1 Corinthians 16.1-11

Title: The Work of the Church (Part 2)

Text: 1 Cor 15:58-16:11

Introduction: We look once again to the letter of 1^st Corinthians. He loved them dearly and wanted to address the struggles and issues they faced as a body of believers. And man, did they have a lot of problems! The beginning of this letter appears to address issues Paul wanted to confront. Beginning in chapter 7, it appears that Paul is answering questions they had sent them. These questions could have come up from everyday problems in the church and I’m sure some come from trying to understand his previous letter. Historically, we know there were at least 4 letters written by Paul to the Corinthian believers. And from all of this information, we know they had a lot of problems.

In chapter 15, Paul exhorts the Corinthians to be the church – to remain steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Let the phrase resonate in your mind… the work of the Lord. ⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Hence, the title of my message this week: The Work of the Church.

It is a great ending to all areas of focus (foci, say foes-eye):

Our focus in the 1^st part of 1 Corinthians has been to observe the blessings of the church in Christ: Blessings, Unity, Leadership, and Relationships. And really, if you go back through, you could make an argument that it really has all been about relationships. Whereas the previous sections in this letter have dealt with Freedom in Christ and a believer’s responsibility to exercise his or her freedom with others in mind, Paul now reigns them in and reminds them of the traditions they’ve learned. And he commends them for keeping some of those traditions and later says I can’t commend you for these others that you haven’t kept.

In the  2^nd part – A Focus on Order, specifically, Order in Worship.  rd v2.

       So, what were these traditions? Let me outline the broader picture of order within worship by quickly looking over the next few chapters. Let me show you what I mean. Head Coverings in Worship (11.2-16), The Lord’s Supper (11.17-34), Exercise of Spiritual Gifts (12-14), and remaining steadfast, and immovable in the face of persecution because of the hope we have in our future resurrection (15).

Really, it’s been about Relationships. Even as we remain faithful and steadfast, people see us and get saved – relationships. That’s how Paul concludes 15 with One command: be. He’s telling them to be the church! We see something similar in 16.13; Act like who you are!

The Command (15:58)

So, you have this set of instructions for life as believers. So now – act like it. Then in chapter 16, Paul gives some practical steps in accomplishing this feat – of acting of being the church. He calls it in 15.58 – ‘the work of the Lord’ and ‘your labor’.

app.: So, what does Paul do after this charge? He gives some insight into what the work of the Lord is all about! Paul presents Six Principles for Christian Work:

t.s.: What must one do to accomplish the work of the church? 1^st,

I. Don’t Be Self-Centered (16:1-4)

exp.: Now concerning; cf.: 7.1, 25; 8.1; 12.1; 16.1; the collection; specifically, for the saints. Paul is very specific with them about how to do this… Note the purpose: periodically and in proportion to your situation, plan to present a gift. And when I come to you, perform your service.

app.: Something that will really help advance the work of the church is to not be self-centered. But rather, be outward-focused!

t.s.: 2^nd, when it comes to your work – you need a vision: rd 5

II. Begin with a Vision (5)

exp.: rd v 5; I will visit you… that’s the vision; there is more here, but that in a nutshell is the vision – he wants to go to Corinth (continue reading), and his plan is to go through Macedonia to get there.

ill.: I think about this as Pastor and my responsibility to cast vision and purpose. But what about you? How does your work in the church – that is, your smaller ministry in the overall, all-encompassing vision of Tarpley – how does your work fit? What is your vision? Can it be greater? Lisa, have you thought about streaming your Bible Studies on Facebook? YouTube? Penny, Tammy, Karen: As you consider OCC, how could we expand that ministry? Could we engage some of our businesses to get involved? Would those company owners, managers, and CEOs allow us to invite their employees to fill a shoe box of OCC? The Country Store, Covenant Services, Tauren, Bandera Electric Coop, TVFD? How can you expand your ministry?

app.: Let the work you do in the church have a vision. Our question should be: what would God have to be doing right now!

t.s.: Don’t be Self-Centered, but have a Vision; 3^rd, Be Flexible

III. Be Flexible (6)

exp.: rd v 6; perhaps I might stay or maybe I might; sometimes the season might cause us to change our plans; wherever I go; Lanny Bridges (GABC): 9^th Beatitude: Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not get bent out of shape.

ill.: Consider Paul’s experiences: Paul experienced plenty of difficulties:

• Acts 16:7f – ⁶ And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. ⁷ And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.
• Romans 1:13 – ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.
• 1 Thessalonians 2.17f – ¹⁷ But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, ¹⁸ because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.

app.: Here is the point, Satan will not make this an easy road to journey down! Satan puts up roadblocks and hinders us from moving forward, But he can only be as successful as God allows; And when we get knocked down. Get back up! we must be steadfast – be immovable; abounding in His work; knowing it isn’t in vain;

t.s.: Don’t be Self Centered; Have a Vision; Be Flexible; #4 – Be Committed!

IV. Be Committed!

exp.: rd v 7; you cannot disciple someone in passing! It takes time; I think we confuse programs with discipleship. We miss that or confuse those two. If you run a program, then it is done. But discipleship is about investing in people. That is why Paul said – rd 1 Thess 2:8 – ⁸ We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives because you had become dear to us. CSB – our own lives.

ill.: Bryan Duncan had an album release back in the late ’80s, early 90’s entitled: Have yourself committed!  

Lisa and I watched a TV series from 30 years ago this past week. Pride and Prejudice. The basic idea behind the main character was that she formed judgments based on false information. When she took the time to get to know the male lead character, she found her first impression wrong and falsely formed the lies of someone else – whom she didn’t really know either.

I was reminded this week of a woman who came to Choir practice. We met in the hall outside the worship center as we waited for our Pastor to finish up his WEBS with members. I had come from the Youth Bible Study, and she was just getting there from … well, I don’t know. I greeted her as usual – she and her husband were becoming good friends to me and Lisa.

She seemed cold and indifferent toward me. And, as I had a tendency to do, I thought she might be cold and quiet toward me because I had done something wrong. What had I said or done to cause her silence toward me? Well, our pastor didn’t end his study on time… he just kept going! Don’t you just hate that when the pastor drones on and on and won’t land the plane? You’re like, oh, he’s coming in to land the plane! And Nope, he just hits the engines and starts circling the runway again!

Anyway, the silence was too much. I’m sure she noticed that her coldness to me was impacting this waiting. And then she said that she and her husband had just been fighting.

What a teaching moment for me, a moment I’ve never forgotten. All of the sudden, I didn’t want the Pastor’s Bible Study to end. I wanted to encourage her. I also realized that not everything is about me! She was going through something, and she needed encouragement, a kind word, and as it would end up – some godly counsel.

Although we were very young, Lisa and I had more experience walking with Christ than our friends. As a matter of fact, we became such great friends because we shared life together. It might sound like I’m bragging. But that isn’t my intention. There were multiple times in those early years when Lisa and I, both together with them, and apart (Lisa with her and I with him), where discipleship and growth occurred.  

app.: The Work of the church – making disciples, calls for commitment, calls for investment.

t.s.: But can I say, it won’t always be easy? Don’t Be Self-Centered, Have a Vision, Be Flexible, Be Committed, and # 5, Always Anticipate Opposition; rd v 8-9

V. Anticipate Opposition (8-9)

exp.: Listen, there are many adversaries; those you see and who are outspoken, and those you don’t who speak behind your back; there are those in the church and those outside the church. The opposition appears to be physical, but it is grounded in spiritual warfare.

ill.: Listen, if you’re looking for a church that doesn’t have opposition – what you’ll find isn’t really a church; J. MacArthur said, If you find a place that doesn’t have any problems, you’re not needed there! G. Campbell Morgan said: If you have no opposition in the place you’re serving, then you’re serving in the wrong place.

app.: You are a problem solver: Christ blesses a body with you because you have something to offer. You have something to offer that blesses this body! Satan wants to destroy this body of believers! But he can’t, so he’ll discourage and disrupt all he can.

t.s.: Finally, what do we see here concerning Paul and his work for the Lord? #6…

VI. It takes teamwork (10-11)

exp.: rd v 10-11; multiple players, each having a key role; sometimes, we think someone is too immature or has failed us before, but the truth is that people change; forgiveness is a key component in this Christian Faith!

ill.: The most famous story is of John Mark, who abandoned Paul and Barnabas when he was younger, Acts 13:13; But we see that he was of value to Paul in later years, 2 Tim. 4:11; 1 Pet 5:13; the Gospel of Mark

app.: As God’s Chosen People we must Not Be Self Centered. But rather, Have a Vision and Direction. Be Flexible and Committed. We must Always Anticipate Opposition and work together as a team – as one man contending for the faith of the Gospel.

t.s.: That demonstrates our unity…

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Conclusion: So, what are our Take-a-ways:

Really, just one: Come back to the Vision. Compare your ministry with the Vision. Make sure you’re not leading folks away from the direction the church is going. Remember the purpose/vision statement?

The purposes of this body are declared to be:

1)  To glorify God through maintaining services both devotional and for public worship. We do what we do for God’s glory first and foremost.

2)  To proclaim earnestly the gospel message and to urge its personal acceptance.

3)  To cooperate by prayer, gift, and service in an effort to promote the grace of Christ

    throughout the world.

1. We do this through discipleship – evangelizing the lost and teaching the Word.
2. We do this through ministry and mission.

3 G’s: Glory, Gospel, Grace

Glorifying God; Proclaiming The Gospel; Extending His Grace to others

Blessing & Benediction: ²⁰ Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, ²¹ equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Heb 13.20f

1 Corinthians 1.10-3.23

Title: Five Characteristics of a United Church

Text: 1 Corinthians 1.10-3.23

CIT: Paul has warned the Corinthians about division in the church.

CIS: I want to encourage each member to strive for unity in the body.

Introduction: This morning, we’re in 1 Corinthians beginning in 1.10. But, we’ll also visit Acts 18. So, go ahead and mark those two spots.

Last Sunday I began my sermon series in 1 Corinthians. The Series will focus solely on this letter from the standpoint of what is a Healthy Church. Our first take was that a Healthy Church is focused upon her Lord. We looked at multiple blessings that Paul identifies for his readers. This morning we continue with that same line of thinking and delve into some of those thoughts Paul brought out in his introduction.

Namely, this morning, Paul teaches us that a Healthy Church is undivided. I want to take his teaching and show you 5 characteristics of a unified church.

In this modern era, there are many issues that threaten the unity of a local church. We will find some of these same issues at work in the church at Corinth. Paul warns them against these issues and clearly outlines for them the very issues which bring division.

My goal isn’t to just look at what Paul says is dividing that church, but rather to turn that around and see the positive side of what Paul is saying. I think Paul is saying here that there are at least five (5) unifying Characteristics of a healthy church in his letter. And so, I’ve entitled my message today: Five Characteristics of a United Church. We see right away that this is Paul’s main thought: read v 10.

Transition: united: to put to order, restore, organize. It is this idea of coming together and doing the same things. This is his thesis statement and over the next couple of chapters he’ll address the very things that are causing divisions in their church; we find the first of these five characteristics as we continue reading; rd v 11-13;  A Unified Church Displays:       

I. The Gospel (1.10-18)

exp.: rd v 13; This is a checkmark every church should make! A unified church lives, breathes, exudes The Gospel; it reeks the Gospel! rd v 14-16; evidently, they were bragging about who baptized them; rd v 17-18; Here is the key! The Gospel is where the power of the Church lies!

ill.: Mark Dever: My friends, let me be clear about what Christianity teaches. There is one God who has made us all. We have sinned against him – we have done what we wanted rather than what he has told us to do. We have rebelled against him, and so he is rightly committed to punishing us, as our sins deserve. But, in his great mercy, he came in Christ – fully God and fully man – and lived a perfect life with no punishment of his own to bear. Yet, Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all those who would never turn from their sins and trust in him. He rose to new life, and he offers us new life as well if we will turn from our sins and trust him. We lay hold of Christ savingly by believing in this message and having faith in him.

