tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27772966142735757982024-03-12T21:33:04.609-04:00Net Wetters Archive6th-8th Grade 8:30AM Bible Study Class Archive<br>
<br>
"The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind." - Matthew 13:47Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-53553295553212952982011-07-15T06:48:00.006-04:002011-07-15T21:28:39.781-04:00End of an EraThis website is closed to future posting.<div><br /></div><div>Thank you to everyone who made this class possible.<br /><br />The final count is:<br />361,358 Words<br />798 Pages<br />132 Lessons</div><div><br /></div><div>Continue to follow Canyon's teaching at</div><div><a href="http://www.reformacworth.com/">http://www.reformacworth.com</a></div>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-52946599445650861512011-05-01T07:03:00.005-04:002011-05-01T19:38:56.844-04:00May 1st - The Attributes of God<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">Prayer Requests<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">Summit</span></st1:city></st1:place><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";"> Sanctification<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">Whoever’s Preaching<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">Marietta Square Preaching<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">Tornado Results, Esp. in White<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">Pollock Car Accident<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">Grant and Greyson Football Starting</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">Cassandra's Broken Arm</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">Text – </span></b><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">Nehemiah 9<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">This morning we're going to look at an absolutely amazing chapter in the Bible. In chapter 9 of Nehemiah we're coming out of chapter 8. What major events have just taken place in chapter 8? What major project has just been completed? They completed the walls and set the doors. What has made the people more attentive to the law of God? The reading of the Law. Which book was this? Deuteronomy. What was the response to the reading of the Law? Mourning. They weren't supposed to mourn because this was during a festival, the Feast of Tabernacles, why weren't they supposed to mourn? Because this festival pointed towards their salvation; how does it point towards Jesus? Because he came as God in the flesh to dwell with and in us forever.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">As we come into chapter 9, the feast of Tabernacles is over and the people are in full mourning over their sin. In this chapter they go over a general history of Israel, and we'll see that the character of God is beautifully displayed in this list. So let's get started. We're going to move pretty quickly through this, hopefully, so we won't stop to look at the minor details, because we want to see this chapter as a whole and not just a collection of verses.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">Nehemiah 9:1-5 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;">Now on the twenty-fourth day of</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;">this month the people of Israel were assembled</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;">with fasting</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;">and in sackcloth,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;">and with earth on their heads.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;">And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;">And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;">On the stairs of the Levites stood</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;">Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;">Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, "Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;">Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span style="color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">We see a continued effort of repentance and knowing God's Law. Why is it so important to know the Bible? Because here-in God has revealed himself to us. There is a massive movement today with people saying that God is too mysterious for man to know, that our finite minds can never understand an infinite God, but that utterly misses the fact that he has chosen to reveal himself through a book which he has perfectly preserved for millennia. The first thing we see is that God is worthy to be praised, that is the hermeneutic of this passage, or the way in which they are reading the Bible. This makes the point that everything God does is right, that his plans and purposes are perfect. The second important point is the beginning of verse 6.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:6 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">You are the LORD, you alone.</i></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">This is an identification that God is <b>One</b>, he is God and there is no other. It is an affirmation of what is called the "Shema", which is found in Deuteronomy 6. We're not going to read many other verses today, but let's be sure to read that one.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Deuteronomy 6:4-6 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Hear, O Israel:</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">The LORD our God, the LORD is one.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">You</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">And</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Next we'll see that God is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Creator </b>and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">creative:</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:6 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">You have made heaven,</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">the heaven of heavens,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">with all their host,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">This is a reminder how powerful God is, that he created everything there is with the power of his Word. Not just that he created something massive, and the universe is bigger than we can even measure, but also that the minute details are incredible. The universe is intricately interesting from the biggest galaxy to the tiniest cell; and it may go much bigger and smaller than we can see. The level of diversity is also incredible, no two stars are exactly alike, no two people are exactly alike, and no two snowflakes are exactly alike. God shows both his power and creativity in creation. I really like that it mentions the "seas and all that is in them" because this has really blossomed for us in the past half century or so as we are able to record and see what is in the seas. Some of the creatures I've seen look made up, but are real, living, amazing creations of God. See the website, I've included a link: http://www.godofwondersvideo.org/chapter12.htm<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">We'll come back to this verse in a bit to support another point, but let's move to God's <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">sovereignty</b> over man in election:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:7-8 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">You are the LORD, the God</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">who chose Abram and brought him out of</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">Ur of the Chaldeans</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">and gave him the name Abraham.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">You found his heart faithful before you,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">God chose to take a man and his barren wife to make a people who would be in the spotlight of his grace for the next 1700 years, through whom the blessing of Christ would come to all people groups. God promised them the land of Israel, even when it was populated by many other wicked people, it seemed impossible, but because God is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">righteous</b>, he kept his promise, and the people at this exact moment in Nehemiah 9 were living that promise fulfilled.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Here we see that God interacts with mankind, he is not a "deistic deity" which means he created the universe and then left it alone. This is seen prominently in verse 9, where God is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">involved</b> and is a God of miracles:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:9-10 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">their cry at the Red Sea,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">they acted arrogantly against our fathers. And</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Next we'll see that God is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">selective</b>, and also able to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">avenge</b> his people.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:11 </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">as a stone into mighty waters.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">After the Israelites fled through the Red Sea, it opened up for God to do many other things. He <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">led</b> them:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"font-family:";">Nehemiah 9:12 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;">By</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black;">a pillar of cloud you led them in the day,</span> and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go.</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">God gave them light in the darkness, and led them where they should go. Besides a physical leading, God is able to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">communicate</b> himself and his laws morally:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:13 </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">You came down on Mount Sinai</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments,</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">This law is not burdensome, it points to the coming Messiah, it shows us why God is God and we are not. It opens up the opportunity for God to be both our Creator and our Saviour. Most directly, it gives us a definitive moral law to discern right from wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Contained in that Law is the Sabbath, which is directly concerned with mankind resting for the glory of God, especially now where we rest in Jesus Christ, and it shows that God is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">attentive </b>to the welfare of his people.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:14 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">a</i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">nd you made known to them your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your servant.</span><o:p></o:p></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Let's read another verse:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Mark 2:27-28 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">And he said to them,</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">"The Sabbath was made for man,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">not man for the Sabbath.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">So</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">Next we see that God is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">sustainer:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:15 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them.</i></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">If you jump back to verse 6 you see that God is preserving all of his creation, in the New Testament it says Christ holds it together by the power of his Word. I wasn't going to, but we have to read that one!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Hebrews 1:3 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">He is the radiance of the glory of God and</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">We pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," and God always does, he could easily cut this planet off from sustenance just by causing it to stop raining, or for the crops to stop growing, and the Bible promises before it is all over, a famine so great will strike the world that a loaf of bread will cost over a $100. But through history until now, God has been sustaining his people.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">But his people were not grateful, yet God is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">patient.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:16-17 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">But they and our fathers</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. They refused to obey</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive,</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.</i></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">We've got several other attributes in there, don't we, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">merciful, gracious, forgiving, </b>and<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"> full of love. </b>It was almost as though the Israelites in the Sinai desert were trying to prove that God is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">rich in mercy</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:18-19 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Even</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">when they had made for themselves a golden</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">calf and said, 'This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,'</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">and had committed great blasphemies,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">you</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">Here and in the next verse we see that God's <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">grace</b> is not contingent on men doing anything, in fact, if it was, then it wouldn't be grace. God continued to give them good things, even though they utterly rebelled. This went on for 40 years. Another attribute we'll see in this passage is that God also gave his Spirit to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">instruct.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:20-21 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">You gave your good Spirit to instruct them</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst.</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.</i></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">After these 40 years, God proved himself to be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">faithful to his promises</b> by giving them the land he had promised. Not only did he give them the land and multiply them, but it was already prepared for them to move right in. God plans things in advance, he has <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">foreknowledge </b>and the power to make it happen. He sees the end and the beginning, and he is working all things for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:22-25 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner.</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">and the land of Og king of Bashan.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">You multiplied their children</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">So the descendants went in and possessed the land,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">And they captured</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">fortified cities and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">a rich land, and took possession of</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">and became fat and delighted themselves in</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">your great goodness.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Right at the end of this passage we have another attribute of God, that he is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">good</b>, which means perfect and complete, there is no darkness in him, he is the standard and highest measure of good. This is intensified by how mankind constantly reacts to him, even his own people. God does not abandon his people, but he also does not let them continue towards their destruction. Let's read another New Testament verse,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Revelation 3:19 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">God is a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">correcting God</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:26-27 </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">and cast your law behind their back</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">and killed your prophets, who</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">had warned them in order to turn them back to you,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">and they committed great blasphemies.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">God's punishment is correctional not punitive towards his people. He is also <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">saviour.</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:27-31 </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">and many times you delivered them according to your mercies.</span> And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">which if a person does them, he shall live by them,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">and they turned a stubborn shoulder</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">and stiffened their neck and would not obey.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Many years</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">you bore with them</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">and warned them</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">by your Spirit through your prophets.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">Yet they would not give ear.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Nevertheless,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">in your great mercies</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">you did not make an end of them or forsake them,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">for you are a gracious and merciful God.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">At this point it gets a little tedious, God is good and his people rebel, over and over and over again. This is a great look at the fact that we cannot obey God on our own, but that we need an intercessor, we need someone to bear our sins for us, and someone to guide us. God has provided both for us in Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit. The Old Covenant was good, but God was making a definitive statement that it was not perfect and that the New is so much better than the Old. We are thereby <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">warned</b> by God to not fall back from his Son, and we also see that God <b>sends prophets </b>who proclaim his message.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">All of this points us at the fact that when sin increases, grace abounds all the more. Therefore the Apostle Paul asks, "Should we then sin all the more so that grace abounds further?" No, this leads back to our very first point, that God is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">worthy</b> to be praised. His faithfulness leads us to something else, let's read Romans 2:4:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Romans 2:4 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Or do you presume on</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">the riches of his kindness and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">forbearance and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">patience,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">This is precisely where the Israelites in Nehemiah 9 go, let's read about their awesome repentance:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">Nehemiah 9:32-38 </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">Now, therefore, our God,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>the </span><span style="font-family:";color:black;"><b>great</b></span><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">, the </span><span style="font-family:";color:black;"><b>mighty</b></span><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">, and the </span><span style="font-family:";color:black;"><b>awesome</b></span><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> God, who </span><span style="font-family:";color:black;"><b>keeps covenant</b></span><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;"> and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and we have acted wickedly.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Even in their own kingdom,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. Behold,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves.</span></i><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><sup id="en-ESV-12549"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";font-size:8.0pt;color:black;"> </span></sup></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Georgia","serif";font-family:";color:black;">And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress. "Because of all this<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>we make a firm covenant in writing; on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>the sealed document are the names of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>our princes, our Levites, and our priests.</span></i><span style="Verdana","sans-serif"; font-family:";color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">We'll look at this covenant next week, but the main point is that the attributes of God led these people to strive for holiness, not to sin all the more so that God's patience and kindness and admonishing would be magnified. We long to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect, to be so perfectly sanctified that we neither want to sin, and do not sin. This is, of course, impossible apart from the perfect work of God in us which he has accomplished through his Son who is the embodiment of all of God's attributes, an instructor to the foolish, a light in the darkness, the only God, gracious, merciful, patient, and the Saviour of all who believe. We know that when he appears, we will be like him, for we have such a great and lasting promise of God's faithfulness. He has been faithful with others, we trust he will be faithful with us, he has been faithful in the past, so we can trust that he will be faithful forever. Let's close with Philippians 1:6.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="Georgia","serif"; font-family:";color:black;">Philippians 1:6 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">I am sure of this, that he who began</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">a good work in you</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">will bring it to completion at</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">the day of Jesus Christ.</i></span></span><o:p></o:p></p>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-26352754480574792792011-04-17T07:41:00.003-04:002011-04-17T20:52:39.638-04:00April 17th - Biblical Open Air Preaching<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">Prayer Requests</span></strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><br />Youth Pastor Candidate<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Dave Sloan Preaching<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Summit Sanctification<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Big Shanty Festival Outreach<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Easter Outreaches<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Ian Health<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Tyler Allergies<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">David's continued sanctification<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Jennifer's dad's safe travels<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">James - Camping Scouts<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><br /><strong><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">Text</span></strong> – Nehemiah 8<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Nehemiah 8 is the main reason I started going through Nehemiah. This is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. A lot of times when I’m open-air preaching I get pseudo (name only) Christians saying, “Open-air preaching isn’t biblical!” Can you give me some examples of open-air preaching in the Bible? Noah, Jonah, Ezra, Paul, Peter, Stephen, and one more major example, Jesus. Open-air preaching is profoundly biblical, it is one of the major ways that Christianity has spread, great preachers of the past included Patrick, Boniface, John Knox, George Whitefield, and Charles Spurgeon, to name only a few of many.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Sometimes open-air preaching is done evangelically, to take the gospel out to people who normally wouldn’t listen, other times, like with George Whitefield and John Flavel, it was because they had no church to preach in. Whitefield was disliked by the Anglican Church, and Flavel was a Puritan, outlawed by the Anglican Church from mentioning his Christian beliefs. We’ll see today that often an open-air meeting is to accommodate massive numbers of people.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">This passage has also been used heavily to drive the liturgy of the church. What is liturgy? The way we do church. It’s the way we sing, read the Bible, pray, and the actions we take during these things. There are lots of different liturgies between different denominations, I think it would be very foolish for us to try to say one way is the only right way, the important thing is that our motives are pure in how we do church. We’ll see some great things in Nehemiah today, but there are lots of other ways described throughout the Bible. One of my favorite examples is when Hannah prays silently but her mouth is moving, and it’s so weird to the priest that he accuses her of being drunk. Was she wrong? No. Can you pray silently or outloud? Yes, whichever seems most appropriate for the situation.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Let’s do some review real quick, what major even has just been completed in Nehemiah? They have just finished the wall and set the gates. The city of Jerusalem is now well on its way to restoration, but the spiritual side of Jerusalem is still pretty wrecked. How many days did it take to rebuild the wall? 52, was that quick? Yes, everyone who saw it had to agree that it was accomplished because God was with them, even in the face of severe persecution. So, let’s now take a look at the restoration of the spiritual state of Judah.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Nehemiah 8:1 </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span> had commanded Israel.</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Ezra wrote down the history of Jerusalem from the end of the Babylonian Exile to right before Nehemiah came to town. They call on him to read the Law, or more specifically the word here is Torah. What is the Torah/Law? It is the first 5 books of the Bible, the 5 books of Moses. What are they? Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. There was a law, which the Jews had forsaken for at least 160 years, to read the Torah to all of the people every seven years. Some people believe that this was all five books, but most really good scholars believe this was just the book of Deuteronomy, which is really a great summation of the whole Torah, plus there is a verse that makes it sounds like just Deuteronomy:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Deuteronomy 31:10-13 </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the <span style="font-variant: small-caps">Lord</span> your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Lord</span> your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the <span style="font-variant: small-caps">Lord</span> your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Ezra was called to read it, he was a scribe, it was his job to make copies of the Old Testament, this would make him especially well familiar with the Bible. Here is something you can consider doing that I have been doing for a while. I make a copy of one chapter of the Bible every week, it really slows me down and makes me think. It’s not the only way to make sure you pause to think on your Bible, but it is a great way.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Nehemiah 8:2 </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month.</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Here is an important point throughout church history until about the 1950's onward, that youth ministry was unheard of. If you were old enough to understand, you stood in the congregation and learned with the adults.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 8:3-4 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">This is five or six hours of reading, and we see that they were attentive, they paid attention to the reading. This wasn't all reading, as we'll see in a bit, there was explanation of what the text meant and even translation for those who didn't have a strong grasp of Hebrew, as many in attendance grew up speaking Chaldi, or the language of the Babylonians.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 8:5 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Speaking of liturgy, do you even wonder why the pastor stands on a stage? In recent years I think that many churches have utterly lost this concept and have turned the pulpit into nothing more than a stage for entertainment and self agrandizement. The reason for an elevated pulpit is for the main purpose that people can see and hear the one speaking. A secondary purpose is that it shows authority, and hopefully gives reverence to the message.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">I find in open-air preaching that if I am standing even a few inches above my audience, that my voice carries farther, and people will stop and listen. I have preached from street level on occasion and have had much less visible evidence that people were listening than if I stand on a box or a wall.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Everyone could see Ezra opening the book, the Hebrew word here is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">cepher</i>, it really ought not be translated "book", what Ezra opened here was a scroll.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">When he opened it, all of the people stood in reverence. It was tradition to stand during the reading of scripture for much of the Dark Ages; during the Reformation, many traditions like this were outright done away with. There were a lot of other weird things people were doing that you can't find in the Bible, like reading the Bible in Latin to people who didn't speak Latin, or clothing to set the priests apart from the laity (called sacerdotalism), and all sorts of strange rules about things like communion, baptism, "crossing" yourself when you came before a crucifix, or bowing a certain number of times during the service. The Reformation did away with many of these things as Popish superstition.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Not all of it was unbiblical though, such as we see here the standing in reverence when the Law of God is opened. Here is where it can be wrong though, if the standing is just tradition or is mandated. It is better that you stay seated and give reverence to the hearing of the Word, than stand because everyone else does and ignore what is being said; not ignoring in hearing, but ignoring in believing and acting on.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 8:6 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered,</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">"Amen, Amen,"</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">lifting up their hands.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Here is one place we get the idea of praying before the scripture is read. Praying is always good, but again, if you just do it to do it, you're doing it wrong. We don't have it recorded in the Bible, but Jewish tradition has recorded what Ezra's prayer could have been. In order to break with tradition of only praying at the beginning and end of a lesson, lets pray Ezra's prayer now,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the world, who hath chosen us out of all people, and hath given us his law; blessed art thou, O Lord, who hast given us the law; and all the people answer, Amen.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">The Amen at the end literally means "Truth", and it is an affirmation of what has just been prayed. Yesterday at the Big Shanty Festival a very flamboyant person came up and asked to pray with us, it was awkward to say the least, at the end of his prayer, which was charismaniac goofiness, I was very reserved to give an "amen."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">One thing which we don't often do is what they did, lifting their hands towards Heaven. I think one of the reasons we shy away from this is because it has been hijacked by the emotionalistic bents of christendom that want to "feel" something in worship, and their handraising is often almost cultish and very mystic (feelings based). But we have to remember that we don't reject biblical truth just because someone is doing it wrongly. Check out what Paul says,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">1 Timothy 2:8<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> I desire then that</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">in every place the men should pray,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">lifting</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">holy hands without anger or quarreling;</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">This is the method of Psalm 134, calling us to reach towards Heaven, moreso spiritually than physically, but also physically, when we are in need. We'll read a verse in the sermon on the mount in just a moment that will show us why, but before we do, can someone please read Psalm 134...the whole thing, if you're able:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Psalm 134:1-3 </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by night in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD! May the LORD bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">So then, they read the Law, what do we do if someone doesn't understand what it means, or even what it says? That's verse 7-8,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Nehemiah 8:7-8 </span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">helped the people to understand the Law,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">while the people remained in their places.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">They explain what it means, I love that it says they "read clearly", and I'd encourage you to know what a passage says before you stand to read it. I hate it when a preacher stands up to preach and it sounds like he's reading the passage for the first time as he begins his sermon. If you're going to read the Bible to other people, I beg of you, practice being a good reader. Several commentaries also say that the Hebrew words used here give an indication that the Law was also translated into other languages so that people whose first language was not Hebrew would get a perfect grasp of what was being said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">The Law is good, it is wonderful, it is a textual representation of who God is: holy, perfect, undefiled; but the Law is directly against us, when we sin it stands as a witness against us. When the people heard how perfect God is in the Law, it caused them to mourn, as we'll see in the next passage,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 8:9-12 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">And Nehemiah, who was</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">the governor, and Ezra</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people,</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">"This day is holy to the LORD your God;</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> <span class="apple-style-span">Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved."</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">they had understood the words that were declared to them.</span></i><span class="apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">They are weeping over their sin, and it would have been rightly so, if it had not been during a festival (we'll see it in a minute), and all of the festivals pointed to the faithfulness of God towards a repentant people, which these people were.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Numbers 10:10 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">a reminder of you before your God: I am the LORD your God.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">So Nehemiah sends them off not to mourn, but to feast. These sacrifices pointed forward to Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Hebrews 7:27 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily,</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">once for all when he offered up himself.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">This is why Nehemiah and the priests could tell the people not to mourn, but to celebrate, even though they saw that they were great sinners. This is why Jesus could make an extremely audacious claim in the Sermon on the Mount,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Matthew 5:4 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Blessed are</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">The Hebrew people in Nehemiah 8 had no idea (or very little idea) how that was going to take place, but they trusted that God was faithful, and because they trusted in God, they did their best to keep his laws. Which is our next section.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 8:13 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Pause here really quick, in Nehemiah 8 we see both corporate worship and private study. A church is much blessed when it has godly leaders who study and believe and act on their Bibles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">In it they discovered a law that they were forsaking, and called people to honor it:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 8:14-18 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">And they found it written in the Law that the LORD had commanded by Moses</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">that the people of Israel should dwell in booths</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">during the feast of the seventh month,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">and that they should proclaim it and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">publish it in all their towns and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">in Jerusalem, "Go out to the hills and bring</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written."</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">the Water Gate and in the square at</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">the Gate of Ephraim.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">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</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">the people of Israel had not done so. And there was</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">very great rejoicing.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">And day by day, from the first day to the last day,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Let me sum this up for your real quick since we are quickly running out of time. The Feast of Tabernacles, or Feast of Booths, was a one week celebration where the people would live in "tents" made of palm fronds and other leafy branches. It commemorated a time in the desert with Moses when God dwelt in the midst of the people, not in a temple, but in a tent, and they could see his glory, for he was with them. It was meant to be a reminder of God's faithfulness in calling his people out of slavery into the promised land. Unfortunately the Jews had done a very bad job of commemorating this event, after all, it took a long time and a lot of effort, and was quite uncomfortable. It would be like me saying, next week don't go sleep in your own beds, we're going to camp in the parking lot. It was celebrated on and off since Joshua, but here it tells us that it was celebrated with more joy and more correctly than it had been since his time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">Jerusalem must have looked pretty weird during this time, with homemade tents all over, on roofs, in front yards, in two of the major open places, on every street. But the people were celebrating that God was faithful, that he would once against dwell with them, that they would once against see his glory.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">I wish we had time to read John 7 and really look at it, but I want to point out really quickly that Jesus went to the Feast of Tabernacles and revealed himself as the purpose of the feast, but look at the last verses of that passage (which is actually the last verse of chapter 7 and first verse of chapter 8), <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">John 7:53-8:1 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">They went each to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">So here-in is our conclusion, that Jesus Christ is the reason that the people were not to mourn over their sin, that the Law pointed towards him, the Feast of Tabernacles pointed towards his faithfulness, that he would dwell with his people and make them right with God. In John 7 they missed him altogether, beloved, I pray that you will not miss this Godman who dwelt among us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">John 1:14 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">And</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">the Word</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">became flesh and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">dwelt among us,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">grace and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">truth.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif"">So beloved, testify to him, show the glory of God through the man who died on a cross but yet lives, who is the one who can say to those who mourn, you shall be comforted. Do so in public, or in private, study his word, tell people about him. Give full reverence to his Word, but moreso to him, do nothing from vain tradition, but out of respect to the Righteous and Resurrected One. Lift your hands and your soul towards him in recognition of your great need for his salvation and his blessings, and in that, I pray that he may bless you, he who made heaven and earth.</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-5568653463775714642011-04-10T07:21:00.008-04:002011-04-10T21:55:09.094-04:00April 10th - Our Personal God<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Prayer Requests</span></b><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"></span></p><p>Summit Sanctification</p><p>Whoever’s Preaching</p><p>Jerusalem Project Results</p><p>Braves Outreach Results</p><p>Swift Cantrel Witnessing</p><p>Todd Love Homecoming</p><p>Barton's Grandmother's Health</p><p>Jennifer's Aunt's Health</p><p>Jennifer Swim Team and Play, Dad's Job</p><p>Praise-Greyson's Dad's Job</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Text – </span></b><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black; mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Nehemiah 7<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Today we come to the only chapter in Nehemiah that made me almost not teach Nehemiah. This could be the most boring lesson ever taught if I just went name by name and tried to tell you something about each of these guys, but I think there is actually much to be learned here. This is going to be more of a topical lesson today than an expositional lesson.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Let’s talk about topical versus expositional real quick. Expositional preaching is where you “expose” the meaning of a text, to let the text speak on the topic or topics it is going to speak on. This is the preferred preaching method and the reason I go verse by verse through various books of the Bible, because then I don’t choose what you should learn, God has already written it out. A topical lesson on the other hand, is where we look at topics in the Bible instead of a single passage. It’s like if we wanted to look at God’s love or wrath, or one of Dave Snyder’s better jokes was his upcoming book, “Birds of the Bible.” Topical sermons can be very edifying, but their danger is that the preacher may be cheating you out of topics that you might never look at in topical sermons, like last week we looked at an imprecatory prayer, something no topical preacher would ever choose, or what has gotten me into more trouble than any other topic, how to confront false teachers.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">There is a new phrase that has been coined called, “Topositional”, a topical lesson based on chapter by chapter preaching of the Bible. This lesson will be a topositional sermon, we’ll be looking at three topics pulled from Nehemiah 7. The first will be that God cares for us individually; the second will be how people before Jesus were saved; and third will be an apologetic look at God’s order and the historicity of the Bible, and maybe even talk about some numerology. These three won't necessarily go in order.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">I had a terrible time deciding if we should read the whole chapter, let’s start by reading the part I know we should read,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Nehemiah 7:1-4 <i>Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many. And I said to them, “Let not the gates ofJerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their guard posts and some in front of their own homes.” The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Remember that in the last chapter the walls were finished, but the doors were not installed yet. Here in the beginning of chapter 7 the doors are put in place, and we see a ceremony to open and shut them for the first time. During this time, Nehemiah officially turns the city over to two godly men, his brother, whose petition had started the rebuilding process, and a man we know very little about named Hananiah (an especially popular name in the Old Testament) who though Nehemiah chose for being an exceptionally godly man. Our first application is that we ought to strive to have someone be able to say the same about us!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">So they wait until the sun is up and it is hot out, partly so they can see any enemies approaching, and also so any enemies would be dissuaded to fight due to the heat. It was an ingenious way to avoid a fight. It reminds me of one of my favorite verses,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Hebrews 12:14 <i>Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Nehemiah looks around the city, which was quite large, a little more than six miles around, and sees that for the most part it is very sparsely populated. So that brings us to the rest of chapter 7, I decided we should read it, except we’re going to skip the numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Nehemiah 7:5 <i>Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found written in it:<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Wait, stop there for a moment. Look who put it into Nehemiah’s heart, not just God, but “my God”, we’re going to see in this chapter that God cares for his church as well as the individuals in his church.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">The list we’re going to see was compiled by Ezra, you can find almost the exact list in Ezra 2, but they are not exactly the same, sometimes the numbers are quite a bit different. You can find this is various other lists of names in the Bible, usually there is a logical answer as to why they are different, like look at verse 10, it says in Nehemiah’s list there are 652, but in Ezra’s list there were 775, and verse 11, Nehemiah’s list says 2818, but in Ezra’s list there are 2812. The logical answer is that in one case more said they would leave Babylon than made it to Jerusalem, some may have died, others may have changed their mind and stayed back. The cooler example is when there are more in Nehemiah’s list, because that means they originally didn’t return to Jerusalem, but later did decide to return. We don’t have time to look at the parable, but Jesus makes it abundantly clear that it is better to be obedient after saying you’ll be disobedient than to be disobedient after you say you will obey. (cf. Matthew 21:28-31)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Another option, which seems right in a few places, though I’m not sure, but is likely not true for this example, is what is called “copyist errors”, where someone was supposed to write 3000 but only wrote 300. Whether these are errors or not, and I believe they are not errors but have good explanations for appearing to be errors, it actually shows us something amazing about the Bible, that for more than two-thousand years the Bible has not been edited. Sometimes people claim that the Bible has been changed year after year and it’s no longer a reliable copy of the original. But if the Bible were being edited, the first thing people would have done is tried to take out the supposed errors, but we see that they haven’t, and the Old Testament we read today is the same Old Testament that Jesus read, is the same Old Testament that Nehemiah and others wrote down.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Confusing enough? In the early 1900’s, the oldest copy of the Old Testament we had was from about AD1100, more than a millennia after the New Testament was written. Some people doubted the age of the Old Testament, and this hurt the prophecies of the Old Testament, because people thought, of course the prophecies are perfect if the Old Testament was written after the New Testament. Well, this drove an effort to do what is called “Biblical Archaeology”, or to find some of the sites the Old Testament describes, like the old city of Jericho, which they found in ruins just like Joshua describes it. In 1946 they found what has since been called the “Qumran” or “Dead Sea Scrolls”, which were copies of the Old Testament dating from ~150BC. These copies were identical to the copies that were much later, showing that no editing had been done, even on supposed “errors”.