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2 episodes with like john the baptist
2 episodes with like john the baptist
2 episodes with like john the baptist
2 episodes with like john the baptist
John 1:37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Two of John the Baptist's disciples heard him testify that Jesus is the Lamb of God. They clearly understood what John was saying. This is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. On hearing John's witness regarding Jesus, they followed Jesus. They trusted John, and God used him to draw these two men to His Son. This encourages us of what God can do with our witness regarding Jesus. All who are believers in Jesus Christ know who He is and have believed God's testimony regarding Him. We who live to love with Jesus become forerunners for Him in our generation. Like John the Baptist, we have our experiences with Jesus to share with others. We also can expect the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of those who hear our witness just as He did in these two disciples. This encourages us to be bold and to share what we have seen and experienced with Jesus. Those who follow us, who know us personally, may then follow Jesus. The writer of Hebrews described a similar experience of the power of God accompanying the testimony of believers like John. In Hebrews 2:3-4 we read, “After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” We may rely on the power of God to draw people to follow Jesus as we love with Him whoever He puts in our paths. There will be some who hear us speak of Jesus, who will also follow Him, just like these two disciples mentioned in this verse. God is still using the testimony of His followers to build His church. May God use us today to draw people to follow Jesus as we love them with the love of Christ. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.
Send us a textWelcome back to you all back to the Tat2dPreacher Podcast for its first episode of 2025. After taking a much-needed holiday break, I'm excited to share what I believe God has put on my heart for the year: 'Make Jesus Proud.' I'll be discussing how this theme can guide our actions and attitudes throughout the year, and I'll draw parallels between our mission today and that of John the Baptist, positioning us as modern-day forerunners for Christ's second coming. We'll also dive into Bible reading plans and the powerful role social media plays in spreading the gospel. My goal is to inspire you to take up your mission with renewed passion and purpose, bringing Christ's love into your everyday life. I am so excited for all God is going to do in and through you this year!Let's Get Connected!https://www.thetat2dpreacher.com/bio.site/thetat2dpreacherhttps://www.instagram.com/thetat2dpre...https://www.tiktok.com/@tat2dpreacherpatreon.com/Tat2dPreacherjoel@thetat2dpreacher.com
Like John the Baptist and those gathered on the riverbank, we need to hear afresh that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We need to decide if God is true. For in order to experience the kingdom, we need to prepare our hearts to long for the things of God. We need to have a posture of surrender so that when the Spirit speaks to us about our actions or our heart, we are quick to say, “Yes, Lord. Not my will but yours be done - I want to experience the kingdom.” We need to see the presented Jesus for all of who he is, trusting him for our daily lives.
Like John the Baptist and those gathered on the riverbank, we need to hear afresh that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We need to decide if God is true. For in order to experience the kingdom, we need to prepare our hearts to long for the things of God. We need to have a posture of surrender so that when the Spirit speaks to us about our actions or our heart, we are quick to say, “Yes, Lord. Not my will but yours be done - I want to experience the kingdom.” We need to see the presented Jesus for all of who he is, trusting him for our daily lives.
As we enter the Advent season, Rev. Paul Lawler invites us to reflect on the surprising beginnings of Jesus' story—not with Mary and Joseph but with Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist. In this message, a vivid picture is painted of the challenges Zechariah and Elizabeth faced—living under Herod's oppressive rule, enduring years of unanswered prayers, and bearing the shame of childlessness. Yet, despite the odds, God was preparing them for something incredible.Zechariah's once-in-a-lifetime moment to serve in the temple becomes a powerful backdrop for how God often works in our lives. Even in the silence and uncertainty, He is making us ready for His plans. Zechariah's prayer at the altar of incense reminds us that, like him, we are called to persist in prayer, trusting that God's timing is perfect.Zechariah's story teaches us to trust God's preparation in our lives, even when the waiting is long and the circumstances are challenging. Like John the Baptist, we are called to prepare the way for the Lord, making our lives ready for God's move.Listen now to be encouraged and challenged to prepare your heart for what God is doing in this season. God often works in the silence and the waiting, preparing us for the greater things to come.
Like John the Baptist crying out in the wilderness, Rob Morris offers a powerful prophetic message to the church, “Love each other!” Don't just listen or watch this message, but receive it and respond to it with humility and hunger.
Like John the Baptist crying out in the wilderness, Rob Morris offers a powerful prophetic message to the church, “Love each other!” Don't just listen or watch this message, but receive it and respond to it with humility and hunger.
Commentary of "Witnesses of Christ as the Messiah" (October 19–25, 2024, Q4 L4)Weekly Sabbath School Lesson Commentary and Adventist Fact Check with Colleen TinkerThis weekly feature is dedicated to Adventists who are looking for biblical insights into the topics discussed in the Sabbath School lesson quarterly. We post videos and articles which address each lesson as presented in the Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, including biblical commentary on them. We hope you find this material helpful and that you will come to know Jesus and His revelation of Himself in His word in profound biblical ways.Website, donation link: http://proclamationmagazine.com/Facebook—Former Adventist: https://www.facebook.com/FormerAdventist/Facebook—Life Assurance Ministries: https://www.facebook.com/ProclamationMagazine/#sda #sabbath #sabbathschool © 2023, 2024 Life Assurance Ministries, Inc.
In this profound exploration of John the Baptist's life, we uncover powerful lessons about boldness, humility, and preparing the way for Jesus. John's miraculous birth and early prophecies foreshadow his pivotal role as a reflection of Christ. We learn that true spiritual leadership involves courageously speaking truth, even in the face of opposition, while maintaining a posture of reverence and submission to God. As John pointed his disciples to Jesus, we too are called to guide our families and communities towards a deeper relationship with Christ. By decreasing our own egos and allowing Jesus to increase in our lives, we can become powerful witnesses of the upside-down kingdom of God. This message challenges us to examine our own faith journey and ask ourselves: are we living in a way that prepares hearts for Jesus?Support the Show.
6/18/24 7am CT Hour - Martha Fernandez-Sardina/ Harry Kraemer John, Glen and Sarah chat about President Biden immigration action, hot weather, Celtics win NBA Finals and an update on NEC Pilgrimage. Martha talks about the love action of John the Baptist before his feast day and how we can be more like him. Harry shares his thoughts on relaxation and what there needs to be a work life balance to ensure going in for the long haul.
Like John the Baptist, believers are called to be transformational voices to our generation. Because of the transforming power of the gospel, Christians have something eternally significant to say that the world desperately needs to hear. You have a voice; it's a gift from God. How are you using it? How are you developing it? (Luke 3:1-20)
The Cale Clarke Show - Today's issues from a Catholic perspective.
Like John the Baptist, we are all called to be forerunners of Jesus. Plus, Jimmy Lai on trial: behind bars, the Truth is unchained.
Luke 1:76-77 Zechariah's prophecy focused on the coming of the Messiah, but that didn't mean that his son John the Baptist's role was a minor one. John would be the first prophet in the land since the time of Malachi, 400 years before. It had always been known that someone would be sent as a forerunner to the Messiah and Zechariah's son would have this vital role. Not many people become Christians simply because of things they have heard or read. Most people are introduced to Christianity through someone they know, and often by more than one person. The life and example of these people helped to prepare the way for them to meet the Lord. Christmas gives us a supreme opportunity to point people to Jesus. For much of the year, the Church and the Christian message sit on the fringe of our society. But at Christmas time large numbers of people attend carol services and nativity plays. Undoubtedly most people's attention is claimed by the pressure to buy presents, food and drink. But we dare not miss the wonderful opportunities we have to present the Christian message. Like John the Baptist, we are not the answers to the problems of the world. But we know a man who is. Just as John the Baptist prepared the way for people to meet Jesus, so too Christmas gives us a supreme moment to prepare the ground for people to meet him, the Saviour of the world. Question In what ways are you able to prepare the way for others to meet Jesus this Christmas? Prayer Loving God, I pray for my family and friends. I pray especially for those who do not know you and ask you to help me prepare the way for them to meet Jesus. Amen
Who are you and what is your purpose in life? Like John the Baptist we are witnesses to the light of Christ and our purpose in life is to proclaim Christ's light to others! A homily by Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR.
Matthew Adams here, on Day 12 of our spiritual trek. Today, we're looking at a passage from Luke that speaks to the heart of what it means to be a spiritual warrior. It's about being a herald, a forerunner for something much greater than ourselves – a role that demands courage, conviction, and a whole lot of faith.Scripture: Luke 1:76-78"And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God." This excerpt from Luke 1:76-78 paints a vivid picture of a calling that goes beyond the ordinary.In these verses, we're reminded of the vital role each of us plays in the grand narrative of faith. Like John the Baptist, we are called to be prophets of the Most High in our own right, preparing the way for the Lord in this generation. This calling involves imparting knowledge, sharing truth, and exemplifying the mercy of God.My Reasons To Believe is a publication fueled by its readers' support. We're committed to serving you. Think about stepping up to Faith Partner. For a mere $5 a month, you can play a crucial role in keeping this ministry thriving. Stay blessed.Three Driving Points* Being Prophets in the Modern World: To be a prophet of the Most High today doesn't mean predicting the future; it means speaking truth into the present. It's about living a life that points others to God, using our words, actions, and lives to reflect His truth and love. It's a high calling, but one that's rich with purpose.* Preparing the Way for the Lord: John's role was to prepare people for Jesus' arrival. Our task is similar – to prepare the hearts and minds of those around us for a deeper understanding of Jesus. This preparation often involves challenging conversations, acts of love, and demonstrating the power of forgiveness in our lives.* Sharing the Knowledge of Salvation: The heart of our message is the knowledge of salvation through Jesus Christ. In a world often lost in transient pursuits, offering this eternal perspective is both a privilege and a responsibility. It's about guiding people to a realization of God's grace and the transformative power of forgiveness.ConclusionLuke 1:76-78 challenges us to embrace our role as modern-day prophets. It's a call to active spiritual warfare, where our weapons are truth, love, and mercy. As we step into this role, let's do so with humility and the courage that comes from God.Call to ActionThis week, identify one opportunity to 'prepare the way' for the Lord in your circle of influence. It could be through a conversation, an act of kindness, or simply by living out your faith authentically in front of others.PrayerMost High God, empower us to be prophets in this generation. Help us to prepare the way for You in the hearts of those we meet. Give us the wisdom to share the knowledge of salvation with grace and truth. Amen.As we continue our journey as spiritual warriors, let's remember our calling to be trailblazers of truth. May your path be guided by His light, and your efforts be fruitful in preparing the way for the Lord. Keep on keeping on, friends, for the journey is as significant as the destination. Get full access to My Reasons To Believe at myr2b.substack.com/subscribe
Matthew Adams here, on Day 12 of our spiritual trek. Today, we're looking at a passage from Luke that speaks to the heart of what it means to be a spiritual warrior. It's about being a herald, a forerunner for something much greater than ourselves – a role that demands courage, conviction, and a whole lot of faith.Scripture: Luke 1:76-78"And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God." This excerpt from Luke 1:76-78 paints a vivid picture of a calling that goes beyond the ordinary.In these verses, we're reminded of the vital role each of us plays in the grand narrative of faith. Like John the Baptist, we are called to be prophets of the Most High in our own right, preparing the way for the Lord in this generation. This calling involves imparting knowledge, sharing truth, and exemplifying the mercy of God.My Reasons To Believe is a publication fueled by its readers' support. We're committed to serving you. Think about stepping up to Faith Partner. For a mere $5 a month, you can play a crucial role in keeping this ministry thriving. Stay blessed.Three Driving Points* Being Prophets in the Modern World: To be a prophet of the Most High today doesn't mean predicting the future; it means speaking truth into the present. It's about living a life that points others to God, using our words, actions, and lives to reflect His truth and love. It's a high calling, but one that's rich with purpose.* Preparing the Way for the Lord: John's role was to prepare people for Jesus' arrival. Our task is similar – to prepare the hearts and minds of those around us for a deeper understanding of Jesus. This preparation often involves challenging conversations, acts of love, and demonstrating the power of forgiveness in our lives.* Sharing the Knowledge of Salvation: The heart of our message is the knowledge of salvation through Jesus Christ. In a world often lost in transient pursuits, offering this eternal perspective is both a privilege and a responsibility. It's about guiding people to a realization of God's grace and the transformative power of forgiveness.ConclusionLuke 1:76-78 challenges us to embrace our role as modern-day prophets. It's a call to active spiritual warfare, where our weapons are truth, love, and mercy. As we step into this role, let's do so with humility and the courage that comes from God.Call to ActionThis week, identify one opportunity to 'prepare the way' for the Lord in your circle of influence. It could be through a conversation, an act of kindness, or simply by living out your faith authentically in front of others.PrayerMost High God, empower us to be prophets in this generation. Help us to prepare the way for You in the hearts of those we meet. Give us the wisdom to share the knowledge of salvation with grace and truth. Amen.As we continue our journey as spiritual warriors, let's remember our calling to be trailblazers of truth. May your path be guided by His light, and your efforts be fruitful in preparing the way for the Lord. Keep on keeping on, friends, for the journey is as significant as the destination. Get full access to My Reasons To Believe at myr2b.substack.com/subscribe
Christ, son of David and the Son of God is the meticulous, precise Bible interpreter and also the meticulous, precise Savior. - SERMON TRANSCRIPT - I. A Precise God Speaks a Precise Word Turn in your Bibles to Mark 12. We're looking this morning at verses 35-37. Anyone who knows me knows I have an esteem for church history. I love church history. One of my favorite people to study are the Puritans who were English Christians in the 16th, 17th century. They were remarkable people who accomplished far more than most ever do because they knew the God they believed in, and they sought to orchestrate every aspect of their lives in conformity with what they read in Scripture. They were meticulous and precise in the way that they lived. They were precise in their doctrine, very careful in their doctrine. They were precise in their public worship. They were precise in their Sabbath observances, in their family lives, in their private prayers, in their secular employments, in their politics. They tied everything to the perfect truths they saw in the Word of God. One Puritan pastor, Richard Rogers, ministered in Essex and was told by a wealthy nobleman in his parish, "Mr. Rogers, I like you and your company, your group very well, but I find that you are too precise." Rogers replied, "Oh, sir, I serve a precise God.” We serve a precise God, and evidence of the precision of God surrounds us every moment in the universe that we live in. We see in His meticulous, in His careful creation, evidence of His precision. Advances in science over recent centuries have shown how just precise the universe really is. I was reading a book recently by Eric Metaxas called Is Atheism Dead? He argues that recent advances in science have made atheism more and more unreasonable. In it, Metaxas talks about arch-atheist evolutionist and enemy of the gospel, Richard Dawkins, who is relentless in his hatred of Christianity. He goes all over the world to ridicule and to debunk Christianity, but in an unguarded moment was asked, "Of all of the arguments for the existence of God, which do you find most difficult to overcome?" He said, "That's easy. The evidence of a finely tuned universe, that the universe has physical constants that are so precise, if they deviated even a tiny, tiny amount, life would be impossible. Actually, existence would be impossible, and there's a stacking up of these that makes it difficult to refute the evidence of a precise God who made them all." Classic example of this is what's called the “Goldilocks” planet that we live on. You remember the story of Goldilocks and the three bears, how this wanderer comes into a cabin and finds some porridge, and the first bowl is too hot and the second bowl is too cold, the third bowl is just right. The same thing happens with the chair and with the bed and all that. Earth is like that, it’s the Goldilocks planet. The distance from the sun, Venus is too close, so it's too hot, Mars is too far, so it's too cold. The earth is just right. Also the gravitational force of the earth, the power of gravity is just right to retain the gases in the atmosphere necessary for life. The atmosphere itself is just right. When it comes to oxygen, 21% of the air you breathe is oxygen, 78% is nitrogen. If there were more oxygen, things would be igniting all the time around us, burning, combusting. If they were too little, we would have trouble staying alive. So it is with water. Water is weird. I know we're used to it, but it's just a weird substance. It's got some amazing attributes. For example, simply the fact that the solid form of it floats in the liquid form, ice floats. Because of that, then ice floats to the top in lakes and ponds and rivers and doesn't descend to the bottom where the sunlight could never reach it. And eventually, it would quench out life because of an ice age. So it is with the genetic code of every cell in your body, the DNA, the string of proteins. They are so meticulous and precise that if anything were deviated at all, life would be impossible. These are examples of a precise God and His precision in creations around us all the time. This precise God also had a precise plan for human history and for our existence. All the days ordained for each one of us were written in God's book before one of them came to be. That's true not just of us individually, but it's true of the entire flow of human history. God ordained a precise sequence of nations and empires, kingdoms and smaller nations to rise and fall in exactly the way He ordained. In Acts 17:26, it says, "From one man, He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth." He determined the time set for them in the exact places where they should live. That's a precise God orchestrating all of human history. "This precise God also had a precise plan for human history and for our existence. All the days ordained for each one of us were written in God's book before one of them came to be. That's true not just of us individually, but it's true of the entire flow of human history." At the center of that precise plan by this precise God was a plan for the salvation of sinners like you and me from every tribe and language and people and nation. Peter in preaching on his great Pentecost sermon said this in Acts 2:23, "This Jesus was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. And this one you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men." That's a precise plan concerning Jesus, that He would be born, as Galatians tells us, in the fullness of time at just the right time in history, and according to this plan, He was killed. This precise plan was predicted in a precise book. This is the precise book, the Bible, and in it is a set of precise prophecies meticulously laid out in the Hebrew language, in Hebrew letters in the Old Testament. This morning we're going to see the precise son of God, Jesus making a surprising observation and drawing a stunning conclusion from one verse in scripture, a psalm, actually based on one word in that psalm actually based on one letter, the ending letter of that one word. Everything comes down to that one letter. That's the precision of Jesus and the argument He's going to make today. Jesus spoke about the precision of scripture and His esteem for it in the Sermon of the Mount in Matthew 5:17 and 1, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a pen stroke will pass from the law until all is accomplished." KJV has “jot and tittle”. But it's just an iota, which is a Greek letter. But Jesus was actually referring, I believe, to the Hebrew letter, the yod. You can see in Psalm 119 the shape and some of the English translation, the shape of the various letters. It's hard to see the relative size, but the yod is the smallest Hebrew letter. It looks like an apostrophe, like the apostrophe as like the possessive that we use, apostrophe. It's like a little apostrophe. It's pronounced ye, like a Y sound. That's what a yod is. The pen stroke refers to the way that the letters are shaped, like the finishing of a letter, what some printers will call a serif. On the end of a letter, it gives a shape of a letter. Jesus is saying, "Until heaven and earth pass away, not a single yod will disappear and not a single pen stroke will disappear from the law until everything that God ordained in the scriptures is fulfilled." Actually, He said that His own words would outlast heaven and earth. "Heaven and earth will pass away. My words will never pass away." This meticulous Scripture gave rise to a very meticulous Jewish culture. The Jews were very precise over the written word of God. They knew that there were 613 commands in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. 