Components of the Gospel Message:

1. God is Holy.
2. We are not. We are sinful. (Demonstrate by using a phone in between the hands.)
3. Nothing we could ever do could remove the sin that separates us. So, God acted on our behalf.
4. Good sent Jesus to die and pay the penalty for our sin.
5. By trusting in what Christ has done, we can have our sins forgiven and the relationship we desire with God can be established.

app.: A display of the basic gospel message is so vital to unity. Listen to Ray Ortlund: rd The Gospel, pg 39-40

The exaltation of any one person (other than Christ) and/or their pet projects undermines the gospel and wreaks havoc in a church. But, The Gospel lived out by members, brings unity within the body.

t.s.: A unified church displays the gospel in every aspect of her existence. And #2, a unified church displays…

II. Humility (1.26-29)

exp.: Why? Because it crushes egos! Rd v 26a; ouch; rd 26b-29; Wow, when you look at it that way; look at that! – foolish, weak, low, and despised; Let me ask you: What were you before you came to Christ? Foolish? Weak? Despised? Maybe “D” for ‘all of the above’; We see this also paralleled in the Philippian’s church;

Here’s a helpful hint to practice: When we see Christ in his glory – we gain a greater perspective of who we are.

ill.: βῆμα; Judgment seat; well, we really have nothing to fear if we’re saved; really? Will you just stroll into the presence of the Lord – What’s sup Big Guy?  So how will you be? What will you offer? Here is my…

ill.: Do you know the difference between humility and humiliation?

app.: You know, even when your church is doing well, it isn’t a reflection on who is serving here. It’s only because God is blessing us. That’s humbling. The church is no place for any, one person to be exalted (other than Christ, which is the message of the Gospel). So, we come, humbling ourselves and exalting Christ alone!

t.s.: Christ will share His glory with no one. There is only room for him at the top. Humble yourselves, therefore, before the Lord. Moving on, there is a 3^rd characteristic mentioned here…

III. Wisdom (2.1-10)

exp.: he began talking about wisdom back up in 1.18; pick up in 1.28 – 2.3; Paul is giving himself as an example; not of humility, but of understanding; rd v 6-8; Does Paul know what he’s talking about? You bet he does! In Paul’s day, many would meet in the town square, as it were, and speak. They would win people to their views and beliefs by their eloquence and wit. They would win debates, answer questions and gather followers; But Paul didn’t do things that way. His message wasn’t exactly like theirs – (1.23) a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles; Acts 18.1-10; and look at the inspiration he received; Acts 18.11;

app.: So, yes, he does know what he’s talking about because what the world calls foolish or considers a stumbling block is really the wisdom of God; and that’s where we and many churches like us are – at this moment!

I’ve been asked a couple of times what my vision is for the church. I outlined it a little this past Wednesday night. There is a fad in the churches today that seeks to be like other churches – ones that are growing in number. But I don’t see in Scripture anywhere, where the Word tells us to copy churches that are growing in number as a measure for health and stability. What I see here, is that we’re to be a church that is focused on her Lord and working toward unity in our relationships. My vision, My goal: A Healthy Church!

app.: there are churches doing it right and succeeding, some in a very short time and others over years; For us, the concern is: are we acquiescing to the world’s ways or are we sticking with what the Scriptures teach? Even when it is a struggle, it really is the way that displays our wisdom; our godly wisdom; it also displays unity…

t.s.: The Gospel, Humility, Wisdom. The 4^th characteristic is…

IV. Maturity (3.1-3)

exp.: he begins to touch on it here in this passage (rd 2.6); skip down to ch. 3; rd v 1-3; what we see here is an immature congregation focuses on the flesh and the world; whereas a mature congregation focuses on spiritual matters; We see this cry from the writer of Hebrews and also from Peter in his 1^st Epistle: strive for maturity!

ill.: When Christopher was a baby and a little boy, he was so big he always played with older kids, especially his brother – who is nearly three years older than him. Lisa tells the story about an incident he had in Harlingen (tell of run-in with 10-year-old). “Sometimes C acts like a 7-year-old!” “He is only 7 years old!”

app.: Paul was saying that the Corinthians had plenty of opportunity for growth and they were still acting like babies. Unlike Christopher, who was acting his age, these believers were still so immature..

t.s.: but a sign of a healthy church is its maturity, its wisdom, its humility, and the Gospel being lived and proclaimed. But there is one more…

V. Service (3.5-10)

exp.: rd v 5; we’re servants; 6-10; we’re all just workers here; we don’t own this place; we call it our church, but really, it belongs to God! It is his, – we are his, he bought it with his blood – that is why Paul said back in 1.13: Was Paul crucified for you?

And when people try to make it their own, that causes division, not unity; but Paul offers an ominous warning for those who would divide the church as if it were there’s; rd v 3.16-17;

app.: Listen, no one can destroy the Church of God, it is his and he will protect it; however, an unhealthy, local congregation that is divided because of a person’s passion to make it their own is in danger of destruction! Oh, my, that person is in danger; If this body, that meets right here in this place, is not his, then we are in danger!

But, if we are healthy, unified in every way, we are his and he will use us to glorify himself! 

t.s.: So, what are some takeaways? Let’s look at some Observations:

Conclusion:

1. We need a clear, concise method of sharing the gospel. A Gospel is reflected in the lives of the membership and a Gospel is shared through their ministry and mission. Sometimes, you only have a minute or two at a convenience store, or while waiting for your car to finish being repaired.
   1. One Verse Evangelism; Romans 6.23
   2. The Gospel in one minute; Remember the components of a Gospel Message?

Components of the Gospel Message:

• God is Holy.
• We are not. We are sinful. (Demonstrate by using a phone in between the hands.)
• Nothing we could ever do could remove the sin that separates us. So, God acted on our behalf.
• Good sent Jesus to die and pay the penalty for our sin.
• By trusting in what Christ has done, we can have our sins forgiven and the relationship we desire with God can be established.

2. Can you see how these other four characteristics are foundational to sharing the gospel? Humility, maturity, wisdom, servanthood? Can you see how a lack in any single one of these foundational characteristics can hamper your witness? Which one of these is your weakness is hindering your presentation of the Gospel to others? Is it Pride? Immaturity? Foolishness? Selfishness?
3. You need to take care of yourself. This last application is hard to share. It seems a bit rude and confrontational. I don’t mean to be rude – that isn’t my intention; however, confrontational? Yeah, I think I just need to speak the truth in love. Some of this stuff can be frustrating for a pastor. Why don’t we take care of ourselves? I’m serious! Studies have shown that people will not take care of themselves. They just don’t.

Ill.: An article in the Annals of Internal Medicine, published in 2014, presented a study on how Americans simply don’t take care of themselves. The Incidence and determinants of primary nonadherence with prescribed medication in primary care: a cohort study. I got this from Jordan Peterson – I don’t typically read medical journals! The article states that a full one-third of patients who are prescribed a medication won’t have the prescription filled. Of the remaining 67%, half of them will get the meds, but not take them correctly, at the prescribed time, or finish their proper course. Now, I’m not pointing fingers. I’m right in the midst of those who don’t have it filled or don’t take it correctly. If it wasn’t for my wife, I’m sure I’d be dead.

I think this statistic is probably pretty accurate for spiritual matters, too. God gives us prescriptions for life. You could call them commandments. But here is where I’m going with this: I look at these Characteristics (Humility, Wisdom, Maturity, Service) and I see so many lacking. Sometimes I identify a false humility, foolishness, and immaturity and I’m blown away that folks won’t listen. It’s like we think this is for everyone else, but not me. I’m better than that. I don’t need your prescriptions! Will you please, begin putting into practice the prescriptions for a healthy spiritual life?

Matt 7.24-27 – “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶ And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Which foundation are you building your life upon? Which foundation is the church being built upon? Let’s pray…

Mark 9.30-50

Title: The Picture of a True Disciple

Text: Mark 9.30-50

Introduction: Questions: What are we doing here? Stop! Maybe you’ve heard that question before, like in a Business Mtg or maybe in Bible Study. Well, it really boils down to a simple statement – something like, developing passionate followers of Christ for the Glory of God! We need something like that. I’m not suggesting that statement, but something like that – something that flows off the tongue easily and communicates a mission. Because really, what are we doing here?

Tarpley has a wonderful mission statement. It doesn’t flow and I changed it up just a little to make it easier for me to remember. The 3 G’s: Glory, Gospel, Grace.

Why am I mentioning this? Well, I think it’s time we turn our attention to getting ourselves organized. Clay, John, Robert – let’s meet and talk about this.

Now, look at the title of my message: The Picture of a True Disciple. It appears to me in this text, that Jesus was doing just that – developing passionate followers of Himself for His Father’s Glory.

Let’s take a moment and get some context, shall we? This passage is the 2^nd cycle of three we will see in this section of Mark. The parts to the cycle are simply these:

1. The Passion Prediction: Jesus will suffer and be mistreated by evil men; they will kill him, but 3 days later he will rise again.
2. A Zealous Response: Peter, John, James & John;
3. Teaching on True Discipleship – misunderstanding what following Jesus means, Jesus then teaches those with him what it means to be a true follower.

You might see it as:

1. You’re the Messiah.
2. You’re right and just so you know, this is what being the Messiah means.
3. You’re wrong, we don’t understand this new way of thinking, and by the way, we’re excited about what this means for us!
4. No, you’re wrong and if you want to follow me, then you won’t look like what you think I should be, but rather who I really am.

We see the 1^st cycle, which we covered in recent weeks

1. 8.31-9.1; the 2^nd in
2. 9.30-50; and the final cycle in
3. 10.32-45

Let me show you a couple of interesting similarities in this section which will add to our context: When you conclude this section in 10.45 – there is the story of Jesus healing a blind man, Blind Bartimaeus. I was curious to see if a miracle like this was a part of each cycle. Well, the answer is no; however, I did notice there was a healing of a blind man just before these cycles began, in 8.31, There is the story of Jesus healing a blind man in Bethsaida starting in 8.22.

My 1^st thought is to ask? Is this a coincidence or an accident? I don’t think so. So, I would bundle this all together in one section with the healing of a blind man serving as bookends.

There is another interesting similarity that adds strength to this idea. Luke brings this out in an undeniable way. He uses the phrase set his face toward Jerusalem. Mark’s reference here is a little more subtle, but very real just the same. Look at 8.27; on the way; we find it again in the 2^nd cycle in 9.33-34; on the way; we find it once again in the 3^rd cycle in 10.52, after he heals Bartimaeus; on the way; Chapter 11.1 they get to where they’re going – The Triumphal entry. They’ve been on their way to Jerusalem where Jesus will experience what he’s been trying to tell them.

That’s the big picture…

Transition: let’s zoom in now to this 2^nd cycle and cover all three steps in one fell swoop this morning in v 30-50…

What we see in this passage is what a true disciple of Jesus looks like…

A True Disciple is one who is…

exp.: rd v 30-32, Jesus is trying to keep their whereabouts unknown to the outside world so that he might be able to have a concentrated time of teaching. By the way – that is what discipleship is all about – this is what we do: teaching. Someone who commits his life to Christ is committed to learning everything he can about Christ and the life Christ wants him to live. Jesus teaches with his words and with his life. We’ll see that here… 1^st lesson for these men…A true disciple of Jesus is…

• He is self sacrificing – like Jesus. (30-32) He isn’t seeking his own way, but rather, is willing to lay down his life. Some of you may be wondering just how this differs from a disciple of Mohammed.

Ill.: This week I read in the News of a Palestinian attack that killed one young man and injured 2 others. It was a drive-by shooting that happened last May 2^nd. He was sentenced to life in prison for the death of this young Israeli student (Yehuda Guetta). Every week, it seems, Jews in Jerusalem and throughout Israel are targeted by Palestinians and other Arabs who live in Israel. These attacks are random and senseless.

