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If you're curious about how to become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (this is an EXTERNAL resource, not owned by the Morning Mindset. Please do not leave messages for Carey there. See below for contact info). ⇒ Join the MMM Prayer Team: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/PrayerTeam ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Romans 15:8–12 - [8] For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, [9] and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” [10] And again it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” [11] And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” [12] And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” (ESV) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SUPPORT OUR WORK: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Support a daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen _ Venmo: @CareyNGreen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONTACT US AT: Carey@careygreen.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/
Join us on Patreon for Daily Prayer Matins - Friday after Ash WednesdayIn the Name of the Father and of + the Son and of the Holy Spirit.Amen.The Invitatory and PsalterLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.O God, make speed to save us;O Lord, make haste to help us. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,world without end. AmenPraise the Lord;The Lord's name be praised ¶ Then follows the Invitatory Psalm with a Lenten antiphon. Lenten AntiphonThe Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him. VeniteCome, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. * Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!Harden not your hearts,as your forebears did in the wilderness, *at Meribah, and on that day at Massah,when they tempted me.They put me to the test, * though they had seen my works.Forty years long I detested that generation and said, * "This people are wayward in their hearts;they do not know my ways.”So I swore in my wrath, * "They shall not enter into my rest.”Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,world without end. Amen Lenten AntiphonThe Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him. The PsalmsAntiphon 1They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink. Psalm 69:1-23Save me, O God, for the waters have risen up to my neck.I am sinking in deep mire, and there is no firm ground for my feet.I have come into deep waters, and the torrent washes over me.I have grown weary with my crying; my throat is inflamed; my eyes have failed from looking for my God.Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; my lying foes who would destroy me are mighty. Must I then give back what I never stole?O God, you know my foolishness, and my faults are not hidden from you.Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, Lord God of hosts; let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me, O God of Israel.Surely, for your sake have I suffered reproach, and shame has covered my face.I have become a stranger to my own kindred, an alien to my mother's children.Zeal for your house has eaten me up; the scorn of those who scorn you has fallen upon me.I humbled myself with fasting, but that was turned to my reproach.I put on sack-cloth also, and became a byword among them.Those who sit at the gate murmur against me, and the drunkards make songs about me.But as for me, this is my prayer to you, at the time you have set, O Lord:“In your great mercy, O God, answer me with your unfailing help.Save me from the mire; do not let me sink; let me be rescued from those who hate me and out of the deep waters.Let not the torrent of waters wash over me, neither let the deep swallow me up; do not let the Pit shut its mouth upon me.Answer me, O Lord, for your love is kind; in your great compassion, turn to me.”“Hide not your face from your servant; be swift and answer me, for I am in distress.Draw near to me and redeem me; because of my enemies deliver me.You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor; my adversaries are all in your sight.”Reproach has broken my heart, and it cannot be healed; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I could find no one.They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink. Antiphon 1They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink.Antiphon 2Christ for us became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Psalm 117Praise the Lord, all you nations; laud him, all you peoples.For his loving-kindness toward us is great, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever. Hallelujah! Antiphon 2Christ for us became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,world without end. Amen ReadingsRomans 15English Standard VersionWe who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”And again it is said,“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”And again,“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.”And again Isaiah says,“The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;in him will the Gentiles hope.”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written,“Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.The Word of the LordThanks be to God Matthew 25:1-30English Standard Version“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.' But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.' But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'The Word of the LordThanks be to God Canticle #14 A Song of PenitenceO Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven, * God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of all their righteous offspring:You made the heavens and the earth, * with all their vast array.All things quake with fear at your presence; *they tremble because of your power.But your merciful promise is beyond all measure; * it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.O Lord, you are full of compassion, *long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.You hold back your hand; *you do not punish as we deserve.In your great goodness, Lord,you have promised forgiveness to sinners, *that they may repent of their sin and be saved.And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart, *and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness.I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, *and I know my wickedness only too well.Therefore I make this prayer to you: *Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.Do not let me perish in my sin, * nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, * and in me you will show forth your goodness.Unworthy as I am, you will save me,in accordance with your great mercy, *and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life.For all the powers of heaven sing your praises, * and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen. The Apostles' CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And with your spirit.Let us pray.Lord, have mercy upon us.Christ, have mercy upon us.Lord, have mercy upon us.Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. SuffragesShow us your mercy, O Lord;And grant us your salvation.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;Let your people sing with joy.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;For only in you can we live in safety.Lord, keep this nation under your care;And guide us in the way of justice and truth.Let your way be known upon earth;Your saving health among all nations.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O God;And sustain us with your Holy Spirit. The CollectsCollect of the DayAlmighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceLord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Prayer for MissionLord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. A time for intercessions and thanksgivings may follow. A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.Let us bless the Lord.Thanks be to God.May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.Romans 15:13
Romans 15:8-13 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Main Point: Let us warmly welcome those whom Christ has welcomed for the glory of God.1. Learn to navigate disagreements with love.2. Welcome one another the way that Christ, the servant, welcomed us.3. Live to glorify God for His faithfulness and mercy.4. Abound in hope by trusting in the God of hope.
686 Rejoice and Celebrate, O Gentiles, Along With His People, A Guided Christian Meditation on Romans 15:8-10 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ. Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes. Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Scripture for Meditation Romans 15 NIV 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.” 10 Again, it says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.” AMP 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant and a minister to the circumcision (Jews) on behalf of God's truth, to confirm and verify the promises made to the fathers, 9 and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy [to them, since God had no covenant with them]. As it is written and forever remains written, “Therefore I praise You among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name.” 10 Again it says, “Rejoice and celebrate, O Gentiles, along with His people.” Meditation on Scripture: For people who have listened many times about God's chosen people we can get desensitized to how miraculous this is. If we are not careful we can get very comfortable with this idea such that it seems obvious. As though God had no other choice then to choose us. Equally spiritually dangerous is to feel like we somehow pulled a fast one on God and we snuck into the sheepfold some other way than through the door. With both these thoughts it is important for us to ponder and focus on the idea that God had no obligation to help us out of our fallen state other than the covenant He made for us, and to be clear, unless we are literally Jewish, we were not historically Gods chosen people. God decided to offer that to each of us based on His love. May we glorify Gods mercy. Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind? FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod
Text: Romans 15:8-13 ESV 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. -Rom 15:8-13 ESV ABOUND IN HOPE Paul is highlighting the unique relationship between the Israelites and Gentiles in God's sovereign plan. God has progressively revealed this plan over the ages. Initially, Christ, in His earthly life and ministry, became a servant to the Jewish people, particularly as circumcised to mark their unique identity. Jesus claims in Matthew 15:24, saying, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Paul echoes this claim about Jesus' purpose in Galatians 4:4–5, saying, "God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law." The Gentiles, on the other hand, were not left out. They would glorify God for His mercy. When the Jews refused to come to God through faith in Christ, God offered the gift of His grace through faith in Christ to the rest of the world (Rom 11:11–12). Was this incidental? Definitely not! This was always God's plan. In fact, Paul has quoted Old Testament prophecies that the Gentiles ar included in His plan. These prophecies are not explicitly spelled out how this would come to pass. But, Paul is eager to point out the inclusion of the Gentiles in the praise of God. First is Psa 18:49, “For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name.” Verse 10 is possibly a quotation from Deut 32:43, which says, “Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people's land.” And the next verse is from Psa 117:2, “For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!” The Gentile nations would be praising the Lord for His steadfast love and faithfulness. And, Paul quotes Isa 11:10-12, “ “10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. 11 In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. 12 He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” These prophecies follow a primary emphasis of New Testament teaching. That is, the gospel applies to all people and cultures, throughout all of mankind. No exception. Undoubtedly, Christ has become the Lord of all people groups. And, the Gentiles who come to God through faith in Christ have placed their hope in Him for their salvation. Paul's basic thought is that Jesus is the fulfillment of all these Old Testament writings or prophecies both for Israel and for the Gentile nations (Gal 3:28–29). ------------------------- Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram
Romans 15:8-12 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, “Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles, and I will sing to Your name.” Again He says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.” And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise Him.” Again Isaiah says, “There shall come the root of Jesse, and He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, in Him shall the Gentiles hope.” These verses are so encouraging! They show us God's character and give us, and especially the Jews, a basis for trusting in Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Lord. If God doesn't keep His promises to the fathers, meaning Abraham and on, then He is not The Truth. When Jesus accepts the Gentile on the basis of the mercy of God, He is serving the Jews who were promised that they would become the channel through whom God would bless the nations. Abraham was promised that all the nations of the earth would be blessed in his seed. That seed was Jesus, the Christ. Instead of using Jesus' name, Paul called Him, “Christ.” This highlighted His relationship with the Jews, the circumcision. “Christ” means “anointed one.” One who is appointed for a specific service by God, in the case of Jesus, He was the one appointed by God to be the savior of the world, the Redeemer, God's servant. Paul declared to the Romans that Jesus, in accepting both Jew and Gentile, serves the faith of the Jews in God's Word. His death and resurrection confirm God's character. Paul, like every dependable Bible teacher, proved his point from the Scriptures. Remember what he wrote in vs. 4? “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” These verses instruct us to glorify God for His mercies. My guess is that most of you who are listening are Gentiles. You have experienced God's love because of His promises made to the fathers, the Jewish fathers. He had us in mind all along as He worked to bring Jesus Christ into the world. He continues His faithfulness to His word through us as we persevere and encourage one another to live to love with Jesus.
Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________EpiphanyAnd nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.Isaiah 60:3 ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. O Gracious Light Phos hilaronO gracious Light, pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven, O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!Now as we come to the setting of the sun, and our eyes behold the vesper light, we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices, O Son of God, O Giver of life,and to be glorified through all the worlds. Psalm 72 Deus, judicium1Give the King your justice, O God, *and your righteousness to the King's Son;2That he may rule your people righteously *and the poor with justice;3That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *and the little hills bring righteousness.4He shall defend the needy among the people; *he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.5He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *from one generation to another.6He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *like showers that water the earth.7In his time shall the righteous flourish; *there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.8He shall rule from sea to sea, *and from the River to the ends of the earth.9His foes shall bow down before him, *and his enemies lick the dust.10The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, *and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.11All kings shall bow down before him, *and all the nations do him service.12For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, *and the oppressed who has no helper.13He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; *he shall preserve the lives of the needy.14He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, *and dear shall their blood be in his sight.15Long may he live!and may there be given to him gold from Arabia; *may prayer be made for him always,and may they bless him all the day long.16May there be abundance of grain on the earth,growing thick even on the hilltops; *may its fruit flourish like Lebanon,and its grain like grass upon the earth.17May his Name remain for everand be established as long as the sun endures; *may all the nations bless themselves in him and call him blessed.18Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, *who alone does wondrous deeds!19And blessed be his glorious Name for ever! *and may all the earth be filled with his glory.Amen. Amen. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The LessonsIsaiah 61 English Standard Version61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed meto bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.4 They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations;they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.5 Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;6 but you shall be called the priests of the Lord; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast.7 Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy.8 For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong;I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.9 Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God,for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. The Song of Mary - MagnificatMy soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; * for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant From this day all generations will call me blessed: * the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him * in every generation.He has shown the strength of his arm, * he has scattered the proud in their conceit.He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, * and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, * and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, * for he has remembered his promise of mercy, The promise he made to our fathers, * to Abraham and his children for ever.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as It was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Romans 15:8-21 English Standard Version8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”10 And again it is said,“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”11 And again,“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.”12 And again Isaiah says,“The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;in him will the Gentiles hope.”13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,“Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. The Song of Simeon - Nunc dimittisLord, you now have set your servant free * to go in peace as you have promised; For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, * whom you have prepared for all the world to see: A Light to enlighten the nations, * and the glory of your people Israel.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The SuffragesThat this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful, We entreat you, O Lord.That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses, We entreat you, O Lord.That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may depart this life in your faith and fear, and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit in the communion of all your saints, entrusting one another and all our life to Christ, We entreat you, O Lord.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. EpiphanyO God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceMost holy God, the source of all good desires, all right judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.A Collect for Aid against PerilsBe our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.For MissionKeep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionMay the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. - Romans 15:13
The entire mission of Jesus follows this pattern: nothing visibly spectacular at first but growing to a level of majesty we can scarcely imagine. - SERMON TRANSCRIPT - Turn in your Bibles to Isaiah 49. Christmas probably is the biggest event of the calendar. Every year, I would say it's the biggest holiday there is. A Gallup poll in 2019 says that 93% of Americans, in some way, recognize or celebrate Christmas, and it's not just here in America, it's something that is a worldwide phenomenon. Over 2 billion people observe Christmas in some way worldwide, if not more. Christy and I were very surprised when we were missionaries in Japan to see Christmas decorations going up in the malls there in Tokushima. There's the green and red, and there's all the Christmas, jolly old St. Nicholas, and all that. Santa was everywhere. There it was, Christmas in Japan, where about 1% are evangelical, but there they were celebrating Christmas. I have a friend who lives in the Persian Gulf. We communicate via Zoom from time to time, and he told me that there are Christmas trees all over that Muslim nation. 99% of the people there are Muslim and they still have Christmas trees. If you look a little closer though, we realize Christmas isn't as big as it should be. 71% of Americans say they don't look on Christmas as a religious holiday at all. That's a huge percentage of people that see it in a secular sort of way, and we think that must be true of the billions around the world that stop working, gather to eat and to drink, and to celebrate in some way. We're aware of the fact that Christmas, however big it is, needs to be a lot bigger. That brings me to the text that we're studying today, Isaiah 49, in which it is said by God to Christ, "It is too small a thing..." I want to zero in on that concept and link it to Christmas. Christmas is too small, it's smaller than it should be, however big it is, it still too small. In the text, it is said, "It is too small a thing for you to save the Jews alone." Too small a thing. Now what an amazing achievement that would be, the salvation of the Jewish nation. When Jesus Christ finally achieves it, what a great achievement that would be at the end of human history, as I believe the mystery that Paul talks about in Romans 11, where he says, "All Israel will be saved." I believe that that will come, that will be a climax to the long, and torturous, and painful journey that Almighty God has been on with his chosen people, the Jewish nation, the descendants of Abraham. But however great that will be, God says in this text, "It is too small a thing." God intended a glory far greater than that, a multitude from every tribe, and language, and people in nation standing around the throne celebrating the salvation of God. The idea of my sermon today is captured in another place in Scripture. "O magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt his name together." To magnify means to make great or make greater. We cannot make an infinite God any greater than he is, but He does need to be greater in our own estimation. That's where He is too small. That's why Christmas is too small, in our own minds, in our own estimation, and the Word of God is the remedy. Look at the text again. Isaiah 49: 1-6, “Listen to me, you islands. Hear this, you distant nations. Before I was born, the Lord called me from my birth, He has made mention of my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of His hand, He hid me. He made me into a polished arrow, and concealed me in his quiver. He said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I'll display my splendor.’ But I said, ‘I have labored to no purpose. I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing, yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand, and my reward is with my God.’ And now the Lord says, ‘He who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, where I'm honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength.’” He says, "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." I believe that it is Christ speaking in this passage. He's summoning all nations to listen, look at verse 1, "Listen to me, you islands. Hear this, you distant nations." I've already made the assertion, but we need to ask, "Who is speaking in these words?" This person is speaking of himself and for himself, but He relates something He says that God says to him, the Lord says to him, "The Lord spoke to me." So who is the speaker in this ancient oracle? There are three possibilities. It is Isaiah the prophet himself speaking, or it is the nation of Israel collectively having a certain role to play, and that's home base of verse 3, where the speaker says the Lord calls him, "My servant Israel.” Or it could be the Messiah, the Christ, speaking through the spirit of God, the spirit of Christ, through the prophet Isaiah in the first person. If we look at verse 6, this is a key. He says, "It is too small or too light a thing for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I'll also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the Earth." The servant who's speaking here is someone who both restores the tribes of Israel and is also the light for the Gentiles. There's no way that can be the sinful nation of Israel. Israel can't bring Israel back, so that's eliminated. It's certainly not Isaiah the prophet, the man of unclean lips, he would never have arrogated to himself the statements made here. The New Testament solves this question for us directly by quoting this passage and ascribing it directly to Jesus. Shortly after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary took the baby Jesus to Jerusalem to be circumcised in fulfillment of the law of Moses. A prophet named Simeon was waiting for him. Moved by the Holy Spirit, he took the baby Jesus into his arms and said these amazing words in Luke 2, "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light of revelation to the Gentiles and for glory for your people Israel." So he calls him the light for the Gentiles or for the nations. So also Paul and Barnabas, when they're preaching in a synagogue in Pisidian, Antioch, quoted this and directly connected it to Jesus in Acts 13:47, "This is what the Lord has commanded us, I have made you," [singular,] "a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the Earth." Paul and Barnabas, didn't think that they were the light to the Gentiles, but they were there at Pisidian, Antioch on his behalf. The statement that had been made to Jesus, "I will make you a light for the Gentiles," they took as their marching orders, but it was Jesus that was the light for the Gentiles. Therefore, the speaker in Isaiah 49 is none other than Jesus speaking, long before He was incarnate by the Virgin Mary, speaking prophetically by the power of the Holy Spirit in the first person. This shouldn't surprise us because He does the same thing in His most famous quotation of Isaiah. At the beginning of His public ministry in Nazareth, He went to his hometown, Nazareth. He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath, and He took the scroll of Isaiah, and He unrolled it to Isaiah 61. He read these words, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me," [first person] "because He has anointed me," [Messiah Christ means anointed one] "to preach good news to the poor." He went on and quoted more of Isaiah 61, then He rolled up the scroll and sat down, and He said, "Today in your hearing, this scripture is fulfilled." So “I am the Messiah, I am the anointed one, the spirit of the Lord is upon me.” But if you just read Isaiah 61, it's the same thing. It's an ancient oracle written in the first person. It's Jesus speaking prophetically long before He was born by the spirit of God. We have that same kind of pattern here, and this is one of a series of what's known as “servant songs,” the servant of the Lord. There are four of them, the four servant songs. Sometimes the text speaks about the servant of the Lord, and sometimes in the servant song, the servant speaks himself directly. These four servant songs give us a sense of the purpose of God in sending Jesus. This is the thing that's so amazing, Isaiah was written more than seven centuries before Jesus was born. Uzziah died in the year 733BC, a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah. This is a long time before Jesus was born and it gives us great confidence, doesn't it? To know that the whole plan had been written out in detail in prophecy long before Jesus was born. We have these four servant songs. The first is in Isaiah 42, which depicts Jesus as a gentle Savior. Isaiah 42: 1-4, "Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight." The speaker there is God, He's speaking about the servant of the Lord, Jesus. "I will put my spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout, or cry out, or raise His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. In faithfulness, He will bring forth justice. He will not falter or be discouraged till He establishes justice on the Earth, and in His law, the islands will put their hope." That's the first of the four servant songs, directly ascribed to Jesus in Matthew chapter 12. When it says, "The bruised reed He will not break, and the smoldering wick He will not snuff out,” it is speaking of Jesus's wonderful tenderness and skill in binding together broken-hearted sinners and saving them. He's a gentle and a loving Savior, and that's the first servant song. This servant song, Isaiah 49, is the second of the four, and we're going to walk through it this morning. The third is in Isaiah 50, again, it speaks in the first person. It speaks of the sufferings of the servant. And then the fourth, Isaiah 52 and 53, is the most famous of the four servant songs. Both of those last two, Isaiah 50 and Isaiah 52/53 speak of the suffering servant of the Lord, the intense sufferings of the servant of the Lord, culminating in the substitutionary, atoning death of Jesus. I. Christ Summons All Nations to Listen This servant song, Isaiah 49, will depict Jesus as a messenger for the glory of the Lord to the ends of the Earth. To take the greatness of God from small beginnings to a worldwide eternal kingdom, the glory of the Lord shining to the Gentiles, but it begins so powerfully as Jesus speaks in the text to the distant islands and nations to listen to His voice calling on all peoples, all over the world, across all time to listen to Him. Look at verse 1, "Listen to me, you islands. Hear this, you distant nations.” This verse shows the scope of God saving plans. Christ is calling to the ends of the Earth. Christ is the King of Kings. He is the Lord of Lords. All nations on Earth are His, for the Father has given them to Him. And He summons the islands, He summons the distant nations, the farthest places, the remotest locations. For example, the Inuit people of the Canadian Arctic, the semi-nomadic tribes, the cave dwellers of Papua New Guinea belong to Him. The blonde haired Norsemen, descendants of the Vikings, who now live in civilized and technologically advanced cities in Norway. The tall Dinka in South Sudan, perhaps the tallest tribe on Earth. All of these distant lands and all the others are summoned by Jesus Christ, the king of all the Earth, to listen to His voice, "Listen to me." II. God Called Jesus Before and After Birth He wants them to know the origin of His saving mission, it was by the call of the Father before He was born. God called Jesus before and after His birth. Look again in verse 1, "Before I was born, the Lord called me.” Jesus is unique in all of human history. He existed before He took on a human body. He's the only human being that chose to enter the world. He was called by His father, and Christ's mission was determined in the mind of God before the foundation of the worlds. Before God said, "Let there be light,” before God created the heavens and the Earth, this plan was established and determined in the mind of God. 1 Peter 1: 19-20 says, "We were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake." This is no new plan thrown together hastily at the end, but it was planned in the mind of God before the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8 also speaks of the lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. "Jesus is unique in all of human history. He existed before He took on a human body. He's the only human being that chose to enter the world. He was called by His father, and Christ's mission was determined in the mind of God before the foundation of the world." III. God Formed, Sharpened, Polished and Concealed Jesus It says in the text that God formed, sharpened, polished, and concealed Jesus. Look at verse 2, "He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me. He made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver." God prepared His son, the Lord Jesus, and He prepared the world for the coming of Christ. He orchestrated all of these things. Before the foundation of the world, God the Father, shaped his plan for the world through the Son. Everything in the universe, visible and invisible, was created through the Son. John 1:3, "Through him all things were made. And without him, nothing was made that has been made." Colossians uses the same concept, the Word through Colossians 1:16, "For through him or by him, all things were created. Things in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or powers, or rulers, or authorities, all things were created by Him and for Him.” So through Him, by Him, for Him. If that's true of the physical universe, how much more are the plans for the salvation of sinners, from every tribe, language, people and nation made through the Son, by the Father through the Son. God, the Father, agreed to save the Elect through the blood of his incarnate Son before God made anything at all. Ephesians 1 says, "For he chose us in him," that is in Christ, "before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace." His people were chosen in Christ, before the world began, to end up holy and blameless in heaven. That's all this preparation that was made before there even was a world, before Jesus was conceived and born, the preparation language was ascribed to the unfolding plan of God, and then history unfolded. The calling of Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, the birth of Isaac by a miracle, by the miracle power of God, and then of Jacob, and then of the 12 tribes, and then the bondage, the slavery in Egypt, all of that. The exodus through Moses, then all that subsequent history of the Jewish nation, and also the detailed history of the Gentile nations as well. God orchestrated all of these things according to His plan and His purpose. You look at the history of Israel recorded for us in the Old Testament, the history of Israel under the laws of Moses, and their tragic, consistent rebellion against God, and their consistent idolatry, and their consistent resistance of the Holy Spirit, and the messengers, the prophets, that came and they would not listen. Their subsequent exiles by the Assyrians and the Babylonians, and God's graciousness and allowing a small remnant of them to return to the Promised Land under Gentile domination and rebuild their lives, rebuild the temple and the city. Then the subsequent history of that small dominated nation in the times of the Gentiles, dominated by Gentile powers, until the time of Christ. Then in the fullness of time we're told, Galatians 3, "At the right time, God sent his son Jesus Christ." At just the right time, everything had been prepared, everything had been shaped and prepared for that moment in time for Jesus to come, and so we see that preparation language. Then God prepared a body for Jesus. He prepared a body for him in the womb of the Virgin Mary, Jesus was a holy embryo. This is an infinite mystery, something we will never fully comprehend, but His body was prepared step by step. It was miraculously conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, when the Holy Spirit came over the body of Mary. But then it unfolded, it seems, in the natural way like any other baby is knit together in his or her mother's womb. The Virgin Mary was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit, as the angel said, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the most high will overshadow you, and so the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." Mary said, "I'm a virgin, how can it be that I would have a baby?" That's how it happened, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the ordinary 23 chromosomes that would've come from a father, came from the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit. Other than that, it seems his body was formed step-by-step as the child develops in the mother's womb. The text in Isaiah says that God made his mouth like a sharpened sword. Before his mouth could be a sharpened sword, He had to have a mouth at all. His physical mouth, and then the lungs that gave him breath so He could speak. Indeed, every bodily system needed for physical life, God willed to give him. By the power of the Holy Spirit, knitting his body together, but in the ordinary way it seems of human gestation. Psalm 139, "You created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I'm fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the Earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." That's David the psalmist talking about his own physical creation by God inside his mother's womb. But how much more is that true of Jesus? Again, Job spoke the same way of his own body being knit together. Job said to God, "Your hand shaped me and made me. Remember that you molded me like clay. Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese? Did you not clothe me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life and showed me kindness." How amazing is that process anyway for every baby, but how much more significant is it for the incarnate son of God? All the days ordained for Jesus were written in God's book before one of them came to be. He was concealed, but this concealed son of God was revealed at the right time. "Hidden in the womb of the Virgin Mary like a polished arrow," it says, "concealed in the quiver, just as God's plan for the salvation of the world was hidden in the mind of God but then suddenly revealed when Jesus broke on the scene." Romans 16 speaks of the proclamation of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages pass but now revealed and made known. Ephesians 3:9 also, this mystery which for ages past was kept hidden in God who created all things. Colossians 1:26, "The mystery that had been kept hidden for ages and generations but is now disclosed to the saints." This mystery is Christ, the incarnate son of God, the Savior of the world, our hope for glory. Isaiah tells us that God concealed him in the shadow of his hand until the right time. The language here in Isaiah 49 is military. Jesus' mouth is likened to a sharpened sword, He is likened to a polished arrow. Jesus was unleashed by God the Father as a weapon to destroy Satan's dark kingdom, to smash it to bits, to destroy it, to bind the strong man, and to plunder his house, and to destroy him eternally in the lake of fire. By his own death, by Jesus' own death, to destroy him who held the power of death. In order to do this, God had to give Him a human soul, infinite mystery, and house it in a human body for that is what death is, the separation of the soul from the body. God gave Him blood, blood cells to course through His body, blood vessels to carry that blood, so that at the right time, He could shed His blood as an atonement for our sins. God gave Him bones as the frame of His body, but He ordained that not one of them would be broken when He died on the cross. God gave Him eyes to see the suffering of His afflicted sheep, He gave Him ears to hear their cries of pain, and all of this God prepared for His Son in the nine months that He was knitting Him together in His mother's womb. Then He hid Him once He was born, He hid Him from Herod's satanic attacks. Herod sent soldiers to hunt Him down and slaughter Him in Bethlehem, but God concealed Him and protected Him so that He would not die. The demons would've killed Him in the 30 years while He was growing up. He was getting ready to be revealed publicly to Israel, but they were held at bay. They would not be permitted to come after Him. They knew who He was, but He was protected and concealed, and He was concealed from public view until the right time came for Him to be manifested publicly to Israel. John the Baptist came as the forerunner, and he saw in the days of his baptism and the days of his preaching, John saw Jesus come. The only perfect man that has ever lived and he declared, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." John said, "I have seen and I testify that he is the son of God." John the Baptist said his central mission was the unveiling of the hidden son of God. In John 1:31, "The reason I came baptizing with water is that he might be unveiled or revealed Israel." The time of concealing was over, it was time for Him to be revealed. Think about the sharpened sword that was Jesus' mouth. How was Jesus' mouth like a sharpened sword with the awesome power of the words that He spoke? By His words, demons were driven out instantly. They were terrified of His word, they fled from Him, and no human weapon could ever bring terror to demons or to Satan. Satan has no fear of any weapon that we form, no weapon system. Remember when we were going through the book of Job and we talked about Leviathan, and I thought that he pictured Satan? For Leviathan in Job 41, it says, "The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or the dart of the javelin. Iron he treats like straw, bronze like rotten wood. Arrows do not make him flee, slingstones are like chaff to him. A club seems to him but a piece of straw, he laughs at the rattling of the lance." There's no weapon that human beings could make, no sword that we could fashion that Satan would tremble at. But the demons were terrified of Jesus and they fled at His word. When the demoniac from the Gadarenes with 5,000 demons inside was confronted with Jesus, they ran to Him and fell on the ground before Him, begged Him that He would send them into the herd of pigs and not send them into the pit before they appointed time. He said one word in the Gospel of Matthew's account, "Go," and they fled. It was the power of the word of Jesus over the demonic forces. Jesus' sword is terrible, and swift, and unbreakable against all his enemies. At His second coming, He is depicted as having a sharp, double-edged sword coming out of his mouth. Revelation 19, "Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter, He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. And with His breath, He will slay the Antichrist, the most powerful and most wicked human being that will have ever lived in all of history." It says in 2 Thessalonians 2, "The lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth and the splendor of His coming." All He'll have to do with the Antichrist is say, "Be dead, go to hell,” and it'll be done. That's the power of the sword coming out of the mouth of Jesus. How much more terrifying when He speaks to His enemies on judgment day, when all the nations are gathered before Him and He sits on a glorious throne, and He separates the people, all of them, one from another, into two categories, and only two, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He's going to say to the goats, to the lost, "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." That "depart from me" is His sharp sword cutting them off from Himself, and from life, and from everything good that there has ever been or ever will be. That's the terror of the sharp sword coming from the mouth of Jesus. Yet in an amazing way, his polished sharp sword heals us from our sins. Much like a surgeon's scalpel is able to cut out the tumor, it's able to take out the heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh. For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any double-edged sword. It's able to penetrate, even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marriage, judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. At the day of Pentecost, the people heard the gospel and they were cut to the heart, they were pierced by it and saved, because of that sharp sword coming out of Jesus' mouth. IV. The Apparent Failure of Jesus’ Mission Now we come to a mystery and that is the apparent failure of Jesus's mission. If Isaiah 49:1-6 is indeed the pre-incarnate Christ speaking of his mission in the world, if it is, what do we make of this one statement in verse 4? "I said, 'I have labored to no purpose, I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.’" That sounds really discouraged, doesn't it? I put in all this time, I did all this labor, and nothing has come of it. If this is still Jesus speaking, and it must be because the text continues in the same pattern, how could it be? At what point would Jesus say something like this? The mystery of the incarnation, the entire mission of Jesus follows the same pattern. Nothing visibly spectacular at first, small, insignificant, not very glorious, and just getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger. Growing to a level we can scarcely imagine. Isaiah 53 speaks of this very thing in verse 2, "He grew up before him like a tender shoot and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.” He's not impressive. When the King of Kings and Lord of Lords entered the world, it was in abject poverty and humility, born in a stable, wrapped in swaddling clothes, laid in a manger. When the shepherds went and saw them, they saw a baby wrapped up in cloths, that was it. When the Magi came, having been led by the star, they just saw a normal human baby. He had no majesty, no glory. He was just simple, and so throughout His ministry. He had no outward majesty, no radiant glory shining around Him. He looked like an ordinary man, and a very poor one at that. He had no place to lay His head. He had to be supported by a group of women who supported Him out of their means. This culminated in His arrest, in weakness. He didn't fight, He just went like a sheep to the slaughter. His disciples all deserted Him and fled the moment that He was arrested. Jesus said they would do it, "This very night you will all fall away in account of me, for it is written. I'll strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered." They're all gone. His closest, most trusted allies, disciples that he had poured into for three years, they're gone. And the time of His death, as He was dying on the cross and his blood was flowing out of His body, all He had to show at that moment, for a worldwide awesome movement in the kingdom that would last for all eternity, was His mother, some other women who were friends of the family, and one of the 12 apostles, John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, who was an eyewitness to His death. That was it. The only perfect ministry there's ever been, the only perfect teaching and perfect miracles, all of that perfect example, and that's it. But I said, "I have labored to no purpose. I've spent my strength in vain and for nothing." The seemingly gloomy statement shows how small the kingdom of Christ would've appeared at that moment. If any of us who are followers of Christ could be there at that moment, we would see what it looked like, and it didn't look like much. It certainly didn't look glorious, it certainly didn't look like it would conquer the world and last for all eternity. It started small, like Jesus' own body in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Microscopically small, so also the kingdom, which would one day conquer the whole Earth and last for all the eternity. But at that moment, all of those beautiful outcomes were in the hands of God. As He died, He said, "Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit." I think we could go beyond and say, "Into Your hands, I commend my kingdom. Do something with this.” That's why in Isaiah 49:4, it doesn't last long, this seemingly gloomy statement. "But I said, ‘I have labored to no purpose. I've spent my strength and a vain for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand, and my reward is with my God.’" And God says, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Ask of me, and I'm going to give you the nations as your inheritance.” You cannot measure the zeal that God the Father had to make much of what Christ did by dying on the cross, but at the moment of death it seemed like a failure. Therefore, like Jesus' body itself grew, Jesus' kingdom starts small also and moves out to its appropriate scope, and then we see the eternal glory of Jesus' kingdom. The text speaks of a glory too small for Christ. Look at verses 5-6, "Now the Lord says, ‘He who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I'm honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength.’ He says, ‘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'll also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the Earth.’" This is Jesus speaking by the Spirit through the words of Isaiah that Isaiah wrote down. He talks of his formation in the womb, the incarnation, Jesus would say, "The same God who formed me, formed my body in the womb of the virgin has glorious plans for Me." Yes, the original mission was to the nation of Israel. Paul says plainly to the Jew first and also to the Gentile, Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "Salvation is from the Jews." He said to the Syrophoenician woman, "I was sent only to the lost tribes of Israel." Now this text says Jesus' first mission was to bring Jacob back to God and gather Israel to himself, to restore Jacob and bring back the remnant, those of Israel that I have kept, that remnant. But that mission is too small. The Hebrew literally says it's too light, it's too trifling a thing. "I've got bigger plans than that for you, Jesus." Bigger plans than that, however great that is. That Jesus, the eternal son of God, would be the tribal savior of only one ethnic group on Earth, that is too small a thing. Why? Romans 3: 29-30 says, "Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too?" Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God who will justify the circumcised through faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. One God for the entire world, one savior. So therefore it is too light a thing for Jesus to only be a Jewish savior. He has a worldwide plan, God does. "I will also make you a light for the Gentiles that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the Earth." A light for the Gentiles, and that light directly equated with salvation. As Isaiah said earlier, in Isaiah 9:2, “The people walking in darkness have seen what a great light. On those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.” It says in the next verse, Isaiah 9:3, "You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy." So we're going to have a bigger nation. He says in Isaiah 54, "Lengthen the tent ropes and the stakes, and get a bigger tent, you're going to need a bigger tent, O Zion." So it's too small a thing for just the Jews, there are going to be some honorary members of the family of Abraham. By repentance and faith in Christ, they're going to be grafted into this incredible work. "One God for the entire world, one savior. So therefore it is too light a thing for Jesus to only be a Jewish savior. He has a worldwide plan, God does." It is too small a thing for it just to stay Jews only. They rejoice before you as those who rejoice at the harvest, as those who rejoice when dividing the plunder. It's a time of joy. Jesus is the light for the Gentiles, giving the light of truth, shining the light on yourself, the light of the truth about yourself, that you're a sinner who has violated the laws of God as I am, that you deserve hell. Death is coming. You see the light of yourself, and you come into the light because you're not afraid, because you know what you're going to find there is a savior who is gentle and humble, and you're going to find rest for your souls, and salvation for your souls. That light is shining on you, and you can see yourself clearly for the first time, but you can also see the light of the glory of God in Christ, and He's beautiful and attractive, and you want him. That's the light, as it says in “Amazing Grace.” "Amazing grace, how sweet this sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found was blind, but now I see." Jesus is the light for the Gentiles who would bring God's salvation to the ends of the Earth. And what is that but missions, friends. You may be wondering, "Why did you do Isaiah?" It's like, I want to get to missions. I want to talk about missions. "Well, Pastor, you did that last week." That's true, I want to do it this week too. It is important that we understand God's worldwide plan for the greatness of Jesus. Jesus is still too small, and His kingdom is still too small. It's bigger than it was yesterday, praise God, but it's still too small and it's going to get bigger and bigger. More and more people, and more and more conception of the greatness of Christ, and that process is going to go on for all eternity. Romans 15, "I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews, on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy, as it is written. ‘Therefore, I'll praise you among the Gentiles, I'll sing hymns to your name.’" Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." And again, "Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and sing praises to Him all you peoples." And again, Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations, and the Gentiles will hope in Him." V. Application This time of year, we collect money for missions through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We have a greater focus on missions, our minds drift away throughout the year. We should be thinking about it daily throughout the year, but this is a good time for us to recommit and reconnect. Think about sacrificial financial giving. It is by offerings like this that missionaries are cared for, paid for, and able to stay on the field. Let's be sacrificial in our giving. We do this so that we may finally realize, God the Father's, determination in Isaiah 49:6, that Jesus would have the full glory of the salvation of the elect from every nation. As Revelation 7 says, "After this, I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne, and in front of the lamb. And they were wearing white robes, and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb.’" Isaiah 9 says, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he'll be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his kingdom and of peace, there will be no end." This kingdom is going to get bigger for all eternity, not more people, procreation will be done. But in your estimation of the greatness of Jesus, you're going to spend eternity learning just how infinitely glorious and great Jesus is. I'm looking forward to that, aren't you? Close with me in prayer. Father, we thank You for the time we've had to study. Lord, we thank You for the gospel and pray, oh Lord, that You would just be speaking very plainly. Like even now, oh Lord, be speaking. Speaking to people who have yet to cross over from death of life. Let them hear the truth, and let them know... They've heard the gospel multiple times this morning. Let them know that it is for them, that they would see in the light of the truth of the Word of God, that they need a savior, and that Jesus is that savior. And repenting and trusting in Him, find life in His name. And for all of us, oh Lord, help us to be committed to shining that light in many dark places in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Romans 14–16 Romans 14–16 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,6 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing7 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Personal Greetings 16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant8 of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert9 to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,10 my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,11 and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers12 who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. Final Instructions and Greetings 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,13 and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.14 Doxology 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. Footnotes [1] 14:4 Or lord [2] 14:11 Or shall give praise [3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened [4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27 [5] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [6] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [7] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel [8] 16:1 Or deaconess [9] 16:5 Greek firstfruit [10] 16:7 Or Junias [11] 16:7 Or messengers [12] 16:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 17 [13] 16:18 Greek their own belly [14] 16:23 Some manuscripts insert verse 24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (ESV)
Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________The Second Week of AdventThe glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.Isaiah 40:5 ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. In AdventOur King and Savior now draws near: Come let us adore him. Venite Psalm 95:1-7Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. * Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Psalm 25 Ad te, Domine, levavi1To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;my God, I put my trust in you; *let me not be humiliated,nor let my enemies triumph over me.2Let none who look to you be put to shame; *let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.3Show me your ways, O Lord, *and teach me your paths.4Lead me in your truth and teach me, *for you are the God of my salvation;in you have I trusted all the day long.5Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, *for they are from everlasting.6Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; *remember me according to your loveand for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.7Gracious and upright is the Lord; *therefore he teaches sinners in his way.8He guides the humble in doing right *and teaches his way to the lowly.9All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness *to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.10For your Name's sake, O Lord, *forgive my sin, for it is great.11Who are they who fear the Lord? *he will teach them the way that they should choose.12They shall dwell in prosperity, *and their offspring shall inherit the land.13The Lord is a friend to those who fear him *and will show them his covenant.14My eyes are ever looking to the Lord, *for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.15Turn to me and have pity on me, *for I am left alone and in misery.16The sorrows of my heart have increased; *bring me out of my troubles.17Look upon my adversity and misery *and forgive me all my sin.18Look upon my enemies, for they are many, *and they bear a violent hatred against me.19Protect my life and deliver me; *let me not be put to shame, for I have trusted in you.20Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, *for my hope has been in you.21Deliver Israel, O God, *out of all his troubles. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The LessonsRomans 15:4-13 English Standard VersionFor whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”And again it is said,“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”And again,“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.”And again Isaiah says,“The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;in him will the Gentiles hope.”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. You are God(Te Deum laudamus)You are God: we praise you;You are the Lord: we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting. Luke 21:25-33 English Standard Version“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. A Song of Praise(Benedictus es, Domine Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34)Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; * you are worthy of praise; glory to you.Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; * on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you, beholding the depths; * in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The SuffragesShow us your mercy, O Lord;And grant us your salvation.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;Let your people sing with joy.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;For only in you can we live in safety. Lord, keep this nation under your care;And guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth; Your saving health among all nations. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. The Second Week of AdventBlessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceLord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.For MissionAlmighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14
