American printer later substituted the "Parable of the Vinegar" for the "Vineyard." PRINTERS BIBLE. Perhaps King David was on target in a 1702 edition, which quoted him as saying "Printers (instead of "princes") have persecuted me without cause. I- Because the Bible is the Word of God: I feel by this point in our series we have established the fact that the Bible is the Word of God. The question now is what are we going to do with it. Allow me to offer a few things the Bible does because it is God’s Word. What are the results of Calibrating our Compass with the Word? 1- It Gives Life: I saw a sign going to Nashville on the back of a truck that said, "It takes a living Savior to save a dying world." The Bible reveals the way to life. 1 Peter 1:23 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." James 1:18 "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." 2- It Reveals Sin: "Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them." - Author unknown Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." "When evangelist John Wesley (1703-1791) was returning home from a service one night, he was robbed. The thief, however, found his victim to have only a little money and some Christian literature. As the bandit was leaving, Wesley called out, "Stop! I have something more to give you." The surprised robber paused. "My friend," said Wesley, "you may live to regret this sort of life. If you ever do, here’s something to remember: ’The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin!’" The thief hurried away, and Wesley prayed that his words might bear fruit. Years later, Wesley was greeting people after a Sunday service when he was approached by a stranger. What a surprise to learn that this visitor, now a believer in Christ as a successful businessman, was the one who had robbed him years before! "I owe it all to you," said the transformed man. "Oh no, my friend," Wesley exclaimed, "not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin!" (Our Daily Bread, October 1, 1994) The Bible reveals men’s sins to them. This, I submit is the reason men hate the Bible so. 3- Prevents Malnutrition Not many things touch our heart the way pictures of a child dying of starvation touches us. I thought about this and wondered if we could see ourselves the way God does what would he see. I look in the mirror and see one who has meat on my bone and fat on the meat. I look nourished and robust. Well nourished and fed on physical food. The question that disturbs me is how does God see me when He looks at my spiritual condition. Does He see me as a starving child who is malnourished and starving? Many times we allocate time for every thing and in fact even lie to ourselves about how much we are feeding on the Words of life. 1­Pe 2:2 says, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." "A door-to-door salesman from a publishing house asked a lady if she owned a copy of the Bible. "I certainly do!" she replied with some pride. To his next question, did she read it regularly, she responded, "Oh, yes!" and sent her little daughter to get the Bible from the table drawer. As she showed it to the man, her spectacles fell from between the pages. Without thinking, she exclaimed, "Oh, here are my glasses! I’ve been looking for these for 3 years!"" by Pastor L.E. Brown Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." II- What Do We Do With It: 1- Believe it, Accept it, Settle it. "Within the covers of one single book, the Bible, are all the answers to all the problems that face us today-if only we would read and believe." - Ronald ReaganPsalms 119:89 "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." It is settled in heaven and we should settle the issue of it being the Word of God in our hearts. Have you settled the question in your heart concerning the Word of God? "In a nationwide survey of Americans, the Barna Research Group found that 58% do not know who preached the Sermon on the Mount. Most Americans cannot identify the names of the first four books of the New Testament. Half of all adults (52%) did not know that the book of Jonah is in the Bible. Half of all adults (48%) did not know that the book of Thomas is not in the Bible. Seven out of ten adults did not know that the expression "God helps those that help themselves" is not contained within the Bible. (Quoted in Why Christians Sin, J. Kirk Johnston, Discovery House, 1992, p. 68) Beloved the world rejects the Bible but they do it without giving it a chance. They reject it not because they have proven it wrong but because it proves them wrong. Many however in all walks of life walk by and practice the Word everyday. "My doctor had recommended surgery and referred me to a specialist. Arriving early for my appointment, I found the door unlocked and the young surgeon, deeply engrossed in reading, behind the receptionist’s desk. When he didn’t hear me come in, I cleared my throat. Startled, he closed the book, which I recognized as a Bible. "Does reading the Bible help you before or after an operation?" I asked. My fears were dispelled by his soft, one-word answer: "During." Eleanor Schmidt, in Reader’s Digest 2- Hide it away in our heart. Someone said, "A Bible in the hand is worth two in the bookcase." - Author unknown The Psalmist says in Psalms 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." We need to accept its warning of danger ahead. By hiding the Word of God in our hearts we will walk straighter and steadier than we ever have. The Bible warns us of the danger of being caught in sin illustrated kind of like the story told about a little boy. "A police officer had a perfect hiding place to catch speeders. But one day, when everyone was under the speed limit, the officer found the problem: a ten year old boy was standing on the side of the road, holding a huge sign which said "RADAR TRAP AHEAD." A little more investigative work led the officer to the boy’s accomplice, another boy about 100 yards beyond the radar trap with a sign reading "TIPS" and a bucket at his feet, full of change." Have you ever thanked God for preventing you from being caught in a trap because His word warned you to avoid something? Have you ever given God a tip if you will. 3- Know there is no new and improved version of the truth. God told Moses in Deuteronomy 12:32 "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." God told John in Revelation 22:19 "And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." Men are always coming up with new and improved. There will never be another revelation from God apart from His Word beloved. Regardless of the changing winds of opinion we need to know the perfect word of God need not nor indeed cannot be improved upon. This by the way does not prevent modern translations of the Word. 4- Accept the Life it brings. 1 John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Are you tuned in or tuned out to the message of the Word? Have you heard the voice of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to you or are you willfully ignoring Him? "A former park ranger at Yellowstone National Park tells the story of a ranger leading a group of hikers to a fire lookout. The ranger was so intent on telling the hikers about the flowers and animals that he considered the messages on his two-way radio distracting, so he switched it off. Nearing the tower, the ranger was met by a nearly breathless lookout, who asked why he hadn’t responded to the messages on his radio. A grizzly bear had been seen stalking the group, and the authorities were trying to warn them of the danger. Any time we tune out the messages God has sent us, we put at peril not only ourselves, but also those around us. How important it is that we never turn off God’s saving communication!" Harold M. Wiest, Power for Living, p. 109 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 33: 02.03. WHEN THE NEEDLE ON THE COMPASS IS STUCK ======================================================================== When the Needle on the Compass is Stuck 1 Kings 19:1-10; 1 Kings 19:15-18 1 Kings 19:1-10 "And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. 3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. 5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. 8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. 9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 1 Kings 19:15-18 " And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. 17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. 18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him." There is a fable that one day the Devil was having a going out of business sale. On display was his best tools; malice, hatred, jealousy, sensuality, deceit. Each tool was priced for sale. Cast aside was a wedge shaped tool that was the most used tool that showed great signs of wear but had a great price tag. When asked why it was so high priced when it was so worn he replied, "It is my tool of discouragement and I use it on nearly everyone. Few people even know it belongs to me." Do you ever feel like you don’t know where to turn or what to do? Do you ever feel like the needle on your compass is stuck? We might call this depression or discouragement. A name you may hear depression referred to is, "Heart dropsy." I’m down and don’t have the heart to get up. Vance Havener, a well known Baptist preacher, after the loss of his wife, wrote that we experience three types of days; 1- mountain top days, 2- ordinary days, and 3- dark days. We call it depression when dark days string together. You could call these dark days and deep valleys. The Journal of the American Medical Association suggests more suffering has been caused by depression than any other disease known to man. Depression can occur at any age and to any social class. I will occur for a variety of reasons and at all times of life from infancy to old age. Who among us has not said something like, "I wish I could find a hole and crawl in," or "I just don’t know what I am going to do." Most have said, I’m just tired of trying." Who has not felt overwhelmed to the point of discouragement or depression? A profound statement is, "The test of how great a man is how much it takes to discourage him." Abe Lincoln when a young lawyer went through a time when his friends kept knives and razors away from him. He wrote, "I am now the most miserable man living. Whether I shall ever be better, I cannot tell." I- Depression is not necessarily Sin! We must first realize that not all depression is sin. How can I says this? Notice Matthew 26:37-38 "And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me." The Amplified Bible says, "And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to show grief and distress of mind and was deeply depressed. 38 Then He said to them, My soul is very sad and deeply grieved, so that I am almost dying of sorrow. Stay here and keep awake and keep watch with Me." We can state that depression is not necessarily sin because Christ, here in the Garden, experienced depression and deep sorrow of soul and He was without sin. Elijah the prophet healed the sick, raised the dead, stopped the rain and called down fire from heaven. Our text shows he also became so discouraged and depressed that he developed suicidal tendencies. 1 Kings 19:4 Job 3:1 records that Job cursed the day he was born and then later stated concerning the weariness of life, "Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures." Job 3:21 You will also recall a man named Jonah who became so depressed that he wanted to die. The reason for this was that God did not destroy Ninevah. (See Jonah 4:3) II- Reasons The Compass Gets Stuck: Depression, as we have stated, occurs for a variety of reasons. To find the answer to depression we need to explore several reasons it occurs. 1- Physical Exhaustion: 1 Kings 19:5-8 Fatigue is the father of depression. When we are exhausted and not taking care of our physical need of rest we easily fall into depression. When we are tired most negative things seem to be magnified. 2- People Used by Satan: 1 Kings 19:2 In the life of Elijah the one Satan used was Jezebel. In your life and mine it might be a Jane or Tom, Bill or Ethel. When a person allows Satan to use them to downgrade or ridicule another it fits well within his plan. There was a man once court-martialed and sentenced to a year in prison for being a discourager. It happened during the Boer War at the town of Ladysmith. When the fate of the town was hanging in the balance a civilian went along the lines and spoke discouraging words to the men on duty. He struck no blow for the enemy he simply discouraged at a critical time. It was judged a crime to say such things in times like that. We need to not be used to be a discourager but someone who lifts up others. 3- Feeling Abandoned: 1 Kings 19:10 Elijah said, "I even I only, am left..." How many have said, "no one loves me," or "I am the only one doing anything for God so why should I continue?" 4- Unrealistic Expectations: Many times we have unrealistic expectations of other or of ourselves. We can only accomplish so much and we should not expect so much out of someone that it opens us up to a down fall. 5- Difficulty of the Task: Sometimes we may become overwhelmed with the sheer magnitude of the task at hand. I remind us that Moses had a million or more grumbling marchers on his hands. When Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem look at why they became discouraged. Nehemiah 4:10"And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall." A preacher who was discouraged dreamed he was standing on top of a great granite rock. Hour after hour, he worked on it with a pickax, hour after hours with no results. At last he said, "It is useless, I will quit." Suddenly a man stood by him and asked, "Were you not given a task? And if so, why are you going to quit?" My work is vain; I can make no impression in the granite," the preacher said." Then the stranger solemnly replied, "That is nothing to you; your duty is to pick, whether the rock yields or not. The work is yours, the results are in others hands; work on." 6- Guilt or Our Unworthy Feelings: The hardest thing for us to come to grips with is the forgiveness of God for our past wrongs. Sometimes the weight of our past sins lead us to be depressed. Notice that the Word of God teaches that God casts our sins away as far as east is from the west. Psalms 103:12 "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." If God forgives us what right have we to hold ourselves to a higher standard than God? 7- Chemical imbalance or illness: The human body is very complex and delicate. The chemicals in our body have a very delicate balance and when they are out of control many times so are our emotions. I am told by doctors that see patients who have surgery there is usually a period of depression following any surgery and especially certain ones like heart bypass, etc. III- Getting the Needle Working Again: 1- Accept the fact that discouragement is part of life: All of us experience it, and it does not show lack of spiritual maturity. I remind us that Elijah had just come off of the mountain where the fire had fallen when he faced his problem. 2- Admit our humanity: Lack of faith or lack of energy must be admitted to be understood and dealt with. This may be a blow to our ego, however, the reason illness is followed by depression is that we somehow must face our own mortality. 3- Acknowledge our dependence on God. The answer sometimes can be found in the assurance of the presence of God and the feeling of His presence. Elijah never lost touch with God as he ran. Or should we say God never lost Elijah. Proverbs 3:5-8 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones." Someone apply said we do not need more faith we need more knowledge of God’s promises. Remember Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." When we can attach a promise from God’s Word over the ugliness of life it gives a different picture. 4- Be willing to go to work: 1 Kings 19:15-16 God told Elijah to get up and get busy. We need to get up and go to work helping others and we will find that our problems will be greatly diminished. 5- Rest in the fact that nothing is final until God says it is final. When a ball game is almost over we, "It’s isn’t over until the fat lady sings." You may have heard someone say after saying this, "But she is warming up." I remind us that more so is the fact that the sovereign God is the one who have the final say. Remember that Abrahams waited twenty five years for Isaac to be born when he was 100 and Sarah, his wife was 90. Joseph was thirteen years from the pit he was thrown in until he arrived at the Palace. Moses was forty years discovering God’s will for his life and following it. Allow me to conclude with some verses from God’s Word. Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Psalms 43:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. 2 Corinthians 4:7-14 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 34: 02.04. NORTH MEANS NORTH ======================================================================== North Means North- Walking in Obedience to the Word Deuteronomy 17:14-19 Lets pretend that we are lost in the wilderness. We are instantly transformed into a boy scout. We have our trusty canteen with water, a small amount of food, matches in case we get cold and our course our trusty compass. We set out to get our self out of the predicament. We ration our water and food, conserve our matches and throw the compass away. That would be crazy would it not. We need water but the compass would have allowed us to not become disorientated and go in circles. Many times we keep a lot of things in our decision making processes of life and without thinking we throw away the compass. When you were growing up or perhaps now as you are growing up do you think at times your parents tell you not to do something because they are mean spirited or because they don’t want you to have fun. A story is told of a little girl riding the back seat of the family car. She had a habit of playing with the door handle. Her parents had told her not to do it. One day as she was playing with it the door flew open and she was thrown from the car. Her father raced back to his dying daughter and heard her say, "I won’t do it again, I promise." The father did not tell his daughter to stop playing with the door handle to be mean, but to protect her because he knew what was best for her. There is a law in science that says for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Then there is the law of Biology that says you reap what you sow; Corn from corn, wheat from wheat, etc. There is a spiritual law also that says we reap proportionally to what we sow. Notice 2 Corinthians 9:6 "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." The Bible also teaches us that we need to be careful what we sow too as well. Notice Galatians 6:7-9 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." In our text we go to the Word of God where instructions were given for the Kings of Israel before the Nation of Israel ever entered the Promised Land. God told Israel He would give them a king. Deuteronomy 17:15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. However, the king should abide by certain prohibitions. God was not being mean spirited nor was He trying to restrict the king unduly. God meant what He said when the said it. Beloved north still means north. I- Prohibitions & Requirements for the Kings: God told the future kings there were certain things they were prohibited from doing. Let us look at our text and see these. Deuteronomy 17:16-17 "But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold." God told him not to multiply horses, women or precious metals. It was simple because the King would trust in these instead of God. One of the things that God is not is simply a God who gives us a list of do not’s. God told the Kings things he should do to better serve Him and the Kingdom. Deuteronomy 17:18-19 "And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life…" The reason was simple for this. God said, "…that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them." So we can see that the purpose of us falling in love with the Word of God and reading, studying and meditating on it is that it will help us in our walk. We will explore some of the consequences of failure to heed these warning in a few moments. II- Why Does God Give Prohibitions? First we might ask and answer the question of why does God prohibit certain things in His word. Let’s look at a few truths. 1- The first truth concerning God and the prohibitions in His Word is He loves us and wants only what is best for us. We He says something is harmful it is not an attempt to withhold good from us. When we think of the story of Adam and Eve and the fall of mankind in the garden we see an illustration of this. Notice Genesis 3:1-5 with me if you would, "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Satan says well the reason God don’t want you to have this is He is holding back on you. He knows you will be like Him if you take it. Sin is tempting because it looks so good to the flesh. Another point of this story in Genesis is the fact that Satan doesn’t have our best interest at heart. Certainly this was true for Adam and Eve. 2- The second truth of why God puts prohibitions in His Word is; God alone knows the outcome of the situation. I remind us that God is time infinite thus He can see the future. We are time finite and we cannot. If we could see the end we would never go down the road. If you knew you would be in an accident and killed if you took a certain road to work then you would probably take a different road, even go out of you way and inconvenience yourself. What if you knew if you would be killed on one day but you did not know what day it would be in the next week if you took this certain road to work? Would you risk it? Probably not, however we travel down the road of sin playing, if you will, Russian roulette. Isaiah 46:9-10 "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." God, and God alone, knows the outcome if certain things are allowed to continue. 3- Another truth concerning the Word of God and its prohibitions is that the Word of God will never change. Mans opinions of right and wrong change, many times someone is against something until it happen to them or their family then they have a new revelation it is not so bad after all. The philosophies of men change with the winds. Notice a couple of verses concerning this. Colossians 2:7-8 "Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." So when God says something is wrong and prohibits something it is out of wanting the true best, out of knowledge of the end, and out of unchanging truths. III- Consequences of Failure to Heed: Now go with me to the times of King Solomon as we explore warnings not heeded by the King. Notice 1 Kings 4:26 says, "And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen." 1 Kings 10:22-26 "For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. 23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. 24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. 26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem" 1 Kings 11:1-3 "But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; 2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart." Beloved we know the story well of Solomon the man who was knows far and wide for his wisdom and wealth. The end of Solomon was not as glorious as his beginning. Notice, 1 Kings 11:4-9 "For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. 7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. 9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel…" Beloved may I warn myself and you also there is a high cost of ignoring the warning in the Word of God and not walking in obedience to the Word. IV- Thou Shalt Nots: I feel that I would be amiss if I do not at least remind us of a couple of things. First the Ten Commandments God gave to Moses. Notice these in Exodus 20:3-17. Lets look at a few of these found here. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain….12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 13 Thou shalt not kill. 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15 Thou shalt not steal. 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s." Second is that in order to walk in obedience to God’s Word we must begin with a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus talking with some of those who were following Him after He had fed the 5000 in John 6:28-29 "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Are you walking in light of the revealed truth of God’s Word? Someone apply said it is not the part they didn’t understand that bothers them it is the part that they do. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 35: 02.05. WHEN THE NEEDLE SPINS OUT OF CONTROL ======================================================================== When the Needle Spins out of Control- Making Sense of the Un-sensible. Genesis 3:17-24 A ten year old asks, "Why me," when he shuts his hand up in a car door. A mother asks, "Why," when her child is struck with an illness. A man in his prime is struck with a debilitating disease which robs him of his vitality. A husband has a heart attack and has to retire from work. We could go on and on with real life situations that illustrate suffering. You could give your own real life examples of suffering. Sometimes it seems like our compass is spinning out of control. How do we make sense of the un-sensible? Suffering is something that touches all our lives at one time or another. Sometimes it simply does not make sense. How can we make sense of the un-sensible? How can we begin to understand the causes and purposes of troubles in our lives? How can we stop the spinning or at least grow from it? Genesis 3:17-24 "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. 21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." I- Causes for Suffering: Who can we find that might bear the blame for suffering? Let me suggest: A- Blame it on Adam- Genesis 3:17-24 Humans by the choices of Adam chose to sin. This makes sickness, disease, accidents and even death a part of life for all. Romans 5:12; Romans 5:15 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned...15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many." Did you notice that the word "offense," is singular? By one offense, the fall, all became sinners. B- Blame it on Me- Sometimes we make decisions that cause us to suffer. Am momma would say, "You burned the blister now sit on it." Let me however give a strong warning before we go to saying all suffering is because of sin. We have two biblical accounts that dispel this myth. Job 2:1-7 " Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. 6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown." Job 1:22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. John 9:1-3 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. Job’s suffering was to prove his faith and bring glory to God. The man born blind was for the purpose that the, "...works of God should be made manifest in him." Still we must realize that personal sin leads to sickness and suffering. A biblical illustration of this is the story of Ananias and Sapphira who’s sin caused their death. (see Acts 5:1 ff) C- Blame it on Them- 2 Timothy 3:12 says, " Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Sometimes our suffering in life is caused by others who oppose the gospel. D- Blame it on God- As we have stated man made the choice to sin. Still there are many who blame it one God. It is His fault when someone suffers. They say, "how can a loving God allow so much suffering to go on in the world." Allow me to poorly illustrate how we cannot blame a lot of suffering on God. When we send food aid to a lot of countries the food is stolen and placed in the black market for sale. Children die because food was stolen by men. Can we blame God fro this? I say no. I have often thought that we in our comfort have not really suffered for the cause of Christ. This becomes more real when we look at the early church. At the Nicene Council, an important church meeting in the 4th century A.D., of the 318 delegates attending, fewer than 12 had not lost an eye or lost a hand or did not limp on a leg lamed by torture for their Christian faith. (Vance Havner.) II- Purposes of Suffering: Still we have a God who is Sovereign. We also know that we have a loving heavenly Father. Because He is Sovereign and loving there must be a purpose to the suffering not just a cause. Gregg R. Albers, M.D. in counseling the Sick and Terminally Ill states, "The cause of disease is not as important as its spiritual outcome." (p 76) Someone asked C.S. Lewis, "Why do the righteous suffer?" "Why not?" he replied. "They’re the only ones who can take it." A- Suffering is used of God to mature believers. We have to climb in the valleys and slip off the mountain. Many children as well as adults are afraid of mountain roads. The reason is once we are on the mountain there is only one way to go, down. Suffering can refine our faith. 1 Peter 1:5-7 " Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." Suffering can also produce patience, perseverance, character and maturity. Notice James 1:2-3 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." Also notice with me Romans 5:3-5 "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Suffering is also used of God to conform us to the image of Christ. Romans 8:28-29 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." Suffering is God’s way of preparing us for heaven. Let me use a story to illustrate this. A famous evangelist told the following incident: I have a friend who in a time of business recession lost his job, a sizable fortune, and his beautiful home. To add to his sorrow, his precious wife died; yet he tenaciously held to his faith -- the only thing he had left. One day when he was out walking in search of employment, he stopped to watch some men who were doing stonework on a large church. One of them was chiseling a triangular piece of rock. ’Where are you going to put that?’ he asked. The workman said, ’Do you see that little opening up there near the spire? Well, I’m shaping this stone down here so that it will fit in up there.’ Tears filled my friend’s eyes as he walked away, for the Lord had spoken to him through that laborer whose words gave new meaning to his troubled situation. Our Daily Bread. B- Suffering is used by God to equip us to help others. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." We have two words that apply here, Sympathy and Empathy. Sympathy is feeling sorry without have been there. Empathy is understanding because of your experience of suffering. God gives us a stewardship of our suffering to be used for others. When the compass spins out of control, sometimes it is so that can point to someone we can help. Our struggle help us have strength we need for others. A man found a cocoon of the emperor moth and took it home to watch it emerge. One day a small opening appeared, and for several hours the moth struggled but couldn’t seem to force its body past a certain point. Deciding something was wrong, the man took scissors and snipped the remaining bit of cocoon. The moth emerged easily, its body large and swollen, the wings small and shriveled. He expected that in a few hours the wings would spread out in their natural beauty, but they did not. Instead of developing into a creature free to fly, the moth spent its life dragging around a swollen body and shriveled wings. The constricting cocoon and the struggle necessary to pass through the tiny opening are God’s way of forcing fluid from the body into the wings. The "merciful" snip was, in reality, cruel. Sometimes the struggle is exactly what we need. (Beth Landers.) C- Suffering is a means God uses to show our mortality and need of Him. James 5:14-15 "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." Suffering and disease have caused many men to stop and consider their eternal destiny. Many stories are told of death bed professions of faith. By the way the thief on the cross had such a conversion. Psalms 119:71 "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." III- Conclusion: We can say that the Scriptures suggests that God allows suffering for three reasons: people are humbled and see their need of Christ for salvation; to help believers to grow and be more like Christ; and to help equip us to minister to others. We also must realize that no matter how leak the outlook the uplook is always bright. Remember the words of Romans 8:18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 36: 02.06. JERKING APART THE CONNECTION- ANGER ======================================================================== Jerking Apart the Connection- Anger 1 Samuel 18:5-16; 1 Samuel 20:30-34 In the spring of 1894, the Baltimore Orioles came to Boston to play a routine baseball game. But what happened that day was anything but routine. The Orioles’ John McGraw got into a fight with the Boston third baseman. Within minutes all the players from both teams had joined in the brawl. The warfare quickly spread to the grandstands. Among the fans the conflict went from bad to worse. Someone set fire to the stands and the entire ballpark burned to the ground. Not only that, but the fire spread to 107 other Boston buildings as well. Daily Bread, August 13, 1992. 1 Samuel 18:5-16 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. 6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. 7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? 9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. 10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand. 11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. 12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. 13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. 15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. 1 Samuel 20:30-34 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. 32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? 33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. 34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. We often hear about the angry white male, or that such and such is angry at America and therefore want to kill us. Road rage, child abuse, wife beating, murder, and many other things we can name are most times the result of anger. Anger is an emotion that if not handled correct can jerk apart our relationships and break the connections in our life that are most important to us. You may have heard it said that, Christians don’t get angry." This is not true however, all people get angry. Jesus got angry on more than one occasion. He was angry at the money changers in the temple. We can god back to the very beginning of civilization to the days of Adam and Eve to the story of Cain and Able found in Genesis 4:5-8 and find that Cain’s countenance fell when he was angry with his brother. It has been said, "The broad general rule is that a man is about as big as the things that make him mad." In our text today we see that Saul was angry at David and then at his own son Jonathan. As we look at the emotions of Saul we see several reasons that people get angry. We will look at the proper uses of anger and the proper things that we should be angry at. Anger is a divinely implanted emotion. Closely allied to our instinct for right, it is designed to be used for constructive spiritual purposes. The person who cannot feel anger at evil is a person who lacks enthusiasm for good. If you cannot hate wrong, it’s very questionable whether you really love righteousness. - Dr. David Seamands Why Do We Get Angry? There are several reasons that men get angry. Notice with me the following. A- Our Fallen Nature: Man has a nature that is fallen and is prone to anger and sin. Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." The depravity of man is clear when we understand the Scriptures and the nature of men. It is in man’s nature to be a sinner and thus anger is part of our fallen nature. A gentleman in India domesticated a young tiger, which became playful and harmless like a kitten. One day while licking his master he drew blood and tasted it. At once, the tiger’s nature was aroused. His eyes glared; and he prepared to spring on his master. The gentleman shot him with a revolver. Men and tigers have much in common. We both posses a fallen nature. B- Jealousy- 1 Samuel 18:7-9 "And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 8And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? 9And Saul eyed David from that day and forward." Saul is jealous of the songs the women about David’s victories in battle. Proverbs 6:34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. Jealousy is a cause of great anger. C- Selfishness 1 Samuel 20:30-31 "Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die." Jonathan would not carry on the line of Saul . Saul did not care as much about it for Jonathan as for himself. Jonathan was Saul’s way of carrying on his name. Saul was angry because of his selfishness and ego. Two children, a boy and a girl, played together a great deal. They both were converted to Jesus. One day the little boy said to his mother, "Mother, I know Emma is a Christian." "What makes you think so?" asked the mother. "Because she plays like a Christian. If you take everything she’s got she doesn’t get angry. Before, she was selfish; and if she didn’t get her way she would say, "I’m not going to play with you any more, you are an ugly boy." D- Fear- 1 Samuel 18:12-15 And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. 13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. 15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. Sometimes when we face fear of the unknown we get angry because we do not feel in control. We also get angry at the fear of change. It upsets our routine and comfort and we react with anger. E- Fabrications of our Minds- Ben Franklin said, "Anger always has a reason, just most of the time not a good one." Saul was convinced in his heart that David was his enemy. Sometimes anger directed at another is because of the imaginations of our mind. We believe they did something when in fact they were not guilty of anything. Two times David could have killed Saul but spared his life. In a cave when Saul went in to relieve himself recorded in 1 Samuel 24. David and his followers were hiding. Also in 1 Samuel 26 when David caught the guards asleep and walked in to the camp of Saul and took his sword and water bottle. 1 Samuel 26:18 "And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?" David asked Saul what he thought David was guilty of. He was not guilty of anything by the way. David was only guilty in the mind of Saul. A tiger in the jungle was hungry and smelled tow children as they slept in their straw hut. He entered the hut and came face to face with a mirror. He grew angry that another tiger was there so he roared, and snarled showing his teeth. The tiger in the mirror did the same. That made the tiger furious and he jumped at the tiger in the glass and broke it. That scared the tiger and he ran away. Sometimes we are angry because we have fabricated a hurt in our mind that someone is supposed to have done. We are growling at an imaginary tiger. F- Conviction of our Wrong. 1 Samuel 20:32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? Saul was confronted with a question of why he was angry. Someone said, "when a man is wrong and won’t admit it he always gets angry." Sometimes we get angry at someone who points out our wrongs because we don’t want to admit we are wrong. Many get mad at the preacher because he preaches on their sin. A little boy cried out in the field, "Hurray, Hurrah!" from the woods he heard a voice, "hurrah, Hurrah." "Where are you," cried the boy. "Where are you," answered the voice. "You are a foolish boy," he exclaimed. "You are a foolish boy," came the reply. He searched the woods to find the boy who had treated him so bad but could not find him. He went home and told his mother what the little boy had said to him. His mother told him it was simply his voice saying back what he was saying. You have betrayed you own self. So it is with anger at times. We are angry for what we are guilty of. II- How do we handle anger? Brian Harbour, a pastor who publishes Brian’s Lines, said there are three principles on how Jesus handled anger. He knew how to get angry, "At the right time, at the right person, and for the right reason." I wish to add another point to this list, "Getting over the anger." One important thing we must realize is that we have a stewardship of anger. A- Get angry at the right time. Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. This means we should not fly off the handle at the least provocation. From 1 Samuel 20:33 we see Saul was a boiling pot ready to explode. Some people get angry regularly before there is a reason. Some walk around angry. Others have a reason to get angry but do not for a month, year or even ten years later. The time to get angry, if it is warranted, is when it happens. 1 Samuel 20:34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. Jonathan had this type of anger when Saul wanted to kill David. B- Get Angry at the Right Person. 1 Samuel 20:30-34 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. 32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? 33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. 34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. Saul, who is angry at David, takes it out on his son, Jonathan. This is knows as "displacement." Some turn their anger in on themselves. They do harm to themselves or it causes depression, anxiety and guilt. C- Get Angry for the right reason. Choosing what is important enough to get or be angry at is an important stewardship. Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15:35-37 parted ways because Paul refused to take John Mark with them on their second missionary journey. The reason Paul refused was because John Mark had deserted them on the first journey. Paul made a decision that this was something to be angry about. We must decide what is important enough to warrant our anger. After all someone who constantly rants and raves is seldom heard. III- Plugging back in the connection- Getting over our Anger Notice, Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Lets return to the story of the Apostle Paul and John Mark. Notice 2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. Paul’s opinion of John Mark changed in later times. Paul was angry for a reason, when the reason was resolved no longer was he angry. We might say he did not hold a grudge. A man named Beecher said about the fire of anger, "The flame is not wrong but the coals are." It is easier to put out a candle or pile of leaves than to allow the fire to spread out of control on the mountain. It is misdirected anger and unforgiving anger that causes problems many times. Proverbs 15:1; Proverbs 15:18 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. 18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife. An author for Reader’s Digest writes how he studied the Amish people in preparation for an article on them. In his observation at the school yard, he noted that the children never screamed or yelled. This amazed him. He spoke to the schoolmaster. He remarked how he had not once heard an Amish child yell, and asked why the schoolmaster thought that was so. The schoolmaster replied, "Well, have you ever heard an Amish adult yell?" Reader’s Digest Proverbs 30:33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife. James in his epistle said, "For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." James 1:20 It is said of a preacher named Rev. Brewer Sepney, "He was deaf when he could hear, Blind when he could see, Dumb when he could speak, That he extinguished all the fires he could, and never kindled any." Oh that we could be this kind of men and women for God’s glory. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 37: 02.07. SOMEONE BROKE MY COMPASS ======================================================================== Someone Broke My Compass- Letting Go of the Hurt Genesis 50:20 You know Jeff Nave, you know, he’s the boy when I was in the 5th grade who hit me under the chin and shattered my lower teeth. I’m sure you know Kimmy Stout who pulled my ears when they were infected, on the school bus. Well obviously you will know the one who stuck out her tongue at me while I was preaching. Or her aunt who conspired to bring about me getting only 72 dollars one month for a salary. Surly you remember when my brother wrote me a check for some money he owed me and put on the line TO: Big Dummy. I know you remember him refusing to write another check and telling me, "They’ll cash it at the store. They know you are the big dummy." Well perhaps you will remember, well maybe not...you had to be there, you had to be me. One man said to his friend: "Say, you look depressed. What are you thinking about?" "My future," was the quick answer. "What makes it look so hopeless?" "My past." Christian Medical Society Journal, Winter, 1978, p. 2 What’s the point? All of us have broken compasses. All of us have hurts. So many Christians are like the old oak tree that said in the fall of the year, "I am perfectly satisfied with my this year’s leaves, therefore I will not allow them to fall to the earth; I will hold on to them." As a result the north wind blew and the leaves faded, but the old oak clung to its last summer’s leaves. In that unsightly condition it passed the whole winter through, the wind rustling through its dry dead leaves. Thus it is with a great many Christians, instead of allowing their past experiences to fall, they cling to them and do not prepare for a new and better experience as it may come daily. It is only by the tree shedding its leaves that it can hope to put on the beautiful foliage in the springtime. -- W. R. F. By J. Wilbur Chapan, "Present Day Parables." I- The Compass of Joseph: Our text today is only one verse, Genesis 50:20 "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." This is only the last word of the story. The last great words of a man who had suffered a whole lot of things in the past that should have made him bitter, cynical, crasty, hard, angry, vindictive, and a thousand other words that we can use. Lets look at the story of Joseph and see how to get over the hurts of the past. How could Joseph go on I ask. His compass was not only broken but crushed and destroyed. Our story begins in Genesis 37. Genesis 37:1-4 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. 4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. Lets stop just a second and notice that Joseph’s brothers compass was broken. How do you say? Joseph was the favorite son of the favorite wife. His brothers hated him for this. Many times resentment and hurt comes from bad family relationships. Joseph next dreams a dream in which his brothers and parents bow down before him. Genesis 37:8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. Genesis 37:11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. Now notice what happens next. Joseph is sent by his father to his brothers who were tending the sheep. They conspire to kill him when the see him approaching. Genesis 37:19-20 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. The next verse brings us to an important thought. Genesis 37:21-22 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. 22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. Reuben, Joseph’s brother, attempts to stop the killing in hopes of taking him back to their father. How many people today live with regrets or blame someone for not doing enough or themselves with not doing enough in some situation to the point that it breaks their compass. Many have self inflected wounds that they cannot get over. The story continues with while they eat lunch with Joseph in a pit they see a camel train coming along. They sell Joseph to the camel train as a slave. Genesis 37:27-28 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. 28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt. Sold out for money. Cared more about the money than they did Joseph. All they wanted was the money. Sound familiar. Many hurts are centered around inheritances and money. Joseph arrives in Egypt. Surely he cannot go on. He is sold to a man named Potiphar. Genesis 39:1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. Joseph is now a slave. He just had his compass broke again. God blessed him there and he was soon over all of Potiphar’s house. His wife tried to seduce him and to avoid this Joseph had to streak from the house. He ends up in prison. Genesis 39:20 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. A couple of years pass after Joseph interpreted dreams for the baker and the butler of Pharaoh. Pharaoh dreams and Joseph is called to speak to him. It was a dream of fat and skinny cows. Joseph tells Pharaoh that it means 7 good years and 7 lean and preparation must be made. Genesis 41:33-36 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Guess who gets the job? Joseph. Genesis 41:40-41 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. During the next years the crops were conserved and then famine hit the land. Egypt had grain, the rest of the world around them did not. Genesis 41:57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands. II- Back at Home: As they say in the movies, "Meanwhile back at the ranch." Joseph’s brothers return and tell Jacob his son has been killed by wild animals. They show him the coat of many colors torn and bloody. Who knows if or how often he was even thought of over the next several years. Who knows if there was guilt or remorse for Joseph. Famine hits the land of Joseph’s family in Canaan. Jacob sends his sons to buy grain. Genesis 42:6-8 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. 7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. 8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. Well, well what do you know. The tide has been turned. Joseph knows them, speaks their language but does not reveal himself to them. Here we come to the point of this whole sermon. III- Choosing to Let Go: After several events in which Joseph managed to get his younger brother Benjamin brought to Egypt Joseph brings them in to have dinner with him. Notice the heart of Joseph in Genesis 43:29-30 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son 30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. Joseph puts all their money back in Benjamin’s sack. They discover it on the way. Notice Genesis 45:1-5 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. 2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. 4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. Joseph certainly had his share of hurts. More than his share of hurts. God knew all about them. God used the hurts of Joseph to preserve the nation of Israel and to ultimately bring about good. Remember our text, Genesis 50:20, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." The test here was would Joseph do what was right and forgive after he had been wronged. What would you do if you held total sway over someone who has hurt you. Harboring bitterness does not usually hurt anyone but the one who hold hate in their heart. IV- Getting Over the Hurt: Let me give us just a couple of things to add to the story. 1- All of us have hurts. 2- Some are worse than others. 3- God can take the hurts and make use of them. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ­4- Church hurts destroy fellowship; harbored anger divides and impedes the moving of the Holy Spirit. Do you need to allow God to heal and take away the hurt? Ultimately we must make the decision to let the hurt go. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 38: 02.08. WHAT IF SOMEBODY STEALS MY COMPASS ======================================================================== What If Somebody Steals My Compass 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Today I want to look at fear from two different directions with our primary focus on what not to fear. First however it seemed every way I turned in the Scriptures I kept running in to things, or should I say whom we should fear. I have entitled this what if somebody steals my compass. The reason is that most of us have something that we fear and fear is an emotion that is both good and bad. Our children must learn to fear things like fire or moving vehicles so they will learn to watch and not get burnt or ran over. It is however when our fears are unwarranted or misdirected that they can paralyze us from doing what we need to do in life and in the kingdom of God. I- Fear God: What are some things that we should fear that will lead us to have a healthy outlook on things we should not fear? We fear men so much because we fear God so little...William Gurnall. The word fear occurs 400 times in the KJV translation of the Bible. David McCullough in his book Mornings On Horseback tells this story about young Teddy Roosevelt: Mittie (his mother) had found he was so afraid of the Madison Square Church that he refused to set foot inside if alone. He was terrified, she discovered, of something called the "zeal." It was crouched in the dark corners of the church ready to jump at him, he said. When she asked what a zeal might be, he said he was not sure, but thought it was probably a large animal like an alligator or a dragon. He had heard the minister read about it from the Bible. Using a concordance, she read him those passages containing the word ZEAL until suddenly, very excited, he told her to stop. The line was from the Book of John, 2:17 : "And his disciples remembered that it was written, ’The ZEAL of thine house hath eaten me up’" People are still justifiably afraid to come near the "zeal" of the Lord, for they are perfectly aware it could "eat them up" if they aren’t one of His. Our Lord is good, but He isn’t safe. David McCullough, Mornings On Horseback. Psalms 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. Psalms 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. So we can see that we should fear the Lord. In a day when He is referred to as everything from "The Big Guy upstairs" or only as no more than a super human it seems that we have forgotten that we serve an awesome God who should be feared. Jesus put things into perspective in Matthew 10:28 "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." So in order for us to have a healthy attitude about fear we must fear God. II- Fear’s Where do our fears come from. Many times from experiences of childhood; many fear are found in things like the dog that chased us, an accident that we were involved in, a movie that haunted us. Fear in Our Imagination: The Lug Wrench: When you fear that the worst will happen, your own thoughts may help to bring it about. "Fear," a writer once said, "Is the wrong use of imagination. It is anticipating the worst, not the best that can happen." A salesman, driving on a lonely country road one dark and rainy night had a flat. He opened the trunk-no lug wrench. The light from a farmhouse could be seen dimly up the road. He set out on foot through the driving rain. Surely the farmer would have a lug wrench he could borrow, he thought. Of course, it was late at night-the farmer would be asleep in his warm, dry bed. Maybe he wouldn’t answer the door. And even if he did, he’d be angry at being awakened in the middle of the night. The salesman, picking his way blindly in the dark, stumbled on. By now his shoes and clothing were soaked. Even if the farmer did answer his knock, he would probably shout something like, "What’s the big idea waking me up at this hour!" This thought make the salesman angry. What right did that farmer have to refuse him the loan of a lug wrench? After all, here he was stranded in the middle of nowhere, soaked to the skin. The farmer was a selfish clod-no doubt about that! The salesman finally reached the house, and banged loudly on the door. A light went on inside, and a window opened above. "Who is it?" a voice called out. "You know darn will who it is," yelled the salesman, his face white with anger. "It’s me! You can keep your blasted lug wrench. I wouldn’t borrow it now if you had the last one on earth!" Bits and Pieces, May, 1991, p. 23 III- Fear Nots: Let’s look at some of the 63 times that fear not is in the KJV and see how we can get over fear. The format I wish to use is to identify a potential fear and see how this fear not can help us to overcome that fear. Fear remember is not necessarily bad and all of us have fears but by placing our trust in God we can intentionally overcome some of them. 1- Hagar Genesis 21:17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Many have a fear of being abandoned or of being alone. Perhaps you fear what the future will hold for you or a loved one. God came to Hagar in the wilderness after she had been cast out by Abraham and Sarah. She had drunk all of the water she had and was just waiting to die. Notice Genesis 21:18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. God did not abandon her nor her son there. 2- Abraham Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Many fears are based on our seeming to be powerless about certain situation and things just don’t seem to be working out. The insight into this fear not is in Genesis 15:2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? Can we trust God to work out the circumstance of our life? Fear not. 3- Moses Exodus 20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. God had just given Moses the Ten Commandments. When he came off the mountain the people were scared. By the way This points out what we have already said that we need to fear God. It also points out how quickly we can slip and fall if we are not careful. These were the same ones who built the golden calf. 4- Fear of other gods. Judges 6:10 And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice. Ok here it is, some may have hear about all the religions of the world and are afraid that what we believe is not true. For some of you this sounds absurd but to some it just resonated. Beloved hear again the words Isaiah 46:9-10 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. You do not have to fear because there is only one true God. Fear not the other gods. 5- Daniel Daniel 10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. Daniel 10:19 And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me. Have you ever feared that God didn’t hear your prayers or you felt He was just not near? Daniel, the great prophet, felt the same. May I say that this fear not is one that should encourage us to know that God answers prayers in His time. 6- Joseph & Mary Matthew 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. Luke 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. Many of you in your lifetime or perhaps now have things that you wonder if they will turn out. After all they seem to be no good outcome foreseeable. Now you know how Mary and Joseph had an opportunity to fell. They however trusted God to make things work. 7- Women at Tomb Matthew 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. What about death? Certainly we all have fear of this enemy. I chose to include this fear not because it is about Jesus resurrection. Beloved I think just a nana second after we cross over from this life we will realize that we had nothing to fear because as Christ said in Revelation 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: Beloved we can trust Him with all our fears, maybe not to keep us from ever fearing again but certainly to help us overcome them as we rest in Him. Sometimes we need a little push: A very wealthy man bought a huge ranch in Arizona and he invited some of his closest associates in to see it. After touring some of the 1500 acres of mountains and rivers and grasslands, he took everybody to the house. The house was as spectacular as the scenery, and out back was the largest swimming pool you have ever seen. However, this gigantic swimming pool was filled with alligators. The rich owner explained this way: "I value courage more than anything else. Courage is what made me a billionaire. In fact, I think that courage is such a powerful virtue that if anybody is courageous enough to jump in that pool, swim through those alligators and make it to the other side, I’ll give them anything they want, anything--my house, my land, my money." Of course, everybody laughed at the absurd challenge and proceeded to follow the owner into the house for lunch... .when they suddenly heard a splash. Turning around they saw this guy swimming for his life across the pool, thrashing at the water, as the alligators swarmed after him. After several death defying seconds, the man made it, unharmed to the other side. Our rich host was absolutely amazed, but he stuck to his promise. He said, "You are indeed, a man of courage and I will stick to my word. What do you want? You can have anything--my house, my land, my money-just tell me what you want and it is yours." The swimmer, breathing heavily, looked up at the host and said, "I just want to know one thing--who pushed me in that pool?" Dr. Charles Garfield ======================================================================== CHAPTER 39: 02.09. THE COMPASS IS READING WRONG ======================================================================== The Compass is Reading Wrong- Excuses God Didn’t Buy the First Time Genesis 3:12-13 Have you ever noticed how we usually find someone else to blame for our failures or mistakes. It like saying the compass is reading wrong and pointed me the wrong direction is the reason I did such and such. Have you ever heard, "Well such and such told me to do it," to which your momma would reply, "If such and such told you to jump off a cliff would you do it?" Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun." How many times did we make excuses to our parents that they looked at us with skepticism about? They may have said something like, "tell me another one I’m not buying that one." How many times have our sons and daughters told us stories and we look at them and say, "yea right." There was recently a country song out called, "That’s my story and I’m sticking too it." In it the man was making all kinds of excuses to his wife for things. One was when he came in at dawn or so he told her he fell asleep in the hammock. She told him she had taken it down months before. To which he replied, "That’s my story and I’m sticking too it." Have you ever wondered how God feels about some of our excuses why we do not do what He wants of us? Are we still trying to use the excuses that were used on God before that He never bought? Today, we are going exploring in the Bible to see what I have called, "The Compass is Reading Wrong, Excuses God Didn’t Buy the First Time." I- Companionship: One day, my son Jonathan came home from preschool with a picture of Adam and Eve he had colored. He began to tell me the story of creation, and it seemed as though he had his facts down pretty well. "Adam and Eve disobeyed God because they ate the fruit God told them not to eat," he explained. Impressed by how much he knew, I pointed to the picture and asked, "What’s this place called?" Jonathan replied earnestly, "The Garden of Eating." -- Laura Groves, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Today’s Christian Woman, "Heart to Heart." Genesis 3:12-13 "And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." Many times when we are involved in something and get caught we have a natural inclination to play the blame game. Notice that Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. Notice what Romans 14:12 says, "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." We are responsible for our actions and cannot blame them on others. This points out we must choose our friend carefully. Perhaps we need a more discerning spirit to help us see others like the little girl I read about. In a class of 11- and 12-year-olds, I intercepted a note a girl was passing to a boy. "I like you," it read, "but you sin too much."-- Wava Campbell, Paw Paw, Mich. Christian Reader, "Kids of the Kingdom." II- Circumstances: Have you noticed that if we do not blame others we blame our circumstances? He grew up in a broken home, he did not have a dad, he hated his mother, he was picked on as a child, his coworkers made fun of him and on and on. In the Bible we have a classic illustration of someone saying it was not his fault but just the way circumstance happened. Remember the story of Aaron and the golden calf. Exodus 32:21 "And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?" Exodus 32:24 "And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf." Sin is no accident. It is purposefully done. But so is the right thing. Right should trump any self interest. "Dear Rob," begins the hand-scrawled letter, "I read Bob Greene’s wonderful column about you. I love sports and true sportsmen. My faith in our future was renewed and lifted by that column. Never lose your principles. Always stand for what’s decent and right. That’s what you told us all when you refused the victory!" The signature: former President George Bush. Soccer player Rob Mouw, a senior at Wheaton (Illinois) Christian High School, isn’t used to publicity, much less letters from former presidents. But his unusual action in a hotly contested soccer match was reported by local newspapers, and then by nationally syndicated columnist Bob Greene. In the closing seconds of a game against Waubonsie Valley, a team ranked high in the state, Mouw managed a breakaway and kicked the tying goal. With Wheaton fans cheering the upset and Waubonsie fans protesting the goal was late, Mouw walked to the referee and asked whether the official time was kept on the scoreboard or the referee’s stopwatch. The scoreboard time was official, he was told. Mouw then explained that just before his kick, he had seen zeros on the scoreboard clock. Since he hadn’t heard a whistle, he kept playing. But his goal was late, and he didn’t think it should count. The referee reversed his call, awarding the game to Waubonsie. That night, Mouw went home to his homework. "I didn’t think much about it," he says. "I hadn’t done anything that great. For me, acting honestly was just a reflection of Christ in me." Bob Greene opened his column with: "If you’re sick of the direction sports in this country have been taking--from the preening and taunting of Deion Sanders and his many followers, to the tiresome bickering between millionaire professional athletes and the millionaire owners of their teams--then here’s a sports story for you." And he ended by quoting Mouw: "’Every time in your life you have an opportunity to do right, you should be thankful. For a person to know what right is, and then not to do it--that would be a sin. To have won the game--I mean, really, who cares? Doing the right thing is more important. It lets you have peace.’" -- Christian Reader, "Ordinary Heroes" (1995). * Note: Rob went on to play soccer for Wheaton College, helping the team to a national championship in 1997. III- Communication: Many times we use the excuse to God that we cannot talk. In the life of Moses we find such an excuse. Exodus 4:10-12 "And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say." God told Moses that He would give him the words. Notice he promises us the same. Luke 12:11-12 "And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say." IV- Childhood: Many times we want to use age as a factor in not serving God. Jeremiah provides the excuse of Childhood that God didn’t buy. Jeremiah 1:6-7 "Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak." Does physical age give us an excuse? Are we ever too young or too old to stand for God? Remember that Moses was 80 and Abraham and Sarah were well advanced as well. Sometimes we use the excuse of being too new of a Christian. Jesus told us we must become like little children to enter the Kingdom. Perhaps we all could do with a little injection of childhood into our lives as adult. We have a tendency to become cynical as we grown into adulthood. We become "mature" which at times is another way of saying, "critical" of others. Robert Fulghum wrote in the Kansas City Times, "Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school. "These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. ... When you go out into the world watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together." This writer has captured part of what Jesus meant when he said, "Unless you become like little children you won’t enter the kingdom of heaven." -- Hugh Duncan, Moses Lake, Washington. Leadership, Vol. 9, no. 2. V- Convenience: Perhaps you are here today and have felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit telling you that you need to be saved. There is one last excuse that we need to look at, that being the excuse of convenience. Notice in when Paul is witnessing the Roman rule named Felix. Acts 24:25 "And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." God didn’t buy the excuse that he needed to wait for a better time. Beloved the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2 "(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" There may never be a more convenient season. Hebrews 2:2-3 "For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 40: 03.00. CRISTMAS CHARACTERS ======================================================================== "Christmas Characters" by Dr. Edgar Pierce www.exposingtheword.com As God’s plan unfolded thousands of years ago there were some who were privelaged to be not only eye witnesses but participants. "Christmas Characters" is a short series I preached during the Christmas season. It gives us a look at the characters involved in the drama that unfolded when God wrapped Himself in flesh and became a man. My prayer is that this may bless the body of Christ and bring honor to the Lord Jesus who was the one who was wrapped in flesh and became one of us that He might save us. Dr. Edgar Pierce ======================================================================== CHAPTER 41: 03.01. TREASUERS OF THE HEART- MARY ======================================================================== Treasures of the Heart, Mary Luke 1:26-35, Luke 2:1-19 The announcements of impending births are always exciting. One year at Christmas, when we first found out about the coming birth of Cody, we placed cards on the Christmas tree for all of my family. We then passed them out and instructed them to open them in unison. We still talk about this future birth announcement in our family. How many wives have picked a dramatic announcement when they tell their husband they are going to a daddy? It makes for great commercials anyway. Regardless we know that the announcement of a birth is never stale and pale like other news can be. There is always an excitement. A little boy asked his mother where he came from, and also where she had come from as a baby. His mother gave him a tall tale about a beautiful white-feathered bird. The boy asked his grandmother the same question and received a variation on the bird story. Outside to his playmate he said, "You know, there hasn’t been a normal birth in our family for three generations." Howard Hendricks, quoted in Homemade, September, 1989. The Bible records many birth announcements. Abraham and Sarah received an announcement when she was 89 and he was 99 that Isaac would be born. Hannah received a birth announcement at the altar from Eli and Samuel was born. Zacharias received a birth announcement and John the Baptist was born to he and Elizabeth. All of these births had a supernatural intervention by God to bring forth the child. Sarah was old, Hannah was barren and Elizabeth was older and barren as well. And then we come to the birth we look at today. Beloved we have a birth announcement that was not a normal birth as well in our text today. I- The Birth Announcement: Luke 1:26-35 Multiple Births- A group of expectant fathers were in a waiting room, while their wives were in the process of delivering babies. A nurse came in and announced to one man that his wife had just given birth to twins. "That’s quite a coincidence" he responded, "I play for the Minnesota Twins!" A few minutes later another nurse came in and announced to another man that he was the father of triplets. "That’s amazing," he exclaimed, "I work for the 3M company." At that point, a third man slipped off his chair and laid down on the floor. Somebody asked him if he was feeling ill. "No," he responded, "I happen to work for the 7-up company." Luke 1:26-35 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. This is the announcement to Mary that the Christ Child would be born to her. The Angel explained how it was possible for her to have the child being a virgin. II- The Christmas Story: Luke 2:1-19 The greatest story ever told is found recorded in Luke 2. The story of the birth. The fulfillment of the promise to Mary. Luke 2:1-19 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. III- Treasures of the Heart: After this long introduction let me make a few comments about Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Heart Buried in Africa- The body of David Livingstone was buried in England where he was born, but his heart was buried in the Africa he loved. At the foot of a tall tree in a small African village the natives dug a hole and placed in it the heart of this man who they loved and respected. If your heart were to be buried in the place you loved most during life, where would it be? In your pocketbook? In an appropriate space down at the office? Where is your heart? We can see several things that Mary certainly had to treasure in the heart. 1- Favor of God- Luke 1:28 Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee... Luke 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 2- Blessed among women. Luke 1:28 ...blessed art thou among women. 3- The visitation of the shepherds. Luke 2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. IV- Peace on Earth: Luke 2:13 What more do men want than peace? Let me close with a couple of thought about this little thought inside these verses. Whatever Happened to Peace on Earth? by Ron Hutchcraft A noted correspondent said recently, "I can’t remember a time when we’ve felt such a high degree of threat to our personal security." As we count down to Christmas, people all over the world share that same feeling of vulnerability. So whatever happened to "peace on earth"? The angels announcing Jesus’ birth said that it meant "peace on earth to men on whom His favor rests." (Luke 2:14 ) So where is that peace in our dangerous world? In the hearts of men and women who know they’re ready for eternity - whenever it comes! People who’ve discovered that Jesus came here, not to start a religion, but to remove the wall between us and God - He was born to die for the sins that steal our peace and keep us out of heaven. The Bible says, "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1 ) The wall between you and God and the war inside your heart are over when you tell Jesus, "I’m Yours from this day on." ...This is peace God gives you - and no one on earth can take it away. The Worst Part in the Christmas Story by Ron Hutchcraft I’ve played a shepherd, a wise man, even Joseph in the Christmas Story. I’ve never played King Herod. I never want to. He was the king the wise men told about the birth of Jesus - the king who was enraged that there could possibly be a king other than him. So he missed the Son of God who was born just six miles from his palace. But Herod’s not the last person to miss Jesus because of wanting to be king. We all want to be king - of our own life. And that self-rule the Bible calls "sin" is what ultimately separates us from the God we can’t live without and keeps us out of His heaven. Jesus asked, "What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and lose his his soul?" (Matthew 8:36 ) So as we begin our journey toward Christmas in the next few weeks is your heart filled with the treasure of Jesus as Messiah? Do you have the peace that only this knowledge can bring? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 42: 03.02. BELIEVING THE MIRACLE OF VIRGIN BIRTH- JOSEPH ======================================================================== Believing the Miracle of the Virgin Birth- Joseph Matthew 1:18-25 The followng is a True Story submitted by Pastor Rob Reid Do you believe in miracles? I am not talking about the ordinary unexplainable miracles. I am talking about a divine intervention into the lives of men and women. A miracle that can only be explained in accepting that God truly does exist. One that cannot be explained away as a weather balloon or swamp gas, or refraction of the sun’s rays. What would it take to qualify as one of these miracles? Perhaps it would be a healing of someone of cancer. Perhaps a miracle of another kind. Do you believe in miracles? The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a terrible tempest--a driving rainstorm-- hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus... she missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was white as a sheet.. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria. The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again. The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do.. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job. What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn’t leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike. He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between. The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman’s apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine. True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid Do you believe in miracles? Perhaps we need to look a the Christmas story again with new eyes to see the miracle of Christmas. I have entitled this Believing the Miracle of the Virgin Birth. I- The Virgin Birth: Today let us focus on the name by the name of Joseph. He has been called the forgotten man of Christmas. We have no words of Joseph recorded in the Bible. He is silent. There are 15 cities named after him in the US. So let us take a look at the birth of the Messiah through the eyes of Joseph. We might ask the question, did Joseph believe in miracles? I certainly hope so with what he is going to be asked to swallow. Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. II- A Difficult Situation: We do not know anything about the arrangement of the marriage of Mary to Joseph. Jimmy Draper, former president of LifeWay said concerning the betrothal or engagement, "According to Jewish tradition, step one was the consent phase. Consent was usually reached when the girl was 12 or 13 years of age. During this time, the girl continued to live with her parents. However, this was regarded as a legally ratified marriage. The second step the formal transferal of the bride to the husband’s home, where he assumed her support. She was to be taken to his home chaste, a virgin. Between steps one and two Mary was found to be pregnant." (Pulpit Helps, Dec 2006, p 6) So what was he to do? He could have utilized his rights under the law. Deuteronomy 22:23-24 If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; 24Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour’s wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you. So what was he to do, again we ask. Notice that God sent His angel with a message. Matthew 1:20-21 "But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." III- Witness of the Virgin Birth: I asked if you believe in miracles as we started. I also suggested that Joseph had to believe in them. What would be a miracle of the proportion we talked about? A virgin giving birth would certainly qualify. Not a single word of Joseph, as we have stated, is recorded. Let us notice what his actions say. My I say that he certainly bears witness of the virgin birth and his actions speak loudly. Matthew 1:19 "Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily." Joseph was not willing to expose the sin of Mary but would deal with it privately. He showed mercy toward her. Joseph however was not going to marry her. The phase put her away was a written bill of divorcement. However God was going to test the belief of Joseph. He would have to believe in a massive miracle. He was going to be asked to believe that Mary was still a virgin and that the child was the child of God. While he thought on these things the angel appeared to him. Matthew 1:24-25 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. The response of Joseph can be summed up in one word, obedience. He obeyed immediately what was asked. He believed the miracle immediately. His wrestling was over. He believed. Some today will say that they cannot believe this. However I remind us for something to be a great divine miracle the God of the universe must do it. This was something that God had to do. Notice what else it says in Matthew 1:25. It tells us that Mary remained a virgin until the child was delivered. Notice the original prophecy concerning the virgin birth in Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Conceive as a virgin and bear a son as a virgin. This adds new meaning to he knew her not till she had given birth. Joseph, if he were recorded speaking, would have probably stated for us. I believe, I believe that Mary conceived as a virgin. I believe that the child was sent from God, the Messiah. I know that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to the child. I believe that the baby named Jesus came to" save his people from their sins." Me from my sins, you from your sins. I believe.... ======================================================================== CHAPTER 43: 03.03. COME TO WORSHIP- SHEPHERDS AND WISE MEN ======================================================================== Come to Worship- The Shepherds and Wise Men Luke 2:1-52; Matthew 2:1-23 Tennessee Titans center Kevin Long, who played under Coach Bobby Bowden at Florida State University, said his college coach inspired the team with parables. Long recounted a favorite story: [Bowden] was playing college baseball, and he had never hit a home run. Finally he hit one down the right-field line, into the corner. He rounds first and looks to the third base coach. He turned at second, was halfway to third and the coach was still waving him on. He got to home, he hit the plate. He had his first home run, he was so excited and everybody was slapping him five. Then the pitcher took the ball, threw to the first baseman, and the umpire called him out. [Coach Bowden] said, "If you don’t take care of first base, it doesn’t matter what you do. If you don’t honor the Lord first, it doesn’t matter what else you do." The Tennessean by Rubel Shelley The images of the Christmas story are many. We see the manger scenes on our American landscape that depict the event long ago. We have visited with Mary during the last few weeks and talked about things she treasured in her heart and the things that we need to treasure in ours during the Christmas time. We talked about a journey of faith when we looked in on Joseph and his faith in the virgin birth. He calls us to believe. Today we look at two totally different groups that are separated by society about every way possible. One was poor the others rich. One was a common man the others aristocrats. One had gifts to give the others did not. May we look at the scenes of Christmas and come away with a sense that we are all called to come to worship. May we take care of first base this Christmas season. I- The Shepherds Worship: Let’s look at the story again of the announcement to the shepherds. Luke 2:6-20 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. The shepherds we privy to the greatest announcement made to mankind. They were in the fields tending their sheep and protecting them from wolves, thieves and all sorts of dangers. They would usually do about a three hour shift to watch. A- The angel appeared to them. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. We certainly can understand their fear. The angel gives them the message of the birth of Jesus and where to find him. Suddenly the sky was full of angels celebrating the birth. B- Decision to check it out. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. They made a decision to check out the message and came and found Jesus just as they were told. Who watched the sheep? I have always wondered. Many times we have to leave things in the hands of God to protect while we do more important things. To truly worship we need to lose ourselves in God and His presence. Deeply immersed in meditation during a church service, Italian poet Dante Alighieri failed to kneel at the appropriate moment. His enemies hurried to the bishop and demanded that Dante be punished for his sacrilege. Dante defended himself by saying, "If those who accuse me had had their eyes and minds on God, as I had, they too would have failed to notice events around them, and they most certainly would not have noticed what I was doing." Today in the Word, March 10, 1993. These shepherds had their eyes on the Messiah. They went to see and worship. They call us to worship. They call us to leave the things of the world for a few moments to engage our hearts and mind on God. C- Rejoicing over the Story. Luke 2:20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. The shepherd did not quit their worship when they left the presence of the Christ child. Notice they continued to worship and praise God for what they heard seen and were told. My, my, can we be so bold to speculate that Mary and Joseph told them of the events that took place in their life. May we speculate that the shepherd were privy to the testimony of the virgin birth first hand. Let us again rejoice over the story of the birth. We are being called to worship. II- The Wise Men Worship: The next group we come to is what is known commonly as the three wise men. Matthew 2:1-12 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. The wise men came to King Herod in Jerusalem, the capital of the area at the time. Concerning these men Barnes Notes says: "The persons here denoted were philosophers, priests, or astronomers. They lived chiefly in Persia and Arabia. They were the learned men of the Eastern nations. devoted to astronomy, to religion, and to medicine. They were held in high esteem by the Persian court, were admitted as counsellors, and followed the camps in war to give advice." There is some debate over exactly where they came from. It could have been Persia or Arabia. Perhaps they knew to watch for the Messiah because of the captivity of the Jews and especially a man named Daniel who prophesied of His coming. After an enquiry it was determined that Bethlehem would be the place. It is only some 6 or 7 miles south of Jerusalem. There are some interesting things that Herod enquired about. One was when they saw the star. Matthew 2:7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. May I say that this star was the announcement of the birth. The star had not gone before them as they made their journey of perhaps many months. The evidence of this is that when it reappeared they rejoiced. Matthew 2:9-10 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. Another reason is that if they had been lead by the star that was sent from God it would have lead them to the Christ Child. Notice they arrive at the "HOUSE" and fell down and worshipped. One obvious difference in these and the shepherds is that they brought gifts. These were given in an act of worship. A- Worship of the is for Rich and Poor: One of the most obvious things that jumps out is that worship of the Messiah was not limited to only the poor. Christianity is not a crutch for the poor. B- The presence of the Gift did not mean the worship was any greater. "...11and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. Research psychologists have found there are at least three situations when we are not ourselves. First, the average person puts on airs when he visits the lobby of a fancy hotel. Next, the typical Jane Doe will try to hide her emotions and bamboozle the salesman when she enters the new-car showroom. And finally, as we take our seat in church or synagogue, we try to fake out the Almighty that we’ve really been good all week. Dr. Perry Buffington, licensed psychologist, author, columnist, "Playing Charades," Universal Press Syndicate (9-26-99) C- Worship can be spontaneous or planned. The shepherd presented themselves to the Child in worship. They did not have the time to get together the gifts. Theirs was a spontaneous worship. The wise men on the other had as they traveled over the months probably rehearsed what they would do and say many time and many ways. III- The Significance: Take the year 1809. The international scene was tumultuous. Napoleon was sweeping through Austria; blood was flowing freely. Nobody then cared about babies. But the world was overlooking some terribly significant births. For example, William Gladstone was born that year. He was destined to become one of England’s finest statesman. That same year, Alfred Tennyson was born to an obscure minister and his wife. The child would one day greatly affect the literary world in a marked manner. On the American continent, Oliver Wendell Holmes was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. And not far away in Boston, Edgar Allan Poe began his eventful, albeit tragic, life. It was also in that same year that a physician named Darwin and his wife named their child Charles Robert. And that same year produced the cries of a newborn infant in a rugged log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. The baby’s name? Abraham Lincoln. If there had been news broadcasts at that time, I’m certain these words would have been heard: "The destiny of the world is being shaped on an Austrian battlefield today." But history was actually being shaped in the cradles of England and America. Similarly, everyone thought taxation was the big news—when Jesus was born. But a young Jewish woman cradled the biggest news of all: the birth of the Saviour. Adapted from Charles Swindoll Does the worship of the shepherds and the wise men move us to worship. Have we been trying to fool God today or have we been called and draw into worshipping Him. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 44: 03.04. RECOGNIZING THE MESSIAH- SIMEON AND ANNA ======================================================================== Recognizing the Messiah- Simeon and Anna Luke 2:21-39 Christmas Eve is always a special time of family, friends etc.. The celebration is ongoing and the holiday activities have begun in earnest. We have attempted to have a focused look at the entire Christmas story this year in the last few weeks. Today it may seem like we are rushing things along in the story because we move past the birth to a few days afterwards. There are two additional characters that we find surrounding the birth of Jesus and the authenticating of Him as Messiah that I feel complete the story of Christmas. The story concluded in the gospel of Luke with an old man named Simeon and a lady by the name of Anna. Godly people who were looking for the Messiah to come. Look at the story found in Luke 2:21-39 . I- Keeping the Law: Luke 2:21-39 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; 23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) 24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. These events take place eight days after the birth of Jesus. Mary and Joseph make the six mile trip to Jerusalem to the temple to keep the Law of Moses. They offer their sacrifice. It is while in this temple these two individuals recognize the Messiah. II- Simeon: Luke 2:25-35 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. 33 And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him. 34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. Notice with me a few important things that come out in the story of this Child that was born. 1- Simeon looked for and longed for His Coming: It says he was, "waiting for the consolation of Israel." Simeon was looking for and longing for the coming of the Messiah. 2- Waited on the Promise- God had made a special promise to Simeon. Luke 2:26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. A special promise was made to him concerning the coming. Imagine how exciting this was for him. I am sure that each baby that came into the temple was looked at to see if perhaps this was the one, maybe for years. 3- How did he know? It tells us and the Holy Ghost was upon him. Spirit revelation...Notice what it says, "...and the Holy Ghost was upon him. Luke 2:26-27 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, This is important. We sometimes get frustrated with people not open to the gospel. May I say that the Holy Spirit must make it real, we cannot. John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 2 Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 4- A light to lighten the Gentiles. Luke 2:32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, Simeon announces that the Messiah was to be also for the Gentiles. This is a remarkable revelation concerning this Christ child. 5- Suffering Savior... Luke 2:34-35 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And said. The utterances of Elizabeth, Mary and Simeon are consecutive. Each begins where the other ends. Mary sings her own born Messiah; Zacharias celebrates the triumph of Israel, and Simeon announces the hopes of the Gentiles. But, besides this holding forth the Messiah as a Savior for Gentile as well as Jew, what is remarkable is, that he announces in Jesus a suffering Messiah as well as a glorious. The People’s New Testament (1891) by B.W. Johnson. III- Anna: Luke 2:36-39 36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. 39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. Anna was also watching and waiting for the Messiah. This may be less dramatic than Simeon but I wish to point out that she also recognized the Messiah. She realized the purpose of the Christ child was for redemption.I have a simple question to ask. Have you recognized the Messiah in your life? Have you acknowledged that He is your redemption? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 45: 04.0.1. FINDING CHRIST IN THE SHADOWS ======================================================================== Author’s Introduction This is a very unique e-sword module. One thing that makes it unique is links to the MP3’s of the lectures by the Author, Dr. Edgar Pierce. Please check the link at the beginning of each chapter or click link below for a list of all MP3’s. In addition these are available at the Author’s website in PDF format as well. The links to the PDF’s are in the Index. Please report any link problems to www.e-sword-users.org user- edgarpierce (The following is from the introduction of series) If someone today asked you to go the airport to pick up a friend whom you had never met you might ask them how you would know them. If they said, it was man, that would narrow it to about ½. If they said, it was a man who was above 45 years of age that would narrow it further. You might say something like. Do you have picture? If they give you a picture you could find them in the crowded airport. The picture is not the real person it is only an image of the person. We use picture to identify criminals, lost persons and others. Artist since the beginning of civilization have used all kinds of medium to paint, sculpt and otherwise create images of men and animals. They have painted portraits in all different types of paint, made busts and heads of clay, granite, bronze and other things. These give the image of the person who was the model for the project. Rulers have set up statues of themselves all over the lands they rule. Remember when the statue of Sadaam fell in Baghdad. It was not Sadaam who fell but only his image. Images are used to identify in many ways. You may have heard of the man who robbed someone and then backed out and drove away. The only problem was he left his calling card behind to identify him. He backed into a snow bank and left the imprint of the cars tag in the snow. They read it and arrested him. I speak of these things to open up the subject of how we were to recognize the Messiah. Today we begin a journey into the Bible in a way that I have never ventured before. Colossians 2:16-17 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Colossians 2:17 "These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts the shadow belongs to Christ." God’s Word This series will give us ways that we will know the Messiah better. The Old Testament is filled with things that spoke about what the Messiah would be and how He could be recognized. Edgar Pierce www.exposingtheword.com ======================================================================== CHAPTER 46: 04.0.2 INDEX AND PDF LINKS ======================================================================== INDEX PDF’s are the Author’s Orginial Sermon Notes preached at Paris First Baptist Church, Paris, Arkansas, USA. They are on his Personal Website www.exposingtheword,com These can be copied, edited and used in any way that brings glory to the Lord Jesus...ep 1- Finding Christ in the Shadows PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/1%20Finding%20Christ%20in%20the%20Shadows.pdf 2- SHADOW: Adam a Type of Christ PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/2-%20Shadows-%20Adam.pdf 3- SHADOW: Scapegoat- Starting Fresh PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/3-%20Shadows-%20Sacapegoat.pdf 4- SHADOW: From Manna to Messiah PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/4-%20Shadows-%20Manna.pdf 5- SHADOW: The Shadow of the Tree of Life PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/5-%20Shadows-%20Tree.pdf 6- SHADOW: Samson- "A Picture of Rejection" PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/6-%20Shadows-%20Samson.pdf 7- SHADOW: Red Heifer- The Sacrifice That Looked Ahead PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/7-%20Shadows-%20Red%20Heifer.pdf 8- SHADOW: Christ In the Feasts of Israel PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/8-%20Shadows-Feasts.pdf 9- SHADOW: Joseph, the Favorite Son of the Father PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/9-%20Shadow-%20Joseph%20Favortie%20Son.pdf 10- SHADOW: Joseph, the Silent Suffering Servant PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/10-%20Shadow-%20Joseph%20Suffering%20Servant.pdf 11- SHADOW: Joseph, the Sovereign Ruler over the Kingdom PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/11-%20Shadow-%20Joseph%20Sovereign%20Ruler%20over%20the%20Kingdom.pdf 12- SHADOW: Joseph, the Savior of the Nations PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/12-%20Shadow-%20Joseph,%20the%20Savior%20of%20the%20Nations.pdf 13- SHADOW: The Vail of the Temple the Door to God PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/13-%20Shadow-%20The%20Vail%20of%20the%20Temple,%20Door%20to%20God.pdf 14- SHADOW: The Covering of Skin- Thank God for the Blood PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/14-%20Shadow-%20The%20covering%20of%20Skin-%20Thank%20God%20for%20the%20Blood.pdf 15- SHADOW: The Rock of Gods Provision PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/15-%20Shadow-%20The%20Rock%20of%20God’s%20Provision.pdf 16- SHADOW: Jacob’s Ladder- Touching Heaven From Earth PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/16-%20Shadow-%20Jacob’s%20Ladder-%20Touching%20Heaven%20From%20Earth.pdf 17- SHADOW: Isaac- The Promise of a Son PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/17-%20Shadow-%20Isaac%20the%20Promise%20of%20a%20Son.pdf 18- SHADOW: The Passover Lamb is Slain… PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/18-%20Shadow-%20The%20Passover%20Lamb%20is%20Slain.pdf 19- SHADOW: Cornerstone- Foundation for the future PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/19-%20Shadow-%20Cornerstone-%20Foundation%20for%20the%20Future.pdf 20- SHADOW: The Serpent Lifted Up- Moving Past the Past PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/20-%20Shadow-%20The%20Serpent%20Lifted%20Up-%20Moving%20Past%20the%20Past.pdf 21- SHADOW: In Christ- The Shadow of the Ark PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/21-%20Shadow-%20In%20Christ-The%20Shadow%20of%20the%20Ark.pdf 22- SHADOW: Jonah- Death, Burial, and Resurrection PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/22-%20Shadow-%20Jonah-%20Death,%20Burial%20and%20Resurrection.pdf 23- Finding Christ in the Shadows, the Shadows of Life PDF http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/PDFs%20Shadows/22-%20Shadow-%20Jonah-%20Death,%20Burial%20and%20Resurrection.pdf ======================================================================== CHAPTER 47: 04.01. FINDING CHRIST IN THE SHADOWS ======================================================================== Finding Christ In the Shadows Colossians 2:17 AUDIO LINK http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/1%20Finding%20Christ%20in%20the%20Shadows.mp3 If someone today asked you to go the airport to pick up a friend whom you had never met you might ask them how you would know them. If they said it was man, that would narrow it to about ½. If they said it was a man who was above 45 years of age that would narrow it further. You might say something like. Do you have picture? If they give you a picture you could find them in the crowded airport. The picture is not the real person it is only an image of the person. We use picture to identify criminals, lost persons and others. Artist since the beginning of civilization have used all kinds of medium to paint, sculpt and otherwise create images of men and animals. They have painted portraits in all different types of paint, made busts and heads of clay, granite, bronze and other things. These give the image of the person who was the model for the project. Rulers have set up statues of themselves all over the lands they rule. Remember when the statue of Sadaam fell in Baghdad. It was not Sadaam who fell but only his image. Images are used to identify in many ways. You may have heard of the man who robbed someone and then backed out and drove away. The only problem was he left his calling card behind to identify him. He backed into a snow bank and left the imprint of the cars tag in the snow. They read it and arrested him. I speak of these things to open up the subject of how we were to recognize the Messiah. Today we begin a journey into the Bible in a way that I have never ventured before. Colossians 2:16-17 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Colossians 2:17 "These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts the shadow belongs to Christ." God’s Word This series will give us ways that we will know the Messiah better. The Old Testament is filled with things that spoke about what the Messiah would be and how He could be recognized. There are some things that we need to understand as we enter this study. I- Ways God Revealed Himself to Men: It has often been said that men would not know God at all except for the self revelation of God to men. The religions of the world illustrate this. Men trying to find God is like a blind man trying to paint a self portrait. He cannot see himself as he really is, he cannot see the mistakes he is making and the picture will never be a true image. Salvation is understood that it is God who painted the picture and not men. Many times men cannot see the things he need too because he is looking at the obvious. Let me illustrate. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were camping. They’d gone to sleep beneath the night sky, when Holmes awoke and shook his companion. "Watson, look at the sly and tell me what you see." "I see millions of brilliant stars," Watson answered. "And what does that tell you?" "Astronomically, it tells me that there are countless galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically speaking, Saturn is in Leo. Theologically, I see that god is all-powerful and that we are small and insignificant. And you, Holmes?" Holmes paused, "What I see, Watson, is that someone has stolen our tent!" (Readers Digest, September 2003, p 107) How do we know God? How can we see Him? How can we see the obvious? God revealed himself to men, men did not find, discover or invent God. How did He do it? Hebrews 1:1-2 says, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." God revealed Himself in many ways before the ultimate revelation through Jesus Christ. He intended from the beginning to bring about the ultimate revelation of Himself by Christ. John 14:9 "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?" How would we know the Messiah? Certainly one way was by the fulfillment of prophecy. Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. The Scripture are full of revelations of what the Messiah would be like and do. Notice what Jesus said in John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. In addition to prophecy there is another way that the Messiah was foretold. These are known as foreshadows, types, figures among other things. Our text says that the things that happened in the past were a shadow of things to come but the body that cast the shadow as Christ. The NJKV says in Colossians 2:17-18 "which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ." There are many places in the Scriptures that talk about the pattern, examples, figures, shadows and types of the Old Testament that picture for us Messiah. Hebrews 10:1 "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect." II- Mystery in Shadows: Many places in the Bible it is said that God hide the things now revealed to us in our time. We have the advantage and privilege to look back in our age at both the shadow and the substance. We look at past events and can see their fulfillment in Christ clearly. Ephesians 3:4-5 "Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit." Colossians 1:26 "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints." If you would allow the analogy. They mystery was like a hidden treasure. It was hidden but the treasure map was filled with clues that were there to reveal the hidden treasure. The Bible was full of hidden clues in types of the Messiah. These shadows are found in animals, people, events, acts, worship offerings and sacrifices, holy days, the tabernacle, titles and other things. III- Some Important Things About Shadows: As we advance through this series I must point out some important things about the shadows that we will look at to see Messiah. Shadows are never as clear as the body that cast them. A shadow will not always give us every detail. The shadows purpose was to show Old Testament era people Christ. Their purpose was also to show New Testament (apostolic) era saints who the Messiah was. Let me illustrate this. Moses we will find later was a type of Christ. The New Testament saints looked for a prophet like Moses. John 1:21 "And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No." The foreshadows will be to reinforce and confirm to us who Jesus and is. We will see from these foreshadows that the coming of Christ in the way that He came was God’s plan from eternity and was not an afterthought. Someone said they were sort of a prescreening of the one to come. One warning that we must heed is that we do not make the shadows our object of worship. We do not worship the day, the altar, or anything other than the one who cast His shadow. We do not worship things or works made by our hands. This also points out for us the thought that I think we need to leave with and that is that salvation is not found in types. The Old Testament sacrifices were are a foreshadow. Notice what is said in Hebrews 10:1-2 "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins." If the foreshadow here which was the sacrifices could have brought salvation they would have not had to be offered again. Christ was offered only one time forever. He is the one in whom there is salvation. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 48: 04.02. SHADOW: ADAM A TYPE OF CHRIST ======================================================================== SHADOW: Adam a Type of Christ Romans 5:14 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/2%20Shadow-%20Adam.mp3 We began our journey into the Word of God last week in a new and I trust a fresh way. A series of messages called, "Finding Christ in the Shadows." Today we get our first look at what is clearly and undeniable a type or shadow of Christ. We begin with the beginning of man, Adam. Romans 5:14 "Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come." NJKV says, "… who is a type of Him who was to come." I wish to quickly point out again that no shadow will give us a complete picture. No man who is a sinner can picture Christ who was sinless. So Adam is not a perfect picture but an important one. I- Contrasts: Let us first begin with looking at ways that Adam and Christ differ or contrast before we explore the things that make Adam a type. The story of Adam is found in the book of Genesis chapters two through five. We will explore part of this as we progress. First we know that Adam was from the earth while Christ was from heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:47 "The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven." Adam was created in the image of God. Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." The image of God that Adam had was marred by sin. The restoration is in Christ. The first Adam brought sin and death while Christ brought salvation and life. 1 Corinthians 15:22 "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." Notice the account in Genesis. Genesis 2:17 "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." We also see a contrast between Adam and Christ in the simple fact that the perfect paradise that Adam and Eve enjoyed before sinning was lost and it will be restored in Christ. Genesis 3:24 "So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." Now notice Isaiah 11:6-9 "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 65:25 "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD." Revelation 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." The first man Adam brought the curse upon creation but the second Adam, Christ, will bring redemption from the curse. Genesis 3:17 "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life." Revelation 22:1-3 "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him." II- What Makes Him Adam A Type? Both Had a Perfect Nature: Let me quickly put a note here. Adam was created without sin. So in one sense when we talk about Adam being a type of Christ we sometimes forget that there was a time when he had a perfect nature. Sinless and holy. Genesis 2:25 "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed." Hebrews 4:15 says about Christ, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Both Passed Their Image to Men: All men have descended from Adam. No one alive today nor anyone who has ever lived did not descend from Adam. Adam passed his image and his character onto men. Adam was in one sense the father of all men. We who name the name of Christ as Savior have been given the nature of Christ. He has passed Hs image onto us now but not in its fullest sense until we get to heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:49 "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." Both Had Eternity in Them: In the book, Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says, " You have an inborn instinct that longs for immortality. This is because God designed you, in his image, to live for eternity. Even thought we know everyone eventually dies, death always seems unnatural and unfair. The reason we feel we should live forever is that God wired our brains with that desire!" (p 36) Both Adam and Christ had eternity in them. Adam had it placed there by God and Christ had it by the fact that He was God from eternity. Ecclesiastes 3:11 in the NKJV says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." Both Became Sin: 1 Timothy 2:13-14 "For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." After the fall of Eve Adam still was in a sinless estate. Can you imagine for a moment the conversation between them? Sorry, Eve you blew it and now I guess you and I will not spend eternity together. Then he realized that this will mean eternal separation from the one he loves. So Adam willingly eats. It says that Adam was not deceived. May I suggest that Adam made the decision to eat of the fruit so he would not be separated from Eve. In one sense he became sin for her. Not as her redeemer but as her companion. Christ became sin for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." What Adam messed up Christ fixed. What Adam lost Christ restored. Where Adam failed Christ succeeded. Adam gives us a partial glimpse of what Christ was. We must run to Christ for all that Adam nor we ourselves cannot do. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 49: 04.03. SHADOW: SCAPEGOAT- STARTING FRESH ======================================================================== SHADOW: Scapegoat- Starting Fresh Leviticus 16:1-10 ; Leviticus 16:20-22 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/3%20Shadow-%20Scapegoat.mp3 On the Near North side of Chicago on Ontario Street is a McDonald’s. It has a 1950s decor, including a classic 1954 white Corvette convertible inside. There are ads, posters, records, and juke boxes from the 1950s. The lines are long as customers come to step back in time. It appeals to the traditional, reflecting a time when life was supposed to be simpler and more stable. And yet, that McDonald’s has some very modern features and services: a drive-through window; home-delivery service (the delivery vehicle is a 1955 Chevy station wagon painted red); you can charge souvenirs on your Visa Card; there is an automatic teller machine for cash withdrawals before you order your food; and there is a larger variety on the menu than other McDonald’s restaurants. -- Leith Anderson, Wooddale Church, Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Leadership, Vol. 14, no. 3. The restaurant wants to give an aroma of the past yet with modern conveniences. Many who reminisce of the good old days paint a picture in their mind of a time that never existed. The fact is we cannot live in any other time other than the present. We can learn from the past and prepare for the future but we cannot live in either. Time will march on. Many times we start over with each New Year celebrations, marriages, new births. In many cultures there are New Years celebrations. Some are very specific things done by a narrow band of people. And who could forget the coming in of the year 2000 a few years ago. The broadcast media were stationed across the world and we saw the arrival of midnight as the earth turned toward its dawn of the New Year. There is a ceremony performed by some Koreans in which they write their transgressions on a kite and fly it high and then cut the string symbolizing that they have began again fresh. There is nothing quite as refreshing and renewing of hope than the birth of a child. At birth all possibilities lie ahead and no failures are yet entered. All is hope and no regrets are had. With each generations birth there is a fresh start for the family. Also yesterday was the start of the new football season. Every team started without a lose. A fresh start to a new season. In the Bible we find a type of Christ that speak of renewal and starting over. One time a year they were to offer offerings in the Holy of Holies. This was the only time they went into this most holy place. We are not going to focus on the blood offerings today that they offered. We are not going to seek to understand the offerings that were killed. Instead we are going to focus one that was left alive. Today we use the word scapegoat to mean someone who was blamed for things they are not guilty of. Many time politicians who are taking heat for certain things will fire the one perceived to be responsible and make them the scapegoat. Many times in crimes men are convicted because they fit the profile and there is always pressure to solve the case. I- The Instructions: Leviticus 16:1-10; Leviticus 16:20-22 "And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died; 2And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. 3Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. 4He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. 5And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. 6And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house. 7And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 10But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness." The instructions included a prohibition for Aaron to enter the holy of holies anytime he wanted to do so. If he did he would be killed by the Lord. Many Jews even today will not go on the temple mount from fear they may step on the spot of the Holy of Holies and be killed. He was also instructed to bring offerings for his sin and his families sin. Included in the offering were to be two goats. One was for a sacrifice one for a scapegoat. Leviticus 16:20-22 "And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: 21And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 22And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness." The one to be the scapegoat was to be taken and the sins of the people confessed upon his head by Aaron. He was then to be lead into the wilderness and let go to wander until he was killed by another animal or died naturally. II- The Lessons: 1- The just for the unjust. The scapegoat had done nothing wrong. This gives us the picture of the just for the unjust being offered. Speaking of Christ Peter said in 1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2- Iniquity was lain upon Him: The scapegoat was symbolically burdened with the sins of the people. The iniquity of Israel was laid upon his head. Isaiah 53:6 "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." 3- He was tempted in the wilderness. The scapegoat was lead totally away from civilization into the remote place and left. This reminds us of Jesus after His baptism. Matthew 4:1-2 says, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred." It was in the wilderness that Jesus was tempted as a man to sin. The exciting thing about this is found in Hebrews 2:16-18 "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. 17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." 4- He was lead away into isolation. The scapegoat was lead away and abandoned in the wilderness. I remind us all that the loneliness of Jesus can be seen first in the garden. Next on the cross where He it is recorded in Matthew 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" He was alone and suffering for our sins. Jesus died alone for the sins of the world. III- Starting Over: Several years ago, I heard the story of Larry Walters, a 33-year-old man who decided he wanted to see his neighborhood from a new perspective. He went down to the local army surplus store one morning and bought forty-five used weather balloons. That afternoon he strapped himself into a lawn chair, to which several of his friends tied the now helium-filled balloons. He took along a six-pack of beer, a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, and a BB gun, figuring he could shoot the balloons one at a time when he was ready to land. Walters, who assumed the balloons would lift him about 100 feet in the air, was caught off guard when the chair soared more than 11,000 feet into the sky--smack into the middle of the air traffic pattern at Los Angeles International Airport. Too frightened to shoot any of the balloons, he stayed airborne for more than two hours, forcing the airport to shut down its runways for much of the afternoon, causing long delays in flights from across the country. Soon after he was safely grounded and cited by the police, reporters asked him three questions: "Were you scared?" "Yes." "Would you do it again?" "No." "Why did you do it?" "Because," he said, "you can’t just sit there." -- Gary Gonzales, Elim Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Leadership, Vol. 14, no. 3. I am reminded by this story that we just can’t sit there we have to do something. Someone so adequately said we can’t get to where we need to be and stay where we are. Christ offers us a fresh start if we will accept it. He is our willing scapegoat. Have you accepted Him as your Savior? Do you need to have a fresh start? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 50: 04.04. SHADOW: FROM MANNA TO MESSIAH ======================================================================== SHADOW: From Manna to Messiah John 6:32-35 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/4%20Shadow-Manna.mp3 Jimmy and Joey, normal boys…Like fishing in the brook. Of course they dug in garden soil…For worms to bait their hook. I’d wryly glance into their can…Then quickly look away To give each one a hasty hug…And send them on their way. One day young Jim came grumbling home…"To get more bait," he sighed. "You didn’t have enough?" I asked…. "Joe ate it!" he replied. My stomach churned …My color turned…Grey purple, green, and red— Till Jimmy, still disgusted, spoke-- "This morning we took bread!" -- Mary Orr, Three Hills, Alberta. Christian Reader, "Kids of the Kingdom." Many people today have lost the glorious taste of corn-bread and milk. Many days in the past people have made a meal of corn bread and milk. In our society we have such a variety of foods to choose from that we cannot fully grasps how significant bread was as a staple of life in Bible times. Bread is a secondary food for us but it was the primary food in the Bible. In biblical times I understand in the towns there were public ovens, which were much made use of for baking bread; there were also bakers by trade." Bread came to symbolize food in general for several reasons. One dictionary says: "…in ancient times, as now, most probably, when the peasant, carpenter, blacksmith or mason left home for the day’s work, or when the muleteer or messenger set out on a journey, he wrapped other articles of food, if there were any, in the thin loaves of bread, and Thus kept them ready for his use as needed. …Often the thin, glutinous loaf, puffed out with air, is seen today, opened on one side and used so as to form a natural pouch, in which meat, cheese, raisins and olives are enclosed to be eaten with the bread. The loaf of bread is Thus made to include everything and, for this reason also, it may fitly be spoken of as synonymous with food in general." International Bible Encyclopedia. This sheds light on the prayer of Jesus when He said in Matthew 6:11, "Give us this day our daily bread." He was praying for provision. Genesis 3:19 "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Physically the bread we eat cost us of ourselves in most cases. Our text today if John 6:32-35 "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." We will explore this text in a few minutes but allow first an understanding of the manna as the shadow of Messiah. I- Manna From Heaven: Exodus 16:4-6 "Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. 5And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. 6And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt." The manna was provided for forty years in the wilderness each morning. They only had to gather it. The manna was provided supernaturally without a natural cause. Exodus 16:15 "And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat." Notice how it is referred to in Psalms 78:24-25 "And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. 25Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full." The manna was all that was needed for provision for the people as far as food. A couple of ways this foreshadows Christ is that it was sent from God. The Bible says, Galatians 4:4 "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son…" The manna was sent each day in a timely way just as Jesus was sent in a timely way. It also came from heaven as He did. John 3:13 "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." II- Multitudes Fed: On two different occasions, we find that Jesus fed the multitude. No place is the fact that the multitude was fed two times than in Matthew 16:9-10 "Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 10Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?" The difference are also in the scant material He used to do the miracle. The first is found in Matthew 14:17 "And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes." The second is found in Matthew 15:34; Matthew 15:36 "And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.. 36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude." Jesus, as He did many times, will take the occasion of the feeding of the multitude to teach them the lesson that He is the Bread of Life. The miracle was not done simply to feed the people but to teach a deeper truth. III- Bread of Life: The great discourse of Jesus on the Bread of Life is found in John chapter six. Jesus used the feeding as a springboard to teach the deep truth. We also see here that the link is made to the shadow of the manna. John 6:48-51 "I am that bread of life. 49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Remember that bread was and is biblically symbolic of the nourishment needed to sustain life. Jesus took it one step farther however here. He said the bread was His flesh, given in sacrifice, and if we partake of Him we will live forever. Remember our text quotes Jesus saying, "…I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger…" Loath the Bread: In the accounts of the children of Israel we find there come a time when the mixed multitude in Numbers 11:4-6 begin to And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? 5We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: 6But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. Then again in Numbers 21:5 "And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread." The feeling was that the provision of God was not enough. If we are not careful we will begin When the Manna Ceased: Joshua 5:12 "And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year." I think the significance of this is that there is coming a day when we enter the promised land of heaven and all our needs will be supplied by God. IV- Pass Along the Starter: I realize that in the Bible yeast or leaven is most often symbolic of sin. With that though in mind however the Holy Spirit brought another lesson to my heart. Today we have what is known as sourdough bread. San Francisco is famous for its bread. Some of the starters go back more than 100 years. The starter is used to infect the new bread so it will work and rise. May I say that we need to get infected with Jesus, the bread of life, and pass along the starter? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 51: 04.05. SHADOW: THE SHADOW OF THE TREE OF LIFE ======================================================================== SHADOW: The Shadow of the Tree of Life Genesis 2:9 ; Genesis 3:22-24 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/5%20Shadow-%20Tree%20of%20Life.mp3 Man has always had a fascination with finding the fountain of youth or a fountain of life. The fountain of youth is found in legends in both Europe and America. Indians in Central America believe it was in the Bahamas. Spanish explorers searched for in that area. Ponce de Leon as you will recall looked for it in Florida. There is a spring in St. Augustine today that is, not the fountain of youth or life, what he found. Men have been fascinated with the fountain that was supposed to make old persons young. Well that was then, we know better now that we are in the new age of understanding. Yea, right, as the teenagers would say. On the front cover of November 2003 Reader’s Digest is emblazon the words, "The New Pill That Can End Aging." As the article is introduced on page 71 it says, "The End of Aging, Breakthrough science may keep us all from growing old." Today men still search for the "Pill of Youth," if you will. Today we are going to explore a topic that is no mythical legend or a hope of modern science. We are going to look at the Shadow of Life as we look at the foreshadowing of the tree of life found in the garden of Eden as it gives us an understanding of who Jesus was to be (before He came) and is. I- The Tree of Life in Eden: We often place a great deal of emphasis on the tree that was forbidden to Adam and Eve that we skip over the other tree mentioned by name in the Bible, the tree of Life. Genesis 2:9 "And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." Along with the tree of knowledge the tree of life grew. It was not forbidden, if fact it was probably encouraged to be partaken of. This tree was there to remind Adam and Eve that God was the giver and supplier of life. It has been referred to as the tree of immortality, we might could call it the tree of youth. Please go with me now to the next part of our text Genesis 3:22-24 "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." After the fall of Adam and Eve God drives them out of the Garden of Eden. One of the critical reasons was so they could not eat of the tree of life. Would this have negated the sentence of death and made God out a liar? Satan would probably have said so. Could they have eaten of it and lived forever in their sin decaying body? Most do not think so. They are driven out, not willingly, then the access to this tree is guarded and forbidden. The tree of life fades from the scene of earth. II- The Tree of Life Resurfaces: We find the tree of life is absent from the Bible until we come to the book of the Revelation. Revelation 2:7 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." Revelation 22:1-2 "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." Revelation 22:14 "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." The tree of life is not accessible for men until eternity as evidenced here. It resurfaces in heaven. It is said to be in the midst of the paradise of God. It is hidden from view in the shadows, if you will, in the present time. III- The Type of Christ: Let us establish an important fact quickly. The tree of life only gives us a picture while Christ is Life itself. John 1:4 "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 5:26 "For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself." There are several things we need to observe about this foreshadow. 1- It Pictures Healing: One thought that is attached to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden is that it was for healing. It certainly is not just implied in Revelation 22:2 "…for the healing of the nations." This gives us a picture of Christ in that we are healed by Him. Isaiah 53:5 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." 2- It Pictures the Need to Partake to Have Life: The tree was there to be partaken of as opposed to the tree of knowledge which was forbidden. Remember when the angel was posted it was so they could not, "eat, and live for ever." This reminds us that it is necessary to partake of Jesus. You cannot just know about Him you must experience Him in the new birth. Jesus said, "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." John 6:54-56 Jesus was not talking about take the elements of the Lord’s Supper nor was He talking about cannibalism. He was talking about accepting Him into our being as food is taken into the body. John Gill says The situation of this tree in the midst of the garden well agrees with him who is in the midst of his church and people, (Jeremiah 1:13 2:7) stands open, is in sight, and is accessible to them all now, who may come to him, and partake of the fruits and blessings of his grace, which are many, constant, and durable, (Jeremiah 22:2 ) and who will be seen and enjoyed by all, to all eternity:" 3- It Represented Eternal Life: This tree that stood in the garden represented life without end to Adam and Eve. In the Revelation it represents eternal life for the saints in the age to come. We know that Christ is the giver, sustainer and securer of eternal life that the tree of life pictures. John 10:27-28 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Remember John 1:4 "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." 4- The Separation Speaks of Need of Reconciliation: Today we are separated from the literal tree of Life. We have Christ who is the one who is the bridge between God and man. The tree being absent from the world today is not without significance. It speaks of the separation between man and God and the need for reconciliation. Look at a couple of places in the Bible with me. Zephaniah 2:15-16 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." Colossians 1:20-22 "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight." So we need to make a decision to live our life in Christ. [My friend Marge had an experience] aboard a plane bound for Cleveland, waiting for takeoff. As she settled into her seat, Marge noticed a strange phenomenon. On one side of the airplane a sunset suffused the entire sky with glorious color. But out of the window next to her seat, all Marge could see was a sky dark and threatening, with no sign of the sunset. As the plane’s engines began to roar, a gentle Voice spoke within her. You have noticed the windows, He murmured beneath the roar and thrust of the takeoff. Your life, too, will contain some happy, beautiful times, but also some dark shadows. Here’s a lesson I want to teach you to save you much heartache and allow you to "abide in Me" with continual peace and joy. You see, it doesn’t matter which window you look through; this plane is still going to Cleveland. So it is in your life. You have a choice. You can dwell on the gloomy picture. Or you can focus on the bright things and leave the dark, ominous situations to Me. I alone can handle them anyway. And the final destination is not influenced by what you see or feel along the way. Learn this, act on it and you will be released, able to experience the "peace that passes understanding." -- Catherine Marshall in Touching the Heart of God. Christianity Today, Vol. 39, no. 6. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 52: 04.06. SHADOW: SAMSON- "A PICTURE OF REJECTION" ======================================================================== SHADOW: Samson "A Picture of Rejection" Judges 13:1-5 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/6%20Shadow%20-%20Samson.mp3 Most of us when the name Samson is mentioned will probably first recall the story of him and a woman named Delilah. Or perhaps we remember the man who let his hair grow for great strength. Today we look at the second individual who gives us another piece of the puzzle that collectively give us a picture of Christ. There are a great number of individuals that are identified as a foreshadow of Messiah by events in their life. Men such as Adam that we have already looked at, Isaac, Joseph, Moses and others that we may or may not get to in this series depending on the leadership of the Holy Spirit. But today we have before us one that perhaps we would not think of with our initial assessment of the Old Testament characters that portray a foreshadow of Christ. Samson for the most part is looked at with strong ties to the things I have mentioned. Still it is amazing when we look at his life and see the parallels with the Messiah. I concede the fact that we have a great advantage because we can look back and see the obvious with our hindsight advantage but the similarities are striking to say the least. The first of seven things I want us to look at in the life of Samson and laid beside the life of Christ in parallel is found in our text. Judges 13:1-5 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. 2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. 3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. 4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. I- An Angel announced his birth: Judges 13:3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. An angel appeared to the mother of Samson and announced that she would conceive and bear a son. Now notice the parallel that we all know so well. Luke 1:26-31 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. …30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. II- Was to be a Nazarite: Judges 13:5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb… Numbers 6:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: Samson was separated by the vow of the Nazarite to God. This vow could be for as little as 30 days or for a lifetime. We will not spend much time on this but we see in Matthew 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. You will recall after leaving Egypt that Christ as a child of Mary and Joseph was taken to live in Nazareth and therefore was called a Nazarene. III- Was Promised to be Savior before birth: Judges 13:5 b …he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. Israel was under a period of persecution from the dreaded foes the Philistines. Remember Goliath the Philistine. They were a thorn in the side of the Children of Israel throughout all their existence for the most part. God promised that Samson, before His birth would be a savior for the nation. This is in the historic time known as the judges. This is the period of time between the entrance to the Promised Land and the time when the Kings such as Saul and David ruled. The children of Israel were in a pattern of neglecting God and God sending trouble by the hands of an oppressor to bring them back to Him. Samson was promised to be a deliver before he was born. May I say that mankind is locked under the oppression of sin and needs a Savior. But beloved as the foreshadow of Samson gives us a picture of the One who was also foretold to be a deliver or Savior before He was born. Matthew 1:20-21 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Samson was the shadow Christ was the real. Christ the Savior is come. IV- Treated Unkindly by Own Nation: Judges 15:11 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. Samson had tied fire to three hundred foxes and set them loose in the Philistine fields. Judges 15:12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. 13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock. These men who were the brethren of Samson were willing to turn him over to the Philistines so they could punish him. John simply states this like this in John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. V- Delivered to the Gentiles by Own Countrymen: Let us see another in these verses as well. Judges 15:12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. 13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand… They were willing to deliver Samson over to the Philistines in order to appease them and to protect the nation. Eerily similar to what happened to Jesus. John 11:49-50 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. Jesus was turned over to the Gentiles by His own countrymen. VI- Cruelly Treated and Mocked: Delilah was trying to get Samson to tell her the source of His great strength. He finally relented and told her it was his long hair. Judges 16:19-21 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. 21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house., We also see they made sport of him and mocked him. Judges 16:25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars. Remember Jesus, betrayed by His own countrymen and turned over to the Romans. John 19:1-3 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. 2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, 3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. Matthew 27:29-31 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. VII- Accomplished more in death than in Life: In Judges 16:25 when they called for Samson to be brought to the party remember, they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars. Now here is the scene we may know well. Samson is standing between the columns that hold up the entire massive building in which all the enemies of Israel from the Philistines were gathered. He asks the Lord for strength to accomplish by his death a great blow to the enemies of Israel. Judges 16:30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. We certainly know that through the death of Christ that life was given. He touched a lot of people while He walked on the earth but He touched the whole world by His death. Romans 5:8-10 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 1 Corinthians 15:53-57 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Samson pictures for us the picture of Christ being rejected that we may accept the sacrifice and not be rejected. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 53: 04.07. SHADOW: RED HEIFER- THE SACRIFICE THAT LOOKED ======================================================================== SHADOW: Red Heifer- The Sacrifice That Looked Ahead Numbers 19:1-10 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/7%20Shadow-Red%20Heifer.mp3 Almost without exception, the sacrifices offered in the Old Testament were for the present. They did not look ahead so to speak but took care of the sins that were already done. The offering on the day of atonement which was offered one time a year was for the sins that had been committed during the past year. The day to day offerings were for ongoing current sins. The Sin Offering was to provide for pervious and present sins. The Burnt Offering was to provide a continual daily sacrifice. The Peace Offering was to provide for a voluntary offering of devotion. There is one exception to this and that is our topic today. The sacrifice of the Red Heifer recorded in Numbers chapter nineteen was a sacrifice that looked ahead to sins that would be committed in the future. It gave a way of purifying being available prior to contamination by sin. In the last few years there has been a great deal of excitement across the world about several calves that have been born. One or two have been born in Israel, another was born in Texas. The reason being is that the ashes of a Red Heifer is needed in order for the temple that will be built and the priests who will minister in it in the future to be purified. Since the time of the destruction of the temple there has not been a red heifer born. When one is born, it is considered a sign from God. Some have developed white or black hairs before they reach three years of age and are disqualified. One source says, "In the Mishnah, Tractate Parah, we learn that there have been a total of nine red cows in history." They go on to say the tenth is being looked for now. Some Hebrew scholars say that the ashes of the last Red Heifer must be found before they purification begins. We will not concern ourselves with much of these mattered today as we look at the Red Heifer as a type of Christ. Numbers 19:1-10 "And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 2 This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke: 3 And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face: 4 And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times: 5 And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn: 6 And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer. 7 Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even. 8 And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even. 9 And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin. 10 And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever." There are many things about this sacrifice that we need to understand as they picture Christ in Shadow. We know that it is a type of Christ from Hebrews 9:13-14 "For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Lets look at the text at the same time we see the ways this is a foreshadow of Messiah. I- Red Heifer: Numbers 19:2 All the offerings of animals in the Bible are male except for this one. This one was to be a heifer. Some acquaint the Red Heifer with the Golden Calf because it was ground into powder and it is the powder form of the Red Heifer that purifies. Some see the color in the verse in Isaiah that says, Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Some also see the red as reference back to Adam who’s name means red. There may also be a connection in a blasphemous way to the sacrifice of Egyptians. On Commentary said, "This is the only case in which the color of the victim is specified. It has been supposed the ordinance was designed in opposition to the superstitious notions of the Egyptians. That people never offered a vow but they sacrificed a red bull, the greatest care being taken by their priests in examining whether it possessed the requisite characteristics, and it was an annual offering to Typhon, their evil being. By the choice, both of the sex and the color, provision was made for eradicating from the minds of the Israelites a favorite Egyptian superstition regarding two objects of their animal worship." (Jamerson, Fausset, and Brown) So we do not really know for certain why it was red or why it was a Heifer. II- Without Spot: Numbers 19:2 One of the reoccurring themes of all the sacrifices was that they be without spot or blemish. This one had to be so perfect that if it had a black or white hair it was rejected. This certainly speaks of Christ. Hebrews 9:14 remember says Christ, "….offered himself without spot to God." 1 Peter 1:19 "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." I remind us all that when they came to break the legs of those on the cross that they did not break the legs of Jesus because He was already dead. This is a very significant fact when we realize that Jesus was the perfect Sacrifice to God. We as believers are exhorted by Peter in 2 Peter 3:14 "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless." III- Never Yoked: Numbers 19:2 The animals that had worn a yoke and been used in farming were disqualified. A yoke speaks of bondage. Christ became sin for us but He was never yoked with sin. IV- Without the Camp: Numbers 19:3 The Red Heifer was to be taken outside the camp and not be killed inside the tabernacle like all the other sacrifices. This points to the sacrifice of Christ. He was not killed in the temple, yea not ever in the city walls of Jerusalem but was taken outside the camp to be sacrificed for us. Notice Hebrews 13:11-13 "For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach." V- The Sprinkling of the Blood: Numbers 19:4 The blood was the only thing that was not burned of the Red Heifer. The priest was to take the blood and turn toward the tabernacle and sprinkle it. This was offered to God. God requires a blood sacrifice for sin. Colossians 1:14 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Remember Hebrews 9:13-14 "For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" I believe the Bible teaches us that Jesus offered His blood on the altar of heaven. VI- Unusual Components: Numbers 19:6 There were three unusual things that were cast into the fire with the Red Heifer. Notice Numbers 19:16 "And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer." These three components were used in purification of a leper. Leviticus 14:4-7 "Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: 5 And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water: 6 As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: s And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field." May I add that Jesus is the great Physician who heals us from all our sins and ultimately all our diseases that happen because of sin. VII- Future Cleansing: One of the most precious things to my heart concerning the Red Heifer as it pictures Jesus is that fact that the offering was for the future. Some say that this one Heifer lasted until the exile. Numbers 19:9-10 "And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin. 10 And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever." I remind us all of two important facts concerning Christ that this pictures for us. First when He died all our sins were yet future. Second, His sacrifice was sufficient for our past, present and future. It is by His blood we are kept as well. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 54: 04.08. SHADOW: CHRIST IN THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL ======================================================================== SHADOW: Christ In the Feasts of Israel Hebrews 10:1-3 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/8%20Shadow-Feasts%20of%20Israel.mp3 Hebrews 10:1-3 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. We are in the midst of the fall feast of Israel that are given in the Old Testament. These feast are part of the Law of Moses. The Feast of Trumpets "Rosh Hashanah" was observed this past week on September 30th of 2008. The Day of Atonement "Yom Kippur" will be this coming Thursday October 9. This will be followed by the Feast of Tabernacles "Sukkot," also called Feast of Ingathering, on Oct 14-20. These three fall feast are often seen as being the prophetic foreshadowing of the second coming of Messiah. Today we are going to observe the Lord’s Supper during our morning service. We do not often do this during the AM. The Lord’s Supper was instituted during the Passover observation, which was on of the spring time feast of Israel. I know we do not have time to explore these feast in much detail but my hope is that we can see Christ as these have foreshadowed Him for hundreds of years. I- Feast of Trumpets: Leviticus 23:23-25 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. 25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. A trumpet made from a rams horn "shofar" was blown and no work was to be done. The Hebrew name of this Rosh Hashanah means "head of the year." It begins the Jewish civil calendar year. This is celebrated in various ways but the main stress of this was repentance in preparation for the other feast. Today as we observe the Lord’s Supper I remind us of the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:27-28 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. But, we are now in a situation that once we have seen our sin as it really is what can be done about it. II- Day of Atonement: The 10 days between the feast of trumpets and the day of atonement are knows as the "Ten days of Awe" which was added by the rabbis to facilitate the transition from repentance to forgiveness. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest made a sacrifice for the nation in the holy of holies. The high priest would offer a bullock for his sins and then offer the offering for the nation. Leviticus 16:15-16 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail ... and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: 16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. We see that it was the blood sacrifice that made atonement. Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. We see this as a memorial in our Lord’s Supper observation. Listen to the words of Romans 5:8-9 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Speaking of Christ Hebrews 10:12 says, But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God. What we observe in the Lord’s Supper is the sacrifice of Christ with His body broken and His blood shed for the remission of our sins. 1 Corinthians 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. III- Feast of Tabernacles (Ingathering): Following five days after the Day of Atonement is the last feast called in the Hebrew Sukkot. During this week long festival they would build booths or shelters and stay in them to remember God’s protect during the wilderness wandering. This also was a celebration of the harvest was also a part of this, thus the ingathering. This reminds me of two important things for us. First Christ came and dwelled, or tabernacle among us. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [Greek word for tabernacled] among us... Second is that we are in the time of harvest of souls. Remember Jesus said the fields are ripe unto harvest. (John 4:35 ) As a part of this harvest we know that there is a gathering home of the souls at death. We also look forward with anticipation to the great ingathering known as the Rapture. In the Lords Supper passage it says, 1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 55: 04.09. SHADOW: JOSEPH, THE FAVORITE SON OF THE FATHR ======================================================================== Shadow: Joseph, the Favorite Son of the Father Genesis 37:1-11 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/9%20Shadow-%20Joseph%20Favorite%20Son.mp3 Genesis 37:1-11 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. 4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. 5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. 8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. 9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? 11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. Perhaps the greatest foreshadow of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament is found in the personage of Joseph, son of Jacob, grandson of Isaac and great grandson of Abraham. Joseph, you remember, the boy who had the coat of many colors. The one sold into slavery by his brothers, the one who God used mightily to persevere Israel. I am going to break with the pattern of the past shadows in that we are going to spend the next few weeks looking at this foreshadow of Christ. We will look at Joseph in the following areas. Shadow: Joseph, the Favorite Son of the Father Shadow: Joseph, the Silent Suffering Servant Shadow: Joseph, the Sovereign Ruler over the Kingdom Shadow: Joseph, the Savior of the Nations Fasten your seat belts this is going to be a great ride over the next few weeks. I- The Favorite Son of the Father: The first point today is the title I have given the overall sermon today. The favorite son of the father. Remember Jacob had a total of 11 other sons. At the time we are looking at Joseph had ten older brothers, Benjamin had not been born. Jacob had children by four women but his favorite wife and the one he loved was Rachel. Joseph was the son of Rachel. Joseph: Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. Christ: Matthew 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. The position of son-ship for Christ was not one of bloodline but one of position in relationship to the Godhead. Christ is spoken of as the only begotten Son. The symbol of the love of Jacob for Joseph is the coat of many colors. Genesis 37:3 We know the story well. Joseph was clothed by a garment that foreshadows the clothing of Christ it the clothes of humanity. God clothed Christ in human flesh. Notice Hebrews 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. II- Shepherd to the Fathers Sheep: The family business of Jacob was livestock, namely sheep. Joseph: Genesis 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren... Joseph along with his brothers were shepherd to their fathers sheep. Christ: The Bible clearly foretold that Messiah would be a Shepherd. Isaiah 40:11 "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." We see Messiah is portrayed as a shepherd throughout the New Testament. John 10:11-14 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. He is also the great Shepherd according to Hebrews 13:20 . The Chief Shepherd according to 1 Peter 5:4 . Beloved Christ is the Shepherd of the Father’s sheep as pictured by Joseph. This means He is the protector and provider for us. Remember what the psalmist David said, Psalms 23:1-2 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. III- Hated by His Brethren: Imagine seeing Joseph day after day with a garment that was unique and screamed to others of the love his father had for him. Where love dwells most times no one can do no wrong. (i.e. those perfect grandkids.) The other side is where hate dwells nothing right can be done. Joseph was hated and everything he did made that hate grow. Joseph: Genesis 37:4-5 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. 5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. The dream of Joseph was understood that they would bow down before Joseph. Because of jealously they schemed to do away with Joseph. Christ: John 15:25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. This is written in Psalms 69:4 . Jealously also drove the rejection of Christ. John 8:40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Jesus threatened their status quo and their position as ruler. They were jealous of their position of power. Matthew 26:64-65 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. They cried that the words of Christ were blasphemy. IV-Both Testified of Evil of Others: Joseph today would probably have been called a snitch or some other bad name. He however told the truth. People don’t want anything told on them and especially the truth. Joseph- Genesis 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. Joseph tells on his brothers for their evil deeds. He tells of their laziness and sluggishness in doing the right thing their father had sent them to do. The word report actually means slander. This made the reputations of the brothers suffering in the eyes of their father and they hated him for it. Christ- John 7:7 "The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil." Jesus confronted the evil of the day. Remember he called the Pharisees on three separate occasions a bunch of snakes. Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Beloved Jesus did not come to hold our hands while they are covered with the blackness of sin and sing cum by ya. He came to confront us in our sins, move us to repentance and then to cleanse us from them. Jesus knows the truth about us and still loved us enough to die. How did He do that? Glad you asked. V- Sold as a Slave: Many today may think that God was paying the debt of sin and that Satan was the one who demanded the payment. Beloved we see pictured for us in Joseph the Lord Jesus being sold for the price of a slave so He could deliver us. The one whom the payment was due was God Himself. Joseph- Genesis 37:26-28 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? 