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">So, there are logical reasons why the numbers don’t match up, but also let this strengthen your faith in the transmission of the Bible that the Old Testament we are reading today is exactly the same Old Testament that Jesus read 2000 years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">So then, let’s read Nehemiah 7, sans numbers,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Nehemiah 7:6-73</span></i></b><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black; mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">These are a lot of names, and beloved, I can tell you less than a sentence about most of them. But check out:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Luke 12:6-7 <i>Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><i><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">It doesn’t matter if you are super famous or totally unknown, God knows you, even infinitely tiny details about you, and he cares for you. None of these people who are utterly forgotten to us are forgotten to him. This list would have made way more sense to us if we were living in Jerusalem in 445BC, but now even the places are foreign to us, for example, he says, “The other Nebo”, we don’t know where either Nebo is, but the original audience did. It’s likely, if the world lasts another thousand years, that nobody will have a clue that there was a Summit Baptist Church or a Canyon Shearer or (insert your name), but God will, and you know who else will? Anybody who you preached Christ to, whether they are in Heaven because they repented, or whether they are in Hell because they held to their sin.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">So what do you think happened to these Jews here who were trusting in the faithfulness of God (we’ll see in chapter 8 and 9 that they were), did they die and go to Hell because they didn’t believe that Jesus died on a cross and rose again? How could they possibly believe in something that had yet to happen? Throughout the Old Testament there are references to people going to be with God, having their sins forgiven, and having an eternal happiness. How can that be?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Romans 4:3 <i>For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness."<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><i><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">These Jews were saved by believing that someday, in some way, God would rescue them and put their sins away.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Ephesians 4:7-8<i> But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, "<b>When he ascended on high he led a host of captives</b>, and he gave gifts to men."<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><i><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">These Old Testament saints were not allowed into Heaven, but neither were they forsaken, and when Christ defeated death, ascended to Heaven, and opened the gates, they were allowed into glory. They were saved not because they believed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but because they trusted that God would save them. The gospel is that God saves those who trust in him, Jesus Christ is the way he made that effectual. I often tell atheists, "I don't believe in God, I know there is a God, I believe he will save me from death when I step out of this world." Then I explain to them how I know that he is able to do that, having forgiven my sins, nailing them to a cross, and by raising Christ from the dead.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Does that make sense on how God saved people before Jesus? Think about this point as well, that many people in the Old Testament are currently in Hell. In 1 Peter 3 it says that Jesus preached through Noah to people who are now in Hell.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Alright, so we've seen that God cares for us individually as well as corporately, we've seen how Old Testament saints were saved by their faith in God, just as we're saved by our faith in God, accomplished through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, proven by an empty cross and an empty grave. Now we're going to look briefly at the order of God and a quick look into numerology, or a study of biblical numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">1 Corinthians 14:33,40 <i>For God is not a God of confusion but of peace...all things should be done decently and in order.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><i><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">There are a surprising number of people today, even within Christianity, who think that there is power in certain numbers and evil in others. For example, what is an unlucky number? 13, right? No! There are no unlucky numbers, there are no lucky numbers! Numbers are neutral.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">There are preachers today who say that 40 is a special number, that if you do 40 days of something, you'll be blessed. Another preacher says that Satan hates the number 7 and by speaking in 7's you can hide your intentions from the Devil. Others play with the years, saying that 2011 is the beginning of a new decade and that you need to give them even more money so the rest of your decade will be blessed. None of these is true, the universe is put together very mathematically, but that doesn't tell us that God can be manipulated through numbers, it says that God is very orderly and the operating principles of the universe show that he is faithful. Every time science does an experiment they affirm God's faithfulness, expecting the outcome to be measureable and repeatable.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">A quote that I like is "Science is thinking God's after him." Remember, it's not science versus God or the Bible, it is God and science versus sin. I'd love to camp out on this idea, but we're running out of time and that was sort of a rabbit trail.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">There is a present day antichrist leading people away via radio named Harold Camping, he is basically a present day Joseph Smith (who started the Mormon cult) and the major way he is leading people astray is by messing with some numbers in the Bible and determining that the end of the world is for sure going to happen on May 21st, 2011. We have a little more than a month left, if he's right. Do you think he's right? We talked about this a bit when we looked at the 2012 end-time date. No, they are obviously not right,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Matthew 24:36 <i>But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><i><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">So, here is our final application, we sort of got off track, but I wanted you to know the things we got off track on, which is the beauty of a topical lesson. God is a God of order, he knows both the number of people in his church, as well as each individual personally. We see this list that Nehemiah has as a precursor to a much more important list in the New Testament. Nehemiah's roll is just the membership of Jerusalem, and none of our names were on it, what we are much more concerned about is the membership roll of Heaven,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">Revelation 21:26-27 <i>They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><i><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style=" font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";color:black;mso-themefont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:text1;">So, cast your cares on Christ, know that he cares for you. Know that your Bible is trustworthy, know that there will be a great number of saints in Heaven from both before Christ and after Christ, and be hastening his return by preaching the gospel calling people to flee to the Lamb who was slain, who is alive forevermore. Know that no-one knows the day or the hour of his return, so don't fixate on any given date, just know that this present evil age will not last forever. In everything, know that God is not a God of confusion, but of peace, so let everything you do be done decently and in order.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-57695533356319049122011-04-03T06:00:00.002-04:002011-04-03T19:47:55.539-04:00April 3rd - Redeem the Time<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Prayer Requests<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Pastor Aaron preaching and resignation<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Swift Cantrel witnessing<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Students traveling for Spring Break<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Easter Baptism Outreach (in the works)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Balfours camping<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">David - Job and School<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Mason - Job<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Gavin - Teaching<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Jerusalem Project<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Text – </span></b><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 6, Ephesians 5:15-16<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">This week I was going to step out of Nehemiah 6 briefly since many of our students are heading out of town for the week, but as I examined it, it seemed that our class would be intact, at least those who are following us through Nehemiah, so I decided to stay with Nehemiah, and the lesson I was going to teach is actually going to fit in pretty well.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">So last week we saw some instructions for a perfect church. How should we treat our brothers and sisters within the church when they are in need? We should, out of our own abundance, fulfill their lack. Should we charge them exorbitant interest? No, we shouldn’t charge interest at all within the church. Nehemiah was a great example in this, but who is our greatest example? Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Now we’re in chapter 6, here the wall is just about done, actually the wall portion is done, but all of the gates are not yet installed, and the enemies of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city> are getting pretty desperate and sneaky to stop the completion. We’re going to see what they sought to do and how it relates to our life. So let’s go through it as a narrative:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 6:1-2 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">The plain of Ono is about 25 miles away from <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city>, it would take at least a few days for Nehemiah to go and get back. Nehemiah clearly sees that they want him to go so far so they can murder or detain him in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Samaria</st1:place></st1:city>. There is nothing wrong with avoiding someone who intends to do you harm, nor is it wrong to stand against evil, the event and your conscience must drive your response. Let me give you an example from Acts where the response was fleeing.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Acts 14:5-7 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">they learned of it and fled</b> to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, and there they continued to preach the gospel.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Alternately what was Esther's response in the face of danger for God's sake? (I think we're going to look at Esther next) If I perish, I perish.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">But saving his own life was not Nehemiah’s reason for not going, for he trusted in God and would have no problem walking into danger, but what he was interested in was good stewardship of his time,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 6:3 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah knew that his example was driving the work of the wall, he was instrumental in the building of the wall. If he left, he had reason to believe the building effort would fall apart. It would be very easy for me to say to you that this applies to all leaders, but that would be wrong, else we would expect our church to fall apart today as Pastor Aaron leaves, or when I leave sometime next year, but that’s not the case. Any guesses as to why Nehemiah was instrumental in the building of the city of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">God</st1:place></st1:city> and we aren’t? Nehemiah was a type for Christ, and Christ is absolutely instrumental in the building of his church; who is in charge of building the church?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Matthew 16:18 <span class="woc"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">I will build my church</b>, and the gates of hell</i></span></span><span class="footnote"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt"> </span></i></span><span class="woc"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">shall not prevail against it.</span></i></span><span class="woc"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="woc"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="woc"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Considering Nehemiah to be a type for Christ, I need to follow a rabbit trail real quick so you see almost the exact thing happening, when Christ was doing a great work and scoffers opposed him:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="woc"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="woc"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Matthew 27:42 </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">let him come down now from the cross</b>, and we will believe in him.</span></i><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">On the cross Christ was doing an infinitely better work than Nehemiah was doing in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city>. Nehemiah was only saving men’s lives, Christ was saving men’s souls, he was doing a far greater work than Nehemiah, yet both their detractors wanted him to come down from the work they were doing.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">As we near Easter, I don’t think we can emphasize enough that Christ was tempted more in his life than any of us have even been tempted, coming to unbelievable levels on the cross, where he had legions of angels at a moments notice to rescue him from death, taunting, beating, and reviling, as he absorbed the full cup of his Father’s wrath <span style="color:black">for our sake. Yet he pushed through and those who hope in him are saved. Let this next verse be our favorite in the Bible, our battle cry, knowing that Christ accomplished his work first, giving us an example to follow in our lives,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; color:black">Psalm 69:6<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,<br />O Lord <span class="small-caps">God</span> of hosts; let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">The call to Nehemiah was not a one-time taunt, but was repeatedly, <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 6:4-5 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">They are about to resort to blackmail, seeing that they cannot lure Nehemiah away. Let’s look at this letter:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 6:6-7 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem</i></span><span class="footnote"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in <st1:city st="on">Jerusalem</st1:city>, ‘There is a king in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Judah</st1:place></st1:country-region>.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.”</span></i><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">The claim is once again to a higher authority, to tell King Artaxerxes that the Jews are about to rebel. These are serious claims if they were true, but they’re not. We see Jesus in this as well, that though the main reason they crucified him was because he claimed to be God, the Romans saw him as a rebel trying to be king over the world. Jesus answered, <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">John 18:36 <span class="woc"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Once again we see that if we trust in God, then the truth is our best option, and Nehemiah knows that as he holds to the truth, God will bless their efforts.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 6:8-9 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God,</i></span><span class="footnote"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">strengthen my hands.</span></i><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">As always we have both difficulties outside, and difficulties inside. There have never been a lack of false prophets in the church, one of the major ones to watch out for today is Rob Bell, who is everything but a Christian, but whom is exceptionally popular with young people today. Nehemiah goes to talk to a prophet/priest who for some reason, perhaps out of fear or appearance of fear, is hiding in his house. Here is what happened,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 6:10 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">This prophet tells Nehemiah to go hide in the temple, clearly the last place anyone would look for Nehemiah, because it was illegal for him to enter the temple.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Numbers 18:7<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift,</i></span><span class="footnote"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt"> </span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”</span></i><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">So we see that we have a false prophet in the midst of the people, he’s just tried to kill Nehemiah. Let’s see how Nehemiah reacts,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 6:11-12 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live?</i></span><span class="footnote"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""> </span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">I will not go in.” And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me.</span></i><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">You must constantly be on the lookout for these false prophets, and they are more rampant today than ever before. Jesus tells us how to look for them,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Matthew 7:15-16 <span class="woc"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="woc"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="woc"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">A few things we see, they look like Christians, but they don’t act or believe like Christians. I find that they are often consumed with money, gifts, strange doctrines, or sexual deviancy, though these are not the only signs. Shemaiah here obviously cared more for money than God.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="woc"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="woc"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Remember that every time you speak for God, you make yourself a prophet, so make sure you are speaking from his Word and with reverence towards Christ, seeking to please him rather than people or yourself. It doesn’t tell us what Nehemiah did to Shemaiah, but it does tell us that he prayed to God against them, another imprecatory prayer,</span></span><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 6:14 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Apparently Nehemiah knew of some other prophets and prophetesses operating against him, and asked God to do violence to them. Remember from Romans 12 that we leave all vengeance up to God. In all of this, Nehemiah did not cease to oversee the building of the wall.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 6:15-16 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">This was record time; it shows what good leadership and the help of God can do. We know that it was record time because the people around <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Jerusalem</st1:city></st1:place> saw it and knew that it was accomplished by supernatural means.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">We can see the supernatural work in the building of the church when we have people from every nation and tongue come together in perfect harmony, something that can’t and won’t happen under any other world-view, because they don’t have God on their side. The devil can counterfeit a lot of amazing signs and wonders, but he cannot produce a true peace like the gospel of peace and Prince of Peace do. In the final days the Antichrist will produce a worldwide peace, but it will be short-lived, less than four years.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">In the last three verses we see a new little conspiracy forming in Jerusalem, something that we’ll talk about a lot more in chapter 13, but check out how sinners are intertwined with some of the people in Jerusalem,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nehemiah 6:17-19 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Moreover, in those days the nobles of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Judah</st1:place></st1:country-region> sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them. For many in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Judah</st1:place></st1:country-region> were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as his wife. Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">All of this says that Tobiah is intermarried into the Jewish people, though he himself is not a Jew. This gives him political prowess and shows that the people of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city> are not willing to divorce from the world. This is a bad thing, because it points to a sinful state, moreso spiritual than physical. I feel I would do you a disservice if I didn’t point out that the Bible is certainly not against interracial marriages, for the main reason that there is only one race, the human race. But the Bible is totally against interspiritual marriages, for what fellowship does light have with darkness?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">James 4:4 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Ok, so some application now. Nehemiah did some amazing things in a very small amount of time. Before that the walls of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city> had been in ruins for 141 years, 90 of those years with people dwelling in it, and they had no interest to rebuild the city. But Nehemiah, in just a few weeks was able to do amazing things.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Ephesians 5:15-16 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">There are a lot of ways you can waste your time. In the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> we have a pandemic of “busyness”, where people run full speed all the time, never stopping to think, and accomplish nothing. Beloved, be testing where you spend your time, make sure it is edifying to yourself and the church, when you feel like you’re really busy, look at what you’re busy doing.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">I think one of the reasons that we make so much effort to stay busy is so we don’t have to stop and think we’re not really accomplishing anything. It is good to step back every once in a while and determine whether what you’re doing is worthwhile. Nehemiah very easily could have headed off to the meeting at Ono and said, “I have to do this and it will take a week,” but he saw that his time was best spent somewhere else.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">So beloved, be redeeming your time, the days are evil, now that the work for the church of Christ is infinitely more valuable than work for things that will not last. However, in everything you do, know that you are a representative of the Living God, and so live with this in mind. Let's close with,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Colossians 3:23-24 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">Whatever you do, work heartily,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">as for the Lord and not for men,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">knowing that from the Lord</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">you will receive the inheritance as your reward.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">You are serving the Lord Christ.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><o:p></o:p></i></p>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-43847813397278490122011-03-27T06:03:00.006-04:002011-03-27T17:13:05.427-04:00March 27th - Instructions for a Perfect Church<p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Prayer Requests</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Pastor Aaron Healing / Resignation</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Christians in Ethiopia</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Jennifer - Brother's Wedding</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Ryan French - Broken Arm</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">James Band Festival<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Text -</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> Nehemiah 5</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Last week we talked about the building of the wall in a hostile situation. Nehemiah commissioned several tactics to make sure everyone was ready, what were some of them? Everyone built the wall while holding a weapon, others stood back and held extra weapons in case of attack, a trumpeter would sound the call at the place of attack and everyone would rally to him, and workers were working directly on the wall closest to their homes and families.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">What sort of material were they using? New or old? A little of both, one of the great lessons is that the wall was built out of the old wall, just as Christ's church is built out of redeemed people. Something sort of related that I think is cool is a quote by Patrick of Ireland, in Ireland there were and are stone walls everywhere, definitely different than the defensive wall in Jerusalem, but stone walls none-the-less. Patrick looked at one of these walls and saw a spiritual parallel in his life, he said,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">"</span></i><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Before I was humiliated I was like a stone that lies in deep mud, and he who is mighty came and in his compassion raised me up and exalted me very high and placed me on the top of the wall.</span>"</i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">It's a good picture of us, totally useless and then redeemed and made useful. So, moving on in Nehemiah, in chapter 4 the great danger is external enemies who want to kill and/or oppress the people of God, a lesser danger is those in Jerusalem who start to doubt that the wall can be rebuilt, and are grumbling. Now we're going to see that this internal problem goes deeper than just grumbling.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah 5:1-5 </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Now there arose</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">a great outcry of the people and of their wives</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">against their Jewish brothers.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">For there were those who said, "With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive." There were also those who said, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine."</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">And there were those who said, "We have borrowed money for</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Now</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards."</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Due to the enemies outside of Jerusalem, and past problems, the people in Jerusalem are running out of their personal food stores and are needing to buy it from the storehouses in Jerusalem. In order to be able to afford this food, they are making deals with those that own the grain, by mortgaging their property. A mortgage is putting up a piece of property for money, as collateral on a loan, it comes from two words in Olde English, Mort and Gaige, which mean, Death and Pledge, so a Mortgage is a death hold on you by the one you've mortgaged something to. Not a great thing to be in.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">The "what" they are doing is bad, but what is worse is the "who" is doing it. The nobles in Jerusalem are the ones who are exacting these charges, as we'll see in a moment, the people are upset because though they're all Jews, it is the poor Jews who are facing the severest consequences. We often look at kings like Artaxerxes who do somewhat nice things for one or two of the Jews as good kings, but Artaxerxes was overall a pretty wicked king, and he had some pretty hefty taxes out over the lands he controlled. The Jews were having to mortgage their land to be able to pay these taxes as well, and if they can't pay the king's taxes, the payment then reverted to sons and daughters, and Persia would take them off to be slaves in some far off land.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">This is extremely sad and when Nehemiah hears it he responds well.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah 5:6-7 <i style="">I was very angry when I heard</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">their outcry and these words.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">I took counsel with myself,</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Let's pause here, Nehemiah is ANGRY at the sins against his brothers and sisters. Is being angry a sin? It can be, but everything can be a sin, very few things are always sins.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Ephesians 4:26-27 <i style="">Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">give no opportunity to the devil.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah is angry, but he doesn't sin, but he is also very careful to check why he is angry, it says, "I took counsel with myself." I believe he paused for a moment to consider why he was angry and to think about some scripture, and especially how to best approach the problem. He could have just freaked out and said, "That's it, I'm leaving you and going back to my cushy job in Susa, deal with your own fool problems!" But he remembers some Bible verses and he decides that if these people really want to honor God, then by sharing the law with them, they will repent.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah 5:7-8 <i style="">and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them,</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">"You are exacting interest, each from his brother." And I held a great assembly against them</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">and said to them, "We, as far as we are able,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!"</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah calls Jerusalem together to stand in court against those who are breaking the law and causing so much pain in Jerusalem. He immediately goes to the Law of Moses,</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Exodus 22:25 <i style="">If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.</i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">It doesn't get any clearer than that, yet the nobles in Jerusalem are exacting interest, which means they loan money expecting more money in return. It's a good way to make money, but it's also a good way to tear a community apart, and God absolutely forbids it within the people of Israel and in the church.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah points to the opposite end of the spectrum, that many Jews were sold into slavery, or sold themselves into slavery, during the exile, and many of the people, including Nehemiah, had been making every effort to buy their freedom and bring them home. This is one reason Nehemiah is so angry as well, because what the nobles are doing is in effect making people slaves in Jerusalem, people who had just been freed from the Babylonians.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Proverbs 22:7 <i style="">The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.</i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Americans are not my brothers and sisters, but I am still furious when I see commercials like the "J.G. Wentworth" ones where the lawyers are offering to buy annuities. They don't say so, but I'm sure they're offering less than 75% of the value, it is a great way to prey on the poor. The "Title-Pawn" and "Payday Loan" places are the same, exacting huge amounts of interest on the poor so that they are poorer at the end of the week than if they had just had no money. As you grow up, whichever industry you get into, please please please don't let it be one where you exploit the poor and drive them farther into debt. God absolutely hates it, many passages attest to this fact, this one in Nehemiah is especially clear.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Avoid getting into massive debt as well, because this makes you a slave, it shackles you to possessions and makes money more important in your life than it should be.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">1 Corinthians 7:23 <i style="">You were bought with a price;</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">do not become slaves of men.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">There is good news though, Nehemiah's rebuke of these sinning nobles has an effect,</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah 5:8 <i style="">They were silent and could not find a word to say.</i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">This is exactly what is supposed to happen when we preach the law to lawbreakers, showing that they have sinned against Heaven.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Romans 3:19 <i style="">Now we know that whatever</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">the law says it speaks to those who are under the law,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">so that every mouth may be stopped, and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">the whole world may be held accountable to God.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Now that they know they are sinning, Nehemiah drives for the correction,</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah 5:9-12 <i style="">So I said, "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">in the fear of our God</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them."</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Then they said, "We will restore these and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">require nothing from them. We will do as you say."</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah calls for a complete correction, a complete adherence to the law, not some compromise or a slow change, but he says, "<b style="">This very day!</b>" Hey says, stop charging them interest, he says, give their land back, and give their past interest back. Interest back then would have been just as today, a percentage of the loan added to the loan, except back then it wasn't just on money. If I loaned you a hundred pounds of grain, I'd expect a hundred-ten pounds back, if I were to charge you interest.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">These nobles can't argue with the law of God, so they promise to repent, Nehemiah then wants to make sure they hold to it,</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah 5:12-13 <i style="">And I called the priests and</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">made them swear</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">to do as they had promised.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, "So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied."</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">And all the assembly said "Amen" and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">The priests administered an oath and Nehemiah gave the example, saying basically, if you don't do what you've promised, may God do bad things to you. This is reminiscent of the Law of Moses promising curses for law breakers. Let's pause here just momentarily, because we've all broken the law of God, and not just a little, but quite spectacularly. This law that the Jews are under here is a good law, and it is meant to cause them to live long and happy lives together, but it is so perfect that often times we fall from keeping it,</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Romans 7:10 <i style="">The very commandment</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">that promised life proved to be death to me.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">So let's see how we are redeemed from under the curse of breaking the law:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Galatians 3:13 <i style="">Christ</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">"Cursed is everyone who is hanged</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">on a tree".</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">So that leads to probably our most important application, that we are NOT saved by the law, we are saved by Jesus Christ. But then, should we abandon the law all together?</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Romans 3:31 </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">This law leads for happy congregations, even if it can't save our souls. All of the people in attendance are happy with this new law and say, "Amen", which means "Truth" and is affirming that the law of God is good, then they praised the Lord for giving such a good law.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah now is going to step out of the chronology of the book real quick to preach at us. I love this little addendum because it shows that Nehemiah really understood his role as proto-savior of Israel, or the one who was delivering the Jews from both external and internal dangers. Christ fulfilled this so much more perfectly, but Nehemiah does it about as well as a man can.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah 5:14-15 <i style="">Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">forty shekels</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">because of the fear of God.</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah looks back over twelve years of service, well after the events of the Book of Nehemiah are over, and is able to affirm his words with his actions. We're not 100% sure when Nehemiah was made governor of Judah, my guess is right after the walls were finished, but the exact details are not given. But for twelve years he was the governor of Judea and he had certain rights as governor. One of those rights was to live like the king of Judah, but he didn't, and one of the reasons was because the past governors, from right after Zerubbabel died to when Nehemiah showed up, required the full food allowance, asking for all manner of food and wine daily, which greatly taxed the people. Nehemiah knows that one of the reasons a leader should fear God and follow his commandments is because those under him will follow his example, just as the evil governor's servants were mean to people as well.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">We've read this verse a lot of times, but it is such a wonderful verse, lets read who we should imitate so we can point people at our lives and likewise tell them to imitate who we're imitating:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">1 Corinthians 11:1 <i style="">Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.</i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">During all of this time, Nehemiah IS getting paid, by Artaxerxes, and Artaxerxes is able to pay him because Artaxerxes is taxing the people. If Nehemiah had taxed them, they would have been doubly taxed. Our government is a terrible example, but just so you know, the fewer taxes the better, even if that one is big, because then it's easier to know where your money is going and to keep track of it. Let's see what Nehemiah did with his pay,</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah 5:16-18 <i style="">I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Moreover, there were</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Now what was prepared at my expense</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people.</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah had a lot of people to feed, but he did it out of his own paycheck, even though he could have made the taxpayers foot the bill. One of my favorite verses in the whole Bible is in Psalm 50, it tells us that God likewise is not demanding from us money or possessions, but something so much more valuable,</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Psalm 50:12-15 <i style="">If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.</i></span><i style=""> Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">perform your vows to the Most High, and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">call upon me in the day of trouble; I will</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">deliver you, and you shall</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">glorify me."</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">So if you are put in a position like Nehemiah, where you make a ridiculous amount of money, don't think it's because God loves you more, for we saw on Friday night that God loves all of his saints equally as he loves his beloved Son Jesus, but that you ought to be using whatever money you have to invest in his kingdom and alleviate the suffering of the poor and to glorify his name. Know that if God has given you an abundance, it is so you may give out of that abundance.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">2 Corinthians 8:14-15 <i style="">Your abundance at the present time should supply</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">As it is written,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">"Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack."</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah is a great writer, if he had just left it at that, we may be able to say all sorts of strange things about his motives, but he tells us exactly why he does what he does:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Nehemiah 5:15,19 ...<i style="">because of the fear of God... Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.</i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Let me give you the New Testament Parallel real quick as we're running out of time, Luke 19:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Luke 19:1-2 <i style="">He entered Jericho and was passing through.</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich</span>.</i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Tax collectors were the chief of sinners in most peoples' eyes, they were sell-outs to Rome and also greedy, as we see that Zacchaeus is rich, it confirms the stereotype, which is almost always true.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Luke 19:3 <i style="">And</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Not only does this refer to Zacchaeus' literal height, and also to how most people saw his character.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Luke 19:4-7 <i style="">So he ran on ahead and climbed up into</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">"Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">I must stay at your house today."</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">So he hurried and came down and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">received him joyfully.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">And when they saw it, they all grumbled, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">It looks as though Jesus is mingling with the worst sinner in Jericho, which he definitely did on occasion, but here is not what he is doing,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Luke 19:8-10 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="">And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="">I give to the poor. And if I have</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="">defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold."</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="">And Jesus said to him,</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="">"Today salvation has come to this house, since</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="">he also is a son of Abraham.</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="">For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."</i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Zacchaeus was wealthy, but he was also using that wealth for great good, and very careful not to defraud anyone, but if by some chance he did, he made sure to pay it back twice what the law required. Jesus goes on to tell a parable about how some people are rich and others are poor, and that richness or poorness are not indications of sin or blessing, but are entrusted to people by God to use for good.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">So to our application, you may be like Nehemiah and Zacchaeus, hugely wealthy, and that's great, but know that much is required of you. Or you may be poor, and in that case you must know that much is required of you. Jesus is our great example, I think we've read this verse recently, but it is such a great verse that I'd read it everyday if I could,</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">2 Corinthians 8:9 <i style="">For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">Your second application is that Jerusalem was being rebuilt, it was going to be beautiful, but who cares how beautiful the city is if the people are all slaves and miserable inside. We must seek to build the church, but we must hold to the laws and joy of Jesus Christ so that we are not defrauding or mistreating our brothers and sisters. Who cares how massive the church is if we're no better off inside than outside? If the Son sets us free, we shall be free indeed.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">We could go on to read passages like 1 Corinthians 3, 5, and 6 where sin inside of the church at Corinth is tearing it apart, cliques are formed, sexual abuse is tolerated, and Christians are suing and defrauding one another. It is a miserable church and one we must strive not to be. As Christ has forgiven you, let us also forgive one another, as Christ has set us free, let us not enslave one another, but let us love one another as Christ has loved us.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;"> </span></span></p> <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; color: black;">If we do so, we will have the perfect church.</span></span>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-82186516549930070082011-03-20T07:34:00.003-04:002011-03-20T10:13:44.852-04:00March 20th - Ministry in a Hostile World<strong>Prayer Requests<br /></strong>Pastor Aaron Preaching / Resignation / Future<br />Summit Members in Foreign Lands<br />Christian Missionary in Sendai<br />Jennifer - Burn, Witnessing, Brother's Wedding<br />James - Band Festival<br />Mason - Lacrosse Game<br />Ben - Great Grandmother Health<br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> - Nehemiah 4<br /><br />Last week we talked about Nehemiah 3 and the beginning of the rebuilding of the wall when everything was going pretty smoothly. What are some things we can learn from chapter 3? It doesn't matter where you are in society, you have a roll to be playing in doing the work of God. If you want to see a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, what is the best way to do so? Strive to build up the church (1 Cor 14:12).<br /><br />1 Corinthians 1:26-27 <em>For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.<br /></em><br />Last week in Nehemiah was the rebuilding of the wall during a time of peace, but this week we add a new element and one that will greatly edify us, it is doing ministry in a hostile world. If you desire to live a godly life in Christ, will you be persecuted? 2 Timothy 3:12 promises it.<br /><br />So in Nehemiah 3 they are rebuilding the wall, and they are cruising to set a new record in wall building, but in chapter 4 we see the persecution begin.<br /><br />Nehemiah 4:1 <em>Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews.<br /></em><br />Sanballat is a high up official, probably a governor of a neighboring town to Jerusalem, likely in Moab across the Jordan River. He has never been happy to see someone helping Jerusalem, for at least two reasons, one, because with Jerusalem in shambles, Judah is free for the plundering, and two, because Sanballat is an idolater and hates the Living God.<br /><br />His name is likely Egyptian, and it means "<em>God of Sin, alive</em>." This is a telling name, because it is obviously directly against the God of Righteousness. I don't want to press too far to try to say this is an incarnation of Satan, though he definitely is a type for Satan (which means Adversary), just as when Moses and Joshua were on the home stretch in coming into the promised land and a similar man named Balak (Destroyer) stood against them. The reason I don't want to press too far and say that Sanballat represents Satan is because he may also just represent sin, and how much sin hates it when you seek to build a wall to defend from worldly influences. One of my friends on facebook pointed out that in the war that rages continually in our soul between our sin nature and new nature, that our sin nature HATES reading the Bible and so we must push to overcome and read the Bible anyways.<br /><br />Romans 7:21-24 <em>So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.<br /></em><br />Sanballant moves around a lot during the book of Nehemiah, sometimes he's in Jerusalem, sometimes he's in Samaria, which is North of Jerusalem. Where-ever he lives and whatever his job title is, he is well familiar with Jerusalem, and prefers that it is in shambles.<br /><br />Nehemiah 4:2 <em>And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?"<br /></em><br />We see in this passage that Sanballat has found or called together an army, and in a bit we'll see that it's not the only one. We see in this passage one of the main reasons he's mad, he asks, <strong>"Will they sacrifice?"</strong> His audience here is telling too, because the Samaritans at this point had built a temple on Mt. Gerazim to say that that was the correct place to worship God. Sanballat was from Bethhoron, or the "<em>House of the god, Horon</em>", Horon being a mytical god of the underworld, so both the Samaritans and Sanballat were against worship of the true God.<br /><br />A neat part about the rebuilding of the walls is not just that the Jews are doing it so fast, it is the material they are using. They have some brand new material, but the wall is being largely built out of redeemed material that was greatly damaged in the destruction of Jerusalem in 587BC. Stone doesn't burn, but when it fell it would have been greatly damaged and then when the wood and other combustibles burned, it would have left these stones charred and looking unusable. But God is able to use the least of materials to build great things, just as he uses broken people to build a great church.<br /><br />1 Peter 2:4-5 <em>As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.<br /></em><br />Because of the nature of the wall, though it is thick and well built, because of the craftsmen building it, it receives derision:<br /><br />Nehemiah 4:3 <em>Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!"<br /></em><br />Tobiah, who we'll see in a few weeks is an exceedingly wicked dude, looks at the wall and says its so flimsy that it will never stand long. Nehemiah at this point does the best thing he could do, instead of going out and thumping these unbelievers on the head, he prays to God to intervene. Before we read that though, I want you to see that in chapter 2, Sanballat and Tobiah were in Jerusalem, but now they are not, the first step towards separating from these sinners was to put them outside of the city of God.<br /><br />1 Corinthians 5:11-13 <em>But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you."