Heritage Bible Church

There are clear statements in the Bible that tell you what God's will is. + God's will is that you be saved, by repenting and putting your faith in Jesus Christ, who died for your sins. + God's will is that you be sanctified, that is, that you be growing in practical holiness. + God's will is that you be filled with the Holy Spirit, that is, that you make the choices to let the Spirit be in control of your talk, your actions, and your worship. + God's will is that you submit to the authorities He places over you. + God's will is that you be prayerful and thankful. + God's will is that you suffer for doing right. If you do those things, you will do well and God will be honored. There are two more things I want to say in summary regarding God's will. At least one is likely to surprise you. Scripture indicates that there is a specific course God will guide you on through your life. In His sovereign providence, He assures that His will is accomplished. Three passages suffice to paint the picture. + Acts 20:24 + Hebrews 12:1-2 + 2 Timothy 4:7-8 The Bible does not command you to go on a search to find God's will. Instead, it commands you to do the will of God. Why? Because God doesn't give you advance notice of the specific things He intends for you to do. He gives you thorough and comprehensive plans for the kind of person He wants you to be. The way you discover the race set before us is by being the kind of person God wants you want to be. Fixing our eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:2) is the link to our passage for today. 1 - Act Like Who You Are (11-12) a - Flee (Run!) b - Follow (Pursue!) c - Fight (Battle!) d - Fasten (Hold Tightly!) 2 - Keep The Commandment (13-16)

False teachers don't worship God because of who He is and what He did in sending His Son to die in order to save us. They use God and His word for what they can get for themselves. And they proclaim a false gospel that is about how to receive the earthly benefits of salvation rather than how to be saved. It's true, there are wonderful benefits of salvation, but they are secondary to the matter of being reconciled to God. To introduce our passage for today is simple. We just need to read the sentence that comes before it. 1 Timothy 6:3-5: If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. A false teacher is like the shepherd who loves the wool and the meat, but not the sheep. The last phrase in verse five tees us up for what is before us today. Do You Want Great Gain? 1 - Heed The Call To Contentment (6-8) 2 - Heed The Warning About Wandering (9-10)

2 Contrasting Realities for You to Grasp Regarding Death 1. Death of a Dream 22 2. Death of One's Delight 23 Next Week's Reading – Genesis 22 & 23

4 Responses Revealing Your Spiritual Maturity 1 - An Effective Introduction (19) 2 - The Effect of Anger (20-21) 3 - The Effect of Hearing (22-25) 4 - The Effect of Speech (26-27) a - What Are You Thinking? (26) b - What Are You Doing? (27)

1 - Consider the God of Comfort - The Master of Mercy (1-2) 2 - Hover on the God of Holiness - Reckon with the Wrath of God (2) 3 - Contemplate God's Calling - Ponder God's Plan (3-4) 4 - Gaze on the Glory of God (5-31) a - Meditate on the Minuteness of Man (6-8) b - Weigh-in the Wearability of the Word (8) c - Proclaim the Praise and Power of God (9-10) d - Recognize God will Come with Reward and Recompense (10) e - See God as the Shepherd (11) f - Consider God the Creator (12, 21-22, 26, 28) g - Wonder at God's Wisdom (13-14) h - Know the Nothingness of Nations (15-17) i - Understand the Uniqueness of God (18-20) j - Settle on the Sovereignty of God (21-26) k - Gel on the Justice of God (27) l - Engrain the Eternality of God (28) m - Plug-in to the Power of God (29-31)

3 Aspects of Relationships to Consider in Your Walk of Faith 1. The Promised Son 1-8 2. The Persecuted Son 9-21 3. The Partnered Servants 22-34 Next Week's Reading – Genesis 22 & 23

I reject the idea that is taught by many, which says that it is somehow less spiritually profitable to study in order to preach or teach well, in comparison to Scripture reading and study which is not for sharing with anyone. I came to my conclusion that God's word is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and I should long for it like a newborn longs for pure milk. Always. Not sometimes more than others. To say that "devotional" reading is somehow more spiritual than the deepest study of Scripture is absurd. The corollary to this conviction about the everyday practicality of Scripture is the theme of our passage for this morning. You live according to what you truly believe. Another way to say it is the other way around: One can tell what you believe by the way you live. I tried out a few titles for this: Behaving As You Believe, Doing According To Doctrine, Living Like You Love God. I settled on a title that emphasizes your personal application in the form of how to statements. 1 - How To Recognize Supervisors (1-2) 2 - How To Recognize Sound Words (3) 3 - How To Recognize Shirkers (4-5)