613 commands. They knew that 248 of them were positive and 365 were negative. Doesn't it make you wonder what they did with their time? They're there walking through and categorizing that, that’s what they did. The Scribes also counted letters in each of the books that they copied. They meticulously counted the letters. They knew the middle letter of each book and they knew, indeed, the middle letter of the Pentateuch. I bet you're wondering what it is. It's a vav, which is a W in the Hebrew word for belly in Leviticus 11:42. That's the middle Hebrew letter, and they would count forward and count back, and if they didn't arrive at that vav, they knew something was wrong somewhere. That was the precision. Jesus applies this kind of meticulous precision to prophecy in Psalm 110. In Psalm 110 in verse 1, His entire argument comes down to a single letter in the Hebrew. Actually, it is the letter yod, the one I mentioned earlier, the little ye sound, the little apostrophe. With that closing letter in the way the Hebrew words are formed, the word adon, which means Lord, is turned, possessive, adoni, my Lord. The whole thing comes down to that. How is it that David, writing that, called Messiah, His son, my Lord? It all comes down to one letter. That's the precision here. What is the goal? What is Jesus' goal? The goal is the same goal that there is in Scripture. He's not trying to ensnare or trap people or prove His intelligence or His meticulous nature; none of the above. He wants to save sinners. It's salvation; that's His goal. For that is the purpose of scripture. 2 Timothy 3:15 says, “The holy scriptures are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.” II. The Central Question: Who Is Jesus? The whole thing comes down to the identity of Jesus. Who is Jesus? That is the focal point of this conversation. Jesus brings it up. It is the final week of Jesus' life. It is the Wednesday of Holy Week. Jesus' enemies are coming at Him in waves trying to trip Him up. They want to condemn Him to death. They're coming at Him concerning His sense of His own identity. That is essential also to our own salvation. All four Gospels, I believe, are written for the same purpose as the Gospel of John. John 20:31 says, "These are written." You can put that on all four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. "These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God," or perhaps God the Son, "and that by believing that, you may have life," that is eternal life, "in His name." It all comes down to the identity of Jesus. Jesus' enemies are openly challenging Him concerning His identity and His authority. Back in the previous chapter, Mark 11:27, 28, while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priest, the teachers of the law, the elders came to Him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you authority to do this?" They're asking Him His authority to cleanse the temple or to teach. Who do you think you are? This brings us right to Jewish conceptions of the Messiah, the Christ. Throughout history in Jesus' day, even up to our own time, Jewish people have conceived of the Messiah as purely human and only human. He would be a ruler, powerful, mighty in battle, able to defeat Israel, Gentile foes and conquer their lands, bringing in a worldwide Jewish empire of immense power and worldly wealth. That was what He would be. Then, having conquered all the Gentile foes of Israel, He would sit on a throne in righteousness and justice in Jerusalem and rule to the ends of the earth. But it was purely a human conception. He would be militarily powerful and He would bring in worldly wealth to the Jewish nation. Mighty, yes, powerful in battle, absolutely, wise in rulership, of course, but human only. Their fundamental answer, which they give in the text, and we'll walk through that in a moment, is the Christ, the Messiah, is the son of David, which in their mind basically meant another David. What David was, that's what the son of David will be. Maybe better, maybe more powerful, maybe wiser, but still just a human king. That's all. That's how they conceived of it, another David. Certainly not a savior of souls before a wrath-filled holy judge. They didn't think they needed that. As the book of Roman says, they sought to establish their own righteousness by the law. They didn't think they needed any help. They didn't conceive of the Christ, the Messiah being a savior from sin. They didn't think they needed it. They certainly didn't conceive of the Jewish Messiah being a savior for Gentiles so that there would be, in the end, one new people, Jew and Gentile together in one beautiful, worldwide kingdom. They didn't conceive of any of that. The Jewish leaders are there, and they hate Jesus. They're opposed to Him. They're fighting Him. The Scribes, Pharisees, elders, chief priests, teachers of the law, they all banded together in overt hatred of Jesus. Why is that? Jesus had assaulted their concept of religion, He had assaulted their conception of their own righteousness, He openly challenged their interpretations of the laws of Moses, especially on Sabbath regulations He exposed their hypocrisy. He called them lost. He called them blind leading the blind. He said their righteousness was like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but inside full of corruption, so they hated Him with a passion. Furthermore, He had openly exposed their financial greed, how the whole religious system that they ran there at the temple made them a den of thieves. They were jealous of His popularity with the crowds. The crowds were wildly in love with Jesus, and they were jealous of that, so they hated Him. They especially despised His claims to be divine. He said, "Before Abraham was born, I am." They picked up stones to stone Him. When they're questioning Him healing on the Sabbath, Jesus said, "My Father is always working to this very day, and I too am working." They hated Him all the more because He made Himself equal with God, claiming to be God. They considered His claims to be God to be open blasphemy, and they wanted to kill Him. They come on this final week of His life, the Wednesday of Holy Week, with a series of questions, one after the other, wave upon wave. The Pharisees banded together with the Herodians to ask their most devious and dangerous question about taxation. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? They figured they had Him either way. If He said, "No, we shouldn't pay taxes to Caesar," then Caesar will hear of it and, through Pontius Pilate, put Him to death. But if He says we should pay taxes, then they will look on Him as a collaborator, like a tax collector, and they'll hate Him. He'll lose the patriotic Jews. They figure they have Him either way. But Jesus, with His supernatural wisdom and knowledge, gave an answer they couldn't deal with, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God’s. Then the Sadducees banded together, they who deny the resurrection. They come with that ridiculous test case about seven brothers married to one woman, et cetera, and thus proving they thought by the law of Moses that resurrection is impossible. Jesus exposed their error. You're in error because you don't know the Scriptures or the power of God, and proved the resurrection. Then some other Pharisees get together to ask them which law or which commandment is the greatest? The problem was the one they chose you ask actually wanted to know the answer. He actually yearned to know the truth. They have a much more favorable exchange in Mark's Gospel than you see in the other Gospels. Jesus told the man, "You're not far from the kingdom of God,” because the man genuinely wanted to know the answer and wanted to live it out. But now the time has come for Jesus to turn the tables. "You're asking me a series of questions. I have a question for you." He brings up this question. He's not doing it to try to trap them, He's not doing it to try to trick them or to show His superiority, He wants to save them, He came to seek and to save the lost. God has no pleasure in damning souls to hell. Ezekiel says very plainly in Ezekiel 18:23, “'Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?’ declares the sovereign Lord, ‘Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?’" That is the spirit of Jesus. "I don't enjoy condemning people to hell. I would love for you to turn from your wicked ways and live and find salvation." That's His motive. This is exactly why that same week He wept over Jerusalem, as depicted in Luke 19, “As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, ‘If even you had only known on this day what would bring you peace, but now it is hidden from your eyes.’" Jesus is giving all of them one last invitation to believe in Him as He really is. III. Jesus Makes His Case From Scripture: Psalm 110 So He makes His case from the Scriptures, constantly pointing to scripture as its proof of His identity and His mission. In this case, it's Psalm 110. If we combine Matthew's account from Mark's, we get the whole flow. There's a little more detail in Matthew, so I'll be leaning on both, but you could just listen or follow along in Mark. In Matthew, Jesus raises the question. Matthew 22:41, 42, “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?’" They, in Matthew's account, give the answer, an easy answer. “‘Son of David,’ they replied.” That's how it begins in Matthew. In Mark, it reads this way, “While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked them, ‘How is it that the teachers of the law say that Christ is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.’ David himself calls Him Lord. How then can He be his son?” That's the whole account in Mark. You get the reactions a little different in Matthew than in Mark. In Matthew 22: 46, it says,"No one could say a word in reply. And from that day on, no one dared to ask any more questions." He's silenced his enemies in Matthew 22:46. They don't know what to say. It's extremely significant that these Jewish experts in the law didn't have an answer to Jesus' question, therefore there isn't one other than the right one. Over the centuries, the Jews have had a chance to look at this question and answer it. There is no answer other than that which points directly to the deity of Christ. But unfortunately, as Paul talked about in Corinthians, the veil covers their faces when they read these scriptures and they can't see the truth, but there's no answer. They have no answer. Mark focuses on the delight of the crowd. Look at verse 37, “The large crowd listened to him with delight.” They're like, "Wow. I never saw that before." Can I just tell you in general, the Bible says more than you think it does. I'm going to give you just a principle for the rest of your life. There's more in the Bible than you think there is, so just keep studying it. There's always more to learn.They were amazed. They're like, man, "I never saw that. I've been reading Psalm 110 my whole life, and I never asked that question." What's going on? Jesus raises a question. Does Jesus answer the issue? No, He doesn't. He raises the question. How can David, speaking by the Spirit, call his own son his Lord? We're putting it simply. How can David's son be David's Lord? Do you have an answer? What's going on there? This is what Greg Koukl would call in his book, Tactics, putting a rock in someone's shoe. What does that mean? Ask them a question they can't answer. Something that jars them, something that keeps them up at night. If you were to die tonight and you were to stand before God and He were to ask, "Why should I let you into heaven?" What would you say? That's the Evangelism Explosion question. That's a rock in someone's shoe. Are you ready to die? Sometimes we feel like as evangelists, we need to kind of clinch the deal. We need to seal the deal. Sometimes all you need to do is put a rock in someone's shoe. In this case, it's this question, how can David's son be David's Lord? The Jews obviously were partially right. The Messiah, the Christ is the son of David. If you go back to, 2 Samuel 7, David has a desire to build a temple for God. He thought the Tabernacle's temporary tent wasn’t sufficent, it was time to build a temple. He wants to build one. Nathan, the prophet, comes with the word of God saying, "You are not the one to build the house for me. But a son coming from your own body will build a house for me." 2 Samuel 7, 12-14, "When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body. And I will establish His kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my name. And I will establish a throne of His kingdom forever. I will be His father and He will be my son." It's called the Davidic Covenant. We know the immediate fulfillment is David's biological son, Solomon, who built the actual physical temple. But we know that the words go bigger than this because the real, final, permanent temple of God in which God dwells by His Spirit is the church of the living God that He builds with living stones through evangelism missions. Jesus is the one who's going to build the eternal and final dwelling place for God. We know that there’s immediate fulfillment and long-term fulfillment. But there is this Son of David theme right from 2 Samuel 7. It just continues on throughout many, many passages in the Old Testament, picking up on this. For example, Psalm 89, 3-4, "You said, I have made a covenant with my chosen one. I have sworn to David, my servant. I will establish your line forever, and I'll make your throne firm throughout all generations." Or probably the most famous, the most well-known is Isaiah 9: 6-7, "For to us, a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end." Listen. "He will reign on David's throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness. From that time on and forever, the zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." Isaiah 9 is a powerful prediction of an eternal kingdom of David. In Jeremiah 23: 5-6, “'The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will raise up to David a righteous branch, a king who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.'" This is centuries after David had died, but, "I'm going to raise up to David a branch, a king who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.” “In his days, Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which He will be called the Lord, our righteousness." That's so beautiful, the Lord is our righteousness. That's His name. That's a gospel. Jesus is our righteousness, Jeremiah 23. Or again, Ezekiel 37: 24-26, "My servant, David, will be king over them. And they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. They will live in the land I gave to my servant, Jacob, the land where your father's lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there forever, and David, my servant, will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers and I'll put my sanctuary among them forever." Again, this is centuries after David had died. It means the Son of David will reign on a throne in David's name forever. They weren't wrong. The Gospels prove it as well. The very first fact told us in the New Testament, it's the simplest, shortest genealogy. If you have a desire to memorize a genealogy, may I commend Matthew 1:1, it’s a very good abbreviated genealogy. "The record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." My friends, that's the first fact the New Testament tells us about Jesus. He is, in fact, the Son of David. Then Matthew gives a comprehensive genealogy to prove that Jesus was biologically descended from David through Joseph, His earthly father, Joseph. Luke has a different genealogy, but again, most scholars believe that's Mary's genealogy, also a descendant through David. Again and again in the Gospel, Jesus is called Son of David. He doesn't reject it, He accepts it like the two blind men in Matthew 9:27, “As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, calling out, ‘Have mercy on a son of David.’" Or that Canaanite woman, she cried out, "Lord, son of David, have mercy on me. My daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession,” son of David. Blind Bartimaeus, Mark 10:47, when he heard it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me." Even just recently, at his the triumphal entry, they're all shouting, "Blessed is the one who comes in David's name. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father, David, Hosanna and the highest." David, David. David, and He accepts it. He is, in fact, the son of David. The Messiah, the Christ, was truly the son of David. IV. What You Must Believe To Be Saved But friends, this is the point. That's inadequate, that’s not enough. You have to think greater thoughts than that to be saved. First of all, over the centuries, David had lots of descendants. There were lots of descendants of David. Joseph was called by the angel, son of David. Joseph isn't our savior, but he is a son of David, and the angel calls Him, son of David. That's not enough. Jesus wants to expand your conception of Himself. If I can just tell you, I believe that will go on for all eternity. Your conception of Jesus will keep growing and growing and growing and growing forever and ever. Jesus will never run out of new ways to show you His glory. But He's pushing at us now by the Scripture and by the Spirit to expand your conception of the greatness of Christ. All of us underestimate Jesus, so He's going to Psalm 110 to reason. He wants to challenge them, He wants to push at them. Let's look at His key exegetical assumptions, the keys to Jesus' argument, and let's walk through it. Key number one is the Davidic authorship of Psalm 110, it’s key to everything. If David didn't write Psalm 110, we're finished. But Jesus asserts it. "How is it then that David, speaking by the spirit, calls him Lord? For he says, "The Lord says to my Lord, if then David calls Him Lord, how can He be His son?"" This is the key to the argument. David wrote Psalm 110. If David did not write Psalm 110, the whole argument falls apart. If Psalm 110 was written some centuries later by some pious Jews, there would be no problem with those pious Jews writing about the Messiah being called “my Lord”. It's no problem. The author of that psalm would have no problem, and it's not an issue. But if it's David, now we have an issue here. Jesus clearly asserted that David was the author of the Psalm, and therefore he wrote the words, “my Lord.” Key number two, David wrote the Psalm under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This is key to everything we do here at First Baptist Durham, the inspirational authority of the Bible. We believe every single word in this is written, was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and therefore is free from error. Jesus openly ascribes the statement to the Holy Spirit through David. How is it that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls Him Lord? That guards David when he was writing Psalm 110 from error. He didn't make a mistake. It was really the Spirit that wanted him to say, "My Lord.” The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a stool for your feet." Assumption number three, the fact that Psalm 110 was Messianic, that it's talking about the Christ, the Messiah. Jesus asked, "What do you think about the Christ, the Messiah? Whose son is He?" The one you're all waiting for, the expectant savior that's going to come, the Davidic son. What do you think about it? We're talking about the Christ. How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls Him the Christ Lord, and then they quote Psalm 110? The Jews didn't stop them there and say, "Oh, whoa, wait. That's not even talking about the Christ." They knew it was. It was a messianic psalm. If so, the psalm itself doesn't make much sense. Who's he talking about? “The Lord said to my Lord” what? "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." If that's not the Messiah, then there's some other great personage that we would want to know about. Who are we talking about here? A couple of verses later, the Lord has sworn and will not change His mind. "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek”. The author to Hebrews just works on that for a whole chapter. Who are we talking about? If that's not the Christ, who is it? Someone who sits at the right hand of God whose enemies God crushes, and he is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Who is this? It's Messianic. This is the Messiah. That's key to the argument. Assumption number four, the fact that under the laws of Moses, a son is never greater than his father, especially when it comes to kings and princes. In the 10 commandments, sons are commanded to honor their fathers. Furthermore, a king sitting on a throne, his son, we would call in English a prince. Is there a difference between being the king and being a prince? There's a big difference. Suppose the prince wants to be king. We'll read about it with the rebellion of Absalom. He has to kill his father to do it. Even when at the end of David's life Adonijah wants to usurp and grab, and he makes Solomon his heir, David's not going to be calling Solomon “my Lord.” That isn't happening. Actually, it's the other way around. They say, "My Lord," to him even though he is on his deathbed. Then interesting, like you're all supposed to say to a king, "Oh king, live forever." If you want to be King Solomon, you're hoping that doesn't happen. But at any rate, the fact is you're never going to have the father calling the son, “my Lord.” They knew that. That's the final assumption David calls him “my Lord.” That's the little squiggle, the little yod after the word adon, adoni, “My Lord.” It all comes down to that one pen stroke. If then David calls Him Lord, how can He be His son? That's an interesting question. How can David's biological son be also David's eternal Lord? There's only one answer to that, and that is the mystery, the Christian mystery of the incarnation; that Jesus is both fully human and fully God. Like John the Baptist, David himself could say, "He who comes after me is greater than me because he preceded me." David's son preceded Him. Jesus is, therefore, unique of all human beings that ever lived in that He chose to enter the world, He chose to be born. He told Pontius Pilate that, "For this reason, I was born. And for this, I entered the world to testify to the truth.” Like John the Baptist said, "He who comes after me is greater than me because He was before me." Chronologically, He was born after me, Jesus was born after John the Baptist, six months after, but He preceded him. John knew that because He's a son of God, He's incarnate. He existed before He was human. This is an infinite mystery, the incarnation. 