<br /></em><br />Nehemiah has an absolutely amazing prayer against these sinners,<br /><br />Nehemiah 4:4-5 <em>Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.<br /></em><br />This is called an "<strong>imprecatory</strong>" prayer, or a prayer asking God to do violence against someone. They are not at all rare in the Bible, in fact 90 out of 150 Psalms contain imprecatory language. Look at what Nehemiah asks for, both physical action, that they would be taken captive, and spiritual action, that God would hold their sins against them. <a href="http://trustobey.blogspot.com/2010/04/psalm-69-agonies-of-calvary.html">Jesus prays a very similar prayer on the cross</a> in Psalm 69:22-28, for time's sake let's just read verse 27:<br /><br />Psalm 69:27 <em>Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you.</em><br /><br />So that leads us to the question of whether we should pray prayers like that today. I would say yes, with a minor caveat, because unlike Jesus, and God's prophets of the Old Testament, we don't know who will repent of their sins, so I always temper my imprecatory prayers with, "God, please crush <strong>or </strong>convert them, but don't let them keep working such evil."<br /><br />We remember that in action we always love our enemies and we leave all action up to God, for vengeance belongs to him.<br /><br />Nehemiah 4:6-8 <em>So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.<br /></em><br />Just when things were going well, persecution arises and now we've got even more enemies standing against Jerusalem than we had just a few days ago. Their goal isn't to wipe out the Jews, because they like having them as slaves and targets of plunder, but to make sure they can't defend themselves. They want to cause confusion, to keep the people from focusing on the task at hand. Here is our first major lesson,<br /><br />Ephesians 6:16 <em>In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one...<br /></em><br />We know that if God is for us, no-one can possible stand against us in any sort of capacity. So by trusting in God, this trust becomes a shield to protect us from confusion and it keeps our minds set on the task at hand, which is building the kingdom. That's exactly what Nehemiah does:<br /><br />Nehemiah 4:9 <em>And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.<br /></em><br />We see both a trust in God, and an action. But the efforts of the enemy are having a small effect, Nehemiah needs to strengthen his people,<br /><br />Nehemiah 4:10-11 <em>In Judah it was said, "The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall." And our enemies said, "They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work." At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, "You must return to us."<br /></em><br />Some of the greatest damage done to the wall building effort comes from within the camp, doubters who think the work is impossible, others who are afraid of what men can do, and then verse 12 is somewhat hard to translate, but it seems to say that Jews not involved in the wall-building effort are saying, "Stop doing what you're doing, let's just live the way we've always lived, it's better than dying." These doubters are causing a lot of damage and strife to the efforts, so Nehemiah comes up with an ingenious plan, where-as during peace we had people working all over the city, now Nehemiah is going to strategically place them for ministry in a hostile environment.<br /><br />Nehemiah 4:13-14 <em>So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."<br /><br /></em>Nehemiah places the men in front of their houses and families, so they aren't just defending Jerusalem, but they are defending their whole world. It gives them a personal stake in standing firm. I love the whole church of Christ, but beloved, I love this church more than I love churches in far off lands, I love you more than I love Christians I don't know and/or am only faintly familiar with. This should be us as well, loving the whole church, but loving our own body of believers to the extent that we would rather die than see danger befall them, physically, and more importantly spiritually.<br /><br />Because of this concerted effort, the plan of the enemy fails, and work can resume.<br /><br />Nehemiah 4:15-17 <em>When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.<br /></em><br />The Jews can no longer work like there is no threat, they are prepared for war, but they are still doing the work on the wall. It is important to remember that a good defense is often the best offense. A solid wall will keep Jerusalem safe from invaders. One of my favorite quotes, and one that is failing all over the world, is that we seek "<strong>Peace through Superior Firepower</strong>." When you are weak and easily conquered, everyone will come against you, but if you're bigger and stronger and your God is so much more powerful, then you're safe without having to fire a shot. We'll see that the Jews never do have to fight, because they are prepared.<br /><br />We likewise must put on the full armor of God, having the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word, ready as an offensive weapon, clothed in righteousness and truth, secured in salvation, and defended by the God of Peace. We must be ready and willing to war, not physically, but spiritually, and not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces.<br /><br />Ephesians 6:12 <em>For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.<br /></em><br />Our goal is to build the church and see captives of the enemy come to Christ to receive forgiveness and reconciliation. It has been said that evangelism is, "<strong>One beggar showing another beggar where to find bread</strong>." It is so much more violent and dangerous than that, it is two armies standing against each other, an army of light and an army of darkness, the army of light made up of traitors to the darkness, and evangelism is those traitors boldly coming into the camp of darkness to proclaim that the King of Light is prepared to make peace if the soldiers of darkness will surrender completely. It is dangerous beyond dangerous, and the enemy soldiers are more than willing to kill the ambassadors of Christ. It is estimated that 100,000 Christians are martyred every year, and many more are mistreated. Let us be ready then to rush to the battle, where-ever it rages,<br /><br />Nehemiah 4:18-20 <em>And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us."<br /></em><br />Boniface, missionary to Germany in the 700's, said it better than I can, "<strong>I yearn to go forth where the dangers are, not because I particularly enjoy those dangers, but because I know it is there that the battle rages for the souls of men and nations. God set me before the front lines. Let me not end my days in comfort and complacency!</strong>"<br /><br />Let us rally to the spiritual battle for souls, not being complacent or pretending no war is raging, but always ready to build the church and defend the truth. The men under Nehemiah were always ready, let us likewise always be ready,<br /><br />Nehemiah 4:21-23 <em>So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.<br /></em><br />This is another difficult Hebrew verse to translate, it likely says that the only time they were not in full battle gear was to wash, though the minutiate of this verse is not particularly important, because we see that they were always prepared. Let us likewise always be prepared, fully clothed in the righteousness of Christ, washed in his blood, having the Sword of the Spirit always at our right hand. We'll see that this wall was then completed, 52 days total, and that each person in Jerusalem had a share in building it, and each received the blessing of completing it.<br /><br />It is hugely important that you take a portion of the church to build, pick a part that you care about deeply, either youth, or evangelism, or senior citizens, or whichever, find something you care about, and go forward with full strength. When the Pilgrims settled among the Massachusetts people, the first two years they had communal fields to plant and harvest, and they had a huge issue getting people to work hard and the harvests were sparse. On the third year they assigned each family a portion of the fields with the understanding that what grew belonged to that family. The effort put forth then was considerably better and the crops were bumper.<br /><br />So beloved, find a portion of the church to work on, know that there is a reward in Heaven, know that you are working for your King, and know that your labor is not in vain.Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-12521631763725721002011-03-13T07:41:00.005-04:002011-03-13T18:13:17.442-04:00March 13th - Building the Church<strong>Prayer Requests<br /></strong>Pastor Aaron Preaching / Resignation<br />St. Patrick's Day Witnessing<br />Swift Cantrel Witnessing<br />Summit Members in Foreign Lands<br />Japan Evangelism and Safety<br />Cassandra Feeling Better<br />Etowah High School, loss of student<br />Jennifer finishing Magnet applications<br />Ben's Great Grandmother Rest<br />David Master's College Scholarship<br />Students Teaching Friday<br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> - Nehemiah 3, 1 Corinthians 12<br /><br />We embark today on an absolutely amazing chapter of the Bible, but one which I could also make the most boring lesson in the Bible. It could be called a "<strong>baby-name chapter</strong>" because it contains some absolutely great names for babies when in a decade you' re looking, I especially like Hashbneiah (thoughts of God), Harumaph (Snub-nosed), and Shelemiah (thankful to God). We're not going to spend a whole lot of time in Nehemiah 3, because I want to look at the New Testament Parallel in 1 Corinthians 12.<br /><br />Let's do some context in Nehemiah 2 Nehemiah leaves a very cushy position and travels to Jerusalem to seek the wellbeing of his people. How does this parallel Jesus Christ? Jesus stepped out of Heaven to be born into abject poverty to seek the welfare of his people.<br /><br />2 Corinthians 8:9 <em>You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.<br /></em><br />Something that I've read to you before, but is definitely worth reading again, is John Flavel's presumption on how the conversation between Jesus and his Father may have gone as Jesus left Heaven to rescue his people.<br /><br /><strong>Father:</strong> <span style="color:#000066;">My son, here is a company of poor miserable souls, that have utterly undone themselves, and now lie open to my justice! Justice demands satisfaction for them, or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them: What shall be done for these souls?<br /></span><br /><strong>Son:</strong> <span style="color:#ff0000;">O my Father, such is my love to, and pity for them, that rather than they shall perish eternally, I will be responsible for them as their Surety; bring in all thy bills, that I may see what they owe thee; Lord, bring them all in, that there may be no after-reckonings with them; at my hand shalt thou require it. I will rather choose to suffer thy wrath than they should suffer it: upon me, my Father, upon me be all their debt.</span><br /><br /><strong>Father:</strong> <span style="color:#000066;">But, my Son, if thou undertake for them, thou must reckon to pay the last mite, expect no abatements; if I spare them, I will not spare thee.<br /></span><br /><strong>Son:</strong> <span style="color:#ff0000;">Content, Father, let it be so; charge it all upon me, I am able to discharge it: and though it prove a kind of undoing to me, though it impoverish all my riches, empty all my treasures, yet I am content to undertake it.</span><br /><br />Nehemiah 2 is also a great look at Nehemiah leaving the world to endeavor something huge for God and his people. How does Jerusalem look at this point? It's in ruins, the walls are torn down, it is open for attack on every side, it is a sad place to live.<br /><br />Here we see another parallel to Jesus, that he immediately started building his church after he was raised. We see this to a much smaller extent in Nehemiah as he starts to rebuild Jerusalem. There is much to learn in this passage and I struggled with how much we should read, I've decided we should read the whole chapter for the sake of knowing that the Bible it totally the Word of God and we shouldn't skip anything.<br /><br />This passage shows us that the book of Nehemiah is a historical book, it's not just an allegory or a neat fictional account, but that it actually happened. Some people here are mentioned nowhere else, but in their faithfulness to God they are recorded for our edification and we should always remember that God takes notice even if others don't.<br /><br /><strong><em>Nehemiah 3<br /></em></strong><br />The actual geography of Jerusalem is of a little value, I actually heard a whole sermon on the different gates trying to find a superspiritual hidden message in them, but the greater value is that we look at how everyone worked together. Though for geographies sake, the way this chapter is written works its way around the city from the Sheep Gate to the Sheep Gate, if you see in verse 1 it starts here, and in verse 32 it ends here. There is no greater importance for who is named in order, other than who is named first, the others are just in order of where they were on the wall.<br /><br />The first people we see working are the priests led by the high priest, Eliashib. There is a community of people found in Georgia called the Mennonites, they used to be closely related to the Amish. They do a lot of weird things, but one of the weirdest is that they believe only their pastors should share their faith. The biblical model is that everyone should be doing the work of God, but that this should be led by the religious leaders. Where a pastor puts his emphasis is where the church will put their emphasis. You can see that with me that my emphasis is on evangelism and Bible memorization and growing students into capable disciples. You can see it in David Platt's church where one of his big thrusts is giving money for world missions and sending world missions, and his church is doing a mighty work in that.<br /><br />So the priests are setting the example and everyone else falls in line, check out how Paul would say this,<br /><br />1 Corinthians 11:1 <em>Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.</em><br /><br />Another important thing we see in this passage is who is working. Look at verse 1, it's the high priest and lesser priests, verse 8, it is skilled laborers the goldsmiths and perfumers, throughout the passage there are noname people who seem to have no skill, just working, verse 12 a mayor/governor of Jerusalem and his daughters, so now we've got girls involved, verse 13, people from outside of Jerusalem join in, and in verse 30 we see a "sixth son" which is a son with little to gain in inheritance, but he's working for God, not worldly gain. The important thing to see about this passage of scripture is how many people are working and how diverse they are.<br /><br />Not everyone is working though, look at verse 5, the nobles of the Tekoites would not help, they wouldn't stoop, to lowly levels, to serve God. There are many people I run into in Christendom today who will do things for all sorts of reasons, but won't dare to open their mouth to talk about Jesus Christ. They think they're serving God, but many of them unfortunately are not. Sometimes the most menial tasks can be the most important, while the most grandiose accomplish the least. Like yesterday Kyle was faithful to preach the gospel in Atlanta, maybe two-hundred people heard him, but I guarantee you he did more good yesterday than Joel Osteen will do today even though 2 million people will hear Joel Osteen. Stoop, beloved, to serve your Adoni, your Lord.<br /><br />Two more things I want to show you before we move to 1 Corinthians 12. Look at verse 4, we've got this priest Meremoth working on the wall near the Fish Gate, which just for trivia is the gate that fish from Tyre would be brought through and where the fish markets were, but we see Meremoth working, and he must have finished his job. Instead of going and sitting down, he goes to verse 21 and finds another job to do, he repaired another section on the door of Eliashib's house.<br /><br />That brings me to the next point. Eliashib wasn't working on his own house, which would have shared a wall with the wall of Jerusalem, he's working on another project somewhere else. But look at verse 23, here we've got people working on their own houses. I just want to show you that it's great to reach out, it's also great to be helped as well. They all knew that they were building the wall together and that it would get done, they trusted the efforts of their brothers and sisters. We should be doing likewise in the church, not saying, "Ok, everybody come work on my project." We're building the church together, and together it will get done by the work of the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />So that brings us into the New Testament. There are all sorts of churches this morning that will be throwing wiz-bang services with crazy loud music, light shows, amazing computer animations, motorcycles jumping over the pastor, weird gimmicks, animals on stage, preachers dressed up, speaking in tongues and dancing like crazy and really trying to feel the Holy Spirit. Steve Lawson preached on Friday at John MacArthur's church and he made an excellent point that these are the "bland leading the bland", these churches, though alive in appearance, have no clue as to the power of the life giving Word of God, and are dead in their sin and trespass. We don't do that to try to feel the Holy Spirit, let's read<br /><br />1 Corinthians 14:12 <em>Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.</em><br /><br />The way the Holy Spirit works is not by giving you a warm-fuzzy feeling inside, but by growing you in holiness, giving you boldness, enlightening the word, making your efforts fruitful, giving you love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. If you want these things more and more, then strive to build up the church.<br /><br />And how do you do that? Can you only do it if you're a pastor or elder or teacher? By no means, let's go back to chapter 12.<br /><br />1 Corinthians 12:4-11 <em>Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.<br /></em><br />The simplest summation of this passage is that you're not all goldsmiths, you're not all religious leaders, you're not all nobles, you're not all governors, but that you all have a place to work in God's building of the church.<br /><br />Let's take a closer look at these, this is not a comprehensive list by any means, I think there are at least a few other gifts not here mentioned, like I believe I have a gift of boldness, of not caring what people think of me because I care more about what Jesus Christ thinks of me.<br /><br /><strong>Utterance of Wisdom</strong> - This probably makes more sense to us if we see it as "ability to speak well with instructing words." This is the ability to teach application so that the hearers can more easily apply it.<br /><br /><strong>Utterance of Knowledge</strong> - This is the ability to teach deep truths so that many understand.<br /><br /><strong>Faith</strong> - The ability to persevere in the face of great adversity. Some are easily blown about in a sea of doubt, but others have a steadfast anchor, which can be used to moor others to the truth.<br /><br /><strong>Healing</strong> - Either the ability to understand medicine better than most, or more probably to pray for sickness and have better than average results. It is not God's will that you are healthy and wealthy, because he uses the opposite for his glory, but there are definitely no lack of stories of people being healed through prayer. It is said that Charles Spurgeon had this gift and that 3 out of 4 people he prayed for got better. He always sought to point people at eternal healing rather than temporal healing though.<br /><br /><strong>Miracles</strong> - This is the working of power, doing things much bigger than seems possible.<br /><br /><strong>Prophecy</strong> - This is the public proclamation of the Word of God. In the Old Testament prophets spoke new revelation, in the New Testament we speak revelation that has been given to us in the Bible.<br /><br /><strong>Discernment</strong> - The ability to tell what is God glorifying and what is not. Here is a good point to pause and let you know that all of these should be sought and strived for, that they are gifts by the Spirit, but we can definitely grow them.<br /><br />Hebrews 5:14 <em>Solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.</em><br /><br /><strong>Tongues</strong> - The ability to speak other languages, to learn them easily. Anyone can learn a language, but some people have a supernatural gift to easily learn another language.<br /><br /><strong>Interpretation</strong> - The ability to translate the one language into different languages. William Carey, a famous Baptist missionary to India, translated the New Testament into 27 languages, he had this gift.<br /><br />Other gifts mentioned in the Bible are <strong>serving</strong>, <strong>exhortation</strong>, <strong>giving</strong>, <strong>mercy</strong>, and <strong>leadership</strong>.<br /><br />1 Corinthians 12:14-31 <em>For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.<br /></em><br />And all of this is led by the head, who is Christ. Where the head goes, there goes the church, we follow him, he's leading us and working in us. Here is our major application, that as you grow into leaders it is absolutely imperative that you preach the true Jesus, because if you preach a squishy or lop-sided Jesus, your disciples will follow that error. You must strive to be good teachers, rightly representing the head of the church, so that the whole body will be healthy.<br /><br />James 3:1 <em>Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.</em><br /><br />And finally, we build this church, knowing that our labor is not in vain:<br /><br />1 Corinthians 15:58 <em>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.</em>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-18847877204231078002011-03-06T03:40:00.005-05:002011-03-06T17:14:43.321-05:00March 6th - Separation From the World<strong>Prayer Requests<br /></strong>Whoever's Preaching<br />Swift Cantrel Witnessing<br />Eve and David - Salvation<br />Friend from work - Salvation<br />Ian's health<br />Tyler Mc's collarbone<br />KSU students going to Jordan<br />War in Tripoli/Believers safety<br />Praise - James' great band camp<br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> - Nehemiah 2<br /><br />Let's do some review, we're in Nehemiah 2 today, so first question, who is Nehemiah? Nehemiah is a Jewish man living in Persia in the year 445BC. He is probably up in age, very wise and in the most trusted position under the king of Persia. In chapter 1 his brother Hanani comes to visit him in Susa, and Nehemiah asks how things are in Jerusalem, how are they? Not good at all, the walls are torn down, and they are greatly oppressed. How did Jerusalem get that way? Over a hundred years prior it was destroyed by the Babylonians. How long have Jews been living in Jerusalem like that? Almost a hundred years. Why is Jerusalem such an important place, why did Daniel pray towards Jerusalem? It was the official dwelling place of God on earth. Why don't we pray towards Jerusalem today? Because God dwells in Heaven, his Spirit dwells in each of us, we seek a city to come, here we have no lasting city. But in Nehemiah's time it was imperative that they return to Jerusalem to be in the presence of God, but right now it is in rough shape.<br /><br />So Nehemiah does what when he learns this? He mourns and prays and fasts. Do you remember how long he prays? Four months; a long time. At the end of four months, after he's counted the cost, he decides that he would rather please God than men. Here is our first application nice and early, let's read Paul's similar conclusion:<br /><br />Galatians 1:10 <em>For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.<br /></em><br />So Nehemiah sets his heart towards home and prays to God to get him out of his current job as the Cupbearer to the king, which is generally not a position a person can get out of. Nehemiah has a very basic plan, he'll pray and then go before the king. I don't think Nehemiah had the faintest idea what he would ask, because his request was impossible, he couldn't get himself out of his current state through any effort of his own, so he goes trusting God.<br /><br />Nehemiah 2:1-2 <em>In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. And the king said to me, "Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart." Then I was very much afraid.<br /></em><br />Many different kings in history have made it a law that you're not allowed to be sad when you're around them, everyone should always appear happy and like everything is super-wonderful all the time. Apparently Artaxerxes had the same law, because Nehemiah here feels like he's made a fatal mistake. Here is another application, that the kings of Persia called themselves, "King of kings", and they wanted it to appear that to be in their presence was pure joy. Our God, on the other hand, who genuinely is the King of kings, welcomes our weaknesses and sorrows, he tells us to come with boldness into his presence even if we're sad, he tells us to cast our cares on him, for he cares for us. He is such a better King than anything this world has ever produced.<br /><br />Hebrews 4:16 <em>Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.<br /></em><br />It was a great sign of disrespect to stand in front of Artaxerxes with a sad face on, but Nehemiah relies on God to give him the words to speak and carry him through this perilous situation.<br /><br />Nehemiah 2:3 <em>I said to the king, "Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"</em><br /><em></em><br />Nehemiah does the best thing you can ever do if you're trusting in God, he tells the truth. There are times in this world that if you're against God, it might be beneficial to tell a lie to keep yourself out of trouble, but we're not against God, we rely on the God of Truth, and so we should always be truthful both to rightly represent his both his truthfulness and our reliance on his Sovereignty.<br /><br />Nehemiah tells Artaxerxes that his sadness is caused because Jerusalem is in shambles. This isn't just a statement, apparently, because the king hears it as a question.<br /><br />Nehemiah 2:4-5 <em>Then the king said to me, "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it."<br /></em><br />I love the verse where Nehemiah prays to God, it doesn't say he prayed it out loud, and by the context it clearly couldn't have been a long prayer. The shortest prayer I ever prayed was, "Help!" on the freeway when a car almost hit us in the shuttle. The important thing here is a complete reliance on God's sovereignty.<br /><br />Nehemiah asks to be sent by the king to Judah, to rebuild Jerusalem. This is an exceptionally bold prayer, but if God were not with Nehemiah, he would already be in huge trouble for standing before the king in sadness.<br /><br />Here's another application, God calls us to do bold things by his strength and in his power. None of these things are ever easy, if they were easy we would miss the power of God in them. It is amazing when a doctor helps a sick person get better, and while God is definitely in that, it is so much more amazing when God raises a person from the dead, something no man has ever or will ever do. The more difficult it is for us, the more it shows his power.<br /><br />God is more than capable of doing it the easy way, but sometimes (most of the time) he does it the hard way so we grow in grace and we see his hand more clearly.<br /><br />Proverbs 21:1<em> The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.<br /></em><br />God could have put it in Artaxerxes' heart to send a messenger to Nehemiah saying, "Pack your bags, I'm sending you to be governor of Jerusalem." But there is very little miracle in that, we want a big miracle, and here it comes.<br /><br />Nehemiah 2:6 <em>And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), "How long will you be gone, and when will you return?" So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time.<br /></em><br />The impossible just happened, the king let his most trusted adviser go, the time is uncertain, probably a few years at least, we'll see Nehemiah return in a few chapters. The reason Nehemiah doesn't give the time is because he wants you to focus on the miracle of his salvation from a foreign kindgom instead of the logistics of it. I don't have the faintest idea why it says the queen was sitting beside Artaxerxes, there is probably a big theological reason, but we'll have to wait to Heaven to find out why.<br /><br />Once we see that God is definitely working, it gets a little easier to be bolder. When I open air preach I remember that I have to say the first word, then the Holy Spirit will take over. The first word is almost impossible to get out, but afterwards preaching is easy. We see Nehemiah felt the same thing, his next request is pretty bold.<br /><br />Nehemiah 2:7-8 <em>And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy." And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.<br /></em><br />Now Nehemiah has the permission of the king, the blessings of the king, and even papers that are worth a ton of money. And we see in the end of verse 8 that Artaxerxes didn't do it out of the goodness of his own heart, but because God had directed his heart to do so.<br /><br />So Nehemiah sets off, leaving the life he has always known, leaving safety and great riches and prestige, stepping out on faith to accomplish something that is definitely going to be very hard. Here's another application, go out and attempt something hard for God, he has used everyone from teenagers to old people, know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain, ask him to glorify himself through you.<br /><br />Nehemiah 2:9<em> Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen.<br /></em><br />Let's pause here so I can make a correction. Last week I told you that the province called Beyond the River was beyond the Jordan River, but it's actually beyond the Euphrates River, it's a lot more than just Judah, it's modern day Syria and Jordan and much of Iraq. This was a long and dangerous hike, and we see that the king cares so much for Nehemiah that he wants to make sure it's safe for him, he doesn't want to lose him to bandits. A great evangelist to Germany, named Boniface in the 700's, was murdered late in his life because bandits thought his caravan was carrying money, when it was actually carrying books and Bibles. Here is your next application, you have an appointment with death, you will not be late, and you are invincible until that day, so don't fear men.<br /><br />2 Thessalonians 3:3 <em>The Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.</em><br /><br />Psalm 91:11 <em>For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.<br /><br /></em>This next verse is pretty wild, because Nehemiah didn't announce his intentions, but the word has gotten out somehow.<br /><br />Nehemiah 2:10 <em>But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.<br /></em><br />These are likely rival governors, or at least men of prominence. Sanballat is from Moab, to the Northeast of Judah, and Tobiah, who was once a slave but has ascended to a higher position, is from Ammon, South of Moab. They are upset that someone is here to help the Jews. In my own witnessing I haven't run into this too often, but it is wild when someone knows who you are and why you're there without you telling them. I believe it is satanic for sure.<br /><br />Here's your next application, if you are being obedient to God, the prince of the power of the air is going to oppose you. We'll see in future weeks how good they are at opposing God's purposes...here's a spoiler though, they're not good at it.<br /><br />2 Timothy 3:12-13 <em>Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.<br /><br /></em>The most christlike man who ever lived was crucified, if we're living christlike lives we should expect persecution. There are some amazing parallels between Nehemiah and Jesus Christ, we'll look at them in a bit, some are blatant, some people have tried to force, we'll see a forced one in the next verse:<br /><br />Nehemiah 2:11-12 <em>So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode.<br /></em><br />Jesus was in the grave for three days, and Nehemiah was in Jerusalem for three days...I'll tell you that I don't think this is any more than a coincidence, there is absolutely no theological significance that I can find for Nehemiah; Christ lay dead for three days so we were sure he was dead. But look, we do have some parallels, Nehemiah has come to seek the welfare of Jerusalem and yet he doesn't immediately announce himself, he prepares beforehand, just as Jesus did. Jesus was doing more though, he had to fulfill all righteousness so that in his exchange for us all of our sins would be on him and all of his righteousness would be on us. He exchanged his truth for our lies, our adultery for his faithfulness, he was even baptized so he could cover the sin of those who fail to be baptized.<br /><br />Nehemiah rested because it was a long journey from Susa, and he was likely old and worn out. He rode on a beast of burden I believe for two reasons, first because he was worn out, and two because he was fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy that the anointed one of God would arrive humbly riding on a donkey. Jesus would be the greater fulfillment later.<br /><br />It seems that Jerusalem didn't know why Nehemiah was there, and there isn't any fan-fare to be spoken of, I believe this points towards to when the Messiah would be born four hundred years later and be mostly ignored by the very people he came to save.<br /><br />So Nehemiah goes out to survey the damage. Jerusalem is a disaster at this point, piles of rocks everywhere, massive holes in the wall, no gates, it is a sad sad place to live.<br /><br />Nehemiah 2:13-16 <em>I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work.<br /><br /></em>He went around most of the city, some places he couldn't go due to rubble, but he got a good look at the damage. One thing cool in here, look at verse 13, he went to the <strong>dragon spring</strong>. There is some history to say that it is so named because a dragon/dinosaur lived there during the time of Lamentations when very few people lived in Jerusalem. Unfortunately we'll have to wait until Heaven to know for sure why it is so called the Dinosaur Spring, but this is just one more of many places the Bible mentions dinosaurs known by men. The best is in Job 40 and I encourage you to read it later when you get a chance.<br /><br />So Nehemiah sees that there is much to be done. He has prayed, he as counted the cost, now it's time to get moving.<br /><br />Nehemiah 2:17-18<em> Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision." And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, "Let us rise up and build." So they strengthened their hands for the good work.</em><br /><br />These men were more than capable of rebuilding Jerusalem, of calling on the name of the Lord for help, for stepping up to action, but they had fallen into stagnancy and just accepted that they were constantly in danger from the world. Sometimes what a major project needs is just someone to stand up and say, "Let's do something!" It helped a lot that God had so worked in Nehemiah's life already and his testimony was used to motivate people. So the wall was rebuilt and everyone lived happily ever after, the end. No, not really.<br /><br />Nehemiah 2:19 <em>But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"<br /><br /></em>Three people step up to try to stop the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Sanballat, Tobiah, and someone we haven't seen before, Geshem, from Arabia south of Judah. Israel, indefensible at this point, had been theirs basically, they could do whatever they wanted to Israel because they couldn't defend themselves. Now they're concerned because Israel might be able to stand up for herself. But they can't say, "We want to keep stealing your stuff, so no rebuilding the wall." They need a different excuse.<br /><br />Their excuse is to claim that the work is against Artaxerxes, that the Jews are seeking to throw off his authority, but we know that Nehemiah had the full blessing of Artaxerxes. Besides the blessing of Artaxerxes, the blessing of God Almighty is so much better.<br /><br />Nehemiah 2:20 <em>Then I replied to them, "The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem."<br /><br /></em>One of the main reasons that they are rebuilding the wall is to set themselves apart once more as a holy people, to keep sinners out. In the church today it is really popular to try to build bridges to the world, to find relevancy so that they will listen to us, but the Bible says we ought to be building walls, that lest they be our brethren through regeneration, then an easy intermingling between us shouldn't be possible.<br /><br />James 4:4 <em>You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?! Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.</em><br /><br />We can build walls by rejecting sin, by using our language for good, by avoiding physical sins, by esteeming life as worth defending, by not giving the world even an appearance of sin in ourselves, redeeming the time and rejecting ungodly living.<br /><br />John 17:14-19 <em>I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.<br /></em><br />Let's look at Jesus, he was the highest official in Heaven, he looked and saw his people perishing, he was commissioned by his Father to step out of Heaven, he came to us, seeking the welfare of his saints, his people took very little notice of his arrival, and on his last week he rode in humble on a donkey. Jesus did what Nehemiah couldn't, he atoned for our sins on the cross, then he defeated death. He has commissioned the building of his church, and he has called many helpers to himself to work in that. So let us arise and build, let us share out faith, not loving the world, but calling many out of the darkness into Christ's glorious light.Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-72958610576028682202011-02-27T06:59:00.004-05:002011-02-28T13:32:00.133-05:00February 27th - Count the Cost<strong>Prayer Requests</strong><br />Pastor Aaron Preaching<br />Swift Cantrel Preaching<br />Indian Christians murdered<br />David - College<br />Kyle - Mt. Paran<br />Greyson - Mom health, Uncle health, Job interviews<br />Tyler - Job interviews<br />Kari - Friend in hospital, Dance teacher's husband cancer<br />Tyler McIntosh's collar bone<br />Jennifer - Magnet Decisions<br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> - Nehemiah 1<br /><br />We're starting this morning the book of Nehemiah. There are many different types of writing in the Bible, the Epistles are letters which are to instruct and edify. Zechariah, which we just finished, is prophetic, it is teaching through dreams and visions and word-pictures. Other types are the poetry of Psalms, the wisdom of Proverbs, and the Narrative of the Gospels and Acts of the Holy Spirit. Each of these requires a slightly different teaching style, and Nehemiah, which is a Historical Narrative, will be best taught not line-by-line, but so that you see the major theme of each major event. If you get lost or confused it is imperative that you ask questions, because something that may seem totally obvious to me might be lost on you, since I've spent so much time already in this book.<br /><br />Nehemiah comes as a package deal with Ezra, so much so that sometimes this book is called Ezra-Nehemiah. They are split up mainly because of scroll length when they weren't written in books, but on scrolls. The reason we are not going to Ezra right after Zechariah is because Ezra is an extremely fast paced, numbers-based, book which is really useful for giving us the timeframe of Zechariah, Haggai, Nehemiah, and Esther, but with not a lot of didactic material of its own. It would literally take us years to get through Ezra because every chapter would have us going to another minor prophet.<br /><br />The reason we chose to do Nehemiah after Zechariah is because in Zechariah the major rebuilding effort was the Temple, now the major rebuilding effort in Nehemiah will be the wall of Jerusalem. Both of these books happen after the Babylonian exile, Zechariah in 522-518BC, and Nehemiah quite a bit later in 445BC. Remember that Jerusalem was burned in 586BC, so the fact that Jerusalem lay in rubble for so long is a very important point as we get a little farther into Nehemiah.<br /><br />After the Jews were allowed to go home after the Babylonian exile, starting about 535BC, there were two major returns. The first was when Zechariah and Zerubbabel and Joshua led many back. The second was led by Ezra, quite a bit later. During this time there were trickling of Jews back in, but even as we see in the book of Acts in the AD40's that many Jews had not come back but had lived in foreign lands for hundreds of years.<br /><br />It is very important to remember that God dwelt in a temple in Jerusalem during this time, so to have no interest to be near to Jerusalem was to have no interest to be near to God. In our days though, we remember that Jesus Christ, God the Son, created for himself a temple of flesh and dwelt in it; that if anyone is born again then the Holy Spirit dwells in them and they are a temple of God.<br /><br />1 Corinthians 6:19-20 <em>Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.<br /><br /></em>It is massively important that we recognize that a Jew living willingly outside of Jerusalem in the 5th century BC was rejecting God. To the contrary, Daniel was forced to live outside of Jerusalem and he reacted this way,<br /><br />Daniel 6:10 <em>When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.<br /></em><br />Daniel knew where God dwelt, and prayed towards him, not at all happy that he was a prisoner in a foreign land. Remember this point, because it will be very important for our application at the end.<br /><br />So that brings us to Nehemiah. Nehemiah is a man born outside of Israel in Persia (Modern Day Iran), he is probably about 60 years old, and many think he was probably a very smart and handsome man, because of his job he had as the Cupbearer of the king of Persia. A Cupbearer isn't just a waiter, it is a much more trusted position. It can be so high as to be the second in command of a nation. The Cupbearer is responsible for making sure the king is not poisoned, so it is a very trusted position. There have been no lack of Cupbearers in history who have betrayed their kings to death in order to try to steal the throne.<br /><br />The Cupbearer is privy to all manner of military and kingdom secrets, and his advice is readily sought and desired by the king. So the first thing we learn about Nehemiah is that he has done very well for himself in the world, he is probably the richest and most powerful Jew in the world at this time, more so than even the governor of Jerusalem.<br /><br />At this time, the land of Israel/Judah aren't even called by their names, but are called the "Province Beyond the River." Which river do you think it's beyond? The Jordan. It is a dark, dark day for Jerusalem, but Nehemiah seems to be oblivious, so let's start into Nehemiah,<br /><br />Nehemiah 1:1-3 <em>The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the capital, that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, "The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire."</em><br /><br />The twentieth year is the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, so that definitively dates this book to 445BC. The month of Chislev is November, this will be more important in a bit, but not right now. There was constant traffic from Jerusalem to Susa, a capital city of Persia, some of whom would be Jews. Nehemiah talked with his brother named Hanani, who was either just coincidentally in Susa where Nehemiah was, or more likely perhaps Hanani sought Nehemiah out to try to improve the condition of Jerusalem. Nehemiah asks, basically, "How is the rebuilding of Jerusalem coming?" I don't think he gets the answer he was expecting at all, he is told they are shamed, in great persecution from surrounding peoples, and that their walls are still in shambles and the gates are wide open to any oppressor. The Holy Spirit greatly convicts Nehemiah and Nehemiah instantly goes into mourning.<br /><br />Nehemiah 1:4-5 <em>As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, "O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments..."<br /></em><br />Nehemiah goes into great mourning, both for the condition of Jerusalem, but I think more so for his own sin of being so affluent in a sinful place.<br /><br />His prayer is fantastic, he starts here by quoting Daniel's prayer in Daniel 9. He shows himself to be well versed in the Hebrew scriptures, he quotes Daniel, Moses, and Ezra, and I love his beginning to this prayer, to the Lord God of Heaven. This prayer is asking both for forgiveness of the people Israel, and also for Nehemiah, and I think his opening shows that he has not mixed any of the Persian gods into his worship, but sees that God is the only God and Saviour. His prayer continues,<br /><br />Nehemiah 1:6-7 <em>Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.<br /></em><br />Nehemiah confesses great sin before God, starting with the nation, then to his own house, then even himself. He is totally broken over this sin, as evidenced by his fasting and weeping for days, not just minutes. He continues now by appealing to God's faithfulness and that he responds to repentance,<br /><br />Nehemiah 1:8-9 <em>Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.'<br /></em><br />Nehemiah confesses that Israel's sins led to the exile and the condition of Jerusalem now, but he continues the verse from Deuteronomy, that if they repent then they will be returned to a place where God dwelt. Nehemiah is hoping for this repentance to lead to God turning his eyes and ears back in favor towards Jerusalem.<br /><br />At this point we see that it was very clearly the sins of Israel that led to their great pain and destruction. Sometimes when bad things happen, it is the result of sin, especially in the context of a whole nation. But it is not always the result of sin. Like if you stub your toe you shouldn't go to try to figure out, "Which sin was it that God is punishing me for in the stubbing of my toe?" As children of grace, we do not expect every sin to receive a retribution, since they have been paid for on Calvary's cross. But we also have to see in the falling of nations and bad things that happen to cities can be seen to be punishment from God,<br /><br />Amos 3:6 <em>Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it?<br /><br /></em>Does that mean that cities that have disaster in them are worse and cities that are safe was better? No, Jesus answered that question by saying, "<strong><em>Unless you repent, you shall likewise perish</em></strong>." (Luke 13:1-5) Disaster is a punishment for sinners, and also a warning. This is a complex issue and I encourage to read Psalm 73 when you get a chance, which tackles it a lot deeper. Not everything bad that happens is a result of sin, but some things are. Like the condition of Jerusalem right now in Nehemiah's day is definitely a result of sin. Nehemiah is praying that God will forgive them and build them back up,<br /><br />Nehemiah 1:10-11 <em>They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man."<br /></em><br />This is recognized as one of the greatest intercessions in the Bible, asking God to listen and save and rescue his people. We'll see much more next week on how Nehemiah brings it to fruition, but we need to remember that the beginning of all success starts with prayer. When I'm witnessing I like to remember that we have to talk to God about people before we talk to people about God.<br /><br />John 9:31 <em>We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.<br /><br /></em>We see in this case that Nehemiah is a worshipper of God, but he needs to do his will. It is impossible to be a follower of God and not be changed. Nehemiah at this point is a great sinner, he lives in absolute wealth and extravagance while his people perish. We'll see next week that he does God's will, he is changed, he does act on his worship of God.<br /><br />This is very similar to one of my favorite conversations Jesus had in Luke 18,<br /><br />Luke 18:18-30 <em>And a ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.'" And he said, "All these I have kept from my youth." When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." And Peter said, "See, we have left our homes and followed you." And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life."<br /><br /></em>There is a young man very like Nehemiah who has the world by the toes, he has every good thing, wealth, food, respect, power, and yet he is confronted with the fact that these things have become his idol. You can't go to Heaven by selling everything you own and giving it to the poor, what you must do is love God more than anything else, and we see that this young man wouldn't repent, and walked away sad, walking away from the greatest treasure in the universe. Jesus said that it was easier to get a two-ton dromedary through a 1 millimeter hole than to get a sinner into Heaven.<br /><br />Jesus' followers recognized that they wouldn't make it either, so they said, "That sounds impossible." This is similar to Nehemiah's condition, in that he is the Cupbearer of the king, he cannot leave. He has all sorts of classified information, he knows where armies are, how big they are, how major campaigns are being waged, the tactics of the Persians, building projects and weaknesses of cities and provinces...if he asks to leave, it is very unlikely that the king will let him go. We'll see next week that what is impossible with men, is possible with God. After four months of praying, Nehemiah is allowed to return to Judah, leaving all manner of wealth behind him.<br /><br />And this is not a call to leave all money and comfort, but it is a call to love God more than money and comfort. In the New Testament we see Christians with families and houses and wives and parents and children and even some with great wealth (Lydia), but these must not be your idols, or they will keep you out of the kingdom. Whatever you lose in this world will be repaid many times over in Heaven, Jesus calls us thusly,<br /><br />Matthew 6:19-21 <em>Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.<br /></em><br />None of us should enter lightly into following Christ. He does not say, "<strong>Try it for a little while and if you don't like it, then go on your way</strong>." He does not say as many have dubbed "Pascal's Wager" that "<strong>It is better to believe in God and be right than not to believe in God and be wrong</strong>." or "<strong>If I'm right, then I'm fine, but if you're right, I'm fine</strong>."<br /><br />No, Jesus calls for a much deeper and more committed discipleship. It is a discipleship that says if your own brother hates you for being a Christian, that you continue to be a Christian. It is a discipleship that says if you lose your life you will rejoice, if you lose your house you will continue to follow, if none go with you, you will walk alone with Christ.<br /><br />Luke 14:25-33 <em>Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.<br /><br /></em>So your application today is to not love the world or the things in the world, but to recognize that there is salvation and hope and everlasting happiness in only One. He requires much, but he also promises much, do not enter into his discipleship lightly, endeavor to be the best disciple he has ever had, or don't claim to be a disciple at all. Nehemiah prayed for 4 months before he decided to leave his worldly paradise to do the work of God, please be likewise praying and counting the cost, knowing that whatever you lose in Christ will be repaid to you many times over in Heaven.