1 Timothy 5:22-25: Do not lay hands upon anyone too quickly and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin. Do not go on drinking only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. The sins of some people are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed. 1 - Be Careful (22a) 2 - Be Pure (22b) 3 - Be Wise (23) 4 - Be Humble (24-25)

3 Aspects of Relationships to Consider in Your Walk of Faith 1. The Promised Son 1-8 2. The Persecuted Son 9-21 3. The Partnered Servants 22-34 Next Week's Reading – Genesis 22 & 23

These pithy instructions from the Apostle Paul to Timothy and to us are built around four commands which help us individually and every church collectively, to develop and maintain God-honoring leadership by godly elders and pastors. We'll see these four commands, and save three more for next Lord's Day. 1 - Consider Worthy (17-18, review) 2 - Do Not Receive (19) 3 - Rebuke (20) 4 - Maintain (21)

3 Unexpected Interactions to Guide Your Spiritual Growth 1. Unexpected Conversations 18:16-33 2. Unexpected Receptions 19:1-11 3. Unexpected Reactions 19:12-38 Next Week's Reading – Genesis 21

In the flow of 1 Timothy, we just completed the section in which Paul instructed Timothy about dealing with a special group among the flock in the church, widows. The next section deals with another special group, elders. Both groups must be honored. Honor is shown by providing for them, and honor is due them because of their spiritual maturity and leadership. As we said with widows, the idea of honor is both an attitude of respect and a commitment to financial support. The word translated elder(s) simply means older man. You have to discern from the context whether it speaks merely of relative age, or if it is being used for the ones who occupy the office of elder - overseer - shepherd in the Church. 1 - Elders Who Rule (17) 2 - Discursus On The Body Of Christ 3 - Elders Who Rule Well (17) 4 - The Oxen Among Us (18)

3 Unexpected Interactions to Guide Your Spiritual Growth 1. Unexpected Conversations 18:16-33 2. Unexpected Receptions 19:1-11 3. Unexpected Reactions 19:12-38 Next Week's Reading – Genesis 21

4 Responses Revealing Your Spiritual Maturity 1 - An Effective Introduction (19) 2 - The Effect of Anger (20-21) 3 - The Effect of Hearing (22-25) a - A Biblical Response (22) b - An Unbiblical Reflection (23-24) c - A Blessed Result (25) 4 - The Effect of Speech (26-27)

3 Unexpected Interactions to Guide Your Spiritual Growth 1. Unexpected Conversations 18:16-33 2. Unexpected Receptions 19:1-11 3. Unexpected Reactions 19:12-38 Next Week's Reading – Genesis 21

Before Paul tells Timothy how to deal with the ministry to widows in the Church, he gives him a general instruction. Remember, Timothy was young. He was thrust into the situation of needing to minister to a congregation that was mostly older than he was. 1 - Be Nice To Everyone (1-2) 2 - Take Care Of Your Family (3-6) 3 - This Is Very Important (7-8) 4 - Sometimes The Church Is The Family (9-16)

3 Unexpected Interactions to Guide Your Spiritual Growth 1. Unexpected Conversations 18:16-33 2. Unexpected Receptions 19:1-11 3. Unexpected Reactions 19:12-38 Next Week's Reading – Genesis 21

There aren't very many passages which contain 10 imperatives in six verses, so I think it's wise to handle it in one sermon in order to get the fullest impact. 1 Timothy 4:10-16: For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. 11 Prescribe and teach these things. 12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. 13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. Introduction - How We Labor And Strive (10) 1 - Prescribe (11) 2 - Teach (11) 3 - Let No One (12) 4 - Show Yourself (12) 5 - Give Attention (13) 6 - Do Not Neglect (14) 7 - Take Pains (15) 8 - Be Absorbed (15) 9 - Pay Close Attention (16) 10 - Persevere (16)