1 Timothy 3:16 says this, "Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great. He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the spirit, was seen by angels, was preached on among the nations, was believed on in the world and was taken up in glory." But look at what in the verse almighty God invites David's son to do. "The Lord said to my Lord..." What did he say? "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." This is quoted eight times in the New Testament. That's how significant this verse is, “Sit at my right hand.” Jesus is exalted. After His death on the cross and after His resurrection, He passed through the atmosphere, He passed through the sky, He passed through the heavenly realms until at last Ephesians 1 tells us He was seated at God's right hand, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and given every title that can be given, not only in the present age, but also in the one to come. God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. That's what “sit at my right hand” means. That's what He's invited to do. David's son, His biological son, is invited by Almighty God to share His glory and His sovereign throne. It's also a threat, isn't it? Don't be one of Jesus' enemies because the verse says, "God says to Jesus, ‘You sit at my right hand and I will crush your enemies.’" If you are Jesus' enemy," the text says, "God is going to destroy you." Psalm 2 makes that plain. If you fight against the Lord and His Messiah, He will destroy you. God will put His sovereign power against you. He'll make all of His enemies a footstool for your feet. This is the most sublime and infinitely complex mystery of Christian theology. Jesus is fully God and fully man, biologically descended from David but Almighty God in the flesh. And before Him, every knee will bow, every tongue will swear that Jesus is Lord, that means God, to the glory of God, the Father. That includes David right now, who I believe is absent from the body and present with the Lord. What do you think he's doing up there? Is he not on his face worshiping his greater son, worshiping the glory of Jesus? That's what's going on. Jesus is the radiance of God's glory. He is the exact representation of His essential being. Anyone who has seen Him has seen the Father. In his death, all the attributes, the perfections of God were put on display for all eternity. The justice of God, the love of God, the power of God, the wisdom of God, these attributes are on display in the death of Jesus. That's who Jesus is. If you believe in him, someday you will see His glory with your own eyes. You will see Him face-to-face. You will see Him exalted and radiant and glorious. And you, yourself, will share in His glory because you will shine like the sun in the kingdom of your Father. Yes, son of David, but He's infinitely more than that, He is the son of God. "This is the most sublime and infinitely complex mystery of Christian theology. Jesus is fully God and fully man, biologically descended from David but Almighty God in the flesh." You have to believe this. You have to believe this to be saved. If you confess with your mouth- what? -Jesus is Lord. What does that mean? It means Jesus is God. That's what it means. And believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Or if you can make Thomas' confession. Thomas said very plainly when he saw the evidence of Jesus' resurrection from the dead, "My Lord and my God." That's what David means under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. "The Lord said to my Lord and my God, sit at my right hand." That's what he's saying. Can you make that confession? Can you look at the incarnate Jesus, read about him in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, look at that personage and say to Him from your heart, "My Lord and my God." If you can do that, you'll be saved. Your sins will be forgiven. V. Applications I began talking about a precise God, meticulous God. The God who made this universe and all the physical constants and all that. That's interesting to some people, to other people not because they’re not into science. I get it. But know this: This precise God, someday you're going to stand before Him and give an account for your life. You're going to be assembled together with all the nations and you're going to give an account for everything you've ever done in the body. It says in Revelation 20:12, "I saw the dead great and small standing before the throne and books were open. Another book was open, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. And Jesus himself said, ‘I tell you, you'll have to give an account in the day of judgment for every careless word you have spoken.’" That's the precise God you're going to stand in front of. I remember I was sharing the gospel with a coworker once, and I quoted that verse talking about Judgment Day. He said, "I don't remember everything I've said." I said, "That's fine. God's written it down, He remembers." And his eyes got big. That is the precise God that we serve. He remembers everything you've ever done, and you have to give Him an account. No one can survive that without Jesus. It's impossible to survive Judgment Day without faith in Jesus Christ. Imagine on the other hand what it's like to have Jesus own you as one of His own and say, "My righteousness is her righteousness, his righteousness. My name is around him or her. This is one of my sheep. I'm extending. Welcome to this person. Come into the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world by your Father." That's what you need. This is a tender warning. "Sit at my right hand," the text says, "until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." Don't be Jesus' enemy. Flee to Christ, and He will be not just your friend but your brother, He will be the lover of your soul, He will be your Lord and your God. We have opportunity to witness this week. I would suggest find someone and put a rock in their shoe. Ask them a question that they can't shake. I was on an airplane, and woe to people who sit next to Andy Davis on an airplane. Who knows where that conversation's going to go? But I remember we had reached a certain point and I felt like there was nothing more I needed to do in the conversation. The person wasn't ready to come to Christ. I actually said this to this person, who's a businessman. I said, "I'm going to pray that tonight you'll be unable to sleep because of the things we've talked about." And I think that's good. Sometimes all God wants you to do is put a question in someone's mind that they can't shake that they need to think about. Close with me in prayer. Father, we thank you for the opportunity we've had today to study your word, to walk through Jesus' incredible question that He asked His enemies. Lord, I pray that we would not be your enemies, I pray, I thank you that in Christ we are adopted, we are loved. We're part of your bride. We are delighted. But we know that we don't deserve any of those things; it's only by your grace. Father, this week as we assemble with family and friends, as we have the chance to be together, help us, oh Lord, to just give thanks to you, knowing that we don't deserve any of the blessings we have, but ultimately to give thanks for Jesus, our savior of whom we can say by the working of the spirit in our hearts, my Lord and my God. In your name we pray. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Acts 2:37 - 2:47 37 Now when they heard this, they were acutely distressed and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What should we do, brothers?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” 40 With many other words he testified and exhorted them saying, “Save yourselves from this perverse generation!” 41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added.42 They were devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and held everything in common, 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need. 46 Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts, 47 praising God and having the good will of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day those who were being saved.Main ThemesTHE RESPONSERepentanceThe crowd is persuaded by Peter. Contrite over killing their own graciously God-given king, the crowd asks what to do. Peter summons them to repentance, as in the prophets, and to call on Jesus' name in a baptism involving such repentance. God's promise to them is the Holy Spirit. The biblical prophets summoned Israel to “turn” or “return” to the Lord. Similarly, in Acts 2 individuals need to turn from wickedness to righteousness, that is, change their lifestyle. Early Judaism heavily emphasized the value of repentance.The crowd is described as having a deep emotional response to Peter's message (“struck to the heart”), producing a favorable behavioral response. We need not assume exaggeration on Luke's part. He provides two other occasions where, by contrast, the emotional response provoked deadly hostility (Acts 5:33; 7:54). I think that we are so used to our current Christian world, we simply assume that joining a religious movement involves repentance. This was not the case at the time (and it is not the case today with many non-Abrahamic religions). Gentiles did not speak much of moral repentance in light of religion. Joining a new mystery cult simply supplemented one's previous religious experience.Because God's “kingdom” was his reign, those who turned to embrace his reign were accepting a new king. Genuine faith in Jesus as Lord requires acknowledgment of his lordship and beginning to adjust to its practical demands.BaptismJust as John the Baptist preached a baptism symbolizing repentance, so now does Peter. Jewish people traditionally applied immersion baptism only to Gentiles (more on this later). Peter here demands a conversion no less radical than that of a Gentile converting to Judaism, but from members of his own people who must likewise turn to Israel's God and the divinely appointed king, Jesus. After reading this passage in acts, we might ask: Is forgiveness tied to baptism or repentance? Are both required? “Forgiveness of sins” is explicitly associated especially with repentance in Acts and in Luke. Most importantly, Jesus' final command to the disciples in the Gospel of Luke was that of preaching repentance.Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it stands written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:45-49One could debate to what extent forgiveness of sins is also associated with baptism (i.e., the act of baptism itself as distinct from repentance). Some of the arguments are based on the grammar of the text we just read. Those arguments are complex and, frankly, beyond me. Besides, grammar alone is hardly dispositive of the issue. If we surveyed texts in Luke and Acts relating to forgiveness, we would find that forgiveness is more often associated with repentance than baptism, and repentance is never missing when baptism is mentioned with forgiveness of sins. Nevertheless, we cannot ignore the fact that for Luke baptism is not dissociated from repentance. At least under normal circumstances, one does not separate the two.As I remarked above, we live in such a Christianized age, we are not surprised by facts that ought to surprise us. The fact that Jesus' followers used baptism as the initiation rite is actually quite unexpected. Ritual lustrations were common throughout the ancient world. Various temples had their own rules mandating ritual purity. The early Jewish practice of ritual washings was widespread long before the time of the Jesus movement. Christian baptism seems a bit different, though. John's baptism in the Synoptic tradition was initiatory and eschatological, a baptism of repentance in light of the coming kingdom of God. The Qumran community practiced initiatory baptism, but unlike for early Christians, the initial baptism at Qumran was apparently viewed only as the first among many. The closest Jewish parallel to John the Baptist's and early Christian baptism was proselyte baptism, a specific and extremely potent form of ritual purification. Proselyte baptism provided a clear, symbolic line of demarcation between a proselyte's Gentile past and Jewish present, much like the baptism suggested in Acts.In Jesus NamePeter calls his audience to be baptized in Jesus' name. Jewish people were known for “calling on the Lord's name,” and the more specific application to Jesus would be striking. (Again, this reveals a high Christology.) But what does the phrase mean? Baptism “in Jesus's name” distinguishes this baptism from other Jewish immersion practices noted above, with respect to its object. That is, it clarifies the convert's new allegiance.We should also note that for Luke, baptism in Jesus's name does not involve a ritual formula uttered over an initiate but the new believer's calling on the name of Jesus. In Luke's writings, the verb to baptize (βαίτίζω) appears in both passive and active forms. However, in the formula “in the name of Jesus,” it appears only with passive uses of the verb. Put simply, I do not baptize you, you are baptized. This indicates that the formula has to do with receiving rather than giving. This is not to argue that early Christians would not have cared who supervised baptisms. The Promise of the SpiritLuke recalls earlier teachings about the Spirit through his terms “gift” and “promise.” By noting that the promise is for others, he makes the proper response for the present crowd (namely, repentance and baptism in Jesus's name) and the gift of the Spirit paradigmatic for all subsequent believers. By alluding to “far-off” Gentiles by way of Isaiah's language, Luke also reiterates the promise of the Spirit for the Gentile mission. By concluding that the gift was available to “as many as God calls,” Luke clearly echoes the end of Joel 2:32, completing the quotation interrupted in Acts 2:21.It will so happen thateveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered.For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who survive,just as the Lord has promised;the remnant will be those whom the Lord will call.SUMMARY AND EXHORTATIONVerse 2:40 (“[w]ith many other words he testified”) probably means that Luke skips through many supplementary proofs and arguments provided by Peter. Instead, Luke's narrative moves quickly to the final exhortation and emotional appeal: “Save yourselves!” This restates briefly the speech's central idea. The immediate referent of “save” here is Joel's prophecy in Acts 2:21: whoever calls on the Lord's name will be saved. Therefore this salvation at least includes deliverance from God's eschatological wrath and destruction, available through Christ. For Peter's hearers to save themselves from the generation's wickedness was not, as some later Gentile Christian interpreters would have it, a summons to leave Israel and their Jewishness; rather, it was a summons to leave their rebellion against God, like a repeated prophetic summons to Israel in the Old Testament.Peter's term γενεά (genea) means here a temporal “generation,” not (as some would interpret it) “race” (γένος). By calling the generation crooked here, Peter is appealing to the Old Testament, particularly Deuteronomy 32:5. Peter's point is an exhortation not to harden their hearts as their ancestors did in the wilderness.Peter thus continues the preaching tradition followed by John the Baptist, underlining the continuity of salvation history and of the saving message.3,000We discussed baptism earlier, so I will not discuss the religious significance of 3,000 people being baptized. Nevertheless, we should briefly consider the mechanics of this. Could so many people even be baptized in a day? (The text could easily be understood to mean that 3,000 came to believe in Jesus, regardless of whether the actual baptisms would have taken several days to perform. But let's assume the harder, albeit simpler reading of the text.) To accommodate the thousands of worshipers the temple hosted daily, the Temple Mount had plenty of baptismal pools. Even the Roman historian Tacitus was familiar with the claim that the temple held many pools.“Baptizing” in this period involved mainly supervision while the people coming for purification immersed themselves. Like John the Baptist, the disciples could have supervised mass baptisms, without having to physically lay hands on each person. Once verbal instructions were issued, mass immersions in response to Peter's command could have occurred.One more question: is 3,000 converts in one day a believable number? At feast times such as Pentecost, Jerusalem could host as many as half a million people, with an estimated thirty thousand from the Diaspora. The Temple Mount was large enough to hold tens of thousands at one time, perhaps up to four hundred thousand (according to some of the larger estimates). Even if some of these estimates are too high (although they might be correct), thousands of hearers and a rapid mass movement of three thousand conversions are not at all implausible.Another reason to believe Luke's account of converts is that Luke seems quite honest about audiences' reactions to hearing the gospel. After each sermon in Acts, Luke reports people's acceptance or rejection (2:41; 4:4; 5:33; 7:54; 8:6, 36;10:44; 13:44, 48-50; 17:32; 22:22; 28:24, 29). Reporting rejections does not seem to fit a false narrative of ineffable success.The First ChurchVerse 42 begins a summary section describing the Jerusalem community of disciples, or what I may refer to as the first church. Before we discuss whether this first church is meant as a model for the rest of us, let's just focus on the text. What is the community engaged in? Prayer, learning from the apostles, signs, eating together, and sharing of possessions. Let's discuss these in further detail.SummariesAs a quick side note, what do I mean by a summary section? Speaking of situations in broad terms (i.e., summarizing) is typical of ancient historiographical works that were based on research and the use of sources. In other words, here Luke condenses a wider collection of information than he can afford space to narrate.The Ideal CommunityIn the ancient world, just like today, tales and dreams of ideal communities that shared all possessions were not unusual. The language employed by Luke is reminiscent of Hellenistic language for the ideal community. However, Luke and his audience are probably not thinking of Gentile sources. Instead, there is a nearly unmistakable connection between this first church and the Old and New Testament emphases on caring for the poor. For example, recall a passage like Deuteronomy 15:7-11:If a fellow Israelite from one of your villages in the land that the Lord your God is giving you should be poor, you must not harden your heart or be insensitive to his impoverished condition. Instead, you must be sure to open your hand to him and generously lend him whatever he needs. Be careful lest you entertain the wicked thought that the seventh year, the year of cancellation of debts, has almost arrived, and your attitude be wrong toward your impoverished fellow Israelite and you do not lend him anything; he will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be regarded as having sinned. You must by all means lend to him and not be upset by doing it, for because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you attempt. There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am commanding you to make sure you open your hand to your fellow Israelites who are needy and poor in your land. Deuteronomy 15:7-11Consider also the following verses in Deuteronomy:One must not take either lower or upper millstones as security on a loan, for that is like taking a life itself as security. Deuteronomy 24:6When you make any kind of loan to your neighbor, you may not go into his house to claim what he is offering as security. You must stand outside and the person to whom you are making the loan will bring out to you what he is offering as security. If the person is poor you may not use what he gives you as security for a covering. You must by all means return to him at sunset the item he gave you as security so that he may sleep in his outer garment and bless you for it; it will be considered a just deed by the Lord your God.You must not oppress a lowly and poor servant, whether one from among your fellow Israelites or from the resident foreigners who are living in your land and villages. You must pay his wage that very day before the sun sets, for he is poor and his life depends on it. Otherwise he will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin. Deuteronomy 24:10-15There are countless verses about helping the poor in the Psalms. Broadly speaking, the psalmists express the idea that the one who helps the poor will be blessed (e.g., Psalm 41:1-2). Jesus spoke repeatedly about helping the poor and about their blessings to come.So, this first church is surprising and unsurprising. Surprisingly, it describes a nearly unbelievable setting filled with love and generosity. Unsurprisingly, this has been the goal Moses, the Prophets, and Jesus spoke about. One could hardly expect otherwise.If one believes that Pentecost was a sort of reversal of the curse at Babel, then the church's unity in these verses builds upon that reversal. TeachingThe apostles' teaching provides a crucially important link to Jesus' ministry. The early church devoted itself to the apostles' teachings, which is to say they devoted themselves to Jesus' teachings passed on by the apostles. Luke is emphasizing the continuity between the mission of Jesus and his church.What might this teaching have looked like? Moral teaching was not unusual in the ancient world. For example, we could picture the lectures in a philosophic schools. However, considering the Jewish background of the apostles and other (approximately 120) Jesus' followers that received the Spirit during the Pentecost miracle, the teaching probably looked like the Midrashic exposition familiar in the synagogues. Or, put even more simply, it would have looked like Peter's speech: lessons and admonitions expanding on scriptures.Fellowship (Koinōnia)The first church engaged in “fellowship,” the Greek word being koinōnia (κοινωνία). I mention this bit of Greek trivia because the Greek word often appears in churches and Christian college campuses to describe events and meeting places. It has become part of the modern Christian lingo. The word means exactly that, a partnership, community, or “sharing in” something. The term can refer to the sort of harmony created by shared purpose and working together. In a commercial context, the word could mean sharing profits.In light of early Christian teaching, much like sharing possessions, fellowship is not a surprising fruit of Pentecost. Remember what we read in the Gospel of John when Jesus prays for the believers:“I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one—I in them and you in me—that they may be completely one, so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me. John 17:20-23In verse 46, we read the believers met by common consent. The term translated as such is rare (appearing nowhere else in the New Testament or Septuagint). Although I do not want to read too much into it, I think it does show a strong form of unity.Breaking BreadIn the text, breaking bread and fellowship are side by side, giving the impression that fellowship included sharing meals. We may surmise that these common meals were at the expense of those who were sharing their possessions—those who could afford the food. More importantly, what do we mean by breaking bread? Certainly our modern experiences with the Eucharist or Lord's Supper (the wording will change depending on the Christian tradition) affects how we read this passage. We should, however, keep in mind that, as the most basic staple, “bread” could easily stand for food in general. The passage is probably conveying the idea of eating together, not exclusively the breaking of literal bread. Recall the original Lord's Supper (Luke 22), in which bread and wine were shared, but just like they were shared at other meals. They were notable components in a meal involving many other components. If anything, the bread and wine were special in the fact that they were not—they were the most basic and always-present elements of Jewish meals.One could read the text to say that the early Christians were simply taking bread together, like the sacrament with which we are so familiar. That is not the most likely reading. (I am not trying to make a broader point about the sacraments. I am simply trying to clarify what the text means.)As we read this text, we should remember that a host who shared a meal with guests was thought to have formed a bond of relationship that was not taken lightly. Providing food and partaking of what was provided were important social obligations. To eat with someone was, at least to some extent, to befriend them. Considering that this early church was made up of people from all over the known world, and rich and poor, this sharing of meals was nothing short of revolutionary.Prayer and WorshipPrayer was the prelude to Pentecost, but it did not stop there. At the end of chapter 2, we see that prayer is a continuing part of the Christian community life.On a related note, we find that they praise God together. The word Luke uses for praise is found many times in the Septuagint. It is almost always associated with praise carried out in the temple. Consider, for example:They brought the ark of God and put it in the middle of the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God. When David finished offering burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the Lord's name. He then handed out to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. He appointed some of the Levites to serve before the ark of the Lord, to offer prayers, songs of thanks, and hymns to the Lord God of Israel. 