<br /><br />Also, pray for your nation, for your church family, for your biological family, and for yourself, that you would be strengthened to withstand the temptations of the world, that you would be accurate representations of Christ in the world, and that through your life and ministry many would be saved. When we pray we don't pray towards Jerusalem, but towards Heaven, knowing that through Christ we are heard and that our prayers have great power because of him who has effected them.<br /><br />Finally, as we'll look at next week, that Nehemiah is a type for Christ, he shows us some things about Christ which wouldn't take place for almost 500 years. Jesus Christ, God our Comforter, (Nehemiah means God comforts), stepped out of the kingdom of Heaven to be poor, to exchange our spiritual poverty for his spiritual affluence, he came to save his people, and he has secured salvation for those who once were exposed to the world without hope. Set your affections on this Christ, know that he always lives to make intercession for his saints, know that he has paid for all of your sins, both confessed and unconfessed, that he took our sins on himself and confessed them for us, so if we follow him, repenting towards him, and placing our full faith in him, then we are totally forgiven and will be welcomed into the kingdom of Heaven.Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-6730387693541663212011-02-20T08:04:00.000-05:002011-02-20T08:05:02.951-05:00February 20th - The Watchman<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Prayer Requests<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Pastor Aaron Preaching John 14<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Princess Weekend<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Men's Dinner<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Athens Preaching<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Swift Cantrel Preaching<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Students Traveling:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Hannah DC<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">-Westbrooks Caribbean<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Kari Birthday<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">This morning we will look at a topical lesson at our purposes in evangelism. Please turn to Ezekiel 33, actually start in Jeremiah 23. Next week we will start Nehemiah 1, which is the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian Exile. What major structure was rebuilt in Zechariah and Haggai? The Temple, this was also rebuilt after the Babylonian exile and the destruction of Jerusalem.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">I realized as I was looking at Nehemiah 1 that I didn't do a very good job of explaining to you why Jerusalem was destroyed and Israel sold into captivity by God. This exile happened from 605~535BC. The sin of Israel was great, it started partly in her prophets, who preached "Peace!" when in fact there was no peace, neither peace with Babylon, nor peace with God. Prophets who were godly who warned beforehand were Isaiah and Micah, prophets who were godly who preached during the exile were Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel. Prophets who were godly after the exile were Zechariah, Haggai, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. Let's let a prophet tell us why God is so furious with false preachers then and now and why he sent Israel into captivity then, and the church today.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Jeremiah 23:9-32<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD and because of his holy words. For the land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. Their course is evil, and their might is not right. "Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil, declares the LORD. <b><sup>12</sup></b> Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness, into which they shall be driven and fall, for I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment, declares the LORD. In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah." Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: "Behold, I will feed them with bitter food and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land." Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">'It shall be well with you'</b>; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">'No disaster shall come upon you.'</b>" For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened? Behold, the storm of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked. The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intents of his heart. In the latter days you will understand it clearly. "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds. "Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD. I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!' How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD. Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who steal my words from one another. Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who use their tongues and declare, 'declares the LORD.' Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the LORD, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the LORD.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">This passage perfectly sums up why Israel was taken into captivity, because they rejected God, substituted an idol, chased after their sin, and then found preachers who would tell them that God had no wrath and was not angry and did not require them to repent. These false prophets became a burden both to God and to the people, and so God sent them both from his presence in Jerusalem into far away lands, and also from his spiritual presence into everlasting pain. Besides lying prophets, Israel had a problem with prophets who wouldn't tell people about sin or the consequences of sin,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Isaiah 56:10 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">dogs;</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> <span class="apple-style-span">they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.</span></span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">A lying or lazy prophet will reek havoc on a people spiritually, and we see this today in a myriad of preachers who say, "It will go well with you," or "No disaster shall come upon you," or "Live your best life now," or "I'm ok and you're ok," or any such thing pretending that God is not angry. Let me start out by saying because of our sin, you and I are in grave danger from the God of Heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Hebrews 10:31 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">There is but one hope, it is listed throughout the Bible, but my favorite is in<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Romans 8:1 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">We are in Christ, not because we do good works, but by faith, but if we are in Christ, then we will do good works. If you have not been changed, not born-again, not seeking to the will of your Father who is in Heaven, then beloved, the chances that you still stand in condemnation are great. This message is a painful one, and one which is not popular today just as it was not popular then, check out Jeremiah's response when he preached this message, people HATED him for it, and though he preached for at least 50 years, he never so much as reaped one convert, because the people were so sinful:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Jeremiah 20:8-10 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">"Violence and destruction!" For</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name," there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! "Denounce him!</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">Let us denounce him!" say all my</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">close friends, watching for</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived; then</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">we can overcome him and take our revenge on him."</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">So now, let's go to our application. Every person who speaks for God is a prophet, if we speak of the true and living God, then we are true prophets, if we say we speak for God but we preach a different god, then we are false prophets. We do not receive new revelation, for in these latter days God speaks through his Word, but this revelation is more than sufficient and it is the Word of Faith which we are to proclaim. Let's read two verses to support this:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">Hebrews 1:1-2 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Long ago, at many times and</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">but</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">in these last days</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">he has spoken to us by</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">his Son, whom he appointed</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">the heir of all things,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">through whom also he created</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">the world.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">Romans 10:8 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">"The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim)...</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">Beloved, here is where it gets personal; you may say, I don't want the office of a prophet, I don't want the derision of Jeremiah, I don't want to be persecuted, so I will not speak for God and therefore will not have this responsibility. But just by your affiliation with a Christian church, you have a reputation as a Christian, and if you do not speak then you fall into the camp of the lazy and hungry dumb dog of Isaiah, and you tell the world that the message of Christ is not worth proclaiming.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">I don't say this simply to scare you, but to impress upon you the huge responsibility and privilege you have in being called out of the darkness into the light of Christ, that we cannot waste this life nor this Word we have been given, not just to avoid punishment, but there is a threat of punishment,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">Luke 12:47-48 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">And that servant who</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">knew his master’s will but</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">did not get ready</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">will receive a light beating.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">Not just to avoid punishment, but for the great reward of both the glory of Christ, and to be welcomed home as a faithful witness,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">Matthew 25:21 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">You have been faithful over a little;</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">I will set you over much. Enter into</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">the joy of your master.'</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">It has taken us a while to get to Ezekiel 33, but here we are. Ezekiel was a great sinner, sent away from the presence of God in the Babylonian exile, but who was called to be a prophet in Ezekiel 2. He was instantly changed and declared the Word of God to many and converted some and angered others. In chapter 3 he is given a command which he heeds, which is again reiterated in chapter 33. This is reiterated for a purpose, to assure us that the office of prophet is not a one-time command, but extends over our entire lifetime. So let's read<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">Ezekiel 33:1-9 </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";color:black">The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand. "So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">The picture here is of a watchman set in a high tower to watch for danger. His job is simple, it is not to defend the people against an army, it is simply to see an army coming and sound a trumpet saying, "There is danger coming, brace yourself!" This is his one and only job.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">He can fail in this job one of two ways. First by seeing the advancing army and not caring. Or two by falling asleep and missing the advancing aggressor, or by seeing the aggressor and being too lazy to do anything to warn the people.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Either way, this failed prophet/watchman will answer for his sin to God.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">How can we see this in our life? Is a real army going to march upon Swift Cantrel? Very unlikely. But is there a great danger from God towards sinners? Yes, check out<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Nahum 1:8-9 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">But</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">will pursue his enemies into darkness. What</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="color:black">do you plot against the LORD? He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">Let's read some places where the Apostle Paul quoted or alluded to this passage:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">Acts 18:6 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">And when they opposed and reviled him,</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">he shook out his garments and said to them,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">"Your blood be on your own heads!</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">I am innocent.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">From now on I will go to the Gentiles."</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">Acts 20:26-27 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Therefore</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">I testify to you this day that</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">I am innocent of the blood of all of you,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">for</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">I did not shrink from declaring to you</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">the whole counsel of God.</span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">This is our charge, to never shrink of declaring the whole counsel of God, to proclaim Christ and him crucified, the offense of the cross, telling people that they must repent or perish, they must be born again to inherit the kingdom of God. Now, if we are genuinely a Christian, but we fail to do our duty as the watchman, will we lose our salvation? Let's let 1 Corinthians 3 answer that:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">1 Corinthians 3:11-15 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">For no one can lay a</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">foundation other</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">than that which is laid,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">which is Jesus Christ.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black">Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">by fire, and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">he will receive a reward.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";color:black">If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">but only as through fire.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">We're not saved by our efforts, but the efforts of Christ, so we cannot lose our salvation, but we can be disobedient and enter Heaven with nothing to show for our lives at all. Lecrae says, "I would hate to never lead someone to Christ before I face the Lord."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">So what do we say? Ezekiel continues,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:black">Ezekiel 33:10-20 </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";color:black">"And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: 'Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?' Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? "And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins. Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, though I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live "Yet your people say, 'The way of the Lord is not just,' when it is their own way that is not just. When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by this.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; color:black">There is salvation in none other than Jesus Christ, who is the just and the justifier, the righteous one who died for the unrighteous. If we do not repent towards him, putting on his righteousness, then we will fall in the final judgment. But wearing his righteousness, him paying for our sin and rising again, we have a strong and perfect plea, we will live.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"; color:black">So let us go out and proclaim this message of reconciliation, let us not be dumb dogs, let us not be lying prophets. We have the words of eternal life, let us declare them with boldness, both so that we are not bad stewards and watchmen, but so that many will turn and live, and Christ will get the glory for being a perfect Saviour, and we will be welcomed into Heaven on the phrase, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master."<o:p></o:p></span></p>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-8504979354790704422011-02-13T08:30:00.002-05:002011-02-13T19:02:06.417-05:00February 13th - Superbowl Debrief<strong>Prayer Requests</strong><br />David Preaching<br />Pastor Aaron Preaching<br />Superbowl Outreach Results<br />Kari's friend Kyle - Death of mother, heart attack of father<br />Hannah - Washington Trip<br />Jennifer - Magnet Admittance<br />Greyson - Job Interviews<br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> - Zechariah 14:16-21<br /><br />Today we are going to finish up Zechariah with a definite application of world-evangelization.<br /><object width="425" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TzJxkqGiRbc&rel=0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TzJxkqGiRbc&rel=0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="390"></embed></object><br />Since Tyler and myself and 108 of our closest friends went to the Superbowl we have lots of sermon illustrations for this lesson, so the second part of this lesson will be a Superbowl debrief.<br /><br />The very end of Zechariah is an amazing prophecy for world-evangelization. God has always had a chosen people, starting first with the descendents of Seth, then to Abraham, then to the people Israel descended from Jacob. This selectivity shows that God is Sovereign in the world and has a plan and a purpose for everything that happens, that he is orchestrating history, and is under no requirement to save anyone at all, but in his grace has a small remnant of saints amongst rebels.<br /><br />If you asked a Jew in Zechariah's time, or even today, you'll most likely hear that God's chosen people is the nation Israel, and God is not particularly interested in people outside of Israel. But chapter 14 is going to show us otherwise, the God will be saving from every nation and tongue.<br /><br />It's always good to check the New Testament to make sure it agrees with our interpretation of the Old Testament, and here we definitely see that it does:<br /><br />Revelation 5:9-10 <em>And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."<br /><br /></em>So, what was the major event that happened in the beginning of chapter 14 of Zechariah? Major battles and Christ's total victory. The language used at the end of this passage is great, because it really paints a great picture of Heaven and of Christ.<br /><br />Zechariah 14:16-21 <em>Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "Holy to the LORD." And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day.<br /><br /></em>All survivors will recognize that God is the King of the earth, and they celebrate a very specific feast, it is called the Feast of Booths, or probably a better title is Feast of Tabernacles. This feast commemorates a time when God lived with the Israelites in the desert when Moses had led them out of captivity from Egypt. This was a very important feast because it reminded the Jews that God was with them and dwelt with them and cared for them and would be their Saviour. Basically what this feast was was the Jews would built little tents in their front yards or on their flat roofs or in the center of town, and live in them for a week, both to remind themselves of God's provisions, and to remember that ultimately they must dwell with him if they would live. So that brings us to the greatest verse in all of scripture, if you only memorize one verse in your entire life, you need to memorize this verse, it is the summation of the whole Old Testament, John 1:14. Let's start at verse 1 for context:<br /><br />John 1:1,14 <em>In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and <strong>dwelt </strong>among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.<br /><br /></em>Jesus Christ, God himself, <strong>tabernacled</strong> among us, he built a tent out of flesh and came and lived in it. So this feast of Tabernacles that we will celebrate for eternity is not us living in tents in our back yards, no, it is so much more grand, it is us recognizing that Jesus Christ is God with us, he is the Word Incarnate, the gracious God, the True God, the full weight of glory of the Father, and that we have put on his righteousness and his Spirit dwells in us and makes us holy. Anyone who rejects this Christ as the true Tabernacle will be rejected,<br /><br /><strong>vv.17-19</strong><em> And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.<br /><br /></em>The language here is very prophetic, it's something the Jews would have understood without knowing exactly how Christ would save them, so it relates it in language they would understand giving allegiance to a sovereign conquering king. What is missing from this passage is any idea that the decision is reversible; if a nation changes its mind there is no chance of blessing after they have rejected the Conquering King.<br /><br />Look at the language of the curses, there will be no rain, we can very clearly see Hell described in this passage, look at one description of Hell in Luke 16:<br /><br />Luke 16:24 <em>And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.'<br /><br /></em>And there is a final nail in the coffin for anyone who thinks they will find blessing somewhere else, like Egypt doesn't really need rain because they have the Nile River, so God adds pain to the lack of moisture. The other curse is a plague for punishment, it doesn't take much to see this described in the endless torment and wailing of Hell. We could say these are the people who say, "I don't need Christ, I'm good enough," or "Mohammed will save me," or "Mary will save me," or, "my suffering in purgatory will save me," or even, "My ceasing to exist will end my torment." No, there is no other Saviour than Christ, and God knows how to keep them in eternal punishment, as it says in 2 Peter 2.<br /><br />So all who recognize Christ as God in the flesh, and who honor him as such, will be saved and receive blessing after blessing after blessing, but those who will not recognize him will face an endless punishment because their sin against a Sovereign and Infinite King will require an infinite retribution.<br /><br /><strong>vv.20-21</strong> <em>And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "Holy to the LORD." And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day.<br /></em><br />These verses describe Heaven, where everything is totally holy. The smallest ornaments will be holy, there will be no need for Priests, which is where, "Holy to the Lord" used to be found, because there will be no need for atonement for sins, both because the atonement has been perfectly completed by Christ, AND because there will be no sin to atone for. Everything down to your coffee cups will be holy, as if they had been cleansed in the temple. And we will forever offer a sacrifice of praise to God for our salvation, partaking in the blessings forever and ever.<br /><br />And the book of Zechariah concludes with a great little phrase, that there will never again be a sinner/trader/Canaanite in Heaven ever again.<br /><br />So, let's transition to real world application; evangelism and world-missions. Right now there are hundreds, if not thousands, of nations that have no believers in Christ from them. When we think nations, we think big massive governmental systems, but a nation can actually be much smaller. In early American evangelism it was an exciting time because many thought it was the last frontier to bring the gospel to, and they catalogued Indian nations and found there were thousands of them. Growing up I always remember that he Hopi and Navajo Indians were very careful to call themselves nations.<br /><br />The main reason that Christ is not returning today is that many of his saints have not yet believed, and many of these are in currently-lost nations. So it is vital for us to be hastening his return by sharing his gospel. We live in such an amazing age today that we are able to witness to Christ in ways previously unknown of, like the internet, or skype, or online games. Another way is our airport in Atlanta has multitudes of foreigners travel through it daily. And yet another way is to visit major sporting events which draw massive crowds.<br /><br />Last weekend Tyler and myself and six others from Atlanta drove to Dallas for the Superbowl. We went because there were probably half-a-million visitors in Dallas/Fort Worth for this event.<br /><br />We were in Dealey Square, where Kennedy was shot, and an Egyptian demonstration sprouted up behind us. My guess is that there were 150 protestors there, mostly Muslims. This fall of Mubarak is a horrible thing for the world, and will cause great damage to the world, the fact that our president supports the Muslim Brotherhood in this tragedy is horrendous.<br /><br />The demonstration happened under a guise of democracy and social justice, but truly it is a means for Islamic domination of the nation. At the rally I read Revelation 3:14-21 on how God is against democracy and calls for people to recognize him as King. The Muslims were using a public address system, which I clearly had to preach over. I really surprised the man speaking when I was so loud, and the Muslims moved very close to me to try to intimidate us. As soon as I knew I had their attention I preached the gospel and called them to repentance. Later my friend Rich preached for over an hour with our public address system.<br /><br />At the rally my friends were talking to various people, one of them talked to an Egyptian woman named Messina who believed that Jesus was just a prophet. My friend asked, "Can prophets lie?" She said no. He asked, "Well then was Jesus lying when he claimed to be God?" The woman said, "I've always wondered about that." They were able to answer many of her questions.<br /><br />Another group of my friends talked to a man from Jordan who had gotten saved a few months ago. He had no idea where to go for discipleship, and was getting some really bad information from various places. My friends were able to show him a little about how to read the Bible, and they got his contact information to hopefully help find him a church near where he lives.<br /><br />Another man from Jordan was given a Muslim specific gospel tract and read the entire thing, which was not short. Probably every Muslim there got that tract, given out by a new evangelist who really stepped out of his comfort zone to call people out of the darkness into the light, to be a part of the chosen nation of Christ.<br /><br />I was getting flustered and my friend Bobby asked me if I wanted to go somewhere else to talk to some people, I assented and went with my friend Katherine to share the gospel. It so happened that the first people we talked to were from France; four 17-18 year olds. They had no idea who Jesus is or what he has done, and it was a real treat to get to witness to them. They tried to say that they didn't need to worry about their sin because they didn't believe in Jesus; I corrected them to say that it doesn't matter what they believe, judgment is coming and they must flee from the wrath to come. At the beginning of the conversation I used the example that they could get hit by a bus and stand before God today. At the end of the conversation one of them was so anxious to get away that he almost ran into traffic. I told him, "Don't you get hit by a bus until you've had time to think about this!"<br /><br />Afterwards Tyler and I approached a group of five local kids hanging out next to a parking lot. As we approached it became readily apparent by odor that they were smoking Marijuana. Two of them ran off as soon as I started talking, I thought it was to get away from the light, but I think what they did was run off and stash their drugs, because they came back after not too long and got to hear the gospel.<br /><br />That night as we were waiting to eat in a crowded restaurant lobby my friends Peter and Alex had the idea to do what is called "eavesdrop evangelism" where they share the gospel over their cell-phone with the hopes that people around them will listen in on the conversation.<br /><iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4RonSrK2gKE?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br />I open-air preached at the train station and got to talk to two totally lost girls who claimed to be Southern Baptists. It was a running theme through the week to talk to people who thought they were Christians but had no idea of the basics. We gave them tracts and a book on what the gospel is.<br /><br />Late that night we ended up preaching in front of an Usher concert, there was a line of about 250 people and we got to tract and preach to the whole crowd. Sometimes when you're preaching you need to gather a crowd, other times the crowd is provided for you. A drunk guy came up to tell us we were evangelizing wrong, and over the course of a long conversation it became apparent that he didn't believe the Bible, that God is Trinity, or that drunkenness and fornication is a sin, and we left him knowing that we did not consider him a brother and that he needed to repent.<br /><br />At the Superbowl we gave out about a hundred thousand tracts, and preached all over the stadium. It was a great day and many many people from all over the world heard the gospel. I was preaching in front of the Rangers Stadium, doing what is called stoplight preaching, which means you need to deliver the message very quickly, between a minute to three minutes. My friend Eddie had my open-air stand, so I was at street level, while it's always good to have some elevation over your audience so your voice will carry farther. Once when I was preaching a guy said, "You're too loud." I responded, "Sir, you're too close."<br /><br />My open-air sermon when something like this: <em>Hello sports fans, we're with Sports Fan Outreach International out of Atlanta, Georgia. We're here partly because we like football, we were here last year because we like baseball, but the main reason we're here is because we want to see you in Heaven some day. Every major religion says that in order to go to Heaven you must be a good person. I know from the Bible that almost everyone of us will proclaim our own goodness, but we have a problem, Jesus said, "There is none good but God." So let's test ourselves to find out if we're right, or if the Bible is right. Here is the good person test: Have you ever told a lie? What do you call someone who lies? A liar, right? Have you ever stolen anything, regardless of value? Here is the good news for your Packer fans, it doesn't make you a Stealer, but here is the bad news, it does make you a thief. Have you ever taken God's name in vain? When we do that we set our mouths against Heaven, we declare war on the God who made us. And the one that got me, you've heard it said of old, thou shalt not commit adultery, but Jesus said that if you look with lust you've committed adultery already in your heart. Those are four of the Ten Commandments, there are six more and they don't get any easier, if you've broken them then you are not a good person, but a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart, and you have to stand before God on judgment day. But God, in his great mercy and by the great love by which he loved us, sent his Son Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, to live a perfect life and die willingly for our sins on the cross. We broke the law, he paid our fine. Three days later he defeated death, proving he was who he said he was, so now if we repent of our sins and place our full trust in him to save us, we will be saved, for he who knew no sin became sin for us so that we may become the righteousness of God in him. I implore you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, be reconciled to God! Thank you for listening to me, enjoy the game!<br /></em><br />That night we wanted to go eat and watch the game on TV, but we ended up at a Chili's where they didn't have TV's except in the bar. It was alright though because we had great fellowship. We asked our waitress if there was anything we could pray for her about, and she said no. As we were ready to leave she asked us which church we went to, and we explained that we were from out of town. We had two girls with us, Eve and Katherine, both amazing young women with great theology and boldness, and Katherine took over this conversation, encouraging the girl to read her Bible. At the end Katherine asked to pray for her and when Katherine was done the girl was crying and really touched by the compassion of our group.<br /><br />A couple days before Eve had read the entire book of Second Corinthians in the open-air in Fort Worth.<br /><br />It was really a great trip and hopefully people from many nations and tongues will be added to the kingdom of Christ. I pray that it encourages you to share your faith and go out and preach Christ to your friends and neighbors. Our next major evangelism outreach will be the Big Shanty Festival in April, so be praying about going with us.Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-67455186374519641122011-01-30T07:37:00.005-05:002011-01-31T23:44:37.338-05:00January 30th - Zechariah's Armageddon<strong>Prayer Requests<br /></strong>Pastor Aaron Preaching<br />Man-Weekend Safety<br />SuperBowl Outreach<br />Barber - Beth Divorce<br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> – Zechariah 14:16-21<br /><br />So here we are in the end of Zechariah. We looked at about half of it last week, which was largely the battle for earth, and my major goal today was to look at the result of the battle, but after looking at it some more, I think it will benefit us to go back over some basic things from the battle.<br /><br />Let's do some context beforehand, when was Zechariah written? 522-518 BC. How much of Zechariah has already taken place? About 12/14ths of it, chapters 1-12 were mostly prophecy for Christ's first coming, which he fulfilled perfectly, give me a few prophecies he fulfilled to the letter from chapters 1-12. Humble and riding on a donkey; priest and king; blood of the covenant poured out; the removal of sin in a single day; good shepherd; sold for 30 pieces of silver; pierced; etc. Chapter 13 we remember is about sanctification, either progressive within the church or perfect in Heaven. And now, how much of Chapter 14 has occurred already? Very little if any. It may be that the regaining of Jerusalem in 1967 was a fulfillment for verse 1, but until the rest of this prophecy happens I don't think we can say for sure, because this is certainly a prophecy bundle and I believe it will happen exceedingly literally, so we don't want to tear little chunks off it, but rather look at it as a whole.<br /><br />When do you think the end is going to happen? This afternoon? May? 2012? I don't believe this can happen anytime soon, there are several major events that have to happen, world peace under an Antichrist has to happen, a temple has to be built in Jerusalem, and the Antichrist has to declare himself to be God and then betray Israel before the end can come. The earliest this can happen is probably 10 years, or it could be a lot longer. Knowing that the end is near, but not within the next five minutes should cause us to live how? With urgency, but purpose, seeking to bring others into the kingdom and live lives that honor Christ.<br /><br />I think before we begin, it would behoove us to reread the entire chapter to give ourselves a good context of what is going on.<br /><br />Zechariah 14:1-21 <em>Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security. And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps. Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "Holy to the LORD." And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day.</em><br /><br />Just briefly I want to go over the first battle in this passage, where Jerusalem is sacked, all hope is lost, and at the last minute Christ returns, stepping onto the Mount of Olives, splitting it in two, and providing salvation for a whole bunch of Jews who will be converted at that exact moment. Christ goes out to war, and he goes violently, but this is not the battle of Armageddon, the final battle. We know it's not the battle of Armageddon for one very simple purpose, any guesses? Armageddon is the name of a place, and this battle is not fought there, it is fought at Jerusalem.<br /><br />Christ is going to establish Jerusalem in peace before he will make a complete end of his enemies. At this point he radically changes the landscape of Israel,<br /><br /><strong>vv.8-10</strong> <em>On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security.</em><br /><em><br /></em>Jerusalem, which is on a little hill called Zion which is on a mountain range, will suddenly be the tallest thing in Israel, like it is on a pedestal. The measurements here show us that this is not a vision, but a real event with real dimensions and something we should look for a literal fulfillment of.<br /><br />The water flowing from the temple in Jerusalem is explained much better in Ezekiel 47, though the fact that Zechariah describes it makes us think it will also be literal; though in Ezekiel 47 it certainly has a spiritual factor to it as well.<br /><br />Ezekiel 47:1-12 <em>Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side. Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing."</em><br /><br />What happens here is set in peace time, probably after the final battle, though we see that the waters start flowing before the end in Zechariah. Ezekiel looks at this new stream that starts right at the door of the temple, which takes several Messianic prophecies and squishes them together, that Christ is the temple, he is the source of Living Water, the fountain opened, and the door. This little stream, which has been seen by more than one theologian to represent salvation, starts as a trickle, but as it flows for miles and time it gets deeper and deeper and deeper, and it ultimately flows to the Dead Sea, overflows it, and then flows into the gulf of Aqaba and then ultimately into the whole world, making it all new.<br /><br />Do you guys know why the oceans are salty? Over about 4,000 years of rivers flowing into the sea, salt and other minerals have been deposited and have increased the salinity like crazy. This river from Jerusalem, instead of contributing to the salinity, actually reverses the effects and turns the water sweet; it's clearly a miracle, and God restoring the entire world.<br /><br />Here is a bit of chronological confusion that I've always had which I can't give you an exact answer, but I think I can give you a reasonable answer, and I will guarantee you that there is no error in the Bible, these prophecies will happen exactly the way they are written, I just don't know in what order. The issue is that this earth is set to be destroyed by fire, but clearly before that happens we have this fountain starting which will make everything on earth new... Here is how I think it reconciles, that Jerusalem here is protected from final destruction, the salvation began before the end of the world, we definitely see it spiritually in Christ beginning in AD30 on Calvary's cross, and here near the end from Jerusalem with the river of life. So this River starts before the end of the world, but I also believe it is the means by which the world will be renewed. Ultimately we need to wait to see it happen before we'll understand this end time prophecy perfectly.<br /><br />So, there is this great battle for Jerusalem, and Christ wins without a doubt. His enemies are so terrified they grab each other by the hands, and at the same time fight among themselves. There is great bloodshed and Zechariah describes it in graphic detail saying that skin, eyes, and tongues will rot out of bodies while they still stand. What was one way this can happen? A nuclear explosion. I won't be the least bit surprised if there is massive nuclear warfare at this time, let's look at two other passages that say as much:<br /><br />Joel 2:30-32 <em>And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and <strong>columns of smoke</strong>. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.</em><br /><br />More than a few theologians have seen this and said that it definitely could refer to the explosion of a nuclear weapon. As a stand-alone verse we wouldn't say that, but coupled with Zechariah and Ezekiel, I think we can with some confidence say these are pillars of nuclear fallout. Go home and read Isaiah 63 for a good picture of the bloodshed, where blood flows for 200 miles, in some places as deep as a horse's bridle, unfortunately we don't have time to read it now, but the death toll will be amazing, the bodies of the dead will block major travel routes, and not just graves, but valleys, will be dug to bury the dead, and it will take seven months.<br /><br />Ezekiel 39:11-16 <em>On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers, east of the sea. It will block the travelers, for there Gog and all his multitude will be buried. It will be called the Valley of Hamon-gog. For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. All the people of the land will bury them, and it will bring them renown on the day that I show my glory, declares the Lord GOD. They will set apart men to travel through the land regularly and bury those travelers remaining on the face of the land, so as to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make their search. And when these travel through the land and anyone sees a human bone, then he shall set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon-gog. (Hamonah is also the name of the city.) Thus shall they cleanse the land.</em><br /><br />Besides the massive scale of the dead, we also see something interesting that your average person isn't capable of burying the bodies, they just mark them and then go on their way. This is definitely partly because touching a dead body can defile a Jew, but they would know they may encounter dead bodies so they would be prepared. The more telling fact, I think, is that it is not safe to touch these bodies, if this indeed points to a nuclear war, is that the bodies would be radioactive and not safe to touch.<br /><br />Now, we've gotta get moving, we're not even to verse 16 yet. The enemy regroups, masses on the plain at Megiddo, or Armageddon, and prepares to invade Jerusalem again. This is the craziest thing about the battle for me. I don't know if these people have never read a Bible, or what, but it seems like if you've just seen the God of the Universe wipe out a massive army, descending from Heaven, you should surrender. But they come with full force. One of the reasons is because they are deceived by Satan, and definitely at least some of them will be demon possessed. I want to take just a brief tangent to talk about this sort of thing. Part of their blindness is because God has hardened their hearts and darkened their understanding. So does that mean God can make you sin? No, James 1 very clearly says he does not. But what he can do is like if me and you were walking through a really dark cave, and I have the flashlight and you keep insulting me and punching me and making fun of my flashlight, I can turn off the flashlight and leave you on your way to walk into walls, trip over things, and fall into chasms.<br /><br />But on the other hand, can Satan make you sin? Yes, we see that he is the tempter and the destroyer, he can very easily help you into sin, and people that are demon possessed often sin in the Bible seemingly against their will. Jarod Laughner, the kid that shot all of those people in Arizona, is heavily into the occult, and it seems from all of the accounts that he is demon possessed, based on many of the things he said, like making threats towards people he didn't know, getting angry when people didn't understand his conspiracy theories, and feeling like he had found secrets that others were missing, and especially hurting a lot of people he didn't even know. Not all mental issues are demonic, but I think it's wrong to say that most aren't. I mean if somebody gets a major brain injury that doesn't mean they are demon possessed. I don't think demons can get in by getting bopped on the head. The major ways are through occult practices, massive drug and alcohol use, and through extremely traumatic psychological abuse. Whether or not sins which are orchestrated mostly by demon activity will be held to someone's account is unclear, but they will still have plenty of sins to answer to on their own. I bring this up also partly because of the new movie, The Rite, which is about Roman Catholic superstition, shows religious people getting possessed. If you are genuinely a follower of Christ, then his Spirit dwells in you, and Psalm 5:4 says very clearly that God cannot dwell with evil. The only way to see a demon cast out is to see the Holy Spirit move into a person.<br /><br />So all of that to say, the nations come against Christ to make war with him, let's let Revelation sum up what happens next, two short verses:<br /><br />Revelation 20:9-10 <em>And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.<br /></em><br />It's almost anticlimactic if it didn't show the massive power of Christ. Satan has amassed his greatest army ever, I believe he genuinely believes he has a chance to win, this battle, if between men, could literally rage for months; and boom, with a Word, the enemies of Christ are consumed.<br /><br />The battle is over, Christ has won. That brings us to my favorite verse in all of Zechariah 14.<br /><br /><strong>v.16 </strong><em>Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths.<br /></em><br />All survivors will recognize that God is the King of the earth, and they celebrate a very specific feast, it is called the Feast of Booths, or probably a better title is Feast of Tabernacles. This feast commemorates a time when God lived with the Israelites in the desert when Moses had led them out of captivity from Egypt. This was a very important feast because it reminded the Jews that God was with them and dwelt with them and cared for them and would be their Saviour. Basically what this feast was was the Jews would built little tents in their front yards or on their flat roofs or in the center of town, and live in them for a week, both to remind themselves of God's provisions, and to remember that ultimately they must dwell with him if they would live. So that brings us to the greatest verse in all of scripture, if you only memorize one verse in your entire life, you need to memorize this verse, it is the summation of the whole Old Testament,<br /><br />John 1:14 <em>And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.</em><br /><br />Jesus Christ, God himself, <strong>tabernacled</strong> among us, he built a tent out of flesh and came and lived in it. So this feast of Tabernacles that we will celebrate for eternity is not us living in tents in our back yards, no, it is so much more grand, it is us recognizing that Jesus Christ is God with us, he is the Word Incarnate, the gracious God, the True God, the full weight of glory of the Father, and that we have put on his righteousness and his Spirit dwells in us and makes us holy. Anyone who rejects this Christ as the true Tabernacle will be rejected,<br /><br /><strong>vv.17-19</strong> <em>And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.</em><br /><br />The language here is very prophetic, it's something the Jews would have understood without knowing exactly how Christ would save them, so it relates it in language they would understand giving allegiance to a sovereign conquering king. What is missing from this passage is any idea that the decision is reversible; if a nation changes its mind there is no chance of blessing after they have rejected the Conquering King.<br /><br />Look at the language of the curses, there will be no rain, we can very clearly see Hell described in this passage, look at one description of Hell in Luke 16:<br /><br />Luke 16:24 <em>And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.'</em><br /><br />And there is a final nail in the coffin for anyone who thinks they will find blessing somewhere else, like Egypt doesn't really need rain because they have the Nile River, so God adds pain to the lack of moisture. The other curse is a plague for punishment, it doesn't take much to see this described in the endless torment and wailing of Hell. We could say these are the people who say, "I don't need Christ, I'm good enough," or "Mohammed will save me," or "Mary will save me," or, "my suffering in purgatory will save me," or even, "My ceasing to exist will end my torment." No, there is no other Saviour than Christ, and God knows how to keep them in eternal punishment, as it says in 2 Peter 2.<br /><br />So all who recognize Christ as God in the flesh, and who honor him as such, will be saved and receive blessing after blessing after blessing, but those who will not recognize him will face an endless punishment because their sin against a Sovereign and Infinite King will require an infinite retribution.<br /><br /><strong>vv.20-21</strong> <em>And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "Holy to the LORD." And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day.</em><br /><br />These verses describe Heaven, where everything is totally holy. The smallest ornaments will be holy, there will be no need for Priests, which is where, "Holy to the Lord" used to be found, because there will be no need for atonement for sins, both because the atonement has been perfectly completed by Christ, AND because there will be no sin to atone for. Everything down to your coffee cups will be holy, as if they had been cleansed in the temple. And we will forever offer a sacrifice of praise to God for our salvation, partaking in the blessings forever and ever.<br /><br />And the book of Zechariah concludes with a great little phrase, that there will never again be a sinner in Heaven ever again.<br /><br />So, questions, comments?<br /><br />Your application is that God knows the end from the beginning, he has prepared beforehand a path for you to walk in, so walk it with boldness, knowing that if God is for you, no one can stand in the way of his purposes. Preach the word, call people to trust in Christ, the only God who has wounds, the only God who died to save his greatest enemies, and the true and Living King.Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-62612296280434769312011-01-23T08:30:00.004-05:002011-01-27T00:18:55.481-05:00January 23rd - Zechariah's Armageddon<strong>Prayer Requests<br /></strong>Pastor Aaron Preaching<br />Asia Bibi in a new prison in Pakistan<br />SuperBowl Outreach<br />Tyler Feeling Better<br />Hannah Teaching<br />Hannah's play<br />Courtney's family in the loss of their grandfather<br />School performance and evangelism<br />Unity in the Body<br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> – Zechariah 14:1-15<br /><br />We’re in Zechariah 14, the last chapter of this book. This book is wonderful in how it demonstrates God cleansing his people, defeating sin, showing the hopelessness of works-based-salvation, giving salvation by grace, saving people from all nations, and setting Christ as shepherd as both priest and king. It is prophetically rich, naming Jesus by name, stating that he would ride into Jerusalem humble on a donkey, that he would pour out his blood of the covenant for the salvation of sinners, that in a single day he would deal with sin, that he would be pierced but would be yet alive. Almost all of the prophecy of Zechariah 1-12 has been fulfilled, chapter 13 is being fulfilled in the sanctification of the church, but chapter 14 is yet to come.<br /><br />I want to take just a moment to talk about something I think we went by too quickly last week in chapter 13. In chapter 13, which talks about our sanctification, and ultimately our perfection in Heaven, what does it imply our attitude to sin will be? <strong>Utter hatred.</strong> That led us to the question about if we can ever practice what is called “discretion”, or tiny lies to save someone’s feelings.<br /><br />What are some of the reasons we don’t want to tell small lies? It hurts our trustworthiness, it affirms people in delusion, we don’t know at what point we should stop, people should know we love them because of who they are not how they look, it can cause problems if later someone tells them the truth.<br /><br />What are some benefits to telling small lies? The person feels better about their condition, there is no argument, you don’t get punched in the nose, it might maintain peace.<br /><br />Now what if someone does ask a question, say I think I’ve got the next big hair trend, I get a slant-wise Mohawk that goes from my behind my left ear to in front of my right ear, and I dye the front couple inches neon pink. I really like my hair, so don’t you dare hurt my feelings! <strong>Do you like my hair?</strong> I would say the best way to answer a question like this is as with much gentleness, but you can’t ignore the truth. I would probably say something like, “I really like you, and I want you to do well in life and not get prejudged just for your hair, so I’m not fond of your haircut and I think you should consider something else.”<br /><br />We talked about the GEICO commercial with Abe Lincoln telling Mary Todd she was fat, that’s probably our most difficult situation, right? I don’t think Abe handled that well. If she asked, “Does this dress make me look fat?” I think a better response would have been, “That dress makes you look beautiful.” If the question persists how are some other ways we can handle the situation with gentleness? “I love you just the way you are.” “Does this suit make me look fat?” “Does this top-hat make me look presidential?” (Ok, that one only really works for Abe Lincoln)<br /><br />There is a chance that feelings might get hurt in situations like this, no doubt about that; but we need to place the truth at a higher priority and a continued relationship more important than just avoiding one hurt feeling. Now you have the guarantee that if I say, “You look nice today.” Or “Good game.” Or “Great piano/tuba/song performance.” Or “Great sermon.” You know I am telling the truth and not just trying to save your feelings.<br /><br />These sorts of things can be very complicated, but if we are willing to tell the truth and our hearer knows we are known for telling the truth, it takes a lot of the complication out of it. This is especially helped if there is a history of friendship and sacrificial love between us, because you know your performance is not a precursor to me liking you. Let me give you an example, say one of you is going to teach, and you go to teach and it’s clear that you don’t know the topic and you radically misquote easy names, like you say, “This lesson is about Jo-han the Bapetised,” it you haven’t put any preparation in and it’s a terrible lesson, I’m going to tell you that, but it’s not going to make me hate you forever, and hopefully it will cause you to strive to do better in the future.<br /><br />And finally, let’s take this to an extreme. If he could tell one single lie and it would result in the entire world being saved, would Jesus do it? No, both because he doesn’t lie, and because it’s impossible for him to lie, and also because what sort of lie could he tell to make the whole world believe which wouldn’t rob his Father of glory?<br /><br />Questions? Comments? Agreements? Disagreements?<br /><br />Ok, let’s start Zechariah 14, let’s read it first, we’re only going to do the first 15 verses today, but we’ll read the entire chapter. Verses 1-15 are about the war for earth, 16-21 are the result, we’ll look at them next week and do a complete overview of Zechariah.<br /><br />Zechariah 14:1-21 <em>Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security. And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps. Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "Holy to the LORD." And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day.</em><br /><br />Before we begin, we talked a little last week about the end times and how different godly people believe the end will happen in different ways, with the major events of Christ’s return, a rapture, a war with Satan when he is loosed, a perfection of saints, and a judgment of sinners. I believe pretty strongly in the <strong>Amillennial View</strong>, that Christ is reigning now and Satan is bound, and that at the end of the age he will be set free to war on God and the saints, culminating in a large battle and a complete victory by Christ. This is largely what this chapter is going to talk about.<br /><br />There is another view though which I did not talk about last week, it is called <strong>Preterism</strong>, and I hate it. It comes from the Latin word for “Past” and they believe that almost everything has already happened, including Christ’s second return which they weirdly believe happened in AD 70. I will tell you that I HATE Preterism and most, if not all, Preterists I’ve met have no clue what the gospel is and are some sort of weird neognostic who think the important thing about the Bible is accurately figuring out prophecy.<br /><br />An aside, what is the most important thing in the world for us?<br /><br />Matthew 6:33 <em>Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.<br /></em><br />Elevating the kingdom of God and declaring his glory, seeing people exchange their sin for his righteousness. Loving the church and Christ and hoping all will be saved.<br /><br />So we come to Zechariah 14, it destroys <strong>Preterism</strong>, the belief that everything is in the past; the converse is <strong>Futurist</strong>, which believes most things happen in the future. The biblical belief is called, “Partial-Preterist” which means, I believe that some things happened in the past and some are going to happen in the future, some things happened both in the past and will happen in the future, a <strong>double fulfillment</strong>, like a lot of things talked about in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70 are going to happen in the end of days.<br /><br /><strong>vv.1-2</strong><em> Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.<br /></em><br />This is a pretty harsh prophecy, it says a very violent war is coming on Jerusalem. Does anyone know when Jerusalem was returned to Jewish ownership? 1967, before that it had been in mostly Muslim hands since 1187 when Saladin captured it. Prior to that it was in Roman Catholic an hands for about 100 years, and prior to that it was Muslim, and prior to that it was Roman. All of that to say, for almost 2000 years, Jerusalem was not owned by the Jews.<br /><br />But in the early 1900’s it became popular to think that maybe Israel and Jerusalem would be regained by the Jewish people. This was actually an almost self-fulfilling prophecy, because during World War I Christians in charge of the British forces in the Middle East KNEW they would take Jerusalem because it was prophesied in the Bible, and they did, taking it from the Turks. After World War II, in 1948, the United Nations gave Israel to the Jews who had been decimated by Hitler. After some pretty intense fighting over twenty years, the Jews captured all of Jerusalem in 1967.<br /><br />Verse 1 talks about them regaining what was taken from them. This is most certainly a prophecy for the regaining of the land of Israel and city of Jerusalem. This was seen by theologians both before and after the 1967 “Six Days War”.<br /><br />Verse 2 describes the Jews in Jerusalem, in intense danger as the whole world comes against them. This has seemed like it was coming true several times, with many nations coming against Jerusalem, but as of yet it has never been more than a small percentage. But we definitely see that it could happen. The violence and looting will be horrendous on that day, there will be amazing hatred of the Jews, which we see rampant throughout the world.<br /><br />At the end of verse 2 we see that Jerusalem is set to fall, it is invaded, half of the population flee, they are in dire straits ready to be cut off. Then salvation comes. Some believe, I not necessarily with them, though it is pretty persuasive, that this is the great conversion of Jews on the very last day on the brink of destruction, when they will finally turn and believe Christ is their Messiah. It’s tempting to believe it, I’m not sure, but don’t build a church on it.<br /><br />Here comes their Messiah:<br /><br /><strong>vv.3-5</strong> <em>Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal.<br /><br /></em>The Mount of Olives is a large hill to the east of Jerusalem, it is where the Garden of Gethsemane is. It is where Christ ascended into Heaven, and it is precisely where he will return to.<br /><br />Acts 1:9-11 <em>And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, <strong>will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven</strong>."<br /></em><br />The Mount of Olives is a natural defense of Jerusalem against direct attack from the east, and that’s great, but if you’re surrounded on the north, south, and west, it is cutting off your escape route. But look, Christ steps onto the Mount of Olives and his power splits it in two, east to west, creating a great valley in the middle, leading straight out of Jerusalem.<br /><br />I love it, God here says, you shall flee through the valley of my mountainS, plural, because where there was one mountain God has just miraculously made two, and provided physical salvation for the Jews trapped in Jerusalem, and they will escape. The word Azal is confusing, it means “near”, but it’s not a place. I almost want to say this is prophecy for Christ as well as this real event at the end of times. I believe, not 100%, that it may be that the Jews flee through this valley straight into God's presence in Heaven... It’s very similar to the curtain being torn in the temple to bring us “near” to God.<br /><br />Hebrews 10:19-20 <em>Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.<br /></em><br />So this will surely be the salvation for some Jews, but to say this is the only time many Jews will come to Christ, I believe, is an error. I think we’ll see a great return, over many months or even years, of Jews which will be a sign that the end is nearer than ever.<br /><br /><strong>vv.5-7</strong> <em>And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.<br /></em><br />I love it, they will flee to God just like they were fleeing danger. Because they are! Both are they fleeing from men, but they’re also fleeing from the wrath of God, a much greater danger There is a definite call to tell people to flee from the wrath to come.<br /><br />Then the day will be strange, something big will obviously be happening. Besides that, the landscape will change, a massive prophecy in Ezekiel, which we'll read next week, will be fulfilled.<br /><br /><strong>vv.8-9</strong> <em>On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.<br /><br /></em>At this point, though our God, one God, existing in Three Persons, Trinity in unity and unity in Trinity, will make it known to all that he is the true and living God, the only God, the only Saviour, the only King. All other false idols will be cut off. We're going to talk about verses 10-11 next week, these verses establish Jerusalem in peace, but for time's sake I really want to get to verse 12-15 since before there can be total peace, God is going to wage war, I think we're ultimately going to need to move most of this to next week, but I really want to get to a major point that some people believe is happening today.<br /><br /><strong>v.12</strong> <em>And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.<br /></em><br />This is the power of God, that he is able to make a complete end to his enemies. In Revelation it says that the world comes to fight him and he defeats them with a Word.<br /><br />There are two major beliefs how a tongue can rot away while someone still stands, something which usually takes at least a few weeks. The first is a more physical way, which was utterly unknown until the 1940's, which is the nuclear bomb. This weapon disintegrates people as they stand, not only does it have blasting power, but it also melts skin and changes molecular structures of bodies. The softer flesh is consumed before the harder bone, so during an attack like this, it is more than possible to die standing up, your tongue, eyes, and skin gone. After the bombings of the Naval base at Nagasaki and the Army base at Hiroshima, there were shadows of people on the walls where they had literally melted away.<br /><br />It is such a powerful weapon that when J. Robert Oppenheimer's team invented the first low-powered version, he quoted a Hindu god, "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."<br /><br />I'll show you (at least) two other verses next week that corroborate nuclear warfare at Armageddon, and I think it is definitely likely that there will be unbelievable atrocities with manmade weaponry, and some have even speculated a more violent weapon than a nuclear bomb, like laser or shock wave sniper weapons. The second view is that this is the power of Christ's word, consuming people so quickly that they don't even have a chance to fall to the ground.<br /><br />Personally I think it is a little of both, nuclear first, then a few days/weeks/moths later it will be the power of Christ; this will be my teaser for next week, as we look at the results of this battle more carefully.<br /><br />Moving on.<br /><br /><strong>vv.13-14</strong> <em>And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance.<br /></em><br />After this attack, clearly people will be terrified. But rather than surrender, bowing to Christ as king, they once again mount an attack on Jerusalem. Check this out, even Jews will be fighting Jerusalem, and it sounds like a great defeat for all who come against the kingdom, they are utterly consumed, and all of their wealth is taken. Not only will they die, but so will a great deal of livestock.<br /><br /><strong>v.15</strong> <em>And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps.<br /><br /></em>Have you heard about the bird and fish deaths recently? The 2012 conspiracy is really trying to make this sound like a doomsday prophecy. And the way they present it, it certainly sounds like it is. But, when we look at the truth, we find out that there is an agency in the United States who tracks things like this, I believe it is the Department of Agriculture, but don't quote me on that, and they keep track of things like this and list a major animal death somewhere in the United States practically every other day, as they have for 30 years. Sometimes these deaths are because of disease, sometimes they are because of poisoning, sometimes a big flock of birds just fails to get out of the way of a train or semi-truck. But the deal is that it happens VERY often. Japan right now is bracing for a major epidemic of H5N1 in their birds, and thousands of birds are going to die, but this is not like this plague here spoken of in Zechariah.<br /><br />This plague will strike animals world-wide, even the bigger more immune animals will perish.<br /><br />Now, all of this to say, the end is coming. It could be in less than a decade, it may be so far in the future that we might not see it from earth, but from Heaven as we return with Christ. Our goal is not to figure out exactly when it will happen, our goal is to bring as many souls into the kingdom as we can, preaching the gospel, declaring Christ to be the King of kings and the only true God. We must explain to people that there is a great war coming, both with the earth and with individual souls, that there is great animosity between God and men for sin.<br /><br />We must explain to them that there is no reconciliation available anywhere else but in Jesus Christ, though we were his enemies he died for us, and defeated death by raising on the third day, reconciling all who believe to himself. He commands all people everywhere to repent, for he has appointed a day in which to judge the world in righteousness. He is not a God who loses wars.<br /><br />Take heart, that just as the Bible has predicted a Jewish recapturing of Jerusalem and the power of nuclear weapons, it has predicted a complete victory for Christ. We can trust what it has to say about the future because it has been perfectly fulfilled in the past.<br /><br />So go out this week and warn people to flee from the wrath to come, implore them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be reconciled to God. Take heart in the fact that he has overcome the world and has saved our souls. Let's conclude with a powerful Bible verse,<br /><br />Matthew 10:26-33 <em>So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.</em>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-15796293887511960142011-01-16T08:30:00.005-05:002011-01-23T14:15:23.455-05:00January 16th - Purification by Fire<strong>Prayer Requests<br /></strong>Lee Gambrell Preaching<br />Asia Bibi and Pakistan<br />SuperBowl Outreach<br />Hannah Teaching<br />Unemployment in the Church<br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> – Zechariah 13<br /><br />Today we’re going to look at one of my favorite passages in scripture. This passage doesn’t have as much prophecy fulfillment as chapters 9,11,12, but it does have some good ones. What I like the most about this passage is that it gives us a nice little glimpse of Heaven where sin is absolutely abhorrent and something that Christ’s saints want nothing to do with.<br /><br />Before we look at our chapter though, I want to briefly look at what is called the “<strong>Millennial Reign</strong>”, which is when Christ will reign. Most Christians throughout history have held to the one I believe in, which I’m about 99% is correct, but there have been some great Christians in history that believe in a different one, so this isn’t hugely important, but I want you to know that there are different views and why I hold to the one I do. Ultimately though it’s more important that we have a hope for Christ’s return rather than a perfect understanding of how it will happen. The reason I am teaching this now is because chapter 13 of Zechariah is a little speed-bump in my belief. Pastor Aaron jokes that he’s “<strong>Pan-Millenialist</strong>”, that however it pans out is fine with him; ultimately I agree completely.<br /><br />Millennial comes from Millennium, a thousand years, which are named in Revelation 20 as the reign of Christ when Satan is bound, and at the end of those thousand years, Satan is loosed for a little while until he is defeated at Armageddon. All three of these views believe this, they just disagree when this millennium takes place and what brings it about. These thousand years are either literal or mean a very long time.<br /><br />Our first view is called the “<strong>A-Millenial View</strong>”, which doesn’t mean there is no millennial reign, but that the millennial reign isn’t something to come in the future, but is right now. This age began with the gift of the Holy Spirit to all believers at Pentecost and it will conclude when Christ returns. Currently Satan is bound and can’t do whatever he wants, though at the end of the age he will be able to do whatever he wants, killing believers and unbelievers and waging war against Christ and his church. The end will come as Christ wages war on Satan and defeats all of his enemies. This will be the major theme of Zechariah 14 next week. I believe that Christ is reigning now and Satan is currently bound, which is one of the reasons I don’t spend a lot of time telling you how to defeat the devil or fight him, because James tells us if we stand against him, he’ll flee from us; <strong>we don’t need magical incantations.<br /><br /></strong>1 Corinthians 15:25-26 <em>For he (Christ) must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.<br /></em><br />The next view is the “<strong>Pre-Millennial View</strong>”, which is the belief that Christ will return, turning everyone to him, then reign for 1,000 years in perfect peace, until a final battle with Satan and then the judgment.<br /><br />Revelation 20:7-9 <em>And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them…<br /></em><br />The third view, which I put very little stock in, is the “<strong>Post-Millennial View</strong>”, which is the belief that after the gospel conquers the world, Christ will return to a totally conquered world and will then judge the quick and the dead and destroy Satan. I’ll tell you that I really dislike the Post-Millennial View because it puts a lot of power on men and ignores some pretty explicit verses, let’s look at one in Luke,<br /><br />Luke 18:8 <em>When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?</em><br /><br />If Christ asks if there will be any faith on the earth, then clearly we can’t expect for the whole world to be full of faith when he returns. None-the-less, our passage today in Zechariah is one that is used for the belief that the faith will increase further and further and sin will decrease and decrease. I could see that in Zechariah 13, but I’ll tell you that my own personal belief is that Zechariah 13 shows us how much we will hate sin in Heaven, that we won’t want to sin, neither will we be able to sin; rather than a literal look at an opportunity to sin.<br /><br />So all that to say, let’s read it, and I’ll show you the Millennial View in this passage in a moment.<br /><br />Zechariah 13:1-9 <em>"On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. "And on that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness. And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, 'You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the LORD.' And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies." On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive, but he will say, 'I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil, for a man sold me in my youth.' And if one asks him, 'What are these wounds on your back?' he will say, 'The wounds I received in the house of my friends.' "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me," declares the LORD of hosts. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones. In the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people'; and they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"<br /><br /></em>The crazy part of this passage is that it switches from Christ’s First Coming, to sometime after his Second Coming, to back to his First Coming, to the end of the First Century. There is a lot of time changing going on, I can’t tell you exactly why it does that, except I can tell you that God is outside of time and sees his major goal as being completed in smaller details, instead of worrying about a linear plan. It’s neat that God shows his power in this because it’s so much more complicated than how we would make a plan. We make plans like, for example, a building, 1. Pour a foundation, 2. Put up the walls, 3. Put on a roof, 4. Put in the plumbing and wiring, 5. Finish the house. If we skip one of these, the others will be wrecked, for example if we put the roof on before we put up the walls, our roof would be on the ground. Or if we finish the house before putting in the wires and plumbing nothing will work. But God sees the finished product and knows precisely how it will all come together and he’s so confident it will happen the way he wants that he doesn’t lay out for us a linear plan to accomplish.<br /><br /><strong>v.1 </strong><em>On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.<br /></em><br />Think about a fountain for a moment, usually we think of a fountain as a big comprehensive structure with a pool and a spout. Really the pool part of the fountain isn’t the fountain; the fountain is the part where the water comes out. Universally this passage is understood to be the piercing of Christ from Zechariah 12, when his blood was poured out for the forgiveness of sins of many. The amazing thing is that in the Old Testament this fountain is described as both blood and water, which seems a bit impossible.<br /><br />John 7:37-38 <em>On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"<br /><br /></em>That is a quote of several scriptures, Joel 2, Isaiah 44, Ezekiel 47, and alluded to in other passages. So how could blood and water flow forth from the same fountain?<br /><br />John 19:34 <em>But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.<br /><br /></em>This occurs when the heart muscles rupture, spurting blood, and the pericardium, which surrounds your heart and is filled with a watery substance to protect your heart, bursts. Such was fulfilled in Psalm 22 and 69 that say Christ’s heart melted or broke inside of him.<br /><br />This event led to the forgiveness of sins, as Christ was wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. We were GREAT sinners, but something major has happened in our lives to turn us from sinners to saints, let’s read my favorite verse in the Bible.<br /><br />1 Corinthians 6:11 <em>And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.<br /></em><br /><object width="380" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/B-cY5vO0W0M?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/B-cY5vO0W0M?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="385"></embed></object><br />William Cowper was reading Zechariah 13 once late in his life and had been writing songs and poetry for a while. As he read this passage, he wrote his most famous hymn, which is still sung today, called, “<strong>There is a Fountain Filled With Blood</strong>”, it reads like this:<br /><br /><em>There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;<br />And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.<br /><br />The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;<br />And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.<br /><br />Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power<br />Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.<br /><br />E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,<br />Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.<br /><br />Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,<br />When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.<br /><br />Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be,<br />For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me!</em><br /><br />Now, verse 2-3, we finally jump into the end times, either Heaven as I believe with my amillennialism, or that millennium as either of the other two believe, namely post-millenial.<br /><br /><strong>vv.2-3</strong> <em>And on that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness. And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, 'You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the LORD.' And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies. "<br /></em><br />Based on the complete ability of Christ’s blood to cut off sin, there will no longer be any sin or idols. There are two types of sin, there is a sin of commission, when you rebel and break the law of God, which would be by being a false prophet. And the other kind is when you ignore someone sinning, like supporting a false prophet. Here we see both cut off, that neither will there be any one who falsely prophesies, nor will anyone, even the most personal of relationships, ignore sin when it is committed. It is beautiful that in Heaven we won’t tolerate sin, nor commit sin.<br /><br />In this passage I want to show you sin is abhorrent, it is a murderer of souls, it is evil and never good. We can see why murder is evil and abhorrent, but sometimes we miss why the smaller sins are abhorrent. At this point we always get into the point of discretion, what if I lie to someone to spare their feelings? Like the GEICO commercial with Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln where she asks if her dress makes her look fat. A lie in this point would be discretionary, saving her feelings, but even a discretionary lie is sin, and in Heaven we won’t tolerate even a single one.<br /><br />Think about it this way, if I tell a tiny lie, it wrecks my trustworthiness. The Bible tells us both that Christ never lied, and also that it is impossible for him to lie. This is why he is trustworthy. This is why it will be so glorious in Heaven when all sin is impossible and all of us hate sin with a complete hatred. I believe this was one of the reasons that Adam and Eve had such an easy time sinning, because they didn’t have any idea how much damage their sin would cause over the next six-thousand years; us on the other hand know how much suffering and death sin causes and will hate it completely, and won't tolerate it for a moment.<br /><br />So if I were to ask, does this uniform make me look fat? What is the right answer? No, Canyon, your fat makes you look fat…It’s harsh, but we have to remember that if we can’t be trustworthy in a minor thing, how then can we possibly be trustworthy in major things? I want your honest opinion if I ask for it. <strong>Thoughts on this point?</strong> I want to make sure we get this, because one of the greatest passages in the whole Bible is in James 5,<br /><br />James 5:19-20 <em>My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.<br /></em><br />I REALLY want to make sure you get this point, so what is this passage saying? That if we confront someone in their sin, we have the opportunity to lead them to the truth and save their soul from eternal damnation. Check out two of my favorite passages,<br /><br />Psalm 119:104 <em>Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.<br /></em><br />Proverbs 27:6 <em>Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.<br /><br /></em>If we really love someone, we’re going to seek to turn them from going the wrong way, even if it requires us emotionally hurting them. That leads to an absolutely amazing passage of scripture.<br /><br /><strong>vv.4-6</strong> <em>"On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive, but he will say, 'I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil, for a man sold me in my youth.' And if one asks him, 'What are these wounds on your back?' he will say, 'The wounds I received in the house of my friends.'<br /><br /></em>The picture we see here is a man working on a farm, who used to be a false prophet, but not anymore, he’s ashamed of what he used to do. The person speaking to him sees that he’s been whipped, and they ask, “How did this happen?” And he readily affirms that the wounds came from his friends.<br /><br />Here’s what happened, this false prophet was on a sure road to Hell, the deepest pits of Hell were reserved for him. We really don’t have time to read 2 Peter 2, but it’s so important that we need to read it,<br /><br />2 Peter 2:17 <em>These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved.<br /></em><br />This was our false prophet here described, headed for Hell at full sprint. His friends loved him enough to turn him from his destination, they needed to confront them, they needed to wound him with their words and even, when words failed, with physical confrontation. Our false prophet was ashamed and no longer was a false prophet, in his repentance his soul was saved. Charles Spurgeon sums this point up this way,<br /><br /><strong>“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”</strong><br /><br />If we don’t care enough to wound them, then the Bible very specifically says we hate them; consider a father who won’t discipline his children and turn them towards the right. Because he lets them continue on a road to destruction, they will perish, and it shows his complete lack of love for them.<br /><br />Proverbs 13:24 <em>Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.<br /></em><br />So beloved, let this be your greatest application today, that there is no greater hatred in this world than to affirm someone in their sin and pretend that there is no need to repent. There is a great wrath from God which rests on unbelievers and on those who presume to speak for God but don’t speak truth, but lies. One of the greatest lies is that there is no animosity between God and men and that people may be forgiven apart from Christ. For if there is forgiveness in any other way, then Christ suffered and died in vain.<br /><br />Let there be many in Heaven that say, <strong>“I was wounded greatly by my friend Matthew, or John, or Shelby, or Grant, and this led to my repentance from my false idols; leading to my faith and salvation in Christ.”<br /><br /></strong>Think about how neat it would be if we ran into Joel Osteen in a few years working in a gas station in Houston, and we asked, “Hey, didn’t you used to be that pastor?” He answers, “I was, but I have repented of my false gospel because David Baalbergen confronted me and showed me the error of my ways, I can no longer in good conscience deceive people though it led to my financial ruin. I have lost all of my material possessions, but my soul is secure in Christ.”<br /><br />Now then, let’s try to finish Zechariah 13.<br /><br /><strong>v.7</strong> <em>Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me," declares the LORD of hosts.<br /></em><br />Here is where our sins go, because justice is due. Because of our great sin, God’s wrath was kindled, but in his great love he provided a substitute, the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his friends. We’ll see in just a moment that this is clearly Christ.<br /><br />Psalm 7:12 <em>If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword.</em><br /><br />God has sharpened (whetted) his sword in preparation for dealing with sin, and in Christ’s love for us, he stepped away from his throne in Heaven seated next to his Father, and he stood between us and his Father and absorbed the full blow, pierced in his soul by the wrath of God, suffering more on the cross than any sinner ever will in Hell.<br /><br />Christ’s crucifixion will have massive implications for both his followers and the Nation Israel,<br /><br /><strong>v.7</strong> <em>"Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;<br /></em><br />This is quoted explicitly by Christ in Mark 14,<br /><br />Mark 14:27 <em>And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, <strong>'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'<br /></strong></em><br />Christ’s crucifixion was the point when Zechariah 11 began to take place, the rejection of the Nation Israel. Now we jump forward in time a little bit to the siege of Jerusalem in AD70 when over a million Jews lost their lives and the Temple was destroyed.<br /><br /><strong>vv.7-8</strong> <em>I will turn my hand against the little ones, in the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive.<br /></em><br />This was a massive loss of life, but the guaranteed consequence God had given to Israel over and over again for their unfaithfulness. This includes men, women, and children, and reminds us that God is totally vindicated in punishing sin. His right to punish sin magnifies his grace when he saves some of his enemies, which is verse 9, my favorite in this passage.<br /><br /><strong>v.9</strong> <em>And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people'; and they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"<br /></em><br />This could be said to be the entire millennial reign, as God is taking people who should have perished and is sanctifying them, changing them into images of Christ, causing them to love righteousness and hate wickedness.<br /><br />What sort of things can be used to sanctify the believer, which is here represented by fire? Trials and tribulations, persecution, loss of health and wealth, anger from friends, rejection by family. Basically what God wants us to be is pure from sin, just like pure gold has no impurities in it because they have been burned off in the fire, so is God desiring us to be pure as Christ is pure. (1 Thessalonians 4:3)<br /><br />The amazing thing is that this is one of the ways that we know Christ loves us,<br /><br />Revelation 3:19 <em>Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.<br /></em><br />This all comes together beautifully, doesn’t it? That in the beginning part of this passage we see that true love is confronting sin, turning our friends away from paths to destruction, pointing out their idolatry, desiring their sanctification, and in the latter part of the passage we see that God’s love is expressed beautifully towards his believers in purifying them from sin so that they reject idols and call totally on him.<br /><br />I hope your application is clear, that you must know what sin is, confront people in it, whether they be strangers, friends, or family, point them towards the truth, and in doing so you may save their soul from death. We can’t stand idly by watching sinners jump headlong into Hell, we must stand in their way, even if it means wounds for ourselves, for Christ stood between us and certain death when he became our substitute. Greater love has no man than this, that he would lay down his life for his friends; the Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.<br /><br />In all of this, we want our love to be true, so let’s conclude with Romans 12:9,<br /><br />Romans 12:9 <em>Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. </em>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-4383779648741826372011-01-09T08:30:00.006-05:002011-01-09T12:56:37.278-05:00January 9th - A Wounded God<strong>Prayer Requests</strong><br />Pastor Aaron Preaching<br />Asia Bibi and Pakistan<br />SuperBowl Outreach<br />Shelby's Basketball Injury<br />Traveling during the snow storm - esp. Richard<br />Kari's Nephew on the way<br />Kari - Taylor's Cancer<br />Hanson Family in the loss of their father<br />Awtrey's teacher and missions field<br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> – Zechariah 12<br /><br />Let’s start with some review. Zechariah was written when? 522-518BC. What are some major events that are taking place? Return from the Exile in Babylon, and rebuilding of the Temple.<br /><br />What are some major prophecies for Christ in this book? Humble and riding on a donkey; priest and king; blood of the covenant poured out; the removal of sin in a single day; good shepherd; sold for 30 pieces of silver.<br /><br />Zechariah 11 is one of the harshest chapters in the Bible, what is the major theme of Zechariah 11? The rejection of the Nation of Israel as God’s chosen people. Why were they rejected? The people rejected Christ, and heaped to themselves false shepherds who also rejected Christ; they were constantly falling to idolatry and cared more for themselves than for God. Romans 10 tells us they rejected the righteousness of God, which is Christ, and substituted their own. When precisely did this happen? Between AD30-70, starting especially in,<br /><br />Matthew 21:43 <em>The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.<br /></em><br />This is harsh, and the New Testament affirms how harsh this is,<br /><br />1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 <em>The Jews killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God’s wrath has come upon them at last!<br /></em><br />The wrath of God has come upon them at last! Eep. Is this all of Israel, or none, or some? It’s only a portion, prior to AD70 many Jews were trusting in a Messiah to come and were justified in their faith, but afterwards they are trusting either in their works, or in a messiah to come, and most were lost, and most Jews alive are lost today.<br /><br />Let me show you the folly of their hope; we’re all in prison, we were told if we went to a certain place we would certainly be taken captive and held for ransom, but we didn’t believe the person that told us that and we willfully disobeyed and went to the place, and sure enough, we were captured and our ransom was set at a ridiculous amount, say $1Billion, and between us we have eight dollars and some pocket lint; we’re stuck. We call the person who we called a liar by not believing and he says because he loves us he will ransom us, that he is sending his son to pay our ransom, and that in order to pay that ransom it has utterly bankrupted him, but such is his unmerited favor and lovingkindness towards us that he will save us anyways.<br /><br />We sit and sit and wait and wait and finally the son arrives and presents the ransom at great cost to himself. I get up to leave because my ransom is paid, but you all stay sitting, I ask, “What’s going on? Our ransom is paid, we can leave.” You say, “No, we don’t believe this is our redeemer, we expect another, we won’t accept his payment.” The son tries to persuade you that this is the only payment that is coming, that no-one else can afford to ransom you, and no-one else even wants to ransom you. You respond by spitting on him, calling him names, and kicking him in the shin. He leaves you to die in your captivity while all of us who accept his payment and believe he is who he says he is walk free forever indebted to our redeemer.<br /><br />Israel rejected their Messiah, they crucified him and humiliated him, and now he has rejected them as being a people, he has left them to die, and he has given the kingdom to another people who will bear its fruit. He has promised throughout all ages to have a witness on earth, and so with Israel rejected a new group is grafted into the cut-off promises of Israel. Who are those people? The church.<br /><br />This was a long way to get to our passage today, but do you understand why Christ has rejected the People Israel and adopted another? Let’s look at some wonderful promises of this church, also called the Israel of God, which though Christ laid siege to Jerusalem in AD70 with the Romans and saw it flattened, no-one will ever conquer the home of God’s elect, which is Heaven, the New Jerusalem.<br /><br />Zechariah 12:1-14 <em>The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel: Thus declares the LORD, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him: "Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it. On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the LORD of hosts, their God.' "On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves. And they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem. "And the LORD will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah. On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the LORD, going before them. And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.<br /></em><br />This passage almost certainly occurs very near to the end of time. There are several things in this passage that certainly haven’t happened yet, and just reading it is seems like it has to be such a major event that the entire world will know when it happens. However, there are at least two major clues in the New Testament that place this passage right at the end, on the day that Christ returns. Chapter 14 is really going to describe the battle in more detail, but he we’re going to look at the purposes here in chapter 12.<br /><br /><strong>v.1</strong> <em>The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel:<br /><br /></em>First of all, this Israel, as I’ve just explained, is almost certainly the church. There is a lot of violence about to happen, which is why it is a burden; when we read things like this, or we that it is precious in the sight of the Lord the death of his saints, or we read that to live is Christ and to die is gain, we always have to remember Romans 8:28.<br /><br />Romans 8:28 <em>And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.<br /></em><br />Remember that not all things are good, but all things, even the most evil of things, are being used for good by God. Our greatest example is the cross of Christ, there was nothing good at all about the evil showed to him by mankind, we cannot say that the death of God is good at all, especially on the torture devise that is the cross, but we also see that what was meant for evil, God used for good so that many are saved.<br /><br />Three years ago I tore my right bicep, this wasn’t good at all. But when I went to get an MRI, I got to witness to the MRI girl and she was blown away by the gospel. God used my stupidity in hurting myself to further his gospel. Some of my friends just released a 10 disk set of CD’s and found out that every single package out of thousands was missing disk 8; because of this they were able to witness to people at the production company and it sounds like at least one of them got saved.<br /><br />So we’ve got something majorly bad about to happen, but we’ll also see something great happen through it. First though coming out of chapter 11 some might wonder, what right does God have to take salvation away from Israel and now here to put his people through such events? That’s the next part:<br /><br /><strong>v.1 </strong><em>Thus declares the LORD, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him:<br /></em><br />God is able to do what he wants because he created the place and gives life; he owes nothing at all to mankind because of our sin, and mercy is his to give.<br /><br />Romans 9:18-20 <em>So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?"<br /></em><br />We’re going to rush through the next part of this because it is the major point of chapter 14, I think you’ll get the major point without looking at similar passages from Revelation, which we’ll look at in chapter 14.<br /><br /><strong>v.2-3</strong> <em>"Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves.”<br /></em><br />A cup of staggering means they’ll be incapacitated, like somebody who drinks too much, they’ll be stricken incapable by this war, and they will ultimately fall. There is a siege coming, when an army or armies surround the city in order to wage war on it, which, if you’ve got a big enough army it should be easy to overthrow just one little city. But God says he’ll make Jerusalem harder to overturn than it looks, in fact those who try will hurt themselves. Silly language if we didn’t know that a bit later there is going to be much bloodshed and destruction, though Jerusalem, namely New Jerusalem here, will stand firm and not be overthrown.<br /><br /><strong>v.3-5</strong> <em>And all the nations of the earth will gather against it. On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the LORD of hosts, their God.'<br /></em><br />Here’s one of the reasons we see this as sometime in the future, because ALL nations will gather against Israel. Christ points this at the church in Matthew 24 when he says, “<strong>you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.</strong>”<br /><br />This battle sounds utterly chaotic with the enemy totally panicked; we’ll see in a few weeks that the reason for this is because Heaven opens and a massive army of angels led by Christ will wage war on them; Christ destroying with the power of his Word.<br /><br />The enemies will be confused and with no organization, where-as the church will be amazingly calm and empowered, not of themselves, but through the Lord. I really wish we had time to look at Gideon, but we don’t, so let me just remind you that he conquered an entire army with just 300 men, that that enemy panicked and killed themselves. This battle will be similar.<br /><br /><strong>v.6 </strong><em>"On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves. And they shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem.<br /></em><br />The imagery here is a complete destruction of the enemies of God, that a blazing fire will be put in the midst of dry wood and paper. I don’t think we can overemphasize the violence of this final day, and at the conclusion we’ll see Jerusalem intact and inhabited. When we’ll read Revelation in Zechariah 14, we’ll see that this is most likely the New Jerusalem, Heaven on Earth. Zechariah’s major point here is that the enemies will be slain, but the People of God will survive.<br /><br />For verse 7, Do you remember that I told you from the 30 pieces of silver passage that I couldn’t explain what it meant before we saw it happen? After it happened, we see the prophecy fulfilled perfectly to the letter, but before it was sort of fuzzy. Such is this next verse:<br /><br /><strong>v.7</strong> <em>"And the LORD will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah.<br /></em><br />This sounds like one of the very last things that will happen at the end of time is the conversion of Jews to Jesus Christ. This is described in Romans 11 and Hebrews 8 (be turning to Hebrews 8, I want you to read this with me), and is reminiscent of when Christ told the Jews in Matthew 23 that they wouldn’t see him again until they recognized that he had come in the name of the Lord. So as we listen to people who say, “The end could happen any minute,” we remind them that there are signs that must be fulfilled first, and one of which is the mass conversion of Jews to Christ before hand. This won’t be all Jews, some will follow the Antichrist as we learned last week, but this will certainly be so many Jews that we’ll take notice.<br /><br />Let me read this for length; this is the mass conversion described:<br /><br />Hebrews 8:8-12 <em>"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."<br /></em><br /><strong>v.8</strong> <em>On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David,<br /></em><br />Elevated from nobodies to royalty, able to defeat great enemies, totally trusting in God, and with a humble and repentant spirit. It will be a great day; the next verse helps us to date this passage to the end of time:<br /><br /><strong>v.8</strong> <em>and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the LORD, going before them.<br /></em><br />They’ll be like God, that’s an important phrase, we won’t be God, but like him, sinless, righteous, blameless, with eternal life. This is probably my favorite verse in Zechariah 12 because of how it is quoted in the New Testament describing Christ:<br /><br />1 John 3:1-2 <em>See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but <strong>we know that when he appears we shall be like him</strong>, because we shall see him as he is.<br /></em><br />When Christ returns, the major theme of Zechariah 14, we shall be transformed in a moment to be imperishable, to be like Christ. It is a glorious promise, but for those who won’t trust in him, who don’t hope in him, who have rejected him, they have verse 9 as a promise:<br /><br /><strong>v.9</strong> <em>And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.<br /><br /></em>That’s pretty straightforward. I really wish we had had time to do this justice and read and explain chapters 12-14 and see how they relate, hopefully it will come together in future weeks. But we know from other scriptures that Christ will split the sky open and ride in as a conquering King, that’s what is going to go on in verse 10 as shown to us in the book of Revelation.<br /><br /><strong>v.10</strong> <em>"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.<br /></em><br />This again is the salvation of many Jews right at the end. They’ll mourn over Christ for who he is, the only begotten Son of God, weeping in repentance both for their sins and for their rejection of him for so long.<br /><br />Revelation 1:7 <em>Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.