App.: Well, those ‘disciples’ of Islam lay down their lives with the purpose of killing others. Jesus, however, calls us to lay down our lives so that others may live. That’s a big difference! The Sacrifice of Christ will save millions – maybe billions of lives. We’re called to do no less than be just like him. He’ll tell them this in v 35. 2^nd… a true disciple is one who …

• He isn’t seeking power or prestige. (33-35); in 33-35 Jesus asks them point blank what they’ve been discussing. Vs 34 uses a different word – argue; however, same word in Gk. Jesus has told them that he would suffer and be crucified. V 32 tells us that they just didn’t understand, but were afraid to ask. They then demonstrate that they don’t get it by arguing amongst themselves who is the greatest.

Illustration: in today’s society and in our culture – we’d be appalled at this. Oh, we’d still want to know, but we’d keep it on the down-low because we know people would frown at our behavior. It wasn’t necessarily so in their day. Paul demonstrates this for us in his final letter to the Corinthians. Boasting or bragging was a part of their culture and society. It gave them position and power. That’s why Paul apologizes for his boasting. Christian values are different than those of the world. It was then and it is now. Thankfully, Christianity has had an impact on our society for good. Most people wouldn’t know it, but that’s why we frown up boasting and bragging.

Jesus then illustrates this for them through a little child. We see that in v 35-37; taking him in his arms. Children weren’t thought very much of in those days. But here, Jesus takes the lowly and uses him to teach his disciples what he means when he says he must be last of all and servant of all.

t.s.: So, Jesus is teaching the disciples (and us) that a true follower of his is self-sacrificing and isn’t someone who seeks power or prestige. 3rdly,

• He isn’t jealous of others who serve in Jesus name. (38-40) rd 38-40; I don’t know why this one is so hard for us – maybe its just because we’re sinful creatures. I think of the two brothers, Cain and Abel. Why is it we don’t celebrate when one of our brothers or sisters is successful? Think on this for a moment: Do you ever find yourself wishing a particular person or group would fail? Have you ever sat watching someone be recognized for an achievement and you sat there in disbelief? Your group was far better, or did more or didn’t cheat! In our text, John seeks to impress Jesus with his zeal. But Jesus corrects John, just as he did Peter back in chapter 8. #4…
• He is concerned for the next generation of believers – to teach them correctly and not lead them astray. Rd v 42; v 41&v 42 go together; where 41 is aiding and helping believers, 42 is a word of warning against those who would hurt or harm them. The word sin here is σκανδαλίζω, and it is the word we get scandalize from. The idea is to cause someone to fall into sin. Some translation may say stumble – with the idea of causing someone to fall. To fall, to stumble is a euphemism for sin. The issue here is with the individual who would cause a believer to sin. And what Jesus says is that it would be better for that person if a great millstone were tied to his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

Illustration: picture of millstone I took this picture going into the old city of Jerusalem – the one from the time of Jesus, which is walled off. It would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea!

Ill.: Now I’m a sinner. I’m grateful for God’s mercy and grace in my life. And I know we all need God’s forgiveness. I think I have great mercy for people because I’ve needed great mercy. But, Can I say, that I detest three types of individuals: Those who hurt senior adults; those who run from or disobey the police; and those who hurt little children. You see that millstone? … That’s pretty harsh… Jesus is communicating to us how God feels about this – about our responsibility to care for and protect our little ones. #5

• He is committed to Christ as a living sacrifice – committing all of himself. Rd 43-48; his commitment to Christ is seen…
  • In what he does (hand)
  • In where he goes (foot)
  • In what he sees (eye)

Conclusion: This week, another pastor has resigned his position amid allegations of immorality. When I say allegations, it turns out those accusations were proven to be true. I watched a video released by the Elders of their church with the announcement to their membership. 2) Two weeks ago, 8 staff members resigned from a megachurch in Chattanooga. That pastor hasn’t resigned because he doesn’t have a leadership in place to force his resignation – so his people are quitting around him. Same accusations – adultery, immorality.)

These pastors are poor examples of what a true believer looks like. Here is the question: Either these men are believers and they’ve failed, they have rebelled against God, Or they are non-believers and are acting according to their natural inclinations.

And this is why church discipline is so vital to a church’s witness.

1. If they are truly lost and not saved, then their souls lie in the balance. Their eternal destiny is at stake.
2. If they’ve strayed, or fallen, and they repent and return to the Lord, the witness to the Grace of God is amazing.

Don’t miss the message: it isn’t that these sins are unforgivable. The Mercy and Grace of God is great! Take advantage of this incredible offer: forgiveness. And, how do you know someone has experienced that repentance? They get radical about turning away from those idols/things/self and turning to Jesus. Jesus is saying that we need to get radical in our repentance.

And, that radical behavioral change shows a life that is a true believer. It demonstrates outwardly what self-sacrifice truly means:

• When we are not self-seeking – looking for power and prestige;
• When we are not jealous of our brothers and sisters in Christ, but rejoice in their good fortune and blessings;
• When we offer a cup of water to drink to those in need;
• When we care for the least of these – the little ones and protect them from those who would lead them into sin;
• When we are committed to Christ fully with our lives – with every fiber of our being, then we are salty and effective.
• Then, we are true followers of Christ.

Let’s pray…

Mark 3.7-35

Title: Two Families

Text: Mark 3.7-35

Introduction: Another resignation from a leader this week. I’m guessing many of you saw Gov. Andrew Cuomo resign from his position as Governor of New York. Romans 13.1 says, Let every person be subject to the governing authorities… which becomes harder and harder when our leaders do their best to lead us astray. In Hebrews 13.17, it says of our religious leaders: Obey your leaders and submit to them. We concluded our study the last time we met in Mark 3.6 where we see the Religious Leaders behave in a corrupt fashion. Rd 3.6 – ⁶ The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

      We are in desperate need of leadership. We are in desperate need of good, strong, godly leaders. This morning we’ll look at the perfect leader, his success and his leadership in selecting leaders to continue his work. A clear picture will be presented of those who accept his authority and those who reject his authority; those who follow his leadership and those who reject his leadership.  

      Here is our short summary: Christ has just experienced this conspiracy by the Religious leaders to do away with him. And you and I know they will succeed in killing him. It is now time for Jesus to select his successors.

In our text today, we’ll see the Religious leaders plotting his death, and Jesus then flees to the sea (of Galilee). Undeterred, the crowds from everywhere follow him there. So great are these crowds, that Jesus has a boat ready so that he can get away from them lest they crush him. As David fled Saul, many followed him out into the desolate places. So, also many more will follow Jesus (7-12).

      Jesus leaves the seaside and goes up on a mountainside where he picks his 12 disciples. He calls those he desires and appoints 12 to the service of following him closely, preaching and having authority to cast out demons (13-19). In this listing, we meet Judas who is identified as the one who would betray Jesus. This is a reminder of the conspiracy the Pharisees and the Herodians are hatching.

      Jesus will leave there and make his way home with his new family. We see them in stark contrast to his birth family who comes to ‘seize’ him. He is evidently an embarrassment to them, for they think he has lost his mind. (20-21)

      In this passage today, Mark draws a firm line in the text to identify those who belong to Christ and those who are against him.  First, his family claims he is out of his mind. Then, the scribes claim he is demon possessed – a man with an unclean spirit. His family then makes another attempt to ‘seize’  him; standing outside, they call for him. But Jesus clarifies for us in the final verse who his family really is. (22-35)

This story can be broken down into three movements:

1. He withdraws to the Sea of Galilee (7) where he continues to have great success in ministry.
2. He takes his disciples up on a mountain (13) where he selects his 12 disciples to walk with him, preach his message and have authority to cast out demons.
3. He returns home (20) I suppose to Capernaum, where his family and the religious leaders will confront him. This last section is in the form of what David Helm, pastor of Christ Church in Chicago, calls a Markan Sandwich – family/leaders/family.

Chapter three will establish two groups for us:

1. The Insiders, those who accept Christ’s authority.
2. The Outsiders, those who reject Christ’s authority. (3.31-32, 4.11)

For the sake of simplicity, we’ll follow the following outline:

1. His Success in Ministry
2. His Successors to his Ministry
3. Public Opposition to his Ministry

Transition: Let’s take a closer look at…

I. His Success (7-12)

exp.: I think it is easy to miss where Mark is taking us when we get bogged down in any particular story; rd v 7; withdrew; Matthew 2.14; Joseph taking his family and fleeing Herod; 1 Samuel 19.10; David fleeing Saul’s missed throw of his spear. Joshua 8.15; a fleeing army; It sounds like Jesus is escaping danger. He goes to the sea; People from everywhere follow him there; So great are the crowds it describes him as possibly being crushed; rd v 9-11; Remember: this is the theme of Mark from the very beginning; “the Messianic Secret”

ill.: I want to take a moment to talk about ‘pictures’. I’ve refer to them quite often. God is so good to give us pictures, he gives us just a taste (if you will) of his character, of the Messiah, of end times, etc. He does this so that we will recognize that this is of God. Here is another great example. We can build on this Wednesday night. In the OT, we’re given snapshots of the Messiah in King David. Those flash before our minds as we read this story because of the action and the terminology we’re given. David flees Saul and many go out to him – the riff raff; 1 Samuel 22.2: ² And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

app.: I’m not sure we would catch this, but those of his readers, familiar with the OT stories of David and Saul might catch this. Many more go out to Christ; many more who are in distress and debt and bitter in soul. We don’t have time to cover this one little topic of what Scholars call “Types”. But remind me, and we’ll look at this more extensively on Wednesday night.

This is important because you might sit here today and think, “How do you know Jesus is the Messiah?” Or, maybe you have a family member or a friend who asks the same question. Answer: Types.

t.s.: So, we see his tremendous success in spite of the fact that he is out and away from the towns and villages; next, we see his successors.

II. His Successors (13-19)

exp.: rd v 13; He goes up a mountain; Consider Sinai and the formation of the 12 Tribes; Think ‘types’ again; Who went up on a mountain in the OT (and received the Law)? Moses. Moses is a type of Christ. He gives a picture of the future Messiah. Certain people are called to him; I understand this to be a much larger number than just the 12; from this group, he will select the 12; The 12 then, are appointed to three functions in 14f:

1. They might be with him – this is discipleship, pure and simple. We must get younger believers to walk with us to learn what it means to be a Christian. They ate with him, watched him pray, read the Scriptures and explain them; they observed his life.
2. They might preach his message – κηρύσσω; Proclaimed, announced, made known; We see John the Baptist doing this in chapter one and Jesus, also. 1.14-15; ¹⁴ Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
3. Have authority to cast out demons – I equate this w/ healing and restoration. They’re going to do what he has been doing through these first couple of chapters.

app.: these men will go out in 6.7ff just as they’ve been taught.

t.s.: In this 1^st section we’ve seen his followers, both the larger group and the smaller group (the 12); in this next section, we’ll see the opposition publicly malign Christ.

III. His Accusers and Their Accusations  (20-34)

exp.: This is where those opposed to him speak out against him publically; rd v 20; He goes home; lit.: a house; must be Capernaum; This is the home base, as we’ve seen, of his early ministry. **The crowd gathers so thick, that Jesus and his disciples can’t even eat – they can’t break bread together. This is due to his popularity and the great need of the people. But this is a reminder to me of all the negative information we get in this section. Check it out:

• A Conspiracy to destroy Jesus (6)
• Jesus flees to the desolate places in (7);
• So thick is the crowd and so desperate for Jesus are they that he orders a boat to be nearby lest he ‘crushed’ (9)
• Judas is identified as the betrayer in (19). Judas will join this conspiracy and play a major part in the death of Christ. This, I believe, is the first reference to his death.
• His family claims he is out of his mind (21)
• The Pharisees accuse him of being demon possessed (22, 30)

Here in v. 22-34, we see that famous Markan Sandwich I mentioned earlier; of accusations:

• His Family rejects his authority; rd v 21; Lunatic
• The Pharisees reject his authority; rd v 22; Demon possession; possessed by Beelzebub; I think of the father of lies; Liar; I read in one commentary that this is where C.S. Lewis gets his argument for Liar, Lunatic, Lord. I could find no evidence of that.