27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. 28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt. 20 pieces of silver was the price of a slave in Joseph day. Christ- Matthew 26:14-15 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. For 30 pieces of silver Christ was betray. This was so He could become sin for you and I. So that the righteousness of God could be satisfied and we could be declared justified in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. VI- Conclusion and Decision Time: Joseph pictures for us Christ as the favorite Son who was the Shepherd of the Fathers sheep but was hated and betrayed by His brethren. He was sold for a few pieces of silver but thereby with His dead obtained redemption for you and I. Have you accepted Him as Savior today? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 56: 04.10. SHADOW: JOSEPH, THE SILENT SUFFERING SERVANT ======================================================================== Shadow: Joseph, the Silent Suffering Servant Genesis 39:1-20 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/10%20Shadow-%20Joseph%20Silent%20Suffering%20Servant.mp3 We continue with the foreshadow of Joseph that gives us a unique glimpse into the character of Christ in parallel or foreshadowing. We began last session with the foreshadow of Joseph the favorite son and now we will look at Joseph the silent suffering servant. As we left off our story Joseph, because of jealousy had been sold by his brother into slavery and Jacob was lead to believe that a wild animal killed Joseph. I- Prosperous Servant: We pick up the story of Joseph after he has been sold again in Egypt to a man named Potiphar. Genesis 39:1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. The first thing we notice is that God was with Joseph and made Potiphar prosper because of it. Genesis 39:2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. God had caused Joseph to be prosperous in spite of others attempts to bring him down. We have no doubt whatsoever that the Lord Jesus walked on the earth in a close relationship with the Father. We also know that in spite of all that took place Christ prospered. Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. II- Both Were Given Authority: We will spend next week looking at the Sovereign ruler of the kingdom. Here we see that Joseph is given authority as a servant over the house of Potiphar. Genesis 39:4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. This pictures for us all power given to Christ, the servant of God. John 3:35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. Joseph please Potiphar and we know that Christ please the Father in all things. III- Both Faces Temptations: Joseph, was a man who was handsome. Joseph had all the things of Potiphar in his control except for one thing. The mans wife. Genesis 39:5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. 6 And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured. Now Joseph, as he went about his duties of oversight of the house would face a great temptation to become sidetracked from his duties. Genesis 39:7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. 8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? 10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. Joseph faced temptation to sin. But He refused. Lets go now to the wilderness after Jesus was baptized by John. We find the temptation of Christ recorded in Matthew 4. Lets look a few verses to see the temptation. Matthew 4:1-5 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple...The temptation of Jesus was for a period of forty days. Forty days in which Christ was tempted to eat as He fasted and other things. How complete was this temptation to get side tracked. We are told in Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Beloved Jesus understands when we are tempted to do wrong. He faced it. He also can give us the strength to overcome the temptation if we surrender to Him. IV- The Silent Suffering Servant: Back to Joseph’s story. We pick it up again in Genesis 39:11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. 12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. 13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, 14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: 15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. 16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. 17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: 18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out. 19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. Joseph is put in prison for doing nothing wrong. As a matter of fact he did everything right. One thing that is noticeable absent from the story is the defense of Joseph. We can see the inference is that he suffering the injustice in silence. He was placed in prison unjustly. The foreshadow of this is great and perhaps the main point the Holy Spirit wants to point out today. Christ is foreshadowed here as the suffering silent servant. Notice the false witnesses that were sought against Christ. Matthew 26:59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death. 60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses... The charges against Joseph was by false witness of Potiphar’s wife. These false witnesses against Christ spoke and accused Him of talking about destroying the temple. Look at the response of Christ. Matthew 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Then when Jesus was taken before Pilate notice what is said. Matthew 27:13-14 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? 14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. Isaiah 53:6-7 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. Praise God that Jesus never defended His innocence because if He had gone free then beloved we would not be free by His blood. I feel it important that we not leave the scene to day without a final word that shows the outcome of the suffering servant. Let me illustrate it with a story. It was June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo. The French under the command of Napoleon were fighting the Allies (British, Dutch, and Germans) under the command of Wellington. The people of England depended on a system of signals to find out how the battle was going. One of these signal stations was on the tower of Winchester Cathedral. Late in the day it flashed the signal: "W-E-L-L-I-N-G-T-O-N- -- D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D- -." Just at that moment one of those sudden English fog-clouds made it impossible to read the message. The news of defeat quickly spread throughout the city. The whole countryside was sad and gloomy when they heard the news that their country had lost the war. Suddenly the fog lifted, and the remainder of the message could be read. The message had four words, not two. The complete message was: "W-E-L-L-I-N-G-T-O-N-- -D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D- - T-H-E- - -E-N-E-M-Y!" It took only a few minutes for the good news to spread. Sorrow was turned into joy, defeat was turned into victory! Beloved Joseph will be put into prison and will suffer many things. Christ suffered many things as well but beloved the fog does not need to cloud the outcome. He arose, He arose, the message is not that He was just a suffering servant who would die but that He lives, he lives. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 57: 04.11. SHADOW: JOSEPH, THE SOVEREIGN RULER OVER THE ======================================================================== Shadow: Joseph, the Sovereign Ruler over the Kingdom Genesis 41:1-57 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/11%20Shadow-%20Joseph%20Soverign%20Ruler.mp3 Can you imagine being wrongly imprisoned for a crime you did not commit. Besides that you have two room mates in prison with you who are nothing more than political prisoners who are innocent as well. How long would it take before you lose hope in ever getting out and thinking God had deserted you and forgotten where you are? For me probably not long. Joseph found himself in this situation. He was hated by His brothers who sold him into slavery. He then was accused unjustly and ended up in prison. He seems to be forgotten as the two political prisoner were taken out. One to be restored and one to die. Joseph had requested of the butler to Genesis 40:14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: Joseph held out hope that he would come out of the prison. But time passes and we will enter the story in a moment two years later. Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. How did Joseph hold out hope? How can we hold onto hope when things grow dim and it seems that we are forgotten by all including God? Let me illustrate it this way if I may. I am not a connoisseur of great art, but from time to time a painting or picture will really speak a clear, strong message to me. Some time ago I saw a picture of an old burned-out mountain shack. All that remained was the chimney...the charred debris of what had been that family’s sole possession. In front of this destroyed home stood an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his underclothes with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls. It was evident that the child was crying. Beneath the picture were the words which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy. They were simple words, yet they presented a profound theology and philosophy of life. Those words were, "Hush child, God ain’t dead!" That vivid picture of that burned-out mountain shack, that old man, the weeping child, and those words "God ain’t dead? keep returning to my mind. Instead of it being a reminder of the despair of life, it has come to be a reminder of hope! I need reminders that there is hope in this world. In the midst of all of life’s troubles and failures, I need mental pictures to remind me that all is not lost as long as God is alive and in control of His world. James DeLoach, associate pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Houston, quoted in When God Was Taken Captive, W. Aldrich, Multnomah, 1989, p. 24. I- The Prophecies: JOSEPH: You may recall as we came into the story of Joseph that he was hated by his brothers for dreaming of dreams in which they bowed down before him. Genesis 37:5 ff And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. The dream you will recall was one of sheaves of wheat in the field that represented the brothers of Joseph bowing down before the sheave of Joseph. Genesis 37:8 ff And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? Joseph dreams another dream in which the sun and moon and eleven stars bowed before him. Genesis 37:10 ff ...his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? This, may I submit was a prophetic dream that foretold of Joseph being sovereign. CHRIST: There are multitudes of different verses we can used to show that Jesus was also prophesied to be bowed before. Let me offer a couple. Isaiah 45:22-23 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Romans 14:11-12 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Php 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Beloved there is no doubt whatsoever that the prophecy was Christ was to be, is and will be bowed before. II- Release From Prison: We have two dream recorded that Pharaoh dreamt in Genesis 41:1-8 . He saw first seven fat cows followed by seven skinny cows that ate the fat ones. Next it was seven good ears of corn followed by seven skinny that devoured the skinny ones. Pharaoh had no one in his kingdom that could give him the meaning. We pick up the story in Genesis 41:9-14 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: 10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker: 11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. 12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. 13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. Joseph’s release from prison pictures for us the release of Christ from the grave by the resurrection. Joseph was given different clothes to wear as well. Remember the scene of the tomb. Jesus did not come forth from the prison of the grave dressed in His old clothes. Matthew 27:59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth... John 20:3-7 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. III- Sovereign Ruler: The dream of Pharaoh was interpreted by Joseph as given to him by God. Joseph tells him seven years of plenty will be followed by seven years of famine. Genesis 41:29-31 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: 30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; 31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. Joseph then give the Pharaoh advice on how to handle the situation. Genesis 41:33 ; 36 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. ... 36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine. The results of this advice was as follows. Genesis 41:37-41 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? 39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. Joseph become the sovereign ruler over all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. He is bowed to as he moves about the land. When we come to the picture of Christ, we understand that as Pharaoh set Joseph on the right hand of power, God the Father has done the same for Christ. Notice the following verses. Hebrews 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; Hebrews 10:12-13 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 1 Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. We see that Jesus had fore told this as well. Matthew 26:64 "Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." We know that all power is given to Him both now and forever. Just as Joseph was given soverign control of Egypt, Christ is sovereign over all of creation. Matthew 28:18 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." IV- Bowing as Foretold: The story of Joseph moves forward and as the seven years are unfolded of plenty preparations are made for the famine. During the years of famine Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt to buy grain. Notice the bowing before Joseph by them as foretold. Genesis 42:6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. Beloved the bowing of all of mankind has yet to take place for Christ. This does not make it any less a reality. It will come to pass. Let’s again return to the verse in Php 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The questions are simply. Have you realized that Jesus Christ is sovereign over all and that men will have no choice but to bow. The question is only will they do it now willingly or in the future by compulsion. Regardless all will bow to the Sovereign Lord of the Universe. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 58: 04.12. SHADOW: JOSEPH, THE SAVIOR OF THE NATIONS ======================================================================== Shadow: Joseph, the Savior of the Nations Genesis 41:53-57 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/12%20Shadow-%20Joseph%20Savior%20of%20the%20Nations.mp3 Joseph has given us a remarkable foreshadowing of Christ. In the first three messages we have seen that he pictured the Favorite Son of the Father, the Silent Suffering Servant, the Sovereign Ruler over the Kingdom. We conclude today with the Savior of the Nations. Genesis 41:53-57 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. 54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. 56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. 57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands. Famine has come to Egypt. Joseph is used of God in a God ordained plan to sustain life, to be the savior of the nations. Notice it said all countries came to Egypt. Joseph brothers have come and bowed before him as well seeking grain. We have a certain amount of overlapping of our story that is unavoidable. I- His Own Did Not Recognize Him: When Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt they did not recognize him. Genesis 42:7-8 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. 8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. Joseph had been raised up to be the savior of the world in a physical sense but was not recognized the first time his brother came. Now notice what it says about Christ. John 1:10-12 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: His own did not recognize Him but those who do He is their Savior. II- In His Presence there was Consciousness of Sin: Joseph stood in the presence of his brothers who talked in Hebrew knowing not that Joseph understood them. They discussed their guilt. They were conscious of their sin in his presence. Genesis 42:21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. We hear the testimony of John the Baptist in Mark 1:7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. Then the Roman commander, who bowed to no Jew, saying in Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. I submit to us that there was a conviction of sin that was to be found in the presence of Jesus. When the men were sent to arrest Jesus and returned empty handed they were asked why they did not arrest him John 7:46 says, The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Why does the world run from Him who is come to be their Savior? They run because they are convicted of their sin in His presence. John 3:19-20 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. III- Both Weep for Brethren: Joseph in the presence of his brothers was touched in the heart of his soul for them. Those that had hated him, abused him by selling him, is now touching his heart. Genesis 42:24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes. We are told that Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem in Luke 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, We hear this heart cry in Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! I submit that this is the heart of God. It tells us in 1 John 4:8-10 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. IV- Recognized Second Time: Joseph sends his brothers away except for Simeon who was put in prison for a promise of their return. After they return to Jacob they are finally forces to return to Egypt to buy more grain because the famine continues to rage. They finally return with Benjamin recorded in Genesis 43:15 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. Joseph brings them into his private dining area and feeds them observing them all the time. He sends them on their way but plants his personal cup in Benjamin’s sack. They are pursed and arrest and returned to Joseph. Joseph brings them in and we pick up the story in Genesis 45:1-3 a Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. 2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? It was this second time that Joseph was revealed to his brethren. Remember now that Christ was not accepted by Israel at His first coming. We know that in the future He will be. I am not talking about when every knee will bow and tongue confess but when He come again. Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. He will be seen and recognized the second time unlike the first. V- Bestower of Grace: Understand that grace is unmerited favor. It is bestowed upon someone who does not deserve it or yea may even be an enemy. Joseph has revealed himself to his brethren and next he gives them, not what they deserve but he bestows grace upon them. He gives them unearned, undeserved favor. They did not deserve mercy but they received it from Joseph. Genesis 45:3 b ...And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. 4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Joseph was willing to forgive the past and start a new relationship with them. Beloved we do not deserve Jesus to give us grace for salvation. What can we do to earn salvation, absolutely nothing. Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Notice what Ephesians 2:1-9 says, And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Christ is the bestower of mercy and grace. VI- Invitation to Come: After Joseph had revealed himself to his brothers he then sends them back to their father to bring him to Egypt. The invitation is to come, come and he would provide for all their needs. Genesis 45:18-20 And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. 19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours. I want to point out that they needed nothing from their former life. He would provide out of the abundant storehouse at his disposal. Jesus likewise extends His invitation to come to Him and He will supply. Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. He will supply all our needs. Notice Php 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: Men’s greatest need is that of a Savior. Joseph pictured this for us as a foreshadow of Christ. He is willing, able and ready to save all that come to Him. Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 59: 04.13. SHADOW: THE VAIL OF THE TEMPLE THE DOOR TO GO ======================================================================== SHADOW: The Vail of the Temple, Door to God Exodus 26:31-34 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/13%20Shadow-%20The%20Veil%20of%20the%20Temple.mp3 When someone has access to a person, it means they usually have a relationship with them. It may only be a professional relationship but access is to be desired. Who has not watched the star struck fans of a particular singer or actor that screams for only a touch or an autograph. They do not have a relationship only a glance. You can go on tours of the stars homes in Nashville and Hollywood but seldom does that get you very close. Sure you can go to Graceland and tour it but guess what, Elvis has left the building. Children’s Miracle Network raises money to give sick children a visit and a chance to spend time with their favorite star or athlete. Today we turn our attention to an inanimate object that gives us a foreshadow of the Lord Jesus. Notice our text in Exodus 26:31-34 . These are instructions given to Moses concerning the construction of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. Within the broader instructions we find directions for making the door that led into the Holy of Holies. Exodus 26:31-34 "And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: 32And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. 33And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. 34And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place." I- The Source of the Shadow: This curtain or vail that was made for the door gives us a picture of the Lord Jesus. Notice what Jesus said in John 10:7-9 "Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." We also need to go to the time of the death of Jesus to see Jesus as the source of the shadow that we are looking at. The three synopsis gospels record this event. Notice Luke 23:44-45 "And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst." Matthew tells us in Matthew 27:51 "And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent." II- The Colors: Let us notice a couple of things in passing that are not without significance. Lets visit briefly the colors of the vail. Moses was told to, "…make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen…" The colors of blue, purple, red and white are important. The colors can and do have several things they tell us. One of these is the blue speaks of heaven from which He came and returned. The purple is the color of royalty and reminds us He was and is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The scarlet is the color of blood and who can forget that the King from heaven shed His blood. The white or fine linen speaks of the purity of Christ. After all if He had shed His blood without it being acceptable to God it would have been to no avail. III- The Furniture: Within the vail of the temple there were items placed. Notice Moses was told to, "…33bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony." Also upon this ark he was told to, "… 34put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony…" This ark of the testimony was the witness against Israel. It was the law that they failed to live by and therefore cried out of their guilt. Praise God for what Christ did. Notice, Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." The other item was the mercy seat. This was where God met with Israel. This was significant in the fact that the vail of the temple was constructed to deny free access to the meeting place. But the good news is that in the fullness of time the Door arrived to open the way. III- The Door Is Open: With the death of Jesus the door to God was opened. There are some things we need to see that the vail shows us. 1- Way to God is Open: Many times we humans become complacent and take the presence of God for granted. Let you mind think on what a privilege it is for us to have access. Hebrews 10:20 "By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh." In the times of the Old Testament things were not the way they are now. Access to God was not free as it is today for us. 2- Door is Open Never to be Shut Again: Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 3-Help Is Available In Time of Trouble, Temptation, and Trials: When God came near to men and dwelled among us it was as a man. Therefore we know He understands. Hebrews 4:15-16 "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." 4- Christ Alone Provides Access Through the Vail: John 10:1 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." May I say it this way? The vail still stands for those trying to access heaven and God in any other way except Jesus. Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." The greatest invitation to come to Christ is found I think in Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Have you come to Jesus? Have you entered through the ripped vail? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 60: 04.14. SHADOW: THE COVERING OF SKIN- THANK GOD FOR TH ======================================================================== SHADOW: The Covering of Skin- Thank God for the Blood Genesis 3:6-21 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/14%20Shadow-%20The%20Covering%20of%20Skin-%20Thank%20God%20for%20the%20Blood.mp3 What is the greatest thing that we have to thank God for? Some may say it is our life, but life would be hopeless without Christ. Some might say our families but the future would be uncertain without Christ in our families. Some may have this or that that they think is the greatest thing for which to thank God. But I submit to you for your consideration that the greatest thing that we need to thank God for is salvation. Once we are there then we need to begin to see the sacrifice that it cost and what it is that ultimately secured our salvation. I submit that I am thankful most today for the blood that was shed on Calvary. Thank God for the blood. "In the New Testament there are 290 references to the love of God, 290 times when God had declared His love for man. But in the same chapters and the same verses there are more than 1,300 references to the atonement, 1300 assurances that salvation can be had through the blood of Christ". —G. Franklin Allee ~ Atonement Verses In Bible Along with individuals, such as Adam, Joseph, there are also many types in the Bible that are in the form of sacrifices. We will look at many of these in times to come. We begin with our first one today. While these first two types we have looked at have been chronologically in nature we will not continue to do so in the future. Today’s shadow is found in the context of the story of the fall of man. God began at the very beginning of history to reveal the mystery of Christ and the need of a blood sacrifice to men by the shadows. I- The Story: Genesis 3:6-14 In order for us to understand the full impact of this we need to begin with the story of the fall. A- the Fall: Genesis 3:6-7 " And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the only tree forbidden for them. The thing they did after eating is of special significance in order to understand the shadow. They made an attempt with their hands to cover their sin. They sewed leaves together as a covering. B- The Question and Answer: Genesis 3:8-13 "And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." God came to have fellowship with Adam and Eve. He already knew they had fallen before this. He finds them hiding. The perfect communion was broken. Sin still separates us from God. The scars are still visible to the relationship. C- The Curse: Genesis 3:14-19 "And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." As a result of the fall the curse passed upon the earth. Sins scars can really be seen here. II- The Promise: Genesis 3:15 Tucked within these last verses concerning the curse I wish us to see a glimmer of hope. The first promise of the Messiah that would come is found here. Notice Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." God promised to send one who would undo the disaster of sin. III- The Shadow: Genesis 3:21 The first shadow demonstrated to us after the fall is found in Genesis 3:21 "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them." God begins to teach humanity what will be required to restore the relationship of men and God. God, by His own hand, kills animals and makes a covering for their nakedness. This shadow needs to be seen in light of Calvary. This is the first record of a blood sacrifice for sin. IV- The Picture of the Shadow: Let us notice several things that the shadow of the skins show or teach us. A- Shows Christ Doing What Works Could Not: Adam and Eve quickly recognized that something was wrong and tried to cover it up. Men today have devised a lot of different methods to replace the leaves of Adam and Eve. He had devised religions that take all accountability out to a higher being. Many deny that God even exists. Men are doing in different ways what Adam and Eve did. Every one must have personal faith and belief in the blood for himself. It is said that during the war, George H. Stuart, a princely merchant of Philadelphia, and a Christian man of large heart and faith, was President of the Christian Commission. One day he had occasion to go down into Virginia, and cross the picket lines, to visit a soldier. He came along, and the sentinel was pacing up and down. Mr. Stuart rode up to the lines. "Halt!" Mr. Stuart stopped. "Who is there?" "A friend." "Advance and give the countersign." Mr. Stuart rode up, and leaning forward, whispered, "Chicago." "No," said the sentinel, "that is not the right word today; and it will be death for me to let you go over without the right word, and death for me to give it to you. You must go back to headquarters and get it." Stuart went back to the headquarters, and having obtained the correct word, hastened back. As he approached the lines the sentinel shouted, "Halt!" Stuart stopped. "Who is there?" " A friend." "Advance and give the countersign." He rode forward and said, "Massachusetts." "That is right." Mr. Stuart rode over the lines, stopped, whirled upon his horse, and said, "Sentinel, I came here today to cross these lines, and I had the wrong countersign; but I had opportunity to go back and get the right one. But, sir, you are approaching lines of eternal consequences, and if you come with the wrong countersign, you never will have opportunity to go back and get the right one." "Yes, sir, I know what you mean." "What do I mean?" "The judgment seat of Christ." "That is right." "Sir, have you got the right countersign?" "I have." "What is it?" "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin?" "Where did you get that?," said he. "In a prayer meeting where you were." B- Shows That Blood Sacrifice Was Necessary: God, please remember, is teaching men the things necessary for redemption from sin. He did not come along later when Moses was given the law and insert the fact that a blood sacrifice was necessary. He begins with the blood sacrifice. Hebrews 9:22 "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." This is the way it has always been. Why we might ask? Notice Leviticus 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." C- Shows That Life Comes From Death: The sacrifice of these animals in a small way began the process of redemption and restoration of man to God. Their death began to bring life to man. Christ death was the ultimate picture that brings life. Matthew 20:28 " Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." John 6:51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Matthew 7:14 "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Thank God for the blood, thank God for the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, thank God for redemption through the blood. And they overcame Him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Revelation 12:11 ) "This is the last reference in the Bible to the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ; here it is the overcoming blood, enabling believers to withstand the deceptions and accusations of Satan. There are at least 43 references to the blood of Christ in the New Testament, all testifying to its great importance in the salvation and daily life of the believer. Judas the betrayer spoke of it as "innocent blood (Matthew 27:4 ) and Peter called it "the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:9). It is the cleansing blood in 1 John 1:7 and the washing blood in Revelation 1:5, stressing that it removes the guilt of our sins. Paul calls it the purchasing blood in Acts 20:28 and the redeeming blood twice (Ephesians 1:7); Colossians 1:14, see also 1 Peter 1:18-19, Revelation 5:9 ), thus declaring the shedding of His blood to be the very price of our salvation. Therefore, it is also the justifying blood (Romans 5:9 ) and the peacemaking blood (Colossians 1:20 ). Its efficacy does not end with our salvation, however, for it is also the sanctifying blood (Hebrews 13:12 ). There is infinite and eternal power in the blood of Christ, for it is "the blood of the everlasting covenant" (Hebrews 13:20 ). The first reference in the New Testament to His blood stresses this aspect. Jesus said, at the last supper: "This is my blood of the new testament (same as ’covenant’) which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28 ). Let no one, therefore, even count the "blood of the covenant. . an unholy thing" (Hebrews 10:29 ), for the blood of Christ is forever innocent, infinitely precious, perfectly justifying, always cleansing and fully sanctifying." Revelation 12:11 (Source unknown) ======================================================================== CHAPTER 61: 04.15. SHADOW: THE ROCK OF GODS PROVISION ======================================================================== SHADOW: The Rock of God’s Provision Exodus 17:1-6 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/15%20Shadow-%20Rock%20of%20Provision.mp3 During certainly events and seasons our thoughts are more naturally turned toward thanksgiving. A tragedy in life, a near tragedy perhaps, a special blessing both expected and unexpected such as the birth of a child. Many things move us to inventory our blessings. Sayings such as, "You know which side your bread is buttered on" remind us that someone else supplies provision of our needs. By the same token we take a lot of things for granted. We talk in children’s sermons about being thankful for the birds and flowers. We mention smelling and hearing and the ability to see to them and encourage them to be thankful when we adults many times take them for granted. Remember the old saying that we don’t miss something until its gone. Today the shadow that we look at reminds us of the provision of God in our life. The provision of God is a thread that runs throughout the Word of God. Matthew records for us the words of Christ that said it so well. "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin." Matthew 6:25-28 So, we can conclude that we have a God who cares for the needs of His children. I- The Rock of Provision: Exodus 17:1-6 "And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. 2Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? 3And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? 4And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. 5And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. There are many legends that have come to life concerning this event in the history of Israel. Let me give us a quote that describes some of these. a rabbinic tradition that there was a well formed out of the spring in Horeb, which gathered itself up into a rock like a swarm of bees, and followed the people for forty years; sometimes rolling itself, sometimes carried by Miriam, and always addressed by the elders, when they encamped, with the words, "Spring up, O well!" Numbers 21:17 . Stanley says: "In accordance with this notion, the Rock of Moses, as pointed out by the local tradition of Mt. Sinai, is not a cleft in the mountain, but a detached fragment of rock about fifteen feet high, with twelve or more fissures in its surface, from which the water is said to have gushed out for the twelve tribes…" (Vincent Word Studies of 1 Corinthians 10:4 ) The children of Israel continued to abide in the area for almost a year after the water began to come from the rock. Albert Barnes in Barnes Notes says the water would flow toward the Red Sea and that for the next almost 40 years they wandered in the area of this watershed and would have been provided for by this river from the rock. Regardless of what all might or might not have happened we know that God provided for His people from a rock that spouted a river. We can go to the New Testament and find indisputable evidence that this was a foreshadow of Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:4 "And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." II- Some Observations of Life: 1- Life if full of deserts. Life has its ups and downs, good times and bad times. Life is full of dry times or deserts. It kinds reminds me of a goldfish I read about. Imagine you are on holiday and you have an apartment overlooking the sand and surf. Sitting on the table in your room is a fishbowl, and inside the bowl is a small goldfish. Each day you swim and sun-bake and enjoy soaking up the delights of vacationing. Before long, however, you begin to feel sorry for little Goldie who is all alone in his bowl while you go out having fun in the sun. To make up for this injustice, you promise Goldie a little of the action. "Tomorrow," you tell the goldfish, "you will begin to enjoy life, too." The next day you take a washcloth, lift the fish from the bowl, place it in the cloth, wrap it up, and put the living bundle into your pocket before leaving for the beach. As you reach the spot where you are accustomed to spending your day, you can feel the sun’s heat beating down upon your back. Excitedly you take your gilled companion from your pocket, lay out the washcloth on the sand, place the fish on the cloth, stand back, and say, "Now this is the life, Goldie; live it up!" Can anything be more ridiculous or more foolish? Being in the sun on the hot beach is no environment for a goldfish--or any fish! It will die there, not live. It was never intended to be in that environment. For people, a relationship with God as Father is the only correct environment for life. -- Peter W. Law in A Portrait of My Father. Leadership, Vol. 7, no. 3. 2- There is a continual need of daily supply. Few of us have provisions that would last over a few days lain in store. God provides daily for us. We must continually find provision. Php 4:19 "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Let us not take the small things even for granted. Martin Luther, the great reformer said: God’s wonderful works which happen daily are lightly esteemed, not because they are of no import but because they happen so constantly and without interruption. Man is used to the miracle that God rules the world and upholds all creation, and because things daily run their appointed course, it seems insignificant, and no man thinks it worth his while to meditate upon it and to regard it as God’s wonderful work, and yet it is a greater wonder than that Christ fed five thousand men with five loaves and made wine from water. -- Martin Luther in Day by Day We Magnify Thee. Christianity Today, Vol. 33, no. 15. Many times the continual daily supply is more than bread and water. It is safety and many other things. One night I went into my 8-year-old daughter’s bedroom to pray with her before she went to sleep. In the course of her prayer she said, "Jesus, please lock the doors if they haven’t been locked." I held back a chuckle at her unexpected request and thought nothing more about it. The next morning I opened the front door to find the keys outside in the lock. I stood amazed at how the Lord led my little girl to pray--and thanked him for his protection. -- Susan Starnes, Louisville, KY. "Heart to Heart," Today’s Christian Woman. 3- The Lord Jesus cannot be fully explained, nor can the rock. A few moments ago we looked at some of the legends that have come about surrounding this rock in the desert. The rock was on the mountain yet a stream ensued from it. How did it provide for the people day after day? Men have tried to figure it out but all attempts have come up short of a total airtight answer. The blessing of God cannot be fully explained. 4- We as God’s People must be quick to recognize His blessings. One of the things that was a constant problem with the children of Israel was their grumbling. Notice a psalm related to this period of history. Psalms 78:15-22 "He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. 16He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. 17And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness. 18And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. 19Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? 20Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? 21Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel. 22Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation. His greatest blessing is certainly the provision for our soul. The provision of reconciliation back to God of men and women who were alienated in the fall of man and by their actions. III- The Rock as a Shadow: 1- Provision by Grace- They did not deserve the provision because of their sweet demeanor or anything of the such. 2- Vital for Life- Water is essential for life. They tell us we can live a lot more days without food than we can water. 3- The world does not meet needs. The world around the Jewish people as they traveled did not meet their needs. The resources were simply not there for their needs. There had to be a supernatural moving of God to provide. The world around us may provide a lot of things but it simply does not nor cannot in fact meet the spiritual needs of individuals. It took God to provide the plan for mans redemption not some man made religion. 4- The continuing provision. The water provided from the rock eventually ceased. But Christ will never cease to provide. John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 4:13-15 "Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw." 5- As the Rock was Smitten- Moses 40 years later was told to speak to another rock to provide water. He in his anger toward the people struck the rock again. God did not let him enter the promised land because of that. The Rock is a picture of Christ and need only be struck one time. Christ was crucified only one time. Hebrews 10:12 "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God." IV- Our Challenge and Hope: We as children of God have a challenge that this rock of provision that God provided that was a foreshadow of Christ brings to mind. We need to be allowing God to refresh the world and use us to help humanity. John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Because of Christ we have the hope of heaven. We have the hope of a time when thirst will no longer be part of our experience. Notice Revelation 7:16 "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 62: 04.16. SHADOW: JACOB'S LADDER- TOUCHING HEAVEN FROM E ======================================================================== SHADOW: Jacob’s Ladder- Touching Heaven From Earth Genesis 28:10-19 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/16%20Shadow-%20Jacob’s%20Ladder.mp3 Men have always wished to reach into the heavens to explore beyond the known to the unknown. Men will risk their lives and many have given them surrendering to the call of the unknown. NASA sends all kinds of spacecraft into space. In one sense, this is man trying to touch heaven from earth. Is it possible to reach heaven from earth? In the sense we are talking about here it certainly is. Men have lived in what we call space. From Jan 8, 1994- March 22, 1995, Valeriy Poliyakov (Russian) spent 437 Days 17 hours, 58 minutes and 16 sec on a space flight. Most of that was on Mir the space station. You may recall when US businessman Dennis Tito paid the Russian $20,000,000 to visit the International Space Station from April 28-May 6, 2001. Men want to find a way to reach heaven from earth. We, a collect group of nations, are building a space station so that men can stay for extended lengths of time in space. We are talking about a trip to Mars in the next years to come. In the Bible, you will recall the tower of Babel that was built by Nimrod. Genesis 11:4 "And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven..." May I say that God has prepared a way that men can reach heaven from earth? Our Shadow today will give us a special look and insight into this access to God. I- The Shadow: We go to the time in the history of Israel when Isaac’s, the son of Abraham, sons are grown and it is time for them to find a wife. We find that Jacob was instructed to not marry a Canaanite woman. Genesis 28:1 "And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan." Esau, Jacob’s brother was upset and in Genesis 28:8-9 Esau took a Canaanite woman because his father disapproved of them marrying them. Jacob goes to Padanaram to find his wife. Our text if found in Genesis 28:10-19 set in the context of the journey. The journey would end years later but first he would be deceived by Laban and marry Leah after he worked seven years for Rachel. It is from Jacob that the twelve sons would be born that became the twelve tribes of Israel. On the journey, Jacob lies down with a pillow of stone and dreams a dream. He dreams of a ladder that reaches into heaven. This ladder gives us a picture of touching heaven from earth. II- The Tie: Let us now look at a place in the New Testament that I feel ties Jacob’s ladder to the Lord Jesus. John 1:51 "And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." Jesus said that what would be seen concerning Him was what Jacob saw in the vision. All four of the gospels record that the spirit of God descended upon Jesus at His baptism. We can understand the vision of Jacob as a foreshadow of Christ. How do you touch heaven from earth? Through the Lord Jesus Christ! III- The Intercessor: We see in the vision of Jacob that God stood at the top of the ladder that reached to earth. Genesis 28:13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; Who is the one, the only one, who has a foot in heaven and a foot on earth? I am not talking in the sense of one foot in the grave and another on a banana peel. May I say that Jesus in one sense is the one at the top of the ladder and the one at the bottom? Ephesians 4:8-10 "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)" There are two critical things we need to see concerning Christ in this context. First he was fully human (foot on the earth) and fully God (stands in Heaven). John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." There are two names that are used of the Lord that give us this also. "Son of Man," [used 85 times in the New Testament] and "Son of God." [used 46 times]. So simply by these two names we know that we have one who is Hebrews 7:25 "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." God stood at the top and Jesus is the way we reach the Promises of God. IV- All the Promises Fulfilled in Christ. Genesis 28:13-15 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. This tells us of the promise renewed that God had given to Abraham. We know these promises as the Abrahamic covenant. Please notice that the promises were not only to Abraham but to Isaac, Jacob’s father. Now they are renewed to Jacob with this vision. This reminds me that all the promises of God are true in Christ. Now we know that the promises of God are spectacular and awe inspiring. They are even beyond your wildest imaginations to see how God would keep them for us. Many times when people promise us something we think it is too good to be true. But, I’m reminded that DL Moody said, "God never made a promise that was too good to be true." How big is your faith tank? Have you stretched it lately by trusting God. Since the time our children were very young, we have always read to them The Chronicles of Narnia, these wonderful children’s stories about the magical land of Narnia. In the second book, Prince Caspian, Lucy enters Narnia again, and she hasn’t seen Aslan, this lion figure who represents Christ. She has not seen him in a long, long time, and so they have a wonderful reunion. Lucy says to Aslan, who represents Christ, "Aslan, you’re bigger now." Aslan says, "Lucy, that’s because you are older. You see, Lucy, every year that you grow, you will find me bigger." Hasn’t that been the case for many of you? For many of us, every year we grow, we find him bigger in his grace and in his goodness and in his faithfulness and in those promises that he has given us upon which we can depend all the days of our lives. -- Ron Lee Davis, "Rejoicing in Our Suffering," Preaching Today, Tape No. 74. God has fulfilled all His promises to mankind in the Lord Jesus Christ. The promised Savior, the promise on Heaven, the promise of eternal life are all found in Christ. Galatians 3:22 "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." V- Touching Heaven From Earth: So how do we touch heaven? May I say that touching heaven is easy? You see that God sees all things and He is a tender compassionate God who is watching over us. There are two ways that we can touch Heaven. There are probably many you could add to this list but look with me at just three. 1- Touch it with Faith: Can we take God at His word? Certainly! Notice Mark 9:23 "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." Matthew 21:21 "Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done." About a year and a half ago, I bought a new navy blazer at Nordstrom. It was one of those cases you may have gone through where you buy an item of clothing and the more you wear it, the more you realize you don’t like it. My blazer wasn’t the right color, and to make matters worse, it attracted lint like it was going out of style. After wearing it pretty regularly for six months or so, I stuck it in my closet and didn’t wear it for a long time. Tucked away in the back of my mind all the while was that famous Nordstrom unconditional-return policy. I thought, I’ve had this thing for a year and a half. I’ve worn it lots of times, and there’s just no way they’re going to take it back. About two weeks ago I decided I had nothing to lose. I pulled the blazer out, threw a lot of lint on it to make it look bad, and took it down to Nordstrom’s men’s department. I walked in, and immediately I felt nervous. I felt like I was about to pull a scam of some sort, but I played it straight. I walked right up to the first salesman I saw and gave this little prepared speech. I said, "I am about to put your famous unconditional-return policy to its ultimate test. I have here a blazer. I’ve worn it lots. I’ve had it for a year and a half. I don’t like it. It’s the wrong color, and it attracts lint like it’s going out of style. But I want to return this blazer for another blazer that I like." Then I stood there. I couldn’t believe it. This guy with a big handlebar mustache just looked at me and shook his head. He said, "For heaven’s sake, what took you so long? Let’s go find you a blazer." Ten minutes later I walked out with another blazer that was marked seventy-five dollars more than I paid for the one that I brought in. It was perfect for me. Didn’t cost me a penny. God is like Nordstrom. God makes all sorts of outlandish promises that we cannot bring ourselves to believe. Can we? When we get up enough courage or we’re desperate enough, we finally take him at his word. He looks at us and he shakes his head. "For heaven’s sake," he says, "what took you so long?" -- Vic Pentz, "A Twinge of Nostalgia," Preaching Today, Tape No. 88. 2-Touch it with Prayer: How many times would God have given His children the riches blessing He has in heaven if they would have only asked. Matthew 7:7-11 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" Matthew 6:8 "Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." 3- Touch it with Tears: May I say sometimes we think that God doesn’t care. How many times have we felt the weight of life and cried tears of hopelessness and helplessness thinking no one noticed them. How far from the truth that is. It is a lie from the pits of hell. Beloved the tears of earth touch the heart of God in heaven. Notice a verse set during the time of bondage in Egypt. Exodus 2:23 "And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage." Jacob’s ladder gives us a picture of Christ and our provision in him. Have you trusted Him? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 63: 04.17. SHADOW: ISAAC- THE PROMISE OF A SON ======================================================================== SHADOW: Isaac- The Promise of a Son Genesis 22:1-14 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/17%20Shadow-%20Isaac%20the%20Promised%20Son.mp3 At Christmas time we are always reminded of the Son of God that was incarnate in flesh and walked among us. We are reminded of the present God gave us by the presence of His Son who dwelled among men. If you were to think about the individual in the Old Testament who is the greatest foreshadowing of Christ who would you choose? One of the greatest stories that give us a foreshadowing of Messiah is the son that was promised and born to Abraham. Isaac gives us a picture in type that is amazing and very picturesque in a lot of ways. Perhaps Isaac is one of the most complete shadows of the Lord Jesus that we have. Genesis 22:1-14 "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 3And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen." Let us look a few things that lead us up to the point in our text that make Isaac the great foreshadow he is. I- Promised Child: The promise to Abraham of a son is found recorded in Genesis 17:19-21 "And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. 21But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year." The promise was given that a year later the son of promise would be born to Abraham and Sarah his wife. You may recall Abraham when he knew of the promise of God tried to pass the lineage through his servant. Then Sarah brought Hagar to him and Ishmael was born. Neither of these was God’s plan. Finally God promised a son would be born. Look at how this pictures for us the promise of the birth of a Child. Notice two promises in the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." The fulfillment of this is found in two places in two different ways. First was the promise to Mary. Luke 1:26 ;31 "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, … 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS." Next we find a promise of seeing the Son given to Simeon who was an old man in the temple. Luke 2:26-27 "And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law." He saw the promised Child some 40 days old. This reminds us the promise of a child was to the world. II- Miracle Birth We see that both the birth of Isaac and Jesus were miraculous births. Genesis 17:17 "Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?" Abraham was 100 and Sarah 90 when Isaac was born. Both well past the age of expectation of a child. God gave them Isaac as a miracle baby. This pictures for us the miracle birth of Jesus. The reason the birth of Jesus was a miracle you will recall was that Mary was a virgin. It was physically impossible for Mary to have had a child. Remember again that Isaiah had said, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive…" Luke 1:27 "To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary." III- Replaced Law I don’t have time to develop the support that is really needed for this point. Let me simply give us a few verses and then explain them. Galatians 4:21-24 "Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar." Ishmael represents the law as we see and Isaac was the replacement for the law. Law is bondage and grace is freedom. Jesus fulfilled the law as we know. He kept it perfect. The only man who ever did. Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." IV- Both Willing Sacrifices Some think that Isaac was only a small lad when these events took place. While we cannot be sure of the age of Isaac many claim that he was at least a teenager. Remember Abraham was 100 plus the age of Isaac. Isaac could certainly have ran away. But he willingly allowed his father to place him on the altar. Genesis 22:9-10 "And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son." We might ask why was Isaac a willing sacrifice. I think a lot of it had to do with his trust in his father and wanting to do anything his father asked. Oh! what a picture of Jesus. Remember in the Garden when Jesus prayed? Matthew 26:42 "He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." John 10:14-17 "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 17Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again." V- Sacrifice in the Thicket Let me give us just one more thing about the story of Isaac that is not necessarily a picture that Isaac gives us but one that the sacrifice that was substituted for Isaac gives us. I remind us all that Jesus was the ultimate substitute for Isaac. Genesis 22:13-14 "And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen." God provided a ram for a burnt offering in the place of Isaac. Go with me now to the place of Christ crucifixion and look at the Lamb of God. Matthew 27:29 "And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!" Beloved even the Ram caught in the thicket which was the substitute for Isaac shadows the crown of thrones on the head of Christ. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 64: 04.18. SHADOW: THE PASSOVER LAMB IS SLAIN… ======================================================================== SHADOW: The Passover Lamb is Slain 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/17%20Shadow-%20Isaac%20the%20Promised%20Son.mp3 As we enter the New Year and look forward to a new start we see a word that is important within this verse about a fresh start. We are going to celebrate the life, death and sacrifice of our Lord today as we observe the Lord’s Supper. We also continue in our series of finding Christ in the Shadows. Today our foreshadowing is on the most important found anywhere in the Scriptures. The foreshadow of the Passover Lamb. The Passover Lamb that was slain. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Paul tells us to purge out the old leaven, the old habits, tendencies, sins and they will be able to celebrate the Passover spiritually instead of just a habit. We as well as we enter the New Year can greatly benefit from heeding these words. I- The Foreshadowing Lambs Slain: The story of the first Passover, set during the time of the plagues of Egypt that lead to the exodus of Israel from the land, is found in Exodus 12. They were instructed to select a lamb for each house or if the house was too small in number of people combine houses to sacrifice the lamb. Exodus 12:5-7 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. 7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. 11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. So they were to kill the lamb and put its blood on the doorpost and stay in the house that night. The death angel came and killed the entire first born in Egypt. This led to the deliverance of Israel from the Pharaoh. II- The Lamb Without Spot or Blemish: Let us notice a couple of things about the lamb. First, the lamb was without spot or blemish. This speaking of the Lord Jesus speaks loudly. Notice the following Scriptures. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. He was without spot of sin and blemish on His life. Also when we understand this it adds significance to the actions at the cross. John 19:31-33 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: We are told that this was done in order to fulfill scripture, prophetic scripture. John 19:36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. Again we find this was in part of the foreshadow of the Passover lamb. Exodus 12:46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. The Lord Jesus was the perfect sacrifice in accordance with the spotless lamb without blemish. III- The Blood Standing Between them and Judgment: What stands between us and the judgment of God? It is nothing but the blood of Christ. No God is not a revengeful or mean God. He however is a righteous God who cannot condone sin nor lightly pass over it without His holy righteousness being satisfied. This is where the lamb that night during Passover, or should I say the Lamb’s blood played such an essential role. The judgment of God was going to pass over the land of Egypt. To avoid this judgment was simple the needed to only apply the blood of the lamb to their door post and they would be safe. The only thing that stood between them and judgment was the blood of the lamb. Exodus 12:13 ...when I see the blood, I will pass over you... On the night that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper that we will observe today He said in Matthew 26:27-28 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Romans 5:8-10 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. This foreshadowing of the Lamb was God’s plan from eternity past. Notice 1 Peter 1:18-20 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. IV- Must Be Under the Blood: A certain businessman arrived at the airport 30 minutes in advance of his flight. He went to the ticket window and received his boarding pass. Next, he checked his suitcase in plenty of time to get it on the proper flight with him, then sat down with a magazine in the lobby waiting for time to board. Since this was his first chance to relax all day, he closed his eyes for what he thought would be a ten minute "cat nap." He rested his eyes right through the first, second, and final boarding calls on his flight. When he awoke, a quick glance at the clock on the wall snapped him back to reality. The flight had taken off without him. He had done everything right except one. He had not gotten on board. At the chance of being repetitive let me make on more point. The Passover lamb was to be slain and eaten that night. Thousands of lambs were slain that night and the blood applied. The instruction were clear, they were only protected if they were behind the door, within the house, where the blood was applied. Exodus 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it... 13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. It was not enough to know about the sacrifice, nor was it enough to simply kill the lamb and roast it and eat it. It was not enough to place the blood on the door and go out for the evening. The point I am making is it is not enough to simply know about Christ, the Passover Lamb, you must be within the safety He provides by His blood. The Old Testament writer Isaiah said it perfect. Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Christians do you have you eyes on Him as we run the race? Let me give on last illustration as we give the invitation. The snow covered the ground where three lads were playing. A man came along and said to them, "Would you like to try a race and the winner receive a prize?" The boys agreed and the man told them that his race was to be different. "I will go to the other side of the field," he said, "and when I give you the signal, you will start to run. The one whose footsteps are the straightest in the snow will be the winner." The race commenced and the first boy kept looking at his feet to see if his steps were straight. The second lad kept looking at his companions to see what they were doing; but the third boy just ran on with his eyes steadfastly fixed on the man on the other side of the field. The third lad was the winner, for his footsteps were straight in the snow. He had kept his eyes on the goal ahead of him. So are you dwelling under the blood of the Lamb, dwelling in safety? Or, perhaps you simply know about the blood but have never accepted it for safety of your soul. Will you do that today? Christ the Passover Lamb is sacrifices for us... ======================================================================== CHAPTER 65: 04.19. SHADOW: CORNERSTONE- FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE ======================================================================== SHADOW: The Chief Cornerstone - Foundation for the Future Ephesians 2:19-22 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/18%20Shadow-Chief%20Cornerstone.mp3 We are a few days into the New Year. Most resolutions have been broken or at least bent by this time. The future if you listen to the talking heads on the TV is bleak and the very foundation of our economy is shaken, and we all know "it’s the economy stupid" as James Carvel said. But what about the future for the Christian? Should we be so soon shaken? Should we throw up our hands and declare that all is hopeless? What is the foundation on which we can stand. I have told Dakota Hill many times as he has faced things in life to simply say, "I’m standing on the Rock and the Rock won’t roll." Today we are going to see the foundation for the future, the immediate future as well as long term. Today we look at the Shadow of the Chief Cornerstone, the foundation for the future. When builders build anything, the most important thing is the foundation on which the building will rest. If the foundation is faulty then the building will not stand over time. Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. I- The Chief Cornerstone As we begin our look at the Chief Cornerstone we must first begin with the rejected stone. Psalms 118:22-23 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. 23 This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. The stone here certainly is the Lord Jesus and the Jews are the builders that rejected the stone. They refused to accept Him and cast Him aside but God made Him the Chief Cornerstone. The cornerstone in ancient time was the stone on which all of the foundation would be tied to and laid upon. It literally gave support to the entire building. There were at least four cornerstones in most buildings but notice that the foreshadowing further defined as being "Chief" Cornerstone. The beginning of the foundation. There is not doubt that Jesus is this Chief Cornerstone. Peter preaching to the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:10-11 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Others see this Chief Cornerstone as being the capstone that finished off the top of the wall. This stone linked the entire wall together at the top. Deduction from this we see that Jesus is literally pictured for us as the beginning and the end, the Bibles says, "the Alpha and Omega." He is the Beginning of Creation as Creator. He is the head of the church. He is the one on which all of our faith rests as well as the one exalted above all others. He is the one who is the foundation of our hope for eternity by faith in Him. Peter when on to say in Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. We need not worry about the future if our foundation is the Lord Jesus. We are told that there is no other foundation that is sure and that our foundation should be Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. Our text says in Ephesians 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. It is upon the foundation of Christ that the church stands together in Christ. I remind us that we, not the building are the church. Our spiritual building is anchored and foundational in Christ. II- Old Testament Foundation: I called this second point Old Testament Foundation without any intent of a pun. The foundation, the base the groundwork for Christ being the Chief Cornerstone is found in the Old Testament. Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Isaiah 28:16 is quoted two different times in the New Testament. 1 Peter 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. The Old Testament foretold or foreshadowed the one who would come and told us that faith was the key to resting on the foundation. When the Old Testament temple foundation was laid for the second temple, remember Solomon’s had been destroyed they celebrated. Ezra 3:10-11 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. 11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. Now allow me to make an important observation. We need to celebrate and not sit on our hands when the Chief Cornerstone is laid as a foundation of someone’s life. We need to celebrate when someone comes to Christ. The celebration here was for the foundation of the temple being laid. When someone accepts Christ, they become the temple of God. III- The Stumbling Stone: The second place that Isaiah 28:16 is quoted is in Romans 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Isaiah also spoke of the stumbling stone in Isaiah 8:14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Oh, yes we know that the world has rejected Christ and Him being the one sure foundation of life as true but that does not diminish the truthfulness of it. It’s kind of like the little boy building castles in the sand. On the East Coast there was a boy who spent many Summer hours on the shore working on intricate sand castles; whole cities would appear beneath his hands. One year, for several days in a row, he was bothered by bullies who smashed his creations. Finally he tried an experiment: he placed cinder blocks, rocks, and chunks of concrete in the base of his castles. Then he built his sand kingdoms on top of the rocks. When the local toughs appeared, he disappeared and watched from behind a sand dune as they swung their bare feet at his creations. You should have heard those bullies howl in pain. But from then on, because of the foundation, his sand castles were safe from those bullies. Many people see the church in grave peril from a variety of dangers: secular humanism, worldliness, heresy, or plain old sin. They decry her condition and worry about her state. But they forget that the church is built upon a rock, a secure foundation - and that Rock is Christ . Therefore, not even the gates of hell can prevail against her. Christ is going to stand when all are done kicking the sand castles down. As a matter of fact this Stone is going to crush all the other kingdoms of the world. Jesus said in Luke 20:18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. This is a prophetic statement as we see from Daniel. Nebuchanezzar the King of Babylon had a dream of a giant statue. Daniel 2:32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. ....35 and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. The stone that the builders rejects has indeed become the Chief Cornerstone. The one who will ultimately rule over all the kingdoms of men. To reject the Cornerstone is to resist any future building upon it. Beloved we must be certain that we are building on Him and not on us. We must be certain we do things within His power and not our own. We must build on Him and not us. To reject the Cornerstone is to reject the only foundation for salvation given by God. To reject the Cornerstone to reject the foundation for the future. Have you placed your trust for the future on the rock, are you standing on the Rock that won’t role? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 66: 04.20. SHADOW: THE SERPENT LIFTED UP- MOVING PAST TH ======================================================================== SHADOW: The Serpent Lifted Up- Moving Past the Past Numbers 21:9 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/19%20Shadow-Serpent%20Lifted%20Up.mp3 I knew about and accepted the risk of the potential that some will misunderstand the title of this message. In fact if truth be known I hoped the title would be misunderstood for the dramatic impact. Most of the time when we talk about the serpent in scriptures we are making an illusion to Satan. But now that you might suspect that this is not what today’s sermon is about. I- Casting The Shadow: The story today that gives us our shadow is found in a very small portion of the Bible. It is spoken of in a matter of fact and frank way. The entire unfolding of the event is from in only five verses, Numbers 21:5-9 "And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." Our focus verse is the last one. This serpent that was lifted up is without a doubt a foreshadow of the Lord Jesus. We go into the New Testament and see it clearly is identified as one. John 3:14-15 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." Wow! This clearly shows that the serpent on the stick being lifted up had pictured the lifting up of Jesus on the cross. We also see addition comments that are important concerning this although the serpent being lifted up is not mentioned in John 12:32 "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." II- Other Shadow Lurking: I chose to title this "Other shadow lurking" or we could say "Type within Types." Within this section of Scripture we have another type that pictures for us sin. The serpents that bit the Israelites. These serpents with their poisonous fangs inflicted wounds and caused misery. They could not be charmed nor escaped from. They bit and the people died. This pictures the destruction of sin in the life of others. The people cried out and the remedy was given to Moses. Make a serpent and put it on the stick and all who look will live. The thing pictured by the serpent on the stick (Christ) gave the solution to the thing pictured by the serpent (sin). What if someone refused to look, they died. III- The Picture of the Shadow: With the fact established that the serpent lifted up in the wilderness is clearly a type of Christ let us look now at the lessons we need to learn from it. Before we go any farther let us establish a couple of critical facts. 1- Shadow is never to be object of worship- We find there came a time in the life of Israel that they began to worship the serpent. During the time of Hezekiah’s reign we find recorded an event that reminds us that the cross is not object of worship no more than the serpent was. 2 Kings 18:4 "He (Hezekiah) removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan." (nekh-oosh-tawn’) The Ten Commandments clearly teach us that there should be no other gods before our God. Exodus 20:3-4 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." 2- There is no Drawing Power spoken of by the serpent but it is about Christ. We are not told that the serpent had a magnetism that drew people to it. But Christ certainly has. John 12:32 "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." IV- Remedy of the Shadow There are several things that the shadow of the serpent lifted up tells us about Jesus, or perhaps we should say that Jesus tells us about the shadow. 1- Only Remedy- It is not without major significance that the only cure for the venom of the serpent was to look at the brazen serpent on the stick. There was not other way to bargain with God in order that those bitten could be cured. They were not told to make their own serpents, even of brass, and that would be sufficient. My, what a picture. Christ and Christ alone is the remedy for the sins of men. Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." 2- God Provided Remedy- We saw before in another shadow that God provided the first sacrifice for sin when He killed the animal and used the skins for a covering for Adam and Eve. In the days of Moses we see that God provided the remedy for the serpent bites. Did you notice that no one helped Moses make the serpent. Moses did not invite the people to bring their brass and other things to make it. God provided the remedy without any help from the people. May I say that God provided the remedy for sin and does not need any help from men. Man need not do anything but accept what God provides. Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast." No man today can boast and say I did such and such and therefore I am accepted by God apart from placing his faith in Christ. God provided the remedy, the only remedy. 3- Infallible Remedy- Imagine if you would another scenario. Moses had the serpent on the pole and a few people who looked were healed but many others were not. Many were healed but if they fell asleep or closed their eyes the healing stopped and they began to die again. There was no such event that occurred. Why? The look at the serpent was infallible. It worked every time without fail and it did the work of healing completely. You did not have to come back again and again. God has provided an infallible remedy for the sins of men. Men do not have to go back and get resaved over and over. They need only look and live. Remember John 3:14-15 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 17:12 "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." The Apostle Paul gave a great testimony at the end of his life that shows the infallible remedy in Christ that has never failed nor will ever failed. 2 Timothy 1:12 "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." Titus 1:2 "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." The infallible remedy is bound up in the fact that we have an infallible God. 4- Remedy offered to all- 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Just as the remedy was offered to all who would look at the serpent and live the remedy is offered to all who would look at Christ and live. God is not willing that any perish. He wants all to be saved. He in fact sent the remedy for all. I wish to quote from a man who was originally published in 1888 called Tiles and Symbols of Christ by James Large. I think this quote sums up for us a great truth about humanity. "All mankind are ruined by sin. This fatal poison has spread itself through their whole nature and corrupted all its streams. It has not the same effects in all. Some are excited by it, and evil passions and deeds of violence are the modes in which it displays its malignity. Some are filled with anguish, by which their lives are made bitter unto them. Others are lulled to sleep and cannot be awakened, or persuaded that there is anything the matter with them. Nevertheless, all are badly, fatally wounded, and from the sole of the foot to the head there is no soundness, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores." (p 78) Romans 3:23 simply says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." The great thing is that the remedy is offered to all. The great Physician stands willing ready and able to cure the sin sickness if we will only come to Him. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 67: 04.21. SHADOW: IN CHRIST- THE SHADOW OF THE ARK ======================================================================== SHADOW: In Christ- The Shadow of the Ark Genesis 6:5-8 ; Genesis 6:11-14; Genesis 7:21-23 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/20%20Shadow-In%20Christ-%20Ark.mp3 Many times today we use the phrase "into" something or someone as an indicator of someone’s interest or obsessions. "He’s into sports, or football, or music or girls" is often used. In many parts of the country that is tornado prone they have storm shelters. One would be foolish to stand outside of one while a tornado roared past. There is no safety in being close to the shelter but safety is being in the shelter. If someone was in the ocean, their boat sank and a life raft was available and they said, "I’ll be safe because I am close to the boat" we would think them crazy because there would be safety only in the boat. Our text today is found in the context of the great flood of judgment God sent upon the earth. Notice we me some selected verses. Genesis 6:5-8 "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Genesis 6:11-14 "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. Genesis 7:21-23 "And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: 22All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. 23And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark." Only those creatures and people who were inside the ark were safe. We can discern many great things from the ark that makes it a type of Christ. I- World Stood Condemned By Sin: We clearly see from these verses that the world stood condemned by sin. Genesis 6:5,11 -12. John 3:18 "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." The world today stands condemned by sin. Listen tot he way one of the great preachers of the past AW Tozer said it. Sin has many manifestations but its essence is one. A moral being, created to worship before the throne of God, sits on the throne of his own selfhood and from that elevated position declares, "I AM." That is sin in its concentrated essence; yet because it is natural it appears to be good. "What shall we do?" (Acts 2:37 ) is the deep heart cry of every man who suddenly realizes that he is a usurper and sits on a stolen throne. -- A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy. Christianity Today, Vol. 41, no. 5. II- God Had A Plan: The world was under condemnation and would be destroyed. However we see that God had a plan to preserve creation. Genesis 6:14 "make an ark." God’s greatest plan was yet to come. God had a plan to redeem the world by Christ. 1 Peter 1:17-21 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." Listen to the words of CH Spurgeon concerning Christ. The heart of Christ became like a reservoir in the midst of the mountains. All the tributary streams of iniquity, and every drop of the sins of his people, ran down and gathered into one vast lake, deep as hell and shoreless as eternity. All these met, as it were, in Christ’s heart, and he endured them all. -- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Christian History, no. 29. God had a plan, the plan was a man, a man who was God in the flesh. The same God that gave us a picture of Christ in the Ark of Noah also planned for the salvation of men. Notice what it says in Romans 8:1-2 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:33-34 "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." III- God Was Longsuffering: God saw the sin of men and "…it grieved him at his heart." God was going to destroy all of creation but it says, Noah found grace. 1 Peter 3:20 "…when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." God waited for years as the ark was being built. Some think it took as long as 120 years for the ark to be prepared. All the while Noah preached repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." The ark shows us the longsuffering of God toward men. Christ is a patient Savior. IV- Things Not Yet Seen Were Manifest: Many scoffers today ridicule the plan of God. They say we have not seen it come to pass and therefore it must not be going to do so. Notice what it says in Hebrews 11:7 "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." Because men have not seen the flood in our day, they claim it never was. Beloved God manifest things not seen before in the flood. Judgment, rain and destruction, His wrath has not been seen since the flood but it is coming. We have a saying that seeing is believing. This is not true for believers. May I say that believing is seeing? It says by faith Noah. V- Safety Inside Only: You may have wondered why the title was "In Christ- The Shadow of the Ark." We get to this now. There was safety only on the inside of the ark. All on the outside perished as we read in Genesis 7:21-23 . This gives us a marvelous shadow of Christ. "In Christ," was one of the Apostle Paul’s favorite terms. It is found 77 times in the NT of which 74 were used by Paul. Notice a few verses with me about being in Christ. Romans 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. We have assurance if we are in Christ that nothing can separate us from Him. We are in fact new creations in Christ. In Christ we will be translated into the very presence of God. "An ark is a vessel that carries or contains something. The ark that is Christ contains our hope and our salvation. An ark carries its contents to a destination, just as Christ carries us through life and on to eternal life. That ark provided safety for Noah just as Christ provides safety for us." (from internet-source unsure) ======================================================================== CHAPTER 68: 04.22. SHADOW: JONAH- DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTIO ======================================================================== SHADOW: Jonah- Death, Burial and Resurrection Matthew 12:38-41 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/21%20Shadow-Jonah.mp3 The Old Testament spoke very infrequently of the resurrection from the dead. This might surprise you but the word resurrection is NOT found in the OT KJV. Yes, we have a couple of instances of a resurrection with the child that Elijah raised (1 Kings 17:17-24 ), and the young man that was thrown on Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:21 ) that was raised from the dead and chased his friends that threw him in the cave. Job also declare strongly his belief in the resurrection in Job 19:25-26 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. We also know that Daniel taught of the resurrection (Daniel 12:2-3 ;Daniel 12:13) and the psalmist spoke of it. Still the teachings of the resurrection was not fleshed out the way that it would be with the coming of the Lord Jesus. For proof of this we need not look any farther than Matthew 22:23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him... They were attempting to trip Jesus up by asking who’s wife the woman would be who had married seven brothers. Our foreshadow today is one that is about as clear as any in the Bible. Lets look at the words of Jesus that clearly link Jonah as a type of Christ. Matthew 12:38-42 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. I- Sign of Jonah: The setting of the text is that Jesus had just healed a man who was possessed, blind, and unable to speak. Because of this, He was accused by the Pharisees of doing it by the power of the devil. He then calls them a generation of vipers or snakes. Jesus tells them that they would not be given a sign except the sign of Jonah. Luke 11:30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. So, we need to ask just what was the sign of Jonah. Most of us are familiar with the story of Jonah and the whale, as it is often called. So lets dig right in and see what God has for us today. Let me read us a few excerpts of the story from the book of Jonah. Jonah 1:1-3 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. God sends a great storm that threatened to wreck the ship and kill all on board. Jonah is identified by God as being the cause of the problem. Jonah 1:15-17 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows. 17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, Jonah 2:10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. This will suffice for what we need to look at now. From this I wish us to notice three things. Death, as symbolized by Jonah being cast into the sea and going to the bottom. Second, burial by the obvious picture of the grave at the bottom of the sea. And last, resurrection with him being deposited from the water grave and death back on the shore. This is a clear type of the death burial and resurrection of Christ. II- Death: I have thought about this a lot in the last few days. You might ask how can Jonah be a type of death when he did not die. Well, may I make a suggestion that has been playing in my heart with a question? When someone died does this mean they cease to exist. Well the obvious answer is no. We know that the part of man that is like God is that man is an eternal being. We all will live on past this life either in heaven or hell. I think we all can agree on this. Next would you agree that when Jonah went to the bottom of the sea he ceased to live on the earth and in fact pictures for us death in that he was no long alive in the realm where the sailors were on the ship. There are some that teach that Jesus never died, that He only passed out. May I say that Jesus died in the physical realm as dead as anyone who has been dead for a hundred years. Still Jesus lived on in the spiritual realm because we all have understood that the soul never dies. Notice with me a couple of verses that almost all Bible scholars interpret as meaning that during the time Jesus body lay in the grave that He went to hades or hell. Ephesians 4:8-9 HCSB For it says: When He ascended on high, He took prisoners into captivity; He gave gifts to people. 9 But what does "He ascended" mean except that He descended to the lower parts of the earth? So just as Jonah was alive while dead to earth Christ also was. Matthew 27:45-50 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. Jesus is dead... III- Burial: Jonah 1:15-17 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea... The way it would be said in the pirate movies is they made him walk the plank. They knew that they were giving him a water burial when the cast him over. Notice with me Jonah 2:5-7 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. 7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. He went to the bottom of the ocean. Seaweed wrapped around his head and he fell to the bottom where human life is impossible to sustain in this setting. He was buried. Remember, after Jesus died, the burial He received. Matthew 27:57-60 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: 58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. The body of Jesus was deposited into the earth as the body of Jonah was deposited into the water. He was place in the tomb like the foreshadow of Jonah foretold. IV- Resurrection: Jonah did some might big repenting and praying from the bottom of the grave would you not say. Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly... Well after a period of time, that I submit to you was planned by God as a picture of Christ, Jonah is brought back to the land of the living. Jonah 2:10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. I remember a few times that I have been outside the US and felt like kissing the ground when I returned. Also, a few deep sea fishing expeditions that made you glad to have dirt under you feet. I bet Jonah was glad to be first alive, second to be out of his hotel accommodations for the last few days. He was given new life again. Now this certainly pictures for us the resurrection of Christ. Remember Jesus said, Matt 12: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 28:1-7 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead... Beloved Jesus rose the third day. He’s alive, He’s alive. V- The Gospel Picture: This great story of the prophet of God and his journey from death to life pictures for us the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. I submit that this is a glorious picture of the gospel. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: Have you received the One as Savior that said concerning Himself in Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 69: 04.23. FINDING CHRIST IN THE SHADOWS, THE SHADOWS OF ======================================================================== Finding Christ in the Shadows, the Shadows of Life Hebrews 4:13-16 AUDIO http://www.exposingtheword.com/SHADOWS/MP3s%20Shadows/23%20Shadow-Shadows%20of%20Life.mp3 On our journey through the series Finding Christ in the Shadows we have seen a multitude of pictures that foretold of the coming Messiah. We have explored characters such as Adam as a type of Christ along with Samson, Joseph, Isaac, Jacob and Jonah. We saw animals that cast a shadow such as the scapegoat, the red heifer, the Passover lamb and the serpent lifted up. Along the way we explored the feast of Israel, manna as the bread of life, the vail of the temple that was rent, along with the rock of God’s provision for water and the cornerstone. This has been a list that has varied in many ways but that all spoke of the coming one, the Messiah. I know this has not exhausted the subject of the shadows of Christ in the Old Testament and many will be left unexplored. I trust that as you study the Word of God in your personal time, Sunday School or wherever in the future you will be more conscious of and identify a foreshadow as you come across them. After all, we have seen I wanted to close the series with a different type of sermon. One that will not have an object, person nor an animal as a foreshadow. I want us to look at what the title suggest for us, finding this one Who is revealed and in fact is the object of the total revelation of God, in those shadows we all encounter in life. I have chosen for our text Hebrews 4:13-16 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. I- Nothing Escapes His Eyes: Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. One of the attributes of God is that He is all seeing. Nothing escapes the glaze of the Master. Many times when Jesus walked on earth He would tells events that He had not seen but was still aware of to someone. One such was the calling of Nathanael. John 1:47-49 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. 49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. We see that the heartaches of life do not escape the ears of God. Notice when Isael cried from Egypt in Exodus 3:9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. May I suggest that the ear of God is especially attentive when there is danger or trouble? As it says in Hebrews 4:16 c...in time of need. Once a great king visited a town to lay the foundation stone of a new hospital. Thousands of school children greeted him and sang for him. Soon after the king passed a group of children, a teacher saw a little girl crying. She asked, "Why are you crying? Did you not see the king?" The little girl sobbed out, "Yes, teacher, but the king did not see me." Beloved we need fear not that Christ does not see into the darkness and the shadows. The Psalmist said in Psalms 139:11-12 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. II- He is our High Priest in Heaven: We send our ambassadors to represent our nations interest in the capitals of foreign lands. Many times they deliver a message to the president, king or head of state from our president. However, their access is limited. Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. The thing that gives us hope is that our High Priest is in constant contact with the Father. He sits on the right hand of God. Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. He need not get an appointment, need not fear of being misinterpreted nor misunderstood. He is our High Priest in Heaven. III- He Experienced Life’s Heartaches: Plato was right when he said that no one has a right to become a doctor who has always been healthy. Well beloved we know that Christ certainly qualifies to be our help in trouble and the shadows of life because He suffered and experienced life in the darkest hours. Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. What if a friend has betrayed you, Judas betrayed Christ. What is someone you counted on was found to not be dependable, remember Peter betrayed Christ. What is others just do not understand you, well certainly Christ was misunderstood. What if you are being unjustly accused, do I really need to remind us that Christ was innocent. He experience hunger, thirst, abandonment and all things in life. He did not even have a place to lay His head, in that sense he was homeless. He experience life’s heartaches and therefore I submit we can find Him in our shadows. IV- We Can Come Boldly: Hebrews 4:16 a Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace... " Because we have been given permission to enter, permission to come boldly. Come with confidence that we will have an audience with the King. I read a story of a man hanging a pictures that illustrates for us why we can come boldly. It is because our hope, our foundation and faith is on solid ground in Christ Jesus. A short man wanted to drive a nail in a wall to carry a big picture. He stood on a chair, but it was not high enough. His wife set out a small box and, balancing himself precariously, he began to give the nail hesitating taps with the hammer. His wife said, "Why don’t you give a brave blow or two, and settle it?" He replied, "How can a man give a brave blow or two when he is standing on a foundation like this?" That settles the question of certainty or uncertainty. It depends upon the foundation upon which the person is standing. The Hebrew prophets never sounded a note of uncertainty, for God Almighty was their Foundation, and they knew that He stood behind their "Thus saith the Lord." Beloved we can step back and swing because our foundation is sure if it is anchored in Christ. V- We will find grace and mercy: Hebrews 4:16 b...unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace... When we are in the dark times we have seen Christ is there. What can we hope will be provided. Well most of us would want relief. Like Jerry Clower said, shoot up here among us one of us gotta have some relief. However we see that it is often not the case that relief is given but strength to make it through. We can expect to find mercy and grace. Remember Paul prayed for relief from his thorn in the flesh. Notice the reply from God. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Beloved we can be certain of one thing, Christ walks with us in the shadows of life. The one who experienced heartache is the one who is the protection in the storm. He may not deliver us but will give strength, mercy and grace to endure. Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Beloved be looking in the shadows, the shadows of life because in them you will find Christ shining brightly. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 70: 05.00. HEROES OF THE FAITH ======================================================================== Heroes of the Faith by Dr. Edgar Pierce www.exposingtheword.com Heroes of the Faith is a series of 12 messages that looks at biblical heroes that we can look up to and learn from. These 12 heroes are found in both the Old and New Testaments. My prayer is that they will bless the body of Christ around the world and help us to walk straighter and taller in the faith. May we all seek to be heroes to the next generation of believers as these heroes of the past inspire us. Edgar ======================================================================== CHAPTER 71: 05.01. LOOKING FOR A HERO- JOSEPH ======================================================================== Looking for a Hero Genesis 39:1-14 Years ago the song asked, "Where have all the hero’s gone?" Today we might ask the same thing. Who are our heroes today? Who do we model our lives after? Who do we want to be like? In the innocent era of the past our heroes were our parents, the local pastor, the business man down the street who was honest and dependable. TV shows that depict this time are still greatly popular. The Walton’s give us this picture. Andy Griffith also pictures for us this bygone era. Now it seems it is not fashionable for our parents to be our heroes, after all they are only our parents. Today it seems our heroes are people who live on the edge of society. Sports stars who live a lavious and loose lifestyle. We have seen many of these heroes fall or have we. Many times the thing that would have caused them to fall from hero status only enhances their standing with many. Rappers are involved in killings and their stock goes up. Go to the music stores and look at album covers and you will see some scary stuff. Years ago in one of the churches I pastored a girl told me Janet Jackson was here hero. At the time Janet’s new CD cover showed her unclothed. We all know about the so called wardrobe malfunction at the super bowl. She is not quite a biblical hero. So who should be our heroes? Is there anyone in the scriptures who we could look at and say he or she gives us a good example of what a hero should act like? We could choose many people from the Word of God. Certainly we should look to the Lord Jesus as a hero among many other things. Certainly we could look at men like David who after he was involved in a wrong repented. Or Moses or Abraham and many others could give us a picture of a hero. One of the things we notice is that God told the bad stuff on His friends. Still I have chosen for this look at heroes a man who stands out for his character and decision making. Joseph stands out as a hero and a shining example of godliness. Perfect? Certainly not, everyone has sin, a hero, yes because of his reaction to sin. The way he reacted when given the chose of sin’s pleasure and God’s will. The way he handled temptation. The way we react to sin and temptation to sin is the makings of a hero! I- Looking at Temptation: May I quickly state that temptation is not sin. We know that temptation is not sin because Christ was tempted to sin and yet was without sin. It is our reaction to temptation that causes it to become sin. Webster defines sin as, "Inducement to do evil, opportunity to sin." What is the source of temptation and sin? Notice what the Bible says in James 1:13-15 "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Please notice that temptation is only the opportunity to choose right or wrong. We know that if we choose sin it is only pleasurable for a short time. Hebrews 11:24-25 "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." II- Looking At a Hero: As we look at Joseph, the hero lets look at several important things related to him and his life. Let us learn lessons of a hero. 1- Walk prior to temptation is important. Genesis 39:1-5 A consistent walk is important. Joseph walked with God prior to him being tempted. Genesis 39:5 says, "And it came to pass from the time [that] he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field." God blessed those people around Joseph because of his godly walk. Our walk with God is the foundation of our moral decisions. It should not surprise anyone when we do what is right. 2-. The World’s Kind of Hero. Genesis 39:6-7 Potiphar’s wife is the world’s kind of hero. We see temptation running its course. Remember what James said about the course of temptation. Potiphar’s wife ran the course of events. Joseph was a handsome man. She tried to induce and seduce him to lie with her. The world holds this type of action up now as heroic. 3- God’s Kind of Hero. Genesis 39:8-9 Notice with me the resistance of Joseph to the temptation. May I say this certainly makes him God’s kind of hero. Young men it is as much your responsibility what happens when you and your girlfriend are out as hers. We see the world blame their actions on everyone but themselves. Joseph took a stand for what was right and told her. Don’t be afraid to stand for what is right. Joseph realized that his sin would hurt others not just himself. We see in Genesis 39:8 that his master had given all to his charge. Joseph realized that all sin is against God. Genesis 39:9 Joseph realized that he had responsibility of good leadership and influence. III- Sin Keeps Coming at Us: Genesis 39:10-11 Potiphar’s wife tried "day by day." We must constantly keep our guard up against sin. It only takes a moment of let down for sin to happen. We see that in Genesis 39:11 where the opportunity to sin was especially strong for Joseph. Sometimes duty puts us in the path of sin. Notice 1 Peter 5:8-9 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." IV- Running Away is not just for Cowards: Genesis 39:12 A hero must be ready to flee. Joseph fled and left the temptation behind him. 1 Corinthians 10:13-14 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]. 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry." Don’t worry what the world will say or think. Be right with God and it will take care of itself. Look for a way of escape and use. It take a better and greater person to resist sin than to give in to sin. Sinning is easy, fleeing is difficult. V- Call to be a Hero: Genesis 39:13-14 Joseph ended up in prison from these events. The world will probably make you out to be a villain and accuse you and not understand. They may persecute you and make fun of you for your decision to follow God. Stay true to God and God will use you in a special way. He will make you a hero. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 72: 05.02. FAILURE DOESN'T MEAN FOREVER- DAVID ======================================================================== Failure Doesn’t Mean Forever- David 2 Samuel 12:1-13 Last time we looked a hero that the Bible had nothing bad to say about. We know that Joseph was not perfect because all have sinned. Today we come to another man who is known as the greatest king that Israel ever had. All others are compared to King David. You know the story of this hero. He was anointed to be king at a very young age, probably around 16. (1 Samuel 16:13 ) It would be many years before this promise given in the anointing would come to pass. I- The Opinion that Matters Most: We have a thing that has been identified as "peer pressure." It is the pressure placed on us to act a certain way to be accepted. Peer pressure can be good or bad depending on the ones who are doing the pressuring. We make the mistake of thinking it only happens to our children in school. May I say adults succumb to peer pressure as often. We what people to think good of us. We want to be like, accepted, appreciated and thusly others opinion of us matters. We are going to look today at the failure of David. However, I want us all to notice what the opinion of the one that matters most was of David. Saul is being told that his kingdom will not continue after him. 1 Samuel 13:14 "But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee." This man after God’s own heart was our hero today, David. Shortly this man would go before the giant Goliath and slay him. This took a great deal of faith on the part of this shepherd boy. Notice what his statement was as he prepared to go to battle. 1 Samuel 17:37 "David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee." II- Failure: David would become a fugitive from Saul after he killed Goliath. Saul became jealous and tried to kill David and then as David and his men fled he attempted to hunt him down with his army. On two different occasions David could have killed Saul but would not. We can tell a lot about people by the way they treat their enemies. There is a story told out of our nations past and about one of our greatest presidential heroes, Abraham Lincoln. One of President Abraham Lincoln’s associates scolded him rather severely for being soft on his enemies. "Why do you insist on trying to make friends of them?" he chided. "You should be trying to destroy them." To which Lincoln replied gently, "Am I not destroying my enemies when I make them my friends?" In speaking of those who were his enemies during the Civil War, Lincoln is reported to have said, "Insane as it may seem, I hold malice toward none of them. I have neither the time nor the energy in this life to hold that kind of resentment." Still as great as David was he had his failures. We have the failure with Bathsheba recorded for us in 2 Samuel 11:1-27. We will address this only by acknowledging that David was not perfect. But it was the events that took place afterward that give rise to this sermon’s main thought. We might ask does failure mean that we are forever removed from being a hero. May I simply say no? We now come to our text found in 2 Samuel 12:1-13 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: 3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. 4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. 5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: 6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. 7 And Nathan said to 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; 8 And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 11 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 this sun. 12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. 13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." After the failure of David the prophet Nathan comes to visit him and tells him in a parable about his failures. His story of a man who had only one lamb that the neighbor stole and killed made David mad. He then is confronted with the fact of his sin. III- Restoration of the Hero: What if David had reacted differently? He could have had the prophet killed, it was within his power. After all we know that David had already had Uriah killed. What if he had only faked the repentance and later had the prophet assassinated? We might ask District Judge Phillip Killien of Seattle about this. Recently, a young man appeared before Judge Killien on charges of car theft. The judge saw no reason to keep him locked up while he awaited court action. He released him on his own recognizance. A short time later, Killien’s own car disappeared. Police quickly found the stolen car, and the one who stole it. Then, Judge Killien was in court in a new role, not as a judge, but as a witness, against the same young man he had released, who stood accused of stealing the magistrate’s wheels. The thing that made David’s a great man was when he was confronted with his sin he repented. We see here the restoration of the hero. Please notice the words of David about whom he had sinned against. "13And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD." But wait, he had taken advantage of Bathsheba by calling her in as king so she could not refuse his advances. He had killed her husband. But David understood that he had ultimately sinned against God. IV- The Keepers of Forgiveness: What if God never forgave anyone of anything. What a mess we would be in would you not say. The forgiveness of God is illustrated many ways around us. Let me illustrate it for us. One day when Stan Mooneyham was walking along a trail in East Africa with some friends, he became aware of a delightful odor that filled the air. He looked up in the trees and around at the bushes in an effort to discover where it was coming from. Then his friends told him to look down at the small blue flower growing along the path. Each time they crushed the tiny blossoms under their feet, more of its sweet perfume was released into the air. Then his friends said, "We call it the forgiveness flower." This forgiveness flower does not wait until we ask forgiveness for crushing it. It does not release its fragrance in measured doses or hold us to a reciprocal arrangement. It does not ask for an apology; it merely lives up to its name and forgives-freely, fully, richly. What a touching example of outrageous forgiveness! My my! What a great illustration of God’s forgiveness being offered on the cross. Remember Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The keeper of forgiveness is also the provider of the way of forgiveness. He only waits for us to come to Him in repentance. You have seen a cloud drifting across the pure blue of the sky, and as you watch it, it breaks up and disappears forever. You will never see that cloud again. So God deals with your sins. You believe in His Son as your Lord and Savior. Then He blots out your transgressions just as He sweeps the cloud from your sight forever. The Bible abounds in these assurances of utter removal of the penalty of sin from the child of God. But what about us? Do we give forgiveness and forget it like God does? Do we bury the hatched and leave the handle stick out as the old saying goes. Do we ever allow someone who is fallen to again gain hero status? May I quickly say again in God’s eyes the restoration comes after repentance. I read a story about a family that hits close to home for many families. The Berry Spoon "I’ll never forgive him. I told him I would never forgive him." The attractive elderly lady spoke softly, but with resolve, to the night nurse. Her expression was troubled as she turned away, focusing her eyes on the drape closing in her nursing home bed. The conversation had traveled from the temporal to the eternal and now a deep hurt had surfaced. She told of how her brother had approached her hospital bed, accusing her of taking more than her share of family heirlooms following their mother’s death. He spoke of various items, ending with "the berry spoon." He said, "I want the berry spoon." For the 40 years since the parent’s death he had hidden his feelings, and now they erupted. She was both hurt and angered by his accusation and vowed never to forgive him. "It’s my spoon. It was given to me," she defended herself. "He’s wrong and I won’t forgive him." A berry spoon. In the bed lay a woman given two months to live-60 days-and she would face eternity and never see her brother again in this life. Her mind and spirit were in anguish, and her only remaining family tie was broken over a spoon. How many berry spoons are there in our lives? How many things, as insignificant as a spoon, in light of eternity, separate us from full communion with God? How much lack of forgiveness keeps us from fellowship with others? "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" Matthew 6:14-15 . Some things are best forgotten. May I be so bold to say that for us to be a hero in action we must at times move past hurts. Following the Civil War, Robert E. Lee was visiting in Kentucky where one lady showed him the remains of what had been an enormous, old tree. This tree stood directly in front of her house. She bitterly cried to General Lee of how its limbs and trunk had been shattered by Federal artillery fire. Having poured out her anguish she looked to the old soldier for a condemnation of the North. Following a brief silence, Lee responded, "Cut it down, my dear madam, and forget it." Clara Barton, Red Cross founder, was asked if she remembered an especially cruel thing done to her years before. When she seemed not to recall it, a friend asked, "Don’t you remember?" "No," said Miss Barton, "I distinctly remember forgetting it." David, the restored hero, found that failure does not mean forever. Maybe it is time we move on into the future with a compassion for those who beat themselves us after failures. Maybe it is time we act like heroes toward those fallen ones. If you want to show someone how spiritual you are don’t do it by criticizing but by helping as it says in Galatians 6:1 "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 73: 05.03. BEING READY FOR GOD TO USE- DANIEL ======================================================================== Being Ready for God to Use- Daniel Daniel 1:3-6 We have looked at Joseph and David in our Heroes of the Faith series. Today we are faced with a man who certainly is well known in the Bible. I think the lesson God would have us to learn from this hero today will be how to be ready for God to use us to accomplish His will. We will see with our hero today that he could have had a multitude of excuses for not being of any value to the kingdom but he left us with an example of how to be ready for God to use us regardless of background or circumstances. I- Start Right Daniel was in the will of God before he went into captivity Daniel 1:3-6 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; 4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. 6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Before you can arrive at the right destination you have to go the right way not the wrong way. We must begin our relationship with God at the cross. We must keep our relationship with God through Christ grace. Daniel had a strong faith when the events of Daniel begin the narrative of his life. He started right. II- Be Determined to Follow God’s Word Daniel was in the will of God before he asked for special favor Daniel 1:12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. C. S. Johnson shares this family lesson: "My son, Michael, was four years old the night I found him sobbing uncontrollably in the hallway. Concerned, I knelt next to him and drew him close. "’What’s the matter, sweetheart? Are you hurt?’He shook his head and turned to me, but I was unprepared for his response. "’Daddy said a bad word to me!’he sobbed. I almost laughed out loud. I had known my husband 12 years and had rarely heard him raise his voice. But Michael had heard him say something, and I was curious enough to want to know what it was. "’Honey, what bad word did Daddy say?’And seeing a chance for sympathy, my sensitive four-year-old stopped crying and blurted out-’Obey!’ "I never think of that incident now without asking my Heavenly Father to keep me from believing, as my son did, that ’obey’is a bad word." Daniel had a strong commitment to follow the teachings of God’s Word. He ask a special favor in order to not compromise the teaching of God. He was not afraid to take God’s Word as being the best possible guideline for living. We need to also accept this as fact in a world today that cries for us to embrace all sorts of philosophies and teachings that lay claim to be better than the teaching of the Bible. III- Seek for God to Get the Glory Daniel was in the will of God interpreted the King’s dream Daniel 2:1 Who do I want to get all the glory that my life might bring. Who do you want to get the glory from your life. Daniel started with the premise that God should be that one. It is all about a dream of a king. Daniel 2:1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. Prayed all night Daniel 2:17-18 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: 18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Gave God the Glory Daniel 2:20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: Daniel 2:27-28 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; 28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; To be a man or woman greatly used for the glory of God may I say we must not attempt to hone in on the glory of God. To Him alone goes the glory. "To God be the Glory." IV- Know True Riches are not on Earth Daniel was in the will of God before he spoke of Babylon’s Demise Daniel 5:1 Time passes and another kingdom come to rule and God still places Daniel in leadership. Daniel 5:1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. The king sees a frightful thing. A hand writes on the wall, but he cannot read the words. Daniel is called. Notice that Daniel told the king, keep your gold. Daniel 5:17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. We are told by Jesus in Matthew 6:19-20 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: Daniel knew that the wealth that the king wanted to give him would last only a night. May I say that if we sell our time to riches it may last longer than a day but not many days. There are no safes built into caskets. V- Trust God with Life and Death Daniel was in the will of God before he spend the night with the lions. Decree Daniel 6:7 Would you trust me with you life? No I am not talking about doing something life William Tell when he shot the apple off the girls head. You trust you life to anyone you get into a car with. But ultimately we know we can trust God greater than any man. There is a plot that is devised to get Daniel in trouble. Daniel 6:7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Prayer Daniel 6:10-11 Just as he had done before, Daniel prayed. Many times people will change their habits to protest something. Daniel had started right so he just kept on course. Daniel 6:10-11 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. 11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Lion’s Den Daniel 6:16 We know this story well of Daniel in the Lion’s den. Daniel 6:16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. Delivered Daniel 6:20 The next morning the king went to the lions den. He probably expected Daniel to be dead. Daniel 6:20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? VI- A God Used Man Daniel was in the will of God before he was given the greatest prophecy in the Bible. Daniel 9:3; Daniel 9:24-25 Most of us will never be used by God in this grand of a scale, but we should be prepared just in case God would want to do so. Daniel 9:3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: Daniel 9:24-25 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. Are you ready for God to use? Did you start right, are you determined to follow God’s Word? Are you seeking to bring glory to God and not self? So you know that true riches are not on earth? Are you trusting God with everything you have including your life? Can you be a God used man or woman, right now? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 74: 05.04. PREPARING FOR PROVIDENCE- ESTHER ======================================================================== Preparing for Providence- Esther Esther 4:14 Our list of heroes included a lady that became Queen of the Persian Empire. The book of Esther is a unique book. It is the only book in the Bible where the name of God is not mentioned. However this does not keep the hands of God from being all over the events. It is probably a book that teaches us about the providential care of God as much as any other. Our hero today begins when she is a very young woman. I have entitled this Preparing for Providence because Esther had to make decisions that ultimately put her in a place to be used of God. I- God’s Providence: Let me begin by telling you a couple of interesting stories to illustrate the providence of God. Some time ago a man showed up at the church and fixed one of the water fountains. After he was finished he discovered that he had gone to the wrong church. God had provided a fixed water fountain at no cost. Last week the gas man was called to look at Keith’s oven that is dying fast and he came by the church instead and fixed the one in the kitchen. He then realized that he was not supposed to fix that one. He told Q that it was a two for one day. God’s providence or His provision. How much faith would you have to step out and allow God to provide for you. II- Esther’s Made Queen: The story of Esther involves several other characters. I wish to break down the story into two events, before she became queen and after. The story begins with Queen Vashti being deposed for not parading herself at a drunken festival for the king and his drunk friends. After the queen in deposed they propose a beauty contest to chose the next queen. The king regrets that he allowed this to happen. Esther 2:1-4 After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. 2 Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king: 3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them: 4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so. Esther 2:5 ff "Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai... 7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter. 8 So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women" Esther is now one of many potential queens. Notice Mordecai instruction to Esther. Esther 2:10 Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it. Esther was a Jew but did not reveal this to anyone. After a year of preparation we pick up the story in Esther 2:16-17 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti." Esther, the Jewish maiden in now the Queen of the nation of Persia. The stage is set for her to be used of God in His providence. III- For Such A Time: Through a man named Haman hatred for Mordecai events take a potential deadly turn for the Jewish living in captivity. A decree is issued that all are to be killed on a certain day. Remember Esther has not revealed that she is a Jew. Mordecai sends messages to Esther about the decree. Notice one of the messages. Esther 4:13-14 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. 14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Mordecai tells Esther that perhaps all the providential events had been for just this moment. The rest of the story unfold and Esther reveals to the king that she is a Jew and ultimately Haman is hanged on the gallows prepared to for Mordecai. The killing of the Jews was averted. IV- Preparing for Providence What are the lessons for us? Let me tell us all a story and then help us understand how we can learn from Esther so we can be prepared when providence calls and God wants to use us for His purpose. I got a call the other night that I asked permission to share. A church member was in Ft. Smith this last week at McDonald’s with his family. In walked a man who was obviously homeless. He walked up and said, you are one of them Christians aren’t you? Yes, he replied. As the conversation ensued it ended with the man praying in the parking lot to receive Christ as his Savior. Sam Hill was ready to be used by God when in God’s providence he was needed. Notice a couple of things related to Esther. After she is told this notice what she instructed Mordecai to do. Esther 4:16-17 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. 17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him. There was a spiritual preparation that shows that Esther was depending on God to provide for her protection. He indeed did. There is a humility that comes out in the character of Esther. Although she was queen I don’t think it went to her head. This is a lesson we have from her. Notice, Php 2:3-5 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: I have a poem that I wish to share concerning being a Christian. I think one thing that we always need to be aware of is not becoming better than others. Christians When I say... "I am a Christian" I’m not shouting "I’m clean livin’." I’m whispering "I was lost, Now I’m found and forgiven." When I say.. "I am a Christian" I don’t speak of this with pride I’m confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide. When I say... "I am a Christian" I’m not trying to be strong. I’m professing that I’m weak And need His strength to carry on. When I say... "I am a Christian" I’m not bragging of success. I’m admitting I have failed And need God to clean my mess. When I say... "I am a Christian" I’m not claiming to be perfect, My flaws are far too visible But, God believes I am worth it. When I say... "I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches So I call upon His name. When I say... "I am a Christian" I’m not holier than thou, I’m just a simple sinner Who received God’s good grace, somehow! - By Maya Angelou Preparation is another lesson for us from Esther. She could have half done the things getting ready and leading up to her going before the King. Esther 2:9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women. Esther spend the next 12 months preparing. This points out to me that we need to be prepared for God to use us. Do you know why I have a Dr. of Ministry. It is not so my wife will bow and polish my shoes, it is not an attempt to be somebody, it is so that God can use me to accomplish His will in my life. Esther followed wise advice is the final lesson we will look at. All the women are given a change to take anything they wanted into the king with them. Notice Esther 2:13-15 Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house. 14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name. 15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her. Let me give you the wisest advice anyone can. Come to Jesus is you do not know Him and follow Him. Christians we need to be prepared for God to use us at any time in His providential plan. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 75: 05.05. LIVING BY FAITH- ABRAHAM ======================================================================== Living by Faith- Abraham Hebrews 11:1-2 ; Hebrews 11:8 ff Spurgeon speaks of an evening when he was riding home after a heavy day’s work. He felt weary and depressed, when as suddenly as a lightning flash came this verse, "My grace is sufficient for thee." He said, "I should think it is, Lord," and he burst out laughing. It seemed to make unbelief so absurd. "It was as if some little fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry, and the river says, ’Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for thee.’ "Or, it seemed like a little mouse in the granaries of Egypt after seven years of plenty fearing it might die of famine, and Joseph might say, ’Cheer up, little mouse, my granaries are sufficient for thee.’ "Again, I imagined a man away up on yonder mountain saying to himself, ’I fear I shall exhaust all the oxygen in the atmosphere.’But the earth might say, ’Breathe away, oh man, and fill thy lungs ever; my atmosphere is sufficient for thee.’" Little faith will bring our souls to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to us. When the world looks at us what do they see. Are we living in such a way that our faith is showing through our countenance? When the world looks at how to handle situation could they find a hero in us and our walk of faith? The NASB says "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2For by it the men of old gained approval." Dr. Harry Ironside, for 18 years pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago, told of visiting a Sunday School class while on vacation. The teacher asked, "How were people saved in Old Testament times?" After a pause, one man replied, "By keeping the Law." "That’s right," said the teacher. But Dr. Ironside interrupted: "My Bible says that by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified." The teacher was a bit embarrassed, so he said, "Well, does somebody else have an idea?" Another student replied, "They were saved by bringing sacrifice to God." "Yes, that’s right!" the teacher said and tried to go on with the lesson. But Dr. Ironside interrupted, "My Bible says that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin." By this time the unprepared teacher was sure the visitor knew more about the Bible than he did, so he said, "Well, you tell us how people were saved in the Old Testament!" And Dr. Ironside explained that they were saved by faith-the same way people are saved today! Twenty-one times in Hebrews 11 will you find the same words, "by faith." Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Living By Faith- The Example of Abraham 1- By Faith Trusted God to Guide His Path- Hebrews 11:8 "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." We all know that tomorrow is filled with a certain amount of uncertainty. No one can know for sure what it holds. God calls Abraham to leave family and go to a strange land that he had never seen. Most of us will never be called to do this but it just magnifies how much we can trust God to guide our path in known lands. By the way another thing we notice is the obedience of Abraham was linked to a great blessing of God. He was to go to the place where he would receive an inheritance. 2- By Faith He Trusted God’s Promises- 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. When he first sojourned Isaac and Jacob were still to come but it is spoken of here as if it had already taken place. Two little girls were counting their pennies. One said, "I have five pennies." The other said, "I have ten." "No," said the first little girl, "You have just five cents, the same as I." "But," the second child quickly replied, "my father said when he comes home tonight he would give me five cents, and so I have ten cents." Trustfully, she counted what her father had promised. That’s exactly how a Christian can be poor in the estimation of the world and at the same time be rich. He counts as his whatever his Heavenly Father has. I often hear someone say when they are asked how they are reply something like "I am alive and that beats the alternative." May I say this is not true for the Christian? The alternative that God has promised is spectacular. The thing that makes the promises of God sure is He is behind them. When Lawrence of Arabia was in Paris after World War I with some of his Arab friends, he showed them the sights of the city: the Arch of Triumph, the Louvre, Napoleon’s tomb, the Champs Elysees, but none of these things impressed them. The thing that really interested them the most was the faucet in the bathtub of the hotel room. They spent much time in turning it on and off. They found it amazing that one could turn a handle and get all the water he wanted. Later, when they were ready to leave Paris and return to the East, Lawrence found them in the bathroom with wrenches trying to disconnect the faucet. "You see," they said, "it is very dry in Arabia. What we need are faucets. If we have them, we will have all the water we want." Lawrence had to explain that the effectiveness of the faucets did not lie in themselves but in the immense reservoirs of water to which they were attached, and he had to point out that behind this lay the rain and snowfalls of the Alps. 3- Trusted God for the Impossible: What is the most impossible thing that you can think of that has come about. Perhaps it is when Kennedy said we were going to put a man on the moon, and we did. Perhaps it is some modern day miracle of a healing that took place. In the first three synoptic gospels we have recorded for us the words of Jesus as He discusses how a rich man can go to heaven. He acquaints it as possible as a camel going through the eye of a needle. It is impossible for man to accomplish this but notice what He said in Luke 18:27 "And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." Abraham was 100 and his wife was 90 when Isaac was born. Remember all things are possible for God. Hebrews 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. Even though this should have not been possible for Abraham and Sarah he believed God in spite of it seeming impossible. He lived to see Isaac reach 75 years of age. 4- Trusted God Completely- Many have given up children to mission fields, work in other towns and other things. Most of the time it was not the parents choice but the child’s. Hebrews 11:17 "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." We have the story of Job in the Bible. We know Job lost everything in his trials. He lost all his animal and children. In the end everything was restored to him two fold. He only received back the same amount of children. Why? Because it is simply the fact that we never truly lose our children that die in the faith. They only wait on the other side for us. Abraham trusted God to the point that he knew even if he wanted him sacrificed that God could raise him up again immediately. II- Beginning the Journey: Peter Eldersveld tells of a rich Christian who had a large company of employees, and many of them owed him money. He was constantly trying to teach them something about Christianity, and one day he hit upon a plan. He posted a notice for his employees to see that said, "All those who will come to my office between eleven and twelve o’clock on Thursday morning to present an honest statement of their debts will have them canceled at once." The debtors read the notice with a great deal of skepticism, and on Thursday morning, although they gathered in the street in front of his office, not one of them went to the door. Instead they gossiped and complained about their employer, and ridiculed the notice he had posted. They said it didn’t make sense. But finally, Matthew 11:45, one man jumped forward, dashed up the steps into the office, and presented his statement. "Why are you here?" the rich man asked him. "Because you promised to cancel the debts of all those who would come as you instructed," the other replied. "And do you believe the promise?" "Yes, I do." "Why do you believe it?" persisted the employer. "Because, although it was too much for me to understand, I know that you are a good man who would not deceive anyone." The rich man took the bill and marked it "Paid in full," at which time the poor man, overcome, cried out, "I knew it! I told them so! They said it couldn’t be true, and now I’m going out to show them." "Wait," said his benefactor, "it’s not quite twelve o’clock. The others are not entitled to any special proof of my sincerity." When the clock struck twelve, the forgiven debtor ran out waving his receipt in the face of his fellows. With a mad rush they made for the door, but it was too late. The door was locked. Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Beloved God has prepared the way to be with Him in eternity but it begins with faith in Jesus Christ. He wants you to begin the journey today if you have not accepted Christ as Savior. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 76: 05.06. WHO'S GONNA GET THE GLORY- PAUL ======================================================================== Who’s Gonna Get the Glory- Paul 2 Corinthians 11:22-30 & Galatians 6:14 J. S. Bach said, "All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul’s refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub." He headed his compositions: "J. J." "Jesus Juva" which means "Jesus help me." He ended them "S. D. G." "Soli Dei gratia" which means "To God alone the praise." Kingdom Conflict, J. Stowell, Victor, 1985, pp. 77ff There is an old Jewish legend which says that, after God had created the world, He called the angels to Him and asked them what they thought of it; and one of them said, "One thing is lacking: the sound of praise to the Creator." So God created music, and it was heard in the whisper of the wind, and in the song of the birds; and to man also was given the gift of song. And all down the ages this gift of song has indeed proved a blessing to multitudes of souls. —Maritime Baptist In life we make many decisions. Who are we going to marry, if and where are we going to school. Are we going to by that house or not? As Christians we make many decisions as well. Which church will we attend, what class will we become a part of? Who will get the glory of anything that we accomplish? Our hero today is a man who lived his life at full throttle for the glory of God. He would write to the Galatians in Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Notice what would be his claim to glory, if he had been inclined to glory in himself. 2 Corinthians 11:22-30 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? 30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The apostle Paul was one who had the scars to prove his loyalty and had the wounds that showed his commitment. Who did he seek to get the glory in his life? Today our hero gives us a great example of God getting the glory. I- What is the Purpose of Our Lives? "A man once walked by a building site and saw three stone masons side by side, sweating over their work in the hot sun. He asked the first, "What are you doing?" "Laying bricks" came the reply. He asked the second stone mason, "And what are you doing?" "Building a wall" came the reply. Then he asked the third mason, "And what is it you are doing?" "I am raising a great cathedral." Paul clearly understood that the purpose of his life was to bring glory to the Lord Jesus. Many of us may seek to bring glory to ourselves. I read was a man named St. Francis de Sales said that I found humorous when it come to men taking glory not theirs. St. Francis de Sales said, "Some men become proud and insolent because they ride a fine horse, wear a feather in their hat or are dressed in a fine suit of clothes. Who does not see the folly of this? If there be any glory in such things, the glory belongs to the horse, the bird and the tailor. Let’s look at some of the things that are mentioned in our text and how they related to Paul’s life to see that indeed, even when he had opportunity he never surrendered to the flesh and claimed the glory due God for himself. Paul testified about an affliction that God allowed him to have, many think it was an eye problem, that the reason was so he would glorify God. 2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. He realized that his weakness caused him to rely on God. 2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. II- Beaten to Death with Rods: 2 Corinthians 11:25 "Thrice was I beaten with rods" We find the events for this recorded in Acts 16:22 ff. Paul arrived at a town called Lystra and there a lady by the name of Lydia is converted. A girl possessed by demons is healed by Paul and the ensuing ruckus lead to a beating. Acts 16:22-24 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. Little did they know that awaiting them in prison was a man we know only as the Philippian jailor. Notice what takes place next with Paul. He is in prison for doing nothing wrong. There was an earthquake but no prisoners escaped. The jailor comes in and this gives Paul a chance to witness. Acts 16:30-31 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Who was going to get the glory? The Lord Jesus. III- Stoned For Not Stealing the Glory: Look at the next event in our hero’s life. Acts 14:8-15 "And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked: 9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. 11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. 12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. 13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. 14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, 15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: The events that follow led to the stoning of Paul. Acts 14:19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. What is the lesson here? Paul could have said that he was a god and claimed the glory. He refused to do this. He was willing to take the stoning to give God glory. May we not claim the glory due to God out of our lives. IV- Shipwrecked and Snake Bitten: One more illustration out of the life of Paul. We find it in Acts 27. Paul is in route as a prisoner to Rome. Acts 27:41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. No one is harmed and all survived the shipwreck. Acts 27:44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. Now they are on an island. Notice now the events. Acts 28:1-6 And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. 2 And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. 3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. 5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. 6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. Paul was accused of being guilty when he was not. How would he handle this? He trusted God. He survived a snake bite and God used him to heal the sick on the island. When he could again have taken the glory of God he chose to not do it. Don’t Thank Me In a concert in Chicago, Harry Lauder, Scottish singer and songwriter, sang to an overflowing audience. At the conclusion, the audience stood en masse, and applauded uproariously. After the applause subsided, the audience said in unison, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Showing splendid humility, Lauder replied, "Don’t thank me! Thank the good God who put the songs in my heart!" V- Gave Himself For Others: 2 Corinthians 11:28 "the care of all the churches." Paul felt the weight that comes with giving himself for others. Fred Craddock, in an address to ministers, caught the practical implications of consecration. "To give my life for Christ appears glorious," he said. "To pour myself out for others ... to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom,I’ll do it. I’m ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. "We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking $l,000 bill and laying it on the table,’Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.’ But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $l,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid’s troubles instead of saying, ’Get lost.’ Go to a committee meeting. Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it’s harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul." - Darryl Bell Source unknown Are you willing to give yourself for others 25 cents at a time? Who’s gonna get the glory? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 77: 05.07. QUITTING IS NOT AN OPTION- JEREMAIH ======================================================================== Quitting is Not an Option- Jeremiah Jeremiah 20:7-9 Former heavy-weight boxer James (Quick) Tillis is a cowboy from Oklahoma who fought out of Chicago in the early 1980s. He still remembers his first day in the Windy City after his arrival from Tulsa. "I got off the bus with two cardboard suitcases under by arms in downtown Chicago and stopped in front of the Sears Tower. I put my suitcases down, and I looked up at the Tower and I said to myself, ’I’m going to conquer Chicago.’ "When I looked down, the suitcases were gone."Today in the Word, September 10, 1992. In 1858 the Illinois legislature--using an obscure statute--sent Stephen A. Douglas to the U.S. Senate instead of Abraham Lincoln, although Lincoln had won the popular vote. When a sympathetic friend asked Lincoln how he felt, he said, "Like the boy who stubbed his toe: I am too big to cry and too badly hurt to laugh." Jeremiah was a man who lived most of his life in a discouraging situation. Most of us have our ups and downs in life. Today our hero will teach us that quitting is not an option. I- Jeremiah’s Story: The time frame we are in the history of Israel is at the very end of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Israel has been taken into captivity and Judah will be during the life of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was a young man when God called him to be a prophet. God told him to go and preach but no one was going to listen. He promised him that people and life would be unfair to him. Jeremiah wanted to quit but discovered that quitting was not an option in the plan of God. Jeremiah 20:7-9 "O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. 8For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. 9Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." Jeremiah gives us these verse that should inspire us to continue on when things around us seem to be falling apart. As it has been said, when life throws us a curve ball. II-Never Starting: Jeremiah 1:4-7 We often hear about a pitcher who was scratched from his start due to something. He could not compete because he never started. Horses are scratched from the race. Many times we quit by not starting. Jeremiah 1:4-7 "Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 6Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak." Our hero had the excuse of to young. David Ring is an evangelist. His opening line often is "I have cerebral palsy, what’s your excuse." If you never engage in the work of God then you have no chance of success in serving Him. III- Blame God When Things Go Wrong: Next is a classic illustration. Jeremiah blamed God for all things wrong. Was Jeremiah Deceived. He accused God of deception. "O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived..." Notice what God told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee. Oswald Smith - The year was 1920. The scene was the examining board for selecting missionaries. Standing before the board was a young man named Oswald Smith. One dream dominated his heart. He wanted to be a missionary. Over and over again, he prayed, "Lord, I want to go as a missionary for you. Open a door of service for me." Now, at last, his prayer would be answered. When the examination was over, the board turned Oswald Smith down. He did not meet their qualifications. He failed the test. Oswald Smith had set his direction, but now life gave him a detour. What would he do? As Oswald Smith prayed, God planted another idea in his heart. If he could not go as a missionary, he would build a church which could send out missionaries. And that is what he did. Oswald Smith pastored The People’s Church in Toronto, Canada, which sent out more missionaries than any other church at that time. Oswald Smith brought God into the situation, and God transformed his detour into a main thoroughfare of service. Brian L. Harbour, Rising Above the Crowd. How many times can we find an excuse that was not our fault to quit? Most of the time. I remind us that the Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:12 "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." We have not been promised life would be a bed of roses as we often hear. By the way have you ever slept in the rose bushes, probably not? It may smell sweet but it is full of thorns. So who do we blame? Many times no one in particular is to blame. It is just a fallen creature, us, living in a fallen world. IV- Feeling like a failure- "I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me." How many of us have felt like a failure? May I say that most of us have? Jeremiah felt like everyone around him was making fun of him. Notice what some famous people felt. Famous People Alexander the Great conquered Persia, but broke down and wept because his troops were too exhausted to push on to India. Hugo Grotius, the father of modern international law, said at the last, "I have accomplished nothing worthwhile in my life." John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the U.S.—not a Lincoln, perhaps, but a decent leader—wrote in his diary: "My life has been spent in vain and idle aspirations, and in ceaseless rejected prayers that something would be the result of my existence beneficial to my species." Robert Louis Stevenson wrote words that continue to delight and enrich our lives, and yet what did he write for his epitaph? "Here lies one who meant well, who tried a little, and failed much." Christianity Today, September 6, 1985, Donald McCullough, V- Remember the Past Successes: Count your blessings name them one by one we sing. Most of us focus only on the bad and not the good. Jeremiah, if anyone could be allowed to not do this it would have been him. Not a single convert in all his preaching. Most of us have had more success. When you get in a pity party funk, set down and list the good things that you can look back on. The American painter, John Sargent, once painted a panel of roses that was highly praised by critics. It was a small picture, but it approached perfection. Although offered a high price for it on many occasions, Sargent refused to sell it. He considered it his best work and was very proud of it. Whenever he was deeply discouraged and doubtful of his abilities as an artist, he would look at it and remind himself, "I painted that." Then his confidence and ability would come back to him.Bits & Pieces, September 19, 1991, p. 9. VI- Remember the Faithfulness of God: Jeremiah was the man who wrote the book we know as Lamentations. The book was written as he watched the city of Jerusalem being overtaken by the Babylonians. In the midst of the book we find a great statement. This is especially striking when we realize the hard life he had lived. Notice the last thing we need to learn about never giving us and that quitting is not an option. Remember the faithfulness of God and His promises being true. Lamentations 3:20-24 "My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. 21This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 78: 05.08. CHOOSING TO BELIEVE- RUTH ======================================================================== Choosing to Believe- Ruth Ruth 1:1-18 It was Sunday morning and the little boy got ready to go to church with his parents. They entered the little church and sat together and his mother gave him paper and crayons to occupy his attention and keep him quiet. The pastor stated several times that a person must be born again. As the preacher spoke he became louder and louder as he repeated the phrase often "born again, born again, born again" with increasing emphasis. The little boy looked up at the preacher as the words caught his attention. When the service ended the little boy looked up at his mother with a perplexed and confused look. He patted his mother’s who was 7 months pregnant and asked "Is that going to be me"? The same question came from a grown man named Nichodemus. Floyd Robertson Life is full of faith. When I was small my mother was fixing a chair that needed to be recovered and I can flying in and flopping down and hit the floor. I had faith the chair would hold me but it was not there. We exercise faith each time we breathe a breath of air or take a drink. We trust it will not be poison. When we get in our car we exercise faith that it will start. It is only a teenager dreaming of driving that just sits in a car. Today we go to a story that is often talked about because of how wonderful is as a love story between a widow named Ruth and a land owner named Boaz. We are going to look at the first part of the story today to see that we all face the cross roads of belief. I- The Story: A man named Elimelech and his wife Naomi lived in Bethlehem. There arose a famine and they moved to Moab. They had two sons who took wives named Ruth and Orpah in the land of Moab. As the course of events transpires Elimelech dies as well as his two sons. This leaves three women widowed, Naomi, Ruth and Orpah. Naomi now hears that there is again bread in the land of Israel and plans to return. She talks with her daughter in laws and does everything she can to persuade them to not return with her. She tries to convince them to go back to following their pagan gods. Ruth 1:1-18 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. 3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. 6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread. 7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. 9 The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. 10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. 11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons; 13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me. 14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. 15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. 16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. 18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. II- Lessons: 1- God is the one who is in the saving business. Naomi did as bad as she possibly could do in witnessing and still Ruth expressed faith. Three times we have a record of her trying to get them to turn their back from her God to pagan gods. 8 "Go, return each to her mother’s house..." In verse 10 they told her they would go with her. 11 "Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me?" 15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. Beloved it is God who does the drawing and the saving of souls. When Christ told Nicodemus that he must be born again he acquainted the work of the Holy Spirit of God to the work of the wind. While not seen it certainly was felt. 2- Some will make decisions to not follow faith in God. There are really only two choices, the living God or dead ones. Orpah turned and went back to the pagan gods. Beloved we must be strong in our beliefs and not waver and say well maybe there is other ways. · 56% say a good person can earn their way into Heaven ·44% say all people experience the same outcome after they die, regardless of their religious beliefs ·31% believe that Hell is a literal, physical place, 37% say it is separation from God · 39% say it doesn’t matter what faith you embrace because they all teach the same lessons · 53% contend that if a person is good enough, or does enough good things for other people, they will earn their way into Heaven. One-third of all born again Christians (34%) accept this notion. Barna Research Group, Ltd., Oxnard, CA 3- Some will make the decision to follow God. These are the nuggets that we mine like a gold miner. We see that Naomi failed in her attempt to discourage Ruth. Faith was strong in her heart. She was going with her. Judges 1:22-23 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Beloved we need to not be discourage by rejection. Some will make the decision to follow Christ. 4- Why should we accept God and His plan for salvation? Because there is no other hope. Paul told us 1 Corinthians 15:13-19 "But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." Imagine a ship filled with people crossing the Atlantic. In the middle of the ocean there is an explosion. The ship is severely damaged and slowly sinking. Most are dead, and the rest are rushing for the lifeboats. Now suppose one man doesn’t know about the lifeboat, so he does not get aboard. He doesn’t have knowledge, so he is not saved. Suppose another man knows about the lifeboat and believes it will save his life, but he is grief-stricken over seeing his wife killed, so he chooses not to get aboard and dies with his wife. He has knowledge and mental assent, but he is not saved. Others believe the lifeboat will save them, and they get into the boat. They are saved by faith, that is they have knowledge, mental assent, and trust. However, it is not their faith that saves them—no matter how much they have. It is the boat. Saving faith trusts Christ, and Christ saves. Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, M. Cocoris, Moody, 1984, p. 77. So having faith in not good enough. It is the object of faith, faith in the right God. The Bible says in Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. III- Stewardship of Faith: Pass faith along and be strong in what we believe. We know the story turns out well. Ruth makes the statement that is a profound statement in Ruth 1:16-17 "And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me." Many years ago a small Jewish boy asked his father, "Why must we surrender our Jewish faith and start to attend Lutheran services here in Germany? The father replied, "Son, we must abandon our faith so that people will accept us and support our business adventures!" The young lad never got over his disappointment and bitterness. His faith in his father and in his religion were crushed. When the lad left Germany he went to England to study at the British Museum where he formed his philosophies for life. From those intensive investigations he wrote a book that changed the world called, "The Communist Manifesto. From that book one-third of the world fell under the spell of Marxist-Lenist ideology. The name of that little boy was Karl Marx. He influenced billions into a stream that for 70 years ruined, imprisoned and confused many lives. Today, that system of thinking is crumbling, but only after people got a good look at its tragic consequences. The influence of this father?s hypocrisy multiplied in infamy. Without godly faith, all of us are subject to distortions in our perspectives. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 79: 05.09. FOR SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD- A LAD ======================================================================== For Such is the Kingdom of God- A Lad Mark 10:13-16 ; John 6:1-13 Not Learned in Graduate School Robert Fulghum wrote in the KANSAS CITY TIMES, "Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school. "These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody . . . When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. " This writer has captured part of what Jesus meant when he said, "Unless you become like little children, you won’t enter the kingdom of heaven." - Hugh Duncan We find an unlikely hero in our series today. May I say that hero’s come is all sizes, shapes, races, genders, and economic classes. Who would think that a child could lead the way and be a hero to emulate Notice what Jesus said in Mark 10:13-16 "And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. 14But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." I- A Few Thoughts: Before we venture into the story of our hero today let me make a couple of statements. I heard a statement the other day by a children’s minister that I think is one of the greatest statement concerning children I ever hear. "God must have a special place in his heart for children because He is not making adult, He is only making children." Jesus told us about what is often called a child like faith. We can learn a lot from a child. Sometimes they are so plain and blunt they say what we as adult would never, we would only think it. The Junior Sunday School Teacher asked her eight eager 10-year-olds if they would give $1,000,000 to the missionaries. "YES!" they all screamed!! "Would you give $1,000?" Again they shouted "YES!" "How about $100?" "Oh, YES we would!" they all agreed!! "Would you give just a dollar to the missionaries?" she asked. The boys exclaimed "YES!" just as before except for Johnnie. "Johnnie," the teacher said as she noticed the boy clutching his pocket, "why didn’t you say ’YES’ this time?" "Well," he stammered, "I HAVE a dollar." II- The Hero’s Story: I still recall a sermon outline that someone preached concerning this text. I have hear thousands of sermons but this simple outline stayed with me. The simply thought was when this boy returned home to his mother he said, "Mom I meet a man, I gave him what I had, He used it to bless others." Simply but profound. Our hero today is a young man who is at a place Jesus was preaching near the Sea of Galilee. You probably know the story well. A multitude came to Jesus and heard Him teach. It come time for what probably was the evening meal and there was no one prepared, except one little boy. John 6:1-13 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. 4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. 5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? 10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Some may say he was just a little boy how. Can he be a hero? III- Lessons From the Lad: There are a lot of lessons we can learn from this little boy. 1- The heart of a child. Jesus said remember that unless we come like a child in faith. A child has a heart that is pure before God in worship. A child can commune with God unlike any other. Story of Daniel asking Jesus for a boy. 2- Didn’t understand everything. This boy did not certainly understand what Jesus might be about to do. May I say he didn’t need to understand it all or even a small part. Many times we adult analyze and dissect everything to death. It seems that we have to be able to predict the outcome to ever venture into anything. I remind us all that this is the opposite of what the Bible teaches we need to do. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 3- Knew He could give what he had. Did you notice that he didn’t say well I won’t give this little because it is not enough. He gave what he could. This lad challenges us to give to God of ourselves. Did you notice he did not sneak off and eat his meal behind a rock so others could not see him. He gave unselfishly. The outstanding Baptist preacher, Dr. George W. Truett, was helping a struggling congregation raise money for their church building. They still needed $6500. Truett found the response weak. With only $3000 pledged he said in exasperation, "Do you expect me to give the other $3500 needed to reach your goal? I’m just a guest here today." Suddenly, a woman near the back stood. Looking at her husband seated on the platform recording pledges, she said in a shaking voice, "Charlie, I wonder if you would be willing for us to give our little home? We were offered exactly $3500 cash for it yesterday. If the Saviour gave His life for us, shouldn’t we make this sacrifice for Him?" Truett reported that the fine husband responded with equal generosity. "Yes, Jennie, I was thinking the same thing." Turning to Truett, he said, "Brother Truett, if it’s needed, we’ll raise our pledge by $3500." Silence reigned for a few moments. Then some of the folks began to sob. Those who fifteen minutes earlier had refused to do more now either added their names to the list or increased their donations. In a short time, their goal had been achieved, and Charlie and Jennie didn’t have to forfeit their home. Their willingness to sacrifice had stimulated others to similar generosity. Leslie B. Flynn, in Resource, July/August, 1990 IV- Have you meet this man called Jesus? Have you learned to give what you have for the Master to use? Have you meet the Man who can change your life? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 80: 05.10. OVERCOMING OUR FEARS- GIDEON ======================================================================== Overcoming our Fears-Gideon Judges 6:1 ff Most of us live with a fear of something. Very few live life without fear. One summer night during a severe thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed. She was about to turn the light off when he asked in a trembling voice, "Mommy, will you stay with me all night?" Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly, "I can’t dear. I have to sleep in Daddy’s room." A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, "The big sissy!" Source unknown Many times our fear are more in the mind that anywhere. Many times they are irrational. For instance: Louis Pasteur is reported to have had such an irrational fear of dirt and infection he refused to shake hands. President and Mrs. Benjamin Harrison were so intimidated by the newfangled electricity installed in the White House they didn’t dare touch the switches. If there were no servants around to turn off the lights when the Harrisons went to bed, they slept with them on. Jane Goodsell, Not a Good Word About Anybody, Ballantine We have names for our fears. We often call them phobias. There are a number of these. · Peladophobia: fear of baldness and bald people. · Chaetophobia: fear of hairy people. · Porphyrophobia: fear of the color purple. · Auroraphobia: fear of the northern lights. · Thalassophobia: fear of being seated. · Stabisbasiphobia: fear of standing and walking. · Odontophobia: fear of teeth. · Graphophobia: fear of writing in public. · Phobophobia: fear of being afraid. From Nothing to Fear, by Fraser Kent, Doubleday & Company, 1977. Over time what people are afraid of has changed. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University reported that 30 years ago, the greatest fears of grade school children were: 1) Animals, 2) Being in a dark room, 3) High places, 4) Strangers, 5) Loud noises. Today, kids are afraid of the following: 1) Divorce, 2) Nuclear war, 3) Cancer, 4) Pollution, 5) Being mugged. Back to the Bible Today, Summer, 1990, p. 5. I- Spirit of Fear: Do we as God’s children need to live in a constant state of fear? There are many who are afraid every minute of every day of some great tragedy coming into their life. Death, illness, victim of crime, etc. 2 Timothy 1:6-8 "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God..." So is it sin to worry? Is it sin to live in fear? At the least if it is not sin it a small faith. Our hero today can teach us about overcoming our fear. Many times overcoming our fears is not the absence of them but doing what needs done in the face of them. I have a friend who has asked me to help him write a book on witnessing. He said, "I have had a burden about not witnessing enough. I know for a fact that most Christians do NOT witness, mainly because they are afraid/uncomfortable." (David Gooch email 11/1/06) II- Gideon the Coward: Judges 6:1-6 ; Judges 6:11 Our hero today is introduced to us in Scriptures as, no other way to say it, a coward. The conditions to be honest with you were very oppressive. Notice how it reads in the HCSB. Judges 6:1-6 The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD handed them over to Midian seven years, 2 and they oppressed Israel. Because of Midian, the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. 3 Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the eastern peoples came and attacked them. 4 They encamped against them and destroyed the produce of the land, even as far as Gaza. They left nothing for Israel to eat, as well as no sheep, ox or donkey. 5 For the Midianites came with their cattle and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were without number, and they entered the land to waste it. 6 So Israel became poverty stricken because of Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the LORD. So the times were hard and the oppression was great. So why did I call Gideon a coward? Perhaps it is to strong of a statement. In Judges 1:7-9 we are told of a prophet that tells Israel God is going to deliver them. Notice now who He is going to use. Judges 6:11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. Gideon was hiding from the enemy when the angel of the Lord came. We can certainly see that he has a lot to overcome to be used of God. Notice with me a few lessons or principles that can help us to overcome our fears and be used of God. III- God Knows our Potential: Judges 6:12 We do not have to live up to others expectations, or even our own. We only need to live up to God’s expectations and God sees our potential when others may not. I have always loved the way that God referred to Gideon when we are first introduced to him while he was hiding. Judges 6:12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. Deion "Prime Time" Sanders, outfielder for the Atlanta Braves and cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons, is the only athlete to have hit a Major League home run and scored an NFL touchdown in the same week. Sanders grew up on the mean streets of Fort Myers, Fla., where exposure to some would-be athletes spurred him to make a success of himself. He explains: "I call them Idas. ’If I’da done this, I’d be making three million today…If I’da practiced a little harder, I’d be a superstar.’ They were as fast as me when they were kids, but instead of working for their dreams they chose drugs and a life of street corners. When I was young, I had practice; my friends who didn’t went straight to the streets and never left. That moment after school is the moment we need to grab. We don’t need any more Idas. Mike Lupica in Esquire When God looks at us He does not see us as we are but as He wants to make us. We are reminded by Jeremiah’s trip to the potter’s house that we are in God’s hands to mold. Jeremiah 18:6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. IV- Doesn’t Buy Our Excuses: Judges 6:14-16 Many men have overcome what seems like impossible odds and obstacles to achieve great things in life. Irving Berlin, for instance, only had two years of formal schooling. He never learned how to read music. When he composed his songs, he would hum the melody and a musical secretary would write down the notes. He became one of the greatest songwriters the country has ever known. Bits and Pieces, December 13, 1990 When 16-year old Eliza married the 20-year old tailor, he had never been to school. Others might have written his education off as a lost cause, but Eliza didn’t. She taught him to read, write, and spell. Those days were difficult, but he proved to be a fast learner. In fact, he learned so well that years later he was elected president of the United States! When he ran for a second term he lost, but refused to give up. Instead, he won a seat in the U.S. Senate. Who? our 17th president, Andrew Johnson. Today in the Word, February, 1991, p. 33 Judges 6:14-16 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? 15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. 16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. Gideon had several excuses but God assured him that he could do it. God can overcomes our excuses. Many times we just someone to be honest with us and tell us to get on with it. So, get on with it. V- Fear of Needed Change: Judges 6:25-26 Sometimes things need to change. Many times to overcome our fears we need to change. I know change should be a four letter word because it upsets us so much. Notice what God tells Gideon to do. By the way he does it at night because of fear. Judges 6:25-26 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: 26 And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. He kills his father’s yoke of oxen and sacrifices them on a new altar after he tore down the old altar. What altars in our life do we need to tear down? What altars are we afraid to tear down? I know some are saying, I don’t have any altars in my life. God tells us that anything that is between us and Him is an idol. Remember the 10 commandments say, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3 The men of the city wanted to kill him for this by the way. Change comes with a price. VI- The Final Outcome Does Not Depend on Us: 7:2-3;6-7 Overcoming our fear should be made easier when we realize that the final outcome doesn’t depend on us. God eliminated any possibility of it being Gideon or his army that brought deliverance. Judges 7:2-3 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. His army already outnumbered has just lost 22,000 men and only 10,000 remain. But wait...God tells him to take the men down for a drink of water and he would tell him who was to stay. Judges 7:6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. Now there is a whopping 300 left. Notice what God says to Gideon. Judges 7:7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place. This points out to us that God is the one who is charge of the victory not us. VII- Sometimes We Need A Word of Encouragement: Judges 7:9 ff God tells Gideon that if he is still afraid to go down into the enemy camp and listen. Judges 7:9 ff And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand. ...13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. 14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. 15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. Beloved let me give us all a word of encouragement today. I will close with these verses. Revelation 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. We are with Him according to Judges 1:14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 To execute judgment upon all..." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 81: 05.11. FINDING THE WILL OF GOD- GIDEON ======================================================================== Finding the Will of God-Gideon Judges 6:36-40 Walter Knight told of an old Scottish woman who went from home to home across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoestrings. When she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed. One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times. "Why do you toss the stick more than once?" someone asked. "Because," replied the woman, "it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on the right." She then dutifully kept throwing the stick into the air until it pointed the way she wanted to go! Today in the Word, May, 1989. The search for the will of God may not be a consideration for you but as a child of God it should never, if ever, be far from our minds. Jesus said in Mark 3:35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. We know that it is to be a mindset and a mind focus for us according to Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. OK, preacher, I get the point. You have preached until I am tired of hearing it about doing God’s will and serving Him. Now I have a question, where do I go from here, how do I find the will of God? I- The Example of Gideon: Judges 6:36-40 Judges 6:36-40 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, 37Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. 38And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. 39And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. 40And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. Gideon asked God for a very specific thing and then he asked God for the direct opposite the next day. God gave Gideon his sign. Bob Mumford in Take Another Look at Guidance, compares discovering God’s will with a sea captain’s docking procedure: A certain harbor in Italy can be reached only by sailing up a narrow channel between dangerous rocks and shoals. Over the years, many ships have been wrecked, and navigation is hazardous. To guide the ships safely into port, three lights have been mounted on three huge poles in the harbor. When the three lights are perfectly lined up and seen as one, the ship can safely proceed up the narrow channel. If the pilot sees two or three lights, he knows he’s off course and in danger. God has also provided three beacons to guide us. The same rules of navigation apply—the three lights must be lined up before it is safe for us to proceed. The three harbor lights of guidance are: 1. The Word of God (objective standard) 2. The Holy Spirit (subjective witness) 3. Circumstances (divine providence) Together they assure us that the directions we’ve received are from God and will lead us safely along his way. - Gregory Asimakoupoulos Bob Mumford, Take Another Look at Guidance. II- Will of God Will Never Conflict with the Word of God: Many to day will say God told me to do this or that. I have a new revelation that it is OK to not abide by the Bible on this one. It is alright for me to do something that is forbidden in scripture because God told me it was alright. When the preacher’s car broke down on a country road, he walked to a nearby roadhouse to use the phone. After calling for a tow truck, he spotted his old friend, Frank, drunk and shabbily dressed at the bar. "What happened to you, Frank?" asked the good reverend. "You used to be rich." Frank told a sad tale of bad investments that had led to his downfall. "Go home," the preacher said. Open your Bible at random, stick your finger on the page and there will be God’s answer." Some time later, the preacher bumped into Frank, who was wearing a Gucci suit, sporting a Rolex watch and had just stepped our of a Mercedes. "Frank." said the preacher, "I am glad to see things really turned around for you." "Yes, preacher, and I owe it all to you," said Frank. "I opened my Bible, put my finger down on the page and there was the answer—Chapter 11." Reader’s Digest, March, 1993, p. 71. III- Will of God is Not Based on Feelings: Gideon did not ask God to help him feel like this or that. He asked for a sure clear sign. He did not want to go on well I feel like this. Feeling change each day. A bishop of a century ago pronounced from his pulpit and in the periodical he edited that heavier-than-air flight was both impossible and contrary to the will of God. Oh, the irony that Bishop Wright had two sons, Orville and Wilbur! Wright was wrong. Sure of himself, but wrong.Robert P. Dugan, Jr., Winning the New Civil War, Page 38. A minister received a call from a church that offered him a salary four times what he was then receiving. Being a devout man, he spent much time in prayer trying to discern what God wanted him to do. One day a friend met the minister’s young son on the street. "Do you know what your dad is going to do?" he asked. "Well," replied the youngster, "Dad’s praying, but Mom’s packing!" IV- Some Obvious Choices: Let us now look at what are some obvious choices concerning the will of God for you life. The next layer of God’s will is to find the specifics as you flesh out His will. 1- Live a Pure Life: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 NASB Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. 8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you. 2- Use your spiritual gifts for others. Romans 12:5-8 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 3- Respond to the Gospel for salvation- 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 82: 05.12. RETURNING TO GIVE THANKS- UNNAMED LEPER ======================================================================== Returning to Give Thanks- An Unnamed Leper Luke 17:11-19 It’s time for our annual celebration of Thanksgiving. Have you noticed how it is referred too? Thanksgiving is often called turkey day. To some it is football day (you know Dallas always has a football game on this day) while to others it is a day off from work, or a day to spend with the family. This day was designed for a national holiday to keep us focused on the fact that we are a blessed nation, under God. By the way some want to take that out of our pledge. I guess it is that we now are blessed by ourselves. Two men were walking through a field one day when they spotted an enraged bull. Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence. The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent they wouldn’t make it. Terrified, the one shouted to the other, "Put up a prayer, John. We’re in for it!" John answered, "I can’t. I’ve never made a public prayer in my life." "But you must!" implored his companion. "The bull is catching up to us." "All right," panted John, "I’ll say the only prayer I know, the one my father used to repeat at the table: ’O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful.’" I- A Lesson of Thanks: Luke 17:11-19 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. This story unfold with a total of 10 men who had the horrible disease of leprosy. These men are healed by Jesus after they depart in route to showing themselves to the priest. This was the way they could be accepted back into society, if they were declared healed by the priest. Of the 10 only one returns to give thanks to Jesus for the healing. This man I submit is someone we all can learn a lesson from, a lesson of thanks. Sadly we can learn a negative lesson, or perhaps see a reflection, from the other nine. In Budapest, a man goes to the rabbi and complains, "Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one room. What can I do?" The rabbi answers, "Take your goat into the room with you." The man in incredulous, but the rabbi insists. "Do as I say and come back in a week." A week later the man comes back looking more distraught than before. "We cannot stand it," he tells the rabbi. "The goat is filthy." The rabbi then tells him, "Go home and let the goat out. And come back in a week." A radiant man returns to the rabbi a week later, exclaiming, "Life is beautiful. We enjoy every minute of it now that there’s no goat—only the nine of us." George Mikes, How to be Decadent, Andre’ Deutsch, London II- Blessing for All: Did you notice that they were all healed. All 10, it reminds me of the verse in Matthew 5:45 "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." There is no one on this earth that is not blessed by God in some way. We often think we are not blessed. I read a story of a little boy named David that certainly brings how bless I am into perspective. A 12 year old boy named David was born without an immune system. He underwent a bone marrow transplant in order to correct the deficiency. Up to that point he had spent his entire life in a plastic bubble in order to prevent exposure to common germs, bacteria, and viruses that could kill him. He lived without ever knowing human contact. When asked what he’d like to do if and when released from his protective bubble, he replied, "I want to walk barefoot on grass, and touch my mother’s hand." Many times we take the small blessing that are all around us for granted. Look at someone and say "I praise God that I can see how good looking you are." Touch someone and say I am glad that I can feel the touch of another. The next time you taste your food thank God for the taste buds that are active on your tongue. The next time you feel a breeze brush against your skin thank God for His refreshing. The next time you breath thank God for the breath of life, the next heartbeat thank God for life. III- Many Never Stop to Give Thanks: 17 ..."Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" Why is there a danger for us as Christians to not return to give thanks for the blessing on our life? I have felt for a long time that one of the particular temptations of the maturing Christian is the danger of getting accustomed to his blessings. Like the world traveler who has been everywhere and seen everything, the maturing Christian is in danger of taking his blessings for granted and getting so accustomed to them that they fail to excite him as they once did. Emerson said that if the stars came out only once a year, everybody would stay up all night to behold them. We have seen the stars so often that we don’t bother to look at them anymore. We have grown accustomed to our blessings. The Israelites in the wilderness got accustomed to their blessings, and God had to chasten the people (see Num. 11). God had fed the nation with heavenly manna each morning, and yet the people were getting tired of it. "But now our whole being is dried up," they said, "there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!" (v. 6). Nothing but manna! They were experiencing a miracle of God’s provision every morning; yet they were no longer excited about it. Nothing but manna! One of the evidences that we have grown accustomed to our blessings is this spirit of criticism and complaining. Instead of thanking God for what we have, we complain about it and tell him we wish we had something else. You can be sure that if God did give us what we asked for, we would eventually complain about that. The person who has gotten accustomed to his blessing can never be satisfied. Another evidence of this malady is the idea that others have a better situation than we do. The Israelites remembered their diet in Egypt and longed to return to the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. They were saying, "The people in Egypt are so much better off than we are!" Obviously, they had forgotten the slavery they had endured in Egypt and the terrible bondage from which God had delivered them. Slavery is a high price to pay for a change in diet. Warren Wiersbe, God Isn’t In a Hurry, (Baker Books; Grand Rapids, MI, 1994), pp. 77-78 Sometime we focus on what is to come tomorrow and forget the past. We forget that we have been blessed in the past. These men did not return to give thanks. Perhaps they were to anxious to get on with life. One might wonder, and hope, that in days ahead perhaps, as they saw another leper, that their hearts were moved to thanks. By remembering the past we can return again and again to give thanks. Eddie Rickenbacker and the Sea Gulls It is gratitude that prompted an old man to visit an old broken pier on the eastern seacoast of Florida. Every Friday night, until his death in 1973, he would return, walking slowly and slightly stooped with a large bucket of shrimp. The sea gulls would flock to this old man, and he would feed them from his bucket. Many years before, in October, 1942, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was on a mission in a B-17 to deliver an important message to General Douglas MacArthur in New Guinea. But there was an unexpected detour which would hurl Captain Eddie into the most harrowing adventure of his life. Somewhere over the South Pacific the Flying Fortress became lost beyond the reach of radio. Fuel ran dangerously low, so the men ditched their plane in the ocean. for nearly a month Captain Eddie and his companions would fight the water, and the weather, and the scorching sun. They spent many sleepless nights recoiling as giant sharks rammed their rafts. The largest raft was nine by five. The biggest shark...ten feet long. But of all their enemies at sea, one proved most formidable: starvation. Eight days out, their rations were long gone or destroyed by the salt water. It would take a miracle to sustain them. And a miracle occurred. In Captain Eddie’s own words, "Cherry," that was the B-17 pilot, Captain William Cherry, "read the service that afternoon, and we finished with a prayer for deliverance and a hymn of praise. There was some talk, but it tapered off in the oppressive heat. With my hat pulled down over my eyes to keep out some of the glare, I dozed off." Now this is still Captain Rickenbacker talking..."Something landed on my head. I knew that it was a sea gull. I don’t know how I knew, I just knew. Everyone else knew too. No one said a word, but peering out from under my hat brim without moving my head, I could see the expression on their faces. They were staring at that gull. The gull meant food...if I could catch it." And the rest, as they say, is history. Captain Eddie caught the gull. Its flesh was eaten. Its intestines were used for bait to catch fish. The survivors were sustained and their hopes renewed because a lone sea gull, uncharacteristically hundreds of miles from land, offered itself as a sacrifice. You know that Captain Eddie made it. And now you also know...that he never forgot. Because every Friday evening, about sunset...on a lonely stretch along the eastern Florida seacoast...you could see an old man walking...white-haired, bushy-eyebrowed, slightly bent. His bucket filled with shrimp was to feed the gulls...to remember that one which, on a day long past, gave itself without a struggle...like manna in the wilderness. "The Old Man and the Gulls" from Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story by Paul Aurandt, 1977, quoted in Heaven Bound Living, Knofel Stanton, Standard, 1989, pp. 79-80 Another reason we might neglect to give thanks is many times we forget that we prayed and God answered. We forget the prayers we laid before the throne days, weeks, months and perhaps even years ahead. May we learn to remember answered prayers. The first American Thanksgiving didn’t occur in 1621 when a group of Pilgrims shared a feast with a group of friendly Indians. The first recorded thanksgiving took place in Virginia more than 11 years earlier, and it wasn’t a feast. The winter of 1610 at Jamestown had reduced a group of 409 settlers to 60. The survivors prayed for help, without knowing when or how it might come. When help arrived, in the form of a ship filled with food and supplies from England, a prayer meeting was held to give thanks to God. Today in the Word, July, 1990, p. 22 IV- Like the One- Not the Nine 18There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. Why did only one cleansed leper return to thank Jesus? The following are nine suggested reasons why the nine did not return: One waited to see if the cure was real. One waited to see if it would last. One said he would see Jesus later. One decided that he had never had leprosy. One said he would have gotten well anyway. One gave the glory to the priests. One said, "O, well, Jesus didn’t really do anything." One said, "Any rabbi could have done it." One said, "I was already much improved." Charles L. Brown, Content The Newsletter Newsletter, June, 1990, p. 3 The burning question is are we like the one or like the nine? Forgive Me When I Whine Today upon a bus, I saw a lovely maid with golden hair; I envied her—she seemed so gay, and how, I wished I were so fair; When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle; She had one foot and wore a crutch, but as she passed, a smile. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two feet—the world is mine. And when I stopped to buy some sweets, the lad who served me had such charm; He seemed to radiate good cheer, his manner was so kind and warm; I said, "It’s nice to deal with you, such courtesy I seldom find"; He turned and said, "Oh, thank you sir." And then I saw that he was blind. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine, I have two eyes, the world is mine. Then, when walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue; He stood and watched the others play, it seemed he knew not what to do; I stopped a moment, then I said, "Why don’t you join the others, dear?" He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two ears, the world is mine. With feet to take me where I’d go; with eyes to see the sunsets glow, With ears to hear what I would know. I am blessed indeed. The world is mine; oh, God, forgive me when I whine. Lord we are returning to give thanks. Turn to someone now and say I thank God for His blessings. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 83: 06.0.1. ROCK SOLID- "ANCHORS OF THE FAITH" ======================================================================== Rock Solid- "Anchors of the Faith" by Dr. Edgar Pierce www.exposingtheword.com Beloved believers in the Lord Jesus our faith today is increasingly under attack. Many times we may wonder what we can really hold onto and believe about the world around us. Rock Solid- "Anchors of the Faith" explores some things we as believers can know are true and therefore we can anchor Rock Solid upon. There are a total of 24 things of the faith that are explored. May this series richly bless you and glorify our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Your’s in the Masters Service Edgar Pierce ======================================================================== CHAPTER 84: 06.0.2. TABLE OF CONTENTS ======================================================================== TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1-Anchored in the Rock...Luke 6:47-48 2-The Foundation of the Anchor...2 Timothy 3:16 3-The Most Remarkable Book Ever Written...Hebrews 4:12 4-Reasons the Word of God is Settled..Php 119:89 5-We Call Him God...Hebrews 11:6 6-Abba Father...Galatians 4:6; Isaiah 64:8 7-Looking Toward the Son...Matthew 16:13-17 8-Fresh Wind of Comfort and Conviction...Acts 2:1-2; John 16:7-14 9-Man O Man...Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:7 10-God Chose Life..John 10:10 11-When, How and Why of Creation...Genesis 1:1-2 Colossians 1:15-22 12-Celebration of Creation... Colossians 1:15-22 13-Sin Should Have Four Letters...Genesis 4:1-16 14-Who Are You Going To Believe: Creation Verses Evolution...Genesis 1:1; Colossians 2:8 15-From the Fall to the Father...Acts 4:12 16-The Language of the Saved...2 Corinthians 9:15 17-Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven...Revelation 21:1-5 18-Up, Up and Away..John 11:23-27 ; John 11:34-44 19-Nobody Wants to Go to Hell...Luke 16:19-31 20-Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m His...1 John 5:13 21-The Church Marches On...Matthew 16:13-18 22-Yes, Virginia There is a Devil...Ezekiel 28:12-19 23-Giving the Church a Bath...John 13:3-10 24-Angels Among Us...Hebrews 13:2 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 85: 06.01. ANCHORED IN THE ROCK ======================================================================== Anchored in the Rock Luke 6:47-48 Luke 6:47-48 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. One of the most neglected things in our churches today perhaps may be the teaching of doctrine. What we believe, why we believe what we believe and what to do as a result of what we believe. We live in a time that was spoken of by Paul when he spoke to Timothy, Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears… 2 Timothy 4:2-3 . We live in a day when confronted with preaching against sin many preachers will reply that they would rather preach a positive sermon than to preach against sin. Men today are flocking to places that are filled with feel good sermons and not strong preaching of the Word of God. Many today want to come away from church feeling good about who and what they are instead of feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit on their lives. We are warned many places and many times in the Scriptures to follow sound doctrine. I have entitled this series Rock Solid "Anchors of the Faith" because if we are not anchored in the things that God has revealed about Himself and the things of Christ we are building our faith of shifting sands. Philosophies come and go, social norms may change with time because most are build upon the humanistic premises of man and his limited knowledge. Paul said in Ephesians 4:14-15 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. He told his preacher boys Titus and Timothy to Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. During this series we hope to explore what we believe about our faith in many areas. We will talk about the Bible and why we believe it to be the very Word revealed by God the Creator. We will find the anchor of creation and attempt to understand the assault that is being waged on the Bible. We have plans to understand what we believe about the triune God and what the Bible teaches about the consummation of the ages. I- The Critical Doctrine: Let us understand today as we begin our look that the Bible teaches there is a key doctrine that we must be anchored in to begin with. The critical doctrine in the Bible is not what we believe about the second coming of Christ, nor what we believe about other things such as how to do church. The key doctrine in the Bible has to do with Jesus. 2 John 1:9-10 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed. 1 John 2:22-23 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. The most divisive man who ever lived was Jesus Christ. Notice what Jesus said in Luke 12:51-53 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 52For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. Now notice 1 Peter 2:6-9 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: To those that believe Jesus is the sweet rock that gives life. To those that reject Him He is the Rock of offense that will ultimately crush. Hebrews 6:18-19 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil. II- The Rock of the Word: Our next sermon will address what the Bible says about itself. May I simply say now that the anchor of all our doctrine must be found in the Rock of the Word. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. Hebrews 4:12-13 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. III- On the Rock or Sand? Luke 6:47-48 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. Within this text there is an answer to a question that we must ask. Why study doctrine? "When the flood arose" is the answer. Beloved may I say that we need to do spiritually emergency preparedness. Did you notice that the Bible says the man had dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock? The implication was that he dug through he sand into the solid rock. Many times today our foundation may be in the things of God but we are not anchored deep in them. We are only a surface Christian and our anchor is not deep in the rock but is in the sands. How many of you have been o the beach and stood at the edge of the water and noticed as the waves came in and out the sand shift beneath your feet? In the parallel passage of our text found in Matthew 7:25 it says, And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. You might ask how you can dig deeper so when the hurricanes and tsunamis of life come, and they will come, you can be anchored. May I say it is all found in the things of God? The rock of the Word. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. We need to learn and then be reminded of the things of God. Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 86: 06.02. THE FOUNDATION OF THE ANCHOR ======================================================================== The Foundation of the Anchor 2 Timothy 3:16 You have received an invitation to a party. You know where to show up and when but you do not know the host and hostess and will not recognize them when you see them. The party is going to be held on a massive estate of several thousand acres. Another strange thing is that it will not be held until midnight. You are to arrive at a certain point for additional instructions. You are to drive the last mile up the road leading to the gate without headlights. The invitation intrigues you so you decide to go. When you arrive at the appointed place in the dark a hooded man in black informs you that you are to place a hood over your head and proceed on foot into the estate. Now blindfolded by the hood and on foot you are to find the host and hostess of the party on the several thousand-acre estate. Impossible you would say. May I say, you would find the host and hostess in this hypothetical situation quicker than you would find the God of the universe without Him revealing Himself to mankind. We only need to look at the so called sacred texts of the world to realize the difficulty of man finding God. The Hindi have the book they called the Vedas which means "knowledge." They reveal a completely different concept of what God is than we would be familiar with for the most part. Then there is the Koran which claims to be the next generation of revelation past the Old and New Testaments. The premise is that the OT and NT where corrupt and the Koran straightens it all out. Also there are the books of Mormonism. There are several of these including the Pearl of Great Price and Doctrine and Covenants. And on and on we go with men trying to figure out God. If you were God how would you have chosen to reveal yourself to humanity? How would you let the people know about you? Would you perhaps put men in a trance and tell them what to say? Would you have written it across the sky? How would you have revealed yourself to men? Oh! But we have another problem. Remember the illustration of a man trying to find the host and hostess with a blindfold on. What if there was also no talking allowed, no touching allowed. What if in essence you had to walk around as a dead man who had no senses active. I- The Ways of Revelation: 2 Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." So how did God choose to reveal Himself to blind, spiritually dead humanity. We must remember that two times (Adam and Noah) all of humanity had a knowledge of God. But notice what it says in Romans 1:28 "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient." We know from our text that the Scriptures are the anchor of all of our doctrine and may I say ultimate where we go back to for the Revelation of who God is. So how did we get the Word of God? How did He speak? We find God using a variety of ways to "reveal" Himself to man. Let’s look at a few to help us understand revelation. 1- He spoke to men through His holy angels. We need not look any farther for a proof text then to Luke 2:8-14 . We also see this method employed in the reassurance of Abraham of the birth of Isaac and to inform him of God’s intent to destroy Sodom. (see Genesis 18:1-33) An angel warned Lot to flee Sodom. (See Genesis 19:1-38) The angel Gabriel revealed the great tribulation to the prophet Daniel in Daniel 9, and also informed Mary that she was the chosen one to give birth to Messiah recorded in Luke 1:26-37 . He revealed the birth to the shepherds and directed Phillip to the Ethiopian eunuch. 2- He spoke to men with an audible (loud) voice. We see God speaking to Adam in the garden in Gen 3 and to Noah in Genesis 6:13-21 . He also is recorded as speaking to Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, and Jeremiah. 3- He spoke (speaks) through a still small voice. This is found in 1 Kings 19:11 and is addressed to Elijah on the run in the cave. 4- He spoke (speaks) today through nature. Two men can stand and look into heaven and see two different things. One sees God another sees chance. One see the revelation another sees the uncertainty. One sees outward to God and another sees inward to self. So how do we know about the vastness of what’s out there? It is clear he speaks through nature from the following verses. Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Notice Psalms 19:1-3 which says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard." 5- He spoke to men through dreams. We know that He spoke to Joseph no less than three times as recorded in the New Testament as well as the Wise Men who visited the Christ Child. 6- He spoke through visions. John on the Isle of Patmos as he was given the Revelation is an example of this. 7- He spoke through Christophanies. A Christophany is a pre-Bethlehem appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. In most cases when the "Angel of the Lord" is mentioned in the Old Testament it is referring to the Lord Jesus. There are no less than 10 of these such appearances. 8- He ultimately spoke through the incarnate Son. Hebrews 1:1-2 "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." II- Written Word: We know that Jesus is spoken of in the Bible as the Word of God. He is the Living Word that is revealed by the written Word. Remember now our text says in 2 Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." There are a lot of phases in the Bible that verify that God spoke and then it was recorded. For instance 80 times the phase "it is written" is found in the KJV. One instance of this is in Matthew 4:4 "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Jesus was answering the devil when he was tempting Him. Another is the "Word of the Lord" which appears 255 times. The last is 1 Peter 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. We know that these are not just the words of men but of God. 2 Peter 1:21 "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." III- Anchor Points in the Revelation: Why is it important that we settle the issue of the Word of God and it being a steadfast anchor? May I say from it come forth all the issues of eternal life. From the Word of God today we have the revelation of who God is, the problem man has, God’s plan of salvation, how can a man be right with God and on and on. The anchor of the revelation can now lead us into exploration of other areas that are settled that we can hold fast to. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 87: 06.03. THE MOST REMARKABLE BOOK EVER WRITTEN ======================================================================== The Most Remarkable Book Ever Written Hebrews 4:12 I read an article in a paper known as the Appalachian Voice. In the article it quoted a man named Dean Ohlman who stated the goal of the "Opening the Book of Nature" workshop was to, "reintroduce the church to a concept that has been lost: that God has given us two revelations. It goes way back to the founders of the early church and to Saint Augustine that God teaches us through two books: the book of God’s word and the book of God’s works. And since God is the author of both, there should be harmony." (Appalachian Voice, Harvard Ayers Publisher, Boone N.C. Summer 2003, p12.) Dean Ohlman is not some fringe nut seemingly when he talks about the Book of Nature and God’s revelation. He graduated from Bob Jones and works Radio Bible Class and is associate producer of "Day of Discovery" many of us have watched on TV many times. So what does the Bible have to say about the revelation of God in nature? It states that God reveals Himself in His creation. Romans 1:20 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." Psalms 19:1-3 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard." Psalms 97:6 "The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory." Still today there has to be more. The fact that there are countless so called divine revelations from God to humans adds confusion to the mix as we attempt to understand who this God of nature is. I submit that without the written revelation we cannot fully understand who God is. This brings us the question of the Bible. Is the Bible God’s revelation or just one of many? Was it merely written by human hands and therefore contains only the philosophy of man and not God. If it is God’s revelation I submit to you that man cannot duplicate it because the Bible claims are exclusive of the truth. So can this remarkable book be remade? Can man come up with a divine revelation apart from the Bible? Are there additional revelations that were to come? I- The Remarkable Word: Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Today in our mass production lines of products we have moved farther and farther away from anything being produced that are truly one of a kind. Ladies have you ever worn a dress and gone somewhere and someone else had that very same dress on. Or have you ever seen someone with a dress on that you have one in your closet just like and it made you glad you didn’t wear it that day. There are many things that are minutely unique in our world. For instance you might buy a bench that has been made from branches and poles that have knots and twists that make it unique but it is only different in small ways. There are literally thousands of this type of benches out there. The Bible some claim is only one of many books of God. The Hindi have the writings knows as Vedes which simply means wisdom. The Mormons have the Book of Mormons and other books that they say completes the revelation of God. The Koran is said to be the completion of the revelation of God according to the Muslims. There are also many other lesser known so called revelations. So what makes the Bible unique? There are many reasons. The Bible was written over a period of 1500 years with forty some different authors yet it is amazing how it all ties together and complements itself. The greatest thing that sets the Bible apart is the prophecy it contains. Have you really understood with your heart the fact that no other so called sacred books contain prophecy. Only the Bible declares the end. Isaiah 46:9-10 says, "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." Next week we will look at some of the amazing prophecies and other things when we look at reasons the Word of God is settled. II- The Purpose of the Word of God: Without the revelation of God to human kind there would and could not be any understanding of who God is. The ultimate purpose of the Word of God is to bring men and women; boys and girls into a personal relationship with God through Christ. 1 John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." Wrapped up in the purpose of God’s Word is also the answer as to why it is under attack by the enemy. He knows if he can destroy men’s faith in the Word of God he will have destroyed men’s faith in God Himself. Psalms 11:3 "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Remember the parable of the seed and sower found in Matthew 13:3-8 "Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold." Jesus taught them and us that the seed in this parable is the Word of God. In the Library of Congress enclosed in a glass case with a sign saying to not take pictures of it with a flash lies the Guttenburg Bible. Years ago before the days of the printing press the Bibles were chained to the pulpit. In many countries today where the Word of God is in short supply many times one Bible will be torn apart, not irreverently but so that each person may have a few pages to read and then pass along. Did God intend for the Bible to be enclosed in a glass case or chained to the pulpit so that few could access it? I submit that God intended for His Word to be free to the masses. I am preaching to construct a biblical grid in the minds of believers through which everything--including what they watch on TV--is processed. -- Joseph Stowell, Leadership, Vol. 13, no. 2. Do you look at the world through the glasses of mans philosophy, mans sociology, psychology, or through the Word of God. III- Why Is it not Remakeable? I have often gone to the bookstores and felt such a sense of awe at all the books that have been written. Still men write more. Some are on history, some are on geography, some on war, many on love. Men continue to write. Still the Word of God stands head an shoulders above all others. There is a timeless truth that seems to percolate from the pages of the precious Word of God. 1- All the literature men write can be no greater then the genius of the author. Someone can come along that can write like a Shakespeare or some other author but none can elevate to the level of the Bible. I am glad there are things in the Bible I do not understand. If I could take that book up and read it as I would any other book, I might think I could write a book like that. – D.L. Moody, Christian History, no. 25. This is summed up in the contrast between the words of Jesus when those that heard them compared them to the words of the Rabbi’s. John 7:45-46 "Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? 46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man." 2- Men will not tell the truth about his spiritual condition. Men today think we need a helping hand to be a little better when in fact we need a new man to replace the old. In his book Modern Times, Paul Johnson notes that Stalin was short—just five feet, four inches tall. Furthermore, a childhood accident had left his left arm stiff and his hand slightly misshapen. So when the dictator commissioned his portrait, he instructed the artist to paint him from his best angle—from below, a perspective that made Stalin seem to tower over the artist. To add to the image, Stalin folded his hands over his stomach, making them appear firm and powerful more like the pseudonym he had chosen: Stalin means "man of steel." It is human nature to put ourselves in the best possible light. But spiritual growth cannot come merely by adjusting the angle of view. God’s Word is a mirror that shows our true condition. – Lew Button Bedford, Pennsylvania. Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 4. The Bible tells us with just the right angle. We are lost and need salvation to be provided beyond our self. IV- So Where Do We Go From Here? Do you today need to accept the salvation that is revealed by the Bible as needed, provided and offered? Perhaps as Christians we need to make a fresh commitment to the Word of Life. Perhaps we need to recommit to the Lord being Lord of our life. Peter once said in, John 6:68 "…Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." One spring our family was driving from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa, Florida. As far as the eye could see, orange trees were loaded with fruit. When we stopped for breakfast, I ordered orange juice with my eggs. "I’m sorry," the waitress said. "I can’t bring you orange juice. Our machine is broken." At first I was dumbfounded. We were surrounded by millions of oranges, and I knew they had oranges in the kitchen--orange slices garnished our plates. What was the problem? No juice? Hardly. We were surrounded by thousands of gallons of juice. The problem was they had become dependent on a machine to get it. Christians are sometimes like that. They may be surrounded by Bibles in their homes, but if something should happen to the Sunday morning preaching service, they would have no nourishment for their souls. The problem is not a lack of spiritual food--but that many Christians haven’t grown enough to know how to get it for themselves. -- Adapted from Leroy Eims in The Lost Art of Disciple Making. Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 3. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 88: 06.04. REASONS THE WORD OF GOD IS SETTLED ======================================================================== Reasons the Word of God is Settled Psalms 119:89 The Word of God is referred to as a mirror, seed, water, lamp, sword, hammer, fire, precious metals such as gold and silver, nourishing food such as milk, meat, bread and honey. It is the most remarkable book ever written and is in fact the anchor of the revelation of God to mankind as we have previously discussed. Notice a few verses that tell us it is forever settled, settled in heaven and I trust in our hearts as well. Psalms 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 1 Peter 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. How settled? Notice it said one jot or tittle. [one jot — the smallest of the Hebrew letters. one tittle — one of those little strokes by which alone some of the Hebrew letters are distinguished from others like them.] I- The Unsettled: Before we delve into the reasons I think God’s Word should be settled for us lets take a look at those I called the unsettled and see what some detractors have said about the Word of God. The Bible has held its ground so we do not need to fear when men speak against it. The story is told of a visitor who toured a blacksmith shop. Viewing heaps of discarded hammers but only one huge anvil, he asked: "How often do you replace the anvil?" With a smile the owner replied, "Never! It is the anvil that wears out the hammer, you know!" So it is with the Word of God. The hammers of persecution, ridicule, higher criticism, liberalism, and atheism have for centuries pounded out their vicious blows upon the divine anvil, but to no avail. There they lie, in rusting piles, while the mighty anvil of the Scriptures stands unbroken, unshaken, and unchipped. (Willmington’s Guide to the Bible, p 811). One of the things that the cults almost all have in common is they claim that the Bible is not enough. You must have their writing to understand it. One illustration of this is the Jehovah’s Witnesses founder Charles Taze Russell (1851 – 1916). Mr. Russell calmly announces in the opening pages of his Studies in the Scriptures that it would be far better to leave the Bible unread but read his comments on it than to omit his writings and read the Bible. Many times outside the church men cry against the Bible but the saddest cry is when those who are within the church who are in charge of crying out the truths from Scriptures cry out against it. Notice one. The Position of Liberalism – Probably the most famous liberal of the twentieth century was the late Harry Emerson Fosdick He has written the following words which typify the liberal attitude: When one moves back to the Scriptures with a mind accustomed to work in modern ways he finds himself in a strange world.... Knowing modern astronomy he turns to the Bible to find the sun and moon standing still or the shadow retreating on a sundial. Knowing modem biology he hears that when Elisha had been so long dead that only his bones were left, another dead body, thrown into the cave where he was buried, touched his skeleton and sprang to life again, or that after our Lord’s resurrection many of the saints long deceased arose and appeared in Jerusalem. Knowing modern physics he turns to the Bible to read that light was created three days before the sun and that an axe-head floated when Elisha threw a stick into the water. Knowing modern medicine he finds in the scripture many familiar ailments, epilepsy, deafness, dumbness, blindness, insanity, ascribed to the visitation of demons.... We live in a new world. We have not kept the forms of thought and categories of explanation in astronomy, geology, biology, which the Bible contains. We have definitely and irrevocably gotten new ones. ((A Guide to the Religions of America, Leo Rosten, ed., p. 160) Willmington’s Guide to the Bible p 794. Willmington’s Study Library says after this. But at the end of his life Fosdick may have seen the error of this false liberal approach to the Word of God. Note his evaluation: Today, however, looking back over forty years of ministry, I see an outstanding difference between then and now with regard to what is standard and who must do the adjusting, What man in his senses can now call our modern civilization standard? It is not Christ’s message that needs to be accommodated to this mad scene; it is this mad scene into which our civilization has collapsed that needs to be judged and saved by Christ’s message. This is the most significant change distinguishing the beginning of my ministry from now. Then we were trying to accommodate Christ to our scientific civilization; now we face the desperate need of accommodating our scientific civilization to Christ. (Quoted in Norman Geisler and William Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, p. 168) II- Settled: So we see that both within and with the church many are unsettled on the fact that the Bible is God’s Word to men. So we come now to why I think it settled and should be settled for all men who will approach it with a mind that does not reject it off handed but truly searches for the truth. We have talked about the unity of it a little being written over 1500 years by 40 or so authors and still it has not contradictions. Let notice briefly a few others. A- Indestructible: God does not need men to protect His Word. He can do a pretty good job of it. He just needs men to believe it, practice it and share it. In A.D. 303, Emperor Diocletian thought he had destroyed every hated Bible. After many tireless years of ruthless slaughter and destruction, he erected a column of victory over the embers of a burned Bible. The title on the column read: "Extinct is the Name of Christian." Twenty years later, the new Emperor Constantine offered a reward for any remaining Bibles. Within 24 hours no less than 50 copies were brought out of hiding and presented to the king. In 1199, Pope Innocent III ordered the burning of all Bibles. Voltaire – He once said, "Another century and there will be not a Bible on the earth." The century is gone, and the circulation of the Bible is one of the marvels of the age. After he died, his old printing press and the very house where he lived was purchased by the Geneva Bible Society and made a depot for Bibles. On December 24, 1933, the British Government bought the valuable Codex Sinaiticus from the Russians for half a million dollars. On that same day a first edition of Voltaire’s work sold for 11 cents in Paris book shops. Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. B- Historical Accuracy: The Bible is not a history book but when it makes a statement that is historic it must be accurate to be what it claims the word of God. Less than a century ago, the agnostic took great glee in sneeringly referring to the "hundreds of historical mistakes" in the Bible. But then came the science of archaeology, and with each shovel full of dirt the sneers have become less visible, until today they scarcely can be seen. Willmington’s Study Library The history recorded in the Bible about civilizations that lived and died out was made fun of but with each shovel that turns there is evidences upon evidences of the historic accuracy of the Bible. While this will not prove that God exist it does settle the question of the historic accuracy of the Word. Let me give us a couple of examples. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was thought to be spurious until evidence revealed that all five of the cities mentioned in the Bible weere in fact centers of commerce in the area and were geographically situated as the Scriptures describe. The biblical description of their demise seems to be no less accurate. Evidence points to earthquake activity, and that the various layers of the earth were disrupted and hurled high into the air. Bitumen is plentiful there, and an accurate description would be that brimstone (bituminous pitch was hurled down on those cities that had rejected God. (The New Evidence That Demand a Verdict, Josh McDowell, p 94-95) One more that shows the accuracy of the Bible historically. Jericho- During the excavation of Jericho (1930-1936) Garstang found something so startling that he and two other members of the team prepared and signed a statement describing what was found. In reference to the these finding Garstang says: "As to the man fact, then, there remains no doubt: the walls fell outward so completely that the attackers would be able to clamber up and over their ruins into the city. Why so unusual? Because the wall of the cities do not fall outwards, they fall inwards. And yet in Joshua 6:20 we read, ’The wall fell down flat.Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.’ The walls were made to fall outward." (Garstand FBHJJ, 146) (The New Evidence That Demand a Verdict, Josh McDowell, p 94-95) We could spend a lot more time here but lets move along for the sake of time. C- Scientific Accuracy: Like the Bible is not a science book it however makes some amazing scientific statement that predate what we now accept by sometimes thousands of years. First the earth is know to be a round planet. 700 or so BC Isaiah said in Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in. Contrast this with the view that most common man held unto the introduction of the compass and the sixteen hundreds with the voyages of Columbus and Magellan that the earth was flat. Besides that the Bible tells us what we now know that the earth rest upon nothing according to Job 26:7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. Now the contrast here is really stark. In the time of Job about 1500 BC one of the most advanced "scientific" theories concerning the earth was that our planet was flat and rested securely upon the back of a gigantic turtle who was slowly plodding through the cosmic seas of some sort. Sir Isaac Newton in 1678 or some 3000 years after Job got it straightened out. The innumerable stars in the sky was spoken of to Abraham who could have only seen about 1200 or so. We know that there are billions of stars. The Bible teaches us that there are as the number of sand grains of the seashore. But as late as 150 AD some leading astronomers claimed there were only 1056. Now one of my favorites. Jonah 2:5-6 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. Until just the last 100 years or so the ocean’s volume and size was viewed as a watery bowl, which sloped from the coastline gently downward toward the middle, where it was deepest. It then was thought o proceed upward to the other side. Jonah had declared that he went to the mountains at the bottom of the sea however. David also spoke of canyons at the sea bottom. 2 Samuel 22:16 And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. We obviously know now that there are canyons and mountains on the sea bottom. Another world exists there. The deepest canyon found so far is some seven miles under the sea near the Philippines. We also know that there are springs and fountains as well as currents in the sea. Psalms 8:8 HCSB birds of the sky, and fish of the sea passing through the currents of the seas. This verse revealed to a man named Matthew Fountaine Maury that there were highways in the sea. He is the father of today’s oceanography. And on and on we could go. We will discuss more of these type things when we look at the doctrine of creation. D- Prophetic Accuracy: We come to the last one we will look at Prophetic Accuracy. There are literally thousand that we could look at. Lets look at a few of the most amazing. Ezekiel 37:15-23 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: 17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. 18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? 19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. 20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. 21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: 22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: 23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. Israel went into captivity as two nations some 100+ years apart but God brought them back together as one. Next is concerning an individual by the name of Cyrus. Cyrus would become King over the empire that overthrew the Babylonians. Isaiah the prophet, writing at a time, 712 BC, of peace about for Judah told us Isaiah 44:28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. Nebuchanezzar took them Jerusalem captive in 606 about 100= years later. After 70 years, which also had been prophesied as well, notice what happened. Ezra 1:1-2 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Now before we get caught up in all this remember the reason the Bible exist is that we might have a personal relationship with God through His Son, Christ Jesus. He is also a walking fulfillment of prophecy as well. Just one for the road so to speak. Psalms 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Now notice Jesus in John 2:19-22 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. May I say we must also believe the scriptures and the words that Jesus said. He is the way, the truth the life, he is the door in which we must enter. The Word of God is settled and therefore the way to heaven is settled with it. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 89: 06.05. WE CALL HIM GOD ======================================================================== We Call Him God Hebrews 11:6 1500 years before the birth of Christ, Pharaoh said to Moses when Moses said that God said to Pharaoh to let his people go, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?" Exodus 5:2 . The king of Babylon, Nebuchanezzar said to the three Hebrew children, "Who is that God, that shall deliver you out of my hands?" Daniel 3:15 Man has continually ask the question about who God is. Today there are many thoughts concerning the concept of what man would call god. These concepts go by various names, a higher power, the big guy upstairs, the force. An atheist will tell you that God does not exist. The agnostic says you can’t know. There is the thought known as polytheism which says there are many gods and offers a choice of gods. These deities often are of the forces of nature- the sun, sky, earth. Hinduism is an example of this. The Chinese concept is of two forces, good and bad, coequal and opposed to each other. They call it the yin-yang. This is known as dualism. Still another concept of god is of pantheism, which concludes that everything is god. We, and everything else, are caught in this endless ring of spiritual life from which there is escape only by becoming one with this force. Then there is deism which teaches that there is a god but he is not personal. The concept of one god is known as monotheism. So what does the Bible say and teach us about God? What do we as Baptist believe about God? With all the noise about God and gods today we need to know what the Bible teaches. The Hebrews understood that God spoke to Moses and that He was the only God. Many times the Old Testament declares, "O Lord, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee..." The Baptist Faith and Message states, "There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience." (Hobbs, Herschel H., The Baptist Faith and Message. Nashville: Convention Press, 1971. pp. 150. Page 31.) I- The Existence of God: The Bible does not attempt to prove to mankind that God exists. The Bible simply makes the statement that He is and man can accept it or reject it. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God..." We also know that the very existence of creation declares there is a God of creation. Psalms 19:1 states "The heavens declares the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handwork." "From the age of two, Helen Keller was blind, deaf and without the sense of smell. After two months of agonizing and fruitless attempts on the part of her teacher to communicate with this young girl, a miracle occurred. One day Helen suddenly understood the concept and meaning of running water! from this humble foundation Miss Keller built a lofty tower of thought, including the ability to use her voice in speaking. She became an educated and articulate human being. Sometime after she had progressed to the point that she could engage in conversation, she was told of God and His love in sending Christ to die on the cross. She is said to have responded with joy, "I always knew He was there,, but I didn’t know His name!"" (Willmington, H. L., Willmington’s Guide to the Bible. Wheaton, ILL.: Tyndale House, 1987 p 591.) The reason that mankind is trying to say there is no God is because they know they are accountable to Him when they acknowledge Him. My friends we are accountable to Him whether we acknowledge Him or not. We will attempt to understand the God of the Bible in two ways. We will look at His names and His attributes. II- The Names of God: A name tells us many things. Have you ever wondered where all of the "last" names we use came from. The Miller’s Johnson’s, Carpenter’s, etc. They have their roots in the past. The names of our forefathers told many things about him. The giving of a name to his children by a prophet many times prophesied something to come in the future. The names that God has revealed to mankind that He is know by reveal many things about Him. There are four primary names in the Old Testament that tells us who God is. Elohim, El, Adonai, and Jehovah. A- Elohim is the first name used for God in the Bible. Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God [elohim ] created the heaven and the earth." Elohim is used 2605 times in Scripture. It is the primary word translated, "God." This name is "used of the true God and heathen gods." (Ryrie, Charles Caldwell, The Ryrie Study Bible. Chicago: Moody Press, 1985. Page 1970.) This is a general name for god(s) and simply identifies God as God. "...the him ending of Elohim is very significant, for it is a plural ending in the Hebrew that indicates three or more."4 (Arthur, Kay, Lord, I Want To Know You. Old Tappen, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1984, 187 pp. Page 21.) This allows for the Trinity. The meaning of it is "The strong one." it speaks of the creative power. B- El and it’s compound names teaches us many things about our God. There are four compound names used with El. 1- El Elyon- "The strongest strong one." Satan wanted to be like El Elyon recorded in Isaiah 14:13-14 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.[El-Elyon] 2- El Roi- "The strong one who sees." When Hagar was in the wilderness after being cast out by Sarai when all hope of survival was lost when was visited and ministered to by El Roi, the strong one who sees. Genesis 16:13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God [El] seest [Roi] me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? 3- El Shaddai- "The breasted One." This denotes the God who cares for us. Genesis 17:1 records that God told Abraham that he was El Shaddai. Genesis 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God [El Shaddai]; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 4- El Olam- "The everlasting God." Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God [El Olam], the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. C- Adonai "Master, Lord." As Master and Lord of our lives He owns us and expects us to serve Him and obey Him. D- Jehovah "the Self-existent One, the God of the covenant." Jehovah was the name that God used to identify Himself to Israel. He told Moses to tell the Hebrews that "I Am, that I Am" sent him. There are nine compound names of Jehovah. Through these nine compound names God revealed to us that He is the God that provides, fights our battles, is our peace, is the one who sanctifies us, is our shepherd, is the God of righteousness, who is present and is our healer. Let’s look at just a couple of these names. 1- Jehovah-Jireh "the Lord will provide" Genesis 22:13-14 "And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen." 2- Jehovah Shalom- "the Lord is Peace" Judges 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 3- Jehovah Raah- "the Lord is my Shepherd." Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. III- The Attributes of God: There are many attributes that tell us of God’s nature and give insight into who He is. The Baptist Faith and Message list 11 attributes. Ryrie’s Study Bible lists 14. Others list as many as 21. Lets look at a few. A- Self- Existent- This simply says that God does not need man or any other thing to exist. He exists by His own might and power. B- Immutable- Malachi 3:6 "...For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." He does not change. He is the same in nature and purpose day after day. C- Omnipresent- He is present everywhere at all times in all places. Psalms 139:7-12 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. D- Omnipotent- Matthew 19:26 "...With God all things are possible." He is all powerful. He is only limited by self imposed limits. He cannot act out of His character. E- Omniscience- Hebrews 4:13 "...Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the yes of him whom we have to do." God has all knowledge. He knows all simultaneously. immediately. Nothing is hide from God. F- Holy- Isaiah 6:3 "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts...." The Lord is Holy and it says in Leviticus 11:44 that He requires man to be holy. G- Truth- John 14:6 "Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life." God is the source of all truth. H- Love- 1 John 4:7-9 "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him." The best know attribute of God today is probably His love. We call Him God. It seems like such a small word for such an awesome being. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 90: 06.06. ABBA FATHER ======================================================================== Abba Father Galatians 4:6 ; Isaiah 64:8 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. What do we believe about God the Father. Most of us could write a lot about the Son the second person of the trinity. We might not be able to write as much about the Holy Spirit as the Son but still most know some about the Spirit the second person of the trinity. But what about God the Father? How much could we write about Him who is the first person of the trinity? I- The Trinity: As we have previously discussed Christianity is a "monotheistic" religion. That means we believe in only one God. However, we know and understand from Scripture that God is a trinity, or three in one. C.C. Ryrie defined the trinity well when he stated , "There is only one God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three eternal and coequal Persons, the same in substance but distinct in subsistence." (Ryrie, Charles Caldwell, The Ryrie Study Bible. Chicago: Moody Press, 1985. pp. 2032. Page 1970. ) The Baptist Faith and Message says, "Baptist believe in ’one and only one living and true God’." (Hobbs, Herschel H., The Baptist Faith and Message. Nashville: Convention Press, 1971. pp. 150. Page 34 ) The Trinity has been discussed down through church history. Today when we must defend the Trinity it is usually the defense of the deity of Christ or the distinct personage of the Holy Spirit. Without future argument we will study God the Father with the given of God being one God that manifest Himself in three ways, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. II- God the Father: We might wonder what God the Father was doing in eternity past. He was not a lonely God who had no one to talk to. He was having fellowship with the Son. He was also planning the redemption of man. He was busy creating the angels and the stars. In John 14:8-9 Phillip asks Christ to "Show us the Father..." Christ said to him, "...he that hath seen me hath seen the Father." Christ taught us many things while on the earth. He taught us who God the Father is. He said the Father is a spirit (John 4:24 ) who is all powerful, (Matthew 19:26 ) all knowing, (Matthew 10:29 ) holy (John 17:11 ) righteous, (John 17:25 ) loving, (John 3:16 ) and good. (Matthew 6:26 ) But most of all Christ taught us that God is a Father. He mentions God as being a Father 189 times in the New Testament. In the Scriptures we find that God is a Father in four areas. He is (1) Father of creation, (2) of the nation of Israel, (3) of the Lord Jesus Christ and of (4) all believers. III- Father of Creation: Psalms 104:14-24 Psalms 104:14-21 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; 15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart. 16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; 17 Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. 18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies. 19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down. 20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. 21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. God is the Father of all creation. The life of everything started with God. David declares in Psalms 36:9 "...with thee is the fountain of life." Someone said that it is better to believe David than Darwin. We can see God as a Gardner. He takes care of the vegetation he created it on the third. Psalms 104:14, Psalms 104:16 says he causes the grass to grow and the trees to have sap. Psalms 104:18, Psalms 104:21 we see that He also is a zookeeper. He gives the goats and rock badgers a place to hide. He also feeds the young lions. We see He is also a Meteorologist because He cares for the weather. Psalms 135:7 "He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouse." NIV During the exodus He sent a wind that blew and parted the Red Sea. 700 years later he sent the storm into Jonah’s life. God is also the one who tends to the seasons. How many times have we heard the old wives tale that in the end times all the seasons will be the same. In Genesis 8:22 God promised Noah that "While the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." IV- Father of the Nation of Israel: Exodus 4:22 Exodus 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: God told Moses to tell Pharaoh that "...Israel is my son, even my firstborn." Israel did not come into existence because of their might but because God was their Father. Deuteronomy 7:7-8 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. V- Father of the Lord Jesus Christ- Matthew 3:17 When Jesus came up out of the water at His baptism God the Father said "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." During His earthly ministry Christ spoke more about the Father than any other subject. We see that the Father sent His Son. Galatians 4:4 says, "...when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son..." The Father also anointed Christ. Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me..." Christ was anointed as Prophet, Priest and King. God was also the one who offered Christ as our sacrifice. Romans 8:32 tells us that God "... spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all..." We might ask who really killed Jesus. Pilate, the soldiers, the Jews You and I. All of these had their part to play but according to Genesis 53:10 "...it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief." We also know that it was by God the Fathers power that Christ arose according to Ephesians 1:20 which says, "...he raised him from the dead..." VI- Father of All Believers: Galatians 3:26 Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Today there is a teaching that is prevalent in our time that all men are brothers and sisters in God regardless of their relationship to God in Christ. This is a false teaching that is reputed by Galatians 3:26 stating "...ye are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Also 1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. There is no universal brotherhood of all mankind. God the Father is the creator of all men but the Father of only believers. Harold Willmington in his study on this subject list 26 things that God the Father does for believers. Lets look at only a few things. Notice with me if you will the following: a- He fore knew, predestined and conforms us to Christ. Romans 8:29 "...whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." Someone has well said that "God is so in love with His Son Jesus that He wants to make us all a bunch of little Jesus’ running around down here." God had determined that all believers will become like Christ. b- He indwells us. In John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. Christ says that if we love God and do what He wants of us that "we (meaning the Trinity) will come unto him, and make our abode with him." While it is true that we are in dwelled by the Holy Spirit we are indwelled as well by the Father and Son. c- He disciplines believers. Hebrews 12:7-10 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Notice what this teaches us about how God deals with us as sons. 12:8 states that "if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." The purpose of God’s chastening us is, "For our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness." d- He also keeps believers secure. John 10:28-29 makes it clear that we as believers are secure in God the Fathers hands. Christ said, "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 91: 06.07. LOOKING TOWARD THE SON ======================================================================== Looking Toward the Son Matthew 16:13-17 What can a man born 2000 years ago possible have to do with today. Born of a poor carpenter and his wife in a little nowhere place in Israel. Some find it hard to believe that this small town Jew could be the creator of the world. Still the fact remains that as men have come and gone this man, Jesus of Nazareth, stands out in history. Jesus Christ is arguable the most important and yet the most controversial person to ever live. Richard De Haan, talking about Jesus Christ said: "As a babe,, He startled a king. As a boy, He astonished the learned doctors of the land. As a man, He ruled the forces of nature; walked on the water; stilled a raging storm. He commanded angels and demons, and they rushed to do His bidding. He never wrote a book, yet libraries are filled with volumes about Him. He never composed a lyric, yet more songs have been inspired by Him than any other man in history. He never founded a college, yet through the ages the most astute and brilliant of men have sat at His feet. He never studied medicine, yet He ’went about doing good,’ healing the sick, and raising the dead to life again. He never marshaled an army, yet He has had more loyal followers than all the Alexanders and Napoleons of earth could ever hope to command." (Richard W. De Haan Behold the Man, Radio Bible Class, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501. pp 31. p.18.) I- Who Does Others Say He Is? No one doubts that Abraham Lincoln was president or that King Charles was king of England. Everyone knows that Michelangelo was a painter and Adolph Hilter was a mad man. Still if we ask who Jesus was we get many opinions. A Jehovah Witness will tell you he is "a god, but not the Almighty God, who is Jehovah" (Let God be True p.33) They deny that Jesus Christ was deity. Mormons teach that Jesus was a preexistent spirit. Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion said, "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1958 p.346-347) The Mormons, to justify their polygamy, also teach that Jesus was married to Mary, Martha and the other Mary at the wedding of Cana. "We say it was Jesus Christ who was married whereby He could see His seed. Before the Savior died He looked upon His own natural children as we look upon ours. When Mary came to the sepulcher she saw two angels and said unto them, ’they have taken away my Lord or husband." (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1960, Vol II, p.82.) Islam, the Muslims, teach that, "Jesus was only a messenger of Allah". (Koran- Surah 4:171) They believe that God is Allah and that Jesus was a prophet of Allah but did not achieve the greatness of the prophet Mohammed. "Jesus is referred to as messiah, servant, word, spirit, prophet, messenger, sign, witness, mercy, righteous, blessed and near Allah. However, the Muslim view considers all the prophets as humans designated by Allah to be spokesmen. A prophet is not divine." (George W. Braswell, Jr., Understanding World Religions; Nashville TN.: Broadman & Holman Publishers., 1994. p.119-120.) Some will teach that Jesus was a good teacher of morals. That he was simply a good man. Some New Agers consider him as a guide to self-actualization. He has attained a level of purity that is achievable by you and I. As you can see there is much noise about who He was and is. One might ask why does it make a difference anyway. Simply stated it is important because Jesus claimed to be God. II- Who Does the Bible Say He Is? Is He a Liar or God? This might sound strong to state that if He is not God than He is a liar. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulders. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. NJKV Jesus Himself claimed to be God on many occasions. John 10:25-30 "my father...I and my father are one..." The Jews understood that Jesus claimed to be deity. This was the ultimate reason He was crucified by them. The Baptist Faith and Message states "Christ is the eternal Son of God" (Hobbs, Herschel H., The Baptist Faith and Message. Nashville: Convention Press, 1971. pp. 150. Page 32.) We know that Jesus was God incarnate in the flesh! One of the names for Jesus was Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 "...a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Immanuel means "God with us." We also know that the scripture teaches that He was born of a virgin. We also know that Jesus was the instrument of Creation! Colossians 1:16 "for by him were all things created...all things were created by him, and for him." Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God was also the one who created everything that exists. III- Why Did He Die? Allow me to answer this question with a tale of two gardens. Adam was placed in a perfect garden called Eden. He sinned when he disobeyed God and partook of the forbidden fruit. Death passed upon all mankind as a result of his sin. Romans 5:12 says, "...by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." The right to eternal life was forfeited. All the offspring of Adam has his fallen nature because Adam was fallen and corrupt and he could not have an incorrupt child. Christ however is know as the second Adam because He undone what Adam messed up. Romans 5:17-19 . Go with me now to the second Garden, Gethsemane. (see Matthew 26:36-39) We pass along the dark streets of Jerusalem and go out into the dark night. We come to the garden and find Peter, James and John asleep. But where is Jesus. Oh, there He is over by the big rock. We hear Him saying, "Oh my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Matthew 26:39 We step back into the shadows as He comes to the three disciples who are sleeping. He speaks to them and then returns a short distance again to pray. We hear him cry out in the night "O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, they will be done." Matthew 26:42 We look closer and can see that Jesus sweat has turned into blood. The agony of this garden is very intense. As we tarry a few moments we hear the sound of soldier’s feet and see Judas and the soldiers coming to arrest Jesus. These verses make it plain that there was not other way of salvation to come to mankind. If Jesus had not gone to the cross and died we would be helplessly lost. This in fact had been the plan of God from eternity past. Revelation 13:8 states the "Lamb" (meaning Jesus Christ) was "slain from the foundation of the world." IV- So Who is He? As you will recall the angel that came to Mary he told her "thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus." Luke 1:26 We go to the account of the Angel reassuring Joseph about Mary to find what this name means. "...thou shalt call his name JESUS : for he shall save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21 . Jesus means "Jehovah is salvation." This is His personal, human name We also have previously stated that He was the "Lamb of God." This speaks of Him being the perfect sin sacrifice for mankind. He paid the debt of the law for our sins. He took our place. We also know that Jesus is the Judge of all humanity. John 5:22 states, "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." Jesus Christ is in a position to judge mankind because He came and walked among us and did not sin. V- What are you going to do with Jesus? Are you going to totally reject Him? This is your right to do so. However, you are responsible for this decision. Will you simply put Him off until a convenient time? Felix when he heard Paul preach said, "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." Acts 24:25 The most reasonable response if for you to accept Him as Savior and Lord! After all He is the One who stopped the funeral procession and caused a dead man to sit up and talk. The One who opened up the eyes of the blind man and rebuked the fever of a woman who them rose and served Him. He is the One who walked on the water and fed the thousands from the storeroom of heaven. He alone is God and Savior. The only hope of mankind. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 92: 06.08. FRESH WIND OF COMFORT AND CONVICTION ======================================================================== Fresh Wind of Comfort and Conviction Acts 2:1-2 ; John 16:7-14 Acts 2:1-2 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. John 16:7-14 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. One of the most understood, under emphasized and overemphasized doctrines in the scripture is the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. We have extremes on both ends of the doctrine. The charismatic are on the overemphasized end and at times Baptist are on the under emphasized end of the spectrum. Paul Van Gorder said concerning the Holy Spirit, "If Satan can’t stop you by putting tacks under your tires, giving you a flat and slowing you down, then he will climb up beside you in the seat and say, "step on the gas!" (Paul R. Van Gorder, Power from on High, 1979 Radio Bible Class, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49555. pp 32. p. 9) I wish to look at the doctrine of the Holy Spirit first by seeing the Holy Spirit as eternal God and as Creator. Next we will explore His relationship to the scriptures, to the believers and finally to the lost man. I- The Holy Spirit as Eternal God. Who or what is the Holy Spirit? Man in his religions has called the Spirit many things. The Indians referred to him as the Great Spirit. The movie Star Wars called what they understood as a supernatural power "the force." But the question is Who or what is He as revealed by the Word of God. We see in our text that He is not an "it". In these verses He is referred to with a personal pronoun at least 12 times. In John 16:13 alone the Spirit is called "he" 6 times. So we can say with scriptural authority that He is a person not a force or an it. The concept of the Holy Spirit being the third person of the triune (3 in 1) Godhead is easily understood by exploring scripture. Genesis 1:1 records that "God created the heavens and the earth" God here is Elohim, which in the Hebrew is a plural noun. Genesis 1:2 records that the "Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, let there be light..." We have here the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit, as well as the Father. By this we know the Holy Spirit was in the beginning and in fact is God. When God created man He said, "Let us make man in our image." We also see the three persons of the trinity at the baptism of Jesus. The Holy Spirit descends like a dove, the Father speaks and the Son is present in the flesh. Luke 3:22 "And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." In addition it was by the power of the Holy Spirit that the Son did the miracles. An interesting thing is He is not recorded doing any miracles prior to the Holy Spirit coming upon Him. II- The Holy Spirit as Creator. As we have already seen the Holy Spirit was active in creation. I want to get more specific and talk about the Holy Spirit and the creation of man. Genesis 2:7 record the creation of the first man, Adam, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." The Hebrew word translated here for breath of live is "neshamah" (nesh-aw-maw’); and according to Strong Concordance means "a puff, i.e. wind, angry or vital breath, divine inspiration, intellect. or (concretely) an animal: " (Strong, James, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Riverside Book and Bible House, Iowa Falls, Iowa 50126, p 81 Hebrew and Chaldee Dictrionary.) In the KJV it is also translated blast, breath, that breatheth, inspiration, soul, spirit. The word that is translated in the NT scriptures for spirit is the word "pneuma" in Greek. I want us to notice however what happened spiritually to man. It says that man, "became a living soul." Adam was not only alive physically but also spiritually. The Holy Spirit dwelled within Adam to give Him spiritual life. Hold this thought for a moment until we get to The Holy Spirit and the Saved. III- The Holy Spirit and the Scriptures The Holy Spirit was and is very active in His relationship to the written word of God. It was the Spirit that moved in the hearts of men to write the scriptures. He was the instrument of revelation of God to man. He inspired them to write. He now is active in the illumination of the word. 1 Corinthians 2:14 states, "...the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Paul had stated 1 Kings 2:10-11 "...the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ...the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." We know that the spiritual book, written by God the Spirit must therefore be brought to light by the Spirit for us to understand. The Baptist Faith and Message states it this way. "He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Thought illumination He enable me to understand truth." (Hobbs, Herschel H., The Baptist Faith and Message. Nashville: Convention Press, 1971. pp. 150. Page 33.) IV- The Holy Spirit and the Saved. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came upon men only at special times. He did not dwell with mankind. The Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost came to dwell within men. Pentecost is rightfully called the birth of the church. In addition the same way that Bethlehem was the birth of Jesus Christ, who was alive from eternity past, Pentecost can be said to be the birth of the Holy Spirit who was from eternity past. Christ came to dwell among men at Bethlehem and the Holy Spirit came to dwell within believers at Pentecost. We hear it said today "we need a new Pentecost." However, Pentecost cannot be repeated any more than Bethlehem can. We do not need the Spirit to come again for He is already here we simply need to surrender to Him more. We will look at four verses in the New Testament that describes the relationship that believers have with the Holy Spirit. A- John 3:5 says we are born by the Spirit. Now we return to the story of Adam and the fall. We know that the Holy Spirit was the giver of spiritual life to Adam. When Adam sinned the Holy Spirit withdrew from Adam and he died. Zephaniah 2:1, Zephaniah 2:5; Colossians 2:13 all teach that man is "dead in trespasses and sin." This is the result of Adams sin and fall. This is the reason that Christ told Nicodemus that ye "must be born again." John 6:63 states "...it is the Spirit that quickeneth" (or gives life). We are born again spiritually by the Holy Spirit birthing us by faith in Christ into the family of God. (see Titus 3:5 ) B- 1 Corinthians 12:13 tells us that we are baptized into the body of Christ by the Spirit. This is a much debated verse. There are some who will tell you that we are baptized at some later point in time after we are saved. This is referred to as a "second blessing." This teaching is usually connected with talking in tongues or some other "hyper-spiritual" (my word) thing. I feel some of theses charismatic groups glorify the Holy Spirit in an unscriptural way. Notice our text. John 16:13 states plainly, "...He shall not speak of himself..." John 16:14 Christ states strongly, "...He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." 1 Corinthians 12:13 is talking about the Holy Spirit placing us in the body of Christ just as we are placed in the water of baptism. He baptizes us into the body of Christ. C- 1 John 3:24 shows that believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit resides within believers. We are also called the "temple of God." His purpose of living within us is to direct our lives by convicting us of our sins after we are saved. We need a fresh wind of conviction to convict the church of its sins. D- Ephesians 4:30 teaches us we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. How do we know we are saved and what keeps us saved? My friend our salvation is secure in the Lord because we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. God has given us the Holy Spirit as down payment on our salvation. Zephaniah 1:13-14 states it this way, "...after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Beloved may we understand the fresh wind of comfort this brings. V- The Holy Spirit and the Lost. The work of the Holy Spirit in relationship to the lost or the unbelievers is two fold in nature. He convicts and calls. Notice in our text John 16:8-11 the Scripture teaches He will "reprove" or convict the world of three things, sin, righteousness, and judgment. John 16:8-9 "Of Sin" because they "Believe not on me." Jesus did not say that He would convict the lost man of sinS (Notice the S on the end) such as lying, cheating, stealing, liquor drinking, women chasing, or any other specific thing (although these things are wrong) but that He would convict him of the sin of not believing on Jesus Christ. the great question that the Holy Spirit keeps asking the lost man is what will you do with Jesus Christ. John 16:10 "Of righteousness" or mans lack of it. There is an old saying that states, "to get a man saved you must first get him lost." The Holy Spirit also convicts the lost man of his need of righteousness. Regardless of how good a man seems to be there is sin in his life. The scripture says, "there is none righteous no not one." There is no difference in regard for mans need of righteousness in the man who is drunk and passed out in the gutter and the man who sits behind a marble topped desk on the top floor of corporate America. They both are convicted by the Holy Spirit of their need of being righteousness. The Holy Sprits job here is to get them to realize they are lost and need saving. John 16:11 "of judgment...because the prince of this world is judged." We might ask when this judgment took place. It took place upon the cross of Calvary. Satan was judged and defeated for the souls of mankind. Not only was Satan judged there but all of mankind. We are not awaiting the trial because all men have been judged as guilty already. We are only awaiting the carrying out of the sentence for eternity. Romans 6:23 states "The wages of sin is death" but wait there is another part of the verse, "but the Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The Holy Spirit also speaks to the hearts of lost men to draw them to Christ. He is the drawing power that urges men and women to come to the Savior. He is the wind of conviction upon our loved ones that need to come to Christ. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 93: 06.09. MAN O MAN ======================================================================== Man O Man Genesis 1:26-27 ; Genesis 2:7 The greatest poets, philosophers, as well as the common man who walks the streets and hills of our planet have thought about where did man come from and why is he here. 10 centuries before Christ was born in Bethlehem, a shepherd lay on the hills of Israel and exclaimed as he looked toward the sky, "When I Consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" Psalms 8:3-4 . I- Where Did Man Come From? Created by God- The theories of man’s existence. The Baptist Faith and Message says, "Man was created by the special act of God." (Hobbs, Herschel H., The Baptist Faith and Message. Nashville: Convention Press, 1971. Revised 1996 pp. 157. Page 43.) Our text tells us that God created man. Man was the crowning work of creation. Man however has come up with his "theories" in an attempt to explain mans’ existence. There are basically three theories of how things came to be. First, Atheistic Evolution, teaches man evolved from monkey and there is no god that created man. Second, Theistic Evolution says that God created everything and then sit back and let it evolve, there is a god but he is not concerned with creation. Special Creation is that a loving God created man and is concerned with our day to day life. You will notice in our text that the creation of man is simply stated in the Bible. II- Pattern From Which Man Was Cut: Created Like God- Created in the image of God. You may have heard it said I was cut out to be a singer but I was sewed together wrong. Lets explore more about the creation of man by seeking to understand what it means when it says we were created, "in the image of God." Genesis 1:26 . a- Genesis 2:7 "Man became a living soul." One of the ways that man is created in the image of God is that man is eternal from the point of the soul will never cease to exist. We know that the Scriptures are plain about where Adam got his soul. The Spirit of God breathed the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils and he "became a living soul." The Baptist Faith and Message again states, "Man is not a body and has a soul. He is a soul and has a body. The body is mortal; the soul is immortal." (Hobbs, Herschel H., The Baptist Faith and Message. Nashville: Convention Press, 1971. Revised 1996 pp. 157. Page 43.) The body is simply a possession of the real person. Have you ever noticed the way we refer to our body. We say "my body", much like my car, or truck. The real man possess this piece of clay. The word soul is found 428 times in the Old Testament and is the Hebrew word nephesh. (neh’-fesh). Strong’s Concordance defines it as, "properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):" (Strong, James, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Riverside Book and Bible House, Iowa Falls, Iowa) In addition to being translated soul it is also translated "beast" 9 times and also "creature." b. Where and how does man get his soul? There is a much-debated topic in America today about when does the baby really become a baby in the mother’s womb. The question can be answered if we can understand when and how man become living soul. There are many theories on this subject. 1- Preexistentialism- Man receives his soul from others who existences prior to this birth. This is the concept of reincarnation and is not taught anywhere in the scriptures. Modern man however seems to be obsessed with this explanation because it relieves him of responsibility for his actions because he will get another shot later. 2- Special Creation- This teaches that when the body is born God creates the soul. If this is true then God creates a sinful soul and God cannot create anything sinful. 3- Natural Generation- We received our soul by natural generation and they come into existence at conception. Notice the following support scriptures. Psalms 51:5 "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." Psalms 58:3 "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies." This makes sense because the soul of man is not preexistence and is sinful. Christ was preexistent and therefore was sinless. c. "Created in holiness." By this I wish us simply to understand that when God created man he was created holy and without sin. Man’s original environment did not contain sin, it was perfect. d. Self conscious, and God conscious, and a sense of morality. Another way that man is created in the image of God is that man lives in a state of self-awareness, awareness of a Creator and has an ingrained sense of right and wrong. Also we understand that with the Body man is world conscious, with the soul man is self-conscious and with the spirit he is God conscious. e. Higher than the animals. One of the ways that I have come to understand that man is the crown jewel of God creation is that God only created one man. My two sons were talking and my youngest one was speculation of the Adam and Eve of cats. He reasoned that there had to be one male and one female cat. I feel however that God created the animals not just one of each sex but many of each sex. This adds special emphasis unto the fact that man was created one man and one woman. e- The implications of the Image of God? We are created in the image of God and therefore life is sacred. The fact that we are in the image of God should guide us in or thinking out the social issues of our day. Namely abortion and euthanasia. We also know that us being in the image of God should affect the way we treat other human who are in the image of God. We will discuss this next week in further details. III- Why Is Man Here? Created to work for God- Man’s original purposes. Man has and always will asked the question concerning what is man purpose upon this earth. We will look at the original responsibilities of man at creation and see what the original duties of man was. a. To assume head ship of nature and care for Eden. Genesis 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Genesis 2:15 "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." b. To provide names for the animals. Genesis 2:19-20 "And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him." c. To love and protect his wife. Genesis 2:24 "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." d. Reproduce and populate the earth. Genesis 1:28 "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." e. To enjoy the fruit of the trees except one. Genesis 2:16-17 "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." IV- What Happened? Created Perfect- Man chose to sin. Depravity of Man. As we have already stated man was created perfect and in a perfect environment. What happen? To find the answer we go to the record of the fall of man found in Genesis 3:1-24. There are many theories and attitudes concerning the fall of man. The liberal view is that it is a legend, a general picture of religion and moral in light the later period. Some see it as myth or true myth that has truth without facts. There are some that would tell us that it only affected Adam and that he was simply a bad example. The thought that man was weakened by the fall but still has potential to be sinless is known as the Armenian Position. The Augustinian Position is that it imputed sin to the whole human race. Simply put this says that when Adam fell the whole human race that was to come from after Adam fell with him. Notice Romans 5:12 : Romans 5:18-19. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned… 18Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." So we see that the root of man’s problem is sin. This is known as the depravity of man. The fall of the human race by the one man Adam. Notice Romans 5:8 which says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." He deals with our sin while we are still in it. We do not have to clean up our life for God to save us. V- What will be the final outcome of Mankind? What happens after this life? As you will recall we looked at various theories about where man gets his soul and these theories have direct implications concerning the future of man after he has lived here. We know that the Scripture plainly states that for the believer to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Also it teaches us the moment that a lost man dies he is in torments. This is not the final outcome of man. Hebrews 9:27 says, "...it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." The Scripture teaches us that all men will be raised from the dead. Remember that man is immortal and all men will live forever. John 5:28-29 states, "...the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." We see here that Christ mentions two distinct resurrections. John the Revelator spoke of this in Revelation 20:4-5 "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." We know there are also two different judgments taught in the Scriptures. One is the judgment seat of Christ where all believers will stand. 2 Corinthians 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." We find the judgment of the lost at the great white throne judgment found recorded in Revelation 20:11-15 " And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 94: 06.10. GOD CHOSE LIFE ======================================================================== God Chose Life John 10:10 The test tubes are in place. The petrie dishes are standing by. The doctor is going to combine some lifeless elements and with a little smoke rising, they always have smoke rising in the movies for drama. He combines the ingredients and to the amazement of his assistant and all the others working in the lab life comes forth from the combination. In the movies, the doctor makes a man from parts. He shocks him to life with electricity maybe from a battery, it must have been a DieHard or perhaps and Everyready. Now obviously we know that life cannot come from a petrie dish, a test tube with only dead elements. No Doctor can create a creature and then shock him into life. Life cannot come from dead elements. Recently on Mars a rover was doing what it is suppose to do "rove" all over Mars trying to find water and some how find evidence of life. We live in a time in America when human life has been devalued and other things have been increased in value. If you did to a dog or cat what has been done to humans they would put you in prison. All things that may be legal are not morally and ethically right. I wish us to understand that God chose life. We also need to see that we need to choose life. This Sunday is the Sunday closest to the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade that legalized abortion. We often enter into the debate of abortion as a nation. It is a hot button issue with politicians and campaigns. May I say that the issue is not a political one, thought some would relegate it to only that. It is not a social one thought it would be said to be by some. It is not even just a decision between and woman and her doctor, a private one, as it often called. May I simply state it is more than all these. It is a moral issue of fundamental right and wrong. Which side of the issue is God on? I submit that God is pro-life. He in fact time after time has chose life. I- Chose To Give Life The Bible tells us that God in the act of creation chose to endow the animals and humans with life. The word life is used 450 times in the KJV of the Bible. Genesis 1:20 "And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven." God did not need to create life because He had a need. He created it for His pleasure not for a need. He chose to give life. II- God Chose Life When He Could Have Chosen Death When Adam Sinned: After God had created man and placed in a perfect environment He gave him a choice. We see that death passed upon men because of the choice Adam made. Genesis 5:5 "And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died." God chose to allow Adam to live for 930 years. He could have chosen to kill him physically at the same time he died spiritually. III-- With Noah Again He Chose Life: The sin of mankind was especially grievous to God. Notice what Genesis 6:5-7 says, "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them." God had another decision to make. He could eradicate men from the earth and start over again. Would he do it? Obviously He did not, we are here. Genesis 6:8 "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." Noah found grace and God used him to continue life. Genesis 6:20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. We know that He sent the flood and death happen. Notice with me Genesis 7:22-23 "All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. 23And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark." God chose life again and the lineage of mankind passed through Noah. IV- God Chose Life In the Law: There are numerous places in the Law of Moses in which murder of another man is wrong. Numbers 35:1-34 sets forth a multitude of ways that a man is guilty of murder and is to be killed for it. Numbers 35:30 " Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die." There is another place in the Scriptures that speak loud concerning abortion that we need to look at. Notice Exodus 21:22-23 "If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life." If a woman was harmed and the child came early but both the mother and child was alright the husband chose the punishment. If harm came to either the mother or child it was life for life. It was the death penalty. Beloved God has always been against the atrocity that we call abortion. V- God Chose Life When Some Would Have Chosen Death: Many times the Bible we are told of men who wished for death or wished they had never been born. Elijah in 1 Kings 19:4 wished to die. "But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers." God chose life for him when he would have chosen death. Then Job 3:3 says, "Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived." Job wanted the day he was conceived to be destroyed that he would never have been born. God chose life. He chooses life when men would choose death many times. VI- Chose Life In Christ: John 1:4 "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." God’s Word plainly tells us that life was in Christ. Jesus told His disciple Thomas in John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 11:25 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." In order for men to live that are dead in their sins they must come to life again in Christ. Life is in Christ and no other. Jeff Alford, a pastor friend from Tennesse made the statement during a winter Bible study that I had never heard stated quiet the way he said it. He said, "what we are living now, after we are saved, is the part of our eternal life. We do not have to wait till death for eternal life we are living the first part of it now." This brings us another important thing about life. VII- Chose Life Abundantly: Is God only concerned with eternal life at the moment of death? I say not. God says that Christ came for life now as well. John 10:10 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." God wants us to have a richness about life, and enjoyment of life, a fullness of life that can only be had when He is the center of it. God chose to not only give life but to make it an abundant life. VIII- Chose Life From Death: There is a principle of life that we must take a look at as we end. The principle is that life comes from death. In the Corinthian letter Paul used an illustration of wheat. 1 Corinthians 15:36 "Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die." The death of the grain result in life coming out of it. Jesus died on the cross and out of death God chose to give us life. Revelation 1:18 "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." Paul said it in Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Colossians 3:1-3 "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Have you chosen life dear friend? If you have not you can today. Christian have you chosen to live you life for Him? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 95: 06.11. WHEN, HOW AND WHY OF CREATION ======================================================================== When, How and Why of Creation Genesis 1:1-2 We know from last week that evolution and creation are not compatible. We have looked at the who of Creation, Almighty God. We know everything was created by a loving God. We next ask the questions of when did He do the act of creating, how did He do it and why. I- When of Creation: Has the universe been here billions of years as science claims or is there evidence that it has not existed but thousands of years? To explore when God created the material universe we begin our discussion with a couple of thoughts. Several Bible scholars believe that there is evidence of a recent creation date. I for one hold to this thought or idea. Still others teach what is commonly known as the "gap theory". It is also know as the "ruin and reconstruction theory" as well as the "pre-Adamic cataclysm theory." This idea was revived in the 1800’s by a man named Thomas Chalmers and made popular by the Scofield Reference Bible. We will explore the gap theory first. A- Gap Theory? The gap theory basically says that between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 there was a pre-adamic race that was destroyed and God reconstructed the creation in the six days. Some who hold to this idea admit they don’t know much about this supposed creation. Authur Pink speaking of Genesis 1:1 says: "’In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,’ and that is all that is here recorded concerning the original creation. Nothing is said which enables us to fix the date of their creation; ...revealed concerning their appearance or inhabitants." (Pink, Authur, Gleanings in Genesis, Moody Press, Chicago. P.9) The date of this theory coming into prominence is interesting. Although this teaching dates back to earl Christian writings in 1876 Dr. Thomas Chalmers, a Scottish scholar, and George H. Pember supported it and gave it credence. It is ironic because by 1880 Darwin’s theory was universally accepted. Darwin has supposable proven evolution over time. This if it were true would cast doubt upon the Bible and God and left Christian theologian with untold millions of years unaccounted for. The gap theory allowed them to tuck these years between the first two verses. C.I. Scofield picked up this in his notes. The gap theory’s purpose is to reconcile the truth of God’s Word with the lie of Satan. Dr. Henry Morris a well known scholar on this says "The main purpose of the gap theory has been to try to harmonize the Biblical chronology with the accepted system of geological ages." (Morris, Henry M. The Genesis Record, Baker Books, Grand Rapids Michigan. 1976, p.36 ) This in not possible nor necessary. Dr. Morris explains that the evolution theory has no place for a worldwide destruction that the gap theory supposes and is not compatible with science. He also states, "The gap theory is not only impossible scientifically but also destructive theologically. By accepting the geological age system, the Bible scholars is thereby accepting the fossil record which identifies these ’ages’." (Ibid. p.370) To accept the gap theory and feel it necessary to explain the age of the earth is to accept that evolution in part has been proved because the geological age system and evolution are synonymous. The attitude of acceptance has allowed evolution teaching to takeover our school, news media, and belief system. B- Scripture Disproves Gap: Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." shows that it was by Adam that sin and death came to man. Romans 8:20-22 says, "For the creature (creation) was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. (Adam) Because the creature itself also shall be delivered....the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." These verses show not only man was affected by Adam’s sin but all of creation. The gap theory says that Adam in fact was not the reason for the fall of creation but that he walked on a giant graveyard of bones from the former creation that God destroyed because of sin. My friends if these verses in Romans 5 and 8 are true than the Gap theory has got to be a lie. C- Recent Creation Possible: So we are still without an answer to when did God create this universe, as we know it. Is there any evidence that suggest that creation may in fact be only a few thousand years old? Could creation be as young as 8,000, 10,000 or 15,000 years old? Allow me to offer the following for our consideration. 1- The Population Statistics: If man came on the scene of the earth the population would be much larger than it is now. Harold Wilmington says, "If man appeared over one million years ago, the present world population would be thousands of times greater that it actually is. In fact, our entire galaxy could not provide the needed space or so many." (Willmington, Harold L. Willmington’s Guide to the Bible, Vol. 1 Old Testament. Tyndale Houses, Wheaton Ill. 1986. p.15.) Dr. Willmington assumed a life span of 70 years and that a generation was 35 years then the present world population would have resulted in about 30 doubling. This would take us back to about 3500 B.C. a date suggested by many scholars for the flood when the population of man as we know it began again with Noah. Dr. Wilmington quotes Dr. Henry Morris concerning this. Allow me to give you this quote. "Now, if the first man appeared one million years ago, and these very conservative growth rates applied during this period, the world population would be at present 10 (27000 zeros following) people. However, no more than 10 (with 100 zeros) people could be crammed into the known universal" (Morris, Henry Science and Creation, P.154 as quoted in Willmington’s Guide to the Bible, p. 15.) 2- The Absence of Meteorite Dust: I recall a conversation of Larry Burkett who was a scientist who worked on the lunar lander project for the moon. Larry said that they planned for the lunar lander to encounter very dusty conditions on the lunar surface and in fact place very large landing pods on the lunar module to keep it from sinking into the dust. When they arrived they found the dust to be only 2-6 inches thick. The moon does not have any atmosphere nor weather to alter the dust that falls upon it. The dust simply lays there. My question is if creation is millions of years old where is the dust. It should be as NASA assumed several feet thick. Every year 15,000,000 (15 billion) tons of nickel meteorite dust falls on the earth from space. If earth were only 5,000,000 years old the layer would be 200 feet thick. The weather on earth and new vegetation absorbs it into our ecological system but not the moons. This suggests that in fact creation is very young. 3- The Gravitation Pull: The smaller an object is the sooner it is pulled into an object by gravity. We have satellites that crash enter earth’s atmosphere all the time that fall out of orbit. If creation was as old as some scientist says it is why do we still have the bands of meteorites and small particles in the solar system. They should not be there but would have already been sucked into the sun by gravity. Perhaps creation is not that old do you think. 4- The Decay of Earth’s Magnetic Field: Dr. Wilmington gives this as a reason for a recent creation date. He says, "This field, it has been shown, has a half-life of 1400 years. This means that it is weakened by 50 percent each fourteen centuries. It also means the magnetic field was twice as strong 1400 years ago as it is now, four times as strong 2800 years ago, and so on. Only 7000 years ago it must have been thirty-two times as strong. It is very doubtful that it could have been much stronger that this." (Willmington, p.15.) II- How of Creation: A- The Full Grown Earth: I have always said that God could do anything that Levi jeans company could do. This is of course said with tongue in cheek but I remind us that Levi jeans are made with the appearance of being worn or aged. They do not look new when they are. When God created the earth it did not look new but had the appearance of age. Adam was not a baby but a full grown man. Dr. Morris again says, "The world was created in a fully functional state from the beginning. The fruit trees already bearing fruit, the grasses and shrubs already blanketing the earth, the soils filled with needed nutrients to maintain their growth, the rocks laced with deposits of gold, iron, and other metals, as well as precious stones. The light of the stars could already be seen on the earth, and Adam and Eve were created full-grown man and woman. Animals also were make full-grown, able immediately to begin to ’multiply in the earth.’ " (Morris, Henry M. Biblical Creationism, Baker Books, Grand Rapids Michigan. 1993, p.24) For us or anyone else to say this is not possible is to say that God cannot create. We know this as atheism. Job understood that God created this. He said in Job 26:7 "He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing." This is significant when we realize that the prevailing thought of the day of Job was that the earth rested upon a giant elephant which was on a giant turtle. B- The Six Days of Creation: Are the six days of creation in Genesis one six literal 24 hour days? I wish to suggest that they are indeed. The very reason some would like to expand these to periods of time is the same as accepting the gap theory. Moses believed these were six literal days. Exodus 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. Lets look at these 6 days of creation. On the first day God created earth’s light and probably the angels. He activated and energized creation. (Genesis 1:2-5 ) On the second day He separated the water above and below. Lakes formed and rivers flowed. (Genesis 1:6-8 ). On the third day plant life was created. (Genesis 1:9-13 ). The fourth day the sun, moon and stars were formed. (Genesis 1:14-19 ) The fifth day God created fish to inhabit the sea and fowl for the air. (Genesis 1:20-23 ) On the sixth day we have the creation of land animals and man. (Genesis 1:24-31 ) God rested on the seventh day not because He was tired but because He was finished. (Genesis 2:1-3 ). God created everything out of nothing and then sat back and declared it to be good. III- The Why of Creation: Why did God create His creation? Revelation 4:11 says concerning this, "for thy pleasure they are and were created." God took delight in creation as He created it. (See Genesis 1:4, 10, Genesis 1:12, Genesis 1:18, Genesis 1:21, Genesis 1:25) In Genesis 1:31 says He saw it was, "Very good." He created it for His glory. Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Isaiah 43:7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. God is a jealous God and wants to be praised. He desires this not out of conceit and pride but because He is more majestic and His ways higher than our ways and His power more powerful. The God of this universe the Creator desires and deserves our praise. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 96: 06.12. CELEBRATION OF CREATION ======================================================================== Celebration of Creation Colossians 1:15-22 One of the greatest testimonies to the Creator is the creation. The celebration of creation is the celebration of our Creator. Any man in his right mind who looks at creation cannot help but praise the creator. When we look at a great painting or a work of art we inquire into who the artist was who created the masterpiece. When we look at a great work of architecture we inquire as to the geniuses behind it. We easily give praise for the skill and creativity wroth at mans hands. We should even more so give glory and praise to the creations Creator. Psalms 19:1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God..." Psalms 97:6 states, "The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory." Romans 1:20 declares, "...the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen; being understood by the things that are made..." Before man was mapping out the stars in his nautical charts and attempting to name and number them God had named them. Psalms 147:4-5 shouts out to us, "He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them by their names. Great is the Lord: and of great power; his understanding is infinite." Someone has apply said, "The heavens made their best revelations before telescopes were invented...the flowers knew how to preach divinity before man knew how to dissect and botanize them." (Hudson, H.N., as quoted in 6000 Sermons Illustrations, Elon Foster compiler, Baker House, p.470) Our text says that by Christ all things, both visible and invisible, were created. Colossians 1:17 says, "...by him all things consist." We can look at the creation around us to glimpse in just a small way what and awesome, majestic God we serve. We can see the "Celebrate of Creation" is the celebration of our Father. Allow me lead us in celebration of our God by seeing the vastness of creation and the minuteness of it. I- VASTNESS OF CREATION! A- Our Special Planet: If there was nothing more than the earth to show us God we could see His splendor everywhere. The circumference of our earth is 25,020 miles. In our time we have become a global community but our earth is still massive. Let me do some comparisons for us. A train that traveled day and night at 25 MPH would require six weeks to go around the earth. A tunnel straight through the earth from England to New Zealand would be nearly eight thousand miles long. Our earth is a wonder of creation. Allow me to give us a quote to show this. "If the Earth was only one percent closer to the sun we wouldn’t be here to worry about any, ’greenhouse effect.’ And if the Earth were only one percent further from the sun, there would be plenty of snow and ice on Earth, but no one around to ski on it. The distance from the Earth to sun is very precisely set to allow life to live comfortable here. The chances of this happening without design are nearly impossible..." (Bartz, Paul A., Letting God Create Your Day, Vol 1, No. 1., Bible Science Association, 1989. p.47.) B- Our Special Star: Our star is a very special star. We are 93,000,000 (93 Million) miles from this special star. There are may stars out there approximately the same size as our sun. However most are not as stable in there output as our sun. "Our suns output varies by only about one-tenth of a percent in its energy output." (Ibid.) (That is 1/10th of 1% which is not much.) Life around most of the stars would be impossible even if planets did exist because of the variation in their output. C- Our Solar System: NASA placed a lander the planet Mars. The rocket that carried this lander, the size of a little red wagon, traveled some 30,000,000 miles to Mars. It took almost a year to arrive at our nearest planet. Our Solar system is a great testimony to our Creator and His majesty. Ben Franklin had a model of our solar system in his office and when an unbelieving friend saw it and was impressed he asked who made it. Ben replied, "No one, it just happened." "Impossible" said his friend. Ben replied, "Well you say that this universe of which this is just a poor representation just happened." How vast is our solar system from the Sun to Pluto? The solar system is so large that it is IMPOSSIBLE to create a scaled model of it. The drawings in science textbooks and the models, such as the one in Ben Franklin’s office, are not to scale. Let me illustrate how massive just our solar system is. If and orange represents our sun (if the sun were the size of an orange) and a grain of sand represents the earth the grain of sand would be 30 feet away. If Pluto were another smaller grain of sand it would be 10 city blocks away. D- Marvelous Milky Way! We live in a galaxy that is called the Milky Way. It is one of literally billions of known galaxies. Light travels at 186,000 feet per second which is 700,000,000 (700 million) MPH. For light to cross the Milky Way would take 100,000 years. Let me illustrate this also. If the thickness of one sheet of paper represents the distance from earth to the sun (93,000,000 miles) it would take a stack 71 feet high to represent the distance to Alpha Centuri our nearest star. To cover the Milky Way the stack would be 310 miles high. To cover the know universe a stack would have to be 31,000,000 (31 million) miles high. Let me give us another example. If our sun were hollow, 1,300,000 earth would fit inside it. There is a star called Antares if it were hollow would hold 64,000,000 of our suns. Still there is another star in the consolation of Hercules which would hold 100,000,000 stars the size of Antares if it were hollow. And still if that is not enough the largest know star, Epsilon, could easily swallow up several million stars the size of the one in Hercules! Remember there are estimates of 1,000,000,000 (1 billion) stars in the Milky Way and God had all of them named. Genesis 40:26 shouts loudly "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power..." The vastness of creation is a testimony to the awesomeness of our God. II- MINUTENESS OF CREATION If the vastness of our creation is not enough to show the awesomeness of God than the minuteness testifies as loudly. How minute (small) is creation. We know that all material matter is made up of atoms. The atom has a nucleus which is comprised of protons, neutrons, and electrons. The electrons circle the nucleus must like the earth circle our sun except in a very erratic pattern. The nucleus of the atom is make up of mostly empty space. How much space? Allow me to illustrate. If we use the Houston Superdome as an illustration of the outer shell of the electron then the nucleus would be a ping pong ball laying on the 50 yard line, some 10,000 times smaller. We cannot begin to understand the smallness of these atoms. Allow me to offer a couple of more illustration to show the glory of God. A- Ball Point Pen Tip: On the tip of a ballpoint pen there are enough atoms so that if soldiers of an army were each given one atom and marched four abreast it would take them 20,000 years top pass by in review. B-Human Hair: The World Book Encyclopedia says an atom is more than a million times smaller than the thickness of a human hair. The smallest speck that can be seen under an ordinary microscope contains more than 10,000,000,000 (10 billion) atoms. It would take 25 trillion protons laid side by side to make an inch. In a cubit inch of copper there are more protons than there are drops of water in the oceans of the world or grains of sand on the seashores. III- WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE! The glory of the galaxies and the wonder of the atoms are still dim in comparison to the miracle of living organisms. The smallest insect on earth is made up of millions of living cells. The average man is made up of 75 trillion cells. The living cells each are more complex that the most complicated computers on earth today. The body’s ability to heal itself is another wonder of the creation of God. The heart that pumps our blood is the most efficient possible model. The human hand with a thumb can do some of the most complex movements and work with amazing skill without us taking notice or giving it a conscious thought. The brain contains our senses and is beyond comprehension. The eye of a human is an amazing thing to behold. Still there is the eye of a camel that has a clear covering to protect it from the sand. We do not know much about even the planet we live on and the body we inhabit but the more we learn the more we see that creation is in celebration of the Creator. Remember Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Psalms 97:6 The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. Romans 1:20 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 97: 06.13. SIN SHOULD HAVE FOUR LETTERS ======================================================================== Sin Should Have Four Letters Genesis 4:1-16 When I was young there was a joke that made it’s rounds. It started something like, "Do you want to hear a dirty joke." Regardless of the reply you gave someone would quickly say, "A white horse fell in the mud." A dirty joke. What is the most horrific word you can think of? Many of our dirty words have four letters, as you probably are aware. Perhaps it is cancer, or heart attack, or maybe I hate you. I know these do not have four letters but perhaps they should. May I suggest another that should be considered a bad word? Not so bad that we cannot say it would our mouth’s being washed out by grandma, but perhaps the worst word of them all, Sin. Man call it an accident; God calls it an abomination. Man calls it a blunder; God calls it a blindness. Man calls it a defect; God calls it a disease. Man calls it a chance; God calls it a choice. Man call it an error; God calls it an emity. Man calls it a fascination; God calls it a fatality. Man calls it an infirmity; God calls it a iniquity. Man calls it a luxury; God calls it a leprosy. Man call it an liberty; God calls it an lawlessness. Man calls it a trifle; God calls it a tragedy. Man calls it a mistake; God calls it a madness. Man calls it a weakness; God calls it a willfulness. (Quoted from Moody Monthly in Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations. P 1283.) Today we will be talking about what I have called in times past, "Everyone’s favorite subject." It is our favorite subject because we do it so much. Sin is mentioned several hundred times in the Scriptures. It is first mentioned by name in our text when Cain slew Abel and the second time in Genesis 18:20 in connection with Sodom’s destruction. The last time Sin is mentioned in the Bible is in Revelation 18:5 when the wrath of God is complete. Some see the greatest verse in the Bible concerning sin as Matthew 1:20-21 where it says that Jesus came to save, "...from their sins." I- Meaning of Sin! We traditionally have defined sin from our pulpits as "missing the mark" based on Romans 3:23 "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Also as "overstepping a forbidden line" based on 1 John 3:4 "...sin is the transgression of the law." However, this is only a narrow answer to what sin is. C.B. Hogue, former director of the evangelism section of the Home Mission Board writes, "Anything that perverts God’s plan or purpose of life for humanity is sin." (Hogue, C.B., The Doctrine of Salvation, Convention Press, Nashville, TN.1978. p.15.) We also know there are sins of commission James 2:9 illustrates this when we treat someone better than another. There are also sins of omission. Sins of what we fail to do. James 4:17 "...to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." There are 10 Hebrew words that give us a fuller understand of what we call sin actually is. There are also 10 corresponding Greek words in the New Testament. Hebrew Words Defining Sin! AVAH- Commit iniquity, to be bend or twist, distort, do wrong to be perverted. (Proverbs 12:8 ; Job 33:27 ; Jeremiah 11:10 ) SHAGAH- go astray, to err, to wander, be deceived. (Ezekiel 34:6 ; Job 6:24 ) RA- evil, bad, distress, misery, harm, ill favor, wickedness. (Proverbs 21:10 ; Genesis 19:7 ) CHAMAS- do violence, violate, wrong, damage. (Jeremiah 22:3 ; Zephaniah 3:4 ; Genesis 6:11 ) CHATA- to miss (a goal), to be in fault, commit sin, have done harm, to go wrong. (Job 5:24 ; Exodus 10:16 ) MAEN- to refuse to obey (Deuteronomy 25:7 ; Exodus 7:14 ) PASHA- rebel, transgress, revolt, trespass (1 Kings 12:19 ; Hosea 14:9 ) RASHA- be wicked, do wickedly, act wickedly, criminal, corrupt, guilty. (1 Kings 8:47 ; Job 10:7 ) CHANEPH- be polluted, profane, godless, incline away from right, be defiled, corrupt. (Isaiah 24:5 ; Jeremiah 23:11 ) MAAL- falsehood, transgression, to act treacherously, trespass, unfaithful. (Numbers 5:27 ; Numbers 31:16 ) (This was developed from a chart by Ronald W. Johnson quoted in Hogue, C.B., The Doctrine of Salvation, Convention Press, Nashville, TN.1978. p.22-31.) II- Origin of Sin! Where did sin come from? What is the origin of sin? We know that the origin of sin into the universe was with Lucifer (Satan’s) fall. Isaiah 14:12-15 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." We also see that the Scripture teaches us that sin came into this world by Adam. Romans 5:12 "...by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin..." We could speculate and try to figure out where sin came from prior to Lucifer’s fall. Allow me to simply put it this way. By faith we know that sin entered creation this way and by faith we accept the statements of the Bible without any further explanation. (This is a fancy way of saying, I don’t know because God didn’t tell us). III- Universality of Sin! Someone has said that we don’t have to get into sin it is already in us. We can look at history and see that sin is a universal problem. 40 billion people have lived since Adam. Up to now 1/3 of all mankind has died at the hands of another. "If there were no other evidence to offer, the evidence of what persons are doing to themselves and to one another is evidence enough that something is gravely wrong with mankind." (ibid) We also know that Scripture states that sin is universal without exception. 1 Kings 8:46 "If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,)…" Proverbs 20:9 "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." IV- Consequences of Sin! 1- Upon Lucifer. We know that the consequences of sin upon Lucifer was he went from being an anointed cherub to a depraved dragon. Ezekiel 28:14 says, "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so..." Revelation 12:7, talking about war in heaven calls Satan, "the great dragon." Revelation 20:10 says He will be cast, "Into the lake of fire and brimstone..." 2- Upon Man. Man fell farther than we can every imagine when Adam sinned. Genesis 5:5 shows physical death passed upon man because of sin. Zephaniah 2:1 "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." This clearly shows that man not only died physically but spiritually. When we are not saved we are in fact walking dead men. 3- Upon Nature. The paradise of Adam became a wilderness. God placed a curse upon the earth to trouble man all his days. Romans 8:21-22 "Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." 4- Upon God. It has been said that God created creation in six days and rested on the sabbath. Man sinned and God has not rested since. John 5:17 tells us "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." We might ask what God did. He started the work of redeeming mankind. V- Imputation of Sin! The word imputation is a key word in our understanding of sin. Imputation simply means "to put on ones account." Sin was put on the account of all men when Adam sinned. Notice Romans 5:12,18 "...as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.....by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation..." Not only are we sinners in Adam but also by our own actions. VI- The Christians’ Sin! There are some that teach that once we are saved we cease to sin. They claim that they are sinless and that if we are saved we should be also. This however is not the teaching of the whole of Scripture. Williams New Testament translates Paul’s confession of his sin in Romans 7:19 ff, "Indeed, I do not do the good things that I want to do, but I do practice the evil things that I do not want to do. But if I do the things that I do not want to do, it is really not I that am doing these things, but it sin which has its home within me." Hebrews 12:1 says that sin "doth so easily beset" us." 1 John 1:8-10 says that if we deny we sin we make God out the liar. Notice 1 John 1:8-10 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." First John was written to believers and not the lost man. VII- Remedy for Sin! God is a holy and righteous God who cannot and will not simply turn His head on sin. Someone must pay for sin. Christ is willing and has already paid for it if we will only allow Him to do it. If we reject Christ we will pay for our own sin. The remedy for sin is simple. Allow the blood of Christ to cleanse us. Genesis 1:18 says, "Come now let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." VIII- Final Victory Over Sin! We know that because of what Christ has done for us we have the final victory. 1 Corinthians 15:54 ff "...death is swallowed up victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin...But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Revelation 20:11-15 teaches that death and hell are cast into the eternal lake of fire. The results of sin are destroyed and eradicated from the existence of the saved. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 98: 06.14. WHO ARE YOU GOING TO BELIEVE? CREATION VERSUS EVOLUTION ======================================================================== Who Are You Going To Believe: Creation Verses Evolution Genesis 1:1 ; Colossians 2:8 Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Colossians 2:8 "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Today there is a battle raging for the souls of men. It is fought on many fronts but I think one of the most important fronts in the battle is the fight between God as Creator and evolution as the cause. It is a battle for the very souls of men because if men reject the Creator he in fact rejects any hope he has for eternity. Today we have many theories of how things got started. J.V. McGee says, "There are a great many theories as to how the world began, but all of them can be boiled down to fit into a twofold classification: one is creation, and the other is speculation." (McGee, J.V. Through the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. 1 p.8) I- The Theories of How Things Arrived: First, let me explain what a scientific theory is. In the fifth grade science book Discovering Science under Scientific Methods the process of science is explained as (1) Identify Problems, (2) Make Observations, (3) State Hypothesis (A hypothesis is a likely explanation of the problem), (4) Test Hypothesis, (5) Collect Data, (6) Make Conclusions. There are basically three theories of how matter came to be. First is Atheistic Materialism. We call this the big bang theory, or organic evolution. This teaches that all life evolved apart from any supernatural force. The second is Theistic Evolution which seeks to combine both Moses and Darwin and thus to satisfy the lie of evolution by teaching that God originally created all matter then sat back and watched it evolve. USA Today in 1996 had an article concerning Pope John Paul II embracing this theory. The Pope says, "Today...new knowledge leads to recognition of the theory of evolution as more than a hypothesis." (USA TODAY, Friday October 25, 1996 p 3a.) The next thought is Special Creation which says a loving God created us in His image by His Son. John 1:3 "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." Colossians 1:16 "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him." Speaking of Genesis 1:1 Dr. Henry Morris says, "This simple declarative statement can only have come by divine revelation...It is the first and only statement of real creation in all the cosmogonies of all the nation of past or present." (Morris, Henry M. Biblical Creationism, Baker Books, Grand Rapids Michigan. 1993, p.17) We know that God created all matter out of nothing. II- A Matter of Faith! I do not ask the question that is the sermon title, "Who are you going to believe" lightly or as a pun. Both evolution and creation require faith to believe what is taught. Romans 1:20 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." Hebrews 11:3 "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." We need to understand that for us to believe evolution we must swallow a lot more by faith than it takes to believe in God as Creator. Allow me to illustrate. Harry Emerson Fosdick wrote that the biologist tell us that if man has eyes, it is because the light waves beat on the skin and the eyes came out in answer; that if he has ears, it is because the sound waves were there first, and the ears came out to hear. He says that evolutionist assert that all the powers of man have come in response to an environment; that if there had been no water, there would have been no fins; if there had been no air, there would have been no wings; if there had been no land, there would have been no legs." (Quoted in Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, Paul Lee Tan , Assurance Publishers, Rockville, Maryland. p.4396.) It looks to me that this is a giant leap of faith. We must reject evolution because it rejects God and the self-revelation God to mankind. It denies the fall of man and the fact that man is a sinner and needs a Savior. It denies the virgin birth of Christ and the blood atonement. III- Creation and Evolution: Are They Compatible? Allow me to lay the Genesis account of creation beside what evolution teaches and see if they are compatible. I developed this material from a quote of Dr. Henry Morris. (Quoted in Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible, p. 18.) Genesis teaches that life began on dry land. Genesis 1:11-12 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. Evolution teaches it began in some remote sea bottom. Genesis declares birds existed before insects. Genesis 1:20 ;24 "And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. …24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so." Evolution teaches the reverse order and birds may have come from insects. Genesis states that birds and fish were created at the same time. Genesis 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. Evolution tries to tell us that fishes evolved hundreds of billions of years before birds developed. Genesis states 10 time that every creature was to reproduce after its kind. (We will discuss this in a moment.) Evolution says that everything came from a common ancestor and developed into natures many faceted areas and types of life. Genesis teaches us that man was made from the dust of the ground by a loving God. Gen Genesis 1:26-27 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness… 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." Genesis 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Evolution tries to tell us that man came from an upright ape or a subhuman ape. Genesis tells us that God took a part out of Adams side and make woman. Genesis 2:21-23 "And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Evolution has the double problem of the evolution of both male and female. (we will discuss this in a moment) Genesis says man was an vegetarian originally. Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. Evolution says he probably was a head hunting cannibal. So we can say that evolution and the creation account of Genesis when laid side by side do not complement each other and in fact lie in contradiction of each other. One must be therefore a lie. My guess is it is evolution. IV- The Case Against Evolution: Evolution is built on the every changing process of science that goes around in circles. There has been many wild theories put forth to explain things. They say giant molecule acquired the ability to duplicate themselves. Someone even said we came from garbage left by prehistoric intelligence space life. According to the theory of evolution the crudest life forms evolved first and they in turn evolved into more complex life. According to this theory the most complex life forms, i.e. large animals, should be on top in the sediment of matter. This is not the case when archaeologist dig into the earth. The order of life is all jumbled up with the fossils of complex creatures on the bottom and simple creatures on the top. Looks to me like they were all created at the same time. V- The Missing Link! The famous missing link of evolution has been sought and claimed by many. They look for evidence that will show that man came from apes. There has been many claims of this discovery. These are taught in our public schools as facts when at best they are a hoax and at worst a lie. A- Neanderthal Man- He was found in the Neander Valley of Germany in 1856. The find consist of a skull and several bones. This discovery actually turned out to be a group of people suffering from rickets which caused them to stoop. B- Java Man- Called the "Erect Ape Man". Was found in 1891. The find was only on skull cap. Not a skull but a skull cap. One year later a thigh bone and two molar teeth were found 50 feet way. The scientist didn’t reveal until later that he also found 2 human skulls at that level also. C- Piltdown Man- 1912 George Dawson in Piltdown England. The find was a skull and a few teeth. It was declared to be 500,000 to 750,00 years old. Later in 1950 test found the skull had been stained by iron salt and the teeth filled down to give it an appearance of age. This was a hoax played on the professor that got out of hand. D- Peking Man- China 1912 and 1937. This evidence had been lost in moving. It is now thought to have been monkeys or gorillas killed for food. E- Nebraska Man- 1922. This find is my favorite. It consisted of only one tooth. An artist drew a picture to show what he looked like. In 1927 it was discovered to be a tooth of an extinct pig. Now we are evolving from the hog lot. VI- Laws of Science Prove Evolution Impossible! A- The First Law of Thermodynamics- "Energy can be changed from one form to another, but it cannot be created nor destroyed." When God created matter He created it all in the form of energy. He only created a fixed amount. We cannot change this amount by adding to or taking away from it. B- The second law of Thermodynamics- This law states that when energy is being transformed from one state to another, some of it is turned into heat energy which CANNOT be converted back into useful form. Hebrews 1:10-12 HCSB And: In the beginning, Lord, You established the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands; 11 they will perish, but You remain. They will all wear out like clothing; 12You will roll them up like a cloak, and they will be changed like a robe. But You are the same, and Your years will never end. We live in a universe winding down not building up as evolution says it is. C- Law of Biogenesis: As we have previously mentioned this law simply states that each animal reproduces after its kind. Genesis 1:11, Genesis 1:21, Genesis 1:24-25 declare this to be so in creation. Genesis 1:11 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so." Genesis 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:24-25 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good." We see this in fact is the case. Dogs have dogs, cats have cats, people have people. Each after it’s kind. Evolution has got to break this law because it says that one kind had another kind of creature. But what about the Dinosaurs. Did man and the dinosaurs live at the same time? Evolutionist say no way. A cave wall in Rhodesia has a painting of a Brontosaurs. These caves were known to have been inhabited till 1500 B.C. We can rationally understand that man had to see this creature to draw it on the cave walls. Job 40:15-17 "Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. 