Grace Fellowship Baptist Church

In Joseph "mentioning" the departing of the children of Israel from Egypt, it wasn't as if he said, oh let me mention this to you. No, beloved, what he was telling them was, you are not to root down in Egypt, this is not your home. Live here as a departing people. This is how we are to live our Christian lives in this present world, as a people who will be departing from it!

What a lovely picture of God's kindness to us for Jesus' sake!

At the beginning of Mark 13, Jesus' disciples asked Him two questions. In this passage, Jesus answers their questions.

In this passage, Jacob bestows the birthright blessing of his house upon Joseph in his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.

In this study of the marks of a true church, we must know that there are no perfect churches on the earth, just as there are no perfect Christians. But that does not mean that we shouldn't strive in every way, with the Holy Scriptures and the Spirit of God to gather as a true church here on the earth. First, a true church is made up of a regenerate membership, meaning it is made of of saved persons or saints. The second mark is, love. (Ref. 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, 13). We should be a loving people and we should show the love of Christ to any who would visit our gathering. The third mark is faithfulness to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When we read of Isaac's faith, when he was dying, when he blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come, it's initially difficult to see Isaac's faith in how this whole situation unfolded. Because Isaac thought he was blessing Esau, when he was actually conferring the birthright blessing upon Jacob.

After Jesus departed the temple, the apostles spoke of the amazing stones of the temple. They were in awe of the temple and buildings. But Jesus told them, in the days to come, it would be leveled to the ground and destroyed.

Deborah exalts the LORD and His power in the victory of Barack over Sisera. But she also wrote about how this happened in Israel, their sin and idolatry caused all this oppression to come upon them, just like it will do in our lives when we sin.

In John 8:56, Jesus told the caviling Jews, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." This, I believe teaches us that Abraham saw a lot more about Christ than we may think. It would be, in this the most difficult trial of Abraham's life, that God would show Abraham much more about that Man whom he rejoiced to see!

These all died in faith, not having received the promises. Who were these? Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Jacob, and all of the OT saints listed in Hebrews 11. In this text, we are able to see into Abraham's and these other OT saints faith, and we are able to see that they ultimately looked afar off to the promise of the Seed (or that Man) that God promised would come to save them from their sins, and from this present evil world.

In Judges 5, we read Deborah's song after Barak's victory over Sisera. In this song, we read of Deborah's thanks to the LORD, because it was the LORD who had gotten Barak the victory. It is a lesson for us that we ought to be a people of thanksgiving to the LORD for all that He does for us in our lives! The LORD is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving!

After God saves a sinner, it is critical for that former sinner, now saint of God to be under the authority, protection, care, and under-shepherding of a local New Testament church. The local New Testament Church is the means that God has provided to feed, nurture, and care for His people. Jesus said, I will build by church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

You will often hear naysayers. who will criticize the church and Christianity saying there is too much hypocrisy in them. But there has always been hypocrites in the church and among professing Christians, it's not something new, today we see that it existed in Jesus day. In this text, Jesus rebuked the hypocrisy of the most learned among the people, the scribes of Israel. They were supposed to be shepherds to the people, but they were not.

With Deborah, Barak went forth to the battle. He would not go to battle without her. And the honor of this victory would go to a woman, but not Deborah, but to Jael.

Although Sara struggled to believe the promise of God, in the end, she believed and trusted in the faithfulness of God to give her strength and the ability to have a son with Abraham her husband, when he was 100 years old and she was 90 years old.

After no one dared to ask Jesus any more questions, Jesus then asked them as question. References Isaiah 11: 1-2, Psalm 110:1, Jeremiah 23:5-6

Abraham's great faith in his God. He is the father of our faith and we are to walk in the steps of Abraham and emulate him in our Christian lives.

By faith is written at least 16 times in this 11th chapter of Hebrews. We must be very careful that we glorify not these Old Testament saints, but God, who deserves all of the glory and honor in granting each of them that faith which we so admire. Faith is the gift of God to all whom God saves! Salvation is of the LORD! And yet, once God has graciously given to us faith, now it's ours, and God expects us to live by it. The just shall live by faith.

One of the most important things we do as Christians is pray! This doesn't mean we are constantly on our knees in prayer, but rather, that we continue in prayer throughout each day to our heavenly Father.

Jesus was asked, What is the first or greatest commandment of all, from the Old Testament law. This scribe had heard Jesus speaking and then asked Jesus what was the first and great commandment. Jesus said, the Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. After he heard Jesus' answer, he said that Jesus had spoken or answered well.

Deborah was a major judge, there is a lot written of her and Barack, and Barak was also considered a judge. He is recorded in Hebrews 11:32. The children of Israel continued their decline into sin after each judge and deliverer died.

Not very much is written about Shamgar, who was a judge in Israel. But he was as much a deliverer in Israel than any other of the judges.

This series is designed to give Christians and church members an understanding of the church as written from the Word of God.

Noah's faith is now put on display. Don't lose sight of the fact that Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD, and that Noah's faith was given to him by God. But now that it was Noah's faith, he must used it and exercise it toward God. We must never lose sight of the fact that we are to live in this world by faith. "The just shall live by faith."

This Man who confronted Jacob at the Ford of Jabbok was the God Man, and none other but the pre-incarnate Christ. He came to Jacob when Jacob was alone and wrestled with him, confronted him, and would not allow him to cross into Canaan until Jacob was weakened and brought into a place of having no strength to trust in himself, but rather in God and God alone.

David's last words.