1 Chronicles 16:1-4What did that early worship look like? Again, considering the background of most of the people involved, it probably looked like (not necessarily the same as) the Jewish liturgy and reading of the Psalms. Nevertheless, early Christians would have rejected the idea that the Jewish liturgy in the temple was the required or even best way to pray and worship.SignsIn verse 43, we have one of many miracle summaries in Acts (e.g., 5:12; 8:7; 19:11-12; 28:9). We are also told how people reacted. “Reverential awe came over everyone . . . .” In the Greek, the imperfect tense is used. Awe (or fear) was coming over everyone. This suggests a continued phenomenon rather than a one time event.What is this “awe” or, literally, “fear” that they felt? The text suggests a newfound attitude of paying attention to God, his work, his commandments, and his very person (i.e., who he is).Meeting at the TempleUndeniably, homes became the dominant meeting places for Christians. Yet, notice that in this first church, they meet both in the temple and in homes. Some suggest that Christians used public meeting places to evangelize, but houses to disciple the converts. That very well could be the case, but in the case of Acts 2, worshipping at the Temple does not seem like a tactic. Instead, at this point, the temple serves a positive function—it right and proper to worship at the temple. The revival of spiritual temple worship here would evoke for Luke's biblically informed audience grand precedents. In the Old Testament, renewal of temple or tabernacle worship accompanied revivals in Israel's history. The early Christians thus had good reason to expect (and experience) a renewal of temple worship, whether or not the authorities saw fit to cooperate with their agenda. (Many Jewish people expected a new or renewed temple in this period.)Lessons for TodayI am going to do something a little unusual for this Bible study. Generally, I try to stay close to the text—focusing on the cultural and linguistic issues. My goal is to explain what the text really says—what it meant to the author and original audience. The implications of the text, particularly for our lives, I touch on lightly and briefly. As some have let me know (and there is nothing wrong with that), this has the effect of hiding the forest for the trees. I spend much of the time discussing details like grammar, and I never get to the “good stuff.”Well, today, I do want to pause for a brief moment and consider some questions. In particular, I have three in mind. First, does charity matter? Second, should we preach like “Acts 2 Peter”? Third, should our churches resemble the “Acts 2 church”?Does Charity Matter?I do not wish to repeat myself, but the Old Testament and Jesus' ministry have a heavy emphasis on charity. Helping the poor is part of the Jewish law. The Psalms say that helping the poor will result in blessings. Jesus says that helping the poor will result in exaltation.Then when Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. He said to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host. So the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.' Then, ashamed, you will begin to move to the least important place. But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host approaches he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, don't invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors so you can be invited by them in return and get repaid. But when you host an elaborate meal, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then you will be blessed because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:7-14It is this Bible-wide emphasis on caring for the poor that climaxes in the depiction of the first church. And, I think the undeniable truth is that this emphasis on the poor has been crucial for the vitality and expansion of the church. Listen how Craig Keener describes how early thinkers, Christian and pagan alike, noticed the early church's attitude towards the poor:Justin claims that former pagans, converted to Christianity, continue to share their resources in common and with the needy (Justin 1 Apol. 14). In the late second century, Tertullian remarks wittily that Christians readily share everything in common except their wives—the one thing, he complains, pagans were most willing to share (Tert. Apol. 39.11– 12). In antithetical contrast to the apologists' idealized portraits, Lucian ridicules worshipers of “the crucified sophist” as despising “all things indiscriminately” and reckoning everything as “common property,” hence easily cheated. Celsus critiqued Christians for their effective appeal to “the socially objectionable classes” as well as to “the unhappy and sinful.” Other sources also attest to Christians' continuing commitment to share their resources in the second century and beyond.In short, I think charity is both a means of blessing in this life (I mean for the giver, not the recipient) and one of the primary means by which we show the kingdom of God in this world. Regarding blessings, allow me to make a wildly inflammatory statement: the answer to many of our personal problems is a lack of charity. Are you experiencing depression? Go help the poor. Are you having trouble with your wife? Go help the poor. Are you dissatisfied with your job? Go help the poor. No, I am not saying that helping the poor will make your problems go away, but I am saying that helping the poor will provide you with a certain perspective and patience that will help solve them. Charity is simply that crucial and life-changing. And, do we want our churches to be lively and vibrant? We must help and welcome the poor. What are the limits to charity? Yes, a line must be drawn. My suggestion is we discuss that once we think we are getting close to the line.Should We Preach Like Acts 2 Peter?In Acts 2, Peter makes a perfect presentation of what we generally call “the gospel.” Peter stood up and told them (paraphrased), “Listen! The scriptures spoke of a day when the Spirit of God would be poured out on all people. As you can see and hear (because of the Pentecost miracle), that day is today. That also means that the end is near, call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved. Who is the Lord? Jesus. How do we know? He did miracles among you. Also, you killed him using dirty tactics but God raised him from the dead. The scriptures spoke of one who would not see decay—that's Jesus! The scriptures also spoke of a king who would reign forever, who would be exalted. That's Jesus! He has been taken up to heaven as King and Savior. He will not lose. Save yourselves! Repent!”Obviously, I do not disagree with Peter one bit. My question is not whether Peter is right. I believe he speaks of true things. My question is whether we should present that truth the same way, and whether his argument would be compelling today.If you are thinking I am about to start a discussion about how sensitive people are today, and how offended they would be by Peter's speech, do not worry. I am not convinced people have ever been different (e.g., more or less sensitive), but be that as it may, I am more interested in the argument itself.Peter's argument depends partly on the audience's personal experience with Jesus. It depends much more, though, on scripture that the audience believes to be true. Peter does not even need to argue that scripture is truthful.Would we find a similar audience today? In my opinion, yes and no. In the United States, we live in a time of great apostasy (or at least of many people leaving the churches). People are leaving the Christian faith by the hundreds of thousands. In 2007, religious “nones” were only about 16%. Now that number has nearly doubled (29%). Perhaps many of these people still believe the Bible to be true, much like Peter's audience, and we can call them back to God based on that. But about a third of Americans (coincidentally, also 29%) believe that the Bible is simply fables. What then?I have two suggestions. First, like we will read of Paul preaching in Athens, we must meet them where they (the audience) are. We must explain why the gospel is true and good. Second, and this will lead into my question of the early church, we must help them experience Jesus. How? The church is the body of Christ. I think that unbelievers should truly encounter Jesus in the community of his followers.Should our churches resemble the “Acts 2 church”?Why do I ask this question? Partly because many churches claim to be Acts 2 churches. This is particularly common with nondenominational churches (this is not an attack, simply a statement of fact), but even some more traditional, denominational churches advocate for this.We must begin by asking what do we mean by an Acts 2 church. Here are some answers I found to get us started:Their Four KeysThe church in Acts 2 has four priorities: studying good teaching, hanging out, sharing meals, and praying (verse 42). That's a great start, but many churches today don't even do that, not really.Their MiraclesAmazing supernatural things occur. People are amazed (verse 43). Today, most churches don't encounter miracles or anything supernatural. They forgot how or never learned. And for many who do walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, their focus is on the experience, not on people's reaction. Their emphasis is backwards. The purpose of “signs and wonders” isn't to gratify themselves. It's to show God's power, pointing outsiders to him, not delighting insiders.Their FinancesThe kicker is that they pool their resources; they even sell their possessions to give to everyone in need. The church takes care of their own (verses 44 and 45). Too many churches today do not even care for the needs of their members; they expect government or some other organization to. And I've never encountered a church that shares all their material possessions. That's just un-American!Their PatternThey continue to hang out—every day—and share food. They are delighted (verse 46). I don't know of any church family that meets every day, but the Acts 2 church did.Their ResultsBecause of all this, others esteem them and they grow (verse 47). Too often today's churches don't have the respect of society but quite the opposite. Too many churches aren't growing; they're not even maintaining; they're dying. However, none of the things the church did in Acts 2 are commands for us to follow. The passage is descriptive; it shows what the church did and the outcome they enjoyed. It may be a viable model for us to follow.Unfortunately, many churches today don't even practice these four key actions; supernatural results are rare; and sharing everything is virtually nonexistent. Is it any wonder why churches aren't respected by society or growing? Perhaps they're doing church wrong and not more closely following the Acts 2 model.—Peter DehaanBeing an Acts 2 Church in the 21st CenturySome churches are known for their music programs, others for their children or youth ministries, while yet others for some sort of “niche” that appeals to a large audience. While all such ministries can be good and helpful for both reaching your community and encouraging the church, it's interesting to look back at what the first church devoted themselves to. In Acts 2, after Peter's Jewish audience heard the gospel proclaimed, they responded with repentance and faith, were incorporated into the church through baptism, and they devoted themselves to a common faith and a common life.It's no accident that the first devotion mentioned was to the apostles' teaching. We too should be devoted to the apostles' teaching. But what is their teaching? In Acts 2:22-26, Peter preaches the good news concerning Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and exaltation as Lord and King. In Acts 4, Peter and John annoy the Jewish leaders because they were “teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead” (v.2). Then the Jewish leaders charged them not “to teach at all in the name of Jesus” (v.18). Then in Acts 5, the apostles' teaching is referred to as “the words of life” (v.20-21). But again, the Jewish leaders “strictly charged them not to teach in this name” (v.28). Nevertheless, after they were released, Luke says of the apostles:And every day in the temple and from house to house they did not cease teaching and preaching that Jesus is the Christ. (v.42)I trust you get the idea of what the apostles' teaching entails.Still, there is a little more going on in Acts 2:42 then first meets the eye. You see, faithful Jews were to be devoted to Moses' teaching. By devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching, the early church understood that they were under a new authority—King Jesus, the new and better prophet than Moses. The apostles' teaching is nothing other than all of Scripture, now interpreted through the lens of Jesus. This is, after all, how Jesus himself viewed all of Scripture (Luke 24:44-49). All Scripture is inspired by God and points to Jesus.For this reason, we should want what we do together as a church to be Word-saturated (all of Scripture) and gospel-centered (interpreted through the lens of Jesus). In light of this gospel commitment, here are four areas in which we should encourage our church to be devoted to the apostles' teaching.Personal DevotionsIf our churches are to be devoted to the apostles' teaching, then our members need to be personally devoted to the apostles' teaching. . . .Sunday SchoolYour church may or may not have Sunday school. At High Pointe, we call it Life Classes, and we offer topic specific classes. . . .Small GroupsPerhaps your church has small groups that meet throughout the week. These groups should also be Word-saturated and gospel-centered. . . .Worship GatheringsIt is a great joy when God's people gather to declare our joint allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. . . . .—LifewayChurch As It Was Meant To BeIn many respects, the contemporary church in America looks more like a large corporation than like anything described in the New Testament. Even church leaders sometimes bear a closer resemblance to CEOs and corporate executives than to humble, tender shepherds. Sadly, the good news — that a sinner can find forgiveness for sins before a holy God by placing his trust in and committing his whole life to Jesus Christ—is often eclipsed by “success”-oriented programs and an interest in the bottom line. As a result, many churches have become nothing more than entertainment centers, employing tactics that effectively draw people into the church, but are incapable of truly ministering to them once they come. …So, what's the blueprint? A logical place to start is at the beginning with the first church—the church at Jerusalem. It began on the Day of Pentecost . . . . Back to the Blueprint: Bible Study, Fellowship, and PrayerActs 2:42 gives the blueprint they followed: “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Those are the vital elements that make up the actual function and life of the church— and all of that in just one verse! Here's an obvious starting point: A church built to the Master's plan will begin with the right raw material—a saved congregation. Verse 41 identifies the church as being made up of “those who had received [Peter's] word,” and “were continually devoting themselves.” The church at Jerusalem was filled with true Christians — those who continually adhered to apostolic teaching.…While the early church didn't have a New Testament, they had God's Word in the form of the “apostles' teaching.” The church at Jerusalem was committed to receiving that Word. Doctrine is the basis of the church—you can't live out what you don't know or understand. . . . Don't ever allow anyone to stand in the pulpit who isn't committed to leading the congregation through a deep, penetrating study of God's Word. The central focus of the early church's fellowship was the breaking of bread — the Lord's Table. It was the most fitting symbol of their fellowship since it reminded them of the basis for their unity—salvation in Christ and adherence to apostolic doctrine. . . .We eat and drink in remembrance of Christ's self-sacrificing love that took Him to the cross. In your fellowship, make it your habit to practice the same kind of love Christ demonstrated toward you. Practically speaking, you can always give your life to those God brings across your path. Do you habitually pray for fellow believers? Are you encouraging them, edifying them, meeting their physical needs? Do you love them enough to confront them when they are sinning? Those are the marks of true Christian fellowship. It is church as it was meant to be. Acts 2:42 says the believers continually devoted themselves to prayer. Sadly, the same devotion to prayer is often neglected today. Churches can pack pews by offering entertainment, but when a prayer meeting is held, only a faithful few trickle in. . . .Built to Scale: Wonder, Love, and JoyWhat happens when true believers remain under biblical teaching, in a spiritual fellowship, and in devotion to prayer? Acts 2:43 says, “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe.” “Awe,” the Greek word for fear, speaks of a sense of reverence. It is reserved for special times when people are struck with wonder because of something divine or powerful that defies human explanation. Your church ought to be able to instill awe in your community. . . .—Grace to YouI think we can pick up on a couple of things. First, everyone picks and chooses. Some emphasize signs, some leave them out. (Of course, there are theological reasons for this.) In the second example I quoted, we see a nearly exclusive emphasis on learning—on words. Is that what we see in Acts 2?The community of believers in Acts 2 is the culmination of the salvation story, at least in this life. It has learning but it has has doing; it has giving and receiving; it has love and generosity. Whatever we decide we should carry forward to today's church, I think we cannot forget that the first church was like family.
I. JOHN DOUBTS JESUS (v 1-3) It came during a year long trial (in prison, v 2) It came from false expectations about Jesus (v 2-3) It came from a limited view of what Jesus was doing (v 2) But John still knew to take his doubts to Jesus (v 2) II. JESUS REASSURES JOHN (v 4-6) Jesus pointed John to His actions and to Scripture (v 4-5)Isaiah 35:4-5; Isaiah 61:1-2 Jesus pronounces those blessed who trustingly submit to Him (v 6) III. JESUS REASSURES THE CROWD ABOUT JOHN (v 7-15) Jesus says we can trust John because… John wasn't blown around by popular opinion (v 7) John wasn't soft, posh, or given to impressing kings or other elites (v 8) John was a prophet (v 9) John was more than a prophet because the OT foretold his ministry (v 9-10, 13-15) Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1 (v 10); Malachi 4:5 (v 13-15) John was the greatest man ever born before Jesus (v 11) John's imprisonment is part and parcel of the coming of the kingdom as the kingdom is opposed by violent people (v 12) Yet the least in the kingdom is greater than John! (v 11) You can watch this message here.
Like John the Baptist, our objective should be to simply point others to Christ.
Using the passage in John 15 in which Jesus describes himself as the real vine and we are the branches, Sara Jukes shares a personal testimony about what God has been doing in and through her during her recent sabbatical. Like many people in the bible, we ask God plenty of 'why' questions. Instead, Sara encourages us to get to know the who! God, the gardener knows best! He prunes and breaks off the fruitful branches and the bad ones, in order that the plant will survive the winter and flourish in future seasons. We are to trust Jesus and acknowledge that He is the hero of our story. Like John the Baptist, we are to decrease and Jesus must become greater in our lives. For more information about Breathe New Life Church or if you'd like to make a decision to follow Jesus, visit our website here: https://breathenewlife.church/becomeachristian
August 29, 2023Today's Reading: Mark 6:14-29Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 26:1-25, 1 Corinthians 5:1-13And the king was exceedingly sorry. (Mark 6:26a)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. John the Baptist's executioner was exceedingly sorry that he would put John to death. But, punishments follow crimes committed, right? Why would King Herod feel sorry? In fact, Herod's interactions with John are confusing. First, Herod sends John to prison because he doesn't like what John said about his marriage. But, we also read that Herod, ‘feared John…and kept him safe' (v. 20). Even more puzzling, though, was that when King Herod heard John speak, ‘he was greatly perplexed, and yet…heard him gladly' (v. 20). Wait, what? Herod puts John in prison for what John said about his marriage. But then, we read that Herod (the KING) fears John, protects John, and is glad to hear John speak. So, John is punished for speaking, protected for speaking, gladly heard when speaking, but then ultimately put to death for speaking. This is weird, right? Perhaps it's because John had a dynamic and inviting personality. He must have been relevant and very popular. But…that's not what Scripture says. John was the ‘weird guy' who ate bugs and lived out in the wilderness. John was the guy who kept talking about someone else coming, about God's Law, and the need for repentance. It wasn't his personality that caused Herod's sorrow. John the Baptist faithfully preached God's Word. He reminded sinners that they couldn't do anything they wanted (like marry their brother's wife, for example), that they needed to repent, and that the Savior was coming. John pointed to Jesus. God's Word promises to never return empty, but to always accomplish God's work (Isaiah 55:10-11). The Law is good and necessary; it shows us our sinfulness and our desperate need for a Savior. John was faithfully preaching God's Law. Herod's confusing reaction to John makes sense; he was struck by the truth of John's teaching even as he recoiled that the Law was for him too. We are often like King Herod; we react to God's Law with anger or reluctance. (I hope, though, that you aren't throwing your pastor into prison when he preaches it to you!) Like John the Baptist, God sends us faithful pastors to preach God's Truth in its purity. Your pastor reminds you of your sins and your deadness on your own. But then, he points to Jesus. He comforts you with God's grace and mercy through Jesus' death and resurrection. You are declared forgiven. Today, we remember the faithfulness of John the Baptist; we give thanks for faithful pastors. We rejoice that we have a loving and merciful God who gives us His Word, both Law and Gospel, for our eternal good. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Our thanks for John the Baptist Who, till his dying day, Made straight paths for the SaviorAnd heralded His way! In witnessing to Jesus Through times of threat or shameMay we with faith and courage The Lamb of God proclaim. (LSB 517:24)-Deaconess Sarah Longmire is the bible study editor for Higher Things.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.
Thank you for joining the Manna Bible Class Podcast as we study the wonderful and inspiring Gospel Of John. Please share with your friends and family. Also, the Manna Podcast Team would appreciate you joining us in prayer that God would expand this ministry. https://www.mannapodcast.com/lessons Brad's Board Notes John 10:22-42 Vs 22-26 Those who belong to God will believe in Jesus, His Son; those who refuse to believe in Jesus, reveal that they don't belong to God. Vs 27-31 God sent Jesus the Messiah to earth, in order to give eternal life to those who belong to Him, and believe in Him. Vs 32-39 Jesus' supernatural miracles inescapably demonstrate that He is God in human flesh; therefore refusing to believe in Him is both irrational, and immoral. Vs 40-42 Like John the Baptist, God calls us to “take the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, and leave the results to God.” (CRU) Other Verses: John 3:16 &18; 5:18; 6:51; 7:29; 8:24, 43-44, & 58; 20:30-31 Matthew 5:17-18; 12:22-24 Romans 8:38-39
The Truth in Love: Homilies & Reflections by Fr. Stephen Dardis
In this special report: Before he was murdered, McAfee had dedicated his life, wealth and sacred honor to freeing Americans from the control system we've all seen hyper accelerated since 2016. Here was his Libertarian presidential Campaign video - showcasing complete honesty, selflessness, and transparency in a desperate, painful plea to wake up the masses. John McAfee was a sinner, perhaps more than most - but he was an honest one. His loss is still felt keenly by those of us who stand as lights against this darkness, which is a little darker since his departure. Like John the Baptist came to pave the way for Jesus Christ (YeShuah). John McAfee, as sinful as any in this late hour of mans final destiny, has helped pave the way for His return. Let's explore why he had to be silenced by those in power.
WORD EXPLOSION '23| DAY 12| STUDY ON THE BOOK OF ST.JOHN| CHIMDI & FUNKE OHAHUNA. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. John 1:8 KJV John the Baptist was the agent who conveyed and transmitted the revelation of Jesus, the Lamb, and the Light of God to mankind. As an agent of the Father God, he did business on earth on behalf of the Father God. This business was to reveal and publicize Jesus as the Lamb and Light of God to humanity. John the Baptist being an agent of the Father God, stood in the authority of God the Father and successfully executed His business on Earth. Like John the Baptist, the New Creatures are agents of Christ Jesus the Son of God. Join Chimdi and Funke in this Bible study & discussion session to discover the concept of your purpose/business as given to you by Christ, and how much of you and your time it requires. Listen to the full teaching now. Jesus is Lord. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gracelife-comi/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gracelife-comi/support
Like John the Baptist, we live lives that point to the One who is greater: Jesus, the Messiah.