Romans 14–16 Romans 14–16 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,6 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing7 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Personal Greetings 16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant8 of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert9 to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,10 my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,11 and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers12 who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. Final Instructions and Greetings 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,13 and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.14 Doxology 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. Footnotes [1] 14:4 Or lord [2] 14:11 Or shall give praise [3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened [4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27 [5] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [6] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [7] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel [8] 16:1 Or deaconess [9] 16:5 Greek firstfruit [10] 16:7 Or Junias [11] 16:7 Or messengers [12] 16:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 17 [13] 16:18 Greek their own belly [14] 16:23 Some manuscripts insert verse 24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (ESV)
Proper 29 First Psalm: Psalm 118 Psalm 118 (Listen) His Steadfast Love Endures Forever 118 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”4 Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 5 Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free.6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?7 The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. 8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. 10 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!12 They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!13 I was pushed hard,1 so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. 14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.15 Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,16 the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!” 17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.18 The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.223 This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD.27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.29 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Footnotes [1] 118:13 Hebrew You (that is, the enemy) pushed me hard [2] 118:22 Hebrew the head of the corner (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 145 Psalm 145 (Listen) Great Is the Lord 1 A Song of Praise. Of David. 145 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.9 The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. 10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you!11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power,12 to make known to the children of man your2 mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]314 The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.16 You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.20 The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 21 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. Footnotes [1] 145:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet [2] 145:12 Hebrew his; also next line [3] 145:13 These two lines are supplied by one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac (compare Dead Sea Scroll) (ESV) Old Testament: Isaiah 19:19–25 Isaiah 19:19–25 (Listen) 19 In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border. 20 It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. 21 And the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them. 22 And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them. 23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. 24 In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25 whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” (ESV) New Testament: Romans 15:5–13 Romans 15:5–13 (Listen) 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV) Gospel: Luke 19:11–27 Luke 19:11–27 (Listen) The Parable of the Ten Minas 11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants,1 he gave them ten minas,2 and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.' 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.' 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.' 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant!3 Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.' 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.' 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.' 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?' 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!' 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.'” Footnotes [1] 19:13 Or bondservants; also verse 15 [2] 19:13 A mina was about three months' wages for a laborer [3] 19:17 Or bondservant; also verse 22 (ESV)
Hope is as good as God's Word. We learn what hope is, and what our hope is in, from Scripture. The strength and power of our hope comes from the trustworthiness of Scripture. Our confidence in what Scripture tells us to hope for in the future comes from what Scripture reveals about all the realities that God has fulfilled so far. That should sound advent/Christmas related. In fact I've used Romans 15:4-13 four times in our annual Christmas Eve service Scripture readings. Just as God promised to send a Savior to earth and did, so also God promised to set up a King in a kingdom on earth, which He will. One good advent deserves another, and here we are learning how to behave and wait—while everyone doesn't agree on everything—*in hope*.Since the start of Romans 14 the instruction is about living in light of the coming Lord's unique position. He is the one to whom we will give account, He is our Master, we serve Him. So we can get off our brother's case regarding his diet choices. We pray for the kingdom to come to earth as it is in heaven, and we reckon that the kingdom is a matter of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (14:17). So eat and honor the Lord and give thanks or *don't* eat, yet still with honor and thanks. Either way, take off the judgy-pants and put on your joy-pants. *Welcome* your brother (15:7), like 14:1. Welcoming is how it started, and welcoming should be how it's going. How it started was receiving, and how it's going is still receiving *with hope that it's going to happen for God's glory*. For all of the possible problems between people, God's purpose and God's power are still on track to accomplish all God's promises. That's a reason for hope. # Glorious Welcome (verse 7)Based on God's granting of unity to glorify Him (verses 5-6), there is responsibility to embrace that unity. > Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7 ESV)**Welcome** is the same word and imperative as opened this section of the letter in 14:1. It has the idea of taking toward (oneself), of receiving as into one's home or circle of acquaintances. Open the door and invite them in. The strong were told to *welcome* the weak in faith (14:1), and the weak were told to stop judging the eaters because of God's *welcome* (14:4). The **one another** in 15:7 covers them both. And the standard calls us to level up. Don't just *welcome* because Christ is Lord, but *welcome* **just as also Christ received you.** Christ bore reproaches of God's enemies to receive His people, and that all happened **for the glory of God**. But this must also apply to us *welcoming* others like Christ.Do you want to glorify God? It is as obvious as patterning your welcome of the brothers after Jesus, and as onerous. Study the Scriptures for endurance/encouragement/example and welcome your brothers for the glory of God. # Covenant Welcome (verse 8)The welcome of Christ gets higher than divisions about disputable matters and touches people groups.> For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, (Romans 15:8 ESV)This has explanatory power for our welcoming of one another over issues of meat and wine and days and such, but bringing in the Jew/Gentile distinction doesn't map onto strong/weak differences, as if one ethnicity of Christian necessarily was more able or less able in choices by faith. If there is one thing we've learned, it's that (almost) anyone can have any problem. That said, the problem between Jewish Christians and non-Jewish Christians was a thing that required a lot of parchment in the first few centuries of the church. The believers in Rome were living with such tensions. Even though most Jews rejected Jesus as Messiah and would not confess Him as Lord, Paul, a Jew (Romans 9:3), said **Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God** (NASB). What is the **truth**? It's **the promises given to the patriarchs**. And what were those promises? They had heard about a Seed who would save them (Genesis 3:15). The Lord promised to make Abraham a great nation, to bless that people and make them a blessing (Genesis 12:1-3), and to give them promised land (Genesis 13:14-15). Why refer to them as **the circumcision** rather than “Jews” or “Israelites” as previously in Romans? Probably because circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic *Covenant* (Genesis 17:4-13). To the Israelites belonged the covenants and the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and the Christ (Romans 9:4-5).Christ served the circumcised **in order to confirm the promises**. It's important that Paul does not say in order to *fulfill* the promises, as if all the promises had been *completed* by Christ. They have been **confirmed**, “put beyond doubt” (BAGD), validated. The Gentiles might have thought that God was finished with Israel, but they shouldn't have. The Jews are welcomed by Christ because of God's covenant. # Merciful Welcome (verses 9-12)The Scriptures that were given for endurance and encouragement that lead to hope also foresaw a Son of Jacob/Israel that would save *the world*. Salvation blessings were covenanted to Israel and purposed for the nations. > and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. (Romans 15:9 ESV)The only covenant made with the nations is that God would not destroy them with a flood (Genesis 9), though even that was technically a covenant to Noah, and there weren't any nations at that point. And yet, while choosing Israel as His national people, God purposed to bring Himself glory through every tribe, tongue, language, and people. He would show them **His mercy**. The good news is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16). All this was *prophesied*. No Scripture proofs were needed to corroborate Christ's receiving of Jews; it would have been surprising if Israel did not receive God's mercy. These multiple texts, though, leave no doubt about mercy extended; it shouldn't have been surprising that Gentiles would receive God's mercy. Paul weaves together four quotes in a row, from the Law, the Writings/Psalms, and the Prophets. The Jews might not have expected Christ to welcome the Gentiles, but only if they didn't read their Scriptures. The first Scripture is Psalm 18:49. > As it is written, > “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, > and sing to your name.” (Romans 15:9 ESV)The second Scripture is Deuteronomy 32:43.> And again it is said, > “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” (Romans 15:10 ESV)The third Scripture is Psalm 117:1. > And again, > “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, > and let all the peoples extol him.” (Romans 15:11 ESV)The fourth Scripture is Isaiah 11:10. > And again Isaiah says, > “The root of Jesse will come, > even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; > in him will the Gentiles hope.” (Romans 15:12 ESV)Jesus is the Son of David, and it was to David that God covenanted a descendent who would be the King of kings. The Gentiles are welcomed by Christ because of God's mercy.# Hopeful Welcome (verse 13)Just as I argued that the benediction/prayer ended the previous paragraph (verses 5-6), so this section ends with another fantastic expression of divine blessing. > May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13 ESV)The **God of hope** compares with “the God of endurance and encouragement” in verse 5. The reference to the **Holy Spirit** compares to “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” in verse 6; it's a Trinitarian project. The God of hope is enabling and empowering **hope**. Three times **hope** in verses 12-13. There is hope for you, hope for me, hope for the world, hope by the Spirit through the Word in the Son of the God of hope. God fills us that we might overflow/**abound in hope**.# ConclusionIf we are not allowed to despise a brother over meat, which he can choose, we certainly are not allowed to despise a brother over his ethnicity, which he did not and cannot choose. It's a welcome hope, as in, a hope better than we were hoping for. It's also a hope that enables us to welcome others. The only reason we don't laugh at this international praising project is because we can look back at almost two-thousand years of God's mercy in the lives of disciples of all nations.The Lord's covenant and promises are on their way to being fulfilled, but it has not all happened just yet. The promises to the patriarchs are not completed, nor are they consumed in Christ as the terminal end; they will all be fulfilled *through* Him. Our Lord, come! Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His mercy to all peoples, and so welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.----------## ChargeGive thanks for the Messiah who confirms promises. Give thanks for the mercy of God that teaches you to rejoice. Give thanks, with all joy, and praise the Lord with your mouths, in songs and at suppers. Look to the Lord who blesses us, and who will return to rule us all.## Benediction:> May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13 ESV)
Old Testament: Jeremiah 21–22 Jeremiah 21–22 (Listen) Jerusalem Will Fall to Nebuchadnezzar 21 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, 2 “Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar1 king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.” 3 Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 4 ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. 5 I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. 6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. 7 Afterward, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.' 8 “And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war. 10 For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.' Message to the House of David 11 “And to the house of the king of Judah say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, 12 O house of David! Thus says the LORD: “‘Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of your evil deeds.'” 13 “Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, declares the LORD; you who say, ‘Who shall come down against us, or who shall enter our habitations?'14 I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds, declares the LORD; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is around her.” 22 Thus says the LORD: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak there this word, 2 and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter these gates. 3 Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people. 5 But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation. 6 For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: “‘You are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon, yet surely I will make you a desert, an uninhabited city.27 I will prepare destroyers against you, each with his weapons, and they shall cut down your choicest cedars and cast them into the fire. 8 “‘And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the LORD dealt thus with this great city?” 9 And they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and worshiped other gods and served them.”'” 10 Weep not for him who is dead, nor grieve for him, but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more to see his native land. Message to the Sons of Josiah 11 For thus says the LORD concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went away from this place: “He shall return here no more, 12 but in the place where they have carried him captive, there shall he die, and he shall never see this land again.” 13 “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing and does not give him his wages,14 who says, ‘I will build myself a great house with spacious upper rooms,' who cuts out windows for it, paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion.15 Do you think you are a king because you compete in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? declares the LORD.17 But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.” 18 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Ah, my brother!' or ‘Ah, sister!' They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Ah, lord!' or ‘Ah, his majesty!'19 With the burial of a donkey he shall be buried, dragged and dumped beyond the gates of Jerusalem.” 20 “Go up to Lebanon, and cry out, and lift up your voice in Bashan; cry out from Abarim, for all your lovers are destroyed.21 I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not listen.' This has been your way from your youth, that you have not obeyed my voice.22 The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds, and your lovers shall go into captivity; then you will be ashamed and confounded because of all your evil.23 O inhabitant of Lebanon, nested among the cedars, how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you, pain as of a woman in labor!” 24 “As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off 25 and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die. 27 But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.” 28 Is this man Coniah a despised, broken pot, a vessel no one cares for? Why are he and his children hurled and cast into a land that they do not know?29 O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!30 Thus says the LORD: “Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.” Footnotes [1] 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, an alternate spelling of Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) occurring frequently from Jeremiah 21–52; this latter spelling is used throughout Jeremiah for consistency [2] 22:6 Hebrew cities (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 109 Psalm 109 (Listen) Help Me, O Lord My God To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 109 Be not silent, O God of my praise!2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues.3 They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer.15 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6 Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand.7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin!8 May his days be few; may another take his office!9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow!10 May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!11 May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!12 Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children!13 May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation!14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16 For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.17 He loved to curse; let curses come2 upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far3 from him!18 He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak4 into his body like water, like oil into his bones!19 May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day!20 May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my life! 21 But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me.23 I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust.24 My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat.25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads. 26 Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love!27 Let them know that this is your hand; you, O LORD, have done it!28 Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. Footnotes [1] 109:4 Hebrew but I am prayer [2] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come [3] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far [4] 109:18 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked (ESV) New Testament: Romans 14–15 Romans 14–15 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18&n
Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 83 Psalm 83 (Listen) O God, Do Not Keep Silence A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. 83 O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!2 For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads.3 They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones.4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”5 For they conspire with one accord; against you they make a covenant—6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites,7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;8 Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah 9 Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,10 who were destroyed at En-dor, who became dung for the ground.11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,12 who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves of the pastures of God.” 13 O my God, make them like whirling dust,1 like chaff before the wind.14 As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,15 so may you pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane!16 Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O LORD.17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; let them perish in disgrace,18 that they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth. Footnotes [1] 83:13 Or like a tumbleweed (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 1 Kings 15:25–16:34 1 Kings 15:25–16:34 (Listen) Nadab Reigns in Israel 25 Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. 27 Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon. 28 So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place. 29 And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel. 31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. Baasha Reigns in Israel 33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. 34 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. 16 And the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, 2 “Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins, 3 behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 4 Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat.” 5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasha and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 6 And Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried at Tirzah, and Elah his son reigned in his place. 7 Moreover, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he destroyed it. Elah Reigns in Israel 8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned two years. 9 But his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. When he was at Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah, 10 Zimri came in and struck him down and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place. 11 When he began to reign, as soon as he had seated himself on his throne, he struck down all the house of Baasha. He did not leave him a single male of his relatives or his friends. 12 Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, 13 for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel to sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their idols. 14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? Zimri Reigns in Israel 15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, 16 and the troops who were encamped heard it said, “Zimri has conspired, and he has killed the king.” Therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17 So Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18 And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king's house and burned the king's house over him with fire and died, 19 because of his sins that he committed, doing evil in the sight of the LORD, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and for his sin which he committed, making Israel to sin. 20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the conspiracy that he made, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? Omri Reigns in Israel 21 Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts. Half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. 22 But the people who followed Omri overcame the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king. 23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for twelve years; six years he reigned in Tirzah. 24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents1 of silver, and he fortified the hill and called the name of the city that he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill. 25 Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did more evil than all who were before him. 26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in the sins that he made Israel to sin, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols. 27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri that he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 28 And Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son reigned in his place. Ahab Reigns in Israel 29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. 31 And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34 In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun. Footnotes [1] 16:24 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Ezekiel 46 Ezekiel 46 (Listen) The Prince and the Feasts 46 “Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. 2 The prince shall enter by the vestibule of the gate from outside, and shall take his stand by the post of the gate. The priests shall offer his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening. 3 The people of the land shall bow down at the entrance of that gate before the LORD on the Sabbaths and on the new moons. 4 The burnt offering that the prince offers to the LORD on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish. 5 And the grain offering with the ram shall be an ephah,1 and the grain offering with the lambs shall be as much as he is able, together with a hin2 of oil to each ephah. 6 On the day of the new moon he shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish, and six lambs and a ram, which shall be without blemish. 7 As a grain offering he shall provide an ephah with the bull and an ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he is able, together with a hin of oil to each ephah. 8 When the prince enters, he shall enter by the vestibule of the gate, and he shall go out by the same way. 9 “When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, he who enters by the north gate to worship shall go out by the south gate, and he who enters by the south gate shall go out by the north gate: no one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered, but each shall go out straight ahead. 10 When they enter, the prince shall enter with them, and when they go out, he shall go out. 11 “At the feasts and the appointed festivals, the grain offering with a young bull shall be an ephah, and with a ram an ephah, and with the lambs as much as one is able to give, together with a hin of oil to an ephah. 12 When the prince provides a freewill offering, either a burnt offering or peace offerings as a freewill offering to the LORD, the gate facing east shall be opened for him. And he shall offer his burnt offering or his peace offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out the gate shall be shut. 13 “You shall provide a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering to the LORD daily; morning by morning you shall provide it. 14 And you shall provide a grain offering with it morning by morning, one sixth of an ephah, and one third of a hin of oil to moisten the flour, as a grain offering to the LORD. This is a perpetual statute. 15 Thus the lamb and the meal offering and the oil shall be provided, morning by morning, for a regular burnt offering. 16 “Thus says the Lord GOD: If the prince makes a gift to any of his sons as his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons. It is their property by inheritance. 17 But if he makes a gift out of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty. Then it shall revert to the prince; surely it is his inheritance—it shall belong to his sons. 18 The prince shall not take any of the inheritance of the people, thrusting them out of their property. He shall give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that none of my people shall be scattered from his property.” Boiling Places for Offerings 19 Then he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, to the north row of the holy chambers for the priests, and behold, a place was there at the extreme western end of them. 20 And he said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the grain offering, in order not to bring them out into the outer court and so transmit holiness to the people.” 21 Then he brought me out to the outer court and led me around to the four corners of the court. And behold, in each corner of the court there was another court—22 in the four corners of the court were small3 courts, forty cubits4 long and thirty broad; the four were of the same size. 23 On the inside, around each of the four courts was a row of masonry, with hearths made at the bottom of the rows all around. 24 Then he said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple shall boil the sacrifices of the people.” Footnotes [1] 46:5 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [2] 46:5 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters [3] 46:22 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [4] 46:22 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: Romans 15:1–13 Romans 15:1–13 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV)
With family: 1 Samuel 17; Romans 15 1 Samuel 17 (Listen) David and Goliath 17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4 And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six1 cubits2 and a span. 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels3 of bronze. 6 And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. 8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years.4 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16 For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening. 17 And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah5 of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. 18 Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.” 19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. 21 And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. 22 And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. 23 As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him. 24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.” 26 And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.” 28 Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 29 And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” 30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before. 31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!” 38 Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine. 41 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hand.” 48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath6 and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. 55 As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” 56 And the king said, “Inquire whose son the boy is.” 57 And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” Footnotes [1] 17:4 Hebrew; Septuagint, Dead Sea Scroll and Josephus four [2] 17:4 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [3] 17:5 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [4] 17:12 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew advanced among men [5] 17:17 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 17:52 Septuagint; Hebrew Gai (ESV) Romans 15 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,1 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,2 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing3 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Footnotes [1] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [2] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [3] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel (ESV) In private: Psalm 33; Lamentations 2 Psalm 33 (Listen) The Steadfast Love of the Lord 33 Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. 6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. 10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! 13 The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man;14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,15 he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.16 The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. 18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,19 that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.21 For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you. (ESV) Lamentations 2 (Listen) The Lord Has Destroyed Without Pity 2 How the Lord in his anger has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud! He has cast down from heaven to earth the splendor of Israel; he has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger. 2 The Lord has swallowed up without mercy all the habitations of Jacob; in his wrath he has broken down the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; he has brought down to the ground in dishonor the kingdom and its rulers. 3 He has cut down in fierce anger all the might of Israel; he has withdrawn from them his right hand in the face of the enemy; he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob, consuming all around. 4 He has bent his bow like an enemy, with his right hand set like a foe; and he has killed all who were delightful in our eyes in the tent of the daughter of Zion; he has poured out his fury like fire. 5 The Lord has become like an enemy; he has swallowed up Israel; he has swallowed up all its palaces; he has laid in ruins its strongholds, and he has multiplied in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation. 6 He has laid waste his booth like a garden, laid in ruins his meeting place; the LORD has made Zion forget festival and Sabbath, and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest. 7 The Lord has scorned his altar, disowned his sanctuary; he has delivered into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they raised a clamor in the house of the LORD as on the day of festival. 8 The LORD determined to lay in ruins the wall of the daughter of Zion; he stretched out the measuring line; he did not restrain his hand from destroying; he caused rampart and wall to lament; they languished together. 9 Her gates have sunk into the ground; he has ruined and broken her bars; her king and princes are among the nations; the law is no more, and her prophets find no vision from the LORD. 10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth; the young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. 11 My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city. 12 They cry to their mothers, “Where is bread and wine?” as they faint like a wounded man in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out on their mothers' bosom. 13 What can I say for you, to what compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is vast as the sea; who can heal you? 14 Your prophets have seen for you&l
Morning: Psalms 105–106 Psalms 105–106 (Listen) Tell of All His Wondrous Works 105 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!4 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,6 O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! 7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,9 the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.” 12 When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it,13 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,14 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account,15 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!” 16 When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply1 of bread,17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.18 His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron;19 until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him.20 The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free;21 he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions,22 to bind2 his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom. 23 Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.24 And the LORD made his people very fruitful and made them stronger than their foes.25 He turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants. 26 He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.27 They performed his signs among them and miracles in the land of Ham.28 He sent darkness, and made the land dark; they did not rebel3 against his words.29 He turned their waters into blood and caused their fish to die.30 Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings.31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.32 He gave them hail for rain, and fiery lightning bolts through their land.33 He struck down their vines and fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country.34 He spoke, and the locusts came, young locusts without number,35 which devoured all the vegetation in their land and ate up the fruit of their ground.36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength. 37 Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.38 Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night.40 They asked, and he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river.42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant. 43 So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing.44 And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil,45 that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD! Give Thanks to the Lord, for He Is Good 106 Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise?3 Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times! 4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them,45 that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance. 6 Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power.9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert.10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.11 And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. 13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;15 he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them. 16 When men in the camp were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,17 the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.18 Fire also broke out in their company; the flame burned up the wicked. 19 They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image.20 They exchanged the glory of God5 for the image of an ox that eats grass.21 They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,22 wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.23 Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them. 24 Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.25 They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD.26 Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness,27 and would make their offspring fall among the nations, scattering them among the lands. 28 Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;29 they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed.31 And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever. 32 They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account,33 for they made his spirit bitter,6 and he spoke rashly with his lips. 34 They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them,35 but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.36 They served their idols, which became a snare to them.37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;38 they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.39 Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds. 40 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;41 he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them.42 Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power.43 Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity. 44 Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry.45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.46 He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive. 47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. 48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the LORD! Footnotes [1] 105:16 Hebrew staff [2] 105:22 Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome instruct [3] 105:28 Septuagint, Syriac omit not [4] 106:4 Or Remember me, O Lord, with the favor you show to your people; help me with your salvation [5] 106:20 Hebrew exchanged their glory [6] 106:33 Or they rebelled against God's Spirit (ESV) Evening: Romans 15:1–20 Romans 15:1–20 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,1 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, Footnotes [1] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 (ESV)
Proper 14 First Psalm: Psalms 66–67 Psalms 66–67 (Listen) How Awesome Are Your Deeds To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm. 66 Shout for joy to God, all the earth;2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” Selah 5 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him,7 who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah 8 Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard,9 who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.11 You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs;12 you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. 13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you,14 that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah 16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.17 I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on1 my tongue.218 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.19 But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me! Make Your Face Shine upon Us To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. 67 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.7 God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him! Footnotes [1] 66:17 Hebrew under [2] 66:17 Or and he was exalted with my tongue (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 19; Psalm 46 Psalm 19 (Listen) The Law of the Lord Is Perfect To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 19 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above1 proclaims his handiwork.2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.4 Their voice2 goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. 7 The law of the LORD is perfect,3 reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules4 of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Footnotes [1] 19:1 Hebrew the expanse; compare Genesis 1:6–8 [2] 19:4 Or Their measuring line [3] 19:7 Or blameless [4] 19:9 Or just decrees (ESV) Psalm 46 (Listen) God Is Our Fortress To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.1 A Song. 46 God is our refuge and strength, a very present2 help in trouble.2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Footnotes [1] 46:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 46:1 Or well proved (ESV) Old Testament: 2 Samuel 13:1–22 2 Samuel 13:1–22 (Listen) Amnon and Tamar 13 Now Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar. And after a time Amnon, David's son, loved her. 2 And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother. And Jonadab was a very crafty man. 4 And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.” 5 Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.'” 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.” 7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, where he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. 9 And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Send out everyone from me.” So everyone went out from him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. 11 But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” 12 She answered him, “No, my brother, do not violate1 me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing. 13 As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the outrageous fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” 14 But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her. 15 Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up! Go!” 16 But she said to him, “No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.”2 But he would not listen to her. 17 He called the young man who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her.” 18 Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves,3 for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed. So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. 19 And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she wore. And she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went. 20 And her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart.” So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom's house. 21 When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.4 22 But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar. Footnotes [1] 13:12 Or humiliate; also verses 14, 22, 32 [2] 13:16 Compare Septuagint, Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [3] 13:18 Or a robe of many colors (compare Genesis 37:3); compare long robe, verse 19 [4] 13:21 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint add But he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, since he was his firstborn (ESV) New Testament: Romans 15:1–13 Romans 15:1–13 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV) Gospel: John 3:22–36 John 3:22–36 (Listen) John the Baptist Exalts Christ 22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison). 25 Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”1 31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. Footnotes [1] 3:30 Some interpreters hold that the quotation continues through verse 36 (ESV)
Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________ Opening Words:“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”Rev 4:8 (ESV) Confession:*Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Almighty and most merciful Father,we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep.We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done;and apart from your grace, there is no health in us.O Lord, have mercy upon us.Spare all those who confess their faults.Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord.And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryO Lord, open our lips,and our mouths shall show forth your praise. Create in us clean hearts, O God, and renew a right spirit within us. Cast us not away from your presence, and take not your holy Spirit from us. O give us the comfort of your help again, and sustain us with your willing Spirit.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Psalm of the DayPsalm 105Part IConfitemini Domino1Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name; *make known his deeds among the peoples.2Sing to him, sing praises to him, *and speak of all his marvelous works.3Glory in his holy Name; *let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.4Search for the Lord and his strength; *continually seek his face.5Remember the marvels he has done, *his wonders and the judgments of his mouth,6O offspring of Abraham his servant, *O children of Jacob his chosen.Part I16Then he called for a famine in the land *and destroyed the supply of bread.17He sent a man before them, *Joseph, who was sold as a slave.18They bruised his feet in fetters; *his neck they put in an iron collar.19Until his prediction came to pass, *the word of the Lord tested him.20The king sent and released him; *the ruler of the peoples set him free.21He set him as a master over his household, *as a ruler over all his possessions,22To instruct his princes according to his will *and to teach his elders wisdom.Part II45That they might keep his statutes *and observe his laws.Hallelujah! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. The Lessons2 Samuel 13:1-22English Standard Version13 Now Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar. And after a time Amnon, David's son, loved her. 2 And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother. And Jonadab was a very crafty man. 4 And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.” 5 Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.'” 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, where he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. 9 And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Send out everyone from me.” So everyone went out from him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. 11 But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” 12 She answered him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing. 13 As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the outrageous fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” 14 But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.15 Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up! Go!” 16 But she said to him, “No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.” But he would not listen to her. 17 He called the young man who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her.” 18 Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves, for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed. So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. 19 And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she wore. And she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.20 And her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart.” So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom's house. 21 When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. 22 But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.Romans 15:1-13English Standard Version15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”10 And again it is said,“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”11 And again,“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.”12 And again Isaiah says,“The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;in him will the Gentiles hope.”13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.Matthew 14:22-33English Standard Version22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. The PrayersLord, have mercy.Christ, have mercyLord, have mercyOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. IntercessionTake a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. The CollectsProper 14Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. BenedictionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen
An examination of the Trinitarian claim that God is a compound unity, "three-in-one". For full written text of this podcast see here: https://landandbible.blogspot.com/2023/08/hear-o-gentiles-lord-your-god-lord-is.html That the God of the Bible, YHVH is one, is a difficulty for Trinitarianism. In about AD 530 the Christian Byzantine Emperor Justinian even banned the recitation of the Shema since he considered it to be a denial of the Trinity. But modern Trinitarianism takes a different approach, claiming that “one” can mean three because “one” can mean a compound unity. Three things together can make up one of something else. A couple of biblical examples are put forward. For instance, in Genesis 1:5 evening and morning are one day. A husband and wife become one flesh (Gen. 2:24). The spies came back with one (echad) cluster of grapes" (Num. 13:23). Let's take a closer look at the “compound unity”, “three-in-one” claim. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/onegodreport-podcast/support
Old Testament: 2 Kings 14–15 2 Kings 14–15 (Listen) Amaziah Reigns in Judah 14 In the second year of Joash the son of Joahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done. 4 But the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 And as soon as the royal power was firmly in his hand, he struck down his servants who had struck down the king his father. 6 But he did not put to death the children of the murderers, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded, “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. But each one shall die for his own sin.” 7 He struck down ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and took Sela by storm, and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this day. 8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash1 the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.” 9 And Jehoash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, “A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,' and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 10 You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?” 11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 13 And Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits,2 from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 14 And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria. 15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place. 17 Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 18 Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 19 And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 20 And they brought him on horses; and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22 He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel 23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. 26 For the LORD saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel. 27 But the LORD had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. 28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did, and his might, how he fought, and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son reigned in his place. Azariah Reigns in Judah 15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 4 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 And the LORD touched the king, so that he was a leper3 to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house.4 And Jotham the king's son was over the household, governing the people of the land. 6 Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 7 And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his place. Zechariah Reigns in Israel 8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. 9 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 10 Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down at Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place. 11 Now the rest of the deeds of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 12 (This was the promise of the LORD that he gave to Jehu, “Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it came to pass.) Shallum Reigns in Israel 13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah5 king of Judah, and he reigned one month in Samaria. 14 Then Menahem the son of Gadi came up from Tirzah and came to Samaria, and he struck down Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and put him to death and reigned in his place. 15 Now the rest of the deeds of Shallum, and the conspiracy that he made, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 16 At that time Menahem sacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory from Tirzah on, because they did not open it to him. Therefore he sacked it, and he ripped open all the women in it who were pregnant. Menahem Reigns in Israel 17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samaria. 18 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart all his days from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 19 Pul6 the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents7 of silver, that he might help him to confirm his hold on the royal power. 20 Menahem exacted the money from Israel, that is, from all the wealthy men, fifty shekels8 of silver from every man, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land. 21 Now the rest of the deeds of Menahem and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 22 And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his place. Pekahiah Reigns in Israel 23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him with fifty men of the people of Gilead, and struck him down in Samaria, in the citadel of the king's house with Argob and Arieh; he put him to death and reigned in his place. 26 Now the rest of the deeds of Pekahiah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Pekah Reigns in Israel 27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. 28 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria. 30 Then Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah and struck him down and put him to death and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. 31 Now the rest of the acts of Pekah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Jotham Reigns in Judah 32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 33 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 34 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done. 35 Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD. 36 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 37 In those days the LORD began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. 38 Jotham slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Ahaz his son reigned in his place. Footnotes [1] 14:8 Jehoash is an alternate spelling of Joash (son of Jehoahaz) as in 13:9, 12–14; also verses 9, 11–16 [2] 14:13 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [3] 15:5 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 [4] 15:5 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [5] 15:13 Another name for Azariah [6] 15:19 Another name for Tiglath-pileser III (compare verse 29) [7] 15:19 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms [8] 15:20 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) New Testament: Romans 15:1–13 Romans 15:1–13 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 143 Psalm 143 (Listen) My Soul Thirsts for You A Psalm of David. 143 Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!2 Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. 3 For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.4 Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. 5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.6 I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah 7 Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit.8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. 9 Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge.110 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! 11 For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant. Footnotes [1] 143:9 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts To you I have covered (ESV) Proverb: Proverbs 18:2–3 Proverbs 18:2–3 (Listen) 2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes disgrace. (ESV)