After Paul was released from Rome and as he made his way back toward Jerusalem, Paul dropped off Timothy to be the primary teaching pastor in Ephesus for a season. We learn why he did that, by eavesdropping on this letter. 1 Timothy 1:3: As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines. This book, one of the three so-called Pastoral Epistles, is addressed to a local church and regional pastor-teacher, but it is included in the New Testament canon for the edification of us all. Everything Paul asked of Timothy and Titus was to be passed on to their congregations, and by extension, to us. The verses in our cross hairs today contain two commands, surrounded by supporting reasons and encouragements. 1 - Be A Good Servant (6) 2 - Point Out The Right Things (6) 3 - Consume The Best Things (6) 4 - Reject Distractions (7) 5 - Discipline Yourself (7) 6 - Here's Why (8-9)

Today, without diminishing any of my appreciation for what God is doing among us and through us, I want to help us collectively grow in maturity. Many among us quietly and sacrificially and joyfully fulfill many responsibilities and step up when they hear of a need they can meet. But I am concerned when I see professing Christians in general in our nation who treat the Church, the body of Christ, like a hobby or a social club or a source of entertainment, and not as the priority God designs it to be. I'm all the more concerned when I see that attitude in people I know and serve. So in the same mindset as Jesus wrote to the Church near the end of the first century, I want to commend those who are commendable, and I want to nudge those who need a wake-up call, to consider how to better honor the Lord.

Luke 2:1-20: . . .When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. Doesn't it make you wonder what was in her mind when "Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart." About nine months earlier, Mary said to her cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist: "My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." We don't know if Mary lived long enough to read the book of Titus. It's possible. If she did, I'm sure she smiled and understood better than ever all those magnificent things she pondered in her heart when her firstborn Son arrived to the praises of a host of heavenly angels to be her Savior. Many love to celebrate the birth of a baby, but don't comprehend the full significance of it. For that reason I commend this passage to you. Think of it in conjunction with your holiday celebration, and you can't miss the point. Titus 3:4-7 explains what Mary meant by " . . . and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." He Saved Us! 1 - Not by our works 2 - But according to His mercy 3 - By regeneration and the Holy Spirit 4 - That we might be made heirs

4 Features of Triumph Confirming Your Eternal Praise 1 - The Victory of Illumination (1-2) 2 - The Victory of Multiplication (3) 3 - The Victory of Devastation (4-5) 4 - The Victory of Domination (6-7)

Africa Report 2025 Next Week's Reading – Genesis 18:16-19:38

Nahum is the sequel to the book of Jonah. Assyria, whose capital was Nineveh, was exceptionally bloodthirsty and evil. The repentance there under Jonah was unprecedented and never repeated anywhere. God used Nahum to predict the total destruction of the city which returned to wickedness: Nahum 1:1 (LSB): "The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite." From the few things Nahum writes which allow us to zero in on the timing, it appears it was only 20 to 50 years from Nahum's prophecy until the total destruction of Nineveh. There's nothing complicated in Nahum, just the sober and straightforward word from God that He was going to judge the evil nation Assyria and her capital Nineveh for idolatry and cruelty. The repentance of the Ninevites was genuine–Jesus Himself said so. But alas, as majestic as was the glory of God's grace showered upon Nineveh in the days of Jonah, genuine faith in the true God waned in the following generations. Old patterns resurfaced. Assyria crumbled from within because they spurned God and forfeited His blessings. It's interesting that God didn't tell Jonah what was ultimately going to happen to Nineveh. God knew all about it, but it wasn't Jonah's place to know. Remember that! Living by faith does not come with details about what's going to happen. You need to seek God's wisdom, make your choices, and trust Him to work through them. God does not owe you explanations. The opening line in the trailer to the movie sequel to Jonah would be "Nahum: God's Vengeance" if not "Nineveh: The Sequel." 1 - Wrath Is Poured Out Like Fire (Ch 1) 2 - Behold, I Am Against You (Ch 2) 3 - Your Wound Is Incurable (Ch 3)