Believe it or not, you don't have to have it all together to spread the good news of Jesus. just look at John the Baptist! He wasn't going to be on the bachelor any time soon! All God needs is you with a willing heart, He will provide the rest. Stay salty and be kind, my friends! Matthew 3:4-6
The Fourth Sunday in Advent: The Voice Crying in the Wilderness Philippians 4:4-7 & St. John 1:19-28 by William Klock The days have been getting shorter and shorter. I walk home from the church in the dark most days. Just before the snow fell I rode my bike up the Mountain on the logging roads to Lost Lake and found myself riding back down in the dark, which came more quickly than I anticipated. I was glad I took my headlight with me. The short days can be very dreary. It occurs to me that this is why Christmas lights are so popular, bringing some light and cheer into the darkness. Whether people realise it or not, in Jesus the light has come into the darkness and even people who wouldn't know the gospel from a hole in the ground live in that light. Jesus has changed everything—even for people who think Christmas is just about Santa and Rudolph and Frosty. The light has come into the world and the world has not overcome it. But think about Israel in the time of the Gospels. In the time of Mary and Joseph, of Elizabeth and Zechariah, of John the Baptist and of Jesus, of Herod. The world was dark…oh so dark. The nation was enslaved to false gods and to wicked kings who, themselves, claimed divinity. St. Paul writes of demonic forces that enslaved the nations—forces broken and defeated by the gospel—but that victory was decades away. The world was dark. Even little Israel, called to be the light of the world, lay in spiritual darkness. The candlestick in the temple was kept lit, but the cloud of glory that had once filled the holy of holies, the very presence of God, had been absent for five-hundred years. God's people were ruled by pagans and pretenders. And apart from a faithful remnant, the nation had been consumed by the darkness, a holy people in little other than their calling. But the people knew the words of the prophets, the promises of their God. It would not be this way forever. That's the setting for today's Gospel, which begins at John 1:19. Here's what John writes: And this is the testimony of John [this is John the Baptist, not John the Evangelist who writes these words], when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said.” (John 1:19-28) The Pharisees sent Levitical and priestly inquirers to interrogate John, to find out who he was—or who he thought he was. If someone showed up with a message from God, the Pharisees were sure to show up and to ask questions to see if it was legit. The Jews really were expecting someone. John anticipates this in his answers. They ask who he thinks he is and the first thing he says is, “I am not the Christ.” “Christ” is the Greek word for Messiah. “I am not the Messiah.” That's the one everyone was really anxious to see. The Messiah would lift the darkness. The Messiah would fix everything that was wrong with the world. The Messiah would deliver his people and reign as David once had. There had been others in recent memory who had claimed to be the Messiah and things hadn't gone well for them. I expect the Pharisees expected the same was true of John, but hey, you never know. Eventually the real Messiah really would come, so they might as well ask some questions. “Well, then,” they ask, “who are you?” John first denies that he's Elijah and then he denies that he's “the prophet”. What's that about. Well, first, Malachi had prophesied that Elijah, Israel's greatest prophet—after Moses, that is—would return one day. This is what he wrote: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. (Malachi 4:5) We have a pretty good sense, based on the literature of the time, that a lot of people interpreted this to mean that Elijah himself would literally return in the flesh. Sort of like a King Arthur to return to rescue Britain at its darkest hour. Some people connected this Elijah Redivivus with the coming of the Messiah. Considering that Elijah, rather than dying like everyone else, was swept up by a fiery chariot into heaven, it's not surprising that people would take Malachi this way. I suspect this sort of literal fulfilment of the prophecy is why John denied that he was Elijah. In contrast, in last week's Gospel, we saw Jesus affirm that John was indeed the one to come in fulfilment of Malachi's prophecy. Maybe John was just exceedingly humble, maybe it never occurred to him that he was, indeed, fulfilling Malachi's prophecy, but it may have been that he knew he wasn't literally Elijah returned as many expected. He denies, too, that he's “the prophet”. This is a reference to a passage in Deuteronomy 18 in which the Lord promises that he will one day raise up a prophet like Moses, who will declare the Lord's own words. Like the Elijah who was to come, many associated the prophet with the Messiah. “Nope,” John says, “that's not me either.” But here's the point. Even if they were wrong about who the Messiah would be and when and how he would come, the Jews were living in hopeful expectation of the Messiah. They were in their own Advent. The days were dark. They were supposed to be the people who lived with the Lord in their midst, but his presence had been gone for five hundred years. They'd returned from exile, but without the Lord's presence and with foreign pagans ruling over them, they might as well have still been in exile. They longed for the light to dawn in the darkness and they trusted it would happen, because they knew their story. They knew that the Lord is faithful to fulfil his promises. They belonged to him. Just as he'd once rescued them from Pharaoh, he would rescue them from Caesar. John was sure of all this, too. He may have denied that he was the one prophesied to come like Elijah or Moses—and it's worth noting that in Matthew and Mark, Jesus actually did affirm that John had come in fulfilment of the Elijah prophecy—but John knew the story, too, and he knew his place in it. When the Pharisees finally let John speak for himself, he told them: “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.'” He quotes straight from Isaiah 40:3. I think this gets at the reason John answered “No” to the questions about Elijah and the Prophet, but given the chance to identify himself, he looks back to this prophecy of Isaiah. This passage from Isaiah is just as Messianic, but John saw the heart of his role and his ministry here. And while there were people who confused the one coming like Elijah or Moses with the Messiah, this voice crying in the wilderness is clearly the Messiah's forerunner—or at least that's how John saw it. He was not the Messiah. He was the one sent ahead to prepare Israel to receive the Messiah. And then the question they pose about baptism gives him a chance to expand on this. Baptism was an act of cleansing that fit well with what the Messiah might be and do when he came. But John has just denied that he is the Messiah. “So,” the Pharisees wonder, “why is John baptising people if he's not the Messiah?” Look at 25-27: They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” Again, baptism did have place in Jewish life. Think back to our study of Exodus and the passages about purity and cleansing—washing with water, and all that. Baptism was a symbol of cleansing, of ritual purity. At this point the other gospel-writers are helpful as they expand on John's answer. Mark tells us that his was a baptism of repentance—it was a preparatory act in light of the coming judgement the Messiah would bring. And Matthew and Luke also report John continuing about this one who will come, this one greater than John: “He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16). In other words, John is calling Israel to repentance in anticipation of the Messiah, who will fulfil the Lord's promises to set Israel to rights by filling his people with his own Spirit. The law written on stone tablets would finally be inscribed on the hearts of God's people that they might fulfil his law of love. But the Messiah was also coming in judgement. He would baptise the repentant with God's own Spirit, but he would baptise unrepentant Israel with fire. These are the two sides of the gospel coin: Jesus' advent brought mercy to the repentant, but it also brought judgement on the unrepentant within Israel. What's significant for us here, Brothers and Sisters, is that this exchange between John and the Pharisees reminds us of the Messiah's place in Israel's story and of the faithfulness of God to his promises. It is this manifestation of the Lord's faithfulness (and of his goodness, mercy, grace, and wisdom) to Israel—something we see brought to its climax in the coming, the death, the resurrection, and the ascension of Jesus, that has drawn us to the God of Israel and that, by faith, has incorporated us into the people of God. Through our incorporation into this people, through our being made adopted sons and daughters of Abraham, we've come to know God's mercy and the life of the Spirit, too. Because of the faithfulness of God, revealed in Jesus and in power of the gospel, the darkness that Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah, John the Baptist and Jesus knew, that deep, deep darkness full of false gods and wicked kings and demonic power is but a shadow of its former self. The light has come into the darkness, his gospel has thrown those powers down and lit up the world. And you and I live in the glory of that light. And this is where our Epistle today takes off. There are practical implications of our being incorporated into the story of the people of God. Paul writes those wonderful and challenging words in Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. What specifically prompted Paul to write this? Well, just two verses earlier, Paul exhorted two women, Euodia and Syntyche, to agree with each other. They had once been fellow labourers with Paul, but had apparently had some kind of dispute or falling out. In response, he calls the Philippian Christian to rejoice in the Lord. Instead of a public display of disunity or resentment or anger—whatever it was that was going on between these two women, the Church was to put joy on display, to celebrate the life of God. They were people of the light, but they were living in the dark. It was imperative that they come back into the light. Paul then writes: Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. (Philippians 4:5a) The King James says, “Let your moderation be known unto all men.” “Moderation” or “reasonableness” aren't really very helpful translations. Paul uses the same word in 2 Corinthians 10 to describe the meekness of Jesus as a model for Christians. What Paul's getting at there is that Jesus is the King. The gospel reveals and proclaims him in all his divine majesty. And yet it also reveals his gentleness. And it's not just gentleness. It's the sort of gentleness that only the one who is truly the Lord of the cosmos can show. This is the gentleness we see revealed as Jesus, the one to whom heaven and earth belong, humbles himself to be born one of us, to die on the cross, and to show mercy to his enemies. This kind of meekness or gentleness is unique to Jesus, and yet Paul stresses that as his people, as stewards of the gospel, we're called to witness this same gentleness ourselves. As it should be the resolution to so many disputes in the Church, it was the resolution to whatever had driven Euodia and Syntyche apart. Brothers and Sisters, when we demand our rights, when we grasp for power, when we nurse grudges, we undermine our witness to the world—we exhibit the very darkness from which we've been delivered by the one who is light. In contrast Paul calls us to rejoice in the Lord and to manifest Christlike gentleness in our relationships. Remember, as people whom God has graciously and mercifully restored to himself, we ought to witness that in our own joyful unity in Jesus. Consider that every time we hold a grudge, allow a relationship to break down, or follow the world's advice to cut those problem or negative people out of our lives, we undermine the Church's witness to the world. But that's not all. Paul goes on: The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. There's that Advent theme again: Jesus has given us a job to do. He's given us treasure to steward in his absence. In the meantime, rather than being anxious, we should take our needs to God. Jesus made the same point in the Sermon on the Mount. The pagans worry about what they'll eat, what they'll wear, and where they'll sleep. God's people should know better than to worry unduly about these things. God will provide just as he always has. He is faithful to his promises and the story of his dealings with Israel is the proof. So go to the Lord with your needs and ask. And while you're at it, give thanks, because you know his faithfulness and his love. This is part of the witness of the people of God—it's how we are light in the darkness—and it ties back into rejoicing. When Paul talks about rejoicing, at least part of what he's got in mind is a public display or a public witness. The pagan Greeks in Philippi regularly held public celebrations to honour their gods. In the decades before Paul wrote, new rites to honour and to celebrate—to rejoice in—Caesar had been introduced and embraced by the people. And yet the pagans, as Jesus said, were always anxious. Why? Because their gods never delivered. Pagan religion was a non-stop game of trial and error, trying to guess what the gods wanted, trying to guess what you may have done wrong to offend them, and then guessing at what you might offer to appease their anger or to ingratiate them to you in order to get what you needed or wanted. The pagan gods were silent and they were notoriously capricious and unreliable. And in this context Paul exhorts the Philippian Christians: Rejoice yourselves. Let the pagans see you celebrating the fact that the Creator of the universe has, through Jesus, made you his own and lives in your midst by his own Holy Spirit. Let the pagans, who know only mean and capricious gods and who live in a dog-eat-dog world, let them see the gentleness of God in you. Live in such a way that they see in you the God who humbles himself to die for the sake of his enemies. And let the pagans see you living in faith, praying in confident thankfulness to the God whose story reveals an unfailing pattern of promise and fulfilment. Shine the light of Jesus into the darkness of the world. And the result of all this? Look at verse 7: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. I think we tend to look at Paul's exhortation here as something we should do in order to experience the peace of God ourselves, but given the context in Philippians, I think Paul's point is actually more about our witness. If we truly live as stewards of the good news about Jesus, if we truly live as people who know the faithfulness of God revealed in Jesus and particularly in his death and resurrection, the peace of God—rather than the strife and anxiety of the world—will guard our hearts and minds in a way that will astound the pagans around us. I said last Sunday that we are called both to proclaim and to live the gospel. This is that living it, right here. And coupled with our proclamation, to truly live in light of Jesus and what he reveals about God, should cause the world to stand up and take note. It will result in many giving glory to God for his faithfulness and then coming to him in faith as we have. And it will threaten many who are invested in the pagan and fallen systems of the world. Like John the Baptist, we are a voice in the wilderness. The difference is that Jesus has now been enthroned as Lord. But we need to ask: Does the world see our joy? Are we the voice crying in the wilderness? Are we the royal heralds the Lord has called us to be, summoning the word to let go of its false gods and to come to the Lord Jesus? Two years ago the government barred us from meeting as it tried to slow the spread of COVID. A lot of people were shouting about persecution. Brothers and Sisters, I really think we were dealing with something worse than persecution. Here's what I mean. Persecution happens when people fear the Church and fear our witness. Last week I mentioned Rod Dreher's new book, Live Not by Lies. In that book he talks about his conversations with people who lived under Communism in Eastern Europe. The Soviets clamped down on Christians because they understood that the gospel, that the message that Jesus is Lord was a threat to their atheistic philosophy. And it wasn't theoretical. It was often Christians who took a stand against the Communists and they did so in light of the gospel. And they were persecuted horribly for their stand for Jesus. Brothers and Sisters, that's not what we saw here. When the health threat passed, the orders banning public gatherings were lifted. You can agree or disagree with the wisdom or rightness of those health orders, but it wasn't persecution. It was something worse. It was indifference to the Church. The government isn't afraid of us or our message. It's not afraid we'll undermine its often godless and immoral dictates and agendas. They aren't hostile to us. They're simply indifferent. As far as the Health Minister or Provincial Health Officer were concerned, churches (and synagogues, mosques, temples, and gurdwaras) are just hobbies and social clubs and if that's all we are, well, we can suspend our gatherings or take them online. Leaders in previous generations, in the midst of national crises, called the Church to prayer. They understood the value of God's people gathered together to pray for the community, the nation, and the world. But not anymore. I'm not aware of any time when our Prime Minister, Premier, or Provincial Health Officer ever asked Christians (or anyone else, for that matter) to pray for the province or the nation. It didn't occur to them that prayer is important or makes a difference—or, for that matter, that God is in control. And we really have ourselves to blame. Why? Because we have not been the witnesses God calls us to be. We have been mealy-mouthed and, quite often, just plain silent in our proclamation and because we have been half-hearted and unfaithful in our gospel living. Like old Israel, we pray to God, but we've failed to tear down the old altars to Mammon and Aphrodite and Caesar. We name Jesus, but we deal dishonestly in business, we sell our souls to the commercialism that surrounds us, we look to politics or to science as our saviours, and we dabble in the sexual immorality of the age. We've failed to proclaim the gospel and we justify it, saying that we'll preach it with our lives. But if we stop to ask what the world sees in our lives, is it really very different? Does the world see us rejoicing in the Lord? Does the world see us manifesting the merciful gentleness of Jesus? Does the world see us living in faithful prayer and trusting in God, or does it see people just as anxious as everyone else? Does the world see the peace of God ruling our hearts and minds? Does the world see us, holding high the gospel, as a challenge to its gods and kings? It should. But sadly, I think that for the Church at large, the answer more often than not is “no”. And, all too often, when we do proclaim the gospel, we do so without power or authority. We hold the gospel out as good advice, rather than as the good news that it is. Friends, the gospel is the royal summons to submit in faith to Jesus, the world's true Lord—the Lord who has come with mercy so that the repentant will escape when he comes one day in judgement. This was the power behind John the Baptist' preaching. But all too often we present the gospel as just another option on the religious smorgasbord—something you might want to try. See if you like it. See if it works for you. If not…oh well. Brothers and Sisters, that's not the gospel. The gospel is good news to the people living in the midst of darkness: the king who will set the world to rights has come. And that means the gospel, when preached as it should be, will challenge and upset the Herods and Caesars of our age and all those invested in the false gods of the world. Brothers and Sisters, the Church today has so failed at being stewards of the gospel that we're provoking neither response: neither hostility and persecution on the one hand, or a harvest of new believers attracted to our faithful preaching and living. The Advent message is to be prepared. Jesus has given us a gospel mission to take the good news of his death, his resurrection, and his lordship into the world. Brothers and Sisters, pray that we will be faithful to our mission—faithful enough to provoke persecution, because that's the kind of faithfulness that also reaps a harvest people for the kingdom. Pray for the holy boldness of John the Baptist. Pray that we will be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Pray that the joy of the Lord will overcome us. Brothers and Sisters, Rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice. Let's pray: O Lord, come among us, we pray, with your power and strengthen us with your great might; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness we are grievously hindered in running the race that is set before us, your bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit, be honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
It's Advent! We are preparing our hearts for the arrival of the Lord. In today's episode, Zechariah praises God and prophesizes over his son. We use the love, teach, play discipleship approach to explore Luke 1:68-80. Love: God, in Jesus, visited earth and kept his promise. Teach: “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people.” Luke 1:68 NLT Play: Play roll out the red carpet. You've got the Holy Spirit! You can do it, mama! Verses from the episode: Luke 1:68-80 Links: (This may contain some affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using these links. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.) Free Consult Call Leave a Review Created to Play's Zoom Christmas Party! Leave an Apple Podcast review to get an invitation to the party. Play and prizes, including free coaching! Playfully Faithful Parenting Podcast is a ministry of CreatedtoPlay.com. For more resources, tips, devotions, and tools check us out online: https://createdtoplay.com . Freebies for you: Want to work with me? Sign up for a 15-minute free coaching call: https://createdtoplay.com/free-coaching Free Bible Study on 3 Traits of God to Guide Your Discipline: https://createdtoplay.com/freebiblestudy Join my free 5-day Bible Play Challenge: https://createdtoplay.com/challenge Get 17 fun, free kid's blessings for meals: https://createdtoplay.com/kids-blessings Even though I'm an introvert, I'm social! Let's connect! Instagram: https://instagram.com/createdtoplay Facebook: https://facebook.com/created2play Twitter: https://twitter.com/createdtoplay Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/createdtoplay Are you looking for a speaker for your next women's, parenting, family, or Children's Ministry event? I'm now booking for 2023. I'm available for virtual and live conferences, brunches, MOPS meetings, retreats, trainings, and more. More details and sample video here: createdtoplay.com/speaking Did you enjoy the show? Subscribe and leave me a 5-star review on Apple Music and make me giddy. Music by jorikbasov from Pixabay. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/joy-wendling/message
Sometimes life requires the astonishing patience of Job. Like him, we are to rejoice in the midst of affliction, be grounded in repentance under the cross of Christ and hope relentlessly in His resurrection, that we might see “the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11). Therefore, in the promise of the Gospel, “be patient” and “establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:8). Like John the Baptist, whatever your own kind of prison or suffering may be, call upon Jesus and receive the strength of His Word from those He sends to you. For as “the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up” (Matt. 11:5), so is the Good News of Jesus preached to you also. He comes and restores the fortunes of Zion, His holy Church, so that “sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Is. 35:10).-----Trinity Lutheran Church, School and Child Care have been "Making Known the Love of Christ" in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and throughout the world since 1853 as a congregation gathering around God's Word and Sacraments to receive forgiveness and life everlasting. Trinity is located in downtown Sheboygan, only one block from the Mead Public Library and the Weill Center for the Performing Arts. We invite you to visit us in person!Trinity Lutheran Sheboygan is a proud member of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit their website: https://www.lcms.org/Music for this production was obtained through a licensing agreement with One License, LLC. The copyright permission to reprint, podcast, and record hymns and songs is acquired through ID Number: 730195-A#LCMS #Lutheran #DivineServiceSupport the show-----Trinity Lutheran Church, School and Child Care have been "Making Known the Love of Christ" in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and throughout the world since 1853 as a congregation gathering around God's Word and Sacraments to receive forgiveness and life everlasting. Trinity is located in downtown Sheboygan, only one block from the Mead Public Library and the Weill Center for the Performing Arts. We invite you to visit us in person!Trinity Lutheran Sheboygan is a proud member of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit their website: https://www.lcms.org/Music for this production was obtained through a licensing agreement with One License, LLC. The copyright permission to reprint, podcast, and record hymns and songs is acquired through ID Number: 730195-A#LCMS #Lutheran #DivineService
Second Wednesday in Advent, December 7, 2022O Lord, How Shall I Meet You? First Reading: 1 Samuel 2:1-10Second Reading and Sermon Text: Luke 1:39-45.Pastor Ryan Heiman
Friday, 18 November 2022 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. Acts 12:2 Acts 12 opened with the note that Herod the king had stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. With that noted, it next says, “Then he killed James the brother of John.” This is then James the son of Zebedee recorded in Matthew 4 – “Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.” Matthew 4:21, 22 He is known in early writings ast James the Greater. James the Less is James, the son of Alpheus noted in Matthew 10:3 when the apostles were designated by name. The only mention of him in Acts outside of this verse is that he is noted among the apostles after the ascension of the Lord – “And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.” Acts 1:13 No reason why he was selected to be killed is given, but it does show that he was prominent enough and outspoken enough to be noticed and brought forth. So, despite not having anything recorded concerning his apostolic work, it is certain he was faithful and productive. It is a good indication that Acts is structured around Peter and Paul for a reason. Even if the other apostles did a great deal of work, the ministries of Peter and Paul are given special attention, showing the shift from the Jewish people to the Gentiles. Of James, it notes that he was killed “with the sword.” Because of this, it is certain that this was a Roman and civil execution. Like John the Baptist, there is an obvious political element to what occurred. Being death by a sword, it could be either decapitation or being thrust through. Either way, the description of his death comes down to two words. This is in complete contrast to Stephen who was given almost an entire chapter of the events surrounding his stoning. As for his death, it appears that this is something hinted at by what Jesus said in Matthew 20 – “Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. 21 And He said to her, ‘What do you wish?' She said to Him, ‘Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.' 22 But Jesus answered and said, ‘You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?' They said to Him, ‘We are able.' 23 So He said to them, ‘You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.'” Matthew 20:20-23 James certainly participated in the sufferings of Christ. But more, in a sense, the request was granted. James is noted as the first apostle to be martyred now in Acts. It is known that John was the last surviving apostle. Thus, the two sons of Zebedee were granted two positions of honor in their lives and deaths as chosen apostles of Jesus. Life application: If the mother of James was alive at this time, she may have questioned God's goodness in allowing her son, who had done so much in his ministry, to be killed in such an ignoble way. Or she may have understood that this was an honorable death in the eyes of the Lord. As tragic as it may be for someone to lose a family member, we cannot impute wrongdoing to God when it occurs. The fact is that we are all going to die. Paul goes further and says – “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:10-12 We have been told this, it is included in God's word, and therefore, it should not be a surprise to anyone when a faithful, godly believer is persecuted in some manner. This doesn't mean God is uncaring. It means that God is receiving glory through the right conduct of His people. It is also a sign to those who engage in the persecution that His judgment upon them will be just and deserved when it comes. We need to consider our earthly bodies less and look to what is promised. Our time now is in a fallen world where we can expect things to occur that may seem bad from our perspective. But in seeing how they fit into what lies ahead, they are not really “bad.” What God does, and what He allows in our lives, will always lead to what is good. Trust this as you consider the events of the world around you. Look at all things from an eternal perspective and you will be much better off as you trudge through this life of difficulty, trial, and woe. Lord God, help us to maintain an eternal perspective on things and not get too caught up in the temporary, transitory things that will have their end. We know that good is promised for us, and so whatever happens now must be leading us to the good that lies ahead. Thank You that we can know this and cling to it while we are here in this life of difficulty. Amen.