Audio Transcript: This media has been made available by Mosaic BostonChurch. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston ordonate to this ministry, please visit mosaicboston.com. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your grace. And in many ways, Lord, your grace is unfathomable. We can't understand it. And in many ways, your grace is scandalous. You're going to save those people after they did that? In many ways, your grace is outrageous. I pray, Lord, that you give us the grace today to humble ourselves before you recognize no one deserves grace. Grace is unmerited favor. You can't deserve it. We have it only because of the work of Jesus Christ, his life, his death, his burial, and his resurrection. Jesus, we gather here today, redeemed as your children, children of God, the Father, thanks to your sacrifice on the cross for us. Holy Spirit, come in to the space if there's anyone who is not yet reconciled with God, is not a worshiper of Yahweh, has not been saved from their sins, does not have eternal life, I pray, today, save them and show them that life is short and we are not guaranteed tomorrow and that eternity is forever. Lord, bless our time in Jonah chapter four as we look at him. And let us not stand over him in condemnation but let us learn from him. As from an older brother, he was not perfect. We are not perfect. He didn't fulfill his mission perfectly. We haven't fulfilled ours perfectly. You gave him grace, Lord, and give us much grace. We pray this in Christ's name, Amen. So, today, we're continuing our sermon series through Jonah. We're finishing it next week. We're starting a new series, our summer series through the end of Genesis 37 through 50. We're entitling it Graduate-Level Grace Study in the Life of Joseph. And we're calling it that because we're saved by grace through faith. Salvation is by grace. But growing in usefulness to the Lord, growing in usefulness and fulfilling our calling, well, that also takes grace, and that also takes faith, and that also takes a lot of work. So, we're excited for that series. Join us starting next week. Today, we're in Jonah 4. The title of the sermon is Outrageous Grace. And hopefully, you've enjoyed this little book. It's strange. It's surprising. It's convicting. It starts with Jonah. God comes to and says, "Go preach to Nineveh." Jonah flees from the presence of the Lord. It takes an unexpected detour on a boat. And God sends a storm, Jonah's thrown overboard by the repentant sailors, and then he spends three days, three nights in the belly of a great fish. Finally, and this was last week, Jonah goes. He fulfills his calling. It's incredible. He preaches unwillingly. He's the most reluctant preacher in the history of reluctant preachers. He does not want to do it. He didn't even plan the sermon. There's no points to the sermon. Just five words. Just judgments coming. And the crazy part is people got saved. The king got saved. They prayed. They fasted. And I know they're truly penitent because their priorities are in order because the king said, "We're all fasting including the cattle. Including the animals. Lord, save our souls but also save our meat. Please, Lord." They got everything in order. And Jonah 3:10 tells us when God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. The Ninevites were ripe for the picking. The harvest was plentiful, although the worker was only one. And this should have been the end of the story. And what a perfect story. It would've been so beautiful moving from crisis to resolution, moving from Jonah's rebellion all the way to his obedience, from Nineveh's impending destruction all the way to immediate deliverance. It's the perfect narrative arc. Amen. Boom. End of chapter three. We're done. That's how it should have ended. Here's God's saving Nineveh through the witness of even the most reluctant evangelist. That's me. That's you. There's hope for him. There's hope for us. Isn't that encouraging? But that's not how it ends at all. I was thinking about this. It ends like a Russian novel. Like the Tolstoy, Dostoyev. You made me read a thousand pages to get to this ending, man. Super disappointing. That's kind of how it ends. But there's many a lesson here for us. So, today we're in Jonah 4:1-11. Would you look at the text? "But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, "Oh, Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country. That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, oh Lord, please take my life from me, for it's better for me to die than to live." And the Lord said, "Do you do well to be angry?" Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, until he should see what would become of the city. Now, the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head to save him from his discomfort. So, Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered. When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, "It is better for me to die than to live." But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" He said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die." And the Lord said, "You pity the plant for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came up, came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?" Amen. This is the reading of God's holy, inherent, infallible, authoritative word. May he write these eternal truths upon our heart. The last word of the story is cattle. That's how the book ends in the Hebrew. It's much cattle. What a disappointment this is. Jonah here is left in a worse situation, spiritually speaking, than he was when he ran from God. He's still locked in the old patterns of xenophobia and ethnic and religious superiority. He had a besetting sin that he seemed to have repented of in the belly of the fish, though that wasn't a true repentance, and here, it was subdued for the time he was preaching in Nineveh. But now, it flares up and it flares up suddenly. What kind of ending is this one? Well, it's a realistic ending. It's a realistic ending in that we need grace to be saved from our sins, from the condemnation that our sins deserve. But we also need grace to grow in our relationship with the Lord. Jonah doesn't come out being the hero of this. The book's only disappointing if you thought Jonah was the point. Jonah wasn't the point and he wasn't even the main character. God is the main character. The chapter here is composed in three great moments, beginning and then ending with an interview between God and Jonah. And between those two bookends is an enacted parable, a little object lesson about a little vine and a worm and a wind. What's going on there? While this text reveals three contradictions in Jonah's heart, and these are the points. First, contradiction is he understands grace confessed, he confesses. Grace confessed, but misunderstood. Second, providence enjoyed, but ignored. And third, love felt, but disordered. So, point one, grace confessed but misunderstood. Jonah 4:1, it, what was the it? But it. The great revival of Nineveh, you're talking about a million people, maybe 120,000 commentators say, "That's probably children. They don't know the right hand from their left." So, if there's 120,000 children, might be upwards of 600,000 to a million people. There's a lot of people. They get saved. Jonah, not only is he not exceedingly glad about it, he's exceedingly displeased. He's actually angry. What pleased God only made Jonah mad? It's strange to the point that it's inexplicable. You would think that Yahweh's chosen prophet would be thrilled to see people come to faith. Yes, pride is a sin, but there is a certain allowable sense of satisfaction about witnessing people come to faith. I can tell you just from my experience in the Christian walk, the greatest thrill is the moment you get saved. There is no greater thrill in that. When you recognize that you have been transferring from the domain of darkness, from the kingdom of light, you were a child of Satan, now you're a child of God. That right there, the greatest thrill. Right up there, I am telling you, friends, is seeing people get saved. Seeing people who are far from the Lord, pagans who want nothing to do with God, living for themselves, selfish, thinking that the world revolves around them, entitled, proud, self-righteous, everything that you and I were, are, were. And then they get saved. They see Jesus Christ and they're like, "Ah, I need grace." And they're praying. There's nothing greater than that. Jonah should have been pumped. He should have been in the city. They should have had a parade. He should have said, "Okay, the cattle. Stop fasting the cattle. We're going to have a barbecue. We're all going to enjoy the fact that there's a revive." He doesn't do any of that. What happened? Why is he back to where he started, angry at God and angry at the people of Nineveh? And in the Hebrew, it says that the repentance of Nineveh was actually evil to Jonah. It was a great evil to him. The same word here that God said, "Nineveh, there's evil there. Your evil has risen up." That same word is used to describe Jonah. Jonah's feelings are evil. Why? Because Jonah's a loyal Israelite. He's a Jew. He's a prophet of Yahweh and loyal to the northern kingdom. And the northern kingdom was long at war with Syria and Assyria to the north. And we know from the books of the Kings, that Yahweh used Assyrian aggression to weaken Syria. And so, now, Assyria is growing in strength. Nineveh is the capital of Assyria. Jonah knows if these people gets it and they get the power of God, who knows what'll happen with Israel because Israel is under judgment of God. Partially, what's happening here is God wants Israel to be jealous in that the Ninevites got saved. Maybe we should get saved. Maybe we should stop being idolatrous. But they don't. So, Jonah, he looks at these people and he is like, "They don't look like me. They don't smell like me. They don't talk like me. They're not me. These are not my people. These are my enemies. God, do you not know how bad these people are? They are degenerate to the core. They are unredeemable. God, why would you save Assyrians and then use them to bring judgment upon Israel? How can that be?" And what he doesn't understand is that God is not a territorial God. God is not just a God of one group of people or one nationality, one ethnicity. No. God has elect from all of the nations. And God's purpose is to save his elect, which includes both Jews and Gentiles and even Ninevites. Now, sadly, in Jonah's reaction, we may see our own sinful prejudices that God may choose to save some people whom we do not think he ought to save. And his grace may extend to places where we do not think he ought to extend it. And Jonah should have known better. He knew the Psalter. Psalms 145:9 says, "The Lord is good to all and his mercy is over all that he has made." So, Jonah turns what should have been a time of great celebration into a little pity party about his Jewish nationalism. His politics win out over his faith. Those people, their politics, diametrically opposed to mine, I don't want them in the people of God. I don't want them in my church. I don't want them in my community group. I don't want them in my friend group, et cetera. That's what's going on. And you see his self-justify, accusatory tone in verse two. "And he prayed to the Lord and he said, "Oh, Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee at Tarshish, for I knew that you were a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, oh Lord, please take my life from me, for it's better for me to die than to live." What's he saying? He's saying, "God, I told you this is what... God, you should have listened to me. God, you never listened to me. I told you this is what you were going to do. I knew you were going to forgive him." That's what he's become, so self-absorbed, he's wagging his finger at God. Because of this self-pity consumed with himself, he's forgotten who he's speaking to. And yet, by the way, this confession is tremendous. It's all true. Everything he says, it's all gloriously true. But it's conflicted, his little confession. It is true. But here it comes as a complaint and he is quoting scripture Exodus 34:6-7. This is how God revealed himself to Moses. "The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord, a God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and fourth generation." This confession we see all throughout the Old Testament scriptures, the Book of Numbers, second Chronicles. And we see this in Nehemiah. We see this in the Psalter. This is who God is. God is a God who is gracious. He wants to forgive people and Jonah is not happy with that. He loves the idea of a loving God, loving toward him and his people. It's a precious concept when it's directed toward him. But the moment grace is turned to Israel's enemies, Nineveh. Well, now, God's grace is a problem. Now, it's a source of frustration, not a source of joy. Jonah confesses the doctrine of grace, "God, you're gracious. I knew you were. I knew you were going to be gracious." But he can't accept the reality of it. He confesses the religious part. He can't accept the reality. Confesses the theology of grace, but there's no room for the working out of the grace. In his reality, he's happy with grace as long as it's within the boundaries of his comfort levels. And friends, here, you just got to pause it in. This is a reminder. You're in Boston. Once in a while, you need a reminder. You got to get out of your heads. In your head, theology, it's all tremendous. That it doesn't make a difference in the world when you have all the perfect theology pristine in your head. It does have to take root in your heart and you can't let orthodox theology mask an unloving, unchanged heart. Jonah, man, you should have known better. You know how gracious God is. Bro, you ran from him. You wanted to die in the ocean. God says, "No." He sends the grace of a fish. It didn't feel good for three days and three nights, gastric juices, and all but whatever. You didn't die. He didn't die. He is living proof of God's grace, but he can't stand the idea of that grace being given to others. If gospel truth is something you really take pride in knowing, if you're like, "Yes, as a believer, I know the truth." But you never share it. You're not much better than Jonah. Jonah shared it only because he was forced to. He didn't have a choice. God has given us the truth and we are to take pride in knowing the truth, but it's only by grace. But if you keep it to yourself, then we're just as much as sinners as Jonah. Although Jonah is angry, he does the right thing and complains to God in prayer. So, as much as we want to knock Jonah. First of all, when he's really angry, who does he go to? He prayed. He's like, "Lord, I don't get it." He doesn't complain about God to his readers. He could have done that. And he does not curse God. He doesn't take even Yahweh's name in vain. He pours out his heart to God even when nothing made sense. A lesson in there for us. Jonah verse three of chapter four, "Therefore now, oh Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." And the Lord said, "Do you do well to be angry?" Now, Jonah's complaint crosses the line from asking the God grant him understanding to just, "God kill me." Moses pled to die in Numbers 11, the prophet Elijah pled to die in 1 Kings 19. And I don't even want to ask, but many of us have been there. "God, I see the test before me. I see the circumstances I'm in. Kill me." And that's the easy way out, just FYI. How much easier to seek to escape life's difficulties than face the fact that God does transform us and he does sanctify us by taking us through trials, tribulations like this. What's fascinating is that God doesn't rebuke Jonah. He could have right here rebuked Jonah. He could have killed him right there. He could have rebuked him. Like, "What are you doing?" No. God asks him a question. And in this, we see God's grace, his mercy, his love, his patience, his willingness to relent his love, even for Jonah. "Jonah, is it good for you to burn with anger, to kindle the fire already within you? Look within yourself. Examine your heart. See if your anger is justified," that's what he is saying. "Art thou very much grieves," the King James version says. Jonah doesn't respond to this first question. He's still stuck in his patriotism that prevents him from loving his neighbors. Here, we need to pause and say, "Look, there's much to be learned here." Jonah has no right to be angry with God merely because of God's purposes in saving someone other than Jonah. And neither should we be angry with God when God extends his grace to those in different socioeconomic groups, cultures, ethnicities, political parties. Let's have a moment of honesty before God, shall we? What class or group of people in our society do you find it most difficult to trust, to relate to however you define that group? Maybe it's ethnically different, or economic, or educational, or professional, or political, or maybe it's more personal in that. A person that looks like that abused you or hurt you, sinned against you. So, the thought of grace for abusers, that's beyond you. Which group of people do you find at hardest to trust, to be around, to talk to, to want to know? Be honest. What if next Sunday, you are late to serve? You come in at 9:16, like 90% of service one. At 9:16 you mosey in, and that person is sitting in your assigned seat. They don't know it's your assigned seat but they should have. And they're on time because new people always are. How do you react? What happens in your heart? What if our church begins to fill up with people like that? What happens? Is there room in your heart for them? Is there room in your gospel for them? Is there room in your life for them? Would you talk to them? Would you do the hard work of building a relationship? Or is grace just for you and only of those whom you approve? That was Jonah's problem. He confessed grace. He misunderstood grace. So, God continues to teach him. This is point two, providence enjoyed, but ignored. And this is verse four of Jonah 4. "And the Lord said, "Do you do well to be angry?" See, he didn't answer. "Jonah went out of the city and sat in the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade until he should see what would become of the city. So, here is the finger of God pressing into the festering wound of Jonah's sin. And God does ask him, "Do you do well to be angry?" It's the first of three questions, "Jonah, do you actually think it's justified? Do you think your anger is justified? Do you really think that your anger is without sin?" Instead of wrestling with God's question, Jonah ignores it and goes camping. And what's he doing? He camps outside the city to the east to sit and wait." What's he waiting for? He's waiting to see if God will relent from his relenting. God said, "I'm going to punish Nineveh, condemnation, unless they repent." They repent. He relent. Jonah wants God to relent of his relenting. He wants to see the fireworks. Like Sodom and Gomorrah, like fire from heaven, brimstone. That's what he wants to see. Jonah 4:6, "Now, the Lord God," so, he's waiting, "Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort." So, Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. Three times, we see this phrase in the book, in this chapter, in verse six, seven, and eight, that God appointed as the same verb that that's used in chapter one, verse 17 when God appoints a great fish. And what it's doing is it's pointing out the absolute sovereignty of God over all of his creation. What's the vine all about? What's this plant all about? Is it an ivy? Is it a gourd? Is it a castor-oil plant? I don't know. It's pretty big and it grew rapidly and it provided shade. Why the vine? Symbolically, I don't know if it really means anything, but it shows us that it completely changed Jonah's mood. Jonah, in the beginning of the chapter, was exceedingly mad, exceedingly angry, and now he's exceedingly glad. Why? What's changed? Well, what's changed is his comfort. And so, he is sitting very comfortably. So, he's sitting. He wants to see fireworks, condemnation. He wants to see the people of Nineveh in great discomfort. That's what he wants to see. And then God sends him a little vine, a plant to comfort him. And what we see here is incredible irony that the personal comfort that Jonah receives is the absolute opposite of what he wants for Nineveh. He wants all of Nineveh to burn. He's got ringside seats and popcorn as he waits for fire and brimstone. And as he's waiting for fire and brimstone, God sends him a plant to comfort him. Now, what is God doing here? I can't wait to find out when we get to heaven. But I think what God is doing here is he's teaching him. Jonah is too blind to realize what God is doing through providence. So, verse seven. "But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered. And when the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, "It's better for me to die then to live." For the fourth time in the book, Yahweh directly intervenes, this time, by sending a worm, completely withers the plant that Yahweh had just raised up the day before, leaving Jonah completely exposed to the sun. And then God, on top of that insult to injury, sends him a wind, a sirocco wind, which it rises quickly and raises the temperature and drops the humidity. It's unbearable. And by the way, if you take that Jonah was still alive in the fish, gastro juices, his skin was definitely damaged. This guy is in pain right now. So, he cries out, "It's better for me to die than to live. Just kill me already, God. If you're going to spare Nineveh, just kill me." So, verse nine, "And God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die." And again, instead of rebuking Jonah, God teaches him. Asking him a version of the same question, "Jonah, are you glad I judged the plant? Are you glad I killed the plant?" And this time, Jonah actually responds to God's question. Jonah said, "Yes, I do well to be angry. Angry enough to die." Jonah's come to the end. He still expects that Yahweh will relent of his relenting, but he just can't deal with the misery of what's happening here. He's losing all perspective. We don't know the state of mind that he's in, but he just can't believe that God would extend mercy to people unworthy of it. And here we see the lesson of providence. Did Jonah know that the plant was from the Lord? Did Jonah know that there was a worm from the Lord? Did Jonah know that there was a wind from the Lord? I think he knew. I think he knew. But there were times when it's like, "I don't want to know." He enjoyed the comforts of providence. The vine goes up, he's comfortable. But he's unwilling to listen to the lessons providence is teaching. God sometimes teaches us through supernatural revelation. That's primary where we learn from holy scripture. But God does, through providence in our lives, teach us. And if we are wise, we will pay attention to the events of our lives and see what God is teaching us. Often when something bad happens, no, no, no. God has nothing to do with this. No, no, no, God's hand is sovereign. He's absolutely over everything. Often, we're too quick to run to Romans 8:28 that, "All things work together for the good of those who love him and are called to be his." Something bad happens in your life and you're. But all things will work together. Good. We are to go there and we'll learn much of that from Joseph. But we are to go to Hebrews 12 as well. And sometimes, the difficulties in our life are actually a result of God's discipline. And we are to endure hardship as discipline because God is treating us as sons and daughters, if we are wise to learn the lessons of that providence. And I say that because in Hebrews 12:11, it says, "For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Meaning that you can go through discipline which is unpleasant and you never reap the harvest of righteousness because you refuse to learn the lessons. Don't be an unwise. Don't be a foolish child. The wise child, you speak to the wise child. The wise child learns. The foolish child, words are not enough. We are to be trained up by its possible. Hebrews is saying to endure the providential discipline of the Lord and not bear fruit because we weren't listening, we weren't paying attention like Jonah here. He should have stopped and said, "God, why did you send me that vine? Would it not be to expose the hypocrisy in my heart that I care about my comfort, my comfort, my body's temperature, I care about more than someone else's soul?" By the way, I can get this because my body temperature runs high and when I'm sweating, I can't think. Maybe Jonah is here, I don't know. But he is idolizing, prioritizing his comfort over everything else. And here's the lesson God is teaching us in the hard blows of frowning providence. He's teaching us that through providence, he is training us to become more effective instruments in his hands. So, Jonah didn't learn the lessons of providence. And point three, he has a love. He feels a love. Love felt, but it's disordered. So, verse 10, and the Lord said, "You pity the plant for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and all so much cattle." The truth is, Jonah had no right to the plant, did he? It was all a gift of undeserved grace. It was nothing but a misguided sense of self entitlement that made Jonah resentful that he lost something that was not even his. And what the Lord here is teaching through this question is teaching the same lesson that we see in Matthew 20. In Matthew 20, Jesus Christ tells a parable. And then the parable, so, this guy owns a vineyard, he needs day laborers. And he goes to the market, he takes some laborers, he says, "Okay, I'll pay you this amount." And he comes back three hours later, comes back three hours later, comes back. What happens is not everybody worked the same amount of time. Some of the workers worked all day, some of the workers worked just a few hours and they all got paid the same. And the guys that worked all day come up to the owner of the vineyard, they say, "That's not fair." That's not fair. They worked an hour, we worked all day in the sweat of our brow, in the heat of the day. And the owner responds by saying, "Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?" And this is exactly what's happening with Jonah. Jonah is like those workers, "I have served you all of my life. My whole family, we have served you. And God, you're going to welcome these people in and give them the same blessings you've given us?" And what God says here to Jonah is, "Jonah, I made them. I'm their God. I'm their Lord. They are mine. They depend on me. Do I not have the right to do what I want with them?" And Deuteronomy 7:6-8, "God does remind the people of Israel that he did not choose them because of anything great in them. Verse six, for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were much more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt." It wasn't because you were greater than any of the other people, that it wasn't because you were more noble, more mighty. It wasn't because you were worthy. It was because, "I'm loving," that's what God is saying, "I don't love you because you're lovely. I love you because I'm loving." And in Christ, this is exactly what the Lord teaches us, that we do not deserve any. Christ died for us when we were yet sinners. We all deserve condemnation. We all deserve wrath. Jesus Christ died for us when we did not deserve the grace. And this understanding of grace, this is what begins to change us. I didn't deserve it. And this second, I'm receiving grace. I don't deserve this grace either. Every moment, every second, the gospel extends grace to us. And we're not doing everything we're doing for the Lord because we are trying to earn grace. No, it's all from him. It's all free. And what grace does is it reorders our loves. And this is crucial. Because a lot of people, they follow the Lord and they go to church. What you don't understand is that God doesn't want to just transform your mind with truth, he wants to transform your heart by reordering how much and what you love by reprioritizing. So, we're not wrong to love fervently our people. We're not wrong to love our comforts. We're not wrong to be patriots. But we are wrong when we put any of those things above God and above what God loves. So, what this is what God is doing with Jonah. God is saying, "Jonah, look into my heart. You love a vine more than you love people." These are image bearers of God with eternal souls. God is saying, "I love them. I love the lost. I love the nations. I love Nineveh, that great city." It's a love just glimpsed here in Jonah, we see just a glimpse of God is gracious, God relents when we repent, he does forgive. But we see the fullness of the supreme expression of the love of God on the cross of Jesus Christ. Here is God incarnate. Here is God who is gracious and merciful. Here is God on the cross, who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Here's a God who relents from disaster. And here he is, that same God nailed to a tree. How did you get there, God? Jesus Christ, God and, how did you get on a tree? How did you get nailed to a tree by the people that you came to save? How did that happen? Well, Jesus Christ is answering the questions, the contradictions that are within the heart of Jonah. Jonah is saying, "God, you're too just to forgive those people. No. You can't be that loving so that your love actually satisfies your justice." How does that work? He can't make sense of it. And then Jesus Christ makes all the sense of it in the world, that the way, the only reason that God can forgive us is because someone paid for our sins. The only way that God retains his justice, retains the fact that he is just. And he gets to justify, is the only way that happens is the cross of Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus became our sin. On the cross, Jesus absorbed the wrath of God that we deserve. Jonah wanted to see that. He wanted to see the wrath pour down on the Ninevites. He didn't get to see it. But in the sign of Jonah, that's what Jesus says, and it says the sign of Jonah. In the sign of Jonah, we do see the wrath of God poured out on Christ. Jesus died so that the Ninevites can get saved, but also the Brooklynites and the Bostonians, so that all of us can find a home in the family of God. And the measure of the love of God for the nations is ultimately in the cross of Jesus Christ. In Romans 15:8-12, "For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name." And again, it said, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." And again, "Praise the Lord, all you gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him." And again, Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope." That's what the cross was all about, to bring into his kingdom men, women, boys, and girls, from every tribe, every language, every nation under heaven to be saved by grace through faith. And when we see people where we want to say something like, "Ah, they don't deserve grace." You got to be a reminded, of course, they don't deserve grace. No one deserves grace. That's what makes grace, grace. It's undeserved. It's for the unworthy. It's unmerited favor. What do you love more than your neighbor, that you'd put before the great need of their souls for Jesus? I think, in Boston, it's reputation. That's what I think. I think we love our reputation more than we love the souls of our neighbors. I think that's true. I've seen, I've been watching this for a while. "What are they going to think of me?" That question doesn't matter. Well, because that question's the same thing as Jonah crying out about the vine. "My comfort. I'm discomfort. I'm uncomfortable. They don't like me. I'm uncomfortable." It's the same thing. You like being liked more than you love the souls of people. And if that were not true, we'd be sharing the gospel all the time with absolutely everybody. God calls Jonah to give up his misplaced pity for himself and learn to pity the nations. He calls him to give up his misplaced love for himself, for his comforts to love like God loves, like Christ loves. This is the call to cruciform love, a love that gives and goes and serves and sacrifices for the sake of the lost. Did Jonah learn his lesson? I want Jonah chapter five. Where's chapter five? I want to know, did he learn his lesson? That he repent? That doesn't matter. That's not the real question. The real question is, will you learn the lessons that God has for us from this book? Will you give up being satisfied with knowing truth but never sharing it? Will you learn to love this great city in which we live, in which there are more than hundreds of thousands of souls, many of whom don't know Jesus Christ? These are questions that Jonah presses into us. Will we go where God is already? And where is God already? He's on mission. Our God is a missional God. Our God is a missionary God. God had one son and his son became a missionary. Someone said, "Jesus Christ came as a missionary to seek and to save that which is lost." Christopher Wright, in his book entitled The Mission of God, makes this statement, he says, "Mission was not made for the church. The church was made for mission, God's mission." Well, that's true that God has given us some missions, a great commission to go and make disciples of all nations, God's already on mission, that God is on mission, that you and I have this great privilege of joining him in that. That's part of the grace we get. And the more you know this missional God, the more you care about mission, about people through your life, through your words, through your actions coming closer to meeting Jesus Christ. Jonah, as an example to us of a very flawed man, being chosen by God and being used by God. He's sinful, he repents, and then he sins again. He's flawed in every way. And yet Jonah is the one who's preaching, converts an entire city. Is the power in the man or is the power in the message? Well, what is the book of Jonah teaches? What is the Romans teaches? Romans teaches, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. And you should take comfort in that. If you've never shared the gospel, a lot of people don't share the gospel because they feel unworthy of it, of sharing it. If I tell people that I'm a Christian, what are they going to think about Christianity? Well, first of all, you should probably rethink a few areas of life. Second of all, man, what are we giving people? When we share the gospel, what are we giving people? Are we giving people our own righteousness? Did you die in the cross for someone's sins? Or is your righteousness going to be imputed to someone? No. Obviously, we need to live lives of integrity. But also, obviously, you're never worthy enough. The power is not in you. The power is in the Holy Spirit, as the Holy Spirit takes the gospel of Jesus Christ. As you take these words and you proclaim, "Yeah, I'm a sinner." You are a sinner. I'm a sinner. We're all sinner. We've all sinned. We've all transgressed the commandments of God. And God is holy and we all deserve condemnation for all of eternity. That's how holy he is. But God is also loving and because he's loving, he's provided a way for all of your sins to be forgiven. All you have to do, you repent of your sin, you trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you turn from sin, you turn to him, and then you devote your life to worshiping him. And when you do, man, I'm telling you, when the power of God takes that, takes the opportunity, takes that scenario, takes your words, and people, the lights start coming on, you get addicted to it. You get so addicted to seeing people come to faith. I want everyone addicted to it. I want this whole church addicted to people coming in faith. Share the gospel. The power is not in you. The power is in the Holy Spirit and the power is in the word. Romans 9:14-16, "What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means, for He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So, then it depends, not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy. So, huge, huge breath of, sigh of relief. You can't mess up someone else's salvation. You can't say the wrong thing and then they're like, "Oh, you said the wrong thing. So, now, I'm not going to get..." God does the saving. You can't even get in the way. But what I'm saying is there's a huge blessing in sharing the gospel and being used by God. Under the new covenant wherein God extends his saving mercy beyond Israel to the ends of the earth, the principle that God saves whom he will becomes even more clear. And he does it. The power resides in the message. Revelation 7:9-17 of vision, "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb." And all the angels were standing around the throne, around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God saying, "Amen. Blessing glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen." "Should I not pity Nineveh, that great city?" Oh, my God. Lord, would you pity Boston, this great city? "Should I not pity Boston, that great city?" Lord, pity this city. And don't just pity the city in general, a lot of the city in general, Lord, there's people in my life that are far from you. Lord, you've poured out your pity on me. Lord, show your pity to them. If you're not a Christian, if you're not sure of where you're going when you die, if you're not sure of your relationship with the Lord, if you are not a worshiper of God, of Jesus Christ, well, turn to God today. A couple passages from Isaiah, Isaiah 45:22-23, "Turn to me," the words of the Lord, "And be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone out in righteousness, a word that shall not return. To me, every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance." And Isaiah 55:6-7, "Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near, let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God for he will abundantly pardon." Amen. Let us pray. Lord, we thank you for this great message from the book of Jonah that points to a greater Jonah. Jesus Christ, Jesus, we thank you in the same way that Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. You were the heart of the earth and yet you rose from the dead, and we thank you for that. And Lord, Jesus, we pray, continue to strengthen our souls, and give us the power of the Holy Spirit and continue to build up your church. And Lord, we do pray for a revival upon this great city. Draw many to yourself and use us in the process. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.
Audio Transcript: This media has been made available by Mosaic BostonChurch. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston ordonate to this ministry, please visit mosaicboston.com. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your grace. And in many ways, Lord, your grace is unfathomable. We can't understand it. And in many ways, your grace is scandalous. You're going to save those people after they did that? In many ways, your grace is outrageous. I pray, Lord, that you give us the grace today to humble ourselves before you recognize no one deserves grace. Grace is unmerited favor. You can't deserve it. We have it only because of the work of Jesus Christ, his life, his death, his burial, and his resurrection. Jesus, we gather here today, redeemed as your children, children of God, the Father, thanks to your sacrifice on the cross for us. Holy Spirit, come in to the space if there's anyone who is not yet reconciled with God, is not a worshiper of Yahweh, has not been saved from their sins, does not have eternal life, I pray, today, save them and show them that life is short and we are not guaranteed tomorrow and that eternity is forever. Lord, bless our time in Jonah chapter four as we look at him. And let us not stand over him in condemnation but let us learn from him. As from an older brother, he was not perfect. We are not perfect. He didn't fulfill his mission perfectly. We haven't fulfilled ours perfectly. You gave him grace, Lord, and give us much grace. We pray this in Christ's name, Amen. So, today, we're continuing our sermon series through Jonah. We're finishing it next week. We're starting a new series, our summer series through the end of Genesis 37 through 50. We're entitling it Graduate-Level Grace Study in the Life of Joseph. And we're calling it that because we're saved by grace through faith. Salvation is by grace. But growing in usefulness to the Lord, growing in usefulness and fulfilling our calling, well, that also takes grace, and that also takes faith, and that also takes a lot of work. So, we're excited for that series. Join us starting next week. Today, we're in Jonah 4. The title of the sermon is Outrageous Grace. And hopefully, you've enjoyed this little book. It's strange. It's surprising. It's convicting. It starts with Jonah. God comes to and says, "Go preach to Nineveh." Jonah flees from the presence of the Lord. It takes an unexpected detour on a boat. And God sends a storm, Jonah's thrown overboard by the repentant sailors, and then he spends three days, three nights in the belly of a great fish. Finally, and this was last week, Jonah goes. He fulfills his calling. It's incredible. He preaches unwillingly. He's the most reluctant preacher in the history of reluctant preachers. He does not want to do it. He didn't even plan the sermon. There's no points to the sermon. Just five words. Just judgments coming. And the crazy part is people got saved. The king got saved. They prayed. They fasted. And I know they're truly penitent because their priorities are in order because the king said, "We're all fasting including the cattle. Including the animals. Lord, save our souls but also save our meat. Please, Lord." They got everything in order. And Jonah 3:10 tells us when God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. The Ninevites were ripe for the picking. The harvest was plentiful, although the worker was only one. And this should have been the end of the story. And what a perfect story. It would've been so beautiful moving from crisis to resolution, moving from Jonah's rebellion all the way to his obedience, from Nineveh's impending destruction all the way to immediate deliverance. It's the perfect narrative arc. Amen. Boom. End of chapter three. We're done. That's how it should have ended. Here's God's saving Nineveh through the witness of even the most reluctant evangelist. That's me. That's you. There's hope for him. There's hope for us. Isn't that encouraging? But that's not how it ends at all. I was thinking about this. It ends like a Russian novel. Like the Tolstoy, Dostoyev. You made me read a thousand pages to get to this ending, man. Super disappointing. That's kind of how it ends. But there's many a lesson here for us. So, today we're in Jonah 4:1-11. Would you look at the text? "But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, "Oh, Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country. That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, oh Lord, please take my life from me, for it's better for me to die than to live." And the Lord said, "Do you do well to be angry?" Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, until he should see what would become of the city. Now, the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head to save him from his discomfort. So, Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered. When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, "It is better for me to die than to live." But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" He said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die." And the Lord said, "You pity the plant for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came up, came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?" Amen. This is the reading of God's holy, inherent, infallible, authoritative word. May he write these eternal truths upon our heart. The last word of the story is cattle. That's how the book ends in the Hebrew. It's much cattle. What a disappointment this is. Jonah here is left in a worse situation, spiritually speaking, than he was when he ran from God. He's still locked in the old patterns of xenophobia and ethnic and religious superiority. He had a besetting sin that he seemed to have repented of in the belly of the fish, though that wasn't a true repentance, and here, it was subdued for the time he was preaching in Nineveh. But now, it flares up and it flares up suddenly. What kind of ending is this one? Well, it's a realistic ending. It's a realistic ending in that we need grace to be saved from our sins, from the condemnation that our sins deserve. But we also need grace to grow in our relationship with the Lord. Jonah doesn't come out being the hero of this. The book's only disappointing if you thought Jonah was the point. Jonah wasn't the point and he wasn't even the main character. God is the main character. The chapter here is composed in three great moments, beginning and then ending with an interview between God and Jonah. And between those two bookends is an enacted parable, a little object lesson about a little vine and a worm and a wind. What's going on there? While this text reveals three contradictions in Jonah's heart, and these are the points. First, contradiction is he understands grace confessed, he confesses. Grace confessed, but misunderstood. Second, providence enjoyed, but ignored. And third, love felt, but disordered. So, point one, grace confessed but misunderstood. Jonah 4:1, it, what was the it? But it. The great revival of Nineveh, you're talking about a million people, maybe 120,000 commentators say, "That's probably children. They don't know the right hand from their left." So, if there's 120,000 children, might be upwards of 600,000 to a million people. There's a lot of people. They get saved. Jonah, not only is he not exceedingly glad about it, he's exceedingly displeased. He's actually angry. What pleased God only made Jonah mad? It's strange to the point that it's inexplicable. You would think that Yahweh's chosen prophet would be thrilled to see people come to faith. Yes, pride is a sin, but there is a certain allowable sense of satisfaction about witnessing people come to faith. I can tell you just from my experience in the Christian walk, the greatest thrill is the moment you get saved. There is no greater thrill in that. When you recognize that you have been transferring from the domain of darkness, from the kingdom of light, you were a child of Satan, now you're a child of God. That right there, the greatest thrill. Right up there, I am telling you, friends, is seeing people get saved. Seeing people who are far from the Lord, pagans who want nothing to do with God, living for themselves, selfish, thinking that the world revolves around them, entitled, proud, self-righteous, everything that you and I were, are, were. And then they get saved. They see Jesus Christ and they're like, "Ah, I need grace." And they're praying. There's nothing greater than that. Jonah should have been pumped. He should have been in the city. They should have had a parade. He should have said, "Okay, the cattle. Stop fasting the cattle. We're going to have a barbecue. We're all going to enjoy the fact that there's a revive." He doesn't do any of that. What happened? Why is he back to where he started, angry at God and angry at the people of Nineveh? And in the Hebrew, it says that the repentance of Nineveh was actually evil to Jonah. It was a great evil to him. The same word here that God said, "Nineveh, there's evil there. Your evil has risen up." That same word is used to describe Jonah. Jonah's feelings are evil. Why? Because Jonah's a loyal Israelite. He's a Jew. He's a prophet of Yahweh and loyal to the northern kingdom. And the northern kingdom was long at war with Syria and Assyria to the north. And we know from the books of the Kings, that Yahweh used Assyrian aggression to weaken Syria. And so, now, Assyria is growing in strength. Nineveh is the capital of Assyria. Jonah knows if these people gets it and they get the power of God, who knows what'll happen with Israel because Israel is under judgment of God. Partially, what's happening here is God wants Israel to be jealous in that the Ninevites got saved. Maybe we should get saved. Maybe we should stop being idolatrous. But they don't. So, Jonah, he looks at these people and he is like, "They don't look like me. They don't smell like me. They don't talk like me. They're not me. These are not my people. These are my enemies. God, do you not know how bad these people are? They are degenerate to the core. They are unredeemable. God, why would you save Assyrians and then use them to bring judgment upon Israel? How can that be?" And what he doesn't understand is that God is not a territorial God. God is not just a God of one group of people or one nationality, one ethnicity. No. God has elect from all of the nations. And God's purpose is to save his elect, which includes both Jews and Gentiles and even Ninevites. Now, sadly, in Jonah's reaction, we may see our own sinful prejudices that God may choose to save some people whom we do not think he ought to save. And his grace may extend to places where we do not think he ought to extend it. And Jonah should have known better. He knew the Psalter. Psalms 145:9 says, "The Lord is good to all and his mercy is over all that he has made." So, Jonah turns what should have been a time of great celebration into a little pity party about his Jewish nationalism. His politics win out over his faith. Those people, their politics, diametrically opposed to mine, I don't want them in the people of God. I don't want them in my church. I don't want them in my community group. I don't want them in my friend group, et cetera. That's what's going on. And you see his self-justify, accusatory tone in verse two. "And he prayed to the Lord and he said, "Oh, Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee at Tarshish, for I knew that you were a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, oh Lord, please take my life from me, for it's better for me to die than to live." What's he saying? He's saying, "God, I told you this is what... God, you should have listened to me. God, you never listened to me. I told you this is what you were going to do. I knew you were going to forgive him." That's what he's become, so self-absorbed, he's wagging his finger at God. Because of this self-pity consumed with himself, he's forgotten who he's speaking to. And yet, by the way, this confession is tremendous. It's all true. Everything he says, it's all gloriously true. But it's conflicted, his little confession. It is true. But here it comes as a complaint and he is quoting scripture Exodus 34:6-7. This is how God revealed himself to Moses. "The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord, a God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and fourth generation." This confession we see all throughout the Old Testament scriptures, the Book of Numbers, second Chronicles. And we see this in Nehemiah. We see this in the Psalter. This is who God is. God is a God who is gracious. He wants to forgive people and Jonah is not happy with that. He loves the idea of a loving God, loving toward him and his people. It's a precious concept when it's directed toward him. But the moment grace is turned to Israel's enemies, Nineveh. Well, now, God's grace is a problem. Now, it's a source of frustration, not a source of joy. Jonah confesses the doctrine of grace, "God, you're gracious. I knew you were. I knew you were going to be gracious." But he can't accept the reality of it. He confesses the religious part. He can't accept the reality. Confesses the theology of grace, but there's no room for the working out of the grace. In his reality, he's happy with grace as long as it's within the boundaries of his comfort levels. And friends, here, you just got to pause it in. This is a reminder. You're in Boston. Once in a while, you need a reminder. You got to get out of your heads. In your head, theology, it's all tremendous. That it doesn't make a difference in the world when you have all the perfect theology pristine in your head. It does have to take root in your heart and you can't let orthodox theology mask an unloving, unchanged heart. Jonah, man, you should have known better. You know how gracious God is. Bro, you ran from him. You wanted to die in the ocean. God says, "No." He sends the grace of a fish. It didn't feel good for three days and three nights, gastric juices, and all but whatever. You didn't die. He didn't die. He is living proof of God's grace, but he can't stand the idea of that grace being given to others. If gospel truth is something you really take pride in knowing, if you're like, "Yes, as a believer, I know the truth." But you never share it. You're not much better than Jonah. Jonah shared it only because he was forced to. He didn't have a choice. God has given us the truth and we are to take pride in knowing the truth, but it's only by grace. But if you keep it to yourself, then we're just as much as sinners as Jonah. Although Jonah is angry, he does the right thing and complains to God in prayer. So, as much as we want to knock Jonah. First of all, when he's really angry, who does he go to? He prayed. He's like, "Lord, I don't get it." He doesn't complain about God to his readers. He could have done that. And he does not curse God. He doesn't take even Yahweh's name in vain. He pours out his heart to God even when nothing made sense. A lesson in there for us. Jonah verse three of chapter four, "Therefore now, oh Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." And the Lord said, "Do you do well to be angry?" Now, Jonah's complaint crosses the line from asking the God grant him understanding to just, "God kill me." Moses pled to die in Numbers 11, the prophet Elijah pled to die in 1 Kings 19. And I don't even want to ask, but many of us have been there. "God, I see the test before me. I see the circumstances I'm in. Kill me." And that's the easy way out, just FYI. How much easier to seek to escape life's difficulties than face the fact that God does transform us and he does sanctify us by taking us through trials, tribulations like this. What's fascinating is that God doesn't rebuke Jonah. He could have right here rebuked Jonah. He could have killed him right there. He could have rebuked him. Like, "What are you doing?" No. God asks him a question. And in this, we see God's grace, his mercy, his love, his patience, his willingness to relent his love, even for Jonah. "Jonah, is it good for you to burn with anger, to kindle the fire already within you? Look within yourself. Examine your heart. See if your anger is justified," that's what he is saying. "Art thou very much grieves," the King James version says. Jonah doesn't respond to this first question. He's still stuck in his patriotism that prevents him from loving his neighbors. Here, we need to pause and say, "Look, there's much to be learned here." Jonah has no right to be angry with God merely because of God's purposes in saving someone other than Jonah. And neither should we be angry with God when God extends his grace to those in different socioeconomic groups, cultures, ethnicities, political parties. Let's have a moment of honesty before God, shall we? What class or group of people in our society do you find it most difficult to trust, to relate to however you define that group? Maybe it's ethnically different, or economic, or educational, or professional, or political, or maybe it's more personal in that. A person that looks like that abused you or hurt you, sinned against you. So, the thought of grace for abusers, that's beyond you. Which group of people do you find at hardest to trust, to be around, to talk to, to want to know? Be honest. What if next Sunday, you are late to serve? You come in at 9:16, like 90% of service one. At 9:16 you mosey in, and that person is sitting in your assigned seat. They don't know it's your assigned seat but they should have. And they're on time because new people always are. How do you react? What happens in your heart? What if our church begins to fill up with people like that? What happens? Is there room in your heart for them? Is there room in your gospel for them? Is there room in your life for them? Would you talk to them? Would you do the hard work of building a relationship? Or is grace just for you and only of those whom you approve? That was Jonah's problem. He confessed grace. He misunderstood grace. So, God continues to teach him. This is point two, providence enjoyed, but ignored. And this is verse four of Jonah 4. "And the Lord said, "Do you do well to be angry?" See, he didn't answer. "Jonah went out of the city and sat in the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade until he should see what would become of the city. So, here is the finger of God pressing into the festering wound of Jonah's sin. And God does ask him, "Do you do well to be angry?" It's the first of three questions, "Jonah, do you actually think it's justified? Do you think your anger is justified? Do you really think that your anger is without sin?" Instead of wrestling with God's question, Jonah ignores it and goes camping. And what's he doing? He camps outside the city to the east to sit and wait." What's he waiting for? He's waiting to see if God will relent from his relenting. God said, "I'm going to punish Nineveh, condemnation, unless they repent." They repent. He relent. Jonah wants God to relent of his relenting. He wants to see the fireworks. Like Sodom and Gomorrah, like fire from heaven, brimstone. That's what he wants to see. Jonah 4:6, "Now, the Lord God," so, he's waiting, "Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort." So, Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. Three times, we see this phrase in the book, in this chapter, in verse six, seven, and eight, that God appointed as the same verb that that's used in chapter one, verse 17 when God appoints a great fish. And what it's doing is it's pointing out the absolute sovereignty of God over all of his creation. What's the vine all about? What's this plant all about? Is it an ivy? Is it a gourd? Is it a castor-oil plant? I don't know. It's pretty big and it grew rapidly and it provided shade. Why the vine? Symbolically, I don't know if it really means anything, but it shows us that it completely changed Jonah's mood. Jonah, in the beginning of the chapter, was exceedingly mad, exceedingly angry, and now he's exceedingly glad. Why? What's changed? Well, what's changed is his comfort. And so, he is sitting very comfortably. So, he's sitting. He wants to see fireworks, condemnation. He wants to see the people of Nineveh in great discomfort. That's what he wants to see. And then God sends him a little vine, a plant to comfort him. And what we see here is incredible irony that the personal comfort that Jonah receives is the absolute opposite of what he wants for Nineveh. He wants all of Nineveh to burn. He's got ringside seats and popcorn as he waits for fire and brimstone. And as he's waiting for fire and brimstone, God sends him a plant to comfort him. Now, what is God doing here? I can't wait to find out when we get to heaven. But I think what God is doing here is he's teaching him. Jonah is too blind to realize what God is doing through providence. So, verse seven. "But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered. And when the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, "It's better for me to die then to live." For the fourth time in the book, Yahweh directly intervenes, this time, by sending a worm, completely withers the plant that Yahweh had just raised up the day before, leaving Jonah completely exposed to the sun. And then God, on top of that insult to injury, sends him a wind, a sirocco wind, which it rises quickly and raises the temperature and drops the humidity. It's unbearable. And by the way, if you take that Jonah was still alive in the fish, gastro juices, his skin was definitely damaged. This guy is in pain right now. So, he cries out, "It's better for me to die than to live. Just kill me already, God. If you're going to spare Nineveh, just kill me." So, verse nine, "And God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die." And again, instead of rebuking Jonah, God teaches him. Asking him a version of the same question, "Jonah, are you glad I judged the plant? Are you glad I killed the plant?" And this time, Jonah actually responds to God's question. Jonah said, "Yes, I do well to be angry. Angry enough to die." Jonah's come to the end. He still expects that Yahweh will relent of his relenting, but he just can't deal with the misery of what's happening here. He's losing all perspective. We don't know the state of mind that he's in, but he just can't believe that God would extend mercy to people unworthy of it. And here we see the lesson of providence. Did Jonah know that the plant was from the Lord? Did Jonah know that there was a worm from the Lord? Did Jonah know that there was a wind from the Lord? I think he knew. I think he knew. But there were times when it's like, "I don't want to know." He enjoyed the comforts of providence. The vine goes up, he's comfortable. But he's unwilling to listen to the lessons providence is teaching. God sometimes teaches us through supernatural revelation. That's primary where we learn from holy scripture. But God does, through providence in our lives, teach us. And if we are wise, we will pay attention to the events of our lives and see what God is teaching us. Often when something bad happens, no, no, no. God has nothing to do with this. No, no, no, God's hand is sovereign. He's absolutely over everything. Often, we're too quick to run to Romans 8:28 that, "All things work together for the good of those who love him and are called to be his." Something bad happens in your life and you're. But all things will work together. Good. We are to go there and we'll learn much of that from Joseph. But we are to go to Hebrews 12 as well. And sometimes, the difficulties in our life are actually a result of God's discipline. And we are to endure hardship as discipline because God is treating us as sons and daughters, if we are wise to learn the lessons of that providence. And I say that because in Hebrews 12:11, it says, "For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Meaning that you can go through discipline which is unpleasant and you never reap the harvest of righteousness because you refuse to learn the lessons. Don't be an unwise. Don't be a foolish child. The wise child, you speak to the wise child. The wise child learns. The foolish child, words are not enough. We are to be trained up by its possible. Hebrews is saying to endure the providential discipline of the Lord and not bear fruit because we weren't listening, we weren't paying attention like Jonah here. He should have stopped and said, "God, why did you send me that vine? Would it not be to expose the hypocrisy in my heart that I care about my comfort, my comfort, my body's temperature, I care about more than someone else's soul?" By the way, I can get this because my body temperature runs high and when I'm sweating, I can't think. Maybe Jonah is here, I don't know. But he is idolizing, prioritizing his comfort over everything else. And here's the lesson God is teaching us in the hard blows of frowning providence. He's teaching us that through providence, he is training us to become more effective instruments in his hands. So, Jonah didn't learn the lessons of providence. And point three, he has a love. He feels a love. Love felt, but it's disordered. So, verse 10, and the Lord said, "You pity the plant for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and all so much cattle." The truth is, Jonah had no right to the plant, did he? It was all a gift of undeserved grace. It was nothing but a misguided sense of self entitlement that made Jonah resentful that he lost something that was not even his. And what the Lord here is teaching through this question is teaching the same lesson that we see in Matthew 20. In Matthew 20, Jesus Christ tells a parable. And then the parable, so, this guy owns a vineyard, he needs day laborers. And he goes to the market, he takes some laborers, he says, "Okay, I'll pay you this amount." And he comes back three hours later, comes back three hours later, comes back. What happens is not everybody worked the same amount of time. Some of the workers worked all day, some of the workers worked just a few hours and they all got paid the same. And the guys that worked all day come up to the owner of the vineyard, they say, "That's not fair." That's not fair. They worked an hour, we worked all day in the sweat of our brow, in the heat of the day. And the owner responds by saying, "Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?" And this is exactly what's happening with Jonah. Jonah is like those workers, "I have served you all of my life. My whole family, we have served you. And God, you're going to welcome these people in and give them the same blessings you've given us?" And what God says here to Jonah is, "Jonah, I made them. I'm their God. I'm their Lord. They are mine. They depend on me. Do I not have the right to do what I want with them?" And Deuteronomy 7:6-8, "God does remind the people of Israel that he did not choose them because of anything great in them. Verse six, for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were much more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt." It wasn't because you were greater than any of the other people, that it wasn't because you were more noble, more mighty. It wasn't because you were worthy. It was because, "I'm loving," that's what God is saying, "I don't love you because you're lovely. I love you because I'm loving." And in Christ, this is exactly what the Lord teaches us, that we do not deserve