Jesus then teaches in parables; rd 23a. He calls the Pharisees to himself and tells them parables, explaining the Kingdom of God and those who are outside and those who are inside. He warns them of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

• His Family comes to retrieve their member, but are publicly rejected by Jesus;

t.s.: we’ve crossed a few troublesome passages this morning: Why did Jesus tell people (or demons) who knew who he was to keep it a secret? What really is Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and have you ever committed the unpardonable sin? In a moment, well see that Jesus was harsh to his family. Why does Jesus say these, what appear to be ‘mean’ statements? But instead of taking time to discuss these here, I will cover these questions this Wednesday night:

App.: I’ve said before and place great emphasis on this once again today: I’m not sure there is anything more important in the church than our relationships. Nothing. We’re family. We’re brothers and sisters in Christ. 1 Tim 5 Paul encouraged: 5 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

Application: So, what do I want you to take home with you today? One word: Relationships… In direct correlation to leadership. Jesus is the perfect Leader! He is developing leaders. He’s getting them ready to take things over because we’ve found out now in Mark, that the Religious Leaders want him dead and Judas will conspire with them to bring this about.

1. It is important to connect yourself to Christ (the perfect leader) and His spiritual family. And considering that…
   • Who do you need to be near or better yet, who needs to be near you? I love this terminology of proximity. Discipleship isn’t something that happens long distance. To be clear, I know that in some situations, that is what is happening out of necessity. Ex.: Muslims coming to Christ in foreign countries. But that is the exception. Who should you be calling to yourself, with the purpose and intention of discipleship?
   • How might you be preaching this same message as Christ? I ask this question because it is what they were doing. And your message must be the same. Lisa and I were discussing a phrase in Scripture last night, that is odd to the modern ear. Ferret those troublesome phrases, passages out together and absorb the Whole Counsel of God.
   • Are there people around you who need healing? Restoration? Exodus 19.5-6 – ⁵ Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; ⁶ and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” Jesus is, in a very real way, restoring this task to the people of God. That means, that’s your task and my task. Ask again: Are there people around you who need healing? Restoration?

How should we concern ourselves in light of the history of the Lycus Valley?

Introduction: This morning we’re in Colossians 4.13-16; Revelation 1.9-22; and 3.14-22; So, we’re done with Colossians. I thoroughly enjoyed going through Colossians. Pray for me and our church as I make plans for our next study. Sometimes, it can feel overwhelming.

Context: This is the 7^th and final letter to the 7  Churches in Asia Minor from the Apostle, John. Some folks view this letter in light of the other 7 letters as presented in dispensations. The term is Premillennial Dispensationalism. The idea is that each of these letters represents time periods in Church History. For example, the first letter represents the church from 30-100 AD. A time of struggle and growth. The 2^nd church represents the time period of 100-300 AD – a time of severe persecution. Etc.

Just FYI, I am not a dispensationalist. I see this letter written to a real church with real problems. That is how I will approach it this morning.

Read: Revelation 1.9-20; 3.14-22

Focus: Christ reproves this church (Laodicea) for relying on itself (17a) and thinking that it was doing so well because it was doing so well by worldly standards. His reproof was based on the reality that they were in bad shape (17b) and needed to rely on Him and not themselves and their ‘success’.

Need: We need to evaluate ourselves and insure that we’re not relying on ourselves in any way; but, rather relying totally on Christ. We need to observe the churches in the Lycus Valley when they started and how they ended up. Likewise, each church must not rely on its laurels, but rather continually seek to humble itself, totally relying on Christ.

History: of Laodicea; Hierapolis – 6 miles north; Colossae – 10 miles East/Southeast; looking from Laodicea Eastward and slightly south toward Colossae, the mountains rise in the distance to some 8,000 ft. These three cities were located in the Lycus Valley on the Lycus River in what is modern day Turkey. In those days, it was the region of Phrygia.

1. Hierapolis was famous for its hot springs – famous for medicinal purposes.
2. Colossae had cool springs to feed it’s city on the river.
3. Archeological evidence indicates that Laodicea received its water via a remarkable aqueduct system made of stone pipes. It was hot at the source, but would cool as it flowed some six miles to Laodicea, being lukewarm when it got to the city. The problem is that the water contained a “calcium carbonate content’ that resulted in the water being impure and emetic – thus it made them sick to their stomachs, and even caused vomiting.

We know very little to nothing of the church in Hierapolis; she is referenced in Col. 4.13, as is the church at Laodicea; we also know whose house they met in; & that they get another letter that Paul wrote. rd 4.13-16; A couple of interesting historical facts about Laodicea:

1. In Roman times, Laodicea was the wealthiest city in Phrygia. Their financial independence was renown; the region was hit by earthquakes from time to time; and in particular, there was an earthquake the decimated the city in 60 AD, when Nero was emperor; Nero had, what we would call “a stimulus package” that would help them rebuild their city, but according to Tacitus, they accepted none of it, choosing to take care of things themselves; And they were successful at rebuilding their city without Govt. Assistance.
2. This particular area in the Lycus Valley was fertile and with rich soil, producing a wonderful agricultural economy; they also had a type of ‘black sheep’ that grazed in the area and produced beautiful, black wool used in making garments.

Ill.: rd Bruce: pg 8; his relation to Bruce Demarest;

3. There was a banking system in Laodicea which was second to none. The Roman Statesman and Philosopher, Cicero, wrote of cashing his treasury bills there.
4. Laodicea was also famous for its Medical School. It boasted of famous teachers and produced special ointments for medicinal purposes. Most specifically, this school produced an ointment of spices for the ears and a salve for the eyes.

Some of this History is probably review for some of you. But, I wanted to give a brief history, and acknowledge some of their successes because, as you’ll see, it applies to our text in multiple ways. It also gives us an understanding of the pride these people had.

t.s.: For Convenience, I’ve divided my message up into two main points this morning. As we look at this letter, we see how Jesus confronts the Laodiceans for their Self-Reliance and then calls them to abandon that and begin to rely on their Savior.

I. Relying on One’s Self (3.15-17)

exp.: Rd v 14-16; I know your works; let me just say that ‘works’ in themselves will always be insufficient in and of themselves! They give a sense of satisfaction that is simply momentary. I hear Jesus saying to them: You’re just like the putrid water that comes to you through your fancy aqueduct, and so you sicken me. But what is it that sickens Him?

1. I grew up hearing that Christ was sickened by a ‘half-hearted’ commitment; Christ is demanding here an unwavering, or undying commitment (hot) or a complete turning away (cold).
2. A newer, more recent interpretation is also that the terms hot and cold and lukewarm represent the waters from the other towns – Hierapolis and Colossae. Whereas the cold referred to as totally abandoning Christ, here the cold is beneficial. I wish that you were beneficial to me, but you’re not!
3. So what is it? Jesus says in verse 15, I know your works. So, it must have something to do with the work they were doing as a congregation.

Ill.: GK Beale believes that all of the works listed in the previous churches’ letters deal with their witness. And so, that must be the ‘work’ Jesus is talking about (their witness). He says, here’s what you think: rd v 17a;

• You’re rich
• You have prospered
• You need nothing

But the reality is (rd 17b) that you’re:

• Wretched – appears one other time; Rom 7.24; who can save me?
• Pitiable – also appears one other time; 1 Cor 15.19;

Consider from WEBS: (Source unknown)

• If there is no Hell, then there is no punishment for sin, and
• if there is no punishment for sin, then God is not just and
• if God is not just, then we do not need a Savior, and
• if we don’t need a Savior, then Jesus died in vain and
• if Jesus died in vain then He was a fool and we of all men are to be pitied because we have placed our faith in someone who was not who He said He was and did not do what He said He could do and did not come for the reason He claimed to have come and cannot give us what He said He could give us.

I get the idea that someone who plays the game of Christianity is no better off than the fool who is to be pitied because he’s wasted his life.

• Poor – worthless; Gal 4.9; going back to slavery!
• Blind – No surprises here; τυφλὸς; I was blind, but now I see;
• Naked – nothing surprising here: exposed, open, nothing to cover with;

ill.: we see this ‘ultimate sign of being in sin’ back in Gen 3; I’m amazed that Gen 1-2 we see them ‘uncovered’ and yet it was all ok;

app.: Our minds struggle with how it was originally designed – in their purity; but in their sinful state, we see they needed to be covered; that’s the picture here of how we appear in reality before God when we chose our own self-reliance. We are like the emperor who had no clothes!

t.s.: But Christ calls them to no longer rely on their own self sufficiency and, instead, to

II. Relying on One’s Savior (3.18-20)

exp.: Look at his titles in v 14; These self-descriptions of Jesus are here to declare his faithfulness; you can trust him;

• Perfect Faithfulness; You can trust him! He offers:
  • Perfect Counsel (v 18)
    • Purchase:
      • Gold – so you can be rich; not relying on your own finances7
      • Clothes – so that you won’t be naked; white vs. black wool
      • Medicine – So that you can see! Not that ointment you produce, real healing!
  • Perfect Provision – ‘from me’; your provision is lacking, mine is perfect.
  • Perfect Love – (v 19) displayed in discipline & reproof; we understand this, as we teach our children, as we discipline (disciple) our children
  • Perfect Relationship (v 20);
    • He initiates
    • But you got to respond!

Conclusion: I want to give you a chance to respond today – as a church and as individuals. Invitation to come to Christ.

Take away:

• Self-Perception is critical in determining Self-Reliance. That is, How do you see yourself as an individual and as a church? Listen, I want to be proud of Tarpley. I want to have a sense of pride in my walk. I do! I want to hold my head high at the mention of this congregation. I want you to do the same. But, in that same breath, I want my pride to stem from our walk with Christ. these people saw themselves as perfectly sufficient to meet their own needs.

Humility is a difficult trait to master. False humility reaps its own rewards which neither satisfy the soul nor the Master. It is different than humiliation, which comes when pride is the trait behind the actions.

• Be careful when measuring success and blessing. Neither of these is truly visible with the naked eye. Don’t confuse beauty of facilities and numerical growth as blessings and success. And by all means, don’t measure your success by the earthly standards set when comparing yourself with other communities of faith. What you have in savings doesn’t mark your success or failure.

Passing on the Faith

Title: Passing On the Faith

Text: Psalm 78

Introduction:

Psalm 78 is a song about discipleship: passing on God’s mercy to our children. In times of duress and stress, it is so important that our Children know of God’s goodness.

There are times in our lives that we’re just like the people in the Bible: we walk away from what we know is best. We fail, we fall, we sin, we rebel. In those moments of disobedience, God will not bless us in our sin. I think that’s a hard and fast principle we could write down. God will not bless us in our sin and rebellion.

But we look at it differently, for some reason it seems God has abandoned us. And that just isn’t the case. There are numerous passages in the Psalms we could choose from to learn these principles. They’re often called Wisdom Psalms (1; 14; 37; 49; 53; 73; 78; 112; 119). Of these, we’ll be in Psalm 78 today.

I’ve chosen the 78^th Psalm because it had an impact on my purpose statement.

When I was in Seminary, from 90-94, I had a professor who challenged us to write out a purpose statement for our lives. He said that it might change some through the years, but that it would probably stay pretty consistent. I worked hard on the project and came up with the following:

I will strive with skillful hands to build and equip leaders

To accomplish the Great Commission

By being an example of service,

An effective communicator of God’s Word

And a faithful and loving husband and father

As I work daily to conform to the character of Christ.

That first part of the first line was inspired, I guess I should say, by Psalm 78.72. I read it in the NIV, which was my choice of Bible Versions in those years. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

Two parts: the heart and the hand. Now, there is a lot information in Scripture on these two parts the person. Let me ask you from Psalm 24:

  ³    Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?

And who shall stand in his holy place?  Answer:

⁴    He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not lift up his soul to what is false

and does not swear deceitfully.

⁵    He will receive blessing from the Lord

and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

The idea I think is two-fold: it’s who you are on the inside and what you do on the outside. This was David – a man after God’s own heart.