<br /><br /></em>How was Christ pierced? How many years before he was pierced was Zechariah written? Almost 600 years prior. Let’s look at another prophecy written 1,000 years prior to Christ’s crucifixion:<br /><br />Psalm 22:16-18 <em>For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; <strong>they have pierced my hands and feet</strong>—I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.<br /></em><br />These are pointed explicitly at Christ in John’s Gospel.<br /><br />John 19:31-37 <em>Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth— that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken." And again another Scripture says, "They will look on him whom they have pierced."<br /></em><br />I really really really want you to see in Zechariah 12 that it says, “<strong>when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced</strong>”, we’ve got a great look at Christ’s deity here. When they look on me…who is speaking? God. Prior to us seeing this fulfilled in Christ, rabbis would say that this meant God was pierced by words or actions or sins, surely God can't be literally stabbed, but in Christ we see it fulfilled to the letter, that they literally drove nails through his hands and feet and a spear into his side. An utterly amazing prophecy.<br /><br />And all this drives to a practically evangelical invitation, that there will be great mourning towards Christ and this will result in the salvation of many (cf. 2 Corinthians 7:10). I can’t prove it, but I almost guarantee you this was the passage Christ had in mind when he said,<br /><br />Matthew 5:4 <em>Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.<br /><br /></em>Let’s read it real quick, being totally out of time,<br /><br /><strong>vv.11-14</strong> <em>On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.</em><br /><br />The mourning will be great, the event at Megiddo was the death of one of Israel’s greatest kings, Josiah, and the mourning for Israel’s greatest king, King Jesus crucified and resurrected, will be similar. The beauty of this mourning is that because Christ has defeated death we have the promise that repentance towards Heaven leads to salvation; our sins having been paid for on the cross and our Saviour proved to be mighty to save in his resurrection.<br /><br />Your repentance must be personal. I cannot repent for you, Summit can’t repent for you, your parents can’t trust in Jesus for you; you must place your full faith in Christ and Christ alone, the God who has wounds, the God who died, the God who lives, the God who is able to save.<br /><br />Concerning the Jews, this was fulfilled <strong>partly</strong> in Acts 2, where Peter declares God’s foreknowledge that Christ would be delivered up and crucified, that it would be done by the Jews, and that many who even crucified Christ would be saved. I highly encourage you to read it later. This prophecy will be fulfilled <strong>totally</strong> on the final day.<br /><br />But beloved, today your application is that God knows the end from the beginning. He forgave some of the very people that crucified him, and he is mighty to save to the uttermost all who draw near to him. Christ laid down his life for us knowing every sin we would ever or will ever commit, and we have such great promises that if we mourn for our sins, we will be comforted. So declare this message to your friends and strangers, it is the message of salvation, apart from it God will bring the nations to destruction, but if we are in Christ, we called the children of God. Strive for holiness as he is holy.Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-6610183859364995712011-01-02T08:30:00.003-05:002011-01-02T14:26:21.357-05:00January 2nd - The Flock Sold for Slaughter<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:';color:black;"><b>Prayer Requests</b></span><br />Pastor Aaron Preaching<br />Henley's Leaving<br />Tina New Job<br />New Years Preaching<br />Eugene in China - Car Accident<br />JJ Salvation<br />Grant Teaching</p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"></b><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="color:black;">Text </span></b><span style="color:black;">– </span></b>Zechariah 11 </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">Today we're going to look at one of the harsher passages in scripture, where Christ breaks his covenant with the people Israel and destroys them as a nation, since they have rejected him and esteemed him as nothing. This passage is extremely prophecy rich and will be important for us to remember that Zechariah is written over 500 years before Christ walked the earth, and that it perfectly predicted key events in his life.</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">What are some prophecies from Zechariah that Christ has already fulfilled? Humble and riding on a donkey; priest and king; the removal of sin in a single day; good shepherd.</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">How is Christ the good shepherd? Because he laid down his life for his sheep. What was his reaction to those who were bad shepherds? Fierce anger. What were those shepherds doing with the sheep? Selling them for profit, treating them like merchandise. Are these literal sheep, or do they represent something else? They represent people, the flock of God, and we know that God cares for his flock. What is the result of those who had rejected God and were putting their whole hope in possessions and things of this world? That is the first three verses of chapter 11, which we looked at last time,</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">Zechariah 11:1-3 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Open your doors,</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">O Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars! Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, for the glorious trees are ruined! Wail,</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">oaks of Bashan, for the thick forest has been felled! The sound of</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">the wail of</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">the shepherds, for their glory is ruined! The sound of the roar of</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">the lions, for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined!</i></span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">Things of this world will completely pass away, they will be burned, felled, ruined, destroyed, and the wail of those who put their trust in material wealth or themselves will show that they have nothing for all of eternity. Today we're going to look at some of those people; people who don't care for the flock at all.</span> </p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="color:black;">Zechariah 11:4-17<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> Thus said the LORD my God:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>"Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, 'Blessed be the LORD,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I have become rich,' and their own shepherds have no pity on them.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>For<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the LORD. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand." So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Favor, the other I named<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Union. And I tended the sheep.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>In one month<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>So I said, "I will not be your shepherd.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another." And I took<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD. Then I said to them, "If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them." And they weighed out as my wages<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>thirty pieces of silver.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Then the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"—<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Then I broke<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. Then the LORD said to me, "Take once more the equipment of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>a foolish shepherd.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs. "Woe to my worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>his right eye! Let his arm be wholly withered, his right eye utterly blinded!"</i></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">So if we remember from chapter 10, that God is fiercely angry with the shepherds who don't care for the flock, he is going to replace these with someone else. At this point, from the New Testament, we can see that these false shepherds, while representing many people throughout history, like kings, popes, and false teachers, here are ultimately the Sadducees, Pharisees, and Scribes. We've looked at Matthew 23 a few times in this class, do you remember what happens in that passage? Jesus declares seven "woes" on the Pharisees, calling them blind guides and utterly condemning them, totally angry that they were keeping men out of Heaven. The very last verses in that passage will really come alive after we look at Zechariah. So at this point, God has rejected these shepherds, we might say that this happened explicitly in</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">Matthew 21:43 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">will be taken away from you and given to a people</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">producing its fruits.</i></span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">Now the command to Christ,</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="color:black;">v.4 </span></b></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">Thus said the LORD my God:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>"Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter."</span></i> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">This is a recurring theme throughout scripture, Psalm 23, John 10, Isaiah 40 (which we'll read at the end), and namely when Christ fed the 5,000 on the shores of Galilee.</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">Mark 6:34 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">When he went ashore he</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.</i></span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">These were <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">like</b> sheep without a shepherd, but we see here in Zechariah that they had shepherds, they were just terrible shepherds.</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="color:black;">v.5 </span></b></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, 'Blessed be the LORD,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I have become rich,' and their own shepherds have no pity on them.</span></i> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">At this point the shepherds, the Sadducees, Pharisees, and Scribes, become not so much shepherds, but sheep-traders, as they'll be called in a moment, and they are over people not in a teaching/leading role, but only for the money, leading them to slaughter apart from God and Christ. They even go so far as to thank God for the money they have received in their evil dealings, treating people as objects and serving greed.</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">This was done in a variety of ways, one way was by requiring special temple money which had to be purchased, another way was in selling the sacrificial animals at exorbitant prices, and yet another was in taking tithes and offerings while doing nothing for the people. Some of these riches were not monetary, but in pride and selfishness, with the rabbis taking the best seats at parties and way overdressing themselves so people would know they were the super-righteous dudes. At this point we think, "I should feel sorry for these sheep." But we're going to see that their leaders are only half the problem.</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">2 Timothy 4:3-4 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">T<span class="apple-style-span">he time is coming when people will not endure</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">sound</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">and</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">will turn away from listening to the truth and</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">wander off into myths.</span></i></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">These people under these shepherds weren't complaining for the bad teaching they were receiving, but were glad to be told they could work their way into Heaven. This happens even today, probably moreso today, that people like Joel Osteen and Creflo Dollar and Perry Noble and Ed Young Jr. are only in it for the money and prestige, but if no-one was following them, they wouldn't be shepherds. The shepherds are a huge problem, the but biggest problem is the people who follow them.</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="color:black;">v.6-7 </span></b></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">For<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the LORD. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand." So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Favor, the other I named<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Union. And I tended the sheep.</span></i> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">Because of their constant rejection, God is furious, yet here we see that Christ did indeed for a little while take the position of Shepherd of Israel. We see that from the feeding of the 5,000, when he saw them as sheep without a shepherd, he felt compassion on them, he made them sit on the green grass and he fed them, and taught them. These sheep, sold for slaughter, had a very good Shepherd.</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">Mark 6:39-42 <span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass.</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties.</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all.</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">And they all ate and were satisfied.</i></span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">Yet because they rejected him, in verse six of Zechariah 11 we see that that Christ will no longer have pity on these people, that he has caused a great destruction to come on these people. If they had stayed under his protection, they would have had nothing to fear, but we'll see in a bit that they reject him as their Shepherd. If Christ is our Shepherd and we have not rejected him, then we have great promises in his ability to guide us and bring us home to Heaven:</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">Psalm 23:4 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Even though I</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">walk through the valley of</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">the shadow of death, I will</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">fear no evil, for</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">you are with me; your</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">rod and your staff, they comfort me.</span></i></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">These two staffs are used to guide the sheep and protect them from enemies, and as long as we're under the care of our Master, his favor and union keep us perfectly safe, and in the context of the passage, we're looking at the flock being the nation of Israel, and later the Holy Nation that is the church. The nation Israel is about to be rejected, where-as from chapter 10 we remember that the church will not lose even a single member.</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="color:black;">v.8 </span></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">In one month</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me.</span></i></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">Some believe, and I with them, that this was accomplished in Matthew 22 when they brought arguments to Christ to trip him up in his theology and show that he wasn't God, and he answered perfectly in every situation. I hope you'll take an opportunity sometime this week to read Matthew 22, but today for time's sake, we'll move on in Zechariah.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Matthew 22:46 <em>And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">We see that they <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">also</b> detested Christ; this is important because the word translated as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">impatient</b> is considerably stronger than mere disdain, it is probably best translated as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">loathe</b>, Christ loathed these shepherds for their failures, and they hated him for showing the world that they were terrible rabbis and shepherds. Proverbs 6:16-19, the way this verse is structured, we won't read it again for time's sake, but Proverbs 6:16 and 19 say that God HATES the false witness, and here we see clearly that he is furious with these Sadducees, Pharisees, and Scribes who neither enter into Heaven, nor allow those who would enter to go in.</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">A major part of his rejection was that the Jews were always seeking material possessions, ignoring the One who sustained them, we see this expressed exceedingly clearly the day after the feeding of the 5,000,</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">John 6:25-26 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him,</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">"Rabbi, when did you come here?"</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">Jesus answered them,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">"Truly, truly, I say to you,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">you are seeking me, not because you saw</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves."</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="color:black;">v.9-11 </span></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">So I said, "I will not be your shepherd.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another." And I took</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD.</span></i></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">Here is where the rejection ultimately begins. The Jews were, and many still are, trusting in an OLD covenant given by God which was conditional and required the people to abstain from idols and love God and their neighbor and offer sacrifices and having utterly failed in this works-covenant, we see here that favor between God and them is broken, annulled, canceled, ceased. They are without favor in the sight of God for their constant rejection of him.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">The Sheep-Traders, who are again our Sadducees, Pharisees, and Scribes, see and know that Christ is speaking for God, but they reject it anyways, their hearts were unbelievably hard and instead of submitting to him as Lord, they sought a way to kill him. As they reject him as Shepherd, he recognizes their desire and he asks for his wages here in Zechariah, here is how it plays out:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><strong>v.12-13</strong> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Then I said to them, "If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them." And they weighed out as my wages</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">thirty pieces of silver.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">Then the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"—</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter.</span></i></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">Thirty pieces of silver are roughly the price of a slave. Consider here who this Shepherd is, the King of Glory, and they esteemed him as worth slave-labor. Then this amount was thrown to the potter in the House of the Lord. Does this event sound familiar to anyone?</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">Matthew 26:14-16 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Then one of the twelve, whose name was</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?" And they</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">paid him</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">thirty pieces of silver.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">And from that moment he sought an opportunity</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">to betray him.</span></i></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">The name Judas comes directly from Judah, one of the kingdoms of the nation Israel, and here we can very easily allegorize that Judas was a representative of the whole nation, that he has rejected Christ and is selling him for thirty pieces of silver, roughly $100 in our money. If only Judas and the Pharisees had known this scripture better, they ought to have repented and fallen down and worshipped Christ, but they pushed forward with their plan. Christ, however, did know this prophecy quite well,</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">John 13:21-27 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">After saying these things,</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">"Truly, truly, I say to you,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">one of you will betray me."</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">close to Jesus,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">of whom he was speaking.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">So that disciple,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">leaning back against Jesus, said to him, "Lord, who is it?"</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">Jesus answered,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">"It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">when I have dipped it."</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">So when he had dipped the morsel,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">he gave it to Judas,the son of Simon Iscariot.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">Then after he had taken the morsel,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">"What you are going to do, do quickly."</span></i></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">Now, Judas has sold Christ, he has the silver, but the money has not been thrown to the Potter in the Lord's House, how then is this going to take place?</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">Matthew 27:3-7 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">When</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">was condemned,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">he changed his mind and brought back</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us?</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">See to it yourself."</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple,</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">he departed, and he went and hanged himself.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money."</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers.</span></i></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="color:black;">v.14 </span></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">Then I broke</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.</span></i></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">This occurred forty years later when the Romans made an effort to destroy the whole people of Israel, murdering about a million people. During the siege it even came to pass where Zechariah said they would devour themselves; cannibalism took place during this time. And Israel was banished from being a country for almost 2,000 years, and today not only is there no strong bond between Israel and Judah, many Jews don't even know which tribe or kingdom their genealogies come from.</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">Now, having rejected the true Shepherd, the Jews are still looking for a Messiah, for a shepherd who will bring them back to a world power and save them. None will come, but for their insolence, the wrath of God will come upon them, and this next passage occurs sometime in the future, when a shepherd will arise over Israel, but not at all a good one. Here we get a fuzzy view of Antichrist, a failure as a messiah, a failure as a shepherd, a failure as a false god, and a failure as a savior, but the reward for all who reject the true Christ.</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="color:black;">v.15-17</span></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Then the LORD said to me, "Take once more the equipment of</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">a foolish shepherd.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs. "Woe to my worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">his right eye! Let his arm be wholly withered, his right eye utterly blinded!"</span></i></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">This false shepherd will not care for anyone, he will be only concerned with his own gain, with his own wealth and reputation, and care nothing for the flock. Ed Young Jr., a Southern Baptist apostate, recently coerced his whole church into giving more tithes through a mandatory direct deposit system. In his example we can see that there will be one main false shepherd, but that there are no lack of false shepherds, they devour their flock, they drive them so hard that their hooves are torn to tatters which can probably be spiritualized that they preach legalism and never allow their flock to rest in Christ, and ultimately they don't care for their flock. Perry Noble, one of the greatest antichrists operating today, publically told his congregation not to expect him to visit them at home or even in the hospital.</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">And in all of this, we see that these false shepherds are powerless to see what is right or to do what is right, and that he is ultimately worthless.</span> Because of Israel's rejection of the Messiah and the false teachers who stood between God and Israel, and the false commands they taught, we see what Christ preached at the end of Matthew 23 come true:</p><p class="MsoNormal">Matthew 23:37-38 <em>"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 would not! See, your house is left to you desolate."</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">So we see in all of this that the Old Covenant has ceased, the New has come. The Old was conditional and required constant upkeep, but Christ in his perfection has offered himself once for all, being a perfect sacrifice, saving to the uttermost those who draw near to him. The Covenant that the Jews hold to today is obsolete, it cannot save, they are rejected as the Nation of God, where-by the church has been adopted into this role.</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">Hebrews 8:13 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">And finally, Christ is our better Shepherd, trust in him, know that you have his favor and union if you hold fast to the confession of faith you have in him, not trusting in yourself or a covenant, but trusting in him who died for your sins and was raised for your justification.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">Let's conclude with one of my favorite passages in all of scripture:</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;">Isaiah 40:9-11 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion,</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> </span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;">herald of good news;</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="color:black;"> <span class="apple-style-span">lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.</span></span></i><span style="color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-85625833660247274002010-12-19T08:30:00.001-05:002010-12-19T19:12:54.564-05:00December 19th - the Humility of Christ<strong>Prayer Requests<br /></strong>Pastor Aaron Recovery and Preaching<br />Todd Love Recovery<br />Doomsday Outreach Results<br />The Henley’s leaving<br />Tina's job search<br />Shelby's Aunt<br />Musical Yesterday and Today<br />Car Accident - Taylor<br />Relatives and Friends Traveling<br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> – Philippians 2:1-11<br /><br />Last week we looked at a topical lesson on Christmas. This week we’re going to look at an expositional lesson on how Christ’s birth (& life and death) calls us to live. We’re going to be in Philippians 2; we need to know some things about this letter before we fully understand the passage.<br /><br />Who wrote Philippians? The Apostle Paul. Does anybody know where he was when he wrote Philippians? He was in prison, in Rome. Any guesses as to what his punishment may be for saying that Caesar is not God, will it be light or harsh? Paul very much expects to die in Rome for his claim that Christ is God and Caesar is not.<br /><br />This letter was written near the end of his life, he’s been beaten, persecuted, hated, betrayed, and rejected for thirty years now, all for the sake of Jesus Christ, but he still loves Jesus and the church. This ought to be your first lesson, that a genuine saving faith perseveres to the end and thrives in persecution, I want to read two important verses which start and finish this thought.<br /><br />Philippians 1:6 <em>And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.<br /><br /></em>1 John 2:19<em> They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.<br /></em><br />Paul rejoiced in his sufferings, and he was able to do so because just as Christ suffered for him, he had suffered for the gospel; he is able to tell us that everything outside of Christ is the equivalent of garbage and that we set our affections on Christ and Heaven and this will produce in us fruitful and Christ-honoring lives. He wants us to live lives with Christ as our example, and that is what chapter 2 of Philippians charges us to do.<br /><br />Philippians 2:1-11 <em>if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.<br /><br /></em>This is one of my favorite passages in scripture, it has such a humble beginning, such a perfect example, and such an amazing application that it should rock your world, it should leave you with no option but to do what it says; let’s see if this Christmas passage can do exactly what Paul hopes for it to do in the audience at Philippi.<br /><br /><strong>v.1</strong> <em>if there is any encouragement in Christ,<br /><br /></em>If Christ’s life and sacrifice encourages us to live godly lives,<br /><br /><strong>v.1</strong> <em>(if there is) any comfort from love,<br /></em><br />If the great love by which Christ loved us and gave himself for us comforts us, driving out all fear,<br /><br /><strong>v.1</strong> <em>(if there is) any participation in the Spirit,<br /></em><br />If the Spirit dwells in you and leads you, he who is our helper and promise of Heaven and glorification, who grows in us the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control,<br /><br /><strong>v.1</strong> <em>(if there is) any affection and sympathy,<br /></em><br />If there is any love in the church and empathy towards weakness and hope of sanctification, then verse 2:<br /><br /><strong>v.2</strong><em> complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.<br /></em><br />If Christ and the Holy Spirit are true, and Paul knows from experience and scripture that they are, then he calls for the church to rally around Christ’s perfection, to abound in love, and to set their goals on glorifying Christ, preaching the Word, and seeing souls saved and discipled.<br /><br />This introduction calls us to look at the great promises of love and hope that Christ has given us through his death and resurrection, and then calls us to live these out. Since Christ loved us and gave his life for us, we’re called to the same for his church. Christ doesn’t need our good works, but beloved, our friends and our neighbors do!<br /><br />1 John 2:16 <em>By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.<br /></em><br />And this of course is not just in death, but also in life. For many people say they would die for their children or friends, but beloved, they don’t need you to die for them, they need you to live for them. The next verses tell us how to do so:<br /><br /><strong>vv.3,4</strong> <em>Do nothing from rivalry or conceit; look not only to [your] own interests<br /><br /></em>Paul was facing a new type of false-teacher at this point in his ministry. Certain people were preaching the gospel for the sake of trying to rub it in Paul’s face that he wasn’t able to go where he wanted or preach freely because he was in prison. They wanted to be seen as super-apostles and be exalted for their preaching. It was a strange way to try to insult him, but we see in this that it is more than possible to do everything from the wrong motives, even preach the gospel.<br /><br />Let’s let this be our next application, that it is possible to preach the gospel from a wrong motive, to share Christ and him crucified for the forgiveness of sins only because your pastors tell you to, or because you want to earn favor with God by sharing the gospel, or because you only want to be blessed or for others to think you’re a super-Christian for doing it. Will you receive blessings for sharing the gospel? Absolutely, it is more blessed to give than to receive, but we ought to share the gospel because it is the power of God to salvation, and because just as Christ loved us first, now we love others with the great love by which he loved us, not just to get things.<br /><br />Philemon 6 <em>I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.<br /></em><br />At Christmas we see presents given, and this can be very good, or very bad. If you only give gifts so you get presents, or only get presents and that’s all Christmas is to you, then you’re doing it wrong and you need to repent.<br /><br />Proverbs 30:15 <em>The leech has two daughters: Give and Give.<br /></em><br />What is a leech? It’s a bloodsucking little bug, or it’s a person who only takes and never gives and is hugely greedy and lustful and covetous. It says that sort of person basically only has two offspring, twins, that just say, “Give and Give” all the time. They’re like those sea-gulls on <em>Finding Nemo</em> that say, “<strong>Mine, Mine, Mine</strong>” all the time. The Bible speaks disparagingly of people like that.<br /><br />So how do we not be those people?<br /><br /><strong>vv.3-4</strong> <em>Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.<br /></em><br />We count others as more significant that ourselves, looking after the interests of others. How can we do that? Paul here is speaking of sin and godliness and worth, not of learning or gifts. For example, Jimmy shouldn’t esteem me as a better musician than himself and let me sing this morning, neither should Leon count one of the sixth graders as better at Greek than himself, or anybody count Tyler as a better driver than them.<br /><br />But we shouldn’t look at anybody and say, “<strong>They are such a sinner, or such a poor Christian, and I myself am so much more deserving of spiritual blessings and honor than them</strong>.” No, we ought to always consider others as more significant and more graceful than ourselves, not abandoning them for their sin, but looking after them and loving them as though they were ourselves. Let’s see if Paul follows through with this,<br /><br />1 Timothy 1:15 <em>The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save <strong>sinners, of whom I am the foremost</strong>.<br /></em><br />Ephesians 3:8 <em>To me, though <strong>I am the very least of all the saints</strong>, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,<br /><br /></em>Beloved, I am the chief of sinners, but I have become the least of saints. We all ought to say as much, knowing our own hearts better than anyone else and being amazed that Christ would die to save sinners such as us anyways.<br /><br />Now we’ve looked at the fact that we should live lives of love and holiness, esteeming others as worth more than ourselves, now we’ll look at our great example:<br /><br /><strong>v.5-7</strong> <em>Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.</em><br /><br />Christ is our greatest example, he has replaced our sinful hearts which cared only for ourselves, and given us a heart that seeks after godliness that loves others, one just like his. For though he certainly was worth more than all of his creation combined, he did not make that excuse not to come. He made himself nothing, he emptied himself of any pride (which he had every right to have), and took on the body of a man, even a body with no majesty or beauty, being born into abject poverty, and was born not as a prince in a palace, but as a pauper in a stable. Instead of being laid in a golden crib, he was laid in a wooden feeding trough.<br /><br />2 Corinthians 8:9 <em>You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.<br /><br /></em>Christmas time is a great reminder of the humility we are called to for the sake of Christ, that even if we are the greatest king, wisest counselor, most talented painter or architect, that we must empty ourselves of all pride to realize the will of God. Let me boast briefly in Jesus Christ; I haven’t done nearly so much homeless ministry as I probably should, but I’ve done a decent amount. Beloved, in all reality these men and women have made very poor choices in their lives, loved their sin to the point that it has destroyed them, become addicted to all sorts of drugs and alcohol, and rejected all sorts of offers of help. In all reality the world would tell me that I have no business or call to help them, but truthfully Jesus Christ found me in a very similar spiritual state, that if it weren’t for the work of the Holy Spirit in my life, his restraining grace, then any one of us could quickly and easily end up in the receiving line of the homeless ministry rather than the serving line. When I leave those places, drenched in an indescribable odor, it reminds me of my sinful, yet redeemed, state.<br /><br />If you feel you are of a certain estate above that of your classmates and/or other sinners, or that you are a great saint among lesser saints, then beloved, I encourage you to meditate on the statement of John Bradford, who said so beautifully, “<strong>There, but for the grace of God, go I</strong>.”<br /><br />Christ’s emptying of himself culminated in his death on the cross, which is Paul’s next point:<br /><br /><strong>v.8</strong> <em>And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.<br /></em><br />I can’t say this any better than Paul says it in Romans, it is utterly amazing the humility Christ showed in dying, not to save good people who were afflicted or righteous people who were in peril, for the well have no need of a physician, but dying for the sick and sinful, for the Son of Man come to seek and save the lost.<br /><br />Romans 5:7-8 <em>For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.<br /></em><br />And not only did Christ die for a people who didn’t ask for it, could never repay him, and would constantly need chastening, but he did so by dying on a cross. Beloved, this is the most heinous of execution methods, it was specifically formulated to take days to die on, to cause agony at every opportunity, to be utterly humiliating. And yet Christ endured it, forsaken by men and God, so that we who are in Christ will never face such hellish pain, shame, and abandonment.<br /><br />Isaiah 50:6 <em>I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.<br /></em><br />And this calls us to hate sin and love Christ, one of my favorite verses, and I bet some of your favorite verses is in Hebrews 12:<br /><br />Hebrews 12:1-3 <em>Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, <strong>who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,</strong> and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.<br /></em><br />We see two things that pertain to us especially in this passage, but I wanted to read the whole thing. First of all, it says he <strong>despised the shame.</strong> He hated the spitting and the pulling out of his beard, that no-one recognized him as the King of the Universe, that they crucified him because he claimed to be God. But beloved, this was due to show that he is a gracious Creator, an impeccable Man, and a perfect Saviour.<br /><br />The next thing I want you to see is where it says that <strong>for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross</strong>. Christ was laying down his life for many reasons, to save his saints, to defeat the devil, to crush death underfoot in his resurrection, but the main reason he endured the cross was for the joy of accomplishing his Father’s will, for proving that his Father is both the perfect Judge and the Loving God, that he will not overlook sin, but is also gracious to provide a substitute. This is where Philippians 2:1-11 wraps up.<br /><br /><strong>v.9-11</strong> <em>Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.<br /></em><br />For his obedience and humility Christ has received a glorious reward, the name that is above every name. That on that final day, both sinners and saints will cease their sinning and fall to their knees in recognition that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour, that he was dead but he is yet alive, that he is holy sinless and undefiled, that he is Lord of all.<br /><br />It is amazing where is says these things will happen, both in Heaven, and on earth, and under the earth: Hell. Beloved, on that final day Christ will receive all honor and power and glory, and he will receive it willingly from those who bow in submission and love for him, or he will receive it by force as those who will not bow willingly are put on their faces by innumerable angels.<br /><br />If we have this mind in ourselves, counting others as worth more than ourselves, pouring out our pride and esteeming our neighbor as in great need of salvation, living for them, dying for them if need be, then we have such a great promise that just as Christ has been elevated, so too will be elevated, for God exalts the humble, but he casts the prideful to the ground.<br /><br />2 Corinthians 10:17-18<em> "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.<br /></em><br />And Paul concludes this thought in Philippians calling us to work out our salvation, making sure we’re trusting in Christ’s finished work in his death and resurrection, not trusting in our deeds, knowing that anything we do that is good has been worked in us from God. Let us do these things more and more throughout our lives, starting just as Jesus did, at Christmas.<br /><br />Philippians 2:12-13 <em>Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. </em>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-80955992450830317372010-12-12T08:30:00.003-05:002010-12-12T17:07:33.786-05:00December 12th - A Survey of Christmas History<strong>Prayer Requests<br /></strong>Pastor Aaron Recovery and Preaching<br />Todd Love Recovery<br />Doomsday Outreach (December 17th!)<br />The Head family in the loss of Phyllis<br />Charles Wilder last few weeks<br />The Henley’s leaving<br />K.Sharpe's root canal<br />Friend of the Sharpes - Car Accident<br />Shelby's Aunt and Song<br />Kids Christmas tonight<br /><br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> – Various Christmas<br /><br />I started to give you a history of Christmas, a look at dates and stuff and beloved I’ll tell you the truth, it bored me to death. It made me almost hate Christmas…there is so much drama and bickering and legalism surrounding this holiday that by the time I was finished researching I just wanted to throw my hands in the air and quit Christmas forever. But then I remembered that I really like Christmas, so I started over and looked at it rather at the lessons we can learn instead of just a survey of the history.<br /><br />First of all, Christmas is not a celebration in the New Testament. In fact, the only festival we are told to celebrate is Passover. Why would we celebrate Passover? What’s another name for Passover? Easter. We celebrate because it was the day our Saviour died, the day our sin was atoned for; and we are able to celebrate it because Christ defeated death afterwards.<br /><br />So because Christmas is not a celebration in the New Testament, does that mean we now can’t celebrate Christmas? No, quite the contrary,<br /><br />Romans 14:5-6 <em>One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord.<br /><br /></em>The New Testament tells us to know why we’re doing things, and the why is to honor Christ in our celebration. Therefore Christmas can be very sinful or very good, it’s going to be our goal today to make it very good. Now, I don’t know of any Christians who don’t celebrate Christmas, but if you ever run into one that doesn’t, the same rule applies to them. For example, Lutherans celebrate Ephiphany on January 6th, if they know why they are doing it and they’re doing it for the right reasons, then great, but it seems many do it just because they’ve always done it.<br /><br />So, Christmas, first of all, check out the date, December 25th. We really don’t know when Jesus was born, and for two centuries the church didn’t write about it. Around the time of Jesus’ birth, it was thought very arrogant to celebrate your birthday and so most people didn’t do it, so it seems they didn’t even consider it until about ~AD200. It has seemed to be pretty universally accepted that Christ was conceived in March, so add 9 months to March and get December, so I really have no problem saying that December 25th is as good a guess as any. Our Romans verse says one day is as good as another, as long as we observe it in honor of the Lord.<br /><br />Other dates range all over December and into January, and some are all over the calendar. Let’s stick to December 25th. Recently is has been popular to say that the church chose this date to combat pagan celebrations. The earliest date we have saying that the church did things like that is in the 600’s, and not for Christmas, but for “saint’s days” which really aren’t Christian anyways. It wasn’t until the 1200’s that anyone even mentioned that maybe the 25th was selected to do away with pagan holidays. I believe the 25th was chosen for veracity and not polemics.<br /><br />It is only a recent thing that our calendars are uniform in different cultures, and on the Roman Julian Calendar, the Winter Solstice was on December 25th, where-as on the Gregorian Calendar we use today, the Solstice is when? December 21st or 22nd, this year it is as midnight on the 21st.<br /><br />So Jesus was born according to this good guess, on the Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year. Many Christian leaders in the third and fourth century saw this as theologically important, and saw a direct parallel to Sol Invictus, the Unconquerable Sun, that Christ, though crucified and killed, defeated death and lives forever more.<br /><br />The first celebrations of Christ’s birth started in the early 200’s, December 25th was the generally agreed upon date by 274, and by the early 300’s it was the official date.<br /><br />Let’s look at some people who celebrated Christ’s birth. First is the wise men who visited Christ soon after his birth,<br /><br />Matthew 2:11 <em>And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.<br /></em><br />These were likely Persians, Magi and Zoroastrians, remembering the prophesy of Daniel some 600 years earlier, seeking the God of Daniel. They give gifts to this King, any idea why they chose these three gifts? What could gold represent? Wealth? How about frankincense? It’s in the name, frank-incense; incense frequently represents prayer and worship. And Myrr? Literally this word can mean suffering, and it’s a spice and preservative that is used both in cooking and in burial. So these wise men did a very wise thing, they gave to the King Christ all of their possessions, worship, and sin and suffering; let us do likewise.<br /><br />Gifts during Christmas have been a highly debated idea. During the dark-ages gift giving was forbidden, it wasn’t until the early 1800’s when it became really popular. Again, you must do everything you do with the right motives, if Christmas just means getting presents, then you’re doing it wrong and you need to repent.<br /><br />When Christmas was becoming a popular idea, so was a great heresy by a dude named Arius. This guy was a punk, he claimed Jesus was just the Son of God, not actually God. In AD 323 there was a council called to discussed this, they met in Nicaea in Turkey. Arius preached his false jesus and claimed he was true, the bishop of Myra was so incensed that he rose, approached Arius, and walloped him. The bishops name was Nicolas, and later the Catholic Church officially sainted him, though every true Christian is a saint, and today we know him as Saint Nicolas. By all accounts he was a very loving man with a great desire to spread the gospel and give of himself and out of his abundance.<br /><br />In German his name is SinterNicholaus, or shortened to SinterKlaus. Martin Luther didn’t like devoting a day to a man, so made efforts on Christmas to celebrate Kristkindle, the Christ Child, but through some weird language error Kriskringle became just another name for Santa Claus.<br /><br />Even though Arius was officially labeled a heretic, his teaching continued to grow in small groups, and a man named Ambrose in the mid to late 300’s wrote a beautiful Christmas hymn to celebrate Christ as the God who was born as a man; largely to combat Arianism.<br /><br /><em>O come, Redeemer of the earth,<br />and manifest thy virgin-birth.<br />Let every age in wonder fall:<br />such birth befits the God of all.<br /><br />Begotten of no human will<br />but of the Spirit, Thou art still<br />the Word of God in flesh arrayed,<br />the promised fruit to man displayed.<br /><br />All praise, eternal Son, to Thee,<br />whose advent sets Thy people free,<br />whom, with the Father, we adore,<br />and Holy Ghost, for evermore.<br /><br /></em>In the 700’s a man named Boniface went to Germany as a missionary. Germany at this time was totally pagan, worshipping nature and the gods Thor and Odin. Boniface just so happened in his first visit to find the center of Thor worship, and an oak tree dedicated to him. Boniface announced to the town that he was going to cut their god down, that if Thor was God, he should stop him, but if Christ was God, the tree would fall. The whole town turned out to watch, waiting for Thor, the god of thunder, to strike Boniface down. Legend tells that something supernatural happened and the tree fell. Whether it was totally Boniface cutting it down, or God’s interceding as well, the tree fell, and Boniface preached Christ from the stump, and the first church in Germany was built out of that tree.<br /><br />A few years later Boniface was in another part of Germany and a young boy ran to find him, crying, “Boniface, Boniface, they’re going to sacrifice my sister!” Boniface leaped to his feat, asking the boy to lead him to his sister. The boy led him into a specially prepared thicket of trees, an altar to Odin and nature, and the 15 year old girl on an altar with a priest hovering over her with a knife ready to cut her heart out in sacrifice. With no time for negotiation, Boniface shoved the priest into the nearest tree, knocking him out cold. He helped the girl off the altar, then climbed up himself in order to preach to the astonished crowd. He proclaimed, “Why are you sacrificing?! Do you not know that Christ was sacrificed once for all, the just for the unjust? These trees are not your brothers, they are not your sisters, they are not your mothers! They are trees! Cut them down and warm your homes with them, homes that at the center should be the Lord Jesus Christ.” And that they did, they cut down this forest cathedral and burned the logs; and from here we get the Yule Log tradition which has been celebrated on and off ever since.