4 Marital Features to Build Your Marriage Around 1. Bad Decisions 16:1-16 2. Laughter & Pain 17:15-27 3. Blessings & Regrets 18:1-15 4. Treachery & Grace 20:1-17 Next Week's Reading – Genesis 18:16-20:17

God called Jonah to Nineveh a second time, and this time Jonah obeyed. It must have taken him a month or more to reach Nineveh. When he announced (Jonah 3:4) "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown" people began to repent. Word got to the king himself, and he repented and called upon everyone to follow suit. The king said: (Jonah 3:9) "Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish." Here's the rest of the story. The people of Nineveh repented, God withheld judgment, Jonah didn't like it, and he threw a tantrum. 1 - God Appoints Salvation (3:10) 2 - God Appoints A Plant (4:1-6) 3 - God Appoints A Worm (4:7) 4 - God Appoints A Wind (4:8) 5 - God Makes A Point (4:9-11) 6 - Epilogue

So far we've seen 6 of 10 miracles recorded in this book: 1:4 "Yahweh hurled a great wind on the sea" 1:7 "the lot fell on Jonah" 1:15 "the sea stopped its raging" 1:17 "Yahweh appointed a great fish" 1:17 "to swallow Jonah" 2:10 "Yahweh commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah up onto the dryland" In chapter 3 we are going to see the greatest of the 10 miracles. This chapter records the largest revival in history. Everyone mentioned here repents. 1 - Jonah Repents (1-3) 2 - Nineveh Repents (4-9)

4 Marital Features to Build Your Marriage Around 1. Bad Decisions 16:1-16 2. Laughter & Pain 17:15-27 3. Blessings & Regrets 18:1-15 4. Treachery & Grace 20:1-17 Next Week's Reading – Genesis 18:16-19:38

Most people who know the rudiments of the story of Jonah don't really believe it happened, but they regard it as an allegory or a fable. The intermediate students know that Jonah fled rather than to obey God by going to Nineveh. In this series you are becoming part of the Advanced Placement class by learning the depths of the value of this unique book of the Bible. We left off with Jonah having been swallowed by the fish God appointed for the task (see 1:15-17). Chapter 2 is the prayer Jonah prayed from inside the fish. We'll look at the whole prayer – only 10 verses – then make some observations about it. 1 - Focus On God 2 - Be Honest About Your Trial 3 - Do What God Wants

1. God chooses both Jews and Gentiles for various uses (24-29) 2. We Must Pursue God with Faith, Not Works (30-33) 3. Christ is the End of the Law for Righteousness (10:1-4) 4. Romans 9-10:4 Conclusion

Jonah is both the title of this book and the author according to the best evidence. The book makes no direct claim regarding authorship, so we can't be dogmatic but that doesn't mean we aren't sure. Throughout the book Jonah is repeatedly referred to in the third person, which would be the case if someone else were writing about him. That, however, doesn't rule out Jonah as the author. The same thing is true of other books of the Bible. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Micah, Zephaniah, Haggai, and Zechariah have similar formats. It's appropriate to make an observation about how the Bible treats its heroes. Unlike other religious books, the Bible is perfectly honest about the fallen humanity of the characters it portrays. Jesus is the perfectly holy One, and all others are sinful. Starting with Eve, the Bible includes the sins of all people. There was a murderer among the first children of Adam and Eve. Noah was a righteous man, but for all he did, he also sinned through drunkenness. Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, but he was quick to lie about his wife when he thought he was in danger and he was quick to accept an ungodly and immoral way to try to do God's will. Peter had to be confronted by Paul when he stumbled into hypocrisy. The beat goes on and on, including Jonah. The events recorded in this book show us that the bad attitudes we have only cause us trouble. They do not cause God any kind of angst or prevent Him from accomplishing His will or disrupt His timing. Today we survey all of Chapter 1. 1 - Jonah Runs (1-3) 2 - Jonah Confesses (4-9) 3 - The Sailors Believe (10-16) 4 - The Fish Swallows Hard (17)

1. God's Perfect Righteousness & Mercy (14-16) 2. Why the Elect are Elected (17-18) 3. The Potter's Authority over the Clay (19-21) 4. An Important Clarification around "Double Predestination" 5. Vessels of Mercy Show God's Glory (22-23)