And now you see where I was going in this Psalm. In reviewing this recently, I was reminded of the purpose of the whole Psalm. So, what is the make-up of this whole Psalm? It ends with this statement about David and this two-fold dedication to the Lord and the Lord’s people. How did we get here? Remember: Context is King.

The Psalm is broken up into three main sections:

• God’s Call to Instruction and it’s purpose.    
• Israel’s Cycle of Rebellion.
• God’s Choosing: Rejection & Election

But there is one that expresses the need for discipleship and the goodness of God, in spite of our failures; Ps 78; look there with me…

I. God’s Call to Instruction (1-11)

exp.: I mentioned earlier that this is what is referred to as a Wisdom Psalm. Some scholars call it an Instructional Psalm. I think both terms work well because Wisdom is what you do with the instruction you’ve been given.

ill.: I was working on the hub that houses my breaks on a Subaru some decades ago. I called Grandaddy long distance to ask him about what I was doing. He asked where I was in the process and what I’d done. I told him and he told me to stop. If I did one more thing, the housing would fall out onto the ground in 78 different little pieces. Then, I’d never get it all back together without the help of a mechanic. Had he not stopped me, I’m sure I would have destroyed that housing unit and it would have cost me a fortune to get it all fixed.

Now, it’s one thing to act in ignorance, but another to act with knowledge. I would say I acted wisely and left that housing unit alone! Wisdom is what you do with the knowledge you have.

exp.: if you think about it, foolishness is the same equation: What if I told Granddaddy to take a hike and then proceeded to destroy the housing? That would have been foolish. It all comes down to what you do with the instruction – the knowledge.

app.: That’s what this Psalm is all about. Acting wisely with the information you receive.

Exp.: rd v 1; this is the call to wisdom and instruction; rd v 2-4; Let us teach our children of God’s goodness and grace in order that they might trust him and walk with him, too. So, there is the call, then there is the purpose behind the call. That’s clarified even further in v 5-8; rd 5-8; v 7 – so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; Derek Kidner calls this a “three chord strand of faith”:

1. The Heart – A deep abiding personal Trust in God.
2. The Mind – never forgetting the works of God; Informed thinking.
3. The Will – An exercised and obedient will – lived out before others.

AND, this is what the Israelites did not do! A three-chord strand of faithlessness: stubborn and rebellious actions (failure to obey), a heart not steadfast (forgetful) and a spirit not faithful to God (and faithless).

Truth: This life that is lived out is what is taught to the younger generation. I think what has hurt us – those of us 55 and older – this is why for many of us, our children don’t want to have anything to do with church or God. What has hurt us is that our teaching hasn’t matched the experience of the younger generation. This younger generation – millennials, they don’t want to hear it, they want to see it. And what they hear doesn’t match what they see.

Personal Question: Do my children and my grandchildren know about God’s Call on my life? Where I was, what he brought me out of? Do they know of His miraculous provision in times of struggle – how he answered prayer in time of need? The time we prayed for a car or money to buy one because we needed it? At Nahalem where God provided miraculously for our mission.

t.s.: Indeed, this is what happened with Israel; and from verse 9 down through v66, the Psalm teaches about the foolishness of the Israelites who rejected God’s Word (9-11) and their forgetfulness, failing remember God’s Works.

II. Israel’s Cycle of Rebellion (12-66)

exp.: In all of these verses – and we won’t read them all – we see God’s Faithfulness on display in spite of Israel’s Failures; This is much of what we see in Acts 8, where Stephen recites the failures of Israel and accuses the current Israelites of being no different. What happens now is the writer preaches a sermon from history (12-32).

• The Miracles from God are Forgotten: 12-16; note “He did”; mark down everything God did for them;
• Their Rebellion is expressed through Grumbling and Complaining: 17-20; note “they did”; that’s foolishness; these people just can’t be happy with what God has done for them.
• God’s Anger is poured out on their unbelief: 21-31; just as faith and trust are displayed through behavior, so is unbelief; ‘therefore’; his wrath was stirred, and “he commanded”, “he rained”, “he caused”
• Their repentance was meaningless and short-lived: 32-39; 40 is a transitional verse to the next section; like a good sermon, there are examples:
  •  

app.: Repetition of Ingratitude: a cycle continues of God’s blessings, how they forget God’s and his Work and choose to sin and rebel and grumble and complain.

• In the Wilderness
• In the Promised Land

t.s.: God’s Call to Instruction; Israel’s Cycle of Rebellion; God’s Choosing: Election & Rejection;

III. God’s Choosing: Rejection and Election (67-72)

exp.: He rejects Israel, the Northern Kingdom; He chooses Judah, the Southern Kingdom; He establishes the Sanctuary in Jerusalem; and, He chooses and establishes the throne of David; the last 3 verses are all about David; it is these last three verses that I’d like to spend the rest of our time on:

1. His Calling: rd 70; His calling is found in 1 Samuel 16; Samuel travels to Bethlehem to visit Jesse. He goes there to find a king – a new king to replace Saul. Jesse’s sons are paraded before Samuel. The first son appears, and Samuel is impressed.

Picking up in v5; And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶ When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” ⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

The rest of the boys are seen by Samuel, but God chooses none of them. It turned out that the youngest was out working with Sheep.

¹¹ Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” ¹² And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” ¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.

Our text in Psalm 78 reads: He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; ⁷¹from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance.

2. His Experience: I love that God used his experience as a shepherd throughout his life to make him the leader he was.

ill.:  In the next chapter there in 1 Samuel, David faces Goliath. When Saul asks him about facing this giant, David takes Saul into his Game Room. Do you guys in the Hill Country know what a Game Room is? I’m talking about a man cave where a man has put all of his trophy deer and elk and whatnot!

David took Saul and showed him his stuffed lion. He also showed him his stuffed Bear. 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.”

3. David took those skills and shepherded the people of Israel. He defended them. He led them. He loved them. He did so, it reads, with and upright heart and a skillful hand.

app.: he appears to be an example of the person God is calling his people to be. He is an example of who the Messiah would be.

t.s.: And that’s why instruction is so important – it gives us the foundation we need to trust our God in all things. It points others to Christ.

So, what are our take-a-ways this morning – Conclusion:

1. God has always been good! His mercy endures forever! This needs to be taught and passed on.
   1. As a church – that’s my job and what we’re doing here this morning.
   1. As individuals – Our failure begins when we forget the miracles of God! His Provision; His Care; His Tenderness; With this in mind, let me ask…
2. What has God done in your life that you’d testify to?
   1. As a church?
   1. As an individual?
   1. What prayers has he answered that communicate his goodness and grace? That needs to be taught and passed on to the next Generation.
   1. Can I ask, may I be so bold as to ask: Instead of a testimony of the glories of God, do we pass on Murmurs of Unrest? Do we grumble and complain?
3. Do you have any monuments to God in your home or yard or office? A rock, a chair, a memento from camp, a book? etc.
   1. These are great reminders for us. In those tough times, we remember when God brought us through. We must not forget the miracles of God!
   1. These are great testimonies to others.
   1. We must be careful not to make them idols…
4. The Lord’s Supper is a great example for us…

Romans 8.28

Title: Our Hope in Suffering

Text: Romans 8.28

Introduction: Joseph; all things seemed bad; actually, they didn’t just seem bad; they were bad; they were actually very bad; Consider:

• His brothers hated him. Most of them wanted him dead.
• They didn’t kill him, but they made his father think that he was dead.
• They sold him into slavery. Human trafficking.
• Purchased by Potiphar to serve in his household.
• Falsely accused of rape – or attempted rape.
• Thrown in prison and forgotten.

When Jacob had died, his brothers got scairt! They knew their deeds had been wrong. They feared for their lives. They said: rah-ro! Now that dad is gone, Joseph might want to repay us the evil we did to him. So they concocted a story – it might be true, but I’m not so sure it is. “Hey Joseph, Dad said that you should forgive us for the evil we did to you.”

But Joseph was very insightful and said: “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? ²⁰ As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Here’s an interesting understanding of God’s activity and our activity. I don’t fully understand it all, but I see it here very clearly: God is at work accomplishing his will, his purpose, his plan. And somehow, he does that through our actions in life.

God took all of the bad things that happened to Joseph – which were the result of this brothers’ evil toward him – and worked it for the Good. God had intention in their actions.

That’s deep!

Joseph’s story is a great illustration of our text: And we know that, for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

I love this verse (Romans 8.28). But I do worry that too many believers take a popular verse like this and apply it to their liking outside of its framed context. This is a real Danger for us. Not just for this verse, but for any verse, really… As we journey into this message and take a closer, deeper look at this verse, I want you to consider right now, that you’re seeing a caution sign. Caution: Don’t take this verse out of context. But maybe that isn’t strong enough. Maybe our sign should read Danger: Don’t take this verse of out of context.

Note: 2 parts – Sovereignty and the Free Will of Men & Context of Suffering

And speaking of context, the context for Romans 8 has not changed; the overall arching context of our passage is suffering. He hasn’t dwelt on suffering, but that is the context. The theme or the topic is the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit’s activity in the life of a believer. Paul is writing about certain people and that really comes out in the next couple of verses. Note how many times it says: for those who or those whom. 6x’s! And just who are these those? It is those who love God, those who have been called according to his purpose. If you go back a verse, to 27, you see the Holy Spirit intercedes for these same people in accordance with God’s Will, in accordance with His purpose.

This presupposes a relationship. I would like to stop right there and save this discussion for next week. For now, I want you to know that there is a special relationship between God and his people. Now, even though we won’t discuss them until next week, we need to remember that “those” people are who this verse applies to.

 

Our verse is 8.28: ²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

This morning I simply want to look at this short phrase (all things work together for good) and talk to you about what we know because of whom we know. We are God’s and with that knowledge of him, we experience confidence. It comes back to the old adage: It’s not what you know, but whom you know!

It says in v.²⁸ And we know (perceive; not experiential); in the original language of Gk there are these two different words for what we translate ‘know’. Other languages differentiate between these two understandings of this word. English, not so much. One word is γινώσκω and it is experiential knowledge. The other word is οἶδα and it means to perceive something.

Ill.: let’s say a boy is watching his dad hammer in a nail. The dad misses the nail and hits his thumb. The dad now knows by experience that when you hammer in a nail and miss the nail and hit your thumb, it hurts. That’s the word γινώσκω. The son, who is watching, he’s never hit his thumb with a nail. But, he’s watching closely and he sees his father’s reaction. He hears his father cry out. He sees his father recoil;  he grabs his thumb; he drops his hammer. The boy percieves his father’s pain. He knows (oida) that if you hit your thumb with a hammer it will hurt.

Paul writes: We know (we perceive) that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Because we know God, we can be confident that all things work together for good. But what if it doesn’t seem like it at the time? all things work together for good… Listen you can have confidence that just like Joseph, God is working his plan, just as he did for the people of Israel.

1. πάντα: all things
2. συνεργεῖ: work together
3. εἰς ἀγαθόν: for good

How do you think we would live if we truly believed that God was sovereign? Some of you are getting scared! You’ve heard these verses and predestination, foreknowledge, election, and calling, those terms scare you. But don’t be. This is just a simple question: How would we live if we truly believed that God was in control of this world, even down to the bottom of our lives?

Would financial distress scare you? Would sickness, illness or even death scare you?

I read a story this week about some folks, some Moravian Christians, who were traveling on a ship sometime in the 1740s. They had gathered for worship on deck when a storm swirled up out of nowhere. The story goes that the storm wreaked havoc and many aboard the ship thought they would die. That is to say, many on board with the exception this small group of Christians who had gathered for worship. They just kept singing and worshipping. As the storm raged, they worshipped. One observer was amazed as he watched what he thought would be his last moments on earth, this band of believers singing without a care in the world.

As the storm subsided, these worshippers finished their time together. The young man who was observing them couldn’t help but stop and ask some who passed by him: Weren’t you scared? Weren’t you terrified during the storm? They calmly answered him: No. He pressed them: What about the women and the children? Weren’t they afraid? One of them stepped forward and said: No, our women and children are not afraid to die.