<br /><br />The early Yule Tide festival seems to be the equivalent to a Christmas Celebration; some try to say that Yule predates Christianity in Germany, but there is no evidence of that. Have you ever watched a Yule Log on TV? In 1966 a television station in New York put it on during prime time for three hours. Until 1989 it was commonplace, then was canceled until 2001. In 2001 it was the most watched program on Christmas Day.<br /><br />The term Christmaesse, or Christ Festival, wasn’t used until 1038, prior to that it had names like Nativity, Navidad, Advent, and Noel, all basically meaning birth or coming.<br /><br />In the 1500’s the Christmas tree became more popular. The origins are obscured in mystery. Some say that Boniface rejected the oak and pointed to the evergreen tree as representing eternal life. There is no clear teaching on this, and it may be that it was best to cut the tree in remembrance that the tree is not god. If trees had souls, could we say that fir is murder?<br /><br />There was definitely a similar thing going on 600 years before Christ, though this practice was definitely connected with some idea that that tree had some magical or mystical powers, something I don’t believe anyone thinks the Christmas tree has.<br /><br />Jeremiah 10:2-5 <em>Thus says the LORD: "Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good."</em><br /><br />So look at this, the Christmas tree can be very bad, or if used rightly it can be very good. Again, your motive drives everything. If you remember that your tree is a creation of God, that it is useful to decorate and warm your home, that it has no power to bless you, that it doesn’t draw you closer to nature, then it can be used for good. People that don’t know why they have a tree I believe are in just as much danger as those who thought their tree was god.<br /><br />By the mid-1700’s the Americans were rejecting Christmas as a British holiday. You’ll remember that on Christmas 1776 George Washington crossed the Delaware and captured a whole Hessian regiment in Trenton? We make a big deal that it was Christmas, but the Americans wouldn’t have been celebrating anyways if they hadn’t known that the Hessians, Germans, would be drunk and unprepared for an attack.<br /><br />Interest in Christmas continued to wane and by the early and mid 1800’s it was feared that it might vanish altogether. Efforts were put in place to revive it. Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843 to focus on the spirit of Christmas, utterly leaving Christ out of the holiday and overemphasizing family and presents. It was from this book that the phrase “Merry Christmas” became popular.<br /><br />From 1832-48 the Christmas tree became more popular, overemphasized by Queen Victoria of England. By the 1850’s people were complaining that Christmas had become a shopping spree and that Christ was forgotten.<br /><br />By 1860 Christmas was a legal holiday in most states, and in 1870 it was officially recognized as a federal holiday.<br /><br />As Christmas became a secular event with presents, Jews feared their children being lured into Christianity merely for the presents, and in the late 1800’s Hanukah, a good and pure festival in the New Testament, was subjected to the same commercial fate as Christmas.<br /><br />A song that I particularly like sums up why we should really be celebrating Christmas, it is by Sovereign Grace Music, and it’s called Son of God Came Down:<br /><br /><em>The Son of God came down and laid aside His crown<br />Born without great renown, this Sovereign One<br />All holiness and might, all glory shining bright<br />Have come to earth this night in Mary’s son<br /><br />O come, let us adore<br />O Christ the Lord, our hope and Savior<br />Son of God yet made like us<br />O Christ the Lord, our King adored<br />Born a child, our Lord Jesus<br /><br />Messiah born so small, asleep in cattle stall<br />Come to redeem our fall, nailed to a tree<br />This tiny, helpless child<br />Through death would reconcile<br />The holy God and vile, His grace so free<br />O come, let us adore </em>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-31621384004834271312010-12-05T08:30:00.001-05:002010-12-05T15:06:27.185-05:00December 5th - The Good Shepherd<strong>Prayer Requests<br /></strong>Pastor Aaron Surgery<br />Todd Love Recovery<br />Tamara Slack Recovery<br />Kennesaw Christmas Parade Preaching<br />Doomsday Outreach (December 17th!)<br />Christmas Concerts (James, Hannah, Bethany, Etc.)<br /><br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> – Zechariah 10<br /><br />Zechariah 10 is a NEAT chapter, it tells us all sorts of great things about God, that he is the God of nature, he is the God who strengthens armies in righteousness, he is the God from whom all good things flow, he is the God who will win a complete victory at the end of time, and he is the Good Shepherd. The first thing I want to look at though, which is certainly not the main thrust of Zechariah’s message, but which is hugely important for your life is a tangential lesson from verse 1.<br /><br />Zechariah 10:1 <em>Ask rain from the LORD in the season of the spring rain, from the LORD who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field.<br /></em><br />I love every Bible verse, but recently this has become my favorite, because it rocked my world. Look at it, when are we supposed to ask for rain from God? In the season of rain. Now, God is able to do things outside of the order in which he has decided to work, he can send rain in the middle of a desert in the dry season if he wants to, but he has structured the world in a way which we can trust and rely on a system of reliability. This is a miracle in itself,<br /><br />Matthew 5:45 <em>so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.<br /></em><br />It is a miracle every time it rains, even when we’re expecting rain, this is a blessing from God. It reminded me of another verse which is really taking us on a rabbit trail, but I think it’s totally worth reading,<br /><br />Hebrews 3:12-13 <em>Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.<br /></em><br />There is a season given to us for every thing we do. As long as we live in a sinful world we must be killing sin, seeking righteousness, trusting Christ, and watching our brothers and sisters to ensure they are doing the same. Someday I’d like to do a study of Ecclesiastes 3 which talks a lot more about this. But the true reason I wanted to look at this is to exhort you all towards a season which comes all too early in most people’s lives, the season of dating and marriage. At 12, 13, 14 you shouldn’t be seeking boyfriends and girlfriends; someone to love, to kiss, to be for all intents and purposes married to, because at your age you are a ways off from expressing your love in the proper marriage covenant. We ought to pray for godly husbands and wives, yes, but in the season that this is appropriate, not a moment before.<br /><br />Proverbs 6:27-28 <em>Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?<br /></em><br />So please at least think on this topic, that we may have perfectly right desires which are made wrong by the timing. While this isn’t remotely Zechariah’s point here, I would like to encourage you as you pray to consider if your prayer is keeping with the will of God. Can God do miracles outside of his normal timing? Absolutely, that’s one of the ways we really recognize it’s a miracle. For example, when Lazarus died, his sister knew he would be resurrected on the final day when everyone is resurrected, the righteous to eternal life and the wicked to eternal death, but Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” And he raised Lazarus and showed that he is the Sovereign of history and nature; he is not subjected to history nor nature.<br /><br />Song of Solomon 2:7 <em>Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you, by the gazelles and the wild does of the field: do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time.<br /></em><br />So all that to say, there is a time and a season for everything under heaven. I adjure you not to awaken love before its season, that you would date only for the purpose of marriage, and count every act of love as sacred within that covenant, everything from holding hands to kissing to adequately covering yourself from everyone but your future spouse. I know I speak about this fairly often, and as soon as you get the message, then I’ll talk about it less frequently.<br /><br />So let’s get to Zechariah, today we’re going to look at some wicked leaders, some false shepherds, and we’ll look at our true Shepherd, who is Christ. Chapter 10 and 11 of Zechariah are one complete thought, but they teach different lessons. Really quick though, we need to know from Zechariah 11 that the so-called shepherds of Israel were only in their positions for the money, they would sell their sheep for slaughter if it meant turning a profit.<br /><br />We see this rampant in Christianity today, people so greedy that they go so far as to tell their audiences to send in their last bit of money so that they can show God how strong their faith really is, when in reality the leaders really only want a new jet-airplane or house. One of the craziest things I run into is false-teachers who use the very passage against them for their gain. For example, 1 Corinthians 14 is totally against speaking in gibberish, but gibberish speakers quote it frequently to justify themselves in their deep things of Satan. Here in Zechariah it speaks of the "latter rain" and some false teachers have used this passage and others like it to say there was a first "rain" of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, then a drought, and that they are now receiving the second "rain" of the Holy Spirit today. This is utterly untrue because the Holy Spirit was promised to be with us always. These will tell you basically anything in order to get your money. This is forever one of my greatest blessings to be unpaid because it utterly removes this temptation from my life.<br /><br />Zechariah 10:1-11:3 <em>Ask rain from the LORD in the season of the spring rain, from the LORD who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field. For the household gods utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; they tell false dreams and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd. "My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his majestic steed in battle. From him shall come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler— all of them together. They shall be like mighty men in battle, trampling the foe in the mud of the streets; they shall fight because the LORD is with them, and they shall put to shame the riders on horses. "I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD. "I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before. Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return. I will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria, and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, till there is no room for them. He shall pass through the sea of troubles and strike down the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart. I will make them strong in the LORD, and they shall walk in his name," declares the LORD. Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars! Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, for the glorious trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan, for the thick forest has been felled! The sound of the wail of the shepherds, for their glory is ruined! The sound of the roar of the lions, for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined!</em><br /><br />We see first and foremost that God is the true God, the God of nature, the God of providence, the sustaining God. We ought to frequently realize that. We may say, “<strong>This morning the sun rose because the sun always rises</strong>.” Well really if it weren’t for God’s holding the universe together the sun wouldn’t rise. Centrifugal force would cause it to go zinging out into space and we’d never see it again.<br /><br />There are many substitutes for God, but only one true God. Check out verse 2,<br /><br /><strong>v.2</strong> <em>For the household gods utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; they tell false dreams and give empty consolation.<br /></em><br />Household gods are personal little figurines or methods of receiving supernatural revelation. These can be as simple as statues or as complex as astrology and horoscopes, or as seemingly innocent as a television. Zechariah didn’t have a television, but this very easily can fit into the place of a household god for us, as <em>The View</em> or <em>Glee</em> or <em>Oprah</em> or <em>Glenn Beck</em> try to form our theology into something that is radically different from true theology.<br /><br />The false prophets make up revelation and present a god who really is of no account and isn’t able to save. This god won’t send people to Hell, but only because he can’t because he doesn’t exist, and he can’t save anyone for the same reason. Let me give you a controversial example, recently with all of the homosexual suicides several politically and financially successful homosexuals put out public statements that life for homosexuals is getting better and therefore troubled homosexuals should hold on. This seems like consolation, until we look at the fact that it is still a horrendous sin against humanity and God and that it is judged both temporally and eternally as hugely unhealthy for a person’s body and soul. True consolation is found in reconciliation to God, sanctification in the Spirit, and total forgiveness and freedom in Christ.<br /><br />Another example is the empty pursuit of happiness and patriotic duty which we are constantly bombarded with. This is a false consolation, empty of truth and empty of temporal and eternal benefits. I watch it and am extremely angry, and find great consolation in the fact that so is God. We’ll see how he offers true consolation in a few verses, but first,<br /><br /><strong>v.2-3 </strong><em>Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd. "My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his majestic steed in battle.<br /></em><br />Even though Israel truly did have people acting as pastors (rabbis) and leaders, this verse says they wander and are damaged just as though they had no shepherds. Beloved, there are so many churches in our area that have youth pastors who are none more than adolescent boys who have no desire nor ability to lead their students into truth. There are churches all over the nation that have men overseeing them who care more for their own personal reputation than the spiritual health of their flock. In this passage God still refers to them as shepherds, but Jesus gives us a much more descriptive title for them in John 10.<br /><br />John 10:12-13 <em>The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn't own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired man and doesn't care about the sheep.<br /></em><br />Hirelings are men who look after the flock, but only as much as they can benefit from it. The moment danger approaches they take off leaving the flock to be decimated by enemies. There is an even worse shepherd which we’ll look at in Zechariah 11, who is a wolf in sheep’s clothing (and sometimes in shepherd’s clothing (see 2 Peter 2)).<br /><br />Matthew 7:15 <em>Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.<br /></em><br />I love it that God’s anger is fierce against such men, knowing that I can leave all vengeance up to him and that he is the Sovereign of History who is demonstrating why his Son is the true Shepherd of the sheep, who does care about the sheep, the one who strengthens and equips his flock for the ministry. This is setting up an absolutely fantastic gospel presentation in chapter 13, one which it is so tempting for me to reveal now, but which I will wait a few weeks to show you!<br /><br /><strong>v.4</strong><em> From him shall come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler—all of them together.<br /></em><br />For time’s sake let me just tell you that these are the four major things which Israel needed to be a great nation, they needed a firm foundation, a secure support, mighty weapons, and brave men to act justly and courageously for them. We see that all of these come straight from Christ, apart from him we can do nothing. This is why we sing the song, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…” If it’s good and a blessing, it’s from God.<br /><br /><strong>v.5-7</strong><em> They shall be like mighty men in battle, trampling the foe in the mud of the streets; they shall fight because the LORD is with them, and they shall put to shame the riders on horses. "I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD.<br /></em><br />They shall be like great warriors, this is believers in Christ who aren’t out to kill people, but to convert them. If we have a firm foundation in Christ, a hope which secures us against every wind of doctrine, the sword of the Spirit which is the Bible, then we will be equipped and led by God to be great spiritual warriors, destroying every argument and persuading people to trust in Christ and Christ alone.<br /><br />Now at this point it is tempting to follow a heresy that God saved us because he saw great potential in us, but verse 6 destroys that, stating that God raised us up and equipped us only on his compassion, not because of anything we had done or would do, but that both our salvation and subsequent works are his works in us. One of my new favorite verses is at the end of Colossians 1.<br /><br />Colossians 1:28-29 <em>Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all <strong>his energy that he powerfully works within me.<br /></strong></em><br />Whose energy? His. Who is working? He is. And we rejoice in this, emboldened, filled not with wine, but with the Holy Spirit. Now it gets extra beautiful, telling us that we have no fear of bad shepherds destroying our eternities if we are in Christ, for we have a much better shepherd,<br /><br /><strong>v.8</strong> <em>"I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before.”<br /></em><br />This whistle is a call to the sheep, it’s either a whistle you make with your lips, or with a reed flute, or a specific vocal call. However it is, the sheep know this call and come. It’s amazing that even as dumb as a sheep is, it is able to know the specific call, even the voice, of its shepherd. However Christ will call, we will hear his voice,<br /><br />John 10:3-5 <em>The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."<br /></em><br />Christ calls for us, and we go to him and follow him. We see that he has redeemed us, from what we will see in chapter 11, but ultimately it is from sin and the very teeth of the world which desired to devour us. Christ will not lose a single one of his sheep.<br /><br /><strong>v.9-12 </strong><em>Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return. I will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria, and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, till there is no room for them. He shall pass through the sea of troubles and strike down the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart. I will make them strong in the LORD, and they shall walk in his name," declares the LORD.<br /></em><br />This passage is beautifully poetic, but not especially clear on when nor how it is to be fulfilled. We see that God’s people will be so many as there will not be found room for them just in Israel. This has certainly come true in these days, that every Christian in the world would not fit in Israel, so we are in far off countries remembering God and bearing witness to his truth.<br /><br />We have the language of him passing through the sea. This is certainly reminiscent of Moses parting the Red Sea, a type for walking through death to life, and possibly we can see here that Christ is prophesied living and dying and living again. The language of striking down the waves of the sea is neat because in Heaven the sea will be smooth as glass, because all strife will have ceased, and there we see in verse 12 that Christ does this by cutting off the wickedness and rule of Israel’s enemies.<br /><br />Finally, let’s read the first three verses of chapter 11 which will further expand on Christ putting an end to all boasting that is not in him,<br /><br /><strong>v.1-3</strong> <em>Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars! Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, for the glorious trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan, for the thick forest has been felled! The sound of the wail of the shepherds, for their glory is ruined! The sound of the roar of the lions, for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined!<br /></em><br />We end with what we started with, that the false shepherds are punished and so they wail. Their riches gained through mistreating the flock of God are made nothing. These hirelings flee when danger approaches the flock, they seek only monetary gain. These sins against God’s sheep will be avenged.<br /><br />So your application, trust wholly in Jesus Christ as your true Shepherd, make sure your leaders and pastors are following him and leading you in his ways, as you grow into leadership positions yourself, be willing to die for your flock, place them at far more value than yourself, refuse to let even a single one be devoured by the world while you still have breath in your lungs. Remember that this is how you were redeemed by your Shepherd, though he was God in every way, he counted you as more valuable than himself and laid down his life for your sake, and if he is willing to die for you, know that he will also equip you to walk in the power of his resurrection.<br /><br />John 10:11 <em>I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. </em>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-90387874788984766972010-11-28T08:30:00.003-05:002010-11-29T12:05:28.247-05:00November 28th - Enemies to Heirs<strong>Prayer Requests</strong><br />Thanksgiving and safe travels<br />Brianna flying home<br />Shell - Church Stuff<br />Tyler's Social Security<br />High School Applications - Jennifer<br />Tyler's Awesome Half-Time Lesson<br />Christmas Party - December 3rd<br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> - Zechariah 9<br /><br />Our passage this morning is one of the most prophecy rich passages in all of scripture. It has near and far prophecies, as well as mid. There is a ton of history here, and names abound. The history of this chapter is quite interesting, but I want to focus on how it all points to Christ's ultimate purposes in coming to seek and save the lost, to exalt the humble and cast down the proud.<br /><br />Chapters 7 and 8 can be summed up basically as contrasts, what would you call the religion of chapter 7? Worthless. And the religion of chapter 8? True. What is the difference between true and worthless religion? Worthless religion is doing things for God in order to make him be on your side, true religion honors God in action because it's the right thing to do. I think this quote sums up true religion better than any other quote, it's by Paris Reidhead:<br /><br /><strong>"Lord Jesus, I’m going to obey you, and love you, and serve you, and do what you want me to do as long as I live, even if I go to Hell at the end of the road, simply because you are worthy to be loved, obeyed, and served; and I’m not trying to make a deal with you."<br /><br /></strong>How does the Word of God interact with these two? How is the Word to people in worthless religion? It is a curse and is against them. How is the Word to people in true religion? It is a blessing and is called amazing things. For example, in the New Testament it's called the Word of God, the Word of Christ, the Word of Promise, the Word of Faith, Living and Active, and it is Holy, Good, and Righteous.<br /><br />Today we're going to start out looking at the Word being a curse on a lot of people. Let's look at some that God is really angry with.<br /><br />Zechariah 9:1-6 <em>The burden of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and Damascus is its resting place. For the LORD has an eye on mankind and on all the tribes of Israel, and on Hamath also, which borders on it, Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise. Tyre has built herself a rampart and heaped up silver like dust, and fine gold like the mud of the streets. But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions and strike down her power on the sea, and she shall be devoured by fire. Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid; Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish; Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded. The king shall perish from Gaza; Ashkelon shall be uninhabited; a mixed people shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.<br /></em><br />So verse 1, God is against the land of Hadrach. We're not exactly sure where this is for several reasons, but based on the description of the cities we have a good idea of the size and scope of this country or alliance. It is basically Modern Day Lebanon. The capital is Damascus, and some of its major cities are Hamath, Tyre, and Sidon. These are amazingly wealthy cities on important trade routes. Tyre is super rich because they are the only natural port on this side of the Mediterranean. They have more money than they know what to do with, the richest part of the city is on an island just off the coast, and it has walls up to 150 feet tall in some places.<br /><br />Because of the wealth and frequent travel through there it has attracted all sorts of people; rich people, smart people, greedy people, and all sorts of people great and small. Tyre at this point was an amazing city. Because of the amazing wealth and wisdom in this city the king elevated himself far beyond the position he rightly held, turn to Ezekiel 28 with me. In verses 1-10 we see the king as man:<br /><br />Ezekiel 28:1-10 <em>"Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because your heart is proud, and you have said, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,' yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god— you are indeed wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you; by your wisdom and your understanding you have made wealth for yourself, and have gathered gold and silver into your treasuries; by your great wisdom in your trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart has become proud in your wealth—therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you make your heart like the heart of a god, therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you, the most ruthless of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor. They shall thrust you down into the pit, and you shall die the death of the slain in the heart of the seas. Will you still say, 'I am a god,' in the presence of those who kill you, though you are but a man, and no god, in the hands of those who slay you? You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners; for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD."<br /><br /></em>And we're going to see in verse 11-19 that the true king of Tyre is none other than Satan himself.<br /><br />Ezekiel 28:11-19 <em>Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever."<br /><br /></em>How the angel Satan interacted with the king of Tyre is hard to say, but either way God's anger is kindled against both.<br /><br />In 332 BC Alexander the Great razed Tyre and cast her into the sea. The swiftness of Alexander astounded all, Daniel said he moved so quickly his horses' feet didn't touch the ground. All who saw this great bastion of worldliness destroyed were terrified and rightly so, for they were the next to be conquered by Alexander. All of this happened almost 200 years AFTER Zechariah was prophesying this.<br /><br />Our first application is that God has created examples of his wrath to remind the world that setting our affections on things that perish, and especially considering people as gods and idols, is foolishness and only ends in destruction. It is not at all wrong to see God 's vengeance come on a city and hence forth tell the people to repent or they likewise will perish.<br /><br />Amos 3:6 <em>Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it?<br /></em><br />This verse says that disaster does not come unless God has done it. But if people will turn, and look to God for salvation:<br /><br />Zechariah 9:7-8<em> I will take away its blood from its mouth, and its abominations from between its teeth; it too shall be a remnant for our God; it shall be like a clan in Judah, and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites. Then I will encamp at my house as a guard, so that none shall march to and fro; no oppressor shall again march over them, for now I see with my own eyes.<br /></em><br />Even though God is putting an end to many of his enemies, he is still saving some of them. They will be like the Jebusites, the people who were in Israel before the Israelites, who were assimilated into the covenant. When they are saved God will put away their idols. I love that God says he sees with his own eyes. This is a direct assault on the false gods whom don't see, don't hear, and don't speak.<br /><br />Psalm 135:15-18 <em>The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them!<br /></em><br />One of their greatest idols is their love of bloodshed, and in this verse we see that God will remove this idol from them. It's powerful when we consider it in light of Psalm 11:5,<br /><br />Psalm 11:5 <em>The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.<br /><br /></em>Even those these enemies of God were totally hated by him, he chose to save some anyways. God has a salvation coming, let's read verse 9-13 as to how it is going to happen.<br /><br />Zechariah 9:9-13 <em>Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword.<br /><br /></em>When Christ came, this prophecy was grossly misunderstood, they expected him to come into Jerusalem with flaming sword swinging it and totally taking over. Reading this I can see why they thought that, but I think they totally missed the humility part, that Christ was going to defeat evil in the most amazing of ways, by substituting himself for it so that he could be both the just and the justifier of his saints. This was a well known prophecy for the Messiah in the first century, everyone knew what it meant when Christ arrived on a colt.<br /><br />Matthew 21:1-11 <em>Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'" The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee." And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.<br /><br /></em>This prophecy was amazing for Zechariah's time, saying that the Messiah would cut off the war horse from Jerusalem. Certainly the people would understand this to mean that there would be no more need of war horses after the Messiah came, but in the first century it would have had an even more personal meaning that Roman soldiers were stationed all throughout Jerusalem, than an alien government was oppressing the Jews.<br /><br />Verse 11 is utterly amazing, it's my favorite, <em>"because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit."</em> Jesus quotes it in Matthew 26:27-28.<br /><br />Matthew 26:27-28 <em>And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.<br /></em><br />The original hearers of this prophecy would have expected this coming King to offer a sacrifice instituting his new covenant. From chapter 6 they would have known the Messiah would be both priest and king and could offer a sacrifice to God. I don't know how many of them possibly could have expected that it would be himself he was offering as the perfect sacrifice. Certainly none who called for his crucifixion expected as much, since they crucified him for claiming to be God. His purposes were to set the captives free, those who were slaves to sin, which was all of us, loving ourselves more than anything, utterly wrecking the lives of many, failing to turn people towards everlasting life, and in this, God saved us anyways. We were his enemies, just like those in the beginning of the chapter, yet he saved a remnant out of his enemies.<br /><br />Colossians 1:21-23 <em>And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.<br /></em><br />Instead of slaves to sin, prisoners of the Devil (2 Timothy 2:26), now we are prisoners of hope, slaves of Christ. Verse 13 is beautiful too, because it reminds us that God is ultimately in control, using people as he so intends. Hebrews 4:12 speaks of God's Word as a sword, when you have it committed to memory or you read it and proclaim it to people, you are a sword in the hand of God. These Greeks and Hebrews would have been used for war, but beloved, we are peacemakers, declaring peace between God and man, a sword meant for peace.<br /><br />Now in verse 14 we transfer to Christ's second coming. It is just a picture of the coming Armageddon that will be described much more fully in chapter 14.<br /><br />Zechariah 9:14-17 <em>Then the LORD will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. The LORD of hosts will protect them, and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones, and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched like the corners of the altar. On that day the LORD their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.<br /><br /></em>This passage beautifully describes Christ's second coming, that he will appear in the sky like lightning, similarly to how he describes himself in Matthew 24, and that there will be a conquering army with him that are impervious to stones slung at them, who are able to step easily over missiles fired at them. The effect of this army is amazing, just like Christ is covered head to toe in the blood of his enemies in Isaiah 63, so will this army be drenched in their victory.<br /><br />I love this verse 16, it is your major application, that your total purpose is to shine the light of Christ on the world and be a trophy of his grace.<br /><br />In all of this we see that God has enemies, that he is more than capable of utterly destroying them, but that he also chooses to save some and sanctify them, that he did that by sending his Son the first time to have a humble entrance riding on a colt, that he poured out the blood of the covenant for the forgiveness of sins, that he rose on the third day, and he is coming back to judge the world and rescue his saints. He came on a colt the first time, as he comes back to conquer he will come on a white steed.<br /><br />Revelation 19:11 <em>Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.<br /></em><br />Be a light shining in the darkness, proclaim the excellencies of Christ, explain to people that they are either prisoners of sin, or prisoners of hope, that there is no other option, that they will face this Christ as either an enemy or as a reconciled friend. They must repent or perish.Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-19045620612417867082010-11-21T08:30:00.000-05:002010-11-21T08:30:00.369-05:00November 21st - True Religion<strong>Prayer Requests<br /></strong>Pastor Aaron Preaching<br />Todd Love<br />Open Air Preaching Monday<br />Students Traveling<br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> – Zechariah 8<br /><br />Zechariah 8 is a great chapter to look at for Thanksgiving this year. We have such a beautiful look at promises of God in this chapter, some of which are fulfilled, some of which are yet to be fulfilled, probably in Heaven, and we have much to be thankful for.<br /><br />This is complex chapter, quite long, with a LOT of information in it. It was very tempting to teach it over two or three weeks, but the theme of this passage is that true religion is very rewarding and that God is faithful, so I’m going to try to teach it all at once. This lesson is probably going to feel somewhat disjointed because there is so much to teach and we have so little time. It will also be kind of strange because some of these promises are hazy as to when and how they will be fulfilled.<br /><br />I think you could adequately summarize chapter eight with one sentence, “Because of the coming Messiah you will someday somehow get an amazing gift which you will love!” It doesn’t give us the exact timing, the exact present, or the exact means, it only tells us it will be amazing.<br /><br />This is a direct contrast to chapter 7. Does anyone remember what Zechariah 7 was about? Worthless religion. What is worthless religion? Doing things from a selfish motive, obeying God only to receive blessings. What then is true religion? Obeying God because he is worthy whether we get anything or not. What is the irony of true religion? When you do things from the right motive not expecting to receive anything, you receive much.<br /><br />We see that worthless religion ends in desolation, ultimately in Hell, but today we’re going to see where true religion ends. Let me take this moment to say that it is becoming popular today to say that “Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship.” That is half true. Christianity is a relationship with Christ, but it is certainly also a religion, it is the only true religion. Let’s look at the verse that says so.<br /><br />James 1:27 <em>Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.<br /></em><br />Let’s look really quickly at the etymology of religion…if you know one thing about me, it’s that James 1:27 is my favorite verse, and that I LOVE etymology. Religion either comes from Re-logeo, or Re-ligare; Re, meaning, of, and logeo, meaning word. Or Re, of, ligare, something that draws together. Either way, we see that we are people of the Word, or people drawn. I want you to see very clearly that there is false religion and true religion, that true religion is loving people and hating sin. What happened in Zechariah 7 when the people of Bethel were told this? They got angry and wouldn’t listen! Why? Because they aren’t being rewarded directly for their works. And last before we go into chapter 8, what are we rewarded for? Christ’s works.<br /><br />Let’s read chapter 8 in sections:<br /><br />Zechariah 8:1-8 <em>And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, "Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. Thus says the LORD of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the LORD of hosts? Thus says the LORD of hosts: behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness."<br /></em><br />The first thing we see is that in chapter 8, Zechariah says, <em>“Thus says the Lord of hosts…”</em> over and over and over and over again…in chapter 7 the people wouldn’t listen to the Word of God through the Holy Spirit, and so God wouldn’t hear them; in Zechariah 8 we are hearing the Word of God through the Holy Spirit and we must listen because God speaks no idle words.<br /><br />For time’s sake we’re not going to read Hebrews 12, but let me paraphrase it for a moment. It says if we try to approach God via the law, it’s like walking up Mount Sinai with blazing fire and lightning and God’s booming voice, and we will surely die. If, however, we approach God via the grace of Christ, we are welcomed into the New Jerusalem: Heaven. This here is certainly meant where God says that old men and women shall live in the city, and children will be playing all over the place, because it will be a city of peace; a city of grace.<br /><br />Remember at this point that Jerusalem is utterly in shambles. It is a very dangerous place to live because it has no walls, and at this point because of the return from the Babylonian exile there would likely be very few old people, because the journey would just be too hard on them. In view of Heaven we see that we will be without fear of danger, and we will live to exceedingly old age. We have a great privilege over Zechariah here because we understand the resurrection much better than he, knowing that we will inherit imperishable bodies that will never die. Zechariah, and Isaiah, looked into the future and saw people living for eons and eons, and used some amazing language to describe it, Zechariah saying the age must require they use staffs to walk, and Isaiah says it this way,<br /><br />Isaiah 65:20 <em>No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.<br /></em><br />In Heaven Isaiah sees that our lives will last so long that at 100 years old it will be like we’ve just started life. He also sees that anyone cut off from Heaven will be condemned. I love that God’s language, saying that it will be marvelous in his sight, just as it will be marvelous in ours, since he will be our God forever more having put away all sin and unfaithfulness for his saints.<br /><br />Our next passage is wonderful, knowing that if we have such a promise coming as Heaven, how ought we to live? Before we read it, what do you think? Let me ask you this, what is one thing which you won’t be able to do in Heaven? Tell someone how about the excellencies of your Saviour. Therefore if we have a promise of glory, Glory-land as Heaven is translated in Africa, we ought to live godly lives with affections set on Heaven.<br /><br />Zechariah 8:9-13 <em>Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the LORD of hosts. For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong."<br /><br /></em>God reminds the people that during the exile they did not work for reward because there was no reward to be had, and that they were always in danger for their lives. He gives now the opposite, stating that his people will be like fruit trees, one tree producing tons of fruit. Check this out, Jesus is going to paraphrase this in Matthew 13, knowing that most fruit trees and vines only produce about six times themselves, but he’s going to say that his people are so much more fruitful:<br /><br />Matthew 13:23<em> As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.<br /></em><br />Let’s pause here for an application. The gospel of peace has been sown in your heart, you have found reconciliation with God, yours is the kingdom of Heaven purchased for you on Calvary’s cross. Now Christ is saying that you should go forth and bear fruit, and not just a little fruit, but at least thirty times whatever someone does nice for you, even as much as one hundred times. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but we only have one life, and it will soon be past, and only what is done for Christ will last. Live a life of fruit bearing, fruit of love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control and seeing others come to faith in the Living Christ.<br /><br />How many of you feel like the world really respects Christ’s church as much as it deserves? The church has never been respected, despite the fact that without the light of the church, the world would be in abject darkness, and we are the byword of the world, the joke of humanity; Vladimir Lenin, the communist, called Christians, “Useful idiots.” The atheist community calls us “dims”, television constantly makes fun of Christianity, and often they are genuinely making fun of stupid traditions, but we have no reason to fear living an unfruitful life if we’re genuinely redeemed, because in this passage God says he will save us and make us a blessing. Live as a light in the world, even when the world ridicules you, let the work you do be done well and so that it will last.<br /><br />Think about it this way, God’s name is constantly used as a curse word, it is the only name blessed forever and yet the world tries to drag it down into the mud. Does that limit the amount of good which God does, causing it to rain both on the just and the unjust? No, because they don’t respect his name doesn’t limit him at all, just as a lack of respect towards our efforts won’t dampen their impact at all.<br /><br />How can we know that God’s future promises are true and that he has given us a task to do which will not be in vain? That’s what comes next:<br /><br />Zechariah 8:14-15 <em>For thus says the LORD of hosts: "As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not.<br /></em><br />We can trust God’s promises for the future because we see that he has always been faithful in the past. When he told Israel he would punish them, he did, when he said he would save them, he did. God’s faithfulness is shown in his past actions and we can trust that in the future he will remain faithful, because there is no shadow of change in him.<br /><br />In the next passage he points us once again towards the truth, not towards us earning his favor, but since we have his favor in Christ we now ought to do these things;<br /><br />Zechariah 8:16-17 "<em>These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD."<br /><br /></em>God wants us to tell the truth, judge rightly, love justice and peace, not plot against one another, and hate lying, because he hates lying. Let’s camp out on this idea for a minute, does God just hate lies, or does he hate the one who lies? As Pastor Aaron said last week, does God send lies to Hell, or liars? Check our Proverbs 6:16-19, this is one of the most amazing passages in scripture:<br /><br />Proverbs 6:16-19 <em>There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.<br /><br /></em>These aren’t sins, though God does also hate sin, these are the person that sins. Haughty (proud) eyes are people that think too highly of themselves, lying tongues are obvious, Proverbs 12:22 says that lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, hands that shed blood are violent at least and murderers at most, the heart is the core being of a person and Jeremiah tells us that ours is desperately wicked, feet are nothing without the brain that direct their path, the false witness is the liar, and the divisive one is a gossip or other such person who seeks to incite argument where no argument should exist.<br /><br />I don’t know if you’ve broken all of them, beloved, I know I have; but thanks be to God that I have been washed in the blood of Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of our God. Therefore, as new creatures, the Apostle Paul gives us one of my favorite exhortations in all of scripture.<br /><br />Ephesians 4:25 <em>Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.<br /></em><br />Finally, we see if we should be doing things just to earn Heaven or get closer to God. The modern church would do well to read this passage because in Christianity today (astray?) we have ever manner of person telling us we need to read our Bible or pray or fast or do a quiet time to get nearer to God; one person on facebook even claimed they were drawn closer to God through Yoga, which is utterly ridiculous because Yoga is satanic and a tool of the devil. Complete this sentence, <strong>“You who were far off have been brought near by”... the blood of Christ.</strong> (Ephesians 2:13) What brought us near? Was it fasting, Bible reading, or prayer? It was Christ; you can’t be any nearer than IN the kingdom, which we are if we are in Christ. So God through Zechariah finally answers the question of whether we should fast to earn his favor:<br /><br />Zechariah 8:18-19 <em>And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, "Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.<br /><br /></em>We have rested in Christ from trying to earn Heaven, knowing that he has utterly earned it for us. So instead of fasting on Yom Kippur like the Old Testament saints would, now we celebrate days like Thanksgiving, even though not all people remember to thank God always, we ought to especially during feasts remember that Christ has done all of the work and all that is left for us is to enjoy the fruits of his labor.<br /><br />In everything we are doing, we ought to be loving truth, and peace, seeking to exalt the name of our Saviour who in Revelation 3 and 19 is called Faithful and True, and who is the Prince of Peace.<br /><br />Matthew 5:9 <em>Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.<br /><br /></em>This isn’t to say that there isn’t a time for fasting. We just don’t do it to earn God’s favor, because we already have God’s favor. Providentially the first time I ever fasted was for something we looked at in this lesson. I couldn’t understand how God can both hate and love a person, so I fasted about it and studied by Bible diligently over 25 hours. At the end of the fast I was amazed at how focused my mind was and how I was consumed with the Bible, and I discovered that God’s hatred is in emotion, but his love is in action. Check this out, if I were in a war and captured an enemy soldier who the day before had killed my friend, there is no way I’m going to call him friend or give him a hug or love him in emotion, truly I hate him in emotion, but I am going to love him in action by ensuring his safety, shelter, and sustenance. God loves his children who have been saved in emotion, but he utterly hates his enemies; extending to them a love in action, a charity, that if they will repent and believe they will be reconciled to him since his Son was crushed in their place.<br /><br />So you can still fast, just do it for the right motives, because you’re already justified, not to become justified. Hopefully we’ll be doing a youth-group fast sometime in the spring.<br /><br />Last point, we see that as we live these God glorifying and thankful lives, that it will draw others to the kingdom. This is ultimately what we want, for God gets a little glory by crushing his enemies, but he is greatly exalted in converting an enemy into a friend. We seek repentance rather than wrath, since Christ has already faced an infinite wrath in substitution for his saints.<br /><br />Zechariah 8:20-23 <em>"Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.' Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"<br /></em><br />The world, seeing the joy and hope in us, will enquire of our beliefs. We must be ready in season and out to tell them of Christ’s atoning death and resurrection. We must not turn them away when they seek diligently for God, rather we ought to be answering their questions and telling them the truth, explaining that there was hatred from God towards them, but that Christ has appeased it so that there is peace now if they will repent and trust in Christ.<br /><br />Finally, I heard an amazing sermon once by an old dead guy, who unfortunately I couldn’t find the sermon for you. It was either by Whitefield, Wesley, or Spurgeon, or the like. They preached to a large group with many children in it, they preached basically, <strong>“Oh children, if your parents will not come with you to Christ, then you must leave them and come on your own.”</strong> This is similar to what Zechariah is preaching here, that <strong>we</strong> should seek God, but if <strong>you </strong>won’t go, I <strong>myself</strong> am still going.<br /><br />Beloved, let this be your life, exhorting everyone you meet to enter Heaven with you by the narrow gate, but if none go with you, you still will go to him who loved you and gave himself for you. This is true religion.Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-23518808665611279372010-11-14T08:30:00.000-05:002010-11-14T08:30:00.673-05:00November 14th - The Holy Spirit in John's Gospel<strong>Prayer Requests<br /></strong>Todd Love injuries<br />Pastor Aaron Preaching<br />Disciple Now Results<br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> – John 14:26<br /><br />When I want to teach someone about the Holy Spirit, I take them to three major places, the first is the fruit of the Spirit, where is that located? Galatians 5. Then I like how Romans 8 really does a nice job of telling us how the Spirit is interacting with our lives and guiding us in the truth.<br /><br />My favorite though, is Jesus’ introduction of him in John 14-16. The Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit all over, even in the second verse, so John’s Gospel is obviously not the only place we learn about the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit is the main point of this passage, so it is our most useful passage when we want to learn about him. Before we dig into John’s Gospel though, let’s just look at some other verses about the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />Genesis 1:1-2 <em>In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And <strong>the Spirit of God was hovering</strong> over the face of the waters.