any. Christ died for us when we were yet sinners. We all deserve condemnation. We all deserve wrath. Jesus Christ died for us when we did not deserve the grace. And this understanding of grace, this is what begins to change us. I didn't deserve it. And this second, I'm receiving grace. I don't deserve this grace either. Every moment, every second, the gospel extends grace to us. And we're not doing everything we're doing for the Lord because we are trying to earn grace. No, it's all from him. It's all free. And what grace does is it reorders our loves. And this is crucial. Because a lot of people, they follow the Lord and they go to church. What you don't understand is that God doesn't want to just transform your mind with truth, he wants to transform your heart by reordering how much and what you love by reprioritizing. So, we're not wrong to love fervently our people. We're not wrong to love our comforts. We're not wrong to be patriots. But we are wrong when we put any of those things above God and above what God loves. So, what this is what God is doing with Jonah. God is saying, "Jonah, look into my heart. You love a vine more than you love people." These are image bearers of God with eternal souls. God is saying, "I love them. I love the lost. I love the nations. I love Nineveh, that great city." It's a love just glimpsed here in Jonah, we see just a glimpse of God is gracious, God relents when we repent, he does forgive. But we see the fullness of the supreme expression of the love of God on the cross of Jesus Christ. Here is God incarnate. Here is God who is gracious and merciful. Here is God on the cross, who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Here's a God who relents from disaster. And here he is, that same God nailed to a tree. How did you get there, God? Jesus Christ, God and, how did you get on a tree? How did you get nailed to a tree by the people that you came to save? How did that happen? Well, Jesus Christ is answering the questions, the contradictions that are within the heart of Jonah. Jonah is saying, "God, you're too just to forgive those people. No. You can't be that loving so that your love actually satisfies your justice." How does that work? He can't make sense of it. And then Jesus Christ makes all the sense of it in the world, that the way, the only reason that God can forgive us is because someone paid for our sins. The only way that God retains his justice, retains the fact that he is just. And he gets to justify, is the only way that happens is the cross of Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus became our sin. On the cross, Jesus absorbed the wrath of God that we deserve. Jonah wanted to see that. He wanted to see the wrath pour down on the Ninevites. He didn't get to see it. But in the sign of Jonah, that's what Jesus says, and it says the sign of Jonah. In the sign of Jonah, we do see the wrath of God poured out on Christ. Jesus died so that the Ninevites can get saved, but also the Brooklynites and the Bostonians, so that all of us can find a home in the family of God. And the measure of the love of God for the nations is ultimately in the cross of Jesus Christ. In Romans 15:8-12, "For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name." And again, it said, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." And again, "Praise the Lord, all you gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him." And again, Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope." That's what the cross was all about, to bring into his kingdom men, women, boys, and girls, from every tribe, every language, every nation under heaven to be saved by grace through faith. And when we see people where we want to say something like, "Ah, they don't deserve grace." You got to be a reminded, of course, they don't deserve grace. No one deserves grace. That's what makes grace, grace. It's undeserved. It's for the unworthy. It's unmerited favor. What do you love more than your neighbor, that you'd put before the great need of their souls for Jesus? I think, in Boston, it's reputation. That's what I think. I think we love our reputation more than we love the souls of our neighbors. I think that's true. I've seen, I've been watching this for a while. "What are they going to think of me?" That question doesn't matter. Well, because that question's the same thing as Jonah crying out about the vine. "My comfort. I'm discomfort. I'm uncomfortable. They don't like me. I'm uncomfortable." It's the same thing. You like being liked more than you love the souls of people. And if that were not true, we'd be sharing the gospel all the time with absolutely everybody. God calls Jonah to give up his misplaced pity for himself and learn to pity the nations. He calls him to give up his misplaced love for himself, for his comforts to love like God loves, like Christ loves. This is the call to cruciform love, a love that gives and goes and serves and sacrifices for the sake of the lost. Did Jonah learn his lesson? I want Jonah chapter five. Where's chapter five? I want to know, did he learn his lesson? That he repent? That doesn't matter. That's not the real question. The real question is, will you learn the lessons that God has for us from this book? Will you give up being satisfied with knowing truth but never sharing it? Will you learn to love this great city in which we live, in which there are more than hundreds of thousands of souls, many of whom don't know Jesus Christ? These are questions that Jonah presses into us. Will we go where God is already? And where is God already? He's on mission. Our God is a missional God. Our God is a missionary God. God had one son and his son became a missionary. Someone said, "Jesus Christ came as a missionary to seek and to save that which is lost." Christopher Wright, in his book entitled The Mission of God, makes this statement, he says, "Mission was not made for the church. The church was made for mission, God's mission." Well, that's true that God has given us some missions, a great commission to go and make disciples of all nations, God's already on mission, that God is on mission, that you and I have this great privilege of joining him in that. That's part of the grace we get. And the more you know this missional God, the more you care about mission, about people through your life, through your words, through your actions coming closer to meeting Jesus Christ. Jonah, as an example to us of a very flawed man, being chosen by God and being used by God. He's sinful, he repents, and then he sins again. He's flawed in every way. And yet Jonah is the one who's preaching, converts an entire city. Is the power in the man or is the power in the message? Well, what is the book of Jonah teaches? What is the Romans teaches? Romans teaches, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. And you should take comfort in that. If you've never shared the gospel, a lot of people don't share the gospel because they feel unworthy of it, of sharing it. If I tell people that I'm a Christian, what are they going to think about Christianity? Well, first of all, you should probably rethink a few areas of life. Second of all, man, what are we giving people? When we share the gospel, what are we giving people? Are we giving people our own righteousness? Did you die in the cross for someone's sins? Or is your righteousness going to be imputed to someone? No. Obviously, we need to live lives of integrity. But also, obviously, you're never worthy enough. The power is not in you. The power is in the Holy Spirit, as the Holy Spirit takes the gospel of Jesus Christ. As you take these words and you proclaim, "Yeah, I'm a sinner." You are a sinner. I'm a sinner. We're all sinner. We've all sinned. We've all transgressed the commandments of God. And God is holy and we all deserve condemnation for all of eternity. That's how holy he is. But God is also loving and because he's loving, he's provided a way for all of your sins to be forgiven. All you have to do, you repent of your sin, you trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you turn from sin, you turn to him, and then you devote your life to worshiping him. And when you do, man, I'm telling you, when the power of God takes that, takes the opportunity, takes that scenario, takes your words, and people, the lights start coming on, you get addicted to it. You get so addicted to seeing people come to faith. I want everyone addicted to it. I want this whole church addicted to people coming in faith. Share the gospel. The power is not in you. The power is in the Holy Spirit and the power is in the word. Romans 9:14-16, "What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means, for He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So, then it depends, not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy. So, huge, huge breath of, sigh of relief. You can't mess up someone else's salvation. You can't say the wrong thing and then they're like, "Oh, you said the wrong thing. So, now, I'm not going to get..." God does the saving. You can't even get in the way. But what I'm saying is there's a huge blessing in sharing the gospel and being used by God. Under the new covenant wherein God extends his saving mercy beyond Israel to the ends of the earth, the principle that God saves whom he will becomes even more clear. And he does it. The power resides in the message. Revelation 7:9-17 of vision, "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb." And all the angels were standing around the throne, around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God saying, "Amen. Blessing glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen." "Should I not pity Nineveh, that great city?" Oh, my God. Lord, would you pity Boston, this great city? "Should I not pity Boston, that great city?" Lord, pity this city. And don't just pity the city in general, a lot of the city in general, Lord, there's people in my life that are far from you. Lord, you've poured out your pity on me. Lord, show your pity to them. If you're not a Christian, if you're not sure of where you're going when you die, if you're not sure of your relationship with the Lord, if you are not a worshiper of God, of Jesus Christ, well, turn to God today. A couple passages from Isaiah, Isaiah 45:22-23, "Turn to me," the words of the Lord, "And be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone out in righteousness, a word that shall not return. To me, every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance." And Isaiah 55:6-7, "Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near, let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God for he will abundantly pardon." Amen. Let us pray. Lord, we thank you for this great message from the book of Jonah that points to a greater Jonah. Jesus Christ, Jesus, we thank you in the same way that Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. You were the heart of the earth and yet you rose from the dead, and we thank you for that. And Lord, Jesus, we pray, continue to strengthen our souls, and give us the power of the Holy Spirit and continue to build up your church. And Lord, we do pray for a revival upon this great city. Draw many to yourself and use us in the process. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.
5 Easter First Psalm: Psalms 75–76 Psalms 75–76 (Listen) God Will Judge with Equity To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. 75 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We1 recount your wondrous deeds. 2 “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.3 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,' and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn;5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.'” 6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. 9 But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up. Who Can Stand Before You? To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. 76 In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel.2 His abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion.3 There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah 4 Glorious are you, more majestic than the mountains full of prey.5 The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; all the men of war were unable to use their hands.6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned. 7 But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused?8 From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still,9 when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth. Selah 10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant2 of wrath you will put on like a belt.11 Make your vows to the LORD your God and perform them; let all around him bring gifts to him who is to be feared,12 who cuts off the spirit of princes, who is to be feared by the kings of the earth. Footnotes [1] 75:1 Hebrew They [2] 76:10 Or extremity (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 23; Psalm 27 Psalm 23 (Listen) The Lord Is My Shepherd A Psalm of David. 23 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.13 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness2 for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,3 I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.6 Surely4 goodness and mercy5 shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell6 in the house of the LORD forever.7 Footnotes [1] 23:2 Hebrew beside waters of rest [2] 23:3 Or in right paths [3] 23:4 Or the valley of deep darkness [4] 23:6 Or Only [5] 23:6 Or steadfast love [6] 23:6 Or shall return to dwell [7] 23:6 Hebrew for length of days (ESV) Psalm 27 (Listen) The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation Of David. 27 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold1 of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet2 I will be confident. 4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire3 in his temple. 5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD. 7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!8 You have said, “Seek4 my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”59 Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in. 11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. 13 I believe that I shall look6 upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! Footnotes [1] 27:1 Or refuge [2] 27:3 Or in this [3] 27:4 Or meditate [4] 27:8 The command (seek) is addressed to more than one person [5] 27:8 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain [6] 27:13 Other Hebrew manuscripts Oh! Had I not believed that I would look (ESV) Old Testament: Wisdom 19:1-8, 18-22 New Testament: Romans 15:1–13 Romans 15:1–13 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV) Gospel: Luke 9:1–17 Luke 9:1–17 (Listen) Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles 9 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.1 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. Herod Is Perplexed by Jesus 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him. Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand 10 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. 12 Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. Footnotes [1] 9:3 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin (ESV)
Old Testament: Judges 8 Judges 8 (Listen) Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna 8 Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they accused him fiercely. 2 And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3 God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger1 against him subsided when he said this. 4 And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the 300 men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing. 5 So he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 And the officials of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” 7 So Gideon said, “Well then, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” 8 And from there he went up to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 And he said to the men of Penuel, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.” 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of the tent dwellers east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for the army felt secure. 12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic. 13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. 14 And he captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. And he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men. 15 And he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?'” 16 And he took the elders of the city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth a lesson. 17 And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. 18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Where are the men whom you killed at Tabor?” They answered, “As you are, so were they. Every one of them resembled the son of a king.” 19 And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.” 20 So he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise and kill them!” But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a young man. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength.” And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels. Gideon's Ephod 22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” 23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you.” 24 And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels2 of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. 27 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. 28 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. The Death of Gideon 29 Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring,3 for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 33 As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. 34 And the people of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, 35 and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel. Footnotes [1] 8:3 Hebrew their spirit [2] 8:26 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [3] 8:30 Hebrew who came from his own loins (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 109 Psalm 109 (Listen) Help Me, O Lord My God To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 109 Be not silent, O God of my praise!2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues.3 They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer.15 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6 Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand.7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin!8 May his days be few; may another take his office!9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow!10 May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!11 May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!12 Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children!13 May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation!14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16 For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.17 He loved to curse; let curses come2 upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far3 from him!18 He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak4 into his body like water, like oil into his bones!19 May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day!20 May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my life! 21 But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me.23 I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust.24 My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat.25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads. 26 Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love!27 Let them know that this is your hand; you, O LORD, have done it!28 Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. Footnotes [1] 109:4 Hebrew but I am prayer [2] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come [3] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far [4] 109:18 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked (ESV) New Testament: Romans 14–15 Romans 14–15 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,6 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing7 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Footnotes [1] 14:4 Or lord [2] 14:11 Or shall give praise [3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened [4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27 [5] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [6] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [7] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel (ESV)
The Example of Christ1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”10 And again it is said,“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”11 And again,“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.”12 And again Isaiah says,“The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;in him will the Gentiles hope.”13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,“Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”Romans 15:1-21 ESVFor more information about Redeemer Church Lubbock visit our website at redeemerlubbock.org.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 79 Psalm 79 (Listen) How Long, O Lord? A Psalm of Asaph. 79 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.2 They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.3 They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us. 5 How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name!7 For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. 8 Do not remember against us our former iniquities;1 let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low.9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake!10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes! 11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!12 Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!13 But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. Footnotes [1] 79:8 Or the iniquities of former generations (ESV) Pentateuch and History: Exodus 24 Exodus 24 (Listen) The Covenant Confirmed 24 Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 2 Moses alone shall come near to the LORD, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.” 3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules.1 And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” 9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. 12 The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.” 15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. Footnotes [1] 24:3 Or all the just decrees (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Nehemiah 5 Nehemiah 5 (Listen) Nehemiah Stops Oppression of the Poor 5 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. 2 For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” 3 There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” 4 And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5 Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.” 6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them 8 and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. 9 So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? 10 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. 11 Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” 12 Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised. 13 I also shook out the fold1 of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. Nehemiah's Generosity 14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. 15 The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration2 forty shekels3 of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. 16 I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. 17 Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. 18 Now what was prepared at my expense4 for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. 19 Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people. Footnotes [1] 5:13 Hebrew bosom [2] 5:15 Compare Vulgate; Hebrew took from them for food and wine after [3] 5:15 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [4] 5:18 Or prepared for me (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: Romans 15:1–13 Romans 15:1–13 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV)
With family: Genesis 45; Mark 15 Genesis 45 (Listen) Joseph Provides for His Brothers and Family 45 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. 4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.' 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him. 16 When the report was heard in Pharaoh's house, “Joseph's brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.' 19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Have no concern for1 your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'” 21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels2 of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.” 25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” Footnotes [1] 45:20 Hebrew Let your eye not pity [2] 45:22 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) Mark 15 (Listen) Jesus Delivered to Pilate 15 And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified 6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged1 Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Jesus Is Mocked 16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters),2 and they called together the whole battalion.3 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. The Crucifixion 21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour4 when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.5 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. The Death of Jesus 33 And when the sixth hour6 had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.7 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he8 breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son9 of God!” 40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. Jesus Is Buried 42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died.10 And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46 And Joseph11 bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. Footnotes [1] 15:15 A Roman judicial penalty, consisting of a severe beating with a multi-lashed whip containing embedded pieces of bone and metal [2] 15:16 Greek the praetorium [3] 15:16 Greek cohort; a tenth of a Roman legion, usually about 600 men [4] 15:25 That is, 9 a.m. [5] 15:27 Some manuscripts insert verse 28: And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “He was numbered with the transgressors” [6] 15:33 That is, noon [7] 15:33 That is, 3 p.m. [8] 15:39 Some manuscripts insert cried out and [9] 15:39 Or a son [10] 15:44 Or Pilate wondered whether he had already died [11] 15:46 Greek he (ESV) In private: Job 11; Romans 15 Job 11 (Listen) Zophar Speaks: You Deserve Worse 11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: 2 “Should a multitude of words go unanswered, and a man full of talk be judged right?3 Should your babble silence men, and when you mock, shall no one shame you?4 For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in God's1 eyes.'5 But oh, that God would speak and open his lips to you,6 and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding.2 Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves. 7 “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?8 It is higher than heaven3—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?9 Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.10 If he passes through and imprisons and summons the court, who can turn him back?11 For he knows worthless men; when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?12 But a stupid man will get understanding when a wild donkey's colt is born a man! 13 “If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward him.14 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents.15 Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear.16 You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away.17 And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning.18 And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security.19 You will lie down, and none will make you afraid; many will court your favor.20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail; all way of escape will be lost to them, and their hope is to breathe their last.” Footnotes [1] 11:4 Hebrew your [2] 11:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [3] 11:8 Hebrew The heights of heaven (ESV) Romans 15 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,1 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,2 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing3 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Footnotes [1] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [2] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [3] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel (ESV)
Second Sunday of Advent The Collect: Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Old Testament: Isaiah 11:1-10 1A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 2The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. 6The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. 7The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den. 9They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 10On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious. Psalm: Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 1 Give the King your justice, O God, * and your righteousness to the King's Son; 2 That he may rule your people righteously * and the poor with justice; 3 That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, * and the little hills bring righteousness. 4 He shall defend the needy among the people; * he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor. 5 He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, * from one generation to another. 6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, * like showers that water the earth. 7 In his time shall the righteous flourish; * there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more. 18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, * who alone does wondrous deeds! 19 And blessed be his glorious Name for ever! * and may all the earth be filled with his glory. Amen. Amen. Epistle: Romans 15:4-13 4For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. 5May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name”; 10and again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”; 11and again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him”; 12and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.” 13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12 1In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”3This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'” 4Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.5Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Audio Transcript: This media has been made available by Mosaic BostonChurch. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston inour neighborhood churches, or donate to this ministry, please visitmosaicboston.com. What we will do today is I want to clarify a little bit of where we are at in the book of Romans. I'll introduce it, we'll read the text and then we will pray and continue. But we are in chapter 15, the second to last chapter. We're not reading the whole chapter. Verses one through 21 is where we will be. And the first part of this chapter, Paul is sort of summarizing what we talked about last week, what he talked about in the last chapter, but then he is connecting it to his summary of the book as a whole. Paul is starting to wrap up, remind us of everything that Paul has been trying to say in this letter to the church in Rome. So, if you remember, I mentioned last week, but also way back in the beginning of the series, we talked about how Paul's purpose in writing the book of Romans is to encourage the church to faithful obedience to the Lord. So, here, Paul is going to be making that connection, be wrapping it up, summarizing how everything he has written is leading to that. So, as I read, I'm going to read the whole text all the way through. As I'm reading, be thinking, be meditating on what is Paul saying about faithful obedience? And then we will pray over the preaching of God's word. So, in Romans chapter 15 verse one, it says this, "We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written, 'The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.' For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures, we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written. 'Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing to your name.' And again it is said, 'Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.' And again, praise the Lord all you gentiles and let all the peoples extol him.' And again, Isaiah says, 'The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles in him will the Gentiles hope.' May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by the way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus then I have reason to be proud of my work for God, for I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience, by word and deed, by the power and signs and wonders, by the power of the spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum, I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ. And thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation. But as it is written, 'Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.'" Let's pray over the preaching of God's word. Heavenly Father, Lord, we come to you and we thank you that you are a God of endurance, encouragement, and hope. Lord, fill us with your spirit, fill us with the power of your spirit to be able to live lives of faithful obedience to you, lives full of hope in you. Help us, Lord, in our weakness, help us when life is hard and when seasons of difficulty are on us. Give us your strength, your power, so that we can praise you and we can glorify you as one body, your body, the church. We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, we will be spending our time in three points today. First point is be rooted in hope. The second point is abound in hope. And the third point is fulfill your call. So, point number one, be rooted in hope. This is verses one through seven. I'm not going to read it all again, but he starts again with this summary of the strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak. And the failings, I don't like that word because it makes us look down on people, but it's just the weaknesses of the weak. Where people are weak, bear with them. And this is the idea we talked about in last chapter, in chapter 14, that it is the duty, it is the obligation of the strong to not hold onto their strength, to not hold onto their freedom and their rights to do whatever they want, but instead to use that to serve those who are weak. To bring about unity and harmony within the church so that way we can praise God. And that's what Paul clarifies here in verses six and seven. He says that, "Together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God." So, unity within the church is not just for the sake of unity. Unity and laying down your rights for others is not just so we can all get along. That's true and good, but the point of it is so that we as one body in unity can bring praises and honor and glory to God, because he deserves it. That we as his church, unified, strong together, bring praises and glory to him. That is the point he was getting at last week and in this text of why we seek unity, why we seek harmony with one another. But the emphasis of this section of the text is in verse four where he says, "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures, we might have hope." We talk a lot about the idea of hope during the holiday seasons, during Christmas time. Hope is something that we look for then, but we always need hope. Every single day we need hope. Hope is something that is powerful. It has the power to encourage us to continue on, even when life is hard and when things look desperate and when times of despair are there, hope can power us through. And the base state that we as Christians are called to our at the very least to have hope. Now how do we have hope? Paul is encouraging us and he's telling us, instructing us, that the ways we have hope are first and foremost, endurance and the encouragement of the scriptures. And so endurance, what does he mean by endurance? Paul is calling back, he is referencing his own writings in this book, in Romans chapter five, where he tells us the process of how we get to hope. So, in chapter five, verses two through five, it says this, "Through him, Christ Jesus, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." And so Paul outlines the root of endurance to hope. And the connecting factor is character, but it assumes suffering. That is the start, the impetus of the endurance and the hope is actually suffering. And it's something that we can all admit is that life is hard and that if we are Christians, we will suffer. That is a promise actually that scripture gives to us, that Christians will suffer. And then we need to endure and then we have character and we have hope. So, what is character? Character is referring to the results of a test. Okay, what does that mean? So, suffering is that you are presented with a test. Endurance is you taking the test. And character is what was the result? Pass/fail? And the idea that Paul is saying for how endurance and character leads to hope, is that we can look back on times in our lives where God has caused us to endure through suffering to pass that test and endure and remain faithful to him and say, "Yeah, God helped me pass this. He helped me endure through the suffering. He can do it again." Anytime I face suffering, I can have hope that God will help me endure through it. And so when Paul is saying endurance leads to hope, we need to look back. We need to look back on our lives, look back on the faithfulness of God to help us endure and say, "He's going to do it again. He can do it again. God is faithful, he will help me endure." And then secondly it says that we get hope from the encouragement of scripture. And here I asked myself a question and the question was, "How often do I go to scripture for encouragement?" Not just because I'm supposed to read it, not to learn more information, not because it's part of my routine, or I'm supposed to, or it's good, which it's good, it is. We should do it for those reasons as well. But do we actually read scripture to gain encouragement? To gain hope in this life? And what Paul has said is that everything that has been written in former days was written for this reason. And the idea is what is in the Bible? What is this book about? It's a book filled with the faithfulness of God in times when people sometimes endured and sometimes failed in enduring, but regardless of the people, God was still faithful. And so we need to be going through scripture, not just to learn, but instead to say, "God, give me hope." Give me hope that you are faithful no matter what. Give me hope that you have power, you are sovereign, you are in control, you are a loving good God. Give me that hope always, so I can be encouraged. I can have hope. And this is what we are called to as Christians, to be rooted in this. We need to have this as a foundation in our lives, because Christ is our source of hope. And in verse five, I love his transition to this. In verse five he says this, "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus." Paul just told us you want to have hope, seek endurance, be endure, and the encouragement of the scriptures. Read the scripture. And then immediately he prays. This is prayer language when he says, "May the God of..." He is praying over the church and he is saying, "May the God of encouragement and endurance..." The point is, it's not about us. When we endure, it's not us enduring. It's God causing us, helping us to endure. He is the God of endurance, so he can help us endure. When we need encouragement from the scripture, we don't just pick up this book and be like, "I'm not encouraged." We go to God and seek encouragement from him, because he is the God of encouragement as well. And we cannot separate the fact that if we want hope, we need to pray. You can't separate those. Paul knows that this is intrinsically needed. It's not his ability to speak, it's not their ability to endure, be encouraged. It's our need to pray and cry out to God when we don't have endurance, when times are hard, when we are suffering, God help me. And when we are struggling and we're sad, depressed, we have no hope, God encourage me. And he will. He's faithful to do that. But not only that, we need to be doing this for each other. Paul here is not looking at himself saying, "I need encouragement, I need endurance." He's looking at someone who is weak, a church who is weak and hurting. And he's saying to them, "May the God of endurance help you endure. May the God of encouragement fill you with encouragement." We, as the body of Christ, need to be doing that for each other, need to care about each other enough to do that. And once we are rooted in this hope, we have that as a foundation in our lives. It enables us to live, to move on, to carry on regardless of circumstances, you could say to live in faithful obedience to the Lord. But we don't stop there. When we have hope, that is the base, the foundation. But actually Paul encourages us and scripture encourages us to now abound in hope. And this is verses eight through 13 where it says this, "For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, 'Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing to your name.' And again it is said, 'Rejoice, Oh Gentiles, with his people.' And again, 'Praise the Lord all you gentiles and let all the peoples extol him.' And again, Isaiah says, 'The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles in him will the Gentiles hope.' May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." So, just some quick clarification and understanding. Paul starts with his talk about the circumcised and the Gentiles. What is he talking about here? He's talking about that regardless of any life circumstances, regardless of even where we come from, who we are, Christ is our only source of hope in this life. He's saying to the circumcised, to the religious Jews who knew and had heard and been raised in the law, Christ gives them hope. Why? Because he has fulfilled the promises of the scriptures. They can look at the faith that they were raised in and say, "Christ has fulfilled all the promises of God. God is trustworthy, he is reliable. We can depend on him. God that gives us hope." And to the Gentiles, to those who had no religious in the scripture's upbringing, he says, still, God is the hope for you. And he quotes a bunch of verses from the Old Testament. Why? To show that God always was the hope of the Gentiles, even before Christ came. But he's hope for the Gentiles, because it shows the mercy of God on all. Gentiles, you didn't know the laws, you weren't raised in the people of Israel, yet God had mercy on you. That gives us hope. I don't know about everyone who's here, but me personally, I am a Gentile. I am a Gentile. I was not raised as a Jewish or of the nation of Israel or any of that. And I have hope, because God loved his people enough to say, "I'm going to even save this guy," and praise God for that. And we should praise God. And regardless of our nationality, our backgrounds, regardless of anything, Christ alone is our hope. And again, in verse 13, it's prayer language. It's prayer language. "May the God of hope, the God who is hope, fill you with all joy and peace and believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." The word abound, it's an overflow, it's an excess. It's a more than you could ever want or need. May the God of hope help you reach that point through the power of the Holy Spirit with joy and peace and believing. I like that part too, because as we believe we have hope, we believe, we trust in God, he promises to fill us with joy and with peace that we can then continue to grow in hope. And this points directly back to the last chapter, in chapter 14 verse 17 where it says, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." What Paul is making the connection to is the kingdom of God is a kingdom of peace, it's a kingdom of joy, and we need the God of hope to fill us with that. But he will when we are faithful in obedience to him. When we are believing and trusting in him, he will do that. And then God will also help us grow in hope. And this is the cycle of growth for a Christian. We start with hope. We start with the gospel. The gospel and hope are interchangeable, because the gospel is the only reason we have hope. But also there's scripture to say that it's interchangeable. And this is from 1 Peter 1:3. It says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." So, as Christians, we start in a place of hope. We start with the gospel. Why is the gospel hope? Well, the gospel is saying that we are all sinners. That God, Jesus Christ, left his throne above, did not count the freedom and rights that he had, like we talked about last week, as something to be held onto, but gave them up to come to earth, live a perfect life, die on the cross and save us from our sins, and be raised again to prove that he has the power, he has the command and dominion over everything in life and death. And we can have hope in him that through his work we can spend eternity with God when we put our trust in him and say, "Jesus, help me. I need a savior. I need you to save me. I need you to help me." What this also means is that apart from Christ, there is no hope. This goes back to the first few chapters of Romans where we spent a lot of time talking about God's wrath. It was not a lot of fun, but it was true and it's good and it's helpful, because the idea is that when we are in sin, we have no hope. We are in sin. We are deserving of eternity apart from God, eternity in hell, condemned for our sins. But praise be to God that he did not leave us like that, and he sent his son Jesus Christ to save us. So, if you are here today and you are not a Christian, I beg of you, I urge you, take hope. Turn to Christ, submit to him and say, "Lord Jesus, I need hope. I have no source of hope in this life. Lord Jesus, help me." Submit your life to him and he will help you, he will give you hope. So, that's the starting point, that's where we start, and then we endure. We get a little bit of suffering. We talked about this already. We endure, we suffer, we endure. We get more hope, we get encouragement from the scriptures. We get hope. We get a little more hope. And that more hope allows us to endure a little more. And the more we endure, the more that we are able to see hope. And the more that we have hope, the more we can endure. And it's a cycle and it's how we grow as Christians. But it also implies that it means more suffering is coming and that as you grow, life will get harder and harder. And that God knows that and he wants to help us endure and give us hope, but we can't rely on ourselves. The moment we rely on our own strength, we are bound to break. And this is the greatest temptation in these seasons. When you endure, you feel pretty good. You're like, "Wow, I accomplished something." And as we already said, it's not us, it's God. It's the power of the Holy Spirit that lets us do it. But after time and time again of seeing God's faithfulness and helping us endure, we are tempted to say, "Wow, I did a good job of enduring," or, "I was able to do it. So, bring on the suffering. I'm ready to go. I can do it again." Once we do that, it's just a matter of time before we break. We cannot and should not allow ourselves to rely on our own strength. It's the power of God alone. This is why it says in this verse that, "By the power of the Holy Spirit, we may abound in hope." We cannot break that chain. We cannot break our need and dependence upon the Holy Spirit. We need the spirit to strengthen us. And once we abound in hope, once we are overflowing, overwhelmed by hope, because of the power of the Holy Spirit, we actually have the ability to fulfill the call that God has placed on our lives. This is verses 14 through 21. It says this, "I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience, by word and deed, by signs and wonders, by the power of the spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum, I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ." I'll pause there for a second. I want to point out real quick in verse 14 that Paul says he is satisfied about his brothers. Does that mean he's saying that he is satisfied with their maturity? He recognizes that they are mature, they are filled with goodness, they are seeking righteousness, they're filled with knowledge, they're able to instruct each other. They are a mature church. This is actually a very mature statement by Paul, because he is trusting in God for them. And what is natural and what is a natural temptation is to be cynical and to question and say, "Yeah, I've heard about you, but I'm not so sure." And what I mean by cynical is, cynical is an inherent distrust of someone or something else. And I'm bringing this up here specifically because it is in direct contradiction to the idea of hope. Cynicism is directly opposed to hope. Why? Because you're distrusting. Well, who are you distrusting? When we are being cynical, we are showing we are distrusting God's sovereignty in all situations, that he is in control of everything. We as Christians are called to be hopeful, not cynical. And this is hard. The reason I bring this up specifically is because we live in a city that we talk about, it's really hard to be a Christian in Boston sometimes. We also talk about how it's just hard to be a Christian in general sometimes to faithfully obey the Lord. And what we are naturally drawn to is this cynical nature. The world has failed us. The world has disappointed us. We should not trust everything. That makes sense. So, naturally we are changed to that. And the longer you're in this city, the more you see it. And I bring this up because I know it's something that our pastors, our staff, every single one of us in this church, we all struggle with this temptation to become cynical. I was talking with Pastor Shane earlier this week. He gave me permission to share this. But he talked about how he even felt in his life that cynicism had crept in and that he had stopped being as hopeful and as joyful as he once was. And he praised God that he was able to recognize that and see that, and we should all follow his example of recognizing it in our own lives and cutting it out, getting rid of it and seeking to be hopeful. We need to be hopeful again, because it's what enables us to carry on. When we are cynical, we will not carry on. We will not live lives of faithful obedience. And cynicism is easier too. It's a lot easier than being hopeful. And this is a little bit of a tangent, but it's related, so hang with me for a second. The first service, I believe, is the first time ever that I've preached without mentioning my wife, which is crazy to me. And after the service, she came up to me and I didn't do as good of a job in the first service in explaining the cynicism part. And she was like what was speaking to her in this time, she texted me and it was really clear to me and I was like, "Wow, that's even better than what I said." So, I'm just going to read what she sent me. She just gave it as encouragement to me, but it's better than what I was saying, so I'm going to read it. Cynicism is easier than hope. We hate to be disappointed. We hate to be wrong, to look foolish. Cynicism protects us from too high of an expectation, but God has proven his faithfulness. He's proven that our hope is not in vain. We don't need to fear disappointment because we know that in the end, God will always get the glory. God will always get the victory. And we have confident hope in knowing he wants to use our lives in his church in unity to give him that glory. Praise God. That's why I married her. Amen. Yeah, we can clap. Thank you. Thank you. Amen. Praise God. But that's the point. That's how cynicism contradicts hope, is like we stop trusting in God. Cynicism is easier. It's so much easier to do that. But we're not called to the easy thing, we're called to the faithful thing. And faithful obedience is to trust in God regardless. And so Paul here, bringing it back to verse 14, Paul is trusting in God over a church that he's never met. He doesn't know these people, he's never met these people. He just has heard good things and he's saying, "I'm trusting God that you're good." I'm not going to be skeptical and cynical and say, "Well, you're probably not as good as I've heard you are." He's trusting in them. Yet he wrote an entire book, a very long dense book of instruction of guidance to this church. Paul, if they are a mature church that you are trusting God that they are solid and faithful, why are you even writing them all these instructions? Well, this is what he says in verse 15. He says, "On some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder because of the grace given me by God." And the idea is that first and foremost, Paul did speak very boldly here. He had said some harsh things about the wrath of God, about sin, and he is proclaiming boldly that they need to be unified and all this stuff. Why? First, it's the grace of God that has been given to him. It was God's grace, the position, the call upon his life that God had put. And so he is just being faithful to the call that God has put upon him. But this idea is that God told him he needed to instruct and encourage the church in this way. So, he was faithful in doing it and he was like, "I understand. He's not perfect, I'm not perfect, we're not perfect. But I'm giving you this bold statement, because God told me I need to, I'm supposed to. That's the call on my life." But he also says, "By way of reminder," he knows that they know this. He knows that they know the gospel. Specifically what he is reminding them of is the gospel. And I want to be clear when I'm up here, when any pastor or any preacher is up here, our job is not to give a good new idea, to give something for you to think about intellectually. Our job is to speak boldly on what God has given us grace to say by way of reminder, of drawing us all back to the gospel. The reminder is the gospel. And it's not just Paul that talks about this. Peter talks about this as well in 2 Peter. Give me a second to find it in 2 Peter 1:12 and 13 it says this, "Therefore, I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it is right, as long as I am in this body, to stir up by way of reminder." Peter, Paul, they both recognize churches know the gospel. You know the gospel. But if we are to have hope, and if we are to live in faithful obedience to the Lord, to do what God has called us to do, we always need to be reminded of the hope we first had. Again, once we remove ourselves from the power of the Holy Spirit, we'll lose hope. Once we rely on ourselves, we'll lose hope. So, we constantly need to be reminded of the reason we began to have hope in the first place. That is what should stir us up most to obedience to the Lord. And I want to be clear as well that Christians, we are not Gnostics. What do I mean by that? What does Gnostics mean? We are not people who seek to grow and gain higher levels of Christianity by our continual growth in knowledge and information. It's not the idea that we get more information, so we get more knowledge, so we become a better Christian. And then we get more knowledge and higher knowledge and higher knowledge until we become the ultimate holy Christian. That's not what Christianity is. Instead, we are Christians seeking to have more and more hope in our lives by the continual reminder of Christ and him crucified and raised from the dead. That is again the cycle of growth, how we grow. It's not grow to be better, greater, more important or holy Christians. The goal is to be more hopeful, faithful Christians, to be faithful to serving the Lord, to live as he has called us to, and to fulfill the specific call he has on our lives. And for me in this season, for me right now, the call that God has is to be up here preaching and proclaiming the gospel. That's not the call for every single person. That's not even the call for me in every season. But every single Christian has a call, has a purpose, has something that God has ordained for them to do and to fulfill. And we can, and scripture even says that we can be proud of it. It's interesting, verses 17 through 19, he says this, "In Christ Jesus then I have reason to be proud of my work for God, for I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the spirit of God so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ." In Christ. So, in Christ, being rooted in Christ, Paul then has reason to be proud. What is his reason to be proud? Everything that Christ. Has done that's not really pride, it's honor and pride in God. He's saying, "I can be proud of everything that I've done, because it's not me. I had nothing to do with it. It's God. It's God who did it all." And here I'm just going to take a moment to be vulnerable with you guys, I have nothing in and of myself that means I should be here, that I should be up here. Last week I preached, but then afterwards at CG, one of the couples, good friends of ours in our CG was like, "Man, it was like it's a different Tyler up there, but it was good." And it's like it's not just a different me, it's that the spirit is powerful and the spirit moves. And all that I am doing before service, while worship is happening, while the band is practicing, I'm sitting over there and I'm praying because I know how wicked of a sinner I am. I know I don't deserve to be up here. And I can say, "God, I am so weak. I have nothing to give that I should be here. Lord, pour out your spirit. Help me. Empower me through your Holy Spirit to be able to say anything that is encouraging to your church, that is helpful to your church." And so while I'm up here, if anything I say is good and encouraging and sanctifying you, that's from the Holy Spirit. If anything you don't like and is bad, that's all me. I'm sorry, I apologize. But Paul says that he's speaking of nothing except for what Christ has done in every area of his life. This is where he says, "By word and by deed," by anything he says and anything he does, even the miraculous stuff, even he says, "By the power of signs and wonders." People looked at Paul and was like, "Wow, he was doing miracles. This is great. He is awesome. He is the super spiritual guy. He must be incredible." And Paul says, "It's by the power of the Spirit of God." If we want to be proud of the work we do, and if we want to be able to fulfill the call we have on our lives, we need to rely solely on the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul said something very bold here too. He says that he has fulfilled the ministry of the gospel. You sure, Paul? You sure you couldn't have done a little bit more? You sure that you did everything? You completely, totally fulfilled the call of the ministry of the gospel from Jerusalem to all the areas you said? Are you sure? Paul says, "Yeah." He's confident. And why is Paul confident? Because when the Spirit led, he followed. This talks about in the rest of 15 and in some of 16, all the people he met and the ways he traveled and wanting to go one place, but the spirit preventing him and so he went another. Paul can say he has faithfully completed all that God had placed on his life, because he listened to the spirit. He trusted the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit said go, he went [inaudible] the call of the gospel on our lives when we remain faithful and reliant and dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit in everything we say, do and wherever we go. Whatever that call is for each of us, you do have a call. God has a purpose for you here. Trust in the Holy Spirit. Ask God for the power of the Spirit to enable you to do what you need to do. And what is Paul's response when he says, "I have fulfilled, I've done everything?" "Thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel." Wait, Paul, thought you fulfilled the ministry of the gospel? He's like, "Yeah, I fulfilled it in the ministry and the call that God had in that season. And once I fulfilled it, I have another call. I have something else that I am supposed to do." And as we grow in our faith, as we go from just being a base level of hope in Christ to growing and growing and growing in our hope and trust and dependence on God, he will continue to use us. We will never reach a point where we're done being useful to God. He can always use us for his glory and for his kingdom. Again, so long as we are dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit and on the power of God. I want to close just by reading the two verses where Paul prays over the church. I want you to know that I do pray this over you, over me, over all of us. That this is something we should be praying for each other, but I want us all to take encouragement from it. So, I'll read those and then I'll close in prayer. In chapter 15:5 it says this, "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Christ Jesus. That together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." And then in verse 13, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you, we praise you, we lift up our voices to you and say, thank you, God. You are glorious. You are good. Strengthen us. Help us to endure. Encourage us, give us encouragement through your word so that we can have hope always in you. Grow our hope. Fill us with your spirit. Give us the power of your spirit. Equip us to live lives faithful to you. To be hopeful regardless of anything that this world throws at us, or that this life has to offer, that you are good, you are faithful, you are in control. You will give us peace. You will give us joy. Help us fulfill the call you have placed on our lives. Give us your power so that we can see your kingdom come here, so that we can see the world change for your glory and for your namesake. In Jesus' name, amen.