That astonished the Englishman and it stayed with him for days. He would later identify that moment as one crucial step in his becoming a Christian. By the way, the Englishman? John Wesley.

I often wonder at how my theology has affected my witness and how my witness has affected other non-believers observing my life and my struggle.

You see, I ask this question about God’s Sovereignty, but not as a preacher. I ask this question out of my personal experience. Most of you know my brother’s wife passed away from her struggle with cancer. But did you know that my biological mother passed away on Thursday? As I reflect on my life, I’ve got a bunch of questions that flood my mind. But not about God! And I don’t doubt or worry about what God has done and is doing.

Now, how is it that Christians can behave in a manner that doesn’t fit with their suffering? How is it that believers respond to suffering, death and what appears to be chaos in this world with total confidence? Like the Moravian believers on the ship? It is because … look at v 28… it is because we know that for those who love God … he works all things together for good.

We know… contrast this with what we saw in v 26; ²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. We may not know what to pray, but what we do know is that God is at work, working all things together for good.

Let’s take a moment and look at these word pairs:

1. πάντα: all things
2. συνεργεῖ: work together
3. εἰς ἀγαθόν: for good

Even when we don’t know a lot about what is going on in this life, we still know that God is working all things together for good…

These two words in English, all and things, are really one word in the Gk. ‘Things’ is added to complete a thought expressed in the Greek, but not really communicated in English. The idea is that God is taking the totality of your life and doing something special with it. Let that sink in for a moment.

Ill.: The idea is that God is taking the totality of your life and doing something special with it. Have you ever thought about that? The good, the bad, the ugly… all things. Those mistakes you made? God is using them, too. Those poor choices you’ve made – let’s just call it what it is: sin. When you sinned against God and rebelled against his desires and commands – well, God is using those situations and circumstances for his glory and he’s working it out for the good.

Do you see those 2^nd set of words: working together…

These two words in English, working and together, are also one word in the Gk. This Gk word is the word from which we get our English word: synergy. Syn (συν): with; and εργός: work.

Ill.: As you guys know, this past week I was in Arizona to be with my brother who lost his wife. My job was to be there for him. So, I did my best to be available when I was needed. During this time, two people made theological statements. Their intentions were to encourage the family. These remarks were in passing and I don’t think they meant any harm. But these two people, really nice people made statements about God that just are not true.

I didn’t say anything. It wasn’t my place and I know these people had good intentions. But this is what crossed my mind: Sound, healthy doctrine is important. I can’t tell you why bad things happen to good people and what God’s purposes are in all matters. I don’t know why some people get cancer and die and other people get cancer and live. I don’t why a tornado hits a neighborhood and one house is demolished and the other house is untouched. I don’t know why two people make the same bad decision and experience two different outcomes. But I do know that God is at work in your life. And I know enough to tell you not to tally up your points halfway through the game of life. All things not just some things, all things work together for good.

This is what we know as Christians: God is working all things together… for good…

All things: the good and the bad, the expected and the unexpected, the suffering and the rejoicing, in laughter and in pain – those experiences; God is working all things together for good.

When I was on sabbatical, I read a few leadership biographies and autobiographies. One man I enjoyed reading about was Harry Truman. What I didn’t know about him was his sense of humor. He tells the story of a man who was hit on the head and the people took him for dead. This tells you how old the story is! He was picked up by the undertaker and taken to the funeral home. He woke up in the middle of the night and sat up in his coffin. He looked around and said, “Good night! What’s going on? If I’m alive then why am I in a coffin. And if I’m dead, why do I have to go to the bathroom so bad!”

Don’t judge what God is doing in your life in just one moment of your life. Because if you try, the totality of it all will not make sense.

Friday I got a call that my biological mother passed away. I knew this day would one day come. I mentioned it to Lisa when we talked through some decisions I had to make years ago. Let me explain.

I was abandoned by my mother at a young age. I don’t know the whole story because I was just a baby. There are six of us kids who share the same mom and I think they would all agree with me that her decisions and the decisions of our fathers really messed us up.

Now, I’m an external processor and I’m not trying to process this in front of you. The pulpit isn’t a place to do that. And, I don’t want to go into all of the gory details that have created this man of dysfunction that you’ve come to know and love. But I want you to know a little, so what I say will make sense.

As a young man, my biological mother blamed me for her messed up life – like it was my fault she did this and did that. As with all of her children, each of us was made to feel like we somehow were the cause of her failures. I abandoned that line of thinking and made the conscious decision to not put myself in harm’s way ever again. So, I’ve not spoken to my mom in decades. That was my decision. And she made it easy because she never called me. The last time we spoke, I called her. She wrote me two letters in my life. Once when I 18 years old and once when I was 50. I saw her at my grandmother’s funeral, which was about that same time (the 1990s).

So I get this phone call Friday morning that she has died and I look at this wake of destruction in the life of so many people. I’ve heard that she was going to church regularly these past few years. I’m glad. I can’t say this morning that she was or wasn’t a believer because I don’t know. I’ll probably hear some good stories in the days and weeks to come.

I’m reminded of a funeral I did for a woman in my church in Worland. It was probably my first funeral there. Rowena was in her 90’s. I’d know her for a very short period of time, but I what I knew of her was that she loved the Lord. She prayed for me regularly. She was reading her Bible and studying her Sunday School Lesson when she died. At the funeral, I told of my experience with her and stories other church members shared. I told people how much Rowena loved me, loved the church and how much I was going to miss her.

But after the service, her daughter approached me and told me that she didn’t know that woman. The woman she knew was not a believer and had left a wake of destruction in her life.

As I reflect on that, I remember now hearing stories about my Nana from her younger years. She, too, had made many poor decisions and hurt many people. I imagine some of my dysfunction can be traced back to her decisions. But that isn’t the woman I knew. The woman I knew read the Bible with me every night I was with her. She would rise early and make me a hot breakfast – always, a hot breakfast. Cold Cereal was for Saturday mornings and late night snacks. After she fixed breakfast, she would enjoy a cup of coffee and read her Bible. That’s the woman I remember.

So what I say to you today isn’t just some mantra I repeat that gets me through the tough times. It isn’t just some cliché I throw out with no feeling. This statement is a fact of my life. All things work together for good, for those who love God, who’ve been called according to his purpose.

Let me offer some take-a-ways:

1. All things: Consider Joseph’s life, what a mess! Some might consider that he brought some of his struggles upon himself! He shouldn’t have been so arrogant toward his brothers or his parents. Bad things happened, and no matter who is responsible for those struggles, those experiences all work together for good.

Some of you might be thinking that I just don’t know all of the bad stuff in your life. I don’t have to! We hide that stuff well, don’t we? Our dysfunction? Our Sin? Our rebellion?

• Some kid might say to you, ‘Dad, you got mom pregnant and then married her.’ Who are you to lecture me?
• Or Mom, you were living with dad and you weren’t even married.’ You have no right to…
• Or, ‘I remember when you stole that stuff.’
• You used to smoke. Or cuss, or… .fill in the blank.
• Your life hasn’t always been a model example of what a Christian is.

Listen, that’s what Grace is for. Tell those who know you best: Yes, Yes, and Yes. I did do that. I was that man. I was that woman. But it isn’t the gory stuff I want you to focus, but rather the grace of God that forgave this pitiful, wretched person.

You may not see it. You may not even be able to comprehend it. But God is working all things!

2. Working together: Unless you’re dead this morning, your story is still being written. And if you’re dead, please let one of the ushers know. They might just think you’re sleeping through my sermon. Listen, your story is still being written. Don’t write it off! Let God do his work in and through you.

If you’ve messed up, own up to it. Confess it. Let it be an example of God’s incredible, amazing Grace! And then, trust that God is going to use, not just that experience, but the totality of your life to work all things for the good. This moment might be a struggle, but it will pass. Trust that this is one chapter of God’s book about you for his glory.

3. For good: even when it seems it is so bad. There will be tears. There will be pain. There will be sorrow. Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Whatever you’re going through, hang in there. And then we come to these last words…

4. For those: Who are the ‘those’ in this passage? Well, it is a topic I’d like to visit next week. But in short, it is those who love the Lord. Those whose lives have been committed to him.

• If you’ve never done that, I want to give you the chance.
• Maybe you just need prayer.
• Maybe you feel the Lord’s calling on your life.
• Maybe you’re interested in joining the church. We have a new member’s class scheduled for the 17th of May.

Nehemiah 8

Title: The Word of God at Work in the People of God

Text: Nehemiah 8.1-18

CIT: Ezra reads the Law of Moses and it greatly impacts the lives of God’s people.

CIS: if we believe the Word of God is power and effective, then we’ll demonstrate that truth with our actions by allowing it to dictate our existence.

Introduction: How does one really determine the importance of God’s Word in affecting one’s actions? Is God’s Word important? Is God’s Word important to you? If so, how important? Do you wake up on Sunday morning with an excitement about gathering together with God’s people to hear his Word and obey? For me, I’ve been blessed. Because of my position in the church, Lisa took it upon herself to get the kids ready and to let me worry about myself. Oh, sure, there were Saturday nights when I would be a part of getting things ready – but that was more rare than regular. I didn’t worry about kids eating or what they’d wear. Mom took care of that. She did everything so that I could focus upon my task as a pastor or staff member. For the most part, we didn’t even travel together. That’s what a 2^nd car was for. But that isn’t the way it is with most families.

Tony Payne in his book, How to Walk into Church, writes:

I exit the car, usually with a wife and various kids in tow, an amble in the front door, tossing off a quick greeting to whomever is handing out the folded sheets of paper that in church-speak are called ‘bulletins.’

After a quick scan of the seating situation – who has already parked themselves where, who I might want to avoid and so on – I chose a spot not too near the front and sidle into the chosen row, smiling feebly at the person sitting on the other side of the seat that I’ve politely left vacant between us.

I wonder what it is like for most families. Is it like the experience Payne writes about when he and his wife had 5 kids – all under the age of 12: After a week of long days and short sleeps, followed by the chaos of getting everyone out the door on a Sunday morning, and culminating in a circus of noise and infighting in the car, I didn’t really walk into church. It was more of a stagger, followed by a semi-collapse into a seat, followed by lengthy periods of zoning out.

Maybe it isn’t like that at all for you. Maybe you’re more of a strategist. This is what you do. 1, 2, 3, 4 – checked it off my list. Now, to my next task on the agenda. Again, that wasn’t and isn’t me. I’ve been truly blessed. But, I digress. Let’s get back to the question at hand: How does one really determine the importance of God’s Word in affecting one’s actions? Is God’s Word important? If so, how important? How does it impact your day – your Sunday? Does it touch even the way you walk into church?

Today’s passage is all about a people who wanted to hear and learn of God’s Word. We’re in Nehemiah 8. Thank you, Clay, for reading this passage for us this morning. I would say there are three main sections to this chapter:

1. Ezra, while being flanked by other leaders, reads the Law of God at the request of the people who’ve gathered in the city. These people give their full attention to its reading. Ezra has the help of certain Levites who give the sense of God’s law so that the people clearly understand this teaching.
2. The people of God then demonstrate their understanding of the Law of God when they begin to weep at hearing the words of the Law. The leaders then command them to stop their weeping and to rejoice, for this is a day set apart for the Lord. Furthermore, the people of God “went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.”
3. This understanding is further demonstrated as they celebrate the Feast of Booths according to the commandment of Moses. Nehemiah even references those Scriptures.

I’ve outlined it into two main points:

1. The Request of the People of God Concerning the Law of God (1-8)
2. The Response of the People of God to the Law of God (9-18)
   1. Obedience – their actions fall into line with what they’ve learned.
   2. Observance – practicing the holy day as it has been designed in Scripture.

 

Transition: let’s begin with the 1^st main point in v1-8…

1.      The Request of the People of God Concerning the Law of God (1-8)

exp.: rd v 1; this, I find interesting. Let’s look at the actions of these people.