In this passage, the Sadducees questioned Jesus about the resurrection of the dead, which they did not believe. Jesus proceeded to reprove them and then to teach them that they did not know the scriptures.

Once again, the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, descending into sin and walking in the ways of the Canaanites. So when they cried to the LORD, He raised up Ehud, the left-handed judge, who delivered Israel from the tyranny of Eglon and the Moabites. Sometimes deliverance comes from unusual people.

The Vow of a Nazarite was voluntary vow of separation for either a man or a woman in Old Covenant Israel. The Nazarite was a wonderful thing for a believer in Israel to undertake. A Nazarite was one who was an uncommon believer, who vowed to follow God in a greater and deeper way. They were standard bearers and shining lights in Israel. Their lives were to be distinct for God, and they were to point others to God from their lives. The three notable Nazarites in the Bible were Samson, Samuel, and John Baptist, but they were called to be Nazarites from the womb. All of their mothers were barren, not able to have children until they gave birth to Nazarites.

If you are a Christian, you are united to God through faith in Jesus Christ. In John 17:20-23, Jesus prayed for every believer that would believe in Him in future times, and His prayer was that you, Christian would be one with He and His Father. If this is true of you, shouldn't it be that you have a very special private and secret relationship with God?

The Pharisee and Herodians tempted Jesus with a question. They were trying to get Him with a "gotcha" question. But it didn't work. The fact is, the Pharisees and the Herodians did not care at all for each other, but here, they united together against Christ. In their question, they tried to catch Jesus teaching the people to openly resist Caesar and Rome. But brethren, we are not to be resisters of the government, because God has appointed the government authorities over us. Now if the government tries to get us to disobey the laws of God, that is when we are to not obey the government. But otherwise, we are to be good citizens at the command of God.

Enoch, who was the seventh from Adam was a preachers of righteousness. His message from God to the antediluvians of his day are written in Jude 14-15. Abel's faith led to his bloody death, Enoch's faith that he would not die at all! Why did God take up Enoch out of this world? He walked with God, and had this testimony that he pleased God. This is the same testimony that we should desire for ourselves and in our own Christian lives!

Many in the church today, lack assurance. Many religions in the world teach a works based salvation. Christianity is the only "religion" in the world in which God provided all that is needed for salvation and reconciliation to God, all that is left for us is to believe what God has done. Assurance: What is this great truth and what is this great love. God's love is not earned, it is freely given. Christian, your God loves you with an everlasting love.

Abel offering unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. When we read Genesis 4, we read that God accepted Abel's person and then his offering. In contrast, God rejected Cain and also his offering. So don't focus only on their offerings and think to yourself that Abel had correct offering and Cain didn't. Although I do believe Abel brought "a more excellent offering," I would tell you that if Cain would have gone back and brought the identical offering that Abel brought, God would have rejected Cain, again! And that is because he brought his offering with a wicked heart.

This is the story of Othniel the son of Kenaz. He was the first of the judges in Israel. Israel continued to do evil in the sight of the LORD, therefore God delivered them into the hands of their enemies, (the King of Mesopotamia). They were worshiping Baal and Ashteroth. They had forsaken the LORD.

This present world in which we live is continuing to descend into wickedness. We cry for God's judgment to take place on this wicked world. For your sake Lord, we are killed all the day long, therefore we are accounted as sheep to the slaughter.

A parable is a story that is intended to teach a spiritual truth. This is the parable of the wicked farmers. This is a continuation from the previous chapter in which the Pharisees were challenging Jesus' authority. Now he tells this parable about them, and how they were treating Him.

There is so much anger in the world. We've seen this anger in calloused killings that are taking place in our society.

The question of authority.

In the book of Judges, we see the repeated cycle of sin in the people of Israel. When they sinned and were overwhelmed by their enemies and cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up Judges to deliver them . But when the Judge was dead, they returned to their sins.

Many do not know who Jesus was and is. We must understand that He is fully God and fully Man.

The creation is declaring and teaching us every day that the world and all that we see in the world was intricately created by the wisdom and skill of the God of the Bible. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament declares His handiwork. We understand and believe these things in the creation "through faith."

Paul wrote to Timothy that in the latter days, some would depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. To depart the faith of Christ is to renounce or defect from Christ. Many in Israel, were falling away and renouncing their faith in God in apostasy.

In the last two verses of Hebrews 10, we read, the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him. Now in Hebrews 11, the writer continues to encourage Hebrew believers of the first century (and us) to continue in the faith of Christ, looking forward in hope to the promise of eternal life in heaven.

In the cursed fig tree the Lord Jesus taught His apostles how to trust God by faith in their prayers. Prayer is a work, one of great difficulty at times. We are to labor fervently in our prayers. The apostles asked the Lord Jesus, "Teach us to pray." Jesus cursed the fig tree, and then referred to moving mountains, but Jesus wasn't teaching His disciples that they could literally move a mountain, but He was a saying, when you have an insurmountable problem before you, bring that problem to Me, saith Jesus! Come in faith, and I will move that mountain. But don't forget, in regard to your prayer, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."

"For you have need of patience (or endurance and perseverance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye may receive the promise." It wasn't that these first century Hebrew Christians were destitute of patience, they showed it, (Hebrews 10:32), but at this point, they simply needed fresh grace from God and a fresh infusion of patience.

It may seem that false accusers are getting away with their sin, but there will be a day of reckoning. There may be times in your life when friends, family, or even some in the church may falsely accuse you of something. In those times, we must trust God and not take vengeance against them. We must leave these situations to the Lord.