Audio Transcript: This media has been made available by Mosaic BostonChurch. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston inour neighborhood churches, or donate to this ministry, please visitmosaicboston.com. What we will do today is I want to clarify a little bit of where we are at in the book of Romans. I'll introduce it, we'll read the text and then we will pray and continue. But we are in chapter 15, the second to last chapter. We're not reading the whole chapter. Verses one through 21 is where we will be. And the first part of this chapter, Paul is sort of summarizing what we talked about last week, what he talked about in the last chapter, but then he is connecting it to his summary of the book as a whole. Paul is starting to wrap up, remind us of everything that Paul has been trying to say in this letter to the church in Rome. So, if you remember, I mentioned last week, but also way back in the beginning of the series, we talked about how Paul's purpose in writing the book of Romans is to encourage the church to faithful obedience to the Lord. So, here, Paul is going to be making that connection, be wrapping it up, summarizing how everything he has written is leading to that. So, as I read, I'm going to read the whole text all the way through. As I'm reading, be thinking, be meditating on what is Paul saying about faithful obedience? And then we will pray over the preaching of God's word. So, in Romans chapter 15 verse one, it says this, "We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written, 'The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.' For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures, we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written. 'Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing to your name.' And again it is said, 'Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.' And again, praise the Lord all you gentiles and let all the peoples extol him.' And again, Isaiah says, 'The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles in him will the Gentiles hope.' May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by the way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus then I have reason to be proud of my work for God, for I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience, by word and deed, by the power and signs and wonders, by the power of the spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum, I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ. And thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation. But as it is written, 'Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.'" Let's pray over the preaching of God's word. Heavenly Father, Lord, we come to you and we thank you that you are a God of endurance, encouragement, and hope. Lord, fill us with your spirit, fill us with the power of your spirit to be able to live lives of faithful obedience to you, lives full of hope in you. Help us, Lord, in our weakness, help us when life is hard and when seasons of difficulty are on us. Give us your strength, your power, so that we can praise you and we can glorify you as one body, your body, the church. We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, we will be spending our time in three points today. First point is be rooted in hope. The second point is abound in hope. And the third point is fulfill your call. So, point number one, be rooted in hope. This is verses one through seven. I'm not going to read it all again, but he starts again with this summary of the strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak. And the failings, I don't like that word because it makes us look down on people, but it's just the weaknesses of the weak. Where people are weak, bear with them. And this is the idea we talked about in last chapter, in chapter 14, that it is the duty, it is the obligation of the strong to not hold onto their strength, to not hold onto their freedom and their rights to do whatever they want, but instead to use that to serve those who are weak. To bring about unity and harmony within the church so that way we can praise God. And that's what Paul clarifies here in verses six and seven. He says that, "Together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God." So, unity within the church is not just for the sake of unity. Unity and laying down your rights for others is not just so we can all get along. That's true and good, but the point of it is so that we as one body in unity can bring praises and honor and glory to God, because he deserves it. That we as his church, unified, strong together, bring praises and glory to him. That is the point he was getting at last week and in this text of why we seek unity, why we seek harmony with one another. But the emphasis of this section of the text is in verse four where he says, "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures, we might have hope." We talk a lot about the idea of hope during the holiday seasons, during Christmas time. Hope is something that we look for then, but we always need hope. Every single day we need hope. Hope is something that is powerful. It has the power to encourage us to continue on, even when life is hard and when things look desperate and when times of despair are there, hope can power us through. And the base state that we as Christians are called to our at the very least to have hope. Now how do we have hope? Paul is encouraging us and he's telling us, instructing us, that the ways we have hope are first and foremost, endurance and the encouragement of the scriptures. And so endurance, what does he mean by endurance? Paul is calling back, he is referencing his own writings in this book, in Romans chapter five, where he tells us the process of how we get to hope. So, in chapter five, verses two through five, it says this, "Through him, Christ Jesus, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." And so Paul outlines the root of endurance to hope. And the connecting factor is character, but it assumes suffering. That is the start, the impetus of the endurance and the hope is actually suffering. And it's something that we can all admit is that life is hard and that if we are Christians, we will suffer. That is a promise actually that scripture gives to us, that Christians will suffer. And then we need to endure and then we have character and we have hope. So, what is character? Character is referring to the results of a test. Okay, what does that mean? So, suffering is that you are presented with a test. Endurance is you taking the test. And character is what was the result? Pass/fail? And the idea that Paul is saying for how endurance and character leads to hope, is that we can look back on times in our lives where God has caused us to endure through suffering to pass that test and endure and remain faithful to him and say, "Yeah, God helped me pass this. He helped me endure through the suffering. He can do it again." Anytime I face suffering, I can have hope that God will help me endure through it. And so when Paul is saying endurance leads to hope, we need to look back. We need to look back on our lives, look back on the faithfulness of God to help us endure and say, "He's going to do it again. He can do it again. God is faithful, he will help me endure." And then secondly it says that we get hope from the encouragement of scripture. And here I asked myself a question and the question was, "How often do I go to scripture for encouragement?" Not just because I'm supposed to read it, not to learn more information, not because it's part of my routine, or I'm supposed to, or it's good, which it's good, it is. We should do it for those reasons as well. But do we actually read scripture to gain encouragement? To gain hope in this life? And what Paul has said is that everything that has been written in former days was written for this reason. And the idea is what is in the Bible? What is this book about? It's a book filled with the faithfulness of God in times when people sometimes endured and sometimes failed in enduring, but regardless of the people, God was still faithful. And so we need to be going through scripture, not just to learn, but instead to say, "God, give me hope." Give me hope that you are faithful no matter what. Give me hope that you have power, you are sovereign, you are in control, you are a loving good God. Give me that hope always, so I can be encouraged. I can have hope. And this is what we are called to as Christians, to be rooted in this. We need to have this as a foundation in our lives, because Christ is our source of hope. And in verse five, I love his transition to this. In verse five he says this, "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus." Paul just told us you want to have hope, seek endurance, be endure, and the encouragement of the scriptures. Read the scripture. And then immediately he prays. This is prayer language when he says, "May the God of..." He is praying over the church and he is saying, "May the God of encouragement and endurance..." The point is, it's not about us. When we endure, it's not us enduring. It's God causing us, helping us to endure. He is the God of endurance, so he can help us endure. When we need encouragement from the scripture, we don't just pick up this book and be like, "I'm not encouraged." We go to God and seek encouragement from him, because he is the God of encouragement as well. And we cannot separate the fact that if we want hope, we need to pray. You can't separate those. Paul knows that this is intrinsically needed. It's not his ability to speak, it's not their ability to endure, be encouraged. It's our need to pray and cry out to God when we don't have endurance, when times are hard, when we are suffering, God help me. And when we are struggling and we're sad, depressed, we have no hope, God encourage me. And he will. He's faithful to do that. But not only that, we need to be doing this for each other. Paul here is not looking at himself saying, "I need encouragement, I need endurance." He's looking at someone who is weak, a church who is weak and hurting. And he's saying to them, "May the God of endurance help you endure. May the God of encouragement fill you with encouragement." We, as the body of Christ, need to be doing that for each other, need to care about each other enough to do that. And once we are rooted in this hope, we have that as a foundation in our lives. It enables us to live, to move on, to carry on regardless of circumstances, you could say to live in faithful obedience to the Lord. But we don't stop there. When we have hope, that is the base, the foundation. But actually Paul encourages us and scripture encourages us to now abound in hope. And this is verses eight through 13 where it says this, "For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, 'Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing to your name.' And again it is said, 'Rejoice, Oh Gentiles, with his people.' And again, 'Praise the Lord all you gentiles and let all the peoples extol him.' And again, Isaiah says, 'The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles in him will the Gentiles hope.' May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." So, just some quick clarification and understanding. Paul starts with his talk about the circumcised and the Gentiles. What is he talking about here? He's talking about that regardless of any life circumstances, regardless of even where we come from, who we are, Christ is our only source of hope in this life. He's saying to the circumcised, to the religious Jews who knew and had heard and been raised in the law, Christ gives them hope. Why? Because he has fulfilled the promises of the scriptures. They can look at the faith that they were raised in and say, "Christ has fulfilled all the promises of God. God is trustworthy, he is reliable. We can depend on him. God that gives us hope." And to the Gentiles, to those who had no religious in the scripture's upbringing, he says, still, God is the hope for you. And he quotes a bunch of verses from the Old Testament. Why? To show that God always was the hope of the Gentiles, even before Christ came. But he's hope for the Gentiles, because it shows the mercy of God on all. Gentiles, you didn't know the laws, you weren't raised in the people of Israel, yet God had mercy on you. That gives us hope. I don't know about everyone who's here, but me personally, I am a Gentile. I am a Gentile. I was not raised as a Jewish or of the nation of Israel or any of that. And I have hope, because God loved his people enough to say, "I'm going to even save this guy," and praise God for that. And we should praise God. And regardless of our nationality, our backgrounds, regardless of anything, Christ alone is our hope. And again, in verse 13, it's prayer language. It's prayer language. "May the God of hope, the God who is hope, fill you with all joy and peace and believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." The word abound, it's an overflow, it's an excess. It's a more than you could ever want or need. May the God of hope help you reach that point through the power of the Holy Spirit with joy and peace and believing. I like that part too, because as we believe we have hope, we believe, we trust in God, he promises to fill us with joy and with peace that we can then continue to grow in hope. And this points directly back to the last chapter, in chapter 14 verse 17 where it says, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." What Paul is making the connection to is the kingdom of God is a kingdom of peace, it's a kingdom of joy, and we need the God of hope to fill us with that. But he will when we are faithful in obedience to him. When we are believing and trusting in him, he will do that. And then God will also help us grow in hope. And this is the cycle of growth for a Christian. We start with hope. We start with the gospel. The gospel and hope are interchangeable, because the gospel is the only reason we have hope. But also there's scripture to say that it's interchangeable. And this is from 1 Peter 1:3. It says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." So, as Christians, we start in a place of hope. We start with the gospel. Why is the gospel hope? Well, the gospel is saying that we are all sinners. That God, Jesus Christ, left his throne above, did not count the freedom and rights that he had, like we talked about last week, as something to be held onto, but gave them up to come to earth, live a perfect life, die on the cross and save us from our sins, and be raised again to prove that he has the power, he has the command and dominion over everything in life and death. And we can have hope in him that through his work we can spend eternity with God when we put our trust in him and say, "Jesus, help me. I need a savior. I need you to save me. I need you to help me." What this also means is that apart from Christ, there is no hope. This goes back to the first few chapters of Romans where we spent a lot of time talking about God's wrath. It was not a lot of fun, but it was true and it's good and it's helpful, because the idea is that when we are in sin, we have no hope. We are in sin. We are deserving of eternity apart from God, eternity in hell, condemned for our sins. But praise be to God that he did not leave us like that, and he sent his son Jesus Christ to save us. So, if you are here today and you are not a Christian, I beg of you, I urge you, take hope. Turn to Christ, submit to him and say, "Lord Jesus, I need hope. I have no source of hope in this life. Lord Jesus, help me." Submit your life to him and he will help you, he will give you hope. So, that's the starting point, that's where we start, and then we endure. We get a little bit of suffering. We talked about this already. We endure, we suffer, we endure. We get more hope, we get encouragement from the scriptures. We get hope. We get a little more hope. And that more hope allows us to endure a little more. And the more we endure, the more that we are able to see hope. And the more that we have hope, the more we can endure. And it's a cycle and it's how we grow as Christians. But it also implies that it means more suffering is coming and that as you grow, life will get harder and harder. And that God knows that and he wants to help us endure and give us hope, but we can't rely on ourselves. The moment we rely on our own strength, we are bound to break. And this is the greatest temptation in these seasons. When you endure, you feel pretty good. You're like, "Wow, I accomplished something." And as we already said, it's not us, it's God. It's the power of the Holy Spirit that lets us do it. But after time and time again of seeing God's faithfulness and helping us endure, we are tempted to say, "Wow, I did a good job of enduring," or, "I was able to do it. So, bring on the suffering. I'm ready to go. I can do it again." Once we do that, it's just a matter of time before we break. We cannot and should not allow ourselves to rely on our own strength. It's the power of God alone. This is why it says in this verse that, "By the power of the Holy Spirit, we may abound in hope." We cannot break that chain. We cannot break our need and dependence upon the Holy Spirit. We need the spirit to strengthen us. And once we abound in hope, once we are overflowing, overwhelmed by hope, because of the power of the Holy Spirit, we actually have the ability to fulfill the call that God has placed on our lives. This is verses 14 through 21. It says this, "I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience, by word and deed, by signs and wonders, by the power of the spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum, I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ." I'll pause there for a second. I want to point out real quick in verse 14 that Paul says he is satisfied about his brothers. Does that mean he's saying that he is satisfied with their maturity? He recognizes that they are mature, they are filled with goodness, they are seeking righteousness, they're filled with knowledge, they're able to instruct each other. They are a mature church. This is actually a very mature statement by Paul, because he is trusting in God for them. And what is natural and what is a natural temptation is to be cynical and to question and say, "Yeah, I've heard about you, but I'm not so sure." And what I mean by cynical is, cynical is an inherent distrust of someone or something else. And I'm bringing this up here specifically because it is in direct contradiction to the idea of hope. Cynicism is directly opposed to hope. Why? Because you're distrusting. Well, who are you distrusting? When we are being cynical, we are showing we are distrusting God's sovereignty in all situations, that he is in control of everything. We as Christians are called to be hopeful, not cynical. And this is hard. The reason I bring this up specifically is because we live in a city that we talk about, it's really hard to be a Christian in Boston sometimes. We also talk about how it's just hard to be a Christian in general sometimes to faithfully obey the Lord. And what we are naturally drawn to is this cynical nature. The world has failed us. The world has disappointed us. We should not trust everything. That makes sense. So, naturally we are changed to that. And the longer you're in this city, the more you see it. And I bring this up because I know it's something that our pastors, our staff, every single one of us in this church, we all struggle with this temptation to become cynical. I was talking with Pastor Shane earlier this week. He gave me permission to share this. But he talked about how he even felt in his life that cynicism had crept in and that he had stopped being as hopeful and as joyful as he once was. And he praised God that he was able to recognize that and see that, and we should all follow his example of recognizing it in our own lives and cutting it out, getting rid of it and seeking to be hopeful. We need to be hopeful again, because it's what enables us to carry on. When we are cynical, we will not carry on. We will not live lives of faithful obedience. And cynicism is easier too. It's a lot easier than being hopeful. And this is a little bit of a tangent, but it's related, so hang with me for a second. The first service, I believe, is the first time ever that I've preached without mentioning my wife, which is crazy to me. And after the service, she came up to me and I didn't do as good of a job in the first service in explaining the cynicism part. And she was like what was speaking to her in this time, she texted me and it was really clear to me and I was like, "Wow, that's even better than what I said." So, I'm just going to read what she sent me. She just gave it as encouragement to me, but it's better than what I was saying, so I'm going to read it. Cynicism is easier than hope. We hate to be disappointed. We hate to be wrong, to look foolish. Cynicism protects us from too high of an expectation, but God has proven his faithfulness. He's proven that our hope is not in vain. We don't need to fear disappointment because we know that in the end, God will always get the glory. God will always get the victory. And we have confident hope in knowing he wants to use our lives in his church in unity to give him that glory. Praise God. That's why I married her. Amen. Yeah, we can clap. Thank you. Thank you. Amen. Praise God. But that's the point. That's how cynicism contradicts hope, is like we stop trusting in God. Cynicism is easier. It's so much easier to do that. But we're not called to the easy thing, we're called to the faithful thing. And faithful obedience is to trust in God regardless. And so Paul here, bringing it back to verse 14, Paul is trusting in God over a church that he's never met. He doesn't know these people, he's never met these people. He just has heard good things and he's saying, "I'm trusting God that you're good." I'm not going to be skeptical and cynical and say, "Well, you're probably not as good as I've heard you are." He's trusting in them. Yet he wrote an entire book, a very long dense book of instruction of guidance to this church. Paul, if they are a mature church that you are trusting God that they are solid and faithful, why are you even writing them all these instructions? Well, this is what he says in verse 15. He says, "On some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder because of the grace given me by God." And the idea is that first and foremost, Paul did speak very boldly here. He had said some harsh things about the wrath of God, about sin, and he is proclaiming boldly that they need to be unified and all this stuff. Why? First, it's the grace of God that has been given to him. It was God's grace, the position, the call upon his life that God had put. And so he is just being faithful to the call that God has put upon him. But this idea is that God told him he needed to instruct and encourage the church in this way. So, he was faithful in doing it and he was like, "I understand. He's not perfect, I'm not perfect, we're not perfect. But I'm giving you this bold statement, because God told me I need to, I'm supposed to. That's the call on my life." But he also says, "By way of reminder," he knows that they know this. He knows that they know the gospel. Specifically what he is reminding them of is the gospel. And I want to be clear when I'm up here, when any pastor or any preacher is up here, our job is not to give a good new idea, to give something for you to think about intellectually. Our job is to speak boldly on what God has given us grace to say by way of reminder, of drawing us all back to the gospel. The reminder is the gospel. And it's not just Paul that talks about this. Peter talks about this as well in 2 Peter. Give me a second to find it in 2 Peter 1:12 and 13 it says this, "Therefore, I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it is right, as long as I am in this body, to stir up by way of reminder." Peter, Paul, they both recognize churches know the gospel. You know the gospel. But if we are to have hope, and if we are to live in faithful obedience to the Lord, to do what God has called us to do, we always need to be reminded of the hope we first had. Again, once we remove ourselves from the power of the Holy Spirit, we'll lose hope. Once we rely on ourselves, we'll lose hope. So, we constantly need to be reminded of the reason we began to have hope in the first place. That is what should stir us up most to obedience to the Lord. And I want to be clear as well that Christians, we are not Gnostics. What do I mean by that? What does Gnostics mean? We are not people who seek to grow and gain higher levels of Christianity by our continual growth in knowledge and information. It's not the idea that we get more information, so we get more knowledge, so we become a better Christian. And then we get more knowledge and higher knowledge and higher knowledge until we become the ultimate holy Christian. That's not what Christianity is. Instead, we are Christians seeking to have more and more hope in our lives by the continual reminder of Christ and him crucified and raised from the dead. That is again the cycle of growth, how we grow. It's not grow to be better, greater, more important or holy Christians. The goal is to be more hopeful, faithful Christians, to be faithful to serving the Lord, to live as he has called us to, and to fulfill the specific call he has on our lives. And for me in this season, for me right now, the call that God has is to be up here preaching and proclaiming the gospel. That's not the call for every single person. That's not even the call for me in every season. But every single Christian has a call, has a purpose, has something that God has ordained for them to do and to fulfill. And we can, and scripture even says that we can be proud of it. It's interesting, verses 17 through 19, he says this, "In Christ Jesus then I have reason to be proud of my work for God, for I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the spirit of God so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ." In Christ. So, in Christ, being rooted in Christ, Paul then has reason to be proud. What is his reason to be proud? Everything that Christ. Has done that's not really pride, it's honor and pride in God. He's saying, "I can be proud of everything that I've done, because it's not me. I had nothing to do with it. It's God. It's God who did it all." And here I'm just going to take a moment to be vulnerable with you guys, I have nothing in and of myself that means I should be here, that I should be up here. Last week I preached, but then afterwards at CG, one of the couples, good friends of ours in our CG was like, "Man, it was like it's a different Tyler up there, but it was good." And it's like it's not just a different me, it's that the spirit is powerful and the spirit moves. And all that I am doing before service, while worship is happening, while the band is practicing, I'm sitting over there and I'm praying because I know how wicked of a sinner I am. I know I don't deserve to be up here. And I can say, "God, I am so weak. I have nothing to give that I should be here. Lord, pour out your spirit. Help me. Empower me through your Holy Spirit to be able to say anything that is encouraging to your church, that is helpful to your church." And so while I'm up here, if anything I say is good and encouraging and sanctifying you, that's from the Holy Spirit. If anything you don't like and is bad, that's all me. I'm sorry, I apologize. But Paul says that he's speaking of nothing except for what Christ has done in every area of his life. This is where he says, "By word and by deed," by anything he says and anything he does, even the miraculous stuff, even he says, "By the power of signs and wonders." People looked at Paul and was like, "Wow, he was doing miracles. This is great. He is awesome. He is the super spiritual guy. He must be incredible." And Paul says, "It's by the power of the Spirit of God." If we want to be proud of the work we do, and if we want to be able to fulfill the call we have on our lives, we need to rely solely on the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul said something very bold here too. He says that he has fulfilled the ministry of the gospel. You sure, Paul? You sure you couldn't have done a little bit more? You sure that you did everything? You completely, totally fulfilled the call of the ministry of the gospel from Jerusalem to all the areas you said? Are you sure? Paul says, "Yeah." He's confident. And why is Paul confident? Because when the Spirit led, he followed. This talks about in the rest of 15 and in some of 16, all the people he met and the ways he traveled and wanting to go one place, but the spirit preventing him and so he went another. Paul can say he has faithfully completed all that God had placed on his life, because he listened to the spirit. He trusted the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit said go, he went [inaudible] the call of the gospel on our lives when we remain faithful and reliant and dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit in everything we say, do and wherever we go. Whatever that call is for each of us, you do have a call. God has a purpose for you here. Trust in the Holy Spirit. Ask God for the power of the Spirit to enable you to do what you need to do. And what is Paul's response when he says, "I have fulfilled, I've done everything?" "Thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel." Wait, Paul, thought you fulfilled the ministry of the gospel? He's like, "Yeah, I fulfilled it in the ministry and the call that God had in that season. And once I fulfilled it, I have another call. I have something else that I am supposed to do." And as we grow in our faith, as we go from just being a base level of hope in Christ to growing and growing and growing in our hope and trust and dependence on God, he will continue to use us. We will never reach a point where we're done being useful to God. He can always use us for his glory and for his kingdom. Again, so long as we are dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit and on the power of God. I want to close just by reading the two verses where Paul prays over the church. I want you to know that I do pray this over you, over me, over all of us. That this is something we should be praying for each other, but I want us all to take encouragement from it. So, I'll read those and then I'll close in prayer. In chapter 15:5 it says this, "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Christ Jesus. That together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." And then in verse 13, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you, we praise you, we lift up our voices to you and say, thank you, God. You are glorious. You are good. Strengthen us. Help us to endure. Encourage us, give us encouragement through your word so that we can have hope always in you. Grow our hope. Fill us with your spirit. Give us the power of your spirit. Equip us to live lives faithful to you. To be hopeful regardless of anything that this world throws at us, or that this life has to offer, that you are good, you are faithful, you are in control. You will give us peace. You will give us joy. Help us fulfill the call you have placed on our lives. Give us your power so that we can see your kingdom come here, so that we can see the world change for your glory and for your namesake. In Jesus' name, amen.