November 16: Saint Gertrude, Virgin 1256–1302Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of nuns and of the Diocese of Magdeburg, GermanyIncandescent visions of Christ drew her into the deepToday's saint, known as Saint Gertrude the Great, is one of the most provocative spiritual writers in the long and rich history of the Church. When just a child, she was placed in the care of Benedictine nuns, perhaps because of her parents' early deaths. The high walls surrounding the cloister broadened the young girl's mind, instead of confining it. For Gertrude, as for so many women of her era restricted by custom to narrow cultural lanes, a monastery-sponsored education amidst a self-governing community of women was superior to the forms of life otherwise available to them. Gertrude flourished in religious life and became well versed in the humanities, theology, and Latin, a language which she showed mastery of in her spiritual writings. At the age of twenty-five, Sister Gertrude had a jarring spiritual experience which would divide her life dramatically into two halves, “before” and “after.” “Before,” Gertrude was a faithful nun but overly interested in secular writers and knowledge for knowledge's sake. “After,” she buried her head in Scripture, read widely in the Fathers of the Church, and melted under the high-amperage gaze beaming at her from the eyes of Christ.Gertrude struggled to convey in words the richness of her spiritual experiences. A distillation of her visions covers five volumes known in English as the Revelations of Saint Gertrude. Metaphors, adjectives, and other superlatives flow from our saint's pen on page after page as she tries to capture the incandescent mystery of what she sees, hears, and feels. In a heavy, syrupy style common to her era, Saint Gertrude oozes about the intense love of Christ for mankind as symbolized by His Sacred Heart. More than three centuries before the visions of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in France, Saint Gertrude had visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus! In one vision, Saint John the Evangelist placed Gertrude close to Christ's wounded side, where she could feel His pulsating heart. Gertrude asks John why he did not reveal the mystery of Christ's loving heart to mankind. Saint John responds that his duty was to reveal the very person of Christ, but it was for later ages, colder and more arid in their love of God, to discover His Sacred Heart.Gertrude lived a “nuptial mysticism” in which she was Christ's bride and the Mass was the wedding banquet at which a chaste self-giving consummated the sacred bond of lover and beloved. Gertrude's vowed virginity was the proof and basis of her enduring commitment to Christ, a promise made in the company of His mother, Mary, and all the angels and saints. Gertrude composed her spiritual diaries at the express command of her spouse, Christ. Their hymns, prayers, and reflections also show a profound concern for the holy souls in purgatory. Gertrude continually begged Christ's mercy on them, and Christ responded that merely petitioning for the release of such souls was sufficient for Him to grant the favor.In Gertrude's visions, Jesus speaks to her almost exclusively at Mass and during the Liturgy of the Hours. This is consoling. Most Catholics meet Christ more through the Sacraments than through books, so Christ appearing in priestly vestments, holding a chalice, or standing at an altar is absolutely congruent with our experience of Sunday Mass. Apart from her writings, few details of Gertrude's life are known. She left virtually no footprint besides her life of quiet fidelity as a contemplative nun. Like John the Baptist, she decreased so the Lord could increase. Gertrude's alluring private revelations became common spiritual reading among the saints of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and continue to fire the imagination of all who read them today.Saint Gertrude, as we turn the pages of your mystical revelations, we meet the true Christ, so powerful yet so close to us in His Sacred Heart. May we respond as you did to Jesus' invitation and dedicate our lives totally to Him.
Acts 12:18-24 ESV 18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there. 20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. 24 But the word of God increased and multiplied. PRIDE DESTROYS The soldiers were disturbed to realize Peter's escape. Their fear was founded. King Herod had anticipated the day of Peter's execution for this would please the Jews. Herod became mad when Peter could not be found so that he executed the sentries or guards. Herod went down from Judea to settle at Caesaria Maritima, the capital of the Roman government in the region. There was a conflict between Agrippa and Tyre and Sidon, but the language suggests that they argued violently. Tyre and Sidon are two city-states in Phoenicia, north of Galilee. One day, they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain[a trusted personal assistant], they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food. King Herod Agrippa I epitomized pride. One appointed day, Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” It was pure madness. His eccentricism had cause him to rob God the glory due only to His name. the people equated him to God and he loved it. Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. Surely, it was a horrible sight for a king to be eaten by worms alive. This is far more tragic to the humiliation of King Nebuchadnezzar, who also extolled himself as God. He was put down by God so that he crawled as an animal alone in the fields eating grass. What does this mean for us today? Let's remember that God deserves all the glory. Isaiah says, “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other.”[Isa 42:8a] The blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords [1 Tim 6:14] Thus, for each one of us, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. [1 Cor 10:31] Like John the Baptist, let us seek that Jesus should increase and we should decrease. Nothing less. Nothing else. Sola Deo gloria. -------------------- Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram
Psalm 100 is a call to Worship the Lord. Seven imperatives are used to call us to worship the Lord! Like John the Baptist declared, "He must increase and we must decrease!"
John 1:26-27 John the Baptist told them, “I baptise with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognise. Though his ministry follows mine, I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” We are familiar with the stories of Jesus, and have probably all seen a number of film portrayals of him. It's hard for us to imagine that there was a time when people didn't know who he was. He didn't stand out in a crowd. It seems that only John the Baptist could spot him, and he recognised exactly who Jesus was and the reason that he had come to the world. He knew that he had a vital ministry of preparing the way for Jesus but that he himself was not worthy of being so much as his slave. The New Testament clearly proclaims that Jesus is alive today. By the power of the Holy Spirit, he continues to be present in our world, but the fact is that the majority of people don't recognise him. The Church is seen by many people as an irrelevance and, according to some surveys, weekly church attendance has now declined to around five per cent of the population. There is still some teaching about Christianity in schools, but it's probably true that the majority of people know little about Jesus. There is an urgent need for us to give people the opportunity to hear about him and I'm always thrilled to hear about imaginative initiatives that do just that. Shortly before Christmas, I visited a village church that gave people the opportunity to enter into the story of Jesus' birth by transforming the rooms of the church into different parts of the Christmas story. It was done with great imagination and effectiveness. More than 1,000 people visited! Isn't that wonderful? There are groups that go into schools to present bible stories in an imaginative way, and many more initiatives like that happening up and down the country every day. Everyone must make their own mind up whether they want to follow Jesus, but it's absolutely crucial that they know about him. Like John the Baptist, we can all play our part in helping to point people to Jesus. Question: In what ways might you be able to help people in your community hear about Jesus? Prayer: Lord God, help me to be imaginative and courageous in helping other people to learn more about Jesus. Amen
May the God of Wonders Bless You!
Like John the Baptist, the most important aspect of our life should be that its pointed to Jesus. Whatever you do, make sure you point others to Jesus, not yourself.
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This four-week series examines doubt in Christian life. Faced well, the experiences of certain biblical characters reveal doubt to push believers towards deeper faith - revealing God desires we walk with Him in such seasons. Like John the Baptist, Christians go through seasons of doubt - opportunities to pursue & press further into Jesus.
Thank you for listening! Please enjoy our weekly sermon from Pastor Mike Rodrigues of Aliante Community Baptist Church. We invite you, your family and friends to join us as we study God's word. We pray that you will be blessed by today's lessons from God's Word and we invite you to contact us with any questions you may have - especially questions regarding your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We want to help you with your walk of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and with your understanding of His Holy Word, the Bible. May God richly bless you! Scripture Reference Matthew 3:1-4:17 Key Points “The voice of one crying in the wilderness…" Matthew 3:3, Luke 1:13-17. “Prepare the way of the Lord…” Matthew 3:3, Luke 1:13-17 “Make His paths straight.” Matthew 3:3, Luke 1:13-17 How do these truths apply to us today? Like John the Baptist, each of us has a ministry. Eph.4:12. We are to go forth in the power of God's Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8. We are to proclaim the gospel. (forgiveness/Judgment) Romans 1:16. We are to proclaim the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation 22:20,21. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Give your heart, life, past, present, and future to the Lord Jesus Christ today and be forgiven, restored, and saved. God promises His Paradise for those who love Him. Donations We are accepting offerings via our church website. Donation Link Your financial support of our ministry is greatly appreciated. Contact Information info@aliantecommunitybaptistchurch.com Website www.aliantecommunitybaptistchurch.com Recorded on December 26, 2021 at Aliante Community Baptist Church in North Las Vegas, NV
01. THE CHURCH CALENDAR LEADS US THROUGH THE STORY OF JESUS.The Christian calendar and we adhere to it as a way to follow the story of Jesus.In Advent, we await his birth and his second coming.On Christmas, we celebrate that God became man, and dwelt among us.On Epiphany, we celebrate that the salvation of God is made available to all people.In Lent, we humble ourselves in prayer and fasting like Jesus in the wilderness.On Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of our King.In Pentecost we celebrate the birth of the Church and that we have been sent to love and serve our world.02. ADVENT PROVIDES US FOUR WEEKS TO REFLECT ON THE ARRIVAL OF OUR MESSIAH.Ad·vent | ˈad-ˌvent1: the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas and observed by some Christians as a season of prayer and anticipation2a: the coming of Christ at the Incarnation2b: arrival, comingWe learn to anticipate the future arrival of Christ by remembering His first arrival and reflecting on the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love.03. THE FALSE PEACE PROMISED TO US.Even in that short description of Advent, it is abundantly clear that the popular notion of the holiday season is very different from that of Advent. We imagine and hope that our Christmas season will be one of peace.The peace of the Holidays does little to actually create peace.04. THE ARRIVAL OF OUR GOD IS AN EVENT THAT SPLITS HISTORY WIDE OPEN.Luke 3:1-2a | In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas…Luke attaches the Gospel narrative to concrete historical events for a few specific reasons–In order to create “an orderly account” of the life of Jesus for the followers of Jesus. (Luke 1).He knows that history will never be the same.In this list of regional rulers, there is an underlying contrast between the Kingdoms of Man and the Kingdom of God.“They (Rome) make a wasteland; they call it peace.”–Tacitus, Ancient Roman HistorianPax Romana – the peace of Rome05. WE NEED A MADMAN IN THE DESERT TO DISRUPT OUR STATUS QUO AND TO LOOK FOR A NEW KINGDOM OF PEACE. Luke 3:3 | And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.In the Gospel according to Matthew. John the Baptist's message during this time of Pax Romana or false peace is:“Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 3:2).Μετανοέω | metanoeōa) Repent, repentance, a changing of directionb) You rethink everythingJohn the Baptist stands as the forerunner to Jesus– preparing a people for the arrival of their King and a new Kingdom.06. OUR SAVIOR IS A PEACEMAKER THAT MOVES INTO THE CHAOS OF OUR WORLD.Luke 3:4-5 & Isaiah 40:1-5 | “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' ”The Isaiah passage comes to a people living in exile questioning when their judgment and punishment will come. The author's words are – take comfort! Rejoice, for the God of creation is coming to make his home amongst his people. And everyone will see the goodness of God.It is a vision of peace and abundance. It is a vision of future peace on Earth.The peace of Christ is summarized in the Hebrew term – Shalom.sha·lom | šā·lôma) peace, wholeness, welfare, prosperityb) absence of warfare, conflict.2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, 3 and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. – Isaiah 2:2–4.In Advent, we are invited to reflect for four weeks on what God's entrance into our world means.07. AS THE PEOPLE OF GOD, WE MOVE TOWARD THE BROKENNESS OF OUR WORLD IN AN EFFORT TO REVEAL THE PEACE WE'VE COME TO KNOW.On December 25th, 1914 there is this well-known moment called the Christmas truce… What if these leaders had actually committed to the peace they had just witnessed. Imagine the lives spared if the killing field had remained a soccer field.“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.” – Martin Luther King Jr.But I also think it is a warning– that when the caroling stops, the gifts have been unwrapped, and the warm-and-fuzzies are long gone will we still be committed to the peace of Christ.08. MOVE TOWARDS THE BROKENNESS AS A PEACEMAKER.Like John the Baptist we point forward to the King that is coming by refusing to keep the status quo.We move towards uncomfortable situations in love.We have difficult conversations with family members.We identify ways in which we can serve and love our neighbors.We move towards the brokenness of our world knowing that our God is bringing about peace.
GospelLk 3:10-18The crowds asked John the Baptist,“What should we do?”He said to them in reply,“Whoever has two cloaksshould share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.”Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,“Teacher, what should we do?”He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”Soldiers also asked him,“And what is it that we should do?”He told them,“Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ.John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water,but one mightier than I is coming.I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floorand to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.
Like John the Baptist, we are invited in this season to point to Jesus, making sure that the light we emit is not our own glory, but the Splendour of God. Readings/Lecturas Readings in English (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/120521.cfm) Lecturas en Español (https://bible.usccb.org/es/bible/lecturas/120521.cfm) Social Media/Redes Sociales Homily Prep on Twitter (https://mobile.twitter.com/HomilyPrep) David on Twitter (https://mobile.twitter.com/dlugo_sj) Jonathan on Twitter (https://mobile.twitter.com/jharmonsj) David's Youtube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8jvpPGNv9O50QyRWV7ntIg)
In this episode Keith shares about prophets that are called to burn for revival like John the Baptist. Keith gives some keys that help you understand how to apprehend the grace John walked in but do it in a New Covenant way. You will be provoked to walk in the grace of the John the Baptist type prophet. About Keith: Keith specializes in helping Emerging Prophets and Marketplace Leaders get breakthrough. Keith helps people know where they are and where they are supposed to be and helps give them the tools to get where they should be going. People's personal lives are transformed and as a result the world they live and work in is transformed. Keith runs a movement called Emerging Prophets. The purpose of this movement is to discover, develop, and deploy revival and reformer prophets into every sphere of society. Keith is passionate to see the moral value system of the world restored to God's morals. He longs to see an army of prophets rise up who are equipped with healthy New Covenant values who can speak effectively into every system of society and the church bringing the kingdom of God fully to earth. Keith's Books: Prophesying Like a Prophet: Taking Your Prophetic Gift to the Next Level learn more 5 Fold Entrepreneur Get the Book Keith's Newest Books: To My Son and To My Daughter - Are books written from a fathers perspective to help the next generation go the distance in God. Get the Books Connect with Keith for other resources at: www.emergingprophets.com www.allthingsprophetic.com
Scripture: Mark 6:14-29 Our guest speaker this morning was Alicia T. Crosby. As Chrys noted in the introduction, Alicia was not able to be with us live in our Zoom worship, but nonetheless her recorded sermon resonated with those gathered. The same God who abided with John the Baptist in today’s scripture abides with you. What if we were all a little more like John? What if we were all bold? What if we were righteous? What if we took the here but not quite yet Kingdom of God so seriously, that we called in and out those whose actions and movements in the world compromise human flourishing and well being? Having that divine power on your side means that you can do miracles. And those miracles may not look like the instantaneous healing of the body you see in the scriptures, but it can look like the healing of hearts, minds and histories, as you delve more deeply into antiracist and anti-oppressive work. You too have the power to call people to care for one another more fully and in doing so, honor one another and honor God as well as yourselves.
(June 27, 2021) In introducing himself to the parish, Father Charles Persing, the new pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, said, "It is the duty and joy of every priest to carry out the mission of the Church, not for our own self glory, nor to satisfy our own particular needs and wants, but to bring Christ to all we meet, and to afford everyone the opportunity to experience God's love, forgiveness, and glory. Our call is to bring the living Christ to your heart. Our call is the salvation of souls. Like John the Baptist, Elizabeth Ann Seton, and all our favorite saints, we are called to lead others to Jesus -- to invite everyone to accept the gift of eternal life which comes from knowing Jesus Christ."
THE HEART OF TODAY'S HOMILY. Like John the Baptist, each of us is CREATED FOR A PURPOSE AND CHOSEN FOR A MISSION BY GOD. At the core of this purpose and mission is the salvation of souls. The the meaning of your life, the value of your existence, the impact you are able to make on humanity, the fulfilment you have while living and the ultimate reward you get at the end your sojourn on earth depend largely on this rather than of the circumstances of life. Who are you and to what extent are you fulfilling your divinely ordained purpose of your existence and mission of your life? @FadaPeterBenson.