Jonah is a short book of the Bible. You'll find Jonah the 8th book from the end of your Old Testament, #5 of the 12 minor prophets. The main question you will encounter about this book is whether it is history or not. About 150 years ago in the first heyday of Protestant liberalism, so-called "scholars" began saying that Jonah was not to be taken as history. The main obstacle to believing the book is actual history is the miracles, especially Jonah being kept alive 3 days inside the big fish. But rejecting the historicity of the book of Jonah is the fruit of unbelief. It's silly to say you believe in God but you don't believe the miracles in the Bible. The book is written in narrative style with nothing to indicate it is anything other than history. Jonah himself is a known historical prophet. If you don't believe this book is history, you don't believe Jesus. Matthew 12:38–41 (LSB): Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered and said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation eagerly seeks for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. "The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 1 - Who, What, When, Where, Why? (Introduction) 2 - Fleeing From God (1-3) 3 - A Really Bad Testimony (4-9)

1. Paul's grief for the unsaved Israelites (1-5) 2. Despite not all being saved, God's Word can be trusted (6-13)

Church isn't fun and games. It's about God, and our relationship with Him. It's about the problem we have with God. We need to be saved from His wrath, which we deserve because of our sin. That being the case, we can expect Satan to use every devious means he can muster to confuse people. One of his most common and effective strategies is to sow tares among the wheat, as in the famous parable of Jesus. A tare is a weed that looks just like wheat until the harvest, but tares rob wheat of nutrients and corrupt the harvest. Spiritually speaking, a tare is a phony who looks just like a Christian, but spreads well-packaged and sweet-tasting long-acting spiritual poison. 1 - Warning Of The Spirit (1) 2 - Wandering From The Faith (1) 3 - Ways To Go Astray (1-3) 4 - Wonderful Gifts Of God (4-5)

4 Marital Features to Build Your Marriage Around 1. Bad Decisions 16:1-16 2. Laughter & Pain 17:15-27 3. Blessings & Regrets 18:1-15 4. Treachery & Grace 20:1-17 Next Week's Reading – Genesis 18:16-19:38

4 Responses Revealing Your Spiritual Maturity 1 - An Effective Introduction (19) 2 - The Effect of Anger (20-21) a - The Negative Consequences (20) b - The Positive Contrasts (21) 3 - The Effect of Hearing (22-25, next time) 4 - The Effect of Speech (26-27, next time)

5 Perspectives on Your Choice that Reveal God's Will 1. Divine Direction 12:4-9 2. Desert Dereliction 12:10-20 3. Descendant Division 13:1-18 4. Defendant Destruction 14:1-17 5. Deliverer Devotion 14:17-24 Next Week's Reading – Gen 16; 17:15–27; 18:1–15; 20

Psalm 33 is one of the very few Psalms that does not have a title. It praises God for who He is and what He has done, and several items are listed in this regard.

1. Original Sin - How Fear Begets More Fear Genesis 3 2. The End of Genesis - How Love Begets More Love Genesis 35 3. The Ultimate Overcomer of Fear - Jesus Christ John 15:8

5 Perspectives on Your Choice that Reveal God's Will 1. Divine Direction 12:4-9 2. Desert Dereliction 12:10-20 3. Descendant Division 13:1-18 4. Defendant Destruction 14:1-17 5. Deliverer Devotion 14:17-24

3 Seals of Salvation Ratifying Your Eternal Victory 1 - What Persons? (31-34) 2 - What Things? (35-36) 3 - What Glory! (37-39)

3 Components of God's First Redemptive Covenant with You 1 - The Covenant Components 12:1-3 2 - The Covenant Inauguration 15:1-21 3 - The Covenant Sign 17:1-14 Next Week's Reading - Genesis 12:4-14:24

3 Seals of Salvation Ratifying Your Eternal Victory 1 - What Persons? (31-34) 2 - What Things? (35-36) 3 - What Glory! (37-39)

3 Components of God's First Redemptive Covenant with You 1 - The Covenant Components 12:1-3 2 - The Covenant Inauguration 15:1-21 3 - The Covenant Sign 17:1-14 Next Week's Reading - Genesis 12:4-14:24