Romans 14–16 Romans 14–16 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,6 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing7 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Personal Greetings 16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant8 of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert9 to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,10 my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,11 and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers12 who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. Final Instructions and Greetings 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,13 and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.14 Doxology 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. Footnotes [1] 14:4 Or lord [2] 14:11 Or shall give praise [3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened [4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27 [5] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [6] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [7] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel [8] 16:1 Or deaconess [9] 16:5 Greek firstfruit [10] 16:7 Or Junias [11] 16:7 Or messengers [12] 16:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 17 [13] 16:18 Greek their own belly [14] 16:23 Some manuscripts insert verse 24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (ESV)
View the bulletin for Sunday December 4, 20228:00 a.m. - Worship with Communion9:15 a.m. -Adult/Teen Bible Study & Children's Sunday School10:30 a.m. - Worship with CommunionAll are welcomeDOWNLOAD Poinsettia Order FormArchive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”Old Testament Reading – Isaiah 11:1–10 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. Epistle Reading – Romans 15:4–13 Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” And again,“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the third chapter. In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'” Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Romans 14–16 Romans 14–16 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,6 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing7 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Personal Greetings 16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant8 of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert9 to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,10 my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,11 and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers12 who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. Final Instructions and Greetings 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,13 and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.14 Doxology 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. Footnotes [1] 14:4 Or lord [2] 14:11 Or shall give praise [3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened [4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27 [5] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [6] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [7] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel [8] 16:1 Or deaconess [9] 16:5 Greek firstfruit [10] 16:7 Or Junias [11] 16:7 Or messengers [12] 16:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 17 [13] 16:18 Greek their own belly [14] 16:23 Some manuscripts insert verse 24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (ESV)
Proper 29 First Psalm: Psalm 140; Psalm 142 Psalm 140 (Listen) Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 140 Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from violent men,2 who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually.3 They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's, and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah 4 Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men, who have planned to trip up my feet.5 The arrogant have hidden a trap for me, and with cords they have spread a net;1 beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah 6 I say to the LORD, You are my God; give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O LORD!7 O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle.8 Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; do not further their2 evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah 9 As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!10 Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into fire, into miry pits, no more to rise!11 Let not the slanderer be established in the land; let evil hunt down the violent man speedily! 12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy.13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall dwell in your presence. Footnotes [1] 140:5 Or they have spread cords as a net [2] 140:8 Hebrew his (ESV) Psalm 142 (Listen) You Are My Refuge A Maskil1 of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer. 142 With my voice I cry out to the LORD; with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD.2 I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him. 3 When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.4 Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul. 5 I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”6 Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low! Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me!7 Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me. Footnotes [1] 142:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 141; Psalm 143 Psalm 141 (Listen) Give Ear to My Voice A Psalm of David. 141 O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you!2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! 3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!4 Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies! 5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.6 When their judges are thrown over the cliff,1 then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth, so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.2 8 But my eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!39 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me and from the snares of evildoers!10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by safely. Footnotes [1] 141:6 Or When their judges fall into the hands of the Rock [2] 141:7 The meaning of the Hebrew in verses 6, 7 is uncertain [3] 141:8 Hebrew refuge; do not pour out my life! (ESV) Psalm 143 (Listen) My Soul Thirsts for You A Psalm of David. 143 Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!2 Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. 3 For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.4 Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. 5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.6 I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah 7 Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit.8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. 9 Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge.110 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! 11 For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant. Footnotes [1] 143:9 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts To you I have covered (ESV) Old Testament: Zechariah 14:1–11 Zechariah 14:1–11 (Listen) The Coming Day of the Lord 14 Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. 5 And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.1 6 On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost.2 7 And there shall be a unique3 day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. 8 On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea4 and half of them to the western sea.5 It shall continue in summer as in winter. 9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. 10 The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses. 11 And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction.6 Jerusalem shall dwell in security. Footnotes [1] 14:5 Other Hebrew manuscripts you [2] 14:6 Compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [3] 14:7 Hebrew one [4] 14:8 That is, the Dead Sea [5] 14:8 That is, the Mediterranean Sea [6] 14:11 The Hebrew term rendered decree of utter destruction refers to things devoted (or set apart) to the Lord (or by the Lord) for destruction (ESV) New Testament: Romans 15:7–13 Romans 15:7–13 (Listen) 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV) Gospel: Luke 19:28–40 Luke 19:28–40 (Listen) The Triumphal Entry 28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.'” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (ESV)
Old Testament: Jeremiah 21–22 Jeremiah 21–22 (Listen) Jerusalem Will Fall to Nebuchadnezzar 21 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, 2 “Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar1 king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.” 3 Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 4 ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. 5 I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. 6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. 7 Afterward, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.' 8 “And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war. 10 For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.' Message to the House of David 11 “And to the house of the king of Judah say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, 12 O house of David! Thus says the LORD: “‘Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of your evil deeds.'” 13 “Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, declares the LORD; you who say, ‘Who shall come down against us, or who shall enter our habitations?'14 I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds, declares the LORD; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is around her.” 22 Thus says the LORD: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak there this word, 2 and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter these gates. 3 Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people. 5 But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation. 6 For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: “‘You are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon, yet surely I will make you a desert, an uninhabited city.27 I will prepare destroyers against you, each with his weapons, and they shall cut down your choicest cedars and cast them into the fire. 8 “‘And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the LORD dealt thus with this great city?” 9 And they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and worshiped other gods and served them.”'” 10 Weep not for him who is dead, nor grieve for him, but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more to see his native land. Message to the Sons of Josiah 11 For thus says the LORD concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went away from this place: “He shall return here no more, 12 but in the place where they have carried him captive, there shall he die, and he shall never see this land again.” 13 “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing and does not give him his wages,14 who says, ‘I will build myself a great house with spacious upper rooms,' who cuts out windows for it, paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion.15 Do you think you are a king because you compete in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? declares the LORD.17 But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.” 18 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Ah, my brother!' or ‘Ah, sister!' They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Ah, lord!' or ‘Ah, his majesty!'19 With the burial of a donkey he shall be buried, dragged and dumped beyond the gates of Jerusalem.” 20 “Go up to Lebanon, and cry out, and lift up your voice in Bashan; cry out from Abarim, for all your lovers are destroyed.21 I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not listen.' This has been your way from your youth, that you have not obeyed my voice.22 The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds, and your lovers shall go into captivity; then you will be ashamed and confounded because of all your evil.23 O inhabitant of Lebanon, nested among the cedars, how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you, pain as of a woman in labor!” 24 “As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off 25 and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die. 27 But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.” 28 Is this man Coniah a despised, broken pot, a vessel no one cares for? Why are he and his children hurled and cast into a land that they do not know?29 O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!30 Thus says the LORD: “Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.” Footnotes [1] 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, an alternate spelling of Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) occurring frequently from Jeremiah 21–52; this latter spelling is used throughout Jeremiah for consistency [2] 22:6 Hebrew cities (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 109 Psalm 109 (Listen) Help Me, O Lord My God To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 109 Be not silent, O God of my praise!2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues.3 They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer.15 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6 Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand.7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin!8 May his days be few; may another take his office!9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow!10 May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!11 May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!12 Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children!13 May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation!14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16 For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.17 He loved to curse; let curses come2 upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far3 from him!18 He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak4 into his body like water, like oil into his bones!19 May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day!20 May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my life! 21 But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me.23 I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust.24 My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat.25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads. 26 Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love!27 Let them know that this is your hand; you, O LORD, have done it!28 Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. Footnotes [1] 109:4 Hebrew but I am prayer [2] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come [3] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far [4] 109:18 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked (ESV) New Testament: Romans 14–15 Romans 14–15 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18&n
Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 83 Psalm 83 (Listen) O God, Do Not Keep Silence A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. 83 O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!2 For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads.3 They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones.4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”5 For they conspire with one accord; against you they make a covenant—6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites,7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;8 Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah 9 Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,10 who were destroyed at En-dor, who became dung for the ground.11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,12 who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves of the pastures of God.” 13 O my God, make them like whirling dust,1 like chaff before the wind.14 As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,15 so may you pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane!16 Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O LORD.17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; let them perish in disgrace,18 that they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth. Footnotes [1] 83:13 Or like a tumbleweed (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 1 Kings 15:25–16:34 1 Kings 15:25–16:34 (Listen) Nadab Reigns in Israel 25 Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. 27 Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon. 28 So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place. 29 And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel. 31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. Baasha Reigns in Israel 33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. 34 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. 16 And the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, 2 “Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins, 3 behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 4 Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat.” 5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasha and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 6 And Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried at Tirzah, and Elah his son reigned in his place. 7 Moreover, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he destroyed it. Elah Reigns in Israel 8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned two years. 9 But his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. When he was at Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah, 10 Zimri came in and struck him down and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place. 11 When he began to reign, as soon as he had seated himself on his throne, he struck down all the house of Baasha. He did not leave him a single male of his relatives or his friends. 12 Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, 13 for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel to sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their idols. 14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? Zimri Reigns in Israel 15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, 16 and the troops who were encamped heard it said, “Zimri has conspired, and he has killed the king.” Therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17 So Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18 And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king's house and burned the king's house over him with fire and died, 19 because of his sins that he committed, doing evil in the sight of the LORD, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and for his sin which he committed, making Israel to sin. 20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the conspiracy that he made, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? Omri Reigns in Israel 21 Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts. Half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. 22 But the people who followed Omri overcame the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king. 23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for twelve years; six years he reigned in Tirzah. 24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents1 of silver, and he fortified the hill and called the name of the city that he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill. 25 Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did more evil than all who were before him. 26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in the sins that he made Israel to sin, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols. 27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri that he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 28 And Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son reigned in his place. Ahab Reigns in Israel 29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. 31 And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34 In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun. Footnotes [1] 16:24 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Ezekiel 46 Ezekiel 46 (Listen) The Prince and the Feasts 46 “Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. 2 The prince shall enter by the vestibule of the gate from outside, and shall take his stand by the post of the gate. The priests shall offer his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening. 3 The people of the land shall bow down at the entrance of that gate before the LORD on the Sabbaths and on the new moons. 4 The burnt offering that the prince offers to the LORD on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish. 5 And the grain offering with the ram shall be an ephah,1 and the grain offering with the lambs shall be as much as he is able, together with a hin2 of oil to each ephah. 6 On the day of the new moon he shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish, and six lambs and a ram, which shall be without blemish. 7 As a grain offering he shall provide an ephah with the bull and an ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he is able, together with a hin of oil to each ephah. 8 When the prince enters, he shall enter by the vestibule of the gate, and he shall go out by the same way. 9 “When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, he who enters by the north gate to worship shall go out by the south gate, and he who enters by the south gate shall go out by the north gate: no one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered, but each shall go out straight ahead. 10 When they enter, the prince shall enter with them, and when they go out, he shall go out. 11 “At the feasts and the appointed festivals, the grain offering with a young bull shall be an ephah, and with a ram an ephah, and with the lambs as much as one is able to give, together with a hin of oil to an ephah. 12 When the prince provides a freewill offering, either a burnt offering or peace offerings as a freewill offering to the LORD, the gate facing east shall be opened for him. And he shall offer his burnt offering or his peace offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out the gate shall be shut. 13 “You shall provide a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering to the LORD daily; morning by morning you shall provide it. 14 And you shall provide a grain offering with it morning by morning, one sixth of an ephah, and one third of a hin of oil to moisten the flour, as a grain offering to the LORD. This is a perpetual statute. 15 Thus the lamb and the meal offering and the oil shall be provided, morning by morning, for a regular burnt offering. 16 “Thus says the Lord GOD: If the prince makes a gift to any of his sons as his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons. It is their property by inheritance. 17 But if he makes a gift out of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty. Then it shall revert to the prince; surely it is his inheritance—it shall belong to his sons. 18 The prince shall not take any of the inheritance of the people, thrusting them out of their property. He shall give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that none of my people shall be scattered from his property.” Boiling Places for Offerings 19 Then he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, to the north row of the holy chambers for the priests, and behold, a place was there at the extreme western end of them. 20 And he said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the grain offering, in order not to bring them out into the outer court and so transmit holiness to the people.” 21 Then he brought me out to the outer court and led me around to the four corners of the court. And behold, in each corner of the court there was another court—22 in the four corners of the court were small3 courts, forty cubits4 long and thirty broad; the four were of the same size. 23 On the inside, around each of the four courts was a row of masonry, with hearths made at the bottom of the rows all around. 24 Then he said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple shall boil the sacrifices of the people.” Footnotes [1] 46:5 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [2] 46:5 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters [3] 46:22 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [4] 46:22 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: Romans 15:1–13 Romans 15:1–13 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV)
Romans 15:8–13 Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles [8] For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, [9] and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” [10] And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” [11] And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” [12] And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” [13] May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV)
With family: 1 Samuel 17; Romans 15 1 Samuel 17 (Listen) David and Goliath 17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4 And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six1 cubits2 and a span. 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels3 of bronze. 6 And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. 8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years.4 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16 For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening. 17 And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah5 of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. 18 Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.” 19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. 21 And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. 22 And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. 23 As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him. 24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.” 26 And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.” 28 Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 29 And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” 30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before. 31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!” 38 Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine. 41 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hand.” 48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath6 and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. 55 As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” 56 And the king said, “Inquire whose son the boy is.” 57 And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” Footnotes [1] 17:4 Hebrew; Septuagint, Dead Sea Scroll and Josephus four [2] 17:4 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [3] 17:5 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [4] 17:12 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew advanced among men [5] 17:17 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 17:52 Septuagint; Hebrew Gai (ESV) Romans 15 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,1 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,2 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing3 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Footnotes [1] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [2] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [3] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel (ESV) In private: Psalm 33; Lamentations 2 Psalm 33 (Listen) The Steadfast Love of the Lord 33 Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. 6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. 10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! 13 The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man;14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,15 he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.16 The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. 18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,19 that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.21 For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you. (ESV) Lamentations 2 (Listen) The Lord Has Destroyed Without Pity 2 How the Lord in his anger has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud! He has cast down from heaven to earth the splendor of Israel; he has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger. 2 The Lord has swallowed up without mercy all the habitations of Jacob; in his wrath he has broken down the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; he has brought down to the ground in dishonor the kingdom and its rulers. 3 He has cut down in fierce anger all the might of Israel; he has withdrawn from them his right hand in the face of the enemy; he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob, consuming all around. 4 He has bent his bow like an enemy, with his right hand set like a foe; and he has killed all who were delightful in our eyes in the tent of the daughter of Zion; he has poured out his fury like fire. 5 The Lord has become like an enemy; he has swallowed up Israel; he has swallowed up all its palaces; he has laid in ruins its strongholds, and he has multiplied in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation. 6 He has laid waste his booth like a garden, laid in ruins his meeting place; the LORD has made Zion forget festival and Sabbath, and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest. 7 The Lord has scorned his altar, disowned his sanctuary; he has delivered into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they raised a clamor in the house of the LORD as on the day of festival. 8 The LORD determined to lay in ruins the wall of the daughter of Zion; he stretched out the measuring line; he did not restrain his hand from destroying; he caused rampart and wall to lament; they languished together. 9 Her gates have sunk into the ground; he has ruined and broken her bars; her king and princes are among the nations; the law is no more, and her prophets find no vision from the LORD. 10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth; the young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. 11 My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city. 12 They cry to their mothers, “Where is bread and wine?” as they faint like a wounded man in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out on their mothers' bosom. 13 What can I say for you, to what compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is vast as the sea; who can heal you? 14 Your prophets have seen for you&l
Morning: Psalms 105–106 Psalms 105–106 (Listen) Tell of All His Wondrous Works 105 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!4 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,6 O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! 7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,9 the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.” 12 When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it,13 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,14 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account,15 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!” 16 When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply1 of bread,17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.18 His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron;19 until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him.20 The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free;21 he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions,22 to bind2 his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom. 23 Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.24 And the LORD made his people very fruitful and made them stronger than their foes.25 He turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants. 26 He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.27 They performed his signs among them and miracles in the land of Ham.28 He sent darkness, and made the land dark; they did not rebel3 against his words.29 He turned their waters into blood and caused their fish to die.30 Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings.31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.32 He gave them hail for rain, and fiery lightning bolts through their land.33 He struck down their vines and fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country.34 He spoke, and the locusts came, young locusts without number,35 which devoured all the vegetation in their land and ate up the fruit of their ground.36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength. 37 Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.38 Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night.40 They asked, and he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river.42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant. 43 So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing.44 And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil,45 that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD! Give Thanks to the Lord, for He Is Good 106 Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise?3 Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times! 4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them,45 that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance. 6 Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power.9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert.10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.11 And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. 13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;15 he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them. 16 When men in the camp were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,17 the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.18 Fire also broke out in their company; the flame burned up the wicked. 19 They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image.20 They exchanged the glory of God5 for the image of an ox that eats grass.21 They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,22 wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.23 Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them. 24 Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.25 They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD.26 Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness,27 and would make their offspring fall among the nations, scattering them among the lands. 28 Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;29 they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed.31 And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever. 32 They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account,33 for they made his spirit bitter,6 and he spoke rashly with his lips. 34 They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them,35 but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.36 They served their idols, which became a snare to them.37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;38 they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.39 Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds. 40 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;41 he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them.42 Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power.43 Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity. 44 Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry.45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.46 He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive. 47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. 48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the LORD! Footnotes [1] 105:16 Hebrew staff [2] 105:22 Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome instruct [3] 105:28 Septuagint, Syriac omit not [4] 106:4 Or Remember me, O Lord, with the favor you show to your people; help me with your salvation [5] 106:20 Hebrew exchanged their glory [6] 106:33 Or they rebelled against God's Spirit (ESV) Evening: Romans 15:1–20 Romans 15:1–20 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,1 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, Footnotes [1] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 (ESV)
Old Testament: 2 Kings 14–15 2 Kings 14–15 (Listen) Amaziah Reigns in Judah 14 In the second year of Joash the son of Joahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done. 4 But the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 And as soon as the royal power was firmly in his hand, he struck down his servants who had struck down the king his father. 6 But he did not put to death the children of the murderers, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded, “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. But each one shall die for his own sin.” 7 He struck down ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and took Sela by storm, and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this day. 8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash1 the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.” 9 And Jehoash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, “A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,' and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 10 You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?” 11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 13 And Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits,2 from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 14 And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria. 15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place. 17 Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 18 Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 19 And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 20 And they brought him on horses; and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22 He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel 23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. 26 For the LORD saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel. 27 But the LORD had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. 28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did, and his might, how he fought, and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son reigned in his place. Azariah Reigns in Judah 15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 4 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 And the LORD touched the king, so that he was a leper3 to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house.4 And Jotham the king's son was over the household, governing the people of the land. 6 Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 7 And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his place. Zechariah Reigns in Israel 8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. 9 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 10 Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down at Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place. 11 Now the rest of the deeds of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 12 (This was the promise of the LORD that he gave to Jehu, “Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it came to pass.) Shallum Reigns in Israel 13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah5 king of Judah, and he reigned one month in Samaria. 14 Then Menahem the son of Gadi came up from Tirzah and came to Samaria, and he struck down Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and put him to death and reigned in his place. 15 Now the rest of the deeds of Shallum, and the conspiracy that he made, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 16 At that time Menahem sacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory from Tirzah on, because they did not open it to him. Therefore he sacked it, and he ripped open all the women in it who were pregnant. Menahem Reigns in Israel 17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samaria. 18 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart all his days from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 19 Pul6 the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents7 of silver, that he might help him to confirm his hold on the royal power. 20 Menahem exacted the money from Israel, that is, from all the wealthy men, fifty shekels8 of silver from every man, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land. 21 Now the rest of the deeds of Menahem and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 22 And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his place. Pekahiah Reigns in Israel 23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him with fifty men of the people of Gilead, and struck him down in Samaria, in the citadel of the king's house with Argob and Arieh; he put him to death and reigned in his place. 26 Now the rest of the deeds of Pekahiah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Pekah Reigns in Israel 27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. 28 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria. 30 Then Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah and struck him down and put him to death and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. 31 Now the rest of the acts of Pekah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Jotham Reigns in Judah 32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 33 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 34 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done. 35 Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD. 36 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 37 In those days the LORD began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. 38 Jotham slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Ahaz his son reigned in his place. Footnotes [1] 14:8 Jehoash is an alternate spelling of Joash (son of Jehoahaz) as in 13:9, 12–14; also verses 9, 11–16 [2] 14:13 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [3] 15:5 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 [4] 15:5 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [5] 15:13 Another name for Azariah [6] 15:19 Another name for Tiglath-pileser III (compare verse 29) [7] 15:19 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms [8] 15:20 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) New Testament: Romans 15:1–13 Romans 15:1–13 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 143 Psalm 143 (Listen) My Soul Thirsts for You A Psalm of David. 143 Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!2 Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. 3 For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.4 Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. 5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.6 I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah 7 Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit.8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. 9 Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge.110 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! 11 For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant. Footnotes [1] 143:9 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts To you I have covered (ESV) Proverb: Proverbs 18:2–3 Proverbs 18:2–3 (Listen) 2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes disgrace. (ESV)
Sunday, 19 June 2022 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, Acts 8:14 The previous verse noted Simon's belief and baptism. This followed after the belief and baptism of “both men and women” of Samaria noted in verse 8:12. However, what has gone unnoted is any hint of the giving of the Spirit to these people. This is then a different occurrence than that which occurred in Acts 2 where Peter said to the people – “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 Nothing has been said of repenting here in Acts 8. Further, the Spirit was promised to come upon baptism by those in Acts 2. That has neither been promised nor has it occurred. These things will be recorded in the verses to come, and an explanation of what occurs will be made. For now, it is simply to be noted that this is the case, demonstrating that Acts is providing a description of what occurs at the establishment of the early church, but no individual account is to be taken as either normative or prescriptive. As for the ongoing account, it next records, “Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard.” In the scattering of the church because of the persecution that was taking place (Acts 8:1 & 8:4), the apostles had remained in Jerusalem as an anchor for the church to remain united under their teaching. Eventually, the word got back to them “that Samaria had received the word of God.” It is an important point that is dismissed by several heretical teachings that have infected the church. How often it is for false teachers to point to the words of Jesus and insist that there is one message to the Jews and another to the Gentiles – “These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 10:5, 6 & “Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.' 23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries out after us.' 24 But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'” Matthew 15:21-24 Such verses are pulled out of their intended context, which is Jesus' ministry to Israel to first hear and accept or reject their Messiah. It is clear and plainly evident from this verse in Acts that either the apostles were disobedient to the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:5, or they are being obedient to the commission that the one and only gospel is to go out from Jerusalem to “Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The latter is correct. Those who teach that there are two gospels, that baptism is not a commandment (even if not required for salvation) for those who come to Christ, or that the church began with Paul are heretics and have failed to take in the whole counsel of God. They divide the church and the message of Christ to the harm of those they teach. With this clearly seen, it next says that “they sent Peter and John to them.” With these words, another point of poor doctrine is argued against. It is one that will be further clarified as Acts and the epistles continue to demonstrate. By noting that the “apostles” sent Peter and John, it clearly indicates that the body has come to a mutual decision, and it argues against the idea that Peter was established by Jesus as the first leader (pope) of the church as Roman Catholicism claims. The reason for the Holy Spirit's influence in this decision will be seen as Acts continues, but these words wholly argue against Peter as being a leading figure within the body of the apostles. Though not as egregious an error as the one stated above, the Roman Catholic Church has purposefully twisted its history in order to justify innumerable other faulty claims and doctrines, such as in this case concerning Peter. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit (as can be assumed though not specifically stated) Peter and John were selected by the body of apostles to go to Samaria. Life application: Jesus' ministry to Israel alone was for a set and determined purpose. The covenant at Sinai was given to them. The prophets spoke to them. The promises were given to them. And the promise of a New Covenant was given to them (see Jeremiah 31:31). It was right and fitting that the earthly ministry of the Messiah was to be to Israel alone. And thus, it was. However, the gospel was always intended to go out to the Gentiles after this time (see Isaiah 42:6, for example). This was not thwarted in Israel's rejection of Jesus. Rather, it was carried out exactly as was known by God all along. Even the Song of Moses from Deuteronomy explained this, in advance, to Israel – “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people.” Deuteronomy 32:43 Paul cites this in Romans 15:10, explaining such things. Pay attention to the details in Acts! Think about what God is doing. He is giving a descriptive account of how the church was established, but in this process, He is taking into consideration everything recorded in the Old Testament, fairly treating Israel according to His word and according to their acceptance or rejection of it. And it is all based on one, unified, gospel message that is given to all people of the world. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:11 concerning the united ministry of all of the apostles, including himself, “Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.” Further, there is one Leader of the church, Jesus, and there are set offices below Him that are given in accord with the instructions in the epistles. There is no single authority within the faith that is set to direct the masses concerning the continuance of the church. Roman Catholicism is to be rejected based on this. Heavenly Father, help us to think rightly concerning Your word as it unfolds before us. May we not get misdirected by those who have failed to rightly divide what is clearly presented when things are taken in context. May our doctrine be pure, and may we be pleasing followers of You as we await Your coming for us. Amen.
Romans 15:1–13 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15:1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV)
Because God accepts us without regard to worth, but on the basis of what his Son has done, we must likewise accept others. Romans 15:5–13 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Old Testament: Judges 8 Judges 8 (Listen) Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna 8 Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they accused him fiercely. 2 And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3 God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger1 against him subsided when he said this. 4 And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the 300 men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing. 5 So he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 And the officials of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” 7 So Gideon said, “Well then, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” 8 And from there he went up to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 And he said to the men of Penuel, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.” 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of the tent dwellers east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for the army felt secure. 12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic. 13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. 14 And he captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. And he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men. 15 And he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?'” 16 And he took the elders of the city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth a lesson. 17 And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. 18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Where are the men whom you killed at Tabor?” They answered, “As you are, so were they. Every one of them resembled the son of a king.” 19 And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.” 20 So he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise and kill them!” But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a young man. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength.” And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels. Gideon's Ephod 22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” 23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you.” 24 And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels2 of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. 27 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. 28 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. The Death of Gideon 29 Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring,3 for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 33 As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. 34 And the people of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, 35 and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel. Footnotes [1] 8:3 Hebrew their spirit [2] 8:26 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [3] 8:30 Hebrew who came from his own loins (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 109 Psalm 109 (Listen) Help Me, O Lord My God To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 109 Be not silent, O God of my praise!2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues.3 They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer.15 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6 Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand.7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin!8 May his days be few; may another take his office!9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow!10 May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!11 May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!12 Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children!13 May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation!14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16 For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.17 He loved to curse; let curses come2 upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far3 from him!18 He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak4 into his body like water, like oil into his bones!19 May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day!20 May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my life! 21 But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me.23 I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust.24 My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat.25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads. 26 Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love!27 Let them know that this is your hand; you, O LORD, have done it!28 Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. Footnotes [1] 109:4 Hebrew but I am prayer [2] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come [3] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far [4] 109:18 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked (ESV) New Testament: Romans 14–15 Romans 14–15 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,6 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing7 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Footnotes [1] 14:4 Or lord [2] 14:11 Or shall give praise [3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened [4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27 [5] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [6] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [7] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel (ESV)
Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 79 Psalm 79 (Listen) How Long, O Lord? A Psalm of Asaph. 79 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.2 They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.3 They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us. 5 How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name!7 For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. 8 Do not remember against us our former iniquities;1 let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low.9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake!10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes! 11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!12 Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!13 But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. Footnotes [1] 79:8 Or the iniquities of former generations (ESV) Pentateuch and History: Exodus 24 Exodus 24 (Listen) The Covenant Confirmed 24 Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 2 Moses alone shall come near to the LORD, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.” 3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules.1 And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” 9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. 12 The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.” 15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. Footnotes [1] 24:3 Or all the just decrees (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Nehemiah 5 Nehemiah 5 (Listen) Nehemiah Stops Oppression of the Poor 5 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. 2 For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” 3 There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” 4 And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5 Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.” 6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them 8 and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. 9 So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? 10 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. 11 Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” 12 Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised. 13 I also shook out the fold1 of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. Nehemiah's Generosity 14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. 15 The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration2 forty shekels3 of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. 16 I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. 17 Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. 18 Now what was prepared at my expense4 for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. 19 Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people. Footnotes [1] 5:13 Hebrew bosom [2] 5:15 Compare Vulgate; Hebrew took from them for food and wine after [3] 5:15 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [4] 5:18 Or prepared for me (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: Romans 15:1–13 Romans 15:1–13 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV)
Pastor Brandon Bellomo 3/6/22
With family: Genesis 45; Mark 15 Genesis 45 (Listen) Joseph Provides for His Brothers and Family 45 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. 4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.' 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him. 16 When the report was heard in Pharaoh's house, “Joseph's brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.' 19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Have no concern for1 your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'” 21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels2 of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.” 25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” Footnotes [1] 45:20 Hebrew Let your eye not pity [2] 45:22 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) Mark 15 (Listen) Jesus Delivered to Pilate 15 And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified 6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged1 Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Jesus Is Mocked 16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters),2 and they called together the whole battalion.3 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. The Crucifixion 21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour4 when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.5 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. The Death of Jesus 33 And when the sixth hour6 had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.7 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he8 breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son9 of God!” 40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. Jesus Is Buried 42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died.10 And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46 And Joseph11 bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. Footnotes [1] 15:15 A Roman judicial penalty, consisting of a severe beating with a multi-lashed whip containing embedded pieces of bone and metal [2] 15:16 Greek the praetorium [3] 15:16 Greek cohort; a tenth of a Roman legion, usually about 600 men [4] 15:25 That is, 9 a.m. [5] 15:27 Some manuscripts insert verse 28: And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “He was numbered with the transgressors” [6] 15:33 That is, noon [7] 15:33 That is, 3 p.m. [8] 15:39 Some manuscripts insert cried out and [9] 15:39 Or a son [10] 15:44 Or Pilate wondered whether he had already died [11] 15:46 Greek he (ESV) In private: Job 11; Romans 15 Job 11 (Listen) Zophar Speaks: You Deserve Worse 11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: 2 “Should a multitude of words go unanswered, and a man full of talk be judged right?3 Should your babble silence men, and when you mock, shall no one shame you?4 For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in God's1 eyes.'5 But oh, that God would speak and open his lips to you,6 and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding.2 Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves. 7 “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?8 It is higher than heaven3—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?9 Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.10 If he passes through and imprisons and summons the court, who can turn him back?11 For he knows worthless men; when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?12 But a stupid man will get understanding when a wild donkey's colt is born a man! 13 “If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward him.14 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents.15 Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear.16 You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away.17 And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning.18 And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security.19 You will lie down, and none will make you afraid; many will court your favor.20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail; all way of escape will be lost to them, and their hope is to breathe their last.” Footnotes [1] 11:4 Hebrew your [2] 11:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [3] 11:8 Hebrew The heights of heaven (ESV) Romans 15 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,1 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,2 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing3 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Footnotes [1] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [2] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [3] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel (ESV)
Bulletin for Wednesday January 26, 2022Service Time: 2:00 p.m. - Bible Study: 2:30 p.m.Service Time: 7:00 p.m. - Bible Study: 7:30 p.m.All are welcome.UPDATED COVID-19 PROTOCOLS - Starting July 1, 2021Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.Zechariah 2:1—3:10 And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! Then I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst.'” Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north, declares the LORD. For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the LORD. Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. For thus said the LORD of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: “Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD. And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And the LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.” Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling. Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD was standing by. And the angel of the LORD solemnly assured Joshua, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” Romans 15:1-13 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. The Lord's Prayer - The First Petition What is the First Petition? Hallowed be They name. What does this mean? God's name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also. How is God's name kept holy? God's name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father!
Today is December 13, 2021. Our text for today is Romans 15:4-13: 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name”; 10 and again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”; 11 and again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him”; 12 and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Here is the question for us today, how have you seen the HS moving this advent season and are you like Paul says "overflowing with hope".
Romans 14–16 Romans 14–16 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,6 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing7 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Personal Greetings 16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant8 of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert9 to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,10 my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,11 and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers12 who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. Final Instructions and Greetings 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,13 and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.14 Doxology 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. Footnotes [1] 14:4 Or lord [2] 14:11 Or shall give praise [3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened [4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27 [5] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [6] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [7] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel [8] 16:1 Or deaconess [9] 16:5 Greek firstfruit [10] 16:7 Or Junias [11] 16:7 Or messengers [12] 16:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 17 [13] 16:18 Greek their own belly [14] 16:23 Some manuscripts insert verse 24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (ESV)
Romans 15:4–13 (ESV) 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 14–16 Romans 14–16 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,6 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing7 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Personal Greetings 16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant8 of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert9 to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,10 my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,11 and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers12 who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. Final Instructions and Greetings 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,13 and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.14 Doxology 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. Footnotes [1] 14:4 Or lord [2] 14:11 Or shall give praise [3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened [4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27 [5] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [6] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [7] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel [8] 16:1 Or deaconess [9] 16:5 Greek firstfruit [10] 16:7 Or Junias [11] 16:7 Or messengers [12] 16:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 17 [13] 16:18 Greek their own belly [14] 16:23 Some manuscripts insert verse 24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (ESV)
Readings for Sunday, November 21, 2021 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” -- Psalm 23:1 Morning Psalm 108 1 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make melody. Awake, my soul! 2 Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn. 3 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to you among the nations. 4 For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. 6 Give victory with your right hand, and answer me, so that those whom you love may be rescued. 7 God has promised in his sanctuary: “With exultation I will divide up Shechem, and portion out the Vale of Succoth. 8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet; Judah is my scepter. 9 Moab is my washbasin; on Edom I hurl my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.” 10 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? 11 Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies. 12 O grant us help against the foe, for human help is worthless. 13 With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes. Psalm 150 1 Praise the Lord ! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness! 3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! 4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! 5 Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord ! Praise the Lord ! Midday Isaiah 19:19-25 19 On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the center of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. 20 It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; when they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior, and will defend and deliver them. 21 The Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians; and the Egyptians will know the Lord on that day, and will worship with sacrifice and burnt offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. 22 The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing; they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their supplications and heal them. 23 On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. 24 On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25 whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my heritage.” Romans 15:5-13 5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name”; 10 and again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”; 11 and again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him”; 12 and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Luke 19:11-27 11 As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 So he said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. 13 He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.' 14 But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.' 15 When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaves, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading. 16 The first came forward and said, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds.' 17 He said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.' 18 Then the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made five pounds.' 19 He said to him, ‘And you, rule over five cities.' 20 Then the other came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' 22 He said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.' 24 He said to the bystanders, ‘Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.' 25 (And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds!') 26 ‘I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.'” Evening Psalm 66 1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; 2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise. 3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you. 4 All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.” 5 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals. 6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him, 7 who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let the rebellious not exalt themselves. 8 Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard, 9 who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip. 10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. 11 You brought us into the net; you laid burdens on our backs; 12 you let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a spacious place. 13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will pay you my vows, 14 those that my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. 15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. 16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me. 17 I cried aloud to him, and he was extolled with my tongue. 18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. 19 But truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me. Psalm 23 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. You can also find all of today's readings at PCUSA.org. The Daily Lectionary podcast is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Plattsburgh, NY, read by Pastor Timothy J. Luoma.
Proper 29 First Psalm: Psalm 118 Psalm 118 (Listen) His Steadfast Love Endures Forever 118 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”4 Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 5 Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free.6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?7 The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. 8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. 10 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!12 They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!13 I was pushed hard,1 so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. 14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.15 Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,16 the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!” 17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.18 The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.223 This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD.27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.29 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Footnotes [1] 118:13 Hebrew You (that is, the enemy) pushed me hard [2] 118:22 Hebrew the head of the corner (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 145 Psalm 145 (Listen) Great Is the Lord 1 A Song of Praise. Of David. 145 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.9 The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. 10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you!11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power,12 to make known to the children of man your2 mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]314 The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.16 You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.20 The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 21 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. Footnotes [1] 145:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet [2] 145:12 Hebrew his; also next line [3] 145:13 These two lines are supplied by one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac (compare Dead Sea Scroll) (ESV) Old Testament: Isaiah 19:19–25 Isaiah 19:19–25 (Listen) 19 In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border. 20 It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. 21 And the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them. 22 And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them. 23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. 24 In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25 whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” (ESV) New Testament: Romans 15:5–13 Romans 15:5–13 (Listen) 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV) Gospel: Luke 19:11–27 Luke 19:11–27 (Listen) The Parable of the Ten Minas 11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants,1 he gave them ten minas,2 and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.' 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.' 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.' 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant!3 Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.' 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.' 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.' 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?' 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!' 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.'” Footnotes [1] 19:13 Or bondservants; also verse 15 [2] 19:13 A mina was about three months' wages for a laborer [3] 19:17 Or bondservant; also verse 22 (ESV)
Romans 15:8-13: 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. https://pastorsteverhodes.com/2021/10/30/christ-the-hope-of-jews-and-gentiles-romans-158-13/
Old Testament: Jeremiah 21–22 Jeremiah 21–22 (Listen) Jerusalem Will Fall to Nebuchadnezzar 21 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, 2 “Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar1 king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.” 3 Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 4 ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. 5 I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. 6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. 7 Afterward, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.' 8 “And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war. 10 For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.' Message to the House of David 11 “And to the house of the king of Judah say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, 12 O house of David! Thus says the LORD: “‘Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of your evil deeds.'” 13 “Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, declares the LORD; you who say, ‘Who shall come down against us, or who shall enter our habitations?'14 I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds, declares the LORD; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is around her.” 22 Thus says the LORD: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak there this word, 2 and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter these gates. 3 Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people. 5 But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation. 6 For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: “‘You are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon, yet surely I will make you a desert, an uninhabited city.27 I will prepare destroyers against you, each with his weapons, and they shall cut down your choicest cedars and cast them into the fire. 8 “‘And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the LORD dealt thus with this great city?” 9 And they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and worshiped other gods and served them.”'” 10 Weep not for him who is dead, nor grieve for him, but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more to see his native land. Message to the Sons of Josiah 11 For thus says the LORD concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went away from this place: “He shall return here no more, 12 but in the place where they have carried him captive, there shall he die, and he shall never see this land again.” 13 “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing and does not give him his wages,14 who says, ‘I will build myself a great house with spacious upper rooms,' who cuts out windows for it, paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion.15 Do you think you are a king because you compete in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? declares the LORD.17 But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.” 18 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Ah, my brother!' or ‘Ah, sister!' They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Ah, lord!' or ‘Ah, his majesty!'19 With the burial of a donkey he shall be buried, dragged and dumped beyond the gates of Jerusalem.” 20 “Go up to Lebanon, and cry out, and lift up your voice in Bashan; cry out from Abarim, for all your lovers are destroyed.21 I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not listen.' This has been your way from your youth, that you have not obeyed my voice.22 The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds, and your lovers shall go into captivity; then you will be ashamed and confounded because of all your evil.23 O inhabitant of Lebanon, nested among the cedars, how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you, pain as of a woman in labor!” 24 “As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off 25 and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die. 27 But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.” 28 Is this man Coniah a despised, broken pot, a vessel no one cares for? Why are he and his children hurled and cast into a land that they do not know?29 O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!30 Thus says the LORD: “Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.” Footnotes [1] 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, an alternate spelling of Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) occurring frequently from Jeremiah 21–52; this latter spelling is used throughout Jeremiah for consistency [2] 22:6 Hebrew cities (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 109 Psalm 109 (Listen) Help Me, O Lord My God To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 109 Be not silent, O God of my praise!2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues.3 They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer.15 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6 Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand.7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin!8 May his days be few; may another take his office!9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow!10 May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!11 May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!12 Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children!13 May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation!14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16 For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.17 He loved to curse; let curses come2 upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far3 from him!18 He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak4 into his body like water, like oil into his bones!19 May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day!20 May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my life! 21 But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me.23 I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust.24 My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat.25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads. 26 Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love!27 Let them know that this is your hand; you, O LORD, have done it!28 Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. Footnotes [1] 109:4 Hebrew but I am prayer [2] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come [3] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far [4] 109:18 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked (ESV) New Testament: Romans 14–15 Romans 14–15 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18&n
Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 83 Psalm 83 (Listen) O God, Do Not Keep Silence A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. 83 O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!2 For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads.3 They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones.4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”5 For they conspire with one accord; against you they make a covenant—6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites,7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;8 Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah 9 Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,10 who were destroyed at En-dor, who became dung for the ground.11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,12 who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves of the pastures of God.” 13 O my God, make them like whirling dust,1 like chaff before the wind.14 As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,15 so may you pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane!16 Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O LORD.17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; let them perish in disgrace,18 that they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth. Footnotes [1] 83:13 Or like a tumbleweed (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 1 Kings 15:25–16:34 1 Kings 15:25–16:34 (Listen) Nadab Reigns in Israel 25 Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. 27 Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon. 28 So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place. 29 And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel. 31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. Baasha Reigns in Israel 33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. 34 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. 16 And the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, 2 “Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins, 3 behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 4 Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat.” 5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasha and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 6 And Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried at Tirzah, and Elah his son reigned in his place. 7 Moreover, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he destroyed it. Elah Reigns in Israel 8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned two years. 9 But his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. When he was at Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah, 10 Zimri came in and struck him down and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place. 11 When he began to reign, as soon as he had seated himself on his throne, he struck down all the house of Baasha. He did not leave him a single male of his relatives or his friends. 12 Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, 13 for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel to sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their idols. 14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? Zimri Reigns in Israel 15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, 16 and the troops who were encamped heard it said, “Zimri has conspired, and he has killed the king.” Therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17 So Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18 And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king's house and burned the king's house over him with fire and died, 19 because of his sins that he committed, doing evil in the sight of the LORD, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and for his sin which he committed, making Israel to sin. 20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the conspiracy that he made, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? Omri Reigns in Israel 21 Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts. Half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. 22 But the people who followed Omri overcame the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king. 23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for twelve years; six years he reigned in Tirzah. 24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents1 of silver, and he fortified the hill and called the name of the city that he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill. 25 Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did more evil than all who were before him. 26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in the sins that he made Israel to sin, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols. 27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri that he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 28 And Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son reigned in his place. Ahab Reigns in Israel 29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. 31 And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34 In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun. Footnotes [1] 16:24 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Ezekiel 46 Ezekiel 46 (Listen) The Prince and the Feasts 46 “Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. 2 The prince shall enter by the vestibule of the gate from outside, and shall take his stand by the post of the gate. The priests shall offer his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening. 3 The people of the land shall bow down at the entrance of that gate before the LORD on the Sabbaths and on the new moons. 4 The burnt offering that the prince offers to the LORD on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish. 5 And the grain offering with the ram shall be an ephah,1 and the grain offering with the lambs shall be as much as he is able, together with a hin2 of oil to each ephah. 6 On the day of the new moon he shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish, and six lambs and a ram, which shall be without blemish. 7 As a grain offering he shall provide an ephah with the bull and an ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he is able, together with a hin of oil to each ephah. 8 When the prince enters, he shall enter by the vestibule of the gate, and he shall go out by the same way. 9 “When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, he who enters by the north gate to worship shall go out by the south gate, and he who enters by the south gate shall go out by the north gate: no one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered, but each shall go out straight ahead. 10 When they enter, the prince shall enter with them, and when they go out, he shall go out. 11 “At the feasts and the appointed festivals, the grain offering with a young bull shall be an ephah, and with a ram an ephah, and with the lambs as much as one is able to give, together with a hin of oil to an ephah. 12 When the prince provides a freewill offering, either a burnt offering or peace offerings as a freewill offering to the LORD, the gate facing east shall be opened for him. And he shall offer his burnt offering or his peace offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out the gate shall be shut. 13 “You shall provide a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering to the LORD daily; morning by morning you shall provide it. 14 And you shall provide a grain offering with it morning by morning, one sixth of an ephah, and one third of a hin of oil to moisten the flour, as a grain offering to the LORD. This is a perpetual statute. 15 Thus the lamb and the meal offering and the oil shall be provided, morning by morning, for a regular burnt offering. 16 “Thus says the Lord GOD: If the prince makes a gift to any of his sons as his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons. It is their property by inheritance. 17 But if he makes a gift out of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty. Then it shall revert to the prince; surely it is his inheritance—it shall belong to his sons. 18 The prince shall not take any of the inheritance of the people, thrusting them out of their property. He shall give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that none of my people shall be scattered from his property.” Boiling Places for Offerings 19 Then he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, to the north row of the holy chambers for the priests, and behold, a place was there at the extreme western end of them. 20 And he said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the grain offering, in order not to bring them out into the outer court and so transmit holiness to the people.” 21 Then he brought me out to the outer court and led me around to the four corners of the court. And behold, in each corner of the court there was another court—22 in the four corners of the court were small3 courts, forty cubits4 long and thirty broad; the four were of the same size. 23 On the inside, around each of the four courts was a row of masonry, with hearths made at the bottom of the rows all around. 24 Then he said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple shall boil the sacrifices of the people.” Footnotes [1] 46:5 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [2] 46:5 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters [3] 46:22 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [4] 46:22 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: Romans 15:1–13 Romans 15:1–13 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV)
15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
With family: 1 Samuel 17; Romans 15 1 Samuel 17 (Listen) David and Goliath 17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4 And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six1 cubits2 and a span. 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels3 of bronze. 6 And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. 8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years.4 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16 For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening. 17 And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah5 of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. 18 Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.” 19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. 21 And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. 22 And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. 23 As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him. 24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.” 26 And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.” 28 Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 29 And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” 30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before. 31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!” 38 Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine. 41 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hand.” 48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath6 and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. 55 As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” 56 And the king said, “Inquire whose son the boy is.” 57 And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” Footnotes [1] 17:4 Hebrew; Septuagint, Dead Sea Scroll and Josephus four [2] 17:4 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [3] 17:5 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [4] 17:12 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew advanced among men [5] 17:17 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 17:52 Septuagint; Hebrew Gai (ESV) Romans 15 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,1 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,2 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing3 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Footnotes [1] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [2] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [3] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel (ESV) In private: Psalm 33; Lamentations 2 Psalm 33 (Listen) The Steadfast Love of the Lord 33 Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. 6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. 10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! 13 The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man;14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,15 he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.16 The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. 18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,19 that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.21 For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you. (ESV) Lamentations 2 (Listen) The Lord Has Destroyed Without Pity 2 How the Lord in his anger has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud! He has cast down from heaven to earth the splendor of Israel; he has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger. 2 The Lord has swallowed up without mercy all the habitations of Jacob; in his wrath he has broken down the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; he has brought down to the ground in dishonor the kingdom and its rulers. 3 He has cut down in fierce anger all the might of Israel; he has withdrawn from them his right hand in the face of the enemy; he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob, consuming all around. 4 He has bent his bow like an enemy, with his right hand set like a foe; and he has killed all who were delightful in our eyes in the tent of the daughter of Zion; he has poured out his fury like fire. 5 The Lord has become like an enemy; he has swallowed up Israel; he has swallowed up all its palaces; he has laid in ruins its strongholds, and he has multiplied in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation. 6 He has laid waste his booth like a garden, laid in ruins his meeting place; the LORD has made Zion forget festival and Sabbath, and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest. 7 The Lord has scorned his altar, disowned his sanctuary; he has delivered into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they raised a clamor in the house of the LORD as on the day of festival. 8 The LORD determined to lay in ruins the wall of the daughter of Zion; he stretched out the measuring line; he did not restrain his hand from destroying; he caused rampart and wall to lament; they languished together. 9 Her gates have sunk into the ground; he has ruined and broken her bars; her king and princes are among the nations; the law is no more, and her prophets find no vision from the LORD. 10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth; the young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. 11 My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city. 12 They cry to their mothers, “Where is bread and wine?” as they faint like a wounded man in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out on their mothers' bosom. 13 What can I say for you, to what compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is vast as the sea; who can heal you? 14 Your prophets have seen for you
Morning: Psalms 105–106 Psalms 105–106 (Listen) Tell of All His Wondrous Works 105 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!4 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,6 O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! 7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,9 the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.” 12 When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it,13 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,14 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account,15 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!” 16 When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply1 of bread,17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.18 His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron;19 until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him.20 The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free;21 he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions,22 to bind2 his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom. 23 Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.24 And the LORD made his people very fruitful and made them stronger than their foes.25 He turned their hearts to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants. 26 He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.27 They performed his signs among them and miracles in the land of Ham.28 He sent darkness, and made the land dark; they did not rebel3 against his words.29 He turned their waters into blood and caused their fish to die.30 Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings.31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.32 He gave them hail for rain, and fiery lightning bolts through their land.33 He struck down their vines and fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country.34 He spoke, and the locusts came, young locusts without number,35 which devoured all the vegetation in their land and ate up the fruit of their ground.36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength. 37 Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.38 Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night.40 They asked, and he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river.42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant. 43 So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing.44 And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil,45 that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD! Give Thanks to the Lord, for He Is Good 106 Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise?3 Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times! 4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them,45 that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance. 6 Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power.9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert.10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.11 And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. 13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;15 he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them. 16 When men in the camp were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,17 the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.18 Fire also broke out in their company; the flame burned up the wicked. 19 They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image.20 They exchanged the glory of God5 for the image of an ox that eats grass.21 They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,22 wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.23 Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them. 24 Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.25 They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD.26 Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness,27 and would make their offspring fall among the nations, scattering them among the lands. 28 Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;29 they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed.31 And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever. 32 They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account,33 for they made his spirit bitter,6 and he spoke rashly with his lips. 34 They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them,35 but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.36 They served their idols, which became a snare to them.37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;38 they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.39 Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds. 40 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;41 he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them.42 Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power.43 Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity. 44 Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry.45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.46 He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive. 47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. 48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the LORD! Footnotes [1] 105:16 Hebrew staff [2] 105:22 Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome instruct [3] 105:28 Septuagint, Syriac omit not [4] 106:4 Or Remember me, O Lord, with the favor you show to your people; help me with your salvation [5] 106:20 Hebrew exchanged their glory [6] 106:33 Or they rebelled against God's Spirit (ESV) Evening: Romans 15:1–20 Romans 15:1–20 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,1 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, Footnotes [1] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 (ESV)
Proper 14 First Psalm: Psalms 66–67 Psalms 66–67 (Listen) How Awesome Are Your Deeds To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm. 66 Shout for joy to God, all the earth;2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” Selah 5 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him,7 who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah 8 Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard,9 who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.11 You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs;12 you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. 13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you,14 that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah 16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.17 I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on1 my tongue.218 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.19 But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me! Make Your Face Shine upon Us To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. 67 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.7 God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him! Footnotes [1] 66:17 Hebrew under [2] 66:17 Or and he was exalted with my tongue (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 19; Psalm 46 Psalm 19 (Listen) The Law of the Lord Is Perfect To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 19 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above1 proclaims his handiwork.2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.4 Their voice2 goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. 7 The law of the LORD is perfect,3 reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules4 of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Footnotes [1] 19:1 Hebrew the expanse; compare Genesis 1:6–8 [2] 19:4 Or Their measuring line [3] 19:7 Or blameless [4] 19:9 Or just decrees (ESV) Psalm 46 (Listen) God Is Our Fortress To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.1 A Song. 46 God is our refuge and strength, a very present2 help in trouble.2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Footnotes [1] 46:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 46:1 Or well proved (ESV) Old Testament: 2 Samuel 13:1–22 2 Samuel 13:1–22 (Listen) Amnon and Tamar 13 Now Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar. And after a time Amnon, David's son, loved her. 2 And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother. And Jonadab was a very crafty man. 4 And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.” 5 Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.'” 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.” 7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, where he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. 9 And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Send out everyone from me.” So everyone went out from him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. 11 But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” 12 She answered him, “No, my brother, do not violate1 me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing. 13 As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the outrageous fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” 14 But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her. 15 Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up! Go!” 16 But she said to him, “No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.”2 But he would not listen to her. 17 He called the young man who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her.” 18 Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves,3 for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed. So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. 19 And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she wore. And she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went. 20 And her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart.” So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom's house. 21 When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.4 22 But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar. Footnotes [1] 13:12 Or humiliate; also verses 14, 22, 32 [2] 13:16 Compare Septuagint, Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [3] 13:18 Or a robe of many colors (compare Genesis 37:3); compare long robe, verse 19 [4] 13:21 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint add But he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, since he was his firstborn (ESV) New Testament: Romans 15:1–13 Romans 15:1–13 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV) Gospel: John 3:22–36 John 3:22–36 (Listen) John the Baptist Exalts Christ 22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison). 25 Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”1 31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. Footnotes [1] 3:30 Some interpreters hold that the quotation continues through verse 36 (ESV)
Today's readings are from:Romans 15.7-16Brethren, welcome one another, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will praise thee among the Gentiles, and sing to thy name"; and again it is said, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people"; and again, "Praise the Lord, all Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him"; and further Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse shall come, he who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles hope." May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. I myself am satisfied about you, my brethren, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.Matthew 12.38-45At that time, the scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, but he finds none. Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and brings with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. So shall it be also with this evil generation.New Testament passages are usually from the Holy Cross translation, Brookline, MA. Old Testament readings are frequently from the Revised Standard Version.Please feel free to share this podcast from The Ambigua with anyone who might enjoy or benefit from it - especially people who spend a lot of time traveling, or who can't make it to liturgy, or who have trouble reading.Comments & suggestions for improvement welcome @TheAmbigua or via email.