Ministers Need It Ministers are naturally hard-hearted and unbelieving as other men -Mark 6-14-, so that Christ has often to upbraid them. Their faith is all from above. They must receive from God all that they give. In order to speak the truth with power, they need a personal grasp of it. It is impossible to speak with power from mere head knowledge, or even from past experience. If we would speak with energy, it must be from present feeling of the truth as it is in Jesus. We cannot speak of the hidden manna unless we have the taste of it on our mouth. We cannot speak of the living water unless it be springing up within us. Like John the Baptist, we must see Jesus coming, and say- - Behold the Lamb of God. - We must speak with Christ in our eye, as Stephen did. -
April 25th 2021 Preacher: Jordan Weeks Text: Mark 1:1-8 Who was Mark and why did he write a gospel? Like John the Baptist, he wants our hearts to be prepared for an encounter with Messiah Jesus and his Spirit.
She was born because God had chosen her from all eternity. Today it is not so much about her qualities, or what she did. Just that God brought into this world and that alone is worth celebrating. Like John the Baptist she is on the threshold between the Old Testament and the New. "Mary, the Daughter of Zion and ideal personification of Israel, is the last and most worthy representative of the People of the Old Covenant but at the same time she is "the hope and the dawn of the whole world." With her, the elevated Daughter of Zion, after a long expectation of the promises, the times are fulfilled and a new economy is established" (LG 55). The triptych of Nativity of the Virgin by Pietro Lorenzetti (1335) in the Cathedral of Siena. The music is by Handel, Lascia chi's pianga, played on the guitar by Bert Alink.
Like John the Baptist, we must selflessly live for Jesus, exalt Jesus and be a witness for Jesus.
Praying the Fog Away All my Christian life I have delighted in stories about men and women of faith. People whose faith enabled them to, as William Carey put it, expect great things from God and attempt great things for God. Perhaps one of the greatest heroes of faith that I've ever studied is George Müller, a man who in the 19th century cared throughout his lifetime ministry for over 10,000 orphans, 10,000 orphans in England. He trusted God again and again for their material needs, for their food, clothing and shelter, for their educational needs and for their spiritual needs. Now, toward the end of his life, Müller, whose work with orphans had become famous worldwide, was traveling to North America in 1877 on a steamship, The Sardinian. And as they traveled across the North Atlantic there was a heavy fog. And the ship's captain wisely felt it good to throttle the ship back and slow down to a crawl to avoid icebergs, especially at that time of year, the very thing that would sink the Titanic 35 years later. Well, George Müller went to see the captain, his name was Joseph E. Dutton. He explained very clearly to the captain. You have to understand about George Müller, he was Prussian-born and this is a man who gets what he wants, very precise. And he explained to the captain that he had to be in Quebec by the following afternoon. He never missed an appointment, he was not going to miss that one. The captain explained that it was impossible because of the fog. And Müller answered, "My eye is not on the fog, but on the God who holds every circumstance of my life in His hands. Let us go down to the chart room and pray." Well, the captain went down reluctantly and Müller prayed a simple prayer. Then the captain dutifully began to pray in like manner. Müller stopped him, and he put his hand on his shoulder and stopped him. He said, "First of all, you don't believe that God will. Second of all, I believe God already has, so there's absolutely no need for you to pray." "You may go up and look, the fog has lifted." And it had. Now, that's quite a moment, isn't it? Now, the question that's in my mind, and it's a perennial question about prayer, the efficacy of prayer. Did Müller's faith-filled prayer move the fog, or did God's power move the fog? Now, the answer of course must be both. Biblically it must be both, and that's the mystery of prayer. In James 5 and verse 16 it says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much," in the King James version. It is powerful and effective. Prayer is effective, it produces an effect. Jesus said in Matthew 21:21, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt… you can say to this mountain, 'Go throw yourself in the sea' and it will be done." Now in the end, as we'll see this morning, faith-filled prayer is totally humble and gives all glory to God. If it were not for the power of God to move fogs then the prayer would be meaningless. And if a person prays for a mountain to be thrown into the sea and it does, a person knows full well they didn't move the mountain, God moved the mountain. So, in today's account we're going to see both astonishing faith and even more astonishing power. Amazing faith and even more amazing power, the power of Christ. I. Christ’s Mysterious Manner Now, as we come to this account in Matthew 15, we come to a bit of a mystery. And it all just has to do with how Jesus treats this woman. I mean, when you read this text don't you find yourself a little bit perplexed? Like you want to pull Jesus aside and just give him some lessons on how to win friends and influence people. This is not how we treat people. Imagine you giving Jesus instructions on how to treat people. But there it is, it's strange. Robert Stein in his book Difficult Passages in The Gospels says, "This is a difficult passage. The problem is obvious, Jesus' words appear harsh, austere and insensitive. The Jesus of the Gospels, however, is loving and kind. Jesus who has special compassion for the outcasts of society, and this woman is an outcast in the Jewish mind." So that's what makes it difficult, his demeanor. Now, let's set the context. Jesus is in retreat mode with his apostles. He's pulled back from the increasing heat of his ministry in Israel, the Greek word there, if you look at verse 21, it says, "Leaving that place Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon," and the Greek word there means more than just went away, he... This is a strategic, intentional retreat that he's taking. And he's doing it to escape the building pressure, to kind of tone things down, because it's not time for him to be arrested yet. His time had not yet come, so he wants things to cool off. There is pressure from the huge multitudes that are coming all the time for healing. Pressure that he would be arrested imminently by Herod Antipas, the same one who had arrested John the Baptist. Pressure, most of all, from the Jewish religious leaders led by Caiaphas and Annas, who had no desire for Jesus to continue his ministry and who were already plotting his death, and Jesus knew that, so he retreats. And he's going there to be hidden with his disciples for a little while, but this woman found him anyway. If you look at the Mark account, just listen, in Mark 7:24 and 25, it says, "Jesus entered a house and did not want anyone to know it, yet he could not keep his presence secret.In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. So Jesus is in retreat mode but this woman has found him and forces this interaction. Tyre and Sidon: Notorious in Jewish History Now Tyre and Sidon is notorious in Jewish history, it was well known as a prosperous pagan place, a pagan society founded on shipping and trade and merchants that went throughout the Mediterranean and made tons of money. Now the relationship in Scripture, started positively. Hiram King of Tyre, sent David logs for him to build his palace and then when David's son, Solomon went to build the temple it was Hiram also who sent craftsmen and logs and all of that, and they had a very cordial relationship, Solomon with the King of Tyre. But the flip side was darker, Tyre and Sidon represent worldly luxury, through abundant sea trade and that abundant sea trade is likened by Isaiah the prophet to the plying the trade of a prostitute. Worse Amos 1 and Joel 3 reveal that Tyre and Sidon was actually involved in the slave trade. Also in Ezekiel 26, they mocked and celebrated the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. Ezekiel 28 implies that the real ruler of Tyre and Sidon was Satan himself, the guardian cherub in the Garden of Eden, the King of Tyre the king of Sidon, it seems was the devil himself, and therefore several prophets predicted total devastation of Tyre and Sidon. Ezekiel Joel, Amos, Jeremiah, Isaiah all of them prophesy against Tyre and Sidon. Yet, for all of this, Jesus knew their hearts and he knew some of them better. And he said, in one of most remarkable statements that he ever made concerning his ministry there, in Jewish cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida in Matthew 11, he says, "Woe to you Chorazin, a Jewish city, woe to you Bethsaida, a Jewish city. If the miracles that were performed and you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I would tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you." So that's the context. That's Tyre and Sidon, Jesus has gone up there to that pagan area, that gentile area for a retreat with His disciples. Who Was this Woman, and What Was Her Plight? So who was this woman? Well, she's a Canaanite, we have in our text, the very people that God had commanded Joshua to destroy completely when they entered the promised land. The Canaanite woman in particular, Canaanite women in particular, in general, people of God were warned, the sons of Israel were warned against intermarriage with Canaanite women, because there was a deep concern that they would lead the hearts of their sons astray from following the Lord. Now Mark 7:26 tell us, "The woman was a Greek-born in Syrian Phoenicia." Ao sometimes she's called the Sira-Phoenician woman, a Canaanite woman. So she would have been a complete outcast as far as the law of Moses was concerned. A Canaanite woman. But yet, as we see in this text, she has tremendous faith in Christ and is for all time, memorialized in the scripture as an example of conquering faith. But what was her plight? Her plight was that her little daughter was demon-possessed. Look at verse 22, "She was crying out, 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me. My daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession." Mark's Gospel heightens the fact that the little girl is young, she's her little daughter, she's a young girl. Now demons are fallen angels. They are immensely powerful, more powerful than we can imagine. We're surrounded by both angels and demons every moment of everyday though we do not see them. Faith is the eyesight of the soul by which we see invisible spiritual realities, past, present, and future, and one of the present spiritual realities is that there are demons. We westerners are so materialistic, scientific, we think, "Well we just call God anything we don't understand from science, once we understand things in science then the invisible spiritual realms disappear." Well that's just not true. Demons were very powerful and active in Jesus' day and they haven't gone anywhere friends, they just use different tricks here in the West. But they're immensely powerful and this demonization or demon possession is one of the things that we see in the Gospels. Demon possession is a very serious spiritual affliction, a demon takes possession of the mind and the heart, the will, and the body of a human being. The demons do actual bodily harm to these individuals, or cause them to do bodily harm to themselves, cutting themselves with rocks, howling at the moon, breaking chains, falling into fire or water, it's horrible. And more than one demon can inhabit a human being. As a matter of fact one demoniac of the Gadarenes has legion of demons, thousands of demons led by one central main demon. And nothing could cure this little girl. And imagine what life was like in that household, what it was like to be the mother of that little girl, and the horror and the terror and the agony, middle-of-the-night screams and outcries. A father of a demon-possessed boy said, "The demon often throws my son in the fire or the water. So you got to be on 24/7 vigilant outlook to just keep him surviving." Life is unbearable for this woman because of her daughter. And this seems to have been an especially bad case, an extra Greek word is used to heighten that sense. So this is a terrible case. Jesus’ Strange Actions So she comes to interact with Jesus and now we get to look at Jesus' strange actions. First of all, in verse 23 He doesn't answer her at all, like she's not even there. Then the disciples come and they're weary of listening to this woman's pleas for help. So look at verse 23-24, "His disciples came to him and urged him, 'Send her away for she keeps crying out after us,' and he answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." Third, in dealing with her directly, once she forces that interaction, she falls on the ground before him, and will not be denied, He seems to insult her, calling her a dog. Now, I know it's hard for you dog lovers, but I've looked it up, dogs never do well in the Bible. I've not found any positive dog verses in the Bible. Maybe some of you can, but they're usually... What am I? A dog, a dead dog, something like that, it's that kind of thing. So this is... It feels like an insult. The woman came in and knelt before him in verse 25-26, "'Lord, help me,' she said. He replied, 'It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to their dogs.'" So this is strange, this is difficult. Now, there's some mitigating factors. We need to understand some things. First of all, we don't have a record of facial expressions, tone of voice, those things mean so much. You can't tell just from the words how Jesus is being, is He inviting more conversation? Is He being dismissive? We don't know. The Greek implied that Jesus was having actually an ongoing conversation with her. It says Jesus was saying to her, it's not right to take the children's bread and throw it to their dogs. So there's an ongoing thing. The Scripture frequently omits a lot of the back and forth and streamlines the account, so there's not everything said that was said, we've got that. And also the word dogs here, there are certain Greek word for dogs where they're just wild animals, like junkyard dogs out in the street, that's not the word used here. Then there's more of a pet, like a household pet kind of aspect, it's more that word, but still for all of that this doesn't seem like what we would expect from Jesus. II. Christ’s Wise Motives Alright, so we have to understand Christ's wise motives here. Christ is always wise in everything He does, perfect in all of His ways, so let's try to understand. And let's do that negatively, let's come at it from just ruling out some options concerning why Jesus acted the way He did. 1) Not because He didn’t care about Gentiles, or had no saving purpose First of all, it was not because He didn't care about Gentiles or want them saved, not at all. When the original call to Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation came, called him out of the Ur of the Chaldees, it says in Genesis 12:3, God said to Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." So God's call of Abraham, the father of the Jews makes it plain that God always had a plan to save people from every tribe, language, people and nation, that was always God's plan, it wasn't plan B. That was exactly what God was going to do through the Jews, through Abraham. Also Jesus Himself, His mission was clearly described for us in the Book of Isaiah, in Isaiah 49, we get an amazing inter-trinitarian conversation where the Father says to the Son, "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." It's too small a thing Jesus for you to just save the Jews. That was written centuries before Jesus was born, and Jesus knew the Book of Isaiah very well. So He knew that He was the light for the Gentiles. Like Simeon, when baby Jesus was being circumcised, he took Him in his arms and called Him the Light for the Gentiles, they knew that, He knew that. And after His resurrection, He would send His disciples to the ends of the earth. "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me, therefore go and make disciples of all nations." And so Chris and Debbie are there in Bangladesh, in obedience to that commission. It's not plan B, that's what God always intended. And we have missionaries, friends, brothers and sisters serving all over the world, that's the great commission, it's been going on from Jerusalem through Judea to Samaria, to the ends of the earth. It's not plan B, it's always what God wanted. And one of the places, one of the first places the disciples would go was this very region of Tyre and Sidon. Paul on his journey back to Jerusalem after his missionary trip, he landed at Phoenicia and went and visited the disciples in Tyre. And there were many there who deeply loved Paul because they deeply loved Jesus. It would not surprise me at all if this woman and her daughter were among that church, how marvelous would that be? We'll find out in heaven. But Jesus clearly had a saving intention for the entire world including Tyre and Sidon. 2) Not because He lacked the power to do miracles in a Gentile land Secondly, it's not because He lacked the power to do miracles in a Gentile land. Okay, the end of the account proves that that's not true. Jesus' power worked very well in the mountains and in the valleys. It worked very well in the cities and out in the country, He does very well everywhere. He is omnipotent, there's nothing He cannot do. And He was no more or less powerful in Tyre and Sidon than anywhere else. 3) Not because He lacked mercy or compassion for her plight or that of her daughter Thirdly, it's not because He lacked mercy or compassion for her plight or that of her daughter, Jesus is the most perfect man that ever lived, the only perfect man that ever lived, perfect in compassion. As a matter of fact, again and again, we are told Jesus moved with compassion healed somebody. As a matter of fact, compassion is the number one emotion ascribed to Jesus more than any other emotion. He was perfectly compassionate all the time. Anyone who came to Him empty, like a spiritual beggar with a need got what they needed from Him. 4) Not because He was weary and annoyed It was not because He was weary and annoyed at the end of a long day, or needed a break or a vacation as so many of us do. Jesus never had a bad day and never got weak and weary in that sense. Think of Him on the cross, hands and feet nailed, dying under the wrath of God and showing compassion for His mother, setting her up with John, showing compassion on those who nailed Him to the cross saying, "Father forgive them they do not know what they are doing." Showing compassion on the thief saying, "Today you'll be with me in paradise." Perfectly loving while dying on the cross. So it's not because He was too tired to help this woman. 5) Not because he was taking a break from ministry and didn’t want to care for her needs at that point And it's not because He was taking a break from ministry and didn't want to care for her needs at that point. 6) Not because there was only so much “bread” to be fed to His children, and if He gave some to her there wouldn’t be enough for them And it's not because there's only so much bread to give to the children and it's going to run out. Let me ask you a question, do you think it would have been harder for Jesus to feed 6000 than 5000? Do you think He'd need a few more loaves and fishes to pull it off? Friends, there's no limit to the power of Jesus Christ. No miracle is particularly difficult for Him or particularly easy. Jesus can do anything, that's what omnipotence is all about. And so there's no limit to the bread supply. 7) Not because she didn’t ask properly or with enough faith And it's not because she didn't ask properly or with enough faith. Jesus commends her faith in the end, he wasn't forcing her to give more or he wouldn't respond. Actually, I think he wants to put the greatness of her faith on display. And so we'll get to that in just a moment, but these are not the reasons why. Why then? Well, let's look at some possible reasons. First of all, there's just an order to God's redemptive plan. He has a very clear and wise purpose and order to the Jew first, then to the Gentile. Peter spoke about this after Jesus' resurrection and ascension to heaven, he's preaching there in the Jewish temple. And he says in Acts 3:26, "For you, first God raised up his servant, and sent him to bless each of you by turning you from your wicked ways." God sent him to you Jews first. Peter said that, Acts 3:26. Over and over the Apostle Paul, the same thing, lived out what he wrote in the book of Romans, "I'm not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." And he acted it out in his ministry, Paul I mean. Every city he went to, the first place he would go if there was one, was to a Jewish synagogue, that's where he always started and he would preach to the Jews and they would inevitably be divided, there'd be a small number of them that believed and was interested and the rest would turn because there was a veil over their hearts, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3 and they would become hostile. And so in Acts 13: 46 when Paul and Barnabas were in Pisidia in Antioch, they had preached a couple of Sabbaths at the synagogue, the Jews turned and became hostile, and this is what it says, "Paul and Barnabas answered the Jews boldly, we had to speak the word of God to you first," just ponder that there's just a clear order here, "since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us, 'I have made you, [Jesus] a light for the Gentiles that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." And so they went out and preached and did very well among the Gentiles there. This is God's strategy. It was part of God's redemptive plan for Christ to be sent first to His own people, to have them reject Him, and then turn to the rest. As it says in John 1:11, "He came to his own and his own people did not receive Him, but as many as did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." So Jesus is here declaring the focus of his ministry. It's the Jews. Look at Verse 24, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." Not ultimately only but in this mission, I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. Also Christ hadn't died yet, so the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, so-called, set up in the Laws of Moses, were still in effect. Circumcision was still in effect, the dietary regulations were still in effect although Jesus in His life declared all foods clean, but all of that would be fulfilled when he died, and the moment he died, the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, the Levitical animal sacrifice system was fulfilled and obsolete, and welcome was offered to both Jews and Gentiles through faith in Christ to draw near to the Holy of Holies, and find salvation. So that happened when Jesus died and rose again, the end of the old covenant, the beginning of the New Covenant, hadn't happened yet, and so we still have that barrier the dividing wall of hostility, established separating Jews and Gentiles. Also Jesus has a strategic order in dealing with his own apostles, the 12, the inner circle. He came to this region to focus on them. One way to understand his statement is that the disciples are the children and the children's bread is time spent with Jesus. Jesus had limitations in the days of His incarnation. He could only be in one place at one time, he could only effectively deal with one situation at one time, though he is omni-competent and can do all these things when he ascends to Heaven through the Holy Spirit, at that point he's limited, and he's focused on the apostles. He's retreated to be with them, and he therefore couldn't give himself to a general healing ministry, there in Tyre and Sidon, would have taken all their time, remember there was such a crush of people that they couldn't eat or do anything in some of the days of Jesus' ministry. So he said, "Look I'm going to focus on them." To Test Her Faith? But let's get to the real point I think, and that is to test her faith, perhaps, but more I would say to draw her faith out and put it on display. And that's why the Holy Spirit wanted Matthew and Mark to write about it, so that we could learn from her and learn what faith is really like so to put her faith onto... To test it and to put her faith on display. So let's talk about her testing of her faith. Jesus already knew the level of her faith. We also know that