<br /></em><br />Numbers 11:28-29 <em>And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, "My lord Moses, stop them." But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, <strong>that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!"<br /></strong><br /></em>Judges 6:34 <em>But <strong>the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon</strong>, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him.<br /></em><br />Ezekiel 2:2-3 <em>And he said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you." And as he spoke to me, <strong>the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet</strong>, and I heard him speaking to me.<br /><br /></em>Ezekiel 36:26-27 <em>And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And <strong>I will put my Spirit within you,</strong> and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.<br /><br /></em>Joel 2:29 <em>Even on the male and female servants in those days <strong>I will pour out my Spirit.<br /><br /></strong></em>Haggai 2:5 <em><strong>My Spirit remains in your midst</strong>. Fear not.<br /></em><br />Zechariah 7:12-13 <em>They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the <strong>words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit</strong> through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts. "As <strong>he </strong>called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,"</em><br /><br />So we see that the Spirit of God in the Old Testament was personal, a protector, a revealer of God’s Word, a maker of prophets, a person, and a massive part of salvation. Here is your first application, that when the Spirit of God lives in someone, that makes them a prophet, not someone who sees the future, but someone who speaks for God. As a Christian anytime you speak about God, Heaven, the afterlife, or morality, you are an official representative of the kingdom and a prophet. Do you absolute best to speak the truth in love and gentleness, never compromising, and always remembering that if the Spirit is with you, you have nothing to fear, nothing even to worry about. My favorite verse is 1 Peter 3:14-15 where it says, <em>“Have <strong>no fear of them, nor be troubled,</strong> but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy…”<br /></em><br />So all that introduction to bring us to John’s Gospel. We’re going to look at five major things, first I want to prove to you that he is a person, then I want to look at the names of the Holy Spirit, then we’ll look at how the Spirit interacts with Christ, then how he impacts unbelievers, then we’ll see how he works in believers.<br /><br />John 16:7 <em>Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send <strong>him</strong> to you.<br /></em><br />The Holy Spirit is a he, he is a Person. A.W. Tozer said it beautifully when he said,<br /><br /><strong>“Spell this out in capital letters: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON. He is not enthusiasm. He is not courage. He is not energy. He is not the personification of all good qualities, like Jack Frost is the personification of cold weather. Actually, the Holy Spirit is not the personification of anything…he has individuality. He is one being and not another. He has will and intelligence. He has hearing. He has knowledge and sympathy and ability to love and see and think. He can hear, speak, desire, grieve, and rejoice. He is a Person.”<br /></strong><br />So is the Spirit a person? Yes!<br /><br />Now, names, in John’s Gospel he is called three things.<br /><br /><strong>Pneuma Hagion</strong> – The Holy Spirit, or the Holy Ghost. This really shows us that the Holy Spirit is part of the godhead, because God alone is holy. Let’s look at a verse about Jesus first, then a verse about the Holy Spirit,<br /><br />John 6:69 <em>we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.</em><br /><br />John 14:24-26 <em>Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, <strong>the Holy Spirit</strong>, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.<br /></em><br /><strong>Pneuma Aletheias</strong> – The Spirit of Truth.<br /><br />John 16:13 <em>When the <strong>Spirit of truth</strong> comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.<br /><br /></em><strong>Paraclete</strong> – Helper. This word literally means “One who walks with”, it is the title of a lawyer, an advocate, or a counselor, someone who helps you in your struggles.<br /><br />John 14:15-17 <em>"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you <strong>another Helper</strong>, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”<br /></em><br />These names really tell us what his priorities are. He is concerned with holiness, with truth, and with helping us into each of these. This is neat, because who remembers what God’s ultimate goal is for all of his saints? Let’s read it:<br /><br />1 Thessalonians 4:3 <em>This is the will of God: Your sanctification.<br /></em><br />Sanctification is making you holier, love truth more, and succeed in living a Christlike life, all things which are the will of the Holy Spirit and are literally his job. Speaking of his names and jobs, I wanted to teach this class totally from John’s Gospel, but at this point I have to take you back to the Old Testament so we can see a beautiful prophecy for Christ and that these names for the Holy Spirit aren’t new to the New Testament.<br /><br />Isaiah 11:1-5 <em>There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. <strong>And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. </strong>And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.<br /><br /></em>So let’s see how he acted in Christ. First of all, have you ever heard us say, “You must be born again to see the kingdom of Heaven.”? Why do we say that? Because Jesus said it in John 3. This is not baptism like some believe, but it is synonymous to when the Holy Spirit gives us new life by dwelling in us. Christ needed not to be born again, because the Holy Spirit already dwelt in him. Since we’ve already stepped out of John’s Gospel, let’s set out again:<br /><br />Matthew 1:18 <em>Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was <strong>found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.<br /></strong></em><br />Dude, I think that’s my favorite verse. Or maybe it’s this next one:<br /><br />John 3:34-35 <em>For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for <strong>he gives the Spirit without measure.</strong> The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.<br /></em><br />Check this out, this is how John the Baptist knew that Jesus was the Christ, because the Father gave the Son the Spirit without measure,<br /><br />John 1:32-34 <em>And John bore witness: "<strong>I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove</strong>, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, <strong>'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'</strong> And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."<br /><br /></em>The Spirit’s major goal in his existence is to bring glory to the Father through the Son, to show people who Jesus Christ is. This is done mostly through conversion of sinners into saints. It takes nothing for God to crush sinners into eternity, and he will get glory in that for his justice, but God gets far more glory in transforming lives and turning enemies into friends. Let’s look at how the Holy Spirit does this, first in unbelievers.<br /><br />Our major verse for this is John 16:8, and the verses following that will explain what it means.<br /><br />John 16:8 <em>When he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:<br /></em><br />This is a fantastic verse to memorize, because it reminds us what all of our preaching should be, showing the world that they are sinners, that God (Father, Son, and Spirit) alone is righteous, and that there are consequences for sin which will either be judged on the last day or were judged on Christ on the cross.<br /><br />Let’s let the Bible tell us how the Holy Spirit will do this; first sin,<br /><br />John 16:9 <em>concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;<br /></em><br />Any idea why sin might be sin because people don’t believe in Christ as God and Saviour? It’s because he is the standard of righteousness, if there were no measure, then there would be no such thing as good and evil. For example, we couldn’t say, “Murder is bad,” we’d be forced to say, “Murder is different…and I don’t like it.” But because Christ is our absolute measure of righteousness, we can call sin sin, and the Spirit will convict of it.<br /><br />And, probably more important than that, if there were no sin, then Christ died for nothing, so the Spirit will convict that Christ died for a purpose, to substitute himself for his saints and pay for their sins with his own life.<br /><br />John 16:10 <em>concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;<br /><br /></em>Christ again is the measure of righteousness, but at this point his is explaining that he is leaving the planet bodily, but that he won’t leave his saints as orphans and without a guide. He is the light of the world, but with him gone, that title has come to us, and we’re not yet perfect, though we are declared righteous on Christ’s sake. If I were the standard of righteousness, everyone would go to Heaven, but we have the Spirit to convict us concerning righteousness that we must be perfect as our Father and Saviour in Heaven are perfect.<br /><br />John 16:11 <em>concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.<br /></em><br />This is my favorite verse! In Isaiah 53 it says that we esteemed Christ as stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted; that is we thought he was being punished for his own sins, but we see that he had no sins and he was crushed for our iniquities. It looked like he was being judged, but in reality he was laying down his life willingly for our sake. Christ bore our sins to the cross and died for them, our King died for us, and it looked like the end.<br /><br />But on Sunday morning the ruler of this world, Satan himself, was shown to have no power over Christ, when in the darkness of a sealed tomb the worst sound Satan ever heard started oh so quietly in Christ’s chest; beloved, it was a heartbeat, and it proved Christ was who he said he was, it proved his payment was accepted, it proved our sins were paid for, and it proved that Christ is the true God, not Satan.<br /><br />The Holy Spirit will convict us that the resurrection is true. The resurrection is the best attested to fact in all of antiquity; the Christian church is a testament to its veracity. All the Roman government had to do to prove it false was produce a body, but Christ is wearing his body now in Heaven, he is alive forevermore.<br /><br />When these three things, sin, righteousness, and judgment, are proved to be true by the Holy Spirit convincing us, then we can’t do anything except repent and believe in the Resurrected Christ. What do you think we bring to this equation? Is it a little us and a little Christ and a little Spirit and a little pastor that makes us born again? Let’s let Jesus answer that question, his answer makes a lot of people FURIOUS.<br /><br />John 6:63 <em>It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.<br /></em><br />Our salvation is totally accomplished by him, it says we didn’t help at all. If you want to read John 1:12-13 it says again that we brought nothing, but that it was the will of God to make us born again.<br /><br />So now, how does he act in us after we’ve been saved and he lives in us? He is first our teacher, the Bible won’t make any sense to you unless the Holy Spirit wants you to be able to understand it:<br /><br />John 16:13 <em>When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.<br /><br /></em>We see from earlier that with the Spirit in us, we will become prophets, we will have boldness, and we will be transformed to be new people. All of this happens on the inside. The word for Spirit in the Old Testament Hebrew is Ruwach, it is literally the word for wind; Jesus knew this and makes an amazing parallel in John 3, let’s read it.<br /><br />John 3:8 <em>The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.<br /><br /></em>That’s my favorite verse. Check this out, have you ever seen the wind? Do you believe in wind? How are you going to prove to me that there is such thing as wind? We can hear it, we can feel it, and we can see it do things, like rustle leaves or flap flags. The same with the Spirit, because he’s spirit, we can’t see him, but we see his effects in our lives. If he is indeed sanctifying us, then we should be growing in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, right?<br /><br />I can’t paint a picture of the Holy Spirit for you, but I can say look at who I once was and who I am today, I can show you your born-again parents and ask them to tell you their testimony, I can show you a life utterly consumed for Christ, I can show you that the mind set on sin is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. We can’t see the Spirit, but we know he exists because he radically works in our lives, changing us to be more Christlike, and leading us in the truth.<br /><br />So beloved, trust in Christ, receive his Holy Spirit, set your affections on Heaven, and trust totally in the work of God in your life to transform you. Read the Word of God, written by the Holy Spirit to learn his will for your life, spend your entire efforts glorifying Christ, preaching sin, righteousness, and judgment so that the Holy Spirit will convict of these and cause many to be born again. Know that you are a prophet of God when you speak about his kingdom, so pray for the Holy Spirit to help you memorize Bible verses and bring to your remembrance those verses at the right time. He is your Helper, he lives to help you preach Christ and live a holy life. Finally, let’s take a lesson from him, that though he is totally worthy to be praised, he points all of the glory at the Father through the Son, so let us, who are not worthy to be praised, likewise point all of the glory at the Father through the Son.Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-47481029781402621302010-10-31T08:30:00.009-04:002010-11-01T07:55:28.445-04:00October 31st - Reformation Day, An Eyewitness Account<strong>Prayer Requests<br /></strong>Todd Love injuries<br />Pastor Aaron Preaching<br />Fall Festival<br />Marietta Square <div>- Al</div><div>- Group of Girls</div><div>- Spiderman</div><div>Praise for Mark's finger being better</div><div>Disciple Now</div><div><br /><strong>Text</strong> – Romans 1:17<br /><br />Good morning, isn’t it a beautiful Wednesday October 31st, Anno Domini 1517? My name, for today, is Reverend Scherer, Augustinian Monk in Wittenburg, electorate of Saxony, Confederation of the Rhine, which is in Deutchland. Something is going to happen today, I fear, for Brother Martin has been complaining of the validity of some of the practices within the Papacy. I share some of his concerns, but he has written 95 charges against the Church and the Pope, surely this will bring great dissension and maybe even cost Brother Martin his life! I mean, a few may start a dialogue, but 95 will start a war!<br /><br />Let me give you some background. The year is 1517, Anno Domini, which means 1,517 years after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, as estimated by a Scythian Monk named Dennis the Short in AD 525. Throughout this time the Lord has had a church on earth, a representative of his kingdom, an ambassador to the heathen.<br /><br />This church has had such great saints in it as Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp bishop of Smyrna who remained true to Christ in such great persecution, Augustine of Hippo who wrote that great systematic theology, Nicholas bishop of Myra who stood up to that antichrist Arius who denied Christ as God, Patrick who converted Ireland, Boniface who converted our beloved Germany, Francis who preached directly out of God’s Word in the open air and called men to repent and trust in Jesus Christ, Savonarola who fought corruption within the Church, and Christopher Columbus who has just recently taken the gospel to previously undiscovered heathen lands; time would fail me to tell of all of the great men and women who stood and even died for the one true faith delivered once for all.<br /><br />But alas, there is great corruption within the Church, just last year John Tetzel came to Wittenberg to sell men tickets to sin, called indulgences! Only a hundred years ago there were two Popes operating in Christendom…at the same time! It is said that there is a prostitute in Rome for every ten men, and some of them even dress as nuns! It is a sad day in the Church, surely something must be done.<br /><br />I have here a Bible authorized by the Papacy, translated by that godly man Jerome of Stridonium. Beloved, I would that you could read this book, but it is in Latin, and you speak German, and most of you cannot even read that language. I could read it to you, but I am untrained in how to interpret it for you, and the true meaning seems to be veiled to my eyes; from Rome comes the message of which I will preach to you on Sunday, and even then I will deliver this message to you in Latin, a language I hold a masters degree in from Erfurt, but still find difficult to understand.<br /><br />This Book is God’s Word to us, and the German language is too harsh for us to dare translate it into, lest we blaspheme our Creator. Two men whom the Church leaders hate, Jon Hus and John Wycliffe, did presume to translate this Book into the vernacular, the common language, of the people. Wycliffe into the English language, and though sentenced to death by burning escaped only by natural death, a stroke most likely. Hus into the Bohemian language, and he was burned at the stake for it. Aha, Wycliffe did not escape the fire though, for they burned his bones along with Hus’. Oh how the Church hates these men!!! But…I am not so sure they were in the wrong, for I have been reading this Book in a new light ever since I have been talking to Professor Luther.<br /><br />Brother Martin asked me to read Romans 1:17, which was strange because my Bible does not have numbers in it, which won’t be added until 1558, but he asked me to read this verse. Fraulein Hannah, would you read this for us?<br /><br />Romans 1:17 <em>Iustitia enim Dei in eo revelatur ex fide in fidem sicut scriptum est iustus autem ex fide vivit.<br /></em><br />Isn’t that beautiful! How have we missed that until now? It means things that we have not been taught by the Church, it says that our greatest fears are relieved by our amazing God, it sets my heart at ease! It attacks those who say we can buy our way into Heaven, it rejects our Prince’s relics which we look upon to hope for Heaven, and it rejects that wolf Tetzel who comes and steals from our widows and orphans by selling them a license to sin. Oh how I hate that extortioner Tetzel, who uses religious ignorance and our sinners’ heart to deprive us of us sustenance and sends the money to Rome to build that worthless Basilica of St. Peter.<br /><br />Oh beloved, this verse in Romans is so beautiful; Brother Martin says when he read it a light broke forth over him! He felt that he was instantly born again, and that he entered into the kingdom of paradise through open gates! Oh the beauty of this verse, don’t you agree? What? You don’t understand it! Oh, forgive me, I forgot that you do not speak Latin.<br /><br />Oh beloved, in order to translate this for you I put my own ordination at risk, I break Roman law not to preach the Word of God in the vernacular of the people! Oh, but is it wise to obey men or God? I must speak that what I have seen and heard of this Christ!<br /><br />Romans 1:17 <em>Sintemal darin offenbart wird die Gerechtigkeit, die vor Gott gilt, welche kommt aus Glauben in Glauben; wie denn geschrieben steht: "Der Gerechte wird seines Glaubens leben."<br /></em><br />Now you must see it! Surely you see it?! No? Oh, we’re not German, we’re only pretending, let us try one more time!<br /><br />Romans 1:16-17 <em>For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."<br /></em><br />The righteous shall live by faith! We are not saved by indulgences, or prayers, or offices, or relics, or Sabbaths, or priests, or baptisms, or Church membership, or communion, we are saved by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, received through faith, for, righteousness is revealed from faith for faith! Beloved, you have no idea how this puts my soul at rest, I had tried so hard to keep the laws of God, but in my body I feel that I am slave to sin, that I have no ability to choose good nor God, and that my sin had utterly separated me from Heaven! But thanks be to Jesus Christ who paid for my sins, who bore my condemnation, who indeed paid it all, and now beloved, all to him I owe.<br /><br />And now Brother Martin is going to start a theological war with the Papacy, he has detailed how Rome has failed to adhere to the Bible, he has placed the Bible as his sole authority. I would like to take some credit for this, for Brother Martin was once an amazing priest of the Roman Church, a better priest could not be found. He took his ordinances seriously, he spent hours in confession boring the confessional priests with peccadillo, or petty sins, and he became exceedingly angry on that day when he heard me joke in my duties. For you see, when we Roman priests take the bread for communion and lift it in thanks, we are required to say, “Hoc Est Corpus Meum” and declare the bread to be the very body of Jesus Christ, but beloved, in my boredom and God feeling so distant, once I said, “Panis es, et panis manebis,” which is certainly the truth, that “Bread thou is, and bread thou shalt remain.” Dear Brother Martin overhead and became irate, but ever since then he has diligently studied the scriptures and has genuinely become a new man! I wish that I could take credit for his conversion, but I know that all honor and power belong to the Holy Spirit of God.<br /><br />At this very moment Brother Martin is on his way to nail his list of grievances to the door of the Cathedral where all public announcements are made. Ninety-five grievances, no more, no less, all vehemently attacking the corruption of the Church. Are these Theses perfect? No, by no means, I see a great many errors even in my early reading of the Holy Scriptures, but I have no doubt that Brother Luther will grow much in the following years, that is, if he survives this war he is about to declare. I have no doubt that he will grow greatly in his understanding of the Word, especially as he has confided that he would like to translate the Bible into the German language. But as for these Theses, some are quite good and accurate, I have here a few of his theses which I would like to read,<br /><br /><strong>#1</strong> <em>When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "Repent", He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.<br /></em><br /><strong>#21</strong> <em>Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that by the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved.<br /></em><br /><strong>#27</strong> <em>There is no divine authority for preaching that as soon as the coin in the coffer clings, a soul from purgatory springs.<br /></em><br /><strong>#32</strong> <em>All those who believe themselves certain of their own salvation by means of letters of indulgence, will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.<br /></em><br /><strong>#52</strong> <em>It is vain to rely on salvation by letters of indulgence, even if the commissary, or indeed the pope himself, were to pledge his own soul for their validity.<br /></em><br /><strong>#62</strong> <em>The true treasure of the church is the Holy gospel of the glory and the grace of God.<br /><br /></em><strong>#82</strong> <em>To wit: -- "Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls that are there, if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial."<br /></em><br />These are the statements which Brother Martin has taken to the church. I tried to stop him, asking him if his life and the unity of the Church were worth him making his statement. He replied to me that he sought peace if possible, but truth at all costs.<br /><br />Today, I see that Martin Luther is birthing a veritable Reformation of the Church! I see that unless God does a mighty work in the hearts of the Papists, we must split and become two churches, one following the truth, and the other a lie. Oh that this division would not have to happen, for many of my friends are loyal to the Papist cause, and it is my fervent hope and prayer to God that they may be saved. But see that there are great distinctions which will grow out of Martin Luther’s call for truth, something which some day may be called the Solas of the Reformation.<br /><br /><strong>Sola Fide</strong> – Faith Alone, we see this preached oh so clearly in Romans 1:17, that we are saved not by works plus faith, but by faith alone. We trust in Christ, and it is counted to us as righteousness.<br /><br /><strong>Solo Christo</strong> – Christ Alone, that our salvation was accomplished totally by our great God and Saviour on the cross and in his resurrection, not that he opened a way or made it possible for us to be saved, but that he has forever secured for us salvation, if we trust in him. Would someone please read for us Hebrews 10:14, in English, please,<br /><br />Hebrews 10:14 <em>by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.</em><br /><br /><strong>Sola Gracia</strong> – Grace Alone, of course we see now that it is not Christ plus our good deeds, but Christ alone that has saved us. Beloved, I have thought on this long and hard, and it seems that we must view grace in light of justice. For justice is when we get what we deserve, and having transgressed the laws of Heaven, what we deserve is the punishment of God. If God were to merely commute our sentence and give us mercy, we would be freed from punishment, but we would still miss Heaven. Here is grace, that what we did not deserve, entrance into the very kingdom of Heaven, God has given us as a free gift, purchased at so great a cost on Calvary’s cross.<br /><br />Romans 6:23 <em>For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.<br /></em><br /><strong>Sola Scriptura</strong> – Scripture Alone, no-one can or should speak for God apart from his Word, it is how he speaks, it is what he intends for us to know about him. The Archbishop of the Roman Church, known as the Pope, has claimed to be able to speak for God, but we have seen him fail time and time again, and it has become clear to those of us reading our Bibles that the Word is how God speaks to us, not through prayers, not through funny feelings, not through hunches, not through dreams, not (dare I say it) through Popes; but by the very Word of God.<br /><br />Romans 10:17 <em>So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.<br /><br /></em><strong>Soli Deo Gloria</strong> – Brother Martin has put it so well, <em>The true treasure of the church is the Holy gospel of the glory and the grace of God</em>. The purpose of our salvation is not primarily for our benefit, it is to exalt our Sovereign Lord, demonstrating the extent of his justice by punishing sin so violently on the cross, and magnifying his grace by giving us the righteousness of his Son freely; truly this is a gospel worthy of all acceptation.<br /><br />1 John 2:12 <em>I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.<br /></em><br /><strong>Sola Sacerdos</strong> – One of the reasons I became an Augustinian Friar is because of the things which the Papists believe the priest, the Sacerdote, is able to do. For example, you saw earlier that it is believed that I have the power to turn bread into the very body of Christ. The priest in the confessional is able to forgive sins, it is believed, and a priest can turn your money into a pardon for sin in paper form.<br /><br />The Church, and I myself, have become guilty of <em>Sacerdotalism</em>, of worshipping the priesthood instead of God! It is tragic, beloved, and if what Brother Martin has deduced from the Bible is true, it is just a matter of time before this separation of priests and laity fails and we become a church of <em>Sola Sacerdos</em>, of one priesthood, where there is no distinction in God’s eyes between male and female, slave and free, Jew and Greek, and priest and parishioner.<br /><br />In a Sacerdotal religion, only priests can approach God to receive grace, but in a religion of priests, everyone can enter into the holiest of places, for Christ has made us a congregation of priests, and now we all can enter into his holiest of places.<br /><br />Hebrews 10:19-22 <em>Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.<br /></em><br />This has huge implications for me beloved, for I stand before you in this priests’ frock, a manner for separating me from you and identifying myself as having more grace and favor than you. But if this Christ esteems us all the same and gives to us all of the same privileges, then this outfit means nothing.<br /><br />These things, beloved, that I have said to you are radical to the Church at Rome, truly I could be <strong>de</strong>frocked just for saying them, that is ejected from their priesthood, but to reject the tradition of men and be welcomed into the priesthood of Christ is gain, for though it took so long and so much effort to earn this frock, I count it as rubbish compared to the gain I have in Christ, being found in him with a righteousness not my own, but one received through faith, knowing the power of his resurrection. This may mean that I must suffer many things for his name’s sake, but I know that I will be made like him in his death, with a full assurance of partaking in his resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8-9)<br /><br />Beloved, I perceive that in the future as this Reformation of the church continues, the wearing of vestments, of robes, will become a matter of greater and greater contention. Men ordained to the gospel ministry, having read their Bible, will refuse to put on a robe, and some of them will even die for it. Others will attempt to redefine the purpose of this robe, stating that it is to take the emphasis off of the pastor and put the emphasis on the Word. Those that redefine this robe will begin to refer to it as a Geneva Gown, named in honor of the Geneva Reformation which will be sparked in only a few years. Two-hundred years in the future George Whitefield will preach in a robe very similar to this one for 18,000 sermons, calling two entire nations, England and America, to repentance in the Living Christ.<br /><br />But as for me, beloved, I will be reminded that this Reformation is born in <em>Sola Fide</em>, and it is growing in <em>Sola Scriptura</em>, and these two are vitally important, as are the rest, but if this Reformation survives until Christ returns, it will be sustained in <em>Sola Sacerdos</em>, with every believer knowing that they are a priest of the most high God, Christ our overseer of the church, and these priests will take their duties seriously, knowing the scriptures, and carrying the gospel of grace to all peoples. For beloved, there is great darkness in the world today, even in the Church, but this Reformation will preach under a banner of “<strong>Post Tenebras Lux</strong>”, that out of the darkness comes the light. This world is set to explode in light, for the Word of God has been revealed. Within fifty years, a man burned in Britain will say to his companion, “Play the man, Ridley, for we this day shall light such a candle in England as I trust shall never be put out.”<br /><br />In just a few years a new believer, William Tyndale, will translate the Bible into English, and he will say of the Roman priesthood, “A boy behind a plow will know more scripture than you.” He will lose his life, burnt at the stake, for his belief in the priesthood of believers, but his prediction will come true. Brother Martin, starting this war, will spend years in seclusion hidden in a castle as he translates the Old and New Testaments into German, and God will mercifully spare his life and bless his efforts. The printing press, invented less than 100 years ago, will ensure that these Bibles are disseminated, and that gospel tracts containing the glorious gospel of Christ will flood throughout the continent and the British isles.<br /><br />I represent any number of reformed believers, my name is lost to history, but my labor in the Lord was not in vain. I will remove this robe and preach no longer in Latin, but in the vernacular of the people, for faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of Christ. I will not submit to a man acting vicariously in the place of Christ, but my affections and loyalties will only be to the King of kings. Many whom I represent will be hunted and killed by the Papal Church, but this gospel of Christ will not fail before it accomplishes its purpose, that someone from every nation and tongue will praise the name of Christ for his grace and sacrificial death on the cross.<br /><br />Beloved, as you hear this message, I implore you first and foremost to be reconciled to God through faith in Christ and Christ alone. Then know your Bible, for it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its content. Men have bled and died so that you can own this Book and read it in English. They have given their lives in the gospel ministry, knowing that any gain apart from Christ is utter rubbish, and that each of us has only one life, and it will soon be past, and only what is done for Christ will last.</div>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2777296614273575798.post-24550201999644323232010-10-24T08:30:00.002-04:002010-10-24T13:51:42.059-04:00October 24th - Worthless Religion<strong>Prayer Requests<br /></strong>Pastor Aaron Preaching<br />Hawg Happenin’<br />-Angry girls<br />-Thief boys<br />-Rastafarian girls<br />Fall Festival<br />Kyle feeling better<br />Tyler Teaching<br />Summit people hunting<br />Kosmos - Christian Cults Night<br />Praise - Proliferation of Good Grades<br /><br /><strong>Text</strong> – Zechariah 7<br /><br />As I was preparing today’s lesson, I got furiously angry at the people in Zechariah 7, cheered for God in his response, and then felt convicted because I have been in the past, and am today, one of the people in Zechariah 7. Today we are going to look at the marks of worthless religion, of traditional ritualism, and how much it makes God mad. Our audience of Zechariah 7 today are on the receiving end of even more anger because not only are they doing religion wrongly, but they are ignoring the words of prophets who had preached before the exile.<br /><br />So, instead of reading Zechariah 7 first, let’s go to before the exile, to Isaiah 58. Isaiah was preaching about 150 years before Zechariah; he predicted both the exile and the return, he named Cyrus by name as the king of Persia who would save the Israelites from Babylon.<br /><br />Isaiah 58:3-11 <em>'Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?' Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD? "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.<br /><br /></em>The point of this passage is that the Israelites ask God, “Why isn’t our fasting and humiliation impressing you?” God gives them the reason that their fast is marred by their bad motives and actions, they are beating their employees during the fast, they are in bitterness towards their friends during the fast, and they are fasting not for the sake of God, but for their sake. Basically, they are saying, God, I really really really really want something, so I’m going to do something for you so you’ll do it for me. There is so much wrong with this it’s tragic, because it elevates our own understanding of what we need above God’s, and turns God into our divine butler or puppet.<br /><br />God tells them that what he wants is not a fast, but action done in love. He says that when these things are accomplished that the people will be greatly blessed by what he knows they need, not what they think they need. Basically this whole scripture can be summed up by what Jesus said, <strong><em>“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”</em></strong> I love one of the illustrations that God uses here in Isaiah 58, that a people who love others will be so blessed that even when they are depressed, they will still be happier than anyone else on earth.<br /><br />Hey look, a rabbit trail, let’s follow it. God is angry in Isaiah 58 and in Zechariah 7 because the only reason people are repenting is for themselves, not because it’s the right thing to do or because they love God and others. Imagine a husband and wife, how well do you think the relationship is going to go if the only time they do something nice for each other is when they want something from the other? Is that love at all? A husband should be doing nice things for his wife because he loves her, whether he gets anything out of it or not, and so should the wife do nice things because she loves her husband, not just to get him to buy her stuff.<br /><br />So should be your relationship with your parents, so with your friends, so with God. Really the only reason I prepare lessons and teach you guys and care about your lives is so you’ll grow up and get really good jobs and become ridiculously rich and then hopefully send me a massive check as thanks, or mention my name so that some publisher calls me and offers me a massive book deal… Wow, that would be the worst motive ever, it would be all about me and not about you or God at all; my wrong motive would utterly wreck any benefit I may be expecting to receive, even if the teaching is good it doesn’t make God love me anymore. The true reason I teach this class is first and foremost because God said if I love him, to feed and tend his lambs; not take care of his lambs and then he’ll love me, no he loved me long before I loved him by sending his Son to die on a cross for me. The second reason I teach this class is because I love you and want to see you grow up in the fear and admonition of the Lord, proclaiming the excellencies of him who called you out of the darkness into his marvelous light.<br /><br />Are you seeing that God is pretty upset with people who only do things to get blessings in return? This is going to be the major point of Zechariah 7, so let’s read it; this is two years after chapter 6, a lot has happened, Jerusalem is becoming a very godly place, the temple is well on the way to completion, God is dwelling in their midst, and blessings are well on their way. But we’re going to see some punks from Bethel who are utterly missing the point,<br /><br />Zechariah 7:1-14 <em>In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the LORD, saying to the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and the prophets, "Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?" Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me: "Say to all the people of the land and the priests, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? Were not these the words that the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?" And the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart." But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts. "As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear," says the LORD of hosts, "and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate."</em><br /><br />So here’s what happened, Bethel is a city about a day’s walk north of Jerusalem. The people had probably gone into the exile and only recently returned, though if they hadn’t been exiled, they would have been in a great depression for the time of the exile. At this point they have been thoroughly chastened, corrected, for their wrong beliefs before the exile. They come to pray and ask a question of God, and unfortunately we’re going to see that they’ve learned nothing.<br /><br /><strong>v.3</strong><em> "Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?"<br /><br /></em>They are speaking of July 7th, the day of remembrance for the destruction of the temple in 586BC. For 70 years now they have been fasting every July 7th in sorrow for the destruction of the temple, but now that the temple is well on its way to being rebuilt, they want to know if they can stop weeping and fasting. God doesn’t answer this question, because really they had no command to weep and fast to start with, they had invented a religious ritual which they felt would bribe God.<br /><br /><strong>v.4-6</strong> <em>Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me: "Say to all the people of the land and the priests, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?”<br /></em><br />God asks two questions, the first is, “What were your motives in fasting, were they for me?” and the second, “When you were living your lives, were they for you or for me?” Look at it this way, it’s like if we go to church on Sunday and give lip service to God, but on Monday through Saturday, we live like there is no God, and yet we say, <strong>“God, you owe me because I went to church on Sunday.”</strong> That’s what these punks from Bethel were doing.<br /><br />I want to give you the first application here, though it’s going to be reiterated in a bit, but because Christ is our righteousness and our rest (Sabbath), we honor and live for him every day, not to earn something, but because he is worthy. Let’s look at a group of people in the New Testament who were doing it wrong,<br /><br />Philippians 3:18-19 <em>For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.<br /></em><br />I want to make sure you see that this problem is not just a new problem, it’s not just an old problem, but it is a long running and growing problem that has existed for millennia and will seek to sneak into your life today; the way we kill it is by recognizing the majesty of God, and by reading his Word about what God wants.<br /><br /><strong>v.7 </strong><em>Were not these the words that the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?"<br /><br /></em>The major former prophet that God is referring to here is definitely Isaiah in chapter 58 which we read earlier, but it’s also Ezekiel, and Hosea, and Jeremiah, and Micah, let’s read the Micah verse:<br /><br />Micah 6:6-8<em> “With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" He has told you, O man, what is good; and <strong>what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”<br /></strong><br /></em>This sounds a lot like the greatest commandment, doesn’t it?<br /><br />Mark 12:29-31 <em>Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall <strong>love the Lord your God</strong> with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall <strong>love your neighbor</strong> as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."<br /></em><br />Yet the people are radically misunderstanding God’s commandments and thinking that God needs and wants them to do weird things in order for him to give them good things, namely Heaven. This is alive and well in EVERY religion except for pure Christianity. Catholics believe that if you walk in Fatima on your knees, you earn merit, Eastern Orthodox Catholics believe by looking at old stuff that belonged to saints they are making God happy, Muslims believe by reciting a rote prayer five times a day, they are pleasing God, and Hindus believe by being nice to people, they will earn a greater state in their next life.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WmMirk-2iiw?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WmMirk-2iiw?fs=1&hl=en_US" width="425" height="344" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><br />Impure Christianity believes that God wants you to pray a prayer and ask Jesus into your heart in order for you to go to Heaven. This is none more than ritual and it is exactly what these unrepentant people from Bethel were doing. You don’t go to Heaven by praying the sinner’s prayer, if you go to Heaven you go because Jesus Christ has paid your debt and given you his righteousness and he has received all of the glory for saving you; therefore you trust in him because it is the right thing to do. Beloved, in reality, if you place your faith in Jesus Christ and his righteousness is credited to you, then your ultimate destination is Heaven, even if you sat around and never did another thing. However, because Christ is worthy to be obeyed, and we obey him because we love him, we will go out and do justice and love kindness and walk humbly with God. Not to earn his merit, which we’ve already received through Christ, but because it’s the right thing to do.<br /><br />Similarly, there are a huge number of false teachers saying that in order to get closer to Christ, you must pray and read the Bible. These are no better than Pharisees and legalists, and they have neither part nor lot in the kingdom of Christ. We who were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. We now pray and read our Bibles because we are near, not to become near. We honor Christ as holy by knowing his Word and sharing our faith, but again if we just sat around, we would not lose our nearness.<br /><br />Final example, a few weeks ago I was driving to church with Tyler and we passed a broken down motorcycle. Tyler said, “We should stop.” I didn’t want to, and by doing so, it didn’t improve my relationship with Christ, but because it was the right thing to do, we stopped and found out the guy was fine and his friend was coming to pick him up. Any other religion would say that by doing this, it brought me nearer to Heaven, but beloved the true reason I did it is because I’m already IN the kingdom of Heaven, you can’t be any nearer there already in it, it was earned for me 2,000 years ago on a cross and three days later through an empty tomb.<br /><br />Here is God’s response to those who want to earn God’s love through doing weird things, telling them rather to love him and people instead of ritual.<br /><br /><strong>v.8-10 </strong><em>And the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart."<br /></em><br />Every religion besides Christianity fails to do this, and so are worthless, even though some Christians fail to do this, check out what James says,<br /><br />James 1:26-27 <em>If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, <strong>this person’s religion is worthless</strong>. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.<br /><br /></em>The law of God can be summed up in one word: <strong>love.</strong> If you love someone, you won’t lie to them, you won’t steal from them, you won’t murder them, you won’t tell them to follow something besides God, you won’t use their name as a curse word. True religion is both avoiding sin and doing right; here God tells these false believers to do right, and they don’t like it, let’s look at their response, it makes me SOOOOO mad!<br /><br /><strong>v.11-12 </strong><em>But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets.<br /><br /></em>They refused, they didn’t want God’s love unless they could earn it, they turned away, they plugged their ears, they hardened their hearts to the consistency of diamond so that they would not have to submit to God. They refused to hear the Word of God, and check this out, it says that his Spirit was the one speaking through the prophets. As angry as I am, look at God’s response,<br /><br /><strong>v.13 </strong><em>Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts. “As he called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear," says the LORD of hosts,”<br /></em><br />Before we look at this, check this out real quick, in Zechariah we have the Trinity. We have Christ as the messenger of God, we have God the Father, and we have the Holy Spirit here speaking through the prophets. God says, <strong>“As the Spirit called...”</strong> He refers to the Spirit as a person here, it’s awesome. Come to <em>Pneuma</em> in November to learn more about the Person of the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />God is furious, so because the people would not hear his Word, he promises not to hear their words. This is reminiscent of a man with worthless religion who died and went to Hell, turn to Luke 16, let’s read 26-31,<br /><br />Luke 16:26-31<em> Between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' But Abraham said, <strong>'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.'</strong> And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'<br /></em><br />God’s Word is God’s Word to us, it is how he speaks, for in times past he spoke in many ways to the prophets, but in these last days he speaks only through his Son, the Word. Jesus says that if any has ears to hear, let him hear; so beloved, today, hear the Word of God and forsake worthless religion, don’t rely on ritual, but rely on Christ and when he makes you born again, see that faith in him is genuine because it brings forth fruit keeping with repentance. The Bible says there are two types of religious people, people who are sorry because their sin has hurt them, and those who are sorry because their sin has offended God and hurt others.<br /><br />2 Corinthians 7:10 <em>For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.<br /></em><br />Let your repentance be from and towards Heaven, so that you love God and love your neighbor, seeking to do things that will lead others to Christ not to earn his favor, but because you already have his favor, and you love him and wish to keep his commands. The last verse of Zechariah would cause me to rejoice in God’s justice, if it weren’t pointed at me. Beloved I have utterly sinned against Heaven, no doubt that God should punish me a hundred times worse than we are going to see in a moment, but a true repentance is one that can say, <strong>“God, for your glory sending me to Hell would be justified, I deserve it for blaspheming your name, for misrepresenting your character, for failing to love you and my neighbor, and for causing so much damage through my sin.”</strong> So as we read this last verse, I know it should be me, and beloved, it should be you too, but we have a grace from God which will be revealed more fully next week,<br /><br /><strong>v.14 </strong><em>"and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate."<br /></em><br />Fortunately for us, though we should be included in these people, desiring to earn God’s favor, he has transformed us from children of the darkness into sons and daughters of the day. He has taken our diamond hardened heart and replaced it with a heart that loves him,<br /><br />Ezekiel 36:26-27 <em>And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.<br /></em><br />The neat part is that verse 28 will be quoted in chapter 13 pointing it definitely at God’s people. So beloved, forsake worthless religion, don’t do rituals because you think God wants you to do rituals or because you think it will earn you something. Rather know why you’re doing things, do them out of love and out of a renewed heart, do them because they are the right thing to do and they glorify Christ, whether you get anything out of them at all. And beloved, the great irony is that if you do nice things not expecting to get anything out of it, then you will get a huge amount out of it.<br /><br />Proverbs 11:23-25 <em>The desire of the righteous ends only in good; the expectation of the wicked in wrath. One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.<br /></em><br />This Proverb says that as you give then you will receive, if you hide things for yourself you will lose them, but of course this has to be done in the motive that if you receive nothing in return, you won’t feel bad for rightly representing your King, for ultimately his glory should be your reward. These things will always be keeping in the will of Christ, don’t expect to give a dollar and get back ten, rather give freely and be repaid bountifully in blessings.<br /><br />And finally, we started this with fasting, let’s conclude it with fasting, should we give God one day out of thirty in a fast, and eat and live for ourselves the rest of the days? Or should we give thanks to God in all circumstances and fast and eat for his glory, loving people for Christ’s name’s sake, and pointing everyone towards the goodness and mercy of God? Let’s let Paul answer this one:<br /><br />1 Corinthians 10:31 <em>So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. </em>Canyon Shearer, DMinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532193132267331015noreply@blogger.com0