Old Testament: 2 Kings 14–15 2 Kings 14–15 (Listen) Amaziah Reigns in Judah 14 In the second year of Joash the son of Joahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done. 4 But the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 And as soon as the royal power was firmly in his hand, he struck down his servants who had struck down the king his father. 6 But he did not put to death the children of the murderers, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded, “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. But each one shall die for his own sin.” 7 He struck down ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and took Sela by storm, and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this day. 8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash1 the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.” 9 And Jehoash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, “A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,' and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 10 You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?” 11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 13 And Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits,2 from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 14 And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria. 15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place. 17 Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 18 Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 19 And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 20 And they brought him on horses; and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22 He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel 23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. 26 For the LORD saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel. 27 But the LORD had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. 28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did, and his might, how he fought, and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son reigned in his place. Azariah Reigns in Judah 15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 4 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 And the LORD touched the king, so that he was a leper3 to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house.4 And Jotham the king's son was over the household, governing the people of the land. 6 Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 7 And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his place. Zechariah Reigns in Israel 8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. 9 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 10 Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down at Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place. 11 Now the rest of the deeds of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 12 (This was the promise of the LORD that he gave to Jehu, “Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it came to pass.) Shallum Reigns in Israel 13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah5 king of Judah, and he reigned one month in Samaria. 14 Then Menahem the son of Gadi came up from Tirzah and came to Samaria, and he struck down Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and put him to death and reigned in his place. 15 Now the rest of the deeds of Shallum, and the conspiracy that he made, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 16 At that time Menahem sacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory from Tirzah on, because they did not open it to him. Therefore he sacked it, and he ripped open all the women in it who were pregnant. Menahem Reigns in Israel 17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samaria. 18 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart all his days from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 19 Pul6 the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents7 of silver, that he might help him to confirm his hold on the royal power. 20 Menahem exacted the money from Israel, that is, from all the wealthy men, fifty shekels8 of silver from every man, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land. 21 Now the rest of the deeds of Menahem and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 22 And Menahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahiah his son reigned in his place. Pekahiah Reigns in Israel 23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him with fifty men of the people of Gilead, and struck him down in Samaria, in the citadel of the king's house with Argob and Arieh; he put him to death and reigned in his place. 26 Now the rest of the deeds of Pekahiah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Pekah Reigns in Israel 27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. 28 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria. 30 Then Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah and struck him down and put him to death and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. 31 Now the rest of the acts of Pekah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Jotham Reigns in Judah 32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 33 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 34 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done. 35 Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD. 36 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 37 In those days the LORD began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. 38 Jotham slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Ahaz his son reigned in his place. Footnotes [1] 14:8 Jehoash is an alternate spelling of Joash (son of Jehoahaz) as in 13:9, 12–14; also verses 9, 11–16 [2] 14:13 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [3] 15:5 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 [4] 15:5 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [5] 15:13 Another name for Azariah [6] 15:19 Another name for Tiglath-pileser III (compare verse 29) [7] 15:19 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms [8] 15:20 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) New Testament: Romans 15:1–13 Romans 15:1–13 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 143 Psalm 143 (Listen) My Soul Thirsts for You A Psalm of David. 143 Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!2 Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. 3 For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.4 Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. 5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.6 I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah 7 Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit.8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. 9 Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge.110 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! 11 For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant. Footnotes [1] 143:9 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts To you I have covered (ESV) Proverb: Proverbs 18:2–3 Proverbs 18:2–3 (Listen) 2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes disgrace. (ESV)
Readings for Saturday, May 8, 2021 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” -- Romans 15:13 Morning Psalm 92 1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; 2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, 3 to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. 4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. 5 How great are your works, O Lord ! Your thoughts are very deep! 6 The dullard cannot know, the stupid cannot understand this: 7 though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever, 8 but you, O Lord, are on high forever. 9 For your enemies, O Lord, for your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered. 10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil. 11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. 12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 They are planted in the house of the Lord ; they flourish in the courts of our God. 14 In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap, 15 showing that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Psalm 149 1 Praise the Lord ! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful. 2 Let Israel be glad in its Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King. 3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre. 4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory. 5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, 7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with fetters and their nobles with chains of iron, 9 to execute on them the judgment decreed. This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the Lord ! Midday Deuteronomy 32:34-43 34 Is not this laid up in store with me, sealed up in my treasuries? 35 Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; because the day of their calamity is at hand, their doom comes swiftly. 36 Indeed the Lord will vindicate his people, have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone, neither bond nor free remaining. 37 Then he will say: Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, 38 who ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their libations? Let them rise up and help you, let them be your protection! 39 See now that I, even I, am he; there is no god beside me. I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and no one can deliver from my hand. 40 For I lift up my hand to heaven, and swear: As I live forever, 41 when I whet my flashing sword, and my hand takes hold on judgment; I will take vengeance on my adversaries, and will repay those who hate me. 42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh— with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the long-haired enemy. 43 Praise, O heavens, his people, worship him, all you gods! For he will avenge the blood of his children, and take vengeance on his adversaries; he will repay those who hate him, and cleanse the land for his people. Romans 15:1-13 15 We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor. 3 For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name”; 10 and again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”; 11 and again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him”; 12 and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Luke 9:1-17 9 Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there. 5 Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 They departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere. 7 Now Herod the ruler heard about all that had taken place, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen. 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded; but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he tried to see him. 10 On their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done. He took them with him and withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured. 12 The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did so and made them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. Evening Psalm 23 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. Psalm 114 1 When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, 2 Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion. 3 The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back. 4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. 5 Why is it, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? 6 O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs? 7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, 8 who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water. You can also find all of today's readings at PCUSA.org. The Daily Lectionary podcast is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Plattsburgh, NY, read by Pastor Timothy J. Luoma.
5 Easter First Psalm: Psalms 75–76 Psalms 75–76 (Listen) God Will Judge with Equity To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. 75 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We1 recount your wondrous deeds. 2 “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.3 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn;5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.’” 6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. 9 But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up. Who Can Stand Before You? To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. 76 In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel.2 His abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion.3 There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah 4 Glorious are you, more majestic than the mountains full of prey.5 The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; all the men of war were unable to use their hands.6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned. 7 But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused?8 From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still,9 when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth. Selah 10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant2 of wrath you will put on like a belt.11 Make your vows to the LORD your God and perform them; let all around him bring gifts to him who is to be feared,12 who cuts off the spirit of princes, who is to be feared by the kings of the earth. Footnotes [1] 75:1 Hebrew They [2] 76:10 Or extremity (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 23; Psalm 27 Psalm 23 (Listen) The Lord Is My Shepherd A Psalm of David. 23 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.13 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness2 for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,3 I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.6 Surely4 goodness and mercy5 shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell6 in the house of the LORD forever.7 Footnotes [1] 23:2 Hebrew beside waters of rest [2] 23:3 Or in right paths [3] 23:4 Or the valley of deep darkness [4] 23:6 Or Only [5] 23:6 Or steadfast love [6] 23:6 Or shall return to dwell [7] 23:6 Hebrew for length of days (ESV) Psalm 27 (Listen) The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation Of David. 27 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold1 of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet2 I will be confident. 4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire3 in his temple. 5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD. 7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!8 You have said, “Seek4 my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”59 Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in. 11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. 13 I believe that I shall look6 upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! Footnotes [1] 27:1 Or refuge [2] 27:3 Or in this [3] 27:4 Or meditate [4] 27:8 The command (seek) is addressed to more than one person [5] 27:8 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain [6] 27:13 Other Hebrew manuscripts Oh! Had I not believed that I would look (ESV) Old Testament: Wisdom 19:1-8, 18-22 New Testament: Romans 15:1–13 Romans 15:1–13 (Listen) The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (ESV) Gospel: Luke 9:1–17 Luke 9:1–17 (Listen) Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles 9 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.1 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. Herod Is Perplexed by Jesus 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him. Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand 10 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. 12 Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. Footnotes [1] 9:3 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin (ESV)
Old Testament: Judges 8 Judges 8 (Listen) Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna 8 Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they accused him fiercely. 2 And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3 God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger1 against him subsided when he said this. 4 And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the 300 men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing. 5 So he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 And the officials of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” 7 So Gideon said, “Well then, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” 8 And from there he went up to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 And he said to the men of Penuel, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.” 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of the tent dwellers east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for the army felt secure. 12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic. 13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. 14 And he captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. And he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men. 15 And he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?’” 16 And he took the elders of the city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth a lesson. 17 And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. 18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Where are the men whom you killed at Tabor?” They answered, “As you are, so were they. Every one of them resembled the son of a king.” 19 And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.” 20 So he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise and kill them!” But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a young man. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength.” And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels. Gideon’s Ephod 22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” 23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you.” 24 And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels2 of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. 27 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. 28 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. The Death of Gideon 29 Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring,3 for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 33 As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. 34 And the people of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, 35 and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel. Footnotes [1] 8:3 Hebrew their spirit [2] 8:26 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [3] 8:30 Hebrew who came from his own loins (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 109 Psalm 109 (Listen) Help Me, O Lord My God To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 109 Be not silent, O God of my praise!2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues.3 They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer.15 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6 Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand.7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin!8 May his days be few; may another take his office!9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow!10 May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!11 May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!12 Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children!13 May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation!14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16 For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.17 He loved to curse; let curses come2 upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far3 from him!18 He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak4 into his body like water, like oil into his bones!19 May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day!20 May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my life! 21 But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me.23 I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust.24 My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat.25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads. 26 Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love!27 Let them know that this is your hand; you, O LORD, have done it!28 Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. Footnotes [1] 109:4 Hebrew but I am prayer [2] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come [3] 109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far [4] 109:18 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked (ESV) New Testament: Romans 14–15 Romans 14–15 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,6 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing7 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Footnotes [1] 14:4 Or lord [2] 14:11 Or shall give praise [3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened [4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27 [5] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [6] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [7] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel (ESV)
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,“Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name”; and again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”; and again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him”; and again Isaiah says,“The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Originally Presented: February 1st, 2009 Scripture Reading: Romans 15:7-13 The final exhortation to Christians to accept one another, in spite of their behavioral differences in non-essential things, includes a deliberate reference to the whole Old Testament by way of quotations. One last time before he leaves his topic, Paul states in no uncertain terms, ". . . accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God" (Rom 15:7). First, the coming of Christ is the fountain of the salvation of believing Jews. "For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers" (Rom 15:8). Second, the coming of Christ is the fountain of the salvation of believing Gentiles. "And for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, 'Therefore I will give praise to Thee among the Gentiles, and I will sing to Thy name'" (Rom 15:9). Jew and Gentile are made one in Christ so there is infinite reason for them to accept each other in spite of differences of conscience and behavior. To buttress the notion that the mercy of God has been extended to the Gentile world, Paul quotes from the three sections into which the Jews divided the Old Testament … Law, Prophets, Writings. Romans 15:10 is from Deuteronomy 32:43 (Law); Romans 15:11 is from Psalm 117:1 (Writings); Romans 15:12 is from Isaiah 11:6 (Prophets). The whole of the Old Testament sounds the theme that the glory of God is to be echoed in the nations of the earth, Jew and Gentile alike. The promises made to Abraham will be enjoyed by all who trust in Abraham's Messiah. It is a message of great hope (Romans 15:13).
Romans 15:8-13 "8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." From last week: 1. Christ's sacrifice proves that God keeps His promise. 2. Christ's sacrifice restores proper worship. • Romans 15:7-9 – “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy • 2 Cor 1:20 – For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. John Piper (Let the Nations be Glad) – “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.” • Rev 4:1-11 – 4 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” • Rev 5 – Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. • Phil 3:2-10 – 2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless.7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, • Isa 48:9-11 – 9 “For my name's sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. 10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another. 3. Christ's sacrifice is the ultimate reason for our hope, joy and peace • Rom 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. • 1 Thess 5:16 – Rejoice always, • Phil 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. • Isa 40:26-31 – Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Introduction: Missions Exists For Worship Up in the heavenly realms, according to Revelation Chapter 4, there is a throne with someone sitting on it. And the 24 elders and the four living creatures and 100 million angels at least encircle that throne and they celebrate and they worship Almighty God continually day and night, praising and saying, "Holy, holy, holy." And they say, "You are worthy, our God, to receive honor and praise and glory and blessing, for You created all things. And by Your will they were created and have their being." That worship of God the Creator is going on incessantly in the heavenly realms. Wouldn't you love to be there right now? And then in Revelation Chapter 5 there's a different picture. I'm not preaching on Revelation this morning, I'll get to Romans in a minute, but I just love the vision of the heavenly worship, it just has the power to make you glad. It has the power to make you happy and to give you strength to fight sin. And so I think we ought to be meditating much on heaven, don't you? And so in Revelation 5, as Revelation 4 celebrates God the Father or God the creator, so in Revelation 5, we have a celebration of God the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. And this is what the Scripture says, "Then I saw a lamb looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne." Meditate on that. "Encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll, the title deed of the earth some call it, it may be so. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb and each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song. 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain, and with your blood, you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.'" Oh, what an awesome picture of heavenly worship of Christ the Redeemer, whose blood is shed for people from every tribe and language and people and nation. They are His. Many of them haven't heard about it yet but they will because the missionaries are going to reach them some day, but they are His already, they are blood-bought and they belong to Christ. And so there's this extended scene of heavenly worship for Christ, the Redeemer that's going on right now. John Piper: Let the Nations Be Glad! As a result of that vision of worship, I believe, John Piper introduced his great book on missions called; Let The Nations Be Glad! In this way, this is what he said at the very beginning, "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity but worship abides forever. Worship, therefore, is the fuel and the goal in missions. It's the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white hot enjoyment of God's glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God. 'The Lord reigns. Let the earth rejoice. Let the distant coast lands be glad!' (Psalm 97:1). 'Let the peoples praise thee, O God, that all the peoples praise Thee, let the nations be glad, and sing for joy!' (Psalm 67). But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God and worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can't commend what you don't cherish. Missionaries will never call out, 'Let the nations be glad' who cannot say from the heart 'I rejoice in the Lord…I will be glad and exalt in thee. I will sing praise at thy name, O Most High' (Psalm 104:34; 9:2). Missions begins and ends in worship." Oh how powerful is that? Christ came, took on a human body. Suffered on the cross, bled and died, and was raised from the dead to make the nations glad, to make them eternally glad. Not just glad for this afternoon because they get to eat their favorite lunch. Not glad just for the next six months, because they've had a good harvest. Not glad for the next couple of years because their first born son was born to them this morning. Not glad for the next number of decades because they finally get to marry the girl of their dreams. All of those things are temporary. No, Christ came and suffered and died on the cross and was raised from the dead on the third day to make them eternally glad in Himself. Eternally glad in God. Glad forever and ever and ever and ever. Now, that's a powerful amount of gladness. And you may wonder what could be the fuel, the eternal fuel of that much rejoicing? It can only be an infinite topic, it can only be an infinite subject, and that is the glory of God. It is God, the Creator, who by His will, He created all things, and they have their being, and also Christ, the Redeemer. These are infinite topics and they will keep us busy in gladness, forever and ever. The Lord reigns, let the nations be glad. Let the distant shores rejoice. Christ came to make the nations glad in Him, in His reign, in His sovereign supremacy and in His delightful personality. Wouldn't you love to know Him better? Wouldn't you yearn to know Him better? I do. I yearn to know Christ better just as Paul did in Philippians 3. Just to know Him, what a delightful personality, we'll have eternity to search that personality forever and ever. And this was His stated goal, to make people from every tribe and language and people and nation eternally glad in Himself. It was His stated goal before the foundation of the world. But I say to you at present, the nations are not glad in Him. They are not glad in God's eternal power and divine nature, they are not glad in God's immutable throne, not according to His eternal purpose. There are some in the nations that are glad, but they all belong to Him, each one of them. And so what is the solution to that problem? Well, it is missions. It's missions. It's people like you and me going across the miles and reaching out with the gospel to those who are not yet glad in God's sovereignty, not yet glad in Christ's redemption. It's missions, that's the solution of the problem. As Paul already stated in Romans chapter 10: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent, as it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.'" So what's the problem? Well, in God's infinite wisdom, the preachers, the missionaries, they must be sent. They must be sent out. The sending ones are the church. The church, therefore, must be a healthy, strong, united sending pad, launching pad for missions. And I believe that Paul is writing in this section to the Roman church, so that they will be united around that purpose. That they will be a united launching pad for missions to the Gentiles. That's his purpose, that's why he wants them to be united. Now, let's do a little review. Romans 14, we've seen that the church in Rome was a divided... Not a divided church, a mixed church. I don't want to say divided, but they could have been divided because they were struggling over what we call debatable issues. And so Paul in Romans 14:1, urges them not to divide over debatable issues, but rather welcome each other and not dispute over these debatable issues. Well, what would they be? Well, we've seen in our studies in Romans 14, it would be how the law of Moses would take part in the ongoing Christian life, and perhaps issues connected to paganism. Like what about eating meat sacrifice of idols and all of these debatable issues? His like, "Let's not divide, let's not have Jews and Gentiles dividing over these things. We cannot have it." And so, therefore, he desires the church to be united, to be genuinely united and not crushed by division. And so he wants this mixed church of Jews and Gentiles to love each other, and welcome each other. I. Review: From Church Relations to Worldwide Worship Now, last time, we saw that the present struggle in Palestine between Jews and Gentiles, Hezbollah and Israel and all of that, are really just the modern chapters of an ancient struggle. And frankly the whole Jew-Gentile struggle is itself a subset of the conflicts that all human beings just tend to have. The reason is we're not at peace with God, therefore, we're not at peace within ourselves and therefore we're not at peace with other people in the world, whoever they may be. And so any division in conflict is really all united in that way. The church of Rome, we saw last time had the seeds of its own destruction already planted in its sin nature. It's not easy for sinners to come together and be in close contact with each other without division and controversy and strife starting to crop up. And so, he desired the unity of the church. Now, I said last time in John 17:23, Jesus prays' High Priestly Prayer, and He prays in this way, he says, "May they, the church, be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as You have loved Me." In other words, as we become more and more Gospel united, as we become more and more one as the Father and the Son are one, in this world now, as the world is watching that unification process, then the Gospel is heightened in it's estimation in the hearts of the unbelievers and they see the power of the Gospel to transform lives, and they're attracted to it. They believe that Christ was sent by God, the Father, it is therefore essential to the advance of the Gospel that these local churches be united, that they be genuinely one. So what's the flow of thought here in Romans 15:7-13? I think what's happening is this. First, all things should be done to the glory of God, all things. Salvation plan itself was worked out before the foundation of the world to be maximally for the glory of God, that's how God desires to glorify Himself with this redemption plan. That redemption plan, before the foundation of the world, included both Jews and Gentiles. Not Jews alone, but Jews and Gentiles. Christ was sent to fulfill that plan, and He, Himself, is the pattern for Jew-Gentile unity. He accepted sinners like us and therefore we should accept one another. Jew-Gentile unity and worshipping God was prophesied to the patriarchs and the promises made to the patriarchs and to the prophets, as we'll see this morning. The ultimate and then would be that elect representatives from every tribe and language and people and nation would be around the throne worshipping God, God the Creator and Christ the Redeemer, forever and ever, blood-bought, cleansed from their sins, they will be around that throne forever and ever, and therefore we should get along. We should get along with each other in the local church. We should love each other. We should get over our petty divisions and disagreements and troubles, whatever they may be. Because someday, we're going to spend eternity together around that same throne. And the more we can imitate that now the better it will be for the advance of the Gospel. That's the whole flow of the argument and that's what's going on here. II. Review: Remedies to Church Division Seen Last Week Now, last time I gave you six remedies to this Jew-Gentile division, which I said by a connection extends to really any division in your life; Your marriage, your parenting, and church, etcetera, but focus on the issue of Jew-Gentile division in that local church. 1) Understand God’s Ultimate Purpose: His Own Glory First, I said we need to understand God's ultimate purpose, and that is His own glory. If you focus on God's glory, it's going to be hard for you to bicker about whatever is top on your list. You diminish and shrink, in your own estimation, and God becomes greater and greater. And so, you're able to get beyond your divisions and controversy. 2) Understand God’s Second Purpose: Our Eternal, United Delight in His Glory Secondly, we should understand God's second purpose, and God's second purpose is to make us eternally happy in His own glory. He really wants to love us and give us gifts, and so He wants to give us Himself as the highest gift and secondly, He wants to give us each other as a lower gift, lower than Himself, but still glorious and wonderful. And I don't mean ourselves as we kind of are now, all messy in our sin and our selfishness, but I mean, He wants to give us each other glorious in Christ forever and ever. And so, that's what He's doing, He's giving gifts to us. 3) Obey God’s Command: Accept Each Other Wholeheartedly Thirdly, we needed simply obey His command. He's told us in 14:1 and then in 15:7, we should accept one another. We should just accept one another, we should welcome each other and treat each other that way. 4) Follow Christ’s Pattern of Acceptance Fourth, we should follow Christ's pattern of acceptance. I said last time that Christ gives us both the why and the how of accepting one another. Why should we accept one another? Because Christ has accepted us. How should we accept one another? In the manner that Christ accepted us, and we saw it in all the different ways that Christ welcomed people and so we should welcome each other that way. 5) Understand Christ’s Servanthood “to the Jews First” Fifth, we should understand Christ's servanthood to the Jews, understand it, and see how Christ came as the servant to the circumcision of the servant to the Jews, and how He served them by taking their griefs and their iniquities and even their sins to the cross, not as a potentate, but as a humble servant. 6) Understand Christ’s Commitment to God’s Truth And then, sixthly, last time we said we need to understand Christ's commitment to the truth. III. God’s Purposes for the Jews and Gentiles: Eternally United Worship Now, this morning, we're gonna look at four new remedies, four remedies to Jew-Gentile division remaining. And each one with the goal of Gentile worship. 1) Believe God’s Promises to the Patriarchs 2) Glorify God for His Mercy to both Jew and Gentile 3) Believe God’s Prophecies to the Prophets 4) Rejoice in Hope, United by the Holy Spirit First, to believe God's promises to the patriarchs. Second, to glorify God for His mercy to both Jews and Gentiles. Third, to understand the prophecies of Jew-Gentile unity. And fourth, to hope in our glorious future together. Let me tell you something, through all that, my goal is just make you happy in your eternal future with the body of Christ. I want you to walk out happy in Christ. You know something it's really commanded. It says we're supposed to rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say rejoice. There is so much to rejoice about. So I want your problems and whatever struggles you may have brought into this sanctuary this morning to shrink into insignificance compared to the glory that's going to be revealed in us. That's my desire ultimately. Believe God’s Promises to the Patriarchs So let's look at the first one, and that's to believe God's promises to the patriarchs. Now, who are the patriarchs? What do we mean by that? Well, look at verse 8-9, "For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy." The patriarchs are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. David in another place is called the patriarch and that's fine. But these are the great leaders of Israel from antiquity past. And some promises were made to the patriarchs. Well, what promise in particular? Well, the first and greatest promise concerning Jew-Gentile unity came in the original call of Abraham when he was still living in Ur of the Chaldeans, way back in Genesis chapter 12, what I called, when I preached on that passage, the ancient origin of modern missions. And there it is in Genesis 12, "The Lord said to Abram, Leave your country and your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you unto a great nation and I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse. [And listen] All peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Now the word peoples, somebody once asked a preacher, "Is that a word? Peoples? I mean, isn't people plural already? So, why do you put the S on at the end, peoples? Well, peoples, as we'll talk about in a couple weeks, but they are identifiable people groups, like nations defined by language and culture and by geography. Peoples, nations. All peoples on earth will be blessed somehow through Abram of Ur of the Chaldeans. Now how can that be? Well, we know because we're further along in redemptive history. We know it's because Jesus Christ is the son of David, the son of Abraham. Jesus Christ is the son of Abraham, He's descended from Abraham. He's the fulfillment of that promise. We also see the promise made to the patriarchs in Abraham. In Genesis 22:17 and 18, after God had commanded him to sacrifice his son, his only son, Isaac, whom he loved. And Abraham was willing to do it and just as he's about to plunge the knife into Isaac's heart and kill him, the angel of the Lord stopped him. He said, "Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son, whom you love." And then he said this, "I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed because you have obeyed me." So how are we all blessed in Abraham? Well, we all know it's through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was a Jew, he was born of the Jews, he came and ministered to the Jews. He was a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And so Christ came to confirm these promises made to the patriarchs, specifically that Abraham would be a blessing to all nations. And so Paul wrote in Galatians 3:8, "The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.'" And Paul says in Romans 4, that all of us, Jew or Gentile, all of us who have believed in Jesus Christ, who have repented of our sins and have trusted in the saving work of Christ, we are children of Abraham. We are adopted into Abraham's family. We are engrafted into the olive tree, and we're receiving nourishing sap from that root system. We are children of Abraham. And so Christ came to confirm those promises, so therefore, how can Jews and Gentiles not get along? This thing was predicted way back in 2000 BC, that Jews and Gentiles together would be blessed by Abraham's offspring, by Christ. Glorify God for His Mercy to both Jew and Gentile Secondly, we need to glorify God for His mercy, both to Jew and Gentile. Look at verse 9, "so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy." That's Paul refers to the purpose of God in making these promises to the patriarchs. God's desire has always been worldwide, but it's still self-focused. What do I mean by God's purpose being self-focused? We already covered that. God wants to give you Himself, He wants to get your eyes off of all of your earthly concerns and troubles and difficulties and gets you to focus on Him. And so, therefore, Gentiles and such, I think we all are, although there may be some Jews among us, but most of us are Gentiles, we Gentiles need to glorify God for His mercy. We need to focus on God for His mercy and give Him thanks. Since all of us are sinners, we should come to the realization that it's only by mercy that any of us stands before such a Holy God. It's only by mercy that we're actually going to get to be there, surrounding the throne with the hundred million angels in that high and holy place that God lives. Only by mercy will sinners like you and me ever get to be there. It's only by mercy that we will live forever and ever. And so therefore, we need to glorify God for His mercy. Well, that is a uniting feature, isn't it? God has been merciful to this one and also to this one, how can they not love one another? How can they not welcome one another? Now, mercy, the mercy of God was a big theme of Romans 9-11, as he's dealing with the whole Jew-Gentile issue and eternal predestination, all those things. And it culminated in this marvelous statement about God's mysterious plan. In Romans 11:30-32, he says this, "Just as you [Gentiles] who are at one time disobedient to God, have now received mercy as a result of their [the Jews] disobedience, so they [the Jews] too have now become disobedient in order that they [the Jews] may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you [Gentiles]." You see how He unites Jews and Gentiles on the topic of mercy? "For God has bound all men over to disobedience, so that He may have mercy on them all." Let me tell you something, when we get to heaven, we will not want to talk about us. You won't want to talk about you. I think at one level, you'll be thoroughly sick of the topic. It may preoccupy you now more than it should, but it will not preoccupy you in heaven. And if you think about yourself at all, it will be just to glorify God for His mercy. Amen? To glorify God for His mercy, that's what you'll think about yourself. O, how merciful has God been to me. And I think the more you think about it now, the happier you'll be in Christ. Who are we then to not welcome somebody else? How can we not glorify God for His mercy to us? And secondly, how can we not glorify God for His mercy to others? And thirdly, therefore, how can we not be merciful to each other? It just totally affects the way you treat each other. It totally affects the way you treat people who are giving you a hard time. Someday, we're going to be standing before the throne and all of that will be gone. How can we hold it against each other now? What a waste of time. What a waste of time to hold something against somebody. Let it go. And I'm not saying we don't follow the church discipline issues and try to show somebody. Out of love for them we do it, but not because I need it done for myself or I'm going to be angry and I'm not going to go to that church anymore, and all that stuff. No, we let it go. We glorify God for His mercy. Believe God’s Prophecies to the Prophets Thirdly, we need to believe God's prophecies through the prophets. Look at verse 9-12, it's just a majestic golden chain of prophecies of how God, speaking through the patriarchs, speaking through the prophets said, "I intended this from the beginning, before the foundation of the world, that Jews and Gentiles together would glorify God for His mercy." He's proving it from Scripture. As it is written, "'Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles. I will sing hymns to your name.' And again, it says, 'Rejoice O Gentiles with His people.' And again, 'Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles. Sing praises to Him, all you peoples.' And again, Isaiah says, 'The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations and the Gentiles will hope in him.'" A golden chain of four prophecies, a string of quotations from the Old Testament, one from each of the major sections of the Old Testament, one from the history books, 2 Samuel, one from the law books, in Deuteronomy. One from the wisdom literature, in Psalms, and one also from the prophets, in Isaiah. And so he binds all four parts of the Old Testament in a united voice to prove one thing: God has always intended this united Jew plus Gentile worship around a single throne forever and ever in heaven. That's always been His purpose. This isn't a new thing. It's to quiet therefore Jewish Christians from thinking that God never really intended to save Gentiles. It's from quieting Gentiles who think that they're second class citizens and don't really deserve to be there, somehow. Some Christians, even go so far as to say that the Gentiles were God's plan B. Perhaps you've heard this among some dispensationalists. And they'll say that God was really working through Israel, but they rejected Christ. Oh, what a surprise, we have to go to plan B. They haven't read Romans 9-11, I guess. Nothing surprises God. As a matter of fact, He ordained it so that God could bind the whole human race together in disobedience and have mercy on them all. That's what it says, we just read it. But they're saying, "No, no, God's on His plan B now, it's been going on for 2000 years, this extended plan B." A backup plan. And that we are kind of inserted after the 69 weeks of Daniel before the 70th week, we're just kind of the big parenthesis, what a long parenthesis inserted in there, plan B. Well, look, I'm not going to get into all of those eschatological details this morning, but I will say this: God intended before the creation of the world to save both Jews and Gentiles through Christ, and these prophecies should end that question forever. And by the way, it's not just four in the Old Testament, there are dozens and dozens of these kinds of predictions and prophecies, that God has always intended to save Jews and Gentiles in Christ. Now, the Jews themselves had a difficult time grasping that God had a saving intention toward Gentiles. That, my friends, is a gross understatement. The Jews had a difficult time accepting that God had a saving intention toward the Gentiles. You remember in Acts 22 when Paul was giving his testimony to his Jewish countrymen in Jerusalem? And they're listening to the road to Damascus conversion. There are listening to all the things that God had done in Paul's life quietly, until he got to a certain point. And this is what Paul said, "Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, 'Rid the earth of him. He's not fit to live.'" Do you have a sense of a national allergy to a single word? The word is Gentiles. What a dirty nasty word to those nationalistic Jews back then. But Paul saturates the quotes in the word Gentiles. Do you see it? Over and over. I will praise you among the Gentiles. I'll sing hymns to your name. Rejoice, O Gentiles with His people and praise the Lord, all you Gentiles. And sing praises to Him, all you peoples and the Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations and the Gentiles will hope in Him. Is that an accident? No, he chose those. The Gentiles, God had a saving intention toward the Gentiles. Now, the first of the four prophecies is the one that David gives in 2 Samuel 22, it's also Psalm 18, and he's celebrating his own deliverance from Gentile enemy. So it's a little bit strange to be included in the string, but it's fascinating, really. David says, "You have delivered me from the attacks of the people. You have made me the head of nations. People I don't even know are subject to me." So he's talking about how he's become a ruler there in Palestine. But if you look more closely, it's really seen from a messianic perspective, like David is representing Christ. And so basically people that had been warring against him are now bowing down before him and serving him. Is that you? Were you at one point warring against Christ, fighting against Him, and now you're gladly bowing before Him? Yes, it is. Psalm 18 is your story and Christ is your King. And at some point, you Gentiles, you came and you bowed before Christ and He became your Savior. You took His yoke upon you and you learn from Him because He's gentle and humble in heart. You bowed your knee before Christ the King. And so it says, "I will sing praises among the Gentiles." And then the second quotation, the original context is Deuteronomy 32, and the context is one of celebrating God's deliverance from enemies. But whereas, the first quote is David celebrating in the midst of the Gentiles, now the Gentiles themselves are urged to take part in the celebration. Look at verse 10, "Rejoice O Gentiles, with His people." Would you like to join us? The Jews are saying, "Why don't you come along? Why don't you rejoice with us?" What a glorious pre-figurement of our heavenly praise, Jew and Gentile together worshipping Christ in perfect unity. Again, note the theme of rejoicing. Well, friends, I have a great job to do this morning, I get to preach on happy rejoicing verses. Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people, a sense of delight. Now the third quote carries this theme even deeper, a direct command to the Gentiles to praise the Lord in Psalm 117, that's the shortest Psalm in the Bible. Just two verses, and this is what it says: "Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples." Why? "For His mercy has been abundant toward us and the truth of the Lord endures forever." Why should the nations praise the Lord? Because His mercy has been abundant to us forever. And the final prophecy is a prediction that the Gentiles will actually in fact glorify God for His mercy. See, the first is David celebrating among the Gentiles. The second two are urging the Gentiles or even commanding them to take part, but the fourth says what? They will. Not just they might or they're commanded to, they actually will hope in the Root of Jesse. Look at the prophecy. Again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations and the Gentiles will hope in Him." Now, the Root of Jesse is Christ, of course, and Gentiles hope in Him, when they hear the gospel, they realize that His blood was shed for their sins and they realize that this world is not all there is, and financial and physical and relational suffering and struggling is not all there is, there is a glorious world waiting for us and it's getting closer and closer every week, and that is my hope and yours. The Gentiles will hope in Him, that is in Christ. So first, David rejoices in the Lord in front of the Gentiles, then Moses urges the Gentiles to celebrate with his people, then the psalmist commands all the Gentiles to worship Him, all nations, and then finally, Isaiah predicts that it's going to happen, that every nation will find its hope in Christ. Rejoice in Hope, United by the Holy Spirit The final factor of unity and Jew and Gentiles in this benediction in verse 13. Rejoice in hope, united by the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 13 on how rich it is. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Look at all these delightful, wonderful words here: God, filling, hope, joy, peace, trust, overflow, hope, power, Holy Spirit. These are delightful things that Paul is in effect praying for the church there at Rome. So, basically, may the God of hope fill you, church of Rome, with all joy and peace as you, church of Rome, trust in Him, so that you, the church of Rome, may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. That's what he wants them to do. It's a benediction pointing them. And in effect he's saying, "You know what, your hope is someday you're going to be at that throne, you're going to worship, Jew and Gentile, together forever." You know what I would like? I would like a little manna from heaven, dropping down to feed on while I'm on my exodus through the wilderness of sin until I finally get to the promised land. I want some heavenly worship to drop into my life everyday, I want to eat it, I want to feed on it, and be happy in heaven now, while I still have time to advance the gospel and get along with my brothers and sisters here in this world and do things that will glorify God, like a warrior for Christ. I want to eat that manna now. And so I say to you that you could be happier in Christ than you are, and so could I. We need to feed on this manna, friends. You need to meditate much on Revelation 4 and 5, and whatever visions of heaven from Scripture you want to meditate on, and realize that God has a glorious saving plan intended for the ends of the earth, and for your life too. The future is unspeakably glorious, and it only comes in verse 13, as you trust in Him. According to your faith, it will be done to you. As you're trusting in Christ, you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. So trust in what I'm saying. These things are sure and certain realities, they just haven't come yet. Christians are the only ones who can deal with that category. Sure and certain realities that haven't come yet. That's the essence of Christian hope. And someday, it's going to be ours. IV. Review and Application: Unity and Joyful Worship of God’s Glory Now, by way of review, last two weeks we've seen 10 remedies to the problem of Jew-Gentile disunity in that 1st century church in Rome and by connection, we can look up to our church here, your own situation. First, we saw understanding God's ultimate purpose, His own glory. Secondly, understanding God's secondary purpose, our delight in His glory. Thirdly, simply obeying God's command to accept each other. Fourth, following Christ's pattern of acceptance as He has accepted us so we accept one another. Fifth, understanding the nature of Christ's servanthood to the Jews, so that we Gentiles wouldn't be arrogant toward the Jews, but realize He went to the Jews only in His earthly ministry. So let's understand His servanthood to the Jews. And sixth, understand His commitment to God's truth, He came to make God truthful, to vindicate His truthfulness for those promises that were made to the patriarchs. Seventh, believe God's promises to the patriarchs concerning Jew-Gentile unity. And eighth, glorify God for His mercy to both Jews and Gentiles. And ninth, understand the prophecies that someday Jews and Gentiles will together be around the throne worshipping Christ. It's going to happen. And tenth, hope. Actively hope by faith in our glorious future together. Alright. Well, how do you apply this to your life? You may be saying to me, "You know, Pastor, this sounds wonderful, I can see that you're excited about it, at least. But the question is, I don't actually have a Jew-Gentile problem in my life. I mean, I have problems in my life, but I'm really not struggling with the Jew-Gentile question. It's really not something I'm wrestling with." Or you might extend it to First Baptist Church Durham, you say, "You know, we're really not struggling with the Jew-Gentile problem here." Well, remember what I said at the beginning; all problems of disunity have their root in the same place. And that is our relationship with God. And if your relationship with God is what it needs to be, then it's going to factor out into a peace with God that you experience and extends to a peace within yourself. Well, you know that God's at peace with you by Jesus' blood, and so therefore, be at peace within yourself, and then you extend it to every relationship that touches you in your life. It's not just a Jew-Gentile question. It's a Gentile-Gentile question, how we're getting along with each other. Issues of reconciliation with the body of Christ continue to be paramount. We, as a body, need to be united more than we are. I will not say to you that I see great problems of disunity in the church. There was a time that I did, but not anymore. That's gone. Now, there's an essential and a sweet unity and already good things are flowing as a result of that, but I think we can do better. I think we can know each other and love each other more than we do. And out of that will come an intense white hot power for worldwide evangelization. That's what I'm yearning for in this church. So, let's apply it to our church. Or apply it to your marriage. I think you ought to meditate more on the fact that the two of you are going to spend, in Christ, if you're both Christians, the two of you will spend eternity worshipping God together at the throne. So whatever stuff is troubling you right now, can you please let it shrink into its proper insignificance in the face of that? I'm not saying you don't have questions you have to resolve. I'm not saying you shouldn't talk things through and talk about your budget, your finances, how to parent your kids, whether you should sell this home and move into that one or whatever. I'm not saying these issues don't need to be discussed, I'm just saying keep them in a heavenly perspective, and be happier than you've been in discussing them up 'til now. Be content in the fact that someday you'll be in perfect unity even on that question. So, meditate, I would say, frequently on your heavenly future, and have full delight in worship. Can I speak to the issue of corporate worship? If we're all going to be worshipping in heaven, can we worship better than we do? You might say, "What do you mean?" I mean, can we just come ready to worship? I mean, come ready to just be hot and passionate and worship? And it's our job to be prepared for that and to stimulate you to worship. But I think it's so important for you to be hot and ready and passionate for worship as well. Get yourself ready every week for corporate worship, because we affect... The leaders affect your worship, but you affect one another as well, and when you're standing next to somebody who's singing with all his or her heart, doesn't that move you? You may want to move for some reason, right? Depending on their skill level. Alright, but there's just something powerful about being in a congregation that's passionately by the Spirit, worshiping God corporately. Let's worship God. And then finally, let's live for God's future glory and the advance of the church. There's still peoples, people groups that haven't heard the name of Christ. We're going to talk more about that, not next week, but in the following weeks. Let's be involved in worldwide evangelization to the ends of the earth. If you're listening to me and you've never given your life to Christ, the joy and the happiness that I'm talking about here today is only available one place. It's only available in Christ. Only through faith in Christ can you know this kind of eternal joy. It's only place. I so praise God for Haley Herb and for the work that God's done in her heart. What a powerful testimony. That can happen to you. If you have never trusted in Christ, you can give your life to Him right now. Don't leave this place without repenting and trusting Christ for the salvation of your soul. Close with me in prayer.