God sometimes tests our faith to strengthen it. Much like a physical therapist who's working with somebody after surgery or after an illness, will oppose the very motion that they want, they'll push on the foot or the arm and cause pain. I've seen it, and not myself, praise God, but I've seen some loved ones that have gone through some painful experiences at the hand of PT people. Now some of you may be PT, I know you mean well, alright, but there is a high level of pain. And what is your good intention, to strengthen the damaged area, to build that area up, and so it is in our lives, our faith is too weak and it needs to be strengthened and it has to be strengthened as so often by opposition by not getting instantly what we want. So our faith has to be strengthened, so I think that's what's going on. III. True Faith Put on Display He wants to put her faith on display for all time, but also strengthen it, so let's look at the nature of true saving faith. Let's see how it's put on display. The Basis of Faith First of all true faith must have a basis, there has to be content, there has to be truth, that faith zeroes in on and believes. So we don't have faith in faith itself. Alright, we're not believers in believing, we're not generally vaguely people of faith. Have you heard of that... In our secular, "Let's get all the people of faith." And I say, "I'm not a person of faith, not like that, I'm a person of faith in Jesus." And specifically because of who he is revealed to be in the pages of Scripture, the content I get out of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and indeed, the whole Bible, tell me who Jesus is, I believe that, I believe what has been revealed about Jesus. Faith is not merely an optimistic outlook, like this, "I believe for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows. I believe that somewhere in the darkest night, a candle glows." I'm not going to sing it friends...I don't remember the tune. John McArthur said: “That sort of faith is essentially faith in faith, which is to say no faith at all. To jump out of an airplane with a parachute is an act of faith. To jump without a parachute while exclaiming, ‘I believe’ is an act of stupidity. To say no more than ‘I believe in love,’ or ‘I believe in believing,’ or ‘I believe it will all work out’ is contentless faith and therefore pointless and powerless.” So this Canaanite woman had heard of Jesus, she knew some of who he was, she didn't know everything, none of them knew everything, but she knew enough to believe in him. Look what she says, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me." What is that? He is the fulfillment of the Davidic promises, he is Lord of heaven and earth, that's who he is. And that's what she calls him, "Lord, Son of David." Faith comes from hearing, she'd heard the reports about Jesus, his miracles, all that he had done, she didn't have the New Testament, it wasn't written yet. But she had heard reports, and she believed them, she believed that Jesus could heal her daughter. Faith initially springs in the human heart through hearing of the word, it comes from hearing the Scripture. Not only that, but faith is fed and strengthened the same way. And so my task, as a preacher, is to feed your faith so you have a more vivid, a stronger sense of Jesus when you walk out of here than when you walked in, a stronger sense of reliance on Christ. So we see the basis of faith. The Reverence of Faith Secondly, we see the reverence of faith. She calls him, "Lord," she falls on the ground before him, before his feet, she worships him, she is submissive, she is reverent. She doesn't presume on him, she doesn't demand from him, she knows that he is exalted. Like John the Baptist said about Jesus, "I don't deserve to tie his shoes, his sandals. I don't deserve to touch his feet." John the Baptist said that. She had the same sense of the exalted nature of Jesus, reverence of faith. We see the confidence of faith; there's zero doubt in her mind Jesus can do this, he is capable of doing this. The essence of great faith is confidence that God has the power to perform the very thing that's desired. Like Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now, to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or think according to His power that is at work within us…" He can do infinitely more than you think he can. It's amazing. The Repentance of Faith We see also the repentance of faith, she says, "Have mercy on me. Have mercy, show me grace. I don't deserve anything from you. I'm a sinner." Like the Pharisee and the tax collector, I'm the... Like the tax collector, beating my breast, and I won't look up, and I just say, "Have mercy on me, O God, the sinner." Just like the songs we sang this morning, "Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, I'm a sinner. I can't ask anything of you, but will you please have mercy?" These are the very people that Christ saves. Blessed are the spiritual beggars for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. She knows who she is, she is a sinner, and she's calling out for mercy, she's not making demands. The Persistence of Faith We see also the persistence of faith. Jesus just puts up one roadblock after another. This is the very thing I'm talking about, the strengthening through the physical therapy, Jesus is strengthening it by putting up obstacles, putting up roadblocks. So it is in your life, there are things you want, they come from Scripture, you have desires, they're good things, but they just aren't happening. And you're praying and praying, and it just doesn't happen, and you should see it in this light, God is the one that's making you wait, God is the one putting roadblocks up; but faith perseveres, it's persistent. And note that her persistence springs from her love for her daughter, it springs from that horizontal connection. One could argue that it's the strongest love there is in the world, you could make that case, of a mother for her child, sick child, hurting child. The Lord said, "Can a mother forget the child at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has born? Though she may forget, I will never forget you." God himself chose that as the paradigm example of love. And so, here's this woman, and she has linked her heart to her daughter. And look what she says, verse 22, "Have mercy on me... Lord, help me," she says in verse 24, she says, "My daughter…" It's like it's happening to me. I think that God tests us in prayer to strengthen our horizontal love for other people, because we don't love very much, we don't have Jesus' compassion, it's not because he wasn't compassionate, it's because we're not compassionate, and we need to learn how to really love other people and care, and that happens in prayer. When you pray again and again and again for some dire situation, you grow in love for that person, you actually care whether it happens. Faith overcomes all the obstacles and keeps persevering, like Jacob wrestling with the angel, and he's wrestling, and the angel of the Lord is saying, "Let me go," and Jacob says, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." Romans 8:37 says, "Know in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." We see also the humility of faith. "It's not right to take the children's bread and throw it to their dogs.' 'Yes, Lord.' She says, 'But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table.'" It's incredible. She finds hope even in the seeming put off. It's like well, there's still hope for me though. Isn't there? There's still a chance. If I could just be a dog under the table, there might be something for me. So the images of a laden table, rich household kids sitting around the table dogs under... We don't have dogs. I've been told it's best not to feed them off the table. They get certain bad habits. But you can picture this, the dog is there and maybe something accidentally falls off the table. Now, what's amazing to me is that she doesn't bristle, she doesn't bridle up, at this seeming insult. He calls her a dog of sorts. "True Lord," She says in one translation, "Yes, I'm a dog." Faith takes it's rightful place under Jesus. Remember the centurion who sends a messenger saying, "My servant is at home paralyzed in terrible suffering." To the Centurion Jesus said, "I'll go and heal him." Centurion says, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof, but just give the word and my servant will be healed." Naturally in our sin, we are all dogs and worse than dogs. You have to have that work on you through the law. The gospel doesn't come puffing up your self-esteem. It comes and tells you the truth and no passage does it better than Romans 3, verse 9 and following. "What should we say then? We any better? No. We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin as it is written, 'There is no one righteous, no one who understands, no one who seeks God, all have turned aside, they have together become worthless. There is no one who does good, not even one. So you're saying that I'm a worthless sinner. Because of my sin, I have lost worth and value, and I don't do anything good at all. Actually I have more to say. Throats are open graves, tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips, ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace, they do not know, there is no fear of God before their eyes. Oh, that's the rest, that's what the law does, that's what the work... It says, "I am a sinner, I'm broken, I need a savior." God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. And this woman was humble. Now, imagine if she had said to Jesus, "You know, I'm not a dog and I don't appreciate you saying that to me. I came for help and look what you did, you just insulted me," and she walked away, what would she have gotten from Jesus? Nothing. Go home to a demon possessed daughter. God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble, and she was a humble woman. And so faith humbles us. It doesn't make us arrogant it humbles us. The Reward of Faith We'll look at the reward verse 28, Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith. Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very moment. So faith perseveres to get the reward. It perseveres until it obtains. Jesus made her wait some, He makes other people wait more. Some of you may be waiting on blessings and you wonder why God doesn't give it, He may be going to give it to you next year or next month. Five years from now. Waiting and waiting, perhaps conversion of a relative, something, He makes you wait. He made her wait, but then she got what she wanted. The ultimate reward of faith, how about this? Eternity in heaven in a resurrection body. Every blessing in the heavenly realm's given to you in Christ Jesus, all of them fulfilled in Heaven. He'll make you wait for it though. Live the rest of your life, but He'll give it to you. So true faith perseveres through all the obstacles and obtains. IV. Christ’s Power Put on Display Now Christ's power is put on display. I said before, her faith is great, his power is greater. Can I tell you something? In heaven we're not going to be celebrating the greatness of faith. We'll be celebrating the greatness of Jesus. And His power it's infinitely greater than she can possibly imagine, and this particular display is amazing. I hadn't realized an aspect of this until about a year ago. Power in the mechanical engineering world has to do with the ability to move things quickly if you can think, to get work done. So it's not that huge a deal for a 1000 or a million people with little shovels to move a mountain over a thousand years. But if a mountain moves and throws itself in the sea in an instant, now that's incredibly powerful. So listen to this, Mark7:28-30, "'Yes Lord.' She replied. 'But even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.' Then He told her, 'for such a reply, you may go, the demon has left your daughter.'" Keep in mind, we're talking about demon possession. Demons are very powerful spiritual beings. The issue for me here is timing. I'm going to get really geeky on you. Really engineering here, alright? When she began her statement, the demon was in the daughter. When Jesus finished His statement, the demon was gone. Now I'm not advocating sympathy for the devil, at all here, but what's it like to be that demon? You're in the girl, and now you're not. You're out on the street, you're out. You've been served your eviction notice, actually, no notice you're out. Sometimes demons would throw people down and make them foam at the mouth and there'll be a bit of an argument, a bit of a back and forth. There was none of that... This time, that demon was out. Power, infinite power. And what did Jesus say? Did he pray? Did he drop to his knees? Did He look to His Father? Did He do... Nothing. Just demon's gone. When did that happen, how did that, what, what just happened? Sometimes He uses instruments, He will make mud and put it on someone's eyes and watch... Somebody He touched somebody, this time what did He do? Think it. He just thought it and the demon was gone. Can I tell you something? Jesus' power is infinitely greater than any of your problems, all of your problems. He could solve them instantly. Just know that. You may be asking, "Then why doesn't he?" And that's an important question in the doctrine of Providence, I understand. I'm just saying, His power... There was no difficulty here for this healing. This is also a picture of our forgiveness. Another woman came to Jesus and washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. Jesus read her heart, saw her faith and her repentance from sin, and he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Instantaneously. All of them, yeah, all of them, past, present, future, they're all forgiven. That's the power of Jesus. And that'll be the power of Jesus on your body, your resurrection body. In an instant, you'll be transformed from a lowly corrupting body of sin and death to a radiant, powerful, glorious resurrection body, in an instant, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye. He will do that. V. Application Alright, so what applications? First of all, learn to pray like this. Pray like this. Pray... Go over the lessons of faith, the basis of faith, and all of that. Get your faith strong, based on the Word of God, and then pray God's word back to Him. Pray His promises back to Him. Pray like this. Let me say an aside to some desperate parents. I don't know who you are, I know some of you. Take this text and bring your problem to Jesus. Pray and pray and pray like this woman, don't give up. Don't give up on your rebellious teen or your grown person maybe in their 20s or 30s, married, with kids, not walking with the Lord, in a pattern of sin breaking your heart. Take it to the Lord in prayer, take it to God in prayer. It could be your little ones. They're not sinning in any unusual ways, they're just kids, they're growing up. Take them to God in prayer. Secondly, on God's silence. Don't let God's silence and His slowness put you off. God knows exactly what He's doing. He knows that you're praying, he knows what you want before you ask Him, He makes you wait because He's not a vending machine and He's wise and He knows His timing, and He doesn't always give you what you ask for. But be willing to persevere even when God is silent. Go back over the lessons of faith. Feed your faith in God's word. Be humble. Know that you're a sinner, saved by grace. Know that God can do immeasurably more than you ask or think. Be repentant in your faith, confess your sins often. Be humble. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. And wait on God until you finally have your reward. And then stand in awe of Jesus, just stand in awe of this incredible Savior, Who can think a thought and a demon has to obey. Stand in awe of the power of God in Jesus, He's infinitely more powerful than you can possibly imagine. Now, in my prayer I prayed for any that were here that are outsiders, came in here not believers. I pray that you have heard the gospel today, that God sent his Son into the world to save sinners like you and me. He died on the cross, in our place, as a substitute for sins. In an instant, he can forgive your sins, in an instant. All you have to do is come to Him in faith. Call on the name of the Lord Jesus. Say, "I am a sinner, just like this Canaanite woman. I need You to forgive me of my sins." And He will. Close with me in prayer.
(Ex.3:1-6,9-12; Ps.103:1-4,6-8; Mt.11:25-27) “An angel of the Lord appeared to him in fire flaming out of a bush.” The Lord appears to Moses. “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,” reveals Himself on Horeb, the mountain of God. He comes to him who, as we are told elsewhere, is the humblest of men, calling him – much as He will later call Peter, James, and John from their nets to be fishers of men – from “leading the flock across the desert” to lead His people out of slavery, out of Egypt, through the desert and to the Promised Land. In our gospel, Jesus tells us that the Father reveals Himself “to the merest children,” not to “the learned and the clever.” And so He has come here to Moses, a man whose speech is weak but whose heart is indeed humble as a child, to call him to be the greatest, most godly of men, and to this great task set before him. Like John the Baptist after him – who will be the greatest of men born of woman – he is entirely deferential to the Lord. Here he hides his face, “afraid to look at God,” and questions sincerely: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt?” Such as these the Lord calls; to such as these He reveals Himself. These are they “to whom the Son wishes to reveal” the Father. “Merest children.” Only to these does the Lord reveal Himself. Only to those whose hearts are pure, who take no pride in themselves. In a word, “humble” must we be. “He has made known His ways to Moses, and His deeds to the children of Israel.” To them He will show that “the Lord secures justice and the rights of all the oppressed.” And as their lives are redeemed from destruction, they will “bless His holy name.” Of the kindness of the Lord the earth is filled, but only those who come as children before Him will know “all His benefits.” Only those who humble themselves before Him will be raised up to see His glory and live in the light of His presence. O Jesus, we pray that you will reveal the Father to us. We pray that our hearts will be circumcised and that we will ever bow before the glory that is God. Bring the fire of the Holy Spirit upon us to purge all our iniquity and prepare us to hear your voice, O Word of God. Call us forth to do your will and lead us ever to your holy mountain, that always we might be in your presence, that forever we might worship you in spirit and in truth, as merest children, as sons and daughters of your eternal light. May we never be consumed by sin or the vestiges of our pride, but be brought to life by the grace and power of God. Show us your face and let us indeed live in the light of its holy fire. ******* O LORD, you reveal yourself to us through your Son that we might be saved from our sin. YHWH, make us humble, humble as children; meek as Moses, innocent as your Son, we shall see your face. Reveal yourself to us, we pray, though we deserve not such kindness and mercy. To your light let us come, to the fire burning in our midst, that fire ignited by Jesus, that we might see you, LORD, that indeed we might know you who look upon our misery, who desire so to save us from the slavery of sin. Lead us out of this desert to your holy mountain by the grace that comes to us only through your Son. O dear Jesus, how can we stand in the presence of your Father, we who have become so corrupted by iniquity, we who are blinded by the evil upon our souls. Only you can make us as children again, pure and innocent in the sight of the LORD, pure and innocent as you are. Let us be united to you in all humility that we might come before the Father and praise His holy NAME.
(Ex.3:1-6,9-12; Ps.103:1-4,6-8; Mt.11:25-27) “An angel of the Lord appeared to him in fire flaming out of a bush.” The Lord appears to Moses. “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,” reveals Himself on Horeb, the mountain of God. He comes to him who, as we are told elsewhere, is the humblest of men, calling him – much as He will later call Peter, James, and John from their nets to be fishers of men – from “leading the flock across the desert” to lead His people out of slavery, out of Egypt, through the desert and to the Promised Land. In our gospel, Jesus tells us that the Father reveals Himself “to the merest children,” not to “the learned and the clever.” And so He has come here to Moses, a man whose speech is weak but whose heart is indeed humble as a child, to call him to be the greatest, most godly of men, and to this great task set before him. Like John the Baptist after him – who will be the greatest of men born of woman – he is entirely deferential to the Lord. Here he hides his face, “afraid to look at God,” and questions sincerely: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt?” Such as these the Lord calls; to such as these He reveals Himself. These are they “to whom the Son wishes to reveal” the Father. “Merest children.” Only to these does the Lord reveal Himself. Only to those whose hearts are pure, who take no pride in themselves. In a word, “humble” must we be. “He has made known His ways to Moses, and His deeds to the children of Israel.” To them He will show that “the Lord secures justice and the rights of all the oppressed.” And as their lives are redeemed from destruction, they will “bless His holy name.” Of the kindness of the Lord the earth is filled, but only those who come as children before Him will know “all His benefits.” Only those who humble themselves before Him will be raised up to see His glory and live in the light of His presence. O Jesus, we pray that you will reveal the Father to us. We pray that our hearts will be circumcised and that we will ever bow before the glory that is God. Bring the fire of the Holy Spirit upon us to purge all our iniquity and prepare us to hear your voice, O Word of God. Call us forth to do your will and lead us ever to your holy mountain, that always we might be in your presence, that forever we might worship you in spirit and in truth, as merest children, as sons and daughters of your eternal light. May we never be consumed by sin or the vestiges of our pride, but be brought to life by the grace and power of God. Show us your face and let us indeed live in the light of its holy fire. ******* O LORD, you reveal yourself to us through your Son that we might be saved from our sin. YHWH, make us humble, humble as children; meek as Moses, innocent as your Son, we shall see your face. Reveal yourself to us, we pray, though we deserve not such kindness and mercy. To your light let us come, to the fire burning in our midst, that fire ignited by Jesus, that we might see you, LORD, that indeed we might know you who look upon our misery, who desire so to save us from the slavery of sin. Lead us out of this desert to your holy mountain by the grace that comes to us only through your Son. O dear Jesus, how can we stand in the presence of your Father, we who have become so corrupted by iniquity, we who are blinded by the evil upon our souls. Only you can make us as children again, pure and innocent in the sight of the LORD, pure and innocent as you are. Let us be united to you in all humility that we might come before the Father and praise His holy NAME.
The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed (see Mark 4:30-32). It is a revolution that is quietly growing, but will one day come to full fruition. Christ has planted the seed by first coming to redeem us. He will one day return to reap the harvest, purging the world of all that is inconsistent with his Kingdom and restoring creation as it was meant to be. As followers of Christ, we have the opportunity to participate in this future Kingdom reality, today. Like John the Baptist, we are preparing the way of the Lord. One sign of this mustard seed revolution is seen through the baptism of believers.
The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed (see Mark 4:30-32). It is a revolution that is quietly growing, but will one day come to full fruition. Christ has planted the seed by first coming to redeem us. He will one day return to reap the harvest, purging the world of all that is inconsistent with his Kingdom and restoring creation as it was meant to be. As followers of Christ, we have the opportunity to participate in this future Kingdom reality, today. Like John the Baptist, we are preparing the way of the Lord. One sign of this mustard seed revolution is seen through the baptism of believers.
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