16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. 17 He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together." These are commonly called elephants. Every see an elephants tail it is nothing like a cedar tree? D- The Evolution of the Sexes. We have previously stated that is a twofold problem for evolution. This is not scientific proof or reproof for evolution but is a double whammy for evolution. The male and the female of each species must be completely compatible for them to produce offspring. The male and the female would have to develop independently of each other at the precious same rate for evolution to occur. At each mutation the male and female would have to be totally compatible and capable of producing offspring. This not only doubles the evolution but adds another mathematical impossibility to an already absurd improbability. VII- Conclusion: Allow me to tell us why it is important that we see that we have a loving Father who created us with this quote. Said Dr. Joseph A. Parker: "some have found fault with me. They say I am old fashioned and out of date; I am always quoting the Bible; why not turn to science this morning. There is a poor widow here who has lost her only son. She wants to know if she will see him again. Science shall give the answer, and I will put the Book away." So he took the Book and put it on the seat behind. "Will this woman see here son again? Where is he? Does death end all? What has science to say?" Here a long pause. "We are waiting for an answer, the woman is anxious." Another long pause. "The woman’s heart is breaking. Science must speak. Nothing to say? Surely? Then we must take the Book," and here he reverently replaced it, and with great deliberation opened it and read: I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me... The dead shall arise... for this corruptible must put on in corruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. O death, where is thy sing.. I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God." Closing the Book, and patting it affectionately, he said, "We will stick to the Book!" Who are you going to believe, Darwin and the philosophy of men or God’s revelation? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 99: 06.15. FROM THE FALL TO THE FATHER ======================================================================== From the Fall to the Father Acts 4:12 We know the Scripture plainly teaches that man and God were separated by the fall of man. The relationship between God the Father and man was severed. How can sinful man ever get back to a right relationship with the Father? Salvation is mankind getting back to a right relationship to God on God’s terms not on mans terms. Our objective today will be to define salvation as we see the source, the false hopes of salvation, the work of the trinity in salvation as well as security of our salvation. I- The Meaning of Salvation: The Baptist Faith and Message states, "The word salvation has various meanings in the Scriptures. For instance, in the New Testament this word and its verb form are sometimes used in the sense of rescuing from danger or destruction (Matthew 8:25 ; Acts 27:20 ) and of healing from disease (Matthew 9:22 ), or even solving a problem (Php 2:12 ). But its greatest use is with regard to spiritual salvation through Christ (Matthew 19:25 ; John 3:17 )." Hobbs, Herschel; The Baptist Faith and Message, Revised 1996; Convention Press, Nashville, p.48-49. Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia states, "salvation is the total work of God in bringing men from the state of sin to the state of glory through Jesus Christ the god-man." It goes on to say, "salvation is the total present and future enjoyment by true believers in Christ..." Pfeiffer, Charles; Howard F. Vos; Joh Rea; editors, Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, Moody Press, Chicago, 1975 p.1506.Salvation means to effect successfully the full delivery of someone or something from impending danger. Salvation is more than religion. It is not found in the person of a priest, preacher, or church membership. Salvation carries with it a twofold implication. 1- Someone or something need saved. Genesis 2:17 teaches us it is man that need saved. Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. We are like a criminal on death row awaiting the electric chair and having terminal cancer. Doomed if we do doomed if we don’t Man is dead spiritually and dying physically. Man need saved. 2- Someone is able and willing to save. The second implied fact about salvation is some can and will be the savior. Physicians stand at the foot of dying patients beds and want to give life with all their heart but cannot save. They are willing but are not able. The second part is critical because even if you are willing you must have the power to save. In 1978 a man was dying of a rare blood disease. He died because his near-kin would not donate blood for a transfusion and thus save his live. He was able to save but was unwilling. This brings us to another point about getting back to the Father. No matter how much faith or how much someone wills something to be so does not make it so. Beloved many men stand in self-righteousness, some place their hope in the wrong person or object for salvation. Remember it must be someone who is able not only willing to save. I am willing but unable so you must not trust in me. You are willing but not able so you must not trust in you. II- Source of Salvation: Our text says, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." We know that our Savior was not only willing but He alone was able to bring salvation to mankind. He alone meets the criteria for a Savior. Hebrews 7:25 tells us Christ is "...able to save them to the uttermost." 2 Timothy 1:12 says He is, "Able to keep." We can also see that according to the Scriptures He is willing to save. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 states He "will have all men to be saved." 2 Peter 3:9 says He is "not willing that any should perish." We know that the reason that Jesus Christ alone, the God-man can save is that He lived a perfect life to make a perfect sacrifice for our sins. "...he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin..." 2 Corinthians 5:21 . The perfect life of Christ shows that God is just in requiring that man be righteous. III- False Hopes of Salvation: Proverbs 14:12 teaches us that man thinks he knows better than God when it says, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end therof are the ways of death." H.A. Ironside said there are only two religions. "The one covers all who expect salvation by doing; the other, all who have been saved by something done. So you see the whole question is very simple. Can you save yourself, or must you be saved by another?" Quoted in Knight’s Master Book of Illustrations, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Com., Grands Rapids Mich. 1956. p. 600. Man has always been guilty of trying to save himself or denying that he is bad enough to need a Ssavior. Education, Church membership, good works, baptism, living by the golden rule, sincerity, organization memberships, tithing etc. has sent many men to hell. To be a child of the King you must be from royal blood. Salvation can be had only in the right bloodline. Not natural blood line but the blood of Christ. Any other way is a false hope. IV- Threefold Method of Salvation: a- Salvation is always by blood. Hebrews 9:22 states the biblical truth, "without shedding of blood is no remission." The blood must be innocent, shed and applied. b- Salvation is through a person. Acts 4:12 shows us it is through the person Christ and also through a person who witnesses. c- Salvation is always by grace. Zephaniah 2:8-9 "...by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Grace is "God’s unmerited favor." Salvation is by God giving us what we don’t deserve. V- Work of the Trinity in Salvation: We know that the trinity has been and is very active in the salvation of man. The Father planned salvation and is now active in drawing mankind to Christ. John 6:44 says, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him..." The plan of the Father was laid before the foundation of the world. The Son was the sacrifice for our sin. He is called many names in the Scriptures that speaks of His part in our salvation. He certainly is called Savior (Luke 1:47 ; Luke 2:11 ; John 4:42 ). He is also called our Advocate (1 John 2:1 ), Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2 ). He is also called the Deliverer (Romans 11:26 ) and the Friend of Sinners (Matthew 11:19 ) as well as Ramson (1 Timothy 2:6 ). He is our salvation my friends. The greatest name that Christ is known as in relation to our Salvation is the Lamb of God. John 1:29, 36. The work of the Holy Spirit is to convince mankind they need a Savior. John 16:8-11 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. . Our birth into the family of God is a spiritual birth by the Holy Spirit. VI- Security of Our Salvation: We must remember that our salvation is not by our power and therefore we can state that our security is not in our hands as well. Hebrews 7:25 states that Christ after He had saved man, "...ever liveth to make intercession for them." He is the one who keeps us saved. Zephaniah 4:30 teaches us that we as believers are "sealed unto the day of redemption" by the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:33-39 shows our security from condemnation and from separation. Romans 8:33-39 "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." There is a question in the Scriptures for which there is no answer. Hebrews 2:3 asks, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation..." Conclusion: D.L. Moody told: "An old man got up in one of our meetings and said, ’I have been forty-two years learning three things.’ I pricked up my ears at that. I thought if I could find out in three minutes what a man had taken forty-two years to learn, I should like to do it. The first thing he said he had learned was that he could do nothing toward his own salvation. ’Well,’ I said to myself, ’that is worth learning.’ The second thing he found out was that God did not require him to do anything. Well, that was worth finding out, too. And the third thing was that the Lord Jesus Christ had done it all, that salvation was finished, and that all he had to do was to take it." Quoted in Knight’s Master Book of Illustrations, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Com., Grands Rapids Mich. 1956. p. 590-1 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 100: 06.16. THE LANGUAGE OF THE SWORD ======================================================================== The Language of the Saved 2 Corinthians 9:15 Have you ever had an experience of seeing or feeling something that you could not put into words. Words just seemed to not be adequate to describe your feelings or the sight before you eyes. Paul says that God’s gift to us is indescribable. Words cannot convey the ideas of His grace. In our attempts to understand and describe salvation we use many terms and works to describe our salvation that to the world is strange. At times the reason our message is rejected is because of confusion of our terminology. Many of the false religions of the world have picked up on using our "Christian" terms and while they sound Christian they applying different meanings to the word. We will seek to come away from this doctrine study with a better understanding of the language of Salvation and a better appreciation of Messiah. We will look at a total of ten words in the vocabulary of Salvation. I ask you take time later to put into your own words a definition of each word. I- Conversion: We begin our look at the language of the saved or of Salvation with the word conversion. David in Psalms 51:13 says that when God restored the joy of his salvation he would, "...teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee." Conversion has a two fold meaning. It first means repentance or a turning from. We need to understand that repentance is not turning over a new leaf. Neither is it remorse or regret. It is not penitence or trying to make up for the wrong. Repentance is a voluntary and sincere change in the mind of a sinner causing him to turn from his sin. In terms of initial salvation this is the sin of rejection Christ. The second meaning of conversion is a turning to something. We call this faith. Faith is not a blind leap in the dark. It is not speculation nor opinion. Faith is a sincere and voluntary change in the mind of a sinner causing him to turn to Christ. II- Substitution: We speak often of the substitute of Christ. We talk of Him taking our place on the cross. 1 Peter 3:18 gives us this teaching. "...Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit..." Old Testament substitution was temporary in scope because it had to be redone constantly. Hebrews 10:4 says, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins." The substitution of Christ for us in permanent because it was a one time for all substitute. John 10:11 records Christ saying, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." We have the Shepherd dying for the sheep. Hebrews 10:12 says Christ afterwards, "sat down on the right hand of God." III- Reconciliation: 2 Corinthians 5:19 says, "...God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself..." We here this word used when two married people who have separated get back together. The OT word in the Hebrew is "kaphar." It means to cover. It is translated: "atonement" 26 times and "reconciliation" 7. This is the word used when it says that Noah put a coat or covering on the ark. The NT Greek word is "allasso" which means a change from that of being an enemy to being a friend. Zephaniah 2:15-16 says, "...Having abolished in his flesh the enmity...that he might reconcile both (meaning both Jews and Gentiles) unto God in one body..." Reconciliation is a two-phase plan in relationship to salvation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 shows us that God reconciled the world to Himself by Christ. We also see that we have been given the ministry of reconciliation. IV- Propitiation: 1 John 2:2 states that Christ is "the propitiation for our sins: and not our’s only, but the sins of the whole world." Propitiation means, "to render favorable, to satisfy, to appease." We know that we can never be good enough for God to be satisfied with our righteousness. Romans 3:25 says that God has set forth Christ to be, "a propitiation through faith in his blood..." Propitiation is necessary because the wrath of God abides on sinners. (See John 3:36 ). We know that the place we were rendered favorable and God was satisfied and appeased was at Calvary. The results of the propitiation of Christ is that God is justified in forgiving sin. After all it has been paid for. The second result is that God is justified in bestowing righteousness. (see Romans 3:25-26 ). V- Redemption: Redemption was longed for by Israel. Luke 1:68 records the words of Zacharias when he said, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people." Redemption carries a three-fold meaning. First, it is to pay a ransom price for something or someone. (see Hebrews 9:12 ) It also means to remove from a slave market. (see Galatians 3:13 ). In addition it means to effect a full release. (see Romans 8:22-23 ). The price of redemption was a great price. "...ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by traditions of your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 2:18-19. VI- Regeneration: Regeneration is the process whereby God through a second birth imparts to believers a new nature. 1 Corinthians 5:17 is the summation of regeneration. "Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things become new." The effects of regeneration is you love the things you hated and hate the things you loves. VII- Justification: Job asked the question, How can a man be justified with God. Romans 5:1 says we are, "justified by faith." Justification does not mean we are acquitted after we have successfully defended ourselves. It does not mean we received a pardon or simply a second chance after being found guilty. It doesn’t mean a parole under restrictions. Justification is a legal act whereby mans status before God is changed for good. As if we had never sinned. A clean slate. Just as if I never sinned. The results of Justification is that sins’ penalty is removed and diving favor is restored. VIII- Sanctification: Sanctification is an important doctrine in the Word of God. Sanctification occurs over 100 times in the Bible. We might ask the question, "Who are the Saints?" The Catholic Church bestows sainthood on only a few people after their death. The Bible however teaches that all believers are saints. We have the false notion today that to be a saint there must be total eradication of all sin. Some also teach that it is a second blessing or the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification however is simply setting aside for service. We as God’s children are set aside for His service. 1 Corinthians 1:2 "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints," Sanctification is the ongoing part of our salvation. Some have called it the reforming of our character. IX- Glorification: Justification is in the past for believers, Sanctification is ongoing and glorification is yet future. We know that it is secure however because in the mind of God it has already happened. Romans 8:30 says, "whom he justified, them he also glorified." We know that Glorification is the ultimate and absolute perfection of all believers. Romans 8:22-23 states, "...we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the saints." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 101: 06.17. EVERYBODY WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN ======================================================================== Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven Revelation 21:1-5 When we think of the place where our loved ones dwell with Christ we call it heaven. When we picture the abode of God we call it heaven. In the Scriptures heaven is referred to as, "Abraham’s bosom," "The Father’s house," and many other names. The Jews, prior to the Christian era, believed there were 7 heavens. This however was without scriptural basis. Christ said in John 14:2 "I go to prepare a place for you." We know heaven is more than a state of mind. It is in fact a literal place where at least two men, transformed by God, went without dying, Enoch and Elijah. Heaven is the hope of all who have faith in Christ. It is spoken of more in scripture than hell. So what about this place? Where is it? What is it? Who will be there? How do we go? The scripture teaches us that at the moment of death the saint of God goes to be with God. 2 Corinthians 5:8 "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." Today we will be concerned with the eternal heaven that will be our final home in heaven. I- Three Heavens: Scripture teaches there are three heavens. They are logically as we look around. A- First Heaven- The abode of the birds and clouds. Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air…" B- Second Heaven- The home of the moon, sun and stars. Psalms 19:1-14 :"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." C- Third Heaven- The home of God. Matthew 6:9 " After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." The only way to reach the third heaven is by the new birth. John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." In eternity creation will consist of a new earth and a new heaven, know as New Jerusalem. Hebrews 11:10, Hebrews 11:13 teaches us that this is the city that Abraham looked for who’s builder and maker was not man. Hebrews 11:10; Hebrews 11:13 " For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. …13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Revelation 21:2 is the prophecy of heaven. It will be fulfilled in the future. Revelation 21:2 "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." II- Some Facts about the New Jerusalem: A- Shape- Revelation 21:16 teaches us that is four square. This could either be a cube or a pyramid. Revelation 21:16 "And the city lieth foursquare…" NASB says "The city is laid out as a square," B- Size- The size of the city if also given in Revelation 21:16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal." Revelation 21:16 (HCSB) "The city is laid out in a square; its length and width are the same. He measured the city with the rod at 12,000 stadia. Its length, width, and height are equal." It is 1400 miles long, high and wide. This is from New York City to Denver, Col. From Canada to Florida. How big is this? The earth has 180,000,000 (180 Million) square miles of surface now. If this city is a cube 1400 Square miles X 1400 square miles it would have 2,700,000,000 (2 Billion, 700 Million) square miles. This is 15 times the surface of both the land and sea of earth now. We might ask how many people could live in this heavenly city. There has been some 40,000,000,000 (40 billion) who have lived since Adam. Density studies of city populations tell us every one of these 40 billion could live on the first floor of the new city. Still we know that all who have lived are not going to be in this city. So the next subject is who will inhabit this city. C- The Inhabitants- This city will be populated with a very diverse population. In the Revelation the inhabitants are said to be redeemed from, "Every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.." Revelation 5:9 . Every believer who professes and processes Christ will be in this city. This is the place Christ promised He was going to prepare. John 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." This is the dwelling place of the bride of Christ, the church. New Jerusalem has been called the wedding ring for His bride. Revelation 21:9-11 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. 10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;" The Old Testament saints will also dwell in this place for eternity. Saved Israel will be here. Hebrews 11:16 " But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city." The holy and elect angels will be there Hebrews 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, Heaven will also be the abode of the Trinity throughout all eternity. Our text said that God, meaning the Father, would wipe away all tears. The Son will be there as well. Throughout the Revelation He is mentioned as being in heaven. In Revelation 5:6 He is pictured as the Lamb slain. He is also the Judge that will judge the nations. The Holy Spirit will be present with us throughout eternity also. He is eternal and will not cease to exist just as He never came into being but has always been. D- The tree of life. Revelation 22:1-3 "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:" One of the things that reappears in the city is the tree of life. You will recall Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden before they could eat of this tree and live forever. This tree of life disappeared while the curse remains upon the earth. When Christ has removed the curse and made all things new this tree reappears. E- The light of the city. Revelation 21:23 " And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." Revelation 22:5 " And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever." One of the greatest things men fear is darkness. Darkness has come to be associated with the evil works of a fallen race. John 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." There will be no night in this city according to Revelation 21:25 " And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there." The light of the city will be the glory of God. Heaven will be one long endless day. III- While Eternity Roles: Who has not wondered what eternity will be like? What will our new body be like? What will we do in this endless day? First lets discuss or new body. A- Our Eternal Body: The Apostle Paul gives us some insight in the letter to the Corinthian church. 1 Corinthians 15:42-49 "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." In Luke’s gospel we see our new body will be a body of flesh and bone. Luke 24:39-40 "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet." It is now know as flesh and blood but flesh and blood will not enter the kingdom of heaven. According to scripture the life we now know is in the blood but our new life will be a life of flesh and bone with the life being in the Spirit. Regardless of our speculation on things we find in the scriptures that our new body will be like the glorified body of Christ. Php 3:21 "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Christ ate in His glorified body. Luke 24:41-43 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43And he took it, and did eat before them. He was also not subject to the laws of gravity and time. Luke 24:31; Luke 24:36 " And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 36And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." We will be given a body that is eternal and not temporary like these now. 2 Corinthians 5:1 "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Many have wondered will we know our loved ones. I feel that Luke 16:23 "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." teaches in eternity we will have memory of our loved ones. 1 Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." This seems to imply we will know each other in a far superior way than we do now. B- Our Day In Heaven. Heaven is going to be a place of singing Revelation 15:3 "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." It will be a place of fellowship will other saints. Heaven is also going to be a place of service Revelation 7:15 "Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them." Revelation 22:3 " And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him." It will also be a place of learning and knowledge. 1 Corinthians 13:9-10 "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." IV- The Lamb’s Book of Life: We have already stated that only born again believers will be in heaven. Allow me to revisit this subject as we look at the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 21:27 "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life." makes it plain that Heaven is by reservation only, no walk-ins or crashing this party. We must have our names on the role to enter. As early as the writings of Moses (Exodus 32:33 ) man was aware that God had a book that contained the names of His faithful. The prophet Daniel made mention of it in Daniel 12:1 also. Christ told His disciples not to rejoice over the spirits being subject to them but to "Rejoice, because your name are written in heaven." Luke 10:20 . According to Revelation 3:5 the names written in this book get there by overcoming. Revelation 3:5 "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." Now notice 1 John 5:4-5 says, "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God." So we see that it is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that our names are written in the Lamb’s book of Life. The most important question is now, is your name written there? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 102: 06.18. UP, UP AND AWAY ======================================================================== Up, Up and Away John 11:23-27 ; John 11:34-44 Today in the world there is a lot of noise about what happens when we die. We have the thought of reincarnation, and that man ceases to exist. We also see the health food and exercise craze sweeping our land with men trying to add days to their life. Medical science is seeking the fountain of youth in medicine. Man wants to live forever. What does the Bible say about what will happen to man after this life and age are consummated? Will he live again? Job ask this question in Job 14:14 "If a man die, shall he live again?" Then Job answers his own question in Job 19:25-26 as he states, "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and thought after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." Today we will explore the biblical teachings on the resurrection. I- Biblical Resurrections: As we explore the word of God we find there were many resurrections for the dead. It was not common but it was certainly not unheard of in the history of man. We find at leas three resurrections in the Old Testament. 1 Kings 17:22 records the resurrection of the widows son by the prophet Elijah. 2 Kings 13:21 records one of the most interesting instances of resurrections when a dead man was thrown in a hole on Elisha’s bones and the Spirit of God was so strong on those bones that he came back to life. In the New Testament we have several recorded resurrections. Matthew 9:25 records the resurrection of Jarius daughter. Matthew 27:52 is the record of the saints being raised and walking around at the time of Christ resurrection. Luke 7:15 gives us the account of the son of the widow of Nain being raised and the resurrection of Dorcus is found in Acts 9:40 . Then the most famous of all in our text is the resurrection of Lazarus of Bethany. Still there is something that we must remember about these resurrections. Every one of these men and women who were raised back to life in the flesh and blood died again a natural death. So we can say that none of these resurrections from the dead give us hope of eternal life. I wish to now focus on only one verse of the text John 11:25 . Notice that Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, thought he were dead, yet shall he live." For us to understand the resurrection we must understand "THE (meaning Christ) resurrection." II- Biblical Prophecy of Christ Resurrection: Notice first the Old Testament prophecy of Christ resurrection. Psalms 16:10 "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (Hebrew Sheol meaning the grave); neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." This is quoted in Acts 2:1-47. The New Testament contains many prophecies of the resurrection of Christ by His own words. Lets look at just a couple of them. Matthew 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Luke 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. III- The Resurrection of Jesus: The most important event recorded in the gospels is the resurrection. If Jesus had only died we would be without hope. The greatest words of hope for dead world are those of the angel to Mary at the tomb. "Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said." Matthew 28:5-6 . The resurrection is the capstone of the Christian faith. It was the topic preached by the early church most often. The bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead is not just a matter of a few men’s opinion but is in fact a historical fact. Still there are many false views about the resurrection of Christ. The swoon theory states that He did not die but only passed out and then revived. The vision theory is that his followers were using some form of drugs to hallucinate. 500 at one time say this hallucination it this is true. The spiritual resurrection theory and that it was not a body resurrection. One of the things that complicate matters is the deception of the religious leaders of Jesus day. Matthew 28:11-15 records the basis for what is know as the Fraud theory. This states that Jesus was a fraud and the whole thing was made up by His followers. Matthew 28:11-15 "Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. 12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, 13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. 14 And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. 15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day." IV- The Resurrection Doubted by Most: The fraud theory brings us to a good point. The resurrection was doubted by most. Matthew 27:62-64 records and interesting thing in that Jesus enemies believed and remembered what He said about He would rise again. Matthew 27:62-64 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. What about his friends. Surely they would remember that He said he would rise again, or did they? Mark 16:1-3 records that the women did not remember. John 20:13 tell us that Mary Magdalene did not remember. Luke 24:12 ; John 20:9 reveals that Peter and John did not remember. Luke 24:9-11 shows that the apostles did not remember. John 20:24-29 is where we find Thomas did not remember. We might ask how they could not remember what we cannot forget. They were so focused on the life of Christ they failed to see His death was coming. They probably were so overcome with grief and disappointment at their loss they were not remembering clearly. However, they soon came to believe in the risen Savior. In fact the historical eye witness accounts of the resurrection are not less than 17 times recorded in the scriptures. There is more evidence to prove the resurrection that to substantiate most of the wars fought in history. V- Where Do We Go From Here? How does the fact of the resurrection of Christ affect us as God’s children? 1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to this abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." As we have previous stated the resurrection of Christ is the capstone of Christian faith. We in fact have nothing to believe in if Christ be not risen. Notice with me 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 which reveals several horrible things that are facts if there is no resurrection. A- All preaching is completely useless. 1 Corinthians 15:14 B- All our faith is useless. 1 Corinthians 15:14 C- All preachers are liars. 1 Corinthians 15:15 D- We are still in our sins. 1 Corinthians 15:17 E- All who have died believing are in hell. 1 Corinthians 15:18 F- Why go on living for life has no meaning. 1 Corinthians 15:19 But my friends because of the resurrection of Christ and the promise of our resurrection because of His preaching has a purpose, our faith is useful, preachers are bearers of truth, our sins are forgiven, all who have died believing are in heaven and life has meaning. VI- The Order of the Resurrection: The resurrection to come is going to be a very orderly and by exploring the scriptures we can see the order of the resurrection. A- The resurrection of Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:20 says that Christ has become the "Firstfruit of them that slept." Christ is the first to rise. B- The resurrection of the rapture. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 says, "...the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." Those loved ones who have did in Christ will spring forth out of the grave. Notice what else it says in 1 Thes. "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air..." 1 Thessalonians 4:17 . So the next ones to rise after Christ will be the church at the rapture of the saints. C- The pre-millennial resurrection of Old Testament and tribulation Saints. Daniel 12:2 says, "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Daniel makes it plain that there will be two different types of resurrections. We go to Revelation 20:4-6 to see this recorded as being called the first resurrection and second resurrection. Revelation 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. All those who have trusted God and believed on Christ will be raised to life. D- The resurrection of the lost after the millennial reign of Christ. Remember Daniel said, "...some to shame and everlasting contempt." Again we turn to Revelation 20:5 " But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." We see these will not be raised until after the millennial reign of Christ. The purpose of this resurrection will be to stand at the Great White Throne judgment. Revelation 20:10-15 "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." The most important decision we need to make on this earth is to trust Christ as Savior so we will be raised to life and not to eternal death. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 103: 06.19. NOBODY WANTS TO GO TO HELL ======================================================================== Nobody Wants to Go to Hell Luke 16:19-31 This past week there was a lot of hoopla over the fact that it was the 6th day of the 6th month of the year 06, or 6/6/6. A news reports were based out of a little town in Michigan called Hell. They had a blessing of marriages at 6:00 on 6/6/6. Many times the word Hell has been relegated to nothing more than a swear word. But is it real? We talked a few weeks ago about everybody wanting to go to heaven. I know we can safety say that rightly understood nobody wants to go to hell. No one in their right mind at least. If heaven is a prepared place for prepared people, hell is a prepared place for the unprepared. Hell is a doctrine of the Bible that has been pointed to and misunderstood by man throughout history. Unbelievers have denied it and weak believers have questioned it. Satan has attacked it with atheistic rationalism which says there is no God and cannot be a hell. Atheistic ridicule is another tactic of Satan which says hell is ridicules and unfounded. Religion has done it’s part to muddy the water of understanding also. Jehovah Witness teaches there will an annihilation of the soul and no eternal hell. The Mormons teach there are three levels of future life but hell is not eternal and that all will ultimately be saved out of it. Catholics teach there is a purgatory where you can escape hell and gain heaven from after death. A second chance for the soul. The liberal thought is God is a God of such love that hell is not possible. Regardless of these teaching and doubts the bible teaches a literal place called hell. I- Biblical Background of Hell: There are two biblical words we need to understand to grasp the scriptures teaching on hell. Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15 teaches us of a resurrection of the dead from "Hell" (Greek Hades) in the heart of the earth to appear at the great white throne judgment throne. "Hades" is the biblical word that is translated as hell which is the place where the lost dead abide awaiting this resurrection and judgment. "Gehenna" is the word for the eternal hell. The place in our text that the rich man lifted up his eyes is "hades." Gehenna is found 12 times in the NT and 11 of these are used by Christ. We need to understand this word to understand the eternal hell that Gehenna is a picture of. In the days of the Old Testament a wicked King named Ahaz followed the devil worship of Molech, and actually sacrificed his own children to this pagan god. (See 2 Chronicles 28:1-4 ; 2 Kings 23:10 ; Jeremiah 7:31-33 ) This sacrifice took place in a deep and narrow valley to the south of Jerusalem called the Valley of Hinnom because it was owned by the sons of Hinnom. The Arabs call this place the Valley of Hell. In Jesus day the city dump was located there and the fires were kept burning night and day and as the smoke rose it could be see from afar. It was also the place where dead bodies were buried. When we look at the word the Holy Spirit chooses to bring forth the image of hell we see it is a place of filth, sorrow, smoke, pain, fire and death. II- The Location of Hell: We will need to look at both the location of Hades and Gehenna to understand the location of hell. Hades: Numbers 16:32-33 "And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 33They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation." Korah and his band of rebels rebelled against God and His servant Moses and they were swallowed up and taken into the grave. This plainly teaches that it is in the heart of the earth. In fact this word is also used for the grave. Christ also descended to the lower parts of the earth while he was in the grave. (See Zephaniah 4:8-9 ) Many think he went to hell at this time to preach the gospel not so they could be saved but to show why they were lost. Gehenna: Matthew 8:12 "But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 22:13 "Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 2 Peter 2:17 "These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever." These verses plainly teach that Gehenna is a place of outer darkness and in not found in the earth but in a remote spot in God’s creation. III- What Hell Will Be Like? We can explore the scriptures and see several things concerning hell. Notice as you turn with me if you would. A- Hell is a place of unquenchable fire: Matthew 3:12 "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matthew 13:41-42 "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Mark 9:43 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched." B- Hell is a place of Memory and Remorse: Luke 16:25-27 "But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house" In our text we see that the rich man remembered his failings and family. C- Hell is a place of thirst. Luke 16:24 "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." D- Hell is a place of misery and pain. Revelation 14:10-11 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." E- Hell is a place of frustration and anger. Matthew 13:42 "And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 24:51 "And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." F- Hell is a place that is eternal. Daniel 12:2 "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Mark 9:43-48 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." IV- Who Will Be in Hell? A- Satan- Hell was originally prepared for Satan and his angels. Matthew 25:41 "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." B- The Anti-Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." C- The false prophet. Revelation 19:20 "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." D- Fallen angels. 2 Peter 2:4 "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." We know these as demons. E- All unsaved people. Revelation 21:8 "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Revelation 20:15 "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Nobody wants to go to hell. Have you come to Jesus so you may escape this fate? Notice just one more verse. Hebrews 2:2-3 "For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 104: 06.20. SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED, 'M HIS ======================================================================== Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m His 1 John 5:13 1 John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" Many people have recorded and sang the love song, Signed, Sealed, Delivered. It says I’m yours. May I say when it comes to our eternal security and how definite we can know that we are escaping hell we can say "I’m His." The question is "are we saved forever?" Can a Christian lose his or her salvation? Can we know that we are saved forever now and not have to wait until death to find out? In this study we are not going to attempt to deal with assurance of Salvation but insurance of Salvation. We might call this SOULical Security. In the history of the church there developed two opposing systems of interpretation of salvation and eternal security of the believers. One, known as Calvinism, supports eternal security. Second, known as Arminianism, opposes eternal security. These two systems got their names from the man who was best known in the past for this doctrine, John Calvin, and Jacob Arminius. The Calvinist position is basically a position that emphasizes the sovereignty of God while the Armenian position stresses the freewill of man. When we talk about Eternal Security it is called by various names. Some call it the perseverance of the saints, some call it eternal security, God simply calls it eternal life. John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. I would be very narrow and bias to state that the Armininist position does not have Scripture to support their point of view. There is a lot of scripture that can be understood to teach their position. On the other hand I believe that the position of eternal security is the correct interpretation of the Scriptures when taken as a whole. I wish to give you a few reasons for this. I- Our Salvation is Based On What Christ Did. We must begin our discussion of this subject back at the beginning of our salvation. Was our salvation the result of what we did or what God did. Like the old black man said, "I did my part God did His part. I did the sinning and God did the saving." What if I told you I knew I had salvation because I had already died on the cross and had already been buried and had already been raised from the dead. According to Romans 6:1-23 I have already been, in Christ. Romans 6:3-7 "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7For he that is dead is freed from sin." There is a law that is known as the "Law of Double Jeopardy." This simply means that you cannot be tried twice for the same crime Isaiah 53:5; Isaiah 53:11 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed…11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities." This plainly states that Christ paid the penalty for the sin of men. By accepting Him as my Savior, we agree to allow Him to pay for my sins. If God requires this sin be paid for again He will have broken the law of Double Jeopardy. My sin was already judged and paid on Calvary. So we know we are eternally secure because of what Christ did not on what we did or will do. II- Public Defender or Public Prosecutor? Romans 8:31 "If God be for us, who can be against us?" My friend it is impossible for a man to be both defender and prosecutor at the same time. Romans 8:34 says, "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen from again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." There is a Public Defender who has never lost a case-and never will. This verse states that the one who would condemn us (the Prosecutor) is the one who is justifying us even now and He cannot do both. Who can find us guilty after God has declared us innocent? No one my friend. Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." III- The Cases of False Salvation 1 John 2:19-22 "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son." Matthew 7:22-23 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." There are those who seem to be genuine Christian and in fact are not know of God. What about the person who repeatedly renounces Christ and embraces some other basis for salvation? We must assume that such an individual was never saved in the first place. Notice the following Scriptures that clearly teach that those are in Christ have faith that will endure until the end Php 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." 1 Timothy 1:12 "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry." Many when they get to heaven will be surprised at who made it and who didn’t. We need to understand that salvation is not walking the church isle on Sunday. It is not belonging to a church as a member. It is not even praying an insincere prayer. Salvation is trusting Christ in you heart for salvation. It is not within any mans ability to know for sure about anyone’s salvation but their own. IV- A Word About Assurance of the Spirit of God- We know that the Holy Spirit is the one who regenerates the believer John 3:3-7 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." We also know that he baptizes the believer into the body of Christ. Romans 6:3 "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" We know that He indwells us as believers. John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" Still my friend the greatest thing that He does is seals us until the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30 "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." This is one of the strongest Eternal Security verses in the Bible. V- The Unpardonable Sin and the Sin Unto Death? There are portions of Scripture that has caused a great deal of concern to Christians and non Christians alike. First, Matthew 12:31-32 "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." Mark 3:28-29 "Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation." Can a Christian commit an unpardonable sin that will separate him from salvation? Can a non Christian commit a sin that prevents him every being saved? We must set this Scripture in context to understand this sin cannot be committed today. Christ had just healed a blind man possessed by a devil. The Pharisees accused the work He did by the Holy Spirit was work done by the Devil. Most scholars today say that this sin cannot be committed during our time because Christ is not walking among us and doing works that could be attributed to the Devil instead of the Holy Spirit. We however know when a lost man rejects the work of the Holy Spirit as He reveals Christ to him is guilty of a sin that sends him to hell. This sin is the sin of rejecting Christ. We also must not confuse the unpardonable sin with the sin unto death. It is possible for a Christian to allow his or her life to become so carnal and unproductive that God takes them home early by physical death. One example of this sin is Acts 5:1-11 The story of Ananias and Sapphira. We might ask does this sin unto death rob someone of their salvation. To answer this allow me to give another Scripture reference in which someone was in danger of committing this sin. 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 records a story of a man in the church who was engaged in a relationship with "His fathers wife." At best this was a relationship with his stepmother. Paul tells the Corinthians to, "Deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord." (My underline for emphasis.) To my mind there is no greater eternal security verses in Scripture. This man, committing a sin not even mentioned by the lost world, thought he might die physically his soul would be saved. VI- So what Can I lose? There is a lot that as Christian that we can lose. We can lose conscious fellowship with God. We can lose the approval of God. We can lose our influence for God. Our love, joy, peace, patience, self-control. We certainly can lose our reward. We can lose everything that makes life meaningful and worth living. FOR PERSONAL THOUGHT AND STUDY: Dr. Robert Gromacki lists twelve things by which one may test his or her salvation experience. I trust you will use this in personal study to review your salvation experience. A.First, have you enjoyed spiritual fellowship with God, with Christ, and with fellow believers? (1 John 1:3,4 ) B. Second, do you have a sensitivity to sin? (1 John 1:5-10 ) C. Third, are you basically obedient to the commandments of Scripture? (1 John 2:3-5 ) D.Fourth, what is your attitude toward the world and its values? (1 John 2:15 ) E.Fifth, do you love Jesus Christ and look forward to His coming? (2 Timothy 4:8 ; 1 John 3:2-3 ) F.Sixth, do you practice sin less now that you have professed faith in Christ? (1 John 3:5-6 ) G.Seventh, do you love other believers? (1 John 3:14 ) H.Eighth, have you experienced answered prayer? (1 John 3:22 ; 5:14,15) I.Ninth, do you have the inner witness of the Holy Spirit? (Romans 8:15, 16; 1 John 4:13 ) J.Tenth, do you have the ability to discern between spiritual truth and error? ( John 10:3-5, 27; 1 John 4:1-6 ) K.Eleventh, do you believe the basic doctrine of the faith? (1 John 5:1 ) L.Twelfth, have you experienced persecution for you Christian position? (John 15:18-20 ; Php 1:28 ) (Salvation is Forever, pp. 177-182) ======================================================================== CHAPTER 105: 06.21. THE CHURCH MARCHES ON ======================================================================== The Church Marches On Matthew 16:13-18 The church has been compared to an old ship that is sailing on the sea of life with her sails tattered and torn still sailing to her port of destination. Some feel it is an outdated archaic part of our history that needs to be forgotten or at least given over to history. Some would simply like to replace it with a Sunday morning blast of TV extravaganza. It has been black-eyed by it members, persecuted by its enemies still it carries on. It thrives in the underground of places like China, Cuba etc. When oppressed it struggles when things are good it risk the danger of forgetting God and simply becoming another religion. Satan has attached the Scripture in the past, the people of God and now in the end he is unleashing an all out attack on the church. The church was the second great institution set up by the God of heaven. The first was the home and then the church. The church was the great mystery in the Old Testament and was not revealed until the time of Christ. I- Word Pictures of the Church: The Scriptures paint us vivid word pictures to help us to understand what the church is and its unique relationship to Christ. We understand that He is the Head and the church is His body. (Romans 12:3-4, Colossians 1:18 ) He is called the Bridegroom and the church is called the bride. (Ephesians 5:25-32) He is the vine and we are the branches bearing fruit only on the strength of the vine. (John 15:1-5 ) He is called the Shepherd and we are His sheep. (John 10:11 ) Christ is called the High Priest and we as the church are a kingdom of priests. (Revelation 20:6 ) He is called the Chief Cornerstone and we are the living stones. (Zephaniah 2:19-22 ; 1 Peter 2:4-5 ) II- The Meaning of Church: The word we have translated church in our Bible is the Greek word "Ekklesia." It is used 114 times in the New Testament and means, "a calling out" or "the called out ones." Of the 114 times it is used Christ only used it three times and only five times is it used different than we know it. (In Acts 19:32 a mob is translated a church when it was only an assembly or meeting of people.) We understand that the church is two fold in nature. It is a universal church made up of all believers who have accepted Christ as Savior. These are those both living and dead. Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it" The church as well is a local body of baptized believers. In most of the cases the word church in the New Testament refers to local churches (93 times). Most of the writings of Paul were to local congregations of believers such as the Philippians, the Ephesians etc. III- Out of Which Rock? Who was the founder of the church and the foundation of it. The Roman Catholic view is that Peter was the first Pope and it was with Peter the church began. This leads me to ask the question out of which rock is the church hewn. Pope Leo I based the claim of the papacy upon Matthew 16:18-19 among other scripture. Leo taught that Christ was telling Peter that He would build His church upon the foundation of Peter. Most non-Catholic scholars see Peter in our text as simply the one that was speaking for the twelve disciples and Christ statement as being to the twelve. Allow me to quote from Herschel Hobbs to show that the foundation of the church is not Peter but Christ. "Peter" translates the masculine Greek word petros. "Rock" renders the feminine word petra. The difference in gender forbids "rock" from referring to Peter. Petra connotes a large ledge rock such as the foundation stone of a building or a cliff....Petros means a small stone broken off of a petra and partaking of its nature. (Hobbs, Herschel; E.Y. Mullins; The Axioms of Religion Revised Edition. Broadman Press, Nashville, TN. 1978. p.99-100. ) So we can state with authority that Peter is not the rock of the foundation of the church. Ephesians 2:20 ff says we are "...built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 3:11 says, "For other foundation can no man lay that that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." With the utmost authority we can thus state that Christ is the foundation of the church and not any man. IV-When Did The Church Begin? Some say it was with Adam and still others will tell us it began with Moses or Abraham. John the Baptist, Paul and on and on. We have already looked at the idea it began with Simon Peter. I want to state that the church was born on Pentecost. There are several reasons for this being the time. In Matthew 16:18 Christ spoke of the church as being yet future. Matthew 16:18 "...I will build my church..." Before Pentecost Christ had not yet resurrected and ascended. The resurrection and ascension are essential to operate the church in the power of God. We know from Ephesians 1:19-20 ; Ephesians 4:7-12 that Christ empowered the church by the giving of spiritual gifts. The giving of these gifts happened only after the ascension back to heaven. Christ had promised that when He went away He would send the Spirit. We know the baptism of the Holy Spirit came upon the church at Pentecost and not before. According to 1 Corinthians 12:13 the Holy Spirit is the one who places us into the body of Christ, the church. V- The Tie That Binds! The Purpose of the Church: The reason I would call this the tie that binds is when a local church understand its purpose it will be unified to fulfill its purpose. When a church loses its purpose and implodes on itself that it will be dysfunctional. When a church becomes just another social club that takes care only of itself it has lost its purpose. When a church becomes a struggle for power and is controlled by a few political individuals it has lost its purpose. We know our purpose is not to save this world (system). It is not to serve this world, nor to fight this world. It was never intended for the church to rule this world. We certainly are not to isolate ourselves from this world and most assuredly not to imitate the world. So what are we to do? When we take all of these out it seems there is not much left to do doesn’t it? I think we can break the purpose of the church into four broad categories. We are to worship God, have fellowship with each other, evangelize the lost here and abroad, and educate the converted. There are several other things that we do but most of them would fit into one of these four categories. A- Worship God: The psalmist stated in Psalms 22:3, "But thou are holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." We must realize that our purpose is to bring praise to God with our lives and to worship Him with our words and songs and He will dwell in our midst. We need to love God with our whole being and out of this love will come worship. Worship involves all of life and spills over into every area, activity and interest in our life. John records the story of the woman at the well. Look at John 4:23-24 "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Notice that God is worshipped by believers everywhere not just Matthew 11:00 on Sunday morning. B- Evangelize: Matthew 28:19-20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." The great commission gives us a mandate to go win the lost. This is a twofold mandate in that it not only encompasses our local community but the world itself. There was a missionary at a dinner in London that was asked by a lady, "Is it true that you are a missionary?" His reply was, "Is it true that you are not?" C- Fellowship: The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia and means acceptance and intimate communication. We as humans have a built in need for social contact. Fellowship implies the nurturing of each other and the edifying of each other. Ephesians 4:11-12 "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Ephesians 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." Part of this is to care for our own in time of need. James 2:15-16 "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?". (This is called Ministry in 40 Days) D- Teach: Again the great commission to the church in Matthew 28 says, "Teaching them to observe all things..." The work of evangelism is only part of this commission. We need to teach and instruct in the things of God. VI- Return to Our Roots: Church Growth. We know based on the great commission that we are to reach out and increase our numbers. We might ask why the early church grew so dramatic, as many as several thousand a day. The early church had an inflexible zeal and enthusiasm about the work of evangelism and a passion for Christ being their Savior. They preached hope in a dark world about the future life. They sought to look and act different from the world. They were pure and morally restrained. We should return to our roots. (Next week we will look at this subject) VII- The Future of the Church: As we work, worship and witness our minds are never far from the fact that any instant we could leave this world behind. We listen with one ear to the cry of those in need in this world and with one ear for the sound of the trumpet. We my friends are headed home glory. (See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 .) ======================================================================== CHAPTER 106: 06.22. YES, VIRGINIA THERE IS A DEVIL ======================================================================== Yes, Virginia There is a Devil Ezekiel 28:12-19 Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Is There A Santa Claus?" was the headline that appeared over an editorial in the September 21, 1897 edition of the Christmas lore in the United States. In 1897, Dr. Philip O’Hanlon, a coroner’s assistant on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, was faced with a minor family crisis. His eight-year-old daughter, Virginia, had begun to doubt the existence of Santa Claus, her friends telling her he was fictional. Dr. O’Hanlon told her to write to the Sun, a prominent New York newspaper at the time, assuring her the paper would tell her the truth. While he was possibly passing the buck because he could not bear to tell his daughter that Santa Claus was a myth, he unwittingly gave one of the paper’s editors, Francis Pharcellus Church, an opportunity to rise above the simple question, and address the philosophical issues behind it. Church was a war correspondent during the American Civil War, a time which saw great suffering and a corresponding lack of hope and faith in much of society. Although the paper ran the editorial in the seventh place on the editorial page, below even an editorial on the newly invented "chainless bicycle", its message struck a chord in the hearts of people who read it. More than a century later it remains the most reprinted editorial ever to run in any newspaper in the English language[1]; the Sun itself reprinted it annually for years after its initial publication. Although many have questioned the veracity of the letter’s authorship, noting that a young girl such as Virginia would not refer to children her own age as "my little friends", the message contained in the response is considered as pertinent today as in 1897. Interestingly enough, when the editorial is reproduced today, it often omits more than half of Church’s original response. One paragraph that is not often repeated begins, "Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies." This leads us to ask is Satan or the Devil just a comic book character, or a myth that is said to have a red pointed tail, two horns and a pitchfork? In our culture today it may not be politically or ethically correct to state that Satan exists. But Satan is as real of a creature as we are. Allow me to quote from Harold Willmington where he says, "There is scarcely a culture, tribe or society to be found in this world which does not have some concept or fear of an invisible evil power. This has been attested by Christian missionaries and secular anthropologists alike. Witch doctors, shrunken heads, voodoo dolls and totem-poles all give dramatic evident of this universal fear."( Willmington, Harold L. The Doctrine of Satan Copyright 1976 revised 1983. p. 10.) Who is it that they fear? May I suggest that man has a ingrained knowledge of Satan because of the fall. Lets look at the subject of Satan with the following outline. I- Existence, Original State and Fall of Satan. II- Names and Nature of Satan. III- Satan’s Work. IV- How We Can Have Victory. I- Existence, Original State and Fall of Satan. The existence of Satan is taught in 7 Old Testament books. (Genesis, 1 Chronicles, Job, Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah.) His existence is taught in 19 of the 27 New Testament books and by every writer of the NT. Christ taught that Satan was a real creature. Christ taught this at least 15 times. Matthew 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels." Luke 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Luke 11:18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. We might ask where did Satan come from? We know that Satan was created by God. He is not eternal. Satan was created at the same time as the other angels. We must remember that Satan is a fallen angel. Notice with me Ezekiel 28:12-19 . Ezekiel 28:12-19 " Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. 18Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. 19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more." A- His Original State: Ezekiel 28:12 He was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. Ezekiel 28:13 In Garden of Eden. and was created to praise God with his tabrets and pipes. He was a perfect creature of praise. Ezekiel 28:14 He was the anointed Cherub. B- His Fall: Ezekiel 28:17 His heart was lifted up (Beauty was his downfall.) Isaiah 14:12-14 gives us five things that Satan said that he would do. Notice these five "I wills." Isaiah 14:12-14 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." II- Names and Nature of Satan. A- We see that Satan is a very intelligent creature. 2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. B- He also has a will. 2 Timothy 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.. He also has emotions. Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. records that he was "wroth" which is anger. C- He also has desires as we see in Luke 22:31 where Christ told Peter that Satan desired to have him. Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: Probably the best way for us to understand our enemy is to study what he is called. Notice the names of Satan. a- Satan. This is used some 52 times for the Devil. b- Devil. This name means slanderer and is used some 35 times. c- Prince of the power of the air. Ephesians 2:2 d- The Prince of this world. John 12:31 e- Ruler of Darkness Ephesians 6:12 f- Lucifer (lightbearer, shining one) Genesis 14:12 g- Dragon Revelation 12:7 h- The deceiver Revelation 20:10 i- Wicked One Matthew 13:38 j- The tempter (enticer) 1 Thessalonians 3:5 k- Accuser of the brethren. Revelation 12:10 l- An Angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14 . m- Liar John 8:44 n- Murderer John 8:44 o- A roaring lion 1 Peter 5:8 p- The enemy Matthew 13:39 . These names are very incriminating themselves. We see that he is a very destructive creature who has not good about him. There was a man who always had something good to say about everybody. When they asked him what was good about Satan he said, "he does his job well." III- Satan’s Work. We could certainly spend a great deal of time on the work of Satan. We at times do not realize that it is his work at all. We attribute it to many things when in fact it is Satan. Allow me to offer four things that he is doing. A- He imitates God. One of the things that Satan does is that he imitates God. He in fact has his false trinity. Revelation 16:13 gives us the false trinity. Revelation 16:13 "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet." B- He Perverts God’s word. I offer two examples of this. In the garden of Eden at the fall of mankind Satan questioned the spoken word of God. Genesis 3:1 b Satan said, "Hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden." God had told Adam and Eve they could eat of all but one. The second example is at the temptation of Christ. Luke 4:9-11 Satan says to Christ, "For it is written.." and then he perverts the word of God. C- Satan blinds men to the gospel truth. 2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. D- He accuses Christians before God. Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. It still seems that Satan has access to the throne room of God. He goes in and accuses you and I. Not to worry thought because on the right hand of God sits our Intercessor, Christ. IV- How We Can Have Victory. It is only a very foolish Christian who would stand up and shake his finger in the face of Satan and tell him that he was going to beat him. Friends we are out of our league to fight him. Still we need to know how we can have victory over him. All me to offer the following. (See Ephesians 6:12-18 also) A- Recognize. 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: We need to not find a demon under every rock but we also do not need to be blind to the ploys of Satan. We simply need to recognize him. B- Resist. James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. When we resist the devil it is not with our strength it is in the strength of Chris. Remember that Christ rebuked him by saying "get thee behind me Satan." C- Rest. John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. Psalms 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. It may sound strange to suggest that we rest when we are in the battle. I wish to suggest that when we have recognized Satan and resisted him then we are to rest in the Lord. I remind us that Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:12 "...for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 107: 06.23. GIVING THE CHURCH A BATH ======================================================================== Giving the Church a Bath John 13:3-10 Little Betsy had faithfully attended baptism classes. Her mother, wanting to be sure her daughter understood its significance, asked, "Honey, what does baptism mean?" "Well, it isn’t the water that makes you clean ..." she began. Smiling, Mother thought, Yes, she understands, "... it’s the soap." -- Verna Chambers, Willcox, Ariz. "Kids of the Kingdom," Christian Reader, In the Bible we find that washing was an important aspect of the priesthood and temple. From the beginning of the priesthood washing was instituted. Leviticus 8:6 "And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water." When the tabernacle was built you find provision for washing there. Exodus 30:18-20 "Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. 19 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: 20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD." When the covenant was being given to Moses God instructed the people to "wash" their clothes in preparation for God to speak to Moses. Exodus 19:14 "And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes." You will also find that parts of the offering that would be sacrificed to the Lord on the altar. It would be burnt as an offering but would be washed first. Leviticus 1:9 "But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD." In the temple there were ten lavers for washing the offerings. John the Baptist came upon the scene baptizing and that Jesus was baptized. The washing of hands has been a part of the Passover ritual performed annually by the Jews since the beginning. As we enter our text we find that Jesus on the night of the Passover in which He instituted the Lord’s Supper. In the midst of that night we find our text. John 13:3-10 "Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; 4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all." Jesus told Peter a very profound statement that shows that salvation is exclusive to Jesus. "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." Next he makes a statement that seems to but in no way conflicts with this statement. Peter asks Him to not only wash his feet but all of him. Jesus said, "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean…" This told us and Peter that while we may be washed we still need a bath. Hebrews 12:1, "…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us…" I- Washing from Sin: 1- More than washing on outside. Some of Jesus disciples got into trouble because they ate without washing their hands. (Matthew 15:2 ; Mark 7:2 ff) in fact Jesus Himself was guilty of doing the same. Luke 11:37-39 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat. 38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. 39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Many people think that cleaning up simply means we make the outside look good. We put on perfume and all kinds of stuff to cover the stink. This is not what it means to be washed from sins. We have two classic illustrations in the Bible concerning this. First is the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:27 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness." Then the next is found in the Gospel of Matthew in the context of Jesus trial by Pilate. Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. We see from these that it is not the outside that needs cleaned but the inside. Jesus said this very thing in Mark 7:18-23 "Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; 19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." Today the world looks at itself and sees the outside as clean and therefore makes the assumption that all is well. Notice Proverbs 30:12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. 2- Washed by the Blood: Revelation 1:5 says, "…unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood…" The blood of Jesus washes us on the inside. How does it do this? It does it by the supernatural washing of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost…" 1 Corinthians 6:11 "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." We know that the life is in the blood. The word of God stated this early in mans existence. Genesis 9:4 "But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat." To give life it takes a sacrifice of the very thing that is the substance of life, blood. We are washed by the blood of Christ as it gives life to a dead man. Isaiah said it well when he stated, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18 So the question is simply are you washed in the blood or are you trying to wash the outside hoping the stink of death will not come out. May I say that the blood will never run out of cleaning power. During our travels as a training team, my husband and I stayed overnight with a single lady in her mobile home. Before retiring, my husband thought he should check the hot water provisions since all three of us needed to attend an early meeting the next morning. He asked our hostess if there would be enough hot water for more than one shower in the morning. "I really don’t know," she admitted. "I’ve never taken two in a row!" -- Sally Middleton, Lansing, MI. Christian Reader, "Lite Fare." 3- Continual Bathing: Remember that Jesus said that Peter just needed his feet washed. He was saying that he needed to be continually bathed by the sin that contaminates us as we walk through the world. Is there anyone who is isolated from sin after they are saved? Not according to the Bible. 1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." This cannot be to anyone but believers. We also see this necessity in Romans 7:20-25 "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." II- The Other Baths: So how do we bath the church? In His blood is the answer but I think there are a couple of other things we need to bath the church in. Allow me a moment please. It is a common temptation of Satan to make us give up the reading of the Word and prayer when our enjoyment is gone; as if it were of no use to read the scriptures when we do not enjoy them, and as if it were no use to pray when we have no spirit of prayer. The truth is that, in order to enjoy the Word, we ought to continue to read it, and the way to obtain a spirit of prayer is to continue praying. The less we read the Word of God, the less we desire to read it, and the less we pray, the less we desire to pray. -- George Muller in A Narrative of Some of the Lord’s Dealings with George Muller. Christianity Today, Vol. 32, no. 5. 1- Bathed in the Word: One thing that we need to constantly bath ourselves in is the Word of God. Zephaniah 5:25-26 Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word…" Psalms 119:133 says, "Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me." 2- Bathed in Prayer: Prayer will help us to understand the will of God and to understand others. I found a wonderful written prayer that I will share as we close. It is my prayer for me as I seek to serve you. Grant me, O Lord, an understanding heart, that I may see into the hearts of thy people, and know their strengths and weaknesses, their hopes and their despairs, their efforts and their failures, their need of love and their need to love. Through my touch with them grant comfort and hope and the assurance that now life begins at any age and on any day, redeeming the past, sanctifying the present and brightening the future with the assurance of thy unfailing love and grace brought to us in Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. -- George Appleton in the Oxford Book of Prayer. Christianity Today, Vol. 32, no. 16. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 108: 06.24. ANGELS AMONG US ======================================================================== Angels Among Us Hebrews 13:2 "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Hebrews 13:2 Belief in angels is as old as man himself and indeed the belief in angels is found in the history of all nations. Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, and all others. Today it has become a hot topic because of the interest in the New Age Movement. The popular TV show Highway to Heaven was based on angels. Howbeit they taught in error that humans can become angels and return to earth as such. This is not possible according to Scripture. Perhaps one of the best known is the Christmas movie, It’s a wonderful life, with Clarence trying to get his angel wings. This gave rise to the rhyme, "Ever time a bell rings and angel gets his wings." Mankind has spent millions of dollars in recent years to search for life apart from the human life here on earth. We have sent out signals and are constantly listening for an answer. One of the latest attempt to find this life is the "Hubble" telescope. Perhaps a better name for it is the "hobble" telescope. Is there life out there and is it intelligent and will we ever communicate with it? These question and many more are answered in the Word of God for us. Angels are mentioned some 273 times in the Scriptures. 108 in Old Testament and 165 in the New Testament. We do not need to look far in the word of God to find the testimony that they exist. Psalms 68:17 says, "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels." And again in Psalms 148:2, "Praise ye Him, all his angels, praise ye him, all his hosts." I wish to explore three different areas of Angels. I- The Origin of Angels, II- The Nature of III- Angels, and the Ministry of Angels. I- The Origin of Angels: Who created them, how did they come into existence, when did they come into being, why were they created, and how many angels are there is some of the question I wish to explore. So I guess we could say the Who, How, When, Why and How many in relationship to the origin of angels will be our topics. A- Who? Who created the angels? We know that angels are not eternal creature and therefore they must have a creator. Colossians 1:16 says, "For by Him (Note: Him being Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. So we can answer the who as being the Lord Jesus Christ, the instrument of all creation. B- How? How were the angels created? Psalms 148:2,5 says, "Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created." So we can see from this verse that He created angels the same way He created the rest of the universe, except for man, by the power of His word. Remember that He formed man out of the ground with His loving hands. Still each angel is a direct creation from God in His act of creation. C- When? When did God create the angels? Was it when he created the earth or before. Before Man or after? Job 38:1,4,7 " Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said...4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. ...7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" Dr. Henry Morris, creation scientist, says, "Although not mentioned in Genesis 1, it is probable that another act of creation took place on this day. Sometime prior to the third day of creation, a multitude of angels were created, since they were present when the ’foundation of the earth ’ were laid....Angels are called the ’host of heaven,’ and so could not have been created before the existence of heaven." (The Genesis Record, p.57) D- Why? Why did God create the order of life we know as angels? We turn to the scripture to find it teaches us in Revelation 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. They were created to bring glory to God. Colossians 1:16, that we have already quoted, says they were created to bring glory. E- How many? How many angels did God create? We are not told the specific number but it is considered enormous. Hebrews 12:22 says concerning the number of angels that they are an, "...innumerable company..." So we see that we cannot number them no more than we can number the stars in space or the sand on the seashore. We will discuss this somewhat further next. II- Nature of Angels: A- What is their nature? They are spirit beings as evidenced by Hebrews 1:14 "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" Angels are being that are spiritual being as opposed to human beings. They like man were created in the image of God with personality which is necessary to have fellowship with God. They were also created with the ability to make a choice to follow God or to reject Him much like man. They were originally created without fault or sin as Adam was. This has been referred to as their probation period. This probation ended when Lucifer, who was heavens chief angel led a rebellion against God. From this time forward Bible scholars say they fallen angels, that we know as demons, are unable not to sin and the good angels as not able to sin. These fallen angels are known as the Devil’s angels. (See Matthew 25:41, Revelation 12:9 ) The good angels are referred to as Holy or elect angels. (See Mark 8:38, 1 Timothy 5:21 ). For our purpose we are not studying the fallen angels but the holy angels. B- Are there more today than when they were first created? The answer to this question is no. First Christ told us in Luke 20:36, "...neither can they die anymore: for they are equal unto the angels." This verse tells us that angels do not die. So their number has never decreased through death. What about procreation of the species, do they reproduce themselves. Again we turn to the Scripture to find Christ word concerning the human resurrection, "...when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven." We know that angels manifest themselves in human form at times but they are neither gender as human being are. They are neither male or female, but angels. C- What about their power? We know that angels are very powerful beings in fact much more powerful than human beings. Psalms 8:4-5 "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour." 2 Peter 2:11 "Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord." No where is this power more evident than the night that one angel killed the army of Sennacherib king of Assyria. (See 2 Chronicles 32:9-23 ) So we see that they are powerful but not all powerful. D- The type and ranks of the angels. There are many kinds of angels mentioned in scripture. The Archangels, the Cherubims, and the Seraphims as well as others. 1- Archangels: Michael (Daniel 10:13,21 ; Daniel 12:1; Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7 ) Gaberiel is mentioned some 17 different places in the Scriptures. (Daniel 8:16 ; Daniel 9:21, Luke 1:19 ; Luke 1:26 ; Matthew 1:20 ; Matthew 2:13; Matthew 2:19;) He is also identified by some Bible scholars as the Angel of the Lord in the New Testament. (Luke 2:9 ; Luke 22:43; Matthew 28:2 ; Acts 5:19 ; Acts 10:3; Acts 12:7; Acts 12:23; Acts 27:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:16 ) 2- Cherubims: (Genesis 3:24 ; Exodus 25:18-20 ; Ezekiel 1:4-28 ; Ezekiel 10:1-22) Cherubims each have four faces with the front a man, right side a lion, left an ox, the back face is an eagle. They have two pairs of wings, with two sets of human like hands under each wing. Their duties include keeping Adam from the tree of life after he sinned; Lucifer was the chief cherub before his fall. 3- Serephims: (Isaiah 6:1-7 ) The word seraphim means "burning ones" and speaks of their burning devotion to God in worship. They have 6 wings, they cry in chorus the majesty of God as "Holy, Holy, Holy." III- Ministry of Angels: The almost natural question concerning angels is what do they do. What is their ministry to us and to the world? We are given very few looks into this other realm of life in the Scriptures but at the same time we are given a lot. The Lord allowed Daniel to understand the warfare going on around us (see Daniel 10:13-14 ) as well as the servant of Elijah who was allowed to see the armies of angels camped about them. (See 2 Kings 7:8-17 ) A- Ministry to Nations: The capital of our country is not protected ultimately by military might. It is protected by angels. Let’s see this based on Daniel 10:12-13 "Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia." I believe that the nations of this earth have a warfare that goes on all the time between the forces of evil and the forces of God. B- Ministry to Believers: The question that is on all of our minds by now is there such a thing as guardian angels. Our text states this as so. Landrum P. Leavell in his book Angels, Angels, Angels states, "It is my judgment that we cannot accept the bible as God’s inspired Word and discount the reality of personal angels." This brings us to our next point. C- Guardian Angels: Matthew 18:10 "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." Hebrews 1:14 "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" There are angels in charge of our protection. Psalms 34:7 "The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." Psalms 91:11 "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." Allow me to give us an illustration of which there are thousands like. In Billy Grahams book Angels: God Special Agents gives us this account: "The Reverend John G. Paton, a missionary in the New Herbides Islands, tells a thrilling story involving the protective care of angels. Hostile natives surrounded his mission headquarters one night, intent on burning the Paton’s out and killing them. John Paton and his wife prayed all during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see the attackers unaccountably leave. They thanked God for delivering them. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Jesus Christ, and Mr. Paton, remembering what had happened, asked the chief what had kept him and his men from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, ’Who were all those men you had with you there?’ The missionary answered, ’There were no men there; just my wife and I.’ The chief argued that they had seen many men standing guard-hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords in their hands. They seemed to circle the mission station so that the natives were afraid to attack. Only then did Mr. Paton realize that God had sent His angels to protect them. The chief agreed that there was no other explanation." D- They care for the righteous at death. Luke 16:22 "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom..." Jude 1:9 "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee." What comfort it is to know at the moment of death we have a company of angels to bear us home to glory. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 109: 07.00. THE ORIGINS ======================================================================== "The Origins" A Series by Dr. Edgar Pierce www.exposingtheword.com A link to the Theme Song I wrote for the series is: http://www.exposingtheword.com/God%20Spoke.mp3 A Word of Introduction: "What makes something right or wrong? Is it mans opinion or is there a higher authority? Where did men come from? What gives government its authority? Where did all the heartache in the world come from? Why is it wrong for two men or two women to marry? Does evolution have the answers to the origin of the species? Where did all these religions come from? We will seek to answer many of these questions as we undertake a series I have called "The Origins." The book of Genesis has been called the book of beginnings. It begins with the words, "In the beginning…" We will find that in God’s word we have a great many origins (beginnings) that are very important today. The world has tried to destroy the anchor of humanity and make us answerable only to ourselves. The psalmist said in Psalms 11:3 "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?"" Beloved if every man on earth would agree that certain behavior is right but the Bible says it is wrong then there can be no doubt that it will be wrong. God is the only one who can decide wrong from right. After all in the jungles society says it is all right to be a headhunter. INDEX OF TOPICS The God Before Time Genesis 1:1 a The Origin of All Genesis 1:1 The Origin of Man: Let Us Make Man Genesis 1:26-31 ; Genesis 2:4-8, Genesis 2:15 The Origin of the Species Genesis 1:11-13 ; Genesis 1:20-25 The Origin of Evil Genesis 2:17 ; Genesis 3:1-21 The Origin of the Gospel Genesis 3:15 The Origin of Redemption Genesis 3:7-10, Genesis 3:21 The Origin of Language: He said, she said. Genesis 11:1-9 The Origin of Marriage and Family Genesis 1:27-28 ;Genesis 2:18; Genesis 2:20-24 The Origin of Worship; Men Called Upon Jehovah Genesis 4:1-6 ; Genesis 4:25-26 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 110: 07.01. THE GOD BEFORE TIME ======================================================================== The God Before Time Genesis 1:1 a What makes something right or wrong? Is it mans opinion or is there a higher authority? Where did men come from? What gives government its authority? Where did all the heartache in the world come from? Why is it wrong for two men or two women to marry? Does evolution have the answers to the origin of the species? Where did all these religions come from? We will seek to answer many of these questions as we undertake a series I have called "The Origins." The book of Genesis has been called the book of beginnings. It begins with the words, "In the beginning…" We will find that in God’s word we have a great many origins (beginnings) that are very important today. The word has tried to destroy the anchor of humanity and make us answerable only to ourselves. The psalmist said in Psalms 11:3 "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" I- The God Before Time: Where did God come from? The Palmist said, Psalms 90:2 "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." The Bible does not set out to prove that God exists. It simply states the fact without explanation. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God…" Much like this is the first verse of the Gospel of John which says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God." John 1:1-2 I think we could very not call this the origin of God but the non-origin. When it says the beginning it does not mean the beginning of God. God has always been and will always be. II- Uncomprehendible: Do you remember when you were young, say 3 or 4 years old? It seemed that every adult was old. I realized the other day that my father-in-law was my age now when I married his daughter. It is hard for a child or at times, even a young person, to conceive of an old person ever being a child. Eternity past is even harder for our small minds, small compared to Gods, to visualize. May I submit that it is even harder for us to conceive of the timelessness, vastness, and ancientness of God? Job 9:10 "Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number." Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (My underline for emphasis) May I say that this is the very reason that man cannot by his philosophy, which is based on observations of a mere human, nor by psychology, that studies a fallen creature, can ever come to the knowledge of God and who He is. God to be God must be superior to humanity otherwise He is no God at all. God must be supernatural and not just natural. God must be beyond explanation to be superior to those who are attempting to explain Him, AND HE IS! III- In Eternity Past: The right questions may be who and what? Who was there and what were they doing. When we talk about God we are only talking about one God. Not three Gods as some may claim about Christianity. However the one God is three persons within one God. In eternity past there was God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. What were they doing? Some theologians state that God t was planning salvation of men. 1 Peter 1:18-20 says, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…" (My underline for emphasis) We also know that God was not lonely because they were fellowshipping with one another. IV- Three Great Questions: I feel the question of God can be narrowed down into three questions. 1- If there is no God why do so called atheist fight so hard to kill Him? One of the things that atheist are constantly doing is fighting against someone they say does not even exist. I submit they add validity to Him and are in fact acknowledging Him by fighting. Someone has said that what Darwin began by evolution was to de-god the universe. 2- Because there is a God what are you going to do with Him? There are several possibilities. Such as try to destroy Him, ignore Him, replace Him with self, ask what He would have you do. Men must destroy God in order to not be answerable to Him. When someone destroys God, in their own mind, they in effect have enthroned themselves as the final authority. I submit that neither of these options are acceptable. We are left with the fact that God is and the great question in life is what would He have me to do. 3- How can I know Him? God since the fall of mankind has been seeking restoration of men back to a right relationship with Him. The main thing He wants is for us to have a relationship with Him. How do we do this. 1 John 2:23 says, "Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also." John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 111: 07.02. THE ORIGIN OF ALL ======================================================================== The Origin of All Genesis 1:1 Have you ever made anything? Maybe you will say I made a cake one time. Some people used to make biscuits; imagine that. Men make or create many things. Or do they? I submit to you that man has never truly created anything. When we make a cake we simply combine ingredients to produce it. We do not make the ingredients. Some of you may recall the story that is told of the different perspective of two space travelers. The Russian Cosmonaut went into space and said, "there is no God, I looked around and do not see Him anywhere." The American went into space and said, "There is a God, I see Him everywhere." Some will say there is no God and that all of the things that exist came about by chance and time. We know this as evolution. We say there is a God who spoke all things into existence. They say the origin is still a mystery to be delved into, we say it was God that need only to be believed. The Open Bible in its Cyclopedia Index defines creation as, "causing what didn’t exist to exist." The Bible declare the most profound and definitive statement concerning the origin of all that exists when it says, "In the beginning God created…" The Bible leaves no dough about where creation came from. I- Big Bang or God’s Voice? I have a couple of questions for our evolution-believing friends. Where did original matter come from? If we were to consent, and I don’t, that all things came about as the result of a big bang where did the material come from to make all things? There had to be matter prior to the bang. Where did the energy come from to produce the bang? Energy does not just product itself. There is a law of science that is known as the First Law of Thermodynamics, which says, "Energy can be changed from one form to another, but it cannot be created nor destroyed." This simply says that nothing can come from nothing, which contradicts the theory of evolution at it very root. So if there had to be material for the band and energy for the bang there still had to be a creative agent. I submit to you that the creation we know was by God who was and is more powerful than all of creation together. There had to be a supernatural act that breaks the know laws of science for all things to come about. God created everything out of nothing and only God could do so. Lets talk about making something or creating something again as we return to our first question, have you ever made anything. We talk about building a house. Does the carpenter created or make a house? I submit that he does not. He put the material together that he did not make. So if the carpenter cannot be said to build or create the house then we must look back from this see who is responsible. It must be the lumber company and the sawmills. They took the trees and made the framing and plywood for the floors, walls and roof. But hold on they did not do anything to make the tree from which they got the wood. Even the lumber company that owns the trees can only plant the seed in the ground someone else made, they cannot even cause the tree to grow in the grown. So we can simply say that no man made the house he only assembled what was already made. Beloved the cause and effect must be larger than man. The cause and effect of creation is God. II- A Triune Act: We find that the Trinity was involved in the act of creation as revealed by the Word of God. First we have God the Father in the first verse of Genesis, "In the beginning God created." And about whom Hebrews 11:3 says, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." Next we see the Son involved in the act of creation. I submit to you that He was in fact the instrument of creation. Colossians 1:16 "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him." We also see this clearly in John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." Next we see the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit involved in creating all. Genesis 1:2 "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Psalms 104:30 states, "Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth." III- The Six Days: We cannot dwell on a deep study of the Hebrew to convince us that the six days of creation were not long spans of time. Nor can we look at the evidence, which there is a great amount, which convinces us that creation is not as old as some claim. By this time I simply wish to read the record of the creation as given to us by God. I trust by this time you know it was God and just want to know how. Lets turn to Genesis 1:1-26 and read the Origin of All. We will return to this second at least two more times in this series. Remember now Colossians 1:16 "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him." IV- A New "All" I feel like I would be amiss if we did not understand that God did not only created this creation but has given us a promise of, if you will a new "all." Isaiah 65:17 ; Isaiah 65:25 "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind….25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD." This gives us the Old Testament foundation for the New All. 2 Peter 3:10-13 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." Within these verse we have the destruction of the creation as we know it now and the promise of a new creation not tainted by sin. There is also an important question tucked within. "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 112: 07.03. LET US MAKE MAN ======================================================================== Let Us Make Man Genesis 1:26-31 ; Genesis 2:4-8, Genesis 2:15 Is it true that all dogs go to heaven? If this is true then can we say that dogs and humans are created equal? Are humans merely animals that have evolved to a higher plane than other animals or does human life have more value than a cow or a pig or a deer? If so why? Have you ever heard of a prototype? This is usually the first generation of what will be something like it but different in many ways in its final state. Did evolution produce the ape as a prototype for human? There is an argument than some use to support evolution that I purpose is not evidence of evolution but of a special creator. This is the evidence of design. Evolutionist say that because there are legs and arms or the such on most animals this is proof that they evolved from each other or a common ancestor. However I declare this is evidence of a Creator who got it right the first time and used the design throughout all His creation. I- Man- The Crown Of Creation: Last sermon we talked about how everything got here. We read Genesis chapter one that told what was created on which day. After everything else had been created God says to themselves, Genesis 1:26 "…Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…" "Likeness" is the Hebrew word demut and means, "likeness; shape; figure; form; pattern." (from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers) We will deal next sermon with the origin of the species but with this statement from the word of God we can see that we as humans are made in the image of God. This is the big difference between men and animals. What does it mean to be made in the image of God? One is that we are created an immortal being. God in one sense gave us part of His eternal image. Second He made us with the ability to have communion with Him. While God is conscious that animals exist it seems apparent that they are not aware of the existence of God. God also created men to have dominion. Genesis 1:26 b "… and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." The psalmist in Psalms 8:5-8 says "For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas." We also know that the animals did not sin and are not fallen creatures but suffer because of the sin of men. You may have noticed it says that men were made a little lower than the angels were? Angels were created in a fixed number and do not reproduce. Angels will never know the joy of redemption. Only men are redeemed, man fell by one representative head, Adam, angel fell individually. There is no head of the angelic race from which all descended and therefore no way the fallen angels can be redeemed by one. II- Special Creation: The creation of man is given to us two times in the first verse of the Bible. The Bible tells us that God formed Adam out of the dust of the earth. Notice the Biblical accounts. Genesis 1:26-31 ; Genesis 2:4-8, Genesis 2:15 God created man to have fellowship with Him. He placed him in control over the creation as we have said. Special creation gives us a sense of love because God purposed in His heart to create man. The psalmist cried, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…" Psalms 139:14 There are some who claim God put all the material here than set back and watched things evolve. This flies in the face of a loving God who breathed life into Adam. We call this special creation. God says that the day He created man it was "very good." Genesis 1:31 . III- Value of Life: We see that man was told in Genesis 1:28 "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply..." Today there are many burning issues that face humanity. The value of life or the devalue of life is before us. The total blatant disregard for life in the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon recently show how little some value life. This nation abortion 1.5-.1.6 million babies each year show a disregard for life. The issue of cloning is before us. I have been asked recently what I thought the bible taught on this. If we clone a child will it have a soul? These are questions that face us. My first reaction is total horror with men playing God. Then I realize that even if men put together the cells that it is God alone who gives life. I feel these people will have a soul because God who is the giver of all life and not scientist allows life to spring forth. Because men are made by God and are special creation of God there is a value to life. If man is only a product of a biological process then there can be no purpose apart from self. IV- Man became a living Soul: Notice the last part of Genesis 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Man became a living soul. Let us not miss this as we seek to understand the creation of humanity. Remember I ask if all dogs go to heaven? Well I think the scripture would teach us that no dogs go to heaven. Animals were not created with eternal souls. Men are eternal being because God has chosen to make us eternal. He made us a living soul. This brings us to the big question that all of humanity faces. If there is a God what do I need to do? Many simply choose to deny that a supernatural being exists, choosing instead to believe in chance. Many say yes there is a god (notice it is not capitalized) but I will make him to be what I want him to be based on my feeling and assumptions. The truth is there is a God who created man and made him eternal and each must choose where he will spend eternity. We are answerable to the creator whether we want to be or not. Denying it does not change the facts. So what does God expect of me? Deuteronomy 10:12 "And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul," Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Mark 12:33 "And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." God the Creator has prepared a way that we again can be in right standing, just as the first man Adam was. The way He has prepared is Jesus Christ. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 113: 07.04. THE ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES ======================================================================== The Origin of the Species Genesis 1:11-13 ; Genesis 1:20-25 How did we get so far down the road from what the Bible reveals concerning the beginning of the species of life on the earth? We make the mistake in thinking that at one time everyone believed that God created all things. We think that evolution replaced special creation beliefs of people. I submit to you that men have always ignored God and chosen to believe in other things or nothing at all instead of God. Lets look at a far-fetched scenario of events. You notice that the family dog that has the run of the neighborhood and countryside seems to be gaining weight. You realize she is pregnant. As the days progress your family is getting exciting. The day of delivery come and the family gathers around to see what they will be, no not if they are boys or girls but if they will even be dogs. Perhaps she will have a fawn or a litter of cats. But to your relief they are puppies. It is impossible to be anything else. We often hear the only thing certain is death and taxes. This is not true however. There are a few more things that are certain as well. Cats will always have kittens and a dog will always have pups. There is a law of nature that is certain and it is the law of biogenesis. Ten times in the first chapter of Genesis we hear the words, "After its kind." I- And Then Came Darwin: Perhaps the most famous book ever written on the subject of evolution is the book by Charles Darwin called On the Origin of Species. Did Darwin unlock the secret of where the species came from? This work was published in 1859. If you look at the work itself chapter 6 is called, "Difficulties of the theory." Darwin asked many questions that to this day are not answered satisfactory. He stated concerning the fact that the reader would have thought of many difficulties he states, "Some of them are so serious that to this day I can hardly reflect on them without being in some degree staggered." Let’s look at few exerts from the objections that Darwin raised about his own theory. Darwin says: "First, why, if species have descended from other species by fine gradations, do we not everywhere see innumerable transitional forms? Why is not all nature in confusion, instead of the species being, as we see them, well defined? Secondly, is it possible that an animal having, for instance, the structure and habits of a bat, could have been formed by the modification of some other animal with widely different habits and structure? Can we believe that natural selection could produce, on the one hand, an organ of trifling importance, such as the tail of a giraffe, which serves as a fly-flapper, and, on the other hand, an organ so wonderful as the eye? Thirdly, can instincts be acquired and modified through natural selection? What shall we say to the instinct which leads the bee to make cells, and which has practically anticipated the discoveries of profound mathematicians? Fourthly, how can we account for species, when crossed, being sterile and producing sterile offspring, whereas, when varieties are crossed, their fertility is unimpaired?" We would like to know the same things as well Mr. Darwin, even some almost 150 years later. II- Biogenesis or Spontaneous Generation: Along about the time of Darwin there lived another great French scientist named Louis Pasteur. He was a skeptic of Darwin and proved that life never comes from non-life. There was a supposed scientific thought that life would rise from nonlife. It was called spontaneous generation. Let me take us to a lecture of Louis Pasteur given on April 7, 1864 at the "Sorbonne Scientific Soiree." Mightn’t matter, perhaps, organize itself? Or posed differently, mightn’t creatures enter the world without parents, without forebears? This is the question I seek to resolve. It must be acknowledged that the belief in spontaneous generation has been with us throughout the ages; universally accepted in antiquity, it has become more disputed in modern times… Pasteur then gives some examples of a celebrated man alchemical physician Van Helmont who lived in the 17th century (1600) "When water from the purest spring is placed in a flask steeped in leavening fumes, it putrefies, engendering maggots. The fumes which rise from the bottom of a swamp produce frogs, ants, leeches, and vegetation….Carve an indentation in a brick, fill it with crushed basil, and cover the brick with another, so that the indentation is completely sealed. Expose the two bricks to sunlight, and you will find that within a few days, fumes from the basil, acting as a leavening agent, will have transformed the vegetable matter into veritable scorpions…." Yea right! But it gets better still. "Or take the following passage, bearing in mind that Van Helmont affirms having conducted the experiment described therein… If a soiled shirt is placed in the opening of a vessel containing grains of wheat, the reaction of the leaven in the shirt with fumes from the wheat will, after approximately twenty-one days, transform the wheat into mice. Van Helmont adds that the resulting mice are adults, male and female, and that they may continue to reproduce their species by copulation." It is obvious that the experiment allowed mice to enter unknown to Helmont and reproduce therefore allowing him to claim spontaneous generations. I submit to you that even the most ignorant today would not believe such. III- Scopes Monkey Trial: Dateline: July 10-25, 1925, Dayton Tennessee. Event: Scopes Monkey Trial. By 1925 many southern states had passed laws that prohibited the teaching of evolution in the classroom. Among them were Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and in Tennessee the Butler Law was passed in ’25. Enter the ACLU and a man named George W. Rappelyea who was from Dayton. On May 5, Rappelyea and other local leaders met at F.E. Robinson’s drug store and hammered out the details of their plan. All they needed was a teacher to test the law, and they found him in John T. Scopes, a 24-year old science teacher and football coach. In addition to Scopes you had two other major players and the judge, who read the first . The trial was not to decide if evolution was true or not but only if Scopes had been guilty of teaching it and thus in violation of the Butler Law. One attorney was Clarence Darrow and the other attorney was William Jenning Bryan. Bryan was known as, "The Great Commoner" and had been a presidential candidate 3 times and secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson. Darrow was a brilliant lawyer and specialized in defending the underdogs. The judge did not allow any expert testimony from anyone. He based his ruling on the claim that neither religion nor evolution was on trial but only if Scopes had taught evolution. After calling Bryan to the stand and humiliating him the trial went to jury which took 8 minutes to bring back a guilty verdict. Darrow, the defense attorney wanted a guilty verdict so he could appeal it and test the Butler Law. Another interested side show was the bringing of two chimpanzees and a man who was called "the missing link." He turned out to be a man named Joe Viens who was originally from Burlington Vermont. He was 51 years old and 3 ½ feet fall with a receding forehead and protruding jaw and had a funny shuffling walk. IV- The Great Chain of Being: So had the teaching of evolution replaced the teaching of special creation? Well not exactly. Remember we always assume that everything has always been as it is today. Marvin Lubenow in a work called Bones of Contention, says, "It is not unusual for people to begn with a wrong idea of what the Bible teaches, reject that view, and then reject the entire Bible because ’the Bible is unscientific.’ This is what Darwin did. Most people believe that Darwin disproved biblical creationism and proved evolution….Darwin did not reject biblical creation; he knew nothing about it." (Marvin Lubenow, Bones of Contention, Baker Books, p 94.) So what was the though of the day in which we have the teachings of Darwin coming from? Notice again Marvin Lubenow. "To step back into the nineteenth century would cause us culture shock in many ways. One of the shocks would come when we realized what was commonly believed about creation. Before evolution became popular, creation was the accepted scientific model of the universe and of humans. However, it was a type of creationism that few of us would recognize and not biblical creationists did or would endorse. The concept was known and the Great Chain of Being, patterned not after Moses but after Plato. According to this concept the Almighty had created a great ladder or chain of living things, from single-celled organisms all the way to humans, each organism being a bit more complex than the one below it. All of nature fit into this ascending organizational scale… …The concept of the Great Chain of Being by its very nature became a ’setup’ for evolution. All one had to do was to change this static chain to a dynamic one, with the forms gradually evolving upward one into another, and one has the basic evolutionary scenario." (Ibid. pgs 93, 95) Speaking of Darwin later he says, "His purpose was to ’ungod’ the universe. Darwin was a positivist. This is the philosophy that the only true knowledge is a scientific knowledge; no other type of knowledge is legitimate….Darwin accomplished one of the greatest feats of salesmanship in the history of the world. He convinced scientists that it was unscientific to deal with God or creation in any way. To be scientific, they must study the world as if God did not exist." (Ibid., p 191) V- So What is a Species? It is important that we understand that the Bible does not use the word species. It simply says each after it’s kind. In Genes, Genesis, and Evolution J.W. Klotz has a chapter called "The Species Problem" there is a section, Generally Accepted Criteria. While stating that no clear definition has ever been arrived at by scientist he says, "…several criteria seem to run through all of them." Notice what he gives as these criteria. "First of all, there is considerable emphasis on the idea that to belong to the same species tow organisms must be capable of interbreeding…A second criterion is that the offspring itself must be fully fertile…Third, the group must have a definite geographical range which can be marked off or delimited…Finally, the member of one species are usually separated by differences of structure and appearance from members of another species." (J.W. Klotz, Genes, Genesis and Evolution, Concordia Publishing House, Saint Louis, 1972, p 48-49) Henry Morris said, "Many evolutionists have tried to argue that humans are 99% similar chemically to apes and blood precipitation test do indicate that the chimpanzee is people’s closest relative. Yet regarding this we must observe the following: ’Milk chemistry indicates that the donkey is man’s closest relative.’ ’Cholesterol level test indicate that the garter snake is man’s closest relative.’ ’Tear enzyme chemistry indicates that the chicken is man’s closest relative.’ ’on the basis fo another type of blood chemistry test, the butter bean in man’s closest relative." (Morris, Henry M. The Twilight of Evolution, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1967, p. 362) Some will say that a few new species have risen since creation. One such I understand is that cauliflower and broccoli came from the same root but now cannot pollinate each other. We also hear today about genetically engineered foods such as corn. I remind us that this also speaks of a creator because these required an intelligent being to manipulate them to produce different things. God was the originator however of the things we only manipulate. VI-Origin of the Species: We now turn our attention back to the Genesis account. It says that creation was given the ability to reproduce only within the bounds of the Creator. Genesis 1:11-13 says, "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day." The third day God created the plant life and set it in motion to reproduce. "Three main order of plant ’life’ are mentioned: grasses, herbs, and trees…The term ’grass’ is intended to include all spreading ground-covering vegetation; ’herbs’ includes all bushes and shrubs; ’trees’ includes all large woody plants, including even fruit-bearing trees." (Henry Morris, The Genesis Record, Baker House, p 62-63) Morris also states, "Each type of organism has its own unique structure of the DNA and can only specify the reproduction of that same kind." (Ibid.) An interesting pattern is found in nature that argues strongly for a special Divine Creator. It is know as the Fibonacci numbers. Its shows up in many place but especially in the plant kingdom. Have you ever noticed that 4 leaf clovers are rare and 3 are common. Poison Ivy had 3 leaves and tame ivy has five. Fibonacci numbers are derived at with the following pattern. 0+1=1, 1+1=2, 1+2=3, 2+3=5, 3+5=8, 5+8=13, 8+13=21 etc. Using this pattern we know the Fibonacci numbers are 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,etc. Notice the pattern on plants I found on the internet. "On many plants, the number of petals is a Fibonacci number: buttercups have 5 petals; lilies and iris have 3 petals; some delphiniums have 8; marigolds have 13 petals; some asters have 21 whereas daisies can be found with 34, 55 or even 89 petals." Not only did God create plant life, He also put His signature of order upon it. These numerical pattern show up in nature in many places. The cones of honeybees, spirals of seashells, branching patterns of plants and trees, petal of flowers, seed head of flowers, pine cones spirals, leaf arrangements on plants. On the fifth day we see God created the animal of the air and sea. Genesis 1:20-23 "And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day." Animal life was created for the sea and air. Notice it says that they were to produce after their kind again. Evolution says animals evolved into birds then into other things. God says He created them specialized. On the sixth day we see the creation of land animals. Genesis 1:24-25 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good." Again we see they were given boundaries within which they could procreate. Each after its kind. We do not have time to explore the different animals that look alike but cannot reproduce such as the fox and the dog. You might say how about the mule, which is a cross breed between the horse and a donkey. The male mule cannot reproduce. There is another set of genetic laws known as Mendel’s Laws. Mendel discovered that genes are merely reshuffled from one generation to another. Different combinations are formed, not different genes. The different combinations produce the many variations within each kind of life, such as in the dog family. A logical consequence of Mendel’s lawas is that there are limits to such variations." God simply said, each after it’s kind. VII- Our Friend the Platypus: As we conclude let’s look at a wonder of creation, the Platypus. You can only find it in Tasmania and eastern Australia. When European scientist studied the first platypus specimens they thought it was a hoax from some clever taxidermist. They thought that based on evolution it should be similar to other animals from which it evolved. "The duckbill platypus, has organs completely unrelated to their alleged evolutionary ancestors. The platypus has fur, is warm-blooded, and suckles its young like mammals. It lays leathery eggs, has a single ventral opening (for elimination, mating and birth), and has claws and a shoulder girdle like most reptiles. The platypus can detect electrical currents (a.c. and d.c.) like some fish, and has a fill like a duck (a bird). It has webbed forefeet like an otter, a flat tail like a beaver, and the male can inject poisonous venom like a pit viper. Such "patchwork" animals and plants, called mosaics, have no logical place on the evolutionary tree." (unknown internet source) And guess what, when the platypus produces offspring in it unique way, you guessed it, it is always a platypus. "Each after it’s kind." What a God we serve. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 114: 07.05. THE ORIGIN OF EVIL ======================================================================== The Origin of Evil Genesis 2:17 ; Genesis 3:1-21 Imagine a world that when a small child lies down at night there is no way they will be disturbed in sleep. Imagine a world where the alleys of cities are safe in the night. Imagine a world where there is not one single murder, on any day. Imagine a world where no child is abused or no old person is ever taken advantage of or robbed. If you can you are imagining a world without Evil. There can be no doubt even to the most blinded and biased onlooker that evil exists. A great dilemma of evolution is to explain where evil came from. Why is it here and how did it evolve. You might ask why is it important. Today not only has men tried to degod the universe but they have attempted to dedevil it as well. Are men responsible for their own actions? Flip Wilson used to say, "the devil made me do it." Can we blame evil in our lives on others or outside influences? Many lawyers make good living coming up with reasons that men are not responsible for their own actions. We might define evil in many ways. It is kind of like the one of the men who sit on the pornography task force under President Reagan when he was ask what pornography was he replied, "I might not be able to define it but I know it when I see it." One defined it as "That which is bad, morally wrong, causing harm, pain and misery. Today in our world we have been influenced by the New Age thinking in many ways. The New Age in many of its beliefs is nothing more than eastern religions (i.e. Hindus) redressed. Most New Ages would hold to a teaching of Hindus that there is no such being as Satan and that evil is not an conscious dark force. Evil is only situational and defined by situations. Hindus teach that evil springs from ignorance and immaturity. Remember it is a dedeviled universe. I- Did God Create Evil: The Bible teaches that evil is personified in a being we know as Satan or the Devil. It is evident that Satan was a fallen being prior to the temptation of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Notice the following scriptures. Isaiah 14:12-14 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." Ezekiel 28:14-18 "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. …17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness." We asked the question did God create evil. May I say this is a very deep question that we will not be able to satisfy completely in this lifetime. It is plain that God created the angels and they had a choice to make. God created them with a free will to choose and their choice to do wrong lead to sin coming into the creation. If we say that God was the cause of evil being here then we will no longer be responsible for it after all it was God fault because He created evil. In the early church there we men know as the Gnostics who believed that all material things of creation were evil and that Christ could not therefore have really lived in this sin filled earth. They even went as far as to say that another God created the evil world. They claimed that there was a god of the Old Testament and another good God of the New Testament. II- Sin Comes to the Human Race: Adam the first human created was created without sin. He and Eve were placed in a perfect environment and told only one thing was forbidden. Genesis 2:17 says, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." We go to what is certainly the worst day in human history recorded in Genesis 3:1-7 . We have here the fall of man. Adam, who was the man from whom all humans descended acting as the head of the human race fell and within him all of humanity fell. Romans 5:12-14 says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come." Just in case that you do not think that you are a sinner listen to the word of God again. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." III- The Implications of Sin: Sin touches all of creation. Notice Romans 8:19-23 "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." (My underline for emphasis) Touches every aspect of life. Babies throw fits. Terrorist attack. People kill others. It was not long after the fall that the first murder took place when Cain killed his brother Abel. Men and women have been killing each other ever since. Every relationship that we have is affected by sin. Our marriages, our parental relationships, our business relationships, our neighbor relations and all others. Still the greatest implication is that it separates us from God. Genesis 3:8 Psalms 66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." God’s remedy for evil was to sacrifice His Son for our sin. To see the horror of sin we need look no farther than the cross. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 115: 07.06. THE ORIGIN OF THE GOSPEL ======================================================================== The Origin of the Gospel Genesis 3:15 What is the gospel? This may sound like a question with an obvious answer. First, the gospel simply means, "good news." However, it all depends on whom you are talking too. Let me illustrate. Recently a professional skateboarder commented that his purpose what to spread the gospel. The gospel of skateboarding. Let me give you three fictious radio stations and what they may proclaim is good news. WDVL might say, "Good morning from the station that proclaim nothing is wrong and you should satisfy all your fleshly desires after all there is not such thing as sin. Our motto is, "if it feels good do it." Then there is station WRLG whose motto is that any religion is as good as any other. WRLG’s motto is "all religious news is good news, all roads lead to heaven." Finally there is WGOD. The good news according to God’s station is that Jesus loved us enough to die for us and He wants us to come to Him for forgiveness of our sins. The motto is, "What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus." Which radio station are you tuned into. Is it the lies of the Devil that you are alright or the lie of religion that says just believe anything or the truth of God that it is Jesus only. I- The First Promise of the Gospel: Genesis 3:15 We must first realize that man has fallen and is now dead spiritually and is dying physically. The first promise of the gospel is found in the context of what God said to Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Wycliffe Bible Commentary says, "…we have in this famous passage, called the protevangelium, "first gospel," the announcement of a prolonged struggle, perpetual antagonism, wounds on both sides, and eventual victory for the seed of woman. God’s promise that the head of the serpent was to be crushed pointed forward to the coming of Messiah and guaranteed victory. This assurance fell upon the ears of God’s earliest creatures as a blessed hope of redemption." (from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press) Lets understand hurriedly that who the Bible is talking about here. Genesis 3:14 makes it plain beyond a doubt that the word, "thee" is none other than Satan. The "I" is God the Father. Now who is "the woman" and the "it." The woman is the descendants of Adam and Eve as is plain. "It" could have been translated "he" and in fact is in every other English translation. The NJKV says, "And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head." So we can see without a doubt that the gospel of Christ was not something that is only a New Testament thought but has its roots in the very first part of Genesis and in the first part of mankind’s history. II- Progressive Gospel: Did Old Testament saints worship Jesus? We might see a few instance when we can say they did such as when the three men came across the plains to Abraham and then two more went on to Sodom while one we identify as Christ stayed behind with Abraham. But for the most part we can say the good news of the Old Testament was not the gospel we preach now. We can say that the doctrine of the Trinity was not well developed and that Old Testament saints worshipped Jehovah God. I concede that God has always been a Trinity but the revelation to man was only partial. Notice what Hebrews 1:1-2 says. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." It is plain that the gospel or good news of the Old Testament was not complete until Jesus. To support this more look at Galatians 4:4 "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." So what was the good news of the Old Testament. The good news was a promise to Abraham. Genesis 12:3 "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." The good news to Abraham was that all the nations of the world would be blessed through him. The problem was he as of then did not have an heir through which the promise could pass. He suggest his servant be that heir, he then had a son by Hagar called Ishmael but the son of promise was Isaac. Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90. Through out the Old Testament we had types and pictures of the gospel. Colossians 2:17 "Which are a shadow of things to come…" Colossians 2:17 NASU "things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." Every time a lamb, a goat or a bull was sacrificed they pictured the perfect sacrifice of God which was to come. They were the shadow, Christ was the substance. Prehaps the greatest example of this was the passover. When the blood was put over the door the death angel passed over the children of Israel on the first night. Every year at passover this shadow gave the good news that was yet to come. Jesus or passover is sacrificed for us. So the good news of the Old Testament was that a Savior was coming for the sins of mankind. III- The Gospel: So what is the gospel? What is the good news? Notice 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." Notice it says according to the scriptures two times. Beloved the gospel has it origin not in some religious thought of men but in the Word of God. 1 Peter 1:18-20 says, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." So which Gospel have you believed the lie of Satan or the truth of God? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 116: 07.07. THE ORIGIN OF REDEMPTION ======================================================================== The Origin of Redemption Genesis 3:7-10, Genesis 3:21 Some will tell you that there is nothing but self to be redeemed from. Others will tells us that we cannot know God, even if He exists, He is to high and lofty to be known. Job ask the question "… how should man be just with God?" Job 9:2 The NIV says, "… how can a mortal be righteous before God?" Does the Word of God speak and teach us the answer to this question? Can we know what God requires in a day when all the religious voices of the world cry out with different opinions and some cry out that all ways to God are equal? First lets define redemption by looking at the words used in the Bible for redemption. In the Old Testament Hebrew it is "pada" and means, to "deliver," to "sever". In the New Testament Greek the words are "apolutrosis" and means "a ’loosing’ away" and "lutrosis", meaning "a ’loosing,’ particularly by paying a price." I- The Story: We enter the story of the parents of all humankind today after the fall. They choose to eat of the forbidden fruit and rebelled against God. Notice their realization for the first time at the moment of the fall. Genesis 3:7 "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked…" In the same verse we have the first attempt to undo the tragedy of the fall, "…and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." God comes calling in the garden and Adam and Eve hide themselves from His presence. Genesis 3:8 "And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden." Notice the conversation between God and Adam. Genesis 3:9-10 "And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." Was this true? Was he still naked? Remember that they had sewed leaves together and made coverings for themselves. I find this statement so telling because Adam was still naked before God even with his attempt at covering. This points out he fact that man needs something more than what he can do for redemption. Does God have a plan for mans redemption. Yes beloved and it began with the first shedding of blood recorded in Genesis 3:21 "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them." This covering provided by God did not cost Adam anything but it cost an animal its life. II- Old Testament Redemption God set in motion what was required of Him for forgiveness of sin. It has always been by blood from the beginning that sin’s debt has been paid. The Old Testament if full of reminders of this. Job is said to be one of the earliest books written. If you look at the Bible chronologically Job is usually place in the earliest history of mankind. Notice what was a continual practice of Job. It is recorded that Job, "rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually." Job 1:5 Daily in the tabernacle and the temple sacrifices were made for sin. It is said that the altar of stone had grooves eroded in it because of all the blood that ran down upon it. Notice the letter to the Hebrews which tells us about the sacrifices made daily and yearly. Hebrews 10:1 "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect… Hebrews 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year…6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure… Hebrews 10:11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins…" No notice the next verse which is too good to pass up. Hebrews 10:12 "But this man [Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God." God also wanted Israel to be reminded generation to generation that they were under bondage to the law and redemption was necessary. He gave them a picture of this with each child or beast born to a new mother. Notice the following. Numbers 18:15-17 "Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem. 16 And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 17 But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD." This is why first born were target of death in Passover. Passover was a time of redemption from Egyptian bondage but a reminder that redemption is required for all men. Notice Exodus 13:15 "And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem." This is why the events took place in the temple thousands of years later after the one who is called the Redeemer was born. Jesus was redeemed as a firstborn under the law. Luke 2:22-23, 39 "And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; 23(As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)…39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth." III- That from which we have been redeemed: Now preacher modern man is different. He is more refined and is not like the savages of the past. Yea, right. Look in the papers and at world events daily to see men are still far less than perfect, we just have a harder time admitting it now that we are sophisticated. Galatians 3:22 "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." The need for redemption implies bondage to something. We might ask why we need redemption. Beloved we are under the bondage of sin. We can deny it, glorify it, embrace it and call wrong right, we can do a lot of things with the fact of sin but we cannot make it go away. Man if a fallen being. So what do we need redemption from, sin. How does God redeem us? Galatians 4:4-5 "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." By His Son Jesus. Hebrews 9:12 "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." God will not accept fig leaves that we sew together which are the words of our hands. It is only by His Son Jesus that redemption can come. It is totally by grace apart from any thing we can do except believe and accept Him. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 117: 07.08. HE SAID, SHE SAID; THE ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE ======================================================================== He said, she said; The Origin of Language Genesis 11:1-9 What if you lived in a world that was silent and no sound existed. What if the only way men could communicate was by something like charades. What if men could not talk? We hear a lot about free speech. Beloved we live in a land unparalleled in history for free speech. When a child does not talk it gives parents reason for concern. Someone said parents spend the first few weeks of a child’s life trying to get them to talk then the rest of their life trying to get them to shut up. Today in the world there are a few major languages and literally thousands of local ones. English is probably the most universally spoken language today. It is spoken in every county of the globe. Spanish is common in many areas even here in US. French, Portuguese and all the others are spoken by humans from kings to peasants. I- Adam’s Language: There can be no doubt that Adam spoke a language that is no longer spoken today. It was a language that I submit to you was pure and eloquent. It is quite obvious that Adam and God could verbally communicate as well. Remember the dialogue in the garden after the fall. Genesis 2:19-20 "And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field…" Henry Morris says, "As the animals passed in review, Adam gave each a quick appraisal and an appropriate name. What language he used, and on what basis he selected names for them, there seems no way of knowing. The fact that he named them, however, indicates (as we would expect, in view of his recent creation in human perfection by the omniscient God) that he was a man of high intelligence and quick discernment. There seems to have been no need for second thoughts and later changes in those names." (The Genesis Record, p 97-98) Beloved there is no biblical evidence nor may I say scientific evidence that Adam ever communicated with "ugh" and other sounds of the like. Men did not develop the ability to communicate verbally but was created with it. Animals on the other hand do not have such skills of communication. We know that they communicate with vocal sounds but they are hardly a language. Much of the communication in the animal kingdom is done visually. One author says, "Animal cries, whether we choose to describe them as language or not, are characterized by invariability and monotony. Dogs have been barking, cats meowing, lions roaring, and donkey braying in the same fashion since time immemorial…human language, in contrast with animal cries, displays infinite variability, both in time and space. (Mario Pei, The Story of Language, JB Lippincott Comp. Phil & NY, © 1965, 1949 p 23) You may be aware of attempt to teach chimps to communicate with sign language. However this is not passed on to the next generation. It dies with the trained chimp. II- The scrambling of the languages Genesis 11:1-9 So how de we explain languages differences. How did we get all the different ways of speaking, writing and communicating if Adam only had one? Notice that it was not only Adam that had one language but early man did as well? Genesis 11:1 says, "And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech." Genesis 11:1-9 records for us that events that transpired at the tower of Babel. Men were not hindered in any way from communicating with each other with language barriers. Men by this time had spread and had gotten farther away from God as they traveled. Genesis 11:2-4 gives us insight into the thoughts of men. "And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." Mans plans were evil. This tower was designed for the worship of the stars, sun and moon. The zodiac signs have been found on archaeological digs of similar towers. God noticed the intentions and the plans. Genesis 11:5-6 "And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do." So what was God to do to thwart the plans of men? Notice the solution. Genesis 11:7-9 "Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth." The "language" of the world at this time became the "languages" of the world. Men could not communicate with their fellow workers of the day prior. This in effect spread men across the whole earth. So how did we get all these languages that are so diverse. Some read from left to right while others from right to left. Some are spoken by sounds that originate from different parts of the throat and mouth than others. "Two main theories have been advanced concerning the breaking up of an original language into separate languages and dialects… one is the ’tree-stem,’ theory, whereby the parent language is supposed to act as a tree trunk, while new languages are branches of off shoots. The other is the ’wave’ theory, in accordance with which new languages and dialects arise and spread like ripples when you throw a stone into the water." (The Story of Language, p 24) May I submit to you that apart from the revelation of the word of God men cannot explain the different languages adequately? "If there is one thing on which all linguists are fully agreed, it is that the problem of the origin of human speech is still unsolved." (ibid pg 21) III- Purpose of Language: We might ask why God allowed men to have the grandest and highest form of communication which animals do not have. Allow me to give a few thoughts on the purpose of language found in the Bible. 1- Prayer and Praise to God: God is still interested in the communication of His saints with Him. It is sin that has obstructed the lines of commination. We can use hundred of verses for proof text of this. Notice is you will the following. Psalms 150:16 "Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. 2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness….6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." Perhaps the greatest example of this is found in the context of the troubles of David and his deliverance. 2 Samuel 22:1, 2 Samuel 22:4 "And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul…4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised…" These words are repeated again in Psalms 18:3 God gave us a voice to praise Him and to bring our petitions of prayer before Him. 2- Edifying others: The way we use speech and words are of great concern to God. Remember the old saying that is a lie, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." Beloved word used as a dagger for the heart of man cut deeper and the scars last longer than any physical wound. James 3:10 says, "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." Then Ephesians 4:29 states, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." We need to be uplifting and not down dragging to others. No one wants to be around someone who is down in the mouth and brow beating all the time. 3- Speaking the Good News: Praying and praising God and edifying one another are important. still there is one more thing that we are compelled to do by the word of God with our voices and our languages skills, proclaim the good news. Romans 10:14 "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" The NIV says, "… how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" Colossians 4:5-6 makes it plain we should speak wisely. "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 118: 07.09. THE ORIGIN OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY ======================================================================== The Origin of Marriage and Family Genesis 1:27-28 ; Genesis 2:18 ; Genesis 2:20-24 Perhaps the most relevant topic we can discuss today is the family. Today in our school there are books with title much like "Timmy has two daddies" or "Susie two moms" that are blurring the lines of what has been called a, "traditional" family. But then again we must ask who is it that gets to decide that two men cannot make up a family. There has been much to-do about homosexual marriages. Why are they wrong? Who get to decide. Is it you and I or is it the society or culture. Or perhaps it is men who get to decide for themselves. Today we are going back into the book of Genesis to see that God created the institution of the family prior to giving men government or prior to giving men the church. I submit to you that the family is the first line of defense against all that is ungodly. This is why the family is ground zero in the spiritual warfare and in the crosshairs of the enemy marked for destruction if possible. I- God Created Them Male and Female: We see the origin of the first family in the very days of creation. Notice Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." The first thing we notice is God didn’t create only one being but two. One was created from the other but they were alike but different at the same time. By the way one of the greatest problem evolution has the origin of the sexes. After all reproduction is only possible for two that are totally compatible. This means that the male and female had to evolve at the same time and same rate always totally compatible. By the way this flies in the face of homosexuality that wants two men or two women to be normal. Notice the task give to Adam and Eve, Genesis 1:28 "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth…" We turn to Genesis 2:1-25 for some additional insight into the first family. Genesis 2:18, Genesis 2:20-24 "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him….20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." God brought the woman and the man he created together and united them as husband and wife. Jesus speaking concerning the question of divorce in Matthew 19:4-6 said, "… Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." And God created them male and female. Not Eve and Ava nor Adam and Steve. II- Old Testament Speaks Against Homosexual Lifestyle: The biggest question that faces the family today is the definition of a family. Is it one man and one woman or could it be two men, often called domestic partners, who are a family. Lets look at what the Bible says about the homosexual lifestyle. Leviticus 18:22-23 "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion." ABOMINATION= OT:8441 tow` ebah (to-ay-baw’); or to` ebah (to-ay-baw’); feminine active participle of OT:8581; properly, something disgusting (morally), i.e. (as noun) an abhorrence; especially idolatry or (concretely) an idol: KJV - abominable (custom, thing), abomination. (Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.) III- New Testament Speaks Against Homosexual Lifestyle: Romans 1:25-28 "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient…" Beloved it cannot be any plainer than this. God is against this lifestyle that is being held up and normal and right and acceptable. IV- So Who Gets to Decide: Beloved if every man on earth would agree that certain behavior is right but the Bible says it is wrong then there can be no doubt that it will be wrong. God is the only one who can decide wrong from right. After all in the jungles society says it is all right to be a headhunter. Perhaps we have given the wrong impression that it is only homosexuality that God is displeased with. Lets again return to Lev 18 and see it is other acts as well. Leviticus 18:1-30 gives prohibitions against a great deal of immoral behavior. Leviticus 18:6-20 gives a list of inappropriate acts. (Please read these because they are plain and blunt.) Let us notice one thought if you will. Leviticus 18:20 "Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her." Beloved it was not men that came up with the concept of marriage it was God. One of the Ten Commandments says thou shalt not commit adultery. Hebrews 13:4 says, "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." V- Purpose of the Family: 1- For the procreation of the species. It is nothing today to see a sitcom that portrays it as right for a child to be born outside of wedlock. Don’t get the wrong impression God does not hate the child but the ideal way that God created was for a man and his wife to have children in a family unit. Today there are a small percentage of families made up of one man and one woman with their children. Today we have many so called blended families that are not blended at all simply stirred up. 2- For the raising of Children. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Within this is certainly the function of passing along the faith. 3- For changing the world. Psalms 127:4 "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth." ======================================================================== CHAPTER 119: 07.10. THE ORIGIN OF WORSHIP; MEN CALLED UPON JEHOVAH ======================================================================== The Origin of Worship; Men Called Upon Jehovah Genesis 4:1-6 ; Genesis 4:25-26 Built within all of us is a God sized and God shaped void that can only be filled by God. Men search and try to find the truth but it is not available apart from the self-revelation of Jehovah. In our next sermon I plan to address the origin of false religions but today simply allow me to say that man has come up with many things and beings to worship. In our text today we are privileged to see the beginning of worship after the fall. Realize that before the fall worship was natural and imitate. After the fall there was an impediment to worship called sin. At the fall God was dethroned and man was enthroned on the throne of men. I- The Human Family Grows The announcement was made in the section of "who’s new in pink and blue" in the local newspaper, the Eden Exile. After all it was the largest newspaper of the day and went into all the homes with a circulation of only one, after all there was only one couple. There were children born to Adam and Eve. Cain the firstborn and then later the son Abel. Those who knew not the state of perfection had arrived upon the earth. II- The First Act of Worship: After the fall we have here the first recorded act of worship of God. If is recorded that Cain and Abel brought an "offering" to God. We do not know if this was on an altar or where it took place. The word offering is in Hebrew "minchah (min-khaw’). Concerning this The Wycliffe Bible Commentary says, "The (minha), as the ancients knew it, served to express gratitude, to effect reconciliation with the Lord, and to accompany worship. This account pictures the first act of worship recorded in human history. In each case the worshiper brought something of his own as an oblation to the Lord." (from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press) Still another comments "Some think the anniversary of the creation to be here intended; it is more probable that it means the Sabbath, on which Adam and his family undoubtedly offered oblations to God, as the divine worship was certainly instituted, and no doubt the Sabbath properly observed in that family. This worship was, in its original institution very simple. It appears to have consisted of two parts: 1. Thanksgiving to God as the author and dispenser of all the bounties of nature, and oblations indicative of that gratitude. 2. Piacular sacrifices to his justice and holiness, implying a conviction of their own sinfulness, confession of transgression, and faith in the promised Deliverer…." (from Adam Clarke’s Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Biblesoft) III- Rejection of Cain: Many have asked why God rejected Cain’s offering and accepted Abel’s. Some say it was because one was a blood sacrifice and one was a work of his hands. However there is not reason given us here in the Genesis account as to why or even how God showed His rejection. "The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews gives us the inspired explanation of the difference between the offerings: "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain ... God bearing witness in respect of his gifts" (Hebrews 11:4 ). This explanation centers upon the difference in spirit manifested by the two men. Because Abel was a man of faith, he came in the right spirit and presented worship that pleased God. We have reason to believe that Abel had some realization of his need for substitutionary atonement. To all appearances both offerings expressed gratitude, thanksgiving, and devotion to God. But the man who lacked genuine faith in his heart could not please God even though the material gift was spotless. God did not look upon Cain because He had already looked at him and seen what was in his heart. Abel came to God in the right attitude of heart for worship and in the only way sinful men can approach a holy God. Cain did not." (from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press) Years later the prophet Isaiah would cry out, "Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness." Isaiah 59:1-3 Then the psalmist cried out concerning access to worship God in Psalms 24:3-4 "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully." IV- Calling on Jehovah: After the first murder of Abel by his brother Cain we find that God gives another son to Adam and Eve. Then in the next generation, the third human generation, a man named Enos was born. Notice Genesis 4:25-26 "And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. 26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD." Men would get progressive evil but we see that God had a remnant to worship him. He has always had a remnant of true believers. Remember He remind Elijah after Mount Carmel. Paul says in Romans 11:4-5 "But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace." V- Old Testament Worship: Old Testament Worship of God consist of three basis things. Offerings, Sacrifices, Songs. We find this throughout the Old Testament. Daily the priest would offer sacrifices for sins. The people continually brought offering into the tabernacle and temple as acts of worship and thanksgiving to God. There were also hymns and songs sang in worship. VI- So What About Today: Our acts of worship: What do we give today? Are there sacrifices we need to make? Notice the following verses that give us acts of worship. Might I say these are not restricted to Sunday Morning 11:00 AM only. Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Ephesians 5:19-20 "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Our Reason for Worship. There are so many reasons we should worship God. Just do a study of the names of God and we will be moved to worship Him. ======================================================================== Source: https://sermonindex.net/books/writings-of-edgar-dr-pierce/ ========================================================================