I. The Seemingly Insurmountable Problem: Genuine Unity Turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 15. We're looking, for two weeks at verses 7-13. And as we do, we come in a very timely fashion to a text of scripture that addresses an issue that has pressed itself into the world consciousness forcefully over the last handful of weeks although it never really fully leaves, and that is the crisis in the Middle East. You know that several weeks ago, some Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and that sparked a great military conflict going on right now between Israel and Hezbollah. And recent events in the Middle East have caused the alarm of people all around the world and a renewal of the desperate search for a political and diplomatic solution to lasting peace in the Middle East. And there's a long heritage to that search, isn't there? Now obviously, there may be some that would have the question: How can Israel, for example, negotiate with Hezbollah whose stated purpose is their extinction as a nation? Now how are you going to sit down at the table with somebody like that? And you could turn the whole thing around and ask, how can Hezbollah, seeing the world in their own way, looking for an Islamic state to rise up there, how can they negotiate with Israel, who wants to continue to be a Jewish state, how can they get together diplomatically? But there have been efforts made toward lasting peace in the Middle East. In 1978, I remember when President Carter got Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin together for the Camp David Accords, and they said it was a new milestone in heading toward peace in the Middle East. Of course, Sadat was assassinated by his own countrymen three years later, because they felt he'd sold out to the Jews. And then there was, in 1993, the Oslo Accords during President Clinton's administration, in which Yasser Arafat of the PLO and Yitzhak Rabin got together from Israel and they had the Oslo Accords and it was brokered by Clinton and signed September 13th, 1993. And the world thought so much of the Oslo Accords that in 1994, the three principals in that, Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres, and Yitzhak Rabin, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Of course, the very next year, Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a fundamentalist Jewish man who felt he'd sold out to the PLO. And Arafat, for his part, didn't continue in the accords, he didn't keep his end of the bargain. And frankly, many observing, looking on the outside, said he's just never really changed from the statement he made to The Washington Post in 1970, "The goal of our struggle is the end of Israel and there can be no compromise." Okay, well, how are you going to negotiate with that? And our State Department has been developing what they call a "road map to peace" in the Middle East. Here (Romans 15) is the road map to peace in the Middle East. Amen? It's in here. Someday, there will be lasting and permanent peace in the Middle East between Jews and Gentiles. Amen and hallelujah! And we ought to pray for it, because it's most certainly going to come. But it's not going to come the way the United States State Department thinks it's going to come. It's not going to come through a negotiated or even a military solution. It's going to come by the power of God working through the Gospel in the end. That's how it's going to come. True lasting peace between Jews and Gentiles in the Middle East and around the world seems as impossible now as it ever did. There's still what the scripture calls that "dividing wall of hostility" between Jews and Gentiles. And so one generation of peace negotiators after another can try to solve the Gordian knot, unravel the Gordian knot, of Middle East peace, some may make headway for a little while and if the headway was significant enough, they may even win the Nobel Peace Prize. But we know what we already sang earlier today is true, in that beautiful hymn, May Jesus Christ be Praised. This is what one of the verses says: Ye nations of mankind, in this, your concord find May Jesus Christ be praised! Let all the earth around Ring joyous with the sound May Jesus Christ be praised! That's where we're going to find the unity because that's what God is working around the world. That's the peace He intends. And I believe only the advance of the Gospel can genuinely and permanently reconcile Jews and Gentiles together, as each of them repent and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. And frankly, as I read the scriptures, only the second coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His reign around the world will produce lasting peace in the Middle East. Jew-Gentile Conflict a Subset of Human Conflict Now Romans 14 and 15 deals with a significant problem in a local church 20 centuries ago. A local church of Rome had some divisions cropping up between Jews and Gentiles. It was a mixed church, there were some Jews, some Gentiles there, all of them believing and trusting in Christ but there were some issues, some difficulties, what Romans 14 calls "debatable issues." And I think it's centered on the role the Law of Moses was going to have in the everyday lives of Christians, and there was a struggle. Now as we come to the question of Jew-Gentile conflict in a 1st-century church, the church of Rome, you may ask, "What does this have to do with my problems and my troubles today? How is this relevant?" You may even think, "How is the Middle East struggle relevant to my life?" Many Americans, I think, are interested in what's going on there. But I say to you that Jew-Gentile conflict in the church in Rome in the 1st century is a paradigm of all human conflict for all time. And the root causes there are going to be the same in our day as they were back in their day. The fact of the matter is, at root, all sinners apart from Christ, all sinners have no peace with God. And because they have no peace with God, they have no peace with themselves. And because they have no peace within themselves, they have no peace with other people. And that's where the root of all conflict comes from on this earth. Isaiah 57:20-21 says, "The wicked are like the tossing sea which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. 'There is no peace,' says my God, 'for the wicked.'" And out of that comes the Middle East crisis, out of that comes, in my opinion, every human conflict, because we have the habits of selfishness and bad relating, and they even carry over into the Christian life as well, sadly. The Jew-Gentile conflict in the 1st-century church is hardly different at all from modern Baptist churches having conflicts over politics or power struggles or the color of the carpet in the new Worship Center. These struggles find their root in human sin and selfishness, all of them do. Neither, frankly, is it different from strife in homes between husbands and wives, between parents and children, between siblings; or in neighborhoods, from one neighbor to the next; or in office places, from one co-worker to the next co-worker. It's the same. The roots are the same all over. Deep division and conflict between sinners is a basic effect of sin. And only the reconciliation of the Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ can genuinely, truly solve the problem. The Church at Rome: Seeds of Its Destruction Already Planted Now the church at Rome, the seeds of its destruction were already planted within its own heart by the many, many years that each of those individual Jews and Gentiles spent in sin and in selfishness before they ever came to Christ. The seeds of their destruction were already sowed. Now we have seen throughout the Book of Romans the struggle that Paul is having to deal both with Jews and Gentiles who would be reading his letter. I mean, right from the beginning in Romans 1, you have Paul describing Gentile sin, pagan sin, apart from the knowledge of the Law of Moses, into idolatry and wickedness, he describes it very clearly in Romans 1. But then he turns and addresses, in Romans 2, the self-righteous Jewish person who thinks he can earn his salvation through his law-keeping, and he deals with that in chapter 2. Then in chapter 3, he sums up the entire human race in terms of our sinfulness: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Early in Romans 3, he said there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all of us are sold into sin. That is common between us, we share that. Jews and Gentiles share it together, and it's also the root of the very problem that we have. And so Paul is dealing with the issue of Jew and Gentile in the Roman church. In Romans 11, his concern is that Gentiles who are flooding into the church and the Gospel is so richly successful among the Gentiles may become arrogant toward the fallen Jewish nation, those branches that have been stripped off of that olive tree, and he's concerned that the Gentiles not be arrogant toward the Jews. But then in 14, his concern, Romans 14, his concern reverses and he's zeroing in on Jewish legalese within the church, who he calls "weak in the faith," that they not judge others who are not following their rules and regulations. And he wants genuine Jew-Gentile unity, he's dealing with that. But he also, in Romans 14, deals with Gentiles, I think, who are strong in the faith, who understand the new covenant, that they not flaunt their freedoms all over the place and thus create a rift in the body of Christ. He's looking for unity. And here we see the culmination finally of this whole issue, Romans 14, Romans 15, of Jew-Gentile struggling within the church as we come to verse 7. And there he commands us, "Accept one another," Jew-Gentile unity. Unity of the Church Essential to Its Mission Now I say to you that genuine unity, not fake unity, not artificial or counterfeit unity, but genuine unity that only Christ can produce, is essential to the Gospel mission in the world. We must have it. We must have this genuine unity. The power of the Gospel to reconcile sinners at the human level must be made obvious to people who haven't believed the Gospel yet. We've got to put it on display. It's essential to the advance of the Gospel. As the Gospel makes its powerful advance in the world, it must show itself powerful to reconcile people who ordinarily couldn't get along. And I don't just mean Jew and Gentile, but even deep racial or tribal divisions. We need to see it put on display that the Gospel can do that. A divided bickering, fighting, selfish church cannot advance the Kingdom of God. And God wants to use the church, united, filled with the Spirit, to advance His name and His kingdom. And so, He's put us on display. Does that bother you that God has put you on display? Don't you remember in the Sermon on the Mount, He said, "No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead he puts it up on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." "You are the light of the world," He says. And so He wants to put the church, not this one local church, but yes, this local church, He wants to put us on display. And one of the things He wants to display is the genuine, heartfelt love and unity from one to another. It needs to be put on display. Tertullian in 197 in the midst of the advance of the Gospel through the Roman Empire, he said this: "It is mainly the deeds of a love so noble that lead many to put a brand upon us." They say, "Behold how they love one another. And they are angry with us, too, because we call each other 'brother.'" They're jealous of the love that the early church was showing to one another, but some of them said, "I want some of that. I want to know how to love, and I'd love to be part of it." That was so attractive in the 1st-century, 2nd-century church. Now there're two key statements that Christ made that show how important it is that local churches have an open, obvious unity, I would say even a supernatural unity, that can only be described by the Gospel, the power of the Gospel. Two statements. One is John 13:35 in which Jesus said, "By this will all men know that you are My disciples, if you love one another." This is the proof to the world the you are My disciples: If you have a genuine, open love for one another. That's one statement. Even more powerfully, in the high priestly prayer in John 17, this is so beautiful, Jesus prays for his own ministry, prays for His immediate apostles who are right there, and then He extends His prayer to pray for all of those who are gonna hear the Gospel through their message. And this is what He prays, it's in John 17:20-23. He says, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You…May they be brought to complete unity, to let the world know that You sent Me." Now let me tell you something. It frustrates me when I hear commentators say, "See? Jesus made that prayer and He's not getting what He wanted. We have got to do something to help Jesus' prayer out." Oh, don't you ever believe that about Jesus' prayer life. Does Jesus get everything He asked for in prayer? I tell you, He does. And we will someday be as one as the Father and the Son are one, isn't that beautiful? That's where our concord, our peace, our unity, is going to come from. When the Gospel is done with us, we are going to be perfectly one with people from all over the world. And how sweet is that going to be? But that's not the only thing Jesus prays; He says, "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me." So the bringing, the process, of unification has to be done in front of an openly watching world so that we can be put on display and they can believe that Jesus is the Son of God. That's the way that the prayer works in John 17. And how sweet is it going to be when a multitude greater than anyone could count stands around the throne from every tribe and language and people and nation? How sweet will it be that there'll be no division by haves and have-nots? No economic division. There'll be no racial or tribal division. There'll be no gender divisions, or age-graded divisions, or anything. There will be a perfect unity so much that we cannot even barely comprehend it or describe it. That is where we're heading. That is the future. And that is Heaven. But the process of unification must happen here on earth. I want it to happen here in this church. I'd like to see it. I'd like God to use our home fellowships to produce it. I like stuff to go on in the halls and in the pews and through the preaching and the ministry to make it happen so that we can put on display the love that only Christ can give, to put it openly and obviously on display. II. Ten Remedies from Paul to Jew-Gentile Division Listed Now that's all just the table-setting, the introduction. You think, "This is going to be a really long sermon if that's just the introduction." Actually, it's going to be two really long sermons. Okay? We're going to be looking over this week and next week at 10 remedies the apostle Paul gives in these wonderful verses to Jew-Gentile division. And as I said, I don't want you just thinking Jew-Gentile, but I also want you to think just about divisions and a lack of unity and harmony at every level. He's going to give us 10 remedies. We're going to look at six this morning, and God willing, four next week. The 10 remedies are: Understand God’s Ultimate Purpose: His Own Glory Understand God’s Second Purpose: Our Delight in His Glory Obey God’s Command: Accept Each Other Follow Christ’s Pattern of Acceptance Understand Christ’s Servanthood to the Jews Understand Christ’s Commitment to God’s Truth Believe God’s Promises to the Patriarchs Glorify God for His Mercy to Both Jews and Gentiles Understand the Prophecies of Jew-Gentile Unity Hope in Our Glorious Future Together Now the overall point here is this: That God, in His infinite wisdom, in His eternal counsels before the foundation of the world, chose people from every tribe and language and people and nation to be rescued from this wicked and evil age by the power of the Gospel, that He will protect us in our journey through this evil age and bring us someday, Jew and Gentile, together into a perfect unity, focused on His throne and His glory forever and ever. And since that's going to happen ultimately, then in every local church, there should be an essential unity put on display to make that happen. That's how it works. We're going from the local church of Rome and their problems and their bickering and their difficulties out to the ends of the earth through missions, in these verses, out to eternity in worship. That's the motion. What an incredible set of verses these are. And so therefore, what I get out of this is that it matters a lot whether our church or any local church gets along well. It matters whether we love each other and whether there's an essential palpable unity and love in the church or not. It matters a lot. And that's the movement of these verses. Remedy #1: Understand God’s Ultimate Purpose: His Own Glory Alright, let's talk about the first remedy. The first remedy to Jew-Gentile division is that we should understand God's ultimate purpose in all things, namely, His own glory. This is the beginning of the true road map to peace in the Middle East. This is where it starts. Let's understand God's commitment to His own glory. Now I say to you that man-centered thinking is at the root of all human division. It all starts there. You know something? We... Well, I make too much of myself. Oh, come on. We make too much of ourselves. We think too highly of ourselves. We are our own favorite topic. And our needs and interests are our own favorite sub-topics. We are fascinated with what we are interested in, and we are the center of everything. And may I say to you that until the human heart is captivated by something greater and more attractive than ourselves, we will continue doing the same thing. We will continue bickering and being divided. Racism and selfish national pride is a form of self-worship. So what we're seeing in the Middle East is a bunch of people ultimately really just worshipping themselves, is what's going on, on both sides, I would say. And all self-worship is a form of idolatry, isn't it? Haven't we exchanged God and now we are at the center and we're worshipping ourselves? But I say to you, as we've said many times before, God's glory is the only true right center of the universe. What do we mean by “the glory of God”? Now what do we mean by "the glory of God"? We talk about that phrase frequently. What does it mean? Well, I mean, it is the radiant, brilliant, attractive, fascinating display of God's nature, of His attributes. It's the shining radiance of all that God is. That's the glory of God. It involves light from God and truth from God about His own nature. The center of it is God's own person, His nature, what He is like. Now I want to bring you back to the night that Jesus was born. Now I'm not saying this happened, but let's imagine the shepherds were sitting around the campfire, bickering. Now it doesn't say in scripture, don't come back and say, "Pastor, there's no record that the shepherds were bickering the night that Jesus was born," but let's just imagine. It's not so extreme that we couldn't think that they were bickering about whose sheep were best or about which watering hole who would use which one, and that one's muddy but this one's clear, and I get to use it first. And they might have even struggle, they fought over it, who knows? 20:12 S1: But there they are the middle of the night, when suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared and the glory of the Lord shone all around them, and they were, in the King James Version, "sore afraid." And the angel brings good news of glad tidings that will be for all the people: "Today in the city of David, a savior has been born for you. He is Christ the Lord. And this will be assigned to you, you will find a baby wrapped up in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." Then suddenly, with the angel, there was the heavenly host and they were saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men on whom His favor rests," and they're just celebrating, and then they go back into heaven, and the angel's gone. "Okay, now what were we arguing about? Alright. I think my sheep are better... " They're not even thinking about that! They are thinking, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that the angel has told us about, that the Lord has told us about." The bickering has been driven out by a greater glory. And when we at last have a perfect vision of God's glory, I tell you, all bickering will end. It will have been expelled by something better, something more glorious, than self-interest. Now how does Paul put the glory of God at the center of it? Look at verse 7, reading this time from the ESV, I think it's got a little bit better translation, in verse 7, it says, "Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God." Paul puts God at the center by giving the reason why Christ welcomed us. We, the wretched, rebellious sinners, deserving of wrath and hell, we, shaking our fists at God, whose throats are open graves and whose tongues practice deceit, ruin and misery marks our way in the way of peace, we do not know, Romans 3. We are the ones that Christ has welcomed. And He did it for the glory of God, to put God on display. Now you might say, "How does Christ welcoming wretched sinners like us put God on display?" Well, it does. Look at verse 8. "For I tell you that Christ has become a servant to the circumcised, [the Jews] to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs." In other words, a central reason that Christ came and did His work is to prove how truthful God is, to prove that God always tells the truth, that when He makes a promise, He keeps it. And so God is glorified by Christ coming to earth because it vindicates the promises that God had made. It shows Him to be a truthful God, more about that later. But I tell you this: We tend to think of human salvation in a human-centered way. It's because God loves us so much, because God couldn't live without us, because God needed us. We are the reason, and all of that. Well, let me tell you, God's reasons were first and foremost God-centered, because He says in Isaiah 48:11, "For My own sake, for My own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield My glory to another." That's God's motive. First and foremost, for Himself. And so, Christ came to prove that God told Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David the truth when He promised a Messiah who would come later. And so God's truthfulness is glorified by this salvation. He's putting God on display. We see it again in verse 8 and 9, and He puts God's glory on display when He speaks of why the Gentiles were saved. "For I tell you, Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, so that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy." And so you see Christ's ministry not only elevates the truthfulness of God, but also the mercy of God. We are all of us saved by mercy. God has been merciful to us in Christ, and we celebrate the mercy of God. So I say to you that basically, human strife and conflict end when the glory of God takes its proper place in our hearts and estimations and we start thinking about the truthfulness or the mercy or the power or the knowledge or the wisdom of God, and we are just done with strife and conflict. That is remedy number one. And I'll tell you, it'll work through all eternity. There'll be no strife and conflict in Heaven. Remedy #2: Understand God’s Second Purpose: Our Eternal, United Delight in His Glory Remedy number two: Understand God's secondary purpose. His secondary purpose is our eternal united delight in His glory. That's His secondary purpose. God's ultimate purposes were God-centered, but God's secondary purposes were human-centered. He loves us. And I say to you, the measure of love is what the loving one is willing to give to the one he or she loves. How much is God willing to give us? He's willing to give us the greatest thing He could ever give: He's willing to give us Himself. He is willing that He Himself would be our possession throughout all eternity, that He Himself would be our reward throughout all eternity. He is willing to give us that grand and glorious gift of Himself. But I say to you also, He's willing to give us lesser gifts. For example, He's willing to give us each other. Oh, I don't mean "each other" kind of the way we were apart from Christ. I don't even mean "each other" the way we are now, struggling with our sanctification. I mean He means to give us each other perfected and glorious in Heaven. He means to give you a gift of brothers and sisters from every tribe and language and people and nation, to share the experience with up in Heaven. No, you're not going to have your own private cubicle to watch God's glory every night, okay? You're going to be with other believers. "As for the saints who are in the land," Psalm 16, "they are the glorious ones in whom is all My delight." And so God means to give us this lesser gift of one another, perfected by the Gospel. And look how happy these verses are. I'm just so happy this morning, I get to preach these happy verses. And you are lesser happy, you get to listen to them. Okay? See, I'm more happy cause I know when this thing's going to end, I get to control that, okay? But still we have a glorious search of human happiness in these verses. Look how happy these verses are. Verse 9, "'Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles. I will sing hymns to your name.' Again, it says, 'Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people,' and again, 'Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to Him, all you peoples.' And again, Isaiah says, 'The root of Jesse will spring up. One will arise to rule over the nations and the Gentiles will hope in Him.'" And then to top it all off, in verse 13, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Oh, these are happy words. These are rejoicing, celebrating words. They're meant to make us eternally happy, and so the second remedy to strife and conflict is to understand God's intention to give us each other eternally in Heaven to worship God. Remedy #3: Obey God’s Command: Accept Each Other Wholeheartedly Remedy number three: It's just simple obedience. Now I'm taking these in the order they're given in the text, but obey God's command to accept one another wholeheartedly. Now if you go back to Romans 14:1, when this whole topic began, the issue of debatable issues, the matter of the debatable issues and all that, it begins in Romans 14:1 with this command: "Welcome him whose faith is weak without passing judgment on disputable matters." Now we have the closing bookend. There's the opening statement; here, we have the bookend that ends this whole discussion. 15:7, "Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God." Simply put, God commands us to welcome and accept each other. He just commands it through the apostle Paul. It's simply a matter of obedience. That's all. And Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will obey what I command." He's just simply commanding obedience here. Now the word "welcome" here was beautifully described in a sermon a few weeks ago by Scott Markley, the best sermon I've ever heard on Philemon. And how sweet was the idea of Philemon, the master, receiving and welcoming back Onesimus, who had wronged him, defrauded him, and welcoming him back, and we hope that's what he did upon receiving Paul's letter, but welcoming back with a warm embrace. Or again, we could consider what Scott did in that sermon, the prodigal son returning to his father and searching his father's face to find out, "Are you going to take me in? Can I be one of your hired servants?" He doesn't need to search his father's face; look at his father, he's running, his arms are extended, there's tears coming down his eyes. He's welcoming his son back. "Welcome one another." This is a simple command here. Remedy #4: Follow Christ’s Pattern of Acceptance Remedy number four: Follow Christ's pattern of acceptance. Look at verse 7, "Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God." Now I say to you that Paul answers two key questions on the issue of this welcoming that we're supposed to do for each other. The questions are why and how. First of all, why should we accept one another? Well, let me tell you, Christ is the motive for our acceptance of anybody, any Christian, that God brings here into this place. Christ is the motive. How can we refuse to accept someone if Christ has not refused to accept us, and if Christ has accepted him or her? How can we refuse them? We were filthy, rebellious sinners stinking with the pigs in our sin, and Christ embraces us in our saving faith. Christ embraced us in our rebellion. He cured us of it, He cleaned us up. He set us on a rock that will not move, and He will someday open Heaven for us. Why should we embrace sinners in Christ, other sinners? Simply put, because of how graciously Christ welcomed you. That's the why. Now how should we do it? Well, again, look at Jesus. Look at Him. How lovingly did Christ accept you, how beautifully did He accept sinners in the New Testament, what is the pattern that Christ has set for welcoming of other sinners? John 6:37, He says, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me, I will never drive them away." I'll welcome them all. And so Christ welcomed Zacchaeus, that pilfering tax collector who everyone hated. He welcomed the Roman centurion, who was part of a hated race in the Promised Land, a conquering race, but he had a need and Christ welcomed him. He welcomed Mary Magdalene, who was a prostitute, who had seven demons inside her. He welcomed her and drove the demons out and healed her. He welcomed the little children who had runny noses and who didn't understand the great things of God and the big plans for the kingdom and so the disciples wanted to keep them out, and He said, "Let the little children come to me." "They want to crawl on me a while, is that alright?" And so He welcomed the little children. He welcomed a leper. If you can imagine what a leper would have looked like back in those days, with running sores all over his face and disfigured with corruption all over his body and people go running and screaming from the leper, and he comes stumbling toward Jesus and says, "If You are willing, you can make me clean," and Jesus reaches out His hand and says, "I am willing, be clean." He welcomed a woman of poor reputation in that neighborhood who bathed His feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. He welcomed even Saul of Tarsus, who began that morning breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples and really, against Christ himself. What a rebellious, self-righteous Pharisee, who thinks he's serving God by killing Christians, and Jesus welcomed him and took him in through simple, saving faith. He welcomes anyone the Father brings to him, He won't turn anyone away. He welcomes them all, He welcomed you. And if you lost a sense of how amazing that is, then get back into the Word and find out what you were apart from Christ. He welcomed you richly through faith in Christ. For He said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will most certainly give you rest," that's the kind of welcome that He expects us to give to each other, because that's the kind of welcome He gave to you. Remedy #5: Understand Christ’s Servanthood “to the Jews First” The fifth remedy is understand Christ's servanthood to the Jews first. Now Christ's ministry to the Jews first is a remedy to Jew-Gentile bickering because God elevated the Jews in that way, that Christ came first to the Jews and ministered to them. He came as a servant to the Jews though He rightly was their king. He could have reclined on silk pillows and had them come wash His feet, not that they would have needed any washing. But instead, the whole thing was reversed and He washed their filthy, nasty feet and He served them. He took up their infirmities and he carried their sorrows, says Isaiah, of the suffering servant. And that's what Jesus was: He was a servant to the Jews, and He came especially to serve them by dying on the cross for their sins. And so in Mark 10:45, he said, "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many." You know the pattern was set to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. When Jesus ministered in Tyre and Sidon, which is a Gentile area, and He's there to minister to the Jews that were living in Tyre and Sidon, and the Canaanite woman comes crying out after Him, "Lord, son of David, have mercy on me, my daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession." He just doesn't answer a word. And His disciples say, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." And Jesus says this: "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." Now you know that she came and got what she wanted because she talked to Jesus about food falling from the children's table. But Jesus came as a servant to the Jews first. Now don't misunderstand, the apostle Paul has proven in our text, and we'll look at this more next week, that God always intended to save the Gentiles. That wasn't an add-on, but His ministry was to the Jews first. And it gives us a pattern of how we should treat each other, not as kings, but of servants. Remedy #6: Understand Christ’s Commitment to God’s Truth And the final remedy we're going to look at today, remedy number six, is understand God's commitment to... Or understand Christ's commitment to God's truth. Verse 8, "I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs." Now we've already touched on this. One of the reasons Christ came was to prove how truthful God is, that He never lies. He only speaks the truth, and He keeps His promises. I say to you, this is the foundation of all human relationships. It's certainly the foundation of a marriage relationship, with a husband and wife get up, and in front of God and witnesses, promise to be things for each other for the rest of their lives and God upholds that promise. But it's also true of all human relationships. We make promises to each other, we speak to each other, and we have to speak the truth. Lies and deception unravel relationships, and they unravel churches. And Christ has come on behalf of God's truth to give us a pattern of how we must be one with each other and speak the truth to each other in love and uphold our promises to one another. III. Review and Application: Unity and Joyful Worship of God’s Glory And so we see six remedies to Jew-Gentile division, and I say also to all division, first, the overarching purpose of God is His own glory and a full meditation on that, an understanding of the glory of God, expels little bickerings and divisions. Secondly, we've seen God's second purpose, is to make us happy forever and ever, worshipping Him in Heaven. And so therefore we ought to do it with each other here on earth, don't you think? Thirdly, a simple command He's given us, in verse 7, accept or welcome one another. Fourthly, that we should follow Christ's pattern of acceptance. As He has accepted us, we also ought to accept one another. Fifth, we should understand Christ's servanthood to His own people, to the Jews, and sixth, his commitment to God's truth. Now how do we apply this to our own lives? Well, first, I say that every local church, true church, must attend to its own unity just like this church at Rome had to. We've got to be sure that we are as one as the Father and the Son are one, in journey toward that unity. It has to be a goal. Wherever there's division, wherever there needs to be reconciliation, you have to do what it takes to get it done. And why? Because if there's true, genuine unity among the local churches around the world, there's a movement from the local church in this passage to the ends of the earth in missions, to eternity forever around the throne of God. That's the motion of this passage. So therefore, if you know of any difficulties within this body of Christ, it's our responsibility to reconcile. If you're involved, it's your double responsibility: Go and make it right until it's made right. Same is true in your marriage and your parenting and your friendships, co-workers. Follow these remedies, Put the glory of God at the center, and turn away from your own petty needs. And I say to you also, you ought to meditate on Heaven more than you do. It just will make you happy. I had the most wonderful time going over this sermon this morning, been happy ever since. I'm thinking, someday, I'm going to be in Heaven with brothers and sisters from around the world, from every tribe and language and people and nation. I'm looking forward to worshipping with some of them today. I would love to see this church, we are a downtown Durham church, I'd love to see this church physically and visibly display as much unity, supernatural unity, as possible, across racial lines, across international lines, across gender lines, and families, and home fellowships. I would love to see it. I'd like God to put this church and many others, all of them, on display for that kind of unity, and see the Gospel go out from us. So, our home fellowship, this not an ad, I mean, other home fellowship leaders don't get the chance to advertise their home fellowship, I'm not doing that, but I'm looking forward to studying Randy Alcorn's book on Heaven, because I just think the more you study on it, the more you saturate your minds on where we're heading, the more powerfully happy and joyful you are in this world, and the more you do for His glory. My final statement is to any who may be here today who have never trusted in Christ, you know, this kind of unity, this kind of peace, freedom from conflict, is not available to you until you come to faith in Christ. You have to repent and believe in Christ, you have to let Christ, in effect, get down and wash your dirty feet and your head and your hands and every part of you as well with the blood He shed on the cross. By simple faith in Christ, you can be fit for eternity and for perfect unity with brothers and sisters from around the world who have made the same decision to trust in Him. Close with me in prayer.