1. All the people gathered as one man… that’s a picture of the church; synagogue means to gather together with. I love the intentionality of this action. I’ve never seen this in the American church. I think this would describe the churches I’ve experienced overseas. You could argue that these are missionaries I’m talking about. They’re working overseas. They’re holier than most of us – maybe so. But should we expect less of ourselves?
2. They told Ezra to bring the Book of the Law of Moses. The Leaders aren’t organizing this from what we can gather. So, Ezra agrees – this is a good thing. And he reads. Look at v 3;
3. They are attentive. They’re giving their full attention to what God has to say. Rd v 4a
4. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. This is important to them. Let’s set this up so we can all hear. Build a platform! Notice, this isn’t in the Temple. You might think that the Temple would be a better place. Not if you understood how the Temple works. The men and the women and the children can’t stand together. It’s just different. They do not want to sacrifice animals here. That happens at the Temple. They just want to hear God’s Word – so, they construct a platform for this occasion. The rest of v. 4 tells us who was on his right and who was on his left. Look at what the people do next. Rd v 5;
5. All the people stood as the book is opened. I love that. You’ve experienced it before I’m sure. Ezra steps up onto the platform. The people are murmuring, but it dies down. He opens the book, a scroll, I’m sure. The people are standing. Wow… rd v 6;
6. All the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. What an incredible moment for these people!

ill.: I’m sure they’ve dreamed of this day for their entire lives. And, as God has answered their prayers and kept His promises, they are eyewitness to this moment. It’s humbling and awe-inspiring all at the same moment.

app.: the people are active in this whole process.

t.s.: And it doesn’t change once they hear what God has instructed them to do… which brings us to the 2^nd part of this passage;

2.     The Response of the People of God to the Law of God (9-18)

exp.: rd v 8-9; here we see a 7^th action from the people;

7. All the people wept as they heard the words of the Law; I’m sure the weeping is varied. Thousands of people are there and each one encountering the Words of God for the 1^st There is shame; there is conviction; there is awe; this is an incredible moment – a moment which has culminated over decades of separation. A torn down, burnt up city and Temple – now restored. A wall, and gates and doors in place. But the leadership is telling them not to weep and mourn. This isn’t that time! No, this is a holy day to the Lord. Eat, drink and be merry! Rd v 12
8. And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. They’re being obedient to what they’ve heard.

• They Obey the Word of the Lord: there are some famous verses in this chapter; v 8; v 10; but v 12 moves me; They hear; They understand; They obey.

Now, that must have been a joyous day and even into the evening. I picture God’s pleasure at his people in celebration. That’s what our time of worship should be. That is what our times of fellowship should be – something that brings our Father pleasure. But the day ends and the heads of the households want to know more; so they come together to learn from God’s Word in v 13-14, and they find that this timing is perfect for a time set apart for celebration: The Festival of Booths. The passage is referenced in v 15; rd v 15b; “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.” They get this from Leviticus 23 & Deuteronomy 16.

This is how I picture this happening. You see Neh 8.2: on the first day of the seventh month. It is now day two and they’re learning about what God requires of them to be and do. In their studies they read about the three yearly requirements and come across Lev. 23.39ff: ³⁹ “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. ⁴⁰ And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. ⁴¹ You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. ⁴² You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, ⁴³ that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” Someone notes that this is the 2^nd day of the 7^th month (v13) and says: Hey, that’s only two weeks away. Can we pull this off? Ah, yeah! Let’s do this! They see the requirement. They note the day and realize that they can do this.

V 16-18 tells us they did just that…

• They Observe the Festival of Booths as prescribed in the Law.

Conclusion: So, what can we learn from this?

Q.: Is this passage a prescription for us or a description for us? Should we require all people to stand when the Word of God is read? In short, no. It would be nice. We could begin the practice. But not because it is prescribe in Scripture this way. This isn’t a commandment for us. But it would be nice. I do believe that there is a principle here: The author wants his readers to identify the Word of God as the authority by which we must live our lives.

In light of this truth and in light of our comprehension of this truth (God’s Word is the authority for our lives) then what must we do about this?

Application:

1. If God’s word is to accomplish its primary purpose in our lives,
   1. A sense of expectancy should mark our approach to reading and studying it, and
   2. A positive response to apply it to our daily lives must be required.

Let’s expound on these two truths. If these two statements are indeed true, then how should it affect the way you walk into these facilities on Sunday morning?

2. How to enter the church facilities on Sunday morning: Re-phrase: how do YOU enter?
   1. Pray about where to sit. That’s right. Some of you might think there is assigned seating. That’s a joke. May I press you on this?
      1. If God is Sovereign, and you’re totally surrendered to Him, then you must believe He has a message for you. Where is the absolute best place for you to sit and be free from distractions and be able to hear? Is sitting next to your friends really the best place or the most comfortable? What about taking notes?
      2. If God is Sovereign, and you’re totally surrendered to him, then you must believe that he has brought others here for that same reason. If that is true, might God want you to sit near someone who needs encouragement? A guest who needs to be shown the ropes (where are the restrooms, where is the nursery, to share your Bible if they don’t have one, maybe you bring two Bibles – your big one and a tiny one in your purse or pocket); A mother who needs help with her child(ren); She’s here to hear and do God’s Word – so are her children. What is God doing there in her little family?
      3. If God is the one and only true God, then you must believe there is nothing more important in this week than gathering together with others who believe the same thing – who’ve come to hear a Word from Him. You’re an encouragement to them when you’re here – in the way you worship, when you sing robustly (I’m not saying sing so loud you disrupt others – this isn’t the place to show off your singing lessons – or your lack of them!) but when you pour yourself – body, mind and spirit – into worship, you encourage others. Your note taking encourages others. Using your Bible encourages other people.

2.   Pray for those who are sitting by you.

1. This Body has been assembled by God. He has called us out of the world to gather together. It is important to him. Tony Payne, in his book How to Walk into Church writes: “We’re walking into a gathering that God himself has called together, as part of his majestic plan to save and gather his people around the Lord Jesus Christ.”
2. The picture we see in this text is Men, Women, and others who are old enough to understand gathered to a place to hear God’s Word. We see leaders, gathered around the reading of God’s Word. We see teachers expounding on what has been read so that those gathered can get the sense of the reading. This is the Body at work.

 

¹⁶ So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. ¹⁷ And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. ¹⁸ And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.

 

 

What’s in a Word?

Title: What’s in a Word

Text: Luke 1.37-38

Introduction: The year came to an end. The holiday season is over. New Year’s resolutions have been set. Or, not! Maybe, you’re thinking this through still, wondering if you even need a New Year’s resolution. Each year or two I find a verse that moves me and I make it a focal verse for that season of my life. Hardly ever does it happen on January 1^st! My most recent verse was Jn 4.34: ³⁴ Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. It started with a fast, but became a point of focus for me in ministry. Lisa shared something with me last week that got me to thinking about my focus and what God is doing in my life.

I’ve shared with you before that my greatest spiritual gift is hindsight! Well, Lisa shared with me an article by John McGee entitled: Two Guiding Words for Pastors. His two words come from reflecting on his past – hindsight. I’d like to share it with you this morning.            John writes:

I’ve always been intrigued by people who say they have a word for the year. You know the people I’m talking about – every year they have some big action word like “excellence” or “expansion” to guide their year. When I hear someone talk like this, I always feel left out because I don’t have a word for the year, and worse, I’m not even sure where to go if I wanted one. I’ve wondered if there’s a book of power words that I don’t know about, an unlisted blog they’re reading that I can’t find, or a Twitter account that spits out these words so people can pretend they came up with them to impress the rest of us.

Unfortunately, I’m still on the outside looking in when it comes to this phenomenon, but over the last year I’ve felt impressed to try and be two things: faithful and helpful. When I think about being faithful I think about Luke 16:10 and being faithful in little things first. Being helpful is along the lines of 1 Peter 4:10 where I’m supposed to use whatever gifts I have to help others.

Faithful and helpful don’t seem nearly as powerful as some of the other words I’ve seen others order their lives around, but it’s been an incredible benefit to keep both in the forefront of my mind.

Now this got me to thinking about my verses – that often keep me grounded, focused. One year, I found a manta that I would repeat over and over and over again. It was during one of the most difficult years of my ministry: Relentless Forward Progress. I don’t remember the verse that went with it, but I remember the phrase. I got it from my running experiences. Don’t stop. Walk if you have to do so, but don’t stop. Relentless forward progress. I cannot tell you how much this mantra helped me through that very tough year.

Now, for John, in his article, he makes it clear that he didn’t come upon these words first and then try to mold his life around them. But, after noticing them, began to focus upon them – using them for direction and guidance.

Listen to how these words offered him some guidance:

Here are few things I’ve noticed as I’ve pursued faithfulness and helpfulness:

• When I’m simply trying to be faithful, I find I don’t worry about “How many were there?” I find I sleep better, regardless of numbers.
• I’m more creative. I find as I pursue faithfulness that I don’t worry about numbers and success. This gives me more brain space, and new thoughts, illustrations, and ideas seem to flow.
• It has helped me slow down. When I don’t have to generate endless activity in an attempt to prove my significance, I can simply give myself fully to the things that God seems to have given me to do rather than always asking, “What’s next?”
• It has freed me from trying to be significant. When I’m trying to be helpful, I don’t have to impress people; I can simply look for ways to serve them.
• I’m present with others. When I’m trying to be helpful to someone, I can be fully engaged. I don’t have to worry about impacting them, and I’m free to simply help them.

Trying to be faithful and helpful is freeing me from striving for significance. If I’m striving for significance, I ride the emotional roll coaster when I think I have it and when I think I don’t. Not only does the nauseating ride impact me, it negatively impacts my ability to simply be with people without agendas or needs for outcomes.

Now this has me thinking about my seasonal verse. Where is God leading me? How does He want me to serve? Live? Give?

I love John McGee’s words and the direction and guidance it gave him. I’m a pastor – I need that same guidance and direction. I need to be more focused on people and not on numbers. I desire to:

• Not worry
• Be more creative
• Slow down – focus on productivity and not endless activity to validate my significance
• To be present…

But those are His… I want my own!

Transition: Is this even important? Is it Biblical? I want to be very careful and not just be a motivational speaker today! Turn to Luke 1.36-38: ³⁶ And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

In the last couple of years, I was translating this verse from the Gk to the Eng when Shawn Cook stopped by for a visit. Shawn’s visit has nothing to do with this verse, except that He was taking Greek and it was a point of conversation with us. The literal translation of verse 37 was what moved me: because every word of God shall not be impossible. The Subj. of the sentence is “Word” – Every word of God. The verb is the word impossible. It is in the future tense – shall be impossible. But, it has a negative particle – shall not be impossible. Put it all together and you have because every word of God shall not be impossible. That’s what makes Mary’s statement so beautiful in the next verse, she takes and uses what the Angel has just said: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” – ῥῆμα – she uses the same word.

I don’t know about you, but this moves me. To see this young girl surrender to the will of God. Wow! Listen, I’ve simplified this explanation. I’m not implying our translations are wrong. Or that I’m smarter than all of the translators of every Bible translation. I’m wanting to dig deeper into a sentence, into the very words themselves and find out what’s being communicated. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God means that every word God speaks will be established.

So, what’s in a word? Well, if it’s God’s word – nothing is impossible. If God says you’re forgiven – then you’re forgiven! If God says you’re loved – then you are loved! If God says you are healed: then you’re healed! If God says Peace, be still! Then the wind and the waves obey. So, what is God speaking into your life?

Ill.: He spoke and the world came into being. He spoke light and there was light, ground, trees, plants, moons, planets, stars, etc.!

Transition: That’s why I think it is so good to have a verse for a season – something that speaks possibility into our lives. Now, I’m very careful to say that – speaks possibility into our lives. I’m not saying pick a word or a verse and that God’s gonna make it happen! No! This isn’t a possibility message of get what you want from God now…No, this is a message to say that God can accomplish anything through a surrendered life. Anything He desires.

I’m guessing Mary’s word would have been Faithful. God would be faithful to fulfill his word. Maybe she would use that word to describe her life in the face of her circumstances: No matter what comes my way, I will be faithful.

Pause…

I want to share my word with you today. But, I’m cautious. I hesitate, because I don’t want to just throw it out there and devalue it somehow.

I want to share my word with you today. I think in so doing, there is accountability, but there is also grace. My word is my word. Your word should be something that matches where you are. My word is meant for me. I don’t share it so that you’ll throw it back at me should I struggle or fall. I share it because I hope you’ll encourage me. My word is…

Stability.

I like that word. It makes me think of steadfastness in the midst of struggle. Keeping the ship aright, when the storms toss it about. I think of someone who doesn’t get too emotional in times of uncertainty. I think of consistency…continuity…perseverance…solid…steady…strong…immovable. All of these are words that pop up in the synonyms category. Yeah, it’s a good word for me. As Peter closed his 2^nd letter to the Christians he was encouraging, he wrote:

¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. ¹⁵ And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, ¹⁶ as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. ¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. ¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

In Proverbs, Solomon wrote: ²When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.

Understanding and knowledge – yeah, two traits I need. What’s more, in Isaiah stability is what God brings: ⁵The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, ⁶and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.

Stability: It’s something I need in my life and something I greatly desire for Calvary.

John McGee finishes his article: So what about you? Where is your focus today? If your goal is significance, you’ll probably end up using people and feeling empty because you aren’t significant enough. You also won’t be able to present and enjoy your pastoral work because you’re worried about how you can be more important.

You don’t have to be a pastor to struggle with significance. That can happen to anyone in the church at any mark on the spectrum.

Here’s what I want to challenge you to do:

1. Over the next few days, even weeks, reflect upon 2015 and see where you were at your best. See if there is a word that sums up that activity – or that activity of God in your life. Consider whether that word might just be a good word to adopt for the next year. Maybe you’ll see too many down times – too many failures. Think of a word that best fits what you need. Find your word.
2. 2^nd, search the Scriptures for a verse that will strengthen the use of that word in your life.

Consider: Faithful, Helpful, Available, Giving, Serving, Patient, Hidden, Loving, Forgiving, Forgiven, Contemplative,

Ezra 7

Title: Finding the Favor of God by Fulfilling your Purpose in Life.

Text: Ezra 7

 

Introduction: We’re in chapter 7 of Ezra. The next few sermons will reflect the previous messages on Ezra. In Ezra 1-6, we saw an edict from a king, a return of the people and strong opposition by the inhabitants of the land. In Ezra 7-10 we’ll see much of the same thing: a decree from the King, a return of the people as they face strong opposition.

Let me begin this morning by asking you a question: What is your purpose in life? Let me show you where I’m going with this as you ponder this question: What is your purpose in life? At Calvary, we say our purpose is to develop passionate followers of Christ. Calvary, what is your mission statement? …developing passionate followers of Christ! That’s why we’re here at 6704 Old Jacksonville Hwy.

I’m reading a book entitled: 7 men and the secret of their greatness. These 7 men are men who have impressed Eric Metaxes. Show video: Let me tell you about a couple.

1. George Washington, who had every opportunity to sieze power and become the 1^st King of America, but saw a greater purpose for his life. And boy are we blessed today because of his selfless actions.
2. William Wilberforce, who saw the purpose of his life was the abolition of the slave trade and the reformation of manners. This purpose drove him.
3. Eric Liddell – missionary to China, Olympic Gold medalist, Chariots of Fire. He died in a concentration camp at the young age of 43 in 1945. Metaxes writes that in 2008, just before the Beijing Olympics, Chinese authorities revealed that Liddell had refused an opportunity to leave the camp, and instead gave his place to a pregnant woman. He could have been freed. He could have been reunited with his family, yet chose to sacrifice his pleasure for that of a woman in need. Apparently, the Japanese and British, with Churchill’s approval, had agreed upon a prisoner exchange. News of this final act of sacrifice surprised even his family members.
4. Dietrich Bonheoffer – murdered by the Nazis. He actually fled Europe and made it to America, only to return to face the Nazis, to be imprisoned. He, a pastor, a professor, a mentor to young men, was in the group of men who plotted and planned the assassination of Hitler. A movie was made starring Tom Cruise – Valkyrie.
5. Jackie Robinson – who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. The trial and tribulation he endured is almost unimaginable. Just because his skin was the wrong color.
6. Pope John Paul II: A truly amazing story.
7. Chuck Colson: One of my all-time heroes.

Each of these men had purpose. They saw what they were doing gave them purpose – and it drove them. What is even more amazing is that they faced severe trials during it all. Like, God where are you in all of this kinds of trials. And yet they persevered. Today, we’re going to the purpose Ezra had and how it drove him to follow God.

Transition: I’ve outlined this passage, thus –

1. A Description of Ezra, the Priest
2. A Decree by Artexerxes, the King
3. A Doxology of Blessing and Favor

So, let’s begin with the 1^st section…

1.     A Description of The Priest: Ezra (1-11)

exp.: rd v 1a;

1. He gives a Date (1); in the reign of Artaxerxes, King of Persia – 465-425 BC; v 7 tells us the 7^th year of the king – that’s be 458 (BC); rd v 1b-5;
2. He is a Descendant of the High priestly line (1-5) – this alone doesn’t determine who he is; it isn’t to make him proud or arrogant (though many High Priests seem to take this line). No, it is to show us that God is faithful. He keeps his promises.

app.: Some of you are from godly stock. Your parents were strong believers and raised you in the church – as did their parents for them – your grandparents. I think that is truly awesome. But that doesn’t make you better than anyone else. Some of you came to Christ without the benefit of godly parents – or godly grandparents. That doesn’t make you any worse. God’s faithfulness is demonstrated though both! Celebrate that and boast in Him. Next,

3. A Description – rd v 6;
   1. Position: Scribe (6); a lawyer, copied the law. Rd 6b;
   2. Ability: Skilled; Learned (11); this is more than position – a priest; I’m sure there were many men who were priests who were not skilled; But, Ezra knew God’s Word so well that the King knew he knew it.
   3. Leadership: rd v 7-9; The Group & Their Journey (7-9); He takes the time to assemble of team of quality, of men to accomplish this task. If you missed it before: the hand of the Lord was with him in v 6, 9; This has been the desire of my heart – that God’s hand would be with me in this ministry. Will you pray that for me – God, let your good hand be upon our pastor and this ministry. And here is where we see his purpose as expressed in his character; rd v 10a
   4. Character: defined in His Purpose; set his heart: The Law of the Lord (10);

This past week I taught the NT class at Venture and one of our discussions was upon the purpose of Christ in Luke: He set his face toward Jerusalem in 9.51. Time and again, Luke brings the reader back to that purpose. Chapter after Chapter, reminding us as Jesus makes his way toward Jerusalem – and then it culminates in the cry of our Master as he stands on a hillside overlooking Jerusalem. ⁴¹ And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴² saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side ⁴⁴ and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Earlier in Luke, as he makes his way to Jerusalem he cries out: ³⁴ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

Christ knew his purpose. And here, Ezra knows his purpose, too: rd 10b; a three-fold purpose

1. To Study the Torah
2. To Do it (Obey the Torah)

• To Teach the Torah

Ill.: in my 1^st year as a pastor – 18 years ago, I had came to a point of struggle. I had no idea what I was doing. I had a book from my college days that led me to create a purpose statement for my life. I’ve shared this with you before:

I will strive with skillful hands

To build and equip leaders to accomplish the Great Commission,

By being an example through service,

An effective communicator of God’s Word,

And a faithful and loving husband and father,

As I work daily to conform to the character of Christ.

 

app.: Who you are isn’t determined by your success or failures; who you are is determined by what you do based upon your God given ability given you and the usage of those gifts in your life to fulfill your purpose. The Results: those are God’s. You do – he blesses. You obey – he uses. You give – he accomplishes. You don’t know what God is doing. Your job is to trust. Hold on to what you know – and keep the faith.

I didn’t write out my purpose statement in a few minutes. It took work, re-wording, moving things around. It took thought and input from those around me who I’ve given permission to speak into my life. I want to encourage you to do the same thing. If you have questions, I’ll share my journey. I’m sure I can find the book that helped me. Aubrey Malphurs.

Transition: A description of the priest. 2ndly,

2.     A Decree from The King: Artexerxes (11-26)

exp.: Ok, I say “A Decree” and that’s true, but really, as you read this, you’ll see it as two decrees. The 1^st one is v 13-20 and the 2^nd one is v 21-26; Now, verse 11 begins this next portion. I added it to the last section because the comments here fit with the previous section: a man learned in matters of the commandments and statutes for Israel. It’s interesting to see how many times the word Torah or the context of the Torah appears in this passage (ch 7):

• 6 – He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord,…
• 10 – For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.
• 11 – a man learned in matters of the commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel
• 12 – the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven.
• 14 – For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand
• 21 – Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence,
• (24), – We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll
• 25 – all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach.
• 26 – Whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his goods or for imprisonment.”

exp.: There is a short introduction in v 12 and the Decree is 13-20; The 2^nd Decree is outlined in 21-26;

1. Decree #1 (11-20) – Whosoever may freely go;
2. Decree #2 (21-26) – How it is to be funded – this is how it is going to be paid for…

Look at the beginning of this 1^st Decree: rd v13-14; according to the Law of your God, that is in your hand. You’ll see this again in v 25, at the end of the 2^nd Decree; rd v 25; And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand… It’s pretty subtle, but don’t miss this: it really is a sweet comparison – The King, and I’d say Ezra, too, since he’s the writing this out here before us – when Ezra holds the Torah of God in his hand, he has the wisdom of God in his hand, too. Too often we take the O.T and we divide it up into parts. We read Psalms and separate them from the Torah, or the History, or the Apocalyptic portions – like they’re not wisdom liturature. But, Ladies and Gentlemen, this – hold your copy up – Go ahead – this is the wisdom of God, right here in your hand.

Challenge: Teachers, Elders, Deacons, Bible Study Leaders, Missionaries, Staff – look at the end of the 2^nd decree: rd 25: ²⁵ “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach. You shall teach them the manifold wisdom of God. That’s my challenge to you: teach the manifold wisdom of God!

ill.: Paul told Timothy: But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it (Grandma Lois and momma Eunice) ¹⁵ and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim 3.14-15) Parents, Moms, Dads, Grandparents – teach the manifold wisdom of God to those in your care.

app.: the wisdom of God in your hand! Wisdom, that leads to salvation. Teacher, ask your students if they want to receive Christ and the forgiveness of sin. Teach them of salvation and lead them to it.

This final section is entitled:

3.     A Doxology: Blessing & Favor (27-28)

exp.: Blessed be God…who; look at the work of God:

1. Who put it on the King’s heart to beautify his Temple… What a great reminder for me that God is in control. Aren’t you glad that God is still in control of this crazy world? I’m reminded when I look at the people running for president… the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord… Proverbs 21.1: The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.
2. Who extended to me his steadfast love… Aren’t you glad for God extending to you his steadfast love? He says to you, what the King said to the Jews – whosoever will, may come!

This thought actually crossed my mind as I read this 1^st decree: rd v 13; And now ¹³ I make a decree that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. Whosoever desires to go – may go. And that’s the gospel. Anyone, whosoever desires to come, let him come along with us! Come with me! If you’ve never asked Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and found the promise of heaven…Come!

3. Transition: In just a moment I’m going to ask Chris to come and lead us in a time of singing. During this time, if you want to know more about what it means to be a Christian or you just have questions… come.

That same cry goes out to you today. Freely, heaven has been made available to you. Do you get that? At no cost to you, the price has already been paid in full – all you have to do is receive the free gift of God!

Transition: rd last sentence of v 28: I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

Normally, here is where I outline my take-a-ways, but this morning I wish to do things differently. Can I ask you to take courage and respond, if the hand of the Lord is on you now?

If you’ve never asked Christ to come into your life, would you do it now?